Sisters: Treasure Memories

My sister and I in the (very) early years

I'm finally getting around to making albums about my life for my two grown children. I'm the baby in this picture; my sister had just turned 4. I was inspired to use this layout by scrapbooksteals's Mid Week Mojo Sketch Challenge and also by the monthly challenge from 123getscrappy. The three elements I used for 123getscrappy were rhinestones or gems, three patterned papers, and a stamped image.

Two of the patterned papers are from SEI's Diane collection and the third, as well as the banner, from Crate Paper's Oh Darling collection. The Hugs and Kisses stamp is from Sky Kids, the journal memo from Elle's Studio, the Together heart from Heidi Swapp, and the word stickers from Heidi Grace. The MWM sketch is below.

I Love Paris

I Love Paris collage 

My first trip to Paris was over 6 years ago and I've never done a thing to commemorate the experience. (To be fair to myself, I did make a memory book for my grandson after we went there 2 years ago, but nothing for me!) When I saw the Paper Crafter's Corner inspiration piece (see below) for this week, I just knew what I had to do! I usually change a challenge piece to suit my own style and inspiration, but I wanted to keep this one just the same.

The only thing I knew I wanted to use for sure was the photo of the Eiffel Tower. I had saved many maps and brochures, so I used some of them as torn paper pieces. I meant to keep the background just maps and words in very light shades, but those colorful pieces kept sneaking in! My heart didn't really stand out, so I outlined it with Stickles Turquoise and Gold. The alphas are We R Memory Keepers from the Jet Set collection, and the Love medallion was something I just had - don't know where it came from. I had lots of fun doing this, but it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be!

Best Books of 2014

Layout made for Mid Week Mojo

This layout was made using this week's Mid Week Mojo Sketch Challenge from scrapbooksteals.com. I went through my Goodreads list of books that I read last year; choosing just three that I thought were the best was a lot harder than I thought it would be! Most of the paper is from Bo Bunny's Somewhere in Time collection, with just one piece from October Afternoon's Public Library. The numbers 2014 are We R Alphabet Stickers from the Jet Set collection, and the inks I used are Ranger Spray Stains - Spiced Marmalade and Antiqued Bronze.

Thanks a Melon!

Thank You card made for MFT Sketch Challenge

This is one of a set of 5 cards I made using SEI's Hand Picked collection (a fruity assortment of paper and embellishments) and some old card bases I had. They went together "pear-fectly!" I matched this one, and the one that follows, to My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge (sketch shown below).

Anniversary card

And here are the other three from the set.

Such a Happy Day!

Layout made for Bo Bunny Sketch Challenge

I really loved using this sketch (see below) from Bo Bunny's January Blog Sketch Challenge! And the Bo Bunny Enchanted Garden collection was perfect for this wedding layout. You can see the hanging lace backdrop behind the couple - the striped paper placed vertically, with its matching colors, makes a just-right background. Everything else just fell into place. I've added a couple of close-ups so you can see some of the sparkle and shine! All of the paper is from the Enchanted Garden collection.

Sending Love

I had a wonderful time making this card for My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge (sketch below) - I don't usually do anything this "girly," but fell in love with the feminine look and colors of this paper collection. Just about all of the paper on this card is from Bo Bunny's Enchanted Garden Collection - the background, the strips at the top and bottom, and the fussy-cut fairy. (The only part that isn't is the lavender scrap behind the heart.) Sparkle on the wings and around the heart is Stickles Star Dust and Turquoise. The sentiment was done with a Hero Arts stamp.

Christmas Favorite

Christmas layout for Mid Week Mojo sketch challenge

I finally got around to Christmas layouts! This one shows my 6-year-old granddaughter as she opened one of her Christmas presents - a cute little dollhouse. She later told me that this was her favorite present. I used a sketch from scrapbooksteals Mid Week Mojo and materials from SEI's Yuletide Greetings collection. Only the sweet little enamel pieces on the journaling card (PinkFresh) and the flowers (Bo Bunny) came from other sources.

Thanks a Bunch!

A simple Thank You card for the MFT challenge

This was a fun little card to make for My Favorite Things Sketch Challenge. The cardstock is from Bazzill, the yellow is embossed with Cuttlebug's Musical Flourish,  and the "Thanks a Bunch" sticker is from SRM Stickers. I colored the A Stamp in the Hand flower stamp with Momento inks, and stamped it on vellum. Momento's little DewDrop ink pads, with their pointy end, are perfect for inking small areas on stamps!

Happy Birthday to My Sister

Birthday Card for My Sister

This is the first card sketch challenge I have ever tried - it's for My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club. My older sister has a birthday coming up later this month, and I knew she would like this lovely paper, gold touches, and a clean and simple approach. Wish you could see the shine and glitter in this photo! 

They're Here!

Entry in Mid Week Mojo Petunia #6

Still finishing calendars! This page commemorates the arrival of my daughter and her family in Kodiak, Alaska, our home, after a long road trip from Florida and a ferry ride from the mainland. They transferred here in June with the Coast Guard. The sketch is from Mid Week Mojo - Petunia #6. Working with the 8 x 8 pages of the calendars has been a bit of a challenge for me, since I usually work with 12 x 12 pages for scrapbook layouts. How do you fit it all in? And how much is too much? Most of the paper is from the Paper Studio's Calendar Kit, stickers from Studio 21, JillBean Soup, and Miss Elizabeth, title letter stamps from Stamp Craft and embossed with CTMH Gold Embossing Powder, enamel chevron from Pink Fresh, and the sunshine was cut on my Cricut.