The Scrappiest #77...You Made Me Love You

A while back, I was on the hunt for new sketch sites and stumbled upon The Scrappiest blog created by Liz Chidester.  The work on there is inspiringly beautiful, but, not over the top like some of the DTs you see out there.  I hate looking at someone else's work and not being able to think about anything besides the cost of the embellishments that went into it...that just stresses the hoarder in me out! ;O)

This sketch was from way back on August 16th and sadly, I think I started this layout shortly after it was posted!!  To be fair, we did have back to back visitors...of course, that only accounts for two weeks of the last month!  I'm still working on the 10th month of Owen's baby book and I think the color combo of this Twitterpated Paper was partly to blame for my blockage!  I love the paper in general, but, it works best for either fall or little girl pics and this one wasn't either.  Actually, the picture itself makes Owen look kind of girly to begin with between his white pj's and little pink cheeks...so, that didn't exactly help.  But, I decided to just go with it and I think I like how it turned out in the end...I know he's a little boy and that's all that matters, right. :O)

Paper: Twitterpated and Emporium Creative Basics (Green Striped)

Cardstock: Cocoa, Crystal Blue, and Colonial White

Ink:  Crystal Blue and Cocoa

Stamps: Large Chocolate Alpha and Confidential

Other:  CTMH Organic Dimensional Elements, Clear buttons, Sorbet Brads, and Splendor Designer Brads, Fiskars Circle Punches, Cricut Designer's Calendar Cartridge (circles and lettering), Martha Stewart Punch, Stickles, Creative Memories Embroidery Floss, Green Ribbon from LSS (by the yard, don't know manufacturer), and Zig pen.

Hatcher Pass...Page 2

I initially thought I'd just do a one-pager (see original page here) for last fall's drive to Hatcher Pass, but, I kept looking at the pictures and felt like I needed to add a second page.  That happens a lot lately for some reason.  I used to stretch all of my photos into 2-pagers and then somewhere along the line, I decided it made more sense to focus on one page at a time.  I guess, I've found a happy medium where I can always come back and add another page if I just can't resist! ;O)  Technically, these don't necessarily "go" together, but, I'm still happy with how it turned out.

I absolutely love fall and all the colors that go with it.  The Emporium paper pack seems to have been made to with fall photos in mind!!  I've gotten a little obsessed with Stickles lately and ended up going back and adding some to the original page as well, to help make them match a little better.  

We had so much fun driving around Hatcher Pass, I love that Dave and I have created traditions like this with Owen.  My family never really got along well enough to do things together, let alone, plan to do them every year.

Paper: Emporium

Cardstock: Colonial White and Honey

Ink: Cocoa, Sweet Leaf, Honey,and Brown Bag

Stamp Sets: Large Friendship Alpha and Many Thanks

Other: Stickles, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Suede and Yellow Daisy, and Zig Pen

Unscripted Sketches #55...For You, Happy Birthday!

I made up a card for my grandmother's 89th birthday and was sucked back into using the Emporium Creative Basics paper with the Butterfly Wings stamp set...I just love the combo!!!  I thought I was stepping out of the box however by matting it with black cardstock. ;O)  I used glue dots on the butterfly body and pop-dotted the wings, it looked pretty good in person! ;O)  Hope you all have a great short week....Owen's daycare takes the first week and last week of summer off...must be nice!!  I'll get to spend an extra couple of days with him though which is a bonus for me!

Paper: Emporium Creative Basics
Cardstock: Colonial White and Black cardstock
Ink: Vineyard Berry and Black
Stamps:  Butterfly Wings and From Me to You
Other: Fiskars Circle Punch, EKSuccess Corner Rounder, Prima Flowers, and Recollections and Finishing Accents adhesive gems

Inspired Blueprints #42....Bath Time!

My husband had a convention in Cincinnati last week and was gone for SIX nights straight.  I think that's the longest trip he's had to take since our son was born.  Every time he leaves, I gain even more admiration for single parents.  I only work part-time and if I have to drop-off and pick-up Owen, I only work 8 hour days.  But, even with shorter work days, I was exhausted!  I can't imagine not having a light at the end of the tunnel to look forward to.  Anyway, because of his absence, I'm way behind on my Creative Scrappers challenges and my Got Sketch? 105 class already!!  We'll see if I can make it up in the coming week...

I did manage to finish the last sketch at Inspired Blueprints for the month though!!  This layout was an experiment for me.  I think I mentioned before that my MIL bought me a bunch of Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist for my last birthday and that I'm experimenting with it a little.  Well, she also bought me one set of "Glimmer Screens" and I started out with this layout using a butterfly from that set.  The effect is pretty awesome, but wasn't quite right for my pictures.  So, instead, I used my Wild Card Cricut cartridge and a transparency to cut out this cute little duck and use as a stencil.  The edges of the duck are far more rigid than the Glimmer Screen's edges turn out, maybe if I'd cut the duck out using cardstock instead....?  I don't know, but figured this was good enough for my first try!  I'm not sure how to prevent the paper from curling, but it seems to lay down flat once its stuck in page protector.  So, I haven't worried about it too much

The other brilliant idea I had (brilliant for me anyway!!), was to use a Martha Stewart punch and punch on both sides of the paper strip creating this fun circle border (in the middle of the page).  I love the way it looks and will definitely be trying that out with my other border punches!!

Paper: Notebook and Emporium

Cardstock: White Daisy and Buttercup

Ink: Crystal Blue

Stamp Set: The Works Alpha

Other: Stickles, Robin's Nest Dew Drops, Lace (by the yard from LSS), Martha Stewart border punch, CTMH Crochet flowers from the White Daisy Mini Medley, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Twilight and Yellow Sunflower, American Crafts rub-on, and a Zig Pen. 

Inspired Blueprints #41....Fearless

This was another great sketch by the Inspired Blueprints.  I ended up taking it pretty darn literally, but I was so excited to finally use my tree from the Grown With Love stamp set!!!  I've had it a while, but wasn't sure what exactly to do with it, so this was the push I needed.  This is probably my favorite photo of Owen from last year....we were on out for our annual day in Hatcher Pass and the weather was amazing!!  We hiked and climbed until our legs were like jello.  Owen was our guide and didn't have any intentions of coming back down! ;O)  I love fall and love taking photos during the fall even more!

Paper:  Notebook and  Emporium
Cardstock: Colonial White and Buttercup
Ink:  Sweet Leaf, Honey, Cocoa, and Crystal Blue
Stamps:  Large Friendship Alpha, Grown With Love, Comments, and Dream Wishes
Other:  Zig pen, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Suede and Yellow Daisy

Mojo Monday #119

On time and everything! ;O) I had a blast with this one, I think its probably one of my favorite stamp sets and definitely my favorite paper ever, I just love the color combos!! Hope everyone has a great week, we've had an awesome weekend spent with all my family. Couldn't ask for more! (Well, maybe temps above zero!)

Paper: Emporium Creative Basics with included Vineyard Berry Ribbon

Cardstock: Twighlight and Vineyard Berry

Ink: Twighlight, Vineyard Berry, Sweet Leaf, Creme Brulee, Cocoa, and Chocolate

Stamp Sets: Whoo Loves You, You're a Hoot, Treasure Life, Twitterpated, and Say It In Style

Other: Twinkle Brads, Robin's Nest Dew Drops, and Copic Markers (Y32 Cashmere for owl beaks)

Inspired Blueprints #36...You Make Me Smile

This went together so fast! I swear that never happens. I didn't do a whole lot with this one, but even then, I usually take forever to decide on how to put the whole thing together! ;O)

I felt like this one was missing something, but instead of coming up with something creative, I just kept adding more and more pearls! ;O) I'm not sure that's what the layout needed...but that's what it got!
I thought I'd throw these pictures in...can you see why it takes me forever to do a layout! This is my little man jumping on the exercise ball I sit on while I scrapbook. You'd be amazed how long this is entertaining to him!! Check out how far off the ball his feet go! My little daredevil....

Patterned Paper: CTMH-Emporium and Rustic Trail (Blue-retired)

Cardstock: CTMH-White Daisy, Vineyard Berry, and Cocoa

Ink: CTMH White Daisy Pigment Ink, Dutch Blue and Vineyard Berry

Stamp Sets: Felicity (swirls), Field Trip Alpha, Dream Wishes (journal spot)

Other: Cricut ("You" and "Smile", journal spot circle), Adhesive Pearls from CTMH and Recollections, Zig pen

I Just Can't Quit Using this Paper and Stamp Set!

A friend asked me to come over and help her get an idea of where to begin with the whole cardmaking end of things. I didn't have much time, but grabbed this sketch off the Mojo Monday blog posted on May 25th and my apparent go-to paper and stamps. I don't know what it is about this paper/stamp combo that I keep coming back to it. I just love the look of them together and although I wouldn't have picked it myself, I love Vineyard Berry for the butterflies!!! I used the Emporium Creative Basics paper and the ribbon that came with it, Colonial White, Vineyard Berry, and Crystal Blue cardstock, Vineyard Berry and Cocoa (for the distressing) ink, Butterfly Wings stamp set, and of course, Robin's Nest Dew Drops from their collection called Water. I used the Accent Essentials cartridge for the two circles. I haven't decided what sentiment I want to use with this one yet, so I will add that later.

Last One....I Swear (kind of!)

O.k., so I am totally stuck on the Emporium Creative Basics paper (and the ribbon that comes with it) and the Butterfly Wings stamp set. I swear this is the last one, well, at least for a while! ;O) I used Crystal Blue, Sweet Leaf, Vineyard Berry, and Colonial White Cardstock. Everything is stamped in Vineyard Berry ink and I used both Robin's Nest Dew Drops, various sparkles, and a flower sparkle from a former CTMH Connections Club reward program. This is going to be for my aunt, although her birthday was the beginning of the month!! How bad is that! I used the Mojo Monday sketch from February 16th for inspiration!

On Top of Things for a Change

Paper and Ribbon: Emporium Creative Basics Collection

Cardstock: Crystal Blue, Vineyard Berry, Grey Flannel (for Shadow)

Stamps: New Tickled Pink, Cottage Floral, Boutique Borders, Confidential, and Simple Beauty

Brads: White Bigger Brads from Basic Assortment and 4mm White Daisy Brads(covered in glitter from JoAnns)

Ink: Blush, Crystal Blue, Twighlight, Vineyard Berry, and Sweet Leaf

Paper: Good Times

Cardstock: Buttercup

Stamps: Just Like You

Ribbon: Chocolate Grosgrain (retired) and natural hemp that I bought years ago in MT

Ink: Chocolate and Sweet Leaf

I have a crop at my house next weekend and decided to do a couple cards to help us all get ahead of the game. I stole the Father's Day card layout straight out of the Close To My Heart catalog and the criss-cross card came from a tutorial on the Splitcoast Stampers website!

Happy Birthday to You...

Paper-CTMH Emporium Creative Basics Collection
Cardstock-CTMH Crystal Blue and Vineyard Berry
Stamps-CTMH Butterfly Wings and From Me To You
Ink-Sweet Leaf (around sentiment box and Vineyeard Berry)
Sparkles-Hero Arts (green) and CTMH (clear)
Corner Rounder-EK Success

I made this card for my mother-in-law using the March Stamp of the Month from Close to My Heart-Butterfly Wings. I absolutely love this stamp set and have used it for numerous cards already. I think it looks so good with a little extra bling! I did go back and glue the sentiment down better, but had to go ahead an mail it without getting another picture.