anything goes

 Happy Monday!  During these quieter winter days, I've been enjoying some time in my craft room, catching up on some older photos.  The challenge theme at BBTB2 for the next two weeks is an anything goes theme, so I pulled some older photos from a day at Epcot touring the World Showcase out of the pile for my project.  It is modeled off of a layout I saw on Pinterest recently, although I can't find the exact pin to link.  The globe reminded me of Spaceship Earth, and the other items represent some of the countries in the World Showcase area.  I have such happy memories of visiting Epcot and I look forward to when I feel we can safely travel to Disney again.  You can see all the design team projects over at the BBTB2 site and can share a project there too.

Cricut:

Summer Bliss Holidays-globe

Pagoda-pagoda

CM Traveler-Eiffel Tower

CTMH You Are Here-Mayan pyramid

Cricut Sans-title font

4th of July

Happy Monday!  Are you looking forward to the 4th of July this week?  Celebration and firework plans?  I am excited that both my hubby and I have the day off, although Son#1 has to work part of the day.  We are planning to go see the fireworks show that our little KC suburb puts on in the city park every year in the evening, taking our lawn chairs, cooler, and snacks.  It's always a fun time and I always try to snap a few shots of family and fireworks.  Our BBTB2 challenge theme this week is 4th of July of course, so I whipped up a scrapbook layout for my upcoming pics, using the Independence Day cartridge for the 4th of July images.  I hope you will join us with a project over at BBTB2 and the designers have some awesome projects to look at.  Have a great (and safe) holiday week!

Cricut:
Independence Day-fireworks, flag emblem, Freedom
CM Traveler-font
Paper-Doodlebug Patriotic Parade prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink for edging
square punch for corner triangles

Paradise layout

Happy Monday!  Have you been able to enjoy any summer?  We've been spending lots of time in the pool, as the weather has been hot and sunny!  Our BBTB2 theme this week is tropical:  either the vacation variety or the tropical flower variety.  While we aren't going anywhere tropical this summer, our backyard pool feels like our own little tropical paradise so my layout is for some pool pictures.  I used two cartridges, CM Traveler and You Are Here for all the cuts.  The colorful print papers are some from Echo Park that I bought last year.  Hope you will go see the rest of the design team projects and link up one over at BBTB2!

Cricut:
You Are Here-titles, flowers, umbrella, bag
CM Traveler-beach chair, water droplets
Paper-Echo Park Summer Dream prints, TPC sunshine paper, CTMH solids

travel road trip Adventure Awaits layout

Happy Monday!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is a road trip theme.  We bought Son#1 a used little pick-up truck in August to drive on the ultimate road trip.....away to college!  I'm sure he will be having many adventures in this truck over the next few years-there is nothing like the freedom of your first set of wheels (that isn't the family mini-van, lol!).   I used the CM Traveler cartridge along with some road sign paper from the stash for this layout.  Hope you will join us over at BBTB2 with a project and see the fun creations from the design team!

Cricut:
CM Traveler-all cuts, including font
Paper-Paper Pizzazz print, CTMH solids
Stamp-CTMH The Long Way Home set
Ink-Memento Tuxedo Black

summer theme

Happy Monday!  It's summertime and I'm ready to kick back with some cool drinks and summer fun. Since I'm hosting at BBTB2  this week, I picked a summer theme for the challenge.  The cricut cuts on my layout have all my favorite things about summer...sunshine, yummy treats, and getting wet!  The title is from an oldie but goodie cartridge-Stretch Your Imagination.  Go check out the designer's awesome projects at BBTB2 and link your own up this week.

Cricut:
Artbooking-sun
CM Traveler-sunglasses
Doodlecharms-popsicle, watermelon
Life Is A Beach-waves
Stretch Your Imagination-title word summer
Paper-CTMH solids, Green solid Echo Park, Echo Park Happy Summer yellow print bg paper
brown chalk ink

Graduation layout

Happy Monday!  It's been a roller coaster emotional week at my house.  Son#1 graduated from high school Friday night!  Not only did he graduate with honors in the top 10% of his class, he is also an International Baccalaureate diploma candidate and won a medal as the Outstanding English student of his high school on Honor's Day.  I'm not ashamed to admit I cried tears of pride and joy.  I remember so clearly the day he was born and now he has grown up into an amazing man and I look forward to seeing what his future holds as he heads to college in the fall.

Fortunately for me, our BBTB2 challenge this week is a graduation theme-and you know I took plenty of graduation pictures Friday night! So...naturally I made a graduation layout.  It's fairly simple design, as the pictures will be the focus, but I accented my large photo (which will be a fantastic pic of the cap toss at the end) with the graduation cap from Locker Talk.   The design team has ideas for cards, layouts, etc for graduation, so take a look and link up a project.

Cricut:
CM Traveler-font
Locker Talk-graduation cap
Paper-TPC graduation print, CTMH solids

The Big Apple NYC layout

Happy Monday!  It has been a rather busy and stressful last week, so I'm glad to be starting a new one!  And I will have a whole box of marvelous scrapbooking goodies (including the new cricut Flower Market cartridge by CTMH) to play with because it's my birthday this week!  Ideally my birthday would also be a national holiday where I could sleep in, but that MIGHT be asking a bit much, lol!

Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use a cricut apple on a project.  I love apple season in the fall when the Honeycrisps are in our grocery store, all huge, crunchy, and delicious!!!!  However, I am scrapbooking pictures from the trip to THE Big Apple (Son#2 and I went to New York City with the high school band last spring), so I used my favorite apple from Doodlecharms as part of the title on my page.  The city landscape from Plaintain Schoolbook reminded me of the NYC skyline in Manhattan, so I added it to the bottom of the pages.  Go see all the marvelous apple projects at BBTB2 and link yours up this week.

Cricut:
Plaintain Schoolbook-city landscape, Roly Poly font
CM Traveler-taxi sign
Doodlecharms-apple
Paper-CTMH
brown chalk ink

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

Disney layout day!

Happy Monday!   Our BBTB2 challenge today is to use an imaginary character-well, I think ANY Disney character would qualify, right?  This makes it a Disney layout day for me, so if you love the Mouse and have a million pictures to scrap, hopefully you will find something fun to scrap lift.  And since I had several Disney projects to share, you are getting all three, although only two have imaginary characters.  These were so much fun to make, although I will admit to a bit of swearing while putting Buzz Lightyear together (DO NOT cut him small….unless you want to lose your mind!).  Please note:  for the BBTB2 challenge, any imaginary character will meet the challenge requirements-it does not have to be Disney related.  Go check out the design team projects over at BBTB2 and link up a project this week!

Hollywood Studios layout:

Cricut:
CM Traveler -Beach Bum font
Mickey and Friends-Disney and Mickey Mouse
Artbooking-vertical photo frames
Paper/chipboard piece/sticker-Simple Stories Say Cheese II collection prints, CTMH solids
square punch for photo corners
brown chalk ink

Epcot layout:

Cricut:
CM This and That-globe
Mickey Font-font
Paper/Chipboard-Simple Stories Say Cheese II collection
brown chalk ink

Buzz Lightyear layout:

Cricut:
Plaintain Schoolbook-stars
Toy Story:  Buzz Lightyear and title
Paper-CTMH solids

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

This Is How We Roll layout (for BBTB2)

Happy Monday!  Our BBTB2 challenge this week is to use a bicycle cut on a project.  We've been doing some fun bike rides as a family now that the weather is warmer and I had the perfect snapshots to make a biking layout!  We did a ride in downtown KC earlier this month, where there is a great trail along the Missouri River.  It's really cool because the Downtown Airport is directly across the river, so you see planes landing, cargo freighters on the river, cars in the city, plus train tracks run parallel to the river so you also see and hear the trains go by-sort of a transportation extravaganza!  I used the CM Traveler cartridge for all my cuts-it has a lot of transportation related images, along with it's vacation theme.  The awesome cityscape background paper is from Echo Park.  Then head over to BBTB2 to see how all the other designers roll with their projects!

Cricut:
CM Traveler-bicycle, stoplight, plane, sign, Road Trip font
Paper-Echo Park Capture Life bg paper, CTMH solids

Tubing layout (for Exploring Cricut)

Here's my tubing layout for the daily project for Exploring Cricut, but it's a day late!  I was on vacation and forgot to set it to post while I was gone!!!!  Whoops!  So here's the details:  I used the CM Traveler cartridge for the font (it's called Road Trip) and the Fun in the Sun cartridge for the boat and tubing girl.  The awesome background paper paper is from the Carta Bella Beach Boardwalk collection.

Cricut:
Fun in the Sun:   boat and tubing girl
CM Traveler:  title font
Paper-Carta Bella Beach Boardwalk collection prints, CTMH solids
twine, brown chalk ink

Splash Zone layout (for Exploring Cricut)

It's a wide-open challenge at Exploring Cricut this week-all you have to do is use 2 cricut cuts on your project, so it can be any theme or occasion you want!  I'm sticking to summertime fun since I have lots of pool pictures to get in the scrapbook!  I used the H2O cartridge for the water toys and goggles.  The water droplets are from the CM Traveler cartridge.  And the big chunky font is from the Robotz cartridge.  (I don't cut the robots very often, but I love the font!!!!)  I wanted this layout to be bright and fun, so I used lots of color.  The print papers are from Echo Park.

Cricut:
H2O-floatie, goggles, beach ball
CM Traveler-water droplets
Robotz-font
Paper-Echo Park Hello Summer collection prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink
square maker-cut in half for photo corners

I hope you will play along and link up your project with our challenge!  The design team has some great ideas to get you started at Exploring Cricut.

Cool in the Pool layout (for BBTB2)

It's a Summertime Fun challenge at BBTB2 this week!  We've been enjoying some summer fun time in the pool, so I have a "Cool in the Pool" layout.  I used the H2O cartridge for the sun, beach ball, and sunscreen and the CM Traveler cartridge for the flip flops and sunglasses.  The font is from the Robotz cartridge-I wanted a big fun chunky font for this layout.  The supercool print papers are from the Echo Park Paradise Beach collection from last year-I thought the background paper resembled swirling water perfectly.

Cricut:
H2O-sun, beach ball, and sunscreen all cut at 3 inches
Robotz-font, cut at 1 1/2 inches
CM Traveler-sunglasses cut at 2 inches, flip flops cut at 3 inches
Paper-Echo Park Paradise Beach collection prints/stickers, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink

I hope you will check out the DT projects at BBTB2 and link up a project with us!

Enjoy Life layout (for Exploring Cricut)

Today is my day for the daily project at Exploring Cricut!  My "Enjoy Life" layout is for pics of the boys, using paper from Echo Park's All About a Boy collection from last year.  The "Enjoy Life" theme is pretty multipurpose, so this title would work for a variety of pictures.

I used the CM This and That cricut cart and the CM Traveler cart. The star border and the Enjoy Life title are from the This and That cartridge.  The font is from Traveler.  (You could change the star border to anything that suited your layout theme.)   To make the little accent bar at the left bottom of the layout, I cut a 1 3/4 by 4 inch rectangle.  I used a 1 1/2 inch square punch to punch a square out of the corner.  I used a 1 1/4 inch square punch to cut the three orange squares.  You can see how I layered the squares over the rectangle and added some stickers plus one square is accenting my journaling box.  (I was shown this in a CM workshop long ago-it's a good way to use small stickers on a big layout where they might get overwhelmed alone.)

Cricut:
CM This and That-title and star border
CM Traveler-font
Paper/stickers-Echo Park It's All About a Boy collection
brown chalk ink
CM square punches

There is a new daily project every day at Exploring Cricut, so check back there tomorrow to see what is in store for inspiration!  Diane has lots of excellent projects and challenges planned!

Sun Sand & Sea layout (for BBTB2)

It's my week to host the BBTB2 challenge!  I chose a water theme for these days of summer heat, so Let's Get Wet is our challenge.  I don't know about where you live, but it's been stinkin' hot here!  And my air conditioner died last week-we were so happy when the new one kicked on!  (I clearly would not have survived as a pioneer...)

I made a layout of my son waterskiing, using the CM Traveler cartridge for all the cuts.  I cut two of the surfboards to make my water skis-they kind of look like a pair of combos, don't you think?  (Provocraft  people-you need to make a cut for a slalom water ski, please!)  I love the fun journal box cut-it was kind of unique and different!  I really try to leave some place to write a bit about the event on most of my layouts, so the date and details don't get forgotten.

Cricut:
CM Traveler-all cuts
Paper-Fancy Pants Down By the Shore bg paper, CTMH solids

Get out your cricut and play along with us this week!  Any new project with a water theme fits the bill, so post it over at BBTB2 for us to see :)