For the Love of Homemade Kits Series

Happy Tuesday! I am so excited to be participating in the For the Love of Homemade Kits Series with Hannah Lemieux, Megan Paulos Blethen, and Felicia Young over on You Tube. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, this series uses a recipe of items to create a kit from our stash that is based around an inspiration piece. Then, these amazingly talented ladies spend four weeks creating layouts and process videos from the ingredients in their kits. The idea is to start digging in our stash and use a combination of both new and old products to create some amazing layouts. Each week, you will be able to see a process video and layout from each of us on our You Tube channels using our individual kits. YAY! Click here to check out my kit share for week one of the For the Love of Homemade Kits series.



For this round, the inspiration piece was from Amy Tan's Rise and Shine Collection and is called the "Lucy" paper.

Unfortunately, I didn't have this paper in my stash and instead of rushing out and buying something (which would completely defeat the purpose of the stash challenge), I dug around in my stash and realized that I had the 6x6 Rise and Shine Collection paper pad and I grabbed the inspiration piece (both sides) from there.

The paper portion of this recipe includes:
1. The inspiration piece
2. a bold pattern
3. a texture
4. a dot or circle pattern
5. a freebie pattern
6. two 6x6 pieces of patterned paper

Now, for my choices....




1. Inspiration Piece: Amy Tan Rise and Shine: Lucy
2. Bold: Floral from the Hello Sunshine collection by Pink Paislee
3. Texture: Fancy Pants White Corrugated Sheets
4. Dot/Circle: Simple Stories Carpe Diem Collection: Teal Dot/Yellow Dot
5. Freebie: Dear Lizzy Happy Place Collection: Beachy Betsy
6. two 6x6 patterned papers both from the Amy Tan Rise and Shine Collection 6x6 paper pad
*I also added one extra pattern (the grid) from the Hello Sunshine collection by Pink Paislee as well as some white cardstock

The embellishment portion of this recipe includes:
1. a cut file
2. stencil
3. layered embellishments
4. frames
5. twine or ribbon
6. buttons
7. a sticker sheet
8. Embellishment/Ephemera pack
9. One freebie (oops...I picked two!)
10. Washi tape
11. 2 alphabets (oops..I picked three!)


Now, for my choices....



1. Cut file: Circle background placement (Silhouette Design Store)
2. Stencil: Heart pattern mask by Shimelle
3. Layered Emellishments: Maggie Holmes Shine Collection layered circles
4. Frames: Heidi Swapp photo frames packages for the memory planner line
5. Black baker's twine
6. Buttons: Fancy Free Collection by Paige Evans for Pink Paislee
7. Sticker Sheet: Photoplay Summer Dreams
8. Ephemera Pack: Carpe Diem Bits and Pieces by Simple Stories
9. Freebies: sequins mini cups by MultiCraft and Chipboard hearts by 7Paper Amelia
10. Washi Tape: Color Splash collection from Recollections at Michael's
11.Alphabets: Kal Barteski Black Thickers; Amy Tan Rise and Shine pink foam thicker; My Mind's Eye Now and Then Dorothy "Celebrate" Alphas.

Here is my complete kit....



As you can see, I followed the recipe but also added a couple of additional elements to make sure that I had enough material to create four dynamic layouts. I am also giving myself the freedom and permission to add some mixed media elements like mists and watercolors if needed in order to complete the looks or use the elements that I chose. I hope that you will use this recipe to put together your own kit and I would love to see what you create if you are playing along with us. Make sure to stop by and check out my You Tube video showing my kit and then head on over to see the kits that Hannah, Felicia, and Megan put together as well. It is going to be a very fun month! Happy Crafting!!

Process Video: @9

Hey Friends! I have a new process video up on my You Tube channel for the layout below. I am loving using cut files lately as design elements that really make a statement and give the opportunity for amazing pops of color. This cut file is one of my recent favorites from Ashley Horton. I hope you will hop on over to my You Tube channel and check out the video, like, and subscribe! If you are inspired to create a layout using this cut file, please leave me a link below to check it out. Happy Crafting!!

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge: Father's Day/Male

Happy Thursday!  This week, over at the C.R.A.F.T. Challenge blog, we are being challenged to create Father's Day or Male themed projects. Be sure to head on over there and check out the amazing work from the rest of the design team and to show us your work! Below are two different cards that I created for this challenge.


The first card I created was designed with my youngest son in mind who is obsessed with superheroes. He loves the idea of wearing a superhero shirt underneath a button-up shirt like is seen in so many photos online currently because it is like a hidden superhero ready to battle evil...lol. So, I recreated that same idea with an origami shirt and a Batman logo t-shirt underneath. I also used mists to create a background design and added some Batman washi tape to complete the look.








The second card is much more my older son's style as he loves to travel and explore. This was a super simple card to create using a 6x6 paper pad and some cork sticker letters. In order to help them stand out, I just took a black Sharpie and created some lettering detail. Super simple but adorable just the same!  I hope you enjoyed my two Father's Day cards. I can't wait to see what you create this week. Happy Crafting!!

Use Your Stuff Challenge: Get Inky!

Happy Monday!! Over on the Use Your Stuff Challenge board, this week we are being challenged to get inks and use those inks we all have in different ways. There are so many different ink techniques out there ranging from simple to quite complex. Today, I have chosen a simple packaging technique to add some interest and dimension behind my photos for the layout below. The major element on this page was the pineapple stitched cut file so I wanted to choose ink colors that would compliment that design so that the eye would be pulled across the page to my photos. The inks that I used were spiced marmalade, picked raspberry, mowed lawn, and mustard seed. I hope you enjoy this layout and also visit me on You Tube to check out the process video that goes with it.  I can't wait to see what you create this week! Make sure to head over to the Use Your Stuff blog to check out the work from the rest of the design team and to submit a link to your own inky project! Happy Crafting!!!

Craft Challenge and Another Process Video

Happy Thursday Friends! It is time for another C.R.A.F.T. Challenge and this week we were challenged to create for Christmas. As I have mentioned before, living in Arizona it seems a bit challenging for me to create a Christmas card when our temperatures are soaring over 100 degrees so I decided to go simple this week. I created this card with an old Stampin' Up Christmas tree image that I added enamel dots and an enamel star to in order to bring a little more shine to the design. That tag on the bottom is from the last Heidi Swapp Christmas collection and lives on a pop dot there at the bottom of the card. I hope you enjoy and I can't wait to see what you Christmas project you create since Christmas is so difficult for me this time of year.

In other happy scrappy news, I also have another process video up on my You Tube Channel today for the layout below. This was super fun and quick to make but packs a huge impact in my album and I just love it. This LOAD challenge process is really encouraging me to tell some important stories.... Please come on over to my You Tube channel...like, subscribe, and enjoy! Happy Crafting!!!

Process Video: Mini Collection

Happy Thursday!  I am back on my You Tube Channel with a new process video for this layout about one of the favorite collections that my kids are excited about right now. This one was super fun to create with loads of layers (my fav!) and cute embellishments from the newer Starshine Collection by Shimelle. I hope you will hop on over to You Tube and check it out. Please like, subscribe, and tune in to my channel as I have big plans ahead...Happy Crafting!

Summer Bucket List: Who, What, Where, When, Why?!

Counting down the days until summer vacation. Building forts and sandcastles...collecting shells....roller coasters and smores by the campfire. Dirty faces, stuffed bellies, late nights, and special treats. Fireworks, lemonade, new adventures, family memories. The smells of the beach, the wind whistling through the trees in the forest, the excitement of a new experience. All vivid reminders of my summer adventures as a child.

Fast forward 30 years and now I have three children of my own. I wanted the magic of my childhood summers to be something that I shared with them. As a family, we love to travel and we love new adventures whether in our own backyard or miles away from home. About three years ago, I learned about the happy family movement and the idea of a summer bucket list. I was hooked! From there, I drafted, created, and worked out a plan that would work for my family. Now, we are just building our third summer list and it is one of the things that my children most look forward to all year. I'm not an expert; I'm not saying my method is the only one to do this and I am sure families everywhere have a similar program. But....because several people showed interest....here is how we do our summer bucket list...

Step One: Preparing our master list. In April, we start discussing potential ideas for our summer bucket list. My husband and I mention to the kids to start thinking about ideas and to remember to include things that are local and close to home as well as big dreams that are far away. We encourage ideas that are free (ex. learn something new) as well as costly ones (ex. trip to Yellowstone). The first week in May typically, we sit down as a family of five and create our master list. We take turns adding an item to the list that we want to try this summer. Sometimes, it is a repeat of a favorite from the year before (ex. mini golf always makes the list!) or sometimes it is something that we didn't have time to complete the previous year (ex. ordering passports). And sometimes, it is something new that we haven't experienced yet--something they learned about in school, a new adventure opening in our hometown, and so on. Each person takes turns listing something important to him and we open it up to discussion if there is something that not everyone likes (this doesn't happen often!) As we all discuss, I write out a list of about 25-30 things that we wish to accomplish. The kids all know that we did do out best and will likely not finish the entire list and that that is okay! Sometimes, things get moved to fall or deleted or saved for another year. Usually, we spend about 45 minutes to an hour making our list.

Step Two: Creating the bucket list board. After we have created our master list, I take 3x3 white cards and write the name of one item at the top on each card and leave the rest blank. I give my kids a set of markers and divide up the cards and they create illustrations for each adventure. These cards then get hung up on a piece of ribbon with mini clothespins on our family room wall. I work on planning the experience and putting bigger items on a summer calendar so that we can request time off and work around summer camps or other activities.

Step Three: Summer itself. We typically start out list in the beginning of May and work on all the way thru until Labor Day or early September. I try to include a couple of different items each time we travel or go on an adventure far away from home. For example, we try mini golf courses in a new city or go to a trampoline park or waterpark on vacation. For each thing that we complete on the list, the card on the wall gets taken down and replaced with a family photo of that event. Slowly over the  summer, the wish list becomes a memory board of sorts. When we have a free day or a morning with no plans, the kids run to the bucket list and choose something.

Step Four: Post-summer bucket list. After summer ends and the school year begins, we take down the pictures and the bucket list. The illustrated cards the kids had drawn as well as the family photos become a summer bucket list mini album. I also document these adventures in our regular albums and in our  project life albums. If we missed a couple of things and need to complete them over the fall, I still include them with our final product.

By no means is this a fool-proof program. We get bummed about missing things or we add things later that we didn't think of at the time of the list creation. Each summer, we usually complete about 70-75% of the items on the list and typically before the next May we have completed about 85% of the list. It works for us and we love it. We have tried new things like stand-up paddle boarding and indoor skydiving. We have made time for family camping trips, adventures at the beach, and added pins to our family travel map (another story entirely!) throughout the years. We have eaten new foods like calamari and rattlesnake and even enjoyed new places within our hometown like lava tube cave hikes and local staycation hot spots. It has been an incredible adventure!

We look forward to these adventures all year not because they cost a lot of money or take us far from home but because they are protected activities that we are all invested in and all complete as a family. We are building memories and including everyone's dreams and ideas into those memories which makes it one of our favorite times of year! If you have more ideas or questions, please reach out to me! Leave me a comment below telling me about an adventure you have planned for your family this summer...I would love to hear from you!