The Studio Challenges - Scraplift the Design Team

 Hello everyone! Good Sunday morning to you! I hope that you all are having a good weekend. It's been a busy few days but busy in a good way - lots of family time and some Christmas shopping.

It's time for a new challenge at The Studio Challenges today and this time we are challenging you to scraplift a layout from one of the design team members. I chose to scraplift this layout from Rainny from this challenge here:

And this is my layout:

I kept the overall design and the random stamping - although I added a lot more! I used all Elle's Studio papers - except the background - for this layout of Ada sporting her new smile. She lost both of her front teeth within 2 days of each other and she will truly be singing - all I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth this year! She absolutely adorable with her new look and we will enjoy it while it lasts. Soon that gap will be filled with 2 big teeth! 

The journaling for this layout is on the pink tag behind the photo.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I gave my roller stamps a workout on this layout. I think I used 6 or 8 different roller stamps on this layout. 

So, which layout will you decide to scraplift? I can't wait to see what you create!

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

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #396

Hello, hello! Happy Tuesday to you. I hope your week is off to a good start. We are knee-deep in Thanksgiving preparations and I cannot wait until Thursday! Our Thanksgiving will look a lot different this year as we are not going to our big family Thanksgiving dinner like we normally do. Instead, we will be having our own little family dinner and I cannot wait!

Today I am sharing the card that I created for this week's Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. Here's a look at this week's fun sketch:

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

I still have a few more Christmas cards to make and this is what I came up with:

I used the Carta Bella Farmhouse Christmas paper pad that I put into my November Great Stash Bash kit. I had to go searching for the holly die cut and clear gems but everything else came from my kit. 

This card came together so quickly and now I have one more ready to be sent out by the first of December!

I already have ideas for more cards using this sketch...now to find the time!

Be sure to stop by Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge tomorrow to see the full design team reveal. I would love to see your take on the sketch, too.

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

Scrap Our Stash November Sketch Challenge

Hello, everyone! Happy Saturday to you! I hope that your weekend is off to a great start. We are in full sleepover mode around here with Miss Ada and enjoying every minute of it!

Today I am sharing my layout for this month's sketch challenge at Scrap Our Stash. As an added challenge we were to use watercolor paper and chipboard on our layout. Here is a look at the sketch:

And my layout:

I have used Cocoa Vanilla's Happiness collection for my layout. The pink paper has a watercolor look to it and I also thought the paper I used for my circle has a watercolor look to it. I also added 3 chipboard sticker pieces around my layout - the little heart piece at the top of the page, the xoxo chipboard piece, and the "you are my happy" piece.

These photos are of Abby, Shawn, and Ada on the night of Ada's kindergarten graduation. Ada was holding a bright red graduation cap in the family photo so I turned that one to black and white, and then I ended up cutting the photo down small enough you probably wouldn't have seen it anyway!

Here are a couple of close-ups:

Be sure to stop by Scrap Our Stash to see how the rest of the design team took on the challenge. 

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

The Paper Girls Challenge #212 - Thankful/Grateful

 Hello, everyone! Happy Monday to you! I hope that you had a good weekend. Our weekend is extended since hubby has the day off today. We don't have any real plans - other than just relaxing - but I do plan to do a little Christmas shopping.

It's time for a new challenge at The Paper Girls Challenge Blog and today we are challenging you to make a project with the theme of "Thankful/Grateful". This can be a scrapbook layout about someone or something you are thankful for, maybe you are doing a gratitude journal this month, or maybe you just want to make a thank you - or thankful for you - card for someone special. 

I have made two projects for today's theme - a card and a TN spread. First up is the card:

For this card, I used a 6x6 paper pad that I picked up at Target's dollar spot a year or two ago and some stickers from an old Echo Park sticker sheet. I based this card on this week's sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge:

Next, I have a TN spread for Week 43 in my 52 Favorites of 2019 TN:

I used Amy Tangerine's Late Afternoon collection for this spread of the people that I am truly thankful to call my family. 

Be sure to stop by The Paper Girls Challenge Blog to see the projects from the rest of the design team. 

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

Hello Autumn - Lasting Memories #524 - Photo/Color Inspiration #3

 Hello again! I am back with my third post of the day. If you are looking for my Sketch N Scrap reveal or for my reveal for The Studio Challenges, please scroll on down.

Lasting Memories has a new Photo/Color Inspiration challenge posted today. This week we are working with fall inspiration:

I snapped these photos of our poor little pear tree and its beautiful leaves just a couple of weeks ago. This poor little tree has gone through a lot - almost being destroyed in a storm a few years ago - but we just didn't have the heart to cut it down. This year its leaves were the most vibrant that they have ever been. They were the most beautiful mix of reds, oranges, and yellows all on the same tree, and not only were they beautiful on the tree, but they were also beautiful on the ground. I couldn't resist snapping a photo of them.

I added my journaling to a tag and slipped it behind the photo:

Here are a couple of close ups:

I stamped some leaves in four different colors and then die cut them out to add to my layout. I then added some enamel dots to finish it all off. 

Head on over to Lasting Memories to see how the rest of the design team took on this challenge. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I hope you have a great day!

Totally Epic - The Studio Challenges

 Hello again! I am back with my second post of the day. If you are looking for my Sketch N Scrap reveal, please scroll on down.

It's time for a new challenge at The Studio Challenges today and this week's challenge is to use 5 or more patterned papers on your layout. I love to use patterned papers - even if it is in small amounts - so this challenge is right up my alley.

I challenged myself to use only patterned papers on my layout and I managed to use 9 different patterned papers:

All of the papers I have used are from Simple Stories' Bro and Co. collection, with the exception of the white paper, and it is an old paper from Chatterbox. I bought the Bro and Co. collection when it first came out and I even received some of it in my kit from The ScrapRoom. After this layout, I only have one full sheet of paper and enough scraps to make one, maybe two, more layouts. I love it when I can get a collection mostly used up within a couple of months of buying it. It's hard for me not to hoard a collection I really like, especially a "guy" collection - they are hard to come by - but it makes me so happy to get it used and on layouts about the ones I love!

I will be adding some journaling to this layout, I'm just not sure if I want to add it directly to the layout under the banner, or if I will do some hidden journaling. Matthew has decided to continue his education and he will be going to graduate school in January. He has gotten a graduate assistantship so it will all be paid for and I am beyond proud of him and all that he has done.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

Since the journaling will be about Matthew continuing his education, I used the books and backpack chipboard stickers, and since he is a big gamer in his spare time, I added a video game controller.

I went in search of my baker's twine for the tag and I have put it somewhere...I just can't remember where...I did find this ribbon and since it has been ages since I used ribbon on a layout, I just decided to go with it and I love it!

Be sure to check out The Studio Challenges blog to see the beautiful layouts from the rest of the design team. I hope you have a chance to play along with us, too!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I will be back soon with another project to share with you.

Sketch N Scrap #213 - You Are Totally Awesome

Hello, everyone!  Good Sunday morning to you - I hope you are having a good weekend. Hubby has the day off tomorrow so that means we have a little longer weekend. It's going to be a busy day here on the old blog, so let's get started. 

I can't believe that it is already the middle of November and that Thanksgiving is just a couple of weeks away! The time is just flying by, but the middle of the month does mean we have a new sketch for you today at Sketch N Scrap. Today's sketch is courtesy of Sketch Artist Stacy and I had a lot of fun working with it:

This photo is of Miss Ada when she went to the doctor to get her flu shot. Abby said they had gotten there a little early and were waiting in the car. She snapped this photo of Ada and it is one of my recent favorites! Ada is growing up so fast!

I used Echo Park's Teen Spirit Girl collection for this layout and since unicorns are Ada's favorite thing right now, that purple unicorn paper and unicorn sticker had to make their way on this layout! 

Since all of the papers are on the light side, I went with a black cardstock background to help them pop. 

I added some clear gems to give a little sparkle.

I'm not too sure that I'm crazy about the title...maybe I should have moved it over more to where it is on the sketch, but I felt like it made that side too heavy. Maybe I should have used something a little larger...it doesn't bother me so much that I want to change it now, so I guess I will go with it!

Head on over to Sketch N Scrap to see the wonderful layouts from the rest of the design team. I would love to see your take on the sketch, too!

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

TN Time With Lisa & Lori - November Edition

 Hello, hello! Happy Tuesday to you! I hope that your week is off to a great start.

It's time for the November edition of TN Time With Lisa & Lori today. I really can't believe that it is already November - and well into it! This time of year always seems to go fast for me - in anticipation of the holidays and all that goes with it - I suppose. Let's get on with the challenge. Here is how it works:

This is a monthly challenge that starts on the 10th of each month and ends on the 9th of the following month at midnight CST. If you complete my random challenge for the month - link your TN, bullet journal, or planner spread below. If you combine my challenge with Lisa's sketch challenge - link up here and on Lisa's blog  - My Creative Endeavors - and you will have two chances to win a prize. You can find the full list of rules here. 

Here is my November challenge:

Create a TN, Bullet Journal, or Planner spread with a fall or holiday theme, so any fall type photos - pretty fall colors, carving pumpkins, trick or treating, etc, - or maybe you still have some Thanksgiving or Christmas photos you want to scrap from previous years - now is the time to get them done!

Here is the November sketch from Lisa:

Here is my layout:

We just put up our Christmas tree last weekend - way earlier than we normally do - but Shane has been asking for it since March and we finally gave him the date of the first weekend in November. Anyway, for the past few years, once we get the tree decorated, I ask Ada which ornament is her favorite. For the past few years, it has been a pink lollipop, but when I asked this year it had changed to the mer-cat-icorn that I think Shane got at last year at the ornament exchange. The lollipop had a good run, but the favorite has changed! We'll see how long the mer-cat-icorn lasts as a favorite!

I included a close-up photo of the mer-cat-icorn and hid it behind the photo of Ada pointing to it on the tree. I was even lucky enough to find a tab with an ornament and the word "favorite" on it to use as a pull tab:

As a reminder - we will draw a winner in December for our September, October, and November in December so you have lots of time to play along with us - just add your layout to the linky below. Here is the prize that you will be playing for:

Be sure to stop by Lisa's blog to see her beautiful layout, too. I hope you have a chance to play along with us!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I hope you have a great day!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #394

Hello again! I am popping in this afternoon to share the card that I created for this week's sketch at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge. Here's a look at the sketch:

I am still working on a few Christmas cards and this is what I came up with:

I used papers and stickers that I had included in my November Great Stash Bash kit. I would have liked this card better if the gingerbread men were a little smaller, but they work okay. The paper that I used is from Echo Park's A Gingerbread Christmas 6x6 paper pad and the stickers are some that I picked up at Dollar General last year. 

Stop by Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge tomorrow to see the full design team reveal and last week's Top 3. I hope you have a chance to play along with us!

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

Incredibly Grateful - Scrap Our Stash - What's My Challenge

Hello, hello! I am back with my second post of the day. If you are looking for my Lasting Memories reveal, please scroll on down.

Today I am sharing the layout that I created for this month's "What's My Challenge" at Scrap our Stash. This time around we have a "Thankful" challenge. Create a layout about someone or something that you are thankful for. Along with that challenge, you are to use one of the phrases in the graphic below on your layout and use a doily:

I, of course, made a layout of my family. I am so incredibly grateful that they are all in my life and I am truly blessed!

For this layout, I have used the papers that I added to this month's Counterfeit Kit mini kit that I put together. I love that floral paper that is from a paper pad from The Paper Studio. Not only did I use it as part of my background, but I also fussy cut some of the flowers for my embellishments. Here are a couple of close-ups:

I stamped the word "grateful" using one of the stamp sets that I included in my kit. I love the font and the size of this stamp. It is perfect for titles on layouts and for a nice sentiment on a card. 

Be sure to stop by Scrap Our Stash to see how the rest of the design team took on this challenge. I hope you have a chance to play along with us!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! Have a wonderful day!

He's Rockin His Mask - Lasting Memories #523 - Photo/Color Inspiration #2

 Hello, everyone! Good Sunday morning to you! I hope that you are having a good weekend. Ours has been very busy and very full of family time, and I am enjoying every single minute of it. 

It's time for a new challenge at Lasting Memories today and I had a chance to play along! We have a new photo/color inspiration mood board for you to base your layout on:

I used just the colors from the mood board for my layout:

These photos are of Shane and the shows the first time I was successful at getting him to wear a face mask. We had practiced at home several times and he would immediately want to take it off. I didn't like taking him out a lot without one because when you are dealing with a nonverbal kiddo, well, the thought of him being sick and not being able to tell us what is going on or what hurts is a little terrifying in these times. So, his trips to town were very limited, but he did see that it wasn't just me wearing a face mask and he finally agreed to wear one. He let me put it on him, with no trouble, and he happily wore it while we were out and about. He has now gotten to where he can put it on by himself and will wear it anytime I offer it to him. That makes this autism Momma's heart so happy!

I used papers from a couple of different Elle's Studio paper packs for my layout. I think they pretty well represent the colors on the mood board. 

Here are a couple of close-ups:

Be sure to stop by the Lasting Memories blog to see the beautiful layouts from the rest of the design team. I would love to see your take on the challenge, too!

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

Couterfeit Kit Challenge November Mini Kit Reveal

 Hello, everyone! Happy Friday to you! I hope that you are having a good week and are ready for the weekend. 

I am on mini-kit duty at Counterfeit Kit Challenges and today is the day for me to share my kit with you! Here's a look at this months inspiration kit that Master Forger Lisa has selected -  the October 2020 Hip Kit Club kit:

And here is my kit:

Well, once again my kit is not so mini, but in my defense, my regular kits tend to have between 20 and 30 papers in them, and this one only has 11, so it is about half the size of what I normally put together!

I am doing a 30 Days of Gratefulness challenge this month and when I saw the inspiration kit and all of the great fall colors, I knew I would be pulling items for my gratitude journal. 

Let's start with a better look at my kit:

In the inspiration kit, I loved the Simple Stories paper with all of the leaves on it, so I went in search of a paper that was close to it and found an older paper from Echo Park that was a good match. Then I built my kit around that paper with my gratitude journal in mind. I also liked the idea of adding blue and pink for a fresh spin, so I added a few papers for that. They are a totally different feel than the rest of my kit, so I don't think they will make it in my gratitude journal, but I have a layout already in mind for those, as well. 

I also had a couple of cut apart sheets that I put in my kit. They won't all be usable, but maybe I can use at least a few of them:

Here are the stickers that I added to my kit:

This is quite the hodgepodge of stickers, and by no means do I intend to use all of them, but there are several phrase stickers on the Simple Stories sticker sheets and a few others that could possibly work in my gratitude journal.

Here are the embellishments that I added:

I put in quite a few stamp sets, a tag die, and a couple of alphabet dies, and then finished it out with some labels, cork hearts, and a few random die cuts. This will give me a variety of things that I can add to my journal.

And here is the cover of my Traveler's Notebook that I am using for my gratitude journal:

I used my inspiration paper for my cover, added a stamped title of sorts, and fussy cut the flowers from the "B" side of one of my papers. 

I have been going back and forth on how I want to do the pages - if I want to just write down 3 things I am grateful for every day, if I want to write one thing down every day and add a photo, or if I want to do both and write down 3 things and add a photo. I think I have finally decided that I am going to write down 3 things each day and add a photo - as long as I have a photo to go along with it. 

My plan is to try to share my progress each week, either here on my blog or on Instagram (lori_670), and hopefully, by the end of the month, I will have a completed gratitude journal and a kit that is (mostly) killed!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I hope you hope you have a great day!