Merry Christmas

 It's November already!

This weekend is another FETCH (weekend crop).  Each day during the weekend, my participants receive a small gift.  On Saturday, this is usually a double layout kit.  Here's a spoiler - or inspiration for anyone not attending.

 This uses the Season of Green and Gold SU paper pack.  The border stamps (with black pearl stickles in the center of the flowers), and background stamp are SU, the title is a CTMH die set, and the tree is from a die set in my stash.  It looks deceptively simple, but it allowed me to utilize many of the different printed patterns in the paper pack. I think it's difficult to see in this picture, but there is a lot of gold foil in the papers.  Christmas pictures are often very busy, with lots of different colors, and limiting the layout colors to 2 or 3 lets your pictures shine.

Had Fun Storming the Castle

Hello!

A change of pace today - I'm scrapping memories of visiting the London Tower.  I haven't noticed any really great papers for tours of gray brick buildings such as castles, but the reverse side of the green plane paper from the Take to the Sky paper worked pretty well this time.

I have a several elements in this one:

• brick wall stamp - SU
• silver embossed swirl - CTMH
• ivy vines - SU die
• arrow punch - CTMH
• gray paper - SU Take to the Sky paper pack
• red and blue stripe - CTMH (because it's London after all!)
• and a random red glitter brad to pull over the red glitter in the title.

With the embossing - like every time I use it - there is some stray dust, but I thought it worked really well in this case and looks more distressed than out of place.

Here's my layout with the base photos.  I have flip flaps to add on top of 4 of the pictures - once this actually makes it to an album.  There were so many things I found interesting during this visit to London Tower.  It was one of my favorite stops while we were in England.

Additional uses for this layout - 

• Bouncy house photos (you might punch up the base color and stripe to match the photos)
• Medieval times dinner and show
• Medieval Fairs

Just in case the title doesn't sound familiar - it's a twist of a line from movie The Princess Bride.  Max tells Westley "Have fun storming the castle!".   Anyone else love this movie?

Fresh Air Fun

 Happy Tuesday!

More Take to the Sky pictures for my trip to the Wright Brothers Memorial this week.

I built this layout using my pictures - so the above photo has mats over the pictures.  Sometimes it's hard to see a layout when you are distracted by the actual photos.  

This is a pretty simple layout, although I did print a lot of the photos in a 3x4 size.  You could substitute 4X6's in 3 locations.

The grouping to the right uses the stamp & die set, as well as some of the tags from the paper pack.

The title is just 4 layers of cardstock under the silver glitter paper letters. 

Another tip for making these titles in Cricut design space - create each word in its own text box.  That allows you to use different fonts and different sizes.  This one is all the same, but you can see the effect in the An Uplifting Adventure layout.

If your Fresh Air Fun day is not compatible with the airplane prints, you can flip the paper over and use the other side.  This would give you a burnt orange and blue layout - very good for hiking pictures out West or where you have red clay paths.

Tower of London

Hello!

I am back with another Take to the Sky layout.   The colors are a little off in this photo, but when I realized it, it was a little too late to retake it without my pictures.

I really like this layout because it holds several photos but also allows you to showcase paper that you like.

When I placed my pictures, I had a gap that needed covering.  

So I added 1/4" silver glitter strips.  And as I did so, I realized it should have been there all along.  I also used this page map for a hiking layout  (click here to see).

My title is another layered one created on Cricut design space.  Since I had a lot of silver glitter paper in the layout, I didn't use any in my title.  I used white, which is also found in my ticket, the lion on the cannon and my husband's jacket as well as the background paper.

The plane tag on the right doesn't really fit the theme, but it matches the colors perfectly.   And on the left page, I used price tags from the gift shop instead of 2x2 photos.  After all - it is a scrapbook!

 This simple layout could be used for any travel page and the colors should be fantastic for pictures taken while hiking in the woods.  Cruise pictures might work as well (navigation maps while on the open seas).

An Uplifting Adventure

Hello!

More pictures from the Wright Memorial.

This time I took the picture on my mats.  If you like this layout well enough to copy it, now it's easier to guess at the measurements.  I did have some inspiration for this layout - you can find it here.

I really love the colors in this kit.  The copper clay and boho blue are from the 2023-2025 additional colors. I added some stitching to the background circles.  I probably should have added a circle on the right side as well, but I liked the double mat to pull the green over.

The die plane is cut from prints instead of cardstock on this layout.

And here's another great title from the Cricut Design Space.  The plane is cut from a print paper, and the clouds are just cut from dies, using one of the tags in the paper pack.

And here's my final product.

Other possible uses for this layout:

Church retreats

Friends' night at a Roof top bar

Ski lifts - where it's just for the view

Ropes course (maybe?)

If you find another use - please share it with me.

Dawn

Just Plane Fun

 Hello!

I am playing with the SU papers Take to the Sky this month.   My layout holds 9 photos.  It's pretty simple, just some strips placed on white 12X12 paper.  The inside Night of Navy paper are two sheets of 8 1/2" by 11" cardstock (which is available in bulk). You cover everything thing up, so this is a great time to use some not-so-favorite paper behind all the good stuff.

I did invest in the Adventurous Sky bundle, because this makes a really neat plane!  I used Cajun Craze, Pebble (old CMTH color) and silver foil paper for the propeller.

This is also part of the Adventurous Sky bundle.  The plane and each of the clouds has a corresponding die.  I used Paprika and Blue Belle but suggest the SU colors of Copper Clay and Boho Blue.

The best touch is the title.  Ever since I started crafting titles in Cricuit Design Space, I have trouble settling for plain letters.  My tip for when you create your own - use a clean cutting mat for the top layer letters.  They are fine, with very thin sections.  I cut the orange letters for this title 4 times before I had a complete set that did not catch or tear.

And here is my final project!  Our family reunion in July included a trip to the Wright Brothers monument in Corolla, South Carolina.   

Other suggested uses for this layout and title:

National Air & Space Museum

Blue Angels Show

Airport days, when traveling for fun and with a group

Kids playing with toy planes

Adults playing with RC planes

Amelia Earhart Museum(s)

Playing with the new baby (including a picture of 'flying' the baby around the room)

Do you have any other suggestions?

Thanks for dropping in!

Dawn

S'More Memories

 Hello!

Anytime I get the chance, I like to roast hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire.  I don't think I've ever had a bad experience with toasted sure and an open fire.   Even though it was the middle of the day in the middle of July, I still talked my family into roasting marshmallows over the fire pit when we spent a few days in the Outer Banks.  

This paper pack is one of the carry overs, designed by CTMH, sold by SU.  Unfortunately, I cannot seem to keep pace.  This paper pack has sold out by the time I finished this layout and could get around to posting it.

The giant marshmallows and roasting stick are from an old CTMH Cricut cartridge, and I found the title on Cricut design space.  I put the roasting stick in a log design embossing folder and sponged the white marshmallows to 'toast' them.  I made the title long before I even took these pictures.  But our clothes matched the Soda Pop papers, and I just added some mats in the right colors to pull in my title.  

I have hearts on top of the faces of my nephews (just for this post).  The layout holds (6) 4x6 photos and one 3X4, but I used (2) 3x4's on some of the photo mats.  In order to get the entire story of Kiley catching her roasting stick on fire, I printed 4 smaller photos together in one of the 4x6 mats.  My final product holds 12 photos-in a layout designed for 7.

If you love the layout it should be pretty easy to recreate using papers from your stash, that match you photos.

The end of an Era and what's next

 Hello!

CTMH has decided to close their doors. My last day as a CTMH consultant will be April 30.   If you haven't already, go check out what's on sale (click here before 4/30), and see what's still there!  So much as retired, as this event has spurred a lot of stocking up on our favorites.

It is my plan to continue having a monthly crop at my house, and a weekend crop 2-3 times per year.  I still have a couple of spots available for the April 26-28, 2024 weekend crop, the crop at my house in May will be Saturday May 25, from 10am until 10pm.