8

My dear hubby and I recently celebrated our 8th anniversary. I'm a blessed woman; he's so good to me, he's a wonderful father to our 3 boys, he's a willing helper around the house, he's a hard worker, and he's cute, to boot! :) I wanted to make a card for him that simply said "I love you" and this tri-shutter card is what I came up with. Here it is closed:
For you visual learners, check out this video tutorial.
The '8' is cut from Mickey Font. The oval and the scalloped oval are both from Storybook (I made the holes on the scalloped oval with an eyelet setter). I used the Cuttlebug "I Love You" folders on the 8 and for the sentiment and inked the raised images for a little more contrast. For a little more detail, I paper pieced the edges of the patterned paper, like Beate does in the video tutorial. Here's the card again:
So I usually stick just to the craft, but I had to throw in a couple pictures of our anniversary celebration. I surprised my hubby by dropping the kiddos off with a friend and picking him up from work--I told him we had 'reservations to the nicest restaurant Paris has to offer' (our town is called Paris and no it isn't THE Paris! ;) He was totally shocked because we weren't really planning anything special this year. I brought him back to our home, which had a little Louis Armstrong/Ella Fitzgerald music playing, the table set with our china and linen napkins (and this card at his place setting and the flowers he had brought me from earlier in the day), and a nice dinner for 2 being kept warm in the oven. What an enjoyable time just to sit and talk over dinner without the threat of interruption. Ahhh! :) Here's my sweetie, before dinner. Told you he's cute!!
Then, after dessert, we went out to the backyard and took a few pictures. Here's one of my favorites. :) I love him so so so so so so so much!
Thanks for looking!

Jonah's Train Birthday Party (picture heavy)

Our oldest turned 4 a couple of weeks ago...hard to imagine. He said he wanted a train party, and I was happy to oblige! I got right to work on my Cricut, using My Commuity, Everyday Paper Dolls, Mickey Font, and SCAL. Here's a sampling of the decorations:

Railroad crossing sign. Letters cut with SCAL using Lucida Grande true type font:

RR crossing sign using SCAL (Lucida Grande again):

All Aboard sign using Everyday Paper Dolls (cut at 8 1/4") and Mickey Font:

"Happy Birthday Jonah" sign using Mickey Font (letters cut at 3") and embossed with Cuttlebug's Happy Birthday folder. I ran a black inkpad over the raised image to get the look. I forgot to take a close-up of a letter to show the detail. Next time.

We played a variation of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey"...Pin the Caboose on the Train! Here's the engine, cut from My Community, and the engineer from Everyday Paper Dolls. He's supposed to look like Jonah (well, as much as a paper doll can, anyway):

Here's the passenger car using the same cartridges.

And here's one of the cabooses. The cabooses served as the child's placemat as they arrived to the party. We served lunch first. The kids had pb&j sandwiches cut into train shapes with a cookie cutter. My wonderful hubby was in charge of lunch for the adults...delicious BBQ pulled pork sandwiches with broccoli salad, potato salad, fruit salad, and deviled eggs. Sooo yummy! Anyway, after lunch we played the game and the kids used their cabooses.

Each caboose was personalized with a paper doll representing each child in attendance. My dad got one, too, since he's a train fanatic...hence the "Grandpa" doll with gray hair. Here's a picture of all of the dolls before they were attached to their caboose:

And here's the game ready to go. Letters are from Mickey font. I traced the caboose with a Sharpie marker so the kids could know where to aim:

I made cupcakes for dessert, and continuing with the train theme, here are the toppers with toothpicks glued in between the shadow layer and the top layer (again used My Community and Mickey Font):

And here they are displayed in the cupcakes. The letters kind of get lost in the picture but I think they were easier to see in real life:

And...how could I not include a picture? Here is Jonah and his friends!
And here is a link to our friend's website who is a photographer. She was kind enough to come take some pictures for us! Didn't Rachel do a fantastic job? By way of background, we were going to have his party at a local train park museum where there are real locomotives for the kids to climb on and run through. However, rain was forecast so we had to have the party at our place. Our living room is not big enough for the number of guests, and we knew kids at a party would want to run around and have a good time...so we converted our garage into the party area. A garage is not the easiest place to take pictures and I was so happy when I saw how well these turned out!

Thanks for looking!

The Bad Foot

It's been awhile since I posted a scrapbook page for my family album. These pictures are almost a decade old, but they all depict a silly family tradition: doing the "bad foot" as a goodbye greeting. Thanks, Dad, for getting this started ::eyes roll::.
The journaling is done on the individual circles on the right side of the page. Yes, this took some planning to get exactly the right number of circles and the right number of words to fill the entire space. It's not something I'll do on every future scrapbook page. ;) The circles had to be smaller than 1" (the smallest setting on the Cricut), so I had to find a way to work around that. See my previous post for how I did it, using Walk In My Garden.
The circle outlines (around my Dad's foot on the picture and as one journaling circle) are from Graphically Speaking, as were the layers for the flower on the lefthand page. The title is cut from Mickey Font at 1 1/2". The feet are from New Arrival at 2".
Here's a closer look at the first page:
and the second:
and a detailed look at the flower, which I put dimensionals between the larger and smaller layers. For the very top layer, I shadowed the center and some areas of each petal to make it more realistic. I also scored each petal and folded it up a bit to give it some shape like a real flower. The ribbon is from American Crafts.
Here's a look at the journaling. There are a few flowers thrown in there to mimic the patterned paper in the center.
Thanks for looking!

*Edited to add journaling:
"It started when Chuck's kids were small. Hannah & Adam were leaving one day and Dad started hopping on one foot saying he had a 'Bad Foot,' trying to make them laugh. From that time forward, whenever a visit came to an end, the family had to gather outside to do the 'Bad Foot.' Neighbors gave us strange looks, but family traditions are quick to be born, and Hannah & Adam insisted on our hopping. Soon, our neighbors even joined in on this silly Staley family tradition."

I Miss You

I completed this layout for the latest Chirper Challenge. We were to use mainly black and white with only splashes of color, and also use brads. I decided to make a page dedicated to my first dog, Ash-Lee. She was a special dog and always lots of fun. She had to be put down about 3 years ago. Whenever I see a Cocker Spaniel, I remember fondly the dog that was treated more like another child than a canine. I am really thankful for the years I had with her.
The bone is cut from Mickey Font and the sentiment is from Alphalicious. The hearts are from Fabulous Finds.
Thanks for looking!

All hearts come home for Christmas

This layout features family pictures taken back in 2001. I cut the title from Mickey Font at 1" and 1 1/4". The reindeer and sleigh were cut from Christmas Cheer, and the Santa and his bag is cut from Joys of the Season. I decorated the sleigh with stickles and wrapped two of the pictures with ribbon.

A closer look:

Thanks for looking!

I CAN DO IT (with a little help)

Journaling says, "I am a BIG 2 year old now, and I can ride my tricycle! I CAN DO IT! (with a little help.) I must put on my helmet before I ride my trike. Mommy or Daddy helps me buckle the strap under my chin.
Next I sit down on my tricycle. There's a problem though: my legs aren't quite long enough to reach the pedals yet! Daddy attached some blocks and straps to the pedals so I can reach them. He helps put my feet in the straps, too. Thank you, Daddy!
Now I am ready to ride my tricycle. I CAN DO IT...(but Grandpa helps push me because I am still learning how to use the pedals. He also has to help me steer, because otherwise I would fall off the sidewalk.)
My favorite thing to do while I ride my tricycle is ring the little bell over and over...and I CAN DO IT...ALL BY MYSELF!!"

Paper is DCWV and Colorbok. I drew boxes around the journaling with BIC Mark-Its. The title is cut from Mickey Font at 2" and 1". The circle is cut with Printing Press, and the arrow is from Graphically Speaking.

A closer look at page 1:

and page 2:
Thanks for looking!

Almost a Milestone

Pictures are of my firstborn, Jonah, when he was 5 months old, learning how to sit up. I stole the title from my mom's scrapbook layout of the same pictures. Thanks, Mom! :)
Journaling reads: "Oh, how I love this stage! You are trying so hard to sit up, Jonah, but you can't quite get there...yet. Try, try again, Jonah! With your determination, you'll be sitting like a pro before you know it!"
Paper is DCWV. Brads are Colorbok. Rub-ons (lettering on top picture) are from Autumn Leaves (Big Lots $1 find). Title is cut from Mickey Font at 1". Photo corners are my own cuts from scrap colored cardstock (various brands).

Thanks for looking!

Goofy Boy

These pictures are very typical of Jonah...posing upside down or showing his tummy...or anything else just to be silly. He's my fun-loving boy who likes to get others to laugh.
I wanted bright, bold papers that would enhance the theme of this page, so I went with the primary color scheme. The Goofy is from Mickey and Friends, and the lettering is done with both Mickey and Friends and Mickey Font. Stamps are from Rhonna Ferrar.

Moose

My in-laws got a little puppy and Jonah just loves to play with Moose! 'Moose' is done with Mickey Font in purple and the silhouette feature in white.

Thanks for looking!

I Love you Chris & Bevy

Here is a layout of my husband's siblings, Chris and Bevy. My husband grew up as an only child, only to have his Dad and step-mom adopt 2 more kiddos some 26 years later. They are a joy, though, and Jonah adores them through and through! He just can't play with them enough when we visit!

GOTCHA!

Journaling on this tells the story. "Oh, Jonah, did you really think we wouldn't notice?!? The pudding (and the guilt) is written all over your precious little face!"
I don't know why he thinks he can get away with such things, but I guess when there's chocolate involved, it's worth the risk of getting caught! Okay, maybe he gets it from his mother. Maybe.
I used Mickey font and its silhouette for the title.

Thanks for looking!

Choo-choo

This layout is of my Jonah playing with the train from when I was little. I loved that circus train, and now both my boys do, too. I also did a layout of Noah playing with it. Perhaps I will post it tomorrow.
The paper is a little bit hard to see, but it has letters and toys on it in primary colors. 'Choo choo' is from Mickey font and the train for journaling is my own design. I used buttons for the train wheels and then again along the bottom of the page. I cut out photo corners in different colors to frame the pictures. I thought it gave it a childlike, whimsical feel and the colors matched the train in the pictures, making it really stand out. The red stripes at the top are ribbon.

Thanks for looking!

Celebrate

This is my entry for the Chirper Challenge (see post below). We had to do something birthday-related, and use green and a cupcake. After I completed this, I realized we were also supposed to have buttons somewhere on it. I tried to replace the red skittles on the cupcakes with red buttons to make them look like cherries, but it would have ripped the paper.
Also, after I completed it, I went to my scrapbook store and bought my first bottle of Stickles. I'm hooked! After this picture was already taken, I added the Stickles to the swirls on the cupcakes. I will post the 'After' picture in the next post so you can see the difference!

Thanks for looking!