July 2020 CKCB Kit-Challenge #2

This month, Master Forger Clair has taken over the reins at the blog and has given us a beautiful kit to curate as well as a couple of challenges to play with.  I was tasked with Challenge #2:

You can choose to take this literally, and scrapbook about the 'adventures' you have had in your own back yards; or you can take it a little more loosely and talk about the local adventures that you've in your local area. While we're not able to travel as widely as we normally can, it's nice to focus on the fun to be found closer to home.

I actually did two layouts for this challenge.  The first one is just so so but meets the challenge in a more direct way.  I scrapped some photos of my family making S'mores in our backyard.  It's a two page layout that features lots of product from my Color Add-On Kit as well as some neutrals. 

One of my goals this month is to use up those large block letters from my kit.  They've actually appeared in several CKCB kits over the past couple of years.  There was only one letter of each and I hate that!  LOL!  I chose a grid design for this two page layout. 

If you came to my blog from the CKCB, then the above layout is not the one that you viewed for this challenge.  I did a second layout which I truly love.  I played with my stencils, inks, spray, paints, etc and created a layout of my youngest child "tolerating" a photo session in our backyard.  This poor girl has sat still and posed for me as I learned how to use the manual functions on my Nikon DSLR. 

Lots of details added to this layout.  I even broke out my sewing machine.  I decided I hated that lower right corner of my layout, so I tore off that corner and added a scrap of the neutral patterned paper from a previous layout and I used my sewing machine to tack it down fully.  Then I decided it needed a line in the upper left hand corner as well.  LOL!! 

You can see my gel medium and stencil work a little bit more in this photo. 

The extra line of stitching that I added.  ;) 

So, this brings me count from my July kit up to ELEVEN layouts!  Thank you for stopping by my blog today!  I hope that this beautiful Saturday finds you well rested and ready to take on next week!! 

Late birthday post

As you know, we’ve been moving and busy with the claim from the fire. SO, I haven’t been blogging much this past couple of weeks.

Last Sunday was my birthday. Pat replaced my desktop computer we lost in the fire with a laptop so that from now on when we move, I take my main computer with me.

We also went to Ramstein for the afternoon and walked around the mall.

Then we met with friends at the Kusel castle to check out the Medieval Fest. What fun!

You have dancing prostitutes…

Cute kids….

(this is my friend’s little boy)

Pretty necklaces…

The food smelled heavenly but we passed…trying to save $$ because we knew that we would be eating out lots in the upcoming week (and we DID).

The day almost made up for the loss of my birthday presents we lost in the fire. :(

Technorati Tags: Me,birthday,castle

Trains and more trains….

We have a train lover in our home.  It all started with Thomas The Tank Engine.  Now he’s into all trains.  Last weekend, Pat discovered that there was a historical thing going on at the old Baumholder Railhead behind his office!  A real live Steam Engine came and it was scheduled to return a few hours later.


We rushed back to the railhead with the little ones and Courtney at 6:50 p.m. Sumday to see the steam engine up close and personal, but unfortunately it broke and they brought this one instead.

I wouldn’t know a THING about the little ones sticking their tongues out at the photographer…nope, not me….batting my innocent little eyes.



Emily was just now looking at these pictures with me and said, “I was FREAKING OUT”.  Indeed she was.  She wasn’t thrilled being in front of that train on the tracks.  It was running.  LOL

Seth, on the other hand, was TICKLED to be that close to the train!

So you can see how old and dilapidated this railhead is…..

Seth watching the train coming…

The two of them posing by one of the passenger cars.


And JUST for the purely sweetness factor…

Bernkastel-kues (Weinfest der Mittelmosel)

Last night we loaded up with our church family and caravanned out to this lovely German city for a fest and fireworks.  Our pastor said that it was the BEST fireworks you had ever seen.  He was right!  The town was absolutely lovely…would love to walk the streets when it’s not so crowded!





Here we are, all cozy…the extra kid sitting next to Tyler is his newest girl.  (Stephenie)




Come on DAD (I didn’t have the camera!!!) leave me alone…Garret’s exact words….

UMMM…Garret when are you going to learn that hiding from the camera isn’t even feasible?


Pat was playing with the settings on his camera….as you can see from the first picture of the castle ruins, it’s getting darker.

And darker still….


Either it doesn’t take much to impress me, or this smiley face is WAY COOL.

Night all… I have to get back to my lesson plans!

Hey RY….lookie

LOL…sorry to make that the title of my post…but she’ll understand why as she and I were talking about these pictures.  Well I was complaining about not having the desire to scrap them and she told me NOT to…LOL.  Ry…they’re done…ENJOY
This is our trip to Speyer Technik Museum in 2005. 



I love the flower I made on the one above.  Aleta shared the link on how to make them when we did our last online crop at OSU.  The next two photos are close-ups of some details on the LO’s.






And then one more LO I did today….