Sunday, September 30, 2012

Favorite Photos - September 2012

Last month, I didn't take many photos, and I knew that would change for September. Here are my twelve favorite photos for this month.












September went by in more of a rush than all the other months this year, for me. I'm hoping to take time to savor October, my favorite month of the year.

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 30

Characters Welcome

Supplies: Card stock by Recollections. Patterned paper by Echo Park Paper. Letter dies by Lifestyle Crafts (formerly QuicKutz). Letter stickers by American Crafts and Echo Park Paper. Gems by Queen & Co. Stickers by SandyLion. Punches by Martha Stewart and Stampin' Up! Ribbon by Stampin' Up! Spray ink by Mister Huey.

So much cuteness in three photos! And these papers from the Country Drive collection by Echo Park fit perfectly. I did have to go to Joann's specifically for Disney character stickers because I didn't have any, and I didn't have a lot of options for the first part of the title. Simple with lots of sparkle. I'm diggin' it!

And that concludes 30 in 30 Scrapbooking, September 2012! Wow, those thirty days went by fast, and I managed to get a lot done, even with a busier schedule than usual. That's what I love about this challenge, just enough push to get creative, but none of the stress of a daily commitment.

November's the next edition of 30 in 30 Scrapbooking, but it's going to be a little bit of a twist on the theme. Pretty sure you'll like it, so tune in later tonight.

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 29

Road Trip - Florida, Baby!

Supplies: Letter stickers by American Crafts and Making Memories. Stamps by Hero Arts, Elise Blaha, and My Mind's Eye. Ink by Tim Holtz and Stampin' Up! Paint by Adirondack. Gems by Hero Arts, K&Company, and Queen & Co. All other supplies by Echo Park Paper.

One of my favorites I've done this month, it's my own design that came together really easily because I knew I wanted to use that adorable truck, and it just happened to coordinate with the shirt Olivia wore in those photos. I added some stamping with paint at the end, inspired by May Flaum--I'm taking her class called Kitastic at Big Picture--because there was just something missing.

I just love how this turned out, especially since I used some more of my favorite Echo Park Paper collection, Country Drive.

One more to go!

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 28

Our First Thanksgiving

Supplies: Card stock and punch by Stampin' Up! Patterned paper, small letter stickers, other stickers and die cuts by October Afternoon. Larger letter stickers by Basic Grey. Ink by Colorbox and Stampin' Up! Photo corners by Recollections. Pearls by Doodlebug Designs.

As I said in my last post, many of my recent layouts have been my own design. Not this one. I totally scraplifted Shimelle Laine as Glitter Girl on Two Peas for this page. (Check that out right here.) As with any scraplift, my own preferences and style come through, too, but the design idea itself is not mine.

I do love it, though. :)

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 27

Yo, Yo! Chillin' Out Bug Style

Supplies: Card stock by Recollections. Patterned paper and stickers by Echo Park Paper. Letter stickers by Echo Park Paper and American Crafts. Stamps by Stamps of Life and Technique Tuesday. Ink by Ranger. Spray ink by Mister Huey. Journaling spot by Jilliebean Soup. Circle punch by EK Success for Stampin' Up!

Most of the layouts I've been doing for 30 in 30 have been my own designs. On several of them, I just sat down to create, playing with the photos on the page, seeing where it took me, and this one came together quickly. One thing I would have added to this page, if I'd had time to set up the sewing machine, is some stitching to those borders made out of punched circles. Otherwise, I'm happy with it.

Next up, number 28!

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 26

Cutest Little Baby Face

Supplies: Card stock by Recollections. Patterned paper and stickers by Echo Park Paper. Ink by Colorbox. Letter stickers by Echo Park Paper and American Crafts. Ribbon by Bazzill.

A simple page highlighting a cute photo of my niece Olivia when she was just under a year old. I went with some paper and stickers from an old Echo Park Paper collection, I think it was their first. Love all that yellow with the touches of green and orange, and those little ducks, so cute!

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 25

Happy Birthday to Me

Supplies: Letter stickers by American Crafts and Making Memories. Brown ink by Ranger. Embossing powder by Stampendous. Dies by Tim Holtz for Sizzix. Ribbon by Bazzill. All other supplies by Stampin' Up!

I don't even know how long I've had that collection of patterned paper, but as I was getting ready to create this page--with a different collection in mind that simply didn't work for me--I flipped through my stash, and those colors caught my eye. There are more photos with this story, which I cropped and put into a 9 slot page-protector, adding some additional journaling.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

At the Grocery Store

Dropping by one of the local grocery stores the other day, I snapped a few pics of the displays set up just outside the front door.


Heirloom pumpkins. Different shapes and colors and sizes, but oh-so-typically fall.


Apples in so many different varieties, probably my favorite part of the season, other than the cool weather and chilly breezes.


So many varieties of mums all over the place this time of year. The colors are rich and vibrant, another clear sign that autumn has arrived.

And I'm delighted about that.

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 24

Autumn in Indy

Supplies: Card stock by Recollections. Patterned paper by K&Company, Bo Bunny, and Crate Paper. Letter stickers by Glitz and Making Memories. Ink by Colorbox. Gems by Me & My Big Ideas. Stickers by Jolee's, DCWV, and Little Yellow Bicycle.

Took me a little bit of thought to determine how to go about designing this layout. I started with patterned paper as a background, but it didn't work. I love the look of autumn photos against a brown background, so I went with that, adding a little bit of patterned paper, some stickers, some sparkle. Turned out great, and another story told.

Maple in Red

A gorgeous tree in full autumn "bloom":





Breathtaking.

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 23

Peekaboo!

Supplies: Card stock and punches by Stampin' Up! Patterned paper by DCWV. Letter stickers by Pink Paislee. Buttons by unknown manufacturers and Stampin' Up! Gems by Me & My Big Ideas. Spray ink by Mister Huey.

Another simple one, using the colors in the photo as a basis for selecting the supplies. I had a leftover punched strip of card stock that I used as an anchor, and I cut a flower out of a scrap of the patterned paper, using foam squares to give it a bit of dimension. I dig the fun, the energy, and the motion of the patterned paper that provides such a great background to the photo.

***

I'm on the home stretch for the September edition of 30 in 30 Scrapbooking. I have six more layouts to create, and I'm feeling my creativity lagging a bit. I hope to hit the ground running tomorrow and get the rest of my layouts posted by Saturday evening. Wish me luck!

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 22

Amazed - Our First Dance

Supplies: Recollections and Stampin' Up! Patterned paper by Pink Paislee and Basic Grey. Letter stickers by Basic Grey. Flowers and tulle ribbon by Precocious Paper. Spray ink by Glimmer Mist. Photo corners by Recollections. Chalk ink by Colorbox.

Again...the photography is bugging me, but there's no guarantee tomorrow's lighting will be any better, so I'm going with it.

I like how this layout turned out, though it's been a long time since I've used card stock in that way--with part of the journaling printed on it--on a page. Really happy to get those flowers and tulle used, since I was so excited to buy that little embellishment collection by Precocious Paper. A happy page, documenting a very happy memory.

Onward to number 23!

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 21

Pigtail Cutie

Supplies: Card stock by Bazzill. Patterned paper and die cuts by Jilliebean Soup. Letter stickers by Jilliebean Soup and American Crafts. Brad by Joann. Buttons by Dritz and unknown manufacturer. Ribbon by Making Memories. Twine by Doodlebug Designs. Glitter by Stickles.

Another quick, simple page featuring my niece Olivia at her cutest! Having trouble with photography of my pages on these somewhat cloudy autumn days. What I love about this layout is using up some patterned paper and die cuts I've had awhile, along with that orange gingham ribbon that's been in my stash a long time.

Next up, number 22.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 20

Every Little Thing You Do


Supplies: Patterned paper and stickers by Echo Park Paper. Ink by Colorbox. Spray ink by Glimmer Mist. Brads by Girls Paperie and unknown manufacturer. Wood hearts by Studio Calico. Twine by Doodlebug Design Die by Spellbinders.

Loosely based on one of Shimelle Laine's starting points, though with longer strips of patterned paper, this layout contains three photos of my sweetheart from over the summer. There wasn't any particular story for each one, so I chose to document a piece of our relationship and how much he means to me. The title came from a song I've been singing in my head because of another layout I'm working on, which I hope to have posted in the next few days.

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 19

Her Daddy, the Jedi

Supplies: Cardstock by Recollections. Patterned paper and stickers by Creative Imaginations. Letter stickers by October Afternoon and American Crafts.

Back to simple for this layout. I had a few Star Wars-themed supplies left from a kit my husband bought me a couple years ago for a mini-book of the Star Wars in Concert we attended. There weren't a whole lot of embellishments in my stash that would go well with the themed supplies, so it's a bit sparse. But I think the glitter letters and numerals jazz it up a bit.

On we go to number twenty...

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 18

At 34

Supplies: Cardstock by Stampin' Up! Patterned paper and brads by Bo Bunny. Ink by Colorbox, Tim Holtz, and Mister Huey. Dies by Lifestyle Crafts (formerly QuicKutz). Glitter by Stickles. Punches by EK Success and Martha Stewart. Doily, unknown manufacturer.

A lot of work went into this page, and I'm not sure if it's a success or more of a hot mess, but I enjoyed creating it, which I suppose is the most important thing. That and preserving another memory.

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 17

Cut A Rug, Little Bug

Supplies: Card stock by Recollections. Patterned paper by Simple Stories and My Mind's Eye. Letter stickers by American Crafts and October Afternoon. Ink by Colorbox. Buttons and tag, unknown manufacturer. Flowers by Petaloo. Twine by My Mind's Eye. Adhesive trim by Hero Arts.

For this layout, I wanted the design to mimic motion, and I thought the chevron pattern, both in the background patterned paper, and in the pieces cut out as accents, would do the job. There was a bit of a struggle to make this page work, but I totally dig it.

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 16

Disney Vacation

Supplies: Card stock by Core'dinations. Patterned paper and stickers by Echo Park Paper. Buttons by Doodlebug Designs, Making Memories, and Stampin' Up! Flowers by Petaloo. Title sticker by Jolee's.

My favorite thing about this layout is how the colors came together. I didn't think it would work, but the color palette from the Country Drive collection by Echo Park Paper fit the bill nicely.

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 15

Photo Shoot

Supplies: Card stock by Core'dinations and Stampin' Up! Patterned paper from unknown manufacturer. Gems by Sticko, Eva Creative, and Queen & Co. Letter stickers by Doodlebug Designs. Ink by Tim Holtz and Versamark. Spray ink by Glimmer Mist. Shimmer pen by Gelly Roll. Polka dot tape by Queen & Co. Butterfly tape, unknown manufacturer. Stamps by Stampin' Up! Embossing powder and journaling spots, unknown manufacturer.

 Awhile back, my Mom and I went garage saling, and I picked up a couple pieces of old camera patterned paper. Rarely do I find much in the way of good scrapbooking supplies at garage sales, and I wasn't sure what I'd use this particular paper for, but it turned out to be ten cents well spent.

For this layout, I created some flower embellishments with card stock, a rubber stamp I've had for quite awhile, embossing ink and powder, some spray ink, and a few glittery epoxy "gems." I like the overall effect of all those cameras in the background, accented by colors that coordinate with the photos.

Lots more to post, so onto number 16...

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 14

The Art and Awe of Flight

(Supplies: Kraft and white card stock by Recollections. Blue card stock and ribbon by Stampin' Up! Stamps by Technique Tuesday, Studio Calico, and Bad Axe Trading Company. Brads by Joann. Shimmer pen by Gelly Roll. Ink by Ranger.)

Trouble. That's what this layout was. So much trouble, in fact, that what you're looking at is the 2nd attempt, as I totally and fearlessly ruined the first page I'd created, trying to "fix" what I didn't like about it.

Sometimes, it's best to just start over. Which I did. And I like this one much better.

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 13

At 48

(Supplies: September kit from Studio Calico. Ink by Colorbox. Tag by Ranger. Wood hearts by Studio Calico. Small envelope from a previous Studio Calico kit. Spray ink by Glimmer Mist. Letter stickers by American Crafts.)

For this page about my husband, I created a place for hidden journaling behind the photo, using an envelope and tag, and using Stampin' Dimensionals by Stampin' Up! to adhere the photo matte. The numerals were cut from a piece of patterned paper, part of the September Studio Calico kit, which you can take a look at right here.

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 12

Heritage Park in Spring

(Supplies: Card stock by Recollections. Letter stickers by Bella Blvd. Fabric border sticker by Colorbok. Journaling spot by Jilliebean Soup. Flower, unknown manufacturer.)

That little polka dot flower has been in my collection for years, and I loved that I finally got to use it. I went simple with this layout, a collection of photos I took on an early spring day at one of my favorite parks. There wasn't an elaborate story to tell, just the simplicity of Nature's beauty on a lovely day.

A happy page that makes me happy.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Happiness

Happiness is:


Early fall.

Chilly, autumn-flavored breezes a few days before the official start of my favorite season.

Pumpkins, everywhere.

Turning leaves, trumpeting their prettiest colors, surprising me wherever I go.

Orchards to visit, apples to pick, cider to drink.

Walking in jacket weather, hand-in-hand with the man of my dreams who I'm lucky is part of my everyday reality.

Celebrations of love and gratitude.

The promise of winter.

Oh, how happy the first strains of the autumn symphony make me.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 11

One Year Later

(Supplies: Patterned paper by Bo Bunny and Basic Grey. Letter stickers by Basic Grey. Ink by Colorbox. Pearls by K&Company. Paper leaves by Treasure Chest. Spray ink by Glimmer Mist.)

I don't often say this, but I love this layout. I don't know if it's the luscious fall colors or the photos or how all of it works together, but I love how it turned out.

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 10

Cousins (also known as, the "ink mishap.")

(Supplies: Card stock by Recollections. Patterned paper by Graphic 45, Bo Bunny, and Jilliebean Soup{?}. Letter stickers by Pebbles and Glitz. Stamps by Technique Tuesday and Stampin' Up! Ink by Tim Holtz and Colorbox. Buttons by Stampin' Up! Epoxy numerals by DCWV. "Fall" sticker by Little Yellow Bicycle. Shimmer pen by Gelly Roll. Spray ink by Glimmer Mist. Sketch by Shimelle Laine.)

Cap on the bottle of purple Glimmer Mist left a bit loose, ink everywhere! These things happen, and I really dug the effect, so no worries. Also...I absolutely adore that photo. There aren't many of those three together in or out of adorable chicken suits, so this photo is especially treasured.

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 9

Mom At 80

(Supplies: Card stock by Bazzill and Stampin' Up! Patterned paper by Lilybee, My Mind's Eye, and unknown. Small glitter numerals and trim by Making Memories. Letter stickers by American Crafts and Basic Grey. Stamps by Studio G., Hero Arts, and Elise Blaha. Ink by Ranger. Sketch by Shimelle Laine.)

So, this layout gave me some trouble. The sketch is oen I've used before, but for some reason, I had a difficult time pulling all the elements together. I wound up trimming the white, stamped background card stock and adhering the smaller piece to another 12x12 piece of card stock. That seemed to do the trick, though this isn't one of my favorite layouts.

Still...another memory preserved, and onto the next...

Monday, September 10, 2012

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 8

Celebrate 40

(Supplies: Gems by Me & My Big Ideas, Martha Stewart, and K&Company. Cloud stickers by Pink Paislee. All other supplies by Echo Park Paper.)

These are photos I've been wanting to scrapbook for awhile, but I had to trim the 4x6's down pretty small to crop out certain things, and the smaller page protector really worked for all those little pieces of photo. The Boy's Life collection from Echo Park provided the perfect backdrop, and the color scheme fit great, too.

Here's a shot of the 12x12 page:


And of the page protector:


The other side contains a few more photos and a bit more journaling.

Busy weekend, and I didn't get much time for scrapbooking, but I did get time to wander around in a spot of autumn air. Pictures soon to follow...

Friday, September 7, 2012

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 7

Family Companions

(Supplies: Card stock by Recollections. Ink by Colorbox. Spray ink by Glimmer Mist. Metal accents by Idea-ology for Tim Holtz. All other supplies by Echo Park Paper.)

This page was inspired by a sketch from Shimelle Laine, but I changed the design significantly to fit my own aesthetic of what the page should look like. To balance out the more masculine overtones of the page, I added little touches of more feminine embellishments. The metal flowers feel like the perfect balance to me. And boy, do I ever love the look of spray mist splattered on the page.

30 in 30 Scrapbooking - September 2012 is going great almost a whole week in, and I'm seven for seven, so I'm feeling good. Meanwhile, Michigan gloom is prominent as ever, so it may be a few days before the sun appears, and I can post decent photos of the pages I'm creating.

Back to work...

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 6

Snow in Southtown

(Supplies: Kraft card stock by Recollections. White card stock and border punch by Stampin' Up! Spray ink by Mister Huey. Shimmer pen by Gelly Roll. Gems by K&Company. All other supplies by Echo Park Paper.)

For this story of a rare snowfall in East Texas, I had a lot of photos, fourteen total. To include them all without having to crop too much or extend the layout to a three-page extravaganza, I employed a favorite solution:


The other side of the divided page protector contains photos, too, as well as a bit more journaling. The story is completely told, and these photos that I love, even if they're a bit on the dim side, are all included.

In an upcoming layout I have to share, I employed the same solution but with smaller photos, so a smaller divided page protector. Coming soon...

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 5

My First Mojito

(Supplies: Card stock by Recollections. Patterned paper by Jilliebean Soup and DCWV. Letter stickers by Bella Blvd. and American Crafts. Ink by Tim Holtz. Stamp by Technique Tuesday. Gems by TPC Studio. Glitter tape by American Crafts. Ribbon, unknown manufacturer.)

For this fun layout, I used a Glitter Girl sketch that I like for large, busy patterned paper designs. For the lime embellishments, I cut lime images from leftover patterned paper and adhered one to another with foam squares (or hexagons, in the case of Stampin' Dimensionals by Stampin' Up!) with a tiny green gem to finish it off. The green glitter accents add more sparkle for a simple, shiny page about a guilty pleasure.

30 in 30 - September 2012 Number 4

Good Summer Brew

(Supplies: Patterned paper by Bo Bunny. Letter stickers by Bo Bunny, October Afternoon, and American Crafts. Ink by Colorbox. Stickers by Bo Bunny, K&Company, and Little Yellow Bicycle.)

A little bit simpler page this time for a simpler topic.

Simple's good.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Starbucks Autumn


Another sign that fall is on the way: pumpkin spice latte is back on the Starbucks menu.

Now...if the weather would catch up with all this autumn goodness...