Use those scrap papers

 I know that Christmas is over but I thought I'd share what I did with some of my scraps after making Secret Santa gifts for work and the cards that I made with Journal boxes and photo mats.

I wanted to use up the last of my CM "Candy Cane Lane" collection so I used them for coordinated gift wrapping, tags, and cards for my secret Santa at work

I then broke into some of my CM " Winter Woods" collections to make cards from photo mats and journal cards that were embellished with some stickers and die cuts from the same collection.  I purchased the collection bundle for a virtual crop and only ended up using some of the items to create a few layouts.

for the card base, I covered so old thank you cards as I won't use them as they are

What I had left I sent off to Use those scrap papers FB group as a flatrak

I also received a flatrak as well

Now to get busy using my scraps.  I have resolved to buy nothing new and use what I have for upcoming projects.  I love getting inspiration to us my stuff from blog challenges to FB groups and beyond.

Keep creating and watch out for more projects coming your way in the new year

Anything goes- Christmas Edition at UYS

The design team is only hosting one challenge for the month of December so that we can spend time with our families during this busy season.  So to make it as easy as possible the challenge this month is anything goes- Christmas edition.  Yes, anything remotely Christmas will do.

For my project, I choose to share the struggles we had with our Christmas tree.  In 2021 we decided on placing the tree outside the living room window so that we could enjoy the tree without having it inside.  New furniture placement and an overactive puppy were factored into the decision.  Needless to say that we did struggle with the wind and rain storms that pummeled our poor tree.  Finally had to stake and tether it to keep it semi-upright.

Hope you enjoyed my share and have a happy Holiday Season.  Make sure to share your project with us at Use Your Stuff and we'll see you back next year

 

L.M “All the things”

I missed the opportunity to play along with Lasting Memories sketch for the last November challenge, 

but this next challenge "All the Things" also works for my layout.
Here are the requirements for the current challenge at Lasting Memories
 Create a layout and use 3 or more patterned papers, stickers (this can be any sticker - puffy, chipboard, or cardstock stickers), trim (washi tape, ribbon, twine, etc.), punches/die-cuts/ephemera, and finishing touches (enamel dots, brads, sequins, bling, splatters, etc.)

I have more than three patterned papers, I used stickers, fabric tape - (that was so old the glue no longer was sticky), circle punches, a die-cut tag as well as enamel dots

cut the photos narrow to get in 4 but the rest is similar.  Thought about subbing in apples instead of circles but that was a bit too much work for the amount of time I had available.  

close up of the journal tag and bottom cluster

Thanks for coming by to check out my layout

Christmas treats at UYS

I don't know about you but our family is all about food, both sweet and savory.

The current family tradition is to make homemade cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning and Prime Rib for Christmas Eve Dinner which is perfect for the Use Your Stuff challenge- "Christmas Treats".

I went with non-traditional Christmas colors and made some of my own dimensional embellishments so that I could use up the last of my CM Candy Cane Lane collection.  Just a bit more in my stash which I hope to use on some cards.

Make sure to share your project with us at Use Your Stuff

 

Winter/Snow at UYS

 Well, we had our first snow of the season on November 6th so this next challenge is right on time.  Use Your Stuff would like to see your winter or snow-themed creations.  I'm sharing a layout that I did this past retreat with this challenge in mind.  Actually, I did a few layouts for different DT assignments so I didn't do my normal photo dump of completed layouts like I usually do.  I promise to share a few in a later post that isn't going to be a spoiler to any upcoming layouts but til then here is my snow layout.

Make sure to share your wintery projects with us at Use Your Stuff

Retreat dump

Finally had a chance to dump all the layouts that I got done at this past fall retreat in October.  I was holding off til the weather turned as most weekends have been spent outside getting the farm ready for winter.

  Here goes the dump in chronological order for 2022

Jan 1st new tradition of playing Catan all-day

Jan 15 Birthday weekend getaway near New Port Or

Feb?  Ashley's last day working the food cart.  

Loved the crazy chicken paper.  It's perfect as the food truck served mostly fried chicken dishes

Finally used the NSD papers and sketch from 2021

March 17th pottery in progress and final projects

Spring break trip to Japanese garden PDX

accordion map of the garden

May 15 Jessica's Birthday

 June- July Cooler building update/ Party Patio

July 4th Butte to Butte

 

Ben's Birthday with LM sketch challenge

 I'm back on a creative roll.  It definitely helps that I still have page kits and pictures paired from the last retreat I attended.  I always get more materials together than I can work through in a long weekend.  Anyway, I put together a Birthday layout for my husband using the current sketch challenge at Lasting Memories.  Lori K has selected another Alison Davis Sketch that was perfect for my small bits of paper and photo.

Here's the sketch

I only had a little paper left from my TSR kit but almost a full 12x12 sticker page so this is what I did

Started off by staggering my stripes side to side with a little bit of overlap from top to bottom.  That way if my cuts were a little imprecise you wouldn't be able to tell.  In the end, most of the edges ended up covered by stickers so you can't tell but I liked to have options as I create.  As I mentioned before I had nearly a full sticker sheet so instead of die-cutting a bunch of shapes I used the themed stickers instead. Some are directly on the layout while others are popped up on foam to give added depth.

Since it's been a while since I've shared my tracker sheet I thought it would be good to add it too

Took most of August and September off to work on some building projects.  Not on target for 10 layouts a month but the retreat weekend will help with the year-end total.

Thanks for stopping by

XC awards banquet

 My scrappy project for this wet and cold Sunday is some fun table decorations for the upcoming Cross Country banquet.  I have a big pieced-together sign for the food table and some smaller decor for the seating area

I cut some flat cardboard to be a base for all the layers so that it would be semi-rigid. Glued and wrapped the wooden dowels to camouflage them.  The backside isn't super pretty but that's okay

For the smaller decor, I used balloon weights with winged shoe cutouts attached to the top.  A little curling and twisting of the wires and I have a quick and easy centerpiece.

Getting back on track with spending some time creating daily

Halloween at UYS

  In honor of the spooky day Use Your Stuff, would like to see your Halloween or black/orange projects this go-round.  Anything having to do with Halloween or a project primarily in black and orange will do!  Be spooky, be cute, be sarcastic....most of all be fun and use up that stash!

My layout has nothing to do with Halloween at all but the Spring bonfire photos worked well with Black and Orange.

I'm also playing along with the Lasting Memories Sketch challenge.

I love Allison Davis's sketches.  I just did a 4x6 photo layout class so I was excited to see that LM choose Sketch Support #3 for this week's challenge.

 I did just the Left side and only used two photos but you can see the overall design.

Here's my take:

I pieced together some scraps to make the stripes that the photos sit on top of.  Great way to make my paper stretch as I'm getting to the midpoint of my Simple Stories "Take a Hike" kit.  I also threw in some Creative memories Halloween paper on the B side was the floral that I used to back the main photo.

Here are my tips for the split stripes:

1. Use pencil marks to measure a quarter inch shorter than the photo.  That way you have enough paper tucked under the photo and the line doesn't show

2. Use a ruler so that the top and bottom line up

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to join us at Use Your Stuff

Die cuts at UYS

 There’s still time to enter the die cut challenge at Use Your Stuff. It’s not my week to post a DT creation but couldn’t pass up using the fun die cuts I picked up at the recent retreat I attended.  I stretched the frame behind the photo by hiding the cuts behind the layers.  The tag at the top and the notebook paper are also die cuts.

For more details on the challenge make sure to stop by Use Your Stuff 

Lasting memories color inspiration

 Lasting memories has a new color palette up for inspiration and it’s perfect for fall /back to school photos. I’ve been plugging away at the kids school albums at the retreat I’m attending this weekend.  All caught up again.  Good thing as I have a small collection of newspaper clippings from cross country season.  Thinking I should scrap it as it comes in instead of waiting till June now that everyone is in High school and teachers don’t amass a body of work to use at conferences or send a file home at the end of the year.

Here is the color palette 

And here’s my creation based on the colors 

She has changed so much since starting JCHS.

TSR Jumpstart

 Finally getting some time to scrap at a retreat and tried the Jumpstart sketch at The Scrap Room

I’ll share more layouts during the week.  Right now I need to get back to scraping.

Scrap your stash sketch

 I’m playing along with scrap your stash October challenges.  I combined the tool challenge with the sketch as I haven’t used my jumbo circle cutting system in years.  Which is what lead to the oops cut that I covered up with the title card and embellishment cluster.

I tried to minimize the amount being ct by starting at the edge but the blade lift the paper and shift my template causing a funky double cut.  It’s hidden so not too big of a deal other than I shifted my journaling placement to the edge of the page instead of around the circle.

Here’s the October sketch 

I choose to use paper with circles as per the challenge.

  The basics of the sketch are there with a few minor tweaks 

Thanks for stopping by 

Fall at UYS

Hey everyone!  I'm sure wherever you are, the signs of fall are starting to sprout up, the leaves are definitely changing color and are falling from the trees...

In keeping with that, our theme is Autumn or Fall.  It could be the colors, or anything associated with the season, basically anything that makes you think of it! For me, it's back to school.

I need to get caught back up with the kid's school albums as a new year is starting and I don't have the last few years done.  Good thing I have a scrap retreat coming up

Make sure to stop by Use Your Stuff to see the other DT creations

 

UYS- Food/Drink

I know it's been a while since I created a post for Use Your Stuff  DT.  I've been a bit overwhelmed with the number of projects going on here at the farm.  Besides all of the building updates that are happening, my husband and I have started a farm business.  Stay tuned for more on Amacher Farm LLC coming soon. If you missed my last post about the farm you can find it here.  Otherwise on to the latest challenge at UYS

Food and/or Drink

I have been digging through some of the photos my mom has sent my way and found this gem of a photo that's perfect for the challenge.  I think it's the summer of 1980 but not sure other than that we were in Michigan and features my brother and I enjoying sodas together.

aside from having soda in the photo I also have beverage embellishments on the layout.

Can't wait to see what you come up with

 

Overwhelmed this summer

 Hey, all I've been a bit overwhelmed with farm projects this summer.  We have a construction crew currently installing new metal sheeting on the barn.  It's been almost 40 yrs since any work has been done on the barn and we did a bunch of clearing and purging so that the crew could get in and around the barn.  

East wall removal.  It was just covered in rotting plywood.  Fortunate that the support beams were good

New plywood wrap

 Almost finished metal siding

However, we kicked off the construction/ rehabbing of the homestead this past spring with our cooler building.  The walk-in still needs servicing as it hasn't been used in 20-plus years but the compressor is still good as I accidentally turned on the breaker while working on other areas of the building. Currently, I'm purging my brother-in-law's collection of electronic equipment.  I've hauled off some Apple IIe for recycling (those were in use circa 1985) and a bunch of other equally as old monitors and keyboards.  So thankful that our local dump partners with Next Step of recycling and keeping e-waste out of the landfill.

 cleared blackberries and removed a crumbling bay wall.

New post/ beam and cement work

Right now it's a giant party paid but in a week or so it will become our outdoor canning kitchen

Next up is fixing the foundation on our bunkhouse/ cottage.  I think we are going to go with bunkhouse as we move forward as I just set up Amacher Farm LLC.  Our primary focus is going to be heirloom seeds and starts.  We'll probably branch out to produce as well but just getting started.  With my husband and I currently working regular nine to five jobs, we'll probably need a farm hand,  So we are fixing up the one-room bunkhouse in hopes of keeping it from completely crumbling. 

still have a lot more to clear from the south-facing wall

bunch of rot and a cobbled-together foundation that my father-in-law installed.

Trying to prepare for the future and leave a legacy the kids will want to take over and not a headache of broken down and not functioning things that we have taken over from my father-in-law.  He's definitely of a different mindset.  I foresee a bunch of dismantling of ramshackle out-buildings after he passes.  Tom is great at throwing up random spliced-together materials to fit the ever-growing mound of breaking down machinery.

Anyway just thought you all should have an update on what's been going on and why I've been so silent here.  I plan to get crafty again soon.  In the meantime go check out my two favorite challenge sites.  Use Your Stuff and Lasting memories.  

I did get in a bit of creative time with some ashes bottles for my girlfriend.

Now to get back to scrapping.  Thanks for sticking with me through the long read