Using a brown paper bag as a background mat

It was one of those moments as I pulled the papers

out of the brown paper bag that 

Studio Calico uses to send extra papers

when I pulled them out and laid them on top of the bag

and it was all like oooohhhhh.....

Anyhoo, it frames the paper really nicely and gives a rustic

autumn kind of look.

 I also found a kraft envelop that worked nicely too

to pop the "paperbag look" on the page 

and continued that rustic look.

The folded over top was actually what sold me

because it was perfect to add a small

photo with a background.

The mat under the photo is a kraft doily

with that purply-blue color peeking out.

White circles join all the embellishments together and

does look better in real life.

The wooden alphas and butterflies also add to the rustic-ness.

Annie girl in the grass.

Love her 'do.

Waving.

Studio Calico, Sissix, Quikutz, sequins,

Heidi Swap tea mists.

It's actually the perfect size the page protectors too.

Cute little bunny butt envelopes I stole off the internet

And I'm so happy I found this idea for the grands

and I had all the supplies on hand

and busted some stash.

Total win-win.

And ain't they stinkin' adorable.

So I glued their butts to the front of the envelope

in order to tuck something behind.

 Thanks to my pal Holli - when I indicated that

I wanted some type of carrot thing to 

tuck in so it would look like the bunny was

jumping in after it she told me

about these reeses pieces carrots.

I pondered a real carrot for a brief moment

 but that would be mean

for Easter lol.

So I debated in the store because the carrots are

huge but figured no harm no foul

if they didn't fit.

But they did fit sort of.

Now to mail them off in time.

I made 12 of them - 10 for the grands

and the other 2 for my two nieces that will be

at our house for Easter.

I love the internet.

February Faux Travel Journal Entries

 Well by the look of my faux journal it wasn't a 

very happening month.

Although to be honest I'm still dithering about as

to what I really want to put in there/out there?

I do keep a diary type journal that I'm way more chattier

than I sometimes need to be.

Know what I mean?

In fact, it's sad that a couple of these entries are totally

out of order, but hey 'tis done.

And it's my faux journal so I'm thinking at least

I got the entries in there.

My goal is to use the entries for those things we did,

or didn't do, or photos that really don't need pages.

I'm at the point where I'm considering 

building a wing on our house just to store my albums.

LOL. 

Basic Grey, Studio Calico, bits and pieces.

March should be a little livelier!!

I think.

Random photos in one page

Yup. 

I've been getting into pocket pages and I absolutely love doing them.

Not all the time, but this past week and especially the

weekend my mojo done took a hike so

I've been reading and doing other

things because sometimes just stepping back helps.

Of course I stalk the videos too which I love too.

Anyhoo, I had all these photos chosen and printed and

they were getting overwhelming since I couldn't make a decision on anything

so then I had this brilliant

idea to just stick them all in a pocket page.

Shocking, I know, that it took awhile to think that one up. LOL.

But, I found that I had either scrapped them before

some going in other albums OR I really didn't have a story.

Not that I need a story but sometimes the story helps in the page design.

So.

Shazam.

It happened that I got all the grandkids on one page

AND my two kidlets.

How cool is that.

And I really like the randomness of the pocket pages.

I used some Tim Holtz stuff, WRMK PL cards

there is Studio Calico bits, punched hearts, QK and Mambi.

A Tuesday Kind of Love

Love the cluster that came together for this page

from Tim Holtz. It just worked out

and gave this a sort of monochromatic type look.

 So Tuesday is the newest member in my granddaughter

Amelia's family and she looks to be a beautiful,

sweet Weimaraner.

Adjusting nicely both are settling in for a nap.

I could use a nap.

I love naps.

I need a dog with my naps too.

Studio Calico, Tim Holtz, Mambi alphas.

Vegetable netting as a mat

My pal Holli got me this prize of Jillybean Soup embellishments

and they work perfectly with this page.

I am loving this cluster.

 I had all kinds of things going on as a mat when I

noticed this veggie bag netting laying around on my desk.

Normally I use the netting as a "stencil" but

when I put it behind the photo it just looked very cool as a mat layer.

Added some watercolors for background color

and just love how it turned out.

Lou checking out the grass.

Studio calico, Jillybean Soup, watercolors, netting.

Not quite the autumn look I was going for

Another page that was giving me fits this week.

I really wanted to use some pretty autumn looking papers

BUT

somehow a different direction was dictated.

This is one of the background pages I made for the previous page 

this week that was giving me fits.

 So I am on a design roll too as I seem

to be going with the design down the middle -

and that's okay.

The same yet different 😏

 The watercolors just seemed to work.

So I added the moose for that autumn woodsy look. 

LOL.

I'd really like to know what's cracking them up.

So this is Bazzil, Bella Blvd, Studio Calico and Pink Fresh.

I *heart* shenanigans

Picked up this adorable paper at my local

scrapbook shop and couldn't wait

to use it.

 I really didn't have to do much to the paper

and I really love this one that had a huge shamrock

on it.

Put some layers behind the photo and fussy cut some

shamrocks out, then, tossed some washi tape on.

Added some bling to the shamrocks, backed

the sticker as a title and tada!

Very fun!

This page gave me fits....

The entire weekend was utterly fits in

the scrapbooking world.

The mojo - has left the building......

Anyway I fussy cut this heart out because I wanted 

some dimension.

So I decided on white and managed to

get all the watercolors wrong.....

 I had this page laying around and the

watercolors still came out wrong.

I'm like seriously.......

You'd think I'd figure it out by now lol.

 But the navy blue was yummy - 

After I went so far as to splat some

white enamel on it (that came out with

some blue-green on it because I didn't change the water 😐 

I remembered that I wanted to use this with

another photo on another page.

Sigh.

All that turmoil, I decided that I really liked this "green'

which had been on the radar too and

 it turned out was the best pick.

Used my sissix die to make that ribbon...

and that adorable little bow came from the stash and

those two itty bitty banners were snips from

trimming off those strips I used on the ribbon.

So I kept this simple because frankly

it was making me nuts.

Studio Calico, Michael's wood title and Sissix.

Hearts and graph paper - win

 I have a bunch of Pink Fresh papers so I decided

I needed to use some because I'm

really trying to keep supplies down to a mild roar.

Bwahahahaha!!!

Right.

Anyhoo, I did use the 6x6 pads to layer and they

did have that cool clipboard stamp that

is totally fun and has nothing to do whatsoever with the page.

And that Bugs Bunny peeking out - thanks to Holli

I punched a bunch out and love it.

Did splash some watercolors about using the packaging

technique (since I've sworn off mists for awhile) and love 

how it turned out. It kind of brought both sides of

the paper together and grounded the photo.

Had a really hard time picking out a photo but I went with B&W

because I felt it just worked.

So Pink Fresh everything except the title and chipboard pieces

that came from Studio Calico kits.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Remembering favorite things

photo 1-1

photo 1-2

Everyone has favorite things -

 things you enjoy

things that make you happy

things that bring you comfort

things passed down.

These are a few of my mom's favorite things

and some were my Gram's and then mine

and I thought it would be fun to showcase and

pocket pages worked it out the best.

Such a nostalgic page for me because some of the items

are not in my possession anymore

so it brings me comfort to see the photos of the items

especially when I see them as they were arranged

in mom's home.

Basic Grey, Bassil, various Studio Calico stuff, Doodle Bug stickers,

and thickers (which I turned the F around to make T's because

I was over finding a font that had letters I needed.

Scalloped edges and bunnies

While hanging out at Holli's house she

allowed me to  use her scalloped die to cut

out this beautiful flowered paper.

When I flipped it over it just looked soooo pretty

with the "B" side of the paper.

Therefore I decided to back them on black,

popped up the flower paper with some foam and wa-la!

Believe it or not these bunnies were prestamped

and all I had to do was fussy cut them.

The color was perfect.

Found some pink fresh tags, a Heidi Swapp frame

and built that little cluster.

I think the photo frame is from HL and I added

my journaling around it.

And Holli's adorable granddaughter posing

in a little onesie and flower headband that I gifted

because I knew her adorable self would rock them both.

Not our first rodeo

But it was our first one at the Arcadia Rodeo.

It was a lot of fun.

A lot of nail biting.

Calf roping...............

 I'm not sure if he missed the calf or not.

 Calf wrestling....

 Trick riders.....

 More calf roping........

 Bronco ridin............

 Intermission as this gorgeous horse ran the field........

 More calf ropin............

 Behind the scenes this bull did NOT want to go in the trailer.

It was fun trying to see grown men 

make this bull do what he didn't want to do.

 My sweet BIL and SIL....

 Barrel racin..........

 Behind the scenes bringing out the

Clydesdale.

 Bull ridin........

 Bull chasin.........

 More ridin..........

 The final rider was injured and found

he was okay before we left.

 Clydesdales up close and personal.

I got to pet each one and they are sooooo sweet and BIG.

 This baby is Storm and he was sooo soft and loved

to have his muzzle rubbed.

I could've done that all day.

 Then there is Kit......

 And Tally......

The horses had their initials on their harness

that I can't see so I'm guessing I got each one right.

They are Whispering Pines Clydesdales.....