ALBC Week 4

 This weeks theme is petals.  Anything that has flowers on it will work.  I choose to put this picture of Sarah with one of her dance teachers, Linda Luckstead.  Linda taught the ballet classes and by the time this picture was taken Sarah was done with ballet, but still enjoyed helping Linda with the little kids at the recital.

This second layout is a couple of pictures of Kristen at Grace Summer Camp.  Since I don't spend the time out there, I u

Week 3 ALCB

 The ALCB challenge for the past week was to have die cuts on your pages.  I choose to scrap a memory for Kurt.  One of the families that he has worked with over the years presented him with pictures of their kids with him, a nice note and a gift card to Candlelight.  The Time of Your Life ALSB kit was perfect for these pictures, letter and the used card.  I have shown the picture of the two pages together and then a closeup of each page.

The other pictures I wanted to use were a few of my brother Dan with my youngest daughter Kristen. Dan was in the Air Force for 21 years, this caused him to be absent for most of my girls childhoods.  While he was in the Air Force we maybe only saw him once every couple of years.  These pictures were taken on New Years Day.  This was the first one that Dan was home for and able to come to our house. Kristen was in 2nd grade when these pictures where taken.  Once again the Time of your Life kit was perfect for these memories from the past.

Week 2 ALBC

Week 2's Challenge is to use torn paper.  This one was perfect as I had many projects started that had torn paper, but they either weren't finished, layouts needed pictures, or one more project that needed to be started.

The first ones are projects that needed to be either finished or started.  I received the large magnetic messenger project from the RIAB.  Wasn't sure if I would enjoy this project or not, but as I started working on it, I couldn't help but fall in love.  Because I loved it so much I decided to get the smaller version also.  Now to find a place to hang them.  The first picture shows a part of each one, side by side so that you can see the size difference.  After that the pictures are of the individual boards.  I still need to put the beads and thread to hang them on, but the beads that came with the project are to small for the thread so I need to find a bead with a larger hole.  Can't wait to actually have them hanging up.  

This is the larger of the two boards. This is made up of many torn strips of paper around the outside edge to decorate the frame.

The smaller of the two boards

Now on to some layouts.  I had the Aspen kit that was just perfect for the pictures of our Honeymoon in Colorado, almost 25 years ago.  Part of the fun part was going on a hunt for the pictures.  I knew that they were in an album in the Cedar Chest in the basement, but it was turned in such a way as to make it impossible to get into it.  Had to turn it the other way.  Finally found the album with the pictures.  I chose the pictures from our two trips to Garden of the Gods.  Please remember that these pictures are almost 25 years old and therefor not digital but the old 35 mm. The colors really seem to lack something.  Would love to go back to Garden of the Gods again sometime.  Would be a great place to take the girls.

In these two pictures, the mountains are torn out of their paper and placed onto another sheet of papers.  

On these two layouts the brown paper with the tree trunk like pattern has been torn on both pages.

The final two layouts have the paper strips that are on the top and bottom torn.  I have to say that I am so excited about having completed 8 pages from our honeymoon (two didn't fit the challenge for this week) that I am looking at actually getting the rest of the pictures done in time for our 25th wedding anniversary.  Then I may have to go back and scrap the pictures from our wedding.  What a fun album it will make with all of the pictures together.  

second entry

Looks like I need to have each picture in a separate blog post so here is my second layout.

ALBC Bootcamp Week 1

Wow, I can't believe it has been over a year since I put anything on here.  I need to get more active again.

A year ago I decided to take the plunge and try Club Scraps monthly kits.  I choose to do the lite kit (or junior as it was called then)  Each kit makes 8 layouts a month and sometimes the kit also has a project in it. Quite often they come with a new (to me) marker, pen, etc. I am loving the club scrap materials and find that their card stock and patterned paper is superior to many of the other companies.  I decided to try something new this winter and have signed up for their ALSB bootcamp.  ALSB stands for Assembly Line Scrap Booking.  I really enjoy this method and have made some awesome layouts over the year that are beautiful. I think that this challenge is going to be ideal as for each each entry uploaded Club Scrap will be donating money to Operation Write Home. This is a neat program where you make cards for our soldiers to send home to their families so that they can stay in touch.  In the past, I have had my Clover Kids make cards for this project.  Of course, since there are many veterans in my family it is also a project that I can get behind.  I know how much it meant for my mom to receive a letter or note from my brother when he was stationed overseas.

This weeks assignment was to use something metallic on your pages.  On the top layout, the green photo mat paper is a metallic green type of paper (It actually is the same as the base paper for the layout on the right.)  The layout on the right, besides having the base paper be a metallic green it also has some brads at the top.

These papers come from the Watercolor Blossoms set that was a special Release kit.  The pictures are a few that are left over from the Washington Musical Charlotte's Web when Kristen was in 6th grade.  The colors and flowers were perfect for that summer county fair type of atmosphere.

December Daily 1-3

For the past several years I have attempted to complete either a Journal Your Christmas or a December Daily.  This year is no exception, however I am hoping that by using the My Memories Software I will be able to stay up to date with my December Daily Album.  If I know what story I want to highlight and have a picture or two the page go together very quickly.  I have chosen 3 stories to highlight the first couple of days, Kristen shopping for her first Formal, Kristen being installed as the Historian for her 4-H club, and then Kristen and playing basketball.  Stay tuned to see what I choose for the next few days.

Master Crafter

Around the first part of September (or maybe it was the end of August) I wasn't able to sleep so came out to  the living room to check facebook.  There I found a link for a Master Crafter  contest on Sarah Hammer designs.  The first 100 people to sign up would be in.  I thought it sounded like fun and jumped right in.  The catch was that each of these 100 people would be sent a box with crafty items in it and then you had to create things from the items in the box.  You were allowed to use other items from you stash also.  You needed to link up your projects between October 4-6.  The voting begins on October 7th, so please head over to Sarah Hammer designs and vote for your favorite projects.

I was really excited when I first received the box, but then I opened it and was a little perplexed and confused.  Hmmmm, what can I do with this stuff.  Let me tell you Nothing was popping into my head.

Inside the box was a Mouse Scissors.  Now this device looked interesting and I was excited to try it.  Sure enough it looks just like a computer mouse and even rolls like them.  It cuts really easy and I found that it was the perfect thing to cut apart the picture collage from Walmart as I could like up the line at the top and just follow that on the collage.  It also worked well to cut apart Kristen's school pictures.  Also in the box was a 4x6 stack pad from DCWV.  Once again a little puzzling, not pages I would normally have choosen, how am I going to use these.  

 Also in the box was a little canvas bag (forgot to take a picture of it) a couple of buttons, and a small sentiments stamp (courage) and some green bling.

This is going to be a bigger problem than I thought.  I don't normally use stamps when I scrapbook (but I did know that there would be stamps in the box).  Also I don't normally use green or buttons and what in the world am I going to do with the canvas bag.  I let the stuff sit for about a week an a half.  When all of the sudden it dawned on me, the bling is just about the same shade of green as 4-H green.  Maybe I can do something with some of the girls 4-H pictures.  I decided that I wanted to try and scrap Kristen's state fair Educational Presentation pictures.  I really am so proud of her for trying this project.  

As I was looking for some ink that would work, I ran across another set of stamps that I have had for several years and never used.  These would be perfect for the title.  I choose to use my brother's comment on a picture my mom had sent me through the phone that I then put up on facebook.  (I didn't get to take her to the contest.)  I am guessing that we never told my brother about Kristen speaking at the state fair, so when the picture was posted his comment was Wow, look at you, I think that summed up my sentiments exactly.  How many 12 year old kids will get up and speak about something to a room full of total strangers and be judged?  The courage sentiment stamp worked perfect to journal with. I have always seen when people journal using a stamp for one work or a different colored ink so I gave it a try.

I really loved how this came out.   Then the green bling was just perfect for pictures of 4-H.  I also used some of the paper with stars on it for my photo mats.  The stars were perfect since of course she is a superstar.   Now I am on a roll, lets see if maybe I can scrap some of Sarah's graduation photos.  

Since the schools color's are red and black I decided that a few more of the black papers would be perfect for this 2 page layout.  On the first page are photo's of Sarah with the family that came to see her.  Others wanted to come, but it was almost 90 out that day and since the gym isn't air conditioned we decided that it wouldn't be a good thing for Grandpa F to come.  Way to hot for him, plus he would never have been able to sit in the bleachers.  However, besides Mom, Dad, and little sister Kristen, Uncle Dean, Uncle Dan and Grandma H all came to see her graduate.  I ended up using the canvas bag on this layout.  I had the perfect stamp for the bag.  Now I just have to figure out where she packed one of her tassel's.  They received at least 3 different tassels.  I will have her put one of them in the bag.  

I have never used a canvas bag before, but after stamping on this, I believe that there is a lot of potential for these little bags.  Will have to look into getting more of them to craft with. For the last page that I am going to show you (I did try a few other things, but those didn't turn out well, sorry Sarah you won't be getting a kitty cat birthday card, so I am not showing those) I used Iris folding.  I have done this before and liked it but always seem to forget about trying it.  

I choose kind of a fun star shape and then cut up 5 different papers into 1/2 inch strips and glued those on.  This along with the pink paper, the buttons, and the added bling all just scream Kristen.  She is so my girly girl.  

I must say that I really had fun with this little project/contest and can't wait to try it again.  I was pushed to use some different items than I normally would, but that is a good thing.