Hi everyone!

I want to share the layout I made using Ali Edwards' new Story Stamp subscription & monthly class.



The assignment was to use one of the prompts on the stamps as a story starter for a layout. After seeing this photo of my kids (who were definitely not thrilled with having their picture taken), it made me think about how the relationship they now have as young adults is growing and changing. The prompt "I want to remember" stuck in my head and I decided to use that prompt as the basis for my layout.

I started by using a cluster stamping technique. I placed a variety of stamps from this month's set on a large acrylic block like so:


Using StazOn Ink in Dove Grey, I stamped multiple images on the top half of an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of white card stock. This particular grey ink was light enough to make the design subtle for a background.


Because "I Want To Remember" is the theme of this layout, I highlighted the phrase with a pale yellow gelato stick and then went over it with a wet paintbrush to make it look like watercolor. The effect is subtle, yet still makes the phrase stand out among all the other phrases.

I used a minimal amount of embellishments surrounding the photo. To finish it off, I stitched the bottom border and the Thickers title to add some dimension and stability for the Thickers. These chipboard Thickers tend to fall off after a while & I wanted to make sure they stayed put!


I really love how this background turned out! I think the key to making sure it doesn't look to "busy" is the use of a less-vibrant ink. A strong ink color would just overwhelm the layout.

And check out Ali's Story Stamp subscription!!!! :)

Here is my latest installment of my Romantic Scrapbooking catalog. The prompt for this challenge was to scrap what our first impressions were of each other. This was rather difficult for both Rob & me, seeing as we met back in 1987, but didn't really begin a friendship until a year later. I decided to keep it simple & just include 3 items for each person in a bullet-point list.

Here's the layout:


Sorry for the poor photography - the bottom left corner kept curling up on me. Oh well!

The photos I chose represent how we looked at the time we met, even though the photos themselves weren't from that exact moment in time. The photo of Rob was actually taken in 1990 on his first day as a shift manager at McDonald's. I liked this because he and I actually met while working at McDonald's.

The photo of me was taken in early 1987, so about 6 months before we met.

First impressions aren't always accurate. Rob thought I was nerdy, but to this day he won't tell me how I was nerdy except that I had short hair. I thought he was cute, but stuck up & out of my league. Luckily, we got to know each other later on, during the summer of 1988, and our impressions of each other changed drastically. Plus, I grew out my hair. :)

The majority of this layout was completed with parts from Studio Calico's Sugar Rush kit. I cut the pink background using my brand spanking-new Silhouette Cameo (love this thing!!!!). The journal cards are from the Dear Lizzy Project Life Core Kit. The glitter Thickers are from American Crafts.

Well, on to the next challenge.....

I am taking part in the "Romantic Scrapbooking" course run by Noell Hyman at Paperclipping.com. If you have a significant other, I highly recommend it. Just by watching her videos and hearing the story of her and her husband, it immediately gave me a deeper appreciation for my 24-year marriage.

Here is the first layout I did for this course. The challenge was to scrapbook how or when we knew our significant other was "the one."



The picture I used was taken in August of 1989, when Rob and I went to Denver for the first time. It is one of my favorite pictures of us - it conveys such a youthfulness yet commitment to each other. Plus, we look damn cute, don't you think?

The papers and most of the embellishments were part of Studio Calico's Sugar Rush kit. Mom gifted me a kit subscription this month - thanks Mom!  The wood veneers are all Studio Calico as well.

My journaling is brief. I think I have troubles communicating to others what I feel for my husband, and this journaling reflects that. I'm hoping that this course helps me to overcome that.