Double Take layouts

Nic Howard & May Flaum really outdid themselves with inspiration in the BPC Double Take workshop which ends this week - sixteen double page sketches with two sample layouts for each, plus inspirational emails with eight additional sample layouts! I'm pleased that I was able to create nine double-page layouts over the past four weeks, eight with sketches from the workshop and one of my own creation.

For my layout using sketch 3 from week 3, I started with some really old papers that I didn't like very much. I believe these papers came from a book of travel themed papers and have been in my stash for at least five years.

Even though I created a photo book for our Banff road trip last year, I wanted a layout for our Places We've Been album to document the 8 states & 1 Canadian province we visited. I started by covering the corners of my background paper with a map paper, then used the red squares as my photo blocks.

I also finally used these great die cut letters I bought a few years ago before I had a Cricut to cut my own letters.

And I added this fun key embellishment that I took off a pre-made page I will never use.

A couple of months ago, we bought Robbie a new car and traded in the PT Crusier we bought new back in 2003. I knew I wanted to create a layout about the Cruiser, and sketch 1 from week 4 was perfect for it.

Journaling reads:

For 8 ½ years you have been a part of our family, mostly taking Robbie back and forth to work and school. We were so excited when you joined the family in January of 2003 with your six CD changer, eggplant purple color, and shiny chrome package. After a year, you and Robbie were in that little accident and your front end was crunched, but with some expert repairs and a new coat of paint you looked and acted as good as new. Since Melissa got a little car sick on long drives in your not-so-comfortable front seats, I’m sure you were often lonely as we rarely took you on any road trips, always preferring the much roomier Expedition. You did get to travel all the way from Rockwall to Groves that first year, and you finally got to leave the state of Texas when we loaned you to Daddy for his high school reunion in the summer of 2010. You were a welcome refuge for Robbie during all those lunch breaks in between his classes at SFA. However, this last year or so has been hard on you as you’ve made numerous trips to the repair shop, even having to be towed in a few times because you refused to start. Here we are in August of 2011, it’s time to say “Goodbye” . . .  yet we’ll always cherish the 87,000 miles of memories you traveled.

I've printed out all the sketches from the Double Take workshop to add to my inspiration file. I know I'll be returning to these over the next several weeks to create more double page layouts, but for now I need to take a few days to make some cards. Luckily Shimelle's Pretty Paper Party prompts so far have provided a sample card and sketch each day!