Halloween pages

Instead of stretching them out I decided to

just roll with all of them...

So first up is 8.5x11 of Sam and Lou

(Simba and a witch)

So adorable.

Did you notice the color of the paper matches

Lou's witchy face?

Love that.

 Miss Amelia decided to be a cat.

She has some homemade spiders going on -

buttons, cardstock legs and goofy eyes.

Nothing says spooky like that.

Her paper maybe Echo Park (not sure) I mixed

a bunch of lines here. So my bad.

 Next up is Owen and Annie and if 

they hadn't been standing side-by-side I would've

never guessed Owen as Michael Jackson.

And Thriller is perfect.

They totally rocked that.

Got some G45 going on - Fussy cut the title which is

perfect with MJ's & the witches look.

We are headed out again in the RV - going to see my dad

in Tennessee and then slide up the Mississippi 

River again checking out the blues and food.

Also hoping for some pretty fall trees but I'm thinking

we're a bit too late for that. 

Halloween cards

And for once I'm ahead of the game.

GO ME!

Anyhoo, instead of making the cards exactly the same this year

I used the tons of stuff leftover from prior years;

 a mix of Echo Park and K&Company stickers

and cut aparts.
I'm hoping that I can do that for future cards as well.

I also tried to keep in mind that the age range of grands

is from 3-15 so I'm trying to make

cards age appropriate-sort of LOL!

Now to remember to mail these badboys out in time!

Another Doodlebug Easter page

Since I've used most of the line for the shakers

that didn't work out and I'm eking out what's left 

for the rest of the grands pix coming in.

Therefore I employed the use of strips that of course,

I laid out previously and it looks nothing like that once

I had to glue them down.

 Love the fun patterns - so bright and pretty and

I used nuvo dots on those punched flowers.

 Sam and Lou collecting eggs.

Looks like fun!

Used another old K&Co title for the page

and a little quickutz swirl for an accent.

Fun Doodlebug Easter page

This is a totally adorable line with lots of

colorful, fun papers.

I had to fussy cut that sweet bunny out as

and embellishment.

 Using the packaging technique with watercolors 

to highlight the papers and another fussy cut emblellishment

that I added bows for a fun look.

 Funny story about the hearts. 

I made a TON of them.

I originally got the papers to make Easter cards

for the grands. I wanted to make shaker cards, hence the

different cut styles.

Well....

they turned out to be an absolute disaster.

I didn't have the correct see-through stuff, using some

"transparency" instead of acetate, there was glue everywhere

and all the sequins and stuff kept falling out.

Therefore, they were scrapped and now I have a lot

of hearts that you may or may not see as photos of the

grands roll in.

Love how it turned out- the "title" is really

older K&Co. 

Doodled around the page with a yellow sharpie.

Annie and Owen lookin' good in their Easter outfits.

Papers from the Smash book

These papers were leftover from the album I made 

for the 2016 Leaf Peeping Tour and were

taking up a lot of room in my scrap basket which

has totally runneth over. (more about that later).

 Love the edges when I pulled them out of the notebook

so I kept them as they add lovely texture.

I have been wanting to do this photo for a long time

and just couldn't decide what I wanted to do.

It totally worked out with these papers

and I got to use some girly stickers I had laying around for ages

The packaging technique helped pull colors around.

Mostly Studio Calico, K&Co, Shimelle diecut, thickers, and no clue on the stickers.

One last Halloween page (maybe)

Still hanging with Holli when this page evolved

and did add some touches when it

came home

like enamel and Nuvo dots.

 And those itty bitty hearts.

Aren't they adorable.

Which doesn't lend much to a "scary" page.

However, Pokemon ain't that scary.

 Well we do have some sort of "Freddy" there in the background.

Again, shopping at Holli's was fun and that candy

(which is the title) makes me want to open it up and eat it.

All in all it was a fun, productive day

and the mojo seems to be sortof returning.

Haven't scrapped since but sometimes a break is a good thing.
More K&Co.

The mojo is getting a bit better

On Halloween - as stated Holli and I got together

and she had this fun, cool spider.

And now he's mine!

It was still painful putting this page together

but it was getting a bit better.

If it weren't for all those Decisions..... LOL

 She also had this cool spider that made my day

and that sign, and those enamel dots.

Holli has a lot of cool stuff.

 So this paper is K&CO and very busy so of course I added to it with 4 photos.

Love these photos of the grands. Such diverse costumes.

Very FUN and the photos too precious.

Sam - Spider man and Lou -the bunny and I really need to get 

more informed on cartoons (which I love BTW) because I am not

up to speed on that rabbit. 

Maybe if I google it - BRB!

Found it!! 

Judy Hopps a Disney Character from Zootopia.

Whew!

Scrappy supplies packed and ready to go

Heading out for "The 2016 Leaf Peeping Tour!"

I was hemming and hawing about putting something together

to scrap on the road because it'll only be a week.

Then I remembered I had this smash book and thought

"how hard can that be" you just smash.

I did start out thinking - washi tape, adhesive, that should be easy.

But then punches, stamps, stickers, enamel dots 

sort of jumped into my zippered bags.

 I did start out with these cool bags from Studio Calico

and they kept getting bigger and BIGGER.

Of course I neeeeeed PL cards, alphas, words, tags, etc.

So silly me - TWO bags.

Can't have too many stamps.

Believe it or not it ALL fits in this box and of course, I've been

throwing last minute, can't live without odds and ends in.

So I noticed the de-embossed cover and

decided it was kinda plain.

I therefore, took different inks and smooshed them around

to bring it out and of course leaves I had in my stash.

There is a plastic cover that I put back on - which was like putting

a cat in the car, but it does protect everything.

 And since the first photos were blurry without the cover

I really REALLY didn't want to take it off and put it on again.

I did get carried away with the leaves on the back - but what the hey.

Had issues splatting white paint about - but if we run into snow

we are good to go.

The inside has papers that are really not conducive for leaf peeping

so we'll see how that goes. I did bring enough stuff to

cover things up.

I doubt I use the whole book - but ya never know.

We are headed to NC, TN and we'll see where that goes.

Going to be another fun trip.

It was one of those pages

That really didn't come together easy.

I couldn't make up my mind about anything.

Well except the base paper, and the star stamp

came in a really cool  stampin' up set with a girly skull and bones

and I really wanted that on the page too

but its HUGE, and didn't quite work out - so in

with the heart that wasn't quite so big.

Another 8x8 page - seems I'm rolling with

that size and decided to go crazy.

Love the owl and birdcage was a lot of fun.

A sort of title on the heart like a ransom note. 

It just seemed to work.

 Do you ever get stuck on a title for your blog

never mind one for your page.

I really wanted something fun with the witch hat and helmet

but alas none come to mind.

 And like who doesn't have an issue with stickers.

Like sticking your finger in when wet.

Or outlining a word and then sticking your finger in it.

However, it works, sortof.  Especially when its faraway. LOL.

It's a fun photo and I had fun making a quirky page.

I know she loves Frozen so there's a little 

character tucked in there and of course that owl.

The owl, leaves and cage remnants from my die cut box.

Amelia having fun dressing up as a witch to go bike riding -
Halloween in June. Why not.

Using really old scrapbook paper

Basic Grey and it pains me they

are no longer in business.

I was a big fan.

Loved all their papers and have quite the collection.

 My friend Holli's daughter had a baby and of course

I crocheted a blanket and made a baby album

among other things for her shower and of course I took

photos of one but not the other.....

 Holli graciously took a photo of Kayli wrapped in my 

blanket and I decided to scrap it and it

needed this paper from the LilyKate collection was perfect.

I really wanted something soft and pretty to meld with the photo.

The K&Co embellishments have been around forever too.

Add it with a doily, a die cut border with word stickers and pretty flowers from

Spare Parts 

and well....Love the page.

 I also kept the invitation because the baby album I made (see here)

was keyed off the invitation and of course the shaker box heart.

Therefore I attached the invite to the back of the page

added the journaling (because I really didn't want it on the front)

and called it a day.

Pink and gold combo

Well it started out with the paper again,

and I've had it forever.

I'm so glad that I didn't put this in the

giveaway bag and I'm

glad it finally found the perfect photo.

 The photo of these pretty

young ladies just screamed this paper.

And.....

 Doncha just love them birds.

I used a gold transparency
as a mat and
that black paper to make the
photo pop.
The fancy gold swirl on the journaling card
pulls it all together.

It actually came together pretty quickly

and I came to realize that

not all gold is the same color.

Which I decided I'd not obsess over.

Another 8x8 album for Jill which she will

need to journal about.

Made some tags to egg on the mojo

Yup. I'm still whining about mojo

or lack thereof.

I should be over it in a millenium or two.

In the meantime,

I took some white tags and slapped on some gold rubons

from Studio Calico.

They were laying around and instead of throwing them out

I decided if it didn't work out - no harm=no foul.

Broke out the ole watercolors - the new pearlesce ones.

And went to town.

I apologize for the photo - it looked good when I checked

it on the camera window.

The rubons acted like a resist which was kind of cool.

I splattered both tags but the one with the camera looked dumb

so I managed to paint over them.

Found some bits and pieces from K&Co and Kaiser Craft

 and whacked them down.

I'll be letting them simmer a bit and then find them a home.

Love how they turned out.

Stay tuned to see where they land.

Another homemade tag makes the page

These tags have been gracing my ledge since they were made

and I've been trying to work them in since I made them about a month ago.

The one that made the page this time is

the Dare to Dream in the upper left corner.

So that's 4 down!!!!

Go meeeee!!!

 I built the page again without a photo in mind and pulled it altogether

by tucking the tag into the side of the mats.

I added extra layers and butterflies because I could.

In the spirit of May Flaum's Use your Stash - I used mist, mist and more mist.

Mr. Huey and Heidi Swapp.

The next was to look for the photo that would fit into the mats.

And a trimmed 4x4 made the cut. (yunk yunk)

I also wanted it to be black and white.

I changed this photo up and I love it because it fits into

the "Dare to Dream" theme.

Climb it, be strong, believe.

New Studio calico paper, Basic Grey, the homemade tag and other

embellies (that match) K&Co. Martha Stewart butterflies because I love them

and used some pearls up from the stash. 

Heritage stories and a homemade tag

I found that as time goes on the stories of my ancestors evolve.

The people "in the know" aren't with us anymore to ask 

which is now where ancestry.com comes in and not all those green

leaves wave at the same time.

As more documents come on-line, hopefully, that's when the waving begins,

but you have to be careful, because the similarities of names, birthdates, circumstances abound.

I can't tell you how many times I got it wrong.

I do have hidden journaling on this page. Not because its really personal

but because I didn't want to clutter up the page with it.

I just didn't work it into the design.

Meet my great great grandparents.

Nils and Matilda (Pearson) Anderson.

Both immigrated from Sweden and both arrived in the U.S. in 1880.

Their marriage year is conflicting 1876 or 1879 and had six children living children.

One lost as a baby.

There was also a 20 year age gap between them.

Nils worked as a day laborer in the 1900 and passed in 1915 at the age of 81.

Matilda lived with her sons until 1933 and both are buried in 

Greenmount Cemetery in Philadelphia.

Going back old school

Can you spot it?

Remember when titles were not only used on the photos but

all those lovely EK Success words were the title.
And that was cutting edge, back in the day of course.
As with all popular things, they go by the wayside when another
clever innovative idea is introduced.

These word strips are Tim Holtz - and I have always loved using them and

they seemed just perfect for this page.
(the separate letters are Cosmo Cricket)

And I'm loving my Evalicious arrows -  as mentioned previously,
you'll be seeing alot of them until I run out.
Which will take awhile.

Back to the K&Co coastal paper because it just works

with this histogram pix and the scene.

I used a scallop punch to make the shells look snappy and

deckle scissors *gasp* on the stamps.

I have also been breaking out the ole albums and tripping down memory lane

and wow, have some things jumped out at me.

More to come on that soon.

AND another sneaky peek of my tutorial over at Off the Rails Scrapbooking.

Using picturesque background paper

Can be a tricky thing, because I hate covering up anything so

therefore its difficult for me to use it because OMG!

it won't be seen.

Well.

I purchased this paper pack some time ago and have been using

it off and on because the beaches and coasts

on this paper do not in any way represent Florida.

However, my grands live in New Hamphsire that actually

have the same rugged coastlines and lighthouses

represented by this K&Co line.

And there is Mz. Amelia, sitting on a rock like a mermaid

seranading the sea at Ft. Foster ME.

And I have 1984713984103 pix of the lighthouse there.

Love it.

Used a sissix die I had laying about forever, some kraft paper,

 and some Studio Calico embellishments to top it off.

And of course there's the requisite mist that I really really REALLY 

need to learn to do a practice spray.

First.

Less is sometimes More

As in the little black dress sometimes a page is created

with just the pearls as an accent.

I started this page and was way over thinking it. I had

lots of stuff going on.

I wanted to use the background paper just as it is because it 

makes the photo pop.

Or the photo makes the paper pop.

Either way its a win.

Since I used part of the paper I whacked it down to 8.5x11.

Then I started packing on the stuff.

And it made me crazy.

I let it sit for a day and then approached it once again

with a different attitude.

I swished everything off and put most of it away and began again.

In wanting mostly the photo to shine and then the paper

because the sayings on it worked perfect with the photo.

I decided to keep the embellishments to a minimum

and I love it so much better.

K& Company which is probably older than I think 

with some old Basic Grey paper and new negative slide,

 prima, Creative Imaginations and Authentique.

With some new Studio Calico and twine.

I love kraft paper

It just works with everything.

It can be rustic.

It can be elegant.

It can be an accent.

So I don't remember who made that butterfly paper.

I know you're surprised.

However, it works great with the kraft.

 I kept this page kind of monochromatic.

Love the touches of beige.

I changed the butterflies 3 times.

I wanted to have a pop color so I chose blue/green

like Amelia's sassy.

However it had white in it and was glaring.

So I changed it to blue/green with beige. 

That was jarring.

So I went with black.

 Like the little black dress you can't go wrong.

Especially around kraft.

I also used transparency newspaper from K&co. as

a mat in order to show the second mat 

and to also keep the butterflies flying.

Can we say pop :) with the black butterflies.

I did a bit of layering in the 2 corners.

I kept the title simple - also black

 - I love the labeler look and it does bring it all together.

Those photos are a total hoot and was supposed to be

for another page I made, however, the photo

was way too big for the mat I created on the other page

so it gave me more mojo to create this page.

A total win.

However, I'm still hunting a photo for the other page

that I got my Wilna on.

Last but not least....

and in full disclosure I was going to continue in the Halloween vein and I dithered about some being the decisive person I am. I also wanted to pack up by 5 p.m. because I was beginning to stiffen up so time was a-tickin' away.

I pulled out this kit (which was the one kitted at the same time "princess wave" was and begun to assemble the page. 

And I was getting frustrated because it wasn't coming together right.

I had a vision in my head. I was good with all the papers- just not how they should be adhered. Once that was settled I wanted to use the vellum again - in order to cut down the busy-ness but to also continue with the soft colors. 

I wasn't happy with the flowers I chose. And the rubons I used made me crazy. I dug around in K&Co and found that flower and I liked it but the bird brought in another color.

Heavy Sigh.

At that point, I called it a day because I was done.

I completed it at home, and changed up the pink and blue flowers to the lovely cream. I found that @ (for Annie) quite by accident and it was perfect because I totally went braindead on a title. I kept the K&Co flower because that corner had alot going on that needed covering and found some Kaiser craft gems and pearls that brought in the yellow/gold color. There's also cream magic mesh tucked behind the photo for texture and mostly to help with the rub on.

And then I found that itty bitty tag from Studio Calico and tucked it into the flowers.

It says "you crack me up."

Perfect :)

studio calico pp, basic grey pp & tag, k&co, kaiser craft gems, bazzill flowers, unk @