celebrate always [Challenge YOUrself 108].

 This month's challenge was to use black and white photos, which I love to do! Unfortunately, the free photo editing program I use does not allow black and white photos... but you can do sepia!

Sepia it is. Then I decided to challenge myself by using only black & white embellishments. Here's how it turned out:

Thanks for looking!

grateful for this moment.

 Here is my third crop challenge for My Little Scrapbook Store. This was a sketch challenge and I grabbed the photos from my youngest nephew's Baptism earlier this year. 

I'm trying to get the albums caught up for both nephews by Christmas because everyone looks at them exactly once a year - Christmas.

Thanks for looking!

school pix.

 Here's my second crop challenge page for My Little Scrapbook Store grateful for you November crop. This is for challenge #1 about a person you are grateful for.

I'm so grateful for the relationship I've developed with my oldest nephew :)

smiles from ear to ear!

My Little Scrapbook Store is hosting a crop with eight challenges and you have until 12/6/22 to enter. My first challenge to complete was #2 cheers to you. This challenge is about someone who cheers you up and look at this face! Grayson is always such a happy baby - hard to be anything but happy when you see him!

This cut file is free from Paper Issues and I used the Magical Adventures 2 collection from Echo Park + some Elle's Studio goodies. Thanks for looking!

Graters [Challenge YOUrself 107].

 Things have gotten busy for me again so I haven't had much time to scrapbook. I can't believe another month is here and that means another Challenge YOUrself challenge!

This one was easy because I do handwritten journaling most of the time :)

Thanks for looking!

let's boo this!

 Look at that big smile!

My youngest nephew Grayson enjoying his first Halloween!

telling our stories [Challenge YOUrself #106].

 I can hardly believe another month has gone by and it's time to share the October sketch challenge at Challenge YOUrself.

I used the new CVS Storyteller line, which was fitting because this page is about hanging out with family and sharing stories from the past.

I still need to finish my journaling and add the date, but otherwise am happy to have this documented. Thanks for looking!

quality time in paradise [Challenge YOUrself 105].

 It's time for another Challenge YOUrself and this month we are doing GOOD times. Last month was tough times.

I have had this photo printed for a while, just waiting to get it scrapbooked. This is from when we went out to dinner at a cool local place in Florida last year.

This is the Sunkissed collection from Cocoa Vanilla Studio. Super cute collection that I've been hoarding :) Thanks for looking!

Seafood Shack.

A second page done for the PearTree Cutfiles birthday challenges. This one is challenge number five - tags and twine. I barely have any twine in my stash. I just don't ever use it.

This is also my second page using the Doodlebug Seaside Summer collection and I'm documenting another Florida memory. 

Thanks for looking!

happy days.

Peartree Cutfiles Facebook group has a birthday celebration going on this month with tons. I'm going to complete as many as I can! This challenge was to use ephemera & distressed edges.

We just spent a week in Florida & I ordered the Seaside collection from Doodlebug to scrapbook the trip. This is my first layout using this collection. Thanks for looking!

this day [Challenge YOUrself #104].

 Time for another Challenge YOUrself challenge and this time we're documenting tough times. This was just the push I need to start doing some pages about our IVF/miscarriage journey.

This ended up being a two page layout, with the second page telling more of the miscarriage. I used a new 49 and Market collection for both of them, as they'll go next to each other in my album.

This is a Paper Issues cut file & I liked the idea of using blue & pink primarily on this page as typical baby colors. Here's the second page:

Those butterflies are all rub ons from the collection. I scattered them in order from pink to yellow. 

Thanks for looking!

Tis the Season to be Jolly.

 Here's another page for the My Little Scrapbook store July crop. This challenge was to make a Christmas page with NO green or red.

This was a fun page to make with a bunch of Elle's Studio goodies + some super fun sequins. I had this Paper Issues free cut file from a few years ago already cut and never used so this page came together super fast!

Thanks for looking!

around the zoo.

I'm on a roll! This page is for a challenge at My Little Scrapbook Store this month. We're supposed to combine old + new products. Most of this is older Bella Blvd. My newer item is the giraffe! I just purchased it last week from MLSS!

I was also inspired by the July single page sketch at Stick It Down! Thanks for looking :)

you.

 Hello again! Another page for the My Little Scrapbook Store July crop. This one was to scrapbook something that makes you happy.

Here's my youngest nephew again with the Storyteller line from CVS. This page was also inspired by sketch day 19 at Paper Issues. Thanks for looking!

lovely day.

 My Little Scrapbook Store is having an online crop with tons of challenges. I always get my Cocoa Vanilla Studio from them & I got my new order just in time for this crop!

This challenge was to scrapbook about a 'present' you received. This is my youngest nephew, born earlier this year. 

I also used inspiration from sketch day 18 at Paper Issues. They are doing 31 days of sketches this month! Thanks for looking :)

collect moments, not things.

This cutie is my youngest nephew and this page was made for one of the July challenges at Pear Tree cut files! This one was to use LAYERS.

Everything on this page is from my PinkFresh stash. I'm learning to use the off cut feature on my Silhouette so I've been practicing with the Pear Tree cut files I have. My floral background paper is actually matted on another sheet of ombre patterned paper, but I couldn't crop the photo right to include it so I had to crop that out. Lots going on on this page but I think it all comes together because the tones are all matching.

Thanks for looking!

furrever friends.

 I'm playing along with Peartree Cutfiles July online crop again this month! Challenge four was to use your favorite collection and although this is not a super current collection... it IS the most current Bella Blvd pet collection and it's my favorite dog collection ever. I had this cute photo of my oldest nephew napping with one of his dogs and I thought it would be so cute with this collection + cut file.

I used some broken china distress ink behind my title + popped it up with foam adhesive. Everything is from Bella Blvd and I just think this is so, so cute. 

Thanks for looking!

sweetest [Challenge YOUrself 103].

Happy July! Time for a new challenge at Challenge  YOUrself and this month the focus is family. Remember, YOU have to be in the photos. These photos are me with my littlest nephew, Grayson.

Everything on this page is Elle's Studio (except the chipboard title) and the patterned papers are actually 6X8 size! That's a new one for me, but I couldn't find any 12X12 papers in my stash that I wanted to use.Thanks for looking!

good vibes only.

This was a quick page using sketch day number five from Paper Issues #31DaysOfSketches challenge this month.

I used a bunch of things from my stash. The patterned paper (Heidi Swapp Art Walk) started this whole page. The die cuts and stickers are Cocoa Vanilla Studio and the patterned paper strips are all Bella Blvd. Thanks for looking!

big boy bed.

Another layout completed for the June challenges at Pear Tree! I don't think I'm going to get all four done in time, sadly. This was for a sketch challenge and I used all of my new 49andMarket. I am super loving this whole collection.

Thanks for looking!

summer sun.

 I was wanting to try some mixed media and I found some challenges at the Pear Tree cut files Facebook group. This challenge was to use five items from a list and I chose wood, patterned paper, sequins, mixed media, and washi + you had to use a PearTree cut file.

This is the broken china distress oxide ink + sunflower flight sequins from Spiegelmom Scraps.

Thanks for looking!

the little moments.

This page was SO fun to make! My mom had these photos that were taken inside at a fish store so they weren't the best quality. I edited them as best I could and then I found this cut file in my stash. It could not be more perfect for this page! 

I backed my fish with Craft Consortium 6x6 papers, popped some up with foam adhesive, and I LOVE how it turned out. This is easily one of my favorite layouts in a LONG time. Thanks for looking!

grow here.

 Hi friends! Today I'm sharing a page using the June Stick it Down sketch. Not gonna lie, the triangle design was throwing me off.

I found this cut file from Cut to You and used it as inspiration. The background is a pre-made mixed media paper from Vicky Boutin. With the busy background, I didn't need embellishing, but I do still need to add my journaling. Thanks for looking!

magical memories to last a lifetime.

This Jillibean Soup kraft patterned paper is SO old. Serious stash busting here. I mixed it with some (new) 49 and Market and then just some random embellishments from my stash. This page was inspired by the Paper Issues "Most Popular" challenge this month, which is to scrap the favorite family member. It's my nephew, hands down! Thanks for looking:)
 

sweet sunny days [Challenge YOUrself 102].

 June Challenge YOUrself mood board challenge, coming in hot! Of course I grabbed some vacation photos. Those are my favorite to scrap. These pictures are from Mexico in 2019. We had some great drinks while sitting poolside for several days and doing nothing else.

I started with a Vicki Boutin mixed media background and just added a bunch of stuff from my stash. I love pages like that! Thanks for looking :)

look.

I ordered some of the new 49 and Market line and have been wanting to play with it. For this page, I used one of the mixed media rub ons as a starting point for my page. Then I used the words + chipboard hearts to embellish around my photo. 

 I'm playing along with a Scraplift Sunday challenge at Paper Issues.

Thanks for looking!

dreamer.

Hello again! Today I have a layout I made just for fun. I got some of the new 49 and Market collection and it's really so pretty. This paper I used as my background today, I felt would be the hardest for me to use. Just because of the design. It's not really my style. So I challenged myself to use it first and to do so, I changed my photos to sepia.

From there, I found my title word and a Paper Issues cut file with clouds. I used the Lovely Day sequin mix from Spiegelmom Scraps + popped up some of my embellishments with foam adhesive. Thanks for looking!

everyday moments.

 This page was based on a May sketch from Paper Issues.

It's kind of a mish-mash of a PearTree cut file + some mixed media + fussy cut clouds from a patterned paper in my stash. Thanks for looking!

I heart... [Challenge YOUrself 101].

  

Another month, another challenge! So many possibilities with this one!

You guys already know what I love! I used a Paige Evans cut file for this one and backed it using up some scraps from my stash. I kept the embellishments pretty slim because I am loving this cut file. Thanks for looking!

First Easter.

 This page is an April scraplift challenge at Paper Issues.

Thanks for looking!

1 month.

 Here's another one for an April Paper Issues challenge about dreams or sleeping. I have a cute photo of my nephew sleeping - because that's about all he does right now!

Thanks for looking!

Mom Moments.

 Sharing a layout I made for one of the April challenges at Paper Issues. The challenge was to create a project about BABIES. So I grabbed a photo of my new baby nephew!

This is a free cutfile from Paper Issues + the rest is from Elle's Studio. Thanks for looking!

Congrats.

I like to include invitations on my wedding pages when I can. The invite includes all the details of the day so all you have left to do is embellish! Super easy!

 All of my die cuts are from The Avenue collection by Jen Hatfield. I've been trying to use these up for ages!

Simply Lovely.

 This page is for the final challenge at My Little Scrapbook Store's online crop. It ends today! I completed four layouts. This is my new nephew, Grayson!

This challenge was to use a cut file and I found this one in my stash from The Cut Shoppe. Thanks for looking!

L O V E [Challenge YOUrself 100].

Time for a new theme at Challenge YOUrself! This is our 100th challenge and we are using all the stars to celebrate.

My cut file is from Paper Issues and it was the star of the show. These photos aren't too great, but this was only the third time we had gotten to see our nephew at this point because of Covid (and they live three hours away).

Thanks for looking!

Wild Card Saturday.

Where my Bengals fans at? We paid a ridiculous amount of money for first row seats behind the Bengals bench for the Wild Card game against the Raiders. It. Was. Amazing.

This is another page for the My Little Scrapbook Store crop going on now. This challenge was to do a layout about sports. Thanks for looking!

You Color My World.

Here's another page for the crop going on at My Little Scrapbook Store. This challenge was to use ROY G BIV colors.

This is my oldest nephew, who is 18 months now. Coincidentally, my second nephew was born today! I spent SO much time on this page that I did no further embellishing. Those shakers and that mixed media took forever! But it was so worth it. I absolutely L O V E the final result. Thanks for looking!

Giving Him Life [Challenge YOUrself 99]!

If there's one topic I could scrap for the rest of my life... it's pets! That makes this challenge one of my favorites.

For this page, I chose to do a layout about Pax, who was my foster puppy of summer 2021. He was about eight weeks old and So. Much. Work. But he really was super sweet and smart and he got a fantastic furever home and I stay in touch with them. I love them so much for him and he really is living his best life now.

The title was taken from a Facebook post I shared on the day he was officially adopted. People ask me all the time, "How do you do it? How do you give them up?" I'm not giving him up. I'm giving him life. 

I encourage everyone to sign up with a local humane society or rescue and foster once. Just once! It will change your life - and the life of the animal you foster.

palm trees are my spirit animal.

 My Little Scrapbook Store is hosting a Facebook crop this month and this is for the first challenge I'm completing. This challenge was to scrapbook something that makes you feel lucky or blessed.

I feel lucky that I am able to vacation to tropical locations where I can see palm trees and the ocean. Thanks for looking!