Can’t Stop the Laughter

Every now and then, there are magic moments where the camera catches just the right look.  The right expression, the right position, the things that make a photo really stand out.  These things are often elusive, but every now and then…  you get a photo like this. 

The entire family was in the car when this happened.  We were waiting in the parking lot for baseball practice to start, and the littlest one was sitting on dad’s lap checking out all things not-in-carseat.  I called his name and he gave me this look.

When we saw the photo later, we were all cracking up.  And indeed, this photo got lots of comments on Facebook as well.  It’s just one of those photos.

I was in a mixed-media mood when i did this layout, and so I only used a minimum of embellishments.  There are a few chipboard pieces and rub-ons from the Basic Grey Wander collection, and die cut title from Pretty Little Studio, and some assorted letter stickers.

Ok. no go scrapbook one of “those” photos! 

Dream Big!

Hi All!  It's been too long!  Today I have a dreamy layout to share.  I made it with a random assortment of products I unpacked from storage (finding things you forgot about- yay!).  First though, I layered up the foundation with some Crafter's Workshop stencils.

This leaf stencil has to be my favorite stencil to date.  So versatile!  And the arrows?  Well, it was a way to make a fairly feminine layout a little more masculine without detracting from the feel.  

I just adore this photo of my 3 from the days right after the Chicken Pox Haze of spring 2015.  Finally, all 3 feeling well enough for a pic!  You can still see some battle scars though.  :)

Thanks for having a look!

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~

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~

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.