Diaper Days

As I am looking through the challenges this week, there seems to be a reacurring theme-green. My thoughts on this? 'Green? Ick! They couldn't have picked something different?' I know St Patrick's Day is almost upon us, and is undoubtedly the inspiration behind all this green. It's just my least favorite color to work with, but I tried, and a soft green coupled with a pastel yellow isn't so bad. So I got busy.

This is another addition to my baby scrapbook w/o pictures. I was having a hard time getting the color to show up right, I think the first one is the closest match. Left page:
I've seen a lot of banners and pennants used recently on layouts and cards, so if you've recently posted one on your blog and I follow you, you were a part in inspiring that. The banner is just a tag from SCAL and a font (not sure which one), put together in SCAL. Right page:It is simple, but I didn't want to overdue it. I thought about adding some safety pins along the edge, but it didn't really go with the flow and I didn't have the right color to paint them, so I kept it simple.

The diaper is from the lovely Lea at Tu J's and a Taco (it is free, hop on over there). Now I can't even begin to take credit for the cute lil' tosies. I was trying to decide whether to do this diaper or the outline of the diaper (both of which are cute, and included in the one file), so I asked my husband. Although he claims to have no artistic inclination, God gave him quite a bit, and he willingly helps me make choices like this :) He said, "I like that one, its cute. But you know what would be even cuter?" I said what? "If you could add some baby feet sticking out of the diaper" GENIUS! So off I went on my search. I found several feet I could have cut of people, but they were all in zipped files (which my computer has difficulty dealing with, so I have to download on my hubby's computer, extract files then transfer to mine, which takes a long time for something that should be simple). I know, I should just download SCAL on his computer, but I haven't yet. Anyways... what I ended up doing was finding this coloring page of a baby in a high chair, tracing it in SCAL, then breaking apart the image, so that I only had the legs and feet. Still took awhile to do, but aren't the toes so cute?! Actually, this picture is a better one for the colors in the background. Oh, and I added glimmer mist to the diaper. Challenges:
GREEN- All Sorts Challenge Blog, Sentimental Sundays, Stampin' Royalty
Stamp Something-cream and green
Die Cuts-anything goes-title, diaper and feet
Do You Stack Up- layers, the diaper has 4
One Stop Craft Challenge- clean and simple
Papertake Weekly- yellow
whew! that's it!

Sleepy Scrapbook Page

Yep, another baby scrapbook layout !! There will be many more before I am finished :)
I also used SCAL2 library for the tag and the moon, for the journaling. If you read my frustrated blog account last week, you know how many times I failed to do the tag correctly. It still isn't perfect, but I'm satisfied for now (I might redo it later). The star border is one I put together (I am getting better at it). I like the versatility of it, great for Operation Write Home cards, military layouts, and fourth of July cards/layouts. I would be happy to email you the file if you want it, let me know (brandicriminger@yahoo.com). The crib is from the lovely Lea over at Tu J's and a Taco, if you haven't checked out her awesome SVG files, you should! As soon as I saw it I knew it would be a journaling pocket!The clouds were the speech bubbles on SCAL2, I took out the extra smaller clouds and imputed text. It was fun to play around using markers in the cricut, has been awhile since I've done that. I glimmer misted the clouds, stars and the journal tag. I am in love with glimmer mist right now! See the sparkle?!

And here's the tag!Just a couple challenges this week-both anything goes:
Papertake Weekly
Digi's With Attitude! Challenges

Daddy&Me

I'm making a just add pictures album for my brother's baby (due in June). I am finding it increasingly difficult to scrapbook without pictures to draw from for colors and style! It's crazy, I have found myself looking at online sketches and to see what others have done, since I don't have the inspiration I typically do-the pictures! I think the hardest part is that I want to make sure it can become an album that not only holds pictures, but also memories for mom and dad. Whereas I tend to do less journaling in my scrapbooking, I'm trying to leave room for journaling to be added as well. This is a Daddy and Me double layout (intended for right after birth). The first picture will be on the left side of the album.
The frames are embossed (although it may be difficult to see in the picture). The bird is from the Stamping Cartridge as is the branch (which is really a flourish)-done in vellum. The font is Broadway, cut using SCAL. I will NOT cut this font again! It has lots of places on letters that are really, really thin and a pain in the hind end to take off the mat and glue without ripping. The s's especially were a nightmare-hence the drawn in ones (I thought it added my own flair).

Challenges-
Maryanne's Valentine Hop-LOVE layout (large shape, one patterned paper, vellum, embellishments)
Do You Stack Up-ribbon

If you are looking for the Creative Scrapbooking Divas Valentine Blog Hop, see this post.

I'm going to be an aunt in 3 months, so I took advantage of paper and album sales at our favorite hobby store and got an 8x8 album and double sided papers for just $10! And I made the first page tonight.I used a sketch from pagemaps, for a challenge at Creative Scrapbooking Divas.

Challenge:
Scrappy Saturdays with the Bug-I cut the brackets, title & buttons all made in SCAL.

Announcing

So, I've been really busy yesterday and today working on scrapbooking my wedding photos and artifacts and such. This first double layout (they are all double layouts) is our engagement announcement and our wedding invitation. I can't take credit for the invitation, that is all my mother-in-law's genius. You can see her other creations here. I wanted to keep it simple, so I just added a quick title using Sure Cuts Alot2.


The invitation was so wonderful, I wanted you to see the inside (particularly the velum with RSVP info). I think the bride might have come from SVG Cuts, but don't quote me on that.

The next is a book that was compiled of people that attended my bridal shower, the gifts they gave, games played, etc. The hearts are from the Stamping Cartridge.
A peek at the inside:
Challenges:
Do You Stack Up-patterned papers (background)
Digi Doodle Shop- Swirls (both the invitation and the hearts have swirls)
MamiDoodles-the magic of love

Photos from my Bachelorette Party. My maids of honor went around town and left plastic eggs with clues hidden in various stores and public places. Each of the clues led to the next one, like a scavenger hunt. Two teams raced to finish first (of course without speeding). The mohs hid at various locations with water balloons and noisemakers to add to the fun.
All of the activities are journaled in the tree, better picture below.
I'm terrible at layering, but I tried my hand at it for the title:
Papers: background-Amanda Blu Rest-from my stash, mostly The Paper Studio
Flower-RAK
Background stamp on title- autumn leaves
Tree- hand drawn
Leaves-cut out from a Cricut Cartridge... something about words in the garden (borrowed from a friend)
tag- Creating Memories
Ribbon-leftover from my mom's wedding (23 years ago)

Challenges:
Stamp Something- pockets or tags-tag
Sentimental Sundays-inspired by a song-title-Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (also my hubby's least fav song)

Getting Ready

Although I'm still working on scrapbooking some of the before bridal stuff (bridal shower etc), I needed a break, so I scrapped getting ready.


Not a ton to say about these... the paper is Amanda Blu, the rhinestones were given to me, there are some stickles, they are more evident in the last picture.
Showcasing the bling:Stamp Fairy- glitter it up~BRAND NEW CHALLENGE BLOG!!!
Stampin' Royalty- bring on the bling
Creative Scrapbook Divas- Dec Challenge