My 15 picks for 2015

In no particular order.

I've been doing this for a few years

and it kinda gives me and idea how I'm rolling

design wise.

I seem to have an ebb and flow.

However, some made me smile, some were simple

some were wild,  

 and some I just plain love.

Well really all of them since I picked them.

 I do seem to get on a roll with similar stuff...

Does that happen to you?

Have a Happy and Blessed New Year!!!

Mixing up some old Echo Park paper

with some Studio Calico.

I've had the star transparency and paper

for a long time and this photo

just brought out the need to toss them together.

 Nothing says cool like stars and bokah.

Of course there's some layering and love that 

master reel was just waiting for a home.

 Those adorable leaves came in the new kit.

Can't ever go wrong with gold.

Threw on some layers and again, dithered about

where to put the title.

And decided the star was perfect.

Amelia's got some attitude going on.

Love it.

Thanksgiving page that I forgot about

It appears I went into another scrapping frenzy

and really got ahead or behind

in the posts - who knew.

Anyway this page started with this adorable turkey

and a really really old orange Basic Grey paper.

 I did have other papers to go with and they

really didn't work out. Soooo....

plan B.

As if I've ever had a plan B.

But I did lay down some stamping

and then covered  up most of it.

Shocking I know.
(But I felt it was too much)

How about that adorable jar transparency 

with those sweet, cute flowers.

 Wa-la the turkey did make it but it was close.

Mostly because I couldn't make a decision.

About anything.

 I added the big doily because

it did cover up a bunch of the stamping -
because I was still thinking it was too much..

and then I dithered about thinking the doily was out of place
because it made the page a bit more fancy than
I had planned on.

Which is probably how I forgot about this page.

Anyway - after it simmered a bit I decided I liked it

and would go ahead roll with it.

Then I scrapped a few other pages in between photographs 

of completed pages waiting to post
that I didn't keep up with.

It was all the holiday's fault.

Sweet little frames

Made the perfect Christmas gifts.

M's has them for $1.50 -

can't been that and they're the perfect size
for little quotes.

I used different project life cards

added some sentiments

from the millions of stamps in my possession

and tossed a couple of hearts in

because I could.

Mixing B&W and Color Photos

Love this Studio Calico paper - its like

fireworks and so fun.

I did a couple of clusters and I thought I was

quite creative using the B&W

photo with a colored photo.

It happened because I actually liked her

pose and intense concentration

in the B&W better .

(I only wish I could sit like that)

Mom helped her of course - but I really think

Amelia did the majority of the work.

I did do a handwritten title.

I know - quite the creative rebel on this one.

And why oh why am I not that artistic.

Hope everyone has a blessed Christmas!!

from our house to yours!

As I was decorating the tree this year I became very nostalgic

as I pulled the ornaments out and began

decorating the tree.

And in full disclosure, I am a tree nazi. 

I can't tell you how hard it was to let the kids help

when they were younger. LOL.

After they went to bed I would take all the ornaments

they placed on one branch and spread them around.

If they noticed they never spoke of it and

it became our little secret.

As I pulled ornaments out it occurred to that

I have kept every handmade decoration my kidlets made throughout

their school years-and there is always a 

special place on the tree for them.

(I find it hard because I want them all to be front

and center LOL)

My grandmother had beautiful, vintage decorations that graced her trees

and she always loved her trees to look a special way.

At first her decorations passed to mom and then to me.

My mom was totally into Christmas ornaments and made sure

each of us had ornaments that had our names and of course the year

especially marking milestones in our lives.

I believe she single-handedly kept Hallmark in business.

I have not carried on that tradition because

it became uniquely hers.

As I placed each one on the tree it brought

back memories of my mom and gram,  

and how they both loved and celebrated the holiday.

It also brought back memories of those

Christmases when the kidlets were young and starry-eyed.

Kraft paper and fussy cutting

I decided to roll with 8.5x11 because of

the size I made the photos

even though there are three of them.

 I also remembered that I have had this Basic Grey

paper forever, so glad I kept it because

it worked perfectly for this page.

However, it was a bit overwhelming and when I 

find that to be the case - I start fussy cutting.

 The veggies came out pretty cool looking

and the do spiff the page up.

My DH decided to give square foot gardening a go

and he's doing really well.

We've harvested quite a bit of lettuce for

really cute side salads and the tomatoes are just perfect

to be tossed with some fresh lime juice and oil.

All organic - no pesticides - fresh!

I have had this moon paper forever

from Studio Calico.

In fact it was in the "get rid of" bin along with

those plastic stars.

 And then these photos hit my messenger and well

I went into the giveaway bag and

retrieved them both.

 I did whack it down to 8x8 because its going to 

be in Jill's album and that kind of

helped with it being so overwhelming.

I cut the plastic star circle in half - one is on the right

highlighting that quote and the other piece

is on the right corner of the photo.

A couple of other whimiscal embellies and I called it a day.

I'm really glad it didn't make it out of the house.

Don't you just love messy stitching

It totally makes a perfect frame for this 8x8 page

and I love how its not the ideal

stitching from home ec. because it seems I don't

hang around with ideal stitching anymore.

LOL.

I even left some danglers.

 I took the cut apart from Studio Calico page "big smile"

and cut it down further so

it works better on the photo as a title.

 I really loved that yellow, white and black paper

and wanted to use it one day on a page - as a 12x12 however,

it has cut aparts on the back and not looking twice I

whacked a cut apart right out of the middle.

Therefore a piece of it was the basis for this page

and I really love it with the orange

and the other layers.
I tucked a leftover transparency in there for the layers
and finally put to use those itty bitty word circles dabbing them around
the page with some word strips.
One line of journaling says it all - Amelia lost her first tooth.

Gamble Rogers State Park

 Views from our campsite.