LM at CHA

so it looks like the September 2010 PageMaps have been very good to me! this is another layout based on one of Becky Fleck's sketches that month. again I made some changes, the most drastic one having moved the title. but I like how it turned out! AND, I love that I was able to use the pretty Scenic Route paper that just won't work for boys! lol!!

Products used:

Scenic Route paper
Scrapworks chipboard
American Craft alphabet stickers
unknown trim
Queen & Co micro brads (gosh I love these!!)
Bazzill flowers
Prima flowers
Doodlebug brads

Merry and Bright

this layout is based on Sketch 153 from Sketch Inspiration. I really liked the sketch and was sad to make so many adjustments to it. I think I'll have to use it again and try to stay more faithful to the sketch.

Otherwise, I like how this turned out, except for wishing I hadn't used solid paper for my big ol' circle.

Products used:

Basic Grey papers
Versamark chalk ink
Prima flowers
SEI brads
Scenic Route chipboard
Heidi Swapp ghost flower

(and.....this brings my total page production to 15 for the month, half of my pie-in-the-sky goal of 30. not bad, I think)

Christmas Joy

this layout is based on Sketch #151 from Sketch Inspiration. I struggled with making it feel balanced but really like the impact of the die cut paper.

these are a few photos from a quick Christmas get together. the boys got to see their Aunt and one of their grandmothers....and.....well, I got a huge basket full of homemade cookies from J's stepsister-in-law (follow that?). it was a great treat for our plane flight to Hawaii and to share with Gramps & Tutu Susie.

Products used:

Fancy Pants papers
Creative Imaginations tags
American Craft ribbon

Community Art

(Just a note: I have decided that even if I complete and/or post multiple layouts in a day, I am going to post them in separate postings. This will make it easier for me to use the blog tags)

Another layout from the 2007 California State Fair. this one was an ongoing art project the boys helped start the first day of the Fair. they had intentions on returning multiple times but never did! lol!! I think the Cosmo Cricket Cogsmo paper and Blackboard accents were so perfect for this layout in both color and design!

Products used:

Cosmo Cricket Cogsmo paper, Blackboard, die cuts
Lil Davis chipboard alphabet (I sandpapered them, painted them black and then covered them with paper so they matched the patterned paper I was using)
QK font (again outlined in pen)

(additional side note: this makes a total of 13 pages for November. my goal was 30. and while I started some of these pages prior to November, I have spent several hours finishing them. this one took me over 2 hours to complete due to the chipboard title, etc)

A Gift From Santa Paws

I give up! This layout looks so much nicer (and more evenly colored) on my computer screen. I upload it here and it looks horrible! Trust me that it looks way cuter IRL. Course, Tessa is ALWAYS adorable! lol!

This layout was based on a September 2010 PageMaps sketch....for a horizontal 8.5 x 11 layout. Those work nicely for 12x12 double pagers....especially when you like to add more pictures and don't like to crop things as small.

Products used:

KI (several different Christmas lines)
KI die cut glitter paper
American Craft Thickers
American Craft Remarks (again I outlined them. this time with a dark rose)
KI chipboard
Doodlebug token, flower, and glitter brad
Heidi Swapp ghost snowflake

Fairly Good Time

Just a few staged photos at the State Fair. So this layout is actually totally framed in black cardstock (lovely scanner). And to add accent to the patterned papers, I took a Sharpie and outlined them. I like that trick!

Products used:

Tinkering Ink papers
American Craft Thickers
Doublebug glitter brads

Three for the weekend!

I went to a crop last night with some girlfriends. Oh my how nice that was! I think I could have accomplished nothing and still have felt the night was a success just because I got some girl time! Bonus was that I completed this first layout.

Corn Maze
These photos have been driving me crazy for a couple years now. They were taken (obviously) at a corn maze in the middle of Halloween/pumpkin season. I struggled so hard with finding papers to go with the photos. Fall colors didn't work because of all the greens and yellows. Halloween papers didn't work. etc. Last night at Green Tangerines I started walking around with a couple pictures and came across this line by We R Memory Keepers. It is a summer line but the colors work so nicely with the photos! Thank goodness I am done with October.......2006! lol!

Products used:
We R Memory Keepers papers (that flower in the corner is a die cut paper)
We R Memory Keepers tag (I cut off the cute summer saying from the bottom of the tag)
American Craft brad
Sassafras Lass alphabet stickers
Brown ink pad


Season's Trimmings
This layout was based on a sketch by Allison Davis. Once again, these were photos I have struggled with. Looking back, I shouldn't have just taken verticals of D and horizontals of J & R. Too late now! Anyway, her sketch saved the day! Course, I moved the journaling which through off the balance of the layout but added the date to regain in....or not. Either way, I like how this turned out and had fun mixing the different companies!

Products used:
October Afternoon paper
Love Elsie soft charms
Doodlebug alphabet stickers (they went better with the paper than the OA ones!)
Lasting Impressions brads in celery (I am starting to hyperventilate watching my stash slowly disappear!)



Rex Moore Santa
I am still not sure I like that bold striped paper through the center of the layout. But on the other hand, I can't imagine having something busier behind those chipboard alphabets. Otherwise, I like the layout. It is fun and playful like our morning was.

Products used:
Cosmo Cricket papers and chipboard shapes & alphas
American Craft ribbon

I have a 4th layout that I almost completed last night. It needs a few more touches, and an enlargement I ordered today. Hopefully I will have that to post in the next couple days!

Mini Christmas 2006

Mini Christmas 2006 is based on a sketch by Lucy Chesna over at MySketchWorld. She recently published a book of sketches and this is the first one I have used. as always, I did make some minor variations.

Products used:
Sassafras Lass papers & stickers
KI Stickers and sparkle brads (can you believe I still have some left?)
Creative Imaginations pebble stickers
various black pens
black grossgrain ribbon

Time to dust off the ol' blog!

so once upon a time I started this blog in an attempt to keep track of my scrapbook purchases and uses. that bit the dust over 2 years ago! but, with the closing of LM, I am nervous about posting things online only to have the site close and to have lost everything I posted. so, this blog will now serve a new purpose! I will still post the layouts on a scrapbook site (and link here) if I am doing a challenge, virtual crop, whatever. but this will be my main posting ground for my work.

why don't I just post on my regular blog? well, because they serve 2 different purposes. just like when this one was created originally, the viewers might be totally different. I don't want to annoy any potential readers (Buehler, Buehler) at my main blog with the posting of COPIOUS amounts of layouts and craft projects! lol!! likewise, if someone just wants to see a layout, I don't want to bore them with my ramblings. thus 2 blogs!