TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY

This is my latest project for Sketches in Thyme using the following design.  I was completely inspired by the season for this project.   This picture was taken nine years ago when my little ones still believed in Santa and would allow their Mom to dress them in adorable Christmas clothes.  I have a thing for Doodlebug papers, and when I saw the "Here Comes Santa Claus" line, I knew I had to use a picture of my girls visiting with Santa.  While I mostly followed the sketch, I opted to use a paper ribbon instead of a diamond to accent the picture.

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

This is my latest double page spread for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  For this layout I was inspired by the travel details on the sketch. Ten years ago, my husband and I took our daughters on a train ride to Chicago at Christmastime to shop at American Girl.  Santa gave my older daughter a "Felicity" doll as an early present while on the train.  We literally exited the train and went on a shopping spree for all of Felicity's outfits.  My older daughter was in HEAVEN!  My younger daughter, always the agreeable one, had fun doing whatever her older sister was doing.  We had a fantastic time checking out the town during a rare December warm spell in Chicago.  While I didn't use all the elements called for on the sketch, I was able to use a variety of Doodlebug "Here Comes Santa Claus" papers to bring the Christmas theme to life.

HOLLY JOLLY

This is my latest project for The Memory Nest using the following sketch.  I am a Christmasaholic.  My favorite day of the year is the day our local radio station changes over to 24/7 Christmas music.  I put up my Christmas tree a week before Thanksgiving every year. I have a slight addiction to Christmas wrapping paper. And I have had a blast over the years with our family's Elf on the Shelf "Holly Jolly." Last year, my youngest daughter asked the dreaded Christmas question; the one I feared for years...So I was surprised and eternally happy when she pulled Holly Jolly out of the box this year and asked, "Mom, are you still going to hide her for me?"  The answer, "OF COURSE I WILL!"  So in honor of Holly Jolly's "release" from her box, I decided to feature some of her favorite "hiding spots" from around my house over the years.  She's ridden a wooden reindeer, hung out in a Christmas tree wrapped in toilet paper, & hoarded peppermints wearing soccer pre-wrap around her head.  (Holly Jolly has always been a bit mischievous).  To pull this project together, I used paper from Authentique's Retro Christmas Collection.  I followed the sketch closely but decided to add a few paper ribbons to the top to add even more holiday spirit to the page.

CALLING ALL SUPERHEROES

This is my latest project for The Memory Nest using the following design.  My husband comes from generation upon generation of boys.  So I figured when we had babies, we'd have boys.  Well, the Lord had different plans for us; we have two girls.  As a result, I get my boy fix from my nephew.  He is pure boy and a pure joy.   And he LOVES his superhero costumes!  When I saw this picture of him from Halloween, my heart melted.  And let's be honest, I may have been looking for a reason to buy this adorable super hero themed paper.  I thought this sketch would not only perfectly showcase this sweet moment of him enjoying his Halloween candy, but also the bold prints of the paper.  He certainly is my favorite super hero!    

FOOTBALL

This is my latest project for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  I created this layout on the most sacred day of the year for an Ohioan; the Ohio State vs. Michigan football game day.  This is the only game that matters if you are a Buckeye fanatic.  Being married to an OSU alumni, my children and husband bleed scarlet and gray.  So in honor of the game and the unbelievable win in overtime, I created this project of my oldest daughter rooting on her high school football team.  This year our school debuted a brand new football field that is absolutely beautiful. Along with a gorgeous new stadium, our team also went to district finals; a first in our town's history.  And the icing on the cake, the high school has an INCREDIBLE student section with crazy school spirit.  Some of the best memories my daughter has made as a high school student have been at football games.  To pull this project together, I used a variety of paper from Doodlebug's Touchdown collection.

TIS THE SEASON

This is my latest project for Sketches in Thyme using the following sketch.  This past Thursday, one of my favorite days of the year occurred.  Our local radio station changed over to 24/7 Christmas music.  I love Christmas.  I actually love the lead up to Christmas more than anything.  And one of the things I loved to do when my girls were little was to dress them up and take their picture for our family Christmas card.  This particular year was one of my favorites.  I loved their velvet black dresses, their curls, their innocence.  When I saw the Carta Bella Christmas Delivery collection, I instantly thought of these pictures.  I completely adhered to this sketch because the design allowed for the use of a variety of papers.

I LOVE FALL

This is my latest project for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  I love fall.  I love the temperatures, the colors. It truly is a gift living in a part of the country where we get to experience all the seasons.  A few years ago, my husband & I thought it would be fun to take our girls on a road trip to Niagara Falls, NY to see Mother Nature's colors on parade.  No words can express how breathtaking it was to see this natural wonder...The beautiful shades of blue water with fall foliage as a backdrop made for Kodak moments at every step of our trip.  My entire family was in awe of the beauty that surrounded us.  I picked a few of my favorite pictures from the trip to highlight in this sketch.  I strictly followed the placement of the papers, but decided to change up the picture placement on the right side so I could include more photos.  To pull this project together, I used Echo Park's "Fall is in the Air" papers along with Lawn Fawn's "Perfectly Plaid Fall Collection."

REGARDING REPTILES

This is my latest layout for The Memory Nest using the following sketch.   My daughter has loved all animals since she was a little girl. She has been and still is fearless when it comes to animals, reptiles, amphibians...When she was six years old, my husband and I took her to the South Carolina Aquarium.  I turn around for a second and the next thing I know she's wearing a snake as a necklace.  A few years later on a pier at Isle of Palms, South Carolina, a boy was fishing and caught a baby black tip reef shark.  She asked, "Can I hold it?" and the boy said absolutely.  So I was not really surprised when I opened up a text from her last year and found her holding the Biology class snake.  I felt that this sketch would be perfect to showcase the various pictures of my daughter holding various creatures over the course of time..  To pull this project together, I used a variety of papers from Moxxie's Zoofari collection and Graphic 45's Safari collection.

WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND

This is my latest creation for The Memory Nest using the following sketch.  When I see a sketch for the first time, I typically have an idea of what I want to do.  My initial thought when planning for this sketch was a layout involving bubbles, but then I looked at the calendar.  I created this project on October 30, 2016. Two years ago on November 17, 2014, Ohio got its first substantial snow fall.  That is UNHEARD OF in Southern Ohio.  December maybe; January definitely; November 17...NEVER!  And one of the perks of a substantial snow when you are a school teacher is a SNOW DAY!  So with November right around the corner and the stress levels at work and at home at an all time high, I had dreams of a snow day.  I've always loved this picture of my daughter playing in the snow on that unexpected gift from the snow gods, so I decided to make her the focal point of this layout.  The circles reminded me of snow flakes falling from the sky so to pull this project together, I used Echo Park's "Hello Winter" collection.  In addition, I added some sparkly snow flakes around the layout to accent the silver glittery paper acting as a border.

HALLOWEEN

This is my latest project for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  In the spirit of Halloween, I went full on trick or treat for this sketch.  This is a pivotal year in my house.  For the first time in fifteen years, I do not have anyone trick or treating.  While there is a sense of relief of not coordinating who is passing out candy and who is taking out the children, I do feel an immense sense of sadness that my babies aren't babies anymore.  As a result, I decided to dip into my Halloween picture archives and use photos of my children through the years.  My daughters have always loved Halloween and have been some darn cute creatures.  To pull this project together, I used a variety of Doodlebug papers because they remind me of how innocent and fun my children were at this time of the year when they were little.
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LOVE AT FURST SIGHT

This is my latest project for Sketches in Thyme using the following design.  This is my daughter and her 150 lb furry cousin, Nittany.  She is the most loving, fluffy cousin a girl could ask for.  My mother in law was dog sitting for Nittany a few weeks back, and my children could not get enough of her.  (I think the feeling was mutual).  Nittany has no clue how big she is; in her eyes, she's a Yorkie.  Despite her size, Nittany is the most loving, happy puppy I've ever met.  So I decided she would be the perfect subject matter for this project.  I flipped the sketch since my better pictures were vertical.  Other than that, I followed the design closely and pulled it together using Doodlebug's "Puppy Love" paper collection.

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MY TWEEN

This is my latest project for The Memory Nest using the following sketch.  Typically, I look at a sketch and have a general idea of what I want to do.  This time around, I was clueless.  Triangles are not in my comfort zone.  I've been reading a book called I Am That Girl and recently finished a section about the need to move out of your comfort zone in order to push yourself into new territory.  I will say that this sketch certainly did that for me.  I played around with my Bella Boulevard papers for a few hours afraid to cut anything because I was so unsure of what to do.  I kept attempting to do what the sketch called for and it simply was not working for me as it was positioned.  So I deconstructed the sketch.  Rather than have four triangles all placed at the bottom, I decided to place the four triangles around the perimeter of my page.  By then I was having so much fun cutting triangles with my Cricut, I started placing extra triangles in the middle of the page to accent the picture.  And before I realized it, this project that had intimidated me for weeks was done. And honestly, I like how it turned out in the end.  In summary, a valuable lesson was learned on this project.  Sometimes the sketches that give you the hardest time become your favorites.

SUMMER

This is my latest project for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  I am a seasonal scrapbooker who is holding onto summer for dear life right now.  While I do love the fall and am looking forward to the first snowfall of the season, there is something about summer.  (Perhaps it's because I'm a teacher...need I say more?)  One of the things I love about summer is my annual girl's trip to Michigan.  My friend's sister owns a house on Lake Huron, and we go there every summer at the end of the school year to celebrate.  It is heaven on Earth.  No schedules, no cooking, no running kids all over the place; just pj's all day, slippers, and an incredible view.  And this year we learned a valuable lesson about Gin & Tonics; DON'T DRINK THEM!   A severe reaction to the tonic water caused the ladies in the top picture to get matching "friendship bracelets" from the local hospital...exciting times indeed!  To pull this project together, I used Carta Bella's "Yacht Club" collection because the prints reminded me of the wind chime on the porch and boats sailing across the lake.

THANKFUL

This is my latest project for The Memory Nest using the following sketch.  My greatest scrapbooking weakness is fall themed paper.  I love the colors, the patterns, everything!  So being the seasonal scrapbooker that I am, I decided to go full-on fall for this project.  These pictures were taken seven years ago at my family's favorite pumpkin patch.  My girls were at such a fun age.   Both my girls would smile for pictures, hug their Mom...it was a good time in my life.  Usually at places like this, I was the one behind the camera. However on this particular day, my husband snapped this picture of me with my two favorite little people.   This was a day that I was so thankful for so much, so when I saw the banner sticker on Carta Bella's "Autumn Collection" sticker sheet, I knew that it would be the perfect embellishment for this project.

KLEATHER'S PUMPKIN PATCH

This is my latest project for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  Since it is the first day of October, I decided it was time to go fall for this project.  My husband and I have taken our girls to pumpkin patches for years, but this was our first time at this particular patch.  It not only had pumpkins out the yin yang, but also had all sorts of Wizard of Oz memorabilia.  We had a great time exploring this patch even though we eventually had to click our heels together and say, "There's no place like home..."  (Sorry, Wizard of Oz humor).   I followed this sketch closely and used my fold out booklet to store extra photos from the day.  To pull this project together, I used a variety of Carta Bella papers from the Autumn Collection and Fall Blessings line.

VOLLEYBALL DIG THIS

This is my latest creation for Sketches in Thyme using the following sketch.  When I saw the design calling for three pictures following each other, I thought of action shots.  And right now, my daughter's life is completely action packed with volleyball.  She made her school's volleyball team, and a photographer (not her Mom) caught these shots of her at a recent game.  I love her flying pony tail, her tipping of the ball...To me, every picture screamed action.  To pull this project together, I used a variety of volleyball themed papers from Moxxie and Scrapbook Customs along with three dimensional stickers from Me and My Big Ideas.

CHAMP

This is my latest project for The Memory Nest using the following sketch.  My daughter eats, sleeps, and breathes soccer.  It is her passion.  Not a day goes by that she isn't juggling a soccer ball or checking the stats of her favorite players.  She's graduated from our city's rec program to a soccer club and has really grown on the field.  But her favorite soccer related thing of all is the Women's World Cup Soccer team.  And as fate would have it, the town in which my husband is a firefighter/paramedic was hosting an event featuring Heather Mitts, three time Olympic Gold Medalist & Women's World Cup soccer player.  Honestly, I didn't expect more than a "thank you for coming out to meet me" when I took her to the event.  Was I wrong!  Not only did she ask my daughter her position, where she played, etc, she also started asking her about her strengths on the field and how she could improve her weaknesses.  She discussed footwork tips with her, ways to become more aggressive on the field.  It was a full blown training session right in the middle of the grocery store!  It.was.AWESOME!  So to commemorate this event, I dipped into my Doodlebug "Goal Collection" paper to highlight the picture of their meeting.  

WASHINGTON DC SELFIES

This is my latest creation for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  I teach 8th Grade Social Studies, and every year we take a trip to Washington DC.  This year, I decided to annoy my family members by sending selfies of Stephanie throughout DC all day long.  I was like Where's Waldo throughout the nation's capital!  So I decided that my adventures at national monuments & federal buildings would be the perfect topic for this sketch.  To pull this project together, I used a variety of products including Scrapbook Customs "Travel Adventure," Doodlebug's "Patriotic Parade, & Bella Blvd's "Let's Go" collections.

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY

This is my latest project for The Memory Nest using the following sketch.  With this sketch going live on Labor Day, I decided to do one more "shout out" to my favorite season with this project. We have a pool in our back yard, and it is one of my daughter's favorite hang outs in the whole world.  Unfortunately, our pool sprung a leak this summer, so we haven't been able to use it much.  But on one of the occasions that the pool was "healthy," I took a variety of pics of my daughter and niece floating around and having a blast.  In my true Doodlebug addiction form, I used the "Fun in the Sun" collection to highlight the pictures, not only because I love all the fun prints, but the sticker sheet that came with the kit had "chevrons" like the sketch called for.

THE FARMER TIMES

This is my latest creation for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  I was definitely inspired by the diamond shapes throughout the layout, but I approached the sketch in a different way.  With fall around the corner, I decided to feature pictures of my girls when they were small at a local farm on an unusually warm October day. They got to feed animals, pick out pumpkins, and play on all sorts of toys. It was a wonderful day for everyone.  To pull this project together,  I used Authentique's "Homestead" collection for this layout.  With my farm theme in mind, I used my Creative Memories square punch to cut my diamonds on a smaller scale to simulate an old fashioned quilt pattern.

SO HAPPY TOGETHER

This is my latest page for The Memory Nest using the following sketch.  When I see hearts, I typically think Valentine's Day.  But this time around, I thought, of my dogs.  My pups are simply the best friends I could ever ask for.  Nothing makes me happier than coming home from work and being greeted by three jumping and licking fur babies.  Not to mention, they put up with A LOT living with three girls from silly Halloween costumes to posing for Snapchat filters on a daily basis.  And when the going gets tough, they are always by our side.  So I decided my dogs would be the perfect subject matter for this project since the sketch was all about hearts.  I followed the design closely except I decided not to cut my picture into a heart shape.  In addition, I decided to insert a picture tag into the pocket at the bottom of the page so I could add more "doggy love" to my project.  To pull this page together, I used Doodlebug's "Puppy Love" collection that included not only adorable puppy dog prints, but also lots of heart shapes.

SUMMER FUN

This is my latest layout for Sketches in Thyme using the following design.  With fall right around the corner, I decided to complete one more summer theme project as a final shout out to my favorite season.  My brother in law is a professional baseball coach, and has accumulated a variety of concession stand equipment over the years.  My children's favorite device is the Sno Cone machine which he graciously loaned them one summer.  So rather than having lemonade stands, the girls would sell Sno Cones on our street corner.  And it was quite a lucrative business for two little girls. I decided to feature one of my favorite pictures of them selling their goods since Carta Bella's Beach Day collection's colors reminded me of freshly made Sno Cone.

GOTTA GO

This is my latest double page spread for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  I was inspired by the road signs on each half of the sketch when I created this page.  My nephew got a motorized Hummer for Christmas.  He really thinks it's a car. The other day as he was driving his Hummer, he heard "diggers" (back hoes) working in my Mom's neighborhood, stepped on the gas and said, "Gotta go!" and headed towards the sound like he was driving a race car.  He is a trip! To pull this layout together, I used Echo Park's "Off Road" collection.  I switched up the placement of the pictures a touch, but overall followed the sketch closely.  And another perk of this layout, I got a chance to do a more boy themed page; something I hardly get to do having two girls!

A DAY IN PARADISE

This is my latest project for The Memory Nest using the following sketch.  I love Doodlebug paper.  I may have a small issue buying way too much Doodlebug paper...So I'm always looking for ways to use the variety of patterned papers I've accumulated, and the sun's rays on the sketch instantly inspired me.  As I was going through pictures, I found these of my daughter at our local amusement park at the Icee stand.  My daughter has a food allergy therefore can't eat most of the treats that children eat at amusement parks like ice cream cones or funnel cakes.  What she can eat is an Icee.  She is actually a frozen drink connoisseur.  When she first spotted this store, she literally thought she was in paradise.  The bright colors of the Icee stand reminded me of the bright colors in Doodlebug's "Fun in the Sun" collection.  As a result, this project came together super fast, and I was super pleased I was able to use so many Doodlebug papers on one page!

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

This is my latest creation for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  Sadly, this summer did not include a trip to the beach for my family.  So my husband decided to be creative to get the girls to the water.  The solution; he took them kayaking.  The girls had so much fun that  he's already taken them back a second time with all their friends for another trip down the river.  Overall, I followed the sketch closely, but took a few liberties with the picture and tag placement. To pull this project together I used a combination of papers from the Bo Bunny "Take a Hike" line along with the Carta Bella "The Great Outdoors" collection..