Autumn favorites.

My mom went to Ohio this past weekend to visit my brother and they went to a local orchard to pick apples. I have my September Elle's Studio kit sitting on my desk that I knew would be perfect for these photos. I found my September 2017 kit matched this kit almost perfectly so I used some bits from that kit as well.

I'm playing along with the color challenge this month at The Studio Challenges + the sketch I found at Elle's Studio from August.

I found this free cut file at Paper Issues and used some of the 3x4 journal cards to back the leaves. Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper: Simple Stories SN@P! Basics 
journal cards, acrylic stars, die cuts: Elle's Studio
washi tape: October Afternoon (Daily Flash)
chipboard phrase sticker: American Crafts (Patio Party)

me & you.

This is a simple one using sketch 339 at Sketches in Thyme. It's a very simple sketch and I thought I would struggle with it. I had this photo in mind for an 8.5x11 size page for the album I'm doing as a Christmas present for my brother and his girlfriend.

I pulled out my Photo Play We Do collection and this came together super fast. I found a cut file at Paper Issues, cut the music notes with my Silhouette, and then just added a few sticker embellishments for the title.

Thanks for looking!

forever friends.

I purchased two kits from Hip Kit Club last weekend when they had a sale so I pulled one out tonight to use tonight on a page using this month's Scrap the Girls sketch challenge.

This is the March 2018 kit and I added some Shimmerz from my stash. Here's my page:

Thanks for looking!

supplies
cardstock: Crate Paper (Maggie Holmes Flourish); 
paint: Shimmerz (Pink o de Mayo)
stickers: Crate Paper (Maggie Holmes Flourish)
die cuts: Jen Hadfield (Home+Made)

this is the good life.

I'm always up for scrapbooking another vacation page so I found this geometric palm tree cut file at Paper Issues and cut it out with teal cardstock.

The background pattered paper is from Pink Paislee's Pick Me Up, but I mixed some white and black gesso to spread over it. The pattern was a little wild and I didn't love it. Then I used Evergreen Bough distress ink with the packaging technique to add some teal behind the palm leaves of my cut file.

I converted my photo to black and white because there was a lot going on in the background of it. It was taken on the docks of the little resort where we stayed in Key Largo in May.

For my finishing touches, I added some embellishments from Elle's Studio. Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned papaer: Pink Paislee (Pick Me Up No 13)
stickers, die cuts: Elle's Studio
cut file: Paper Issues (Geo Tropical Palm)
ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black); Tim Holtz distress ink (Evergreen Bough)
stamps: Studio Calico (Fun in the Sun); Kelly Purkey (Cruise with Me)
sequins: Spiegelmom Scraps (All American)
gesso: Prima Art Basics

sorry I can't I have plans with my dog / Guest Designing at White With 1.

I'm guest designing this month at White With 1 and the moodboard is using teal sea.

I wasn't sure what photo I wanted to use with this challenge so I started looking through some embellishments to see how much teal I had. I ended up pulling out tons of Elle's Studio labels and die cuts so I printed off this photo of me and Bentley. 

My (now) husband took it from the hallway while he was getting ready for work one day so it's poor quality. But this was a time in my life where I was sick for almost a year and it was so, so frustrating. It started July 2017 and literally every 4-6 weeks I was battling another respiratory/sinus infection. Asthma complicated matters so I couldn't breath right for weeks after each infection. I was on so many rounds of steroids and different antibiotics that I've lost count. Finally I saw an asthma/allergy specialist who ordered a sinus CT and we discovered a massive chronic sinus infection I'd been battling for the past 10 months. Since then we've discovered I have an immune deficiency and I've completed a four week course of Levaquin and [knock on wood] I've been well since! 

But I really love this photo because some days I felt so bad that I would come home from work and go straight to sleep. Bentley would lie with me and keep me company. Just lie there in the bed with me all evening.

Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned papaer: Carta Bella (Welcome Home)
stickers, die cuts: Elle's Studio

ink: Memento (Tuxedo Black); Tim Holtz distress ink (Evergreen Bough)
stamps: Ink Road (Fur Babies)

Scrap Our Stash September 15 Blend a Sketch challenge.

Hi everyone! I'm on the SOS blog today sharing my page for our September blend a sketch challenge.

For this page, I used the patterned paper and photo placement from the left sketch and then kept the embellishing very simple like the sketch on the right. I felt the sketch on the right allows more focus on the photos, and I definitely wanted these photos to shine.

Every year I get so excited when my peonies start blooming. They're by far my favorite flowers in my yard. They don't last nearly long enough, but that's what makes the blooms so much sweeter.

Thanks for looking!

supplies
cardstock: Bazzill
patterned papers, die cuts: Cocoa Vanilla Studio (More Than Words)
sequins: Spiegelmom Scraps (On Pointe)
ink: Tim Holtz distress ink (Spun Sugar)
washi: Heidi Swapp

Robert & Mercedes.

My husband's cousin got married this past June and I had their invitation that I debated on whether or not I could make it work on the page. I wanted to include it so I thought about cutting out their names and using them in strips or matting the photo on it just like a piece of patterned paper.

Finally, I decided to hang it off the edge of the page because it is so big (6x8). I used this sketch from Paper Issues monthly challenges + this cut file.

I'll spare the details of how painfully difficult it was to back that cut file with sequins.

This was the sketch I used for the monthly sketch challenge at Paper Issues.

Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned papers: Elle's Studio (Noteworthy)
sequins: Spiegelmom Scraps (Oh Christmas Tree; Rustic Retreat)
puffy stickers: Elle's Studio
ink: Tim Holtz distress ink (milled lavender)
cut file: Paper Issues (Made with Love)

LOVE.

When I saw this month's challenge at Challenge YOUrself - scrap your pets - I knew what photo I wanted to use immediately. I only have our sneaks back from our wedding photos so far, but this is hands down my favorite photo. 

I went through my cut files and found this one that was fitting and I thought the paw would be a great shaker accent. I used some Spiegelmom Scraps sequins to fill in the shaker that I made. I use my FUSE tool and cut up page protectors. Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper: Simple Stories (Bloom); Always & Forever); Cocoa Vanilla Studio (More Than Words)
puffy stickers: Elle's Studio
sequins: Spiegelmom Scraps (50's Sock Hop)
cut file: Paper Issues (Paw Prints on my Heart)

September Scrap Our Stash Golden Globe Challenge.

Hi everyone! I'm sharing my take on this month's Golden Globe challenge.

We were to make a grid layout and use a transparency and/or vellum.

This background paper is from Simple Stories Say Cheese III line, but I liked it for this page about a trip to our local baseball diamond this summer.

Yes, I know baseballs are white but I cut these out in white and backed them with a red patterned paper (from Elle's Studio Shine collection) and then put a layer of vellum in between. It tones down the red and makes a fun element on my page.

Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper: Simple Stories (Say Cheese III; What a Blast)
vellum: Doodlebug Design
stickers, labels, die cuts: Elle's Studio
cut file: Paper Issues (baseball background)
alphabet stickers: Elle's Studio (black); Simple Stories SN@P! (grey)
washi: Heidi Swapp (Magnolia Jane)

Anna Maria Island.

In May, my brother and his girlfriend took our mom on vacation with them to Florida. This is one of the photos they snapped on the beach and I had an idea for a cut file I saw at Paper Issues. I wanted to use the photo for the heart in the middle of the geotag; however, I cut my geotag too big and printed my photo too small.

Instead I made a shaker out of the heart using the Sunny Winter sequin mix from Spiegelmom Scraps. I added a couple Elle's Studio acrylic hearts in the middle too.

I'm using the September 1 sketch from Let's Get Sketchy.
My main inspiration for these colors was the July 2018 kit from Elle's Studio. All these calming blues made me think of the ocean.
My title was inspired by the alphabet soup challenge at Paper Issues this month.

Thanks for looking!

supplies
journal cards, die cuts,  puffy stickers: Elle's Studio (July 2018 kit)
patterned paper: Pink Paislee (Pick Me Up)
alaphabet stickers: SN@P! by Simple Stories
cut file: Paper Issues (Let's Go)
washi: Echo Park

first day of pre-school.

I don't have kids (yet?), but my cousin's son started pre-school last year and I have his first day photo to scrapbook. The challenge at Scrap the Boys this month is babies so I'm using this baby until I may have one of my own :)

I found this pencil cut file free at Spiegelmom Scraps and used some SMS sequins on this page to make this pencil into a shaker.

I'm combining this with the Learning Curve challenge at Paper Issues this month.
Thanks for looking!

supplies
patterned paper: Elle's Studio (Family Fun)
journal cards: Elle's Studio (August 2018 kit)
alphabet stickers: SN@P! by Simple Stories
cut file: Spiegelmom Scraps
sequins: Spiegelmom Scraps (Sunny Winter)