Digital therapy...

Hello! I have three layouts to share with you tonight. I'm trying hard not to get all backed up again! LOL

For this first one, I used an adorable kit by Ellie Lash called "Organic", and also the Add-on. When I first saw this kit, I thought it was totally cute, but was disappointed because we don't have a garden, we don't shop at the Farmer's Market or visit U-Pick farms, so I didn't think I was going to get to use it... But then, when Charles and I were redoing the front yard, Zach spotted a packet of carrot seeds that he just had to have! And hey! If he wants to eat fresh grown veggies, am I really gonna say no? LOL!
So, Charles and Zach spent the better part of a Saturday working together to build a special planter, just for Zachy's carrots. Then they filled it with soil and planted their carrots. I was proud to see how hard Zach was working right along his Daddy. It was precious. And, of course, I took WAY too many pics! hehe But I do LOVE the page I made to remember this special day. First, here is the kit:

And here is my page:

Oh! I also used some awesome new CU products by That Girls Designs. I used "Stripes 1" and "Scalloped Frames". She's just getting started on her CU stash and I am SO excited to see what else she's got!


I have been wanting to scrap the photos in this next layout since I took them last November. That would be when I turned 38 and was not oh, so thrilled about it. lol But Mom didn't want my day to go by unnoticed, so she set out to make me a very special cake. :D She had just bought the pan and had never used it yet, so it was pretty experimental. hehe. When it was done, she was NOT very happy about it's appearance, but I loved it. Loooking at it made me smile, and it tasted wonderful, but most importantly, my Mom had set out to do something special just for me, and I truly treasure that.
For this page I used "I *Heart* You" by Project B Designs. Of course, I LOVE this kit! How could I not?? Look at all that pink! And I LOVE gerbera daisies!

And here is my page:



Alright, one last one. I just finished this one tonight and I'm very happy with how it turned out. I'm not very good with the graphic style of scrapping, but I really wanted to try it on this layout. I took this photo of Tyler on Mother's Day, and he doesn't like it. He told me, "If I had known you were going to use that one I would've posed nicer." The thing is... this is how Tyler looks most of the time lately. The fact that he's 18 has sunk in and he's kind'a taking advantage of his new found freedom. Unfortunately, I don't agree with a lot of his choices and sometimes I truly fear for him. I think we are both going through a learning stage right now. He is testing his boundaries, and I am having to learn to let go and let him make his own mistakes, praying that he's learning from them. I feel like he's forgotten who he was raised to be, who God plans for him to be. And I think he feels like I'm trying to control and smother him. Anyway, this page was a little therapeutic for me, but I will continue to pray for him, through this faze and until the day I breath no more.
Here is my page:

This was kind of a hodge-podge page. I used bits and pieces from so many different kits:
Black BG Paper - 'Serenity' by Brandy Designs.
Lined BG & Key - 'Interludes' by Bon Scrapatit.
Photo Mask - 'Re-Create Add-on' by Createwings Designs.
Screws - 'Love My Boys' by Creations By Rachael.
Mesh - 'Autumn Hues' by Creations By Rachael.
Stitched Border - 'Messy Machine Stitched Borders' by Brandy Designs.
Ink Splatter - 'Canvas' by Brusheezy.
Paint Mask - 'Feeling Froggy' by Creations By Rachael.
Leaves - 'Dont' Eat The Daisies' by Alexis Designs.
String Wrap - 'The Best Ships Are Friendships' by Alexis Designs.
Heart, Flowers & Ribbon - 'Romantic Blues' by Alexis Designs.
Fonts - Pegsanna HMK, Trashed, St. Nicholas, Sketch Rockwell, Rockwell Extra Bold, Repress Capitals Heavy, the Blue Cabin, Trajan Pro, the King & Queen font, Sandals, Sea Dreams, Turtle Club, Ring O Fire.

Thanks for visiting! I hope you are healthy and happy! Be blessed today!

Do you like Freebies?

Today is Freebie Friday over at Brandy Designs' blog. I'm in charge of the freebies for the month of June, so make sure to watch Brandy's blog to pick them all up!
Today I made a QP (or quick page) for you all. I used Brandy's kit "Believe", which is SO pretty, and her last free template from her blog template challenge. I put them together and this is what I have for you:

Now make sure you hurry over to Brandy's blog to pick it up!

I also scrapped a page using Sunshine Studio Scraps' Designers Collab, "Point Break". I joined a really cool challenge for the SUN's birthday. It's a Paper to Digi challenge. I'd never seen on of those, and the gallery that was chosen to scraplift from was AMAZING! So, of course, I had to play along! First of all, here is the gallery we were to find inspiration from. Amazing, huh? So it was really hard to pick just one page I wanted to lift, so I picked a couple extras and put them in my favorites folder to come back to later. But here is the page, by KathyT, that I chose for the challenge:


And here is my page:


You should come play along! The SUN is full of goodies right now, and more is being added every Saturday!

Speaking of New Releases, Creations By Rachael's new kit "Berry Sweet" is available now at The Digi Chick! Here is a reminder of that yummy kit:
Hurry and get it now, while it's on sale 20% off!

Well, that's all for tonight. I hope tomorrow is the start of a wonderful weekend for you, wherever you are! I'm hoping this rain will end and the sun will shine through! My kid's school gets out next Thursday and I am praying for LOTS of sun this summer!

xoxo, Krista

Another end to another month...

Happy Memorial day, to those of you in the States! In our family we take a few extra minutes on this day to remember not just our service men and women, but also those in our family who have gone home to be with the Lord. My Dad is one of those who have gone ahead of us. We have made it a family tradition to go out and take Dad flowers and talk about him at his graveside on this day each year. My husband and kids never got to meet my Dad, as he passed when I was 17 years old. Dad and I had a very strained relationship for many reasons, one of them being that he was my 'step' Dad, even though I've never called him that, because I was only 7 months old when he met and married my Mom. Growing up he and I never seemed to find a common ground... Until now. Well, make that about 15 years ago. That would be when I met and married my hubby and his 2 kids. When I became a 'step' Mom I was able to see and understand his side of things SO much better. I only wish he had been around long enough for me to tell him how much I appreciate what he did for all of us. What a wonderful man he was for marrying my Mom, with her 2 little girls, and raising us to the best of his ability. What an amazing example of a husband he was to all of us kids. My Mom was always his first joy and priority. He was an amazing provider for our family, and definitely a man of God. If it had not been for his insistence that we attend church while I was growing up, I probably wouldn't have the relationship with my Heavenly Father that I do now. I wish that he could've met my Husband and children. He would have loved them all and they would've loved him, too. So, I today I take just a couple extra minutes to tell my Dad how much I love him and miss him. I love you, Dad!

Alright, enough, cuz now I can hardly see thru my tears... So, let's get back to scrapbooking ;)

Here is one that I completed a couple weeks ago, for Brandy's Design. When I saw this kit, my first thought was, "Hmm... None of my boys have ever been into dinosaurs :(" But then I got looking at the kit more closely and realized just how versatile it can be. I really liked the unique elements that Brandy included in this kit. And the color scheme is soft and natural. I really liked it! Take a look at the kit (which is linked to the product in the store), followed by my page:

The template I used is Blog Freebie #13 by Colie's Corner. And the fonts are Socially Awkward and Reservoir Grunge.

I also had some fun playing with some of Brandy's older kits for this next page! These are the products I used (again, linked to the store):

*A little news from Brandy Designs: Brandy has decided to close her shop at Scrapable for personal reasons. But, she can still be found at Polka Dot Plum! The template set was sold at Scrapable, so I'm not sure if/when it will be made available at PDP.

Here's my page:

I used a Word Art by Katie Pertiet. And the font is Larger Mime. I also used a photo action by Pioneer Woman called "Soft and Faded".

Now for a bit of a catch up again, but this time it isn't my fault. All of these pages where due at the same time! The SUN was down for a total of 16 days for remodeling, and tomorrow will be our first day back up! Yay! AND, It's also our 2nd birthday!! Whoo Hoo! So I hope you'll join us for TONS of new challenges and excitement this week! (Just remember, these kits won't be available until tomorrow, June 1st.)

Here is a page I just completed using Valarie Ostrom's "Boys Club Grab Bag". This kit is a great deal! You get 2 mini-kits, a full alpha AND a template pack! Remember, the page image is clickable to see it larger. (I will come back tomorrow and link the kit previews up to the products in the store, once they are available)

I LOVE the color scheme of this kit! And it's, obviously, very versatile as well! The template is Freebie 45 by ChrissyW, and the font is Century Gothic.

My next 2 pages are also made with kits you'll find at Sunshine Studio Scraps, but they were both made with kits by Ellie Lash. (Can I just say, I am LOVIN' being on her CT! Her style is SO my style! I can't get enough of the cute!)

My first page is made from her grab bag, which includes 2 full kits! It's FULL of total cuteness!

That is just one of the kits in the bag. The template is from a template pack called 'Lotsa Paperz' by ChrissyW ( I just LOVE her templates!!) And the font is DJB Coffeeshoppe Venti.

Ellie's other kit, available tomorrow in the SUN, is called "Little Grad's". Just in time for all those preschool and Pre-K graduations that are fast approaching! I decided to us this kit to showcase another educational milestone that Zach met not too long ago... learning to read!

The template is 'Layout Builders - Wave On Wave' by Amanda Heimann and the font is DJB Coffeeshoppe Venti. I love that font!!

A little note about Ellie: Her guest spot over at Scrapable has been extended another month! So you can find her there through June, as well as in the SUN! She has some adorable new kits coming out exclusively to Scrapable, too. I'll be back to share those with you soon!

And last, but surely not least... A couple of amazing new kits by Creations By Rachael.

Rachel is a guest designer at The Digi Chick for the month June! How exciting is that?! Her first exclusive kit there is called "Berry Sweet" and it is Oh, SO SWEET! I just love it! (Kits will be linked tomorrow, when available in the store)

I used this great template by wm[squared] from a Tuesday Template Challenge at Scrap Matters. The font is Pea Cari.

This last kit by Rachael is a collaboration with Late Night Scraps. They work together quite often under the name of Plucky Pear Designs. This kit is called "Star Light, Star Bright" and can only be found at Scrapbook Bytes. I love the dreaminess of this kit. There are so many unique elements and some gorgeous background papers. It's just beautiful!

I used another template by ChrissyW, 'In The Middle' Template pack. The font is SS Whimsy.

The template is 'For The Fans' Freebie by Tiny Toes Designs. I used a Photo action - 'Faded Day Dreams' by CoffeeShop. And the fonts are DJB Angel Baby and Love Ya Like A Sister.

Well, that's it! I hope you've found some inspiration, or at least enjoyed my pages! ;) I also hope that June brings you all the love and blessings you can handle, and then some more! Thanks for visiting my little corner of the world!

xoxo, Krista

So behind...

Well, you know me. I get so busy scrapping and I forget to come back to post my pages here. I'm sorry!

Before we get started, a little bit of fair warning. It is a long post, but if you stick with me, I promise it will be worth it!

I know I say this all the time, but I really love how this page turned out. I just love these photos, and the memory of that wonderful day. On this particular trip we found 19 full sand dollars! It was just like finding treasures! So when I saw this saying, I knew it was perfect!

I used Erica Zane's kit "Sail Away".

Well, as I told you in my last post, Ellie Lash is a guest designer over at Scrapable this month. Her very first kit in that shop was called "Backyard Sweeties". Take a look. It is SO cute!

And here is my page, "Backyard Sweetie" (I know, real original title, huh? lol):

Ellie made the next kit for Sunshine Studio Scraps and she named it "Monsters!" Hehe. There's nothin' scary here! Just another adorable kit! Perfect for all those "Lil' Monsters" in your life! ;)

Here is my lil' monster, being silly at Cody's birthday party a few years back.
Ellie has two new kits just released at Scrapable today, "Sugar & Spice" and "Snips & Snails". But don't let the names fool you! They are very versatile and chock full of cuteness! See for yourself.

Here is my page from "Snips & Snails". These pics of Zach were taken on my very old Motorola Razor cell phone camera. They cleaned up not too shabby, huh? ;) He's just so stinkin' cute anyway, that it doesn't much matter. hehe
You gotta LOVE being the Mom of boys! LOL!

Rachael has been a very busy girl lately too! OH! But first, speaking of Creations By Rachael... I have some very exciting news! I have just officially been made permanent on her CT!!! Woo Hoo! I am SO thrilled! Thanks again, Rachael!

Ok, here is a gorgeous kit by Creations By Rachael, "Wings and Wildflowers". I absolutely love the color scheme, the beautiful papers and the unique elements. See for yourself:

Beautiful, huh? This kit is so packed full of beauty, I made two pages and you'd never know they were from the same kit! I love that!

Side note: I had such a great Mother's day this year! We had all 5 kids back home again for the weekend! I LOVED it! Thank you guys! You don't know how much I appreciated it! And thank you for indulging me and my need for pictures! :P I love you all!! xoxo!

Rachael's newest kit became available on Tuesday. It's called "Denim Days", and I absolutely love it! It's got such a rich color scheme, and Rachael has an amazing talent for designing such beautiful papers and unique and versatile elements.

I took this photo of Zach at the Oregon Zoo back in '05, and I have been waiting for the perfect kit to compliment it. This kit is definitely that kit! Look at the mischief in that boys eyes. I hope he never out grows that!
Look at my puppies! They were so adorable when they were tiny! No wonder I just had to have them! Too bad they had to grow up, huh? Lol, JK! I luv my doggies!

I used Brandy's two most recent kits, "Secret Garden" and "Fingerprints Set 3", to remember the year we planted all the lavendar in our front yard. Here are her kits:

My yard smells beautiful! And here is my page:

Sunshine Studio Scraps is being shut down for the next couple of weeks, but NO WORRIES! It's being given a face lift and it will reopen, better than before, on June 1st! Just in time for their 2nd birthday!!

Here are the last two pages I made before the shut down:

For the first one, I used "Intense Love" by Craft-tastrophic. It is beautiful with the purple and green color scheme.

This is one of my sisters' favorite pics of my niece, Akaila. I'm glad I was able to scrap it for her and I hope she likes it.

My last SUN page was made from Valarie Ostrom's kit, "Dear Mother".
I used one of my Mother's Day photos again, and I really like it in the black and white with the colors of this kit. And with all the good and bad... I truly do LOVE being the Mom.
Yeah, I know... They're all taller than me, except for Zach. And it won't be long till he passes me too! But I'll always be the Mom ;)

Alright, last one for tonight. This last kit is a Collaboration of the Polka Dot Plum Designers to raise money for the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, called "Perspective".

When I was asked to work with this kit, I did not know what it would be benefiting, but I could just tell that it was something special. I had an idea that I thought would be fitting of such an inspiring kit.

My Grandma has had a very hard time the last couple years dealing with the death of my Uncle Doug, her only son, to cancer. She has a friends at church who also just recently lost a son in a horrible accident. They have become very close friends, understand and feeling each others pain and helping each other to cope in the tough times. I wanted to make this page for them, letting them know that I love them both and pray for them still. I know it is a true comfort for both of them to know that they will be reunited with their boys when the Lord comes to take us all home together.

You are loved, Grandma and Molly, by God and by every heart your lives have touched! As a friend of mine says, "Be blessed, because you are a blessing."

xoxo, Krista