June Circle Journal: Tea Time

This month, I had April's journal. She focused on tea. She had each of us create a 2 page layout about tea and include some bags of our favorite teas to share with the others. This one was really fun! I used my Cricut Nursery Rhymes cartridge for the die cut and title. It's such a sweet cartridge!. I added in a journaling block from Making Memories. Then I used clocks from the Flea Market line from Making Memories, pearl brads from K & Company and Prima flowers with tiny button brads. The background paper is from Ella Blue Collection by GCD Studios. The journaling reads: Tea--comfort in a cup--coolness in a glass. I remember my mother giving me a cup of hot tea when I was a child and felt bad. There was always a pitcher of iced tea read for guests. Now, I keep several varities of tea around. I drink green tea for breakfast most mornings and have many flavors of hebal tea around. I love citrus and fruity teas. And on a hot day--a tall, cold glass of iced tea with a dash of lemon or cranberry or lime...mmmmm. 

 Oh, and the tea I tucked in? Two bags each of Tazo's Wild Orange and Passion flavored teas. Two of my absolute favorites.

Circle Journal: FEAR

Lori's CJ is about Fears. So, I thought about several fears I have and finally decided on the fear of being lost. The journaling reads: I am afraid of being lost. Oh, I can read maps, but I panic and miss turns. I'm fine if I'm with someone else, but alone--no way. Driving alone in a city, especially, terrifies me.

This layout features papers from DCWV mostly. I also used up old scraps on the chipboard arrows. Letter stickers, a piece of map patterned paper and a journaling block with torn edges are all inked in Tim Holtz inks.

Bucket List (Circle Journal Layout)

This month's circle journal was Mona's. Her theme was Bucket List. We were to choose 3 items we wanted to do before we died and then elaborate on one of them. She also had a "use your stash" challenge added in. So on this layout I had my 3 items (1. To see some of the natural national "treasures" such as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, The Great Lakes, etc. 2. Be on a home makeover show. 3. Stay at a bed and breakfast on vacation.) Number 3 is the one I elaborated on, since Jeff and I stayed at this cute, rustic B&B in Fredricksburg for our 20th anniversary.

For the challenge, I used papers from Me & My Big Ideas specialty pack with diecuts. The two smaller tags are by Anna Griffin. The title letters are from Marcella by K for K&Company. The tissue tape and ink are Tim Holtz.

Thanks, Mona, I had never really put these things into a list, so this was a fun interesting challenge.

Next month: Lori's Fear CJ.

Hands Then, Hands Now Circle Journal Entry

This month's circle journal was Denise's. Her theme was Then and Now. I immediatly thought of my kids, but decided that focusing on just a part of them would be more interesting, so I chose their hands. When Arch was a baby and Kat was two, I used Kat's handprints and Arch's footprints to make a painting for my mom for Mother's Day. I took a picture of that last time I was at their house, then I drove my kids nuts getting pictures of their hands doing other things. (I must confess, the flute picture is just zoomed in from one Christa took for senior pics.) I love the collage feature in Picasa! It makes combining images so easy.

This layout is a lift from one in the March/April Creating Keepsakes. I loved the laced look with the flowers at the end, so I stretched it into a two pager. The two papers seemed to combine a heritage look with a modern look to me. The title is cut with the Cricut using Songbird, Stone Script, Ashlyn's Alphabet, and Jubilee.

An Ending and a Beginning

I have just finished 2 layouts for circle journals. The first is the last album in the Truth or Dare circle journal I was involved in last year. My friend Cheri "dared" me to do a layout with a monochromatic theme. The "truth" that she had for me was "if you could have one do-over in life what would it be?" So I decided to do one based on my lack of musical skills.

The papers are K&Company, Paper Studios and some wonderful Metallic paper my awesome friend Nancyroo sent me. I used Tim Holtz Distress Ink, paper flowers, and brads. Oh and the photo is of my daughter's hands playing a piano piece she wrote several years ago. Her left hand is a blur because she was really moving! So I changed it to sepia tone and set it as a soft focus and it works.

The second layout is my own personal layout from my new Ode to Joy circle journal. I chose to focus on my kids (of course).

I did several of the technique challenges, including using textured words. These are some wooden words I was given as gift several years ago. I ran them through my Cuttlebug and was able to texturize them. I then used Tim Holtz Distress Ink to bring out the texture. The papers are various scraps I've had a while, along with some ribbon, flowers, buttons.

Circle Journal 2011

Several friends and I have started a new circle journal. My theme is Ode to Joy. In this post I'll share my starting pages, and then my actual layout will be a different post.

I used K&Company paper for the background, Tim Holtz tissue tape, and several Cricut fonts for the title.

For my instruction page I used some more K&Company paper and lots of old buttons. The buttons kept the instructions from being clear, so I'm adding them here to make them easier to read.

Webster’s Dictionary defines “Joy” as: The emotion of great happiness. Great happiness! That is so wonderful. Joy is deeper than happiness, it is an emotion of wonder and hope and love.

Webster’s defines an “Ode” as: A lyric poem with complex stanza forms. Or in other words, a song or verse.


In this journal, I ask you to do several things.


1. Complete a two-page layout telling about a moment that gave you joy or something that continually gives you joy.


2. In your journaling or somewhere on the layout use a verse, poem, song lyric or quotation that helps express the emotion of joy. Please also tell a little about the picture or pictures you use.


3. Use one or more of the technique challenges on the next page. Each technique can be used by multiple people, so try something you might not have done before. Find joy in stretching yourself.


Most of all, enjoy yourself and the layout you create.

And the technique challenges:

Technique Challenges

1. Use a Monochromatic color scheme.


2. Use tons of bling.


3. Use a sketch from this month’s page maps. Tell us which one.


4. Use paint on your layout.


5. Distress your layout.


6. Use stamping on your layout.


7. Use a black and white photo or black and white page or both.


8. Use a photo collage or a create a collage background.


9. Use hidden journaling.


10. Make a mini-book on your page.


11. Use flourishes—lots of flourishes.


12. Use envelopes or pockets on your page.


13. Use textured words in your title like: http://scrapbooking.about.com/library/weekly/blprintingwords.htm


14. Use ribbon.


15. Use flowers.

And this is my sign-in page. The tags are cut using the Songbird cartridge from double-sided papers. I'm asking everyone to decorate one side to express the theme and the other to list their name, location and month they had the journal as well as what techniques they used on their layouts.

I'll add my own layouts later.

Circle Journal: a Big Dare

For this Truth or Dare challenge journal I had to take a photo of a compelete stranger in some public place and then make up a life story for them. So at my nephew's graduation, I snapped several of what my daughter calls "stalker" pictures and chose this one. So here let me introduce you to the fictional "James Marshall". I used a single page sketch from scrapbooking at about.com and arranged it to be a 2 pager. Then I raided my scrap pile and found enough scraps to get this done. Oh and I found a great article on how to use Microsoft Paint to stitch scans, so I'm back in the stitching business. For those who were interested in stitching as well, http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art7487.asp

Truth or Dare Number 4

This is the fourth Truth or Dare Circle Journal that I've done (including mine). April challenged me to scrap a layout about my toes. I used pink cardstock and scraps from my scrap bin some Basic Grey and some K & Company. I used Making Memory clocks, K&Company flowers, letter stickers, and the journaling tag is by Making Memories. I still don't have a good stitching program, so I'm posting this in two pictures. Please imagine them side by side. The journaling reads, "Pedicures-I love them! My daughter says I'm boring--pinks & purples & some form of white flower with jewels. Oh well, as you can tell, it's time for a new pedicure, so who knows, maybe this time..."

Another Circle Journal Layout

This one is for Nancy's Truth or Dare circle journal. I choose a Dare.  My dare was to reveal my obsession and create a layout with no patterened paper, just fill the background with the embellishment of obsession. So, for me it's all about ribbons. I have scads of them. I filled the background behind the picture and journaling block with bunches of ribbions. These are just a few of my stash. The title was cut again with Design Studio using Calligraphy Collection. The journaling says: Ribbons. I love them. Textures, patterns, colors, ribbons have them all. I can't pass by the ribbon section without a roll or two..or three jumping into my cart.

I apologize for not stitiching this one together. The software I have on the older laptop won't work on this one and I haven't found a good online site to download any (for free) that will stitch scans. If you know of one that works well, let me know. I'm getting frustrated with trying to get this figured out.

Circle Journal Time!

Today I'm catching up on some circle journals and getting them in the mail. So here's the first one. This is for Gizzy's album. The idea was to make a layout about something you find funny or an embarassing moment. This is about my Kathleen and how she used to hate finding and wearing new clothes-especially dressy clothes. The journaling reads: A few years ago my daughter's feelings about fashion summed up by, "If I have a tee-shirt, jeans and sneakers, that's fashion enough." Not anymore. Skirts, dresses, cute shirts, capris, cardigans, flats and heels--high heels are required. I just laugh.

I used Basic Grey's Two Scoops line for the title paper and the background strip. The journaling tag was made for me by my friend Renita. The clothing tags are from the outfits Kathleen is wearing in the pictures. The giggle tickets were from a swap I did. The title is cut with Cricut Design Studio using the Calligraphy Collection cartridge.

Another couple of layouts to come later!

The Pasture

This layout is for Karry's Truth or Dare circle journal. For the truth part I chose this tag: Share with us your favorit quote, poem, song or scripture. Tell how it makes you feel and what you love about it. For dare we ot to choose a technique. I chose:  I dare you to use either paint or ink on your pages. Either paint a mat or ink the edges, whatever you choose.

I used the poem "The Pasture" by Robert Frost. The title is cut with the Cricut using the Old West cartridge. Scraps form the background and Tim Holtz ink covers everything.