Lasting Memories #282

Hello everyone! I hope that you are enjoying your weekend. We have had another beautiful weekend around here, filled with lots of time outdoors. I can't wait until we can have the doors and windows open all the time!

We have a new challenge up over on the Lasting Memories blog today. Since it is almost March 1st, we have a new theme and a new set of challenges for you to work with. Our theme for March is, "Welcome to the Oscars" and our first challenge is, "Glitter and Glam". We want to see lots of glitter, bling, gems, etc. on your layout!

I made a layout to add to my daughter's wedding album...yeah, still working on that one 4 years later! I'll get this album finished eventually!

One of Abby's all time favorite Disney movies is Beauty And The Beast. Once it was released on video, she would watch it at least once a day, and she had it memorized and would act it out from beginning to end - wrapping her Minnie Mouse blanket around her shoulders for her cape - all the time! One of her favorite scenes is when Gaston lifts the girls up on the bench. I don't remember who suggested this at her wedding, but Shawn and his buddies were happy to re-create the scene - at least their version, it's kind of the opposite, but it was fun for Abby to live out her favorite scene.

I used a sketch from Scrapbook Generation's February 2016 downloads. I wanted to keep the overall design pretty simple with the focus on the photos. I used her wedding colors and some metallic gold paper and gold glitter letters. That metallic paper reminded of the oscar trophy given out to the winners. That metallic paper is also a challenge to get a good photo of! I will add some hidden journaling telling the story of these photos.

Head on over to the Lasting Memories blog to see the layouts from the rest of the team. I hope that you'll play along with our challenge this week. I would love to see your glitter and glam pages!

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

Sketch Monday @ SBC

Hello again! This is my second post of the day. If you're looking for my Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge reveal, please scroll down or go here.

I am back with the latest sketch from Scrapbook Challenges.

I kept my layout of Miss Ada very clean and simple, as I wanted to keep the focus on that cute photo. She went through a phase where she wanted her picture taken (a lot!) and then she would immediately want to see it - so much so - that she was reaching for the camera before the picture was actually taken!

I also wanted to try using this heart roller stamp that I'd gotten at Tuesday Morning a while back. I inked it up and ran it under the photo area, not worrying about how great the coverage was - I wanted it to be a bit imperfect. Then I added some messy thread in a few places (it's kind of hard to see it in the photo!) and some enamel dots to finish it off.

Check out the Scrapbook Challenges blog to see how the other design team members interpreted this sketch. Be sure to check back on Wednesday and Friday for our last two sketch crew crush challenges.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day!

Have A Lovely Day with AHSC #148

Good Monday morning! I hope that you had a great weekend and are ready for a new week! We spent a lot of time outside this weekend since the weather was beautiful, and I cannot wait for spring!

We have a new sketch posted for you over on the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge blog today.

I used the beautiful Charlotte papers from Close To My Heart for this card. The colors in this collection are just so pretty. I also used the Doodled Designs Flair stamp for my circle and Lovely Birthday for my sentiment.

Be sure to check out the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge blog  to see the sketch and to read all of the details. I hope you have some time to play along with us!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I'll be back soon with another project to share!

Sketch N Scrap Card Sketch #68

Good morning! Happy Saturday! I hope that you are all doing well and that you are ready for the weekend! We have had gorgeous weather the last few days and it's supposed to continue for a few more. I say bring on spring!

I have the last card challenge of the month from Sketch N Scrap to share with you today. Heather has created another great sketch for us to use.

This is a great sketch with lots of possibilities, and I know I will be using it again.

I really wanted to make myself use washi tape on my card for the strips, but I just didn't do it. I'm not sure why - I think I must have something against washi tape! I seriously don't know why...

Anyway, enough about my troubles with washi! I used Echo Park's This and That Charming collection for this card. The sentiment was actually on the sticker sheet for this collection, and it was perfect for what I was wanting to do with the sketch.

This is one of the collections that I had chosen for my "Use It Or Lose It" February edition, but this month has been so busy I haven't even had a chance to organize it all and do a post about it! All for good reason, which I will explain in my upcoming post. So, I will be carrying it over to March and hopefully will have a post up about it before the end of February! I will continue on my mission to get it used up!

Head on over to Sketch N Scrap  to see the lovely cards from the rest of the design team. You have until the 29th to play along with us and have a chance at this fun prize:

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you enjoy your weekend!

Scrapbook Challenges - Sketch Crew Crush - Me!!

Hello everyone! Happy Friday! Are you ready for the weekend? I know I am - and I even got a head start on it today! I didn't have my granddaughter, so I took advantage of the "day off" and went scrappy shopping! I had beautiful weather, too - 70's and sunshine - it doesn't get any better than that!

We have another Sketch Crew Crush challenge up on the Scrapbook Challenges blog today and today's crush is yours truly!

Your challenge today is to make a card and share it with us over on the blog. Be sure to check out the Scrapbook Challenges blog to see the cards from the rest of the design team.

I hope you get a chance to make a card and play along with us! I would love to see your creations!

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

Sketches In Thyme #185

Hi guys! We have made it to Thursday - one day closer to the weekend! This has seemed like a long week to me - probably because I've had a sick boy home from school for the majority of it.

Today is my day to be featured over on the Sketches In Thyme blog. This week we are working with a fantastic double page sketch from the talented Brenda Ragsdale.

I just love Brenda's sketches! They are so easy to work with. I just had a hard time deciding what photos I wanted to scrap. I thought about 4th of July photos with a star, or birthday layouts of my kids from when they were little, using a star or circle. So many possibilities with this great sketch! Finally I decided to go with the heart and scrap these photos of me and my hubby at our 25th anniversary party.

I used what few sheets of Simple Stories' - The Story Of Us - collection, and embellished it with silver sequins, silver glitter hearts and tape, and the 25 years is actually metallic silver - you just can't tell it in the photo. Of course I had to go heavy on the silver since it was our silver anniversary!

Be sure to check out the Sketches In Thyme blog  for this sketch and the first two sketches of the month. If you play along and link up over on the blog, you will be entered for a chance to win this fun prize:

Wouldn't that be a fun prize to play with?!

Thanks for stopping by today! Have a great day!

Scrapbook Challenges - Crew Crush - Kate

Hello, hello! Happy Wednesday! I hope that your week is going good. We are trying to fight off colds around our house - myself included. There is nothing fun about runny noses, sore throats, and such. We are supposed to have beautiful - spring like weather the rest of the week, so I'm hoping that will help us all feel better. It can't hurt!

We have another Sketch Crew Crush challenge today over on the Scrapbook Challenges blog. Today we are crushin' on Kate!

Kate is the Queen of using graphic patterns on her layouts - something I struggle with, especially if they are big, bold prints! Kate makes using these patterns look so easy!

Here is my layout using some graphic patterns:

This layout is about my daughter, Abby, and how she came to love these wolf t-shirts. What started out as a joke has now turned into a fashion statement! She and Shawn decided back a few years ago that they needed to get matching wolf shirts - or at least somewhat matching - for the 4th of July - more as a joke than anything else. They searched high and low for the perfect shirts, and sure enough wore them for the 4th. Since then they are always on the lookout for new wolf shirts. Abby found this one a couple of years ago at Christmastime, and it is her go to shirt for Christmas Eve. She adds a scarf and cardigan with it, and she rocks it! She now thinks these shirts are pretty awesome for reals - and hopes to find one in Ada's size eventually!

Head on over to the Scrapbook Challenges blog for some inspiration from Kate and to see how the other design team members were inspired by Kate's style. For even more inspiration, check out Kate's beautiful blog - Blues Blog And My Scrappin' Fascination.

We have had so many fantastic entries already this month! I hope that you find some time to play along with us - I would love to see what you create!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Try Stampin' - Or Not - On Tuesday #258

Hello everyone! I hope that you are having a great start to your week! We have a new sketch posted for you over on the Try Stampin' blog today and it is a fun one.

This sketch this week also comes with an optional theme of  "Love Is In The Air". I just chose to go with the sketch for my card this week.

I used Pink Paislee's Hello Sunshine 6x6 paper pad and a stamp that I have had in my stash for quite a while and never used. I thought the over sized sentiment was a perfect fit for the block on the sketch.

Stop by the Try Stampin' blog to see the beautiful creations from the rest of the team. You have 2 weeks to join in this challenge, and you can enter on the blog or on our Facebook page - Try Stampin' - Or Not - On Tuesday.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Use Your Stuff #211

Hello again! This is my third post for the day. For my Memory Nest reveal, please go here. For my Feeling Sketchy reveal, please go here.

I am back with the latest challenge from Use Your Stuff. This week Shirley has challenged us to use only black and white on our projects.

I created a card for my project using Close To My Heart's - In The Background - Flair stamp for the stripes. I have had this stamp set since it first came out a few years ago, and I am ashamed to say this is the first time I have ever used it! I have so many things in my scrap room that are neglected. I really need to put forth the effort to use what I have!

Head on over to the Use Your Stuff blog to see the creations from the rest of the team. I hope you find some time to play along with our challenge this week!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day!

Feeling Sketchy #139

Hello everyone! This is my second post of the day. If you're looking for my Memory Nest reveal please scroll down or go here.

Today is the 15th and that means it's time for the mid month sketch at Feeling Sketchy!

This is another one of those sketches that I think would make a great layout, too!

Be sure to check out the Feeling Sketchy blog to read more about our sponsor for this sketch and to see the creations from the rest of the design team.

Thanks for stopping by! I will be back soon with another reveal!

Make It Monday #54 With The Memory Nest

Hello everyone! I hope that you had a good weekend and are ready to get the new week started!

If you are looking for something fun to work on, we have a new sketch posted over at The Memory Nest, and I am sharing it with you here as well.

This sketch really challenged me! I tried to get it to work in layout form but ended up turning it into a card, and I love the way it turned out!

Originally I was going to stamp the images and then color them in, but I really liked the black and white against the red paper, so I decided to leave them uncolored. I may go back and add a little bling to one of the corners of each box, but I don't won't it to get too lumpy for mailing - each box is already popped up with foam tape.

Head on over to The Memory Nest  to see the beautiful creations from the rest of the team. I hope you join us in our sketch challenges this month!  I would love to see what you create!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I will be back soon with another project to share!

Lasting Memories #280 - Catching Up On The News

Hello, hello! How are you today? I am waiting to see if we get any of the wintry weather that they forecast for us today. Nothing major - just a possibility of light freezing precipitation and cold temperatures. I should not complain as we've had a pretty mild winter, but man it is cold!

Lasting Memories has a new challenge posted over on the blog today. The theme for February is "The Blues" and we have a photo/color inspiration challenge for you to use. Here is the photo for this week:

I found these old photos of Matthew "reading" the newspaper, and thought they would work well for the color inspiration from the photo. I stretched it a little in the taupe area with using kraft, but maybe it's close enough!

Once again I did not write the date down on the back of these photos, but I know that they were taken sometime during the holiday season of 1999. I was pregnant with Shane (I could tell this by the shirt I was wearing in one of the photos that I had to crop down) and the ads that Matthew was looking at were holiday ads. He just looks like a little man in these photos with his jeans and button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and looking at the paper right along with the rest of us. I know my Mom had to have taken these photos since I was in the background. I am so thankful that she loved to take pictures of the kids when they were over at her house, and she always got doubles made to give to us. 

Be sure to check out the Lasting Memories blog to see the layouts from the other team members. You have until the 26th to play along with our challenges this month.

Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Welcome Little One With Stick It Down

Hello again! This is my second post of the day. If you're looking for my Sketches In Thyme Project Life Style reveal, please scroll down, or go here.

I am back to share my card with you that I made for this month's card sketch at Stick It Down. Here's a reminder of the sketch that was posted on the first:

My first thought was to turn the sketch 90 degrees to make a horizontal card instead of a vertical card, but when I started working with it, I liked it this way just as well. I used some Simple Stories Hello Baby collection for this cute little baby girl card. 

Check out the Stick It Down blog today to see the rest of the card team's reveal. You have until the end of the month to play along with all of our challenges.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope that you have a great day!

Sketches In Thyme Project Life Style #14

Hello everyone! Happy Friday to you! I can't believe we've already made it around to Friday again. Time just keeps flying by!

Today is my day to be featured over on the Sketches In Thyme Project Life Style blog. I'm taking a little break from my granddaughter's first year album and I thought I would share my week one layout from 2015. Yes, you read that right - it's not a typo - 2015! More on that after I show you the sketch and my card.

 (This is only the left hand page in a double page spread for this first few days of 2015. I'll have the companion page up in a couple of days!)

To me the sketch looks like it was meant for a journaling card, but I made mine into a title card. Once again that's the great thing about sketches - they are just a starting point.

As I said before - this is week one of 2015. Now I know there are a lot of people out there that would be freaking out to be over a year behind on Project Life. Does it bother me? Not at all!

I have discovered a couple of things the last couple of years when I tried Project Life and failed, and I am learning as I go what works for me. Here is what I have learned and why I'm not bothered about being behind.

 I have kept a planner for the last couple of years, and even though the memory may not be as sharp as if I were to work on it right away, I have enough written down to document the stories that I want to remember.

In every aspect of my life, I am a thinker. If a problem comes up, I will think about it and work through it in my head before I ever talk about it. I am also this way in my scrappy style. It is rare that I see a sketch or challenge and sit down to work on it right away. Instead I think about it - planning it all out in my head - before I ever sit down to work on it at my scrap desk. That's just the way I am. So, I guess I have to get to the point of feeling like I am ready to work on Project Life - and I finally am ready to tackle 2015!

Maybe over the next few weeks I'll get to feeling like I'm ready to go ahead and start working on 2016, but I'm in no hurry. I just want to enjoy the process without feeling overwhelmed or like there is some hidden rule that it needs to be done right now.

Be sure to check out the Sketches In Thyme Project Life Style blog. We have new inspiration every single day!

That'll do it for me for now. I will be back a little later with another design team reveal, so stay tuned!

Scrapbook Challenges #470

Hello again! This is my second post of the day. If you are looking for my Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge reveal, please scroll down or go here.

I am back to share the latest sketch from Scrapbook Challenges with you! It's another fun sketch to work with!

A few weeks ago Matthew told me that he needed some photos of himself from the time he was a baby, all the way up until now, for a slide show for graduation. We spent a couple of days going through old photos to find some for him to take. While looking for them I came across a lot of old photos of him that I have not scrapped, so I kept out quite a few to start working on.

These photos were taken on August 10, 2003. That was a Sunday, so I am sure this was the last weekend before he started kindergarten the next Thursday. I guess this was the last bit of summer fun - spending a day at the pool!

I had picked up the Splash collection from Echo Park at Tuesday Morning right after Christmas for $5.99. I just love a great deal! They were the perfect papers for these photos of my cute boy!

Head on over to the Scrapbook Challenges blog  to see the layouts from the rest of the design team. I hope you find some time to play along with our challenges this month!

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

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #146

Good Monday morning! I hope that you are having a good start to the week!

We have a new sketch posted over on the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge blog today, and it is a fun one with lots of possibilities.

For my card I pulled out my favorite Pebbles 6x6 paper pad - Seen and Noted - and created another Valentine's Day card. Just when I think I've made my last one of these, I turn around and make another!  I just love the colors and the patterns in this collection. Teal, red, and grey is one of my favorite color combos and this collection is made up of just that.

Be sure to stop by the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge blog and read all the details about the challenge. I hope that you are inspired to play along with us!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I will be back soon!

Some Happy News To Share

Hello everyone! I am just popping in to share some happy news with you on this Superbowl Sunday.

I am excited to announce that I am on the design team for Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge blog! This is an incredibly talented group of ladies and I am so thrilled to be working with them.

I am on Team B and my first reveal will be tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Be sure to check out their blog - Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge - they have a fantastic new sketch posted every Monday morning. Your project doesn't have to be just a card, it can be a layout or anything else, as long you use the sketch.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Be sure to stop by tomorrow to see my first reveal!

SBC - Sketch Crew Crush - "Kelly!"

Hi guys! Happy Friday! Are you ready for the weekend? I know I am!

Scrapbook Challenges has a new sketch crew crush today! Today we have a crush on Kelly!

Kelly has a clean and simple style - something that I can totally relate to - and that is our challenge to you. Create a clean and simple layout.

Here is my clean and simple layout inspired by Kelly:

Kelly's style is a lot like my own, so this layout was a quick and easy one for me. I even scraplifted this layout from Kelly from last month.

 

 

You are getting a sneak peek at the collection I am using for my use it or lose it challenge to myself for February. (I will hopefully have that post up in a day or two. I am still tweaking what I'm going to do/use.)

 

Head on over to the Scrapbook Challenges blog to check out the inspiration from Kelly and see how the other design team members were inspired by her style. If you want to see even more of Kelly's beautiful work, check out her blog here.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you have a fantastic Friday!

Use It Or Lose It January Wrap Up

Hello everyone! I hope that you are having a good day! I am popping in today to share my projects that are a result of my use it or lose it challenge to myself. If you've visited my blog at all over the last month you've probably seen most of these, but I thought I would take a picture or two of all of it together.

So, back in January I challenged myself to pick a paper collection from my stash and get it used up. Whatever was left would go in a donation box, or go in the trash. For January I picked Crate Paper's Love Notes collection. Here is what I started with:

 

 

All together I made 9 cards and 2 layouts.

 

 

I cut down what scraps I could into a 4x6 size and a 3x4 size for pocket style cards.

 

 

This is what I had left:

 

 

3 full sheets - the cut apart sheet will definitely be kept, and the other paper is actually the same, just showing both sides of it. I may keep one sheet of it because I know I could use it for cards if nothing else.

 

Here are the scraps that are left:

 

I will keep a few of the larger pieces to embellish my pocket style cards with, but the rest will just go in the trash.

 

Let me tell you, by the end of the month I was wondering why I had challenged myself to do this! I was so tired of this collection and I think I could've thrown it all in the trash without a second thought. I wasn't sure I would continue on in February. It's definitely going to be a challenge for me to stick to one collection until it is done.

 

Looking back I am happy with what I made and how much of the collection that I got used up. I have decided to give it another try in February, with maybe a change or two. I have a feeling I will learn a lot about my scrappy self and what does and doesn't work for me. (I am already figuring that out!) We'll see if I can stick with it for another month, or if I have to throw in the towel!

 

Stay tuned to see what collection I have chosen for February!

 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great day!









Sketch Crew Crush @ SBC



 

Good morning everyone! I hope that you are having a good week!

We are doing things a little different at Scrapbook Challenges for the month of February. We have a new sketch posted every Monday, but every Wednesday and Friday we will have a special challenge inspired by one of our design team members!

Today is our first challenge and we have a Sketch Crew Crush on Mandi!

If you look at Mandi's pages, she always layers in a lot of layered little bits behind her photos. Check out her blog - MJ's Kraze - for more inspiration.

Our challenge to you is to be inspired by Mandi and use lots of layered bits on your layout.

Be sure to check out the SBC blog to see how the other design team members have been inspired by Mandi.

We also have a design team call going on until February 14. If you are interested, check out this post and fill out the application.

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful Wednesday!

Try Stampin' - Or Not - On Tuesday #256

Hi guys! Happy Tuesday to you! This week is moving right along. Before we know it Valentine's Day will be here. I have one more Valentine's Day card to share with you using Crate Paper's Love Notes collection and the latest sketch from Try Stampin' - Or Not - On Tuesday.

Here's a look at the sketch:

 

 

This week we only have a sketch for you - no theme to go along with it - so, just create a card using the sketch.

 

For my card I used a few of the scraps that I had left of this collection. I'm glad that I challenged myself to use up this collection, and I am so glad that I am done with it!

 

Check out the Try Stampin' blog to see the cards from the rest of the team using this sketch. You have two weeks to play along with us, and you can link up with us either on the blog, or on our Facebook page here.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a terrific Tuesday!





Crazy For You - Use Your Stuff #209

For The Memory Nest reveal go here.
For my Sketch N Scrap reveal go here.
For my Feeling Sketchy reveal go here.


Hello again, lovelies! I am back with the new challenge from Use Your Stuff! This week Tammy is challenging us to be inspired by a love song.

There are so many love songs to choose from and I was having a hard time deciding on one. So, I googled "love songs" and found a link to the "Top 100 Love Songs Of All Time".  When I came to Madonna's Crazy For You song, I knew I had found my inspiration! What better way to tell someone that you are crazy for them, than with a Valentine!

I was able to use up some more of my scraps from Crate Paper's Love Notes Collection! I've still got another project or two to share using it, and then I am done with it!

Please stop by the Use Your Stuff blog and see the projects from the rest of the team. I hope that you are inspired to play along with our inspired by a love song challenge!

Thanks for stopping by and I'll be back soon!

Feeling Sketchy #138

For The Memory Nest reveal - go here.
For my Sketch N Scrap reveal - go here.

Hello! I am back again with my third post of the day. Feeling Sketchy has a new sketch posted for you today, and if you love circles like I do, then you will love this sketch!

I chose to keep my card the standard A2 size instead of making it a long skinny card. I think this sketch works well either way.

We've been having some beautiful weather the last couple of days, and that put me in the mood for a bright, cheery card. I have several friends that are going through some hard times with health problems right now, and I hope that this card will help to brighten one of their days.

I used Pebbles Happy Day 6x6 paper pad. The colors in this collection just make me happy!

Head on over to the Feeling Sketchy blog to see the projects from the rest of the design team and to read more about our sponsor Crafty Sentiments Designs. I hope that you are inspired to play along with us!

I have a couple more projects to share with you today, so come back soon!

Sketch N Scrap #98

Hello everyone! I am back with my second post of the day. Today is going to be a busy day on my blog. Not only is it Monday, but it's the first as well, and that means lots of design team projects! If you are looking for my Memory Nest reveal, please scroll down or go here.

I have a fun new sketch from Sketch N Scrap to share with you today. This sketch is courtesy of the talented Heather Hall.

 

 

 

A Christmas layout in February?! Usually by this time I am so done with anything related to Christmas, but I haven't had a chance to scrap many photos from this past Christmas, and I thought this sketch was perfect for these photos of Abby, Shawn, and Ada.

I was getting the camera set up to take a family photo of us, and Abby was trying to get Ada dressed for the ornament exchange. I snapped these photos of Ada with her Mommy and her Daddy, and then I had to include their family photo. They are such a cute family!

I used KaiserCraft's Holly Jolly collection. The colors in the papers matched their outfits perfectly! The center paper was actually a die cut paper with a scalloped edge. I loved the scalloped edge, but went ahead and cut it down to fit my layout.

Check out the Sketch N Scrap blog to see the layouts from the rest of the design team.

I will be back soon with another project, so stay tuned!

Thanks so much for stopping by!