YUM - Sketch N Scrap #241

 Hello, everyone! Happy Friday to you! We have made it to the weekend once again and I am ready for it. I'm not sure what our plans are but at least it's supposed to be a bit warmer.

Today I am sharing a layout that I created using Sketch #241 from Sketch N Scrap. Here's a look at the sketch that Heather created for us to use:

And this is what I came up with:

For my layout, I used 4 - 3x4 photos and I moved the title over above my journaling. I also added a cluster to the bottom left corner. I used one of the page kits that I had included in my January Stash Bash Kit. I didn't have any embellishments to speak of so I put the stamp set that I included in my kit to use and made my own. 

These photos are of Ada putting her new Easy Bake oven to use and making some pretzel bites. She did it all by herself, well, she may have had a little help from Mom, but then it turned out she was not a fan of the finished product! Abby and Shawn thought they were delicious.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I stamped the oven mitt on one of the patterned papers and die cut it out. I kept the mixer and measuring cup pretty plain - stamping them on white cardstock in pink. I added a tiny enamel heart to the measuring cup. The "from the kitchen of" was also a part of the stamp set and was just what I needed to finish out this cluster.

I added foam tape to my die-cut title and layered another of the sentiments from the stamp set on top of it. I stamped the rolling pin on the wood paper that I had included in my kit and added a tiny enamel heart to it. I love how this all turned out!

Be sure to stop by Sketch N Scrap and play along with us before the end of the month!

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

Sweet Happy Moments - Sketch N Scrap's January Crop Challenge #3

 Hello again! 

I am back this evening with the layout that I created for Sketch N Scrap's January Crop Challenge #3. We kicked off our January Crop in our monthly challenges group on Facebook on Friday and we have one more challenge to share with you tomorrow. We would love it if you joined us - just click this link to get to the group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/SNSmonthlychallenges.

For Challenge #3, I picked Sketch #192 (from Jan. 1, 2020):

This is what I came up with:

I used one of the layout kits that I put together for my January Stash Bash kit for this layout. I love that I was able to take a winter-themed collection and make a non-winter-themed layout! The only thing on this layout that was not in my kit is the pink polka dot paper. I felt like I needed another color and I didn't want to cut into another full sheet of paper just for a strip, so I dug through my scraps and found this one. 

I took these photos of Ada last spring right before Easter. We had all gone to Springfield for a little shopping and when we dropped Abby and Ada back off at their house Ada could not wait to show us how she could ride the new scooter that her Papa John had gotten for her. She really was quite good at it!

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I didn't have any set embellishments for this layout in my kit but I had included my die-cut notebook and 4x6 boxes of random bits for that purpose - hoping that I would have something in them that would work. I got lucky and found quite a bit that worked. I was pretty happy with how this all came together.

I even had a few pieces of wood veneer and a few enamel dots in one of the 4x6 boxes. 

I needed something more for this upper cluster and found the flower die-cuts in my notebook. Luckily, I had enough to add to each cluster. I used a 3x4 cut apart card - that I am pretty sure I got in a Paper Issues swag bag a few years ago - for my title. It just seemed to sum up the feelings of the day! 

Be sure to check out our January Crop Challenges in our monthly challenges group - I would love to see your take on the sketches, too!

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

Sorry Not Sorry Nana - Sketch N Scrap #232

Hello, everyone! Happy Saturday to you! I do hope that your weekend is off to a good start. I woke up to some rain this morning so we will see if it lasts all day or moves out of the area a little later. 

Today I am up on the Sketch N Scrap Facebook page sharing a layout that I created using the September 1st sketch from Sketch N Scrap. Sketch Artist Heather created this fun 4-photo sketch and I had fun putting it to use! Here's the sketch:

This is what I came up with:

Ada is quite the gamer girl! Not only does she like to play video games but she loves board games and card games, as well. On this particular day, Pops decided to play Sorry with us. Ada is usually an "I want to win all of the games" kind of girl, but not this time! This time she wanted Pops to win - and she let me know this over and over and over throughout the game! "Nana, I want Pops to win." " I want Pops to win this game." It went on and on! The two of them ganged up on me - sending me back to start every chance they got. Ada got her wish and Pops won the game, and a celebration was had!

For my layout, I used 3x4 photos instead of the square 3x3's that are shown on the sketch. There was just no way to cut down a few of the photos to that size without cutting something important out of the photo. Since I used the bigger size, I also moved them closer together, overlapping in places that I could. 

I used Simple Stories' Family Fun collection for this layout. When it came out I knew I would be getting it - we play too many games not to - so I am sure you will be seeing a lot more of this collection over the next few months!

Here are a couple of close-ups:

Instead of cutting into the striped paper, I used striped washi tape for my top and bottom borders. That saved me from cutting just an inch off of the patterned paper - and I got a little washi tape used instead of throwing it in my washi tape bowl!

I love how this little cluster turned out! I just layered up one of the tag die-cuts with some stickers from the sticker book and a couple of die-cut word phrases. I added a few star die-cuts and enamel dots to finish it off. 

I love how this layout turned out!

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

Sketches In Thyme September Guest Designer

 Hello, everyone! Happy September 1st! Fall is just around the corner, and although I am not ready for summer to end anytime soon, I am looking forward to the cooler days that are sure to be coming.

I am so excited to share that I am the guest designer over at Sketches In Thyme this month! I had the pleasure of working with this fun sketch by Laura Rumble:

And this is what I came up with:

I created a layout of all of the fun that Ada and Pops have had in the pool this summer. Once these two hit the water there is no telling what crazy things they will come up with - and it seems the scarier the better!

For this layout, I used Simple Stories' Sunkissed collection. When I bought this collection I really wanted to make Ada a 6x8 Summer 2021 album and fill it with all of the fun things she did this summer. I have created one layout for it and all the rest have been 12x12 layouts. I am either going to have to buy more of this collection or rethink how I want to do it!

I really liked that the sketch had little bits and pieces of paper coming out from behind the photos. That helped me to get some of those scraps used up. I also really liked the cluster between the rows of photos. It was fun to pull out all sorts of the summer/pool-themed stickers and layer them up across the layout. 

Here are a few close-ups:

Even though the sketch did not show a spot for a title, I added one at the top of my photos. I just can't seem to not add a title to my layouts!

I want to say a big thank you to Sketches In Thyme for having me as their guest designer this month! It was truly an honor!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I will be back soon with my September kit for Lisa & Lori's Great Stash Bash!

Life is Sweet - Scrap Our Stash March Sketch Challenge

 Hello again! I am back with my second post of the day. To see my reveal for The Studio Challenges, please scroll down.

I am back to share my layout for the March sketch challenge at Scrap Our Stash. This month's sketch features 4 photos - although you could use less if you wanted. Along with the sketch, there is the added challenge to use washi tape on your layout. Here's a look at this month's sketch:

This is what I came up with:

These photos are of Ada when she was not quite a year old. Abby had snapped these photos while Ada was playing with one of her toys, and they are just too cute. I think she likes to show off those bottom two teeth with that smile!

I used Doodlebug Design's 'Made with Love' collection for this layout. I received this collection in my kits from The ScrapRoom and the colors could not have matched Ada's outfit any better!

Here are a few close-ups:

I must admit that I totally forgot all about using washi tape on my layout until it was already made. And I even had it sitting out on my desk, ready to be used. Then I had to try to figure out how to work it in without it looking like a random piece of washi tape stuck on there! I added it to a couple of the tags and under the phrase sticker (the green washi), and underneath the tag that I journaled on (pink striped washi).

I die cut a few hearts and stamped and die cut a few flowers for my embellishments. The clear gems came in my kit so I added them to the centers of my flowers. I added a few puffy hearts to the clusters to finish it all off.

Be sure to stop by Scrap Our Stash to see the 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! Have a great day!

What An Artist - Scrap Our Stash Sketch Challenge

Hello, hello! Happy Tuesday to you! I hope that your week is off to a good start! We got a tiny bit of snow yesterday and have more wintery weather in the forecast for the end of the week. It looks like winter is really here.

Today I am sharing my take on the Scrap Our Stash sketch challenge for this month. Along with the awesome sketch, we are also challenged to use chevron patterned paper and something gold. Here is a look at the sketch:

And here is my layout:

The chevron pattern has always been a favorite of mine but I have noticed that it hasn't been in a lot of the newer collections. I guess I'd better enjoy what I've got stashed away until it comes back in style! I found this chevron piece in an old collection (2013) from Pebbles - From Me To You - and thought it paired well with these photos of Ada. I loved the bright, cheerful colors in the chevron paper and the greens went pretty well with Ada's Oogie Boogie creation.

I'm not generally a fan of adding my title straight on top of a busy patterned paper like this - I feel it kind of gets lost on there - and when I see this photo it makes me think I need to go do something different with it, but when looking at it in person, it really shows up better than it appears in the photos so I am letting go and leaving it alone!

About the photos - Ada loves to draw. She is constantly asking for paper and getting her markers and crayons and drawing a picture or two every time she is at our house. Over the summer she started watching "how to draw" videos on Youtube and would follow along with them. On this day she decided to draw Oogie Boogie from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" - maybe because he is in the Kingdom Hearts video games and she likes to watch Uncle Matt play those when he comes down. Maybe they had watched "The Nightmare Before Christmas"...who knows, but he was the chosen one on this day. I could not believe how well she had done! I think he's pretty much the cutest villain I have ever seen!

I did add my journaling to the tag that is tucked in behind the photos on the upper left side. It says - Ada had been watching "how to draw" videos & drawing along with them. She is becoming quite the artist & has drawn some really cute pictures. I think this drawing of Oogie Boogie is pretty much perfect! I hope she continues to draw because the girl's got talent! Oct. 14, 2019.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I picked the "From Me To You" paper pad up at Tuesday Morning a few years ago and I did not have any embellishments that go with it. I'm not much of a themed scrapper - at least when it comes to things like art supplies or being crafty - I generally just tend to embellish with generic - go-with-everything embellishments, so my options were pretty limited for this page. I did find this watercolor set and the colored pencils in my Amy Tangerine sticker book, and #1 - I needed to add some gold to my layout, and #2 - I really don't know when I would really use these stickers again, so I went with them. I also added in a few puffy gold hearts. 

Head on over to Scrap Our Stash for more inspiration from the design team.

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

Picnic Play - Sketch N Scrap #192

Hello, everyone! Happy New Year to you all! I hope you are looking forward to the new year and all of the possibilities it holds for us. 

The start of a new year - and a new month - means we have a new sketch for you at Sketch N Scrap. Lisa is getting us started with a super fun multi-photo sketch. I think this one is one I will be using again!

And this is what I came up with:

These photos are of Ada at Pops' company picnic in 2018. She had so much fun playing on the inflatables and she pretty much had them all to herself while she was there. The bottom two of her in the bounce house are not the best quality - they were taken through the netting on the sides - but they were too cute to not use, and you can really see her better than what it looks like in the photo. That black line that appears so dark in the photo is not that dark in person.

This layout came together so quickly, once I had the papers picked out. I had a specific paper in mind for this layout - a multi-colored dot - and I could not find it anywhere. Maybe I already used it and don't remember it...or maybe it will turn up now that the layout is done! Whatever the case, I think this multi-colored diamond paper works just as good with the yellow paper. All the other papers came out of my scraps bag. 

Here is a close-up of the embellishments:

Head on over to Sketch N Scrap to see the beautiful layouts from the rest of the design team. I hope you have some time to play along with us in the new year. I would love to see your take on the sketch, too!

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

Let It Snow - Sketch N Scrap #189

Hello, hello! Happy Friday to you! I can't believe that we have made it back around to the weekend so quickly! Of course, this time of year always seems to go by so fast - there always seems to be something going on.

It's the middle of the month and that means it is time for a new sketch challenge at Sketch N Scrap. This fun multi-photo sketch is courtesy of Sketch Artist Heather:

Here is what I came up with:

I changed up a couple of things from the sketch. First of all, I had more photos that I wanted to use than what is called for on the sketch, and then by adding the extra photos, I felt like I needed to extend the patterned paper strip just a bit. I'm sure it would have looked okay with a narrower strip, but in all honesty, I wanted to use as much of that cute plaid paper that I could!

Everything on my layout came from my November Counterfeit Kit Challenge kit. You can read more about it here. I always love having everything ready to go when I sit down to scrap. The papers and stickers are from Simple Stories 'Freezin' Season' collection. The alpha stickers are from American Crafts. I was so happy that one of the snowflakes was just the right size to be the 'o' in the word snow.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

How funny is it that these photos were taken on the Monday that we observed Veteran's Day last year - school was let out early that day and Abby had a snow day the next day - and this year - this past Monday, Veteran's Day, in fact - we got some sleet and snow, school was let out early, and Abby and Ada had a snow day on Tuesday! 

Head on over to Sketch N Scrap to see the beautiful creations 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 hope you have a fantastic day!

Kindergarten - Scrap Our Stash Saturday Cartoon Sketch Challenge

I am back with my third post of the day! If you are looking for my reveal for The Studio Challenges, or for Lasting Memories, please scroll on down.

I am back to share my take on the Scrap Our Stash Saturday Cartoon Sketch Challenge. This month our inspiration cartoon is School House Rock, and with Ada just starting school you know I have to make a school layout! Along with the sketch we have the added challenge to include and educational symbol (such as a pen, paperclip, apple, books, etc.) on our layouts.

Here is my take on the challenge:

I've used Doodlebug Designs new 'School Days' collection for my layout. It is going to be the perfect collection for all of Ada's school activity pictures! I haven't added any journaling to this layout yet. If I do I will add a tag behind one of the photos. 

This was Ada's first day of kindergarten. She looks so nervous in the last two photos! It's been a big change for her but I do think she likes it so far!

To satisfy the added challenge of using an educational symbol, I have used a schoolgirl, pencil, paper, apple, and crayon die cuts. The title piece I have had in my stash for maybe 15 years! I got it at my sister's scrapbook store when she had it back in 2003 and 2004. It was one of the first "laser die cuts" that came out on the market. I have a whole collection of these still and it felt good to get at least one of them used!

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I did add a little bit of foam tape under some of the die cuts for a little extra dimension and interest.

Another layout that I love and the first of many that are sure to go into Ada's school album!

Head on over to Scrap Our Stash to see the fabulous layouts from the rest of the design team!

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

Always Looking Out For Each Other - Scrap Our Stash

Hello, everyone! Happy Thursday to you! I can't believe that it is Thursday already! It's been a crazy week with strange happenings. On Monday I found a hornet's nest in one of our trees while trimming limbs. Luckily, I saw it before I started trimming it, but we're still trying to figure out how Scott didn't get stung when he mowed and ran the weedeater around it. I have no idea how long it's been there - it's right at eye level! Then our air went out on Tuesday...it was 88 degrees in the house when we went to bed Tuesday night - ugh! And we had 4 - yes, 4 - skunks in our yard while we were trying to see what was wrong with the air conditioner. Thankfully, Wednesday was overcast and we had a little rain which kept the house fairly cool. I'm hoping the air conditioner will be an easy fix because a new unit would be hard on the ol' budget!

Anyway, I'm here today to share my take on the Saturday Cartoon Inspired Sketch Challenge at Scrap Our Stash. This month is all about The Jetsons. Along with the sketch and the cartoon image, we are challenged to create a family-themed layout and use mixed alphas.

Here is what I came up with:

I was looking for a certain photo on my computer a few weeks ago and I happened across these photos of the kids from 2012. I've scrapped these photos before (you can find that layout here), but I wanted to tell a different story this time around. In the original layout, I journaled about how we went to Bennett Springs for Labor Day as a sort of send-off to summer, but this time when I saw this photo, it prompted me to go more in-depth about my kiddos and their relationships with each other. 

It's not always easy when you have a brother with severe autism, but one thing is certain, Abby and Matthew are always looking out for their brother, ready to jump in and help him with whatever he needs, even if that is just walking across the river. 

My journaling is a bit personal, so I've hidden it behind the main photo and used a tab for easy access to it.

I've used Close To My Heart (blue heart and pink papers), Kaiser Craft (graph background paper), and Echo Park (turquoise background paper) on my layout. My trimmer is a bit dull and left some rough edges, so I just went with it and distressed all of my paper edges. 

Here are a couple of close-ups:

So, how many times have you scrapped the same photos but told a different story about the photos? I'm finding myself looking through old photos/layouts and they are triggering different stories than what I originally told, so you may see happening now and again around here!

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

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

Fun in the Sun - Sketch N Scrap #182

 Hello, everyone! Happy Thursday and Happy August 1st! I can't believe that it is already August. Summer is flying by - just like it always seems to. It's a little strange to think that school starts around here in just a couple of weeks and for the first time in 23 years I have no one in the house getting ready for it! Sure, Matthew will be starting his last year of college, but since he moved into his own apartment this summer...well, I guess I don't feel responsible about making sure he is all ready to go!

Since it's the first day of a new month, that means we have a new sketch for you at Sketch N Scrap today. Lisa has created a fabulous 4-photo sketch to get us started:

For my layout, I have used photos of Ada doing all the things she loves to do in the pool this summer.

I started with the fun word paper from Bella Blvd's - Splash Zone - collection. I received it in my Doubleshot Kit from The Scrap Room last month and couldn't wait to use it. The rest of the papers are from my stash. I pulled colors that matched the word paper and my photos. Even though every paper is from a different manufacturer, they all work well together. 

I went around all of the edges of the papers with white paint to help give a little separation. I finished my layout off with some die cuts - both from my kit from The Scrap Room and from my stash - and enamel dots and hearts. 

Here are a couple of close-ups:

Head on over to Sketch N Scrap to see the sketch and how the rest of the design team interpreted it. I would love to see your take on it, too!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I will be right back with my August kit for Counterfeit Kit Challenges!

Sketches In Thyme #357

Hello, everyone! Happy Thursday to you! I hope that you are having a good week. It's been a busy one around here and I am looking forward to the weekend.

Today is my day to be featured on the Sketches In Thyme blog with my take on Sketch #357. This week's sketch is courtesy of Shawn Lahr and it is one of my favorites!

Here is what I came up with:

I loved that the sketch featured four small photos - it was perfect for this series of photos of Ada jumping in a puddle after a spring rain a couple of years ago. It wasn't a very big puddle, but it was just right to jump around in for a while!

I used Echo Park papers on this layout. The background is from their "Photo Freedom" collection from several years ago, the solid turquoise is from "About A Boy", the stripe - and the stickers - are from "Sunny Days Ahead", and the pink solid for the title is from their "Summer Dreams" collection. I so love being able to work with different collections from the same manufacturer - you know the colors are always going to match!

Be sure to stop by Sketches In Thyme to see more design team inspiration throughout the month. I would love to see what you create with this sketch.

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