Hello Beautiful

How are we halfway through September already??? Time just keeps going faster and faster, I swear.

This being mid-month means we have a new Case file up over at CSI : Color, Stories, Inspiration! Let's have a peek at Case #262.

Here's the freestyle case prompts:

And the traditional Case File and Clues :

EVIDENCE

Floral Print
Stripes
Dots
Cat, bird, other animals
Bee or other insects
Flowers, leaves, flower pots
Something swirl
Rhinestone swirls
Hearts
Music-themed element
Nuvo Drops, Liquid Pearls, or something similar
Bows
Triangles
Scallops
Multi-colored alphabet
Layered/ dimensional stickers
Buttons
Brads

TESTIMONY (JOURNALING IDEAS)

Topic: Document your pet or another animal.
Prompt Idea: Choose a September prompt.
Presentation: Write your journaling in cursive.
Writing Format: Write a thank-you note to your subject.
Inspiration Words: happy, sing, darling

THE SCHEME (RGB Codes)

240.69.148 – fuchsia
189.208.57 – chartreuse
255.255.255 – bright white
255.241.22 – lemon yellow
9.9.7 - black


And here's what I made with it this time :

I made this page as an encouragement for myself. I've been thinking a lot lately of what I might like to do with my love of scrapbooking. I have a dream to make a business or a career out of it, but it never seems to be the right time or we never have the money or I get passed over for publication, or, or, or. There's always SOMETHING holding me back from even trying. I think that something might be ME.

When we came to look at our new house the first time, I was OVERJOYED to see that it had a room which seemed to be dedicated to crafty pursuits. In fact, the previous owners actually had a Cricut in it. After that I quietly spent some time praying and dreaming about this house. And then we were in competition with 3 other offers for it. And much to my surprise, our offer was chosen over all the others!!

My sister in law told me once how she thought it was so great that God delighted in giving me something that I really hadn't asked for (this dedicated crafting space). I never really thought of it that way before. Now I believe that this house, and this room is part of Gods plan for my life. I just have to remind myself once in awhile that I can do THIS whatever THIS may be.

Here's how I solved this Case:

COLOURS

All of the colours are there, with a little tiny but of orange added because it was in the papers that I chose to use (Highline 6x6 paper pad by Basic Grey). While normally not hues that I work with, I LOVED how the bright colours just pop off the black and white this time.

EVIDENCE

Stripes
Dots
Bird
Other Insect (butterfly on my pink tag)
Flowers
Hearts
Bows

TESTIMONY

I used the presentation prompt this time and wrote my journaling in cursive. It's hidden behind the middle square, which I turned into a pocket.

Journaling

You have dreams that are worth following
You can totally make them come true
You just have to choose to make it happen
Stop making excuses and figure it out
Don't let this dream die like the last one did
August 2018

Here's a few closeups of my page:

Here's a closer look at my title. I try and make my title work interesting or different, by using different fonts, stickers or papers to put them together. Often, I have the title placed on the page not "in order" if that makes sense. The whole title of this page is : "Hello Beautiful - you can do this" . So, while not in order, it makes the title more part of the design of the page.

Here's my journaling card pulled out of the pocket. I don't really like my handwriting that much, but I think it's important to include it once in awhile. It makes this page feel more personal than it would if I had just typed it on my computer.

And finally, this is from the bottom of the layout up. I LOVE layering my papers and embellishments up. It makes any page more interesting. After adhesive, I think I spend the most of my scrapbooking budget on pop dots and foam tape!!

Don't forget, if you play with this case and link up over at CSI using the Mr. Linky tool on the right-hand side, you'll be entered into the draw for prizes from our awesome sponsors pictured above!!

Thanks for popping by and checking out my page today!
I can't wait to see how you solve this case!!!

Currently

Another new month means another inspiring new case from CSI : Color, Stories, Inspiration!!

This was an interesting one, in that The Scene photo has way less colour than we are used to looking at when making a page. That in itself provided another level of challenge for me.

Here's the Freestyle Prompts for Case #261 :

And the traditional Case File and Clues:

EVIDENCE

Solid white background
Diagonal stripes
Ledger paper print
Clips
Cat/other animal
Fruit
Leaves
Clock
Filmstrip
Frames
Light bulb/lamp
Ruler
School-themed elements
Envelopes
Stamps
Hand-drawn elements (or things that look hand-drawn)
Calendar
Teacup
Numbers
Keys
Ink
Border punch

TESTIMONY (JOURNALING IDEAS)

Topic: Document something about school or a class you’ve taken
Prompt Idea: Get inspired at List Love
Presentation: Tuck your journaling into an envelope
Writing Format: Write in list form.
Inspiration Words: lesson, organize, idea

THE SCHEME (RGB Codes)

255.255.255 - Bright white
205.222.204 - Sage green
125.147.145 - Dark sage green
248.189.173 – Coral
233.49.57 – Candy apple red

And here's what I made:

I had a lot of trouble trying to get a nice photo of my page. If anyone has any tricks for getting nice photos easily, I'd love to hear them!! This time the layout is photo-less, but the subject of the page really didn't need one.

Here's how I solved this Case:

COLOURS

All of the colours are there. I decided this time to also do a little colour-blocking, and chose embellishments that (mostly) matched the colours of my papers.

EVIDENCE

Solid white background
Diagonal stripes
Clips
Cat/Other animal (the birds)
Leaves (in the patterned papers)
Clock
Light Bulb/ Lamp (in the patterned papers)
Ruler
School Themed Elements
Stamps
Teacup
Numbers
Border Punch

TESTIMONY

I used the Prompt Idea this time and #8 on the list at List Love jumped out at me. So I made a currently list which has changed somewhat since I made this layout.

Journaling:

Watching: Downton Abbey (for the 2nd time!)

Reading: “Just One Damn Thing after Another” by Jodi Taylor, using my Dad’s EReader

Trying: mixed media scrapbooking

Feeling: stressed & sad

Working: towards my blue belt (in karate)

Ready to: go back to work

Considering: finding a 2nd job

Enjoying: quiet time alone

Hating: the heat this summer

Loving: new haircuts & scrapbooking tools

Prepping for: the family reunion

August 10th 2018

Since the creation of this list, I have finished both Downton Abbey and the Family Reunion, and am no longer as stressed and sad. August was a busy time for us as a family, as my Mother has moved into the Granny Suite that we created for her in our new house. It was also the anniversary of my Dad's passing and that was a sad time for me.

Here's a few closeups:

I think this might be my favorite embellishment that I've ever created! The little chipboard girl was the perfect colour for this combo, and she already looked like she was flying. So I slid a little metal butterfly behind her and she ended up looking like a fairy. Then I added in a "right now" sticker that fit the theme of the page, and a wooden embellishment with a tea cup on it makes it looks like she's holding them. They add just a touch of whimsy and fun. She's been popped up to be the most prominent embellishment on the page. I just love her!!

I love birds! This little guy just happened to be the right colour and so I added him, just because I liked him. His black outline kind of reminded me of the inspiration scene. Another sticker that goes with the theme of the page and a little clock to represent time finished off this colour block.

Here you can see where I used my border punch and how I added my "light bulbs" to the page. This wasn't part of the original design but I needed to figure out how to hide the seam from cutting my 12x12 paper to fit into my printer. So I used my border punch on one side of each of the pieces (8.5x12 in & 3.5x12 in wide) and put my strip of light bulb patterned paper down the middle to return the page size to 12x12. A few more stickers, the measuring tape trim, the bird charm and my title finished off this colour block, which helped transition one colour to the next.

Finally, here's the journaling list, and my happy accident for this layout. I misspelled the word Abbey, forgetting the "e" the first time. So I corrected it and trimmed out that line of journaling again, attaching it over the old one. I added enamel dots and puffy stickers as bullets to the list to bring the colours of the combo over to the left hand side of the page. The date was stamped using a Heidi Swapp roller stamp.

Don't forget, if you play with this case and link up over at CSI using the Mr. Linky tool on the right-hand side, you'll be entered into the draw for prizes from our awesome sponsors!!

Thanks for popping by and checking out my page today!
I can't wait to see how you solve this case!!!

Love this Girl

It's August!! Only a few more weeks to go and then we'll be back in school year mode. As of right now, I'm looking forward to getting back to work - I'm craving the routine of regular days again.

A new month means another new CSI Case to solve - let's have a look at Case #260!

Here's the freestyle prompts :

And the traditional Case File & Clues :

EVIDENCE

Solid white background
Floral pattern
Stripes
Spiral notebook paper or spiral punch
Tassel
People embellishments
Camera
Anchor
Travel-themed elements
Flowers/leaves
Watercolor
Ribbon, lace, or other trim
Gold
String/twine
Buckles
Labels
Brush lettering
Airplane or other transportation
glitter

TESTIMONY (JOURNALING IDEAS)

Topic: Document a trip, vacation, getaway, daytrip, outing, etc.
Prompt Idea: Choose an idea from these Travel Journal prompts.
Presentation: Use a label to hold your journaling.
Writing Format: Write your story as an itinerary.
Inspiration Words: escape, bloom, couture

THE SCHEME (RGB Codes)

127.214.233 – sky blue
59.90.144 – navy
255.255.251- white
252.179.209 – bubblegum pink
247.221.146 – butter yellow

And here's what I made with it this time :

I loved this blurry cell phone picture of my youngest, taken at work while doing my circle check before leaving on my bus run. Every morning she meets me at the back door of the bus and sings a little song or is just silly. It's a good way to start my morning. This coming June she graduates Grade 8, so I wanted to take a minute to remind her to never change who she is just to please others.

Here's how I solved this case:

COLOURS

Recently, I bought a new paper pad (with LOTS of PINK in it!) and really wanted to challenge myself to use it. So this time I chose to use a more muted version of the palette, which was provided by said paper pad.

EVIDENCE

Solid white backgrouns
Floral pattern
Stripes
Flowers/Leaves
Watercolour (background)
Lace
Gold (rose gold accents in the paper and embellishments)
String

TESTIMONY

I chose to use one of the Inspiration Words this time - "Bloom" inspired this entire page, even though you won't see the word anywhere on the page.

Journaling (in the right hand lower corner)

don't trade your authenticity for approval.

Here's a closer look :

This photo is looking to the right side of the photo. I am finally reaching the bottom of the stack of acetate butterflies & pearl stick pins I invested in years ago! But I still love them and felt like a butterfly would be appropriate for the subject of the layout.

This is my title work to the left of the photo. The chipboard words piece was a little too bright for the scheme, so I toned it down with a little vanilla ink.

Here's the folded papers a little closer. I saw THIS layout by Steffi Reid on Pinterest and LOVED how she made hers, so I thought I'd give it a go. I used a slightly different technique in that I used foam tape to keep the bottoms open, but I really like the end result. It turns out, after looking at more of her work, that Steffi was a guest designer for CSI back in 2015. Her work is so lovely!

And finally, the journalling. I found this sentence on a strip of patterned paper, and it said everything I wanted to in a really condensed way. So I trimmed it a bit, cut it into smaller strips and called it done.

Don't forget to check out our awesome August 2018 Sponsors here! If you play along, you'll be eligible for some really great prizes! Our past winners have been sharing their "Happy Mail" photos over on our CSI : Community Sharing Page on Facebook and I may or may not be jealous of the contents!

Thanks for popping by and checking out my page today! I can't wait to see what you create using this case!

Hey There! I Love Your Smile

It's the middle of July, and it is STILL hot. I'm a little lotta over the muggy-ness of the weather and am considering moving to the Arctic just for the relief of it.

No, seriously, we really need it to rain. Our area is SO dry, that we are now under a total burn ban - no fires for anything, not even cooking! If we were camping that would be a bummer since s'mores are a summer must-have around here.

The middle of July also brings another new case from CSI : Color, Stories, Inspiration!! Since it is summer, it fits right in with it's beachy inspiration photo.

Here's the freestyle prompts:

And the traditional colour scheme and clues:

EVIDENCE

Stripes
Watercolor pattern
Sketchy patterns
Beach/nautical elements
Lobster or other animal
Cards
Glasses
Circles
Wet medium
Embossing powder or something else grainy like sand.
Sun
Fringe
Elements from the Scene, like candy, ice cream, bikini, shells, pail, beach ball, etc.

TESTIMONY (JOURNALING IDEAS)

Topic: Document a trip to the beach or other place near water.
Prompt Idea: Choose a July question.
Presentation: Add journaling to stripes on your paper.
Writing Format: Write a list of things you need to bring to whatever event is in your photo.
Inspiration Words: relax, entertain, away

THE SCHEME (RGB Codes)
114.191.211 – bright sky blue
71.94.144 – navy blue
255.255.251 – white
238.79.39 – red with a hint of orange
246.239.221 - sand


And here's what I made with it :

These series of photos were outtakes from a quick passport style photo shoot we did at home for my son so he could add his picture to his black belt certificate. The certificate itself is very large (about 16x20 or so) and it's traditional to have your photo on there. But we poked a little fun at him while we were doing it and that's how I managed to capture these pictures. The photos themselves are blurry and a little out of focus, but I still love how they show his easy smile, so I chose to use them. I challenge you to use your "less than perfect" photos on your next creation!

Here's how I solved this case:

COLOURS

All the colours are there, with the addition of two hues of brown, and a little bit of kraft. The darker hue of brown was prompted by the background of the patterned paper with the numbers on it, and the lighter one by the large wooden circle piece. I used that shade as inspiration for the stenciled circles on the background as well.

EVIDENCE

Stripes (on the ribbon, which was inspired by the umbrella)
Watercolour pattern (background)
Circles
Stars (inspired by the white starfish on the left hand side)

TESTIMONY

I chose to use the Presentation prompt this time, and printed my journaling on stripes of paper. I used the RGB codes to get just the right shade of orange for the type.

Journaling

your smile is infectious
your laugh is easy, loud, and then goes silent with whooping breaths
you are sarcastically funny
never stop laughing, my son
i love you.

Here's a few closeups:

This is the large wooden circle piece behind the photos. Originally, I had thought to paint it white, but I really liked it just the way it was. To add interest to the piece, I randomly added a mix of matte and glossy enamel dots in the colours of the combo, and in the brown that I added. The badge in the middle is from one of our sponsors - Accents by Kareen. She has some really great pieces and I would encourage you to check out her shop! The watercolour stripes on the background of the badge perfectly matched the colour of the wood.

Here's my title work a little closer. The "Hey There" tag came from a set of brads by Basic Grey - the Persimmon collection. The colours in it were perfect for the combo! The "I love your" sticker is actually 2 different ones patched together. The "I love you" was the first piece, and I cut the "r" off another sticker that said "forever" and hid the seam under the "L" in the acrylic "smile" word. I added a kraft circle to draw the eye, and 2 stars plus another matte enamel dot finished it off.

This little cluster is from the top right hand corner of the page. I started by folding the corner down and back, and then layered on a wooden circle, a clip, and the "awesome" flag. Then I added the tab sticker in the back to tie in all the colours of the combo.

I've started trying to stamp the date on my scrapbook pages, but sometimes I don't want it to be really noticeable, or I don't know where to add it to the design. I know that I can always stamp on the back, but my sister suggested stamping in white. I tried it with a scrap piece of brown cardstock first, and LOVED how it looked! So it's not super obvious that it's there, but the date is part of the design. I'll probably do this again in the future.

And, finally, here's my journaling stripes. When I first put them down they seemed to get a little lost on the page. My sister suggested inking the edges, or popping the strips. I did try the inking, and you can see it there on the "I love you" strip. I could have re-printed the journaling to get rid of the inking but I counted this as my happy accident on this layout, since it highlights the words that have the most meaning. I liked the way popping up the strips made the journaling more subtlety obvious, so I did that instead.

Thanks for popping by and checking out my page today! Don't forget that we have THIRTEEN sponsors this month, but in order to qualify for prizes, you have to play! You can check out our July 2018 sponsors HERE. I can't wait to see your creations!!

Case# 257 - Cherish This Moment in Time

Hello July!! I wish that I could say it's nice to see you, but as I write this, we're in the middle of a heat wave. The new house has NO air conditioning. I am a little bit alotta bit cranky.

The beginning of a new month also means there's a new case up over at CSI : Color, Stories, Inspiration and, as per usual when it comes to pink, I procrastinated a bit. In the end I loved how this came out.

Here's the freestyle case prompts :

And the tradtional clues :

EVIDENCE

floral pattern
stripes
woodgrain pattern/wood
flowers/leaves
pineapple, lemon, or other fruit
banner
clouds
tissue paper
glasses
straw
quadrant design
include a black and white pattern
string
tiny brads

TESTIMONY (JOURNALING IDEAS)
Topic: Document something summer
Prompt Idea: Get inspired by these writing prompts.
Presentation: put your journaling on a circular journaling spot.
Writing Format: Write a 4-line poem—find inspiration and words to write off of from here.
Inspiration Words: refreshing, bright, adorable

THE SCHEME (RGB Codes)

171.217.207 – seafoam green
254.243.127 – lemony yellow
253.255.254 – white
11.10.4 – black
248.202.212 – carnation pink

And here's what I made with it !

So this photo of my smallest person was taken a few years ago now. Some days I forget that she's growing up. Other days I am ABSOLUTELY sure that I live in a house with three teenagers! The layout was inspired by the pink paper with the word cherish on it. It reminds me that I ought cherish the memories that I have of my kids growing up.

Here's how I solved this case :

COLOURS

Al of the colours are there, with the addition of a bit of green in the leaves

EVIDENCE

Floral pattern
Stripes (black and white around the edge)
Flowers (fussy cut) and leaves
Include a black and white pattern
String
Tiny brads (gold heart on the pink photo corner)

TESTIMONY

I used the Writing Format prompt this time and wrote a 4 line poem about my smallest person growing up.

Journaling

i blinked and look! what did you do?
you grew up fast, though i asked you not to.
i wish you were still small, though you wouldn’t agree
forever and always, my baby you’ll be

Here's some closeups :

Here's the fussy cut flowers and leaves a little closer. I spent about 30 - 45 minutes cutting them out from a 6x6 patterned paper. I watched a Vicki Boutin Live video on Facebook while doing it though, so it made for a fun Friday night. I actually find fussy cutting quite relaxing. I used both my sewing scissors (because i like how small AND sharp the blades are) and my exacto knife for this.

While I was watching the Vicki Boutin video, I was also inspired to try creating a background. These two photos show the gesso stenciling that I attempted. I do like how it turned out, and may attempt it again in the future.

This is the little photo corner. My happy mistake on this layout is also here - in tying the knot, I accidentally frayed the ends of the string. I really like how it looks!

And finally, a closeup of my title work. Here also, you can see my jounaling on the label.

I hope you'll join us in solving this case!

If you do, please link up your creations using the Mr.Linky tool on the right hand side of the CSI : Color, Stories, Inspiration blog. You'll be eligible for prizes from our amazing July 2018 sponsors!!

I can't wait to see your creations!

Thanks for popping by to check out my page today!

He Loves You - CSI Case #255

Hello June!! I'm glad to see you! June marks the beginning of the end for me every year - I have only 18 work days left before summer vacation rolls around, and I just can't wait for 10 weeks of un-scheduled life! This time of the year is a busy one at my company - the end of school year bus trips and sporting events are in full swing right now.

June also means a new case is up over at CSI : Color, Stories, Inspiration! And, even though it has both pink AND purple in it, I really enjoyed creating with this combo.

Here's the freestyle case prompts for this case:

And the tradtional colour scheme and clues:

EVIDENCE

solid white background
scallops
stripes
hearts
dots
rhinestones
ribbons/bows
circles
donut (or other food accents)
decorative border
seal or other animal
glitter
stars/starburst/ asterisk
texture paste
heat embossing
people embellishments
crown
mimic the sprinkles on the donuts


TESTIMONY (JOURNALING IDEAS)

Topic: Document something about food or a meal.
Prompt Idea: Get inspired at Three Word Wednesday (inspired by the 3 donuts in the air). Be sure to scroll down or use the archives to get the words.
Presentation: Add your journaling to a circular journaling spot or tag.
Writing Format: Write a haiku (inspired by the 3 donuts in the air).
Inspiration Words: sparkle, playful, juggle

THE SCHEME (RBG Codes)

86.144.158 – teal
185.226.212 – pale turquoise
255.255.255 – bright white
211.149.174 – pinkish purple
90.75.108 – dark violet



And here's what I made with it!

These fun pictures of my oldest daughter and her boyfriend were taken by a friend of hers and I just loved them! Inspired by the word playful I thought of these pictures right away, and then that led to wanting to document for her how we feel about their relationship.

Here's how I solved this case :

COLOURS

I used 4 of the 5 colours this time. I really wanted to use these papers that came in my SCT Sampler kit because I loved them so much. In particular, I really loved the hummingbird paper. So I added in a bit of red to match the middles of the flowers on that pattern. I loved the little puffy bird sticker that was also in the kit, so that's how I ended up adding in the yellow title letters. I tried to get the dark purple to fit in but in the end, it didn't work out, so I chose to leave it out. I may or may not have a bird obsession.....


EVIDENCE

Solid White Background
Hearts
Dots
Rhinestones
Ribbons & Bows
Circles
Decorative Border
Seal or other Animal (my bird)
Asterisk

TESTIMONY

I used the Words list this time - "Playful" inspired the photo selection which in turn inspired the journaling.

Journaling :

He Loves You

and though you haven’t come right out and said it,
i think you love him too.
a respectful, calm, caring guy who already loves Jesus?
honestly, we couldn’t be happier with your choice.
and, while we’re still not 100% sure where this relationship will go,
we do know that we would love him to be part of our family someday.
i’m so glad you’ve found someone that knows how to love you so well.
i hope you continue to allow him to do just that.


Here's some closeups:

Here's those awesome title letters and that beautiful bird! The letters are from Freckled Fawn & I love how perfectly thin they are. They were easier to apply than I thought, and a little puffy as well. The bird is from Crate Paper. Isn't he beautiful?? I loved his colours so much! While hard to see, I added 3 tiny rhinestone jewels to his wing.

This is the little cluster at the top of the page. The photos themselves are popped up, so I used it as an oppurtuity to layer up my stickers as well. The "LOVE" tab is on the background, but the stamped blue tab is on the photo itself. Also making up this little cluster are 2 heart stickers, a wooden asterisk topped with a clear rhinestone, and some staples.

And finally, this is the little cluster on the right hand side of the photo strip. My sister cut me a bunch of clear acetate shapes with her Cricut and I thought that it would be fun to add one here. A few more stickers, 2 more wooden asterisks, another rhinestone, some pom pom trim and a silver elastic trim finish this little spot off.


This month we have 15 sponsors that have donated prizes for you to win - but you can't win if you don't play!

I hope you'll join us - I can't wait to see how you solve this case!!
Thanks for popping by and checking out my page today!

Bicycle Memories - CSI # 253

Hello Spring!!! I think she's finally come to stay, and I am so very glad!

So that makes it fitting then, since it's finally spring, that May is Creative Beginnings month, and we have a new case up over at CSI : Color, Stories, Inspiration!! I loved how the photo made me feel like creating!

Here's the freestyle case prompt :

And, the traditional case file clues :

EVIDENCE

solid background
solid cardstock
stripes
wonky dots
scallops
textured paper
die cuts/cut files
hand cutting
washi tape
leaves/branches
jar/vase shape
hand-drawn elements
paint
circles
combine colorful patterns with a black and white pattern
metal

TESTIMONY (JOURNALING IDEAS)

Topic: Document something about your creative hobby.
Prompt Idea: Choose a prompt from Paperclipping.
Presentation: Handwrite your journaling.
Writing Format: Write a list.
Inspiration Words: beginnings, creative, piece

THE SCHEME (RBG Codes)

6.43.95 – navy blue
91.202.195 – turquoise
256.251.246 – white
254.173.58 – marigold
137.166.47 – pear green

And, here's what I made with it :

I went and checked out the post from Paperclipping this time to get some ideas for this page, and one of the prompts triggered some memories about bike riding when I was a kid. So I made this page to document those stories.

Here's how I solved this case :

COLOURS

All the colours are there, with the addition of a little bit of red. The red was inspired by the little touches of it in the photo, as well as finding the little red bicycle chipboard piece in my stash. That led to using this school picture of myself at age 5, wearing my little red dress.

EVIDENCE

Solid Cardstock
Solid Background
Textured paper (hard to see but the dark blue background paper is textured)
Washi tape (black and white hounds tooth)
Colourful and black and white patterns combined
Scallops (fuzzy trim at the top)
Circles
Wonky dots
Metal
Stripes

TESTIMONY

I used the Prompt Idea this time. Prompt #39 from the Paperclipping link was Tell about your Bicycle Experiences.

Journaling

WHEN I think hard about it, I can remember two very distinct things about riding bikes when I was a small girl.
First, when I still had my training wheels on my bike, every time it rained, the driveway at my parents’ home would have tons of mud puddles in it - some much, MUCH deeper than the others. We used to park our bikes over the deep puddles and pedal really hard!! Since the back wheel was not touching the bottom of the puddle, the spray of water off the back wheel was fantastic!! We ALWAYS ended up dirty and wet which drove my Mom crazy, but we had SO much fun.

And second, one day we were all riding our bikes down my parents’ road. On either side of the road were rather deep, swampy ditches. For whatever reason on that day, I forgot how to use my brakes and ended up driving right into the ditch. I don’t really remember going in, or getting out but I do remember my Dad helping me AND that awful smell!!!!!! I also remember crying on the step at home, too embarrassed to go into the house and get cleaned up. Riding bikes - such bittersweet childhood memories for me!

April 2018

And, as always, here's some closeups of my page.

Here's a little closer look at my title work. I recently took a class on mixed media with Vicki Boutin. She has a new line of products out and I was inspired by that class to try stenciling my title chipboard word this time. I like the way it turned out.

This is the stamping on the tag - you can see how it didn't quite come out totally neat until the last phrase. I'm learning to embrace my "happy mistakes"; in fact, I'm kind of liking the messiness of it! Also here you can see a new product that I found while shopping the marketplace at Scrapfest - matte enamel dots! They were the perfect colour for this page.

So, the little book under the typewriter is where I hid my journaling. This little metal bike is on the first "page" right underneath the typewriter. There really wasn't a reason for this, other than I really wanted to use this bike, but couldn't find another place that I felt it looked ok on the page. It just competed with the red chipboard bike too much.

And, finally, here's the journaling "page". The little card is really an inset for pocket scrapbooking. I was given a bunch of pieces from someone who had too many, and once in awhile I add them to a layout. The "so funny" tab at the top prompted me to use this one for my journaling.

I hope you'll join us over at CSI this month!
Thanks for popping by and checking out my page today!