I Love U

Can you tell by this layout and my recent posts, well, all of my posts, what I am passionate about? You guessed it - being a full-time, all the time, blessed stay at home mom! I take mothering very seriously, and believe it is so important, especially in the early years. Everyday, my son is learning about God, himself, the world, other people, and how he should behave in it! I am so thankful to be able to witness and take part in these everyday events! This layout was inspired by the Scrapping Everyday Miracles challenge to scrap what I am passionate about, and that is being a lifetime mother! In this layout, based on the sketch by Creative Scrappers, is my youngest of 3 boys!

Besides my relationship with God and my husband, this little pumpkin is the love of my life. He was born in my heart, and wanted and prayed for for many years.

We love to celebrate the 4 seasons, and Autumn is one of our favorites! Our family is in love with life!

To create this layout, I used lots of patterned paper in layers, from several companies! 5 layers, to be exact, for the CES Challenge! I added lots of hearts to coordinate with the theme of my laytout, for the Fairy Tale Challenge, the Fussy and Fancy Challenge, and the Totally Gorjuss challenge! I love to use hearts anyway, so this was right up my alley! Next, I was able to finally use one of my most "loved" Christmas presents, the Sew Easy tool, in a few places on the layout to add some texture with bright orange stitches, thanks to the inspiration of Craft Your Days Away challenge!

I am entering this layout in these super challenges: Creative Scrappers Sketch #194

CES Challenges #72 Lots of Layers

FairyTale Challenge Blog #34 Love, Love, Love

Fussy and Fancy Challenge 56 With All My Heart

Craft Your Days Away #38 Get Stitchy With It

Scrapping Everyday Miracles Challenge #13 "Your Passion"

Totally Gorjuss #118 Lurve

I used these products in this layout: We R memory Keepers Autumn Splendor, CTMH, Pink Paislee, DCWV, EK Success, Sew Easy, Making Memories Scrapbook Stitches

My Tiny Pumpkin

I'm on a roll with scrapping these photos from our many events the fall of 2010. I hope to be finished soon, and to move on to the next package of photos! I based this layout on the super-clean sketch offered by Totally Gorjuss Challenges! Below is a link to their sketch challenge!

Totally Gorjuss Challenge 117: It's A Sketch

For this layout, I used these products: Pink Paislee patterned paper, We R Memory Keepers patterned paper, DCWV patterned paper, Storyteller's Club patterned paper, Basic Grey brads, Bazzill cardstocks, Martha Stewart punch, Bobbin Twine ribbon, Recollections felt embellishments, and several VERY OLD font chipboard letters and stickers from Stickopotamus!

JOY

Here is another photo from Fall 2010, this one in the rocking chair on the front porch. I was able to use several OLD embellishments on this layout, which always makes me happy! The title, "JOY," is spelled out in glossy brown chipboard that is at least 6 years old, AND the 2 large brown and cream gingham enamel brads are likely 4-5 years old! I was so excited that I could use them, and still be pleased with my layout! I hope you like it, too!

I used the Mini sketch from Let's Get Sketchy for my layout, and also made sure to use those several OLD embellies at the urging of the Whimsical Wednesday Challenge for February 1 - Bringing Out The Old!

For this layout, I used these products:

We R Memory Keepers Autumn Splendor, Pink Paislee, Close To My Heart, StoryTeller's Club, and Bazzill.

Ezra

Don't you just love autumn? The color orange? Pumpkins? We certainly do at our house! And, as a family, we love the color orange! Maybe it's because we have all boys? Not sure exactly, but here is a celebration of boys, orange, and autumn!

I am entering this layout into these challenges:

Challenge Up You Life: Challenge #64 MONOTONE

CES Challenges: #71 a SKETCH

I used these products: Pink Paislee patterned paper, Recollections pumpkin paper, Close To My Heart cardstock, Bazzill cardstock, My Mind's Eye patterned paper, Me and My Big Ideas metallic orange letters, Close To My Heart brads, Martha Stewart leaf punch, Recollections felt pumpkin, and Creative Memories oval cutters.

Ribbon Scrap Cardstock Tutorial

This is my pile of ribbon scraps! I love ribbon, and my absolute favorite pattern is polka dots! For your first step, select coordinating ribbon scraps, about 10-12, in varying lengths!

You will need 1 sheet of black cardstock, scissors, a hair straightener, adhesive, tape, and a sewing machine ready to sew! (I chose black cardstock because it highlighted the bright colors in my ribbon scraps.) I spread out my scraps of ribbon, and trimmed their ends on a 45 degree angle. I then ran any creased or wrinkled scraps through my heated hair straightener.

Next, use permanent adhesive, and arrange and stick down your scraps. I alternated long and short pieces, and directions of the angles I cut earlier. I allowed my scraps to hang off the bottom of my page, as in a later step I will be trimming these edges.

Next I stitched each scrap of ribbon straight down the center, using the polka dots as an aid!

I trimmed threads close, and taped down the free ends on the back of the black cardstock.

Finally, I used my sharpest scissors to trim the overhanging edges of the ribbon from the bottom edge of the cardstock. Voila! You have created a scrap ribbon sheet you can use for scrapbooking, cardmaking and more!

Here is a final close-up of my stitched ribbon scrap cardstock project. I hope it will inspire you to use your ribbon scraps in new ways!

Please visit Frosted Designs for challenges, sketches, card sketches, and fun tutorials!

http://frosteddesigns.blogspot.com

Family XOXO

Oh how we love to celebrate, and take photos in our family! We have a lot of love, and I think it is important to celebrate that bond. In these photos, my son is actually sitting on a western horse saddle at a fall festival. Because western saddles are known for their decorative stitching, I decided to sew around the photo on the right with my machine, and enter the Craft Your Days Away Challenge #38 Get Stitchy With It! I used these products: Close To My Heart, KI Memories, Martha Stewart star punch, EK Success font stickers, and Zots 3D dots.

It's In His Kiss

My little bug, you are so much fun! You are so affectionate, and loving! You are just like me, in that you will give any pet, stuffed animal or family member a kiss! One of your many, many nicknames is "Kissy Bug!" In this photo, you are giving one of our fall decorative scarecrows a smooch! The 1964 hit, "It's In His Kiss," was my inspiration for the title of this layout, and I am entering it at Crafty Boots! I also found a super-cute sketch at Crafts 4 Eternity, and am entering my layout in their challenge, too!

Here are the links for these great challenge blogs:

Crafty Boots Challenge: Inspired By A Song Title

Crafts 4 Eternity: Recipe #57

I used these products for this layout: Storyteller's Club Bohemian Swirl, We R Memory Keepers Autumn Splendor, Bazzill cardstock, Martha Stewart leaf puinch, Close To My Heart brads, Tim Holtz distressing ink.

Remember When...

I just love the season of Autumn in our little corner of the mountains. The leaves of the maple trees are bursting with shades of red, orange and yellow, and every denomination and size of church hosts some sort of Fall Festival to celebrate the apple and pumpkin harvests! In this photo, we were just about to hop in the car and head to my youngest son's first ever fall festival. He was dressed as Bob the Builder from the cartoon, and I remember how big your toolbelt was around your little waist, and how floppy your personalized hardhat looked. You have grown so much in the last year or so, and I hope I will always remember this day...

I am entering this layout in these challenges:

Bird is The Word: REMEMBER

Colorful Creations Sketch #3

I used these products: Storyteller's Club Bohemian Swirl, We R Memory Keepers Autumn Splendor, Close To My Heart brads, Die Cuts With A View, and Bazzill.

luv u

For this layout, I used the February Sketch from My Scraps and More as my blueprint! It was right up my alley, becuase I love geometric shapes! I also based my layout on the Allsorts Challenge One or More Hearts, because I am absolutely in love with my youngest son! I was thrilled to use several items from my stash that are so old, that I have forgotten who manufactured them! ("luv" in the turquoise chipboard is that example! Those have to be at least 6 years old?) Also, the trio of ribbon slides in the top left corner are from my days as a Close To My Heart consultant, several years ago! I am entering this layout into these challenges: Allsorts Challenge: One or More Hearts Craft Us Crazy Challenge #20: Anything Goes My Scraps and More February Sketch I used products by these manufacturers on my layout: Prima, Offray, My Little Shoebox, Me and My Big Ideas, Close To My Heart, Bazzill

Life is a Journey...

I love this layout because I rarely make it into any photographs or any of my layouts! I have been on a long journey as a person living with and trying to thrive with depression. In these photos from fall of 2010, I had been battling for over 5 years. I am in what I like to call "remission," right now, and am so thankful the journey has some new, more joyful scenery.

Also, this layout represents our journey of love through adoption, and is symbolized with the various colors and patterns of hearts on my layout. I like to say that my youngest son was was, "born in my heart."

I am entering this layout into these challenges:

Bird is The Word: JOURNEY

Craft Us Crazy Challenge #20: Anything Goes Allsorts Challenge: One or More Hearts

I used these products on my layout:

Close To My Heart black font stickers and brads, EK Success Balck font stickers, toile, My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose, and Bazzill basics cardstock.

Family

Hearts joined together by love = family!

I used my handy heary punch to accent some of my favorite photos from my youngest son's first fall festival! I then accented those with brads and stickers. I also distressed almost every element on this layout with black distressing ink, and on the photos I used my favorite tool - my industrial grit sanding block from the hardware store! I have entered this layout into these challenges:

Craft Us Crazy Challenge #20 Anything Goes

Allsorts Challenge: One or More Hearts

I used these products on my layout: My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose, Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Bazzill cardstock, Close To My Heart brads, and toile.

100% Fall Fun

Oh I am so behind on scrapbooking my 3 year old son's photos! I know it is not the Autumn season, but Fall of 2010 is where I am chronologically in my photos! My goal for 2012 is to get caught up with current events, and stay caught up!

For this layout, I used lots of CHECKS/Squares! In the top right photo of my son, he is inside a bouncy house, behind a square-checked safety net. The pinwheel I created has a gingham checked patterned paper from Simple Stories. Look over to the right of my pinwheel and I have accented with 2 strips of American Crafts checked ribbon. I also found some super-tiny checkered ribbon in aqua by AC, and accented the left side of the page. My title card also has a grid pattern. And for my last gingham touch, I had one jumbo acrylic brad in aqua left in my stash that was just perfect! I am entering this layout into these 2 challenges:

CES Challenge 70: Check It Out

Craft Us Crazy Challenge #20: Anything Goes

I used these products for this layout: Simple Stories 100 Days of Summer, American Crafts ribbon, Bazzill Basics textured cardstock "cinder," EK Success black font stickers, Close To My Heart brads, and Making Memories Noteworthy journaling sheet.