Don't Leave Home Without Us

Too much in the suitcase ~ ya think?

I never seem to be able to pack without assistance.

  

 

 The sketch is from Let's Get Sketchy, and created by Laura Whitaker.

 

I had a lot of fun playing off of the American Express marketing line "Don't leave home without it." Because Foozie wanted to be included it became "Don't...without US".

 

I used an old map to house the title of my layout. Using glossy photo paper, and images from the web, the Amex card and passport came out shiny, clear and very realistic. The curly mat, a Silhouette cut file, was to add some light to the dark background. When I was done though, it looked like some of those crazy, curvy backwoods roads I've travelled on during some of my 'lost' episodes.

 

 

 

#bestfriends

What a fun sketch!

 

This is July 1st sketch Stuck?!, created by Laura Whitaker.

 

  

It was refreshing using triangles instead of the traditional squares and circles I typically incorporate into my layouts. What a great idea Laura.

 

Foozie does love her pal Lammie. First she drags Lammie around, shaking and beating the poor thing about the house, then, when playtime is over, curls up with it for a much needed nap.

  

Long time no Sea

While looking at the pictures of my niece's visit home from Ireland,  one of my stashed kits flashed into my mind.

The kit, "all of US" is, unfortunately, no longer available. This fact, by the way, just adds more credibility to my need to 'stash' kits. "Get 'em while you can.", is my motto.

Long time no Sea

 

 

I didn't change much from the original Scramuch? kit.

Because this was Lisa's first visit in quite a while, and she's from so far away, I indicated a length of time (Long time) and her being from across the ocean with the spelling of the word "Sea" in the title.
 

 

My pictures were larger and needed more space so I changed the ribbon to embroidery floss. The floss still gave the desired effect.



 

It was sad to see them go after such a short time here but we're looking forward to their next visit, especially because visiting us this time will be "and baby makes three.''

 

Why Does My Towel Smell Like Fish Guts?

That cry from one of the three kids during our 2013 Family Vacation resonated BIG trouble. The scream was blood curdling. Someone, and the two girls blamed the only guy, had used a 'girl' towel to wipe up after doing God knows what with fish or some bait he'd dug up or captured somewhere.

After restoring calm to the cottage, a serious discussion ensued. Richard was immediately deemed guilty. The girls quickly moved to discussing appropriate punishments; flogging, execution on the dock at dawn, dragging him behind a waddling Canada Goose, or, and this was the worst, sentencing him to doing dishes for the week.

Having the cool, and non-fish gut towel  affected head, together with recognizing that he is the main cook for the week, and a darn good one at that, I was anxious to negotiate a settlement between the parties. In the end it was agreed that towels for fish hands would be segregated from 'real' towels and anything remotely for 'girl' use. A solemn apology was made and together with cooking one of his amazing dinners all was forgiven.

I was thinking about the episode a few weeks ago while preparing for this vacation. To avoid a repeat offence, the girls having said already that a fishing enthusiast doesn't learn the first time, I needed a foolproof plan.

We've been here three days now and my plan is working nicely.

Here's were fabric and paper collided. I wanted the kids to have a memento of the 2014 Family Vacation, be it paper or fabric. I hadn't sewn in a few weeks. I knew whatever I made I wanted it to be something I would want to include in the scrapbooked record of our time away together. Vacation was closing in so I had to work quickly.

So the idea of towels was born. I took large bath sheets and, using my Pfaff 2170, programmed in a beach design. I added the words, "2014 Law Family Vacation", and the person's name into the design and "ta da", I had everything ready to embroider.

A different colour for the umbrella and person's name was used on each towel. I then took the facecloths and, with the same colour as the name on the towel, stitched double  lines along both sides so that no one could 'accidentally' grab someone else's facecloth by mistake. No guy ever goes for anything with pink or mauve on it so the girls will likely be ok this year.

The Fluffy Towel Gang

The key to embroidering on towelling is having something like clear tear away Solvy or an Inspira product (Pfaff) on the top. This keeps the foot of your machine from getting caught in the towelling loops. This allows the embroidery to compact the loops where you are embroidering so the words and design will stand out on the towel. I get all my supplies at Muskoka Quilting in Bracebridge. Debbie can help you with everything you need and will also tell you the secret to success for any project. I think she's made everything from quilts and doll clothes all the way up to a NASA space suit.

So far the kids are loving their towels and no one has screamed,  "Why does my towel smell like fish guts?".

I'm 2 - to two too...cute

Liam was two in April. His Daddy Robin, who is very accomplished at photography, kindly sent me his 2nd year birthday picture.

He's such a fun, busy and mischievous little guy so I could think of nothing better than Bo Bunny's Zip- A-Dee-Doodle paper for his birthday layout.

Happy 2nd Birthday Liam

 

 

My wonderful friend, and personal Scrapbooking Guru, Danie, talked me into a little texture material and I loved it. The addition of the chipboard camera, to honour Dad's ability, the inset vertical border, a little heart, and a button tied with string, and it was done and ready for the album.

 

 

I belong to the Kit Club over at Scrapmuch?. The first of each month I eagerly await the kit for that month. In addition to patterned and plain paper you also get all sort of embellishments. Weekly, during the month, Scrapmuch? posts sample layouts. Making a great layout with all that help is like shooting fish in a barrel.

 

The layout was one I saw on Scrapmuch?, created by Laura Whitaker. I printed it out at the time and now for the life of me I can't tell you just where on the site I found it. It's a good idea to print things you see when you see them. They're hard to find after a few months have passed. :)

Some Assembly Required

Yes Virginia there is an easy way to scrapbook. It's called a kit.

I discovered Scrapmuch? Kits not long after I started scrapbooking. On day, as I looked through the lengthy list of these very creative kits, my mind started making mental notes; 'want that one', 'need that one', 'gotta have that one', and so it went until I got some pictures out and started paring down my list.

What attracted me to a kit was it's completeness. Everything was cut out. The paper, cut files and embellishments all matched. I can be a bit anal about such things. I pick the kits I do expressly because they perfectly complement the pictures I want to scrap. I can get that rush of accomplishment so quickly with a kit.

I have a lot of paper now and admit, like everyone else, I'm not sure when I'll ever get it all used up. A kit, once done, leaves nothing to put away. All you do is take credit for the great page you're now showing to everyone.

There's still nothing better than burrowing through your paper, inks and embellishments and creating a layout, but when you want a bit of speed, paper that's matched and ready for you, and that instant gratification, then a kit is your answer.

I use kits in two ways. Either I take the kit exactly as it is and assemble, or I switch it up a little bit and make it my own. It takes very little to alter a kit to your particular style. Just use the pieces in a different way or add a little something of your own.

SAY CHEESE

My brother doesn't smile for pictures (I think just to be difficult), so when I got this one I wanted the perfect layout. I struggled to find the right sketch and the right paper so the photo sat in the box for a year. Drifting through the Scrapmuch site one morning I checked to see what was new in kits (there are always new ones being added), and found this; PERFECT.

 

This kit I used just as I got it. It was just what the Scrapbooker ordered.

 

 

 

My Layout

 

 

The Kit

 

WONDERFUL DAY

 

 

Now this next kit I played around with. 

 

 

My Layout



 





 

The Kit

 

I moved things; the grass to the bottom to simulate a yard and the sun and  cloud over Richard and Erica on the left instead of the right as I had taller pictures for the right side. I took off the words "the most" from the provided title, using the remainder, as every day was wonderful during our vacation last year. I couldn't resist spritzing a little sunshine yellow ink. I  added the words "catch" and the tag "or not" to tell the story of the pictures. A few button additions to the ones provided in the kit and I was done and thrilled with the pages.

 

I caution you however, kits can be addictive. The colours and layouts are quit unique. I know this because in addition to my "stash" of paper, I now have a stash of Scrapmuch? Kits. :)



2nd Annual SCRAPPY FUN at Casa Ramirez

Ingredients for a Perfect Day

 

1        'Hostess with the Mostest';  Danie Ramirez
1        sunny day in a gorgeous setting; Danie's home, deck and garden
5        scrapping fools; June Anne, Danie, Joey, Nancy and me
5        goodie bags containing all we'd each need to memorialize the event
1        incredible luncheon of; chicken, Greek salad and banana cream pie
all      the Sangrias and tea necessary to keep the creative juices flowing
and    everyone with a desire to scrap and more paper, pictures, embellishments
          and ideas than enough

No layout could adequately convey the creative fun and camaraderie that we experienced but I had to try.

The paper package I used had one of those strips on the front detailing the papers within the package. Because the paper designs appear smaller on it, and the strips are no more than an inch wide, I cut and arranged them so that, together with a Bo Bunny trinket and ribbon from my goodie bag, it created a fan.

The sketch I used was the first one out for July from Scrapmuch? and created by Laura Whitaker. Because I like to use as many pictures as I can in my work, I am always anxious to see the first Scrapmuch? sketch of the month as it is always for a double page layout.

 

THANK YOU DANIE !

 What an amazing time we had.

I Won !

How excited am I?  ...  Very!

 

I won the June Scrapmuch? Colour Challenge. My entry was Shop 'Til You Drop. I enjoyed all the fun colours we were given to work with.

 

You should check out this month's Colour Challenge at Scrapmuch?

Hmmm, let's see what pictures I have to go with those colours.

 

Enjoy!