Hello, Little Baker | CSI Case File No. 333

We've got some fun challenges for October at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration. Here's what I created for the first Case File.

Here are the Case File and clues for this challenge:

I knew I wanted to do a baking-themed layout to match the Case File, and I found these sweet pictures of my friend's daughter making zucchini bread. I dug through my stash looking for baking-themed elements that would match the Scheme, and I found that oven mitt die-cut which had most of the colors, with an aqua instead of the grayish blue, so I used that as my starting point. Then I just dug through my color-organized diecut boxes and pulled out stuff that would work with the photo and Case File. I managed to use the following Evidence clues: solid white background, polka dots, cupcakes, metal, labels, numbers, circles, something powdery (the stamp dots were heat-embossed), scallops, fabric (the brads), cooking-related items, and hearts.

Here are some details. I love poring through my stash to find perfect little bits to find, like this copper teapot charm and some fabric brads for the fabric clue.

This banner is super old. It's either by October Afternoon or Cosmo Cricket.  For my powder clue, I used turquoise embossing powder.

I found a pink corduroy topped brad to meet the fabric clue.

I love these old Mini Market tile letters by October Afternoon to use on my 8 x 8 pages when I have a long title.

This layout was really fun to make. I used lots of older stash, which always delights me! I hope you'll come play along with us. Lots of prizes to be won from our October sponsors:

Girls Just Want to Have Sun } CSI Case File No. 328

Our second Case File at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration is perfect for summer, beachy photos. I also played along with Scraplift Sunday at Paper Issues. Here's the layout I created:

Here are the Case File and clues for this challenge:

I used the basic color scheme but brightened up the green. For the Testimony, I documented a beach trip. I used lots of evidence clues--stripes, cross-hatch pattern, plain cardstock, summer-themed elements, fruit, drinks, camera, animals, butterfly, circular objects, and sunglasses.

Here's the awesome layout by Orange Gearl that I scraplifted:

Here are some close ups. That cross-hatch background is from a BasicGrey pad, I believe. I think it looks sort of beachy, I don't know how Orange Gearl managed to get her paper rolled so perfectly and how she managed to make it stick, but I had to sew mine to the background. I have this pack of ginormous enamel dots, and I was happy to use a couple on this page. I toally messed up on the paint splats, but I had already done the paper rolling thing and I hate wasting paper, so I left it.

The sun is from a metal die, and I thought I'd add some wood veneer accents to give some more texture to my layout. 

I love it when I can add buttons to my page. I have so darn many!

The flamingo is from the same metal die set as the sun.Who says you can't have a green flamingo?

I hope you'll come play along with us at CSI! We have several awesome sponsors donating prizes this month:

Fun + Sun = Happy Days | Bramble Fox

I'm up on the Bramble Fox blog. Here's my post...

Hey, Foxy Friends! I'm here to share a fun, summery layout today using a bunch of the gorgeous Bramble Fox products! A special note: I scrap 8 x 8, so the elements will always look a bit larger on my layouts.

I started my layout with a piece of Vicki Boutin's mixed media patterns, which I thought echoed the blue sea in the photos.I knew I wanted to use that beautiful pink title from the August Fox Box. Simple Stories Vintage Coastal collection has pink in it, so that was a perfect combination for my layout. I absolutely love the frosted, translucent pieces that Bramble Fox makes! You can see I used the starfish and anchor from the Fox Dies 1 set.

I'm absolutely in love with these stunning etched wood veneer surfboards from the Summer Surfin' collection. You get three surfboards and two arrow signs in the set.

The cute wood veneer summer sign also came in the Summer Surfin' set.

This layout is a gift for a friend, and I always add a heart to pages I give away, so I found a Bramble Fox heart to use. Finally, I added some clear Nuvo Drops to look like water drops.

Thanks so much for joining me on the blog today. Don't forget to share your creations with us over on the Bramble Fox Friends Facebook group and tag us on Instagram. We just love seeing what you make with the Bramble Fox products! Until next time...

Celebrating Freedom | CSI Case File No. 325

I created this layout for our second July Case File at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration.

Here are the Case File and clues for this challenge:

Does anybody ever read my blog posts? I've decided that for my CSI layouts, I'm just going to share about the clues I used because it takes a lot of time to write up my blog posts, and I'm not sure anybody's even reading them anymore.

I'm making layouts for a friend and I was so excited to find these photos of her darling children to use for this Case File. I brightened up the color scheme for my page and used a lot of the Evidence clues, including stripes, stars, wood, 4th of July-themed elements, jar, flowers, flags, elements, and metal. I had cut out a tricycle from the same patterned paper I used, but I just couldn't make it work, so I changed it to a wagon. From the Testimony clue, I obviously am documenting 4th of July and also using the Inspiration word "freedom."

So here are some closeups:

Best Day Ever | Paper Issues Take 5 Challenge

Today's my turn to share a layout on the Paper Issues blog. Here's my post:

Hey, everyone! I'm here with a layout I created for the Take 5 challenge.

If you've never played in the Take 5 challenge, it's simple. Take a minimum of 5 items from the provided list or take more! Here, there is no limit! I chose 7 items: black, white, stamping, twine, enamel dots, stars, ephemera.

I wanted the black and white from the list to be prominent, so I looked through my photos and found these darling pictures of our great-niece's birthday party. When I looked back at the list and saw that twine and ephemera were items, I thought of using them to make a banner, which would make a perfectly festive page. I have some containers where I keep my miscellaneous ephemera pieces stored by color and just picked out pieces to work with the color scheme, set them with eyelets, and threaded the baker's twine to create my banner. Stars were an item on the list, and the Thickers I used had stars to match on the sheet.

That great big red bow was in the red ephemera container, and I knew I had to use it because it reminded me of the big bow Minnie mouse wears, and my great-niece is wearing a red bow.

I found a second bow in my black ephemera container. I had already added some stars that went with my title, but when I saw stamping as an item, I looked through my stamp inventory to find some stars and found this fun stamp with tiny stars that reminded me of confetti. Of course, I rounded out the layout with enamel dots, another item from the Take 5 list.

I had loads of fun digging through my ephemera to make this banner. I hope you'll join me in this challenge and share it in our Facebook group. You might even win a gift certificate to the Paper Issues store. Speaking of the store, please use my discount code, Debbi (no e on the end), and you'll get 20% off of everything in the store, every time you shop!

Seas the Day | Paper Issues 30 Days of Sketches - Day 12

I'm here with another layout I created for Paper Issues 30 Days of Sketches. Here's Day 12:

Here's the sketch:

And some details.  I used Photoplay's Monterey Bay collection for my layout. The little beach houses were cut out of a patterned paper. The red paper behind the photos is some textured paper that I had in my red paper scraps drawer. I made the waves with an old border punch and two different paper scraps I had in my blue scraps drawer--they're Chatterbox papers. Who remembers those? I always add a heart to all my pages I give away and I found a teeny-tiny one to put on one of the houses. The metal seashell is a brad, also an oldie from my stash. I love combining old and new.

I cut the lighthouse out of a cut-apart sheet. I lifted all the elements with foam adhesive.

If you read an earlier post of mine, you'll know that I came upon these sheets of ginormous raw chipboard letters, and I'm trying to use them up because I don't have a good place to store them. I just added gesso to them to give them a white-washed look. How fun is that little seagull sticker?

The Monterey Bay sticker sheet had some banners, which went perfectly with the sketch. I used a FREE cut file from Paper Issues called Sunburst Background. I erased half of it because I knew the bottom would be covered up.

I hope you'll come join our challenge. If you like the Monterey Bay collection, there several elements still in the Paper Issues store. Please use my code Debbi (no e on the end) and you'll get 20% off of everything in the store, every single day!