DEAR SANTA...

This is my latest project for Sketches in Thyme using the following sketch.  My dogs are such great sports.  My husband keeps bringing home elf costumes, and my poor dogs keep getting dressed up in them.  So in honor of my angry "elves," I decided to feature them in this project.  To pull this layout together, I used a variety of papers from Authentique's "Nostalgia" line.

YOU ARE SWEET

This is my latest project for Use Your Stuff using the theme "Christmas/Holiday" as our guide.  I dipped into my picture archives and found this gem from 2007.  My daughters were still willing participants in the annual photocard shoot.  My youngest was so eager that I could not stop her from making the cheesiest of smiles.  (Now I can't even get her to look at my camera....)  So I decided it would be the perfect subject matter for a Christmas/Holiday project.  To pull this project together, I used a variety of Doodlebug design papers including their newest holiday line "sss" and a variety of their cardstock stickers.  I was also inspired by my former design team's, 2 Broke Girls, layout that is featured below.

ELF

This is my latest project for Creative Inspiration using the following sketch.  I recently bought Echo Park's "I Love Christmas" line but was stumped on how to use the ABC paper.  So after weeks of looking at the paper, I found the perfect sketch for it.  I decided to spell the word "elf" with the blocks to feature pictures of my family's Elf on the Shelf Holly Jolly.  She doesn't move much anymore, sniff sniff, but when she did, she found herself in all sorts of places like poinsettia plants, in piles of peppermints, and astride a reindeer.

TIS THE SEASON

This is my latest project for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  I am in full Christmas mode and decided to feature some of my favorite pictures of my youngest when she was a tiny little girl.  She was so happy to pose for Christmas pictures.  (I wish she was still so willing to pose for pictures).  To pull this project together, I used a variety of papers from Echo Park's "Christmas Cheer" collection.

WINTER

This is my latest project for Use Your Stuff where the requirement for this week was to use something silver and gold on the project.  When I think of silver at this time of year, I think of snow falling.  So I decided to feature pictures of my daughters when they were tiny playing in the snow.  To pull this project together, I used Crate Paper's "Snow & Cocoa" collection that contained corresponding cardstock stickers made from gold foil.  In addition, I added silver snowflakes to add the "silver" to the project.  Finally, I was inspired by the sketch from my former design team "2 Broke Girls" to pull all the elements of this project together.

FABULOUS

This is my latest project for Creative Inspiration using the following sketch.  For this week's project, I was inspired by pictures of my daughter taken back in the Spring.  Our downtown is absolutely stunning at night, and I loved the twinkling lights framing my daughter.  So I decided that three of my favorites taken that evening would be perfect for this layout that featured three pictures.  To pull this project together, I used a variety of papers from The Paper Studio's "Ninth Street" line.

SANTA PAWS IS COMING TO TOWN

This is my latest project for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  With this being the official start of the holiday season, I decided to go full on Christmas for this project.  However, rather than feature the traditional holiday pics, I decided to highlight pictures of my dogs having fun at  Christmas time.  My dogs have so much fun burrowing in the mountains of paper and boxes on Christmas morning.  They also enjoy looking at the tree and having their pics taken with their favorite humans.  So I decided they would be the perfect subject matter for this layout.  To pull the project together, I used a variety of papers from Authentique's "Nostalgia" line.

ICE KISSED

This is my latest project for Sketchy Board Challenge using the following sketch.  This month, we were asked to create a project that used either gold or silver embellishments and a die cut.  I decided to feature pictures of my daughter at her first ice skating competition.  She was absolutely gorgeous gliding around on the ice in her white costume.  She truly looked like a princess twirling around on the ice.  To make the day even more memorable, she came in first place!  So to play up the gold medal that she earned, I used my Cricut to cut gold stars out of sparkly cardstock for the gold embellishment requirement.  I also used gold photo corners to highlight the middle picture of my daughter holding her gold medal.  Finally, I used Authentique's "Frosted" collection because I loved the wintery, icy feel of the paper.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

This is my latest creation for Creative Inspiration Challenge Blog.  We are having a 12 Days of Christmas Mini Crop where each design team member created a Christmas challenge project for herself. I am a Christmas music fanatic.  The minute the radio stations switch over to 24/7 Christmas music, I never listen to any other channel until December 26th. One of my favorite songs is "Silver and Gold" from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  I used to sing this song to my cats before I had kids.  I would substitute their names instead of "silver" and "gold."  My cats have since passed away, but every time I hear this song, I'm whisked back to a simpler time when my furry feline babies ruled the roost.  So I decided to make a project using silver and gold in honor of the song.  To pull this project together, I used pictures I took of my daughters ten years ago for a Christmas card photo shoot.  I converted them to a sepia tone to give them a vintage feel.  I loved the silvery undertones of Kaisercraft's "Christmas Edition" so I used a few of their printed papers as my silver element.  I found glittery gold poinsettia flowers at Hobby Lobby and anchored them along a strip of jute. Finally, I was inspired by the following Creative Inspiration July sketch and matted my pictures in a similar fashion.

WHEN I LOOK BACK...

This is my latest project for Sketches in Thyme using the following sketch.  This time around I was inspired by my daughter's senior pictures photo shoot.  We recently received the disk with all the shots taken at her photo session on them, and I am in love with all of them.  I've been playing around with colors and picture sizes.  You name it, I've tried it with these pictures.  These are two of my favorites that I converted to black and white and printed in 4x4 size.  Because I wanted the pictures to be the focus, I wanted a more subdued pattern paper.  Kaisercraft's "Peachy" line I thought did a perfect job acting as the background for these shots.

 

ALL IS MERRY AND BRIGHT

This is my latest project for Use Your Stuff using the following mood board.  Our design team linked up this week with the challenge blog Double Trouble as well.  Double Trouble is a fun blog that offers you two ways to create a project.  Their challenge for this week was to either create a sweet treat related project or use glitter.  I opted for the sweet treat option.  My family has a tradition each Christmas to build a gingerbread house.  My youngest daughter takes this tradition especially seriously. The colors of her final house reminded me of the pictures on the mood board and even though she never eats her gingerbread house, it certainly is filled with all sorts of sweets.  To pull this project together, I used a variety of papers from Doodlebug Design's "Sugar Plums" and "Here Comes Santa Claus" line.

NIAGARA FALLS

This is my submission for Creative Inspiration's November Mini Fall Crop.  My theme was to create a project using a fall color scheme.  I decided to use some of my all time favorite fall pictures; my girls touring Niagara Falls.  Our family went at the end of October, and not only were the leaves at their peak color, but also they were accented by the incredible blue of the Falls.  This place was absolutely magical!  To pull this project together, I used a variety of papers from Carta Bella's "Fall Break" collection along with a previous CI sketch from July 2018.

THE SILOS

This is my latest project for Let's Scrap using the following layout.  This was an interesting sketch.  As I was laying out the papers for this project, I was fully expecting to feature my daughter's senior pictures.  That's not what ended up happening.  As this page evolved, it started to develop a farmhouse vibe.  One of my bucket list places to go was Waco, Texas to see Chip and Joanna Gaines's "Magnolia Market at the Silos."  I was able to check this off my list last month.  It was everything I thought it would be.  From shiplap to subway tile, every display, every shop, every step I took throughout the complex was vintage Joanna.  When I placed the black and white pictures of Magnolia Market on the paper, I knew this project had come together.  Featured throughout this project are papers from Pebbles "Simple Life" collection.

WHEN I COUNT MY BLESSINGS I COUNT YOU TWICE

This is my latest project for Creative Inspiration using the following sketch.  This is one of my favorite pictures taken of my daughter during her Senior pictures photo shoot.  We were taking a stroll through a recently renovated neighborhood, and the photographer caught this beauty.  Because the sketch called for one larger picture, I thought this one would be perfect for the sketch.  To pull this project together, I used a variety of papers from Kaisercraft's "Peachy" line.

HAPPINESS IS A KITCHEN FULL OF FAMILY

This is my latest project for Use Your Stuff.  Our challenge this week was to create a project using the theme "Give Thanks."  I decided to go literal for this one, and dipped into my picture archives.  These are pics of my girls ten years ago on Thanksgiving Day.  They were so excited that our house was the site for Thanksgiving dinner and had a blast setting up all the food.  Now I can't get them to set the table...How times change.  To pull this project together, I used a sketch from my former design team "2 Broke Girls" (seen below) and a variety of papers from Authentique's "Pleasant" collection.

MY PUMPKINS

This is my latest sketch for Creative Inspiration using the following sketch.  I thought my youngest daughter and her friends would not be trick or treating this year.  She was adamant that she was done dressing up for Halloween.  Then she and her friends were invited to a Halloween party and they excitedly planned their costume "theme;" one would be a white angel, another one a black angel, and the final one a red devil.  Sadly, the weather did not cooperate on Halloween night, and the party was cancelled.  So the girls decided to dress up anyway and pass out candy.  I must admit my heart was happy that I got one more year of pictures of my girl and her friends even if they were soaked by the end of the evening.  Because these may be the last Halloween pictures I ever take of my youngest, I decided to dip in to my favorite Doodlebug Design Halloween papers to highlight her pictures.

GO BUCKS

This is my latest project for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  My family loves The Ohio State Buckeyes.  And when I say love, I mean they are absolutely CRAZY about the Bucks.  My husband is an alumni, and since my girls could talk, they've been OSU fans.  For this project, I decided to use some of my favorite Ohio State pics since we are in the height of Buckeye holy season; that would be football season.  My kids and husband are glued to the TV every Saturday.  And all of them are counting down for the big meet up with *ichigan.  (Because an OSU fan would NEVER say that word out loud on purpose!)  To pull this project together, I used a variety of papers from "Custom Scrapbook Stuff" that I found at a scrapbook store in Columbus, OH; Buckeye stomping grounds.

YOU'RE SWEET

This is my latest project for Sketchy Board Challenge using the following sketch.  Yesterday was Halloween, and my youngest didn't want to Trick or Treat this year.  I sadly thought to myself, "Everything has to come to an end..." Thank heavens for Snapchat!  My daughter and I were driving to school when she said, "Hey Mom, look."  She showed me this pic.  I said, "YOU MUST SEND ME THAT PICTURE!"  I was completely inspired by her Harry Potter looking glasses and pumpkin background and decided it would be the perfect Halloween page even if she wasn't going trick or treating this year.  To pull this project together, I used a variety of papers from Pebbles "Midnight Haunting" collection.

BFF'S

This is my latest project for Sketches in Thyme using the following sketch.  Three weeks ago was my oldest daughter's final Homecoming Dance.  Although I'm sad that this chapter of her life is coming to an end, I must admit, I won't miss the hair, make up, finding the perfect dress drama!  But I what I will miss is pictures of her with her dearest friends.  This is my daughter and her best friend in the entire universe.  This girl has stuck with my daughter through the happiest of times and the darkest of hours.  I snapped this picture and absolutely loved the look of pure friendship and happiness on their faces.  To pull this project together, I used a variety of purple papers from Simple Stories sss collection and a variety of black and white papers from Bella Blvd.

COWGIRL

This is my project for Technique Tuesday for Creative Inspirations blog.  Each month, a designer for the blog creates a project using an item from our stash that we haven't used in a while.  I decided to use my square punch for this challenge.  My daughter's high school has a theme for every football game.  This picture features the "Country Out" where the student section dressed up like cowboys or cowgirls.  I used papers from Authentique's "Frontier" collection because I loved the farm vibe of the line.  So I could use a variety of papers without overwhelming the project, I used the square punch to make a patchwork design on the left side of the page.

MAGNOLIA TABLE

This is my latest project for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  I recently travelled to Waco, Texas with one thing on my mind; Fixer Upper.  I love Chip and Joanna Gaines.  I feel like they are my dear friends even though I have never met them.  So when cheap airfare became available from my neck of the woods to Texas, I jumped on it.  I toured the Silos, saw houses renovated and featured on the show, and ate at Magnolia Table, Chip and Joanna's latest venture.  Of all the things I saw in Waco, Magnolia Table was my favorite. I absolutely loved EVERYTHING about Magnolia Table.  Not only was the food delicious, but every detail of the restaurant was perfectly Joanna Gaines.  If I could have my kitchen look like Magnolia Table, I would turn into a gourmet chef.  I was captivated by every detail of the restaurant from the black and white mosaic tile floor to the subway tile on the walls. I could have stayed there all day sipping on coffee enjoying the atmosphere.  To pull this project together, I used a variety of papers from Pebbles Inc "Simple Life" collection because it reminded me of everything I saw at Magnolia Table.

G-EAZY

This is my latest project for Use Your Stuff using this week's featured item; enamel dots.  A few months ago, my daughter had, what she called, the greatest night of her life.  She went to a G-Eazy concert with her friends.  She had so much fun, AND you could see a tiny bit of her on TMZ.com which she thought was pretty cool.  So to document this night, I used a variety of papers from Hobby Lobby's "The Paper Studio" collection, a few scraps of paper from Bella Blvd, and enamel music notes to give my project a concert feel.

YOU ARE GOOD FOR MY SOUL

This is my latest project for Creative Inspirations using the following sketch.  The sketch was so elegant with all the flower embellishments and circles that I decided to go sophisticated with my project as well.  My daughter is friends with lots of students at a neighboring school district.  She was invited to attend their Homecoming Dance this year, and these are a few of my favorite pictures of her all dressed up with some of her favorite people.  To pull this project together, I used papers and embellishments from Kaisercraft's "Gypsy Rose" collection.

SOCCER HOBOS

This is my latest project for Creative Inspirations using the following sketch.  I was completely inspired by the giant circle in the middle of the layout, and I knew EXACTLY what picture I wanted to use.  Over Labor Day weekend, my daughter had a soccer tournament.  Game two became the victim of Mother Nature.  To keep their backpacks from getting soaked during a nasty thunderstorm, a parent on the team gave the girls garbage bags to keep their things dry.  My daughter and her best soccer friend threw their trash bags over their backs and looked like little soccer hobos walking back to the car.  I decided a big soccer ball circle would be the perfect accent for this soccer themed picture.  To pull this project together, I used a variety of soccer themed papers from Doodlebug Design, Moxxie, and Scrapbook Customs.

WITCHY WOMAN

This is my latest project for Let's Scrap using the following sketch.  This is my favorite time of the year to scrap; I LOVE HALLOWEEN!  I may be slightly addicted to Halloween themed paper, so when I saw Echo Park's "Bewitched" collection, I knew I had to use it in some way.  I dipped into my picture archives and found pictures of my daughter when she was six and the cutest little witch I've ever seen complete with her own "familiar;" her puppy chihuahua that she carried with her everywhere.

PEACE LOVE ROCK & ROLL

This is my latest project for Sketchy Boards Challenge.  I was completely inspired by the peace signs in the sketch.  My daughter's high school has themes every Friday night at the football games.  Two weeks ago, it was a "60's out" or dress up like a hippie.  She and her friends gladly sported their tie dye and round glasses to rock the flower power look.  To pull this layout together, I used all sorts of papers including papers & cardstock stickers from Ella & Viv's "Groovy Collection," Doodlebug Design's "Fairy Tale" collection, and The Paper Studio assorted papers from Hobby Lobby.