Beaches and Polar Vortexes

Today I leave the balmy 60 degrees of California to head to Chicago where they are experiencing the record-breaking sub-zero polar vortex. The forecast for No Cal on Wednesday is a high of 65 and for Chicago a high of -12. Sadly I am not garnering sympathy from my colleagues since they mostly live in Chicago and Michigan.

On the bright side, I  completed another page for the 50 page (double-sided) scrapbook that I will absolutely-definitely-positively complete for my son in time for Christmas. This page is from a trip to the Santa Cruz Pier, near our old house, and features my son's paternal grandmother who managed to befriend a pelican.

For this page I incorporated two of the January challenges from Lasting Memories Layout Challenges: 1) to make a page using two or more photos; and 2) to make a card using two or more alpha fonts. This page has 4 photos as well as two different texts, a Cricut image of the word Seashore (the letter O is a sand dollar but doesn't show up well in the photo); and the description box uses the font "Flip-flops" which seemed perfect suited.

Now that I'm entering a lot more scrapbook challenges, I think need to create a photo box big enough to hold a scrapbook page...I can't quite get the lighting right on my kitchen counter. Maybe a project for when I return from the frozen tundra. 

Santa left me coal...

It is a dazzling day here in NoCal, mid-sixties and clear blue skies with views all the way to the Sierras. So I decided to walk my pet iguana and spend the rest of the day sipping mai tais by the pool. But then I remembered that I don't have a pet iguana. Or a pool. Or rum. Just a couple of yappy mutts and a rock fountain and some fairly decent wine. Good thing I had a back up plan. Walked the yappy mutts and then made a couple of cards. Here is my card for the Jingle Belles challenge to make a card using something new from Christmas. Or whatever was lying around. I went with the latter, using a faux vintage postcard, then stitched around the edges of some patterned paper (which pretty much covered the pattern). And added a border of green stuff that might be holly or possibly kale...hard to tell. Plus an old poinsettia embellishment.

Also posting to Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge. So far I'm mostly on track with my resolution to enter more challenges in 2019.

Happy happy

Very happy to have stumbled across the Stick it Down blog. This year I'm working on entering more challenges and this one has both cards and scrapbook pages...ding, ding, ding...winner! 

Today I made a card based on the sketch below from the January Card Team. 

                                    

My card is made from super colorful scrapbook paper, which certainly makes for a hefty card. I printed the sentiments on the Cricut, added some black stitching and a few paper flowers. Voila. I am also submitting my card to Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper challenge and Seize the Birthday January Challenge. 

                          

Kind of a hot mess...

Continuing with my New Year resolution to complete a scrapbook for my son in time for Christmas (2 pages/week), I made a double page layout based on the Stick it Down January Double Page Layout. Good news, two more pages are completed. Bad news, it's not at all what I had in mind. Here's the sketch, which I love.

And here's my creation, which I don't love:

Just too busy for me and I think I just tried to use too many different elements. All the papers are from the same collection but still it doesn't quite work. 

3 down, 97 to go!

Two weeks into 2019 and so far I'm on track. Resolution #1, enter two challenges a week...check. Resolution #2, complete a fifty (double sided) scrapbook for my son before Christmas. Here are pages #2 and #3 of the scrapbook. I used the Lasting Memories challenge, to make a page using bling, buttons, sequins, brad or enamel dots. I did a double page layout and managed to use 6 on one page and 4 on the other, although they don't show up as well as in real life. This year is the first time I've participated in scrapbook challenges and I am thrilled that I finally did. It's just the nudge I needed.

I could use some remedial training in how to photograph double pages and also how to put the photos close together in Blogger. But for now, I'm happy to be staying on track with my resolutions!

Snowtime like the present...

So excited that I didn't toss the old Christmas gift wrap since it came in handy for the Jingle Belles challenge to make a card using wrapping paper. Double excited because this paper is also perfect for the Winter Wonderland challenge to make a card featuring snow. TRIPLE excited because this also works well with Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge to use something upcycled in the card. Sweet! 

The three cute polar bears are cut from a section of gift wrap that was a freebie from the World Wildlife Fund. The red snowflake base is scrapbook paper. I stitched around the edges and added some more snowflakes made on the Cricut and embellished with a little bling. 

Second week of 2019 and 2 cards in the bucket!

Scrapping in the New Year!

One of my resolutions for 2019 is to complete a baby scrapbook for my adult son and give it to him next Christmas. I bought a 50 page scrapbook so I will need to complete two pages a week. Yikes! To keep myself on track, I plan to submit one page to a scrapbook challenge every week. So today I am submitting for the first time to two scrapbook challenges!

For my first page I used this cool layout from The Studio Challenge.

I also used the prompt from Lasting Memories Layout Challenges, to make a page using a minimum of 3 patterned papers. I used four here. 

One down, 99 to go. I can do this! 

No time like the Presents!

New Year's resolution #1 is to enter two challenges a week in 2019! 

Here's #1 for week 1. The Jingle Belles challenge is to make a card using Christmas wrapping paper. I almost tossed this paper right before Christmas (resolution #2 - get rid of stuff I can't find a use for). The paper featuring birds came from the World Wildlife Federation. I had to fill in a bit of the white space and went with stuff I had on hand (resolution #3 - use up stuff I have on hand). 

I am also submitting this to Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge, Anything goes.