Still Christmas at My House = Another Christmas Page!

So, yeah.  I am still scrapping Christmas.  I do not scrap chronologically, at all.  If you've read my blog before, you know I jump from years and years (and years) ago to current photos with no real rhyme or reason.  It just depends on what appeals to me at the moment.  So I go with it. 

This page is again about our Christmas cookie baking adventures.  I love to get the grandkids involved.  They "helped" roll the Chocolate Crinkle cookies in powdered sugar, hence the white hands!  And you know what, they did a really good job!!  I so want them to remember these times spent together.  I want to remember the look on Jackson's face when he came into the kitchen, saw his sister helping to roll the chocolate cookies into little balls and proclaimed he could help too.  Until he saw his sisters hands all covered in sticky chocolate dough.  Then he wrinkled his face up and said... "Oh, no.  I don' wanna do tha-a-t.  She's all doo-ty."  So we switched to rolling the cookies in powdered sugar. 

The page is a mish mash of Echo Park (the background sheet), Pink Paislee holiday pad (the stripes used to border the page and for the layers under the photos), and Crate (the large cluster of ephemera to the side of the photos).  I had made a bunch of these cluster things several months ago (see my October 25 post http://cheryl-husmann.blogspot.com/2014_10_01_archive.html ) after watching a video where this gal went through a pile of scraps and packaged ephemera, stapled little stacks of it together. 

Tucked in a piece of a doily, added a tab at the top of the photo block, and my title and journaling.   Oh, yeah...and sequins!!!   It's a Christmas layout...gotta add some sparkle! 

sparkle on everyone!
Cheryl

Shhhhh. Here's the Secret Recipe...

I've never shared this recipe...  not like it's not in a cookbook or anything... it is, but it is an old cookbook.  it was in the very first cookbook I ever got, some 40 years ago!  These are hands down, the best sugar cookie e.v.e.r.  Soft, almond flavored, melt in your mouth, frosting piled high sugar cookies. 

Deluxe Sugar Cookies

1 C. butter or margarine, softened (must use Imperial Margarine, must)
1-1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2-1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

Mix margarine, powdered sugar, egg, vanilla and almond extract.  Blend in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar.  Cover and chill 2-3 hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Divide dough in half.  Roll out to about 3/16 inch thick (never in my life have I measured how thick the dough was...  but this is what the recipe says, so measure if you feel you must LOL).  Cut into desired shapes.  Bake 7-8 minutes. 

Now my oven bakes slightly "hot" so I set the temp at 365 degrees and set the timer to 6 minutes.  You can always leave them in a touch longer if need be.  But we really like a soft sugar cookie, so it's usually 6 minutes. 

Cool, frost and decorate. 

Are You Still Scrapping Christmas? Me Too! - 19 Kinds of Cookies

My daughter and I get together every year for a weekend baking extravaganza.  This year, since there is a long distance move coming up, we really pulled out all the stops and baked over two weekends.  My son came along and man, oh man, with three of us, we really went to town!  19 kinds of cookies! 

I wanted to document this, because the annual cookie baking weekend has become a part of our Christmas tradition.  And even if I am not here, but across country...I know the tradition will go on. 

To mimic the colors of the cookies, frosting and decorative candies, I chose several papers from a Pink Paislee holiday pad to work with.  Trimmed down a soft green tone on tone pattern and centered it on a pink and red diagonal mini stripe paper.  Since my photos were pretty busy, I didn't layer them at all, but chose instead to use the other papers I had chosen in small irregularly cut strips at the top and bottom of the page.  After that it was just a matter of picking out the right spots for some embellishment clusters. All the embellishments (except for the white paper doily and the red crocheted doily) are from Basic Grey's 25th and Pine collection.   The 25th and Pine stuff really seemed to coordinate quite nicely with the Pink Paislee papers, so I will definitely be using them together again (Lord knows I have an ample supply of Christmas photos to scrap yet!!) 

The title is made up of red foil Thickers and an older alpha set from Basic Grey--not sure, but I think it from their Wassail line of several years ago.  No journaling, but there is a list of the cookies on the back of the page. 

One of the things I really want to do is to make a Holiday Cookie recipe book for the family of all of our favorite cookies and holiday treats.  It's on my bucket list of scrappy things to do!! 

yep, still working on Christmas stuff... 
Cheryl

Challenge Layout #5 - Craft Time at Nana's

So I had eight pieces of patterned paper in the Burlap and Bouquets collection pack and I am up to five pages completed!  This page was a challenge to do with this collection because almost all of  the papers have a distinctive grayed background and the photos had brights and whites... 

I used a white cardstock background because of the white styro cones in the photos...nothing else I placed it on looked right.  Then the white cardstock got trimmed slightly and centered onto kind of a peachy pink, dull red paper from the collection.  The other side of this paper was a reddish, peachy pink zig-zag pattern...just too busy. 

The photos were layered onto several papers (a happy scattered dot pattern, a minty green tiny chevron, the diagonal stripe and a small scrap of the aqua floral).  I wanted to use the bitty little alpha set that came with the collection pack, but I didn't want it to get lost, so I placed the title on a small kraft bag (kraft -- craft time,  silly pun intended).   The edge of the bag got tucked in behind the photo layers, journaling went on the tag that slides into the little bag.  Then I just added a couple of strips of paper at the top edge of the page and a few of the stickers, the flair badge and little sticker banners.  Last was to sprinkle on some of my homemade enamel dots (note to self:  must make more colors to choose from!). 

The phrase stickers I thought were particularly in sync with the layout; they read: "good things are going to happen" and "love you more each day".  Bella especially just lights up when I tell her we have a craft project to work on.  I want her to always remember these times with me as something special.  Kind of our thing together. 

happy scrapping today,
Cheryl

Challenge Layout #4 - Laugh

Still trying to crank out the pages from the Burlap and Bouquets collection.  I am actually finding this harder than working from the kit club.  This particular page I may not have ever posted, except for the challenge.  It was a hot, humid day; I had no makeup on at all, and had wound my sweaty sticky hair up on top of my head  Yeah, not a good picture day. 

But Bella was having such a good time while we were taking our "selfies".  When her Daddy came into the room and saw her giggling and carrying on, I told her to tell him what we were doing.  She was all over that, "We are taking selfies, Daddy!". 

I layered the green print on top of the arrow print to make the 12x12 background piece (since I had only partial pieces left of each).  Covered the seam between those two prints with a slice of the diagonal stripe.  I wanted to use the gold side of one of the papers as a punched scalloped piece, but I was downstairs and my punches were upstairs, so I took out my scissors and hand cut the strip into irregular scallops. 

Next was to layer the photos on some of the leftover scraps and get them positioned on the page.  I did some outlining and cut up a doily, adding pieces of it at the top and bottom of the photos. Two of the banner stickers plus one that I hand cut got tucked in with the lower doily.  I used the last of the cork words at the left side of the photos and then went to work on the top of the page.  I wanted to add a splash of white at the top to compliment the white of the doily at the bottom of the page, so I used a small white bag and placed one of the sticker phrases (cut into two pieces) on top.  Small strips of leftover papers were added at the top and bottom of the layout to help provide more of a frame for the page. 

Once again, almost the last thing I did was add the cluster at the top of the page and while I was doing that I added the enamel dots (my homemade ones!), a couple of the floral star stickers from the collection and another one of the flair badges. 

Whether I like the photo of myself or not, it was a fun moment with Bella and that's what counts.  She could care less about Nana's hair, she just remembers that we had fun taking "selfies"! 

best,
Cheryl

Challenge: Layout #3 - One and Only Son

In keeping with the challenge, this layout is for my son.  I don't think I scrap about my kids probably enough---it seems like it's all about the grandkids.  So it's good timing for a challenge like this; it helped make me think about including more of the other folks (and animals) that I love. 

I did use a different background sheet for this page.  Did not look right on any of the collection papers and it didn't look quite right on plain cardstock either.  I happened on this sheet (the B side of an older My Mind's Eye paper) and the tone on tone brown worked out quite nicely. 

The other things from outside the Burlap and Bouquets collection were two buttons, the twine I used on the buttons, a doily, the blue sticker that says "Remember You Are Loved", and the little gold sequin stars. 

The photo is layered on several pieces of torn papers  and then onto the black corrugated cardstock that was in the package.  I wanted to build a somewhat vertical line, so I added the title at the top of the photo stack, tucked in the You Are Loved sticker at the bottom of the stack, along with a doily.  Then I added the buttons, flair badge and the mini sign, keeping everything tight and close so as not to ruin the vertical line of things.  I used another of the die cut cork words and kept that up close to the photo stack too.  Next was to add a few strips of the coordinating papers at the top and bottom of the page and build the small cluster at the top using part of the left over doily, a button and one of the little banner stickers.   Last I sprinkled on some gold sequin stars.  (I had tried some enamel dots, but they looked out of place--the tiny little stars worked out much better.)

More to come,
Cheryl

Challenge: Layout #2 - Happy Dog

I thought I'd do a page about one of our dogs, Abbie, for the challenge.  They are getting on in years now.  Getting gray in the muzzle. moving a little slower.  But they sleep right next to me at night (have to watch where I place my feet or I'm gonna trip on one of them in them in the middle of the night!), follow me to the bathroom, are waiting at the door when I get home.  They are truly unconditional love. 

I used several irregularly cut strips to create the border around the page, curled the edges a bit and then used the same papers (sometimes the flip side) to layer up under the two 4x4 photos.  I wanted to use at least some of the alpha set that was included in the collection pack, but I have to say I am not a fan of the printed burlap.  (What was I thinking when I bought this?  Not a clue.  I mean I still do like most of the papers... but not the burlap print...) But I was determined to use it.  I had also purchased a set of cork die cut words at the same time as the collection pack, so I included this pack in my challenge.  And I do like those.  Although the cork is rather brittle and you really can't go yanking it off the acetate or it will tear.  A gentler touch works just fine. 

Anyway, I went on and cut some banners, added one of the flair badges, tucked in a couple of those mini sign things and a tab.  Used one of the cork words as part of the title and used the alpha set for "dog".  Last I added the shorter banners at the top of the page and a couple of the stickers.  I always seem to do the smaller clusters at the top or sides of my page last...no real reason...that's just how it seems to work out.   

That was it.  This one didn't take very long at all to do.  Kind of happy about that.  And kind of happy to be using this collection up! 

best,
Cheryl

Challenge: One Collection, How Many Layouts?

Actually, the challenge (at NicoleJones911 on facebook) is to use a paper line (or kit) that you love (but have not broken into); papers, embellishments, stickers. etc.) and since it is February, to make the theme of the layout(s) about those that you love.  (And to see how many layouts, you get from the line you have stashed, I mean collected, i.e., hoarded...) 

And here is Layout #1 - Love My Girls

I chose a collection from Fancy Pants that I just felt as though I HAD to HAVE it.  Burlap and Bouquets.  And then it sat here.  I had acquired the collection pack, which contained 8 sheets of double sided paper, a corrugated piece of cardstock, an alpha sticker sheet, a 12x12 sticker sheet of tiny alphas and tabs, a small sticker sheet of words, tabs and phrases.  Then I also had a pack of flair badges (which were much larger when I received them than what I thought they were when I ordered them--I much prefer the smaller size) and I had a pack of little flags or mini-sign thing-ys. 

The background paper had the ring of flowers printed on it, but I cut some additional flowers out of another sheet so I could pop up some up.  I also used a white gel pen to highlight the small flower blooms.  Beyond that, it was a matter of cutting strips of some of the various coordinating papers and placing my photo on top of the stacked up strips and then tucking in a piece of a doily and a tab,  Once that was done, I felt as though the photo needed a ledge of some sort to sit upon, so I added a small strip of one of the papers (a diagonal stripe) and punched a small scalloped strip out of another.  Still didn't seem substantial enough, so I added a piece of lace from my stash. 

I punched a circle for the circular phrase sticker and popped it up, tucked in a small bow from some twine in my stash, and added one of the flair badges.  Last was to construct a small cluster at the top of the page (another smaller piece of the doily, a strip of patterned paper, and one of the little flowers I had cut out).

This photo was snapped at Thanksgiving (the after dinner nap, you know!).   My daughter and granddaughter -- out cold.  Love this. 

best,
Cheryl

Title Town - (No Not Green Bay, WI)

OK so all that would come to mind when I thought about labeling this post was title town... so sorry if you were expecting a post about football.... cuz that ain't happening here. 

Nope this is more about the placement of the title on the page. 

You see, I do love this page...except for one thing.  That one thing?  It's where I have placed the title.  Now that the page has been photographed and I see it on the computer screen, that title is just silently screaming at me that it belonged closer to the photo.  (I said before, this blog thing has helped me so much to be able to see things I might otherwise miss.) 

There is NO right or wrong way to title a page.  There is what you like and what you don't.  There is what is pleasing to your eye and what isn't.  For me, I am learning that I really like titles tucked into the photo, nice and tight.  Not floating off by itself in la-la land.  It feels disconnected to me.  (I guess it would be easy enough to have pull the title stickers up and replace them where I want them---except that this page is part of Jacob's grad album---I don't have it anymore.  I had just quickly selected some pages, photographed them for blogging purposes before I gifted the albums to him.) 

I had held this and a couple of other pages back from blogging because there were things that bothered me about the page (that became apparent when I saw them on the computer screen).  Then I thought, well let's just talk about what bothers me and why. 

So there you have it.  I'm sure there are exceptions to my title placement preference(s), and I'll go with it when it comes up (or when I notice that has happened).  But it is kind of nice to pinpoint what it is that makes me not as happy with a page.  I've often had these conversations with other scrapping friends (either they or me) saying, "I like this page, but there just something that bothers me and I'm not sure what..."  

On the page itself... background paper is an old Basic Grey (I loved the distressed solid colors for backgrounds), the layers are Maggie Holmes (from that $5 pack purchased at Michaels like 7-8 months ago.  It was a holiday week of some sort and this was one of their super saver daily deal things).  Title alphas are an older Cloud 9 (remember them?).  Stickers are from My Mind's Eye and Jillibean Soup. 

And the title itself came to me because of a commercial that was running on tv when I did the page. And our boy does have a signature look...  love him and that sly little sideways look. 

 best,
Cheryl

Problem Photos?

A while back I was blathering on about scrapping not so hot photos.  I think this probably fits within that definition.  I wanted these scrapped---but there were too many colors going on in the photos and since it was in the pool (and I was not--in the pool that is) I wasn't getting any good close ups. 

So.o.o.o.o.o.o. (I did this page quite a while ago, just never got around to posting it.)

I tried making this a two page layout.  Really wasn't happy with that.  It did work out better to keep the photos tightly grouped together on one page.  Tried a white background.  Oh, no.o.o.o.o.o.o.  so not good.  The brightness of all those colors in the photos was really glaring at me then.  It did look better to use bright colors for the background...but kept it kind of monochromatic and added in shots of color in the accents (the banners, the little strips at the top and the fabric brads). 

This is just one of those times that I wanted the photos scrapped---wanted to tell the story---.  This does.  (The story in short:  Miss Bella is usually the rather brazen, brash, no fear child.  But not in the water, she turned into the most cautious, almost clinging little girl!  We were cracking up.)  Minimal journaling went on the front of the layout.  Full story and Nana's thoughts are on the backside. 

Papers are super old Bo-Bunny and Fancy Pants.  I hand cut the banners, used an EK border punch for the large scalloped border pieces, along with some small strips of the coordinating papers. 
As far as the page goes... it's not anywhere close to being a favorite.  It's ok. 

Sometimes, ok has to be good enough.

One Photo - Two Ways

Do you ever scrap the same photos more than once?  This is one of those times where I have.  I did the first layout for Jacob's graduation album(s), but this one I did for my own. 

Now after having scrapped it once and being pretty pleased with that layout, do you think I would have scrap-lifted myself and not tried to reinvent the wheel? Well, of course not.  I thought I'd go way more girly with this layout since it is for my album(s) and not the boy's.  I should have just scrap-lifted my first layout. 

It's ok.  But I so like the first one better.  See my October 21st post  here...
 http://cheryl-husmann.blogspot.com/2014_10_01_archive.html 

OK, on the pink layout... I used so many older scraps and partially cut pieces I truly have no clue what companies they are from.  I went with kraft cardstock, trimmed slightly and layered onto a pink patterned paper for the background.  From there it was just a matter of tucking in various sizes of papers with pink and beige in them and adding a couple of tabs and a sticker (also in pink).  The stitched banners I know are from Crate, part of their Close Knit collection and the title letters are pretty much all that was left of a pink canvas set from Prima.  I also tried spattering gold, white and pink mists (once again I am not entirely happy with this---they just didn't set up as well on the kraft cardstock as they have on other papers). 

All in all, like I said, it's ok.  But not as good, I don't think. as the first page I made. 

Live and learn.  If you are really happy with something the first time,  do it again you fool~!!!

Scrapping the Stash! - A Travel Layout

And now back to my regularly scheduled posts about scrapping from my stash... 

Not that I have been traveling, but my grandson has!  And I thought I better get his (few) photos committed to layouts before they are lost and stuck in a drawer. 

The No Limits pad (from Heidi Swapp) I found on clearance some months back has been wonderful for more masculine layouts and is proving to be equally great for travel pages.   Also using a travel themed packet (picked up at Michael's some time ago, but I think they still have it) made by Studio Calico. 

I used a map pattern and a grid pattern torn and overlapped for the background and edged the page with a very tiny sliver of an orange and off white embossed stripe.  I again went to a deconstructed style page design, placing the photos side by side and arranging elements around them. I started by picking up various strips and pieces of papers (the gold diagonal stripe, the orange polka dot, and the tan diagonal stripe) and then added a journaling box. 

Once the scraps of papers were in place, I cut apart the little calendar, the ticket stub and found the travel related stickers (from Basic Grey, Amy Tan, Heidi Swapp) and added  those in three clusters (forming the visual triangle at top right, left side and bottom right). 

The title letters were left from (you guessed it) the Sweater Weather kit, "explore" is from Heidi Swapp, the arrows punched from scrap. 

I seem to have an abundance of travel type stickers (left from other collections purchased long ago) because, like, I really haven't travelled!!!  ha, ha, Therefore, have lots of little things left in the old stash to do the grandson's travel pages without any additional expenditure!  Kind of excited about that. 

Is this living vicariously through one's grandchildren?  ok, I'll go with that. 

best,
Cheryl

Sweater Weather #8 - Winter Wishes

This is it, the last Sweater Weather layout!   Layout #8!   Eight pages from one kit is pretty darn good.  I had the main kit only, no add-ons and I did pull some things from my stash, although I tried to keep this to a minimum.  (I'm not counting things like cardstock or the tissue paper I like to layer with sometimes.)  I truly wanted to see how far I could stretch a kit. 

I squeaked this last page out of the kit by pulling together the scraps and using them to create the layered circle embellishments.  Circles were punched and die cut; then layered with various snowflake shapes, buttons, wood veneer pieces and the last little piece of that cord that I used on a previous layout (hey, it was just lying there on my desk--it was going on the page or into the trash!).  I cut a couple or three fish-tailed banners and placed one under a layered circle, the other two got layered up with a snowflake to add a spot of red to the opposite side of the page.  The cardstock I used as a background paper is the same color as the piece that was included in the kit (found that in my cardstock stash!). 

From my stash on this one were all the buttons, the wood veneer snowflakes, the doily (under the lower edge of the photo), the little piece of off-white cord, and a rosette on one of the circles.  I pulled this from an older Basic Grey embellishment pack--Plumeria was the collection--but I didn't like the little circle and pearl that topped the rosette, so I scraped it off and replaced it with a punched snowflake and an enamel dot.  After arranging all the layered circles, I used one of the Echo Park stickers as the page title and placed it on top of the circles, did some outlining using a white gel pen

It would be safe to say, I have basically used this entire kit.  What I have left: a lot of the Bo Bunny alpha stickers, some stickers on the Echo Park sheet, the whole piece of navy blue cardstock, a couple of the wood veneer pieces, the white die cuts. a couple of the exclusive tabs, and a little pile of patterned paper scraps. 

I absolutely love the wood veneers---but up until a day or two ago, there wasn't much in the way of snow outside and I am not going out to build a snowman (or have a snowball fight--sorry I am an indoor girl in the winter--but I might find photos of someone else's snowman--who knows.  Or, I could use them on a card, but I will use them, they are so cute.)  And the white die cut phrases?  Same thing, love them, I just don't have the right subject matter (yet). 

So that's it.  Eight pages from one kit!  I think this means that joining a scrapbook kit club can indeed be a very good scrapping investment.  And this challenge has been so much fun for me.  Thank you again Scraptastic and Mercy Tiara! 

best,
Cheryl

Sweater Weather Layout #7 - NASA?

Wow, seven layouts from one kit!  I was not expecting this!  I am way happy with how far this kit has stretched. 

This page is a bit of a departure from cozy winter or holiday layouts, which is what you really think of first with a kit called Sweater Weather.  I really loved the Scraptastic exclusive red, white and blue diagonal stripe that was in the kit, so after some digging around, I found these old, old, old photos of our Jacob man on a rocket-ship ride at a shopping mall play-park.  Ah-ha!  Seems like a good fit for some  red, white and blue! 

From my stash on this one, just the starry vellum, and some cardstock.   I cut (Cricut) the title letters from red cardstock and the stars were cut from white cardstock with a Sizzix die (Primitive Stars). 

After I tore the corner of the vellum for some interest, I placed a large strip of the striped paper down on the right side of the page.  Then I tucked smaller strips of blue and red patterned papers under the photos and cut a few banners, as well as fussy cut a few little stars from the navy and wood grain star paper.  The last thing added to the layout were the larger white die cut stars.  Still not too sure about those stars; sometimes I look at the page and it seems far too busy and then again it will look ok.  Do you have those pages too? 

Journaling on the layout asks the question; will there even be NASA in the future?  I think it is just a shame that one of the U.S.' biggest achievements (our space program) has been decimated by our (stupid) politicians (both Democrat and Republican--I hold both parties these days in equal disgust-- some of the stuff they choose to spend our money on just boggles the mind).  This journaling is on the back of the layout.  I don't think it hurts to let folks in the future know your views on current events or politics.  It let's people know you better---but I also do not necessarily want this info taking over the page or the photos.

have a scrappy-dappie-dooo day! 
(can you tell the little grandies have been here---watching Scooby-Doo!) 
best,
Cheryl

Sweater Weather Layout #6 - Winter

So here we are at #6.  I have really tried to use as much of the kit as possible.  But I am having a hard time using the snowman wood veneer and that cute snowball fight wood veneer (and I love them!).  I am soooo NOT a winter outdoorsy person, hence no snowman building on my part, nor snowball fighting.  But who knows, there is a storm brewing and maybe something will occur that is photo worthy, scrap worthy, and worthy of me being out in the cold!

For this page I used the Studio Tekurek Peachy Christmas paper (it looks like a snowstorm to me) on a light blue-ish gray cardstock and then layered pieces of the Scraptastic exclusive snowflake paper and cut up pieces of the Hall Pass vellum from Webster's Pages under the photos.  Tucked in a punched piece of the My Mind's Eye wood grain (they make the best wood grain papers).  I found a stray piece of off-white cord and tied that around the page and then it was just a matter of using up a few more of the stickers from the Echo Park Warm and Cozy sheet that was included in the kit.  The last thing I did was spatter a bit of Black Velvet (Heidi Swapp) ink on the page.  Nothing but the cord and the cardstock came from my stash on this one!  Did a little outlining with a black pen and added a wee spot of journaling. 

These were older photos that I pulled off a (truly awful) page I did years ago.  (Yep, occasionally I take apart older layouts, not often.  But this was a monumentally bad page that did not convey the winter cold and gray feeling I was looking for.  This page just feels better to me (and I think the photos are happier here too!) 

stay warm, scrap often
Cheryl