Vacation memories

I just returned from a wonderful vacation with my husband. It was the first vacation we have taken together without children since our honeymoon. I came back relaxed, sporting a sunburn and with a camera filled with photos.

I knew I would be taking lots of photos of water, since we were going to Lake Michigan. When scrapbooking water photos, I always find it difficult to match the paper. The blues always seem to clash.

So, when I saw the new Travel Light line from We R Memory Keepers, which uses a lot of yellow, green and red, I knew they would be perfect for my pictures and I bought quite a few of the papers before I left.

Here is the first page I made from our vacation ... it features a photo of my husband and I taken by a stranger at the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

The papers are all from We R Memory Keepers. I cut the ones in the middle to 8x8. Then I inked the edges of each paper with Walnut Distress Ink. For the background paper, I folded the corner and used a Craft Glue Dot to secure.

For the smaller papers, I used a distress tool to add a bit of texture and added a few tears here and there. Then, I layered them and used Ultra Thin Glue Dots to hold them in place.

I cut a piece of white card stock to serve as my photo mat and then inked it with Distress Ink and attached my photo and then attached it to the page.

Next, I added twine from My Mind's Eye. I wrapped it around the back of the page, secured it with a Glue Dot and then cut out a small piece of leftover paper and layered it over the top.

For the title charm, I attached a clear charm by Tim Holtz to one of my photos of the dunes with Glossy Accents. This takes a long time to dry -- I let mine dry over night. Then, I trimmed the charm, added a bit of twine and attached it to my page with Craft Glue Dots. Finally, I used the Zig Photo Writer Pen to write the title on top.

For the final touches, I used metal flowers by 7 Gypsies. The one at the bottom features a button from Tim Holtz, which is attached with Craft Glue Dots to the flower and then I used Craft Glue Dots to adhere the flower to the page. The top one is adhered with a brad from Bo Bunny. The little coin is also from Tim Holtz and is also attached with a brad.

I like how the page turned out ... simple, rustic and relaxed -- just like my trip!

The First 18

Candy created this page with Core'dinations cardstock and new products from Tim Holtz. Find out how she did it on her blog at candyspiegel.wordpress.com.

Flying American

It doesn't have to be Memorial Day or the Fourth of July to be patriotic. Red, white and blue are fun colors to work with anytime of the year.

Just look at this card Candy made using this new stamp from Impression Obsession, Inc. Here are her instructions:

1. Cut card base out of red cardstock. Add white cardstock to top left.
2. Emboss background out of white cardstock using Sizzix/Tim Holtz Texture Fades.
3. Ink background with Distress Ink.
4. Stamp Hero Arts saying and balloon stamp from Impression Obsession on Cryogen paper and color with Copic Markers. Trim.
5. Highlight edges of saying with Distress Ink.
6. Mat balloon stamp with navy cardstock.

FYI: If you are a hot-air balloon buff, there is another stamp by Impression Obsession that features a hot-air balloon with a teddy bear. Both stamps are available at the store in wood and cling mount.

Bo Bunny's Timepiece Collection by Candy

When I first saw this new collection by Bo Bunny, I fell in love.

But, when I started working with it, I fell even harder!

I often find paper I like and then find pictures to match. I also take pictures and search for the perfect paper. But this was the first time that the paper actually "spoke" to me and told me what to put on it. (No, I wasn't hearing voices, I was just amazingly inspired)

I have had these depot photos for several years ... in fact, they were taken three vehicles ago when my kids were still young enough to go on road trips. But, aside from knowing I wanted to match the historic photos with the modern ones, I didn't know what to do with them, so I ignored them.

Then, as I was working on this layout using Bo Bunny's Timepiece Collection,

it happened.

I looked at the timepiece I had cut out and decided not to use on the Venice page and then read the Travel through Time saying from another piece of paper and knew it was time to pull out those train photos. (After two days of looking, I gave up and reprinted them).

I do believe this is one of my favorite layouts of all time -- it's clean and simple, but I love it. This is my favorite part ...

The metal embellishments are all from Tim Holtz Idea-ology

And, I also made this page ...

Additional inspiration

I think Lisa and Melissa are testing me ... they've sent more photos and hopefully I have them identified correctly. May the powers that be in the scrapbook world forgive me for any possible mistakes!

The inspiration here is absolutely amazing!

First, from Bo Bunny:

Now, from Tim Holtz, Wendy Vecchi and Ranger:

KC from My Mind's Eye with Lisa ...

Unknown inspiration ....

 Prima ...

Graphic 45:

 And, finally, Maya Road ....