Write. Click. Scrapbook.

Welcome, March!

March is here! In like a lion? We're not sure how Mother Nature is greeting you, but we here at write. click. scrapbook. are certainly roaring in a new month with a brand new gallery and a promise of an unforgettable month ahead.

This month marks our third annual March Mini Madness! As we turn our sights and talents to the ever delightful, always beloved mini-album. Over the next four weeks, we will show you 16 new albums, and have four amazing giveaways. We can't wait to inspire you with new prompts and designs.

 

But before we get there, we have a new gallery to show you! With 20 mini-albums to choose from, hopefully you will find one that you want to create! Here are the covers. Hop on over to the gallery album so you can see the interior pages and read the journaling! Enjoy!

 

A Home is Built with Love Alone | Diane Payne

house shaped | materials patterned paper (American Crafts) + embellishments (American Crafts) + stickers (American Crafts)

A Note from Diane
This shape of the mini made me think of the quote about homes being about family and my idea took off from there. I used everyday photos of us together as a family at home from multiple years.

March Fun Fact
I started redecorating my home in January and now I have unfinished projects in every room of my house.

 

Picture Day | Aliza Deutsch

5 x 7 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Little Yellow Bicycle, Jillibean Soup, Echo Park, Pink Paislee) + embellishments (Studio Calico, My Mind’s Eye, Fancy Pants, Ormolu) + stickers (October Afternoon, 7Gypsies, American Crafts)

A Note from Aliza
This book has been in my head for years and years. It is written as a children’s story to be read aloud (I’ve never really done that before!). Every year, at my preschool, at least one child cries on picture day; terrified by a complete stranger coming in telling them what to do, how to sit, and to smile, smile, smile. And then I am always reminded about my son’s first picture day, and I think to myself, I should make a book about that so the children know what to expect on picture day. The timing has worked out perfectly, because picture day is this month.

March Fun Fact
My sister is coming to visit this month! I am so excited!

 

Me & You Mini Album | Katie Ehmann

8 x 8 | materials patterned paper (Crate Paper) + embellishments (Crate Paper) + stickers (Crate Paper)

A Note from Katie
This mini was so fun to make! I used Crate Paper’s Fourteen collection to make a mini focused on the relationship between my husband and me before our girls were born. We did a lot of traveling before we had kids, so many of the photos are from our various trips.

March Fun Fact
For the first time since having children, my husband and I are going on a special trip at the end of this month to celebrate his 40th birthday! I can’t wait to scrapbook it! Oh, and I’m kinda looking forward to the actual vacation, too!

 

Hello World Bucket Mini | Celeste Smith

5.5 x 8.5 | materials kit (Wanderer by Zoe Pearn at Sweet Shoppe Designs) + template (Simple Scrapper Insta Album) + labels (Mega Labels by Amy Wolff at The Lilypad) + font (Underwood Champion)

A Note from Celeste
There are so many places I would love to go and see. I thought I'd document a few in a little mini-album. There are so many travel themed digital kits and since we rarely travel I never get to use them!

March Fun Fact
I'm going on an all out organizing bonanza this month - all drawers, closets and even the basement will be gone through! Wish me luck!

 

Sunshine is My Drug | Lisa Ottosson

3.5 x 3 | materials patterned paper (American Crafts, One Little Bird+Paislee Press) + embellishments (National Ticket Co) + stickers (TGR)

A Note from Lisa Ottosson
This minibook is quite tiny only 3.5 x 3 and holds a few of my Instagram photos that have the hashtag #sunshineismydrug. I made the cover with cardboard scraps I had laying around my room and the pages are hold together with the washitape that you can see on each page.

March Fun Fact
Sunshine is in fact my drug! Last summer we didn't have as much sunshine as usual and I can feel it in my whole body!

 

Early Spring | Jennifer Larson

4 x 4 | materials mini album (Maya Road) + patterned paper (October Afternoon, Pebbles) + embellishments (American Crafts, Crate Paper, Studio Calico, October Afternoon, KaiserCraft) + stickers (October Afternoon, Echo Park, Studio Calico) + pens (Copic, American Crafts) + adhesive (Scotch Dot Adhesive Roller, Glue Dots, Xyron, Tombow MonoGlue)

A Note from Jennifer Larson
I took these pictures last year with the idea of putting them into a mini album celebrating the early spring in Minnesota, which is so late in coming but is so sweet when it arrives. I liked this mini album for its canvas, which I though added some nice, rough texture, sort of like the rough texture of early spring. Now in the coldest parts of winter, I’ve got a mini album I can pull out and page through to sustain me until spring comes for real.

March Fun Fact
I am an avid gardener, something I inherited from my mother, a master gardener. I have five perennial beds in the back yard filled with flowers and more floral borders all around my house.

 

Love Notes | Christine Newman

4 x 6 | materials mini album base (Evalicious) + cardstock (American Crafts, Wausau) + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye) + embellishments (Evalicious, Simple Stories, American Crafts, Freckled Fawn, Studio Calico, Pink Paislee) + stamps (Evalicious, Studio Calico, American Crafts) + ink (Tsukineko, Prima, Ranger) + twine (The Twinery) + digital graphics (One Little Bird Designs) + die-cut machine (Silhouette America)

A Note from Christine
This mini album came together in spurts. I created some pages in January and some in February. Working in spurts here and there for a couple of hours helps me feel like I'm making progress. I really love 4x6 mini albums because I can include some 4x6 photos printed out as is.

March Fun Fact
March is my birthday month! It just so happens that my annual bonus at work is paid out every March on my birthday week. It's almost as if they did this just for me as a birthday gift! :)

 

Family Love | Amy Coose

4 x 6 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Dear Lizzy, American Crafts) + embellishments (Chic Tags, Freckled Fawn) + stickers (Jenni Bowlin) + Silhouette Cameo

A Note from Amy
When I came up with the idea of a mini about our love, I didn't realize how mushy it would get. I love how it turned out, mush and all.

March Fun Fact
I usually don't like doing mini albums, but creating this album was so much fun that I can't wait to make another one! 

 

Utah Vacation | Deb Duty

6 x 6 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, American Crafts) + embellishments (Studio Calico, Heidi Swapp, A Flair for Buttons, My Mind’s Eye, Freckled Fawn) + stickers (Studio Calico) + alpha stickers (Studio Calico, American Crafts, Cosmo Cricket, October Afternoon, Basic Grey) + cardstock (American Crafts)

A Note from Deb Duty
I made a mini book with my favorite photos from our 2012 vacation to Utah. The mini is 6”x6” and all photos were printed at 3.75”x3” except for the full page photos which were printed at 5.75”x5.75” so that I could cut them out with a border.

March Fun Fact
Our favorite kind of vacation is one where there’s lots of beautiful scenery and hiking! Every U.S. National Park I’ve been to has been amazing! This mini is about visiting Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park.

 

Wednesday 16.01.13 | Francine Clouden

4 x 4 | materials patterned paper (Making Memories, BasciGrey) + letter stickers (BasicGrey) + chipboard stickers (Studio Calico) + stamps (American Crafts) +chipboard + graph paper tape + vellum + binder rings

A Note from Francine
I made this mini from scratch to highlight the Instagram photos I took of a day at home with Kieran back in January. I printed my photos out at 4x4, and cut chipboard pieces in the same size for the covers and pages. Then I "wallpapered" the patterned papers and photos to the chipboard. To add my journaling, I copied my captions directly from Instagram, printed them out onto vellum, which I then cut into strips and stuck on top the washi tape. I then added additional phrases with the stamp. To complete the book, I punched holes and used binder rings to hold them together. This is a great project for using up scraps and other items in your stash.

Since it is also a sturdy little book with mostly flat embellishments, it's very child friendly! :)

March Fun Fact
I don't much like my handwriting but I use it on 95% of my scrapbooking projects anyway!

 

Tommy Q&A | Paula Gilarde

6 x 6 | materials board book (Unknonw) + patterned paper (Jillibean) + stickers (Jillibean Soup ) + diecuts (Jillibean Soup) + stencils (Crafters Workshop) + digital labels (Katie Pertiet) + digital frames (Katie Pertiet)

A Note from Paula
I've had this blank board book in my stash for ever and decided to finally use it. I asked my son a series of random questions like: 
What would you eat every day if mom let you?
What is the first thing you show your friends when they come to your house? 

It will be fun to look back in a few years to see how his answers will have changed.

March Fun Fact
I grew up in Ireland so I like to celebrate St. Patrick's day with authentic Irish food - lots of potatoes. I've never had corned beef - it's not something we eat in Ireland.

 

Treehouse Mini | Valerie O'Neall

6 x 6 | materials cardstock (GMund Savanna (white), Wausau Royal Fiber (kraft)) + patterned paper (American Crafts, Elle's Studio & BasicGrey) + border stickers (Sassafras) + fabric brads (Basic Grey) + enamel dots (My Mind's Eye) + alpha stickers (October Afternoon) mist (Studio Calico) + Silhouette SD (font: Danger) + other (washi, shipping tags, tiny attacher, baker's twine)

A Note from Valerie
Just a fun, simple little album about the treehouse my husband built for our son this past summer. The white cardstock has a wood grain texture and I love it for this album.

March Fun Fact
Currently slightly obsessed with dipping sweet potato fries in maple syrup. Yum!

 

Play Ball | Jennie McGarvey

8.5 x 6 | materials patterned paper (Echo Park Paper, October Afternoon, American Crafts) + washi tape (Glitz, Freckled Fawn) + wood veneer (Studio Calico, Sodalicious) + mask (Studio Calico) + mist (Studio Calico) + enamel dots (My Mind's Eye) + chipboard (Jenni Bowlin) + tag (Ormolu) + flair (A Flair For Buttons) + alphas (Basic Grey, Echo Park Paper)

A Note from Jennie
This mini album is about my son's All Star baseball season from Summer 2012. I had been wanting to put something together with these instagrams but I hadn't gotten around to it until now. I'm actually pretty glad I didn't because I love how this came together!

March Fun Fact
I am constantly cold for 5-6 months of the year. My ideal temperature is around 83 degrees!

 

Run | Erin Sweeney

8 x 8 | materials patterned paper (Amy Tangerine/American Crafts, Studio Calico) + alphabet stickers (American Crafts)

A Note From Erin
I’m sharing the cover and the two most recent spreads from my race mini album. I’m keeping this album very simple, mainly because I have to – there’s no room for embellishments! I’ve attached the race bibs so that I can slip a tag behind them that includes race time, place, and other information about the race. I’ve kept the backgrounds all neutral since the race photo collages contain so many colors. I’m planning on giving the spreads a pop of color with the title (under the photo) and the race info (under the race bibs). I did the photo collages in PSE and they are 6x6 on 8x8 pages. Since I’m putting the album together in chronological order and the order will never change, all spreads use both sides of the paper except the title page since that one will always be moved as I add a new race. This saves paper as well allows me to use both sides of patterned paper I like. 
I’m also including any extras in the album. My sister and I were in the local paper and I’ve included that. I also have other memorabilia I’ll include in page protectors and pockets. 

March Fun Face
A local diner is open on Friday nights for Fish Fry only during Lent…which means my family will be eating out each Friday until Easter! It’s that good!

 

What Dads Do Best | Kelly Jeppson

5 x 7 | materials patterned paper (My Mind’s Eye) + border stickers, alpha stickers (Doodlebug Design, Inc.) + alphabet stencils + twine (The Twinery)

A Note from Kelly
As I was looking through my photos, I found a bunch of great shots of my husband with the kids. I thought I would put them all together in a little album inspired by a bedtime story we read that is titled, “What Dads Do Best/What Moms Do Best.” After I got finished, I realized that this is also an album all about my husband wearing sunglasses! He has them on in almost every shot.

March Fun Fact
I have spring fever! I want to clean my house and paint a bunch of rooms!

 

Documented | Monika Wright

3.5 x 5 | materials cardstock (Hobby Lobby) + patterned paper, cardstock stickers, decorative tape (My Mind's Eye) + die cut (Sizzix) + ink (Stampin' Up) + stamps (creativityprompt.com) + journaling cards (Becky Higgins, Project Life) + sewing machine, thread

A Note from Monika
As a girl who adores mini albums, I kinda sorta took the low road on this assignment. So many times, I sit in the car and over hear conversations from my girls in the back seat. I THINK that I'm going to remember them, but I don't. And that's where this little pocket | purse mini notebook came in to play. I utilize Project Life cards that can be added to a layout or an album in an instant. Now, when I come to a traffic light, I can quickly jot down the conversation before it's forgotten forever. I just trimmed some kraft cardstock so that the PL cards fit snugly inside and scored some half pockets before stitching it all together on my Mom's vintage Singer sewing machine!

March Fun Fact
The older I get, the less I like winter. Although, I do love wearing cute boots, scarves and turtlenecks... go figure! Oh, and I'm entering my last year in my 40's on the 28th of this month.

 

Hong Kong 2012 I Christa Paustenbaugh

5 x 7 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned papers (Elle’s Studio) + stickers (Jillibean Soup, American Crafts, Studio Calico, Crate Paper) + die cuts (Elle’s Studio) + epoxy dots (My Mind’s Eye) + wood veneer (Studio Calico) + tape (Target, MK) + stamps (Elle’s Studio) + ink (Jenni Bowlin Studios, Versamark) + embossing powder (American Crafts) + punches (Fiskars) + tags (Elle’s Studio) 

A Note from Christa
We took our first off island trip in November to beautiful Hong Kong. Of course I took hundreds of photos, but wanted to highlight our trip with a few of my favorite photos. I used mostly wallet sized so I could fit as many as possible in the small album. I did not use an album base, but rather papers, die cuts and tabs as inserts for journaling and photos.

March Fun Fact
March in Okinawa, Japan means that the warm, humid weather will start to return and although I’m saying this now, I’ll soon regret it when we are knee deep in July and August – I’m ready for it! Ready for bathing suits, beach time and fun in the water!

 

25 Years of Giving Thanks | Amy Sorensen

6 x 8.5 | materials various patterned paper scraps (mostly Authentique) + stickers (Authentique) + font (Melanie Lane) + tabs (Silhouette)

A Note from Amy
When I took my mini book into the copy store to have the cover laminated and the binding done, the copy-store clerk looked at me a little strangely. "Wait," she said. "This is cute, but why Thanksgiving in February?"
Because I tend to procrastinate, that's why! I wanted to make this mini book back in November, but I got busy doing other stuff and never got around to putting it together. So yep, here I am, making a Thanksgiving mini for the March gallery. This is okay because it means when November rolls around again, I will be completely ready.

March Fun Fact
In the past two weeks I have made five batches of lemon bread. My family can't get enough!

 

When There's Love at Home | Marnie Flores

4 x 3 | materials patterned paper (Authentique) + washi tape (Recollections) + alphabet stickers (Chatterbox) + printables (write. click. scrapbook.) + eyelets, binder rings, plastic bags

A Note from Marnie
Last month, I put together a family Valentine's activity. You can read the details on our Valentine's week, if you missed the original post. I could never have imagined how successful it was going to be. The kids were so excited to leave each other notes. Especially my 14 year old son. He didn't miss a day. We filled the mailboxes and then read them one at a time on Valentine's day. Some of them were high-lair-ee-us. Some were sweet. And some made me cry. And it brought a lovely spirit of kindness to our home that is still there. I really really really feel grateful for the inspiration to create this little project. I hope you might consider doing it, too. Even without Valentine's day.

To put the notes together, I decided to put them in little plastic bags to help make them more readable. I found little snack bags that were 4x6 and then cut down the tops. I punched them with my crop-a-dile and strung them together. I added washi tape to the bottom of the four dividers to help make it a bit prettier and to help separate all the pages.

The journaling cards are for sale in the new wcs etsy shop in all sorts of colors if you would like them!

March Fun Fact
That groundhog told me there are only two more weeks of winter. I hope he wasn't lying. I am done. with. winter. Done. ☺

 

Family Fun | Marnie Flores

8 x 8 | materials patterned paper (Pebbles, Fancy Pants, My Mind's Eye) + journaling pad (Pebbles) + thickers (American Crafts) + page protectors (Doodlebug) + pens (Tombow)

A Note from Marnie
I found this journaling pad and thought it would make for a great mini album. I pulled out all the cards and put them into a general order. Then we all sat round the table and filled them out. I love the little girls printing these days, and am so glad to have their ideas captured in their own writing.
After the cards were filled out, a few were rearranged to better suit what was written. (ie. hadn't counted on three zombie responses, but they so represent things around here right now.) I used three styles of page protectors from Doodlebug which gave me lots of options. You might notice I still need to add in some photos. Now that I know what photos I need, we can do a photoshoot and fill in the blanks.

March Fun Fact
American Idol is in full swing. Can't decide if I think it will be a good one or not. Jury is still out... I do know that I prefer JLo to Mariah...

 

Two more things before we go...

First, are you ready for your brand new cut file! Christine has done it again, making us something so perfect for our theme.

You may download it here.

And lastly, this month we say goodbye to Katrina Simeck and Emily Spahn. They are lovely ladies with radiant spirits. We will miss them terribly. It is so very hard to say goodbye to friends who bring a kind light to our days and who inspire us with their artwork. Thank you, both, for the time you have given us. You will be missed.

Please join us in thanking them for their time here! And we would love to hear from you concerning our mini albums and how much you love them!! Happy March!

Inspiration

Hello! Tomorrow is March 1st (March!), and that means a new gallery! I believe you shan't be disappointed. So today I am back for my final day this week of exploring the joys (and occasional hardships) of creativity. I thought I'd wrap things up this week with some thoughts and projects about inspiration.  

 

Collecting Your Ideas

Inspiration can come from everywhere and anywhere, and while I have notebooks set aside for jotting down ideas as they come, just as often, I quickly write things down on scraps of paper, or type a note on my phone.I just feel that the sooner I get an idea written down and out of my head, the more likely it will be that I will go back to it at some point.  I like to keep my notes, or photos that I'd like to use, out and about on my desk, so that I usually have some project to turn to when I am ready to sit down and scrap.

Both Lisa and Christine made layouts to record some of the things inspiring then right now.

Christine created an inspiration board within her layout (genius!).

 Lisa printed photos of some of her favorite pins on Pinterest, and then used the inspiration from those pins in her layout. (Again-genius!)

 

Reminders

To stay inspired to keep creating, I like to surround myself with little reminders, in the form of home decor. 

I created this project as a message directed to my kids, but now that it is framed and hung up in the kitchen, it gives me a little (inspirational and nutritional) boost too.

Here is a more specific reminder to keep taking pictures, that I keep near my desk.


And this one, doesn't use any words. Just some wood veneer and patterned paper, to remind me of the joy that cutting paper can bring.

Put Something In

Once again I will close with some inspiration from the world of children's literature. Here is a poem by Shel Silverstein, that I have loved since discovering it in college. The closing line forever inspires me to keep on making things. 

Put Something In

Draw a crazy picture,
Write a nutty poem,
Sing a mumble-grumble song,
Whistle through your comb.
Do a loony-goony dance
'Cross the kitchen floor,
Put something silly in the world
That ain't been there before.

Process, Process, Process

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I, Aliza, am back again with some thoughts about living a creative life. 

Let's jump right in to another aspect of creativity. If you are regularly involved in the act of creating, at some point you will most likely have to face being stuck. There are many great sources out there with suggestions for what do when this happens. I'd like to talk about one way to get past a creative block. And that is by focusing on the process of being creative, rather than producing a particular product. 

Allow me to explain:

We all get stuck for a variety of reasons: 

You might...

1.feel like you're out of ideas for subject matter, or just not inspired by anything at the moment. (Sigh.)

2. have lots of ideas but get stuck on where to start. (Grrr!)

3. have a started project that isn't coming out like you planned in your head. (Aargh!)

4. be comparing yourself to others, and feeling like your work is not good enough. (Been there and done that. Repeatedly.)

Remember all of my examples about children and their creative, pretend play? Well, I recently discovered that they get stuck too sometimes. This layout tells the story of how, one evening,  Sam kept trying to start  playing with his action figures, but he had some trouble. He said,  "Every time I start to play, it doesn't go anywhere." I know the feeling, kid. I really do.

 

Process Not Product

To begin talking about what I mean by focusing on the process, let's do what I do every work day, and go back to preschool.

When talking about art In the world of early childhood education, the phrase "process over product" is used frequently. Often, the end product of a small child's painting, is lots of paint sloshed all around the paper. It might not look that exciting. But when you get to see how it was created, it's a whole other story. Maybe the child was covered to his elbows in paint, thoughtfully covering every inch of white space. Or perhaps, while painting the child narrated an entire story (or two, or three). Or, before getting to a big, muddy mess of brown, he noticed the different colors mixing together, and exclaimed, "Look! I made orange!! I made purple!!" And in that one paper covered in paint, so much learning and growth took place.

So, here's my advice to you, fellow crafters.  Rather than thinking about whether one particular project looks good or bad in the end, think about the fact that this is one piece in your entire creative life. And on this day, at this time, this is where you are in the process of being creative. But it is not where you will always be. And as long as you keep creating, you have an alomost infinite amount of opportunities to keep experimenting, improving, and building on what you already know.

A few years ago, I made a layout about just this topic. 

And to illustrate the point that we grow and change as artists, I made this layout that documents how my relationship to writing and journaling has changed over the years.

One More Thing

This week, asI was planning this post, I rediscovered a children's book, that seems to perfect to share here. I also will probably not be able to write about it without getting a little teary. The Dot is about a young girl, who, with an empty sheet of paper at the end of art class declares to her teacher, "I just CAN'T draw!" Her teacher tells her to simply make a mark on her paper. Angrily, she jabs her marker to make one dot on her page. "Now, sign it, please"  says her teacher. When the girl arrives next time, there is her dot, framed and hung up on the wall. When she sees that, the girl proceeds to paint dots of different sizes, and colors, and when the school art show rolls around, there is a wall full of her paintings.

The moral of the story is, make something. Anything. See where it takes you.

You can also take a look back, and see where you have been.

 

What About You?

Hi again! I am here for day two of my musings about creativity. Yesterday I talked about capturing the creativity of others. Today, let's talk about ourselves.

Chances are, if you are here, then you have a drive to create in some form or another. It's a powerful feeling; one to be celebrated, and even, recorded.

Right now, it seems, that my kids just think I am nutty and a little obsessed with taking pictures and scrapbooking. But one day, I like to think that they will look back fondly, and say, "Oh, my darling mother, (who was always so lovely and nice and beautiful), was so passionate about capturing beauty and making things. What an inspiration she is to me..."

In case they don't come to that conclusion themselves, I've captured that part of me in some pages. Since I am nutty and a little obsessed with taking pictures and scrapbooking, I feel like my heart is laid bare on these layouts.

I even get to be creative in my non-scrapbooking life, and it feels exatrordinarily powerful to me:

Christine  created this page to record all the reasons she loves to scrapbook.

And this one records her love of crafting in general:

Francine shares her creative passion here:

Lisa needs to do something creative every day. It's like a drug.

What are the reasons you create?

What do you feel as you are creating?

Do you feel your creative juices flowing in other areas of your life, as well? At work? In the kitchen? In the garden?

If so, by all means, record it! What a gift to yourself and your loved ones, to share this bit of yourself.

Creativity is All Around You

Hi, it’s Aliza here this week to talk a little bit about creativity; that spark, that drive, that mojo that gets us writing and clicking and scrapbooking. Sometimes, the ideas and the creations are just pouring out, and projects get accomplished like lighting; Zam! Boom! Pow! Done and done. And sometimes it’s like running a marathon... actually I have no idea what that’s like. So let’s say it’s like folding laundry; it can be tedious, but it gets done by folding one piece of clothing at a time, slowly but surely.

There is creativity around us all the time in many different forms; Children playing, books we are reading, music in the background, and even in the technological products that we use every day.  

Look Around

I love capturing those bits of creativity around me in my photos and scrapbook pages, and I guess I have for a while, since some of these pages are quite old.

There are artists all around you. Some people create things that become part of our collective conscience, which is what I found so moving about visiting the home where a kid grew up, and had an idea for a comic book character that he called Superman.

 

Some artists make creations that bring people joy for just a short while. This guy didn't create anything that changed the world, but he worked hard, he had a vision, and he brought some smiles to people around him on the streets of New York City. The power to move people in that way...well, I call that art.

You Don't Have to Look Far

If you have kids, then you don't have to look far for people who spend their time creating. Some will do it with paint and glue, some with legos or blocks, and some with dolls, action figures, or just nothing but their own body pretending to be someone else. But no matter how they do it, so much of a young child's life is spent in creative endeavors.

Here's my own little super hero creator:

 

Though mostly he told stories with action figures.

 

Francine has several layouts that capture her son involved in some beautiful, messy, artwork:

Amy also has a layout about her daughter's love of art, and it tells the story behind this particular creation.

 

Capture the Aftermath

Sometimes it can be difficult to catch your child in the act of creating. Some of them move fast, and, can you believe it? Some of them don't want to be followed around by a camera?! Luckily, they often leave the remains of their play all over the place, long after they are done. 

 

 So, look around. What art, big and small, moves you? Take a moment to capture it in a picture, a layout, or in your Project Life pages. Take a look through your scrapbooks, and maybe you'll see that you've been capturing it all along.

In Review

Have you had a delightful month? We hope that you have learned much and giggled oft as you have spent your time with us each day. Have we mentioned lately how much we love our readers? Yes, you! We do love having you stop by. 

 

It's that time where we link arms and walk back through our gallery. We hope that you have your comfy shoes on! Let's begin...

 

1. record a trend. Lisa's One Direction layout could fit many of our children's albums right now. Have you taken a moment to record their current media crushes?
2. record something goofy. and then don't add lengthy journaling if it isn't needed. Jennie's layout is perfect with nothing but her title. High-lair-ee-us.
3. make a list of oft heard phrases. Sometimes we hear things so often that we can't imagine that they will one day fade from our memories. Feel free to ask your spouse for help like Diane did.
4. record a conversation line by line. Valerie smartly recorded the conversation and used stamps to help convey the speaker. Darling.
5. write from the heart. Go there. No matter how it hurts. You will be glad later. Christine's layout is proof enough.
6. make a list of the words your baby knows. And then write them out. And one day, scrapbook them, like Paula did!
7. record your tactics. Sarah's layout is a humorous retelling of her persuasion techniques. Too funny.
8. eavesdrop. and then write down what you hear. especially if you have two little people chatting together. You will giggle. Just like Erin did.

 

1. honest photos. Aliza's layout shows us just how fun in-the-moment photographs can be.
2. take a headshot. then pair it with something that you hear. Katie's layout shows us that the photo that you use doesn't need to have been taken at the moment of the conversation that you are recording.
3. hilarious moment recorded. Don't forget to take pictures of the crazy antics of your housemates. Chances are this photo will haunt Christa's daughter for years to come. Perfection!
4. conversation baby photos. You might need two of you for this one. While one engages the baby in a conversation, the other records it. These photos, like Keshet's will become treasures.
5. action shots. They are easy to take and fun to scrapbook. Just pick a few and get going like Jennie did.
6. take a screenshot of your texting convo. Amy's idea is fantastic! As is her layout!
7. take a photo at the beginning or end of an event that you cannot attend. Kelly's photo of her son coming home from camp helps tell the story even though she didn't get to be there the whole time.
8. let your conversation be your photo. Sometimes you don't need a photo. Sometimes you can find one. But don't let the lack of one stand in your way. Marnie didn't.

 

1. use an element unexpectedly. Look at how Aliza uses the polaroid frame with the attached sentiment. It sits empty in the lower right hand corner. Without framing a photo. Interesting...
2. find a small element that helps to tell your story. Like Celeste's car. Helps us to catch that this conversation took place in the car. In case you forget to read the title.
3. embellish with color. Jennifer does a great job with black and white photos, a grey background, and then all sorts of color pops in her embellishments. Perfect!
4. stamp a date with tiny little date stamps. Francine's round little bitty yellow numbers with the red dots in between are the perfect additions for both color and style. Lovely.
5. Christmas photos. Let Amy's layout be some inspiration for you to scrapbook your holiday photos.
6. Let conversation bubbles be your text boxes. Then you can add lots of journaling that is unrelated to each other. Just like Emily did.
7. use enamel dots to support your color story. Deb is a master. Learn from her.
8. edit your photos in an artistic manner to help with your story telling. Christine's layout is so much more fun with her oversized affected photos.

 

Thank you, again, for stopping by! We hope that these prompts will help you make better use of the gallery and all that it has to inspire!

Chatty Cathy

No that title does not refer to my long winded posts this week! Today we are talking about journaling conversations and quotes. I have always found this type of journaling so amusing. My boys say the funniest things sometimes. I have a hard time remembering to write them down so I can remember to scrap them though. Lately, I've been using Oh Life! each night to give a summary of my day. This helps with my Project Life pages and I also have been able to capture a few nuggets from our day including funny stories, quotes and conversations.

Today you are in luck. This month's gallery theme is Conversations that means you have a whole slew of fantastic layouts to garner some inspiration from. I thought I'd highlight a few of them here. Simply click on the image to go to the gallery for a more detailed view.

First up, here is my contribution to the gallery this month. A couple of interesting tips when writing conversations down. If you don't want to attribute each line to someone using NAME:, then you just need to make sure that you include the person that the line is directed to in the line of journaling. As well, I assigned different colors to each person which helps you follow the conversation.

I love how Valerie O'Neall used masks here to designate who is speaking each line of conversation.

Amy Coose offered up this page that has text conversations on it. I love this modern take on how we communicate!

I do have a few pages to share that are not in the gallery this month. First up, Francine Clouden sent me this darling page about her son talking on the phone.I love the series of photos of him on the phone.

I have a few pages that come from deep in my vault of layouts. The first is this page, Chabooska! A funny thing my son Sam used to say when he was 2. One thing I noticed when I look at my older pages is that scrapping simply means that my pages really don't feel dated at all. Look at that conversation bubble from 2006!

 

Next I have another funny from Sam. A little rude perhaps, but my husband is a good sport. We really had quite a chuckle about this. I think the extracted photos and the patterned background give this a cartoonish feeling.

 And so you don't think I only scrapbook using extractions, here's one about an overheard conversation.

And for our last download of the week...

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Today our download is from Snips & Snails Designs at One Story Down. Stephanne is an amazing designer and so prolific. She often creates a fabulous main kit and then offers a slew of really creative add-ons including paint splatters, alphas, and journal cards. Her kits are filled to the brim with everything you need to create the perfect page. She really does a great job including something for everyone. I never need to worry about finding a matching button or another item when I sit down to scrap with her kits. Please be sure to go check out her store and leave her a thank you on her blog!

If you scrap digitally, you should check out the matching kit to these journal cards, Wish You Were Here. It's chock full of fun travel themed items.

I created this page of my son fishing using it. It really is a fantastic kit. The map papers alone are just divine! But I digress...

Aliza Deutsch used the printable to scrap this funny "thing" her son said. Aliza kept that conversation on a scrap of paper and when she came across this photo she knew she had the perfect pairing. I think the photo of him wearing the helmet is hysterical and so fits the page! 

I hope you had as much fun as I did this week. Have fun playing with those freebies. A big thank you to the designers at One Story Down for donating their time and creativity to my week. Those ladies just rock!

Until next time,  

 

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

Letter writing is certainly a lost art. I can't remember the last time I sat down to write a letter. It's all email all the time for me. Letter writing is a great journaling jump start. It's really easy to write Dear Dad and then write your journaling and close with Love, Me. It allows you to get your thoughts down and helps keep the journaling personal and relevant. There is something about this format that helps me write about difficult topics.

Here I wrote a letter to my mother. She passed away in 2000 and she would have loved this get together last year. It was a great way to remember her and get my feelings out about who's missing from this photo.

And not to be forgotten, here is a difficult letter to my father about his cancer diagnosis and treatment. It's hard living so far away and not really understanding all that is going on.

My son was having a particularly tough month. I wrote him this letter that talked about some of the things that were going on and reminding him how much we love him! A monthly letter to your children is a great way to wrap up the month.

I couldn't resist scanning in this thank you card from my 11-year old son. I just love that he took the time to thank me for my help and the personal touch of his handwriting just adds so much to the page!

Our resident journaling queen, Amy Sorenson, uses the letter format to write a letter to her son about his relationship with his sister. I love that she reminds him that she'll be his sister forever. As always, Amy's journaling is poignant and full of great storytelling details.

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Aliza Deutsch writes an amusing letter to her sons about her crazy photo taking habit! She explains the way in which it helps her to see beauty in the world around her.

Here Aliza writes a tongue in cheek letter to the love of her life, her iPod!

 And lastly, Aliza writes a love letter to a favorite eatery, hoping to meet again.

Today's journal cards are letter themed and come to you from Kim at Two More Days at One Story Down. I love the postage stamp theme and the air mail border! A great way to add some journaling to a page or Project Life spread! Kim is new to One Story Down and I'm falling in love with her graphic papers and adorable embellishments. Please stop by Kim's store or her blog and say hello!

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Lisa Ottosson took up the challenge and used two of these cards to write a letter to herself! A fantastic way to journal a bit about yourself. You could even write a letter to a past self or a future self for a fun twist!

Happy Valentine's Day! Maybe you can write a little letter to your sweetie tonight. Be back tomorrow for my last day!

Take care,

Write! Saturday

I confess: Valentine’s Day is my absolute least-favorite holiday. (You can read HERE if you’re curious as to why!  ) I don’t like overly-sentimental novels or schmaltzy love cards, and romantic movies have to work really hard at avoiding cheesiness before I’ll watch them. I think I’m allergic to sappiness.

Now that I’ve perhaps painted myself as a crusty anti-romance Scrooge, let me also confess: even I am not immune to the February explosion of hearts and roses. All the Valentine’s Day hoopla reminds me that it’s important to make a record of our love stories of all kinds—the romantic sort, of course, but also the love between parent and child, between siblings or parents or friends.

But, holy cow, have you ever sat down to write about how you feel about someone? It’s hard to write it without sounding mushy! (Which makes me admire even more the writers—of novels, screenplays, poetry, and yes, even cards—who manage it.) For example, think about how you feel about your husband. How do you put it into words? Writing "I love you" doesn’t really convey what you mean, and adding modifiers ("I love you SO MUCH!!!) doesn’t change it. So sometimes we go to cliched language: "I love you so much my heart just wants to burst!" And then your pinkie’s reaching for the backspace key because that doesn’t really say it either.

It’s hard!

Here’s the strange thing about writing about emotion: one of the best ways to do it (without getting trapped in sentimentality) is to not to describe the emotion. Instead, try writing about something specific and concrete that evokes the emotion. Let’s go back to how you feel about your husband. You love him, but "love" is pretty generic. So, get specific: the emotion that fills you up when you see him doing something altogether ordinary for you, like taking the garbage can to the curb. There’s not really a word for that emotion, but something specific about the emotion can convey what you feel: you could write about how it builds on pieces of your history (that fight your once had about the garbage can, maybe) or what he knows about you (you’re just never dressed early enough to get it out on time) or what it reveals about him (he’d never let a Tuesday go by without dragging the can to the curb), and you’ll have written about how you love him without, possibly, ever even having used the word "love." The concrete (things we can see, hear, touch, taste, smell) and the specific (not "I love you because you’re helpful" but "I love you because you make sure our garbage can always gets dumped") bring emotion to real and sincere expression.

Without cheesiness!

So! Here area few specific and concrete ideas to help you write your love stories:

 

1.  Write about something you say that expresses emotion.

Whenever my teenagers leave for a night out, I send them with a little cash, a hug, and this admonition: "Don't kiss any girls!" (or boys, as the case calls for!) Those four words stand in for the 5-minute-long talking to I'd like to send them off with, something about not doing anything stupid and trying to make good choices and not drinking anything they shouldn't and definitely not smoking anything at all and not getting in cars with drivers they don't trust and be good and strong and oh yeah, have fun and I love you. None of which they want to hear but all of which must be conveyed, and I've said my "don't kiss any boys" phrase for so long it stands in for everything else.

We all have things we say in our relationships that stand in for what we really feel but might not be able to say. Recording them on a layout is a great way to express how you feel about a person without getting too mushy. Here's a layout about a little ditty I still sing to my now-7-year-old son:

 

2.  Write about something your relationship is teaching you.

I believe that the shape our relationships take is formed by the experiences we have within them, both good and bad. If we pay attention we can always learn something about improving them. What is something you are learning right now in one of your relationships? Here, I journaled about my marriage and its current knowledge:

 

 

3.  Write about a memory that is a touchstone in your relationship.

Love is also built on memory, and some of those memories we return to over and over. Because we revisit the important ones, they take on even more significance. Writing about the memory and why it is important to you is a form of expressing your affection. What memory is particularly important to you in one of your relationships? Francine shared this layout about the last time she nursed her son, with a photo of one of the first times:

 

And I wrote about a memory from a trip that continues to remind me of what's important:

 

 

Christa wrote about the contrast between her memories and her reality:

 

4.  Write about a habit the other person has that has become endearing to you.

Sometimes habits are annoying. Sometimes they just don't get noticed very much. But they definitely help to define a person, and you taking notice of them is a way of making them important.

I wrote about my daughter's tendency to make puns:

(I realized as I was making this layout that I've never written any of her puns down. So I left all that blank space on the bottom for writing in future puns.)

 

5.   Write about one small and specific thing that the person does which you love.

Remember: specific things express emotion better than emotional words do. What is something one of your special people does right now (these things are sometimes fleeting!) that makes you feel loved? Journal about it!

Here, I fully intended to write about how my son Nathan is always willing to let me have a bite of what he is eating. I ended up feeling like writing about something completely different, so I went with the inspiration instead of the goal:

 

Lisa wrote a list of specific things she loves about her daughter:

 

While Aliza wrote a paragraph of them about her son:

 

6.  Finish this sentence: I love you as much as _______________.

This prompt comes from the children’s book I Love You as Much...by Laura Krauss Melmud. It uses specific things (animals and the things they love) to express how the mom feels for her new baby. It's really a sort of magical prompt if you let yourself get carried away with it—the concreteness of the objects you're using bring a vividness to the journaling because we can imagine them in our heads. This was one of my kids' favorite board books, but Kaleb loved it especially. I used the rhythm of the book to infuse my silly rhymes with a similar beat:

 

(Instead of Melmud's animal images, I used objects that are common to our autumn experiences.)

 

And Valerie finishes us up with this layout that also makes a comparison:

Make sure to share with us one of your love stories.

 

Welcome, February!

Thank you for joining us! We are so excited to be here and to share with you our new gallery. We have some amazing things in the works this month and can't wait to show you.

The first new feature that we have is that each month we will be bringing you a cut file for you! They will share the theme of our gallery hoping you will be inspired to create your own gallery layout. Here is this month's file.Isn't it awesome? Isn't Christine awesome? If you would like the cut file, you may download it here. And if you do, please be sure to leave a comment below thanking Christine for sharing her talents with us!

Our next surprise will be coming mid-month. Be sure to check back often! Or better yet, if you subscribe to our page, then it will automatically pop up in your inbox!

Enough, enough, you cry, please show us the gallery...

 

Conversations

This month, our gallery is entitled, "Conversations." We were hoping to provide you opportunity and desire to put together a page or two based upon the funny things your kids say, or those conversations that you have every day, or one that changed your life. Your phone is filled with short back and forths if you are a texter. Have you thought to take a screen shot? How about having a notebook in your purse to record those hilarious things that you hear in your car? Or maybe something someone said to you once changed your life forever. This month we hope to inspire you to write these things done, and record your memories. Add a photo, or not, and you will have a page that will bring smiles and reminders for years to come.

Without further ado, our new gallery. as a friendly reminder, If you would like to see them larger and to read the journaling notes, please head over to the Conversation Gallery photo album.

 

Since When | Aliza Deutsch

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (American Crafts, My Mind’s Eye, October Afternoon, Jillibean Soup) + embellishments (Pebbles, Elle’s Studio) + stickers (American Crafts-Amy Tangerine)
 
A Note from Aliza
I just love the pure emotion in these photos. It is simply pure excitement for Chanukah presents.

 

Live, Laugh, Love & Eat Cookies | Aliza Deutsch

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, American Crafts, Pink Paislee, Echo Park Paper Co.) + embellishments (Ormolu, Elle’s Studio, Studio Calico, Doodlebug Designs, Crate Paper, American Crafts, My Mind’s Eye) + stickers (Basic Grey, October Afternoon)

A Note from Aliza
This layout is about a topic that is near and dear to me. I also love cake.

February Fun Fact
According to every TV show and magazine article ever, I am supposed to love shoes. But I usually wear the same shoes every day. I do, however, change my rings to match my outfit.

 

crazy circular car conversation #576 | Celeste Smith

12 x 12 | materials kit (Retrospective by One Little Bird at The Lilypad) + masks (Cut.It.Out by Robyn Meierotto at Pixels & Company) + stitching (In Stitches Neutral by Robyn Meierotto at Pixels & Company, Bad Sewing Machine Basics by Traci Reed at Sweet Shoppe Designs) + sticker (One for the Road kit by Dani Mogstad at Jessica Sprague) + font (Another Typewriter)

A Note from Celeste
I wrote this conversation down down the minute I returned home. so I could stay pretty true to the craziness! It's hard to give both boys the attention they need when our conversations go like this!

February Fun Fact
Winter break quickly approaches and while the others in my house are excited about going to New Hampshire to ski, I'm excited about going to New Hampshire to read!

 

In Every Conversation | Lisa Ottosson

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (American Crafts) + stickers (American Crafts Thickers, My Little Shoebox mini stickers)

A Note from Lisa
I was so happy that this theme came to be, because I really needed a kick in the you-know-what to record the way my daughter includes something about her favorite boyband One Direction in just about every conversation!

February Fun Fact
I don´t really like the music of One Direction, but since my daughter listens to them constantly, I know many of the words to them.

 

It is My Dream To Slap A Gorilla | Jennie McGarvey

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (American Crafts) + stickers (Pebbles and American Crafts) + Embellishments (Hello Forever, clip & sequins unknown) + Stamps (Studio Calico) + ink (Studio Calico)

A Note from Jennie
This layout just makes me laugh. When Sawyer told me one of his dreams was to slap a gorilla, I knew I wanted to remember this silliness forever.

February Fun Fact
I am currently addicted to grids and find myself wanting to use them on every project!

 

Grass Wonderland | Katie Ehmann

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Crate Paper) + embellishments (Crate Paper) + stickers (Crate Paper) + typerwriter (Royal) + Silhouette Cameo + sewing machine

A Note from Katie
This layout was inspired by a conversation between my youngest daughter and me after a 60 degree day that wiped out all our snow. I used fun, bright patterns and colors to complement my photo. And lots of layering.

February Fun Fact
I am slightly obsessed with vintage right now and plan to slowly turn our home décor into a 40s-60s kitch-fest. Don’t tell my husband ;-)

 

This is so You | Diane Payne

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye, Simple Stories, American Crafts, KI) + embellishments (Studio Calico, American Crafts, Hello Forever) + stickers (KI Memories)

A Note from Diane
The photos in the this layout perfectly capture the carefree spirit of my daughter. I brainstormed with my daughter and husband to come up with the phrases/quotes I included and feel that I really captured her personality.

February Fun Fact
I like to purge and organize things, especially in January! I'll make several trips to the Container Store looking for the perfect organizational system for my things.

 

What Dominic Says | Jennifer Larson

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Simple Stories, American Crafts) + die cut paper (KI Memories) + vellum (Studio Calico) + embellishments (Studio Calico, My Mind’s Eye, American Crafts) + stickers (KI Memories, October Afternoon) + photography (Junglefish Studios)

A Note from Jennifer
My son is a champion of memorable words. I’ve made many pages about his aphorisms, and this story that I record on this page made me think I should pull every page I’ve made about his turns of phrase and put them in a separate album. I mean, I can’t argue with “Pancakes are not pancakes without bacon”!

February Fun Fact
My son, whose birthday is in February, was born one month after my birthday.

 

You & Me | Francine Clouden

12x12 | materials Patterned paper (basicGrey) + transparent letter stickers (Amy Tangerine, American Crafts) + die cuts (Studio Calico) + stamps (Studio Calico) + arrow Thickers (American Crafts) + button (Studio Calico) + mini file folder (BasicGrey) + paperclip + baker's twine

A Note from Francine
This page looks complicated but was very easy to put together because I used a patterned paper from Basic Grey with all the pre-printed layers you see behind the photo! This conversation with Kieran is one we have been having a lot lately, as Kieran tries to work out personal pronouns.

February Fun Fact
I ate the entire box of Belgian chocolates my mother-in-law gave us for Christmas. Time to start back using the Wii Fit!

 

So Happy | Amy Sorenson

12x12 | materials patterned paper (My Mind's Eye) + stamps (Close to my Heart) + stamping ink (ColorBox) + washi (Target) + fabic + twine + Alegreya and Bemio fonts

A Note from Amy
I hope I'm not the only one who does this...but I love scrapping Christmas photos in January. It makes me feel like I'm able to revisit the holidays. Honestly? January is pretty much the only time I get any Christmas photos scrapped at all. I wrote down this sweet thing that Kaleb said on a scrap of wrapping paper so I wouldn't forget it!

February Fun Fact
Valentine's Day is my least-favorite holiday. Someone might even call me a Valentine's-Day scrooge and be pretty accurate! Luckily my anniversary is on the 13th, so we celebrate that instead.

 

He Said, She Said | Valerie O'Neall

8.5 x 11 | materials cardstock (Neenah) + stamps (Ormolu) + mist (Studio Calico) + ink (VersaMark & Memento) + embossing powder (American Crafts) + washi (October Afternoon) + fabric brad (Crate Paper) + enamel dots (My Mind's Eye) + other (vintage typewriter , Sharpie, & hole reinforcers)

A Note from Valerie
My son is so observant and this layout depicts just one little story about it. First thing I did to create this layout was journal on the cardstock with my typewriter. Next I stamped and embossed, then added the mist, photo, and embellishments. It all came together rather quickly.

February Fun Fact
My birthday is in February. This is the year I get to say bye-bye to the twenties.

 

Our Last Conversation | Christine Newman

(12 x 12) | materials cardstock (Gmund, American Crafts, Bazzill) + patterned paper (BasicGrey) + embellishments (My Mind's Eye, Pink Paislee, Simple Stories Sn@p) + twine (The Twinery) + stamps (Evalicious, Technique Tuesday, Ormolu) + ink (Ranger JBS, Prima) + digital graphics (Miss Tiina) + die-cut machine (Silhouette) + sewing machine (Brother) + thread (Coats & Clark)

A Note from Christine Newman
This is the first layout I've ever created about the last conversation I had with my mom before she passed away from cancer. Every time I thought about what I would journal for this layout, I started crying. Even though it's been six years since she's been gone, it's still hard for me to think about our precious past conversation.

February Fun Fact
My husband's birthday is in February. The Super Bowl is usually in February as well. So the past two years we've had a combined birthday + Super Bowl party called "Super Todd"!

 

Silly Things You Say | Emily Spahn

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico) + embellishments (American Crafts, Kikkerland, Studio Calico, Pretty Little Studio) + stickers (American Crafts) + cardstock (Bazzil)

A Note from Emily
My daughter is constantly saying hilarious things – things that probably are not funny to anyone else, but she is always cracking us up! I loved these quote bubble sticky notes! They worked perfectly to document her funnies!

February Fun Fact
I got married in a town that has a “famous” groundhog. One year for Groundhog’s Day we went to a big celebration in his honor. We got to see him make his prediction and then enjoyed snacks and games…we even bought a groundhog shaped cookie cutter. It was all very random… ;)

 

Super Panty I Christa Paustenbaugh

8.5 X 11 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned papers (October Afternoon, Bo Bunny) + stickers (Bella Blvd, Sassafras Lass) + brads (October Afternoon) + die cut (Evalicious) + flair (Ormolu) + twine (Ormolu) + tape (Bella Blvd) + die cut machine (Silhouette)

A Note from Christa
Our youngest child Ella can both make us see red and make us laugh until we are red within a 2 minute period. We nearly wet ourselves laughing at her when she came downstairs dressed like this. We asked her “what are you supposed to be?” and her reply – “You know! I’m SUPER PANTY”! And quickly posed for obligatory photos!

February Fun Fact
I can sing the Monster High theme song in my sleep, while I cook and during a run because I have heard it so. Many. Times. I’m ready for the next phase and fad!

 

Hello Daddy| Keshet Starr

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, KI Memories, craft supply) + embellishments (October Afternoon) + stickers (Basic Grey, Jenni Bowlin Studio, Crate Paper, craft supply)

A Note from Keshet
My little one can’t talk yet, but her expressions show all of her conversation!

February Fun Fact
I’m afraid of my basement in the dark!

 

Words | Paula Gilarde

12 x 12 | materialscardstock (Core'dinations & Bazzill) + kraft paper (Jillibean Soup)+ twine (Jillibean Soup) + watercolor paper + stickers (American Crafts) + Stencil (Crafters Workshop) + rub on (Hambly) + stamps (Studio G) + Digital Element (Katie Pertiet digital frame)

A Note from Paula
My daugher is 10 years old but I've held on to a scrap of paper where I wrote down the words she knew at 18 months. I stopped keeping count at 50! She has a lot more hair now :)

 

Basketball | Jennie McGarvey

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Fancy Pants Designs) + embellishments (Jenni Bowlin, October Afternoon, Studio Calico) + stickers (Pebbles)

A Note from Jennie
This layout was prompted after I received this email from my son's basketball coach. This was not the first time I'd received a message like this, so I decided it was definitely part of his story. I thought that a layout that included a screenshot of an email was perfect for the conversations theme -- and I was excited to have this part of his life documented.

 

Hello Today | Amy Coose

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Basic Grey, Echo Park) + embellishments (Studio Calico, Echo Park, Hello Forever) + tags (Chic Tags) + Silhouette Cameo

A Note from Amy
This layout was based around my new form of communication with my teenager and tween.

February Fun Fact
I don't really like the way conversation hearts taste, but I will eat them by the handful if I have them around. 

 

Handsome (even when filthy) | Kelly Jeppson

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Doodlebug Designs, Ranger) + embellishments (Doodlebug Designs)

A Note from Kelly
This layout uses a photo that I took when my oldest came home from Cub Scout Camp last summer, covered in dirt from head to toe.

February Fun Fact
I love making Valentines and sugar cookies, but I'm not really into mushy romantic stuff. The most romantic present my husband ever gave me was a mix-tape he made of songs he thought I would like (back when we had tape players!).

 

How You Ask | Sarah Pendergrast

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (American Crafts) + embellishments (American Crafts, Studio Calico, KI Memories, Basic Grey, Jenni Bowlin) + stickers (Jenni Bowlin, Basic Grey, October Afternoon)

A Note from Sarah
This layout is just about a fun and playful conversation we had repeatedly leading up to getting our first dog. My husband would like to state, for the record, that he is not as gullible as the journaling makes him sound!

February Fun Fact
My 80 pound (and growing) puppy thinks she’s a lap dog!

 

I'm Gonna Marry | Erin Sweeney

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Basic Grey) + embellishments (American Crafts) + stickers (Jillibean Soup, Heidi Swapp, American Crafts) 

A Note from Erin
I’m not sure what led up to the conversation I overheard my girls having in their room, but it must have been good to lead up to the snippet I caught from the stairs!

February Fun Fact
This month I’m Tackling the Tower in Cleveland and racing up 38 flights of stairs. Okay, so racing is exaggerating. More like just trying to make it to the top without my legs collapsing beneath me. :)

 

CHA 2013 | Deb Duty

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Echo Park, Basic Grey, Studio Calico, My Mind's Eye) + embellishments (Freckled Fawn, Studio Calico, My Mind's Eye ) + letter stickers (Simple Stories)

A Note from Deb
I was inspired by the theme of conversations to make a layout about my new friend, Suzy. We hit it off and had a great time together at CHA and never had enough time to say everything we wanted to say!

February Fun Fact
I am now starting my fourth year of Project Life. I still love it and treasure my albums more than any of my other scrapbooks. I have lots of fun making regular layouts too. Project Life allows me to make fun layouts about any subject I want because the everyday moments are already documented.

 

He Said She Said | Christine Newman

12 x 12 | materials Once Upon A Story digital kit (Lili Niclass & Emily Merritt) + Bokeh Overlays (Leora Sanford) + fonts (Capture It, Pupcat)

A Note from Christine
I tried to make this layout resemble a comic book page with my photo processing and speech bubbles.

February Fun Fact
I don't have an iPhone or Android phone. I hope to get one this year. My Blackberry is cramping my Project Life everyday documenting plans.

 

Tart Business | Marnie Flores

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Libby Pritchett, Lori Whitlock, Creativity by Crystal) + elements (Libby Pritchett, Lori Whitlock) + button, ribbons (Libby Pritchett) + fonts (Ostrich Sans Rounded, Century Gothic CK Chloe, KG Ray of Sunshine, KG Payphone, KG Seven Sixteen)

A Note from Marnie
I love that this layout is about Cherry Limeade and that I used a kit with the same name!

February Fun Fact
This month will the quietest month for us until June. Which will then be the quietest until next February. I only wish this month had 45 days!

 

Before we go, we must say goodbye to three team members. Vivian Masket, Emily Pitts, and Kathy Martin are all leaving us this month. They will be missed. Kathy's use of color and her attention to detail are second to none. Emily and Vivian have been with us since the beginning. Emily with her quirky pages and mazing sense of color and design. Vivian with her thoughtful pages with precision execution and stylistic balance. Both have been an integral part of our team, providing much more than just great pages. WCS will not be the same without them.  Thank you, sweet friends, for sharing your lives with us these past four years!

 

Thank you for visiting us today! We hope you have enjoyed our gallery. Remember we enjoy hearing from you and reading your comments!