A Life of Many Chapters

This layout is a little tribute to my sister, Barb, and the many chapters that have made her life so interesting and full of adventure.

From her beginnings at Northern Michigan University and her years in education, Barb’s career took some unexpected turns. She moved from teaching Home Economics to administration, eventually becoming an assistant principal. Then, at 50, she decided it was time for a whole new adventure—and became a flight attendant!

Her years in the skies took her to Mexico and gave her the opportunity to enjoy plenty of free flights, including visits to see me in Florida. Eventually, she traded airplanes for pine trees and settled into life at Fort Wilkins State Park in Copper Harbor, Michigan, where she welcomed campers, planned historical activities, and managed the gift shop.

Looking at these photos of the places where she worked, I’m reminded of how much Barb has experienced. Her story truly is a collection of chapters, each one bringing something new.

Taylaor Swift Challenge - A Cherry on Top

Playing with the latest Taylor Swift challenge over at A Cherry on Top! This round's theme is all about weddings, which gave me the perfect excuse to revisit some favorite family memories. I dug into the archives for photos from my sister’s wedding "a few years ago" to bring this page to life.

Family Fun

For today’s creative project, I am playing along with the Number Mix Challenge hosted at A Cherry on Top.  The specific challenge criteria for the challenge required incorporating three distinct elements: People, a Splatter effect, and following the designated Sketch of the Week. Yes, I am aware that Boblo is misspelled – I redid the journaling after photographing.

Grabbing the Challenge: My Latest Scrapbook Page!

I am playing along with the Grab 5 Challenge over at A Cherry on Top!

For this challenge, we had to pick five specific elements to feature on our layout. Here are the five fun items I grabbed for my page:

• Metal heart paperclips tucked onto a couple of the photos.
• A retro filmstrip accent.
• A 3x4 photo of my sister enjoying San Diego.
• Faux stitching details running around the page borders.
• A vibrant Vicki Boutin SVG ("Smile") cut file.

I love how these pieces came together to bring this memory to life!

Vintage Red and Bouncing Reindeer: A July Christmas Project

Here's another project for our July Kerst Christmas Challenge! 

This time I created an interactive card featuring the adorable Winnie Wonderland – North Pole image from our wonderful sponsor, Polkadoodles.

The reindeer are full of charm all by themselves, but I couldn't resist adding a couple of action wobblers to give them even more personality. They make me smile every time they bounce!

I have a feeling you'll be seeing more wobbler cards from me...especially since I may have gotten a little carried away buying action wobblers!

For the background, I used Bonnie's beautiful Vintage Red digital paper, which ties everything together perfectly.

Full of Memories

I am currently working on a special scrapbook dedicated to my sister, and I decided to start at the very beginning: with our parents.

For this page, I drew inspiration from the A Cherry on Top "Hollywood's Finest" challenge. The challenge required participants to choose a title from a curated list of Goldie Hawn movies. I instantly fell in love with the title Seems Like Old Times and knew it would be the perfect fit for this nostalgic layout.

Scrapbooking with the Grab 5 Challenge at A Cherry on Top!

Hey crafty friends! Today I am playing along with the latest Grab 5 Challenge over at A Cherry on Top, and it was such a blast to put together.

If you haven't tried this challenge yet, you basically "grab" five specific elements to feature on your layout. It is a fantastic way to break out of a creative rut and use up items in your stash.

For my page, the 5 elements I grabbed were:

• Scalloped border
• Cursive text
• Red, white, and blue title
• 3 stars
• Washi tape

I love how these random ingredients came together to create the perfect recipe for my layout. Head over to the A Cherry on Top community to join in on the fun and see what everyone else is creating!

Worth Every Yawn

Come play along with our latest challenge at One More Page!

For this layout, I dug into my digital paper stash and pulled out the Norman Snail collection from Doodle Pantry. These cheerful patterned papers have been waiting for just the right project for years—so long, in fact, that Doodle Pantry is no longer in business! I'm so glad I finally put them to use because the bright, happy colors were perfect for documenting another fun memory in my grandson's scrapbook.

Sometimes it's fun to "shop your stash" and give those long-forgotten favorites a chance to shine again.

We'd love to see what you create, so gather your supplies and join us for the current challenge at One More Page. I can't wait to see your layouts!

A Cherry on Top - Manufacturer with a Twist Challenge

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I can never resist a good crafting challenge!

One of my absolute favorites is the Manufacturer with a Twist Challenge over at A Cherry on Top. I always try my best never to miss it. Why? Because it pushes me right out of my comfort zone and forces me to pay closer attention to the different manufacturers in my stash.

Now, I do usually face a bit of a struggle with this one. Almost all of my papers are digital downloads, and I have accumulated a massive online library of collections over the years. If I relied on just a few go-to sources for my supplies, this challenge might be easier—but where is the fun in that? 

The Challenge Rules

For this round, the rules were super creative:

1. The Base: Use any letter from the words MAY or JUNE.
2. The Twist: Take one letter from your chosen manufacturer's name, and add a physical item to your project that starts with that same letter.

My Project Take

For my base, I chose the letter N from JUNE.

I paired it with the manufacturer Nothing but Freebies. For the twist, I grabbed the letter E from their name and added some adorable Eggs to both the top and bottom of my project!

Sweet Fifteen

 Wow, that gorgeous gown totally steals the show! I am so excited to share this new layout I created for the A Cherry on Top Number Mix Challenge!

To play along with the challenge, my page had to meet a few specific rules:

• Theme: Wedding or birthday
• Color Palette: Pastel
• Title: Exactly two words

I decided to document a special celebration, keeping all the elements soft and sweet. To add a meaningful personal touch, I included a tag that Mikah specifically asked me to make for the guests’ favors! I also dug into my stash and found a heart-shaped cactus, which felt like the perfect whimsical embellishment to tuck into the layout.

I absolutely love the way it all came together!

Penguin Fun

You know I absolutely love designing for the Kerst Christmas Challenge! I always try my best to follow the theme, even though it often pushes me right out of my comfort zone and forces me to explore completely new styles. Generally, I find myself scrambling at the last minute (just like today!), but the creative process is always so much fun.

For my last sample for the 'charm' theme, I kept coming back to the adorable freebie I just had to use. I digitally colored the All Dressed Up (Penguin Fun) image so I can print and reuse it anytime. The background features Glitter Orbs—a fantastic, textured paper freebie by Bonnie Kohane. I topped it off with one of Bonnie's charms, but opted to leave off any sentiment.

A Cherry on Top National Scrapbook Day Challenges

If there’s one thing you know about me, it’s that I absolutely love a good sccrapbook challenge over on A Cherry on Top. I always try my best to complete every single challenge for National Scrapbook Day! They push me out of my creative comfort zone and give me the perfect excuse to mix my personal style with fresh, new techniques.

Some photos, like the one I'm working with today, make it super tricky to find the right prompt. But the puzzle of brainstorming a solution is half the fun! Honestly, I wouldn’t struggle nearly as much if I didn't take every single instruction so literally—but that’s just how I roll. Sometimes I see other entries and find myself wondering if we even read the same prompt!

Full of "Charming" Goodness

This month’s Kerst Christmas challenge theme is "charms." I created a festive holiday card using digital charms and background papers designed by Bonnie Kohane. I absolutely love how the design came together—unquestioningly one of my favorite holiday makes this year!

Project Details & Supplies

• Focal Image: "It's Snowing" digital stamp by our sponsor, All Dressed Up.
• Background Paper: Designed by Bonnie Kohane (Available through the Kerst Christmas group).
• Charms: Bonnie's digital charms are a perfect match. The Merry Christmas charm is still available for free, so be sure to download it from the Kerst Christmas page before it’s gone!
• Corner Embellishments: I used a greens cut file to add extra holiday goodness to the corners. (Note: These greens are from M L Designs, but I seem to have lost the link—don't you just hate when that happens?)

I'm thrilled with the final result! Be sure to play along with the challenge this month.

Grab 5 - Happy Mail

I joined the National Scrapbook Day festivities over at A Cherry on Top! I had a blast tackling their challenges, specifically the Grab 5 Challenge. It was such a fun way to push my creativity—here’s the layout I created.

Designing with Digital Flowers

Sometimes, the best layouts start with a mystery digital freebie! I stumbled upon these stunning flowers today (probably from Creative Fabrica) and immediately wanted to use them.

1. Background: Started with this patterned paper to set the theme.
2. Layers: Added the flowers as the focal point.
3. Details: Used circular DSE image cuts to fill in gaps.
4. Title: Created a custom computer-generated title to finish it off.

Sometimes you just need to dig through your files and find that perfect, free, hidden gem. 

Join us at One More Page for inspiration from our design team - come join the fun and share your latest layout with all of us.  

Out with the Old: A Mesquite Tree Layout

There is something so satisfying about clearing away the old to make room for the new. I recently documented the removal of our mesquite tree, using these photos as my own personal "decluttering" project. While I originally thought I was following a specific layout challenge at A Cherry on Top, it turns out I may have just manifested that inspiration myself! 

Despite the missing challenge, I loved the process of putting this page together. It’s a great reminder that you don't always need a formal prompt to tell a good story—sometimes just "clearing out" the backyard is reason enough to get creative with woodsy images and earthy colors. 

Trying Out the Cut-Inlay Technique

I’ve been wanting to try the Cut-Inlay technique for a while, and I finally sat down with a design from Monica's Creative Room to make it happen!

This technique is basically like paper piecing, where you cut an image, then cut the same image with a design on top to give dimension. I went with Bonnie Kohane’s Circle Half Scene and I’m obsessed with how it turned out. It adds such a high-end, textured look to the card.

Why I loved this project:

• Layered Look: It offers serious depth, which you can see in the side view below
• Versatility: You can use any design you already own.

If you haven’t tried this yet, you definitely should!

Mid-Challenge Inspiration!

It’s time for some sweetness at Kerst Christmas Challenges for our Round Card Challenge! I’m featuring the adorable "Teddy Bear in Santa Outfit" from our sponsor, Last-Minute Manda. The beautiful background was created using Metallic Holiday Plaid from our own Bonnie Kohane.

Come join the fun and enter your round cards!