First Smile

Hi there!  I’m just popping in for a sec to share a layout that I created a few months ago.  This one shows my baby’s first smile.  :)  It was inspired by the talented Christine Middlecamp. 

I promise to be around more soon!  We’re finally feeling settled in the new house, and I have a desk/workspace (finally!) as of 3 days ago.  So, bring on the creating.  :)

 

~Alyssa~

Brother & Sister

My daughter, now 10 (!) is the best big sister a little guy could ask for.  She is patient, kind, and always has time for Ezra.  They’re both much bigger now then they were in this photo, but the love remains the same. 


This layout uses Crate Paper’s DIY collection, alosng with some paint and some REALLY ancient Jillibean Soup letters.  I started by enhancing the background paper with some additional paint, then I stenciled circles all over the background and added some fussy cutting.  Simple but effective!
Thanks for taking a peek!
~Alyssa~

4 Months Old!

Hi All!  We’re back in the USA now, and working on getting settled in our new place.  Between here and there, though, is a trip to the East Coast to attend a special family wedding.  :)  So, more regular posting is on the horizon, but please bear with my for a few weeks.

Today I have a layout to share that is full of color!  I decided to play around with stencils and paint one night, and made these tags.  I decided to use them on this layout and go all-out color.  I used the white background to keep things from being too overwhelming.

With this much color, minimal was the best route for embellishing, so I used a few die cuts and enamel dots and went with it. 

Enjoy color today!

~Alyssa~

Three Boys in a Fort

I really enjoy a bold background!  Especially when I find one that fits the photo perfectly.  In this case, the photo is of Elijah and some friends, building a tree fort, and they are peering through the branches.  It fit the striped background exactly.

I also enjoy the opportunity to challenge the “rules” a little and use flowers on a boys page.  Outdoor photos seem to be the best choices for that, and in the case, I think they blend in well with the overall look. 

I traced the twigs from some really old die cuts onto the back of this grey woodgrain paper, and cut them out. I used them to ground the layout and reinforce the outdoor theme.  I think it comes through even on a bold striped paper.

All the papers here are from My Mind’s Eye, though all from different lines.

Go build a fort… or something.  :)

~Alyssa~

Ballet On Ice

One of the highlights of the past year happened just before Christmas, when my husband took Milena to see Ballet on Ice here in Sofia.  It was one of Milena’s Christmas gifts, and Don even grabbed a huge poster off the street the day of the event for her to keep.  Seeing her face made it worth every penny. 

This layout is old BasicGrey mixed with older BasicGrey.  I kept it fairly simple, but I was very pleased with how these papers highlighted my less-then-stellar nighttime photo.  :)  it’s nice when things work out.

Do something pretty today.  :)

~Alyssa~

3 Amazing Boys

I posted last week with one of the last photos taken of my guys before Ezra arrived.  Now, here is my first layout featuring my 3 guys.  (I really need some new photos of Milena so I can do some girly layouts!)

I started here with some multi-colored misting, then dug into the scrap drawer for some Echo Park Paper.  There’s also some really old Studio Calico here (maybe their very first line?) and some Pink Paislee. 



I love those cork arrows.  They were the last thing I added and I think they really brought the whole page together.  I’m digging this cork trend (it is still a trend, right?  Please say yes)! 
~Alyssa~

All New Times and Seasons

I enjoy a good scraplift.  Especially when I have good reason to scraplift one of my favorite layouts. 

A few years ago, I created this layout, featuring a fun photo of my older son (now 8- yikes!).

When I was looking for inspiration for scrapping Ezra’s birth announcement, I came across this layout and realized I still had some of the same Echo Park paper.  That’s how this layout was born (pun intended).  I even borrowed the title, which seems appropriate given the way this little guy has changed the entire landscape of our family.  :)

 

There’s not a lot of complicated stuff going on here, just some fun layering and paint spatters.  I think my favorite part is the small “hi” beside the photo.  It adds a  little bit of fun on a fairly serious layout.  :)

Thanks for peeking!

~Alyssa~

2 of the Good Guys

This photo was taken just weeks before Ezra was born.  It was right before I went from have 2 main guys to 3 (layout coming soon of my 3 guys). 

This layout is a scrap-drawer layout.   I love those!   However, that means I’m not exactly sure who made this paper or where it can from.  The gears I cut for another project using an ooolllddd Ranger stencil.  

This page started as something completely different and morphed until it was this.  I’m good with that.  I like the end result.  Hope it brings a little inspiration to your day!

~Alyssa~

Celebrate Family

You know how sometimes, being together is all that matters?  While we have been living overseas, we have had visitors from the US once.  My parents came to see us, shortly after baby Ezra was born last year.  While they were here, I was recovering, the weather was lousy, and we didn’t do much.  But they came, and that meant the world.  We loved every minute.  Also, I didn’t take enough photos. 

This layout uses a collection of random bits from KaiserCraft, My Mind’s Eye, and Glitz Design.

I still have to add the journaling.  That’s my weak spot, on every page!  I did leave a spot for it, though so it will be there.  Someday.  Soon-ish.  Ahem. 

See you on the crafty side,

~Alyssa~

The Gang’s All Here

Today’s layout is the first family photo we’ve taken in 2 years (bad, I know!).  I’m not thrilled with it, as several of us were sick and no one was in the mood for a photo shoot, and it shows.  But there was a deadline for a family project, so a photo shoot we did.  I decided that the photo was a must-scrap simply because it exists (and includes the baby).

For this page, I chose the “September Skies” collection from Heidi Swapp.  I adore the colors in this collection, so much that I am basing the colors for our new home décor on them when we return to the USA next month.  The gold spatters are from Heidi Swapp mist.

I’ve been saving these gold Thickers for a while… I kinda love them too.

I created the background with a white Signo pen, and a Crafter’s Workshop stencil.  So easy to do, so much impact.  It’s also a high-impact layer with no bulk, which suits my style perfectly, and something I add to my pages whenever I can.

I hope you get some crafty time today!

~Alyssa~

Starting Fresh

It’s been so long since I blogged, that I’ve somehow lost access to my old blog.    Moving overseas caused problems with my accounts, and Google has been very slow to restore access, since they assume I’m a hacker (because clearly scrapping blogs are THE THING to hack).  Why the long absence?  Well, between the aforementioned move, having a baby, and now preparing to move back to the USA my time and motivation for scrapbooking and blogging has been at a 10 year low.  After years of being part of design teams, challenge blogs, and other scrapbook related activities, I needed time to recharge and find my scrapping groove again without the pressure of publically posting everything. 

And, it was great.  But I miss it, so here I am.

So, here is my first layout to share in over a year.  The papers are from Kaisercraft, and the photo is from one of our trips back to the US to visit friends. The lamppost is from the Curtsey Boutique, and the wood frame is an oldie-but-goodie I’ve been hoarding from Crate Paper (remember Story Teller?)

So, there you have it.  Hopefully, you’ll be seeing a lot more of me here in the near future, with inspiration to share. 

Thanks for coming by!

~Alyssa~

PS- My old blog, Alyssa’s Scraps, can be found here.