Say Cheese

Today is a quiet day at my house. Jax just had his surgery so he is napping and of course if one naps, so does the other one. Great time to look for a challenge don't you think? I stopped by Sketches With A Twist and the sketch looked like alot of fun. The twist..doodling! I don't think I have ever doodled on a layout, so this was a good challenge for me. I got out some ink and some pens and away I went. It was a fun morning! Now I'm off to play with the pups and maybe, just maybe clean the house ( 50-50 chance on that one), lol. Have a great day everyone!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I love reading your comments and I appreciate your scrappy support! Have a wonderfully happy scrappy day! Lynn

Supplies: Basic Grey Oxford Collection, Tim Holtz Distress Ink Faded Jeans, Misc. flowers.

One Little Word... Love

The challenge at All About Me is to pick one word for the year. My word is Love! I look at Chris & Nicole and you just feel Love! The are an amazing example of what love means. The have been through thick and thin, up and down and you can just see the friendship and love between them. They have a "balance". The balance I always talk about that is missing in my life. I'm so blessed to have these two wonderful people in my world. I can't wait to go see them this weekend. The design of the layout came from  sketch #65 at Sketchabilities by the amazingly talented Karan Gerber. With this she really challenged me...I had to use 5 photos. That's why I love challenges. They take me out of my comfort zone. Here is the sketch I worked with. 

Thanks so much for stopping by. I love reading your comments and I appreciate your scrappy support! Have a wonderfully happy scrappy day! Lynn

Supplies: Basic Grey Little Black Dress "Modern Vogue", "Charisma","Best Dressed", "Drama mod", Little Black Dress Stickers, Time Holtz Distress Ink Vintage Photo, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Coffee Shop, Wilton Doilies

Ellen

At All About Me Challenge blog the challenge was to journal about someone who has made a difference in your life, so I chose to do a layout about my best friend Ellen. I used the sketch from Creative Craft World. We don't take many photos together but this one was taken at Nicole's shower. Ellen, who is like a mother to Nicole offered to do her bridal shower. Now is that not the qualifications of a best friend? lol. Seriously though she is my rock. I could take up the whole blog talking about what she means to me. I would like to share my hidden journaling with you.

This is Ellen:

Ellen and I have been friends for 24 years. We have been through the

good times and the bad times together.

She has been my rock.

She is the first person I call and her door is always open. 

She has supported me and my family through it all.

She is not only my best friend, she is more like a sister.

I want to thank you Ellen for all you've done and all you've been through

being my friend.

I love you more than words can express.

Supplies: Basic Grey Little Black Dress, black & white, corset,modern vogue,haute couture. Prima Say it in Crystals, Basic Grey stickers, Flowers from Scrapshotz kit.Wilton Doily.

Celebrate

It's cold, it's windy and I'm not working today, lol. Yup, it's scrapping time!! When I finished my last layout and took a break I found this card sketch at Scrappin Patch. I thought...what a perfect way to use more of this Basic Grey I had on my desk. My goal is to make more cards, so this is perfect. Now..hmm..dishes or more scrap time?

I'm Just Beautiful Me

This layout was chosen as the winner at Scrapping The Music and will now hang in their Hall of Fame! 

After seeing the challenge at Scrapping The Music I thought of my niece Renee when I heard the song. My little niece is being bullied at school. She is going through some tough times right now. We are all supporting her but I just wanted her to know she is so beautiful and we love her just the way she is. My daughter went through a similar situation when she was younger so that's why I did the challenge twice. So...To Renee: I love you sweetie..and your beautiful just the way you are!

Sketch from Basic Grey

Supplies: Basic Grey Oxford Dean's List, Finishing School, Magna Cum Laude,. Basic Grey Oxford Stickers, Misc. Buttons and Maya Road Chipboard.

Chris Kringle

This is a layout of my sweet son-in-law Christopher who was so excited to have his photo taken under the tree, almost knocked the tree over. He grabbed it just as I took the photo, lol. Talk about a photo moment! We still laugh about it. I'm so glad I captured that on film. I found a challenge at Basic Grey and the sketch came from the The ScrapRoom. The hidden journaling talks about this photo moment with Chris Kringle!

Supplies: Basic Grey Figgy Pudding Glee, Balsam, Basic Grey Blitzen Jingle Bells, Fresh Snow. Basic Grey Figgy Holiday Stickers and Ornament StickersTatter Angels Glimmer Mist Abominable Snowman, Perfect Pearls Mist Sour Apple, Prima Flowers, Slice Machine and Martha Stewart Punch.

You & Me

I found this challenge at Basic Grey which was a sketch challenge. Well of course I have a stash of Basic Grey that I could use, lol. Nicole and Chris have so many beautiful engagement and wedding photos I could scrap forever. I love using an entire paper line because everything just matches and it takes the guess work out of the layout. Now...coffee? another layout??? hmmm decisions decisions, lol

Supplies: Basic Grey Marjolaine line, tuxedo pie, hazelnut dacquiose, espresso souffle, molten cake, profiteroles, velvet bundt cake, Basic Grey jovial alphabet stickers, Basic Grey happy cardstock collection. American Crafts Medium Glitter Brads, Delta Ink, Hampton Art Stamp, Prima Got Flowers Fall 2.

2012 Goals

I'm so in love with challenges! I could do them everyday because they just help to get my creativity flowing. This is for a Get Picky  New Years Challenge. I also used sketch #15 from Get Picky. I didn't have time to enter for the sketch challenge but loved it and just had to do it, lol. This layout is another one of me...WOW...two in one week when I haven't done one in a very long time. These are my goals for 2012. I've put these things off for way too long...so here we go! 2012...bring it on!!!!

Think Positively

Exercise Daily

Eat Healthy

Work Hard (but not too hard)

Stay Strong

Worry Less

Dance More

Love Often

Be Happy

Supplies: Bo Bunny Et Cetera Symphony, Basic Grey Hopscotch kissing tag & skipping, Tattered Angels Partridge in a Pear Tree Glimmer Mist, Martha Stewart Punch, Wilton Doilies, Delta Brown Ink, Misc. buttons, Michaels Ribbon.

Santa Smiles

The sketch site Once Upon A Sketch is amazing! They focus on the journaling, which I admit I don't do alot of. These challenges will encourage me to write these family memories down. This challenge was about what you do on Christmas morning so my hidden journaling tag reads:

On Christmas morn the kiddies awake, grabbing their Santa Hats and jumping on Mom and Dad's bed to open their socks. Then over to the tree we go to see what Santa has left for us. After the wrapping and bows are stuck to our shirts and hats we head downstairs for a warm breakfast. Then it's off to Baba's for dinner with the whole family. The rest of our day is spent playing games, eating sweet treats and laughing with family. This has been our tradition for the last 23 years since Nicole and Ryan were born. Our little family...our special Christmas.

Supplies: Basic Grey Jovial Line.

Santa Smiles

This was such a fun Christmas for us. We did something different this year! We were all home on Christmas Eve so we tore into the presents around midnight. Not once, but twice the tree tipped over, lol. Nicole was rooting for gifts when the tree came down and when we had it all fixed up....Chris went to lay under the tree, and as you can see from the photo...the tree starts to tip and he is hanging on for dear life until Mom took the picture, lol. It was alot of fun. So much laughter and so many smiles. When I saw the challenge at sketchy thursdays, I had these photos ready to go. Thanks to my little elves, it was a really special Christmas.

Merry and Bright

We just can't take that traditional family photo now can we? lol. In this photo I believe we thought we were from James Bond!! Usually it's someone making antlers or bunny ears behind someone else or jumping into other peoples photos...so this is almost close to normal, lol. I found a challenge at design dollies, the first time I'm trying a challenge there. The sketch by Kristy Dalman was so cute, how could I not try it!! I'm also entering this in a challenge at category stories, another new site I found. Have a wonderful bright and sunny day! ( Right now it's blustery and snowy here....but I can dream of spring).

Always & Forever

Whenever I see a new sketch challenge or any challenge I just love using Nicole and Chris' engagement photos. Andrea at Pink Sugar Photography is keeping me busy with the amazing work she does. How could I not scrap every one of them? And if you remember...there is 91!  So bring on the challenges! And...they seem to go with every paper line! I'm in heaven, lol. This is based on sketch #133 at creative scrappers, so thanks so much to Suzanne for the amazing sketch! Have a wonderful sunny day!

My Son

I was so excited to use my new Basic Grey on this layout! When I saw the sketch at sketches in thyme, I knew I had to try it. I loved the little circles in the sketch, but decided to make mine big! After starting the sketch I saw a challenge at the scraproom, which called for a two word title and one photo. Well...I couldn't resist doing the two challenges in one! I call these a "double header". Challenges are so much fun. They help me step "out of the box" and try new things. This layout is just about Ry and I hanging out and sharing a hug. I love my boy!!

Joy and Sunshine

Well...it's hard to get my boys to sit and do a "normal" photo by the Christmas tree, lol. They always come up with something unique. Last year it was sunglasses. I guess they thought it was a " bright and sunny Christmas", or maybe they are getting tired of having to pose in those Santa hats AGAIN, lol. Wait until I scrap Nicole who had her 3-D glasses on and a silly grin. WARNING: You pose, I shoot...it's gonna end up on my blog and on a challenge site for sure!!! I found the challenge on the Paper Variety which was a tic tac toe game...and oh what fun that was! So I chose...make a layout, black/white/red, and mixed alphas. The sketch for the challenge came from Frosted Designs. So thanks to Debbie for the sketch and PV for the fun game. Now we sing....."It's beginning to look alot like Christmas"! I'm off to decorate my tree..oh and yes...take more photos!!

A day in the zoo

Everyone know I love challenges. Well I found a new challenge at Lets caputure these sketches. This is for Challenge #161 where Heather did an amazing sketch with a twist. You had to have a 'critter' on the layout. Well...I thought these zoo pics would definitely qualify as critters, lol. I did have fun with the slice, cutting out the swirls and the title. I even used my new border punch. This is what you do when it's 11:00pm and your having fun scrapbooking. And...a Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends! Thanks so much for stopping by.

Happy Me

I have been wanting to start on a "book of me" for quite awhile now. I have been collecting things to go into the album for a few years. The word circles are old Wild Asparagus and the paper is Basic Grey. When I found this challenge at the scrap room, to scraplift something from their November gallery,  I thought what a perfect time to start! The word circles are what inspired me to scraplift Melanie Calls layout. I find it hard to do layouts of myself. I either hate the photo or can't find any, lol. I guess I just have to try harder to be in photos ( not being the one behind the camera) and just learning to love myself.

Together

I'm so in luv with Nicole and Chris' engagments photos, I think I could use them for every layout, lol. I found a sketch at stuck on u sketches that I wanted to try. I love using Basic Grey so I picked the periphery line. I did some cutting of the different papers, made some flowers which I misted and glimmered and then added some bling to dress it up. I haven't found a paper line that their photos don't go with, lol. Thanks so much my friends for stopping by and leaving your sweet and encouraging comments!

Bow Falls

When I saw this sketch at Creative scrappers I knew I just had to do another fall layout. I have SO much of the origins line I think I have used it for at least 10 layouts already. But you know...I never tire of using it. Maybe because fall layouts are my favourite? lol. For those of you that know me...Fall is my favourite season. I love the colours, the weather, just the beauty of the season. This photo is of our anniversary trip to Banff. Every time we are there, I always have to go to the Bow Falls and take pictures. We met a really nice couple from England who offered to take our picture by the falls...now could I resist that? Thanks so much my scrappy friends for stopping by!

Focus

The boys are always fooling around and on Thanksgiving they were taking pictures of each other taking pictures! I was looking through my stash and found this Basic Grey "lime rickey" paper and thought "perfect" for this photo. I have a hard time working with red and Ryan wears alot of it, lol. This layout was for challenge #24 at sketches in thyme. I love that the sketch had so many circles. I admit...I went a little wild with the circles but I usually do such muted layouts and this one gave me a chance to use those bright colours. So...thanks for dropping by my friends! Have a wonderful weekend.

Banff

Please click on the layout to see a larger version.

Left Hand side of the layout

Right Hand side of the layout

These photos are from our trip to Banff this fall. We had just bought a new camera for our anniversary so we spent three days driving in the mountains and playing with the camera. It's great for me because fall layouts are my favourite to do. This was the first two page spread I have done in a long time. I use to do them all the time, but then switched to doing less photos and single spreads. This was for a sketch challenge at the paper variety. Julie Bonner is such a talented artist, so it was a pleasure to work with her sketch. When I look at these photos it reminds me of fall while I'm sitting here watching the snow fall. When is spring? lol.

Just an update! I was so excited to find out my layout won the prize pack this week! My first prize ever!!! I just had to share because I'm so excited, lol.