Austin and Grandpa mini album

My dad and Austin have a very special relationship. They are both nature guys, think a lot, are loyal and care deeply. These personality traits make a very unique and tight bond between grandson and grandpa. This album shows one weekend when Grandpa and Grandma took Austin to the beach.

I covered each of the chipboard pages with patterned cardstock.  (Scenic Route Scrap Strip 3, Lexington Ave. and Kraft Rings).  I used matching brown letter stickers to make the the simple title and then tied coordinating ribbon to the O-rings. 

I matted each photo in the coordinating cardstock which was made extremely simple because each of the pages were reversible!  The "Remember This" and "Good Times" ribbons are strips from patterned paper.  I used a hole punch and punched the end of the strips and used the same ribbon to add a little accent.  The "Me and You" on the right hand is a sticker that I matted!

While adding the felt brown flower (simple and clean lines!) I realized I was out of brads of any matching color.  I found some small rhinestones in dark brown and gold to cover the opening in the middle.  (Rhinestone Strass from Studio 18). 

All the word stickers were made by Scenic Route Paper, which allowed them to match everything perfectly!  Once again, patterned paper from the same family goes together easily, yet created a masculine, fun mini album.

The Backyard Remodel

This is one of the layouts which looks simple, easy and clean, yet took forever!  I learned a lot about the Cricut on this layout which is odd, since the page doesn't include a lot of Cricut accents.  I wanted to steer clear of green backgrounds because I feel the photos would have gotten lost in them. 

I used Medium Berry Red Colormates cardstock for the background and then found two matching patterned papers with the same color red accents. (The patterned paper is from PaperSalon Glad Rags floral and multi-stripe.)

 I added two strips of patterned paper along the bottom of the photos.  My initial plan was to create a scalloped bottom on the striped paper.  So, using my gypsy I created a border and went to cut it.  I learned that cutting on the very edge of the paper made it move around on the mat a lot.  I think it would have worked much better if I hadn't precut my boarders and had the cricut actually cut the boarders in the scalloped shape.  In the end, I just trimmed off the messed up scallops and used a smaller boarder piece. 

After assembling it altogether, I wasn't very happy with the boldness of the patterned paper.  I felt it overwhelmed the photos and took over the page.  Instead of starting over from scratch, I found a bright blue coordinating cardstock and cut two different sizes of circles to create a border on top of the patterned paper.  I think it helped "calm" down the pattern paper.  To tie the blue in, I cut the title (George font) in blue, with the shadow in the striped pattern paper.  In he end, I really like the page, but it was nothing like I originally had planned!

Lazy Days Lots of Fun!

Lazy Days Lots of Fun!

This was created using the most recent LID sketch on the Cricut message board.  I loved the layout with the large number of photos and thought this group of summer photos would be perfect.  Instead of featuring one large photo on the right, I grouped 2 4x6 photos into one block!  I think it balances the left page well.

Left page has two strips of coordinating ribbon across the top.  I used the ribbon as the inspiration for the color choices.  (I wanted bright, tropical colors for the summer photos and bright clothing.)  I used a bright blue cardstock background with three strips of patterned paper.  Each of the patterned papers have a coordinating color, which helps pull everything together.  I matted all the photos in black to contrast with all the bright colors. 

The right hand side has 2 cardstock paper strips and then a large title block.  The background of the title block is the same paper as one of the patterned papers on the left side!  I used black letters to continue the contrast.  

4th Of July LID sketch

This week's LID sketch on the Cricut board featured a double page layout with lots of pictures!  My favorite!  I had some 4th of July pictures to scrap, so I created this layout following the sketch loosely. 

4th of July--10 photos

I used George to make the rectangle title block  and cut it twice.  Once I cut it in bright blue for the background and then I cut it a second time in red with the title "4th of July" cut out.  I used the George font as well.  I then used the Create a Critter set of 3 stars and created a border by copying and flipping the set of three starts back and forth.  (For example, Big star, medium star, little star, little star, medium star, big star).  I then grouped and welded them, and copied the whole thing so I could have a border for both pages.  I used the cut out stars from the border for a little something extra on my title.  I then cut out several other starts from Create a Critter and Gypsy Wanderings. 

I adhered a few more stars, the border and then journaled on the 2nd page.  I decided to hand write my journaling in red ink to continue the American theme.  In all, a simple layout with lots of pictures!

WOOD You Be Mine?

I scraplifted this card from the latest Papercrafts Magazine because I thought it was so cute and easy to do!  I made it for my husband for Valentine's Day and thought it was cute, but still masculine enough for him!

The Papercrafts Magazine card showed the actual wood "paper" that they have now, that's like balsa wood and a wood grained.  I didn't have any of that laying around, but I have had this "firewood" paper laying around for years.  It was the perfect compliment to the phrasing "WOOD You Be Mine?"  I cut a rectangle block from the firewood paper and then wrapped the red thread around it and tied a cute bow.  I also double punched a red heart with my 2" heart punch.  The first one adhered to the firewood paper and then I used pop dots to pop the second heart up directly on top of it.  I love the added dimension it gave the card.

The worst part was the little tiny sticker letters.  They are brown and match the coloring perfectly, but they were a PAIN to remove from the sticker backing and they ripped, etc.  I used tweezers in the end and spent double the amount of time on the letters than I did the rest of the card. 

Scamp! LID layout

The Cricut message boards have a great weekly challenge where someone posts a LID sketch (Laying It Down) and challenges other members to use it with their pictures!  I loved this weeks LID sketch and found a way to use it with the next set of pictures I needed to scrapbook.  The LID sketch called for flowers on the corners of some photos, instead I used small images from the cricut to match my theme and show what the kids did while we scrapbooked!  (The tent, bucket and swimsuit were to have been flowers!)

The two page spread features 8 photos!  I love layouts with lots of photos because I always take tons of pictures!

I used two pieces of patterned paper (unknown), a strip of brown scrap and two minty green colored papers.  I cut the brown paper to 4x12 and adhered it to a piece of patterned paper.  I then cut the minty green paper at 6x8 to fill the space to the left of the brown strip.  I then cut a 6" diameter bright blue circle for the title to go on.  I used the Campout cartridge and cut the sign and the tent. I created a shadow for both on black paper.

I continued the minty green paper on this side, cutting a piece 8x12.  I adhered it to the other patterned paper piece and then used EveryDay Paper Dolls to cut the bucket and swimsuit.  I used the same cream that the sign was in to create my journaling block and then matted the block in the same blue as the title circle. 

(Scamp is a 5 day camp out on our private land where 3 moms, 8 kids and 3 dogs go!  The kids play and play, and play while the Moms scrapbook!  The Dads then come up over the weekend!)

Scrap Attack!

Most of us have a scrap box/drawer/folder/bucket that we throw our scraps into so that we can use them again.  Since I got the Cricut Expression, I have saved even smaller scraps because it will cut on tiny pieces of paper!  I had a great (messy!) shoe box going and I had to dig, and dig, and dig to find the color of paper I wanted to use.  Siting today while I scrapped, I had a great idea!  I used my old 8.5 x11 page protectors and assigned a color to each.  (I had one for red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, black and gray, brown and cream, and white.)  I then put them in ROY G. BIV order and put the larger sheets of extra paper behind the corresponding page protector.  It all fits in the shoe box and now I can grab the color I want and get to work without digging!

Have a Cup on Me

I made these small coffee cup cards for my husband to give to the team he manages. He is going to put a Starbucks gift card inside each one. I learned several important things with this project! First, don't just measure the gift card, add on to the size because your card will be folded! (Duh, right?) Then leave even more room to make a small pocket to insert your gift card. But, I didn't do any of that, now did I? Here's how I made it work:

I used the coffee cup from Gypsy Wanderings and hid the heart. (Didn't think my husband's employees want hearts on a cup from him!) I then copied the cup and then flipped it. This allowed me to weld two together to make a card. I then wrote "Have a cup on me!" and welded that altogether also. I then cut out a single cup in a lighter blue to show through the cut out letters. Since I hadn't left room for a pocket, I didn't know what to do!
Photo corners to the rescue! I had a stash of photo corners (luckily in the right colors) and I used a credit card to measure placement. This was so easy! Take a look!