Stick it Down December double page

I'm super excited to be feature this month over at Stick it Down.

Here's the sketch I based my layout on. 

 I was looking at two different options for this layout

1. I still need to do graduation picture for my oldest, but when I looked at cropping the photos to the smaller sizes on the right-hand page, I figured it wouldn't work out.  

So, onto option 2. Swag sale- I had a bunch of photos of the evergreen swags Danielle and I made and cutting them down a bit didn't really take away from the overall photos.

Even though the photos are of evergreen swags for Christmas decorations I wasn't feeling the traditional colors associated with Christmas.  The Swags even sported bright icy blues, lime greens and Silver/ White adornments.  My layout definitely reflects our color choice.  I opted not to use the big bow on the sketch as it also felt traditional.  I also substituted felt flowers and hand drawn leaves for the holly embellishments. Totally love how this turned out.  

I can't wait to see what you come up with

Eric's Birthday

Last one of the layouts I made at Croptober retreat

I didn't get it in with the last post as I did an alteration with glitter glue as the title cut out was the wrong color.  Super easy to fix with a maker for background and glitter glue on top.

The paper pack is one from National Scrapbook day event that I didn't get to attend, but had to have the paper.  Perfect for a birthday themed layout.  The Party cut out was from a giveaway from my CM consultant, however as stated above wae not in the color palate I needed.  So glad to have got it out of my stash and onto a page.

One more retreat post

Okay so last retreat post for the evening. 

I have a couple 2 page spreads for Girl Scout National Convention in Ohio

This first one is in downtown Lake Osewgo and in the airports

Exploring the Scioto Mile in Columbus Ohio

Convention and Ice Cream- our daily staple

And now for some single page layouts

This last one cracks me up.  

The bread is my daghters braids pulled around and twisted and it goes so well with her shirt.

You can't tell in this photo but I made her 3 dimensional by cutting out hr image and layering it on top of a second simiral photo.  Looks pretty cool in real life.

 

I have one more layout to share after this, but the glitter glue is still drying so it'll have to wait.  

Croptoberfest retreat

My CM advisor hosted a Croptoberfest Retreat.

Part of the event was using project recipes with the specialty paper for the event

Neither of my layouts are for the fall season but the colors worked well with them anyway.

First up is our family viewing of the nearly total Eclipse in Oregon

Then I documented our last summer adventures before heading back to school.

Our stops included lunch at sizzle pie, bubble tea at Townsend tea house, Ice cream at Red Wagon Creamery and a sweet treat from Vodoo donuts

I like the overall layout but might go back and tweak it as the sample photo doesn't look like the end result.  Think the measurements provided are not correct

CM virtual challenge

I've been really hit and miss on here.  I started a new job last month and my only creative time has been the retreat I attended towards the end of October.  I just relaized I never shared the layouts I got done.  So while I'm waiting for inspiration to strike I might as welll share.  Alot of the layouts where created for the Creative memories live crop last month and I did post a few of them to that forum.

For Challenge #1 I stuck really close to the original sketch, however I didn't use CM products from the last 6months.  The paper is from a year to remeber which is on the older side.  Oh well, I was playing for the pure inspiration of the sketches and not to win prizes

Challenge #2 has an extra photo in the layout but works because I changed the cut dimensions.

Got to use a TSR kit for this one

Challenge #4, yup I skipped #3 as I wasn't feeling the circle cut photos.

Anyway I did just the left side of the layout of my Daughter and I running with 

Team Red, White and Blue

Challenge#5 I flipped on it's side and made the photos larger.

I also didn't round the corners and replaced the scallops with the flower punch.

Challenge #6 I think was my favorite.  I moved the journaling to the top as I wanted lots of space to write about my amazing daughter.  She created an inspiration board for her bedroom, with quotes and messages to her self.

So there you have it the Virtual challenge from October

All heart

I never would’ve choose this particular paper pack to document my daughters run if it weren’t for the phrases on one of the 12x12 sheets that I cut to get the two on this layout.

“great things never come from comfort zones” and “the only limits in life are the ones you make “. I also did a lot of fussy cutting of hearts too.

I used the October sketch from stick it down 

Out of this world

Got my first layout of this weekends crop completed using sketch #346 from sketches in thyme

Kirk Park with SID

Got another layout done.  This time with the 2 page August sketch from Stick it down

I added a couple extra photos on the right side and used flowers instead of cirles

August Scraproom

I just got done watching the scrap room live featuring Freaky Fast Friday

so with my Hardy Hodgepodge kit from Jan 2017 I created this 2 page layout

I tried a couple different configurations but landed on this one that I mirrored for the 2 page

Got another hike documented.  

This one is Sweet Creek near Mapleton, Oregon

I also used the same kit to finish it off and create a lead in layout for this hike

I used the monthly jump start sketch challenge 

I kept the basic bones of the layout, but moved the circle over to the second page to give room for the ample journaling.

I also added a 3rd photo to the layout.

Spencer Butte Hike

I've been cruising through the hiking photos and getting closer to the end.  

For this 2 page layout I used the sketch from lets get sketchy

I stayed pretty close to the base of the sketch and altered a few of the photo sizes and mirrored the sketch for the second page.

I also stretched the tile across both pages.

The larger blue circle reminded me of a snow flake so I worked it into the layout as our hike was on New Years Day.  Cold but very sunny

The smaller circle I punched from a larger sticker that had birds on the top and bottom.  

I think the swirl pattern works for the icy feel I was going for.

Almost managed to polish off the last of Be Happy paper pack from CM, 

just a few photo mats and stickers to go.

Project recipe

back in June I went to my CM consultants open house.  I was enjoying some creative time at the make and take station when the kids called about the Chimney sweeep showing up to clean the wood stove and pipe.  Turns out he was supposed to do my father in laws house first and went to the wrong house.  Anyway I had to pack up and head home without finishing a single recipe.  Thankfully I was able to pull it back out during the 4th of July to finish it.  Now to print picture for it.

This one is made with the Star Spangled paper pack

This one is a mix of the new sun-kissed and older sunshine getaway.

I'll post them again when they have photos in them

more hiking

Got another hiking patrol layout done for the scrapbook update...

I created a similar page to the previous one by dragging an olive ink pad across gray paper.  I also used the same sticker set.  The map is a printable of the park trail system.  I outlined the trail we took and journal right on the map. 

Where has the summer gone

Where has the summer gone?  It’s been a busy time... I dropped two kids off at Ultimook running camp and have an up coming Girl Scout day camp, so my morning work schedule has freed up a little as I'm not currently teaching swim lessons.  Yeah me... Now to get the Hiking patol scrapbook updated before Danielle and I head to Mt Hood to help a Brownie troop with their Hiker badge so they can earn their Outdoor journey.  Danielle has planned out all the steps for them as she is working on her Leader in Action (LIA) award.

Step #1 ask an expert-  We going to share the patrol scrapbook and talk about the different hikes we've done

Step#2 Learn to follow trail signs- we will do an actual course at camp. We’ll also talk about leave no trace principles and how it ties into using and leaving trail signs.

Step #3 Ask an older Girl Scout about what to pack.  Danielle wil do a show and tell of her daypack and we will have a discussion and handout of the 10 essentials.

Step #4 Snack- walking Salad

Step #5 Play I spy- Danielle and I have created a trail bingo game that the girls can complete in pairs as we hike.

To get caught up I'm using this sketch from Sketches in Thyme, but rotated it to work with my pieced together panoramic photo of the cascaded range in the mid Willamette valley,

New creations

The typical scenario  goes something like this.  

I want to scrap, the kids and husband are out playing pathfinder with friends. 

So I pull out some photos and maybe some paper too, but then I'll go throw a load of laundry in the wash and while I'm making a cup of tea to sip on as I scrap I start the dishes. 

 Before I know it the family is back and I have got nothing done other then housework.

 I'm finding that if I don't go to retreats or crops I don't create. 

 Lucky for me I had the opportunity to escape to

 the Salem 4H center for a scrap retreat this past weekend. 

I've simplified the way I pack and have been mostly taking just kits and extra embellishments

Here's what I got done and some of my inspiration:

These layouts were created using the

exclusive papers from croptoberfest

This one is older CM ( red, White and Blue) paper pack

I used this sketch from Throwback Thursday challenge at creative memories, but used a TSR kit

I'm happy to say that I polished off the last of my illustrated faith TSR kit this weekend

documenting the Ia's first Christmas.

I altered the March jumpstart sketch from TSR 

to be a 2 page spread with a few more photos and flipped it upside down

 I used Sweater weather kit because the blue paper looks like Ice cubes.

I also added the rhinestone border to make it feel more the ice encrusted branches from the photo above

Crate paper " Chasing dreams" 3/2017 kit

Echo Park "once upon a time" 5/2017 almost finished off this kit too.

 Crate Paper "Heart Day" 2/2017

 This next lay out uses the March Freaky fast formula

fancy pants joy parade 1/2017 

Echo Park "just be you" 2/2017. 

 I added a few buttons and enamel dots and alphas from my stash

Echo Park "I love winter" 1/2017

 using the Bee mine project recipe from Creative memories. 

And then one from a random kit I picked up from big lots years ago.

I hope to get back into a regular grove of creating, but how knows