4th Grade All-Star {Paper Issues Keep It Sketchy}

Last year I thought it would be fun to create a layout for each of my students, and I had a blast, so I'm doing it again!

I created this for the Paper Issues Keep It Sketchy challenge, using this sketch:

Here are some details. I used the Star Background free cut file from Paper Issues. I used the Carta Bella Boy Oh Boy collection and backed all the open stars. I added a few Studio Calico wood veneer stars to some of the solid stars. They were the perfect shape! Once I backed all the stars with patterned paper, I mounted the cut file onto my background cardstock using pop dots.

I used a mix of old letters for my title--4th on the Jenni Bowlin label is American Crafts, grade is BasicGrey, and all-star is AC Thickers. 

The baseball is a cut file from the Silhouette store, and the flair badge is by A Flair for Buttons.

I love challenges, and Paper Issues always has a ton of really fun ones! I had fun creating this page, and I'm looking forward to making the other 21 pages for my students!

Impossible Things Before Breakfast {CSI: Case File No. 246}

We've got a brand-new challenge live at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration.

Here's my page. I'm making a book for my pastor who has the cutest dogs ever. I'm in love with this dog, Buster. He looked like he did NOT want to get out of bed, like it was IMPOSSIBLE. I was looking for a Lewis Carroll quote to use for my page and came upon the one about "six impossible things before breakfast," and I thought perfect!

I used the traditional clues from the Case File, which you can find if you scroll all the way down to the bottom of the reveal. I used the color scheme ans well as the following Evidence clues, which was almost all of them: solid white background, swiss dots, stripes, floral pattern, text print, hearts, flowers, doily, teacups, crown, lace, border punch, tags, keys, clocks, script stamp, animals (in the pictures), labels, fancy letters, stick pin.

Here are some details. My starting point, once I decided on the "Impossible things before breakfast" quote, was the stack of teacups, which is a cut file from the Silhouette store. My pastor is a big coffee drinker, but I figured the teacups could double as coffee cups. Not sure if you can see it, but on the bottom cup, there's a stick pin with beads in the cluster. I was delighted to find the perfect phrase stickers for this layout!

I was so pleased to use this ginormous gold crown on this page, which has been in my stash FOREVER, one of those "what was I thinking?" purchases. Lace was one of the clues, and I was about to grab some lace from my stash when I remembered the tons of K&Co. paper lace that I have. How fun and perfect are the "I can't even" and "It's a pajama day" phrase stickers? I love when I find the prefect phrase stickers! The chipboard clocks and striped brads fulfilled some of the clues.

In addition to a ginormous gold crown, I had a ginormous gold key. Again, I have no idea whatever possessed me to buy that, but it works on this layout, and fulfills another clue in the Case File. I really love using the Case File clues because it has me digging through my stash to use things I might never have thought of using.

I hope you'll come play with us. We have 12 awesome sponsors donating prizes this month. Check them out:

All-Star {Stuck?! Sketches January 15 Challenge}

Our mid-month challenge is live at Stuck?! Sketches. Once again, Laura made another fabulous sketch for us:

And here's my page, which I made for a colleague who was retiring from our school. This page was such a challenge for me to create because I scrap 8 x 8, and I was asked to make some 12 x 12 pages. I started out my scrapping journey with 12 x 12 pages, but I quickly moved to 8.5 x 11 and then to 8 x 8.

Here are some details.  I decided the best way to go would be to use our school colors, gold and black, and I was able to use mostly scraps from my stash. The baseballs are Silhouette cut files, as are the stars.

You'll want to come play with us for a chance to win prizes from our sponsors:

You Shine {Paper Issues Take 5 Tuesday Challenge}

So, I had a snow day on Thursday, and I got to play in my scrap room. I played in this challenge over at Paper Issues.

The challenge asks you to use at least 5 of the items, but I managed to use all of them except for triangle, lare photo, and washi tape. Here's the page I created:

Here are some details. I knew I wanted to find an hourglass cut file as a main element on my page. I couldn't find any that I liked at the Silhouette store, so I did a search, and I found this one for free online. Here's a link. I tucked a little bird that I fussy cut from a Vicki Boutin paper behind the zero and added some vellum. At the last minute, I decided to add some sequins to the hour glass. The blue paper, which is super old Chatterbox paper, kind of bunched up when I machine stitched it. At first I was upset, but it kind of gave it a 3-dimensional effect.

Here's a shot of the title. The gold word is from Crate Paper's Oasis collection. I found a rub-on phrase that had the word "the" in my stash, and I cut the New Year part of the title on my Silhouette Cameo. The background paper is by Crate Paper.

I raided my scrap paper stash and my die cut stash and found all sorts of bits and pieces to layer behind this beautiful photo.

And here's a shot of the bottom. part of the layout. I was pleased to find that typewriter that matched the colors. Those gold circles that I tucked here and there on my page are from Hobby Lobby.

You Shine {CSI Case File No. 245}

Happy New Year! We've got a new Case File at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration, and in case you haven't heard, we're changing up our challenge a bit this year. You can either solve it the traditional way, with the clues, or you can solve it your way, drawing inspiration as you see it. Here's our current Case File:

Here's the page I created. I used the traditional Scheme, Evidence, and Testimony clues. Evidence clues I used were wood, polka dots, bunting, stars, trees, winter elements, moose, houses, and I created a 6-word memoir using word stickers, for my Testimony clue.

Here are some details. The house/tree and banner cut files are from the Silhouette store. I just had to tuck that little moose, from Simple Stories, onto my page because it's so cute and it was a clue for this Case File.

I chose to use some shiny gold Thicker words for the title and to go along with the "shine" title, I decided to add rhinestones to my banner. All the patterned papers, including the little cut-out snowmen, are old papers by BasicGrey.

I love that little snowman peeking out from behind the tree. I thought those wood veneer stars sort of look like snowflakes, and I also added some white Dylusions ink splatters to mimic snow.

Here's one last shot so see all the snowmen.

I hope you'll try out this challenge. Don't feel like you have to use these colors--check out Natsuko's bright cheerful layout which uses pink as a main color. She Freestyled the Case File.

And to make it even more fun to play, we've got prizes from 12--count them--12 awesome sponsors:

Cozy {Stuck?! Sketches January 1 challenge}

Happy New Year! We've got a brand new sketch for you over at Stuck?! Sketches. Look at this awesome sketch Laura made for us:

Here's the page I created. I'm making pages for a friend who also happens to be one of my pastors at my church. She has the most adorable dogs. When I saw the photos, I thought of BasicGrey paper, for some reason. I think the distressing on their papers has a warm and cozy feel.

Here are some details. I substituted the diamonds at the top of the sketch with this tree branch and ornaments. All of the cut files on my page are from the Silhouette shop.

After I added the ornament element, I felt the page needed a little something extra, and I found this exquisite winter village die cut at the Silhouette store. I initially envisioned keeping it just white with the background paper showing through, but it wasn't showing up the way I wanted, so I backed it with various BasicGrey papers.

Here's a shot of the other side. It's hard to tell from the photo, but I used Icicle Stickles on the roofs of the houses. The snowflakes are by Jolee's.

I hope you'll come play with us. Not only is this an awesome sketch, but we've got prizes from our generous sponsors!

Bestie in a Box {CSI Case File No. 244}

We've got a wonderful Christmas-inspired Case File for our mid-month challenge at CSI. I messed up on date on the linkup for this challenge, and I apologize. I've fixed it and added five extra days to the deadline, so if you've been thinking you don't have time during this busy holiday season, you've got some extra time.

Here's our Case File:

And here's the page I made. Clues I used: Christmas/Winter, architectural stuff/ lights, woodgrain, scallops, car, animals, trees, buttons

I've had this page in mind for over a year, and this was the perfect opportunity. I always say I've got Tracee in a box and I can take her out whenever I want (I've got her on my computer via Skype). Anyway, these were our Skype profile pictures last year, and I've had the sitting on my desk printed forever.

Here are some details. When I was looking at the palette, I remembered these pictures had red in them and that Tracee had on a Santa hat, so I decided I'd finally make this page. The layout started with this cut file from the Silhouette store. I was thinking, how can I represent a box? and it came to me that I could use a gift box and then I found this stack of presents. I knew I wanted to use this light bulb bunting which went with one of the clues, and I found that puffy cat which seemed like he was hannging from something, so I replaced one of the bulbs with this dangly cat.

Tracee and I always share photos of our layouts as we're working on them, and she thought I should have a Santa hat too. I found this one in the Silhouette Store, and yes, I look like a dork, but it's a fun touch, I think!

For my architecture clue the houses were cut from a Dear Lizzy (Lovely Day collection) paper. I found that little car on an old BasicGrey paper (wander collection), and was almost the perfect green. I found the little tree clipart online and printed them out. I backed the Silhouette presents with old scraps--the black and white is Jenni Bowlin and the green is Scenic Route.

I'm always happy when I can use buttons on my layouts because I have seven gazillion of them. The "Bestie" word was cut on my Silhouette Cameo. How fun are those puffy sticker cats peeking out from behind the presents?

I hope you'll come play with us. We've got lots of awesome prizes and gift certificates up for grabs from our sponsors: