Summer Layouts

It's my daughter Ellie's 9th Birthday today!!! I LOVE YOU Ellie!!!

To celebrate her, I wanted to share a few fun "Ellie" layouts with you today...

This first layout was scrap-lifted from Scrapbooks and Cards Today magazine (Summer 2014 Issue). 

(scrap-lifted from layout by Amy Coose)

My Ellie girl and one her best friends, Gracie. They always have so much fun together.

Here's the corresponding page...

April SEM Challenges

Scrapping Everyday Miracle's has 3 Fun Challenges each month, and this month I made samples for 2 of the challenges:

For our Card Sketch Challenge we were asked to create a card using this cute sketch from PageMaps:

Here's my take on the card...I printed out a cute & free Happy Spring tag I found on Pinterest as the sentiment for my card...and added a cute little bird from Recollections (Michaels), washi tape, enamel dots, and a cute little wooden heart from Pinkfresh Studio. 

And for our Layout Sketch Challenge we were to create a layout using this great sketch from PageMaps: 

And here's my take on the layout sketch celebrating the new & tough things that my daughter Ellie has had to face this past school year. I LOVE this girl!!

Love this verse from Lamentations 3:22-23:

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for this compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness. (I want her to remember that no matter what she goes through, the Lord is with her always!)

SEM's September Main Challenge

At Scrapping Everyday Miracles this month the challenge is to create a project about your favorite season, and the scrap twist is to include at least 3 leaves on your layout. There are things I enjoy about all the seasons---spending time during the holidays with family in Winter, the pretty flowers in Spring, the extra time with my little girl and camping in the Summer....but my very favorite season is Fall. Why? I love the cooler temperatures, the changing colors of the leaves and our family tradition of going to the Farm and picking out our own pumpkins. So Fall fun is what I chose to scrap about...

Thanks for stopping by...and hope you'll join us at SEM for this fun challenge!

SEM's August Main Challenge

Over at the Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog the challenge this month is to create a project about an Accomplishment (either yours or a loved ones). It's entitled "I Can Do All Things Through Christ".

For I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

I chose to create a layout about my Ellie's Kindergarten graduation (back in spring 2012). She is in the Dual-Language program and many times felt overwhelmed not understanding very much of the Spanish language, but she has stuck with it despite her fears, and is on her way to becoming a fluent Spanish speaker (she will be going into the 2nd grade in the program this Fall). I know God is so very proud of her...just like I am!

And the Scrap Twist is to use metal or something metallic on your project. I used metal rimmed brads and a metal rimmed clip. 

SEM's July Main Challenge

Over at the Scrapping Everyday Miracle's blog,  I was in charge of the Main Challenge this month. I decided that it would be fun to do one about "Favorite Things". My subject (as it almost always is:)) is my daughter Ellie. The scrap twist was to use at least one office supply item--I used staples and a paper clip.

Here's my take on it:

I had fun "interviewing" Ellie about her MOST favorite things (she could have given me a much longer list, but I made her stop:)). Then I had fun finding some online printables of some of her favorites--Ruby Gloom, a cute Pokemon bird, and a Littlest Pet Shop dog. I printed them out to the right size, colored them and fussy cut them and used them as some extra cute little embellishments. Fun, right?

I love this sweet page all about my sweet girl's favorites...I hope you'll join us for this fun challenge!

Thanks for stopping by!

June's SEM Sketch Challenge!

Over at the SEM blog this month, we're doing another Sketch Challenge...this month I created projects for both the Layout and the Card sketch. The "Twist" was to include a handmade flower. 

Here's the Layout Sketch by Leah Schaeffer...

And here's my take on it:

I made my flower on this layout with a "gluber" glue dot and some jute, then layered on a punched piece that I cut myself, a flair button and a My Mind's eye enamel dot. Love the way it turned out! 

And here's the Card Sketch by Leah Schaffer...

 And here's the card I created:

I started out with a basic sticker (from K & Co.) for my flower here, but added some patterned paper so it would match better and some enamel dots and bling...what I ended up with was a one of a kind "hand-made" flower! FUN!

Join us this month and you'll be entered to win an awesome prize from Citrus Twist Kits.

SEM's "Something New" Challenge!

Over at Scrapping Everyday Miracles our new challenge this month is to scrap about something NEW in your life. The "twist" to include is something old (a year or older) and something new (something purchased in 2013) on your layout.

Here's my take on the challenge...

I chose to scrap about Ellie being baptized--she decided all on her own to give her life to Christ last year, and was baptized in August---we are so thrilled to have a new believer in our home--what a JOY she is! 

I included this bible quote on my layout...

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4

Hope you'll join us for this fun challenge and share something NEW in your life!!

-Blessings!!

A New & Improved SEM Sketch Challenge

This month over at the Scrapping Everyday Miracle's Blog we are trying something new...adding a Card Sketch to the Layout Sketch we've always done. So you'll have your choice of doing the Layout Sketch OR the Card Sketch OR if you do BOTH you'll receive 2 entries into our awesome prize drawing this month...which is $40 worth of BUTTON FLAIR from FindingNana!

So...back to the Sketches...both are from PageMaps! The SCRAP TWIST to include is WASHI TAPE (I think I've only used Washi tape one other time...a little piece on a layout...so it was fun to play with some for this challenge---it just might be a new love of mine!).

Layout Sketch

Card Sketch

And here's my take on both:

Hope you join us for this challenge...can't wait to see what you create!

SEM's April Challenge

The Main Challenge at Scrapping Everyday Miracles this month is to create a project about a pet or favorite animal. And the SCRAP TWIST is to use a quote about an animal. 

We at the Goedeking house have been blessed with a few pets...a 5 year old black lab, Loretta, a Calico cat named Kali, and two chickens named Lulu and Freckleface Strawberry. I've already done quite a few layouts about Loretta...because my daughter Ellie and her are such great buddies I have lots of cute photos. But this is not so much the case with Kali Cat. Ellie and Kali have kind of a love-hate relationship going on....Ellie loves Kali, but Kali doesn't so much love Ellie (because well, she's quick, loud and a little crazy a lot of the time, and Kali prefers peace). But as Ellie matures, she's coming to understand that Kali will like her more if she is slow in her movements and quiet...and so the beginning of a beautiful relationship is starting to form...maybe?:) Only time will tell!! (and next on the list to scrap...those 2 crazy chickens!) 

Here's a close-up of that "very fitting" CAT quote:

SEM's Spring Blog Hop!

SCRAPPING EVERYDAY MIRACLES

HOP into SPRING BLOG HOP!

MARCH 29th - 31st

Hi SEM Blog Hoppers! Cara here...and I'm so excited to be part of this Scrapping Everyday Miracles Spring Blog Hop !

The project I created is a double-page 12x12" layout because I had so many cute photos from Easter last year. That was our first year without my husband's mom...she was a big part of our Easters, and was very missed, but we had a delightful little distraction from the sadness...our own little Easter bunny (a classroom pet that we bunny-sat for the weekend). Butterscotch was indeed one of our Easter Blessings!

Here's the first page (a little closer up)...love the cute little tags from We R Memory Keepers...I took the cue from those for my photos and rounded all the corners.

And here's the second page...

What do you love most about Spring? I am not much of a winter or snow person at all, so I really appreciate all the green-ness that Spring brings...and I love the spring flowers...daffodils & grape hyacinths are my favorite!

Where do you live? Boise, Idaho, USA. And I love my city--the "City of Trees"! It is a super family-friendly city with lots of gorgeous parks and 25 miles of "greenbelt" (an alternate transportation trail along the banks of the beautiful Boise River). We also have the largest ethnic Basque community in the US (15,000) and have a great Basque Block where the Basque Festival is centered every five years.

I truly appreciate you visiting my blog today and I'm offering a special little prize pack. Just leave a comment for me and I'll randomly choose a winner from all the comments left by Sunday, March 31st at 11:59pm. The winner will be announced on Saturday, April 6th.

Mini "Spring" Clear Stamps by Hampton Arts

Mini Alphabet Wooden Stamp Set by Hampton Arts (these are awesome for short journaling on your layouts or custom stamped messages on your cards)

Yellow (my favorite Spring color!!) Scrapper's Floss by Karen Foster

And don't forget that on the SEM Blog, we're going to choose a Grand Prize winner from a randomly chosen Design Team member's comments! Winner to be announced Saturday, April 6th.

If you've missed any stops along the way make sure you go back and comment for your chance to win...have fun hopping!

SEM Blog

Toni

Nicole

Jessica

Tracey G.

Helen

Cara<---YOU ARE HERE

NOW GO HERE--->Tracey S.

Kelly

Christy

Elizabeth
Lisa

SEM Blog

SEM's March Sketch Challenge

I'm in charge of the Sketch Challenge this month over at Scrapping Everyday Miracles.

I loved this sketch by Debbie Gaydos.

The SCRAP TWIST was to use buttons! (of which I have so many I don't know what to do with them all...that's why I chose to use them!).

Here is my take on the sketch...

This is from our trip to the Winter Carnival in McCall, Idaho. For lunch we decided to try out a new pizza place, as pizza is our family favorite!...And it was AWESOME! I love these fun "pizza-eating" pics of Pete and Ellie! 

Here's a close-up:

Loved using some new fun stuff from Doodlebug's Take Note collection...like the rainbow chevron paper and the gray number paper plus most of the tag stickers (a few a the stickers are also from Simple Stories Sn@p! collection). So bright and fun...right up my alley!!

Just for fun...here's a few more pics to share from our McCall Winter Carnival trip. They have the most amazing ice/snow sculptures there!

So cool...lots of Mickey-themed Winter Magic sculptures

Snowing like crazy!

 Mr. Wizard! Cool, huh?

Now check out the slide on the back of it...Ellie loved it!!

We also took a fun hay cart ride around town on this...lots of fun...but so much snow it was a little crazy!

We'll definitely go back (and have some pizza at the Blue Moose again too:))

Inspired by Pinterest...

I'm loving all the awesome scrapping ideas at Pinterest and decided that I really needed to try this folded circle technique that I saw. For a step by step tutorial, check out my post on the SEM blog.

Here's my layout:

February's SEM Sketch Challenge

This month at Scrapping Everyday Miracles we're having a Sketch Challenge based on this sketch designed by Tracey Gregory. Her style is a lot different than mine, so at first I was little worried on how I could make this work with my style. But then I just realized that if I used the basic shapes and placement, I could just apply my own clean & simple style to her layout and make it work.

  

This is what I came up with! The SCRAP TWIST was to use distressing. So instead of paper distressing (shown by Tracey in the sketch), I used ink distressing and inked around most of my shapes. 

Love the new Ali Edwards stamps from Technique Tuesday that I was able to incorporate! And the fun bling from My Minds Eye. 

SEM "Home" Challenge Layout

The Main Challenge over at the Scrapping Everyday Miracles blog this month is "Home is Where the Heart Is". We're supposed to scrap about the place we call "home". And the scrap twist is to use a tag or journaling block. 

 My home is wherever Pete and Ellie are...

and here is my layout:

SEM's December Sketch Challenge

This month our Sketch Challenge at Scrapping Everyday Miracles is based on this awesome sketch by Nerrida Mitchell.  The Scrap Twist was to use a Punch!

Here's my take on the sketch:

Supplies:

Gray Cardstock (American Crafts)

Patterned Paper & Stickers (Echo Park)

Border Punch (Fiskars)

Snuck in some Scrapping Time Yesterday...

Somehow, some way I managed to complete another page yesterday...ok, it was partially "thought-out" (I had started working on it at the retreat I went to back in November), but I really changed it up from what I had originally planned. I decided that with these photos of these Ellie and one of her best friends, Gabi, that I should really use the "friends" sticker packet I had gotten this summer from Michaels (from Recollections brand), and I love how it turned out. I cut the big PALS banner out and used my Cricut to cut out the letters (I then kept the reverse image instead of keeping the letters). Love how it looks. Then all I really did was add a few cute smaller banners to a couple of the saying stickers and used my scallop punch (from Stampin' Up) on one of my bottom strips and that about did it. I actually finished this one in less than a couple hours...that may be just some kind of record for me...ugh?!:)))

Horsin' Around...

And, drum roll please....here's my last layout from my stupendously productive (ha!) scrapping retreat (now 3 weeks ago). 

And yes, another layout made with Echo Park yumminess....love those cute little banners (some of them were stickers and others I made from the coordinating patterned paper). Have I mentioned that I love Echo Park?!:)))

Love that cool old red barn...I played countless hours in that barn as a child. <3

Love You Layout

Another layout to share with you from my scrapping productivity....

This one is of Ellie, my mom and stepdad (aka Mimi & Papa Dan).

Ellie sure adores these two! Fun times!!

Stickers, Orange paper & "Love You" die cut (Echo Park)

Rainbow Chevron ribbon (American Crafts)

Red Ribbon (BoBunny)

*Check back tomorrow for my final layout share from all my "Retreat productivity":))))