A Well Documented Life

I often tell my kids that they have a well documented life. We take cameras everywhere and take photos of all the little things in life. While portraits are fun, and events are easy for getting memorable pictures, it's freezing those little moments at the park, eating out, taking walks, that I want them to remember when they grow up. The moments that we spend together as a family, building traditions and just being together. To me, that is one of the amazing things about scrapbooking, that makes it more than a hobby. And already, Jack and Hannah will sit together in a chair and look at photos, at days they remember, and Hannah telling Jack about those he doesn't because he was too small. It's our own family history...documented.

Just because it's a flower...

doesn't mean it's a girly layout! I love flowers and use them on 90% of my layouts. I can't help myself. I feel that the embellishments don't have to be about a boy or a girl, but about a beautiful moment and memory!
The gourgeous Everyday Moments line by Teresa Collins had big bold yellow flowers and the blues were perfect for a boy page.

I fussy cut the flowers and made banner ribbons from the papers to create this layout of Jack on the first day of kindergarten.

The bold lines and size of the embellishments keep the page from feeling girly and fulfill my need to flourish! :)

The Sampler Kit Club September Sketch

The Sampler Kit club had a unique sketch that featured smaller photos by a larger one.

I trimmed down some pictures that feature Jack's silly smiles from a visit to the rock sculpture park at the Bremerton marina.

I used beautiful papers from Glitz "Yours Truly" collection.

Peachy

I hadn't bought much Pink Paislee paper in a while, not that I don't like their papers, just that it was never easy to find. So when I found this beautiful line online, I bought the whole collection.

The beautiful denim blues and golden yellows are perfect for boy or girl pages, and fill my love for flowers! I created this page of Jack at the cider mill, called "Peachy" as he eats a fresh peach from the product market.

For inspiration creating my page, I used GrandDiva's Creative Corner sketch from her sketch challenge...

...items from Rochelle Spears October Stash Challenge...

1.) Something with wings (butterfly, bee, etc): my bee ribbon

2.) A shape punch AND a border punch.  BOTH have to be on your layout.  If you use a punch for the "something with wings" item, it does NOT count towards this item.: punched kraft border, butterflies

3.) Something transparent: clear acetate journaling circle

....the technique challenge from Kristi B's blog, making ric rac flowers, and from Kerys Scrappin'n'Happy blog challenge, a one word title. 

Wow, that's for challenges in one layout!

These ladies have great blogs. Check out their challenges and great projects!

Simple Stories Harvest Lane

I love the Simple Stories line with the clean designs and fun themes. Harvest Lane was just perfect for fall pics and activities:

I picked this collection up at Sharin' Memories as soon as she got them in, knowing they would fly off the shelves! Just in time for a challenge at Colorful Creations using this color palette:

It was so perfect for this layout of Jack at Lattin's Cider Mill where the market was full of fresh apples, just harvested for the fall season.

I also added some flags I made from the stickers for a challenge at ScrapFit for workout challenge #77.

A Little Transparent

Do you remember back in school, watching the teacher write on the overhead transparency with those Vis A Vis pens? I always thought it would so much fun to play with those! Well transparency overheads have gone by the wayside in the classroom but have been a big tool in scrapbooking! I love that you can journal on them and get straight lines yet still see through to the patterned paper behind!
The Paper Girls Challenge Blog had a challenge this month to use transparency on a layout. I used a journaling spot on my layout of my husband and son at the zoo.

Check out their blog here to try it for yourself: http://thepapergirlschallenge.blogspot.com/2012/10/challenge-17-acetate-or-transparencies.html

Fall Leaves

I have become pickier about the dies I buy, especially since I have owned a Sizzix since the old days of the red push handle model and my collection has grown and takes up so much space. Now I stand in the aisle trying to decide how exactly I would use the die and how many options it has.
Well after hemming and hawing for some time, I bought a new one, the Tim Holtz leaf die.

I took it home, used it, and immediately fell in love with it! I made a fall page and kept thinking of all the fun options the die could present. I really enjoyed making leaves out of patterned paper that coordinated with my layout. I distressed the edges, embossed veins, and even made some vellum ones.

I used a sketch inspiration from C'est Magnifique for my layout.

Color Me Scrappy Challenge #13

Challenge #13 from Color Me Scrappy brought a different blend of fall colors with charred corn on a grill.

I love the dark navy and buttery yellow with natural tones. I used Teresa Collins to make my layout:

MidWeek Mojo Coral #3

This week's MidWeek Mojo over at Scrapbook Steals featured a grid layout:

I used papers from Glitz to create the grid as a background for a fall pic of Hannah at the cider mill.

My Mind's Eye October Challenge

For the month of September, My Mind's Eye had a challenge to create a layout, and then a card to go with it.

I just purchased a bunch of new My Mind's Eye collections and love the Fall look of their Indie Chick collection.

This products from the Ginger Adventure portion of the line had such a fall feel to them, I used them on this layout from our fall visit to the cider mill.

I also included buttons on my layout as part of Scrap It Girls challenge to use 12 buttons on a layout. Check out their challenge here: http://www.scrapitgirl.net/index.php/2012/10/01/october-challenge-september-winner/
And another button challenge at ScrapFIT for their Warm-Up #32:
http://scrapfit.blogspot.com/2012/10/warm-up-32.html
The card used the same papers and I fussy cut the flower to add dimension.

Covering Buttons

I love buttons on my layout and it's even better if they coordinate!
For a recent project, I made a pinwheel embellishments and decided to use a button in the center, and cover it with paper to coordinate. Here are some simple instructions on this quick altered embellishment:

Supplies: circle punch, button, sharpie or embossing tool, and cardstock

Punch a circle from your cardstock. The size of punch depends on the button you use. It should be slightly larger than your button.

Using your Sharpie or embossing tool, distress the paper on the wrong side (the one you won't see). I used a foam mat which allows you to put pressure on the paper to get a curved effect.

You should end up with a slightly domed piece.

Add a sticky dot to the wrong side of the paper.

Adhere button to the sticky dot.

Curve the edges around. Use small sticky dots along edges and bring edges under.

To make the pinwheel, cut the paper to the desired side and center the points on the gutter of your paper cutter.

Make slices toward the center, stopping about one inch from the center of the paper.

After you have slit each corner, bring one corner of each wedge into the center and adhere.

Once all edges are adhere in the center, adhere the button to the center.

If you want your pinwheel to lie flat, fold the edges of the pinwheel.

Getting Punchy!

I love my classic punches, circles, scallops, hearts, and found a new use for them in creating a sort of ombre background for this monochromatic layout. I literally sat in front of the TV punching circles during an entire show but it was a fun way to use some patterned papers that I had sitting around!

I topped it off with some coordinating blue ribbon and fun Thickers to add some sparkle to my page!