Write. Click. Scrapbook.

A Week of Tutorials | A Simple Hybrid Scrapbook Page

Hi again everyone and Happy Friday! Today I’ll show you how you can use digital elements and a circle punch to create the simple layout below.

 

 

 

Digital Elements used:

Sophistication Journaling Tags by Sara Schmutz at Design House Digital

Daisy Jane Paper Bits by Carina Gardner (no longer available)

Kraft Cardstock by Audrey Neal (no longer available)

Paper elements used:

White Cardstock

Mat Photo Paper

Letter stickers

Flower or other accent

2 ” or other Circle Punch
Step 1

In Photoshop, resize the journaling tags so that they will fit your punch. Then arrange them on a letter size document. Use kraft cardstock as a background so that when the non-circular elements are punched they will have a kraft portion showing instead of plain photo paper

Add the journaling strip as shown. I rotated it by 90 degrees to get it to fit on the sheet.

2. Print the document onto mat photo paper. Use your circle punch to punch out the journaling tags, then cut out the journaling strip. Complete the page as shown.

Some close up shots

You can adapt this method to use with different shapes and sizes of punches and digital  elements! Happy Punching!

I hope that you enjoyed this week of tutorials and found at least one useful tip!

A Week of Tutorials | Getting Brighter Photos of Projects

Do you take photos of your projects, scrapbooking or otherwise, to share online? if so this tip is for you! Our former house had big full length windows and white walls, so I was usually able to get wonderful bright photos of my craft projects or Etsy items. However, sometimes depending on the time of day, I did get some ugly shadows in my usual photo shoot spot. Like this

 

 

Sadly, In our current house with less light, this is what I end up getting most of the time so I have had to use this tip constantly.

I don't want to have to spend a lot of time editing project photos, so I need to do something to get brighter photos SOOC (straight out of camera). Then a little voice whispered "bounce the light". I've read before about using something white to bounce light back onto objects, have you? Well it is simpler than I thought.

I quickly looked around and grabbed the first thing I saw, a large white canvas, and propped it up to the right of the magazine (note, it occurred to me to take a photo of the set up later on, that's why it's a different magazine).

Then I took the shot again

I couldn't believe the difference! Not only are the shadows less noticeable, but the colours are brighter, and the background is whiter (that sounds like a laundry detergent commercial!)

So repeat after me "Bounce the light". I think a good surface to use for this would be some white foam board. It's cheap, light and can be stored easily. You can easily apply this technique to taking photos of your craft projects or scrapbook pages too!

A Week of Tutorials | Paper Saving & Stash Busting Tips

Hi again! Today I am sharing two paper saving and stash busting tips. The first one is for saving paper when using the Slice die-cutter. I know that the big thing these days is the Silhouette machine, but I am still in the "dark ages" with my little Slice, and I figure if anyone else is too, you would find this tip useful. The second tip is one that can help you use up some of those older papers, and should come in very handy if you do Project Life!

 

1. Saving Paper When Using the Slice cutter

Whenever I have to cut a lot of the same shapes with my Slice digital cutter, I find it frustrating not to know exactly where to put my paper for the least wastage possible. I finally came up with a way to save myself that little frustration (yes, it is indeed the little things).

Here's how!

1. Use scrap paper to cut the shape you need. Make sure to line the cutter up exactly on the edges of the glass cutting mat when cutting.

2. Leaving the cut out design on the mat, turn it over and use a permanent pen, like a Sharpie to draw around the shape.

3. Remove the paper and you're good to go!

Now you can position your paper over the shape and maximise your paper use! Just remember to always line the cutter up on the glass mat edges and it will cut in the same place. Since there are a few shapes I cut regularly, You will see that I used a different colour for each one.

Oh and the reason it is drawn on the back is so that it's not lost when you need to clean and reapply the adhesive. I learned that one the hard way! You can always do it that way if you'll be using one shape for just one cutting session though.

So what do you think? Will this help you when using your Slice?

2. A Quick Stash Busting Tip for Project Life

Here's a way I found to save some money and use up my stash. After I downloaded a bunch of printable journaling cards for Project Life, I realised that I didn't have any cardstock weight printer paper. I really didn't want to purchase anything, and then I had an idea: why not use the backside of older patterned papers?

If you're like me, you probably still have some older single sided patterned papers in your stash. I quickly rifled through and found that the back of the papers from BasicGrey were perfectly white, plus I still liked many of the patterns. So I chose the colours and designs I liked, cut them down to letter sized and printed away.

Front

 

The patterned back of one sheet

 

 

The great thing about this (apart from saving money and using up older stuff) is that if I want to I can leave the backside of my journaling cards empty on the following page. Or I can use it as a mat for the other side.

Here's a look at how that worked for me in my album

 

On this side you can see the Details journaling card and on the back

 

You can see that I stuck two smaller cards to the patterned paper side. 

I hope you found these tips helpful!

A Week of Tutorials | DIY Smash Book

I came up with a DIY Version of the popular Smash books, which I am calling my "Whatnot Book". Bear in mind that I've never actually seen a Smash book except online, so there's a good chance mine bears little resemblance to the real thing!

 

 

 

Here's how I made it.

I used chipboard, which I upcycled from an old calendar, patterned papers, duct tape and my Bind-it-All.

I started with the cover first, cutting three pieces from chipboard: one each for the front and back, and a third for the spine

I'll be covering up the printed bit later.

Notice how there is a bit of space between the covers and the spine? This is how it will be taped up. I used this black duct tape that I had on hand, but I think bookbinding or gaffer tape would be perfect.

So, tape all three pieces together like so

Then flip over

and tape the other side. And ta da!

The tape over the spaces acts like a "hinge" for the spine and covers.

Now for the body of the book:

Cut a nice stack of patterned paper pages roughly the same size as the covers.I used double sided papers.

The front of the first page and the back of the last page can be blank since we won't be seeing them once the book is done

Bind the pages together with the Bind-it-All. You can find some tips for binding in this post. Here's a look at some of my pages

Now to put it all together!

Cover up the inside of the covers with patterned paper (if there's a design you don't want to see)

Now insert the bound pages, and stick the blank sides of the first and last pages to the covers

And there she is!

I used a couple stamps to add a title to the cover

Then I remembered that the original books have the glue pen combo thingy. Well, I'm not that good so I came up with this instead on the inside front cover.

I'm really glad I held on to that orange elastic which came with a set of towels!

On the inside back cover I stuck a pocket and filled it with journaling bits and pieces.

 

Do you think you would make or use a book like this? If so what for? Let me know what you think in the comments!

A Week of Tutorials | Washi Tape Tip

Hello there! Francine hosting the blog this week. I will be sharing a new tutorial every day, Monday to Friday. These are just some tips and techniques that I have learned along the way. They will cover embellishments, photography, tools and stash busting. So stay tuned! First up: the ever popular washi tape.

 

Do you like working with washi tape? I love it, and have totally jumped on that band wagon. Along the way I have come up with a few techniques for using it on projects, and today I want to share a very quick and simple one.

Take a look at this layout that I made for the Sister Sketch series on my personal blog.

Do you notice how the washi tape is cut in a straight line along the top? Usually I love the torn effect of the tape – one of the things that makes washi tape so easy to use is that you can just tear bits off the roll. But on this page I really wanted a clean cut edge for my title. Now I’ll show you how I did that!

All you will need to complete this technique is a metal ruler and a craft knife.

Step 1. Apply the washi tape to your projects by tearing strips off the roll.

Step 2. Place a metal ruler along the side that you want to be straight. I like to line the top of the ruler up with the top edge of the background. This ensures that you get a pretty straight line.

Now hold the ruler down with one hand and lightly draw the craft knife through the tape, using the ruler edge as a guide. The tape is very thin, so you only need to use a light hand, and you will cut through the tape without cutting through the background support.

If you look closely in the photo above you can see the line I cut through the tape. Now very carefully pull the extra pieces off.

And there you have it!

You can repeat to have a nice straight edge on the other side, but I like the torn bits too, so will keep mine as is, and use this background for a scrapbook page soon!

What do you think? Is this something you can use? Do you have any washi tape tips to share?

Welcome, May!

Hello May! We are so happy to welcome a new month and a new gallery! This month we look forward to our final month of weekly blogging. We were be learning from Francine, Amy, Christine, as well as have help from our team preparing for Father's Day. We can't wait!

A new month brings a new gallery.

May is the month we celebrate the Everyday. Those things that make up our every day lives. The little things that might get lost in our scrapbooks and our memories. Our schedules, our routine. Project Life is a wonderful way to capture the details of our lives. And our scrapbooks are a great place to record some of the details as well. Our team has put together some amazing layouts. We just know you are going to be inspired to create some just like them!

As a reminder, if you would like to see the layouts a bit bigger and with the journaling listed, please hop on over to the gallery album.

Without further ado, may we present... Everydaily III!

The Family that Types Together | Aliza Deutsch

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (Jenni Bowlin, Pebbles, Elle’s Studio, Simple Stories, Cocoa Daisy, Webster’s Pages) + buttons (Fancy Pants) + thickers (American Crafts) + labels (Chic Tags) + stickers (My Mind’s Eye, Glitz Designs, Simple Stories) + fonts (Linenstroke)

A Note from Aliza
This layout lists a couple of random reflections about technology and our everyday lives.

May Fun Fact
I am currently obsessed with finding inexpensive rock climbing shoes.

 

Love To Run | Christine Newman

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts, Wausau, Bazzill) + patterned paper (American Crafts) + mask, mist (Studio Calico) + die cuts (American Crafts) + stickers (American Crafts) + paper clip (Freckled Fawn) + stamp (American Crafts) + wood veneers (Studio Calico, Freckled Fawn) + ink (Prima, Palette) + pen (Sharpie, Sakura) + twine (The Twinery) + digital cutter (Silhouette America)

A Note from Christine
When it comes to everyday type of photos, it doesn't get more everyday than this. I exercise almost daily and feel weird if I don't run or workout for a couple of days. I love to eat so working out is a necessity. It also helps me feel less stressed and sleep better.

May Fun Fact
When I was little, I collected scratch-n-sniff stickers. I think I still have some old ones in a box somewhere. I want them to bring those back!

 

Everyday | Celeste Smith

12 x 12 | materials kits (Life's a Ride by Valorie Wibbens, Dayplanner by One Little Bird at The Lilypad) + washi tape (Tape It! by Pink Reptile Designs at The Lilypad) + journaling cards (Happy Note Cards by Gina Miller at the Lilypad) + word art (Life 365 by Karla Dudley at Pixels & Co.) + template(Simple Scrapper Premium Membership)+ font (Underwood Champion)

A Note from Celeste
When I thought about everyday this year, I just couldn't get past the fact that our daily life includes music. My son, Adam, plays the saxophone almost every day either practicing, attending rehearsals or performing. I added the clock stamp and washi to symbolize the time he spends. The musical staff is just clip art that I clipped some digital paper to.

May Fun Fact
My niece is a Bat Mitzvah this month. I'm looking forward to the family gathering together and hearing her give her Torah portion. It is sure to be a special day.

 

Every Day | Valerie O'Neall

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Crate Paper) + tags (Elle's Studio and American Crafts/Dear Lizzy) + stickers (Crate Paper) + alpha stamps (Studio Calico/Hero Arts) + other stamps (Ormolu) + enamel dots (My Mind's Eye) + wood veneer (Studio Calico) + fabric brad (American Crafts) + ink (Memento) + other (Silhouette SD & date stamp) + font (Rockwell)

A Note from Valerie
This layout came together really fast for me this month. I love using my Silhouette for title work (font is Rockwell). These photos are from 2011, but can you believe two years later, this train set is still what my son plays with everyday (best. gift. ever.)!?

May Fun Fact
I was completely anti-texting and anti-smartphone for such a long time. I've only had a plan with texting for two years now, which is so unusual for someone of my generation, but I am now the proud owner of an iPhone.

The Reader | Katie Ehmann

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (Kesi’art) + brads (Crate Paper) + thickers (Amy Tamgerine) + tag (Dear Lizzy) + stickers (Amy Tangerine, Dear Lizzy) + die cut (Silhouette Cameo, Studio Calico + stamp (Amy Tangerine) + ink (Versafine)

A Note from Katie
This layout perfectly captures the everyday of my oldest daughter, who is in Kindergarten and is learning to read! I sewed some leftover letters in a random pattern to mirror the letters on the background paper.

May Fun Fact
Every time I play the lotto (which isn’t very often) I seriously think I am going to win, and am crushed with disappointment when I don’t. Some may think that I’m foolish, but I just think I’m an optimist!

 

The 4 O'Clock Stare Down | Diane Payne

12 x 12 |materials patterned paper (Studio Calico, Echo Park, Basic Grey, Simple Stories) + buttons (A Flair for Buttons) + thickers (Ameican Crafts) + labels (My Mind's Eye, Twine & Ink) + stickers (American Crafts, Pebbles, Basic Grey) + pen (American Crafts)

A Note from Diane
At first I was unsure what to document as a daily activity. When the dogs were anxiously waiting to be fed one evening it dawned on me that I should record their daily ritual.

May Fun Fact
In just a few short weeks school will be out. I'm looking forward to a little less structure and sleeping in on the weekends.

 

InstaLife | Lisa Ottosson

8.5 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Backside of Cocoa Daisy March Kit Ad card, Jenni Bowlin) + brad (Dear Lizzy) + flower (homemade) + stickers (Scrapworks, American Crafts)

A Note from Lisa
When I prepared for this month´s theme I was a bit puzzled about what I would do. As I am doing Project Life every week I record our everyday lives in there. Then it hit me! What is the one thing that I use to catch photos of our everyday? Instagram. Right now we Instagram the heck out of our lives. In my journaling I talk about how we say to each other several times a day: That is going straight up on Instagram!

March Fun Fact
I have to remind myself to use my DSLR these days! I am so happy with my iPhone camera!

Errands with Boys | Jennifer Larson

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + patterned paper (Cosmo Cricket, Glitz, Basic Grey, Studio Calico) + buttons (Company Name) + thickers (American Crafts) + tape (Glitz) + enamel dots (My Mind’s Eye) + stickers (Basic Grey, Studio Calico, My Mind’s Eye) + ink (Jenni Bowlin) + chipboard (My Mind’s Eye) + photo frame (Basic Grey) + die cuts (Studio Calico) + twine (Martha Stewart) + fonts (Times New Roman)

A Note from Jennifer Larson
Since my husband travels periodically for work, I become a single parent at certain times of the year, shepherding my boys solo to their various activities. This month I examine those various activities and the fact that my schedule circulates are them. Though it’s a time crunch, I love the time in the car with my boys, particularly our conversations. To remember these errands and the accompanying stress and joy, I printed various photos I took of these errands with boys and put them together on one page.

May Fun Fact
Every Mother’s Day, we go out to eat Chinese food.

 

Everyday Moments|Amy Coose

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + patterned paper (American Crafts, Pebbles, Basic Grey) + flair (Greatest View) + wood veneer (Freckled Fawn) + tags (Chic Tags) + enamel dots (My Mind's Eye) + mist (Heidi Swapp) + pen (American Crafts)

A Note from Amy
This layout really shows my everyday, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Journaling
No matter how hard it is having a baby again, there is nothing I'd rather be doing each day than this.

May Fun Fact
I love these pictures of me getting some good snuggle time. It makes me so happy that I had the chance to experience baby snuggles again. 

 

Rise and Shine | Celeste Smith

12 x 12 | materials kit (Rise & Shine by One Little Bird at the Lilypad) + template ( Plant Your Story: Journaled {volume two} by Sara Gleason at the Lilypad) + font (Century Gothic)

A Note from Celeste
My morning routine just wouldn't be the same without a cup of tea or coffee. Even though I get up in the dark, I make sure that I have an extra ten or fifteen minutes to sit and enjoy it. Notice the floral elements, as a mom to boys, I get my flower fix whenever I can!

 

Everyday | Jennie McGarvey

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Lily Bee Design, Studio Calico) + stickers (Studio Calico) + alphabet stickers (American Crafts) + labels, tags (Chic Tags) + pen (American Crafts) + fonts

A Note from Jennie
My layout has been a while in the making. My son has been wearing exclusively Angels (his favorite baseball team and baseball is his favorite sport) shirts for a while now (two years or so?) and I wanted to make sure I captured that before he moved onto something else or varied his wardrobe.

May Fun Fact
I rarely use the computer for journaling. I prefer to handwrite my journaling, but will occasionally use a typewriter if the project calls for it.

 

Have a Good Day | Deb Duty

12 x 12 | materials) patterned paper (Simple Stories, Teresa Collins, Cosmo Cricket, Fancy Pants, Webster's Pages, American Crafts) + flair (Hello Forever) + chipboard star (Pink Paislee) + alpha (Heidi Swapp, Little Yellow Bicycle, Glitz Design) + labels (Studio Calico) + ink (Hero Arts) + stickers (Studio Calico, Basic Grey) + stamps (Studio Calico) + sequins (Studio Calico) + resin stars (Freckled Fawn) + metal clip (Prima) + cork arrow (Studio Calico) + inventory tag (vintage) + pen (Micron)

A Note from Deb
I took this photo as my boys walked out the door for school while I held on to our dog so she couldn't escape just like I do every morning. I love capturing these simple moments that seem so ordinary at the time, but will one day be just a memory.

May Fun Fact
I generally don't like any scary or intense TV shows, but after my boys introduced me to The Walking Dead, it has become my new favorite. I still can't believe I actually enjoy a show about zombies, but it's just so good!

 

A-Okay | Kelly Jeppson

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Elle’s Studio) + paper elements (BasicGrey) + alpha stickers (Doodlebug Designs) + burlap + washi tape (7Gypsies) + big brad (Studio G)

A Note from Kelly
Life for a mom can be pretty mundane, but at the end of the day, I’m always happy to see the smiling faces of my three kids. It makes it all worth it!

Journaling
Today I might…make breakfast, pack lunches, find homework, socks, shoes, lost toys. Drive to school, to scouts, to soccer, to the store. Eat standing up. Do laundry. Check email. Vacuum. Answer phone calls. Bandage scrapes. Walk the dog. Clean up messes. Make dinner. Stay up late reading. But it’s all a-okay with me, because I get to be your mom.

May Fun Fact
Before we had children, I convinced my husband to get me a Mother’s Day gift because I would be the mother of his future children! Pretty smart, I must say.

 

The Best Part | Sarah Pendergrast

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (October Afternoon, Crate Paper, American Crafts) + epoxy dots (My Minds Eye) + stickers (American Crafts) + letter stickers (October Afternoon, Basic Grey, Heidi Swapp) + labels (Basic Grey) + washi (Freckled Fawn) + pen (American Crafts)

A Note from Sarah
I snapped this shot one day after school, when the two of them were particularly happy to see each other. This photo reminded me that that no matter how glad I am that they are in school during the day, the best part of my day is the after school pickup.

Journaling
No question, one of the best parts of my day is picking you guys up after school. It’s a huge perk of being a stay-at-home parent. I get to hear about recess, see test scores you’re proud of, and watch you hang out with your friends.

May Fun Fact
I’m super excited to start a new volunteer job this month as an urban nature monitor. I will get to count turtles, dragonflies, butterflies etc. that reside right in the middle of our city.

Little Moments | Francine Clouden

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Tim & Beck, American Crafts, Crate Paper, Studio Calico) + chipboard letter stickers (American Crafts) + candy buttons (Studio Calico, BasicGrey) + spray ink (Studio Calico) + clear stamps (Studio Calico, Hero Arts) + rub-ons (American Crafts) + baker's twine + stamping ink

A Note from Francine
Baking with Kieran has become an every day activity because he really loves to bake. We now bake his snacks together most weeks. 
A technique tip: that pink garland under the title was made using letter Vs from my sheet of chipboard letter stickers.

May Fun Fact
After six months in the new house I think it's time to reorganise my scrapbook room!

 

Almost Everyday | Paula Gilarde

12 x 12 | materials LayerWorks No. 175 (Studio DD) + Stay Here kit (Katie Pertiet) + I Heart Stories Wordart Brushes (Ali Edwards) + Wooden Stickers Alpha No 1 (Katie Pertiet) + Painted Text No. 1 (Katie Pertiet) + Instamatic Frames No 3 (Katie Pertiet)

A Note from Paula
Or at least everyday we can, we try to walk the 30 minutes to school. Molly loves it!

 

Everyday He: | Amy Sorensen

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (My Mind's Eye) + alpha stickers (American Crafts, Jillibean Soup, Echo Park, Teresa Collins, Bella Blvd, My Mind's Eye) + die cuts (Silhouette) + circle punch + quilt star punch (Fiskars) + fonts (Satellite, The Only Exception)

A Note from Amy
The real story about this layout is something on the back. To get all of the daily details, I wrote a list of questions for my son Nathan, and asked him to answer them. When I found the paper (he left it under my keyboard and went to bed), I discovered that he'd written his answers AND a sweet note to me. The combination of his handwriting and his note was just so...NATHAN to me. I made a little pocket for the back and stuck the note in it with my response. I do a lot of hidden things on the backs of my layouts. Who knows if anyone will ever see them? But I like knowing they are there.
To make the little banners that back the words "goes" and "to," I punched with the quilt star punch, and then trimmed off the two vertical strips. Voila: instant banner!

May Fun Fact
My oldest kid is graduating from high school this month. HOW did I get to this phase of my life?!?!

 

Hanging Out | Marnie Flores

8.5 x 8.5 | materials patterned paper (Crystal Wilkerson) + fonts (AmerType, Mathlete, CK Jot)

A Note from Marnie
Santa brought a bar and a beam to my house this past December. The bar sits in our front room and welcomes everyone who visits. And my monkeys love it. (One of them averages 3 hours a day on her bar!) I can't even begin to explain how breathtaking it is to watch them do their tricks. They amaze me!!

May Fun Fact
My kids get out of school in May for the first time ever. I grew up going to school until the final Friday in June. (I like to joke that I went to school for an extra year: 1 month x 12 years...) I can't believe that in less than a month we will be on vay-cay-tion!!

 

That's it! We hope you enjoy the gallery! Please leave us word and tell us what caught your eye!

In Review

This has been such a fun month. After mini month, it is always refreshing to be back to layouts and projects. And such amazing layouts we have had.

Kelly started us out with a burst of spring. Then Jenny helped us with our two page layouts, and Lisa sparked our imaginations for digging deeper into our project life albums. Then this week we got ready to say thank you to our teachers. 

 

With just 3 days until our new gallery, it is time to look back at our April gallery, Shapes.

This month's theme lends itself nicely to evaluating the layouts for design magnificence and skill. Let's go one by one and and pull out some design elements that work and which can help you create stronger layouts.

That's it! Please enjoy your weekend and your scrapbooking and we will see you Monday with a new theme week!

Welcome, April!

April is here and we're not fooling! We are so very excited that a new month is upon us. This month we are looking forward to Kelly, Lisa, Teacher's Appreciation preparation and Mother's Day preparation. We hope to inspire your spring pages, and help you get ready for the holidays ahead of us.

 

The first also brings us a

This month we are celebrating shapes: circles, triangles, hexagons, squares, stars. Whether the graphic elements be big or small, our pages love them all. Here is a look at our gallery as a whole!

And here are the pages one by one. Please click on over to the gallery to see them bigger, and read the journaling! 

That's it! We hope you have found a layout or two, or twenty, that will appeal to you and your scrapbooks! We look forward to seeing your "inspired by" layouts! And please let us know if you like the new cards.

In Review

Happy Saturday! We hope that you are loving MiniMadness month and that you have been inspired to create your own!

This month we celebrated with 37 mini albums. Its a dream come true! We hope you have had fun!

 

There is so much to love about our gallery this month. And with so much to see and process, we know it is a bit easy to overwhelm. So we put together some recipes for you: here are 4x6 reference cards to remind you of the details of each of the albums in our gallery. Feel free to print them and keep them for your records. We hope that it helps!

Once you have these printed, you could bind them together to make a mini album to celebrate our month of minis!

Thank you for stopping by and please enjoy your weekend!

Gossamer Blue Mini Album Day #2

Hi Everyone! Christine here to show you what I made with the awesome March main kit from Gossamer Blue! I was so excited when I found out that we were making mini albums with a kit. I’ve subscribed to scrapbooking kits in the past, but always felt bad when I couldn’t use up the whole kit every month. I knew that I would use most of the kit up making the mini album, and that gave me a great sense of accomplishment!

 

 

The best thing about using the Gossamer Blue kit to put together my mini album is that I didn’t have to spend a lot of time worrying about which products to use. All the papers and embellishments were coordinated and chosen already. That meant that I could go right into creating, which is such a HUGE time-saver!

I decided to make a bound-book with my Bind-It-All. I’ve had my Bind-It-All for a few months, but was too scared to use it yet. I was intimidated by it!

Thankfully, I found an awesome tutorial by my Write.Click.Scrapbook. teammate Francine Clouden. Francine de-mystified the Bind-It-All for me and I was able to successfully bind my mini album the first time I tried it! Thanks Francine!

I decided to make a mini album of my favorite things this year. “Things” is pretty loose, as it will include things like hanging out with friends. Instead of putting the title of my mini album on the outside cover, I decided to use the first page on the inside instead. That way the embellishments are protected inside the cover and won’t fall off.

 

I had some shipping tags on hand, so I included a few of them, bound into my album. I used it here for my title. I got to go to CHA in January, where I met many scrapbooking friends, including a couple of my WCS teammates Deb Duty and Jenny Larson!

I used my Silhouette digital cutter to cut “FRIENDS” out of my page before binding my book. I sewed a piece of paper on the other side to make a pocket. This way, the patterned paper shows up to fill the “FRIENDS” cut out!

 

This page documents how much I love my Raskog cart from IKEA. I use it to organize all my Project Life supplies.

 

One of my favorite things is my new iPhone, and the case I got for it that looks like a Polaroid Land camera!

 

Spending time with one of my best friends is my favorite. I used my Silhouette to cut out “ENJOY” before binding the book, similar to what I did with “FRIENDS” above.

 

The other side of the “ENJOY” cutout has a sewn pocket.

 

My brave husband and his sister completed the Tough Mudder race.

 

I have a few blank pages left, where I can add in more “favorite things” this year as they happen. I really love my bound mini-album, and I loved putting it together using the Gossamer Blue kit! It really made the project much easier and faster to tackle. And that, my friends, is a good thing! :)