Almost Done!

Just a couple more layouts to go and then Ben's graduation book will be done!  Here is my latest installment :-)

 I was inspired by several challenges on this one.  I had made the decision to make the whole album in a burgandy, white, and black with some accents color scheme.  But after a while, they start looking the same -- which is why I love challenges that push me outside my box!  Lasting Memories had an Asian theme challenge -- never would have considered this pattern paper without the inspiration:

It's on the left, bottom.  To go along with it, I used some old, old, ollllld mullberry paper.  It's hard to see in the photos, but there are flower/leaf bits in the paper.  The pages started to come together -- but it still wasn't done.  Love to Scrap Challenge Blog had a challenge themed "Let's Fly Away" -- so  I added the "Landed Here" card (with an old-time plane on it) and then added the arrow pointing to VAAS (the name of the high school).  Since a stamp of some sort was required for the LTSCB, the "Fine & Dandy" and "Simply the Best" stamps filled in some space that was looking a bit bare.  Although they don't really fly away, the pin wheels came from this inspiration also.  

Next cam a challenge that I thought I might have to pass on -- Scrapbook Circle's Gold Challenge.  Bling is just not my thing.  But then DCWV came out with their September Stackaholic sketch and I LOVED it.  As I was flipping through my DCWV stacks to decide what to use -- the gold foil accents from the Tradewinds stack popped out at me.  Love this stack.  But it is REALLY hard to photograph.  I added some washi tape and ribbon and that gorgeous bling swirl.  

Here's the sketch:

And here's my layout:

Oops, forgot my title.  Here's another look at each side:

And some details:

And my last layout (for now :-) -- is our dinner at Brent's.  I used the right side of this Let's Scrap sketch:

And here's the layout:

It's also for the Lasting Memories challenge, "Let's Celebrate".  After all the stress the last few weeks before graduation, we were definitely celebrating!