Taylor Turns 11 - 2005

Another layout scraplifted from the Creating Keepsakes quick and easy book.

At Taylor's 11th birthday party, I showed the girls how to make a mini paper bag album. It was a HIT!

This 2-page layout brings my total number of pages to 126 for this year!

Pearl Harbor - Sept. 2009

One of our "must sees" was a tour of Pearl Harbor.

This layout was scraplifted from a Creating Keepsakes Quick and Easy type book.

View from Ourem Pousada - 07

These photos were taken from the window of our "pousada" (which means inn in Portuguese). These are the FIRST photos I have scrapbooked of our trip to Portugal in March of 2007. This pousada was a converted monastery in the town of Ourem.

This layout was almost totally scraplifted from one I saw on Two Peas in a Bucket using Websters paper.

Xmas Joy - 2007

This layout is based on the Dec. 12th sketch challenge on TPP. I used a couple of MAMBI papers and some inked grungeboard alphas.

The photos are of my 2 nieces (Melanie and Laura) and nephew (Ryan) taken Christmas Day 2007.

Siblings 07

Here we are on Christmas Day 2007....my younger sister, brother and I. A simple layout using a MAMBI (Me and My Big Ideas) paper and some chipboard alphas. Easy, peasy!

Aqua Bamboo - 09

Using the November Paper Passion kit and sketch 48 from 52sketches52weeks.com I did this layout up as a companion page to the "Ah..." layout.

This layout is of our first hotel in Hawaii, the Aqua Bamboo. The photos are of the view of our room and our pool.

Cyndi Lauper - 07

Another page for the Lip Synch Album.

This gal was supposed to play Cyndi Lauper at our Lip Synch event. Unfortunately, a few days before the event, she came down with vertigo and couldn't join us. Too bad! She put a lot of hard work into her act! She was definitely missed.

I wanted this layout to be fresh and funky, just like Cyndi's (and Carolyn's) personality.

Grandma Banks and Peggy circa 1946

I'm trying out one of the layered digital templates from Scrappers Guide. This one is by C. Edwards and is part of the April 09 Quick Album. The only change I made was the flower (I replaced it with another that was in the full kit).

The photo is of my paternal grandmother and her first grandchild and namesake (cousin Peggy). I believe she passed away about a year after this photo was taken.

Universal Studios - 08

A simple digital layout (I have to start simple, since I'm still learning KWIM?) of some of the miscellaneous photos taken at Universal Studios in February 2008. We were there with my parents.

Ah...Hawaii 09

Dan in the whirlpool at our hotel in Honolulu.

Used The Paper Passion November 09 kit and Sketch 46 from www.52sketches52weeks.com

Elvis Car Museum - 05

Another layout based on the Saturday sketch from The Paper Passion - this one was altered slightly.

These photos are from the Elvis Car Museum located across the street from Graceland in Memphis - February 2005

Wild Thing 09

This layout was based on the Saturday Sketch (Nov. 14) from The Paper Passion.

The journaling reads:

There were hundreds of wild chickens roaming the islands of Hawaii after a hurricane set them free from the cock fighting establishments.

Witch Tammy - 09

Here's my Tammy doll all dressed up for Halloween. This is the first time using one of those acrylic transparencies (by Fancy Pants) on a layout. I paired it with paper by BoBunny, added some Prima flowers and copper Stickles.

Lip Synch - Elton John

NO - not the real Elton - a colleague playing Elton John at our Lip Synch Xmas lunch in 2007.

Based on the Saturday Sketch from The Paper Passion.

Flying Hawaii - 09

This will probably be the last page of my Hawaii album. The pictures are of 2 of the 9 airplanes we flew during our trip to Hawaii. Whew - 9 flights in 2 weeks - 2 to get there, 3 Island hopping and 4 to get home.

Hawaii Trip 09 - cover page

This will be the first page of my Hawaii Trip album. The idea is from the CTMH catalogue using the "Moon Doggie" paper from CTMH.

Falls 09

A layout using the October 09 kit from The Paper Passion and Sketch 42 of www.52sketches52weeks.com

The photos are of 3 of the falls we saw in Hawaii.

Hanauma Bay - 09

Based on a sketch challenge at The Paper Passion, this layout is of Hanauma Bay on the Island of Oahu. It's the place where I tried snorkeling for the very first time.

Kukui Heiau (Hawaii) 09

These photos are of the religious grounds situated on the property of our hotel in Kauai. So beautiful and serene...

City Tour (Waikiki) 09

This next set was of the first stop that we got off at during our Trolley City Tour. It is the Iolani Palace the State Capital. Also nearby were the statues of King Kamehameha and Queen Lili'uokalani.

Duke (Hawaii 2009)

The next 3 sets of layouts were done at a CTMH (Close to my Heart) workshop on Sunday. I used the "moon Doggie" (how appropriate) paper to do these Hawaiian photos.

This first set is of Kuhio Beach (the beach just up from our hotel) and the statue of Duke Kahanamoku (the father of modern surfing).

Card challenges

There were a couple of card challenges that I completed as well.

- a masculine card
- a card using ONLY cardstock, stitching, stamps and bling
- a birthday or anniversary card

I won't be showing these because, you never know, YOU might be getting one of those cards!

100 layouts!

Yes - this layout is my ONE HUNDREDTH LAYOUT! WOW!

The challenge was to use a number in the title so I made this 100th layout all about BEING the one hundredth layout. The background sheet is made up of most of my layouts I did this year and I just added the number 100 and a journaling tag.

Easter 1959

This challenge was all about the distressing. Your layout had to have a distressed look. I've always loved this photo of my family all dressed up for Easter in 1959.

Halloween 1984

This challenge was called "the Full Monty" and NO that didn't mean you had to scrap NAKED! It just meant you had to have a fairly naked layout. This one was all about the journaling - to tell a story using only cardstock (you could use masks and inking on the cardstock), a title and one little photo. The journaling had to be prominent on the page. SO, I wrote about meeting my DH - which will be 28 years ago this Halloween. I didn't have a photo of him from that party. That's why Fred Flintstone is there instead.

Coffee Farm - 2009

The next challenge was to use the following on a layout:
- decorative edge paper
- ribbon
- handwritten journaling
- all patterned paper must be less than 3 inches
So I did a layout on our visit to the Greenwell Coffee Farm on the Big Island of Hawaii (only a couple of weeks ago....)

By My Valentine

The 2nd challenge was to use your birthstone as "bling" on a layout. Well my birthday is in July and the birthstone is ruby. So I really blinged up this Valentine's layout with red rhinestones and stickles.

Cabot Head

The first challenge I did for The Paper Passion Birthaversary on-line crop was based on a sketch. Here we are visiting Cabot Head Lighthouse in Tobermory.

The Paper Passion Birthaversary Crop Challenge

The Paper Passion turned ONE on October 8 and is having an on-line crop to celebrate.

I will post my challenges as I do them. Stay tuned.....

Update: for some reason I am not able to upload photos of my layouts, so will wait until the END of the on-line crop and hopefully by then I'll be able to upload then.

Under the Sea 09

My VERY first layout from our Hawaii trip. These photos were taken while we were snorkeling for the third time in Hawaii. I had bought one of those underwater throw-away cameras and managed to get a couple of good shots.

Based on a sketch from www.pagemaps.com - September 09.

His Wish for Her - 1952

This layout was done for a scraplift challenge over at The Paper Passion. My first scraplift with them.

I've been dying to use these BEAUTIFUL Websters Pages paper. The photo is of my Mom and her father on her wedding day. I was trying to imagine what he was thinking that day....the journaling reads:

Grandad - what were you thinking as you gave away your youngest daughter in marriage to a man who was going to take her FAR away? You were probably very sad but was still wishing her all the happiness in the world. November 1, 1952

PP and stickers - Websters Pages
Bling and flowers - Prima
Brads - Making Memories
"Love" glitter cut - Fancy Pants

Virginia Fall - 04

This layout is based on a sketch from the Paper Passion using their September 09 kit (my first kit from this store).

Oh Baby - 1953 or 1954

Well we're back after TWO WEEKS vacation in GLORIOUS Hawaii! What a WONDERFUL vacation we had. So stay tuned for some layouts about this trip (after I get all my photos organized first!)

Meanwhile, I had a powerful urge to scrap and found some inspiration on this week's 52sketches52weeks sketch no. 39.

Here is a photo of me as a baby (not sure how old I was here but probably under a year). I tried to make everything look vintage. PP is from Making Memories (base paper), My Minds Eye (the dark pink) and Foofala (the squares). I don't remember who made the lace trim, buttons and crocheted flowers, but the other flowers are from Prima and the floss is by Anchor. I inked up everything with Tim Holtz's distressing ink (tea stain).

TFL!

Hotel Room - Venice 07

This layout is based on a sketch from The Paper Passion. It's a couple of pictures of our room at the Hotel Carlton and Grand Canal, Venice Italy. Another layout for my Italy album. I just love those beautiful flowers by Prima Marketing! The grid stamp is from JustCre8.

First Glimpse - Italy 2007

This layout was based on sketch 35 from http://www.52sketches52weeks.com/. I used an old travel paper pack from "Imagine That" and some buttons from my stash.

This was the first view of Italy we had from the plane before landing in Rome, Italy.

Bride 1984

Well I said the previous layout would be the last one of our wedding I would do for awhile but I got inspired by JustLulu and her layout from the November 08 kit (JustCre8) and did this one up.

Wedding Day 84

Yet another wedding layout (this will probably be it for awhile....) We look so YOUNG here.....sigh.....

This layout was totally scraplifted from one done by JustCaro (of JustCre8) using that fabulous November 08 kit.

Loving Hands - 1984

I guess because our 25th anniversary is coming up soon (on Tuesday) I was feeling nostalgic about our wedding day. I was looking through our wedding photos and came across this one (one of my favourites). This is the first wedding photo I have ever scrapped. I lifted JustLori's layout (from JustCre8). She did such a beautiful job on her layout. The only thing different is the way I did the title.

Look at the difference in the colour of our hands. Mine is so pale whereas DH must have gotten quite the tan that summer!

All paper is by SEI except for the base sheet which is by Jenni Bowlin.

Lip Synch - The End

This is the last page of the lip synch album. The journaling reads:

"At the end of the last act, we all gathered on the stage for one last bow. We all got a kick out of Jim's costume and the tights he wore - December 12, 2007"

This layout was scraplifted almost entirely from one done by Karishma for Sketch 17 on http://www.52sketches52weeks.com/ except for the title. All paper is DCWV - Rockstar (with some added brads and stickles).

Cabelas 04 - page 2

Here is page 2 of the Cabela's layout featuring some of the stuffed animals found in the store. This layout is scraplifted from "JustJennifer" using the August 09 kit.

Cabelas - 2004

This was our first time at Cabelas (in Pennsylvania) - a huntin/fishin/manly-man kind of store that hubby gets the catalogue for. We came upon it accidentally when we had to take a detour on our way to Virginia with Mom and Dad. DH was VERY excited about going to this store. It is HUGE! Plus it has a mountain in the middle of the store about 2 stores high with all sorts of stuffed animals (real animals that have been taxidermied). There is also a hall of deer and a jungle animal area. Plus some tanks with live fish in it.

Another layout scraplifted from JustAnn (DT of JustCre8) and the August 09 kit.