Layers and More Layers

I love the look of clean and simple pages.  But when I start to create a page, I just can't help myself - I want to add lots of layers and details.  And when I started following the Lovely Layers class at Big Picture Classes, I just wanted to create even more layers.

So when I saw this week's sketch at Studio Calico, my first thought was that I would pass.  The inspiration layouts (both the original by Mandie Pierce and the one Maggie Massey created using the sketch) are gorgeous, but they definitely fall within the clean and simple design perspective -- and that's just not my thing right now. 

But the sketch was stuck in my head.  So instead I challenged myself to use the sketch to create a layout that used all those layers I love so much.  I came up with this:

Both the inspiration layouts featured a black and white photo. I chose to use a black and white photo also - it was an easy connection to the inspiration pieces and I am increasingly drawn to the simplicity in black and white photos as a counterpoint to all the color and texture of the layers.  And, as a bonus, a black and white photo can be effective even when photo quality isn't as good as I would like.

Next I focused on the design and pulled out the elements that I liked.  I decided to focus on a relatively large rectangle as a base, building a layered element at the bottom corner, using a horizontal piece at the bottom of my photo bloc and creating an embellishment block to one side of my photo.

I started by creating some patterned paper layers on top of and under the large rectangle base to support my photo.  I tried to vary the colors, patterns and textures while keeping the feel light. The dark strip at the bottom of the page helped to balance all the light colors.

Then I dug into my ephemera stash to add detail.  My favorite thing about the whole layout is probably the embellishment cluster at the bottom of the layout.  Its a mix of some favorites that have been in my stash for a long time.  And I love that the stitched border echos the scallops in the original layout.

This was a great exercise for me - the trick with sketches is to make them your own. 

I'm hoping to spend some scrappy time this weekend.  I hope you find some time to play to........

It's All About the Feelings

I scrap for lots of reasons - and I often say that the biggest reason is that creating makes me happy.  It is essentially my substitute for therapy.  But sometimes life reminds me that the art of memorykeeping is really about capturing feelings - whether they are the feelings generated by little everyday moments, milestones, or even really hard things.

Recently my mom got some scary health news.  And while I am 54 years old, I have never imagined life without my mother (even when she makes me crazy).  I live several hours from her and when she called, my first instinct was to find a recent photo.  It made me smile and it made me cry.  But I knew I wanted to scrap it.

The photo sat on my desk for about a week while I thought about the story I wanted to capture.  I knew I wanted to create a pretty layout that featured a black and white photo, but I wasn't sure about the feelings I wanted to capture.  I finally just started - and then the message was clear:  "You Will Always Be Mommy To Me."

Most products are from the December Citrus Twist kits - added maggie holmes chipboard, alphas and cosmo cricket tissue

I didn't add a lot of journaling, but the act of making the layout helped me process everything I was feeling.  Because that's what it comes down to - she's my mommy and I will always need her.   (I really recommend using a creative project to help work through hard things.)

I had just finished listening to the first lesson in Raquel Bowman's class, Lovely Layers, at Big Picture Classes and put lots of things I'd learned to work on this project.  All the little details she suggested added so much impact to the design.

First I added a little bit of stitching to one of the layers.  I don't have a sewing machine and am not a great hand sewer, so I went for a bit of stitching on one layer instead of stiching a complete frame around one or more layers.

 I tried to add lots of textures to the layers - I used lots of patterned paper, some vellum with gold, a tag, and some old Cosmo Cricket tissue that I crumpled to my layers.  And I added a bit of chipboard between some of the layers to add dimension.

And I tried to create different edges on the papers used for the layers.  The doily obviously had a pretty round lacy edge.  I tore the edge on the vellum and tore the bit of tissue.  I distressed the edges of some of the layers and inked others.  And I don't have any border punches, so I used a corner punch to add a bit of extra detail to one of the layers.

I'm ready now to support my mommy in this chapter of her life.  I will no doubt be scrapping my way through it (even if the projects are unrelated) as a way to cope with the stress and worry.  And if you could find a minute to keep her in your prayers, I would sure appreciate it.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend - I plan to create and appreciate little moments.  This weekend I want to "TRY" to find the joy in the everyday.  I hope you do the same.

It's All About the Brads

I joined a "support group" on the Studio Calico website for my fellow crafters who are trying to spend no money or only a little money on crafting supplies this year.  Pam started the group and is really working to keep us on track with weekly challenges.  And this weekend she challenged us to use some of those brads in our stashes.

I totally bought into brads as an amazing embellishment and have a basketful - even after a couple of big purges.  They really can be a great way to add color, pattern and dimension to a layout.  But it turns out that I hate using them.  I move things around so much while I am putting a project together and don't want to create a hole for the brad (just in case I change my mind again) until I am absolutely happy with the way a page looks.  But without really attaching the brad it is really hard to see how it looks.

But I remember someone telling me you can take the prongs off  brads and use glue dots to attache them.  And you know what - it works like a charm.  I can move brads around to my heart's content and know how they will look.  I used 8 brads on this layout inspired by the Sunday sketch at Studio Calico.

Supplies from January kits at Citrus Twist kits and my stash.

The layout is bright and fun.  And the brads add lots of detail without a lot of fuss this way.  I just might be inspired to use up more of those brads.

I'm hoping to scrap some more this afternoon.  I hope you have some more creative time planned too.  Happy Sunday!

Watercolor Splatters

Every Sunday Paper Issues posts a scraplift challenge on their facebook fan page.  The inspiration layouts are always amazing, but I'll be honest - I don't take the challenge very often.  But this week, the challenge was stuck in my head.

This is the inspiration layout by Michelle Arseneault Gallant - her design is simple but the color choices are really striking.



So I decided to do my own version of the layout.  - I had a single photo of my dog (one of my favorite subjects lately) and used this layout as inspiration for my own design.

I maintained the general design but added more layers under the photo - I love mixing patterns and colors in the layers under a photo. I started with the papers and embellishments in the January Citrus Twist Scrapbook and Pocket Life kits.  I found a neutral strip that worked well at the top of my page - no cutting needed.  I added a few extra embellishments (the blue heart clip, the gold heart, the too cute die cut and the wood stars) from my stash.

Then it was time for some ink splatters.  If you visit here much, you know that just about every project has some ink splatters.  I usually use spray inks on a round paint brush.  But I really wanted to match the dark blue in the paper and die cuts -- and I just didn't have an ink that worked. I pulled out my cheap set of watercolors from Michaels, got the brush really wet and picked a blue that matched the papers.  I used the paint to create the splatters and it worked perfectly!

So today was a win - I finished a layout, tried something new with my current stash and fit in some crafty time for the seventh day in a row.  I'm feeling pretty good about sticking to my resolutions and "trying."

I hope you're having a good week too.  Thanks for stopping by.

Stuck?! on an Angle

I am trying to get back to some of my creative habits that helped keep me scrapping.  One of the best of those was following the challenges at Stuck?! Sketches.  They publish two sketches each month and they usually provide lots of opportunity to play with layers and details.

So while I am wrapping up my amazing 4 day weekend, I decided to check out the current sketch.  I was excited to see that it was a fun diagonal design.

My layouts tend to be either horizontal or vertical in design so this sketch provided a fun challenge.

I started with the January kit from Citrus Twist Kits (my last one for a while) and a photo that brings back all those summer feelings.   I added lots of bits from my stash and created this layout.  There are quite a few pieces from Crate Paper Wonder, an older Crate paper line, Simple Stories, Dear Lizzy and Studio Calico kits mixed in with the pretty supplies from the kit.

I stuck really closely to the sketch and used layers and embellishments to tell my story.  And my tip for the day - check out the packaging - that fun yellow piece with the blue scalloped edge that is one of the bottom layers - that was the backing in the die cut pack from the Fancy Pants Joy Parade collection.  It is so cute and perfect here. 

I will be returning to work tomorrow but am definitely going to squeeze a little scrapping time in.  And you never know - maybe another blog post.   In the meantime, thanks for stopping by!

Do Over

I wasn't very motivated or inspired last week - but I got up yesterday, determined to make something.  It was really early when I got back from walking the dog (about 6) so I was really excited to see that Citrus Twist had already posted their weekly sketch challenge.

I really liked the sketch and the CT take on it was very cool.  But I really struggle with layouts that use lots of circles.  And my goal was to make something - not get frustrated - so in my head I turned those circles into squares.

I used my May Citrus Twist kits - they are gorgeous with lots of Pink Paislee Fancy Free, Maggie Holmes Bloom and other coordinating supplies.  And made this.

It was close to the sketch, I photographed it and posted it for the challenge.  An hour later I walked by my scrapbook table, looked at it and didn't like it at all.  Am I the only one who does that?

So I started to pull it apart - but took a breath and thought about what I didn't like - and, being me, I decided there wasn't enough layer or detail in the layout.  So I dug through my kit goodies and got to work.  And ended up with this.

Same layout but with more layers and more details.  And I am so much happier with it.  This is the only thing I made yesterday, but I learned two things.

• When I don't like a project, starting over isn't always the only solution.  Take time tot hink about how to improve the first attempt.  Small changes can make a big difference.
• It's important to know your style - and rely on those elements when you are stuck.  Stretching and trying new things is important and fun - but going back to what you know and love is the best way to find your mojo.         

I wish I could stay home and put those lessons to the test this morning.  But I'm off to work.  Have a marvelous Monday.

Using a Transparency

Transparent elements are big in scrapbooking right now.  And I am a huge fan - I love that they provide opportunities to add color and texture but generally maintain a light feel.  But 12x12 transparencies are coming with lots more color and pattern than ever before - and I think they can be a bit challenging to use.  In fact, my stash is growing quickly - they are so pretty but I end up not using them. 

So when the Spoonful add-on at Studio Calico came with this Dear Lizzy transparency I was determined to use it.

I found the perfect inspiration is a sketch at Citrus Twist Kits. The diagonal design seemed to provide a great opportunity to incorporate the transparency to add color and pattern as a background element.

It turns out - that wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.  I ended up piecing together several patterned papers, including the transparency to create a custom background.

Once the background was done I worked on a photo block.  And I'll admit that I had a hard time with placement - the vertical orientation in the sketch just didn't work well.  I think I moved the block around for 15 minutes and it just didn't look right.  I added the pink and white striped paper from my scraps on a whim - and was really surprised that it seemed to work to anchor the whole thing. 

Because the design was busy and I had used a number of bold patterns, I kept embellishments to a minimum (a challenge for me).  But I thought it was really fun to add a second transparent element with the acetate word from Pinkfresh Studio.  And I was really surprised at how well the hot pink thickers worked on top of the transparency. Finally, I couldn't call it done without a few ink spatters.

So what's accumulating in your stash because you love it but can't quite figure out how to use it.  Challenge yourself to put it on a project this week.  You might just be surprised with the end result.

Have a great Sunday.

All the Colors

Sometimes I get stuck in a color rut - lately its been all about blue and yellow.  But the April kits from Citrus Twist had lots of bright, fun colors.  So I went looking for a picture that would work with a layout that uses all the colors.  I found an old one of my daughter looking through her haul on Halloween.

Then I hunted down a sketch that provided the chance to use lots of layers and bits so I could pull out the colors in the photo.  The April sketch at Paper Issues was perfect!

I focused on the layered horizontal elements, the large circle, the banner and the tag for my layout. 

I started with papers from the April Citrus Twist kits - the green, the black and white stripe and the small piece under the tag.  Then I went to my scraps and stash to pull out other pieces.  .  I was excited to used the acrylic "hooray" from a recent haul from Colorcast Designs.  Then I kept adding bits from both the Citrus Twist kits and my stash til I felt like the layout was balanced.  The bit of black and white polka dot paper was the last thing I added - and it made all the difference - it seemed to ground the whole layout.

I hope your Tuesday is filled with all the colors - thanks for stopping by.

Those Words

Every so often I read a blog post where someone is talking about being inspired by product.  And I never quite understand - I love all my pretty paper and embellishments but they don't really inspire a project. 

But then I got my hand on these acetate words from the Life Noted Collection by Pinkfresh Studio. 

I had a pack in my stash but haven't cracked them open.  But a partial pack came in my April Citrus Twist kits - And they are amazing.  The colors are bright and fun, but the translucent nature of the product adds a certain lightness. I immediately tried to use as many of them as I could on a single layout.

My first idea was to use them to create a patterned paper feel across the bottom of my layout - and that looked pretty awesome, but I couldn't figure out the rest of the layout.  So I ended up with a basic grid design.

Products from April kits at Citrus Twist kits

They were so much fun and really framed the photo perfectly.  I was also excited to see how well they worked with other embellishment pieces - especially the Amy Tangerine Better Together rubber bits. 

I've just about used up the ones that came in my kit - now the challenge is to keep myself from hoarding the pack I have in my stash.  Oh - and when I was looking for a product photo for this post, they were gone at most of my favorite online stores.  But it turns out they are on sale at Scrapbook.com.

Hope you have a great Monday. 

Turn It

My Creative Sketches is one of the first places I check when I need a little inspiration.  But this month I really struggled to make the sketch work for me.

I really don't know why - the design seemed to provide for lots of layers and embellishments - my two favorite things.  But I was stuck.  Then I turned the sketch on its side - literally.  I printed it and turned it on its side.  The layout practically flew together then.

Most supplies from April kits at Citrus Twist kits

After I created the basic design with the circle shapes and paper strips I played with embellishments.  My favorite thing here is the large Pinkfresh Studio acetate word that layers over the photograph and several of the patterned papers.  I feel like it really brings the whole thing together.

Hope you're having a great Sunday.  Thanks for stopping by.

3 To Inspire

I've talked about the "3 To Inspire" challenges at Citrus Twist kits before.  They post them on their blog every Saturday and they are some of my favorite challenges.  I check it out first thing on Saturday mornings and am almost always inspired by the combination of elements.  I usually use the prompts at some point even if it isn't in time for the challenge deadline.

Last Saturday's was a really good one.  You had to use:

• 2 tags
• kit packaging
• banners 

If you don't subscribe to their kits, you should know that the kit packaging is exceptional.  Each kit comes in a brown paper bag and is tied with bakers twine.  I have a big pile of bakers twine from my kits I find myself going to frequently when a layout needs a little something extra.  Plus small bits are often in glassine or small brown bags inside the larger kit package.

So here is the layout I came up with - I've been really inspired by photos from the days when my kids were little and cute lately and loved this easter picture I came up with.

Most supplies are from March kits at Studio Calico (Homespun and addons)

I used twine in two colors for my kit packaging, 2 tags from the Maggie Homes Bloom collection, and a couple of banners I cut myself.  And I love this picture of my daughter and a friend.  We lost touch with this family when she switched to Catholic schools and the photo brought back lots of memories - which was a good reminder about the value of this craft.

I'm going to dig for some more old pictures to scrap - hope you're having a great weekend.

Thanks for stopping by.

Using a Sketch From Memory

I haven't been around  for a bit - mostly because we've been having computer and internet problems.  Thankfully, they are all fixed now and I can share some of my projects.  And the good news - the computer problems inspired me to use a sketch a different way.

This is the first sketch for the month at Stuck?!  I checked it out and then lost consistent internet connectivity.  Generally I print out the sketches and have them on my desk when I work.  As a result my design usually stays close to the sketch or I make conscious decisions about moving or replacing elements on the sketch.  This time, I worked from my memory of the sketch.

Here are the elements that stood out to me.

• circles
• vertical layers
• a horizontal layer
• embellishment clusters

So  I used those elements to build my design.  (I did go to my stash for some pieces.)  Here was what I came up with

So instead of working directly from the sketch, I worked with my memory of the sketch.  I used two circles but didn't layer them directly - instead my vertical layers acted more as a link between them.  And I really only had one embellishment cluster that i used in combination with the title to create the horizontal element in the sketch. 

It was a fun way to work with a sketch - I'm glad circumstances nudged me in a new direction.  And I was really happy with the  finished product - it was fun and unique.  I will definitely take this approach again at least some of the time when I am working with a sketch.

I have lots more to share - keep an eye out. 

Thanks for stopping by.

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.

Pink for Fall Photos

I got my February kits from Studio Calico last week.  They are really beautiful -- and really pink.  Now I like pink and use a lot of pink in my projects.  But these kits might be the pinkiest kits I ever have seen.

Since I don't take many (read not any) Valentine pictures, these kits are a bit of a challenge for me.  But they are really lovely, so I decided to see what photos I could use that would be a bit of surprise with the pink papers and girly patterns.  I started with a fall photo from a trip to the apple orchard.  My daughteri s wearing a bright red sweatshirt, but it worked well with some of the pink papers.

design inspired by sketch at Citrus Twist kits

The papers I used are a mix from the scrapbook add on and the main kit.  I fell in love with the chipboard in the scrapbook add-on (from Crate Paper Hello Love).  And the pops of yellow helped to balance all the pink.

I'm off to embrace the pink - hope you're finding some time to craft.

Thanks for stopping by.

Saturday Morning Inspiration

I try to schedule some crafty time every weekend - and the more the better.  Most Saturdays I start my weekend by checking out my favorite sites for inspiration.  I let the things I see "sit" in my head while I do some chores and errands.  Then when I have some time, ideas are ready. 

Yesterday I found two of my favorite starting points in my browsing.  It was Sketchy Saturday at Paper Issues......

and 3 to Inspire at Citrus Twist Kits.  The 3 to inspire prompts were using frames, ink splatters and repetitive stamping.  And my first layout of the weekend was inspired by both of those starting points.

I really loved the sketch at Paper Issues and it inspired by design. I used one 4x6 photo and a cluster of frames in place of the three photos.  Otherwise I stayed pretty close to the sketch.  And I love the way the Crate Paper Hello Love papers work perfectly for Christmas.

The 3 to Inspire prompts definitely led me in the direction of the frames.  The pink and gold frame is from the Hello Chipboard and the others are from my stash I backed them with neutral papers to create layers and dimension.  Then I added a large acrylic phrase from Color Cast Designs to the cluster of frames.

I added some other acrylic pieces from the Pinkfresh Christmas collection and we were good to go.

Hope you're having a crafty weekend too.  Thanks for stopping by.

A Different Look

One of the best indicators of a great kit is the ability to create layouts with different moods from the same set of supplies (at least in my opinion).  The first two layouts I shared from the January Citrus Twist kits were bright and fun.  The third layout I made with just supplies from my January box has a totally different feel.

My daughter took a selfie of us together at dinner a couple of weeks ago.  I love that we are close and that she likes to post pictures of us together on her social media accounts.  And those pictures are some of my favorite to scrap. 

We were both wearing shades of black and gray and the photo was pretty neutral - I was afraid all those bright colors would overwhelm the picture.  But I found lots of papers in blues and greys in the kit.  They kept the focus on the photo and the story. 

It's hard to believe these products came from the same set of supplies that I used to create the last couple of layouts I shared.  But I love that the kits gave me the option of bright and fun or soft and pretty. 

What do you think makes a great kit?  I'm currently subscribing to both Citrus Twist and Studio Calico and have to admit to loving them both.  But this year is supposed to be one where I use more than I buy in my scraproom.  So I keep trying to choose (so far with no decision made.)  I'd love your thoughts.

In the meantime, I will just keep getting both and splitting the month.  And at least I am (mostly) not shopping outside my monthly boxes from SC and Citrus Twist. 

Hope you're having a great week.

Off The Edge

Every once in a while, it sems like my layouts all start to look alike.  And lately, it seems like I've made lots of layouts with pretty papers layered under a photo right in the middle of the page.  I like those layouts, but I don't want all my projects to look alike. 

So, for my second layout with my January Citrus Twist kits, I really challenged myself to try to create a layout that was true to my style, but a little different too.  It turned out to be easier than I thought it would be - and I love the finished product.

I started by choosing some patterned papers that I thought worked well together - I initially pulled the heart vellum, the yellow paper from SevenPaper, the Pink polka dot paper from Maggie Holmes and the sheet of paper with different patterned pieces to cut apart from SevenPaper.  I added the floral and text papers later.

I decided to move my layers to one side as an initial break from the photo in the middle of the page.  I cut a wide piece of vellum to go from top to bottom on the page to anchor my photo block on the edge of the page.  Then I started to build the layers.  Angling the pink polka dot paper off the edge was another attempt to take my usual layers and make them just a little bit different. 

I actually added the paper and the photo on top of it and attached it to my layout before I trimmed the pink paper.  Then I turned the layout over and cut the pink paper along the edge of the cardstock base.  That's when the happy accident happened.  I didn't realize the photo also overlapped the edge of the cardstock (maybe it was the cold medicine) but that turned out to be my favorite feature of the design.  Running the photo off the side of the layout created a really different look.

I angled pink paper on the opposite side of the layout, and placed my title to finish the basic design.  I added some puffy "x's" to link the different components together, and then stitched some other "x's" to finish embellishing. 

Am I the only one who feels like they get in a scrappy rut where everything starts to look alike? What are your tricks for breaking the mold on your projects?  I'd love to hear.

I hope your Monday starts out great - thanks for stopping by.

January at Citrus Twist Kits

I finally seem to be about over the January crud (otherwise known as bronchitis) and am getting back to all things scrappy - YAY!  Last Friday I unpacked my January Citrus Twist kit box and boy was it pretty.  I had the scrapbook main, the add-on, both patterned paper add-ons and the sprinkles kit to play with (and a couple of shop extras).  In between naps, I cranked out three layouts I really loved.

The first one was based on a Citrus Twist sketch and gave me a chance to layer lots of the patterned papers I found in my box.  The papers are bright and fun and perfect for holding off the winter blues.

Here's the sketch I started with.....

And here's the layout I ended up with.  I chose a photo of my son with out cat from his holiday visit for my layout.  He had a tough semester at school and was pretty down on himself when he got home.  But he and Taffy have long had a special bond and she spent lots of time cuddling with him - a definite mood lifter!  And since she is getting old, I wanted to take the opportunity to document their relationship.

I chose the bright yellow paper to serve as the main block in my layout and added other papers on top and behind it to capture the elements in the sketch and create some dimension.  But the photo block seemed to float awkwardly on the base paper (a Citrus Twist exclusive - I loved the grid with pink splats), so I added a branding strip from the bottom of one of the papers.  It really seemed to anchor the photo block and from their the layout came together quickly. 

The Heidi Swapp wood veneer word came that pretty aqua color and was perfect for my layuot.  A few die cuts, some puffy stickers and some ink splats and the layout was done.

I will be sharing at least 3 other layouts using these kits this week - I hope you'll come back and check them out.  In the meantime, have a great Sunday.

Squeezing in Some Scrap Time

I love the holidays but there never seems to be enough time.  Still, I managed to make a few layouts this month and am hoping to share a few this week.  Since I only had a bit of time, I used a sketch to get me started.  This one from Stuck?! is awesome.

I turned the sketch on its side and put together a quick layout for a Christmas Caroling challenge at My Scraps and More.

The challenge was to use a large number on your page and the "2" from Pebbles was perfect for this title.  I had fun with my journaling too - I used my new typewriter (yay!) to create a conversation I thought my daughter and her dog might be having - way out of the box for me but lots of fun. 

Hope you squeezed in some crafty time during the holidays.  Thanks for stopping by.

A Title Page

I like to start each of my kid's albums with a year that ties it to a year in school.  But I dread these pages - for whatever reason, they are almost always a struggle.  And my daughter's sophomore album is no exception.  I've been adding layouts but the first page is blank.

When I saw this month's sketch at My Creative Sketches, I decided to use it as inspiration for the layout I kept putting off - and I still put it off til the sketch link-up is almost closed. 

But I took the time for one tradtional layout last week and this was it.  I took lots of inspiration from the sketch and the opportunity to play along with one of the Christmas Carol challenges at My Scraps and More.  (These challenges are fun because they are inspired by Christmas carols but don't require holiday layouts.)  The O Christmas Tree Challenge was to use a tree, branch or leaves on your layout.

 I used bits from my Canyonlands kit from Studio Calico, my November kits from Citrus Twist kits, and other bits from my stash.  The end result was a fun page using one of her school photos. 

I think it is going to work perfectly as a title page.  And the sketch gave me a chance to use lots of bits from my stash - both old and new.

I am going to try to sneak in some more scrap time this week.  Hopefully I will have some layouts to share and some pages from my December Daily finished.  Hope you are having a great weekend.  Thanks for stopping by.