Puzzled

My little one's love for puzzles started about when he turned 3.

October Afternoon Sasparilla papers, AC Thickers, Kaiser Craft buttons, Offrey ribbon, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Stampin' up Early Espresso marker, unknown cardstock and crochet thread. It's been a while since I made accordion flowers. This time I used a hotglue gun and SU! silicon mat, which made assembly a lot easier.

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Happy World Card Making Day

I made two cards for the challenges on the Jillibean Soup blog:

From the The Card Kitchen March 2012 kit: Jillibean Soup Southern Chicken Dumpling Soup papers, stickers and die-cuts; note card; twine. Other: Martha Stewart chalk ink; Ranger liquid pearls. This card was based on sketch 1 by Kimber McGray:

For the next card I used JS Country Pumpkin Chowder papers from The Card Kitchen October 2012 kit:

Note card and May Arts orange cord also from the kit. Other JS frame and stamp; Prima crystal; Ranger embossing ink; SU! marker and embossing powder (Early Espresso); unknown cardstock. This card was based on Kimber's sketch 2:

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First Big Screen Movie

The kids were so excited to see Rango that they could hardly sit still to watch the movie or take pictures. Good thing the theater was empty except for a couple of kids. [Now why can I journal here but not on a scrapbook page?]

Echo Park All About a Boy papers (Apron Strings Second Helping); ColorBok black cardstock; SU! Whisper White cardstock; BoBunny buttons and red jewels; EK Success yellow gemstone; AC alphabet stickers; Bic marker; unknown crochet thread.

I took inspiration from the layout posted on the Apron Strings Blog (here), where white-matted photos were placed on a black strip with decorated edges.

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Family Memories

I didn't notice I used fall papers for spring pictures until I got ready to post. I do love this Simple Stories Harvest Lane collection.

Papers, pin and round brads from the Apron Strings STBB November '12 kit. Other: AC Thickers; SU! Early Espresso cardstock and marker; unknown flowers and square brads.

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Knight time

There is a medieval fair every year in our town.  The boys love dressing up:

Fancy Pants Childish Things papers, K&Co. charms, PaperTrunk alphabet stickers, Ranger Glossy Accents, Color Box chestnut chalk ink, Stampin' Up! Papillon Potpourri stamp and butterfly punches.

More Childish Things papers, SRM Sticker sentiments, Color Box charcoal chalk ink, unknown cardstock.

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Razor Sharp Kidz

Spring photos from two years ago.

These BoBunny Alora papers from the Apron Strings STBB June '12 kit practically scrapped themselves. I just added Paper Trunk alphabet stickers and Stampin' Up! chocolate marker. And lots of fussy-cutting!

This layout is based on the PageMaps sketch posted on the Apron Strings blog Back to School challenge:

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Birthday Cards

I love these Doodlebug note cards because they make the cutest cards.

Jillibean Spotted Owl Soup papers, SRM sticker sentiment, Stampin' Up! leaf die, Martha Stewart chalk ink, and Eyelet Outlet arrow brad. I think next time I'll color the stem with a brown marker.

Recollections papers and embellishments; SRM stickers.

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Back to school

These are the teacher gifts I made for the boys to take to school this year. The re-purposed ice cream containers were filled with chocolate truffles.

 I used papers and stickers from the Simple Stories - Elementary - collection.

Other: Queen & Co. pearls, Prima jewels, American Crafts charm, Tim Holtz game spinner, Ranger Glossy Accents, hemp thread, washi tape.

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Hodgepodge of SFF books

The books I read in the last few months were very different from one another.

In my search for a non-dystopia sci-fi love story, I found Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher. It has a great premise and kept me engaged until the last page.

Another book with a unique premise and engaging writing is The Binding Stone by Lisa Gail Green. And this was the first book I bought because I loved the cover.


Ambasadora by Heidi Ruby Miller has excellent world-building with a very interesting and complex society. The violence was a bit too much for me, though.

Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn has a unique world and very likable characters. I'd like to read the rest of the series some day.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde does to time-travel and alternate history what Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide did to the galaxy. It's one of those books I had to read slowly so I wouldn't miss anything.

And to round off my summer reading, I'm now halfway through the paranormal romance Cloaked in Fur by T. F. Walsh, which has an endearing female werewolf narrator.

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Gators layout

I should use my stamps more often...

BasicGrey Basics paper (background); Jillibean Soup Chicken Noodle paper (flowers) and calendar spot; American Crafts card stock and Thickers; Pebbles chipboard leaf; Stampin' Up! Raining Flowers stamps and markers (Chocolate Chip and Certainly Celery); EK Success circle punch; Martha Stewart chalk ink (yellow); Paper Trunk alphabet stickers; ColorBox dark brown chalk ink; Glossy Accents.

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Celebrate card

This card is also for the Thursday cookout challenge at the Apron Strings Blog:

I used a bunch of scraps of patterned paper (Pebbles, My Minds's Eye, unknown); Core'dinations cardstock; American Crafts buttons, Paper Trunk alphabet, WRMK floss, Stampin' Up! hexagon embossing folder, Lifestyle crafts hexagon die, unknown star clip.

My drink list translation for this challenge:

• Limeade - Buttons
• Sweet Tea - Gingham Pattern
• Water - Monochromatic Color Scheme
• Sangria - Stitching
• Mojito - Unique Shaped Clips

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Birthday Cards

I'm running low on birthday cards. And as I used up these two already, I need to make more...

 Jillibean Soup Neopolitan Bean Bisque papers and stickers from The Card Kitchen May 2012 kit. Kraft note card, Creative Impressions chocolate ribbon and Maya Road pin also from the kit. Other: Glossy Accents, Color Box ink.

BoBunny Alora paper, flower, transparency and ribbon from the Apron Strings June'12 STBB kit. Other: Pebbles glittered chipboard, Doodlebug note card. This card was based on Tuesday's cookout challenge at the Apron Strings blog:

• Limeade - Include Lime Green
• Sweet Tea - Something Glittered/Sugared
• Water - Transparency
• Sangria - Include Red
• Mojito - Leaves

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Dada's Car

This is one of those pages that took me a week to put together.

I started out with the PageMaps sketch for the Cocoa Daisy contest, which I rotated to fit my photo:

The Lilybee Design Sweet Shoppe papers are from the Apron Strings July'13 STBB kit. The tag and twine are also from the kit. Other: Lilybee ABC stickers and chipboard flowers and buttons (Hello Sunshine); Paper Trunk black alphabet stickers; Love My Tapes fabric tape; October Afternoon journaling sticker; Jillibean soup corrugated frame; brads from Eyelet Outlet; Bic marker; Colorboc cardstock; unknown crochet thread. To get the black and white effect on the frame, I used Color Box dragonfly black pigment ink then a Signo white gel pen to fill in the ridges.

I picked my embellishments based on the Wednesday S'mores cookout on the Apron Strings Blog:

• Graham Crackers - Chipboard
• Coconut Marshmallows - Baker's Twine
• Chocolate Bars - Photo Frame
• Hazelnut Spread - Journaling Cards
• Strawberry Slices - Gingham

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Last page for 2010

Never thought this day would come ;)

Bella Blvd. Winter Wonder papers; Jillibean Soup Christmas Eve Chowder word and letter stickers; Stampin' Up! Whisper White card stock and postage punch (for the edge of the striped paper strips); WRMK Corner Chomper; Ranger Glossy Accents; unknown jewels and brads.

2011, here I come :)

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Happy tin day card

Dada and I celebrated out 10th anniversary yesterday :)

Jillibean Soup papers, stickers, note card and pin; SRM sticker sentiment; Doodlebug buttons; Maya Road chipboard; American Crafts foil Thickers; Signo white gel pen; Colorbox Dark Brown chalk ink; unknown hemp trim. This card was based on the Doodlebug PageMaps sketch posted on the Apron Strings Blog.

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Snow pages

It's not very often that the kids get a white Christmas. They really enjoyed their chance to play in the snow in 2010.

Bella Blvd. Winter Wonder papers, Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type, May Arts ribbon, Creative Imaginations pearls, white Signo gel pen, unknown cardstock.

The next page used up some Doodlebug Design papers I've been hoarding saving since 2007:

Other: Maya Road transparency snowflake; Queen & Co. jewels; SP Journal This stamp; Colorbox white frost pigment ink; white Signo gel pen; American Crafts Remarks, Glitter Thickers and white Zing embossing powder. The snowmen came from a Bella Blvd. Winter Wonder paper and this LO was based on the Doodlebug's PageMap week sketch posted on the Apron Strings blog:

 

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Christmas 2010

For this layout I combined October Afternoon Good Cheer paper and stickers from an old Apron Strings' Blue Plate Special and Jillibean Soup Christmas Eve Chowder paper and stickers from The Card Kitchen December 2011 kit.

Other: American Crafts and Stampin' Up cardstock; Martha Stewart chalk ink; Ranger Glossy Accents; Bic marker.


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Sliding at the tree farm

For this layout I used the Bela Blvd. Winter Wonder paper.

Other: Jillibean Soup Game Day Chilli alphabet, Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type, K&Co. chipboard sticker, American Crafts ribbon, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, and unknown cardstock.

I really liked how this page turned out, considering how fast the layout came together without a sketch.

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Lucky card and holiday page

I decided to play along with the challenges on the Apron Strings blog this week. It's been a while since I showed up over there...

I used the My Mind's Eye Miss Caroline papers and element from the Apron Strings September'12 STBB kit. Cardstock and clip also from the kit. Other: Ranger distress ink (burlap), Stampin' Up! marker (Early Espresso) and mister. This card was based on the Tuesday 6/18 sketch:

The next layout is another holiday page:

WRMK White Christmas paper and tag;Maya Road transparency snowflakes; Eyelet outlet pearl brads; May Arts tinsel edge ribbon; SP Journal This stamp; SU! marker (Cherry Cobbler); Versamagic Cloud White ink. This layout was based on the Scrapbooks, Etc. sketch posted on Wednesday 6/19:

I added an extra photo and moved some elements around.

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