The Big Doughnut Eating Contest

It seems appropriate to post this layout and process video a day after Thanksgiving! This layout I created for Cocoa Daisy using their Main kit Sprinkles, Paper Add-On, and DITL kit. Before I get into the details of the layout, I want to issue you a challenge. Make a layout documenting a story that you have been wanting to tell. In my case, the story that I wanted to tell did not have a specific photo to go along with it. Nor, am I sure how old I was when it occurred. It doesn't matter!! Seriously. I decided to use a picture of me during that time frame and to guess the date. There...story told, layout made, and I love it!!

My first thoughts when choosing the background was that I would journal on the lined paper. I love this Dear Lizzy paper! Both sides are awesome, so it was a hard decision to use it as a background. Once I started making my layout, it became apparent that I would need to type my journaling so that I could get all the details recorded. I just love the pattern papers this month, and I wanted them all on my page.

I often outline paper layers as a way to bring the different patterns together, especially when the patterns are a bit whimsical. 

If you watch my process video, you will see how I almost made a big mistake when adhering my title. Since I moved them around, I decided to stitch them to my page. The stitching also helped to group the words and the title together. It is a rather long title, and the arrows pointing along with the stitching help to bring your eye right where it belongs. 

I have a process video for this layout if you'd like to take a closer look. I also talk about the story in a bit more detail on the video...the amazing thing is that I still love doughnuts! I hope that you and yours had a wonderful day full of good food, family, and blessings abundant. I'll be back soon :)

Scrap the Challenge: Using Two 4x6 Photos

This week Mari and I were challenged to create a layout using two or more 4x6 photos. This was an easy challenge for me this week. I used to scrap this size exclusively, and have several "go-to" layout designs that work for me. These photos of my daughter have been in a pile for me to scrap for a long time, and inspired me to pull out one of my Felicity Jane kits that I have been hoarding.

The bright papers in this kit are some of my favorites! The pinks, yellows, and greens are just so fun and I absolutely love both the gingham and the floral papers. Of course I needed to use these, and when I have pretty patterns I like to make sure that they can be seen on the layout and are not hidden. For a fun touch, I stitched around the paper layers in black thread and love the extra detail it provides to the layout.

 The journaling is about some of her sweet baby features that I did not want to forget. She had the most kissable and squishable cheeks and this momma sure did love on them quite a bit.

I have several Felicity Jane stamp sets and used one of them to stamp on the label in Versafine ink. This ink always provides a crisp image making it one of my favorite inks to use on a layout.

The flower die cut was fussy cut from the printables that were included in the kit. The yellow doily is from Doodlebug and the sequins are from my stash. Be sure and check out Mari's video as well. I have linked her channel in the detail section of my video. Thanks so much for joining me today, and I hope that you have an amazing day!

Stuck Sketches November 15th Reveal

It's time for the another sketch reveal from Stuck?! Sketches. I really enjoyed this sketch and yes I know that I say that about sketches quite often. Usually my vertical design pages use horizontal photos or I flip the sketch to make it a horizontal design. This sketch calls for vertical photos and a central design, and since this was quite different than what I normally make, I stuck pretty close to the sketch.

I have these cute photos of my daughter's new tennis shoes and thought that the Cute Girl collection by Crate woud be perfect to document this sweet memory. I know that some people may think that documenting shoes may be a bit silly, but I would love to see photos of things that I loved growing up, so I am trying to include little things like this in my scrapbooks. 

I've been trying to incorporate more patterned papers as my backgrounds and found this patterned paper perfect and easy to use as a background. The kitty face patterned paper is such a nice contrast to the pops of black and is so darn cute! 

This cluster is my favorite because of the bow clip! I have a mental block when it comes to clips, and I just could not resist buying them. So...I made sure to incorporate one on this page. 

These Thickers have been on my desk and begging to be used. It makes me happy to finally get them on a page! These papers were a perfect combination for them and I love the subtle stripes on the alphas. I don't usually mix silver and gold on a layout, but I did on this page and really like the way that it turned out. The gold hearts coordinate with the bow clip nicely.

I hope that you play along with us at Stuck?! Sketches this month. If you do, be sure and link up your layout to the blog for the chance to win a prize from one of these sponsors. I have linked up my process video below if you'd like to take a peek.

We Love Doughnuts

My family loves doughnuts, and when I heard that my favorite doughnut shop was opening up 10 minutes from my house I knew that I'd be in trouble in a good way. For this layout, I'm using the November kit Sprinkles by Cocoa Daisy. The theme of this kit is doughnuts, cupcakes, and coffee....all yummy and vital to my existence :)

I gutted the background paper and used it as a border around the cardstock. The colors are perfect and it helps frame the layout. Outlining layers in black pen is one of my favorite things to do on a layout because it brings such a big impact to the overall look.

 The exclusive flair in this kit are so sweet (pun definitely intended). I had to make myself put them both on this page and not hoard them. They are just so cute!!

All of the supplies with the exception of the doily can be found in the Main kit, the DITL kit, and the Patterned Paper Add-on.

The journaling is pretty simple and just describes which doughnuts are our favorites. I'll sum it up for you...they are all my favorite!

Camera paper is one that I love to have in my kit, especially when the cameras are different colors. They make such fun little additions to a cluster. I also machine stitched through the puffy stickers for an extra bit of detail. 

I have a process video if you'd like to take a peek at how the layout came together. Thanks so much for joining me today, and I hope that you have a great day!

Cocoa Daisy Sprinkles

I am so excited to be sharing with you my first layout using the Cocoa Daisy November kit Sprinkles. I love this kit, the doughnut theme, and the colors are right up my alley. However, I chose to make my first layout a non-themed layout to prove that not all of the layouts need to be about doughnuts and cupcakes...although that is not necessarily a bad thing :)

If you have followed me for a while, you know how much I love Maggie Holmes. This bird paper of hers in the Gather collection is just stunning, and I knew that I "needed" to showcase it on my page. To add some texture and interest, I used a distress tool to rough up the edges, although scissors work as well. 

 For a bit of added interest in this cluster I tangled up some gold thread and tucked it underneath the photo. This reminded me of a nest and I love it when the details of my embellishments match the theme or journaling of my page.

 Included in the Main kit are these gorgeous sequins from SpiegelMom Scraps! I scattered them across the page and love the subtle bling they add.

One of my favorite things about this layout is the title. How gorgeous is that gold embossing?! I was so excited when I saw just how lovely it turned out! Embossing is a great way to change the color of chipboard Thickers to make them work for your layout.  Adding further interest, I stitched some messy stitching underneath the title, and along the branch that the bird is sitting on. You might not be able to see that small detail, but in person it adds aonther special touch.

If you'd like to take a closer look at my process, I've linked my video. Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope that you have a great day!

Scrap the Challenge

Today Mari and I tackle a challenge proposed by one of our subscribers. The challenge is to use a Christmas themed collection on non-holiday photos. I must admit that when I saw this challenge I did not want to do it. I have a tough time documenting holiday layouts with holiday collections (although I don't have a problem buying the collections, lol). However, I will say that I am pleased with the end result. I decided on using the Wish Season collection by Fancy Pants. I went through the ephemera and pulled out things that weren't overtly themed. I also pulled a few embellishments from my stash as well.

My daughter is a character. She is such a fun girl and makes even the mundane, little things a fun experience. Shopping in Target with her is always an adventure. This night she was finding the most random things like this taco pinata and being super silly and I am so thankful I got a few pictures of her goofy personality. 

The die cuts are from the same collection, the gold hearts are Studio Calico, and the "Love This" puffy sticker is from Evaliscious. 

 The embossed carstock added a bit of interest to this page as well. I always love the look of it when I use it. I tried to be a bit more creative with the title and think I succeeded. It's a bit random, but it fits the theme of the photos.

I have a process video up for this challenge. Mari also has a beautiful page to share so be sure and check out her channel as well. Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope that you have a great day!

Stuck?! Sketches

It's the first of the month and that means a new sketch for Stuck?! Sketches. This sketch is a super versatile sketch and is a design that I truly love and have used many times. 

I stayed pretty true to the sketch, although it can easily be altered using one horizontal 4x6 photo, or two 3x3 photos. I chose to use the Cool Kid collection by Crate for this layout, and I'm wishing that I had more of it in my stash. This is such a great boy line! All of the supplies are from this line with the exception of the sequin stars.

I chose to ground the title on the bottom of the layout for something a bit different for me. Usually I like to keep my titles close to my photo cluster but this really appealed to me on this layout so I went with it.

 Every now and then I like to outline my paper layers and love the punch of black that it brought to this page. The gray and black star paper is one of my favorites in this collection, and I'm seriously considering buying another piece. I chose to keep the journaling centered to keep the layout balanced in the middle. Since I normally create with a diagonal flow, this was a nice change.

I have a process video if you'd like to take a peek.

These are the sponsors for this month's sketches. Be sure and play along to have a chance at winning a fabulous prize!