Kissing Cousins

I did this layout JUST FOR FUN!!

It's a layout that I've had in my head for nearly two years. I picked the title out as soon as I saw these pictures on my computer.

Kissing Cousins:

Believe it or not, I DID have an inspiration layout for this page. Even though my layout didn't quite come out like the inspiration layout.

Inspiration Layout:

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. Once I realized that, yet again, my wallets print at 2.5x3.5 instead of 2x3, I realized I couldn't do the layout exactly like the inspiration. I just couldn't crop these down without losing some heads and appendages.
2. I'd still like to use this inspiration sketch on another layout.
3. The inspiration layout is from the very last issue of Simple Scrapbooks evah. sniff, sniff, WAIL!!! So Sad.
4. I had a cropping accident with the middle bottom picture. If you look closely, you can see the seams where I tried to put the picture back together. Three glasses of wine and figuring out the measurements of where to cut things don't really mix that well. Lesson should have been learned by now, but what fun would that be?
5. I LOVE my white gel pen and use it quite a bit. If you don't own one, you should definitely get one. (I used it to write Owen and Bella on the 2 light blue stars).
6. Speaking of the light blue stars, I used the SU! star punch. LOVE punches!!
7. The red paper with mini white stars on it behind the 4x6 photo is actually from a border strip paper stack. I just used two border strips and put them together.
8. The white background cardstock with red stars on it is my own creation!! I stamped the red stars using this SU! stamp, and only coloring the star with a red marker rather than using an ink pad for the whole stamp. I think it turned out pretty cool. Gotta bust out my stamps more often!!

Challenge 13b - Kev's fishing fishing fishing HAT

Another ScRap SiStaZ challenge down, four more to go!! (Until Tina posts the next one, that is!!)

Kev's fishing fishing fishing HAT:

Observations about the process and the products used:

1. I used the same Chatterbox kit that I used in Challenge 11a.
2. Totally loved using the Cricut on this challenge! I used the Printing 101 cartridge for both HAT and fishing fishing fishing. I even saved the negative from fishing fishing fishing to use on another page since we have such a big fishing family!!
3. The journaling's a little cheesy, but you know me and my journaling fixation!! :)
4. I can't wait for lazy summer afternoons and evenings like this to get here. Out on the paddle boat with my man and a glass of vino with the kiddos on the back of the boat, watching the sunset. AAAAaaaahhhh....Bliss.

Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 11a- Adenoid Acation

Another challenging ScRap SiStaZ challenge - 11a!! But, I was able to scrap a topic that I have wanted to scrap for a while now. With out these challenges, I'm not sure when (or IF, really) I ever would have scrapped it!!

Adenoid Acation - Double:

Adenoid Acation - Left:

Adenoid Acation - Right:

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I totally scraplifted Kim's version of this challenge. I had more photos that I wanted to include than what the original challenge had in it. Then I recalled that Kim's version used a bunch of photos. So, when I put my layout together, I was really copying Kim's layout. Similar color scheme, too!! Thanks Kim!
2. I'm SO glad I blogged about this surgery! It made writing the journaling for this layout a SNAP!
3. Too bad printing the journaling wasn't as easy as writing it. You can see here that it printed out crooked. I couldn't flip it over and print it again on the back because I had already tried to print it once and got GOBBLDY-GOOK printed all over it. So this was already my second attempt. And I wasn't going to waste another sheet of cardstock to try and print it a 3rd time. Come to think of it, I don't even know if I had another sheet of the same cardstock.
4. When I printed my wallets, they printed out at 2.5 x 3.5. The wallets in this layout need to be 2 x 3. So, I had to trim all of them down. At first I freaked out that I wouldn't be able to crop them that much, but it worked out. That's on of the reasons why this challenge was so challenging!!
5. I used another Chatterbox kit for the paper, brads, alpha stickers, circle embellie sticker. LOVE KITS! (have I mentioned that?)
6. I used the Cricut Cuttin' Up cartridge for the capital A's in my title.
   

Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 10a - 7 Cedar Point

I Love it when I can use a ScRap SiStaZ Challenge to complete a layout for one of my kids' birthday books! This is birthday # 3 of Liam's that I've scrapped, I have 4 more of his birthdays to scrap before August. I can do it!!

7 Cedar Point - double:

7 Cedar Point - left:

7 Cedar Point - right

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. This was a challenging challenge for me.
2. Once again I used Picasa to make a collage, to get the size photos that I wanted, that I then cut up and put into a strip along the bottom. There was still a bit of cropping here and there, but it turned out pretty well.
3. Both patterned papers are actually just the big Cedar Point map dissected.
4. The big picture of Liam is of him ON the Demon Drop as we're going up. I thought it would be too hard to take a picture while we were going down. Turns out, CP has a "no picture taking while the ride is in motion" rule anyway, as was pointed out to me on several other rides (Ocean Motion, the Monster, etc.)
5. The Demon Drop was our second ride of the day. We went from the Carousel to the Demon Drop. Quite a difference, I'd say.
6. I love love love love LOVE Cedar Point! Probably because I'm a coaster junkie. I think I'll finally admit to being old when I no longer enjoy roller coasters. Lord, I hope that never happens!
7. The 7 was free hand cut from a piece of cardstock. I almost used the Cricut for the 7, but the 7 was the only thing that I need to have cut out. So, for JUST a 7, I figured I could handle it on my own.
8. Liam wants to go to Cedar Point for his birthday again THIS year. We'll see. It's not that hard to convince me to go.
9. In the picture of the Sky Ride cars, the red cable car holds Kevin and Liam. Mitchell, Jordyn, Owen and I were in the car behind them when I snapped this pic.

Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 12b - still...

Holy Cannoli! I scrapped TWO layouts in ONE night!! I moved onto ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 12b and I'm actually starting to feel somewhat current!! Woo Hoo!!

still...

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I think I just really like coordinated scrapbook KITS. This is a Chatterbox kit, and everything on the layout (papers, ribbon, bling, brad, letter stickers, flowers) came from the same kit. Makes crappin' such a snap.
2. This layout was put together lickity split. Thanks to the kit mentioned above, and thanks to the fact that I had already done the journaling over on my blog. I just turned it into a scrapbook page.
3. The photo was taken of me on the same day that the journaling/blogging was done. Not the best picture of me, but somewhat relevant to my journaling.
4. Since I still don't have a scallop border punch, I REFUSED to put any scallops on this page.
5. Again, not exactly like the inspiration layout...but these challenges aren't intended for us to necessarily create carbon copies, but to INSPIRE us.
6. So fun being inspired by and with my SiStaZ!!

Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 9a - double DELIGHT

Completing ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 9a was SO much fun. Especially after working 85 hours last week!! It was definitely a delightful way to spend an evening!!


double DELIGHT - double:
double DELIGHT - left:

double DELIGHT - right:



Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I know I've said this before (maybe not on this blog), but, seriously, WHY do I scrap with anything other than CTMH scrapbook kits?!?! Adorable, coordinating papers and stickease (alpha, borders, and embellishment) stickers make putting layouts together a TOTAL snap.
2. Obviously, the papers and stickers are CTMH.
3. The E & I stickers are not really an E & I. The E & I in the Stickease set were a pale yellow color and wouldn't show up well on my yellow cardstock. So, for the E, I added the bottom of the Z to the bottom of the F (same pattern, luckily) and for the I, I trimmed down a T from a second Stickease set. Voila!
4. I used Picasa again, and the more I use it....the easier it gets!! I printed 6 vertical 4x6 collages, each containing 2 horizontal photos (like Amy, I take very few vertical shots).
5. It may not look exactly like the Inspiration Layout, but that's totally OK.
6. Honestly, could my darling niece and my ugly duckling son BE any cuter?? I don't think so.
   

Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 11b - Belcher Babes

Today I was able to do ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 11b before I had to start my 20 hour shift at work!! And since there is a break in the action here at the office, I thought I'd post my creation. Can't wait to get home and start working on another challenge.

Belcher Babes:

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I love these ladies.
2. Patterned Paper, and Cardstock are from SU!
3. I used "pearls" instead of ribbon. I'm a pack rat. I save everything. These "pearls" are from a broken costume jewelry necklace that broke easily 13 years ago. Then I stored them away in my craft area, for forever, and "voila" today they ended up on my page. I strung them back together on some thread, and they became a border on my page.
4. I think I need to go back and somehow identify each sister in each picture. And also mention that Shirley is missing from my wedding photo because she couldn't make it (I don't want someone 50 years from now to think she wasn't at the wedding because she wasn't "around" anymore...if you catch my drift)
5. My layout is similar to the inspiration, but not exact. I did try to keep the heart motif by layering it under my vellum quote.
6. I miss my mom. She's been in Florida for almost a month and we don't talk on the phone much. We should.
7. I miss my aunts, too. Most specifically Aunt Mary and Aunt Margaret who both moved to Florida a couple of years ago. The only aunts that still live in Michigan are my Aunt Shirley, who I never saw much outside of holidays, and my Aunt Dee, who now lives in a retirement/assisted living facility in Grand Rapids and is suffering from Alzheimer's. My Aunt Betty has always lived in another state (out west somewhere, then Alaska, now California). But, I do miss them all. Maybe I miss their youth.
8. Doing this page made me realize how much I miss them and how much they all mean to me.
9. Re-reading through the journaling, I have spotted a glaring grammatical error. Do I go back and fix it, or let it be? Let it be.

Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 10b - five random things about me

Moooovin' on Up! I'm up to ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 10!! Granted, I've only done one layout from challenges 5, 8, & 9, and now 10...but HEY! That's OK! I'll get back to them and do the second layout for each challenge....eventually!!

five random things about me (single) :

Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. I NEED A SCALLOP BORDER PUNCH!!
2. My layout is a bit different from the inspiration layout, but I used the same color scheme - gold, red, brown.
3. The flowers were punched from patterned paper to cover up some journaling boo-boos around the "m" - so I put a flower on the other side of the title to try and balance it a bit.
4. Not thrilled with my "five" in the title, but I won't obsess about it or anything.
5. Brown ribbon between the photo collage and the red cardstock was once be part of a pair of Jordyn's pants that she outgrew and they were not in a condition to donate. So, I salvaged the silky "ribbon". Acid free? Lignin free? Probably not. Plain old FREE? Definitely.
6. I made the photo collage in Picasa. So frustrating fun!! I just wish I could print on another size paper than 8.5 x 11. I mean, I know PICASA allows it, it's just a matter of what size photo paper I have on hand, and what my printer will allow.

Inspiration Layout:

Challenge 9b - Birds of a Feather

I thoroughly enjoyed putting this layout together for ScRap SiStaZ Challenge 9b.

Slowly but surely catching up on those challenges!!


Challenge 9b - Birds of a Feather (single):


Some observations about the process and the products used:

1. Patterned papers are from SU! And, in case I haven't mentioned it before, I LOVE LOVE LOVE that SU! papers are MADE IN THE USA! (Because SO many scrapbook products are not.)
2. The argyle ribbon beneath the photo is from CTMH. Taiwan material. Finished in China. (Which is where MOST scrapbook products are made, so I'm over it.)
3. The journaling on the photo would have been much easier and faster to do if I would have used Picasa (or something) and printed the picture with the text already on it. But I took the long, old fashioned route and used rub-ons.
4. I had so much fun paper piecing the bird together. I didn't even use a template. I just tried to mimic the bird in the inspiration layout as much as I could. I think it turned out pretty cute.
5. Kevin is 50% Irish. He is also 50% Polish.
6. I am 100% American mutt.

Inspiration Layout: