March Calendar page- Stick it Down

Happy Saturday!  It is the last day of the month and here I am to share my calendar layout for the month of March.  I was inspired by this great sketch from Stick it Down:

To create my background, I started with two white sheets of cardstock.  I used the polka dot mask and some green spray ink for the right hand page.  I then took the mask and flipped it onto the left hand page and used a brayer to transfer the ink onto the paper. I like how it turned out and it is a good way to use all that ink that ends up on the mask! I cut up a couple of pieces of patterned paper and corrugated paper for the background pieces.  I typed up my journaling and printed it on coordinating cardstock and then cut it into strips. 

 I was also inspired by the 2/11 Word Wednesday challenge at My Scraps and More.  The challenge was to use the word "everyday" and the have a date on your layout.  Since most of the photos on this page are "everyday" type photos, I thought it worked pretty well as part of the title.  And, since this is a calendar page, there are lots of dates. :)

Materials:
Cardstock- Bazzill
Patterned Paper- Fancy Pants, October Afternoon
Stickers and flair- Fancy Pants
Buttons- My Mind's Eye, Fancy Pants
Corrugated Paper- Fancy Pants
Pens- Sakura, Signo Uniball
Mask- The Crafters Workshop
Ink- October Afternoon
Font- CK Ali's Writing, Calibri
Software- Craft Edge

I Heart Faces February Photo Challenge: Days 15-21

2/15 His and Hers- These are the gifts Rick and I got for each other for Valentine's Day.

2/16 Shadow- A sweet little shadow

2/17 Story- My oldest reading a story to her younger siblings.

2/18 Up- My oldest building "up" some legos (okay, that may be a stretch...)

2/19 Surprise- This little lady lost her first tooth this week. "Surprise" could also work for the little photo bomber in this picture.

2/20 I Dream Of...- A sleeping baby! This kid did not sleep more than 45 minutes Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (two of those days it was less than 20 minutes). Saturday he finally made up for it with a 3 hour nap.

2/21 B & W- This is another shot from the day I took the "Story" photo. The captive audience. :)

My Scraps and More Sketch #100- Comfortable?

It's Friday, which means another sketch reveal at My Scraps and More.  Sadly, this is my last one as part of the design team.  I have really enjoyed the last year of working with the fabulous sketches and ladies on the design team there! Here is this week's sketch:

I made a layout about how I found my older son sleeping when he was a baby.  This was shortly after he figured out how to get himself to sitting.  I'm not sure if he couldn't figure out how to lay back down or if he was fighting sleep.  

I used my Cricut and the Tags, Bags, Boxes and More 2 cartridge to cut the clouds.  I used Sure Cuts a Lot for the title work.  I added texture to the clouds by dry embossing them. I was also inspired by the 2/3 Tuesday Trigger challenge on the My Scraps and More forums.  The challenge was to use at least 6 hearts on your layout.  I pulled a couple of different kinds of chipboard hearts from my stash for this layout.  I colored the Heidi Swapp resist ones with some Distress Ink and Gelato.

 Make sure you check out what the rest of the design team did with the sketch on the blog!

Materials:
Cardstock- Bazzill, Michaels
Patterned Paper- October Afternoon, Paper Adventures, Creative Imaginations
Border- Heidi Swapp
Ink- Ranger, Tattered Angels, Tsukineko
Gelatos- Faber Castell
Sticker- Bella Blvd
Embossing Folder- Spellbinders
Chipboard- Heidi Swapp, Heidi Grace
Pen- Signo Uniball
Stamp- Stampin Up
Embossing Powder- JoAnn Crafts
Die Cutter- Provo Craft
Cartridge- Tags, Bags, Boxes and More 2
Software- Crafters Edge
Font- Gloo Gun

February Photo Challenge days 8-14

I'm back with my second week of photos for the I Heart Faces February photo challenge.

2/8 Favorite- my boys snuggling, watching their favorite show, "Wild Kratts"

2/9 Clouds- The clouds themselves weren't very interesting today, but the snow coming from them was pretty. Addy had fun playing in it for a while this afternoon

2-10 Vintage- I went with a vintage style for the Valentine I made for Rick

2/11 Love is... letting this one use paint. wink emoticon It is also missing MOPS for a quiet morning at home so he could get some extra rest to fight the cold he has

2/12 Red- This little lady got her new glasses today, which happen to be... red

2/13 Walking- Will loves to pretend to be an animal, here he is walking like one

2/14 Heart- There is a heart in the picture and he has my heart

Cas(e) this Sketch #110- Happy Valentine's Day!

 Happy St. Valentine's Day! I am here today to share the valentine I made for my husband. I was inspired by this week's sketch at CAS(E) this Sketch:

I started my card with some Co'ordinations Whitewash cardstock that I dry embossed and then sanded. For the doily, I inked it with some Barn Door and  Walnut Stain Distress Inks after I had sprayed it with some Glimmer Mist. I cut the bird with my Cricut Expression and the Sentimentals cartridge. I inked up the bird with the same ink colors.  I traced around the bird to make it stand out.

I decided it needed some layers, so I fussy cut some pieces from a Prima freebie from a few years ago. The sentiment was heat embossed and then I inked up the banner.

Happy New Year (2011)

Hi! I have a new layout to share today.  Another two page spread with lots of photos, I have a feeling there will be more of these to come. The majority of the products on this page are from the Scrapbook Circle kit I received several months ago. I was also inspired by the 2/9 Mix It Up Monday challenge at My Scraps and More. The challenge was to use at least 5 different patterned papers, at least 3 photos, sequins, and journal in a shape other than a square.

I made a layout about the New Year's party we had 4 years ago. I was fun to work with these photos and remember these kids so little.  The babies in these pictures are 4 years old now!

I liked how the aqua paper looked like sparkles, which I felt was appropriate for New Years.  I used lots of colors on this one.  For the background, I sprayed some turquoise Perfect Pearls mist on  black cardstock.  I LOVE how well the color showed up on the black! 

For the title, I used my Cricut and the Classic Cricut Font cartridge. I added lots of sequins to the area to highlight it. I fussy cut the bracket shape from a 3x4 card (the same card that the word "today" came from) for my journaling. I layered some transparency shapes down the side of the layout.

Materials:
Cardstock- American Crafts
Patterned Paper- Echo Park, Bela Blvd., Heidi Swapp, American Crafts
Bows- Crate Paper
Tape- K and Co. Bella Blvd.
Stamp- 7 Gypsies
Transparencies- Heidi Swapp
Stickers- Fancy Pants, American Crafts
Pen- Zig
Cartridge- Cricut Classic Font
Die Cutter- Provo Craft
Photo Corner- Webster's Pages
Rub On- American Crafts
Mist- Ranger

I Heart Faces- February Photo Challenge Days 1-7

At the beginning of the month, I Heart Faces posted this challenge on Facebook:

I've been wanting to get back into taking photos, and I figured this was the perfect opportunity.  I am also trying to get more comfortable with my 50 mm prime lens, so I will be using that lens as much as possible to take my photos this month. Here are my first 7.

2/1 I am... creative. There are lots of ways for me to finish this statement, but I was working on this today and so that is what I am going with.

2/2 Leap- Nick is really into jumping (and galloping) lately and I think it is pretty cute.

2/3 Sweet- the boys and I made brownies yesterday. When we were done, they had to lick the beater.

2/4 Words- the other day Will asked me to spell these words for him so he could make a sign. It is the first time that he has asked me to spell something so he could write it

2/5 Relax- Nick and I went to the zoo today and the gibbon looked so comfortable laying in the sun

2/6 Someone(s) I Love- The kids all decided to make their own Valentines this year, so we all gathered around the table and went to work this afternoon.

2/7 Laughter- One of Will's favorite games is "monster" where Rick chases him. The game results in lots of giggling and screaming.

I Do

Hello! I am here today to share a layout I made this week.  I scrapped some wedding photos from my husband's cousin's wedding a few years ago.  

I used some OLD paper on this one!  The black and white paper had a copyright date of 2006 and the orange and pink paper that I used for the photo mat and title was made in 2005! 

I made a pocket for the program by adhering the paper down around it.  I colored the felt flowers with some Glimmer Mist. To dry the mist a little faster, I used my heat tool... the felt is synthetic and it melted a bit... oops.  Oh well. The Throwback Thursday challenge for 2/5 at My Scraps and More was to use an old tool.  I used my Crop A Dile Big Bite to punch the holes for the brads I used.  Some would also consider the Cricut an old tool and I used that and the "Botanicals" cartridge for the title.

Materials:
Cardstock- Die Cuts With a View
Patterned paper- Fancy Pants Designs, Me and My Big Ideas, Making Memories
Stickers- October Afternoon, Fancy Pants Designs
Canvas- Prima
Flowers- Michaels, EK Success, Prima
Inks- Tattered Angels, Ranger
Pen- Zig
Tape- Pink Fresh
Brads- Doodlebug, K and Co., unknown
Cartridge- Botanicals

My Scraps and Mores Sketches #99- 9 Months

Hi all!  I am here today with a new layout based on this fun sketch by Audrey:

I decided to pull out the 9 month picture I took of my youngest.  I used the Bella Blvd. "Tiny Tots" collection for the papers and embellishments.

I started my layout with a sheet of kraft cardstock.  I used a mask and some modeling paste to make the stars.  I added a couple of kinds of red glitter to the stars while they were still damp.  I pressed the glitter into the paste, but I ended up going over all of the stars with some Mod Podge to seal in the glitter a little better.

For the title, I mixed sticker letters from the collection with die cut letters. I cut the letters with my Cricut and the "Boys Will Be Boys" cartridge.  I decided that corner of the layout needed some more blue, so I cut the burst (which is the flower part of the sunflower cut from "Stretch Your Imagination") to go behind the 9.

I layered some stickers and tape in the top left corner.  I used a couple of different thicknesses of foam tape to attach the star stickers for some added interest.

Make sure you stop by the My Scraps and More Sketch blog to see what the rest of the team did!

Materials:
Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper, Stickers, Tape- Bella Blvd.
Modeling Paste- Golden
Glitter- American Crafts
Pen- Sakura
Mask- The Crafters Workshop
Die Cutter- Provo Craft
Cartridges- Boys Will Be Boys, Stretch Your Imagination