Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #318

Hello, everyone! Happy Tuesday to you! I hope that you had a good weekend. It was a nice long weekend for us and now I feel like I am a little behind. It's hard to keep the days straight when everyone is at home and you don't have a schedule to stick to for a few days!

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge has a new sketch posted this week. Here's a look at the sketch that Michelle has created for us:

I am still working on using up my May Counterfeit Kit (you can read all about it here) and I had these two scraps that I thought paired up nicely for this sketch.

I stamped a few flowers from the Prickly Pear (Z3338) stamp set from Close To My Heart and die cut them out to add to my card. This is a stamp set that I really hadn't planned on getting when it came out but I picked it up when it was on clearance. I want to say I got the stamp set and the dies both for under $10 and I have used this stamp set more than a lot of the others that I have!  

The sentiment is also from Close To My Heart (M1185) and I have definitely gotten my $2.95 out of it! I cut my sentiment into a rectangle instead of the oval that is shown on the sketch. I need to seriously think about getting a few more oval dies so I have a better variety to choose from!

I added in a few gems around my card for a little sparkle and to finish it off. They are a little hard to see in the photo but they are there!

Be sure to stop by Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge tomorrow for the full design team reveal and last week's Top 3. I hope you find some time to play along with us this week!

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

Counterfeit Kit Challenge - Challenge #2 - Dream On

Hello, everyone! Good Saturday morning to you! I hope that your weekend is off to a good start. It's looking like it may be a little on the rainy side around here today...I guess we will see.

It's time for the second challenge of the month at Counterfeit Kit Challenge.
Here's a reminder of the inspiration kit for May:

And here's a reminder of my kit:

Challenge #2 is "Dream On" and Leslie provided us the following image and quote for inspiration:

Dreams are the seeds of change.

Nothing ever grows without a seed,

and nothing ever changes without a dream. - Debby Boone

When I saw the image I knew immediately which photos I wanted to use. I have had these photos of Ada - picking dandelions and making wishes - for two years now, and have been waiting to find the perfect time to scrap them. When I saw the above photo it gave me the push I needed to get it done.

Here is what I came up with:

This dandelion stamp set was the one that had gone missing when I made my kit and luckily I uncovered it when I cleaned my scrap room! It was perfect for these photos. Here's an up-close look at the stamping:

Abby had posted these photos of Ada on Facebook with the caption "Picking dandelions and making wishes"...it just doesn't get any better than that! Ada has always thought that dandelions are a pretty flower and she loves when they start popping up each spring. In fact, I got a few more photos of her this spring making those dandelion wishes!

Here's another close-up:

One of the main reasons that I think I haven't scrapped these photos before was because I couldn't find the "perfect" papers to scrap them with. That's the great thing about working from a kit - you work with you have in the kit and that eliminates a lot of indecision!

 Since Ada thinks dandelions are beautiful flowers, I thought this floral paper from my kit was perfect to pair up with the dandelion stamp. Everything on my layout came from my kit. I did have to stamp a red label because all of the blue labels I added to my kit were the wrong color of blue. That always helps speed up my process - when I have everything right there together.

Be sure to check out the Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog to see how the rest of the design team was inspired by photo/quote. 

We would love to see your kits and your projects that you make with your kits - so be sure to share with us over on the blog.

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

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #316

Hello, everyone! I am coming to you with a "late" night post! That's something that doesn't happen too often, but the busyness of May has put me behind on a few things!

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge has a new sketch posted this week and I would love to see your take on it, too! I have a feeling I will be using this one again.

For my card, I have used papers from my May Counterfeit Kit Challenge Kit. You can read all about it here. That cute flowered paper is actually the other side of the red paper with the pink scallops in my kit.

I must admit that when I made my card I didn't have the sketch directly in front of me - I was going more by memory - which explains why I didn't actually use the cute banner piece for my sentiment. I think it looks just as good without the banner piece on there, too, but I will be making another card with the banner piece soon.

Be sure to stop by Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge to see the full design team reveal tomorrow and last week's Top 3! I can't wait to see what you create with the sketch!

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a good night! 

TN Time With Lisa & Lori May Challenge

Hello, hello! Happy Friday to you! I am so glad that we have made it to the weekend. I don't know why but this has seemed like a long week!

It's time for the May Challenge at TN Time With Lisa and Lori! Here's how it works - Lisa will be providing a TN sketch on her blog for us to work with. I will be providing a random challenge here on my blog for you to use in your TN, planner, or bullet journal spread.

You can complete the challenges together or separately - it's your choice. If you complete my random challenge - link up below in this post. If you combine my challenge with Lisa's Sketch Challenge - link up your layout both here on my blog and on Lisa's blog. If you just complete the sketch challenge, then just link up on Lisa's blog. You will have a chance to win a prize from me and a prize from Lisa. You can read all of the rules here.

Here is my challenge for May:
(Challenge open May 10th - June 9th at midnight)

My challenge for May is to include a hidden element on your spread. This can be hidden journaling, extra photos, in a pocket of tucked behind the photo - it's all up to you!

Here is the sketch that Lisa has created for us:

Here is my TN spread based on the sketch and my challenge:

I've skipped around in my current 52 Favorites so I have decided to go back and fill in a few of the missing weeks. This is my spread for Week 5 - back when we were getting Ada the "Disney Doorables" every single time that we went to town. We were down to her needing just a couple to complete the set and she was really wanting to get Hei Hei from Moana before they were all gone. 

For my spread, I have used my May Counterfeit Kit - which you can read about here. That floral fabric tape that goes across the center of my spread has been in my stash for several years. I believe I got it in a RAK. I had put it in my Counterfeit Kit to try and use this month and I am so glad that it worked with my spread! I had just enough for it.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

I did quite a bit of stamping using stamps from Close To My Heart and Elle's Studio for this challenge. The hearts are from Close To My Heart - S1903 - This Happened - and the label is from Elle's Studio - The Details- stamp set.

I stamped my title using a mix of Elle's Studio - Title Builder Alphabet Stamp Set and Close To My Hearts - D1729 - Colorblock alpha. This alphabet stamp set is seriously one of my all-time favorites. I don't know why I don't use it more often!

For my hidden element, I created a pocket for my journaling to go into. I need to figure out what all I want to say and will add it to the card. I also have one of the little checklist papers from the Disney Doorables and I think I will see about slipping it into the pocket, as well. I think it would be fun for Ada to look at down the road when she has forgotten all about the Disney Doorables!

Now for my April winner. I used random.org and my winner is:

#1 - Anna!

Congrats, Anna! Email me at loristroup@yahoo.com with your address and I will get your prize out to you!

Here is May's prize:

I would love it if you played along with my challenge! Just link up your project below by June 9th at midnight! Be sure to stop by Lisa's blog to see her take on the challenge!

Thanks so much for stopping! Have a wonderful day!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Let's Get Sketchy May Sketch & Mood Board

Hello again! I am back with my second post of the day. If you are looking for my Counterfeit Kit Challenge Kit reveal and blog hop, please scroll on down. 

It's time for a new sketch at Let's Get Sketchy! Not only do we have a fabulous new sketch, but we also have a mood board for you to work with:

Aren't those colors pretty?! I love them! I focused on the right-hand row of colors for my layout:

I have used my May Counterfeit Kit (you can read all about it here) for this layout. The colors were a great match to the colors in the mood board. Everything is from my kit with the exception of the "XOXO" stickers - which are from last month's kit.

I used a lot of the scrap pieces of paper that I included in my kit for the layers behind the photo. It always feels good to use that last scrap of a paper!

I stamped several flowers, a heart, and some labels for my embellishments. I stamped them all in yellow since Miss Ada is holding a daffodil.

I will add my little bit of journaling to the above label (and straighten it!) when I figure what I want to say in that amount of space.

I also added some Stampin' Up candy dots in yellow around my layout.

This is such a fun sketch to work with - I hope you give it a try, too!

Head on over to Let's Get Sketchy to see the beautiful layouts from the rest of the design team.

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

Counterfeit Kit Challenges May Reveal and Blog Hop

Hello, hello! Happy May 1st to you! Can you believe it is May?! That means that my favorite time of year -summer - is almost here! 

The first of May means we have a new inspiration kit for you at Counterfeit Kit Challenges today! Leslie is our host this month and she has chosen the March 2019 kit from My Creative Scrapbook. This kit is full of Pebbles/Jen Hadfield - "Chasing Adventures" collection that colorfully celebrates being active, adventurous, and exploring. My Creative Scrapbook also offers three other kits that you may choose from and you can find them all by going here. You can also see an unboxing video here.

Here is my kit - All Ready For Summer...

I had actually picked up a few pieces of paper, and the Thickers and puffy stickers, from this collection when it came out. That pretty floral piece is what I based my kit off of. We don't get the chance to take many vacations with having a now-adult son with severe autism, so I concentrated more on the colors and the florals to make my kit ready for lots of summertime pictures! 

Here is a look at my papers - and I actually kept them to a manageable amount this time!

The front row is all of the papers from the Jen Hadfield collection that I had picked up earlier this year and the back row is all of the papers from my stash that I added to make my collection complete. 

I pulled a couple of different shades of blue, one pink paper, a couple of greens, a golden yellow, and a couple of reds.

I also went through my scraps and pulled a few that would work with my kit for layering and matting.

Now, the tricky part for me making my kit was the embellishments. The inspiration kit's die cuts are full of travel-themed images - which was not going to work for me, so I did my own thing and pulled items I thought I would be able to use with my papers.

I have a little box by my desk that I put die cuts and punched pieces into that didn't make it onto a layout. I decided to go through it first to see what I could use in my kit. I have several circles/doily type pieces that I die cut or used a punch, some random die cuts, wood veneer, washi tape...just an assortment of goodies to embellish my layouts.

I also have a couple of stamp sets for my kit that I forgot to photograph (and I might have misplaced one of the stamp sets I want to use this month!) so I will add those as soon as I can gather them up and add them here.

I am so excited to get to using my kit this month!

Now, here is the list for the blog hop. Be sure to hop along to see the fabulous kits from the rest of the design team.

Counterfeit Kit Challenges - http://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/

Guest Designer Leanne Wagner - https://inkedinkscrap.com/

Cindy - http://cindyscreations-cinmfoster.blogspot.com/

Julene - http://julenebydesign.blogspot.com/

Leslie - https://lcsmithsaved-outofthemire.blogspot.com/

Lori - https://loriannie670.blogspot.com/

Tina - http://tinasscrapcorner.blogspot.com/

Laura - https://www.instagram.com/mrsp_scrapsandtea/

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! I will be back a little later with my first layout using this months kit!