I love, love, love the sketch this month for CREATE! I got right to work with my 6×6 paper pads constructing a super fun color scheme for these photos.  I wanted the beautiful pink flowers to jump off the page.  😉

Please stop by and see what my fellow designers did with this sketch and other inspirations this month in the September CREATE magazine.

Products used: Patterned paper: Bella Blvd, My Mind’s Eye, Making Memories, We R Memory Keepers, Recollections, SEI; Cardstock: Bazzill, Core’dinations; Letter Stickers: American Crafts, Studio112; Stickers: My Mind’s Eye; Buttons: American Crafts; Flowers: Making Memories, Prima

I don’t do it often, but for the boys’ baby books, I had a few layouts to duplicate. One for their baby book and one for me to keep. I made this Monkey layout for the CREATE magazine but forgot I wanted two copies:

I couldn’t find another sheet of the sock monkey paper but really wanted to keep the same theme so I made my own sock monkey paper. I used a Recollections paper for the background and a Silhouette cut (supposed to be a juggling sock monkey) for the big guy.

Here are the two monkeys side by side:

Our first son at 1 & 1/4, 1 & 1/2, 1 & 3/4, and finally 2 years old!

Products used: Papers: American Crafts, My Mind’s Eye, Crate Paper (stripe), Echo Park, Cherry Arte, Recollections; Journaling blocks: Close to My Heart, Project Life; Letters: American Crafts; Stamps: Close to My Heart; Sketch: Scrapbook Generation

A quick and simple layout using papers from a 6×6 paper pad.

Products used: Papers: Cosmo Cricket; Journaling Block: We R Memory Keepers; Dies: Silhouette

See all the great projects in the May 2015 CREATE magazine HERE!

For the CREATE journaling challenge this month, we showed off how to use a list. We went to this favorite park 3 days in a row while visiting San Jose so a list was a great way to recap the overall experience.

Products used: Patterned paper: My Mind’s Eye, Authentique, Basic Grey, We R Memory Keepers, October Afternoon; Letter stickers: Authentique; Stickers: Heidi Grace; Journaling block: Technique Tuesday; Washi tape: We R Memory Keepers; Dies: Cricut Type Candy Font

View the May 2015 CREATE magazine HERE!

This layout was created for the birthday theme challenge for CREATE. I took photos of Calvin at his 1 1/4, 1 1/2, 1 3/4, and 2 year “birthdays” for comparison.  They really turn from babies into little kids during the second year.

Products used: Patterned paper: Recollections, Fancy Pants, Crate Paper, We R Memory Keepers; Letter Stickers: Basic Grey, Authentique; Stickers: Bella Blvd; Journaling block: jillibean soup; Brads: Making Memories; Dies: Silhouette Scrap N Fonts

Ice skating with Tobin on a “Mom and Tobin Adventure Day” last winter. I used the January sketch from CREATE magazine to pull this together!

Products used: Patterned papers: heidi grace, SEI, Doodlebug Design Inc, We R; Cardstock: Bazill; Letter stickers: Sassafras; Stickers: Doodlebug Design Inc, TPC Studios, American Crafts, heidi grace; Other Emb: Prima; Washi Tape: Little B; Die cuts: Cricut Type Candy Font

I really branched out on this layout. I used GOLD! As inspired by the color challenge in November 2014’s CREATE Magazine. I showcased photos of my mother’s famous Christmas tree garden.  It makes it’s appearance under the massively tall Christmas tree each year.

Products used: Paper: Echo Park, My Mind’s Eye, Basic Grey, SEI, Crate Paper, Recollections, DCWV; Embellishments: Adorn it, Making Memories. Martha Stewart, American Crafts, K&Company; Letters: We R Memory Keepers, Pressed Petals; Tools: Cricut Cuttin’ Up cartridge

Ali’s bridal shower! I had a lot of fun preparing crafts and decorating for this special event to celebrate a close friend. And I used the CREATE magazine’s cheery color challenge to complete this layout for the September 2014 issue.

Last summer, Tobin was starting to get interested in drawing. He spent a lot of time outside on the driveway drawing with chalk.  I wanted to capture some of his first art, so I got up on a ladder to snap some shots.  This Scrapbook Generation sketch was the perfect way to incorporate the artwork photos as well as Tobin in process.  See what more designers did with the same sketch in the August 2014 issue of CREATE magazine!

Products used: Papers: My Mind’s Eye, Recollections, The Paper Studio, SEI, Crate Paper; Title: Cricut Opposites Attract, Studio Calico, Lilybee Design; Embellishments: Heidi Grace, Simple Stories