I really had fun creating this double page spread. I used to make double page layouts all the time, but not so often anymore. It was for Christy's Beautiful Life's 30 Days of Sketches. I used watercolor papers for the background, painting the sky-blue background. I did make a stencil from the die I used to make the trees and distress ink in peeled paint for all the background trees. I did not want all of the trees the same color, so I used a few different colors of cardstock. The photos were taken at Elephant Rocks State Park in Missouri, and the rocks are HUGE there! Lots of fun climbing and exploring - and my grandsons were great at stopping to get their photos taken, they knew I would really enjoy scrapping them. For the rocks I used Craft Consortium's Metal Textures paper pad, and the sheet I used seemed like it was made for these photos. The rocks in the park are Precambrian granite, which was mined for many years in the early 20th century: thank goodness a geologist saved this area here and donated it to the state for a park. I cannot close without mentioning that my sign was created with an Elizabeth Crafts die, and I used some Basic Gray stickers for the words - which all of arrow signs say the same thing, "Rocks", pointing in all directions, so many huge rocks, and a fun and interesting place to visit. Ancient History, right there, for anyone to go visit and explore, and think - about how long those rocks have been there, and that there was at one time a volcano that had erupted, and magma created the granite rocks that we see today. If you would like to see the process video on YouTube it is at: (415) 30 Days of Sketches/Scrapbook Process/Remember - These are the Days - YouTube

 This layout was created for Mixed Media Frenzy, with a theme of 'Cheers to the New Year', although this is not a New Year's photo, it spoke to me of fun times and the lit up cell phones in the background instantly made me think of the crowd cheering, and raising their cups for a toast. I used a black background from American Crafts with swirls embossed in it. Some gold rub on, which highlighted the swirls in the cardstock. Plus, kraft paper embossed with gold. The sequins were the finishing touch for creating a feeling of New Year cheer.

I had such fun creating this layout. My great nephew Parker is in an astronaut suit, his face looks so tiny in there (sorry for the glare). But, instead of using a realistic embellishment with his picture, I decided to use BB-8. I used punch art to create him. for the bottom part of his body I used a Creative Memories circle cutter (I did not have a punch big enough). The head is a 1 1/2" punch. I cut thin strips for the accents. the larger lens is a 3/4" punch, and the circle on the bottom right is 1/2", 1/4", and a 1/8" layered punches. The circles below I did the same way, only I also did some double punching. The process video for this layout is on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJpPoQdRaDk&t=12s

I totally love how this layout turned out, but then I love the collection I used to create it, so it could not help but turn out great. I used Shimelle's 'Christmas Magic' for this Summer Scrappy Challenge, which was "Christmas in July", you could create a Christmas layout, or an everyday one with Christmas paper (red and green). I started to make it with the whole sheet of that fun patterned paper, but it was just a little too busy for that. So I just used a chunk of it, and then a couple of the other papers to create the borders on each side with a scalloped border punch. I had a little trouble with the rub-ons, they were very sticky, the first one 'merry and bright', stayed where it landed, because I coul not move it. The one on the tag, 'santa, please stop here', well, more ended up stuck to my fingers than end up on the tag. I filled in with my own handwriting. The candy cane, I am not sure where it came from, but I knew I wanted to use it on this page. Those tiny little pieces of candy - well my friend Monika made them, she has a You Tube channel, springchick 28, I love, love, love them! Emily looks adorable as Rudolph, or maybe Rudolpha?

Make it flat! That was the challenge, and boy was it hard. Another Summer Scrappy Challenge. I so wanted to put some dimension on this page. When I made the 'firework' embellishments I wanted to add foam tape, and even rhinestones, but I resisted, and they are flat. This Patriotic layout was created with a kit I got from Peachy Cheap. I fussy cut out the July 4th from one of the cut-aparts. I did use Daily Flash alpha stickers for the title, 'Oh my stars, just too cute'. Isabella is such a cutie.

So this challenge comes from Becki Adams through the Summer Scrappy Challenge with Scrap and Plan. It is using some of her favorite things - The color green, patterned paper and journaling. Well, green is also my favorite color, so that part was easy, and I have loads of green scrappy goodness. For this layout I used Pink Paislee's Outfitters. I even pulled out my very old, and much loved, camera die from Sizzix. Since my journaling is about how great the boys were on vacation about me taking pictures of them, I wanted to use a bigger camera on the layout. These boys do have my heart. Even though they were tired of getting their pictures taken, neither said out loud, 'Not another picture....'

I love challenges - and there were so many on the Summer Scrappy Challenges with Scrap and Plan - I just had to do some of them. This challenge was called 'Punch it Up'. The challenge was to use a punch a little more creatively, and in multiples. I used one of my heart punches and blue glitter paper. When I printed out these pictures, I was using an app that I was not familiar with and the close up picture was actually the same as the one to the left, only it turned out crazy. But I liked it, and wanted to use it. It changed the title I had originally planned to 'Do You Wanna Dance' because it looked like Chloe was peeking around a corner and being mischievous. I did not have any pink glitter Thickers for the word 'dance' so I used some really old ones that were white glitter - you know, the ones that were not sticky at all, and lay in the bottom of the package. Well, I colored them with a pink Sharpie, and they turned out great (tip: never throw a good font away).The sequins are from Kat Scrappiness, I love how this layout turned out, I hope my Sister-in-Law does too, this is for her album.

Yes, and another Summer Scrappy Challenge with Scrap and Plan! The challenge was "Work Those Tools"! It was to use a tool that you have bought, but never used, or one that you have not used in a long time. I used my Creative Memories circle cutters. I had so much fun doing this challenge, I love using circles on a layout, it always turns out so cute; you can't go wrong. For this layout I used a paper pad I got at Walmart, it had dots, and besides loving to create with circles, dots has got to be second on that list of fun ways to create a layout. I also used Thickers, from 3 different packs. The word 'CAUTION' is from one of the very first packs I ever purchase - it felt great putting them on this layout, they have sat it their package way too long. I added some puffy stickers, some resin shapes and a paper clip from Freckled Fawn that says 'FUN'. I love all the colors on this layout, the girls were just so serious playing with their castle. The castle family would roll down the slide and they spent hours moving the family all around.

Another layout for the Summer Scrappy Challenges with Scrap and Plan! This one was called "Sketch with a stitch". Suzanna provided the sketch and said it could be any kind of stitching, faux
hand sewn or machine. Mine is faux, I used dies from Kat Scrappiness for the squares and circles that
have stitches. I also used a kit from My Creative Scrapbook, Echo Park's 'Homegrown' stickers, and the background paper is Colorbok cardstock. The title is "live Simply but eat ribs'. My little granddaughters are two in these pictures, and we are at a family reunion, and someone - it was not me - gave them each a rib. They loved them! (But they sure were messy, to say the least)

I had so much fun creating this layout, it was for a challenge for the Summer Scrappy Challenge with Scrap and Plan.The challenge was to us branding strips on your layout. I used a couple Felicity Jane kits from last summer. I love how it turned out. I made the layout to go into a scrapbook I am making for my bestie and sister-in-law. The picture is her daughter and granddaughter. Since it was in black and white, I could use what ever colors that I wanted.

These are pictures of my granddaughter, before and after getting her hair cut. The second picture does not have a smile. So sad. But just so you know, I did wait to create this layout AFTER her hair had grown out. I used the I AM collect by Simple Stories. Such a great collection for us gals, young and old. The pair of scissors is from an Amy Tan die, I ordered it for this layout, and the many others that I wanted a scissor die cut for, but it is bigger than I anticipated. I will, however, use it again I am sure.

I just love layouts with big, long titles! And this one was fun to make. The kids were all acting silly at Vacation Bible School and all had such funny faces in this picture. It is a small church and only about 40 kids go altogether to the summer fun, but they do indeed have fun. And they learn a lot while doing it. The picture was taken on a cell phone, and just a little blurry, but perfect none the less, because it captured a moment in time, when kids got to be kids.

I found the larger picture of my granddaughter and thought, well, it is blurry, but it is all I have to remember the moment, so I will scrap it anyway. Needless to say, after I had finished the layout I found the other smaller, and clearer picture. I had to find a way to add it to the layout. I tore up embellishments and added it to the lower corner of the larger picture. Then my layout looked off balanced, so I had to do more. I add the other little box with the 'this totally rocks' and still needed more. So my title, instead of just being "Face Painting", which I thought was kind of plain anyway, became "Face Painting - a pigment of your imagination". So all in all, I am happy with how my layout turned out, and that I was able to include both pictures.

With this layout I wanted to create a background of words with a tone on tone look. This is my grandson at a very small creek. Being from the big city, he was really enthralled with all the nature he could find. He does not, however, like our bumpy roads (there are some gravel in the area). I love how the layout turned out, I used the black to really make the picture and some of the word pop.

Quite the sleepy little artist - but neither her nor her sister could stay in bed knowing they had some crafting that they could be doing. Although sleepy, she did succeed and come up with a cute little design on her cup. And no, she did not ask how to spell "Christmas".

As soon as the girls got up on this Saturday morning, they wanted to craft. I had bought these cups, and they had so much fun creating with them. I had just as much fun making layouts of them creating with them. They are neither one morning people, but Charlee is usually the earlier riser. And they were both proud of their finished cups.

I thought I would try my hand again at using watercolor on the background with this layout. The paints that I used had a pearl tint to them, and were pastels. The last time I used watercolors I spilled the cup holding the water on the layout, but this time I did much better. (I did keep the layout last time though, and went with it!). I used scraps behind my photo and ephemera from a kit. I was determined to use some of that ephemera, because I had it so long. The kit used is from March 2015, Clique kit. I ended up making 9  layouts with it, and I loved that I was able to kill the kit except for a handful of the ephemera.

I bought a sand play center for the grandkids and they loved it! I did not show them how to build anything, mainly because I wanted to see what they would create. My granddaughter was so proud when she realized that she could actually make a "mountain" with it. I had to capture the moment. This paper already had the water coloring on it, and it was such pretty pastels - I just had to use it for this layout. The title is "Building Sandcastles" because when I saw her mountain, I automatically said I thought it was a sandcastle, and that put the idea into her head, so that is what she ended up turning her mountain into. But a few more mountains can look like a castle with a creative eye.

Grid layouts are so much fun, there is not much to do as far as thinking about the design - the only thing you have to think about is which grid style you want to do, and start from there! The pictures that I used are of my grandson at a Chinese restaurant. He got his fortune, and it said "You look pretty". Of course, he was teased about that. But he was a good sport, and got pictures anyway. I went through the cut apart's in this kit and found things with "pretty", although they were not actually saying he was pretty. "Yes, you are pretty perfect, and smile pretty". It was a fun layout to create, and because it was a grid layout, it came together pretty quickly.

I don't know why I love photos of kids from the back but I do - maybe it is because that is my view so often? These are my two granddaughters riding bikes at their great-grandmother's house in her driveway. They always turned around long before the end of it though (because it is very long). But I always think about them going further. When I saw this sheet of paper I wanted to use the inner circle like a destination point, and I thought of this picture. I layers some gold craft paper and used gold rub-ons. Then, of course, I had to keep with the gold theme and add gold thickers to finish the title. This is very minimal for me on a layout, because I do love embellishments, but I really wanted the background paper to show.