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December Album

My old friend Ali Edwards began the December Daily phenomena. Since then, it has grown into something remarkable. I always found an excuse to not finish my album--kids' busy lives atop the list. Now I wish I had years of albums on which to look back and reminisce. Not able to change the past, the next best thing is to change the future! So here is page one for 2024. I even bought some new supplies! This page uses the Citrus Twist Life Crafted Holiday Magic bundle. I feel like I may incorporate another bundle or two. I cannot promise that I will stick to one, though I do promise to stick it out!

For my movies page, I have added the titles watched so far. Before I put the album to print, I can update as I go. I know for many of you, the season is all about the music. I, however, cannot wait to start watching the cheesy movies. All of them. Knowing the list might extend onto a second card, I saved space to add more. If something happens and I just need the one, I can add a few embellishments. 

 

Hope you are able to begin recording a few December memories, too! I would love to see your ideas!

♥marnie

Making a vacation album: alternate albums

This week I have been sharing my process for making a vacation album:

Monday: Memorabilia and journaling

Tuesday: Organizing the album

Wednesday: Selection photos

Thursday: Layouts

Friday: Alternate albums

As you can see, today I am sharing vacation albums that break the mold from what I usually do.

First, every year I ask my family what their five favorite things from vacation were and put them in an album. Here is one from a few years back:

This mini album usually tides me over until I have time to scrap the full album, but I don't see why you couldn't use this to represent your whole vacation.

I also did something different when we didn't go on a big vacation and instead camped for a week, the same vacation as the mini album above. That year I did a pocket page 6x8 album. Here are some pages:

I used October Afternoon's Daily Flash and Pebbles' Great Outdoors Project Life Cards for the most part.

This completes my vacation week! I hope I shared something this week that inspired you to scrapbook. If so, please share what you did!

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Scrapbook: Playing with paint

Hello! It's Jennifer Larson, and I wanted to share something new I played with this summer: paint.
 I've used paint before but not gesso or modeling paste. I wanted to share a mini album where I used them. Here it is:

I created this mini album as a part of a class at Studio Calico. I had enrolled in the class years ago but set down to finishing it this summer (I'm hopefully not the only one who does that!). I did a lot on the covering. Here's the order of product:

1. Gesso
2. Modeling paste
3. Gesso
4. Punched shapes (added quickly!)
5. Gesso (added quickly!)
6. Mist
7. Embellishments

If you google "Using modeling paste in scrapbooking" you can find lots of educational resources. Here's a short video by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer that teachers you how to apply modeling paste. I won't add one for gesso because that's basically paint. Here's the back cover, which is similar:

I did several similar things on the insides with gesso and modeling paste. Here I used gesso on top of stickers to mute them, and under and over a die cut to create a tone-on-tone effect:

Here I again used gesso, die cuts, and mist to create a subtle texture and design:

I used gesso to house the journaling block and die cut:

And more modeling paste and mist within:

Mind you, this is totally not my usual style. I am a neat and tidy gal. But I did have fun playing around with all these paint and texture products on this mini album. This gives me another tool that I can use creating pages. I didn't post my whole mini-album here, but I did on my blog. You can see the whole mini-album here.

Thank you for visiting! I hope you get some ideas to play around with gesso, modeling paint, and mist.

Scrapbook | Using a Digital Kit to Make a Mini Volume 3

It's a new day and a new kit and a new mini. I am so very excited for this one. It's almost May which means almost Mother's Day, so I went hunting for a kit I could use to make a mini for my mom from me and the kids. I did a little happy dance when I came across Postscript from One Little Bird Designs. 

 

Following my general strategy of simple is stunning, I put together pages where each of us can write a short love note. Opposite to this page will be a photo of the author. Nothing fancy. But it will be a hit, I am sure. Here is how it came out, minus the photos and the notes themselves.

The ps page is for an extra tidbits. And the final page is the back cover. I am delighted with how it turned out and just know my mom is going to love it, too.

How about you? Any thoughts about Mother's Day albums?

soon,

Scrapbook | Using a Digital Kit to Make a Mini Volume 2

 

 

Today we are here with another digital kit. This time it is Just Jaimee's Raine kit. Filled with so many goodies. And such lovely colors. And all sorts of possibilities. One of which might be unexpected.

Last week I was looking back through old mini month galleries and found this awesome mini by Moon Ko. I thought it would make a lovely gift for a friend that I have who is expecting a baby. I loved the cloud papers in Jaimee's kit and thought they would be perfect for this baby book. I love how it turned out. All that I ended up using was the papers and one embellishment.

 

I also bought a font, Bonjour, that came with a watercolor style sheet. It was a fabulous addition allowing me to having variegated letters and numbers.

 

I have probably made as many mini's for gifts as I have for myself. Some with photos. Some without. No matter digital or physical, I build minis like this exactly the same way. One element at a time times 12 pages. Here, I first "cut" all the patterned papers. Then I placed the writing on each page. Then I worked to create an order that was logical to me, and then I completed the details of the months. I think that is why I love to create minis with a pattern to them. I love the repetition of it all. And using bits and pieces from only one kit limits my choices making me more effective with my time, and helping me to actually get finished.

Have you made any gift minis lately? Do tell!

Scrapbook | Using a Digital Kit to Make a Mini

This week we are looking at how effective digital kits are to the making of mini albums. One of the greatest things is, of course, how well everything goes together. The other is ease of pattern, and color. And let's not forget, the price--it's usually just cheaper to use a kit. And lastly, might I say out loud that it is easy peasy? Lazy daisy?  (There, I've said it. My secret is out. I am lazy. ☺)

 

I used a digital Project Life kit  by Emily Ley, Strawberry. I know it's not new or super fancy, but I sure do love the colors. I coupled the kit with a dozen photos from a road trip breakfast and came up with this.

 

 

While I love the random minibooks with big pages and little pages, no matter how hard I try I always seem to end up with symmetrical pages and a book with a pattern. And true to form, I have made another. Each page is 3x8 and includes a 3 inch square photo (all but the last one) and three patterns of paper. I added filler cards but feel like I might switch them out for journaling cards eventually. I do like to tell stories. I would like to tell you it came together quickly, but I might be lying. So let's just say it was fun to make and I can't wait to print and bind it all!

 

I wonder if you might tell me the kinds of things you like to use for mini albums. I love to learn from you, too!

Digi Spring Mini-Album

Hi! It's Celeste bringing you another mini-album!

Ah the mini album! After a long hard winter, I thought I’d make a mini that celebrated spring in all its glory! I am not the world's best photographer so I went on a search for Creative Commons images to use in my mini-album.

Then I gathered some supplies. I started with these templates from Valorie Wibbens. They are 8.5x11, but that quickly translates to 4.25x5.5 when resized. I figured for the following pages, I’d use a similar pack from Val to get a cohesive look.

 

For supplies, I decided to pick a really large collection that had a spring vibe. When I scrap I like lots of choices, but I don’t like to have to go digging through my stash to find things, by choosing a collection I knew I’d get lots of choices without the work!

I chose the Memory Pockets Monthly over at the Lilypad. I love the spring color palette and knew I'd get a great choice of elements and papers.

Then I selected a whole bunch of the add-ons to the main kit. Lots of choices! Here are just a few of the kits I used. Aren't they lovely?

 

 

 

My cover page came together easily. I used a large print as the base for my title. The small simple photo stood up well to the busy print. A little washi tape and a button and the page was complete.

I love the paper shapes on this next page that let me mix up patterns. The journaling on the photo is fun. The thread is carried from one page to the next as a design element. It adds a lot of continuity and cohesiveness to the album. Repetition is a great design tool when creating a mini album to bring the pages together.

 

I love the wonky shapes on these templates. This next page really let me play with pattern! I also used my new favorite technique - using styles! For the title here, I took some word art from the kit and applied Mommyish's Essential Styles chipboard style to it. I love how it gives a little dimension to the page.

For my last page, I really wanted to use the tree with the buds on it for my photo. I kept the elements simple here so the large sketched tree would be a central design element.

Signs of Spring Mini-Album 4.25 x 5.5 | materials: kits(Memory Pockets Monthly by the Lilypad, Metamorphosis by Amber LaBau, Hello Pretty & Topography no. 28 by Valorie Wibbens, Growth papers & alphabet by Allison Pennington, Arboretum: Grow by Sara Gleason) + fonts (Manhattan Darling, Underwood Champion)

Enjoy the spring!

 

 

Travel album inspired by Gossamer Blue

Hello! It's Jennifer Larson. I was lucky to work with the Gossamer Blue April kit to create a mini album this month. I made a mini of my husband's recent business travels to London.

When I make a mini album, I usually design the cover first. Here's what I did:

I selected the Simple Stories brick paper to cover the cupboard I used to house the album, seeing as how the brick made me think city.

And here is the inside:

 I decorated the inside cover because the gold "I" showed up. Plus, I love that suitcase.

My husband took a TON of photos on his first trip. Here are a few pages I made of his photos:

Right about here I decided to make this a co-project with my husband. I started the journaling, then decided he would help. I picture sitting next to him while he watched the Mariners asking him questions about the photos and penning it into the blank spots. It will be fun getting all the details from his trip recorded.

 This was where I switched to his most recent trip in the mini album.

Thank you for checking out my mini album of my husband's enviable business travels! I hope this gives you ideas for scrapbooking someone else's journeys, and I hope you were inspired by Gossamer Blue's April kit to check it out.

A Mini Album with Gossamer Blue

Hi! It's Valerie here with you today. I got to play with the fabulous April kit from Gossamer Blue to create a cute little mini album to share with all of you. 

This is my first Gossamer Blue kit, and I totally loved it. The embellishments were my favorite and so perfect for creating this 4 x 5 inch album about my current pregnancy.

For my birthday this year I gifted myself an Instax Share printer. Previously, I was using an Instax mini camera. Although it was super cute and fun, I decided I'd rather take photos with my phone and then pick or choose what I'd like in Instax form. I can turn ANY photo into an Instax photo! This is so great for me because these photos are perfectly imperfect so it requires minimal to no photo editing on my part. 

 I love adding envelopes into my mini albums. I usually use them to hold letters or extra photos. I used my Silhouette Cameo and a cut file from their store.

 The kit contains lots of Elle's Studio and Simple Stories papers and embellishments. 

Everything coordinates beautifully which is an advantage to using a kit when creating a mini album. Everything is right there on your workspace for you. The only thing extra I grabbed from my personal stash was a set of mini alpha stamps.

 Less than two months left until we get to meet this baby girl! I chose to use binder rings so I can continue to add to it. What a fun little keepsake that I hope she'll love to flip through in the future.

Thank you Gossamer Blue for sponsoring this week!

write | mini album journaling ideas inspired by gossamer blue

Hello and welcome to week two of Mini Madness! I hope that you enjoyed week one! I was completely in awe of the Ewa's and Cari's minis. Holy guacamole! Weren't they incredible? I love seeing what others can do and how similar starting points can take such differing paths. Artistry is awesome.

 

This week we are fortunate to have Gossamer Blue sponsoring our week of Mini Madness. As a kit company, Gossamer Blue has grown into its own finding its place with kits elements that always include journalings helpers. I love that.

Let's look at the current kit and see what sort of inspiration it holds for making mini albums.

The first thing that jumps out at me is the big giant "I am." Wouldn't that make a lovely title page for a book all about you? or me? or us?

The next thing I see is the Simple Stories sticker sheet. Here it is up close.

When I read the stickers I see a teen/senior album, a selfies book, a gratitude album, and a happiness project album. There are just so many little bits of sunshine and goodness--from the colors to the flowers to the hearts and the rounded fonts. What sort of things do you see?

 

The kit includes a stamp set, too.

I didn't need but one glance at this to know this would be perfect for a Right Here/Right Now album. I am such a font snob and I think that Elle's Studio knocked it out of the park with this one. It's perfect.

 

As I was browsing the Gossamer Blue blog, I saw a fabulous project created by one of their designers, Rebecca. It is a set of house warming gifts. Isn't it lovely?

The thing that most caught my eye is the little house in the corner. Here is a closeup.

Isn't it amazing? And wouldn't it make the most amazing cover to a mini album about our family or our home? Or yours? I really want to make one now, and I really want the cover to look just like this. Exactly. Right down to that big heart on the door. ♥

 

Just like last week, all the comments from our week this week will be considered for the giveaway. So please tell me what journaling ideas you see. I'd love to hear your thoughts!