Hanging up the scissors at lasting memories

I thought I could make it till the end of the year over at lasting memories, but I just haven't been getting much crafting time in.  So I've left a little early but have no fear as I will try and play along when I can and I the team just added a fabulous new designer too.

Lasting memories Holidays/traditions - with more than 2 photos

In keeping with our theme - December Holidays/traditions - create a layout with more than 2 photos to use up that stash of holiday photos.

I'm almost through all of my Christmas themed Kits.  So excited about that as I'm trying to work my way through a year and a half worth of TSR kits.  I'm going on a kit diet after my Birthday, so starting February 1st instead of New Year.  No new kits or product except solid base card stock.

  Going to get creative and us my stash for the next year.

.  I'm stepping down form the design team at  Lasting Memories but will be there till the end of the year so come join me for some holiday fun

Lasting Memories recipe for November 19th

This month at Lasting memories we have been utilizing  recipes to create our layouts.  I'm all for recipes when trying something new or pushing outside of my comfort zone, but I find that I have a hard time sticking to them exactly.  So for the November 19th recipe of  2 photos, 2 different fonts for title, 4 patterned papers, 5 buttons, 1 ribbon/trim/twine, 4 die cuts and sprinkle with mist I altered it to fit my needs and to work with the items I took to retreat with me.  I could have probably have misted but that would have required extra table space which was at a premium at the retreat. Space in case of over misting and then somewhere to let it dry so I could keep working.  I also didn't carry buttons or twine with me as I tried to pack light and stick to the kits I've accumulated in the last year.  I think I'm done with purchasing kits for a while.  Need to work through the ones that I have.   

If you have the chance to join use this week feel free to alter and adjust the recipes as needed

Lasting Memories Recipe for November 12th

This month at Lasting memories we have been utilizing  recipes to create our layouts.  I'm all for recipes when trying something new or pushing outside of my comfort zone, but I find that I have a hard time sticking to them exactly.  So for the November 12th  recipe of 1 large photo, 3 patterned paper, a pinch of wood veneer, a dash of Chipboard pieces and sprinkle with enamel dots I left out a few things, but also did something I haven't done in a while.  I merged two picture together to create a panoramic photo of the kids canoeing in the field behind our house.

Come whip out a recipe this week with us and don't let a few ingredients hold you back

More retreat creations with Creative memories supplies

So I just posted my TSR kit creations from retreat and now I'm sharing CM product creations.  Basically I only took kits or bundles of product with me to Camp cascade.  The goal was to travel light and have less supplies to work from to keep me focused and not digging for something I think I might have.  Definitely  sped up the process, but also left those that have borrowed scraps and bits from me in the past without a pipeline.

Camp Cascade Scrap retreat with TSR kits

I just got back from a fabulous scrap retreat at Camp Cascade, so if you live in Oregon or even Southern Washington I suggest you check it out.  We had around 30 ladies there and I got so much done in the 3 days there.  The company was great, scenery fantastic the rooms are comfortable and the food enjoyable.

So here is some of what I got done with my kits from TSR:

I'm working my way through a year and a half worth of TSR kits.  I'm going on a kit diet after my Birthday, so starting February 1st instead of New Year.  No new kits or product except solid base card stock.

  Going to get creative and us my stash for the next year

Thank God for Crops

I can't tell you how blessed I am to have been able to attend a fabulous croptoberfest this past weekend.
I've been on overdrive with all of the life activities that having an active family brings, so it was nice and  refreshing to do something for me.

If you haven't been to a creative Memories crop that feature Paper Buffets and Project recipes I highly recommend attending one.  The awesome thing about the paper buffet is that you can pick and choose papers from different paper packs without having to commit to a whole pack.  So I pulled some of the ones that caught my eye to work with.  Utilizing the project recipes  takes the guess work out of cutting and assembling background.  Then all that was left was to stick down the photos.  Fast and simple.

So here's what I got done at the crop:  I'll showcase the CM paper and project recipes that were part of our crop.

Sugar Plum 

Made with Love

I  wanted to use the Recipe card as my journal space but it was on the flip side of my back ground paper, so I situated the cut so that it would be hidden by the top layer.  Also did the same with the cranberry cardstock.

This layout used papers from both Hocus Pocus  ( black and whit stripe and aqua w/dots) and Cake my day  ( paint splatter and diagonal stripe) which I grabbed during the buffet. 

 The colors coordinate so well that you wouldn't know they are from different lines.  Love the versatility 

Now for the layouts I did with TSR kits and Project Recipe layouts:

Carta Bella Christmas Delivery FOTM kit 12/2016

 Bella Blvd. Illustrated Faith FOTM kit 12/2016

MME Hello Gorgeous 3/2016 DS kit

And last but not least a Creative Memories Exclusive Croptober paper and cardstock layout and a sheet from Go, Fight, Win!

using this sketch from Stuck Sketches

Thanks for making it to the end of the post with me.  

Now to keep the creative juices following and crave out some more me time

Virtual Crop challenge #2

Well I didn't make it for the virtual crop over at Creative Memories facebook event, but I'm playing along now that I have a free moment.  Those are becoming fewer now that scouts have resumed and cross country season is in full swing.

Anyway here is the sketch I used 

and here is what I made with CM "Sunshine Getaway" and a few items from my stash

Floral's at Lasting Memories

 We are back with our third challenge at Lasting memories for September. Our theme is "All About Patterns" and this week is all about floral prints.  You can use a little or a lot - your choice.
I went with a little floral paper and a really big fussy cut floral bouquet to create a layout featuring my daughter's 17th birthday.   Can't believe that she's 18 now and starting her senior year.

I rotated the following sketch from Let's get sketchy and moved the elements around to make it work with my photo 

 

There's still time to join us for the polka dot and stripes challenges too

Stash bashing #2

From 0 to 60.  Amazing what can be done with the kids away at school.  I've jumped into the second of my August kits from the scraproom for the stash bashing challenge.  I'm not sure what I'll get done tomorrow as I have car repairs, chiropractor appointment for the high schooler and birthday treats to gather prior to cross country for the middle schooler.  So if I don't make it back here till Thursday know that it isn't that I did too much too fast. 

I used this Creative memories grid layout as my jumping off point

Used up some of MME Palm Beach, but not as much as I did on my previous double pager

The kit had a giant gold metalic pineapple that I punched the circle out of.  Felt a little to linear for my liking and it added some sparkle to the page.  The complimentary letters where outlined with a black pen to make them stand out more from the background paper.  Super fun design that I might revist

Stash bashing challenge

I'm playing along with the Scraprooms August kit basher challenge.  The idea is to use as much of the August kits as possible.  So far I've dove into 2 of the 4 flavor of the month kits.  

I almost polished off Pink Pasilee "summer lights" kit with this double page spread

I used the August Jump start sketch to get started 

I added an extra photo to the layout, but the over all design is the same

and flipped it to do the second page

I can't wait to show you what I did with MME Palm Beach

Stripes at lasting memories

I'm finely back creating with Lasting Memories after a much needed long break.  I love how flexible the team is with my coming and going.  My plan is to contribute to the blog as much as I can from now till Girl scout cookie season.  So here goes... This months theme is all about patterns and this week we are embracing stripes.  I used actual stripped paper as well as created stripes with cut paper.  I'm using this pagemaps sketch featured on the  Grand Diva's creative corner.

and here is my take

I might still go back and add a little something to the lower left corner like the sketch but I'm almost out of scraps from the kit I'm using so we'll see

Please join us for this months challenges.  Don't forget you can still enter the polka dot challenge

Latest creative endeavors with photos

I'm slowly building up my creative juice by helping my daughters with a pocket album of their summer adventures.  Now to get the girls to finish their journaling.

 I also put together a collage style display board. The board went up to the GSOSW Portland service center for the women of distinction luncheon to highlight girl travel.