My First New Car

This is one of the layouts I started at my crop last weekend but didn't finish.  Well this weekend I finished it after pulling a lot of it apart.  One of my main problems were my photos were getting lost on the layout so I pulled them off an then inked all the edges with black ink.  This really seemed to make them pop of the page a bit better.  The funny thing is, once I started I couldn't stop!  All my papers needed black edging and then so did my journalling spot ... even my title got traced around with a black marker!

Supplies: Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye - Abbey Road Collection; Cardstock: Bazzills; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts Thinkcers and Basic Grey Alpha Stickers; Embellishments: Jillibean Journalling Spots, Smash Box Washi Tape, Tim Holtz Grungeboard - Iconic, My Mind's Eye - Abbey Road Epoxy Brads; Inks: Adirondack Ink; Sketch: Sketches for Scrapbooking Volume 1; Tools: Sanding Block.

Day Hike

Last camping layout for a little bit ... I promise!

I really liked this map background paper and really didn't want to cover a bunch of it up.  So I found a sketch with lots of white space and then modified it so that the journalling and title floated in the lake instead of on large journalling spot that was called for by the sketch.  I really like how it turned out; still allowing the full background to show!

Supplies: Patterned Paper: October Afternoon - Campfire Collection; Cardstock: Bazzills; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts; Embellishments: October Afternoon - Cardstock and Chipboard Stickers and Authentique - Splendid Diction Stickers ; Sketch: Sketches for Scrapbooking; Tools: EK Success - Diamond Lace Edger Punch .

Fairmont Hoo Doos

Another camping layout?! I know you must all be getting tired of camping layouts but to be honest I have so many photos. We had 10 camping weekends this summer which I think is a new record for us! I'm not scrapping them all but several of them I am because each trip was with someone different or we did something we hadn't done before. So please bear with me as there are still a couple more camping layouts to come!

I loved the simple grid of photos on this sketch. It allowed me to get a bunch of photos on it quickly while still look stylish. I cheated a bit too.  The sketch called for three strips of paper along the top of the layout but I got creating and used the collections border strip paper.  I picked 3 borders I liked that were all together and then simple cut them out while leaving them still all attached to each other.  Sure made the top strip super easy!  The panel on the right hand side is my nifty thrifty tip I told you about awhile ago where I used the product packaging. The background is actually the backing to the sticker pack that went with collection. I love it when manufacturers do this! It's like recycling! Plus is co-ordinates perfectly!

Supplies: Patterned Paper: Imaginisce - Happy Camper Collection; Alphabet Stickers: Doodlebug Alphs and October Afternoon - Mini Market; Embellishments: Cosmo Cricket - My Campy Stickers, Imaginisce - Happy Camper Chipboard; Sketch: Sketches for Scrapbooking; Tools: EK Success Open Scallop Edger Punch.

Potluck & Fire

Wow! Has a week really gone by since my last post?! Where does the time go!? I have been pretty busy lately with both work and trying to get the house ready for a long winter. I know some people are cringing but winter can come early here so I like to be prepared. If it doesn't come - great, but at least I'm ready. Last year we had unexpected snow on the ground in early October and all my hoses froze and my annuals didn't get pulled until this spring. What a pain! So I vowed to not let it happen again!

On top of doing some chores this weekend I did manage to get some scrappy time in. I can still say that my mojo is not back full force but I didn't struggle as much and I actually managed to get several layouts done! So watch out this week! There will be more than one post!

I used a sketch from Sketches for Scrapbooking to spark my creativity and it really helped me to kick things into gear.  I must admit that I had never thought of taking a sheet of patterned paper and cut it into identical blocks to space as my background.  I really like how it turned out!  I also like the title, photo, and journalling strip on the right side.  I find my eye is automatically drawn there.

Supplies: Patterned Paper: October Afternoon Campfire Collection; Cardstock: Bazzills; Alphabet Stickers: October Afternoon Mini Market and Basic Grey Alpha Stickers; Embellishments: October Afternoon Campfire Chipboard and Glass Beads; Inks: Colorbox; Sketch: Sketches for Scrapbooking Volume 2; Tools: Creative Memories Reverse Corner Rounder.

1 Week Later

Its been a couple of long weeks for me at work lately which means that I haven't had many opportunities to scrap. I have missed it! Last night a couple of us girls got together for a crop and it was long over due. I didn't get much done. In fact, I don't think I got anything done! I got two double page layouts half way done but I just wasn't feeling the mojo to finish them. I figure it was mainly because it had been a while since I called on the mojo and apparently I was getting a busy signal!

I wanted a big number 1 on the layout but I did not have one.  So I cut my own out of cardstock and then used my Cuttlebug and the Swiss Dots Embossing folder to add some dimension to it.  I then took some ink and lightly brushed the raised parts and edges to make it it really pop.

Supplies: Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye - Alphabet Soup Collection; Cardstock: Bazzills; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts Thickers; Embellishments: Basic Grey Dollie Ribbon, American Crafts Just Write Journalling Card, Jillibean Journalling Spot, Pink Paislee House of Three Soiree Stickers; Inks: Colorbox; Tools: Cuttlebug and Swiss Dots Embossing Folder.

Family

I have an addiction for crochet flowers.  I just wish I could make them!  Trust me I have tried, but it is one thing I can't seem to get the hang of!  The local scrapbook store has a little old lady who makes these beauties for something to keep her busy and the store sells them for her.  They aren't expensive really and I don't mind helping to support a little old lady, I just wish I could figure out how to make them.  It's very frustrating for me when I can't figure something out!

Supplies: Patterned Paper: Imaginisce - Happy Camper Collection; Cardstock: Bazzills; Embellishments: Imaginisce - Happy Camper Chipboard, Jillibean Soup Journalling Spot, Flowers, Basic Grey - Fort Lauderdale Brads and Crochet Flowers; Sketch: Sketches for Scrapbooking Volume 3; Tools: Creative Memories Corner Rounder.

Hardest Day of Our Lives

As scrapbookers, we always tend to scrapbook family events, holidays, and vacations. Very rarely do we scrapbook the hard moments of life. At least that is how I operate. This summer my husband and I had one of the most difficult days of lives when our dog ended up being rushed in for emergency surgery. When we brought him home, it broke my heart to look at him in the condition he was. I seriously sat there and said I was not going to take a picture. This is not something I want to remember, let alone scrapbook. But then I remembered the vet telling me to watch to make sure the swelling goes down and the only way I could think to compare would be to take a picture. So I took the picture but with no intentions of scrapbooking it! When I went to pick up my last batch of photos from printing, there is was, my swollen faced puppy preserved in a photo. I had printed it by accident. I figured this must be a sign and then a few day later I saw a post on a blog I follow about scrapbooking the good and the bad. So I decided to scrapbook it. It was hard but it was also therapeutic, especially while writing the journalling. I can honestly say that I am happy that I did it and can now say that my scrapbooks contain both the good and the bad!

Supplies: Patterned Paper: Bella Blvd - Tail Waggers Collection and Basic Grey Solids; Cardstock: Bazzills; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts Thickers; Embellishments: Bella Blvd - Man of the House Border Strips, My Mind's Eye - Lime Twist Accessory Sheet, Pearls; Inks: Colorbox; Tools: Computer for Journalling.

Going Home

Every time we travel somewhere, I have an obsessive need to take photos while we are driving. I'm not sure why, I just do, and then I print them always wonder what to do with them. The pictures always seem so random to me. I decided to make this layout just about the drive home and showcase some of my photos in their random glory.   I didn't journal as I really didn't have much to say other than we were heading home.  I figure it's ok because it is the last layout in a series of layouts that I did about a summer camping trip.

I have become a huge fan of die cut pieces that manufacturers have started coming out with recently.  They make embellishing a layout super easy and quick!  One of my favorites are Basic Grey's Pieces.  A cute little package filled to the adhesive edge with fun little paper embellies!  For this layout I used the Pieces from the Hopscotch Collection, layered a couple and then pop dotted one for dimension and then added my own little touch with adhesive pearls.  Turned out pretty good if I do say so myself!

Supplies: Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye - Good Day Sunshine Collection; Alphabet Stickers: Thickers; Embellishments: Basic Grey - Hopscotch Pieces, Basic Grey Pearls, My Mind's Eye - Stella Rose Layer Stickers, and My Mind's Eye - Good Day Sunshine Border Die Cut; Inks: Colorbox; Tools: Kitchen Plate to trace the large circle.

Sketch Support Gallery Week

This week it is Gallery Week over at Sketch Support.  Have you checked out their Sketch Support Flickr gallery yet? Well if you haven't, you are missing out!  There are so many great examples of how different scrapbookers interpret the Sket Support Sketches.  It's a great place to go to get some inspiration and I bet you even think at some point "now why didn't I think about that"!

Well today on the Sketch Support, one of my gallery layouts was chosen as a favorite by Design Team memeber Jennifer Larson and her comments about my layout are so sweet!  Why don't you head on over there to check it out!

Have a great long weekend everyone!