Miracle Kit Accordian Album

The Miracle Kit is available from Close to My Heart from now until May 31st for National Scrapbooking Month. The kit includes instructions on how to make 2 double page layouts, but after I saw how Vicki Wizniuk used hers for an accordian album and generously published her dimensions and instructions, I decided to make this project as a Mother's Day gift for my mom. My mom is turning 60 on May 11th (that's her on the "Memories" page) and she just retired from 30 years as a care aide, so it's a very special time for her. I know she'll like this, because she loves everything I make her! But I love it too, so now I need to decide if I'm going to get another kit to make for myself, and maybe another for my mother-in-law...

Supplies (all CTMH): Miracle Kit papers, My Stickease stickers, Mini Medley accents, and Irresistables die-cuts, Exclusive Inks stamp pads in Olive, Twilight, and Crystal Blue, 6x6 Accordian Album, and Clear Sparkles

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Ailis has a scrapbook!

And this is her first real creation! I gave her an old calendar to cut up, and this is what she came up with. She was soooooo excited for me to put it on my blog, so how could I say no? P.S. - she is 5!

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Design Dollies Sketch Challenge

I just got a whole schwack of photos printed at Snapfish, and I was pretty excited to get scrapping them, so when I saw the sketch from Design Dollies this week, all I needed to do was find 2 horizontal photos and go from there. I really love how the title turned out! I just clear embossed the letters, then painted some orange over top. I also managed to get rid of some flowers and letter stickers that have been sitting in my stash for a while, so all in all, I'm pretty happy with the result. I just need to get myself a white pen to do some journaling, I think underneath the "Stinkbug" of the title. It won't say much, just something like "He calls you Monkey, You call him Stinkbug" and the date. That's my husband's brother and my daughter, by the way. They don't see each other often, but they get along really well!

P.S.- this is layout #24 for the 2010 layout challenge

Supplies (all CTMH): cardstock and patterned paper from Boom-di-Ada Level 2 paper pack, Giggle Caps My Acrylix stamp set, brads

Other: Creative Memories letter stickers, Basic Grey fibre, Versamark ink, unknown flowers and clear embossing powder

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Design Dollies, Sketchy Thursdays and Who's That Girl

Whew, long title there. This is also layout #23 in my quest to complete 120 layouts this year. Hmmm, I might be a bit behind...

So Sketchy Thursdays has a sketch this week that I sort of followed, plus they joined up with Who's That Girl this week, and their challenge is a theme: "Right Now". Then there's Design Dollies, who wanted to see the colours Brown, Orange, and Teal. Let me say, I wouldn't have chosen those colours on my own, but I love the results, especially the turquoise. I think it adds quite a pop! I also had a hard time mixing and matching all kinds of stuff from my stash! It's hard to read my journaling, but I wrote that I'm into reading, coffee, Sirius Iceberg 85, organizing, and night time snuggles with Brenna.

Supplies (all CTMH): patterned paper (orange) from You Rock Level 2 paper pack, Exclusive Inks pen in Cocoa

Other: Doodlebug Designs teal paper, Beary Patch brown paper, Making Memories trim (I think), Cosmo Cricket rub-on, Hot Off The Press "5", Colorbok "I", Magenta gold letter stickers

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Grumpy Brenna (Layout #22)

Brenna turned 8 weeks old yesterday, so I took a whole schwack of photos of her, trying to get her to crack a smile, and these are three of the cutest. We've started calling her Grumpy Brenna, because she cries a ton, although the last couple of days she's been more content to hang out on her play mat and look around at the world around her. This layout is going to go on her first year calendar.

Supplies (all CTMH): Twitterpated Level 2 paper pack, ribbon from Designer Chocolate Ribbon Rounds, Exclusive Inks in Chocolate

Other: date stamp, Creative Memories pen and letter stickers

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JUGS and Sweet Stop Card

Finally I get to take part in a challenge! Feels like it's been forever! The challenge at Just Us Girls this week was to use pink, green, and lavender to make a birthday card. I also used the sketch from Sweet Stop, and a button and bow to complete the challenge. What do you think? I love the rhinestone square, and the butterfly inside is actually cut from a girl's clothing tag. The button and bow combo are inspired by Deanne at Three Trees (paper) Creations. If you haven't seen her cards, they are awesome, and nobody does the bow/button thing like her! It took me forever to do it, so hopefully it stays together!

Supplies (all CTMH): White Daisy cardstock, patterned paper from Life's Delights Level 2 paper pack, White Daisy embossing powder, Say it in Style and For Every Occasion My Acrylix stamp sets, White Daisy organdy ribbon

Other: unknown button, Basic Grey fibre, butterfly cut from clothing tag

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Hot Little Momma (Layout #21)

When Jason took these photos of me last summer, I was really self-conscious. I was only in the first trimester, and I thought I looked fat, not pregnant. Now I would love to have this bod back! So, this layout serves to remind me of how cute I looked with my little baby bump!

I LOVE the hot pink and purple on this page, but I didn't have enough purple to make the wide strip behind the photos, so I trimmed some scraps and stuck them down so that you can't even tell. I had these Making Memories monogram stickers and kept the backing (for 5 years, can you believe it!) and used the backing as a stencil for these letters. I've recently been going through my scrap space, trying to organize and purge, so maybe now that I've finally used this stencil, I can finally let it go! Or maybe I should keep it, you never know when it might come in handy...

Supplies (all CTMH): White Daisy cardstock, patterned paper from Whoops-a-Daisy Level 2 paper pack

Other: Making Memories letter stickers (as stencil), Creative Memories pens

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Topstitch Thank You Cards

Everyone has been so kind in sending gifts for Brenna! We even had a group of women from my husband's office bringing dinners to us, complete with salads and desserts - it was fantastic! What a nice thing for anyone to do for parents of a new baby! So I decided to make some homemade thank you cards to give out. I think the Topstitch paper pack looks just lovely, don't you? I used a workshop from Wishes, the newer card-making book from Close To My Heart, which made 16 cards from 2 sheets of cardstock and 1 sheet of patterned paper, plus card bases. Pretty cool, eh?

Supplies (all CTMH): Colonial White card bases, Topstitch Level 2 paper pack, Exclusive Inks stamp pad in Chocolate, Dainty Thoughts, Say It in Style, A Little Everything, and For Every Occasion My Acrylix stamp sets, pewter brads

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Another Nolan Page (layout #20)

Probably everyone is totally over the Olympics, but here's another page just the same. I'm not sure we would have even gone to the torch relay, because my husband usually avoids community events like the plague! But Ailis had to sing with her daycare, and Jason (my hubby) actually volunteered to help set up, so we couldn't really miss it! Nolan put up the biggest fuss ever - he really did not want to go! - but once we got there he was sooooo excited. It was really awesome to see his enthusiasm.

I used my new You Rock papers (love 'em) and a simple sketch I found at 4x6 photo sketch blog. Turned out to be a very easy page. I plan to do at least two more pages from this event, one for Ailis and one for the family album.

Supplies (all CTMH): cardstock and patterned paper from You Rock Level 2 paper pack, Exclusive Inks stamp pad in Outdoor Denim

Other: Bazzill scalloped trim, date stamp, Creative Memories pen

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The Mad Scientist (Layout #19)

I love these photos of my little boy, Nolan. He's such a unique kid, and totally unlike myself. It drives me bonkers, because he'll just take stuff - duct tape, batteries, my best scissors, or in this case, lemon juice and baking powder - without asking. At the same time, it's pretty cool, because he's using his mind to create and experiment. I just wish he would ask, first!

I love the colour combo here, and I also love the vintage science images I found at karenswhimsy.com. They looked a little plain, so I just coloured them with a marker and watercolour pencils.

How about you? Do you have a mad scientist in your family?

Supplies (all CTMH): White Daisy cardstock, patterned paper from Twitterpated Level 2 paper pack, Exclusive Inks marker in Parchment, watercolour pencils

Other: Creative Memories orange cardstock and blue pen, Heidi Swapp chipboard letter stickers, vintage images from karenswhimsy.com, lined paper and staples

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Layout #18

Here's a layout I made very quickly using a Reflections pattern called Sidebar-Mainframe and some old Cosmo Cricket papers. I loved these papers when I bought them, so much I used the colour palette in my old house, but the papers themselves have been in my stash forever. I'm glad I was able to use the title strip, as that saved a bunch of time. The ribbons are old hair ribbons from when I was a kid.

Supplies: White Daisy cardstock from Close to My Heart, Cosmo Cricket patterned paper, journaling spot from Little Yellow Bicycle, Creative Memories pen, hair ribbons.

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Layout #17

Yay, another Brenna page done! This is how we spend our evenings from about 8 or 9 until 10:30 or so. It's pretty nice, I must say! For this layout, I used the Reflections pattern book from Close to My Heart, and it came together in no time. The hardest part was getting some of those rub-ons transferred properly. Felt like my arms were getting a workout! Oh well, they can use it!

Supplies (all CTMH): cardstock and patterned paper from Sweet Home level 2 paper pack, Exclusive Inks stamp pads in Garnet and Indian Corn Blue

Other: rub-ons from Heidi Swapp and Colorbok, pen from Creative Memories

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Layout #16

I just placed my order to Close to My Heart, and I decided to get a 12x12 calendar for Brenna, you know, to record all her special moments. This will be the first page! I'm totally digging the black and white photos lately - they make it so easy to use any colour paper, and the patterned paper here is one I've had forever. I've been slowly and steadily cleaning up my scrap space, and I keep finding old stuff that I want to use. I also used a sketch I found at a cool site called 4 x 6 photo sketch blog. I think I will be using this site more often now - no cropping!

Supplies (all CTMH): The Works Alphabet My Acrylix stamp set, Exclusive Inks stamp pads in Tulip and Black, cardstock (for hand cut flower) in Tulip

Other: American Crafts patterned paper, Bazzill trim, Prima journaling spot, Creative Memories pen, date stamp

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