Then and Now

One of the reasons that I scrapbook and memory keep is to record treasured moments in time. The other day I came across this picture of Evan from several years ago. Still sporting those sweet curls! The days when afternoons were spent at the park and the slide was still a thrill ride. Those days go by so fast! 

 On the above layout I decided to try my hand at a handwritten tittle. I am pleased with how it turned out and it took me back to my high school days just a little bit. The patterned paper and brads are  MME, the card stock is Bazzill,  & the flowers are Recollections.

 Fast forward to several months ago when Evan just wants to play around in front of the camera & it's hard to get a decent shot! For the bottom layout, I paired a relatively normal shot with one of his goofier images of the day. He is pretending that he passed out on a bench after a day of walking all over Bodie with the family. It showcases part of his funny personality...and I wouldn't change it for anything!

 The patterned paper is Recollections, tag is EK Success, butterfly is K&co and the brads are MME.

Have a wonderful week & record those treasured memories, it all goes by so quickly! 

"scrap"- booking

For the first layout that I am sharing, I literally created it with scraps. I challenged myself  to use the scraps that were currently laying on my desk from a project that I had just finished. The result is this tricolor background. Everything else on the layout was found in my scrap drawer as well. I love the way that the jewel tones work together but I normally wouldn't use this as a background. Sometimes you have to challenge yourself to try something new every once in  while. 

 These wonderful canvas flowers & hearts were freebies from work.  I changed the color up on a few of them by spritzing them with Heidi Swapp color mist.  I like the way it added a subtle bit of color.

 The "just hanging out" tag was made with a stamp by MME. I added a little glitter to the dragonfly after I spritzed him a bit to add a little color.

 I also challenged myself to use other embellishments that I had had in my stash for awhile like: these chipboard nameplates, sticker hole reinforcers & this butterfly brad.

 The next layout is from an old photo shoot.

 I used patterned paper from K & Co, brads from MME & Prima, Canvas flowers & the letters are Thickers.  I chose the title # Love because those were the letters that I had left. LOL

 I used a page map for the overall sketch of the layout adding a few things here and there.

 Close up of the flower and brads. Did I mention that I love brads?

The orange washi tape was a fun touch and I felt that it complimented the other colors well. Sometimes,ya just have to play around a little bit and try something new. I know that for the most part, my layouts have a similar feel but I do try to experiment a little here and there.  I guess that I have my style and I deviate a little bit from it but I don't take to many risks.  As far as I am concerned that is OK. As long as I am still enjoying the process...it's all good!
Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!

True Love

As far as marriages go, I have an excellent model in my parents. I am so blessed that they have set such an amazing example for myself and my siblings.  The following layout is an homage to them and their true love. 

 I used odds, ends and an occasional scrap to put this layout together. It is a hodge podge of manufacturers: the stickers are Creative Imaginations Narratives by Karen Russel (I know that I have had it forever!), the ruler border is Recollections, brads are MME, love definition stickers are Pebbles, cardstock Bazzill,  washi is Recollections, butterfly punch is Martha Stewart and the journal spot is MM.

A close up of the Narratives tags.  I love going through my stash and actually using it!
Happy creating everyone!

The More the Merrier

Sometimes, the pictures do all of the talking and you don't really need a lot of embellishments to tell the story. I discovered  this to be the case in my most recent layouts. I had taken several photos of Bodie when we were there last summer.   I found that I had many great and haunting shots of the town itself that I wanted to record. I took a simpler approach, letting the photos tell the story of a town that simply ceased to be.  The buildings themselves still hold many secrets. 

 The name ghost town is fitting for Bodie, it's like everyone vanished. Exploring the past was fascinating and a little eerie.  Just thankful that it was a day trip. One of the guides thrilled the kids with ghost stories that would have been a little more intimidating after night fall. Sophia saw her reflection in a mirror while looking through a window and swears that she saw "the ghost of a little girl."

This little brick building is what's left of a bank vault. The factory seems to be in ok shape from the outside but we didn't take the tour to explore the inside. 

 Had to add a little fun.  The brads are from Bo Bunny & the flowers are Prima.

 During the summer we always roast marshmallows over the fire pit in the backyard at the cabin. Everyone gets in on the act and we all enjoy the tasty treat!

 I didn't use as many photos as the last layout but I still tried to fit in my favorites from that smoretastic time!

I used Bazzil as the background cardstock, Die Cuts with a View for the patterned paper, wooden buttons are MME, bee is Recollections, letters are Thickers  & the Great Outdoor stickers are Cosmo Cricket. Since I am not much of a camper, it was nice to finally get some use out of those stickers.
Thank you for stopping by.  Happy crafting!