Feeling Great {FD Sketch Along Tuesday Challenge}

Here is my layout for the Frosted Designs Sketch Along Tuesday Challenge.  This was a lot harder than it needed to be to complete!!!  I want to start by saying I had a baby late in life 5 years ago, then got sued by my HOA for running a licensed daycare in my home (which they considered a "retail business"), my dad died and then we moved out of that awful neighborhood.  Losing my dad was tough.  My mom died when I was 20 of non-hodgkins lymphoma.  My dad died of b-cell lymphoma.  I am seriously freaked out about lymphoma!!!  Next month is my 4 year anniversary of being an orphan.

  Needless to say, the past 6 years have taken a toll on my body.  I spent last year working on lowering my cholesterol (which I did) and then got through the holidays without any depression meds!!!

 I was finally ready to shed the extra weight I have been carrying around!!  I have been following the MediFast Diet since January 14th.  As of yesterday (June 14th) I have lost 63lbs!  I am within 10 lbs of my goal.  The most surprising thing has not been how I look, but how I FEEL.  I have energy, I feel great and happy!!  It is also fun shopping for clothes NOT in the plus size section!!

I have been thinking of how I want to scrapbook this life changing event for me and this sketch (along with the sponsor) just clicked!!

Here is the sketch.

I immediately thought about adding denim from my old jeans to this layout as the border across both pages!

I put some shapes on my Gypsy from Embellished Edges and Plantin Schoolbook.  My Gypsy gave me an error message when I tried to cut the images from EE.  Told me the Gypsy has received a security breach and will shut down ~ and it did.  I had to dig out the actual cartridge, change my measurements a bit and cut them out OLD SCHOOL on my cricut.  I was getting crabby at this point!!

I did not really do a tutorial for this layout as I was fighting with technology!!

The red square on the left page and the black scalloped square on the right page were both cut at 7".  I cut the bottom 1 1/2" off the black square and adhered them on both sides of the denim border so it looks like a rectangle.  The smaller red squares were cut at 2 3/4".

From my Gypsy, I cut the oval from Plantin Schoolbook at 5.75w x 7.78h.  I welded and cut my title from Songbird at 1.31"

I added a little journaling spot with key words about how I am feeling.

These are some of Debbie's crocheted flowers (our sponsor this week) LOVE THESE!!!  I just stuck a gem in the center of them.

Here are some snaps from a pair of my bigger jeans.

The crocheted lace is also from Debbie.  I wanted to soften up the denim a bit.  The 63 represents lbs lost, and 5 represents the months it took to do so.  I also used my Tim Holtz die cut and my Cuttlebut to cut out some denim flowers.

This is the picture I am putting on my layout as my After shot.  My helper took this of me this morning at the zoo.  Of course, my printer did not cooperate!!!  I want to crop out some of the tree anyway...

My Before shot (conveniently no close ups for you) was taken last October at CKC in Kansas City.  Thanks for listening to my entire story ~ I usually have more photos than words in my post!!!  If you get a chance, hop on over to Frosted Designs and enter a sketch!!

Boo To You and You, Happy Halloween

Here is my take on the Frosted Designs Sketch Along Tuesday Sketch #16.  Instead of a circle, I started with a pumpkin!

Here is the sketch that I worked from.  I create 2 page layouts most of the time, so I found  way to stretch this sketch into 2 pages!

  

I started with the pumpkin from Create A Critter sized at 9.5w x 8.53h.  I used the font from Nate's ABCs sized at 1"h and welded together to spell out words from the Disney Parade song (believe me I can still hear the song clearly in my head!) Boo To You and You, Happy Halloween.  I put them on a new layer so I could make sure they would fit on the page with the pumpkin.

Of course, when I put my layouts together I changed my mind and spread out the words onto both pages....a girl can change her mind!!

The parade starts with a headless horseman, so I added this one from Happy Hauntings sized at 3"h.

I added some more of the pumpkins, 2 of them at 5.56w x 4.99h and one at 4.60w x 4.13h.

I used a K&Co. pumpkin border strip and three candy corn buttons to finish the page.

Here is my headless horseman.  I added black stickles to his cape for added drama.

I cut off the button shanks with a wire cutter and pop dotted the buttons to the layout.

Here is my coordinating page.

And here are the two pages together.  I love when I come across a sketch challenge that works for layouts on my to-do list!!!  Of course, now I am getting Disney fever again!!  Shhhhh, don't tell my husband!!

Sketch Along Tuesday {Frosted Designs}

Here is my take on Frosted Designs Sketch Along Tuesday.

Here is the sketch.

I used glossy accents and paperclips to make a border for the picture.

I used Scrabble tiles and some tiny staples for my title.

I used a baseball brad and paperclip to attach a baseball saying.

I journaled on the bottom of my brown paper.  I used my paper crimper to crimp the brown cardstock.

I did not use my Cricut or Gypsy at all for this layout ~ shocker!!!  I sure had fun though!

Easter LO ~ Frosted Designs Sketch

Finally I get to do a girly layout!!!  I just love Easter layouts!!  I was inspired by Frosted Designs Sketch Along Tuesday challenge yesterday.

Here is the sketch.  I cut a scalloped circle from Easter 2010 at 8" and looped ribbon through the cut outs.

I added some flowers, butterfly, buttons, pearls and pink tulle.

I made a tulle flower with a button center.

Yes, my son is the only one not dressed up!!!   My nieces and cousin's daughter look soooo pretty!!

Thanks for stopping by!  Join us at Frosted Designs, you could win some awesome prizes!!

Daddy's Little Helper {Frosted Designs Sketch Challenge}

Here is one more take on Frosted Design's Sketch Along Tuesday challenge.  I took these pictures of Tanner and Mike mowing.  Usually Tanner gives me a cheesy smile when I get out my camera, but he did not see me this time....the look on his face was pure bliss but serious business!!

Here is the sketch that Diana designed for this challenge.

I used Boys Will Be Boys for my title and yard bugs.  I sized the circles to fit the page (3") and then sized the bugs and title to fit the circles(2"). 

I separated the layers into four color groups and cut out my layers.

My trusty 5" Xyron made the layers into stickers.

To add a little texture, I tied knots in a piece of jute cord and secured it across the middle of my layout.  I hung the circles from this cord.

I journaled around the edge of my paper.  I repeated Mowing with Daddy.....Summer 2010.... all along the edge.

And here is my layout.  I love that this sketch offers 3 photos (or you could add 3 additional small photos on the circles) as I am so behind!!!

Don't forget to check out Frosted Designs to see what everyone else did with this challenge!!

Bowling {Frosted Designs Sketch Challenge}

Here is my first of two entries for Frosted Designs Sketch Along Tuesday challenge.

Here is the sketch.  I turned it clockwise 90 degrees to fit the pictures I had.  I did not use my Gypsy or my Cricut (shocker I know)!  I do have several bowling stickers and embellishments as my high school son is on the bowling team, so I used what I had.

Instead of flowers, I used a bowling ball and pins.

I journaled around the center photo.

One more boyed down "flower" (he he).

Thanks for joining me and I hope you join in the challenge at Frosted Designs!!  Check back tomorrow for my completely different take on this challenge!

Water Fun (FD Sketch Challenge)

Here is my Sketch Along Tuesday project for the Frosted Designs 1-11-11 challenge.

Here is the sketch.

I used stickles to create water drops coming out of the hose.  I found Water Fun on the H2O cartridge.

I used the three drops to journal on.  I took this shape (a layer on Create A Critter) and stretched it with my Gypsy since I couldn't find a rain drop.

Of course, I had to make this into a 2 page layout.  Tanner really loves playing with the hose.  He even asked if he could get the hose out yesterday and we have several inches of snow in the yard!!

I tucked my journaling over on one side of the layout.

I grounded my photos together by cutting out this house from one of the papers and using some stickles around the cloud and sticking it in the center.

Here are the two layouts together.  I was super motivated to do this challenge as soon as I saw these photos!