Together

On Monday the member challenge was posted at Studio Calico.  The challenge was to make a layout about a significant relationship in your life.  I knew I wanted to do a layout about my relationship with my husband - we celebrated our 25th anniversary in November.  And over he years he has made me crazy, supported me, helped me, put up with my crafting even when he doesn't understand it, and most importantly, never stopped loving me.

But we take most of the pictures in our family and I will be darned if I could find a recent picture of us together.  Then I remembered a picture I took of our feet when we were on a rare weekend trip alone to celebrate our anniversary.  And it was really perfect - even though it was from a weekend celebration, it captured the everyday support for each other that marriage means. 

I used the current sketch at My Creative Sketches to inspire my layout design.  I liked the chance to use lots of layers and fun patterned papers - I was trying to capture "that loving feeling" without going over the top romantic.

I started with papers from my February Citrus Twist Kits for my project - then added some green and the black and white stripes. 

The embellishments all came from the Citrus Twist kits and I love that there are so many textures in the choices this month.  The cork stars with the gold glitter are to die for and rub ons are always one of my favorites.  And I am a total sucker for rubber pieces so these Maggie Holmes tags and banners made my day.

The alpha this month was the biggest surprise in the kit.  It is from the new Crate Paper baby line and it wasn't even on my "maybe" shopping list.  But I seriously love it - the puffy alpha and the subtle gray lines are awesome - and the best thing - the letters are in two sizes which creates so many options.  I used the small size here.

I can't believe the weekend is almost over - I'm off to finish laundry.  Hope you found time to scrap this weekend.

Spring

Each week Studio Calico posts a challenge from a member on their blog.  (I dream about being asked to do this).  The challenges are always fun, but last week's is one of my all time favorites.  It inspired a layout I would never have thought to make.

The challenge was to use a quote and leftover pictures and/or scraps of pictures.  And I have lots of pieces of pictures left from cropping.  I never want to throw them away but I have no idea why I am saving them. 

When I saw the challenge I immediately thought of photo scraps of a handbook spread I did last year with photos of spring flowers.  And of of my favorite project life card in the Lisse Street project life add-ons.  It had a quote about spring from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Came the spring with all its splendor,

all its birds and all its blossoms,

all its flowers and leaves and grasses

Maybe its because the winter was so rough, but the quote touched me as soon as I saw the card.

I arranged the photo scraps and the card in a simple grid.  Then I pulled out the Lisse Street 4x6 paper pad and cut small pieces to fill in the gaps.  I don't have a sewing machine but I love the look people get when they stitch and then bend up the papers, so I tried to replicate it.  I put a strip of adhesive down the middle and bent the edges up.

The project life card is attached to a vellum scrap and mounted with foam tape.  Then I added a few simple embellishments and some ink splatters to finish off the page.  

Use up those photo scraps and link me up with your projects.  I'd love to see.

Thanks for stopping by.