Brothers Are..

Never Enough

I created this layout using this sketch from Scrapbook Steals. Collin loves spending time with his Daddy... there never seems to be enough time!

Hello Freedom

This layout started out as part of a scraplift challenge of this layout at Studio Calico. I really wanted to use this picture of Collin, and incorporated the Birds of a Feather challenge to do a layout inspired by the word freedom.

This summer, freedom means so much to us. It is an end to Collin's chemo - his scans are finally stable. He's free from being sick, from being tired. He finally has the freedom to have energy to play and explore.. and be a normal boy.

Live & Grow

Here's another layout I made last night using this sketch from the Boys Rule blog. I love these tender moments I catch between Chris and Collin...

Best of Friends

Here is a layout that I did using this sketch from Boys Rule Scrapbook Kits blog. I love this picture of the boys together. Now that Collin is not on chemo and isn't sick all the time, Liam is interacting with him more and more. I never thought I'd have to tell Liam to stop playing so rough with his brother, or to stop making annoying sounds in his ears (even though it makes Collin laugh), but now I'm glad that they are interacting like that now. That's the way it should be.

My Boys

I always find it amazing how I can get such wonderful pictures of these boys when I put them on a train! This is by far my favorite pictures of these boys!

This layout is for a sketch challenge at Creative Scrappers, using sketch #215. I also made this for the 4-play challenge at Design House Digital.

Digital supplies used:

Erica Coombs – Enroute Masks
Angie Hinksman – True Blue Solids
Gennifer Bursett – the Sprats Alpha
Karen Funk – Genuinely you digital elements

Happy Birthday Liam

My son Liam just celebrated his 5th birthday this Sunday... how fast the time goes! He wanted a baseball theme party, so I did a generic theme but since we live in New England, I used red and blue as the colors for Yankees vs. Red Sox.

I used my Cricut to make this birthday banner - I was also inspired by this challenge at The Paper Variety, to create a paper project that's not a layout or a card. I know this picture is kinda hard to see, but the white background is actually baseballs.

Chris manned the grill and made hamburgers, hot dogs and brats and the rest of the food was set up on this table. In baseball theme, we had popcorn and peanuts and bags of chips. The big winner though was the big jug of fresh strawberry lemonade - the kids all lined up and took turns pouring their drinks and got back to the end of the line. I'll share the recipe in a later post.

These were Liam's cupcakes - he loved them! I didn't go too crazy this year, just basic white cake mix and white frosting, with red gel to look like baseballs.

And of course, the birthday boy himself, with his very first 5 dollar bill!!

Basic Grey Sketch

I created this page using this sketch found on Basic Grey's blog. I loved these pictures and was inpsired to do this layout. The journalling reads: "Collin, you had so much fun this day at the Rygiel Lake House. Just sitting on the blanket listening to the water and the boats. July 4, 2011."

Flower Card

I started out making this card for a Studio Calico challenge: to be inspired by triangles. I used the exclusive hexagon stamp in the May kit to stamp the triangle pattern on the background, then I paper pieced the flower on top. A cute little any-occasion card ready to go!

Beach Boy

I created this layout for a Studio Calico challenge, to use letter stamps. I've actually become obsessed with using letter stamps lately! These particular letters I happened to have gotten on clearance at Michaels yesterday for only $2.99!!

I also used sketch #207 from Creative Scrappers to make this layout, and I used Studio Calico's Boardwalk kit.

First Day of Preschool

Here's a second layout I created with the Studio Calico May kit. I used sketch #319 from Sketch Inspiration and was inspired by the confetti challenge at Studio Calico on this layout.

Cousin Max

This is the first layout I did with the May Studio Calico kit, and the first layout of my adorable nephew Max! I made this for the Studio Calico challenge to use 5 photos.. and I used this sketch from the Delightful Inspiration blog. (side note: Liam took these pictures himself last year at 3 years old!)

Super Liam!

It's a bird? It's a plane? No, it's SUPER LIAM!

in his daddy's socks!

The last challenge for the BOAF crop is to pick something we celebrate in our scrapbooks that isn't already a challenge. In our home, with two small boys, we celebrate the silly-and if it's SUPER silly, even better! I used a sketch from DCWV and the Songbird Stack to create this layout.

I Love This Happy Boy

This layout is for the BOAF challenge "Celebration of Love".. and the word Love has to be somewhere on your layout. I also used a sketch from the Scrapbook and Cards Today blog, and the color challenge from 2peas. Nothing makes me happier than Collin's smile!

Together

This layout is for the Simple Things challenge at Birds of a Feather. I also incorporated a challenge from 2peas: make it yours (misting chipboard), and Big Picture Classes (challenge was to use phone pictures which I don't have a camera phone so they said candid shots are good too). It seems like such a simple thing that two brothers would play with each other. But with Collin's medical issues, Liam doesn't interact with him too much. So when I do manage to see them together, it's a simple thing that makes my heart happy.

A Visit From A Butterfly

This layout is for the Spring challenge at Birds of a Feather. The challenge is to use spring pictures, and flowers with a graphic pattern (I chose chevron). I am also using this sketch from Pagemaps.

Outdoor Themed Friend Card

Another challenge for the BOAF crop is to do a layout or card about the great outdoors. I found this Mary Engelbreit sticker in my stash with the following quote: "A friend is the first one to come in when the whole world has gone out". I loved it and with the outdoor scene I wanted to incorporate it into a friendship card. I used a sketch from CardPatterns  and scraps from my May kit to create this card.

The Power of Imagination

This layout is for another challenge at Birds of a Feather - it's a color challenge to use the color purple. This paper by My Mind's Eye is the only purple I could find.. add a few embellishments and this sketch from Paper Bakery Kits, and here ya go!

Best Friends

Here is another layout I created from the Birds of a Feather May kit. I started out with the sketch from Scrapbook Steals online crop, and incorporated the "Celebration of Friends" challenge. I wanted to mirror the doodling in the lower corner so I found a doodled flower stamp for the top and then took watercolors and painted around the image.

We Gotta Have Faith

For this layout I used this Pagemaps sketch and the Birds of a Feather May kit. This is for the Pagemaps sketch contest and the Birds of a Feather crop for the "Celebration of Faith" challenge. I am also submitting this for the ScrapbookSteals.com NSD Online Crop challenge #3: Sassy Springtime.