The One with Scrap Your Stash #11

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Of all days of the month (nay, even YEAR!), my 11th Scrap Your Stash layout and accompanying video is up at twopeasinabucket.com ON HALLOWEEN! So of course I made a Halloween-themed layout. And again, featuring Jane. What can I say? She's a good subject.

JANE'S 1ST HALLOWEEN

Description: I was SO EXCITED to have my latest Scrap Your Stash video go up on Halloween - my most favorite holiday! Perfect excuse to use my Halloween stash. I just made a layout of Fox's first Halloween and I finally got pictures printed of Jane's first Halloween so that's the picture I decided to scrap. With the Thirty-One collection by Pebbles plus more embellishments by Bella Blvd, Echo Park Paper Co, American Crafts, Imaginisce, and more, this layout was a blast to make. It started off being quite different, with a watercolored die cut top layer, but when I placed it over all the punched patterned paper squares it was much too busy. So I toned it down and cleaned it up with a solid colored top layer. You can see the entire process in my video. Instead of editing it out, I thought people could learn from my mistakes! The new Heidi Swapp confetti mask (it comes with stars, dots, and hearts) was fun to try using paint instead of mist. Again, I made mistakes and had to die cut the main image again! Third time's a charm :) Happy Halloween!

Journaling says: For her first Halloween Baby Jane was a too cute to spook witch!

How to: The video shows how to create the layout from start to finish. Here it is written:

Download the when witches go riding - vinyl phrase by Kolette Hall (Design ID #49537) from silhouetteamerica.com. Die cut the image from cream cardstock. Punch 1" squares from a bunch of Halloween-themed papers then adhere them across a scrap piece of 12x12 paper. Layer the die cut cardstock over the punched squares paper using pop dots. Accent the letters with holes using patterned wooden buttons, black pearls, and brads. Use a mask to paint black stars in three clusters over the layout. Drop orange spray mist over the painted stars and add star stickers as well. Use letter stickers and Thickers to make the main title at the very bottom. Journal next to the title with a black pen. Place a photo on the top left side and edge it with scalloped border stickers. Trim off the cardstock showing through the left scalloped border sticker. Cut a spider web sticker in half and place one half on the photo and the other on the bottom right corner. Add a chipboard bow to each spider web sticker piece. Draw a white border around the edge of the layout using a white pen.

Supplies: Cardstock, adhesive: American Crafts; Patterned paper: Pebbles, Bella Blvd; Jewel brads, epoxy brad: Echo Park Paper Co.; Buttons: Imaginisce; Stickers: American Crafts (glitter foam letters, paper letters), Bella Blvd ("cutie", large star, scalloped borders), Pebbles (small stars, spider web); Pearls: Pebbles; Chipboard bows: Fancy Pants Designs; Spray mist: Studio Calico; Watercolors: Simply Art; Stars mask: Heidi Swapp; Pens: American Crafts (black), Uniball Signo (white); Die cut machine: Silhouette Cameo by QuicKutz; Die cut: when witches go riding - vinyl phrase by Kolette Hall (Design ID #49537); Square punch: Treasured Memories

Challenge: Use up your Halloween supplies! Every month a winner from all the SCRAP YOUR STASH entries will be drawn and rewarded with a $10 gift certificate. Winner will be announced on the 2Peas blog!

Here is the accompanying video so you can see how this layout was made start to finish:

Thanks for taking a look and leaving some love :)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The One with Lake Plansee & Linderhof Palace

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

After going up to the top of the Zugspitze, Chris was ready to go home. But there was still so much more to see and do! So, after a "heated discussion" we plugged in Plansee Lake into our GPS and off we went! Happy wife is a happy life right? Ha. Turns out I should have listened to Chris and gone home. Read on.

Lake Plansee!

Lake Plansee is an extraordinary body of water.

It is idyllically located between the ridges of the Zwiesel and Spießberg mountains and at the very end it merges into lake Heiterwanger See.

Lake Plansee is the second largest lake of Tyrol and is 76.5 meters deep at its deepest point.

It ranks among the cleanest lakes of Tyrol (grade A quality).

Lake Plansee is a true paradise for surfers, divers, sailors, snorkelers, swimmers, and people who don't do any of those things, like me!

I can just imagine all the fun we'd have at a family reunion here.

We simply drove right along the edge and that was that. Pretty pretty!

Last stop: Linderhof Palace!

What is it about vines that I love so much? The texture and patterns? I dunno, but I love them so!

Imagine our surprise when we ran into our friends, the Burninghams! We ate lunch together and then did the tour together. It was nice to have friends and others with young kids. We ate currywurst and brats with fries for lunch.

Kinda creepy statue! Out in the middle of nowhere!

Beautiful fall day and lovely Bavarian buildings.

Linderhof Palace is in southwest Bavaria. It is the smallest of the three palaces built by King Ludwig II and the only one which he lived to see completed.

I'm not going to go into details because we have to come back because, see, everything is covered up and closed down for the winter!

Waahhhhh! Should have listened to Chris and gone home.

Even so, we decided to go on the tour so next time we can skip the tour and cover all the grounds.

Can't wait to see this when all the gold statues are uncovered!

Swans! For all the "schwans" we've seen this trip!

No pictures allowed inside, again, phooey. This ivory chandelier is the most expensive thing in this palace.

I snuck two pictures. His bed is crazy huge and magnificent!

Another bedroom shot.

Bummer it was winterized already, but something to look forward to!

That concludes our trip to southern Bavaria! Wow, it was so much fun!

The One with Zugspitze, Germany

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Sunday morning we woke up to a gloriously blue sky! Perfect weather for going up to the tallest mountain in Germany - the Zugspitze (TSOOG-shpit-seh). We purchased what are essentially ski lift tickets for the day at the hotel and then were on our way.

We tried to get breakfast at McDonald's but it wasn't open until 8. We're 0 for 2 trying to get McDonald's! Guess we're not meant to eat it. We tried to get gas but it wasn't open yet either. Not our most successful morning so far! So we just drove straight to the lift and ate our snacks we brought from home for breakfast. We drove through the small town of Grainau and then to the base of Eibsee Lake to take the cable car up.

First ones there! Even with the extra hour of sleep we gained from Daylight Savings, because, yes, they do Daylight Savings a week earlier here. Why? I have no idear.

At the base of Zugspitze, just about to get on the cable car.

Waiting to go up and up and up!

Here we are, on the cable car, about to embark on a daring adventure!

At exactly 8:30, right on time, we headed on up along with a couple other families and a few Zugspitze employees.

"Look Mom, I'm a monkey!" says Fox. Looking back down after we crossed the first tower which literally made me scream out loud. I was not expecting to be so jostled!

Starting to get amazing views! You can see the small town of Grainau and Garmisch.

Towards the end of the journey we were going straight up. I. Was. Terrified. Like actually scared. It was a weird sensation and the thought of plummeting to my death below occupied my every thought. Me no likey.

Sharp, jaggedy mountain ridges.

If you fall down, you ain't coming back up!

We made it to the top! Hallelujah!

We weaved our way through the building, up a couple floors, and then out onto the deck.

This golden cross marks the top of the Zugspitze! A priest and his friends hauled it up in 1851. The historic original was shot up by American soldiers using it for target practice in the late 1940s (that wasn't very nice of us...) so what you see today is a modern replacement.

The views to the south were, I can't even think of a word to describe. It felt like we were high up in heaven looking down on the beautiful world below!

The Zugspitze, at 9,718 feet above sea level, is the highest peak of the Wetterstein Mountains as well as the highest mountain in Germany. It lies south of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the border between Germany and Austria runs over its western summit

Down below is the Zugspitzlpatt glacier. Each summer a 65,000-square-foot reflector is spread over the ice to try to slow the shrinking. Since metal ski-lift towers collect heat, they too are wrapped to try to save the glacier. In the winter, nine ski lifts cover the ski area on the Zugspitzplatt. Chris would be in heaven skiing here I bet!

Chris discovered an automatic camera.

Here we are, on top of the world! Or at least the top of Germany :)

It was mighty windy and cold! But I bet it gets MUCH colder!

The two terraces - Bavarian (Germany) and Tirolean (Austria) - are connected by a narrow walkway which was the border station before Germany and Austria opened their borders. The Austrian side was higher until the Germans blew its top off in World War II to make a flak tower. The narrow passage connecting the two terraces used to be a big deal - you'd show your passport here and shift from Austrian shillings to German marks.

Some of the telescopes tell you exactly how far and in which direction to look to see some points of interest such as the Matterhorn and the leaning tower of Pisa.

Top of the world!

Here's the picture I 'grammed from on top of the Zugspitze.

We waved goodbye then ran inside to get warm.

Inside we meandered through a little history exhibit.

Snapping a photo from inside the restaurant.

We wanted to take the train back down and through (yes, THROUGH!) the mountain which required getting onto a different cable car and going down to the glacier.

Down down down we went!

This cable car had a much less steep incline so I wasn't nearly as frightened.

A fun place to dine after a fun day of skiing. At least I think it would be!

Left picture (right picture description is below): The Schneefernerhaus was built in 1930 as the station of the Bavarian Zugspitze Railway. In June 1931 the attached hotel was opened. After the war, US Forces commandeered the house as a "recreation facility". Room rates, including meals, were $1 per day. Ski lessons were available, taught by Austrians and Germans, at a cost of $0.25 per hour. It was not released until 1952 and was then renovated, opening in December that same year. On 15 May 1965 it was hit by a serious avalanche. The avalanche had been triggered above the house and swept over the sun terrace. Ten people lost their lives and 21 were seriously injured. At the end of the 1980s the station was moved and, in January 1992, the hotel and restaurant closed. It was then converted into a research station that opened in 1996.

Right picture: In 1981 a chapel was founded on the Zugspitze, which was consecrated by the Archbishop of Munich and Freising, Joseph Ratzinger, in October on the feast of Visitation.

Wooden animals of some sort for kids to ride. More mountain views. Snow machines. The ski lodge/restaurant/visitor's center/etc.

Yee-haw!

Fox isn't too familiar with snow in his short three-year lifespan, but we're counting on Germany to fix that!

Jane snoozing. What an amazing view to see when basking in these lounge chairs.

Oh yes we did!

That restaurant again. Even the top of the Zugspitze has a Maypole! Here's Chris checking it out.

All aboard!

The train took about 45 minutes to get from the top of the mountain down to Eibsee below.

Suckers and a new stuffed animal = happy kids! Sometimes we give in...

The train was inside the mountain for about a half hour. It was dark and cramped and I tried to keep my mind off of what would happen if there was an earthquake... I'm such a worrywart! Then we emerged into daylight again and all was well.