Gone Fishing

Woo Hoo, my stepson and family will be here tomorrow and I got one more layout made of the kids to give them to take home for their albums.      These were pictures down at my stepdaughters house when we were all there in October.  I had already made a layout of Gibson fishing but not one of Bryce so now I have that covered too.

I used the 1-15-17 Sketchy Friday sketch from  "SCRAP MUCH ?"    I had 3 pictures I wanted to use so YEAH again.

I used the Basic Grey collection Adrift for this, first time I've cut into it.   So sorry to see them quitting their paper line.

Play Time

I'm on the DT at "SKETCHES IN THYME"   and this is not my week or sketch to work with but
I had the perfect pictures to work with Brenda Ragsdale Sketch #82 so just wanted to share it here.

Here is the sketch and go to "SKETCHES IN THYME" to see what this weeks DT did.

From the Car

I am back one more time this month using the 1-15-16 sketch at "SCRAP OUR STASH"
Sketch + 3 challenge

I just loved this challenge so kept it on my desk an sure enough I got to it again.
This time  from list #1 I used 2 different American Craft papers,  the striped paper strip on the left and then the wider blue paper with the words written on them, both are from the Mayberry collection. From list #2 I used the color blue,  with the blue paper, the blue doily and although hard to see I used blue alphas for my title.
From list #3 I used Carta Bella papers.  The background camera paper and the you are here paper strip, they are both from the Travel Stories collection.

So go to "SKETCH OUR STASH" and join in.

Arlington

As I'm finishing old vacation layouts this last week, I found that the Jan. 1st sketch at
"STUCK ?! SKETCHES" was perfect to use 3 pictures of the grave markers of other than the regular
crosses of graves of the soldiers.   While we were there they were doing maintenance on the
eternal flame at JFK's grave so didn't get to see that.
I'm really enjoying going back into my picture archives plus pulling out my old albums and
looking at the pictures and the layouts.   This was my first trip to DC in 2008

Washington Cathedral

I'm going back through my vacation albums and seeing what pictures I have missed scrapping.   This was my first trip to DC with my Dad and brother, we took a road trip to visit my daughter who had moved there about 5 months before for work.   This was in 2008 and when I first started scrapping so a lot of pages of this trip I would like to change and expand on.    But even in those pages I didn't have any pictures of when we went to the National Cathedral.   So for these 3 pictures I used the sketch for week #4 at "LET'S GET SKETCHY"    It was perfect for me to use.    There is still time to enter you have until the end of the month.

Week 4 PL title card

I'm on the Design Team at "SKETCHES IN THYME PL STYLE"  and this isn't my week to work the sketch but I really liked it and when I decided to work on my title page today I went to the blog to get some inspiration and decided to go ahead and use this weeks sketch by Emma Prescott.

Hope some of you will join in also.  Still time to work this sketch and the rest of the weekly sketches for January.   Plus there is a great prize.    "Live Your Day" - Picture My Life set.    An awesome prize.

SNOW

We got an inch or two of snow on Wednesday and sitting here at my desk scrapping I could look out and really see that the snowflakes were huge.   So I went out in front and back to take some pictures and try to capture some of the flakes in the pictures.   It's hard to see on this, but looking at the actual layout and not a picture you can really see some individual big flakes coming down.

I am entering this for the  "CLEAR IT OUT CHALLENGE"   the latest challenge is Winter Stash and uses a snowflake.    Well I really got into my stash for this.   I used  the last of what I had of the Bo Bunny - Snowy Serenade collection.    It's the full background paper and all the embellishments and sticker strips at the top and bottom of the layout.   The banners behind the pictures are wintery papers from my scraps.

Check out all the details   HERE.

Happy Birthday Gibson and Addisyn

Gibson and Addisyn had a combined birthday party for 2016 so I had a lot of pictures to choose from but for this double layout I went with pictures of the two of them with their pizza and cake time.

I started with double page, Sketchy-Friday sketch from Jan 1st at "SCRAP MUCH?"  
I added a cake die-cut and then did some stamping with a couple of my birthday themed stamps to add a little extra to it.

Check out all the details of this sketch and all the other Friday sketches for January at
"SCRAP MUCH?"

New Friends

Looking at the challenge #276 - New Life Event, at "LASTING MEMORIES"   I thought of the lunch I had just gone to the week before.     This whole event is "new" to me because until really the last year or two it is totally new to me to go out of my comfort zone and join in on something new.     These ladies I met for lunch are all originally from my hometown and we graduated from the same high school but we never met then as we were from different classes,  I graduated in 1969 (i have the long hair on the left)  Donna in the class of 1974 and Kaye and Becky graduated together in 1963.   We all live in KC (or close) and got to be friends on our hometown Facebook group and have been talking there how we should get together for lunch and finally we did.   We had a great time and went to a new place for 3 of us.  It is owned by a daughter and son-in-law of another native and HS classmate of Donna.    We had an
awesome lunch and I will be going back and just sat there and visited for close to 2 hours.   So I'm sure we will all get together again for another lunch.     So long story short..........  I thought this would work great for this challenge and put it all together finally this afternoon.

Check out all the weekly prompts for January HERE and have some fun.

Memories

Kept this layout clean and simple, no journaling and no embellishments.   I used the sketch at
"THE MEMORY NEST" for this and just kept it without any extras.   I like the look with just the single picture an the the patterns in the paper.

Here is the sketch and check out all the details  HERE.   You still have 12 days to enter all the January  Make it Monday sketches.   This was sketch #52

Cat in the Box

This went together real easy.   I actually had the sketch, the pictures and the paper collection picked out since this weekend.    I finally got it to the top of the papers on my desk and went right to work.
I've now finished all the January challenges at "STICK IT DOWN"  

I am also entering this layout in the January 1st challenge at "SCRAP OUR STASH"
The challenge is a Book inspired stash inspired one.   The Book is The Cat in the Hat Comes Back"
I used that inspiration in my play on on words for the title "Cat in a Box"   (and opps I see I have to reverse my in and a on my title, my bad) plus you must use while paint or paint spatters.   I have no place really for splatters so I got out my water colors and I have white paint over the green word script to the right of the pictures,  I did faux stitching with white paint on my green cat card and then I did some outlining (inside actually) of the brown alpha stickers for my title.

I just love this cat.  This is our only male cat,  Reggie.   He is totally my cat and stays with me all the time.  I emptied this box last week that had a Christmas gift in it and Reggie jumped right into it.
Made himself at home and stayed there for over an hour while I was busy working at my desk.

Here is the sketch and click    HERE  for the STICK IT DOWN challenge  to  get all the details on all going on this month.

And then for the SCRAP OUR STASH  challenge click HERE

@ Home 2015 Christmas

I just had a few more pictures that I wanted to scrap for this last Christmas so when I saw this double page sketch for January at   "STICK IT DOWN"   I knew it would let me make a layout with pictures of a lot of my decorations.     I just love decorating at Christmas and these are just a few of the decorations I had put out.   Along with how the tree looked.      I love Christmas decor so much I actually found the cutest wooden framed arrangement with a few lights working of a battery on clearance yesterday for only $5.  I couldn't resist.   Now I'll have something new to put out next year.

Check out the sketch below and then click on  "STICK IT DOWN"  and get the details on all the challenges for the month.   I have already done the card challenge.   Next up for me is the single page sketch.    Fun times.

Concert Time

I just LOVE this picture of my grandson.   His NEW experience for this year is learning to play the
violin in the school orchestra this year.      I would guess by this smile before their holiday concert that he is enjoying it.

I'M going to enter this layout in two challenges.   "SKETCH-N-SCRAP" & "LASTING MEMORIES"

I used this great layered sketch #97 from "SKETCH - N - SCRAP".   It's perfect for me because I love layering.   This time instead of matting my papers, like I often do, I inked them all in green .
All of my papers and embellishment, less the card stock background, is from the We R Memories - Snapshots collection.   I did have to rotate the sketch to get it to work with my picture.
Check out all the challenge details   HERE.

The next challenge is at "LASTING MEMORIES"   Their "theme" for the month is 'New Beginnings'
The Jan 10th challenge #275 was  Anything Goes,   as long as it goes with the New theme.     So  since learning to play the violin is all new to my grandson this year, that is why I am entering this layout for this challenge.    Check out this challenge  HERE and see what each weeks challenge is.    Share what is New for you.

It's Magic Time

I saw the challenge today at "USE YOUR STUFF"  and it was to use 3 or more patterned papers.   Since that is just what I like (lots of patterns)  I knew I would be making a layout for the challenge today.    I just had to find a sketch I wanted to use also.    So I got to "PAPER ISSUES" and decide to use their 1/9/16 Sketch Saturday sketch.

Along with patterns and layering I also got to do my other favorite scrapbooking trick, matting everything.   It's also a great trick to using lots of patterns and having them all stand out.
For this layout I used all papers from Fancy Pants - Burlaps & Bouquets collection.

Check out the challenges by clicking on the links above.

Merry Christmas Family

I had so much fun putting this layout together for the  "SCRAP OUR STASH"   Challenge.

There were extra elements in it, Use the sketch they posted and then pick at least one item from each column.    You can see the sketch in choices below.

Here is what I did.....
1.  Arrows
2.  Basic Grey
3.  Carta Bella

I also used the color avocado and cardinal red.

Man's Best Friend

I just love this picture of my Dad and his two dogs.   They are best friends and companions.
I wanted to do something special with this picture and when I saw the sketch  at "ELLE'S STUDIO" 
I knew it was perfect because I could enlarge the picture and make it prominent in my layout.
Plus I had the perfect paper from the Elle's Studio collection - Serendipity.    Because it was serendipity that this one piece of paper had the word "Cherish" on it because  Dad had always cherished his pets.   Through the years there have been many as Dad is 92 now and they have all been loved.   The one on his lap is named "Precious" and my brother and I surprised him with this dog and then about a year later my daughter was with us and we went to the shelter and before you knew it the two of them had picked out "Freckles" and was adopted and brought home to complete the family.

Here is the sketch I used and click on the link for "ELLE'S STUDIO" for all the details and also see what Jen did with sketch.    The deadline is January 27th.

DOG TIME

This layout went together super easy this morning because I had the pictures printed and just ready for the right sketch.    My daughter and brother were just sitting and talking while we were all hanging out in the kitchen over New Years and first her dog came downstairs to join in and then my Dad's dog decided he wanted in the group too.

 I will actually be entering this sketch in two challenges.   First I used the Jan. 1st sketch #96 at
"SKETCH-N-SCRAP".     I just had to rotate the sketch to fit with my vertical pictures.   My main papers were from the Jellibean Soup - Saffron Yellow Soup collection,  I added the little strip of paw print paper from my scraps and then red crackled card stock is Tim Holtz.

The second challenge I'm entering is one just announced today at "THE STUDIO CHALLENGES"
their challenge is all about Patterned Paper backgrounds.     I use mostly patterned papers and rarely use card stock as a background so this was easy for me.   The challenge is to show how you use your patterned paper so this is it.

So check out all the details at   "SKETCH-N-SCRAP" 

and

"THE STUDIO CHALLENGES"

A Winter Birthday Card

I need to get a birthday card out in a couple of weeks so I thought an early February birthday should get a winter themed card.

For this card I used Corri Garza's sketch at "PAPER ISSUES"   I am sure i will make other cards using this sketch too.   In fact i'm thinking Valentines card next.

Then I was also inspired by the new challenge at "JUST US GIRLS"    It's color week #326 to use
white, light blue and dark blue.

I am also going to enter this card at "SCRAP MUCH?" January color challenge.   They had a color palette of 6 colors (see below) and you have to use at least 4 of them.   I have the starry night dark blue, sky blue, slush and wooden sled green in the patterned paper and a touch of the gold there too.

Check it all out below and click on the links above.

Let It Snow

It is winter time, even though here in Kansas City, we have had one snow and less that 1" but over in St. Louis where the grandkids are they had their first snow of 2" and the kids got out and pretty well used it all up building their snowman.

I used Sketch #51 Make it Monday at   "THE MEMORY NEST"  for this layout.   Was perfect for the 3 pictures I had of the kids.  You have through the end of the month to enter and try to win the
prize of a $10 GC to The Memory Nest.

When making this layout I was also being 'pin'spired with the January Mood Board at "PAPER ISSUES"   I was inspired by the dark blue and light blue colors, the white in the mood board and of course the snow, especially the mitten covered hands full of snow, just like my granddaughter working on the snow man.    Check it out and a chance to win a GC at Paper Issues.

Stick It Down card challenge

Zentangles and adult coloring books are all the thing now.    A true zentangle usually remains black and white so that is why I combined some pops of colors behind it for this card so the black and white would still pop.

I used the January card sketch at "STICK IT DOWN" for this card.    Check it out and join the fun.

New Year Dinner 2016

We celebrated New Years in Columbia at my brothers, with my Dad, daughter and son-in-law.
We only cooked in once during the 3 days we were there and then ate out a lot.  From BBQ. to Burgers to Cajun for New Years Day dinner out.     These are the pictures from that dinner.   We had a variety of food but only got a picture of mine,  the 6 dinners included, Shrimp Diane, Blackened Cat Fish, Mufaletta, Blackened Shrimp, Crawfish and my Shrimp Creole.   All great and spicy.

This layout is my reveal for the 1-15-16 sketch at "LET'S SCRAP"    I hope you will check it out
HERE.    The others on the design team have some great layouts to share with this versatile sketch.
I'm sure you can put you creativity to work and do the same.

Here is the sketch.

Using up my Brads

When I saw challenge #206 - Brads at   "USE YOUR STUFF" I knew I wanted to start right away and make a card for the challenge.        In one of my online yahoo scrapbooking groups that I am in one of our monthly card challenges was to use brads on a card.     So perfect now I can make this card for both challenges.

My brothers b'day is February 5th so I wanted to have a masculine card ready to send out to him.
I went with all shades of browns and deep burgandys but then for the brads in the corners to add just a little more color I chose green to help pull the green from the stem on my stamped image.

These "USE YOUR STUFF" challenges are really working because I'm noticing that my supply of brads is really getting low.   I never thought I would be low on any scrapping supplies.   LOL
So join in the fun and use up your stuff too !!!!

Jacko's Big Day

Jacko is my daughters guinea pig or as I refer to him, my first grandchild from her.   :)
I sure never thought a guinea pig could be so cute, but I just love cuddling him.
It was his big day because one set of his bedding was fresh out of the washer and dryer, so as soon as we traded it out with the used bedding we put him in the laundry room sink for a bath and some freshening up.   The after lots of drying cuddles back to his clean cage with some fresh hay for part of his meal.

For this layout I used the sketchy Friday team B sketch at "SCRAP MUCH!?"    I got to do my favorite type of scrapping for this one, matting and lots of layers.     Check out the details HERE
and see the Laura Whitakers great sketch below.    You have until the 29th to enter any of this months challenges.

Gifts

Continuing on with Christmas layouts of us opening gifts I made this one of my hubby and I opening some of our gifts.      I usually have to hand off the camera to someone to get a picture of myself during the festivities because I am the one taking all the pictures.    Luckily my husband took this one for me.  Ok so I did hand him the camera to use.   But it worked.

Week #1 sketch at  "LET'S GET SKETCHY"  was perfect for two pictures of the two of us.     I loved this background holly paper but wasn't sure what to use with it, but I had all these different plaid scraps and started laying it out and it worked.     Plus one tiny strip of music paper I had left from the layout I made before this one and I was set.     And I had 2 gift box embellishments left to use.

As I said above its always hard to find pictures of me to scrap, but since I do have one of me at Christmas and since I love Christmas layouts this is the one I want to use for the challenge #25
at "CHALLENGE YOURSELF"   It's an Anything Goes Challenge, just of course have to be sure and feature a picture of yourself.    I might not be the only in this layout but I worked to get my picture taken so that counts to me.   LOL

Check out all the details hers at 'CHALLENGE YOURSELF"

Here is the sketch below and you can check out all the details here at  "LET'S GET SKETCHY"

Merry Christmas Gifts

I had all my pre Christmas days layouts pretty well made early in the season and then I discovered yesterday I hadn't made any layouts from Christmas day itself.    So I chose three pictures of my Dad and brother and them opening gifts.    I love the hoodie that I found for my brother, featuring our hometown.   He loved it too.

I used the January 1st sketch from "STUCK ?! SKETCHES"  to make this layout.  It was fun to work with.    I couldn't decide how or where to put some journaling so I used some sticker flags from my 2016 planner and and just wrote what the gifts were they were opening and put them on the pictures themselves and then a flag for the year just for a little extra to go with the sketch.
Plus I got to pull out some of my hoarded 3D embellishments for the title and then I had this great set of gifts that was perfect for this layout for embellishing.

Just go to "STUCK ?! SKETCHES"  to check out all the details and see what the design team did.  You have till Jan. 29th to enter this weeks sketch.