Hospitality

I admit it - some times I get tired of having other's kids around all the time (at least it feels like all the time), especially when school is out. During those periods I never know how many there are for dinner, or who is staying over.

But on the other hand - it feels good that the kids like it at our house. They do have house rules to stick to, and they can't stay for weeks: it's like my wise, old father says: fish and guests stinks after three days *lol*
And as oldest son just turned into a teenager, having them around here give me a feeling of having a little more control.

Alpha  and background paper: BG. Other patterned papers and bracket overlay: MME.
Cheese cloth, ribbon & butterfly: unknown

Kids + a friend sleeeping on the porch in May

The inspiration for this layout as found at the CSI blog:

Here is how the challenge blog CSI describes this mont's theme: In November, our thoughts turn to the holidays and getting together with family and cozying up in our homes, so our theme that will tie our Case Files together this month is "Coming Home."

Here is how I solved the Case file #44:
Colors - all five used:
Evidence: Flowers (on patterned papers), transparent element (bracket overlay), something woven (cheese cloth)
Testimony: Document what you love about your home (the hospitality)


CSI Case file #44 closes today, but Case file #45 is open for investigation another week, so please head over to get some ideas on how to scrap your family and home.

No Family Secret (CSI Case #41)

As many of you already know, my brother chose to take his own life in June. The family has been open about the cause of his death all the way, hence the title on this layout.

Patterned papers: MME, Cosmo Cricket. Alpha: Basic Grey. The rest: unknown

Translated the journaling says: "It must have been much harder back when suicide was a shame and no one ever talked about it. I still believe going out in public, telling that K killed himself, was the best. People who didn't know he had had tough days, could understand, and we, who was left back, got all the support we needed."




I found the inspiration to this layout from CSI Case #41:

Colors: All colors used - the grey is in my background paper, even if it migh look a bit browner, due to light conditions.

Evidence; Texture (Cheese cloth), gold element (two flowers), ruffles

Testimony: Journaling about something NOT a secret - this might be stretching the criteria a bit too far, but I'm still happy with my page and story.     Thank you for stopping by  - I'm working on paying you a visit, too :-)

What have Redneck Parrots, CSI and OUAS in common?

I think it is a good idea to open this post with an explanation on the title:



  

OUAS: Once Upon A... Sketch - A sketch challenge blog.
Click here to visit their page



CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration - A color challenge blog Click here to visit their page



 














Redneck Parrot:



A hen.... and DS9

 Journaling says:

Simen wants an Ara parrot, but mum says no: they need too much attention.

But hens are cute and doesn't demand that much, she claims.

And Simen had to agree when classmate Robin brought his pet hen.

Sponsor materials: Imaginarium Designs Chipboard Fence

So what do these three have in common?

Here it is: OUAS and CSI have teamed up in September, which means OUAS brings you four sketch challenges this month, all with a color twist, and CSI brings you four color challenges, all with a sketch twist.

And the redneck parrot (and the kid)? Their story was told by help of this month's OUAS/CSI file (not OUAS DT work for me this week, I'm on at case file #38):

I had a hard time photgraphing my layout, but the layout do use all five colors (even with a touch of darker grey on the background paper, a really old BG one). And I have followed the sketch pretty close.

My Evidence:

• Mesh (Authentic mesh, must be 7-8 years old - I never had the heart to toss it out)
• Leaves (two large metal leaves + two on pins)
• Fibers (in some of the buttons)
• Scattered elements across the page (buttons)

My testemony

• Scattered journaling

OK, please tell me:

Do you have those redneck moments, too?

CSI Case File #35 - Love Milk Shake

I admit it - I have a crush on these color combo challenges. I have avoided such kind of challenges for years, afraid I wouldn't have the right shades of colors in my pile of papers and stash, but after trying out a few of them, I don't fear them any longer:

My simple approach is this: If I'm happy with the outcome, who cares if the shades are not perfect? My kids when browing the albums in twenty years? Will they look at the layout, laught out loud and claim to the  world "Look, mum didn't manage to do exactly as the challenge required! What a loser!". I doubt it.


Here is this week's CSI file:

 I picked what I had which fit the scheme best, and came up with this layout:

Patterned papers & stickers: Amy Tangerine for AC. Rubons: Pink Paisley

Kraft Background & beads:Club Scrap. Photo Corner: Heidi Swapp

Alpha: BG. Paint: unknown. Pen: ZIG

Both kids claim they have a lot better milk shakes and ice cream desert further south in Europe. You have no idea how many photos I have of them drinking and eating the said treats! So while we were in Greece this summer, they grabbed the opportunity to get some!


Actually, I'm not sure if the dairy products are better further south, but may be they have the taste of Summer and Vacation?

Family Portrait

Hi!

Have you ever been on vacation (or somewhere else) when somebody sticks up a camera in your face, to sell the photo to you later on? It happened to us outside our hotel in Corfu - as so many places before that.

It's very, very rare my family get to take family portraits, so I grabbed the opportunity when I saw the photo was of a decent quality (ok, not of a very hig standard, but good enough). But I became a bit surpriced when the photographer printed out such a large photo. Hello, I haven't scrapped large photos in ages!

Anyway, here we are, the family:

Somebody should tell DS9 he gets double cheeks when he smiles like that!

I got the idea for this layout when I saw this week's sketch at the Basic Grey blog. Originally the sketch was designed as a two pager, but I chose to use only the left part of it.

Do you, like me, have collections you love so much that you refuse to toss out the scraps, or never get tired of it? I do, and one of them is the Basic Grey (BG) Hello Luscious. I just love the happy colors which shouts Summer! at me. I have used this collection on this page, and added some rubons from BG Origin, one of my other favourites.

PS, One wich the photographer would you use a better flash. See how much darker we adults become because we are further away from it? Not that I mind having a dark tan, but it looks a kind of weird...


Are you good at having family portraits taken?