December 2015 The Memory Nest MIM #50

Hello my Scrappy Friends.   Happy December to you all!

Before I share this month's Make it Monday Challenge, from over at The Memory Nest Blog, I want to let you know that this is my last Design Team Inspiration Layout, that I will be submitting for tMN.

To say that I have had a BLAST being on this very Talented Design Team for ALL of 2015, would be an understatement.  I have so very much enjoyed working with this lovely group of ladies, and have gained inspiration from them each and every month.

I send out a BIG GIANT THANK YOU, to Leslie Germain, the Admin and Owner of The Memory Nest Blog. Your patience, understanding and support have been very much appreciated, and I am THANKFUL to have you as a supportive friend!

Okay - Now on to this month's MIM #50 Sketch  ( Please also note - there is only ONE MIM Challenge this month, as we all know December pulls us in so many ways, that scrapping usually goes on the back burner.)

LOVE LOVE LOVE this sketch - there are SO MANY possibilities !!  Here is what I did with it:

With WINTER here on the east coast, I am still dreaming of the lovely time I spent this summer out on our deck, in my backyard "oasis" or my "Happy Place" - usually accompanied by my 2 Portuguese Water Dogs, Maggie and Valentino!  This is really my favorite place to relax, and really miss it in the cold winter months.

Here is my Layout

I decided to go with 2 larger photos, and put the 2 sets of vertical rectangles together, leaving the 2 smaller photos as they are in the sketch.

 

Besides mating the photos in black cardstock, I also popped them with 3D Foam Adhesives, to give the layout some dimension. I also added a pocket to one of them, so that I could slip a Tim Holtz Idea-ology ticket in it with a little journaling.  I just love the Tim Holtz Small Talk Sticker messages too!

I thought it would be fun to drop some black India Ink on the layout - to make the colors pop a little.  Love this technique!! - What do you think?  I then added some "blobs/dots" of Ranger White Enamel Accents to brighten / highlight a few spots.

The Thickers I used for the Title are new, and I am so glad I got the chance to use them - I actually cut 2 of the words apart - "the" and "wish" to form the "this" in title!  I seem to be "hooked" on this Tim Holtz  Kraft paper pad that I used for the base of this layout. I have had it in my stash FOREVER, and I have used it on 3 of my last 4 layouts!!  I am having a creative / inky time playing with it and my Ranger Distress Stains and Inks!

Here are a few more close ups for you:

Love the flowers from Petaloo, along with the Gold We R Memory Keepers Sequin Stickers, and the different color Robbin's Nest Doo Drops too!  The patterned papers are from Pink Paislee's Prairie Hill Collection - "Country Meadow"

Thanks for stopping by, and THANKS again to Leslie and the DT at The Memory Nest Blog!  I hope you will continue to play along and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!

((HUGS)) ~ Sherri

December Challenge YOUrself Blog - "We Are Family"

Happy December Everyone!  Can you believe we are at the end of 2015?!  My how this year has flown by!  All the more reason to document it with a layout that includes YOU and your Family too!

That is the added challenge to this month's SKETCH Challenge over at the Challenge YOUrself Blog.
Use the sketch below, and be sure to include YOU and your FAMILY in your photo, and you could WIN a PRIZE too!  Please Click HERE to check out all the Challenge Details / Rules, after you are done reading below.

I love this awesome sketch!

The photo I wanted to use was not square, so I thought it would work best to turn the sketch clockwise, or one turn to the right, so that I could add more/wider patterned papers from the top and bottom of it, since those sides were longer.


I had so much fun using the Simple Stories "Summer Vibes" collection for my November DT Layout for Scrap Our Stash, and since I had another photo from our "Get Away" to Turks and Caicos, I thought I would continue to use that same collection, and make a complimenting page to that layout.  (You can view the first page HERE!)


Here is my Design Team Inspiration for this month's SKETCH and Challenge from The Challenge YOUrself Blog!:

This is a photo of my husband and I, along with his 2 brothers, and our 2 sister-in-laws, who we vacationed with.  To say that we had a FUN time would be an UNDERSTATEMENT!!  This was our first trip to an "all inclusive" resort - and hopefully, it won't be our last!!  We had an AMAZING time laughing together, and created memories that we will cherish and laugh about for many years. 

Here are some close ups for you:

I also decided to "pop" my photo, and include a place to insert a journaling card, with a few memories about our trip.

Hop on over the the Challenge YOUrself Blog for all the details and PRIZE info!!  Hoping you will play along with us this month!!
Thanks for stopping by - wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Very Happy Holiday Season!  ((HUGS)) ~ Sherri

Items used:

Simple Stories Summer Vibes:
#6351 - Shine On
#6307 - #Selfie
#6304 - Just Beachy
#6308 - Pop Fizz
Bits and Pieces
Enamel Dots

Tim Holtz Kraft Resist Paper Stash

Petaloo Flowers - Darjeeling Collection "Teastained Spice"
Ranger Distress Stains and Inks: Peacock Feathers / Ripe Persimmon / Fossilized Amber / Vintage Photo
Royal Coat Dimensional Magic
Wink of Stella - Clear and White Glitter Brush
Sequins / Wooden Hearts
Washi Tape

December SOS Word Challenge "DIECUTS" - Under the Sea!

Hello my Scrappy friends!  Can you believe this is the last challenge from the Scrap Our Stash Blog for 2015?!!  My has this year flown!  I hope it has been a very happy and creative one for you.

This month SOS will only have one challenge?  Be sure to stop by the SOS Blog, for all the Challenge details / rules and see what this month's PRIZE is!! - YES, you can WIN a PRIZE!!

The WORD for December is.... DIECUTS  

There is that pesky "U" again! PLEASE don't let it deter you - I am sure you've got something in your "STASH" that will fit the challenge! 
To help you out, and get you to play along - here are some ideas for you - Uniball pen, The letter "U" in your title - (Love You, You crack me up, Bounce, Beautiful, Up and Away, ... so many possibilities!) Umbrella, the color Umber, something you "up-cycled," the color Ultramarine... What else can you come up with??

I can't wait to share my layout with you!  I've titled it "UNDER THE SEA." The photos I used are from our April 2013 cruise on The Disney Dream.  We had a great time snorkeling on Disney's Private Island, Castaway Cay.  That Island is truly Paradise, and we have been blessed to have been able to visit it 4 times ( so far! ) if only for a day each time!

I've used the following items from my STASH for the Challenge:
D - Dimensional Magic - to give shine and dimension to the fish and the shells that I fussy cut
I - Ink - Ranger Distress Stains and Distress Inks - LOVE them!
E - Embossing Pen and Embossing Powder - I can't tell you how long it has been since I've embossed! -check out the glittery coral!
C - Crab - look at that cute little crab sticker!!  (I was going to say cardstock too -but realized I didn't use any!
U - "U" in Under, Uniball white pen for journaling
T - Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher and Staples, Twine, Thickers
S - Sticker, Staples, Starfish, Seashells

Here are some close ups for you.  I really hope you will find time in your busy month, to play along with us at Scrap Our Stash.  I can't wait to see what you come up with!!

I used papers from a paper pack that I have had forever.  I embossed the coral with "Goddess Gold" Embossing powder from Ranger Inks.  The torn edges were inked with Ranger Peacock Feather Distress Stain

I fussy cut lots of shapes from the papers in the paper pack, added them with pop dots to the layout, then highlighted them with Wink of Stella Glitter Brushes, along with adding some Dimensional Magic too!

Thanks for stopping by!  I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a HAPPY and HEALTHY Holiday Season!
((HUGS)) ~ Sherri