Tree layouts in honor of Arbor Day

Happy Monday!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is trees, in honor of Arbor Day.  All the flowering trees have started blooming here and it feels like spring.  I have two tree projects to share, with the one below using lots of cartridges (although the trees are from Camp Out) from our trip to Rocky Mountain National Park last summer.  The bottom project is a Christmas layout, where the cute little house and trees on the Flower Market cartridge were giving me Christmas cottage vibes.  Hope you will check out the design team projects over at BBTB2 and link up a project!

Project #1

Cricut:
Paper Doll Dress Up-mountain ranges
Outdoor Man-wildlife
Camp Out-trees
A Child's Year-bird in flight
Be Young-font

Project #2

Cricut:
Flower Market-trees, cottage
Artistry-font

It's a summer beach and pool layout bonanza!!!

Happy Monday!  Coming back to the real world after vacation is requiring much diet Coke to the rescue today!!!  We had a great trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, CO and I took tons of amazing pictures.  While I make no claims to being anything special as a photographer, the pictures practically take themselves when you are someplace so beautiful with a nice camera and I can't wait to scrapbook all of our adventures!  So before I get to the crafty stuff, I'll share a little Rocky Mountain goodness…

My fellas

Having lunch about 4 miles into a hike, by Mills Lake in RMNP

Atlantic or Pacific?  It's the Continental Divide!

from Trail Ridge Road in RMNP

Hiking RMNP

Horseback riding in RMNP

and most importantly, the view from the hot tub at our condo!

So, the BBTB2 challenge this week is Fun in the Sun, celebrating the pool or beach.  I have lots of beachy goodness to share, as I've been scrapping pictures from our vacation last year.  So feel that ocean breeze while you browse my 8 summer themed beach/pool layouts here and go over to BBTB2, where the team has lots of fun projects to see.  (I have more beach/cruise layouts here on this post and more yet under the summer tab on the sidebar, if you are looking for ideas for a summer layouts.)

Layout #1

Cricut:
Life Is A Beach-bucket and shovel
Be Young-Be Free font
Paper/stickers-Echo Park prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink
square punch for photo corners

Layout #2

Cricut:
CM Traveler-title, flip flops
Paper-Echo Park print, CTMH solids
Doodlebug skittles
brown chalk ink

Layout #3

Cricut:
Pack Your Bags-all cuts
Paper-Carta Bella prints, CTMH solids
square punch for photo corners
brown chalk ink

Layout #4

No cricut on this one.
Paper-Carta Bella print/stickers, CTMH solids
square punch for photo corners
brown and navy chalk ink

Layout #5

Cricut:
A Child's Year-boy and beach cuts, title font
Plaintaitn Schoolbook-circle
Paper/Stickers-Echo Park, CTMH solids
square punch for photo corners
brown chalk ink

Layout #6

No cricut on this one
Paper-Echo Park prints/stickers, CTMH solids
Echo Park skittles
brown chalk ink
black pen

Layout #7

Cricut:
Pack Your Bags-flip flops/sunglasses, beach ball
Stork's Delivery-Frogs and Snails font
Paper-Echo Park prints/stickers, CTMH solids
square punch
brown chalk ink

Layout #8

Cricut:
Pack Your Bags-all cuts
Paper-Bo Bunny prints/stickers, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

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4th of July wall hanging

Happy Monday!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is fireworks, as today is the 4th of July!  We are traveling to Denver today (on our way to vacay in Estes Park, CO) and will get to celebrate with family there tonight.  I'm looking forward to this upcoming week of hiking and horseback riding in Rocky Mountain National Park and have a whole stack of new books to read while sitting on the deck looking at the mountains!  And there is supposed to be a hot tub overlooking Lake Estes to soak in…it's gonna be a great week!  So switching focus to crafty things, below is my BBTB2 project, which we've been enjoying for a few weeks.

I made a wall hanging for my foyer, using Simply Charmed for the words and A Child's Year for the 4th of July images.  It turned out just how I imagined it (which is not always the case, lol) and is framed and hanging up on the wall.  I tried photographing it in the frame, but the reflections off the glass did not make for a decent pic so you are seeing it unframed.  Hope you will check out all the cool projects from the design team and link up a new project of your own!

Cricut:
Simply Charmed-title
A Child's Year-silhouette cuts
Paper-Doodlebug prints, CTMH solids
brown and navy chalk ink
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Cruise scrapbook for the BBTB2 "Cool Down at Sea" challenge

Happy Monday!  I hope the sun is shining and you're ready for an awesome week!  I am trying to cram the doctor, dentist, and orthodontist visits for all the kids into this week before school starts and squeeze in some last minute summer swimming fun.  Even though it's the beginning of August, it feels like summer is over with school starting next week for the kids!

 I've been putting together layouts for my cruise pictures from our two cruises this year and thought I'd show you some of them, since our BBTB2 challenge this week is "cool down at sea".  Each layout has the cartridges used above it and the picture spots are for 4x6 pictures unless otherwise noted and they are not in any particular order.  While I usually include the paper line, I didn't here, since this is a long post.  If you are interested in a particular layout's paper line, ask in the comments and I'll be happy to share.  I scrap lifted two of the layouts and I have the original blog listed where I saw the layout.  The rest of the design team at BBTB2 have some amazing projects to cool you off and make you feel that ocean breeze, so go take a look!

Pack Your Bags, CM Traveler (font)
first page

Pack Your Bags
(scrap lifted from the fabulous Obesessed With Scrapbooking blog)
has 2 5x7s and 3 4x6 pics

 Pack Your Bags
I showed this a few weeks ago for the lobster challenge.

Pack Your Bags, Zoo Day (font)

for pics of our room

Doodlecharms, Create a Critter
for pics of our beach day (I've got to add the name of the beach on there in the center strip)

 Life As A Beach, Doodlecharms, A Child's Year (hands)
pics of our visit to the Mayan ruins at Tulum
has an 8x10, 2 5x7s, and 2 4x6s

Pack Your Bags, CM This and That (font)
trying out the surf simulator on our ship
1 8x10, 2 4x6s, and a 4x4

 Artbooking
for beach pictures at Tulum

CM Traveler

(scrap lifted from Cooking With the Cricut)
will add the name of the beach on the life preserver

Everyday Paperdolls, CM This and That

for pics we took snorkeling in Grand Cayman

Life Is a Beach, Artbooking
the horizontal pics are 4x6, the 2 vertical photo frames will be for 3 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches
the vertical frames are popped up so I can slide in the pictures

Life Is A Beach, CM Traveler font, handcut banner
Whoops, I reversed the left and right side of the pages for the picture….

Create A Friend, Doodlecharms (journal box)
pictures of the ship/ocean

Create A Friend
I showed this one on the water challenge a few weeks ago.
for pics on the beach and boogie boarding

Pack Your Bags, CM This and That
for underwater pics in Grand Cayman

Lucky card (for BBTB2)

Happy St. Patrick's Day tomorrow!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use a shamrock.  I used the card feature on the A Child's Year cartridge, cutting the first piece (the print paper) which has the cool scalloped edges and shamrock cutouts at 5 1/2 inches and then used the shift key to cut the solid green undercard.  I added a little shamrock (one of the icon cuts) to the inside.  The sentiment Lucky comes from the Family Album cartridge, cut at 3 inches.  I hope you all have a fabulous week with some spring sunshine and fun!  My boys are on spring break from school this week, so I am really looking forward to hanging out at home with them.  :)

Cricut:
A Child's Year-card with both inner and outer pieces cut at 5 1/2 inches,  shamrock cut at 1 inch
Family Album-sentiment cut at 3 inches
Stamp-Hero Arts
Paper-DCWV All Seasons stack print, CTMH solid
Versamagic Jumbo Java chalk ink for edging

Valentine layout

Valentine's Day is coming up!  I've got to make a few special valentines for the fam but in the meantime I made a Valentine themed layout using one of my favorite cartridges, A Child's Year.  (I know I'll be taking some sweet pics of my boys and my hubby!)   The silhouettes, LOVE, hearts, and font are all from this cartridge.   I'll share a few valentines next week when I get them finished.  Unfortunately, the valentine candy is also almost finished-I should know better than to buy any candy early, LOL!  I cannot resist those little candy hearts with the sayings!

Cricut:
A Child's Year-all cuts
Paper-DCWV All Seasons stack prints, CTMH solids

Easter Eggs layout (for BBTB2)

Our BBTB2 challenge theme this week is Easter, which leads me to thoughts of Easter egg hunts!  So my layout today is all about the egg hunt!  I used one of my favorite cartridges, A Child's Year for the whole layout and was super-happy with how it turned out.  I love all the silhouettes on this cart and it has lots of great tag shapes that make perfect spots to journal-you can see the cute bunny cutout on the journaling spot in the left corner.  I used lots of the icon cuts and popped up the flower border, ducks, and chicks enough to be able to slide photos under them.  My print paper is from an old DCWV stack called All Seasons.  We are having a big Easter egg hunt and egg dyeing party for the kids and friends next weekend, so I will have plenty of pictures to put on all my Easter layouts!

the whole layout

the cute little bunnies

the flower border

the adorable bunny tag

Cricut:
A Child's Year-silhouettes cut at 5 1/2, tag cut at 4, flower border cut at 2, bunnies cut at 2, duck and chicks cut at 1 1/2, eggs cut at 2
Paper-DCWV All Seasons prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

I look forward to seeing all the fabulous Easter projects-you can link up at BBTB2 and also check out all the marvelous design team projects!  I hope you have a happy Easter weekend with your family!  

April showers bring May flowers layout (for BBTB2)

Happy Monday!  Do you have any spring flowers yet?  I do, as my daffodils are all in bloom and it makes me happy every day to see these signs of spring!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is perfect for this:  April showers-which make spring flowers, but you can also go with baby or wedding related showers.  It's pretty wide open for your creativity.  I went with april showers make may flowers for my layout, which uses one of my favorite cartridges, A Child's Year, for all the images.  I love the silhouettes on this cartridge, plus it has so many other terrific images!  I was struggling with the lighting (since I didn't get this photographed until after dark), so you can't really read the title, which is "april showers bring may flowers".

Cricut:
A Child's Year-all cuts
Paper-Fancy Pants prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

I hope you'll link up a shower project with us at BBTB2 and check out all the marvelous design team projects!

St. Patrick's Day wall hanging (for BBTB2 and Exploring Cricut)

Happy Monday!  It's supposed to feel warm and springy here today, which will be nice for a change since it snowed last weekend!  St. Patrick's Day was the theme for both the Exploring Cricut and BBTB2 challenges this week, so my project is dual purpose.  I like to change the little decorating accents monthly in my house by switching up the candles, wreaths, and wall hangings to fit the seasons and holidays, so I made a a St. Pats wall hanging for my foyer, using A Child's Year and the Phrases cartridges.

So for March, I've got my green candles in the living room, shamrock towels in the hall bath,  along with my project below.  (Sorry about the glare from the glass-I forgot to take the picture BEFORE I put it in the frame!  And it was such a pain to get it hung up that I wasn't taking it down!)  I love this silhouette of the boy with the shamrock on A Child's Year.  I was super-pleased to find the Lucky Day cut with the shamrock on the Phrases cartridge when I searched for "shamrock" on mycutsearch!

Cricut:
A Child's Year-silhouette cut at 6 inches
Phrases-lucky cut at 2 1/2 inches
Paper-St. Pat's print paper is from the DCWV All-Seasons stack, solids are CTMH
brown chalk ink

Show us your projects at BBTB2 and Exploring Cricut and see the festive projects from my awesome design team sisters!  You'll be all in the mood for some green beer and festivities on Snake Saturday!

Book mark tags for the new year (for Exploring Cricut)

2014 is almost upon us and Diane has challenged us to make some kind of project related to the New Year at Exploring Cricut.  I belong to two book clubs, so I made some tags to use as bookmarks.  We have just finished planning all the books to read for this upcoming year, so on the back of my tags is room to write the list of titles for 2014.  I used Plaintain Schoolbook to cut the basic tag and it's shadow.  I then added the silhouette of the child reading from one of my favorite cartridges, A Child's Year, and used the font to add the year.

Cricut:
Plaintain Schoolbook-tags, cut at 4 inches
A Child's Year-child cut at 2 1/2 inches, font at 1 inch
Paper-kraft, CTMH for the blue paper
brown chalk ink
ribbon/twine from the stash

Link up your project with us at Exploring Cricut and we hope you will join us for lots of crafty fun in 2014!

All Spruced Up layout (for BBTB2)

It's Christmas in July at BBTB2 this week!  Here's another chance to get ahead on some Christmas cards or projects-even though it's hard to even imagine Christmas when it's hot outside...so I'm thinking myself cool and making my hubby listen to Christmas carols (he thinks I'm insane, lol!).  I made a layout for pictures of us working on the Christmas tree last year.  The title All Spruced Up is from the Winter Frolic cartridge.  The image of the children carrying the Christmas tree is from one of my favorite cartridges, A Child's Year.  The print paper is from the Echo Park This and That Christmas collection.

Cricut:
Winter Frolic-title
A Child's Year-children with tree
Paper-Echo Park This & That Christmas collection prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

We'd love to see you get started early on some Christmas cards or projects and link up with us at BBTB2 to share them!  The design team has made some great things to help you get started!

4th of July layout (for BBTB2)

We have a patriotic theme for our BBTB2 challenge this week!  The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays of the year-besides celebrating our wonderful country, it is just more laid back and casual than many of the other holidays.  We always go to see the fireworks show in our city park, which is lots of fun.  Our little suburb of the KC metro usually puts on a great show, complete with band music and hotdog vendors.  We take a cooler, lawn chairs, and a frisbee and have a blast.  It's just a really fun community event.

I've made a layout for my pictures of the event, using A Child's Year for the boy on the rocket and the Phrases cartridge for the title.  I found this fabulous paper from Authentique- the kind of retro looking postcards are from the back side of one of the papers.  I added the Reach for the Stars stamp on my journal box as a little extra fun touch!

Cricut:
A Child's Year-boy on firecracker
Phrases-title
Paper-Authentique prints, CM solids
Stamp-K Andrews
brown chalk ink

Have fun joining us at BBTB2 with a patriotic/4th of July project-I so enjoy browsing blogs to see what you make!  And I hope you have a wonderful 4th, however you may be celebrating it!

I'm also going to link this to the Fantabulous Cricut challenge and the Cut It Up challenge this week, since they are both also doing patriotic themed challenges.

Father's Day BBQ layout

This weekend is Father's Day!  To celebrate the fathers, my extended family is getting together this weekend for a BBQ (my dad got an amazing new smoker-so we HAVE to test it out...as many times as needed, lol!).   We are getting him a collection of different barbecue sauces for his gift, which I think he will like.  I made a fun layout using 3 Birds on Parade with the grilling bird and the great font with the bird feet for the title!  I found some paper that kinda made me think red checkered tablecloth and it went from there.

Cricut:
3 Birds on Parade-bird, grill, title font
A Child's Year-journal box
brown chalk ink
K & Co stickers
Paper-Colorbok Beach collection

I'm going to link this to the Fantabulous Cricut Father's Day challenge and the Little Scrap Pieces Father's Day challenge.