Scrappy camping

This week has been crazy busy, so I was looking forward to a relaxing weekend of camping with my family.  Since I was running out of time to complete this week's sketch challenge for Scrapbook Steals, I decided to pack a bag and take my scrappy stuff on the road with me.  The hardest part of scrapping away from home is figuring out what I'm going to need.  For this week's challenge, I picked photos and a hodgepodge of papers and decided to work with what tools I took along.  I spread out at the picnic table and scrapped my afternoon away.  I found that scrapbooking outdoors combines two of my favorite things. The only downside is the occasional gust of wind that blew my stuff around. 

After forcing myself to work with the few supplies I had, I came up with this layout:

I love that this week's sketch was a 2 pager.  I have sooo many photos and have a terrible time putting just one photo on a page.  This week, Kristy Lee read my mind and gave me great inspiration when she designed this 2 pg. sketch:

I also managed to work in another quick layout while I had my mess out.  I've come to love the giant photos that are showing up on scrapbook pages, so I decided to create a few enlargements of my own.  I ordered a 12x16 photo from Sam's Club (for less than $3), knowing it would be cut down to fit on my scrapbook page.  I paired a wonderful photo of my boys and their cousins with my super fave collection of the summer, Summer Fresh by Simple Stories, and came up with this quicky layout:

Thanks for stopping by!

Instant Friends

After spending a few days with scrappy friends in Chicago and seeing a little bit of CHA excitement, I couldn't wait to get into my crafty room and work on this week's sketch challenge for Scrapbook Steals.

This page features my son Caleb and his new friend Sam.  Sam's mom Melissa and I have been on-line crafty pals for some time and we finally got a chance to meet during a recent trip to Milwaukee while my hubby was attending a training.  I was super excited to meet Melissa in real life and the boys were excited to meet her kids and spend a day at the zoo.  Caleb was especially thrilled to learn that Melissa's son Sam was the same age as him.  There's something about being 7 1/2 that makes you the best of buddies.  The boys got along great and had a great day together, much like Melissa and I!  This layout reminds me of that fun day and makes me long for another visit with Melissa and her sweet kiddos.  Hopefully, next time our husbands can join us too!

For this layout, I used papers from the A Boy's Life collection by Echo Park along with some other scraps and pieces of random EP lines.  My title was made by fussy cutting letters from this piece of patterned paper from A Boy's Life collection:

I pieced together a sun and cut some clouds from other EP patterned papers.  My favorite feature is a little airplane and banner that I fussy cut from this patterned paper and popped up with foam dots:

And here's the original sketch, by design team member Katrina Hunt, that inspired it all:

Hoops

This week's sketch at ScrapbookSteals was another fabulous one-pager, created by guest sketcher Erin Schultz.  She did a great job bringing inspiration to this busy week.  With all of the new releases being revealed this week, and looking forward to my first trip to CHA, I was eager to spend a little time in my crafty space!  I couldn't find the perfect combination of two photos featured in the sketch, so I improvised and used several smaller photos.

Several months ago I was lucky enough to win the Making the Team collection from Trinity Paper Arts, and I decided it would work perfectly with these photos.  I paired the colorful prints on a plain piece of cardstock but it needed a little something more.  I decided to make some fun background prints by using a slightly deflated small rubber basketball I borrowed from my sons.  I painted a thin layer of craft paint on the basketball and "stamped" a  few places on my plain cardstock.  It took some trial and error and I messed up and had to flip the page over for another chance, but the "b side" images turned out just as I hoped.  The paint washed off the basketball easily with a little soap and water.
Here's the original sketch by Erin that inspired this week's project:

We have a winner!

I had so much fun reading the comments on the Scrapbook Steals blog hop.  It is so rewarding to receive compliments from friends and strangers!  Thanks to all of you who are now following my blog.

The winner of the Scrapbook Steals gift card will be announced on Wednesday, so stay tuned to their blog to find out who wins.  As promised, I am doing a little giveaway of my own.  I had 75 comments on my blog and used random.org to pick a winner.  The lucky comment was #28---Heather Conklin!  Heather, please send me a PM with your mailing address and I'll get your prize mailed out to you. 

I'm Totally Turquoise!

This week marks the end of another "gemstone" series at Scrapbook Steals.  Each week, they issue a sketch challenge with a chance to win a weekly scrappy prize.  At the end of a series of 10 sketches, they give away a super duper prize package that I'd love to have.   I've faithfully played along for over 100 weeks.  This turquoise series is very special to me, because  these layouts represent some very special memories.  I created the 1st layout while on a little scrappy vacation.  Back in May, I traveled to St. Louis to meet up with some girls that I met right here on Scrapbook Steals.  We spent the weekend chatting and scrapping and working on our layouts.  Week 6 is also very special, as I was asked by the lovely ladies at Scrapook Steals to be the guest sketcher for the month of June.  I created the sketch that inspired everyone else and it was so much fun!  Here are my 10 layouts:

Week #1- Meeting Lela (featuring my precious new niece)

Week #2- Notre Dame

Week #3- You

Week #4- appropriately named "4" wheelin'

Week #5- Thistleberry Farm

Week #6- What Matters Most (designed by yours truly, the guest designer for the month of June!)

Week #7- Boys Rule (my 100th project for Scrapbook Steals)

Week #8- hot cocoa

Week #9- Rump Roast

Week #10- extreme cuteness (featuring my brother's adorable kiddos)

Extreme Cuteness

After spending an incredible four days with my niece and nephew, I decided to make them the focus of this week's scrapbook layout.  I got to love on these two cuties during our first camping trip together.  Despite some miserable heat, we still managed to have a great time.  My boys love their cousins and we only wish we didn't live 6 hours from them. 

For this project, I used the super cute Summer Fresh collection from Simple Stories.  It's full of fun and vibrant prints that just scream summer.  I strayed from the original sketch just a tad and love how it turned out.  This is the tenth layout in the series at Scrapbook Steals.  Their weekly challenges are truly the highlight of my week! Here's the original sketch by Kristy Lee that inspired this layout:

Scrapbook Steals Blog Hop

Who doesn't love a blog hop?  Especially one that provides great product inspiration plus the chance to win a $20 gift certificate to ScrapbookSteals.com!  Scrapbook Steals is where I've been getting great deals and discounts on scrapbooking supplies , finding tons of motivation and inspiration, and making some wonderful friends along the way.   Today they are featuring the super fun Fancy Pants Designs Ribbon Bundles that you can "steal" for a fabulous low price!  I'm so glad you've joined us for today's blog hop.
For those of you who haven't "hopped" before, the task is simple.  Just visit the eight different blogs to see what the other designers made with their trims and leave a comment on each of the blogs by Sunday 7/8 at 11:59 pm MST.  A random winner will be chosen from one of the eight blog postings to receive a $20.00 gift certificate to ScrapbookSteals.com !  You should have come to my blog from the Scrapbook Steals blog.  If you missed it, head back to the beginning and start leaving comments.  Here's the list of hoppers, in case you get lost:

ScrapbookSteals
Julie Koets http://jkkoets.blogspot.com/ (YOU ARE HERE)
Sherri Thompson http://www.sherrithompson.blogspot.com/
Corrina Colquhoun http://anotherthingoffthelist.blogspot.ca/
Mary Pat O'brien-Siehl http://siehledwithakiss.blogspot.com/
Michelle McClure http://outofmybook.blogspot.com/
Savannah O'Gwynn http://www.savannahland2.blogspot.com/
Melissa Dehne http://abitofscrappygoodness.blogspot.com/

We each had a different selection of product to feature.  My ribbon bundle was from the Beach Bum collection.  Beach Bum just happens to be my favorite Fancy Pants collection, so I was thrilled to show off this product.  I started by making an altered paint can using some  Beach Bum papers from my stash.  The detailed directions for making a can like this were featured on my previous How-To's Day post.

I used the fun pom-pom trim to hide the seam between my papers and tied the rest of the ribbon around the handle of the can.  With colors so bright and fun, it just screams summer!  The finished pail can be personalized with a name and filled with all things summer (think sunscreen, beach toys, sunglasses, etc.) for the lucky recipient!

Don't forget to leave a comment here and hop on over to find more inspiration at your next stop:

Sherri's Thompson's blog

For those of you stopping by my blog for the first time, I'd love for you to become a regular follower.  At the end of the blog hop, I'm going to do a scrappy giveaway of my very own for those who follow my blog and leave a comment.  I'll choose a winner using random.org and will make an announcement in a follow up post.  Don't forget to check back in to see if your name was chosen so I can send out your scrappy prize!  Thanks for stopping by and happy hopping!  

Rump Roast

Don't let the title fool ya.  No pot roast in this post.  Just a crazy memory from a fun camping trip.  Caleb got cold while sitting round the fire and decided he needed to warm up his backside.  That turned into a cute little rump shaker dance and a move he called the "rump roast".  What a crazy kid!

I decided to have a little fun with this week's Scrapbook Steals challenge.  I found this picture of Caleb roasting his rump and I had to tell the story.  This particular camping trip was the reason we made a fire pit in our backyard.  We had such a great time telling stories and sitting around the fire while camping that Nate decided to give us the option to have campfires at home.  We came home from the camping trip, unloaded the camper, and Nate and the boys set off to get supplies. 

Now we can continue to make great memories round the fire and Caleb can "roast his rump" any time he pleases!