Real Men Wear Masks December 2020

I’ve been wanting to document the mask wearing experience during Covid-19 for a while and the December 2020 Scrap Our Stash “Mask up” challenge was the perfect excuse:

And the December 2020 Sketch N Scrap sketch #215 challenge provided the geometrical inspiration:

I used the leftover pieces from an old Treasure Box kit I received, and frankly I didn't like very much and the leftovers have been sitting around for a couple years. So, I used some of the leftovers for color inspiration and then created my own design, and made a companion page to another I had made similar back in April. It was interesting looking back months to reflect upon how novel masks were at first when now we will be anticipating wearing them for the majority of 2021, as well. I also grabbed my scraps folder and found a lonely red patterned scrap that fit. The fuzzy trim also made it a happier page. Printed pop-out cardstock embellishments are from Photo Play Loving the Quarantine Life. Selfie brads from Eyelet Outlet.

The American Craft Thickers title alphas were a new purchase in 2020, just waiting around for when I needed a custom color. I love that these cardboard Thickers are able to be colored using markers to match the exact color I needed on demand and didn't have in my stash. Kingart brush pen121 Peacock Blue.

The layout to the right was the complimentary layout I made back in April and had a mask layout in mind for the left. These challenges allowed me to finish the vision. (See my previous blog entry Feelings April 2020.)

I also entered this page into the Lasting Memories layout challenge #528: Mixed Bag - Anything Goes December 2020.

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Update 1/20/2021: This layout was chosen to be highlighted on the Lasting Memories blog and resulted in an invite as a future Lasting Memories Guest Design Team member.

And it was all yellow December 2020

Documented our first trip to a sunflower farm. Even during Covid, we found fun things to do outside together safely.

What a fun experience!

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Featured paper: Gnome for the Holidays Thanksgiving.

Tim Goltz distressed crayon.

Big Moods and Sticko: stickers.

Ribbon: unknown.

Fiber translucent paper: unknown.

Metal bow and Gold glitz dazzling details: Stampin’up!

Stencil: Alt&new layered medallion B stencil.

Cardstock: CTMH Goldrush and DVMC Brights.

Other patterned paper: Bella blvd besties freehand graph & dot guacamole.

Washi tape: unknown.

Border sticker: DVMC.

Illustration Pens: Artist’s Loft 0.3 and kingart 102 brown fine.

Catherine Pooler Ink: Mini. Icing on the Cake.

ATG  glue: unknown.

Fine Line Red Top glue.

Date stamp: Staples.

CM 12” straight trimmer.

December 2020 Stick it Down Double page sketch challenge:

December 2020 Challenge YOUrself challenge #84:

December 2020 Paper Issues challenge:

fun sun December 2020

Documented a couple days down the shore with my son’s friend and her family. I really enjoy the company of these women, and proud of my son for maintaining this friendship for so many years.

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Featured: Shimmelle Never Grow Up collection.

 Other patterned and solid paper, enamel stars and ribbon: Stampin’up!

Nuvo Drops.

Artist’s Loft Illustration pen 0.3 black.

CTMH Glitter Paper. Sugarplum.

 

Fiber paper: unknown.

                            

Layout sketch based on Stick It Down blog single page layout Dec 2020.

                            

Included journaling for Paper Issues November challenge.

 

lunchin ladies Nov 2020

Just a simple layout of my mom out to lunch. Sometimes the simple ones are so satisfying! I’ve been wanting to try this Heidi Swap Old School collection for a while, and I don’t have a huge amount, so doing this simple design makes me happy, as I have more left to play with! I instantly thought of this paper when I saw this month’s Stick It Down sketch.

I also submitted this to the Paper Issues November 2020 The Ties That Bind challenge.

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Featured Collection: Heidi Swap Old School. Supplier: Paper Issues.

Distress Oxide. Victorian Velvet.

Catherine Pooler. Stone Blue Ink.

Artist’s Loft 0.3 Illustration Pen.

Grommets: Unknown.

Fineline Red Top Glue. Supplier: Paper Issues.

Staples Date Stamp.

CM 12” straight and decorative trimmers.

Working Man blues Nov 2020 sketch challenge

I submitted this layout to Scrap Our Stash monthly sketch challenge and used watercolor patterned paper from the new Vicki Boutin Storyteller collection, as well as the coordinating AC Decoupage Chipboard letter Thickers.

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Die cut: Unknown.

Patterned Paper: Vicki Boutin Storyteller.

Fiber paper: unknown.

Stencils: Vicki Boutin Storyteller Radiate.

AC Thickers: Storyteller puffy stickers.

Alphas: AC Decoupage Chipboard letter Thickers.

Distress Oxide Victorian Velvet.

Nuvo Glacier Paste Pineapple Delight.

Vicki Boutin Let’s Wander Prism Glaze.

Quick quotes powder puff chalking ink coal miner.

Nuvo Mica Mist Fresh Pear.

Twine: Lawn Trimmings. Lawn Fawn. Meadow Sparkle Hemp Cord.

Grommets: Unknown.

Cardstock:

Revelations. Neutrals.

DVMC Brights.

Purple: Unknown.

Fineline Red Top Glue.

Tonic Palette knife.

Date Stamp: Staples.

CM 12” straight trimmer.

CM 12” decorative trimmer.

Gelly Roll glitter pen.

Artist’s Loft illustration pen 0.3

Thankful November 2020

Just a fun quick page documenting what seems like a daily occurrence in our crazy household.

Little brother teases big brother.

Big brother chases little brother.

Little brother gets caught.

 I’m so very thankful for my boys.

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I submitted this to the Scrap Our Stash monthly What’s My Challenge and the Paper Anthology, Kenvil, NJ, 9th Anniversary Party Challenge #1.

Featured collection: Paper and Embellishments: My Mind’s Eye. Happy Days.

Doily: The Ink Pad, NY, NY

Alphas:

Pretty Little Studio. Miss Sadie Rose collection. Mint Patch Mini ABC Stickers. Paper Issues.

Boy phrase: CP Magical Forest.

Mixed Media: My Little Scrapbook Store.

Catherine Pooler Premium Dye Ink. Stone Blue.

Nuvo Stone Drops. Berry Burst.

Shimelle dual tip pen. Teal.

Cardstock:

Kraft paper. Recollections.

DCWV. Brights.

Fiber: CTMH. Paradise.

Adhesives:

Scotch tacky glue. Michaels.

Red Top Glue. 18ga fineline. Paper Issues.

ATG: Unknown.

Tools: CM 12” straight paper trimmer.

Halloween fun #212 nov 2020

I love using up old stash, and I used a very old but cute set of Halloween paper for this layout.

I enjoyed this paper so much that I expanded the single pape sketch into a double page layout after I was done with the Sketch N Scrap challenge.

http://sketchnscrap.blogspot.com/

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Paper:

Patterned Cardstock: Stampin’up! Jen Lamb, representative.

Patterned Paper: Studio Calico. Michaels.

Solid cardstock: Recollections. Neutral.

Solid cardstock: Close to my Heart. Lagoon. Kristine Teanse, representative.

Fiber translucent paper: unknown.

Embellishments:

Brad’s: Eyelet Outlet. Small eye brads.

Quick quotes. Powderpuff chalking ink. Coal Miner.

Nuvo antique gold mica mist, ebony black crystal drops, and emerald isle vintage drops. My Little Scrapbook Store.

Halloween stickers. Unknown.

Marker: Stampin’up Stampin’ Dazzle. Silver.

Sharpie permanent marker ultra fine point black.

Fall Palette #82 October 2020

Documenting a fall weekend down the shore at LBI last year. My husband and I got away from the kids for a few minutes taking a walk to Bayview Park.

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Cardstock: Unknown.

Patterned Paper: Studio Calico.

Embossed paper: Story of Us. I’m Yours.

Washi tape: Unknown.

Artist’s Loft Illustration Pen 0.3

Canvas Home Basics Burlap Sheet in Colors and Canvas Sheet.

Stampin’ Up! Silver Baker’s Twine.

Wink of Stella Brush Gold 101.

Studio g rubber stamp Hot Fudge Studio.

Distress Oxide Hickory Smoke and Speckled Egg.

Stencil: Heidi Swapp spray stencil. My Little Scrapbook Store.

Prima flowers.

49 Market Pixie Petals Mint.

CP Minis Icing on the Cake ink. My Little Scrapbook Store.

Thickers: Family. My Little Scrapbook Store.

Metal Brads: Unknown.

I also submitted this to My Little Scrapbook Store’s Halloween Crop Challenge 2020 #4 This is Us.

Hello October Oct 2020

 

I was inspired by the color palette on the mood board as well as the center column of the board. I wanted to recreate the rhythmic pattern the cityscape image creates at the 1/3 bottom of the page, and the two different sized circular images at the top 2/3 of the page, and reflect that on my layout. I really loved the egg shell blue color in the palette.

This fall, (and the entire year thanks to Covid) my husband and boys have spent a lot of time together running and biking along the D&R Canal on the Delaware River, while I’ve been recovering from an injury. They always send me photos while they are traveling along the river so I can enjoy the leaves and colors of fall simultaneously to them.

I also submitted this to My Little Scrapbook Store’s Halloween challenge crop 2020 #10.

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Cliff walk double Oct 2020

 

Almost done w my 2019 New England vaca album and took advantage of this multiple photo layout to document a lovely afternoon walking along the Newport, RI Cliff Walk. There was so many amazing pics to take it was hard to decide what to use, which ended up being reflected in my resulting disorganized layout. I rarely mount photos without mounting on a small border, but made an exception this time to highlight the varied patterned paper. Can’t wait to visit again someday and tour the mansions.

I rarely stick to one collection, but this layout is an exception. I used almost exclusively Vicki Boutin’s Let’s Wander patterned paper, mixed media paper, stencils, journal tags and fussy cut vellum flowers from the collection packaging.

In addition, the following items added some details:

Wood and sticker arrows from the Urban collection and sapphire twine from CTMH, Kristine Teanse, Easton PA consultant.

Vintage Nuvo Emerald Isle drops, nuvo metro grey hybrid ink, embossing pad, and Nuvo sun kissed copper guiding flakes from My Little Scrapbook Store.

Distressed Oxide speckled egg and hickory smoke.

Fineline Red Top glue from Paper Issues.

Simple Stories leaf stencil.

Pop-up dot stickers. Crafters Square from Dollar Tree.

Crayola watercolor pencils.

Washi tape from Stampin’ up.

Date Stamp: Staples.

Page Tab Sticker: Traditions DCWV. HSN.

foamies sticky back foam sheets.

ATG glue: unknown.

Below was the sketch I based my layout on. I will go back and journal once the album is complete.

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Bunker Hill Guest Design Team Sept 2020 Bunker Hill September 2020

Humble thanks for inviting me to be a #StickItDown Guest Design Team member this month.

Chipping slowly away at my New England vacation album from last summer, I decided to document a fun unplanned detour we made on our longest travel day of our trip. Instead of remembering a boring day with hours of monotonous miles, we will remember our last minute decision to stop in Boston for a second time on our trip to visit Bunker Hill Monument. Marking the official end of the red bricked Boston Freedom Trail that bends around seemingly every corner of the city, Bunker Hill was a great way to stretch our legs and get some much needed exercise climbing to the top of the monument after a long day in the car. We’ve been to Boston a handful of times over the years but never experienced this historic site. It was fun and refreshing, located in a beautiful neighborhood in the city. I pride myself to be a National Park nerd, and hopefully someday my boys will look back at all the stamps in their national park passport books and laugh and reminisce fondly at all the parks mom dragged them to.

I decided to rotate the original #StickitDown sketch I based the page on:

Inspiration: I wanted to feature a vertical photo of the Bunker Hill Monument, so I turned the sketch to accommodate. When i did that, it reminded me of last months single page sketch, with flags flying to the right of the page instead of hanging down. I thought this would be appropriate for a patriotic themed page, documenting a historic National Park we happened to visit days before the 4th of July holiday last summer.

I really wanted to try my new Ranger texture paste from My Little Scrapbook Store. I’ve had this sparkly red fluff in my stash forever and struggled for years to find a successful way to adhere to layouts in more creative ways than just along a line of glue or ATG tape. This fluffy stuff is messy fun! The stately masonry elevations in the Charlestown section of Boston was all I needed to remember to inspire me to grab my new brick stencil and CTMH masonry paper background that I’ve been hoarding for something special. I like how the brick pattern reminds me of flags flying to the right of the layout, and all the tags in the decade-old Adornit patriotic paper collection supported that flag flying image I had in my mind.

I love that I was able to incorporate such old stash items in my collection with some new items. 

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Collection: Adornit - Carolee’s Creations. All American Collection 

Background Paper and Branding Strip: CTMH. Documented

Cardstock: CTMH Sapphire. Saffron.

Rep: Kristine Teanse Easton PA

 

Quick Quotes Powder Puffs Chalking Ink Coconut

Rubber Stampede Royal Blue Dye Based Ink Pad

Artists Loft 0.3 Illustration Pen. Michaels

Washi Tape, Grommets, Translucent Fiber infused Paper, Staples, ATG tape: Unknown

National Park Stickers Scrapbook Customs Acadia National Park 

Sparkly Fluff: Our Craft Lounge. Very Cherry Red

Stencil: Clear Scraps. Brick Wall.

Date Stamp: Staples

Ribbon: Stampin’ Up!

Baker’s Twine: Stampin’ Up! Wisteria Wonder

Holographic Stickers: Nicole Quality Value

Buttons: Boxer Scrapbook Productions

Ranger Texture Paste Opaque Matte

Alphas: thickers Happy Life

Tonic Double Sided Glue Pen and Palette Knife

Supplier: My Little Scrapbook Store.

Although I designed this a a stand along page, I did plan on it complimenting it’s neighboring page in my album, which documents our walk enjoying the Charlestown Details and well deserved dinner we enjoyed after we climbed the monument.

Charlestown details #208 Sept 2020

 

Continuing to work on our New England album from last summer... almost done!😀

Played with my new brick stencil and Nuvo mist for this page, tried to capture the feeling of walking around the historic Charlestown section of Boston after we visited Bunker Hill. It didn’t photograph well, but I was very happy with the results.  

We had a memorable, cozy family dinner at the historic Warren Inn waiting for afternoon traffic to loosen up after a long day in the car. This was an unplanned stop on our trip, which almost always work out to be some of the best memories.

I, like many I suppose, have trouble identifying myself as beautiful, but I loved this photo and memory and need to remind myself more often, so I said it in writing in big letters on this page.

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This was the original #SketchNScrap sketch I based the page on:

Paper, Branding Strip and Cut Apart: CTMH. Documented

Arrow Sticker: CTMH Urban.

Cardstock: CTMH Sapphire.

Rep: Kristine Teanse Easton PA

Alphas: Basic Grey MELLOW Maude Alphabet Stickers

Faux Enamel Dot Pop-Up Stickers: Crafters Square. Dollar Tree

Quick Quotes Powder Puffs Chalking Ink Coconut

Rubber Stampede Royal Blue Dye Based Ink Pad

Template: Kiwi Lane Brackets 1.  Rep: Annis Monforte

Fussy Cut Arrow: Studio Calico

Artists Loft 0.3 Illustration Pen

Michaels

Translucent Fiber infused Paper, Staples, ATG tape: Unknown

Sparkly Fluff: Our Craft Lounge. Very Cherry Red

Stencil: Clear Scraps. Brick Wall.

Date Stamp: Staples

Page Tab Sticker: DCWV. HSN

Ranger Texture Paste Opaque Matte

Nuvo Mica Mist Fresh Pear

Tonic Double Sided Glue Pen and Palette Knife

Supplier: My Little Scrapbook Store.

Evergreen summer tradition Aug 2020

 

Summer Evergreen Traditions

Many summer traditions were in jeopardy because of COVID, but we are so grateful for the opportunity to fulfill this tradition last week. These boys have been friends from Evergreen Preschool since they were two years old, and each August us moms get them together for a “pre-school” pool afternoon. It’s amazing how time flies, but no matter how their interests and friends change and develop over the years, and how much time has gone by since they saw each other, they always pick up where they left off. It was a hot day and the boys enjoyed cooling off in the water.

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Stampin up! Solid and patterned photo Mat paper, Fiber and enamel shapes

Close to My Heart Glitter paper sugar plum and Just Blooms paper shapes Paradise. Representative: Kristine Teanse Easton PA

Supplier: Michaels’s 

Journal paper strips: Recollections Studio Calico patterned paper

Artist’s Loft 0.3 black illustration pen

Other patterned and solid photo mat paper: Unknown scraps.

Royal Blue ink on edges Rubber Stampede

Supplier: My Little Scrapbook Store:

Photoplay Summer background paper and title cut apart

Shimelle Never Grow Up Vellum 

Vicki Boutin Let’s Wander stencil

Ranger Ink Distressed Crayon Mowed Lawn

Nuvo Glitter drops sugar plum and stone drops berry burst 

Nuvo Mica Mist fresh pear  

Tonic double sided glue pen

 Catherine Pooler party dress ink

Nuvo Glitter Markers Silver Mist and Imperial Blue 

Sun, flip flops, flowers and summer word stickers: unknown

Kiwi lane template.Cascade Trails 2A 2B.

Boxer scrapbooking: Buttons

Crayola watercolor pencils: sky blue, yellow green

Date stamp: Staples

Braided fiber and Traditions DCWV page tab: HSN.

ATG glue: unknown

Sand beach August 2020 #80

I’m still plugging along on my album from last years vacation to Maine. One of my resolutions this year is to complete the albums I start. I have only completed a handful of traditional scrapbook albums over the years, and another dozen are in some state of completion, waiting to infill chronologically, or trying to track down some long lost photos. These challenges have really helped me focus on reaching my goals.

This page documents some fun frolicking on a rainy, cloudy day at Acadia National Park’s Sand Beach. I was struck by how brown but small the grains of sand was in Maine. I found the perfect photo paper for the background at a craft store specific to documenting everything Maine called Fab•ri•cate in Bar Harbor that really captures the color and texture of the sand, so I wanted to let the paper shine and keep the layout simple.

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Supplier: My Little Scrapbook Store (www.mylittlescrapbookstore.com) West Orange, NJ (I also entered this into the MLSS Camp Out challenge 6.)

Nuvo Glitter Marker Wild Blackberry
Nuvo Glitter Drops Sugar Plum.
Vicki Boutin Let's Wander Stencil and Tags.
Catherine Pooler CPMinis Icing on the Cake Ink.
Tim Holtz Distressed Oxide Speckled Egg
pink&Main Preppy Brights enamel shapes.
Adhesive: Pop Dots and Tonic Studios double ended Glue Pen.

Supplier: Michaels

Recollections Let's Get Lost fussy journal paper.
Recollections. Solid: Ultra Violet.
Artist's Loft 0.3 black illustration pen.

Polka-dot Vellum: Stampin’ Up!
Alphas, ATG Adhesive: Unknown

Grommet and Sticky Back Jewels: Eyelet Outlet
Feature paper: Fab•ri•cate Bar Harbor, ME
Grateful Heart Cork Shapes: Close to my Heart. Arrow. Representative: Kristine Teanse Easton, PA.

Cork sticker. Globe. Representative: Crafty Creations by Annis.
Enamel dot stickers: dollar tree.
Buttons: boxer scrapbooking.
Gold mirrored dots: packaging. unknown.
Scrapbook Customs. National Park Stickers. Acadia National Park.

Washi Tape:

Stampin Up!

Stamp:

Date Stamp. Supplier: Staples.

Fibers:

Ribbon. Unknown.

Although I planned this page to stand independently, I did have a previous page I made in mind when I designed it so it would be complimentary to its sister page in the album. See my previous blog post from July 2020 Purple Seaweed.

COVID Delivery July 2020 #79

I’ve been hesitant to document any more of our pandemic experiences, because I’m well aware that our world will be dealing with this virus for a very long time to come, and I wasn’t sure how I would reflect on this time a year or so from now. Would our lives be better? Worse? Would some of the silly experiences seem trivial? Would we loose another beloved family member by then? I had already done two pages documenting the serious side of this virus, paying respect to a beloved cousin who died in April.

I’ve been thinking a lot of my grandmother as a little girl lately, living through the Spanish flu in the early 20th century, and wishing she spoke of that experience more when she was alive. I remember her describing her sister dying, and her being laid out in the living room of their rural farm house where visitors came to pay their respects.... during a pandemic!

She would have been the same age as my younger son, and I realized that I needed to dive in so he had a perspective of living during the pandemic, not some fuzzy memory years later. Our scrapbooks (and blogs!) are our journals, capturing either our feelings in the moment, or memories of long ago. Either way, I dove in yesterday.

So, I pulled out the one small collection of “pandemic paper” I had purchased, and started. I wanted to capture how scared and nervous we were to shop for food and still show the fun we had visiting our family to deliver their groceries. As the months have gone on and on, I realize now that this chore unfortunately became routine, but the day I documented my 1 hr drive north to our parents houses to deliver groceries seemed novel at the time, and happy, because it reminded us how great it was to see each other’s faces.

First I dropped off some educational toys and supplies on my sisters porch, as she was worried how difficult remote schooling had been on my young niece, only two weeks into our state’s mandatory lockdown orders.

Next, I stopped at my moms house, who was already really lonely and scared after two weeks of isolation. This time highlighted that it was especially hard for her because my dad had died almost three years prior. She was so happy to see and interact with someone in person. Luckily it was a nice March afternoon and we were able to take a walk around the neighborhood. It was strange to purposely walk so far apart, which is what the photo of us documents.

Finally, I drove across town and dropped off more hard to find supplies at my in-laws house. It was a quick but cheerful porch front visit, as I could see they were nervous too.

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Collection: Loving the quarantine life by Photo Play.

Paper and Ephemera.

Collection: Let’s Wander by Vicki Boutin.

Mixed media card stock, stencil and tag journal pieces.

Solid paper: Close to My Heart. Urban. Representative: Kristine Teanse Easton, PA. Solid: Paprika.

Supplier: My Little Scrapbook Store (www.mylittlescrapbookstore.com) West Orange, NJ (I also entered this into a MLSS CampOutCrop 2020 challenges.)

Tim Holtz Distrssed Oxide Ink. Speckled Egg.
Nuvo Emerald Isle Vintage Drops

Alphas: jillibean soup alphabean stickers. Rosy dot.

Adhesive: Pop Dots and Tonic Studios double ended Glue Pen.

Supplier: Michaels
Solid paper: Recollections. Blues.

Patterned paper: Studio Calico.

Artist's Loft 0.3 black illustration pen.

Ribbon: Straight ‘N’ Narrow. Ribbon Offray.

Silver Grommets: Unknown.

Twine by Stampin’ Up! Wysteria.

Colored grommets: Eyelet outlet.

Date Stamp: Staples.

powder puff Charcoal chalking ink by Quick Quotes

Fibers and Border stickers: Manufacturer: unknown. Supplier: HSN.

ATG: unknown.

Buttons and Brads: unknown.

Templates: Kiwi lane.

Pop-Up Dot Stickers.  Crafter's Square. Supplier: Dollar Tree.

Update: I decided to add a complimentary page to this the next day, because I really enjoyed this collection more than I thought I would: