My Paper Pantry Challenge and contest

I gathered my courage and took the plunge and joined to challenges on My Paper Pantry websight. Both are for judging and prizes, (woo hoo), nothing like diving in headlong and deep when starting something new....(I always say).
My first challenge was a 12 x 12 layout for scrapbooking. There is a sketch posted that is supposed to help you 'get started' and then you let your creativity take over and make it your own. Well of course, my creativity is always on hyper overdrive. So I could barely bring myself to stop.

This is the layout, using two of my favorite photographs from my daughters wedding that I took before the ceremony at the law quad in Ann Arbor. The main focal point is the photograph of the the girl's shoes, they were allowed to wear different shoes but in the color black. I printed this photograph in black and white and went with their wedding colors of red, black and white with the paper and embellishments.

The journaling spot is a checklist for the bride and the things she needed to bring to the wedding.

This is a close up of the main focal point picture.

The second picture is a picture of the female side of the wedding party. I didn't have room in the design to add the picture as is, so instead I made it a tag and put it behind the title that is on the top left corner.

This is a close up of the small floral emblishments I used with a black satin bow that represents the maid of honor who wore a black satin dress while the bridesmaids all wore red.

Some of the flowers I used are over 25 years old, from when I owned the craft business of Care Basket, I am a horder for sure!

This is the final look at the layout, I included chain and teardrop pearl beads along with a red bead. These beads where used in necklaces and bracelets that the mother of the bride (ME) made for each girl and the bride.

I think I will be either framing this in the future (without glass), or buying a canvas and painting it black and glueing it to the canvas for hanging on the wall, since the bride has three cats and if its put on a table or shelf, the cats will eat it.

The new house is coming along nicely!

As you can see, the outside deck lattice is painted, my front doors are on their hinges, and the outside walls are now in place. It is as tedious as a new house, you just can't live in it.

Hydroponics

Growing lettuce from the grocery store in my back window. I am supposed to be able to keep it alive this way. We shall see. This is my favorite lettuce, Bib.

Aging some cardboard cutouts

I have a lot of cardboard cutouts, and the colors are too vibrant and basic for most of the pages I create and most of my papers. Except for red, white and blue layouts which I don't use often, my colors are usually warmer with less saturation. Therefore, what do I do with about 200 pages of cardboard punchouts, both letters and shapes?
The first thing I tried was was stamping them. The problem with simply stamping over them, was the cardboard has a shiny surface, and even the staze on ink was not sticking well. So after I stamped each of them with a musical notes background stamp, I decided to emboss them. This sealed the ink over the shiny cardboard, desaturated the colors and made it possible to age the cardboard with distress inks if needed.
With the small round letter cardboard cutouts, I sanded the edges, to remove the nubs, and sanded some of the shiney cardboard and print off the top. Then I distressed with walnut ink to age.
This improved these elements greatly, and I can now use them for layouts and mini's. No more bright, saturated shiny cardboard.