Inspired by Nicole Samuels

I try to follow some of my favorite designers when I get the chance and recently I was very inspired by a layout from Nicole Samuels blog, for Studio Calico on this post here.

Here is her inspirational layout:

 I loved the effect of the one very large photo and the design elements framing it. The folded banner title the happy little flags and cute journal tag and banner below.  Soooo this is two fall layouts I created based on that inspiration:

 I know finally the Trick or Treat layout I promised! 

I used almost all Jillibean Soup on this one from five different lines and Jillibean Mini Kraft Alphas. Then there are K& Co. alphabet stickers, Pink Paislee Soiree stamp/banner, My Minds Eye Journal Tag and Basic Grey Felt Stickers.

This is one featuring a hayride photo from our annual pumpkin patch trip to Leed's Farm, pure happiness.

Materials Used: Jillibean Soup/Apple Cheddar, Dutch Mustard, Watermelon Gazpacho & Atomic Soup papers; Jillibean Felt Blossom, Apple Cheddar Pea Pods, Dutch Mustard Alphabet Stickers; EK Success border punch, Jillibean Bakers Twine, Pink Paislee/Hocus Pocus orange glitter alphabet stickers.

I have plans for two more layouts utilizing this very versatile layout design, one for my niece's High School Album cover page and one for my daughters Lacrosse Team Photo! Would love to hear what you think of my scraplifts!

October Outings Photos

Just wanted to share some of our fall frolicking so far. Highlights this fall include the following:

4th Anniversary Getaway Weekend to The Georgian Manner B&B in Hocking Hills/Logan, Ohio

Annual Pumpkin Patch Visit to Leed's Farm in Ostrander, Ohio

I will share trick or treat adventures next week, since we still have one more candy collecting event planned!


Have a Happy Halloween!

 

NEW Basic Grey Blog Sketch Challenge

First off in honor of all of those who lost loved ones on this day ten years ago, my sincerest condolences. My thoughts and prayers are with you on this monumental day. May God bless you in ways you never imagined and may none of us ever take for granted the wonderful blessings in our lives.

On a much lighter note, I just wanted to share a layout I did this weekend. There is a brand new blog out there by a not at all new company, Basic Grey. They have been an industry powerhouse for seven years now with cutting edge design always at the forefront. I have long been a fan and was so excited to see their new blog and then a sketch challenge too! So I decided to give it a try, here is their sketch:

 Of course I had to change it up a little, so I rotated it to the left by a quarter turn and eliminated the title but then stayed true to the sketch beyond that. Here is my take:

Here are some close-ups:

Materials Used: Basic Grey/Indian Summer, American Crafts/ribbon, e. Prima/gem & pearls, Stampin Up/Ruby Red marker, Archival Ink/Coffee- inked edges

Be sure to check out Basic Grey's new blog here. As usual I would love to hear what you think!

Sketch Challenges Fall Getaway

I wanted to create a layout about our recent fall getaway weekend to The Georgian Manner in Logan, Ohio. I found this fun sketch at Sketch Challenges by Pamela Young. Here is the sketch:

This is my take on the sketch, lots of yummy fall colors and textures. I adapted it into a double layout with 10 total photos! Most of the papers are Basic Grey/Indian Summer with lots of Jillibean Soup embellishments. There are also some very special embellishments that I got while on this weekend trip- I found some wonderful treasures at an Antique Mall. They are the vintage buttons and vintage patterns paper (behind the leaves) that I used on the layout! Also I used something new and different for me, fabric strips- they seem to be an up and coming trend in the scrapbook world.

Such a magical weekend deserves a special layout. As always, I would love to know what you think of it!

Sketch Challenges Birthday Bash Blog Hop

So my friend Pamela has a great blog hop going on at Scrapbook Challenges this weekend to celebrate their Birthday! Go to Pamela's blog to begin the blog hop and then go here to find the hop on opportunity to join in the fun. I just could not resist this adorable sketch:

Here is my Halloween take on the sketch, Gabe was so cute in his costume as a turtle.
Love the color combo, some of my favorites and these Bo Bunny papers are just too much fun!

Hope you and yours had a fabulous Halloween too!

Fantastic Fall Getaway

So Scott and I got to indulge for the first time ever in a weekend to ourselves to celebrate our third anniversary. We had planned on a cabin in Hocking Hills but opted for a Bed and Breakfast instead. I was excited since I had never been to a B&B, but didn't really know what to expect. We went to "A Georgian Manner", outside of Logan, Ohio and it sits right on Lake Logan.

Who knew a place like this existed in Ohio? We are so happy to have discovered such a treasure. This place is pure elegance indoors and outdoors. From the beautiful victorian decor inside to the immaculately kept grounds outdoors, it was full of wonderful surprises.

Our room was lovely, so romantic with it's own private balcony and extraordinary view. The food was exceptional, breakfast was way beyond what we had expected.

Being right next to Lake Logan makes the Manner such a unique experience. We enjoyed watching swans, ducks and herons all weekend long. We fished the lake and used the Manner's canoe for a sunset cruise, it was so peaceful that it is hard to describe.

The owner's were such a delight too, we so enjoyed talking with them. They answered every question we had about the area and gave us inside information on all the best activities and restaurants in the vicinity. Overall I must say that this was the perfect place to disconnect from the rest of the world and reconnect with each other. We are already planning a return visit for our anniversary next year.  Just wanted to share a positive experience!