Summer Sunshine layout

Happy Monday!  I hope you've been able to find some avenues to enjoy a bit of summertime, despite the pandemic.  It's been sunny and hot the last few weeks here in Kansas City, and since we aren't taking a summer vacation this year, we've been trying to enjoy all the sunny days here at home.  My adventures this summer will be tame, but I am finding satisfaction in the quieter pleasures like gardening, sitting on the porch reading, and swimming in the pool.  It's definitely made me appreciate being home in a new way!

Our BBTB2 theme for the next two weeks is the summer solstice-show me the sun.  I had this fun pink paper I've been wanting to use, so my layout is all in shades of pink and brown.  I was trying to make a layout for pictures of relaxing by our pool.  I used two of the CTMH collections with cricut that are favorites of mine, You Are Here and Artistry.  You can see all the fun design team projects that are full of sunshine over at BBTB2 and link up a new cricut project.

Cricut:
CTMH Artistry-polaroid frames
CTMH You Are Here-all other cuts
Paper-Echo Park Summer Party prints, CTMH solids
brown chalk ink for edging

wedding or anniversary

Happy Monday!  I've missed getting to be crafty recently, as a member of my extended family had to have emergency major surgery a few weeks ago and I've been helping take care of them when not working.  I wanted to participate in our BBTB2 challenge for the next two weeks despite being a little pressed for time, so I managed to get a pretty uncomplicated layout done quickly.  Our challenge theme for the next two weeks is weddings and I had pics from a wedding last year in our extended family waiting in the pile!  I cut the rings from the CTMH You Are Here cartridge and used a font called Shorelines downloaded from Da Fonts for the words.  The cool feature of this font is being able to have the flourishes on the end letters that you see in the names.  I thought it looked really pretty, though it was a bit tricky to get cut out in the gold foil paper.  I hope you all have a great week and you can see the rest of the design team projects over at BBTB2 and link up one of yours too.

Cricut:
CTMH You Are Here-rings
Shoreline font-downloaded from Da Fonts
Paper-from Hobby Lobby, including gold paper

Graduation card

Happy Monday!  I'm hosting the BBTB2 challenge for the next two weeks, which has a graduation theme.  While graduation ceremonies and parties everywhere have been cancelled due to the corona virus, it still feels important to me to mark the occasion with a card or special gift.  My oldest son's girlfriend is graduating from college this year, after having her senior abruptly transitioned to online classes like most students in the country.  I made her a graduation card, using her school colors of black and red.  I used the Varsity Letters cartridge to cut 2020 and added a graduation cap from the Wrap It Up cartridge, as I had a "Hats Off!" sticker for the inside sentiment.  Some embossing on the red mat with the trusty Swiss Dots folder added some texture.  Of all the embossing folders I own, that is the one I use the most!  I love being able to make personalized graduation cards with the school colors and year.  You can see all the design team projects over at BBTB2 and link up a new cricut project of your own to share with us.

Outside

Inside

Cricut:
Varsity Letters-numbers font
Wrap It Up-graduation cap
Paper-CTMH solids
Sticker-Doodlebug graduation collection
Swiss Dots embossing folder
brown chalk ink for edging

Memorial Day flowers layout

Happy Monday!  I hope your quarantine is going alright.  All the kids in my household seem to be getting used to this new normal, although we seem to be operating on the college schedule of up til 3:00 AM and start the day at noon.  But since no one has to be up early for online class and I work the night shift, it's all good.  My husband already worked from home, so his daily routine hasn't been disrupted at all.  We are all missing seeing family and friends, but are doing our social distancing to stay safe.

Our BBTB2 challenge for the next two weeks is a flower theme.  Mother's Day and Memorial Day are all around the corner and spring flowers are already here, so there are a lot of possibilities with this challenge.  While my scrapbook layout incorporates flowers, it is for some pictures related to Memorial Day so I used very neutral colors.  I have some photos of items from my grandparents' funerals and gravesite that I have always wanted to preserve.  I used several of the CTMH cricut cartridges that I own to make all the accents and the Botanicals cartridge for the font.  You can see the design team projects and link up one of your own over at BBTB2.

Cricut:
Art Philosophy-flowers
Artbooking-background shape, border
Artiste-banner shapes
Botanicals-font

Change Your Altitude layout for get outdoors challenge

Happy Monday!  How's your quarantine going?  While life is so very far from normal and we are staying home (except for going to work), getting some fresh air by taking a daily walk around the neighborhood has really been a boost to my spirits.  Our BBTB2 challenge for the next two weeks is a "get outdoors" theme.  I chose some pictures from a year ago when I could get outdoors beyond my street, which is hard to imagine at the moment.  My scrapbook layout below is for some hiking pictures in the Rockies.  It uses images I found on the cricut access collection called "And So the Adventure Begins".  The title and compass added the perfect touch to complement my pictures!  It's not very fancy, but I haven't been able to craft as much as usual.  You can see the rest of the design team projects over at BBTB2 and link yours up as well.

Cricut:
And So the Adventure Begins-title, compass
Paper-DCWV The Lodge Stack bg paper, CTMH solids

Easter treat boxes

Happy Monday!  It seems the news gets a little worse every day, as the corona virus continues to spread.  Sometimes it's nice to have something crafty to distract myself, as I'm working on the front lines as a critical care nurse and it's pretty scary out there.

Our BBTB2 challenge for the next two weeks is Easter treat bags, boxes, etc.  I made five adorable little bunny pillow boxes that I plan to stuff full of jellybeans for the five high school and college kids living at my house.  They all need some fun treats, since like all of us, they are all confined at home, with their school year abruptly ended.  All of them have classes online for the rest of the semester.  I used the Easter 2010 cartridge and these were super quick and easy to make!  I cut pieces off of the clear plastic covering of an old cricut mat to make the transparent window where the bunny cutout is.  This challenge will run for two weeks and you can see the rest of the design team projects and link up your own over at BBTB2.  I wish you all health and safety as you get through the coming weeks!

Cricut:
Easter 2010-bunny pillow boxes
Paper-My Mind's Eye Happy Day 6x6 paper pad
clear cover of a cricut mat

Spring in Bloom layout for spring equinox challenge

Happy Monday.....although I'm not sure how happy it is, as life is changing so rapidly in such unexpected ways with the coronavirus that I find myself anxiously starting every day to see what the news brings.  My college kids have all received word that they are not going back after spring break and switching to online classes.  It looks like our local high school may do that also.  My husband's company is also working from home.  So everyone in my house will be home except me.  As I am a critical care nurse, my work is expecting to soon be very busy.  I hope all of you stay well during these uncertain times.

Crafting may have to be my happy therapy to brighten up my day.  Our BBTB2 challenge in combination with Double Trouble is Spring Equinox using a die cut and can include a bee for an extra twist.  I have pictures from a trip to a botanical garden in Denver last spring that will go on this layout of Spring in Bloom with the bunch of tulips.  I have pictures of the gorgeous tulips at the garden that will go on here.  My bee is buzzing around the bunch of tulips, pollinating away!  You can see all the challenge rules and the design team projects over at BBTB2 and we hope you'll link up a project.

close up of the tulips and bee

Cricut:
CTMH Flower Market-tulips, bee
April Showers-title
Paper-CTMH solids, Echo Park Spring Market prints
brown chalk in for edging
square punch for photo corners
Stampin Up stitched circle die for circles