Madness in the Desert part 17--The Great Outdoors

Our group climbed back onto the bus and headed toward our next park. Along the way, we stopped at an overlook so we could see the valley. It was a great view and as I was looking around I found a rock with multiple colors of algae growing on it. I grabbed a photo of that, of course.

Although this is a single stop and one double layout, it's really 2 separate pages. The left page came from a sketch from the 2020 monthly class with Noreen Smith. I can't show you the sketch, but I turned what was to have been 4x4 photos on the right into 2 decorative boxes. I used larger square stickers from my camping stash and then cut a title sticker so that the words were evenly divided between the 2. The little tree was a nice touch too!

The right page is based on this pin I saved. Sometimes it's nice to keep a page very simple. I traced around a template to get my puffy border. Instead of hexagons, I used a few scraps of paper as diamonds in the lower right corner. I used the pale Spargo CM pages as a base so the blue and brown popped easily. I inked the white edges of the square. As it was blending into the background, the brown along the edges helped to make it stand out. You can use your CM pens for this, or any archival ink.

Madness in the Desert part 16--Junior and Not so Junior

Back at the visitor center, we had time to explore the exhibits (one of the most interesting was creating your own earthquake by jumping on a floor plate and watching the waves on the monitor). There are a LOT of club members who like to complete the Junior Ranger booklets and earn their badge. To make it easier on the rangers, we held one giant swearing-in ceremony and then had them all take a group photo before getting back on the bus.

This layout is VERY loosely based on Noreen Smith's August 2019 1-2-3 layout. This paper came from the Adventure paper pack. When I have photos of large groups (like the junior rangers above) I like to print them as 8x10 so you can see all the people clearly. That sort of messes with the planned layout that Noreen provided, but if you think of it as a cluster of photos it works well! I moved the strips and mats around a bit so that you have the illusion of longer strips with the vertical photos "covering" the other side of the strip. A few stickers from the Junior Ranger tablet and this layout was done!

Madness In The Desert Part 15--Take a Hike!

After the Ranger Talk, we were invited to stroll along a nearby nature path. We could hug trees, see a dry creekbed, and look at the scant vegetation up close. Our group took advantage of this despite being hot and sunny. We are dedicated explorers!

This is another layout from Club Scrap. Scroll to layouts 5 and 6. You'll notice that my layout is not as "red" as the template. These kits often include ribbon and while I've put it on some of my layouts, it isn't a favorite of mine (especially if I have to tie a bow). I kept the brown photo mats on the bottom right but you'll notice that I made the layout work for me--I put a horizontal photo across the first 2 blocks. And if you look closely you'll see that I also added a peekaboo pocket for more photos.

Madness in the Desert Part 14--A Lot of Ash

 We were scheduled for a ranger talk so we all gathered at the Amphitheater. The ranger talked about how the volcano impacted life when it exploded over 1000 years ago. What most surprised me is how little vegetation has managed to find root in those years. When you think about how forests regrow after a fire, I had expected more trees and less ash. But the rocky terrain is the most prevalent feature here. 

I based this layout on an idea from Noreen Smith (Organized and Creative Mom). With her move to Creative Memories, her private website closed but you can still see the pin I saved here. The paper is from Creative Memories Adventure papers (2017). I had used a small bit on the right side of one of the mountain papers, but I really liked how that paper matched the park's setting, so I used it with a bit of "white space". The boot print border stickers were part of the pack, but the ranger, flat hat, and volcano came from a Junior Ranger sticker book I received as a gift. 

Madness in the Desert Part 13--Let the Stamping Begin!

Our first stop on the bus tour was Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. They were quite prepared for us and had distributed the stamps across several tables. That was where all the club members started. Luckily the lines were manageable and everyone was well-mannered.

This layout is based on a pin I had saved. I used one of my wooden texture papers for the background and a small square of the Eastern National paper with the passport and stamps on it. I punched the arrowhead watermarks from a separate Eastern National paper to make the cross parts of the design. One of my stash pieces is a sheet with a multitude of National Park-looking sign backs (blank). I added some sticker letters to create the title Those came from an older CM pack that had a nature theme. If you look closely you'll see the faint botanical pattern on the letters. That was always one of my favorite sets.