Make a Wish

We had my granddaughters first birthday party over the weekend.  It was so much fun.  I made some of theses title/signs for some of the decorations for the party using my cricut, so I brought them home to use on some of the birthday layouts.  

I used the January 15th sketch #145 at  "SKETCH N SCRAP"  for this layout, just rotated one of the pictures.

Here is the  LINK  and the sketch.

A Food PL page

I have only included one food picture in my PL pages so far this month so today I thought I would make a PL page of some favorites from the month.

My title card for the page came from using the sketch at  "SKETCHES IN THYME PROJECT LIFE STYLE"    it worked great for this page.

We bought a Sous Vide with a GC from Christmas and have been using it a lot,  so far have tried shrimp, chicken, sirloin, KC strip steaks and rack of lamb.    My son-in-law has used his for brisket for sandwiches and it was great, we had that over New Year weekend and he is making a pork butt in it this week for pulled pork sandwiches for Elle's b'day party over the weekend, that and another brisket.   He also used it for poached pears that he said were great.  

Here is Sketch #94 and the link to "SKETCHES IN THYME PROJECT LIFE STYLE"
and then my full Project Life page.

Another Adventure

When I saw the newest Word Play Challenge #379 was 'Adventure' at  "LASTING MEMORIES"
I knew I would scrap these pictures of my granddaughter from last month.   They were on their way to NY for Christmas with her other grandparents.

I think I was 19 before I took my first flight and this is Elle's 2nd airplane trip and she is not one yet.
They had to be at the airport at 5 a.m so she just traveled in her warm p.j.'s and was bright eyed and ready to go.

Here is the challenge description at  "LASTING MEMORIES"  I hav the word adventure in my title and then in my journal tag and one other of the little circle embellishments.

LM #379 - Adventure - use some form of the word "Adventure" on your layout.

This can be in the title, in the paper, in your journaling, an embellishment - just have some form of the word on your layout

I am also going to enter this layout at  "SCRAPPING 4 FUN CHALLENGES"  Challenge #107 - Anything Goes.    Here are the requirements.

Challenge 107 - Anything Goes

1. You can create a - Layout, Card, Canvas, Mini Album, Mixed media, "Off the Page" Creations
2. Only new creations from 19th of January 2018 onwards
3. Enter a direct link to your creations into the link tool, not only to the main page of your blog. This makes it easy for the Design Team to find your creations to leave comments.
4. You may enter a maximum of 4 entries for each Challenge
5. MUST BE A FOLLOWER!!!!!(to enter Challenges)
6. If your Challenge entries does not meet the above requirements your entry will be disqualified!

This Challenge ends on Thursday, the 1st of February, 23:55PM European Time.

Sweet Dreams Baby Girl

With Elle a month away from being one year old, the times I just got to hold and cuddle and rock her were getting few and very far between.   She was just to active and inquisitive for Grandma to just hold her non-stop.    But I was babysitting while Mom and Dad went to a movie and we had been playing and reading and had a snack and done a little bit of everything.   She started to get a little fussy so I knew she was tired but it was close to time when Mom and Dad would be home and I didn't want to carry her upstairs to her crib because she was rebelling again naps at the time.
So I just held her tight in my arms and rocked her a bit just sitting on the couch and in five minutes she was out cold.   So I waited a bit and then just carried her back to my bed so I could hold her and let her sleep and just spend some special times just watching her.      A few minutes later Mom and Dad were back home and this is how her Mom found us and luckily she reached over and got my phone off the bed and took these pictures of us.   I just think they are precious.

When I saw the word play challenge #378 was "Dream" at  "LASTING MEMORIES"   I knew that I would be scrapping these pictures.   I've had this Sweet Dreams die-cut and the sheep that I used for journaling for many years from a swap and now I finally had the right pictures to scrap and got to use them.

Here is the link to the challenge at  "LASTING MEMORIES"   lots of good words for challenges every week this month.

LM #378 - Dream - use some form of the word "Dream" on your layout.

This can be in the title, journaling, or even on an embellishment - just use some form of the word "dream" (dreamer, daydream, dreaming, etc.) on your layout.

2017 Magic Tree

There was a new Magic Tree location this year in Columbia and this tree was bigger than any ever.
The old ones were still around the town but on Christmas Eve we braved the bitter cold and went out to see this one.   Bruce and I got out all bundled up and walked around to take pictures.   We parked where Dad and Arthur could stay in the car and still see the tree, they wanted nothing to do with bitter colds and winds.    This is a tradition no matter what I don't want to miss any year no matter the elements at the time.

For this year I used the January 15th sketch at  "STUCK ?! SKETCHES"  I had to rotate it to work with my vertical pictures.   I picked the background paper because of the snow on the ground and the fact that there was a light snow falling while we were there.   Plus on our way there we saw some deer in the trees by my brothers house, so this paper was perfect.

Here is the link to the challenge and the sketch at  "STUCK ?! SKETCHES"

Sledding - Snow Fun

Elle needs a pink snowsuit instead of grey, she blends in with her Dad but pink or grey she had a great time on her first sledding excursion.   The hill in front of the house is perfect for the sled so it worked out great since it was so cold that day.  They could sled and have fun but not have to stay out for a long time, come right in and get warm.

I used the sketch a  "ROCHELLE SPEARS BLOG"  for this challenge and used striped paper on my layout just as was part of the challenge.

I am also entering this layout at   "THE STUDIO CHALLENGES"     Here is the challenge.

14th January -Snowflakes

Happy New Year to you!

Today's challenge is a nice and easy one to ease into the new year.

Snowflakes; we want to see snowflakes on your layouts! Anyway, anyhow!

I have snowflakes in two of my papers and then I used 6 snowflake brads and different snowflake stickers several places on my layout and also included two in my title.

My Valentine

Decided to make one more Valentine card today when I saw the sketch today at  "SKETCH N SCRAP"   It's sketch#114 and with the doily I thought it would be perfect for a Valentine card and I was right.

Here is the sketch and link to all this months sketches at  "SKETCH N SCRAP"

I am also entering this card at  "SCRAPPING 4 FUN CHALLENGES"    Their challenge #107 is
Anything Goes.  Here are the requirements.

Challenge 107 - Anything Goes

1. You can create a - Layout, Card, Canvas, Mini Album, Mixed media, "Off the Page Creations
2. Only new creations from 5th of January 2018 onwards
3. Enter a direct link to your creations into the link tool, not only to the main page of your blog. This makes it easy for the Design Team to find your creations to leave comments
4. You may enter a maximum of 4 entries for each Challenge
5. MUST BE A FOLLOWER!!!!!(to enter Challenges)
6. If your Challenge entries does not meet the above requirements your entry will be disqualified

Christmas in NY

Elle spent her first Christmas with her Grandparents in NY and then we had our Missouri Christmas on the 29th.   I only got these few pictures off FB of the day, but wanted to make sure and get them scrapped for her album.  Every piece of paper she tore off her gifts she passed over to her Meme.
Just so cute.

I used sketch #144 at  "SKETCH N SCRAP"  for this layout and I love how it all came together.

Here is the sketch.

Winter Wonderland

You don't often think of winter layouts being made in colors of tans and white.   But the tone of the picture had the browns and whites in it so that is what I wanted to match.

I am entering this layout at  "THE STUDIO CHALLENGES" 

The challenge is Snowflakes -   make sure there are snow flakes on your layout.

I have snowflake paper and   three snowflake embellishments on my layout.

Continuing with January Project Life

I'm using sketch #93 at "SKETCHES IN THYME PROJECT LIFE STYLE"  for one of my pictures in this weeks PL pages.

For ages my hubby has wanted a sous vide, he reads about something and he wants it.  LOL   But I resisted for well over a year.   But then I found out my son-in-law wanted one for Christmas so got one for him  (this way he can test it)   He loved it and made a brisket with it while we were all together.   So since we had holiday Gift Cards to use we bought one ourselves.    It might just be because its new, but we have used it 3 nights in a row, shrimp, steaks and chicken breasts, but so far we like it.    Will see if we continue to use it a lot.   I'm just hooked to our grill and smoker for most things and I don't think that will change.

Here is the sketch I used and then my full PL page.   Check out the challenge for yourself at
"SKETCHES IN THYME PROJECT LIFE STYLE"  There are two sketches to play with during each month.

I'm going to try and include more current events this year with my PL pages and not always have them so picture heavy.

I love you card

Valentine card #2 for today.   I was inspired by the challenge at   "SHOPPING OUR STASH"
Challenge #336 is Out With the Old & In With the New.

I was totally out of card bases so that is the only new item I used on this card.  With the exception of the pink stripe on the left side, I got that from a 6x6 pad that was gifted to me and I hadn't used any of the papers yet.   The Old is the letters and the heart and paper.   I cut a piece of patterned paper to fit my card from a 12x12 that I had in my stash for ages and then I repurposed a big title that was in my stash of Valentine papers and embellishments.  I took the I and U off and also the heart and added them to my card on a diagonal.   Then I added one more pink puffy heart from my stash to the center of the big paper heart.

Here is a link to the challenge at  "SHOPPING OUR STASH"

Hello crafty friends!!

Thanks for coming by today to check out our latest challenge.

We are jumping head first into 2018 with OUT WITH THE OLD & IN WITH THE NEW

Show us some of the old and not so old (new even???) stuff in your crafty stash!

Valentine Card

I thought I would get started today making a couple of Valentine cards to have them ready for the next holiday.  It will sneak up on us before you know it.

This card I am going to enter in two different challenges.

The first challenge is  "TRY STAMPIN' -OR NOT- ON TUESDAY"   I used their newest sketch
#353 - Burst of color.     I used mostly pinks and reds, but then my burst of color is the background paper of my shaker circle, green, blue and yellow.    Here is the sketch I used.

The second challenge is at  "TUESDAY THROWDOWN"  Challenge #374 is 'Layer It Up'
I matted the hear paper stripe first with white card stock and then red card stock and added it to
my card base.  Next my shaker circle is layered on top of that strip.   My 3 hearts are in layers too.

Tuesday Throwdown #374 "Layer It Up"

Happy New Year

I have been scrapping my granddaughters first holidays all year long.   With her first birthday coming up on January 26th,  her first New Year was the last "first" holiday to document.     It was kind of sad making this final layout of her first holidays.  But there will always be new first experiences to come in her life.

I'm entering this layout in 3 different challenges.

First is   "LET'S GET SKETCHY"  I used their January 1st sketch.

...................................................................................

Second is the challenge at   "GRAND DIVA'S CREATIVE CORNER"

JANUARY "THIS MONTH IN HISTORY CHALLENGE"

     Select one of the history fancy and create a layout inspired by that fact.

#1 Jan 1 1908 = The ball first dropped at Times Square in NYC.:

Create a layout about a celebration AND you must include gold embellishments &/or alphas.

#2 Jan 12 1966 Batman debuts on televisions:

Creat a super hero theme layout AND you must include stars on your layouts.

#3 Jan 14 1973 - The Miami Dolphins defeat the Washington Redskins in Superowl VII, to become the first undefeated team in NFL history.

Create a sports themed layout AND you must include a banner on your layout.

#4 Jan 15 1974 - Happy Days premiers on television:

Create a layout with the word HAPPY as your title or part of your title. AND you must use Thickers

or Sticker letters.

My layout actually works for both #1 and #4   I used gold alphas on the layout and for #4 my title is Happy and I used Thickers

.......................................................................................

Last but far from least is "LASTING MEMORIES" and their Word Play - Happy

LM #376 - Happy - use some form of the word "Happy" on your layout.

This can be in your title, in your journaling, or even on an embellishment, just show us some form of the word happy (happy, happiness, happiest, etc.) on your layout.

11 Months Old

I can't believe my granddaughter Elle will be a year old at the end of the month.   I've really enjoyed making these monthly layouts of her as she has grown this past year.    Maybe I can talk her Mom and Dad into taking monthly picture updates for the next year too.

I've made this layout with two challenges in mind.

1st  "OFF THE RAIL SCRAPBOOKING"  the January Mood Board is all about babies.

Next I'm entering Challenge #377 - Word Play --- Love at  "LASTING MEMORIES" 
This was one of my favorite monthly b'day pictures of Elle, I loved what she was wearing, all big girl like in her turtleneck.  I had a piece of wood veneer that said "Love This" and thought it was perfect for my layout and for this challenge.
Here is the information about the challenge.

LM #377- Love - use some form of the word "Love" on your layout.

This can be in your title, journaling, or even an embellishment, just show some form of the word "love" (you could use love, lovely, loving, etc.) on your layout.

Next the Take 5 challenge at  "PAPER ISSUES FAN & FRIENDS"

Elle's First Christmas

I brought these "first" stickers back when Elle was born in January 2017.   I've used them all now but the first New Years one    (I'll do that layout next)    I've really enjoyed making all these first holiday layouts for her throughout the year.

Isn't her dress adorable, Leslie wasn't sure about it just laying there when she got it as a gift for her but when she dressed her in it, she looked great.

I'll also enter this at  "USE YOUR STUFF"  anything goes challenge going on now.

BRRR - a cold NY Christmas

Elle spent her first Christmas Day with her grandparents in upstate New York and also had her first experience in the snow.     We had our Christmas together on the 29th.   We are going to alternate years for Christmas day in Missouri or in NY.   Works out great for everyone.   It was actually fun this year having an extended Christmas season.  

I entered this layout at  "SCRAPPING 4 FUN FACEBOOK CHALLENGES"   and also at  "USE YOUR STUFF"  Anything Goes fun challenge they are having now through Jan 8th when their regular challenges start again.

I just love this picture of Elle's happy face.   The Merry Christmas Sign they took off their front porch to use in the picture and it turned out perfect.

PL PAGES to end a year and start 2018

I spent the first part of the week finishing my last pages for 2017 Project Life album.  Then today I started my first 2018 PL page.

There is a fun Anything Goes challenge going on at  "USE YOUR STUFF" to just add what you are working on now until their new challenges start on the 8th of January.   I'll enter these there.

I also entered my first 2018 PL page at  "PAPER ISSUES FAN & FRIENDS"  for their New Issue Monday challenge,  one of the prompts was to include 2018 on your project.