Exploring Ireland . . . for Challenge YOUrself and Art Journal Journey Monthly

 Hi everyone! It's time for a new challenge at Challenge YOUrself! 

Challenge YOUrself #148 runs from April 7, 2026, through May 4th, 2026, at midnight EST.

This month, Challenge YOUrself is focusing on utilizing a Design Seeds spring color palette. For a more detailed look, you can refer to their color scheme here: Color Nature

I created a mixed media scrapbook page for this challenge:

I absolutely love the colors in this palette because they bring back memories of our recent trip to Ireland. My entire page was dedicated to that theme, utilizing 49 & Market and Mintay papers, along with pink rick-rack and a blue embossed chipboard piece that I had saved in my stash.

I hope you have the opportunity to participate in Challenge YOUrself this month. It’s the fourth of their final six challenges! They will be closing their challenge blog after their 150th challenge, which will take place in June of this year.

I am also linking up my project at Art Journal Journey Monthly:

This month is hosted by Gillena Cox at Lunch Break, and her theme is "Trees are awesome, aren't they?"

As you can see, my photo taken in Ireland is filled with beautiful trees!!!

Thank you, Gillena, for hosting AJJ this month.  

I hope you have a creative month of April and that you get a chance to play along at Art Journal Journey Monthly!

Enjoy the arrival of April and the new spring season.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

Hello Winter . . . for Challenge YOUrself and art Journal Journey Monthly!

 Hi everyone! It's December 7th and time for a new challenge at Challenge YOUrself! 

Challenge YOUrself #144 runs from December 7th through January 4th, 2026, at midnight:

This month's theme is so fun one - it's Anything Goes!! Yes, you can make your pages about anything you like, just remember to include a photo with YOU in the frame.

I created a mixed media scrapbook page for this challenge:

 

I stumbled upon a photo of myself from December last year. It was taken during one of my morning walks with John and (our dog) Abbey. We make it a point to go for a walk at Heintzelman Pond every morning. This morning was extra special because it started snowing while we were walking.

I found this patterned paper with trees in the snow, and I thought it was the perfect backdrop for my photo. I added some torn, white corrugated paper at the top of the page and then finished my page with black thread, blue spray ink and other embellishments.  

I am also guest hosting at Art Journal Journey Monthly for the month of December:

Yay!  (I'm having so much fun!)  My theme for December is “Winter.” There are so many cool ideas to explore. You can make pages about winter activities, winter holidays, winter weather, or anything else that sparks your creativity. Or, you can give your pages a title like “Winter Wonderland” or “Winter Solstice.” I cannot wait to see what you come up with!

I hope you have a super creative December and that you enjoy the holiday season.

Thanks a bunch for stopping by my blog!

This is Us . . . for Challenge YOUrself!

Hi everyone! Guess what? October’s here and it’s time for a new challenge at Challenge YOUrself!

Challenge YOUrself #142 opens today,  October 7th, 2025 and closes on November 4th, 2025.

The theme for this month's challenge is . . . "Black and White plus One." Create a project using black and white plus the addition of just one color - preferably one of your favorites!  You can use as many shade of this color that you like.

Here is my take on this challenge:

I began creating my page with 12 x 12 white textured bazzill background paper. I chose a photo that I love - it was taken during a recent trip to Ocean City, New Jersey. One of my dear friend’s daughters captured us at the beach. I added a piece of red patterned paper to back it up, along with strips of different black and white patterned paper that I had from my stash. I also incorporated various ephemera, red and white twine, black paint splatters, and a large black arrow and letters to create my title.  I really enjoyed making this page and absolutely love how it turned out!

You can check out Challenge YOUrself #142 on Facebook and find out more information about the challenge at their blog.  And the fun part is that this month you have a random chance to win a 12 x 12 Simple Stories scrapbooking kit.

I hope I have inspired you to play along with us at Challenge YOUrself this month!

Thank YOU, so much, for stopping by my blog today.  Have a wonderful October and enjoy the Fall season.

Wednesday . . . for Challenge YOUrself and Art Journal Journey Monthly!

Hi everyone.  It's time for a new challenge at Challenge YOUrself,  their second challenge of 2024!

Challenge YOUrself #122 opened today:

The theme for this month's challenge is A Favorite Memory from 2023!  They would like you to create a project about one of your favorite memories from last year.

Here is the mixed media page that I created for the challenge:

The background paper is from my new Heidi Swapp "Fun Chasers" paper pad (I received this as part of a Secret Santa swap gift.) and I thought it was perfect for this page.  It wasn't easy choosing a favorite memory from 2023.  I feel very blessed to be able to say that there were so many great memories from last year.   I chose to make a project about my sister's 2023 Halloween Party because it was just so much fun!  Patty dressed up as Morticia and I picked Wednesday Addams.  (Also, I have to mention that my husband, who unfortunately isn't pictured here, was Pugsley Addams.  LOL!)  I heat embossed a chipboard tree with sparkly black embossing powder from my Blue Fern Studios stash.  All the rest of the paper and embellishments are from the Simple Stories "Boo Crew" collection.

You can check out Challenge YOUrself #122 on Facebook and their blog.  And the fun part is that each month you have a random chance to win a 12 x 12 scrapbooking kit.

I hope I have inspired you to play along with us at  Challenge YOUrself this month.

I am also linking my project up to Art Journal Journey Monthly's February challenge.  

This month's theme is hosted by Vicki Parson from stampedsmile.com  Here theme is "LIGHT."  Vicki says "Light can have so many different meanings and so many different ways to interpret it.  For example: 

1 sun, moon, stars, candle, lantern, bulb, illuminate  

2 colors(subtle or subdued tones or shades) 

3 an idea(shedding some light on a subject) 

4 interpretations (light as a feather, light snowflakes, let your heart be light, let your light shine, etc)"  

As you can see, there are spooky candles on my page, and subtle bat lights in the photo of Patty and Me!  I can also say that this party was "light-hearted" fun!

Thank you, Vicki and Art Journal Journey for your inspiration this month!

And thank YOU, so much, for stopping by my blog today.  Happy February everyone!  

Summer . . . for Challenge YOUrself and Art Journal Journey!

 Hi everyone.  It's November 7th and time for a new challenge at Challenge YOUrself!

Challenge YOUrself #119 opened today:

This month's challenge is to use this PageMaps sketch as the basis for your projects.  

You can interpret the sketch any way you like, but as always, please remember to include a photo with YOU in the frame somewhere on your project.

Here is the scrapbook page that I created for the challenge:

I had this photo, a favorite one, of John and me, taken during our summer family vacation in 2015!  I used my 49 and Market Vintage Artistry Sunburst - Ultimate Page Kit to make my page.  I found that is was so  much fun making this page, using the sketch and kit. 

I hope you get a chance to check out Challenge YOUrself this month and play along with us!

I am also linking my page to Art Journal Journey Monthly's theme for September.   

This month is hosted by Jo from Let's Art Journal.  Her theme for November is Nature.   

Jo says: "I love nature and there are so many possibilities for this theme."  

As you can see, my page encompases nature during summer and has sand, water, a starfish, grasses, a sea turtle, and a butterfly.  What would a summer vacation be without the wonders of nature?

I hope you get a chance to check out the entries from the talented artists that take part in this challenge every month.  And I want to thank Jo and Art Journal Journey for November's wonderful challenge.

And thank you so much for stopping by my blog today.   Have a wonderful November! 

Life is a Balancing Act . . . for Challenge YOUrself and Art Journal Journey Monthly!

Hi everyone.  It's September 7th and time for a new challenge at Challenge YOUrself!

Challenge YOUrself #117 opens today:

This month we would like you to think about what balances your life, then scrap about it. It can be about anything you like!! For instance, it can be about friends that bring you balance, family members, pets, what you like to eat, and drink, activities that bring you balance -- anything! You can use the pie chart as a reference, and remember, you can interpret this theme any way you like!

Don't forget, it's not just a scrapbook challenge. Art Journal pages, Project Life pages, Digital Scrapbook pages are all accepted for Challenge YOUrself. They love creativity!

Here is the page that I created for the challenge:

I started by using patterned paper that I had on hand from Blue Fern Studios.  I also had Vicki Boutin's Color Study speciality paper with pie charts that I thought would be perfect here:

I fussy cut a number of the pie charts in various sizes and added them to my page with different labels that I thought needed to be part of my life balance.  I added  the matted photo of my family and dog taken at Jacobsburb Park a few years ago.  Next, I incorporated some inking, ink splatters, tea staining, and finally, adhered the title to my page with Vicki Boutin's Print Shop Thickers.  I really love how it turned out and had so much fun participating in this challenge.

I hope you get a chance to check out Challenge YOUrself this month and play along with us!

I am also linking my page to Art Journal Journey Monthly's theme for September.   

This month is hosted by Elle from Empire of the Cat.  Elle's theme for September is "Books, Cats, and Tea."

 

Elle says: "Feel free to use any of the elements from the theme separately or all together!  You can use book paper, tea bags, tea packaging, tea staining, etc.  Or you can use any kind of feline, or make it about your favorite book or tea."  There are so many options!

I want to thank Elle and Art Journal Journey for September's wonderful challenge.   

As you can see, part of my life balance includes reading a book and adopting a pet!  (We have a beautiful dog as our pet for the past 4 years.  We adopted her from a local rescue shelter.  And we had a beloved cat as our pet for many years, too.)   I also added some tea staining to the upper right hand corner of my page to complete my entry.  

I hope you check out the entries from the talented artists that take part in this challenge every month!  And we would love to see YOUR art there, too.

I want to thank YOU so much for stopping by my blog today!   Enjoy the rest of your September.

Christmas Joy . . . for Challenge YOUrself and Art Journal Journey!

Hi everyone. It's July 7th (how can that be???) and time for a new challenge at Challenge YOUrself!

July's challenge is We Are Family:
 

I was inspired to create my layout first, because it's Christmas in July, and second, because I absolutely love this old photo of my family on Christmas Eve of 2009.  

Here is my completed page:

I enjoyed making this mixed media journal/scrapbook page about Christmas from 2009 because I want my family to remember to cherish each and every Christmas memory!  I used Cocoa Vanilla Studio's Merry & Bright collection to make my page. 

Sharing some different views of my project:

 

I hope you get a chance to check out Challenge YOUrself this month. I had a lot of fun making my family page and I think you will, too.

I am also linking my project to Art Journal Journey, Monthly.

 

This month's theme is Doors and/or Arches and is hosted by the talented Wendy of   wendyscraftjournal.  If you look closely at my page, you can see there is a tiny home with a door - all decorated for Christmas - on my page!!  Thank you, Wendy and AJJ for having this wonderful challenge this month!

And thank YOU for stopping by my blog today.  I hope you have an awesome July! 

Shine Bright . . . for Challenge YOUrself and AJJ!

 Hi everyone!  It's the 7th of July and time for a new reveal at Challenge YOUrself:

 

 

This month's theme (CY#91) and is all about using shapes:

 

Here is my take:

As you can see, my shape is triangles!  I featured a photo of my daughter, Anne and me on her graduation day and included a favorite photo of her with her best friends - they've been friends since kindergarten.   The papers and stickers are from the PinkFresh "Bloom Street" collection, which I absolutely love. 

Here are some different views:

 

 I am also entering my layout into this month's theme at Art Journal Journey Monthly:

This month is about the  Summer Countryside and is hosted by Alison at Words and Pictures.  When making my layout, I thought that the photo of Anne and Me on her graduation day depicted the summer countryside.  I used shapes to illustrate hills and valleys, and the sun, birds, flowers, and butterfly stickers to represent summer.  Thank you, AJJ and Alison for hosting this amazing theme!  I always enjoy entering AJJ!!

I also hope you get a chance to check out Challenge YOUrself this month.  I had lots of fun using shapes on my page!

Thank you for stopping by my blog today.  Hugs!!!  Have a wonderful July everyone!

Love!

Hi everyone!  It's the 7th of the month, and with that brings a new challenge at Challenge YOUrself. The main requirement for this challenge site is to use a photo with YOU in the frame.  

This month's theme is about celebrating love:

When I saw this challenge, I knew exactly which photo I wanted to use:

My daughter, Anne, snapped this one quickly when my hubby reached over to give me a kiss during our Christmas card photo shoot at the end of November last year.

I am also entering my page into the Reneabouquets Artists With An Edge February 2021 Mood Board Challenge:

For all of the details about this Reneabouquets challenge, please check out their facebook page here!

 

And I am linking page up to Art Journal Journey Monthly's February challenge:

 

Valerie is hosting this month and her theme is "Heavy Metal!"  I had Prima metal flowers in my stash and used 2 of them in my flower cluster under my photo!  Thank you, Valerie, for the wonderful challenge for February!

Here is the page that I came up with:

I love this photo of the two of us and think it depicts the love John and I still have for each other after almost 31 years of marriage.  Sure, we have our fights, but our love always endures.  I thank God every day for that blind date John and I had back in 1990!   

Enough of the schmaltz, now onto my layout details . . .

I used the Blue Fern Studio "Eclectic Charm" collection.  The chipboard frame is a "Lavender Lilac Heart Frame die cut" and is laser cut chipboard.  Both the Blue Fern Studios paper collection and laser cut chipboard were purchased at the amazing Reneabouets' Etsy store.  I also used cheese cloth, pearls, lace flowers, and Prima metal flowers that I had on hand.

Here are some different views:

I hope you get a chance to play along with Challenge YOUrself, Art Journal Journey Monthly, and Reneabouquets Artists With An Edge Mood Board challenge this month!

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today.  Happy February! HUGS.