Blessings - Bo Bunny 'Forever Fall'

Hello everyone! It's been quite the crazy month. First off, big news. I'm ENGAGED! My wonderful boyfriend of 3 years, Caleb, proposed this weekend. Both of our families are thrilled. Caleb actually went the old fashioned way and asked for my father's permission (which he was more than happy to give). I've been looking at this beautiful ring ever since and thanking God for this wonderful event in my life.

On to this month's mini album! When Bo Bunny released images of 'Forever Fall' at CHA, I fell completely head over heels. I love the bold, rich colors of it. The deep reds, golden oranges, and vibrant aqua just seemed to pop out at me. As soon as I could, I bought one of everything. I knew I wanted something that could be set out for Thanksgiving, so it needed to be able to be completed before Thanksgiving actually arrived. So I opened up my old photo folder and grabbed a couple of pictures that spoke the most to me. I did a page on friends, love, puppies, family, and creativity. What resulted was such a rich colored mini album that looked great on the table.

Sizzix - Tim Holtz Alterations - Chip Block, Sizzix - Tim Holtz - Autumn Gatherings, Sizzix - Tim Holtz  Alterations - Elegant Flourishes, Sizzix - Tim Holtz Alterations - Tattered Leaves, Sizzix - Tim Holtz Alterations - Frame,Hanging w/Scallops, Bo Bunny - Forever Fall - Dimensional Stickers, Bo Bunny - Forever Fall - Noteworthy Die-cuts Journaling & Shapes, Bo Bunny - Forever Fall - Cardstock Stickers, Bo Bunny - Forever Fall - 12 x12 Collection Pack, Tim Holtz - Fall 2011 Seasonal Distress Ink Set Limited Edition

I used all Bo Bunny papers and embellishments for this mini album. The small leaves and letters were all cut out using the Vintaj Sizzix and assorted die cuts. I used the Cinch to bind my mini album and some ribbons from Michaels. I also used Tim Holtz's seasonal distress ink in Broken Twig to go around all the edges of the mini album. I loved adding the burlap fabric and twine that my FMIL had in her stash. I hope everyone enjoyed this mini album and I hope you all get a chance to get your hands on these gorgeous papers!

The Pumpkin Thief - American Crafts

Hello everyone! Hope everyone is enjoying their November now. I'm back with the second part of my pumpkin carving. While Morgan and I were carving pumpkins, Jada thought she could sneak away with our scraps. Unfortunately for her, Donna was snapping away at her with the camera. Some really cute pictures surfaced with the evidence (and a lot of tongue showing).

I used the American Crafts Nightfall collection again. I love the use of blue tone in these pages. It's so fun and unexpected. I inked all the edges with Tim Holtz's Broken Twig ink. I think that's one of his best browns. It's got a red undertone so it comes across so warm. I stitched a zig zag stitch around the edges with brown thread. Sewing on your layouts gives it such a beautiful dimension. I'm really glad that I worked up the courage to try it.

I chose one of the pictures as a focal photo because it showed the carved pumpkin as well as Jada sneaking off with some pumpkin in her mouth. I wanted to draw attention to the little bandit, but I didn't want to cover any of the picture, so Chipboard was out. I looked at the outside stitching and thought it would be cute to stitch around her. I brought the star shape out from the background paper and used different shades of brown thread. It's one of my favorite parts of this page now.

The letters where so cool! I loved the thin weight of the letters and how tall they were. They did not want to cooperate, however. Every time I use letter stickers I always turn them sticky side up and arrange them how I want them to go. When I'm pleased with the look, I'll flip them over and secure them down. These, however, did not want to go sticky side up. They wanted to tangle on each other or stick to me. So, for the first time ever, I had no choice but to just stick them down with no rearranging. The journaling was written with an ink pen. I like the juxtaposition of the tall letters with the small cursive journaling.

I hope everyone had enjoyed this layout today. I'm really proud of this one and I can honestly say it's one of my favorites now. I love the Nightfall collection. I've saved enough of it to make a Thanksgiving layout later on. I hope you all enjoy your Monday and make sure to come back and see me. :)