Hello, Monday!

Hello everyone! I hope your week is getting off to a good start. I've had a pretty lazy morning so far. I'd better enjoy them because we only have a couple of weeks left of summer break. Then it will be back to the school routine. Oh, summer, why do you always go by so quickly?!

I have a quick layout to share with you today. We had a Weekend Warriors sketch class over at Inspired to Scrap a couple of weekends ago, and this is a layout that I made using one of Stacey's great sketches.

The sketch was perfect for using 6x6 papers and scraps. Finally - I used a 6x6 paper pad on a layout! I loved this AWESO{ME} collection from Simple Stories when it first came out, but was late to the party in buying it. By the time I decided I wanted it, it was hard to find! I did find the 6x6 paper pad and the 12x12 Basics paper pack, but no other 12x12 paper or embellishments. This paper pad has been sitting in my stash for a long time. We're talking at least a year if not longer, so I was happy to finally put it to use.

I cut the "It takes some serious talent to be this awesome" piece out of one of the 6x6 cut apart sheets, and you can't go wrong with stars on a boy page, so I die cut some different sized stars from the patterned paper to embellish my layout.

This was a very quick and easy layout and I love the way it turned out. Of course, when you're working with product you love and photos you love, you can't go wrong!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Have a great one!

Pool Party For One - Lasting Memories #252

Hello and welcome to my blog! I hope you all are having a great day!

There's a new challenge up over on the Lasting Memories blog today. This week we are challenging you to add a cluster to your layout.

I will admit that I love clusters, but I have a hard time making them look the way that I want them to. It's a work in progress, and I'm sure that one day the will get easier for me!

 

Supplies used - Patterned Paper - blue check - Doodlebug Designs - Sunkissed collection, blue dot - The Paper Studio, blue grid - Echo Park - Creative Agenda, wood grain - Echo Park - Summer Bliss collection, pink dot - Echo Park - Splendid Sunshine collection, multi colored stripe - Best of Pebbles paper pad, Ephemera pack - Echo Park - I Love Sunshine, Brads - Echo Park, Summer Bliss, tokens - Doodlebug Designs, baker's twine - Close To My Heart, Alphabet stickers - Thickers - "Pool Party", Echo Park - Hello Summer - "For One".

I actually made a double page layout this week! I used to only make double page layouts, but lately have gotten away from it. It was fun to work with more photos and a bigger space for a change! These photos are of Ada after we'd been at the zoo most of the day. She was ready to come to Nana and Pops' house and get in her little pool!

I added a couple of clusters to my layout.

 

I used to not buy a lot of the embellishments/ephemera packs that went along with a collection, but they make it really easy to make these cute little clusters.

 

I used this double page sketch from the July 2015 PageMaps:

 

I loved this double page sketch the minute I saw it and knew I would be using it soon. In fact, there were a lot of sketches from this month that I hope to get around to using. If you haven't checked them out already, you can see them all here.

 

Head on over to the Lasting Memories blog and see the rest of the design team's creations. You have until July 31st to link up to any or all of the challenges for a chance to win this paper pack from me:

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great day!

 



Sketch N Scrap Card Sketch #54 - Hello

Hello everyone! I have just the thing to get your week started off right - the latest card sketch from Sketch N Scrap!





 

This fun sketch was created by Lisa, and I foresee me using it again and again!

 

 

I used a combination of Basic Grey's Fact and Fiction 6x6 paper pads. Both of the green prints are from the Fiction 6x6 pad, and the solid green I used to mat is from the Fact 6x6 pad. I used a doily for the semi circle at the top, and some green flowers from my stash that I didn't think I was ever going to use!

 

This card came together very quickly and I love the end result. I know I will be using this sketch again.

 

Head on over to the Sketch N Scrap blog and see what the rest of the design team have created. I am sure you will be inspired to play along!

 

That's it for today! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and have a fantastic day!

Just Too Cute - Lasting Memories #251

Good Sunday morning! I hope that you are all enjoying your weekend. We spent some time at the pool yesterday. That's about the only place we want to be on these hot days! Ada liked the kiddie pool when we first got there, but when we took her over to the big pool that was it, we all stayed in the big pool for the rest of the time we were there. Ada thought she was much too big for that kiddie pool. I did get this picture of her and her Uncle Matt in the kiddie pool. Not many 17 year old boys would hang out with their niece in the kiddie pool - but they were having fun!

Now, on to the new challenge at Lasting Memories. This week we have a beautiful color challenge for you. Use these colors in your layout:

 

And here is my layout:

 

 

I haven't scrapped many photos from when Matthew was a baby, and I don't know why. He was - and still is - such a cutie! He had the roundest little baby face and the chubbiest little cheeks!

 

I picked some random papers from my stash that I thought matched the colors in the challenge. They are all Echo Park, with the exception of the solid blue, and it is from an older My Mind's Eye collection.

 

I bought this Pebbles From Me To You alphabet roller stamp at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago, and I love it!

 

 

It takes some playing around with it to get it to stamp the way I want it to, but I love the end result, and I love these little word banners!

 

 

That little blue acrylic "love" button has been in my stash for a long time. The date on the package says 2004, and it was made by Junkitz. Does anyone even remember that company? I know I still have a few pieces of paper from them and quite a few packages of these acrylic pieces and buttons. I am so happy I finally got the chance to use this piece, and I think it's perfect for this layout.

 

I based my layout on this sketch by Brenda Ragsdale:

 

Be sure to check out the Lasting Memories blog and see the beautiful creations from the rest of the design team. I hope you have the time to play along. Remember - I'm giving away this paper pack to one lucky winner at the end of the month.

 

 

 

 All you have to do is play along with any or all of our challenges this month, and link up over on the Lasting Memories blog for your chance to win.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I will leave you with one more photo of Miss Ada at the pool! Have a great day!

 

 





Sketches In Thyme #157 - If You Give A Boy A Box

Hello again! Today is my day over on the Sketches In Thyme blog with my take on this week's sketch.

Here is the sketch designed by Shawn:

 

And here is my take on the sketch:

 

 

This is one of those layouts that I had envisioned in my mind what I wanted to do, but just couldn't quite get it to translate to the papers the way I wanted it to. After all is said and done, I like the way that it turned out, but I don't know that it is one of my favorites.

 

I chose Kraft cardstock for my background and just realized that every single layout I have made for my Sketches In Thyme design team assignments has had Kraft cardstock for the background. Maybe it's because all of my layouts have been (mostly) about my boys. Maybe it's because I just like to use Kraft as a background. Whatever the case, hopefully I will change it up for my next layout!

 

Anyway, Kraft was my obvious choice for this layout, thanks to the cardboard box in the photos. I even found some corrugated stars and jute twine that I have had in my stash for ages, to use, too. In fact, everything on this layout is older things from my stash...at least I'm using it up!

 

The journaling just continues off of the title and says, "If you give a boy a box...he can play for hours! Shane was happy & content to just sit in the box, but if Abby or Matthew would push him around in it - it was even better! Ah - the joy of an empty box & an imagination!"

 

Our sponsor for July is Chickydoodle.



 



 

This month's winner will win a $15 shopping spree at this fun Etsy shop! All you have to do to win is to follow the Sketches In Thyme blog, play along with any or all of the sketch challenges this month, and link up your layout on the Sketches In Thyme blog.

 

That's it for me today. I am off of here and ready to spend some time with my granddaughter! Have a great day and I'll be back tomorrow with another layout to share!

.

Sketch N Scrap #85 - Fun New Friend

**This is my second post for the day. If you're looking for my Feeling Sketchy reveal, please click here.**

 

 

Hello again! I am back with a layout I created using Kelly's July 15th sketch at Sketch N Scrap.

 

 

This is one of those sketches that I know I will be using again and again. 

 

Supplies used - Patterned Paper - Echo Park - pink - A Beautiful Life collection, blue - A Perfect Summer collection, yellow and striped - Fine & Dandy collection, stickers - Echo Park - Fine & Dandy, cats - EK Success, Alphas - "Fun & New" - Echo Park - Sweet Girl collection, "Friend" - Lawn Fawn Quinn's ABC's Dies, heart die - Paper Smooches, enamel dots - The Paper Studio, chevron punch - American Crafts.

 

I took these photos of Miss Ada after she found one of Uncle Matt's old stuffed animals and claimed it for her own. She carried it around everywhere she went and gave it lots and lots of love.

 

When I saw the sticker on the Fine & Dandy sticker sheet that said, "It doesn't matter where you're going, it's who you have beside you." I knew it would be perfect for this layout. Ada with her new friend, riding around on her little car, looking for an adventure. The sticker actually had 2 little turtles on it, but I found these cat stickers in my stash and they fit perfectly over the turtles.

 

Be sure to check out the Sketch N Scrap blog to see how the rest of the design team interpreted this fun sketch.

 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Feeling Sketchy #125 - Happy Christmas

Good morning! We are half way through the week and half way through July. Summer is just speeding by!

I have the latest sketch from Feeling Sketchy to share with you today, and I know I say this every time, but I love this sketch! It's another one that would make a great layout, too.

I chose to make a card for today.

 

supplies used - Patterned Paper - green dot - Bo Bunny, Echo Park - Tis the Season 6x6 paper pad - all others, sentiment - Close To My Heart - B1390- Countdown, ink - Lawn Fawn - Black Licorice, enamel dots, - The Paper Studio.

I am in a small scrapbook group and we are having a Christmas in July card challenge all month long, so I have been in the mood to make some Christmas cards. Sadly, when I went back and looked, this card didn't fit any of the prompts that have been posted so far. But, hey - I have a Christmas card already made for this year! Hopefully I'll get a few more made for my group, that actually fit the prompt, before the end of the month.

At the beginning of the summer I had posted that I have a lot of 6x6 paper pads. I haven't done very well with using them on layouts, but I have used them on all of my cards that I have made so far. I'm still no where close to using them all up, but at least I'm putting a dent in them!

Our sponsor this time around is Polkadoodles. Be sure to check out the Feeling Sketchy blog today to learn more about our sponsor and to see what the rest of the design team has created. I hope you find some time to play along with us!

Thanks for stopping by! I will be back a little later today with a layout to share with you.

Have a great one!

Lasting Memories #250 - Nothing But Time

Happy Sunday, everyone!

I am super excited to share this week's challenge from Lasting Memories with you today. This week we are challenging you to use 3 different patterned papers on your layout.

I chose to scrap these photos of my oldest son when he was little. I recently came across these while looking for photos for a different layout, and I wanted to finally get them scrapped. Matthew was between 3 1/2 and 4 years old (he's now 17!) and he had told us that he needed a watch so he could tell time. We found this Snoopy watch and he loved it! The Snoopy head lifted up to reveal the time - digital, of course - and the rest of the Peanuts gang. He thought he was pretty big stuff, checking the time for us - every - few - seconds - all - day - long! The newness wore off after a couple of days. He still wore it, but at least he wasn't giving us time updates every few seconds!

I used an old collection from My Mind's Eye called Alphabet Soup - Boy for my patterned papers. It is one of my all time favorite collections from them, and when I found this paper pad at Michael's last year for $5 I had to get me some more! I just love the pretty colors in this collection.

I'm not sure what is the deal with me lately, but I have been doing a lot of hidden journaling on my layouts.  For this layout I just wrote up my journaling on some cardstock, put a pull tab at the top, and slid it behind my photos.

I also used this past weeks Make It Monday sketch #43 from The Memory Nest. They started their summer challenges with this sketch and it lasts until September 1. Be sure to stop by The Memory Nest and check it out.

 Here is the sketch in case you want to play along:

 

That's about it for today. Head on over to the Lasting Memories blog and see the rest of the design team's creations. Remember, I am offering up the prize for this month. All you have to do for a chance to win is to play along with any, or all, of this month's challenges and link them up over on the Lasting Memories blog. The more times you play, the better your chances.

 

Here's a look at the prize:

 

I hope you have a fantastic day!

Sketch N Scrap Twistback Thursday #7

Hello everyone! I hope that you are having a good day. Today is Twistback Thursday over on the Sketch N Scrap blog. Heather picked a sketch from October 2013 for us to work with and the twist is to use vintage/old photos.

Here is the sketch:

 

And my layout:

 

I don't have a lot of old photos of me as a kid handy, so when I saw the challenge was to use vintage/old photos, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. My sister had recently made a photo book, and I knew she had used these photos of our Mom and Dad, and I asked her for a copy. That was much quicker than me going to my other sister's house to go through all of our family albums. (Although I need to do that so I can get copies of the photos I want!)

These photos are of my Mom and Dad on their wedding day in 1960. I dug out some old My Mind's Eye papers that I thought fit the feel of vintage, and of course I had to use those black photo corners! I remember looking through Mom's old family photo albums when I was a kid, and that's how all of those old photos were attached.

Going through all of my old photos, looking for something that would work, I realized that I have so many photos from when my kiddos were little that I still need to scrap. I am in no way a chronological scrapper, I just scrap whatever pictures I feel like at the time, but I do want to start making an effort of getting more of my older photos scrapped. I don't want to forget anymore of these stories than I already have. So, for the next few months you may see current photos or photos from 10+ years ago - just whatever I am in the mood to scrap!

Be sure to check out the Sketch N Scrap and see the gorgeous layouts that the rest of the team have made. I hope that you will be inspired to play along with us. I would love to see your creations using the sketch and vintage/old photos.

Have a great day!

Sketch N Scrap #84 - Graduating 8th Grade

**This is my second post for today. If you're looking for my Feeling Sketchy reveal please scroll down or go here.**

 

 

Hello again! I super excited to share with you my first reveal for Sketch N Scrap. I have to tell you that all of these ladies are a pleasure to work with!

 

Lisa has provided us with the first sketch of the month, and it is a great one!

 

 

And here is my layout:

Supplies used - Bella Blvd Star Student collection, small black alpha stickers - Simple Stories, enamel dots - Doodlebug Designs, star die - Paper Smooches, arrow die - Cuttlebug.

 

When I first saw the sketch I immediately thought of maybe scrapping some 4th of July photos - the colors and the stars - that was just my first thought. Does that happen to you when you see a sketch? I tried not to go to the obvious (for me!) and decided to scrap these photos of my son on the night of his 8th grade graduation.

 

My youngest son, Shane, graduated from 8th grade back in May. Well, sort of! He had a major meltdown that evening when we got to the school. It was just way too loud and chaotic for him. We tried to wait and see if his para could calm him down enough to participate in the ceremony, but he just was not going to have it. We made the decision to take him home.

 

Before we left and the actual ceremony began, the principal did give Shane his diploma, in the hallway by his classroom, where it was much quieter and calmer. My sister snapped a picture of me, Shane, and his para before we left. Mrs. Boyd is absolutely wonderful with Shane and has been a godsend for us. We are so fortunate to have her in our lives! This adventure called autism that we are on is never dull!

 

Be sure to check out the Sketch N Scrap blog to see the rest of the design team's creations! I hope you have the time to play along - you have until the end of the month to link up your layout!

 

I am also linking this up to the Paper Issues - You Rule The School link party. (8/31/15)

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

 





Feeling Sketchy #124 - Sweetness Overload

Hello everyone! Happy hump day! Here we are at the first of the month again, and I have a fun sketch to share with you from Feeling Sketchy.

When I first saw this sketch I knew it was going to be perfect for a layout.

I had these super sweet photos of Miss Ada that I had printed off in 4x4's, and I thought they would be perfect to use. I still had the Bella Blvd Molly collection out, and since it had a piece of paper with cupcakes on it - well, it was a no brainer - I had to use it!

For my title I wanted to use "Sweetness Overload" because the photos are so sweet, and so are those cupcakes. I didn't have any small letter stickers for the word "sweetness" in the colors that I wanted, and I really didn't feel like stamping them and cutting them out. I found a piece of Echo Park Creative Agenda paper in my stash that had words all over it in a crossword form and found all of the letters I needed in the colors I needed and cut them out that way. I added a couple of puffy stickers to it and I love the end result!

Head on over to the Feeling Sketchy blog to see how the other design team members interpreted this sketch. There are a lot of gorgeous projects for inspiration.
Thanks for stopping by! I'll be back a little later with another post!