New Year Layout {Practical Scrappers}

Good Monday Morning!  At Practical Scrappers today, we are sharing projects that have to do with the new year.  Without a sketch - I created this layout in about 30 minutes - which is fast by my standards!!   Earlier in the week, I hopped along with a bunch of scrappy gal pals who were showcasing their favorite layouts/projects/cards of 2013.  I posted my favorites after hopping because its good to reflect and see where you have been before you move forward.

Welcom 2014 - its a new year with so many possibilities!  

Materials:  My Mind's Eye, Mr. Huey's Misting Inks and sticker letters that have been in the stash for far too long!

Top 10 ... er... 13! for 2013

Several of my scrappy friends are doing a blog-hop today highlighting their favorite projects from 2013.  Its a great hop you should check it out (click here).  I enjoyed the hop so much, that I decided it was time to look through past layouts and projects and try to pick my top 10 {more like top 13 for 2013!}

And here they are!

1.  Gesso - this was my first application of gesso on a layout and I really loved the simple look.

 2.  This is a card that I just loved and it was one that I entered in a card contest - made it all the way to the top 5.

 3.  This was my first time using corrugated cardboard and the texture it helped to create was fun - really added to the dirt road in the photo.

 4.  I finally - FINALLY - used this Bo-Bunny kit - after three years of hoarding it!  Ijust loved the colors and my niece's photo - this was a gift for her.

 5.  October Afternoon's line was just perfect for a reflection on my son's first day of kindergarden.  I created this during the summer before he started high school.

 6.  Probably one of the cutest layouts of my little cutie!  The colors just made this layout one of my favorites.

 7.  Simple Stories became one of my most loved collections for scrapping - and I tried something new - using ink to draw on my layout.

 8.  I've always loved the papers from Wester's Pages and this is a layout that hangs in my classroom.  I just smile each time I look at it.

 9.  Without a doubt, this layout of the family on vacation was a favorite from the minute I started working on it.  Lots of shapes, patterns, colors and KLD templates.

 10.  After reading a scrapbooking magazine where this technique was featured, I grabbed a photo from many years ago and tried my hand at extending the photo.  Even my kids think someone else did it - Pure LOVE!

 11.  There's not much I can say about this one - other than I loved the photo and the way the layering came together on this layout.  (smooch)

 12.  Another cute layout of my girlie using Simple Stories.

 13.  All things marching band this fall ... we had such a great time with band and we were certainly busy bees with the preparations necessary to get the band on the field each week.

There you have it - a trip down memory lane.  Cannot wait to see what 2014 will have in store for me and my sweet family.

Hey There, Santa! {S.W.A.T.}

Saturday, December 21

Winter Solstice 2013
Today is Winter Solstice and we've got a great sketch from Page Maps for you to tackle at SWAT.  Santa needs to be somewhere on this layout; either a picture - embellie - or paper.  I was browsing through photos from a few years ago after we finished decorating the house and realized that I had duplicates of visits with Santa.  Gold-mine!  I have all of the kids photos displayed from birth to present - totally fun to see how they change over time.  Santa is the same - he's been the same ever since they were 2 and 4 - best part - Santa remembers the kids!!!  (Well of course he does!)

Anyway - here's your sketch to work with:

Here's what I created with MME's All is Bright.

Merry Christmas!

Deborah

Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas {PGCB #46}

Challenge #46 from Charissa is to use Christmas paper/product on a non-Christmas project - I've really been stumped with this challenge but finally let go of my fears - Here's my layout!  Christmas papers in red and green, flowers all from a Christmas kit and musical paper that was from a Christmas collection as well.

The materials used are hoarded from our Christmas in July celebration this past year.  My son picked my name from the hat and he really scored big with this collection.  I also used Stickles from last year's Santa stocking.

So this is one of those fun layouts that can be shown off on more than one challenge.  PGCB #46 and Use It Tuesday's #69 Last of the year.

Have a scrap happy day!

Zoo {Nuts About Sketches #294}

Once again, I found a few minutes of happy scrappy time!  This week's sketch uses a 5 x 7" and I needed to rotate the sketch a bit for my photo.  This was taken while we were at the zoo in October on Columbus Day - the kids LOVE going to see the sting rays. 

Here's the sketch:

Here's the layout:

And - I did what I thought was impossible!  I used Christmas papers for a non-Christmas project.