A couple of things to share...

I have a couple of things to share today...

First up is my Pages With Papertrey sketch for August. This month, I chose Sketch #146 from Got Sketch? Unfortunately, I can't post the sketch here on my blog, but if you click on the link, you'll get to see it, along with several fabulous layout by their DT.

(I realize that this is a one photo sketch, but I think it would be really easy to make it a two or three photo layout, just by putting several photos in the space of the large one.)

I decided to scale down the sketch and create a 8.5x11" layout using one 4x6 photo:

I used Papertrey Ink cardstock (classic kraft, stamper's select white), stamps (think big favourites #17, star prints) and dies (mat stack 4, layerz mat stack 4, seeing stars). I also used My Mind's Eye patterned paper, diecut and brads.

Here's my journaling: "Austin came home from school in May (2012) with the bad news that he had failed a French test on “passé compose.” I talked to his teacher about redoing the test and spent a couple of weeks going over worksheets to help him understand the material and prepare him for the retest. He finally took it on a Thursday in June, after school. When he came home, he acted sad, and asked what I thought he’d gotten on it. I guessed “80%?” because that had been his goal. “No,” he replied, “an 82%!” I was so proud of him!! 

And, as an extra note of good news, he’d also found out that he’d gotten a spot in the Jazz Choir for Grade Eight! A very good day!"

Here are some close-ups:

This layout will go in Austin's 8.5x11 album, right beside the text.

If you make a layout using this sketch, please link it up here in the comments or here on the PTI forum, so I can come and check it out!

And before I go, I wanted to share a card that I'd made that was published in September/October issue of Papercrafts magazine.

Here's my card:

I used Papertrey Ink cardstock (rustic white, spring moss, vintage cream, classic kraft), stamps (Think Big Favorites #3, Background Basics: Woodgrain, Label Basics), felt, button, twine and dies (leaf prints). 

Thanks for looking!

A birthday card

I had some time this morning before church (I ♥ summer schedule!) to make this card, using this week's Make It Monday at Papertrey Ink: stamping on patterned paper and Got Sketch? #147:

Here's my card:

I used Papertrey Ink cardstock (vintage cream), stamps (stitches & swirls, pretty peonies) and dies (tag sale #5). The patterned paper and chipboard shape is all Crate Paper.

Thanks for looking!

The only layout...

... that I got done on National Scrapbooking Day weekend.

Normally, I make it a habit to participate in NSD online crops, but this weekend, it just didn't happen. We had Austin's birthday party on Friday night (we went to see The Avengers), the taekwondo promotion test on Saturday, followed by some weather that was just too nice to ignore (we went to play tennis) and a couple of movie nights (Iron Man & Iron Man 2, because I really liked him in the Avengers...). I did manage to fit in some scrapbooking time yesterday afternoon, in between a trip to the playground, so I made this layout for Valerie Salmon's 5 Year Anniversary Sketch Challenge. The challenge was to use: 5 photos, 5 patterned papers and a cluster of 5 embellishments.

I pulled out some new Pink Paislee patterned papers and my photos from the piano festival and made this:

In addition to the Pink Paislee patterned papers, I used Bazzill cardstock (white), Papertrey Ink cardstock (ocean tides) and dies (script alphabet, double-ended banner, notched flower), My Mind's Eye decorative brads and a scrap of The Girl's Paperie Xmas patterned paper to make my flower.

Thanks for looking!