MTTC03 - "My Timeless Template" Challenge

Happy Saturday! You know what Saturday means right?!
A new challenge from Lauren!

Todays challenge is:
CREATE YOUR OWN PATTERNED PAPER AND USE IT ON ONE OF My Timeless Templates.

I hope you're inspired to play along with us!

For my project I used the "Recipe Wrap Up" template. This template is a FREE sample on the PTI website, so there's no excuse to not play along!

As I'm sure most of you have heard by now, our fellow "My Time" design team member Alicia, lost her four year old son, Ethan, to cancer last week. I decided to make a mini memory album for Alicia and her family. Ethan was a true cowboy at heart and I thought it only fitting to use my "Cowboy Billy" image by Pink Cat Studio.

Here's what the front cover looks like...I cut out some large stars on my Cricut machine, did some paper piecing on Billy and layered them together. Then I added some twine for his rope and did some piercing with my pokey tool around the smaller star.

Here's how I made my own patterned paper...

I started with Kraft cardstock, a More Mustard marker and the "Your Super" image by Pink Cat Studio. I used the marker to just color the stars around the text on the stamp. Then I randomly stamped the stars onto the cardstock.



Next, I added some text...

I used Really Rust ink and the "Howdy Partner" text from the same set. Then I stamped it in the middle of the stars. (I made six of these panels for the outside of the album)

Then I sponged the edges...

I use Creamy Caramel for almost all of my sponged edges.

Sponging is a simple technique that adds great depth and definition to any project. I did a little comparison in the photo below. The panel on the left is NOT sponged along the edges and the panel on the right IS sponged.

It's subtle, but makes a huge difference.

For the two smaller panels on the album, I used the same technique...

I stamped the stars from SU's "Just Jawing" onto Kraft cardstock with More Mustard ink. Then I sponged the edges with Creamy Caramel.


I adhered some Chocolate Chip ribbon to the front cover and then added my panels on top. The ribbon will be used to tie it shut.

Only the front, back and spine are shown here. There are six panels total.

Now, it's time to work on the inside...

For the six panels on the inside, I used Very Vanilla cardstock, More Mustard & Creamy Caramel inks, and the stars from "Just Jawing".

Then I adhered them all to the inside...

After that step, I added some photos of little Ethan and layered them onto Close to Cocoa and More Mustard cardstock.

Here's what the inside looks like...

Each panel has a small place to write down memories of Ethan.

This is the right side...

Nicknames we had for our Ethan...
Ethan's favorite foods were...
Ethan's favorite people were...

Here's the left side...
Ethan's favorite places to visit were...
Ethan's favorite thing to do was...
Ethan's favorite phrases were...

And here's another peek at the front cover.

Alicia always said that this image reminded her so much of her little Ethan.

You can read Alicia's most recent journal entry here.

Be sure to check out what the rest of the team came up with for our challenge:

Lauren Meader
Maria Levine
Tamara Harder
Jen Tapler
Dana
Kristin
Lisa Kind
Odette
Pam
Tracey Cuccia

Thanks for stopping by.
Enjoy your weekend and hug your little ones a little tighter tonight.