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Sunday Photo + Words

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,

List It

I'm an inveterate list maker. I can not survive without lists. They really keep me organized and help me remember what I need to do. I love using lists on scrapbook pages too. I was surprised when I went through my pages to find over 20 pages with lists on them! It was hard to narrow it down. I use lists in a variety of ways in my scrapbooking. I've done top ten lists, lists of books, lists of chores, lists of birthdays, a list of the things we've done in a month or a year, and even lists of names I call my kitty!

 

Lists are just an easy way to get some journaling down without having to labor over paragraphs and grammar! It's easy to write out ten ways you love your son for instance...

or a list of favorite events for each month of the past year...

or even a bucket lists full of things you'd like to do!

Lisa Ottoson shared this list of what is making her happy right now...

Christine Newman shares these two layouts. The first a list of reasons that she loves her husband.

The second a list of things she loved in January. What a great way to do a monthly round up!

Erin Sweeney created this fabulous graphic page that lists five of each of her children's current activities. I love how she used a grid here but broke it up with a variety of sizes.

Lists are central to today's freebie download as well. Nerdy Scrapper Studios at One Story Down created these cute list journaling cards just for you.

 

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Shinta's designs are heavily influenced by her drawings and doodles. She incorporates them into her kits and her papers designs. Her kits are full of whimsy and so unique. Be sure to stop by her blog and check out her store for more cute goodies!

I used the To Do list card in the pack, to document five things that I do everyday. I love how whimsical and handdrawn the card looks.

If you head on over to One Story Down's Facebook page, they are having a Valentine's Facebook hop with loads of free digital goodies. Be sure to click on each name in the LIST! Worth checking out!

Until tomorrow...

 

It's My Favorite

Today I'm talking about favorites, everyone has them right? Favorite books, movies, tv shows, food...the list is endless. Capturing favorites over time is a great way to see how you and your family are changing. When I asked Sam at three what his favorite TV show was, he most likely would have said Barney. Now it's Adventuretime! One awesome part about doing layouts about favorites, you can use photos of the your subject or you can capture the actual images of the favorites with your camera or using stock photography! You can also just focus on one of your favorites right now.

 Here I simply listed six of my favorites and added a photo to represent each one. 

 

For this layout, I compared and contrasted my boys favorites.

 

And this layout highlights one of my favorite Christmas gifts...

Lisa Ottosson contributed a couple pages of her and her daughter's favorites. A little more inspiration for you! We all take pictures of flowers, what a great photo to put on a page about what makes us happy.

I love that she had her daughter use her own handwriting on this page. It really warms up the page and it such a great idea!

 

Francine Clouden included four of her son's everyday favorites on to this page. I love how she accompanies each of them with an interesting photo!

And here is another printable for you!

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Today's download comes to you from Roadside Designs at One Story Down. Suzanne's store is filled with clean templates, fantastic journaling cards, and some really amazing kits. Be sure to go and check out her store & blog. I'm sure she'd love for you to say hello!

Francine used the journal cards to make this fantastic layout about her scrapbook loves. Isn't the stitching she did over the heart just incredible? I had to include the close up shot so you could see the detail!

See ya tomorrow!

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I don´t know about you, but I am sure ready for some color and happy things happening now after the long month of January. Why is it that I always think that January is the longest month of the year?! I thought I would give you some inspiration on how to take some photos of things or people for that matter, that makes you happy.

I have sets at Flickr that are called Happy things (insert year here). In those sets I include many random photos that makes me happy for some reason. It can be because that person makes me happy or in the example above, I was so amazed and happy about our giant rhubarbs!

I often turn to photography when I am feeling down. Setting out on a mission to find things that makes me feel better. I find comfort in going outside and I open my eyes to the magic that is nature. Some times I find things that is obvious like the sky or a view.

I used some of my wandering photos on this layout. 

But sometimes my eye catches something small or something that needs me to crouch down in the wet grass to be able to capture it. And let me tell you, getting a little wet to get that photo is so worth it!

Other times I go on a hunt for happy things around the house. It can be a peek trough a window, a shelf, the sun shining into the livingroom or simply a clean table.

Jennifer made a page about her beloved iPhone :) 

See, small things can make us happy!

Francine send me this layout and I love the photos!

 

The lovely smiles in Erins layout makes me happy! 

 

 I hope that this post sparks you to look around you and capture what makes you happy right now!

 

 

 

Valentine's Week Day Three

Thank you for coming back for day three in our Valentine's week celebration! Today we are focusing on ways we can use our supplies and talents to help bring a little love into our home decor.

 

Katie is up first with a sweet and simple banner. Made with dictionary paper, patterned paper hearts, a few beads, and some ribbon, this is something that we could all make! 

If you look closely, you can see the ribbon is stapled on. 

 

Diane is up next with a bit of loveliness for your wall. A printer tray would work well for this, no?

I love the hanging heart with a key. It makes it almost feel like a cuckoo clock--one of my favorite childhood fascinations.

 

If you have a lonely shelf, Katie's birdhouse would be a terrific spot of color and design.

 

Have you stopped by Lisa's blog lately? If you did, you will certainly have noticed her intricate craftiness in this pieced and quilted paper heart.

Here is a closeup so you can see just how carefully and perfectly it is put together. Lisa, you are amazing!

 

 

Speaking of intricate details, Francine cut up little bits of paint chips and arranged them as a mosaic inside the outline of a heart.

You can see the names of the colors on this shot. I bet lots of us have a stack of these from a few years back when we all thought we should put them on our pages!

 

Kelly had a delightful date with mod podge this week, and we are so glad! What treasures these will be year after year.

 

The ribbons on this box are so well matched. The variations in color, and texture make such a subtle statement. And then the heart shaped button... mmm...

 

Kelly also created a fabulous wall canvas. Book papers, stamps, buttons--things we all have on hand. Isn't it lovely?

I also spy a sweet garland in the photo! Strung together with little rings. I love that, too!

 

LisaO made a most wonderful gift for her daughter. Using a Sharpie, she wrote all sorts of things she loves about her sweet angel on this mug. Just don't forget to bake it at 350 degrees for an half hour!

 

Lastly, I did what I do best, used some fonts and graphics to make a poster for a frame. Here is mine.

I hope that these give you some ideas for adding a bit of love-ing love-liness to your love-ly homes on this day of love!

Sunday Photo + Words

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!

Sunday Photo + Words