LM #690 - Barbie and Ken (item for every letter of their names)

 LM #690 - Be inspired by the famous couple Barbie and Ken by using an item for every letter of their names.

Welcome to my last guest Dt post for lasting memories.  I've got to say this one was a true challenge for me as I struggled to come up with items for some of the letters.  With a little creative license, I got it done with the following: Baker twine, Arrow, Ribbon, Banners, Ink, Embroidery floss, Kraft-colored items, Embossing (dry), and Nine phrase/ icon stickers.

I also was inspired by the throwback sketch at the scrap room

When I got this simple stories kit I never thought that I would use the journal card, but I think it works perfectly for the page, and can't wait for my husband and son to fill it in.

Thanks for stopping by to take a look.  Make sure to join us at Lasting Memories

LM #689- Stick items together using fasteners

LM #689  Stick two or more items together by using fasteners: brads, ribbons, twine, staples, etc.

Welcome to my third week as a guest designer for lasting memories.  This week's challenge is to use a fastener.   Before I chose an arrow-shaped brad I had a whole different layout in mind but wanted to enter it into the S.I.T January challenge

aside from the grey and kraft papers the rest of my layout is pieced together  Simple stories scraps.  I'm not sure which collection it was but it was perfect for this fishing layout.  All my scraps were 4x6 or smaller and I used the plaid branding stripe under the fish.  The die-cut fish and bobber were popped up on foam squares so that they would stand out against the same color background paper.

Here's a close-up of my brad that goes through/ connects all of the layers.

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to join us at Lasting Memories

LM #688 and February SID double page

 

 I'm back for my second guest design post for Lasting Memories.  

This time we are creating a layout and a card using the same products. If cards absolutely aren't your thing, create layouts for two different topics/events using the same products.  I started my layout with project life cards and matched them to paper in my stash.  I used two smaller cards to create the base of my card and pulled in some travel-themed embellishments that are from the same kit as the airplane sticker on the layout.

Here are the Stick it Down sketches for February.  

Hope you join us at both Lasting Memories and Stick It Down

LM #687 Use complementary colors

LM #687 Use complementary colors (colors opposite each other on the color wheel). Other colors are fine to include but focus primarily on your color pair.

I'm so excited to share my first guest design for Lasting Memories.

I chose to use Purple and its complementary color Yellow from my layout featuring the Troops Trunk or Treat event in 2022.  I used old CM Halloween papers.  Light purple, yellow, and green are all from a 6x6 paper pad that I pieced together.  I tried to hide as many of the seams as possible with the title work, journaling, and spiders.  The dark purple paper was from an 8x8 pad which I also pieced together.  Love using up my stash.

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to join us at Lasting Memories

 

SID February

Welcome to the February sketch reveal for Stick it Down.  I have a double-page layout to share but you'll have to stop back by on the 11th to see it as it's part of my guest spot at Lasting Memories.

Make sure to share your creations with us at SID

 

LM #685 Sketch with a twist- heart

 Lasting Memories has another sketch with a twist challenge for January. For this one use the sketch and the scrappy twist is to use hearts on your layout. The heart(s) can be a sticker, stamp, punch, die cut, or embellishment.

I have the same basic idea except that I used a giant geo tag instead of the circle element and I eliminated the string of hearts across the top of the layout.  I still have one heart on the layout as it was cut into the geo-marker.  I also only used one photo as that is all that I have of the boys as they used my phone as a handheld GPS unit.  I did however crop down the cache info and used it on the layout as well.

I added a couple of embellishments to hide the circle cut under the heart on the tag.  I might go back and add a few more lines of journaling about the search or just change the scattering as I'm not sure I like the clump that it became and maybe a title inside the heart. We'll see if I mess with it some more or not, but for now I need to finish my last GDT post for Lasting Memories for February.

 Thanks for stopping by to take a look.

  

TSR January throw back

 I've been on a creative roll and it feels amazing.  
This time I'm back with inspiration from the throwback sketch from the Scraproom.  

I used a CM template that had a camera in the middle of the burst so I had to extend the rays.

First layout of the year that is pulled from my old stash (pre-kits).  I mixed and matched the papers then dug through my random bit and leftovers from kits for the embellishments. Not my favorite page but another one done

Thanks for stopping by to take a look

LM #684 sketch with a twist- use tags

 At Lasting Memories for January they are doing Sketches but with a Scrappy Twist. This week is the sketch below from Page Maps, and the scrappy twist is to use tags on your layout.  I struggled with this one as I didn't have a tag punch large enough to work with my photos and I just couldn't seem to hand-make them without it looking wonky. Instead, I used PL cards that I extended/ trimmed and rounded for the main focal point and then tucked in two smaller punched tags to still have the twist.  Hope you like it as much as I do.

I also only had two photos so I popped in a top ten card for my son and husband to fill in.  I do have more photos of the event but they are already in pocket pages in a separate album.  This layout goes in his Road to Eagle album as I am chronologically scrapping his scout achievements/ events

Thanks for stopping by to take a look

LM #683 - Sketch Challenge With a Scrappy Twist - Patterned Papers

 For the entire month of January Lasting Memories will be doing Sketches with a Scrappy Twist.   Challenge #683 is to use this sketch from Page Maps, and the scrappy twist is to use at least 4 different pieces of patterned paper from your stash. 

and here is my take on the sketch

I stretched the photos to four inches in height so I adjusted all of the other elements.  I also moved the circular element to the top of my layout and added a journal block instead of a third photo.  I did use 5 different patterns on my layout but only one is paper.  The others are pieced-together photo cards and journal mats. I hardly ever use photo mats as they were intended and thought it's a good way to get in more pattern as well as finish up some product  in my stash

Thanks for stopping by to take a look

S.I.D January single page

Even though I'm on the double-page layout team  I couldn't resist creating a layout with this month's sketch.

I was going to save it for an upcoming guest spot next month over at Lasting Memories but have another idea in mind.  

I'll probably crank out a few more layouts as we got a nice layer of compacted graple (small ice pellets) that won't be melting any time soon.  

This photo is from yesterday.  We had another layer dump overnight and you can't see the grass.  Temperatures are forecasted to stay below freezing til Wednesday, so we'll see if I have to go to work on Tuesday.

In the meantime here's the sketch I used

 and here is my take 

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to join us at Stick It Down

 

SID double page layout for January

 

Welcome to my first layout for the Stick It Down Double page team.

Every month I will be sharing my take on the double-page sketch and will be featured on the Facebook group every 24th of the month, however, we have been asked to share all of the sketches on our sites on the first of the month to give you plenty of time to create with us.  Make sure to drop on over to Stick it Down FB and share your take on the sketch in the media albums.

For my layout, I used CM Deep in the Woods paper collection and my brother's label maker to highlight my son and his troop as they worked on a service project at a local park.  I'm trying to get caught up on my son's scout album so I'm sure you'll be seeing more scouting photos in the next few projects I share

Thanks for stopping by

LM# 682 sketch with a twist

 Welcome to 2024 and my first layout playing along with Lasting memories newest challenge. The first challenge of the year is to use this sketch from Page Maps, and a scrappy twist is to use a punch on your layout; if you don't have any punches you can always use a die cut. 

I stuck fairly close to the sketch.  I did make the cluster in the upper right the scout fleur de lis and a printed copy of the emergency prep merit badge that I sewed onto the layout instead of a large circle.

For the twist I used the chipboard polaroid frame that I covered with the red wood grain paper.  If the badge wasn’t so large I would have punched it but love that it’s close to the real badge size.

 Another Scout layout done.  Only 8 more months of events to finish of  2022 in my son’s scout album.  I will do some pocket pages for his trip to Tennessee.  Stay tuned for more layouts as I am trying to get in more scrapping this year

LM#679 Walk in the park and S.I.T sketch

Now that December is almost over I finally have some time to play along with a couple of challenges.  Right now Lasting Memories is revisiting a few of the design team's favorite challenges from 2023.  This one is for Walk in the Park-use at least one outdoor photo on your layout

I used Sketches in Thyme Sketch for Dec 22

I rotated the sketch and added a second page to create this double layout.

I love manipulating sketches and find that I lean on sketches a lot lately.

Thanks for stopping by to take a look

 

TSR December throwback

 

Winding down the year with a throwback sketch from the scrap room.

I rotated the sketch and made the photos a little bigger as well as swapped the title and journaling placement but the bones of the layout are still all there.

Christmas cards from scraps

 

Wow, it's been a hot minute since I've had a chance to sit and create.  Got a few Christmas cards made today with the leftover CM Sugar Plum collection.  Finally finished off the last bit of paper and all of the die cuts

Of the 10 I made these are my 3 favorites

I'll try to be back soon now that we are on break

Last Use Your Stuff challenge and collaberation with Double Trouble

Welcome to our very last challenge here at Use Your Stuff.  

We decided to go out with a bang and so we are doing a  Collaboration with Double Trouble Challenges.

Be sure to link up your projects with them as well as with us. You can use the link here.
This challenge will run until the 31st of December on both our blog and the Double Trouble blog. 
Check out the images below so that you can create your project to play along with both of us.
You are going to need to die-cut an image for your project for the Double Trouble portion.
Our portion of the challenge is to Wrap it Up, so use things like ribbon, twine, bows, washi, etc.

For my die cut image I used my Circut to cut various sized circles. Not a very interesting die-cut, but I did manage to use my circut more in the last two months than I have all year. Maybe a goal for next year.

Before I go down that rabbit hole let's look at the other details for this layout/ challenge.

I added baker twine to my tag to "wrap it up"

I was inspired by this sketch from Rochelle Spears

I added a second photo in place of a title and extended the pp behind the photos 

 and am using the left-hand column from Stacy's Tic Tac Toe

Thanks for stopping by

Don't forget to share your project with us at Use Your Stuff and over at Double Trouble.

As this is our last challenge,  the owner is having a little giveaway for you.   5 entries will be randomly selected to receive a crafty surprise, so make sure you play along.  You are welcome to enter as many times as you wish, but you must play along with both blogs, and the giveaway will be open internationally. Winners will be posted here on January 2nd so watch for it!

Sad and Happy News

 Let's start with the sad:

 Use Your Stuff will be closing the blog as of December 31st, 2023.

We thank you so very much for being with us every challenge and sharing with us your joy and love of creating.  We have been so proud to have been here to help stimulate your creativity and crafting.

and the not so sad:

   We do have one more challenge that will go for all of December that will coordinate with Double Trouble which we are super excited about.

We wish you nothing but love and joy going forward and we look forward to still seeing many of you on your blogs and in other challenges.

The happy news for me is that I have been selected to be on the double-page design team for Stick it Down starting in January. So stay tuned for some more layouts coming your way

Shine Bright

I'm back with inspiration for the Shine Bright challenge at Use Your Stuff where we are using bling or something that gives off light (lamps, twinkle lights, sun, etc.)

I went with some almost dried-out stickles in blue and small clear rhinestones around the star, along the top of the photos, and a larger one on the camera lens.  I also used some puffy stars as those give off light in real life.

I used several project life cards that I picked up this weekend on Facebook marketplace. Originally I was going to get rid of these ones as I didn't think I would use the more masculine cards, but they worked out great.  I think I'll cull through them again and only get rid of the ones I don't think I'd use.  Wish me luck as I have three plus boxes to go through.

Thanks for stopping by to take a look and please join us at Use Your Stuff 

Snow/ winter at Use Your Stuff

Back again with another Boy Scout layout this time featuring some snow play which fit perfectly with the most recent challenge at Use Your Stuff - Winter/ Snow

We don't get much snow in the southern end of theWillamette Valley so the troop drove 2hrs to a snow park for some tubing fun after a long season of collecting Christmas trees

I used the following sketch from Sketches in Thyme

Similar idea but changed the photo orientation and went with one less small photo.

I added the embellishment cluster to the left to hid a bright red sled as my eye kept going to the bright spot on the photo and not the mountain.  

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

 

Sketch- n- scrap #284

Have you ever created a layout around an embellishment?  I could have sworn that I had a page kit with feathers in it so as I was thumbing throw all my kits I found the circle embellishment that reminded me of a dream catcher but no feathers.  What's a scrapper to do?  Make their own of  course and that's just what I did.

I used sketch #284 from Sketch-n-scrap as inspiration.

I find that using sketches is my go-to way of creating currently as I usually don't have much time available and it's nice to have a jumping-off point to get going.

I'm also playing along with Lasting Memories thankful challenge- die cuts

as I used three die cuts from the Vickie Buton Kit ( large circle, arrow, ruler, and record) along with cutting my own dies (feathers) which I cut in three different sizes on plain card stock and then drew on them with black pen for added details.  Love how it turned out.  Really complements the photo subject too.

Thanks for stopping by