Signs of Summer

I dove right into the summery Beach Blvd. kit this week and had so much fun documenting some of the pics I had from last summer. I had a little collection of "random" shots that went really well with my theme. I love all of these little peeks into our life. 

I had some pieces of Melrose still sitting on my desk and I loved the look of the gold accents from that kit with this one, so I went ahead and added some of my faves (the good thickers and the lovely vellum). 

I really had fun using the distress paint on this layout. The tone on tone mustard on the yellow card stock adds a really fun dimension. 

Finding The Words

I'm back this week to share another layout using the adorable Country Lane kit!!  I'll be honest, as soon as I saw the Crate paper patterned paper with all the word bubbles on it I knew just what layout I would use it for.  My youngest son has struggled with some of his developmental milestones.  Right now, we are really focusing in on his speech.  He was diagnosed with low muscle tone in his face, which has made it difficult to form sounds and words.  He is making great strides & is REALLY trying hard these days, but we still have a lot of work to go to get him where he needs to be.  My layout showcases what we have been experiencing . . .



I hand cut all the word bubbles from patterned paper and used them to create a border.  To "dress them up" a bit, I added colored brads to each one.



The title work is a combination of the Thickers from the kit (love these!!) and a die-cut word from my Silhouette.  I also added a bit of stitching to help secure the Thickers to my layout.



A few close-ups on the journaling . . .





There are so many wonderful moments that I enjoy scrapping about my family.  However, I also think scrapping the struggles is part of our story as well.  Hopefully this inspires you to scrap some of your own family struggles :)  Thanks for stopping by!!

Joy

I've had a lot of fun working with all the new goodies that were packed into the Country Lane kit. I must admit, I've been hoarding the beautiful yellow Pink Paislee paper all month long. Since I'm down to my last layout of the month I knew I had to use it since I rarely have time to go back to a kit once I start in on a new one.

The yellow rays and black "Today" paper looked great together so I started with those and went searching for a photo. When I found the picture of my daughter running through  a field of wildflowers I knew it would be perfect, especially paired with the Elle's Studio "Pure Joy" stamp which inspired my title.

To add a little texture to my layout, I stitched some of the rays with white thread to add some detailing without taking away from the photo.

The "Pure Joy" tickets were stamped using the Elle's Studio stamp set included in the Country Lane kit.

I typed my journaling on vellum and stamped "this moment documented" directly above the journaling with the included stamp set.

 I topped it off with some stickers and brads.

The Country Lane kit is sold out, but you can pick up the Paper Only kit in the shop and play with some amazing papers.

Thanks for visiting today! I'll be back next week with a project from the brand new June kit, Beach Blvd!

Growing

Ever have a layout that looks one way in your mind, but it turns out totally different when you're done?  That's exactly what happened here.

My layout started with the rulers in the Crate Paper Measurement paper found in the Country Lane Kit and the idea to focus on how much Hartly has grown in the past two years.  I especially love that the rulers have months on them, so I could mark the date the pictures were taken.

Originally, I pictured the rulers being vertical and neatly tied with a bow and the flower. However, once I added my pictures and began to layer various elements from the kit such as the butterfly polaroid, journal card and rub ons everything kind of shifted.

And that's the exact reason I love these kits.  Everything coordinates and makes putting a layout together so much easier.

I also love the veneer pieces in this kit especially this little guy which I  inked and stamped with a sentiment and added to my twine bow.

Even though it's not a thing like what I originally planned, I like it. A lot.

Thank you so much for letting me join in this month as a guest designer. I have enjoyed every minute of it!

End of School

My MDO class this year was so 

Sweet. Hilarious. Amazing. Silly. Exhausting. Adventurous. Kind. Loud. Loving. 

Goodness, I loved them! I wanted to document this class with a layout using the Country Lane kit (paper only kit still available). 

I started out using the "sunburst" style paper as the background, but then had it accidentally laid on top of the chevron arrow paper and loved how it looked. So I trimmed it down to size and layered them. Love the dynamic there! 

This is such a fun, versatile kit. I love how it sweetly complemented these school pics without being "themey." 

Wonderful Awesome You!!

Hello all!!! Excited to be here today to share my take on this month's sketch challenge :)  I had a blast looking through all the bits & pieces in the Country Lane kit to find just the right ones to accent this sweet pic of my littlest one . . .



I kept many of the major elements of the sketch, but tweaked it a bit to work for my photos.  Instead of using three different photos, I decided to overlap 3 copies of the same photo.  You will see my title work below using a fun mix of the Thickers, a wood die-cut, and a cardstock sticker from the kit.  I also added in a large hot air balloon brad in the center of the "o" :)



Those star pins were too cute not to use, so I tucked a few in behind the photo.



I loved the strip at the bottom of one of the Dear Lizzy papers and decided to add that in with some additional words I created from the Studio Calico teal mini alphas :)  I also layered one of the rub-ons on top of all the photos.  To do this without having any rub-on disasters, I first transferred the rub-on to a transparency.  Then I simply cut around it and stitched it down to the layout.



I hope you will play along with this month's sketch challenge too this month!!!  Thanks for stopping by :)

Hey Batter Batter

As you can see I stayed fairly close to Julie Bonner's May Sketch for my layout. 

                             

And you can also tell that I had a lot of fun playing with the Basic Grey Hipster pieces from the Country Lane kit.

In fact I think I used just about the entire sheet of decorative tape on this layout alone.  I love how bright and bold the tape is, yet it's still transparent.

Since I'm not big on journaling and the sketch allows for a lot of it,  I thought I would use the Hipster Vintage Stamps and Studio Calico letter stickers as my "journaling blocks."

 

 

 

I used a Kerri Bradford Hey Batter Batter cut for my title which I paired with the adorable H for Hipster stamp. 

You might be wondering why, but he is the spitting image of my son before contacts. Of course, my son totally disagrees!

I can't wait to see what you create using this month's sketch!!

May Sketch Time!

Good morning friends! Virginia here- we gave Julie the day off BUT we didn't want y'all to miss out on her awesome sketch for this month, so I'm here to share it with you today! :) 

 This month the sketch showcases three photos, some fun circular embellishments, and check out that background- lots of options for the little dots! Keep in mind the sketch is simply a starting point - feel free to make it your own to work for your photos and supplies :) 

I can't wait to share with you guys my layout based on this- but you'll have to wait until tomorrow. Hee! 

Are you ready to jump in and try out this month's sketch???  Grab your scrappy goodies & get started :)  Your entry to this challenge is due June 7th. Once you have completed your entry, be sure to post your entry on our Facebook group.  One lucky participant will be randomly selected to receive a $10 gift certificate to the Noel Mignon store!!!  Looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with!!

Final Day to Get you July-December Subscription!

Today is the last day to get your July-December subscription secured!  CLICK HERE to sign up and keep your kits coming.  You won't miss out on a single kit, and you will save $6 off the single purchase price each month, so what are you waiting for!  Thank you all so much!

Sweet Dreams

Each night my littlest and I have the same exchange before going to sleep. So, there was no question what I was going to do with the  Dear Lizzy Lucky Charms papers in the Country Lane kit.  I just love that phrase "love you to the stars and back" and it reminds me of the cute phrases Hartly comes up with.

                               My layout~

This was the perfect time to try out my new Silhouette sketch pens by drawing the American Crafts mason jars found in the Silhouette store. I am beyond excited that they turned out so well.

I also chose to use the matching phrase which I cut out of the coordinating cardstock.

And what is a layout about loving you to the stars and back without actual stars?

So, I tucked the star tipped pins into my title.

Most importantly I now have this little nightly ritual documented. Because, who knows what she'll come up with next!

Love You to the Stars and Back

Hi everyone! I really love the new Elle's Studio papers in the Country Lane kit this month. They have design elements and/or journaling tags built right into to the design, which is a great starting point and a time saver too.

The chevron design on the left side of this paper, was a great beginning to my layout, I simply selected some coordinating papers and started building my page.

I love the "Love You to the Stars and Back" text paper and used that as inspiration for my title, theme and photo choice.

I used the beautiful gray burlap to create a picture hanger.

I was also able to incorporate the Elle's Studio stamp set again...it was perfect for the theme of my layout.

All the supplies for this layout (with the exception of small bits of gold dot washi tape) are from the Country Lane kit. Unfortunately, it is sold out but you can get your hands on the fabulous papers in this kit by purchasing the Country Lane Paper Only kit.

Thanks for visiting! I hope you have a fabulous day!

*I Got It From My Mama*

good Monday morning!
I'm here today to share with you a layout I made using May's
Country Lane Kit:

"I Got It From My Mama"
(as Will I Am would say....I know you're singing it, ha!)

This yellow chevron is so striking with these little black and white
Iphone shots my niece took of her precious girl (my great niece!) just
being fancy free...

This child is a  total CLONE of her sweet mama.
(hence my title)
Her sweet little voice, her tiny body, her hair, her face, her beauty -
that's her mama.

I used some elements from the Dear Lizzy paper as my embellishments
Totally love the outcome! Feathers are still kinda big in the industry -
but instead of using them in their normal featherly fashion - they became
leaves for my beautiful Pink Paislee flower.

Thanks for taking a peek into my creation today.
I hope I've inspired you to get your May kit out and start having fun!

Have a great week!

Salon...for free!

This week has been all about celebrating motherhood... whether as a mom ourselves, our own moms, or another mom in our lives. I had a lot of different options I could have used as a jumping off point, but then I was surprised yesterday afternoon by my daughters with a "Salon... for Free!" in my backyard, so I couldn't resist documenting this sweet memory. 

I chose to purposefully leave my phone inside, so I could focus on remembering the details and just experiencing the moment, so I didn't take any pictures- but I DID have this wonderful sign my oldest made for the "salon," so I used that as the focal point for my layout. 

There was ample room to decorate and lots of feminine details from the Country Lane kit, so I just played and embellished to my heart's content. Then I added my journaling inside of one of the cute frames in the kit. 

It was such a sweet memory that I wanted to make sure was saved, so even though it doesn't have any photos, it's definitely going into my scrapbook!