3 Double Page Spreads

Today I have 3 quick 2-page spreads to share.  They are in response to a challenge on a message board that I frequent.  The challenge was to "make a kit" for a scrapbook page: choose papers, and embellishments from our stash (including lumpy ones) to make a kit, and then use that to make a completed page.  This challenge took me back through stash I've had for a long time as I searched for what I needed to make my kits, so it ended up being a bit of a "stash buster" as well as incentive to create some scrapbook pages.  

Here's my first kit:

There are wonderful papers (like this top one with sand and a beach towel) that I didn't even remember having, but found when going through my stash!  I have no idea where I got it or who made it, but it was perfect for the pictures I had in mind.  I found a variety of embellishments ranging from old "Brad Buddies", punch out elements, and an alphabet sheet from HOTP, to stickers from EK Success and others, to items I had printed myself.  All came together to make a fun kit that I then used to create the double page spread you see at the top of the page.  Here's a closer look at the individual pages:

Kit #2:

This second kit was more plain - subdued papers and a few embellishments - including some chipboard alphabet pieces.  I know some of the papers came from HOTP, but I'm not sure who made the yellow paper.  Similarly, I don't know who made much of the stash of embellishments.  The only ones I know for sure are that the brads and metallic embossed pieces (which I ended up not using) all came from HOTP.  From these I create the following spread.

I used the chipboard alphabet & numbers for the title and date - but what a pain it was to glue paper to them, fussy cut around it, and ink the edges!!!  The first page is mostly our "flight certificates".  Here's a closeup of the 2nd page:

The focal picture is matted using a Spellbinders die called "Luscious Labels One".

Kit #3:

I'm not certain, but I think all of this paper came from HOTP.  I know the sand paper is theirs.  To this I added a bunch of embellishments.  Many, like cut-out and punch-out sentiments and the Brad Buddies are from HOTP.  But there are likely other companies represented too - just not sure as they've been in my stash for ages.  Here you see the double page spread:

I think I need to move the placement of one of the pictures (the top one that is partly on the sand and partly on blue) in order to be happier with this spread (not sure if that's possible or not), and maybe add a 2nd mat to the focal picture to make it stand out better, but the basics are here. You can see closeups of these pages below:

Once again I've used the Lucious Labels One die to mat the focal picture.

It feels good to get some scrapbook pages made.  They're not as carefully thought out and prepared as I've done in the past, but they're done and hold some wonderful memories for us!