Big City layout

 Happy Monday!  The challenge for the next two weeks over at BBTB2 is to use patterned paper with your cricut cut.  As I was thinking about what to make while tidying my craft room, I found a half-finished layout on the bottom of a stack from a few years ago that had....wait for it....patterned paper!  I think it got lost under stuff (does that happen to anyone else or just me?) and never completed.  It was very satisfying to finally get it all put together and in the appropriate album!  The pictures are from downtown San Francisco when we traveled there a few years ago.  The city buildings are cut with some old CTMH coordinating pattern and solid paper, I think.  Can't wait to see what everyone does with this challenge!  Have a great week!

You Are Here-buildings

Small Talk and Frames-sun

Artiste-clouds

CM Stork's Delivery-Frogs and Snails font

Bunny layout

Happy Monday!  I hope you are all having a good week and enjoying some spring!  The challenge at BBTB2 for the the next two weeks is to make something celebrating Easter or including bunnies.  My family actually has a very beloved pet bunny named Bo, who belongs to Son#2.  Bo the bunny is very photogenic and likes to hang out with the fam, so I took this opportunity to do a scrapbook page of pics of Bo.  I found some cute bunny designs on cricut access for the bunnies in the corners.  You can see the rest of the design team projects and link your own project up over at the BBTB2 site.

Cricut:

Animal Silhouettes-leaping bunny

Playful Animal Designs-other bunny

CM Stork's Delivery-Frogs and Snails 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

SaveSave

Wild Things layout

Happy Monday!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use two of something on a project.  My layout for some zoo pictures has two monkeys, along with lots of other adorable critters from the Create A Critter cartridge.  We took the kids and their cousins to the zoo earlier this month, so I have a bunch of funny zoo pictures to scrap.  Our zoo has "borrowed" some koalas from the San Diego Zoo for the summer, so we had to go see them (and I had to put a koala on my layout)!  Apparently koalas sleep 20 plus hours a day, according to the exhibit info (they certainly slept through our visit!) and I feel like I could also be a koala-it sounds very relaxing, don't you think?  The polaroid style photo frames are from the Artbooking cartridge and the font is from the Stork's Delivery cartridge.  Hope you will check out the rest of the design team projects over at BBTB2 and join us this week with two of something.

Cricut:
Stork's Delivery-Frogs and Snails title font
Artbooking-polaroid photo mats
Create A Critter-all other cuts
Paper-CTMH solids, Echo Park bg paper
brown chalk ink
square punch for photo corners

Forest Hiking layout (tree challenge)

Happy Monday!  One more week of school….I am SO ready for the finals stress to be over for the teenagers!  They've been a little cranky and stressed out!  (Studying for pre-calc, french, and spanish finals will do that to a kid…)  We are all going to be celebrating Thursday night when school's out!

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use a cricut tree on a project.  There is such a multitude of trees to choose from on many different cartridges that I was stuck on which tree to use.  I was making this layout for some hiking pictures, so I finally decided to use some of the cute animal cuts on the Give A Hoot cartridge and guess what?  It had trees too.  Problem solved!  Since Give A Hoot doesn't have a font, I went with one of the fonts on the Stork's Delivery cartridge for the title.  Hope you enjoy this hiking layout and take a look at the design team projects over at BBTB2!  The linky at BBTB2 will be open for you to show off a project too.

Cricut:
CM Stork's Delivery-Frogs and Snails font
Give a Hoot-all other cuts
Paper-Bella Blvd Campout collection prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

Wearing of the Green-St Pats Parade layout

Happy Monday!  We have a St. Patrick's Day theme at BBTB2 this week.  And guess what? It so happens that Son#2 and I are leaving for New York City tomorrow and will be marching with his high school band in the St. Patrick's Day Parade!  Seeing the sights in the Big Apple should blow our minds.  Toto, we're not in Kansas City anymore, to paraphrase Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz!  (For the record, most of Kansas City is actually in Missouri, not Kansas, so I can't quote Dorothy exactly.)

My layout for the parade pictures uses the adorable leprechauns from Simply Charmed and the clover border found on the Paper Doll Dress Up cartridge.  My title font is from CM Stork's Delivery and I did a little doodling on the letters.  This paper is from a super-old DCWV pad in the stash, but was perfect for St. Patrick's Day!  Go see what kind of magic the design team over at BBTB2 have put together and I hope you have some fun, wear some green, and have a very lucky week!

Cricut:
Simply Charmed-leprechauns, cut at 3 inches
Paper Doll Dress Up-clover border, cut at 1 inch
CM Stork's Delivery-Frogs and Snails Font, cut at 2 inches
Paper-DCWV All Seasons paper pack for prints, CTMH solids
black gel pen
Versamark Jumbo Java chalk ink for edges

Feeling Frosty penguin layout

Happy MLK Monday!  My family is happy to be huddling at home on this super cold holiday (with temps in the negative numbers to start the day!!!).  Apparently we have Canadian arctic air that has moved in, according to the weatherman.  I would really prefer the Canadians keep their arctic air in Canada, however the cold is a good excuse to be crafty in the basement next to my space heater, right?  Because I might freeze if I have to go to the grocery store.  #seriouslynotkidding

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use one of the many cricut penguins on a project.  I had penguin pictures from the Shedd museum in Chicago in the "need to be scrapped" pile, so I made a layout using the Create A Critter igloo and penguin.  Mr. Penguin is hanging out feeling all frosty on top of his igloo!  (I'm feeling a little frosty too, just sayin')  The "just chillin'" phrase is from Artbooking, along with the fun frames.  The title font from the CM Stork's Delivery cartridge is one of my favorites, with it's funky fun feel.  And isn't that penguin paper from Echo Park the bomb?  There is an abundance of adorable penguins over at BBTB2 for you to look at and we hope you link up a project with us!

Cricut:
Create A Critter-igloo, penguin
Artbooking-just chillin' and photo frames
CM Stork's Delivery-title font
Paper/stickers-Echo Park, CTMH solids

Happy Birthday layout

Happy Monday!  Are you ready for a birthday cake challenge?  Because that's what's on tap for this week at BBTB2.  We are heading into the "birthday season" at my house, as we all have birthdays in the next few months.  My birthday layout features the cake from the Family Album cartridge, which I jazzed up with a little Liquid Glass to make it really shine.  The title and orange accent banners are also from Family Album.  The super cute paper is all from Doodlebug, one of my most favorite paper companies.  Check out all the sweet and delicious cakes at BBTB2 and make something for the next birthday at your house!

Cricut:

Family Album-title, cake, orange accent cuts

Paper/Stickers-Doodlebug Hip Hip Hooray prints, CTMH solids

brown chalk ink for edging

Liquid Glass on cake for some shine

It's a Spring Thing! layout (for BBTB2)

Happy Monday!  It's back to real life after my cruise, so there is going to have to be A LOT of diet Coke flowing today to keep me chipper.  On the bright side, I now have lots of fun tropical pictures to scrap, as my hubby and I had a fabulous time with many adventures, including rock climbing, riding the surf simulator, seeing Mayan ruins, cave tubing, zip lining, and just plain ol' hanging out in some deck chairs watching the ocean go by!  We kept so busy I didn't even put on any extra pounds, which is saying something after eating the fantastic cruise ship dining room food.

This is what I'm talking about….deck chair bliss!

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use a sun and cloud, so I have a happy spring layout to share, using a couple of cartridges.  The sun, cloud, butterflies, grass, and flowers are from Create A Critter.  The cute little dog, plane, caterpillar, and kite are from Boys will Be Boys.  The font is from the CM Stork's Delivery cartridge.  I LOVE this fun springy paper from Doodlebug-it makes me feel happy and spring-like just looking at it!  Take a look at our sunny projects over at BBTB2 for some inspiration for this week's challenge!

Cricut:
Create A Critter-sun, cloud, butterflies, grass, flowers
Boys Will Be Boys-plane, caterpillar, dog, kite
CM Stork's Delivery-font
Paper-Doodlebug Springtime collection prints, CTMH solids

Hoppy Easter layout (for BBTB2)

Happy Monday!  I'm looking forward to Easter this weekend-our family is planning a big get-together with BBQ after church!  And on Saturday night, I will have a bunch of teenagers dying Easter eggs in my kitchen.  Apparently you never get too big to dye eggs.

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use a bunny on a project and I am all about the bunnies this week, between my paper and cute little bunny from Create A Critter.  My bunny is collecting carrots for his Easter lunch, so he has a whole basket full.  (I added some of the little spring flowers because my yard is full of daffodils!)  The cute paper is from the Doodlebug Spring Time collection-I couldn't resist the bunnies!  I hope you'll check out all the DT projects over at BBTB2 and link up your project for us to see this week :)!

Cricut:
Create A Critter-bunny, basket, carrots, flower
CM Stork's Deliver-Frogs and Snails Font
Paper-Doodlebug Spring Time collection prints, CTMH solids

Hitting the Slopes layout (for BBTB2)

Hi everyone!  I am hosting the BBTB2 challenge this week and I selected snowflakes for the challenge theme, since it has been ridiculously cold and snowy here.  You can link up any new project with a cricut snowflake over at BBTB2 this week for a chance to get picked as the project of the week.  There are a ton of cricut snowflakes to choose from for your project.  The design team at BBTB2 has some beautiful snowflake projects for some inspiration!

My project is a layout for snow skiing pictures.  It was inspired by this fantastic paper from the Carta Bella Warm and Cozy collection.  I was going for kind of a mountain lodge feeling-like when you are stepping into the ski lodge for some hot chocolate after getting off the lift at the top of the mountain and peeling down to just your sweater.  My snowflake is from the Family Album cartridge, which I just got for Christmas so of course I HAD to try it out!  The fun quirky font is from the CM Stork's Delivery cartridge.   The skis are from Winter Woodlands.

Cricut:
Winter Woodlands-skis
CM Stork's Delivery-Frogs and Snails Font
Family Album-snowflake

Be sure to share your winter snowflake project with us at BBTB2!

Hello Summer layout (for BBTB2)

I've got another summertime layout today, for our BBTB2 challenge to use a cricut sun!  We have been enjoying lots of summer fun in the last few weeks, from swimming to cookouts to waterskiing-I have SO MANY pictures!!!!  So I've got to get going on some more summer layouts before fall arrives!  The cricut cuts on this layout are all from Doodlecharms (except the font), which was the first cartridge I ever bought and it remains one of my favorites still.  This also happens to be my favorite sun of all the cricut suns I have.  The cute font is from the CM Stork's Delivery cartridge-it is the Frogs and Snails font.  The paper is all from Echo Park.  

Cricut:
CM Stork's Delivery-title font
Doodlecharms-all other cuts
Paper-Echo Park Summer Bliss ice cream print, Echo Park Dots and Stripes other prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

The design team projects are full of sunny goodness, so check them out over at BBTB2 and link up a project with our challenge!

Take a Hike layout (for Exploring Cricut)

It's a vacation challenge at Exploring Cricut this week, with a twist-include a sign on the project.  I have a hiking/outdoor themed layout for you.  We are going hiking in the beautiful Rocky Mountain National Park on our summer vacation to Estes Park, Colorado.  I am expecting to shoot a few (OK, a lot!) of pictures on the trail!  I used a whole bunch of cartridges to try to capture the outdoors feel for my layout.

I used the Outdoor Man cartridge for the hiking boots, binoculars, compass, and moose.  Then I added the sun from Doodlecharms.  The stand of trees is from the Disney Classics cartridge.  The title font is the Frogs and Snails font from the CM Stork's Delivery cartridge.  And last, trail sign is from Campin' Critters.    The base paper is from a really old Echo Park collection and the print paper is also from Echo Park.  I hand cut the ground strip, using a wave template.

Cricut:
Doodlecharms-sun
CM Stork's Delivery-font
Disney Classics-stand of trees
Campin' Critters-trail sign
Outdoor Man-all other cuts
Paper-Echo Park print and bg paper, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

There are lots of vacation projects to see from the design team at Exploring Cricut-hope you'll link up to our challenge with a project!