Awkward School Dance Pose

The Challenge:  Use black and white photos on your layout.

I really like the look of black and white photos, but when I go to make some prints, I always get stuck up on how much I love the color!  Bryon and Leah recently had engagement photos done and most of them were given in color and black and white.  I chose a fun one that I could use with some Simple Stories that I picked up.  I decided to go with the bright products to help the photo stand out.  It does blend in well with the darker matte.

Portland Zoo

The Challenge: Scraplift one of the Moderators at Club CK

We have a bunch of board moderators at the club and not only are they very nice ladies, they are talented scrappers too!  The magazine highlighted and introduced the moderators for the year.  We decided to carry on with that theme and invite you to peruse their galleries and lift one of their layouts!

I chose Adele.  She does a lot of double layouts, and if you haven't guess, so do I!  I loved this one titled, Brave Knight and decided to use it for some photos I had for the trip to the zoo on my birthday.  It is a sweet layout that worked really well for these photos.

The layout

Tis The Season 4 Joy

The Challenge:
Use photo strips on your layout or project.

Photo strips have been around for a little while, but looking through this issue, they are EVERYWHERE!   I love using them!  I most often use them when highlighting a lot of photos, like you are looking at a proof sheet.  There are many other options too.  You can stack photos like you took them in a photo booth, die cut some film strips to use as an accent, use some of the acetate film strips, they look pretty real, or as in my case, use a stencil to place the photos in.

Yes, I am just finishing last Christmas's photos right after this year's celebration....so what of it ;)  I had printed these photos all off about a month ago, in a rather small size, but had no idea what the plan had been now because I waited so long!  I got this great film strip stencil for Christmas and decided to try it out.  I just painted right on top of my piece of patterned paper, using painter's tape to mask off what I didn't want painted, then used my fine tip marker to define the spaces and give it a cleaner look.  Then I took the photos and cut them down to size, rounded the edges, and placed them in the photo spots.  It was a great way to house a lot of photos on a single page and give the look of action, like the camera was set on burst mode.

I just added a few embellishments to the pre-printed paper and BAM, layout complete.  I look forward to using this stencil again!

The layout

First Signs Of Spring

The Challenge:
Use polka dots on your layout

Polka dots are just plain fun!  The have the air of carefree and full of spirit.  They are a good addition to a Spring layout.  These are my Camilla and they are one of the first flowers to bloom, come Spring.

The layout

A Very Merry Christmas

The Challenge:
Make your own layered embellishment

I love the look of the layered, 3-D embellishments and making your own is a whole lot cheaper!  I had these photos from last year's Christmas all printed and ready to scrap.  I found that I had a hole in my grid so what better place to put a fun embellishment?  I used the stamp set that came with the paper line and just cut out, layered, used foam tape, and added gems and glitter glue all on a die cut background.  I think it turned out pretty good.

The layout

Mason Is 1!

The Challenge:
Use a grid pattern for your photos with the twist of having white borders.

Grids are so wonderful for making quick layouts with lots of photos.  I was scrambling to finish my nephew's first year album, so having a grid made it so easy!  I just arranged all the photos into the grid design in Photoshop, leaving a bit of white in between the photos, and printed them off.  Then I just place the whole sheet on the layout and bingo bappo, done!

The layout

When "Gabe" Came

The Challenge:
Use 9 or more photos on your layout.

I have no problem with this!  I love using lots of photos, but it is coming back in style.  We went through a period of using just one itty bitty photo.  I love photos, so I want to use many.  I think with everyone having cell cameras and using Instagram, it is even easier to get multiple photos.  In fact, I used Instagram photos for this layout.

I scrapped about being so utterly, completely surprised by a scrap friend flying in to visit me.  We had a great weekend and my phone came in quite handy.  I just loved how this American Crafts line added such a playful feel and, again, a Pamela Young sketch worked perfectly for my story.

The layout

Recipe For A Happy Life

The Challenge:
Scrap someone special in your life

I took the article about scrapping the people with special needs in your life and gave it the twist to scrap someone special.  Not all of us have special needs loved ones, but we all have special people.  I took the CSI challenge for last week, which worked perfectly!  One of the prompts was to use recipes.  I chose to document the recipe for a relationship.  I also used clocks, brads, and patchwork evidence too.  Finally, a sketch by Pamela Young jumped up and begged to be used for this layout!  I just love how it turned out.

The layout

The case file

Just Look At That Face!

The challenge:
Use a paper bag on your project

Little paper bags are kind of in right now, but you can use any grocery sack to make cut outs or upcycle a bag you received during a purchase.  This is what I did.  I used a little sack that I got when I made a purchase. I used it as a matte for my photo and to hold the journaling tag.  I will definitely use this technique again.

The layout

Charming

The Challenge:
Make borders around the edge of your layout

I like making a border around the edge of my page.  I can help "hold" things in and make them nice and cozy, not just off into space.  I also used the sketch that the weekly challenge had us use.  It was a great one for some everyday photos that didn't really have a story of their own, but a super cute subject.  The sketch called for 1.5" photos and paper squares, but I bumped them up to 2" to get more of the cutie in them.

I cut the chevron strips and place them in a frame pattern, then added the brads at the corner to anchor them down.  I like how this one turned out!

The layout

Bombin' Tradition

The Challenge:
Create a layout about one of you family's holiday traditions

Recently the wonderful woman that ran my favorite challenge at Club CK had to step down for a time in order to deal with some personal issues.  I have done the Issue Challenge every week, without fail, since I joined the club.  It is such a great idea that has us pouring over our magazines, looking for new ideas and techniques.  A group of us felt that it was an good enough idea, that we wanted to continue it in her absence. We brainstormed challenge ideas and picked 8 randomly.  It is hard to choose!  Then we assigned the weeks amongst us and got to work.  I had the first week and had already the idea to do this layout, so it worked perfectly.

I did my layout on something that was once an irritation, but has become a fun tradition. Every Christmas I would try to get a nice photo of my kids in front of Grandma's tree and they would do photo bomb after photo bomb! Finally, I would get a nice photo. Then I started looking forward to what goofy faces and poses they would come up with and thus was born a tradition. In fact last year they went right to the nice pose to throw me off and I made them "do it right"

The layout

Summa Time Is The Best Time

The challenge:
Use that oldie, but goodie, vellum on your next layout

Vellum really is pretty cool stuff.  It can tone down something bright, you can print right on it, or it makes for some cool embellishments.  I thought they would make awesome clouds, and they do!  I used this photo of my nephew from last summer at the beach.  The vellum clouds seem to look just like the ones in the photo.

The layout

We Walk Together

The Challenge:
Use inspiration from everyday life

I go to this bank's website for work all the time and I love the sign in screen.  It just has happy colors and I love the clouds.  I've wanted to use it for a layout for some time, but never remember when I'm home.  This was the perfect challenge for that!

I kept with the general color scheme, used those cute clouds, and arranged my pieces in a grid formation, just like the site.  I love how it turned out.  The stitching was a last minute addition and I love what it did for the overall design.

The photo is from a recent trip to the coast.  As I was sitting on a log with John, I noticed that our footsteps leading up from the water to where we were, went side by side.  Even though they ambled a bit, they ambled together.  It was obvious that we had been holding hands and moved as one.  It has been a really rough couple of months for me and the sight of those footsteps was so reassuring.  No matter where life ambles, John will amble with me

The layout

Bike 2 The Coast

The Challenge:
Use your favorite paper maker and give the reasons you love them

This was a hard one for me.  I love so many different makers for different reasons.  Time and time again I come back to Crate Paper as on of my faves though.  They have such fun lines, with awesome embellishments, that can be used in so many ways.  I like the slightly distressed look that is never too cutesy. I like rugged over cute.  Fits my lifestyle more.

For this layout I turned to the Story Teller line that I just love!  There are so many ways to use it for layouts of "doing" and "going"  We do a lot of that.  I used the photos of John and his friend that they took on a bike trip over to the coast.  It's over 60 miles there and passes over the Coast Range.  They had a great time and stopped to snap these picks at the end of their route.  They took John's truck back home that we had left the night before.

I also used Ashley Horton's October Sketch It Out Sketch.

The layout

The sketch

Trapped

The Challenge:
Use Itty Bitty elements

This challenge paired nicely with this week's CSI challenge which includes using something itty bitty.  I used a bunch of small circles, buttons and itty bitty letters for my title.  I also used a book page, stars and rub-ons for my CSI evidence and my journaling is enclosed in the frame of a thought bubble and is from the baby's perspective, "I have learned that the big people put all the good stuff on the other side of this gate!  Someday I will get to the other side...someday"

The layout

The case file

Flying Solo

The Challenge:
Use a paper airplane on your project.

Having a pilot in the family made this layout a breeze!  What better way to use a plane than to show Kyle getting ready for his first solo flight?  I also got to use a new die cut die for clouds that I got and I just love them!

The layout

Laura & Dad's Great CA Adventure

The challenge:
Use numbers on your next project

My dad and I recently took a trip to attend a family funeral.  The occasion was hard, difficult, and sad, but spending time with family was so wonderful.  Especially the road trip with my dad.  I didn't bring my big camera, instead I just used my phone and the Instagram app.  I am loving this app more and more.  For one thing, I always have it with me and the filters are super fun and you really do get those snapshots of life; just your ordinary day.  And on a 12 1/2 hour drive, it is something to do.

I complied all my snapshots of things along the trip, printed them out, and placed them in a grid pattern.  The idea I got for using numbers comes from the Visa commercials that give the prices of items purchased and then the punchline is the time spent or the joy given is priceless.  That is how I felt about this trip.  We spent many hours going many miles, but time with my dad was priceless.

The journaling says:
753 miles
5 days
2 In-N-Outs
34 family members
105 degress
time spent with my dad - priceless

The layout

Photo Bomb

The Challenge:
Use a camera embellishment

We have so many photo bomb photos in this house!  They never seem to get old either.  It's just who we are.  I thought using the film strips and the cameras for this topic would be a lot of fun!  I added the fun arrows and paint splatters so that no one is in doubt that these photos are all about the fun.

The layout

You Light My World

The challenge:
Use a sunburst or beams for your next project.

It's been a hard couple of weeks for me and I really wanted to focus on some happy layouts.  Nothing makes me happier than this man.  He is someone who I love having in my life, spending time with him.  He is my rock and makes me laugh when I need it most and sometimes when I don't think I do need it.  He is the light in a dark week.  What better use of the sun rays than showing someone who brings light to my dark?



The layout

Cut Me A Break

The Challenge:
Use mini envelopes on your next project

I have always struggled somewhat with using envelopes for my journaling because you can't easily see it.  I decided to tell this story of John and Bryon's endless battle over how Bryon's sandwich is cut.  Bryon just wants it cut normally, John likes fancy.  He cuts Bryon's sandwiches in such a myriad of shapes, that I decided to use my envelope to house the "secret" cutting files.

It's nice to know that John is on the cutting edge of scrapping trends too, using the ever popular chevron for this yummy sandie.  

The layout