Home for the Holidays

The hubs and I always do our own little Christmas on Christmas day before heading to see family for the day.  I always enjoy this quiet time just the two of us, sharing the gifts we bought for each other and of course spoil the dog too!

This was a quick and easy sketch to work with.  I love that it allowed me to fit so many pictures on the layout as well as use several different styles of patterned paper!  Instead of following the sketch exactly which called for three vertical pictures side by side, I replaced the far left one with a journalling spot from the collection that was the same size as a 4x6 photo.  Looks great if you ask me!  Plus it saved me from having to do a title ... bonus!

Supplies: Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket ; Cardstock: Bazzills; Embellishments: Chipboard Trees covered in Patterned Paper, Cosmo Cricket Stickers, and Basic Grey Stickers; Sketch: Sketches for Scrapbooking; Tools: EK Success Edge Border Punch.

Deep Sea Fishing

Another Jamaica layout completed using the Basic Grey Fort Lauderdale Collection!  Creating simple layouts like this one with leftover strips of patterned paper really helped to stretch the collection into even more layouts!

To give the leaf sticker a little more dimension I stuck a few foam squares under a couple of the leaves.  It almost gives it a 3D quality to it.  I was so excited when I found this little journalling spot in the collection because it has a boat on it.  I know I am a geek!  It's small things like that that tie the theme together for me.

Supplies: Patterned Paper: Basic Grey - Fort Lauderdale Collection; Cardstock: Bazzills; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts Thickers and Basic Grey Alphas; Embellishments: Basic Grey - Fort Lauderdale Die Cut Stickers and Chipboard Elements.

Beaches Sandy Bay

Die cut papers ... I always have a hard time with them. Don't know why. They are just an odd shape that I have a hard time incorporating them into my layouts. I could put it on top of a 12x12 cardstock but then what do I do with the other side of my two page layout? Normally I end up cutting it in half and using it on the top or opposite sides of a two page layouts. So normally I avoid them when I buy my supplies. But this one came in a kit I bought. And I can't stand to get rid of things so I needed to figure out what to do with it. When I was looking at my sketch book I saw this sketch with a 12x12 piece of paper kind of in the center of the whole layout and that is when I thought ... why not use the die cut sheet?! Brilliant I say and I might just have to start buying more of them now!

Supplies: Patterned Paper: My Minds Eye - Stella Rose Collection; Cardstock: Bazzill; Alphabet Stickers: Chipboard Alphas and American Crafts Thickers; Embellishments: Karen Foster - Travel Embellishments, Pink Paislee - Seaside Embellishments and Brads; Sketch: Sketches for Scrapbooking Volume 8.

Buried Alive

Ok so I think I am getting the hang of this using scraps thing ... not to brag or anything. I had a bunch of odds and ends left over from my two other layouts I did with this collection from Echo Park so I looked for a sketch that used a bunch of little pieces instead of long or wide pieces. I found one in my Sketches for Scrapbooking books that had little squares along the top which was perfect. And the joy of double sided paper is that I could cut two squares out of one sheet!  I had a couple of photos that I couldn't crop down to the square size so I made them span two squares instead.  Took a little bit of math and measuring but I made it work!

I struggled a bit with the bottom of this layout though because I found there was so much white space and if I see white space I like to fill it.  I used a couple of the element stickers which helped to fill the white space and anchor my title to the layout but to me there seems to be more I could do.  But I listened to my croppin' buddy and left it alone so it is done, although I keep thinking there is still room for more!  I will admit though that I do like the multicolored title! 

Supplies: Patterned Paper: Echo Park - Splash Collection; Cardstock: Bazzills; Alphabet Stickers: Echo Park - Splash Alpha Stickers and American Crafts Thickers; Embellishments: Echo Park - Spash Element Stickers and My Minds Eye Journaling Spot; Sketch: Sketches for Scrapbooking.

Wandering Elbow Falls

One of the reasons I love Sketch Support sketches is they use lots of strips of paper which is great for using up scraps. And we all have lots of scraps ... don't pretend that you don't because I know you do!  We all do!  I have a whole bin full of them ... I'll admit it!  Most of them I keep because I love the paper and can't part with it.  But to be honest most of the time I end up purging the drawer and giving them away to a friends daughter for crafts.  She loves them and I get more space.

Let's be honest, most manufacturers are getting redonkulous with amount of collections they put out every year and I just can't keep up anymore!  I never thought I would say that but it's true!  A collection now has 12 sheets of double sided paper with 3 sheets of stickers, rub-ons, and chipboard ... oh and don't forget the cutest embellishments!  It's gone from spending $10-20 to spend $50-60 for an entire collection!  And that is just one of the four collections they released this quarter!  So my scrappy resolution this year is to buy less and use more.  It's gonna be a tough one for me.  Unless I absolutely love a piece of paper/collection I used to only use it once.  I didn't want to use it on another layout (cards are an exception of course).  But why can't I?  Is there a rule that says I can't?  Nope, it was just my excuse to get rid of the leftovers so that I could buy more.  Silly really!  So brace yourselves ... you're going to see some repeating products on different layouts until I purge some of my leftovers.  Hope you don't mind!

Just look at all those little strips I got to use up on this layout!  I'll admit it takes a little more time to get going rummaging through the scraps but in the end I think the layout turned out great!  We'll see how I do!

Supplies: Patterned Paper: Crate Paper - Little Sprout Collection; Cardstock: Bazzills; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts Thickers; Embellishments: October Afternoon Campfire Die Cuts and Stickers, Twine, Grommets, and Brads; Inks: Chalkbox; Sketch: Sketch Support Two Page Sketch #20.

Last Minute Weekend

I love ribbon, just ask anyone who has been in my scrapbook room! I have been collecting it for years and probably got at least a years worth without buying another inch and still not run out! I'll admit, I might be a little obsessed! My tastes over the years have changed slightly though. I used to buy a lot of printed patterned ribbon (strips, dots, swirls, etc) but lately I have been gravitating towards what I call structured ribbon. I'm sure that's not the technical term but that is what I call it, okay? So let me explain. I like ribbons that have a structured pattern (pleats, stitching, shape, natural fibers, etc) instead of a printed pattern. I just find them more flexible because typically you are not fighting with both pattern and colors, if you get what I mean.

I also like ribbons that have been around the block a few times and are still trendy, like the Ric-Rac ribbon I used on this layout. Isn' that large Ric-Rac ribbon just awesome! Ric-Rac has become my new obsession and now that my local fabric store carries it by the yard ... I might be stocking up on some!

Supplies: Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricket - Wanted Collection, ; Cardstock: ; Alphabet Stickers: Basic Grey - Alpha Stickers and Jolee's Woodgrain Letters; Embellishments: Ric-Rac, Reminisce Camp Sayings Stickers, and Cosmo Cricket - Mr Campy Journaling Spot; Inks: Colorbox Chalk Ink; Sketch: Sketches for Scrapbooking Volume 1;.

Sweet Ride

I struggled with this layout.  I started it about 4 weeks ago without any plan on what I wanted and then it sat on my desk waiting for me to finish it up since then.  I wasn't feeling inspired with it.  Don't get me wrong, I love these photos.  We had so much fun while they were being taken and I had so many to choose from.  I followed my own advice and picked my favorites but the problem I was having was the paper choice.  The background cardstock was originally a greeny-blue and I didn't like it.  So last week I decided to rip it apart and redo it with a blue background.  I was happier but still not satisfied.  I found the layout plain.  So I border punched the edges and then added the bling in each circle.  I liked it more but found the bling seemed random so then I went bling crazy on the title.  I think this helped to tie it all together.  Still not my best work but it's what happens when I don't start with a plan!

Supplies: Patterned Paper: Bella Blvd - Mr Boy Collection, Echo Park - Walk in the Park Collection, and Tinkering Ink - Beloved Collection; Cardstock: Bazzils; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts - Thickers; Embellishments: Bling, Ribbon, and Buttons; Tools: EK Success Large Circle Border Punch .

A Beautiful Day for a Walk Down the Aisle

I guess I have been MIA lately. It seems as though time is flying by ... is it really June already!?! It happens around this time of year, I loose my scrapbooking mojo. I think it has to do with the fact that nice weather has finally shown up and I have been busy planting my garden, camping, having BBQs, and generally enjoying the great outdoors! You see, winter here is way too long and summer flies by so fast so I try to enjoy every minute of it! So please excuse me if my posting seems a little sporadic in the next little while but I just can't miss my 2-3 months of nice weather!

This is yet another layout about my brother's wedding. I know you must be getting tired of them, I know I am and can't wait to finish this album. It's not that I don't enjoy these pictures but I have some other photos I have promised myself I won't start until I finish this album. I am almost done, the end is within sight! I am finding the last couple of layouts hard to do though. It could be because I have used all my cool ideas already ... who knows. Do you find that when you are doing an album dedicated to a single event that is always hard to finish those last couple of layouts?

A while back I was big into those Bling It On Crystals by Basic Grey.  I think I have every color imaginable!  Lately they have fallen out of favor on my layouts but I decided to bring them back for this layout.  I used them up pretty up the flowers and to add some whimsy to the journalling spot.  I guess I can scratch another use an older item on my layouts off my list!

Supplies: Patterned Paper: My Mind's Eye - Quite Contrary Collection; Alphabet Stickers: American Crafts Thickers; Embellishments: Ribbon, Basic Grey Bling It On Crystals, and My Mind's Eye - Quite Contrary Accessory Sheet; Tools: Dymo Label Maker.

2 Page Sketch Day

For all the details on these two projects, please go to Sketch Support where you will see lots of photos and all the necessary info to recreate them. Please feel free to leave me a comment as I love reading what you have to say and if you like my work why not follow me too! Have a great weekend!

A Day at Spruce Meadows

I bought this paper a long time ago because I really liked it but I had a hard time finding photos that co-ordinated with it and the strong pattern.  That is until we went to Spruce Meadows for the day.  The colors were perfect and the grid layout was a perfect pattern for the jump obstacles and phone booth photos.  I love it when something works out well ... even when it is not planned!

I Think We Just Got Married

So this layout has quite a funny story. While we were on our Jeep tour in Cuba, we stopped for this river boat tour. After the tour, we were greeted by some local natives who performed a customary dance for us. Some how Steve and I got pulled into dance. It was a lot of fun and at the end of it we got "marked" by the Shaman with green paint on our cheeks. Steve and I were joking that we thought that maybe we had been married off to a local but couldn't tell for sure seeing as we didn't understand a word being said!

I'm starting to really get into Kraft paper lately.  For the longest time, I really disliked it and I mean really!  The last time I was in the states I bought a pack of Kraft paper because it was unbelievably cheap and I figured I could figure out one way to use it.  Boy am I ever glad I did.  What do you think of my painting ability, my un-uniform and un-evenly spaced white dots?  I know not that great but I wanted to mimic the body paint all the dancers were wearing and I decided to embrace the imperfection!

I completed this layout at a crop this past weekend and I just wanted to send out a thank you to Kim because without her help in the letter department, my title would not have come together so nicely.  She talked me into the pink letters which I was hesistant about but now that it is all done I really like it!

More Images of Havana

I have been on this making flowers kick lately.  The plain stick a brad through it paper flowers just aren't cutting it for me.  I have started looking into making my own flowers and so far I love the results.  This is a ribbon flower I created using a thick dark blue velvet ribbon from my stash.  I am planning on doing a tutorial on how I did this soon so stay tuned!

This layout was based on this Allison Davis sketch

Star Date 23.04.2010

This spring, Steve and I took a voyage out to Vulcan to see Spock as he makes his first landing "Home". It was such a fun day and Steve got to meet one of his idols.



Both of these layouts were created using My Mind's Eye Breaking Free Collection. These papers were so great cause they were masculine and fit the deep space theme. For the first layout I actually had two of the shooting star paper so I cut the shooting stars out of one and placed them directly over the shooting stars on the other sheet using pop dots. It really gives a great dimension to this Out of This World layout! The second layout actually has the newspaper article from our local hearld folded up on it. I thought this was a great way log the events of the day with out having to journal it myself. Okay that enough puns for one day!

Quality Time In The Woods Together

I love this paper line so much and couldn't wait to use it ... hey it had tent trailers on it, you know how hard that is to find? So I created the layout and then typed out the journalling and printed it out on acetate. When I put the journalling on the layout it seemed to get lost in the pattern of the paper. So I took some white acrylic paint and painted some very light, wide brushstrokes on the back of the acetate. Once it dried I put it on my layout and the journalling seemed to show up better. Problem solved!

Go Fly a Kite

Steve decided to try to teach our niece how to fly a kite. It was so cute to watch and I need to capture this special moment in photos so I went a little crazy and ended up with tons on photos to choose from. Because I had so many photos, I decided to use this sketch by Allison Davis which I absolutely loved.

Roof Top Views

The resort roof top views were absolutely amazing. These pictures were taken when a storm was rolling in.

Almost Ready for Baby

I'm getting close to finishing my nephew's baby book, it won't be too much longer. We are not planning on seeing his Mom and Dad prior to the birth so I thought I would post the first couple layouts of the book so that Dad (Jamey) will know which pictures he is responsible for taking on the first couple of important days. Catherine I hope you like the layouts so far :) Sorry about the low quality photos but with it getting dark so early now that fall is in full swing, it is hard to get enough light for taking pictures.

A layout for pictures taken throughout the pregnancy.
A layout for pictures taken while getting ready for baby (i.e.: decorating the nursery).
A layout for pictures taken the day the baby is born.
A layout for family pictures taken with the new baby.
A layout for pictures taken the day the baby is brought home.