The Graduate

This is the layout I created for the 1st round of the Last Scrapper Standing contest over at Memorable Seasons. I really had fun with this!! Tami issued the first challenge, and I love that she said NOT to used themed paper that went with your photo. So, when I was thinking about what I was going to do, I was originally going to use Halloween paper for a Harley-Davidson layout of my husband. The black and orange WORKS for H-D layouts! However, then this graduation idea popped into my head. Graduation from junior high school is a milestone, but it's really the beginning of the next journey that my daughter is going to take . . . into high school!! Journey = travel collection!! YES, I like it! So, I embraced that idea and pulled out a favorite travel collection, Making Memories Panorama, and I love the way it worked! I used papers, the tape (love the tape!), tags, a postage stamp, pennant flag pins (love these too! one says "dream" and the other says "live"), buttons, flowers . . . all from that collection!! And then the clothing tag!?! That came from a pair of jeans, and could it be any more perfect!?! It says, "Embrace Your Independence - This is your life. Put all of your energy into it and show off your intelligence to the world! You are unique & beautiful." WOW! I love that!! I couldn't have planned it better!! You can click on the layout to see it larger. Anyway, I made it through the first round, and I hope to make it through the second round! No matter what, I'll be creating with all of the challenges all the way through the contest, because that's how I roll!

I hope you're having a great day! I can't believe it's the last day of June! Thanks for stopping by!

Zip It

I created this layout for a scraplift challenge at Memorable Seasons. I love this photo of the girls from our Christmas celebration with Dave's side of the family. The girls' Aunt Pam got them these totally cool zipper purses in San Francisco while she was there on vacation. I used Making Memories Mistletoe on this layout. I love this collection!

I hope you had a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

How Can It Be?

This is for the Last Scrapper Standing challenge over at Memorable Seasons. I got kicked to the curb and didn't advance, but I love the next challenge, so I'm still playing along! LOL! I came across this photo of Emily and Jessica when I was sorting pictures. So, I journaled it with today's perspective. The title is: How Can It Be?, and the hand-written journaling reads: "That ten years go by in the blink of an eye? These girls amaze me on a daily basis! Being their mom is an honor and a privilege! Wow, I love these two!" Photo-11/4/99, Journaling-7/2/2010.

I really love the way this turned out! These two amazing girls are all grown up now! How can it be? I used distress ink, Making Memories papers, a Maya Road journaling sheer, I did some sewing, and added lace and ribbon. The crocheted flower was made by my Emily! Isn't it gorgeous?

I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

My American Girls

I created this page for a challenge over at Memorable Seasons for their 2nd Annual Last Scrapper Standing contest! The first challenge was "An American Child", and we had to use stars and stripes on our layout. I love that this challenge could be interpreted in many ways, not just patriotic!! However, I had these awesome 4th of July photos of the girls with Princess, so I went all out Patriotic!! I used Pink Paislee Starlight, Cosmo Cricket Halfway Cafe, Rusty Pickle letters brads (thanks Chris!), Thickers, Maya Road acrylic sheer and kraft envelope, Jenni Bowlin journaling star, so many things from my stash (mostly Making Memories items), and I sewed! One of my favorite things that I added is the "made in the U.S.A." strip. It came from the bottom cutaway strip on the Pink Paislee paper!! It was fun to pull out a bunch of older items and put them on this layout!! I love the way this turned out!

I hope you're having a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

A couple of layouts!

Here are a couple of layouts that I worked on recently.


This first one features of photo of Emily in Palm Springs the day after we visited Disneyland in Anaheim where she enthusiastically met Minnie Mouse! Her reaction to meeting Minnie Mouse is one of those moments that is etched on my brain and is truly priceless! She's two years old in this photo, and I'm sure you'll agree that she is too cool! The red paper at the top is Cosmo Cricket, the red polka dot behind the photo is packaging from Jenni Bowlin journaling spots, and the black and white journaling sticker is American Crafts. I added a stamped Stampin' Up heart, a couple of Minnie Mouse close-ups that were cut from patterned paper, and some Primas with Making Memories brad centers.


I did a little masking and misting on the "Disney" in the title! It wasn't completely successful, but I went with it anyway! I used the backing from adhesive letters for my mask, and basically, it wasn't heavy enough on the paper, so the mist ran underneath. I was going to just trash it, but I figured that tracing the letters would work, and it did. These are three random photos that I shot over my shoulder while we were on the airplane on the way home after our Disney vacation. As you can see, Emily and Jessica were sitting behind Dave and I. I think these photos are hysterical! I did some sewing, added some Making Memories papers and travel stickers, and I even detail cut and lifted the "e" and the "y" in the title so that I could slip a photo underneath. I love the way that looks!

I hope you're having a great day. Thanks for stopping by!

Unity Anniversary Challenge Cards!

Here are a couple more cards that I made for the Unity Challenges over at SCS.


This card was a "love at first site" challenge. We were challenged to make a card using our first Unity stamp set. I'm pretty sure mine was Le Chic Vintage, so that is what I used on this card. The patterned paper is by Making Memories. The little letters are by Jenni Bowlin. I also added a silk Prima, a rhinestone brad, and some sheer ribbon.


This card was created based on a challenge to use something in a Paper Crafts publication or on the Paper Crafts blog as inspiration. I found a great sketch, and it inspired me to make this card. I love the color combination on this card, and I used all scraps to make it! I did some sewing, added a Prima and a wood button, and some awesome twine. I actually stamped on a small paper bag that I had sitting on my desk. The blue cardstock was cut using my Nestabilities.

I hope you have a GREAT Friday. Thanks for stopping by!

Downtown Disney

I created this page based on a Julie Bonner sketch that my friend Chris used as inspiration over at Inspired Crafters. If you check out the sketch that was posted, you can see that I used MUCH larger photos on my layout, but I still like the way it turned out! These are four photos from Downtown Disney. We went there in the evening, and it was such a cool place! I used orange dotted and black dotted paper from Making Memories. I used Thickers and Cosmo Cricket tiny type for my title, and I added some sewing. I punched a couple of border strips, and I punched the flowers with two Martha Stewart punches that my friend Chris sent to me! This is a simple page, and I like it!

I hope you're having a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Scrapping for Fun!

Scrapbook Kit Club is having a fun blog hop and crop. I'm playing along and having some fun!

I created this layout for one of two color challeges on the site. I love the way it turned out. I used some items I've had for a while. I'm really enjoying using my things up! I used: SEI, My Mind's Eye, PTI (thanks Chris!), Prima, Jenni Bowlin, and Making Memories!

I created this layout for a sketch challenge! This features two awesome photos of Emily and Jessica from Downtown Disney. I used October Afternoon, did a lot of sewing, and journaled on the computer.

I hope you're having a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Be Yourself

My most wonderful and very talented friend Chris participated in the Scrap and Stamp Blog Hop with an amazing layout that she created based on a sketch. So, I decided to use the sketch too, and I created this layout! The theme is "love". I love my wonderful girls very much, and I love this photo of Jessica and Emily on the last day of school. Do you think they're excited about summer vacation!?! I used a lot of Making Memories Just Chillin'. I love the entire collection! I stamped the title and a couple sentiments on the layout. I think this layout is very fun, and I'm happy with the way it turned out!

I hope you are having a very nice Saturday. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Layout Mania Continues!

The Sketch-A-Thon at Scrap-Friendzy was so much fun! I am happy to tell you that I did ALL of the sketches (33 of them)!! That's a lot of layouts for one month! I'm proud of my accomplishment! Here's the last of them!


I love this photo of my girls sitting on the cute Winnie the Pooh bench in Downtown Disney. I love the foam Thickers! I wish I had them in every color!


This is us right before we FINALLY got on the Toy Story Midway Mania ride. It was such a long line, but we really wanted to go on it! Anyway, we are so fashionable in the 3-D glasses, don't you agree? I know, I know, you want big yellow 3-D glasses to wear too! This is all Cosmo Cricket Get Happy!


This layout has photos from the Lights, Motors, Action! stunt show at Hollywood Studios. Very cool and action packed!

I hope you have a great day, and as always, thanks for stopping by!

Bang on the Drum

You're not surprised to see another Disney layout, right? I love this photo! The girls are soaked, because we went on the Kali River Rapids ride over and over again, AND we got caught in a quick rain shower at Animal Kingdom! The girls stopped to play these drums, and I think they look so cute! I went a little Todd Rundgren for my title, "they just want to bang on the drum all day". Love that song! The circular scallop paper came from my most wonderful blogging friend Chris. I believe it's a Making Memories paper that she got at Target. I love it! The papers, chipboard tags, and metal signage is all Making Memories Just Chillin'. I added Making Memories tiny alphas, Jenni Bowlin round tiny alphas, and Basic Grey lettering. I added a Prima, a wood button, and some twine. This is based on a sketch that is posted at Scrap-Friendzy. I really like the way this layout turned out.

I hope you're enjoying your Saturday. Thanks for stopping by!

Expedition Everest

I got another layout done today! Woohoo! I'm getting so much done for my Disney album, and I have so many more photos to go!! This page features my absolutely positively favorite ride from Disney! It's hard to pick a favorite! I had so many that I LOVED, but I have to say, Expedition Everest was my FAVORITE! I could have gone on it over and over again! Very cool roller coaster! Anyway, I printed the Expedition Everest piece at the bottom on my computer. I just found that on the Internet. I used Basic Grey paper that I've had for a very long time! The journaling star is Jenni Bowlin, and the buttons are Making Memories. I cut the circle and the two other stars in my Cricut Expression. Once again, this is based on a sketch at Scrap-Friendzy. I'm getting a lot done during this Sketch-A-Thon.

I hope you have fun plans for the weekend. I hope to scrap a lot! Thanks for stopping by!

Extreme Close-Ups

I love these four photos from our Disney trip! We were waiting in a very long line for Toy Story Midway Mania at Hollywood Studios. In order to amuse ourselves, we all snapped an extreme close-up self-portrait! I think they turned out great, and I love showcasing them on this two-page layout. The papers are all My Mind's Eye. I cut the big brackets on my Expression. I also added Primas and Making Memories glitter brads. This is based on a one-page sketch that is posted at Scrap-Friendzy. I just did a mirror image of the sketch for the facing page.


Here's a better look at page one which features me and Emily.


Here's a closer look at page two which features Jessica and Dave. What fun!


Here's another look at the pages together. I love the way this turned out.

I hope you're having a great day, and thanks for stopping by!

More Layouts!

I am having so much fun working on layouts! I created a couple more this weekend!


I love this photo of the girls that I took on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I used Making Memories Passport on this project. I love this collection! The canvas letters that I used for the title are so cool!


I also did another Disney layout! I had three random shots from Epcot, so I just put them all on the same layout. This is Cosmo Cricket Get Happy.

Both of these layouts are based on sketches that are posted at the Sketch-A-Thon at Scrap-Friendzy. I'm having a lot of fun working with the sketches, and I'm getting a lot done!

I hope you are having a great day. Thanks for stopping by!

I'm Rockin' the Disney Layouts!

I got yet another Disney layout done! This one features the girls posing by a fountain that was on the grounds of the Caribbean Beach Resort. The die cuts, papers, ribbon, and journaling notebook piece are all Making Memories Just Chillin'. I also added a Prima flower stack. This is based on a sketch that is posted at Scrap-Friendzy, and it's also for a color combination challenge at Scrapbook Kit Club. I love combining challenges!

I hope you're having a great day. Thanks for stopping by!

Musicians

I finally had a chance to use some of my Life Stories paper and die cuts from My Mind's Eye. The kraft color scheme to this collection is so appealing to me! I love this 5x7 of Jessica and Emily. I took it at their last concert of the 2008-2009 school year. I am so proud of their talent and commitment to band. It's so impressive to me that they are musicians! So, the page is mostly Life Stories except for the Core'dinations cardstock, and the music notes paper which is Making Memories Vintage Findings. I also added a Prima, a wood button, and some twine. The title was cut with my QuicKutz. I love the way this turned out. It's based on a sketch that is posted for the Sketch-A-Thon that is going on over at Scrap-Friendzy, and yesterday, my layout was singled out as the Girlfriendz Pick of the Day!

I hope you're having a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

Jump On In

This is the layout that I created for the fabulous January 7th sketch over at Sketchy Thursdays. I love the focus on one photo with minimal embellishments. This is the girls totally enjoying grandma's pool when we were on vacation in Arizona! I just love the way this turned out! I used Cosmo Cricket Snorkel papers and die cut stickers. The felt flower is by American Crafts, and the glitter brad is Making Memories. I used a ton of distress ink, and I misted on the page using Shimmerz Spritz and a little bit of Making Memories paint that I splattered on using an old toothbrush. The paper was VERY warped after all of the spritzing, and even after ironing it (yes, I really ironed it!), I couldn't get it to stay flat, so I decided to sew it to another piece of cardstock. I'm glad I did, because I love the way it looks. I'm crazy about the zig zag stitching, and I've been using it a lot lately! Anyway, I'm thrilled with this layout!

I hope you had a very nice weekend and Happy Monday! Thanks for stopping by!

Another Disney Layout!

If feels so good to be scrapping, and I am on a roll with the Disney layouts! Here's another one!


This is based on Sketch #3 over at the Sketch-A-Thon that's going on at Scrap-Friendzy. I'm having a lot of fun using the sketches! This page is all Earth Love by Cosmo Cricket except for the ribbon which is Making Memories, the straight pin which is Maya Road, and the transparency swirl which is My Mind's Eye. I did some more sewing on my page and a lot of distressing. I love the way it turned out!

I hope you have a great Monday. The girls went back to school today, and that always makes me sad. I love having them at home! Thanks for stopping by!

I'm Thankful For . . .

Two pages in one day, and they're both for Sketchy Thursdays! They are having a December Guest Design Team Challenge, and I decided to play around with the very fun sketch! We had to use the prompt: "Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend". I used Autumn Splendor by Making Memories, and once again, I have to thank my fantastic blogging friend Chris, because she sent me papers from this collection too! She's the best! I got the journaling booklet and the ribbon on clearance at Michael's. This collection is so fantastic for fall, and it's perfect for this Thanksgiving page. I added a couple of silk fall leaves, and I also did a lot of sewing . . . did you notice how much I'm loving my sewing machine lately? It's so much fun to sew on projects! You can click on the layout to see it larger. I'm thrilled with the way it turned out!


This is the sketch I based my layout on.

I hope you are having a great day! The girls and I will be leaving for the parade soon. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and as always, thanks for stopping by!

Happy Halloween 2008

I've been hanging out at Scrapbook Kit Club (SBKC), and one of the design team there is also on the design team for Sketchy Thursdays. They have an awesome sketch posted with an incredible prize by SBKC, and I just had to play along!! Here is my layout based on the sketch. These are Halloween photos from last year, and this page is all decked out in Making Memories Spook Alley! I love it, I love it, I love it!! Thank you to my most awesome and fantastic blogging friend Chris who sent me the pieces of Spook Alley paper! I then got a BUNCH of embellishments to go along with the paper when Michael's had it all on clearance. I went crazy, because it's all fantastic! One of their most awesome collections ever! Anyway, back to the page . . . I did a bunch of sewing and used some Bazzill cardstock. You can click on it to see it larger. I'm thrilled with it.


Here is the sketch!

I hope you are having a great day! The girls march in a Festival of Lights parade in our town tonight. It's going to be cold, but it could always be worse! I'll be walking with the band taking photos! Have a great day, a fantastic weekend, and thanks for stopping by!