Merry Christmas FMS260

I am trying to resist the feeling to put on Christmas music as I make these cards.  I'm pretty sure my family would run screaming if I did.  I just can't help that I hum it while I'm making every one.  Really, I should be making Halloween cards or Thanksgiving cards but Christmas are the ones I know I'll send out when the time comes.

I used this great sketch from Freshly Made Sketches.  Once I figured out which stamp set I wanted to use it came together pretty well.  While digging through my collection of scraps I found this great sparkle paper and couldn't resist using it.

 

Here is my finished card.  I'm really liking the added sparkle without the added mess to my craft space. 

 

 

Supplies: cranberry, white and sparkle cardstock, 12 days of Christmas paper-my minds eye, cranberry, licorice and artichoke ink-The Stamps of Life, ornaments4Christmas and moreornaments4Christsmas sets-The Stamps of Life, ornaments die set-The Stamps of Life

 

US

Here is a layout of my Mom and my Grandma's youngest sister.  My mom is only about 2 in this photo. I'm hoping to get all of these photos scrapped so I can give my mom a scrapbook for Christmas with all these great memories of her childhood and  her mothers.  These photos are so hard to come by and I'm so glad I was able to get my hands one them.

I used another sketch from Let's Get Sketchy.  This is October's week 3 sketch.

I made a couple of little changes to the layout to suit what I wanted.  I still feel like it's missing something but it's finished none the less.  The photo didn't turn out as well as I'd had hoped but here it is.

 
                                                                               

1957

I absolutely love old photos.  When my Grandma passed I was able to have some of the photos from her life.  These are a treasure I'll never want to loose or forget.  Even though I don't know everything that leads up to the pictures being taken, I still have a bit of her past and can have memories for my children to always be able to look back on.

These photos happen to be of my mom and three of her four siblings.  Looking at these I can't believe how much I look like her, even when she was younger.  We are definitely twins!

I chose this one page layout from Let's Get Sketchy because most of the photos don't have enough for a two page spread (which is how I usually scrap).  Doing these one page layouts really gets my brain thinking.

Here is my layout

Moments Like This

Here is a layout of my kids first day of school from two years ago.  I love taking these pictures every year and seeing how much they've grown in the past year.  It's hard to believe that my youngest was going into 8th grade here.  Now he's half way through his freshman year.

 

 

Merry Christmas Santa

This card took me a bit of time to come up with.  I finally got an order in the mail yesterday and couldn't wait to use it! I got the inside of the card all finished and had a complete blank when it came to the front.  Instead of just doing whatever to it I left it until this morning.  Fresh eyes and fully awake brain seemed to help.  I found this great sketch over at Mojo Monday and paired it with a celebrations challenge over at Stampin' Royalty and the below card is what I came up with.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the inside.  This is what started the whole process.  I'm loving these pop up inserts. I'm not quite finished.  I'm wanting to add some sort of design inside as well.

Supplies: santa2stamp stamp set, santa dies, mini lights stamps and dies, happy holidays drop in dies (all items from The Stamps of Life), patterned paper-Anna Griffin, mistletoe hemp-lawn fawn, white liquid applique

Happy Birthday!

Here is another card I've made using two more awesome challenges.  Freshly Made Sketches, Color Throwdown and Seize the Birthday. I am really enjoying myself today.  In between cleaning and doing laundry I get to get some much needed craft therapy.  I'm loving my new scrap room and find it so much easier to be creative.   

 

 

"Lots of Leaves"

 

 

And here is what I came up with.  This took me a bit.  I really wanted to add in the leaves and birthday wish but was having a really hard time.  Then I remembered I had these great leaf dies! Presto!!

 



How are you?

I am loving the colors at Just Us Girls this week.  Unfortunately, since I started it the challenge ended.  Oh well, I'm loving this card anyway.  I paired it with the sketch challenge at

Nacho Average Challenges. 

 

 

 

 

Here is the card I created for these two challenges.  I wanted to use a Christmas set without making it a Christmas card.  I'm loving the way it turned out and I love these unconventional colors. 

 

 

Supplies: christmas2build stamp set, kind words, stitched squares and Christmas dies, artichoke, mustard, storm and raspberry ink, jewels, yellow twine and candy cane embossing folder.  (stamp set, dies and inks are all from The Stamps of Life)



Hello

I love this stamp set that I found from Red Rubber stamps. It's perfect for this time of year and when I saw this color challenge over at ColourQ this set jumped right into my head.  I also used the sketch from Try Stampin' On Tuesday.

 

 

 And here is what I came up with

 

Supplies: galoshes & umbrella stamp set by Deep Red, pumpkin pie, basic black, tempting turquoise, lovely lilac and whisper white cardstock, linen thread, jewel stones, embossing folder, hello word die & stitched square die from The Stamps Of Life.
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Grad Party ~ Stick It Down Challenge

Here is another layout for my sons graduation.  This time it's pictures from his party.  I didn't get to many, as he hates having his picture taken, but I'm loving the ones I do have.  Everyone seemed to really have a great time and made his day that much better.

 

He had so many struggles in high school and he rose above them and came out on the other side stronger and happier.   

  

Stick It Down ~ October Double Page Layout

 

 

 

Here is my layout

 

Supplies: patterned paper stampin' up!, templates kiwi lane, alphabet-cricket, silver brads

 

 

Updated Challenge List

Good morning.  While doing my usual morning project peaking, I found some great "new" challenge blogs.  What do I mean by new? They are new to me.  Check out my challenge blog list and the new ones are right on top.  I get so much inspiration from these blogs, even when I don't participate in the challenges.

CHALLENGE BLOG LIST

Graduate~ Let's Get Sketchy Challenge

Today I'm working on a layout for my new scrap room.  I'm in desperate need of new artwork and this sketch offers the perfect inspiration.  I have all of my son's graduation pictures that I still haven't done anything with.  Such a perfect way to get a start and add some new artwork.

Let's Get Sketchy Week 1

 

Here's my layout

 

 

 

Supplies: my minds eye paper, kiwi lanes stencils, tim holtz embellishments, mftstamps alpahbet dies

 

Hello ctd413, cts #193

I recently rediscovered the Color Throwdown challenge blog.  I finally got to sit and craft using one of their challenges. I paired it with CASE(E) this Sketch! challenge and got the card below.  I started with one idea for this sketch and it just didn't work (the ice cream cone was WAY to big), then I thought a Halloween card would be fun and I ended up with this cute pumpkin card.  Just goes to show how the creative process works. All in all, not what I was looking for but it works.

 

 

Here's my card!

 

 

 

 

Supplies: pumpkins2cut stamp set, pumpkin dies, hello die and pumpkin ink (stamps of life), crumbcake, pumpkin pie, island indigo, whisper white cardstock and autumn wooden elements (stampin up), pumpkin twine and background paper.

 

Gingerbread Holiday Hugs

I joined in on Try Stampin' On Tuesday's challenge this week #291.  I received a new stamp set in the mail and couldn't wait to give it a try.  I'm loving this sketch they provided for it.  I could make all my Christmas cards super fast using this one.

The Sketch!

 

 

My Card!

 

 

 

 

Supplies: gingerbread2stamp stamp set, gingerbread boy dies, chocolate ink (stamps of life), Heidi swapp 6x6 Christmas paper pad, vintage photo distress ink, skinny brads, red and white twine, old olive, cherry cobbler, very vanilla and basic black cardstock.