Write. Click. Scrapbook.

Welcome, October!

October is here and we are back. Rested and happy. Thank you for your patience as we took a much needed holiday.

Tomorrow we will talk about the new changes, but for today, let's just mention two. The first is that our new gallery will now launch at noon on the first. We thought it kinder to those you live on the west coast. We were sad that you had to get up at 5:00 am to see the new layouts. :)

The second but of news is that we have a new teammate! Please give a warm welcome to Dee Rose! We are very excited to have her aboard and know that you are going to fall in love her just as we have. By way of introduction, she has this to tell:

I’m Dee and I live in Rotterdam, the second largest city of the Netherlands, together with my husband. I have a fulltime job, but when I’m not working I love to papercraft, make and/or eat good food and I have a serious case of wanderlust. I love to explore and find new fun places, things and people that inspire me. I’m obsessed with pictures, although I don’t consider myself a photographer by any means. I would love to be a good one, but I just haven’t invested the time to learn (yet). I may or may not some day.. But until that day the most important thing for me is to document.. So that’s what I’m doing: enjoying life and documenting it, one picture at a time.

 

 

I would invite you to stop by her blog to see just how talented she is!

 

 

And now, it is gallery time!! This month we are feeling inspired by the outdoors. Whether it is autumn or spring, there is nothing not to love about this time of year. We hope you feel the same way about the gallery. Please remember that all the layouts and journaling can be seen in larger format in the new gallery album. We hope you enjoy!

GO CANOEING
BY ALIZA

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Jillibean Soup) + patterned paper (Cocoa Daisy) + wood veneer (Cocoa Daisy, Pinkfresh Studio) + thickers (American Crafts) + stickers (Crate Paper, Evalicious) + flair (Lily Bee Designs) + fonts (Notepaper Airplanes Light)

A Note from Aliza
This layout tells a quick story from our summer vacation. I just wanted to record that day, and some little details that capture each family member’s experience.

October Fun Fact
We got a dog a month ago! His name is Chipper, and I cannot believe how much we all love him.

 

OUTSIDE
BY LISA

8.5 x 11 | materials stamp (Nina Christensen) + vellum heart (Studio Calico)

A Note from Lisa
When I went to write in the material list I realized I had worked with so little official product! I kind of like it.

October Fun Fact
We have been living here at our new place since May, but we still look out our windows in awe of the gorgeous view.

 

GO OUTSIDE
BY TRACIE

8.5 x 11 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + patterned paper (Echo Park, Crate Paper) + thickers (Heidi Swapp) + die cuts (October Afternoon) + stickers (Simple Stories, Crate Paper, Echo Park) + enamel dots (My Mind's Eye) + fonts (Typenoksidi)

A Note from Tracie
This layout has been on my heart for a while because I really want to capture the authentic story of my life on the pages of my scrapbooks. This is a peek into my daily life and what's important to me. Writing the journaling helped me realize just how important it is that I go outside every day. I'm going to keep this page out for a while to help me remember to make it a priority.

October Fun Fact
In one week, my friend is coming to stay with me for ten days! We are scrappy friends who have only met online. We are going to scrapbook on the road using my new Instax printer and have lots of fun adventures. This is going to be a great October! I hope it is for you too!

 

PART OF THE GANG
BY AMY

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Elle's Studio) + alphabet stickers (American Crafts) + heart and word tags (Elle's Studio) + word stickers (Simple Stories) + Rather Loud and TT Chocolates fonts

A Note from Amy
This photo is a little soft (it was starting to get dark) but I love it so much I don't care! I added the text right onto the photo in Photoshop and then printed it as an 8x12. Such a fast way to make a layout.

October Fun Fact
October is my favorite month! Hopefully I will celebrate it by going on plenty of hikes. Autumn hikes are the best.

 

LIKE A WALK IN THE PARK
BY DEE

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (Studio Calico) + thickers (American Crafts) + alpha stickers (Tim&Beck for Studio Calico) + gold punchinella (Studio Calico) + washi (Paperchase) + mist (Heidi Swapp and Studio Calico) + sticker (Teresa Collins) + pen (Sharpie) + cuts (Studio Calico)

A Note from Dee
This layout came together quite quickly. The easy thing with black&white pictures is that you can pair them with practically anything! I love how the leafs turned out. I sprayed them with Mr. Huey's mist in orange and yellow and then spritzed some gold shine on it by Heidi Swapp, which gives them a beautiful shimmer. It mimics the beautiful fall sunlight:-)

October Fun Fact
From our home we have a view over the city park... It's beautiful all year round, but I especially love the view in the fall when the leafs turn orange, yellow and red and the sun casts a beautiful gold-ish light over it:-)

 

JOURNEY
BY CARI

8.5 x 11 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (Pirates life by Echo Park) + thickers (March Messy Box) + mist (Heidi Swapp) + stickers (Crate Paper) + pen (Sakura Micron 0.3)

A Note from Cari
This photo is one of my favorites from my last vacations. I don't have many photos with my husband apart from selfies I think that is the reason why I like this one so much. But even though I have already used almost all the photos of my trip this one was the only one unused. When I saw this pirates collection by Echo Park I felt this was the collection for this photo. I love when new supplies inspire me, it make me feel it was a well spent money =)

October Fun Fact
October is one of my favorites month of the year, is when it really starts to look like spring, sunny days and still not as hot as summer, if it weren't for my allergies Spring would be my favorite season but is most like "it's complicated" relation.

 

ON THE EDGE
BY JENNY

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Stampin’ Up!) + letter stickers (October Afternoon) + thickers (American Crafts) + wood veneer (Cosmo Cricket) + rub-on (Studio Calico) + die cuts (October Afternoon) + puffy sticker (Skipping 5, Lily Bee Design) + flair (Studio Calico) + ink (Jenni Bowlin) 
+ metal charm (Webster’s Pages) + font (Cambria)

A Note from Jennifer
I like taking a favorite photo from vacation that has a lot of white space and using it to scrapbook a bigger story. That’s what I did here. I took the photo of my boys on the peak we had climbed and journaled about their growing up and reaching out.

October Fun Fact
Unlike my boys, I am afraid of heights!

 

THE GOOD LIFE
BY VALERIE

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (My Mind's Eye) + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye) + embellishments (My Mind's Eye) + other (Silhouette Cameo)

A Note from Valerie
You really can't go wrong with circles on a layout. Add just a couple or a lot—looks good either way. I mixed and matched different patterned papers from a few of My Mind's Eye's 6x6 paper pads for the circles.

October Fun Fact
The fifteen baby chicks we added to our small flock of backyard chickens this past spring have matured and started laying eggs last week!

 

TOTALLY YES
BY KATIE

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (We R Memory Keepers) + die cut embellishments (Crate Paper, Dear Lizzy) + stickers (Evalicious, Amy Tangerine) + die cuts (Silhouette) + mists (Heidi Swapp, Maya Road) + machine stitching + ball point pen + brad

A Note From Katie
Instead of trying to find the perfect outdoor themed embellishments for this layout, I decided to use what was already out on my desk from the last layout; limiting my supplies helped me to speed up my process and complete this layout in 20 minutes.

October Fun Fact
Several years ago my son and I climbed Precipice Trail to the top of Champlain Mountain in Acadia National Park; when we got to the top we saw the warning that the trail was for experienced hikers only!

 

TOTALLY DID THIS
BY BECCA

12 x 12 | materials Handmade by Jennifer Allyson (Pixels & Company)

A Note from Becca
I love all the pinks and purples from this kit. It's not something that I would typically use for horseback riding at a pumpkin patch but it totally went with my daughter's outfit and it worked!

October Fun Fact
My daughter is such a thrill seeker! I don't think I had ever ridden a horse until high school or college!

 

NIGHT SKY
BY MARNIE

12 x 12 | materials cards (Heidi Swapp, September Skies) + fonts (Hello Beautiful, Jasmine Reminiscentse)

A Note from Marnie
I don't know what it is about pink sunsets... I added the pink card to draw the attention to the pink in the photo. It was the reason I took it after all. ☺

October Fun Fact
Last year, the Halloween decorations came out the day before Halloween. It was a rough month and my decorating duties slid down to the bottom of the list. My girls asked if this year, we could do better. And we have. The house is already filled with black cats, owls, and pumpkins. It feels good to be back to normal.

 

That's it! Thank you for stopping by. See you tomorrow. or in a minute if you need to come back for look two and three and... :)

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!

Welcome, April!

It's not just April fools, it's also the day of our new gallery! This month we are celebrating all things mini. Let's get started with our annual mini album gallery, MiniAlbum Madness V! Here are a preview of all the covers! To see the insides of the albums, be sure to head to the gallery album.

Hello Zoo Day | Ewa Wesołowska

6 x 4 | materials patterned paper (Studio Tekturek) thickers (American Crafts, Studio Tekturek) + labels (Studio Tekturek) elements (Scrapniec, Studio Calico)

A Note from Ewa
I made this mini to remember very nice and fun day at the Zoo.

 

 

Birthday Week | Jenny Larson

Accordian pocket album | materials mini album (K&Company) + patterned paper (Studio Calico) + sequins (Studio Calico) + labels (Studio Calico) + wood veneer (Studio Calico) + stamps (Studio Calico, October Afternoon) + punch (EK Success) + stickers (Studio Calico) + ink (Stampin’ Up!) + pen (Copic)

A Note from Jenny
My son’s birthday fell on Ash Wednesday this year. We weren't able to celebrate that day, so his birthday stretched out a week. I made this mini album to record the birthday week. For days I had no photos, I used an empty, stamped photo frame. Sadly, I forgot to include the most memorable detail: my son got the stomach flu on his actual birthday, so we had to eat cake the next day. Such a sad dude!

April Fun Fact
I have a mini album—a brag book from Fancy Pants—where I collect recipes from magazines and newspapers.

 

 

2 | Becca Dickson

materials | Capture-Noteworthy Spiral Journal (BasicGrey) + Capture- Waterfall Theme Pack (BasicGrey)

A Note from Becca 
I made this mini for my daughter. She loves pink polka dots so the cover was perfect! She has a stuffed monkey, Haha, who is her best buddy. I had a stack of photos of the two of them printed for her monkey birthday party she had when she turned two, and decided to put them all into a book. The book had lots of little embellishments and tags printed on the different sized patterned papers inside, so the only elements I added were my photos and a small die cut shape “2” to the front.

April Fun Fact
I collect Pez dispensers, they're so fun and colorful! I have more than 500 of them. 

 

 

Sunsets | Lisa Borbély

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Cocoa Daisy) + rub-on (Crate Paper) + flair (Studio Calico) + chipboard strips (Studio Calico) + square page protector (Simple Stories)

A Note from Lisa
I don´t make minibooks anymore, but I really wanted to make something for this gallery! I ended up making flip pockets on a regular page protector and I count that as a mini ☺ I´ll share more in a post soon!

April Fun Fact
I was taking photos of my project and was irritated and confused at how the camera didn't seem to focus properly when I remembered I had taken my glasses off prior to this! 

 

 

Travel Mini Album | Cristina C. Scrap

3 x 4 | materials wood veneer globe (Two Peas in a Bucket) + Mixed Media Monthly - Jan. '15 Main Kit (The Lilypad) + 3x4 grid cards (Studio Calico) + stamps (Studio Calico) + ink (Tsukineko) + watercolors (Peerless) + number tags (Studio Calico)

A Note from Cristina
This is a travel mini I made to take notes during my trip. I love being able to record things on the go, otherwise a lot of details would be forgotten! I went with a small size that fits nicely in my bag.

April Fun Fact
I am so happy for the warmer weather! We've had a very cold winter and I can’t wait to get the BBQ out!

 

 

No Boys Allowed | Cari Orellana

6 x 4 | materials embellishments (Studio Calico, Pink Paislee) + pen (Smash pen)

A Note from Cari
I made this mini to remember the friendship with two of my best friends, one of them is going to live abroad next month and I made this mini to celebrate our friedship as is now. I used mostly Studio Calico February kit Cirque and some embellishments from Pink Paislee Bella Rouge. I love making mini albums, to have a smaller canvas make it easier to fill the pages, and love how they look with all the details and embellishments.

April Fun Fact
I invite my friends to come over just because I wanted to take her some photos so I could make this mini. haha

 

 

How We Roll | Aliza Deutsch

4 x 4 | materials album (We R Memory Keepers) + patterned paper (Cocoa Daisy, Pebbles) + wood veneer (Cocoa Daisy) + chipboard (Jenni Bowlin) + stickers (Evalicious) + other (Heidi Swapp, Evalicious) + cut files (Ali Edwards)

A Note from Aliza
I am not really experienced in pocket pages, but I adore this tiny 4x4 album size. It is also a good size for including small, dark, blurry photos taken in your living room, which, by the way, is where we spend a lot of our time.

April Fun Fact
I am already starting to get excited about summer! I can’t wait for warm weather and puttering about my apartment. 

 

 

Farm Life | Valerie O'Neall

6 x 6 | materials cardstock (My Mind's Eye) + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye) + embellishments (My Mind's Eye) + phrase stamps (American Crafts) + font (Heartwell) + other (Silhouette Cameo & vintage typewriter)

A Note from Valerie
This mini album showcases some of my favorite images of my son growing up while daddy worked on the family farm. The layout is simple with very few embellishments. I used the white space on many of the photos for some die-cut word art cut with my Cameo.

April Fun Fact
I never expected crême brulée to become my preferred dessert at restaurants, but when it's on the menu I have to order one! Yum!

 

 

currently | Tracie Claiborne

3 x 3 | materials patterned paper (Walnut Grove 6 x 6 paper pad by Pebbles) + stickers (Simple Stories) + fonts (Helvetica-Light, Segoe Script)

A Note from Tracie
I love to document a snapshot of my current life so I used a "currently" journaling prompt to direct this little album. I made this album using chipboard from a cereal box for the cover and a 6x6 paper pad by Pebbles. It makes my life easier when the papers already coordinate, plus, I don't like cutting my 12x12 paper into 3x3 squares! I made the list, grabbed photos from my phone and the interwebs, printed and put it all together. I normally would add enamel dots or some other bulky embellishments but I wanted to keep this very flat so I just used stickers from about six different Simple Stories sticker sheets.

April Fun Fact
Making this little album made me realize how few photos of myself I have so one of my goals for this month is to take a ton of selfies and hand off the camera to my family so they can get me in the picture. I challenge you to do the same!

 

 

Life Lessons Learned From 1980s Beauty Pageants | Katie Scott

5 x 7 | materials patterned paper (American Crafts, Heidi Swapp, Webster's Pages, various older papers) + sticker embellishments (Mambi, October Afternoon, Tim Holtz, Project Life, Recollections) + letter stickers (American Crafts, Tim Holtz, Crate Paper) + journaling cards (Project Life, Fancy Pants, American Crafts, Teresa Collins, Jillibean Soup, Mambi)

A Note from Katie
This minibook uses pocket journaling cards that offer advice to summarize the life lessons I learned when I did beauty pageants as a teenager. Since my daughter is a pre-teen, I thought this minibook might be a clever way to offer her some advice in a not so preachy way since the book appears to be giving myself advice.

April Fun Fact
I barely ever wear make up in my everyday life today.

 

 

Read More Books | Marnie Flores

4 x 4 | materials patterned paper (Crystal Wilkerson) + elements (Crystal Wilkerson, One Little Bird) + fonts (Just Old Fashioned Condensed, Jacques & Giles, Penelope Ann, A Little Sunshine)

A Note from Marnie
I am been slacking on my reading. I thought perhaps if I made a list of the books I was reading then I would see that I needed to do a little more!

April Fun Fact
This month I am going to finish a house project that has been pending for months. Hooray!

 

Be sure to head over to the photoalbum to see all the pages. We are excited for a fabulous month!

Gallery Walking

Today is that fabulous day where we get to go tip toe'ing through our gallery of lovely layouts. Let's go!

Are you as ready for spring as we all seemed to be? The gallery was a welcome relief to a winter that would not die. Seems like spring has sprung for many of us this month. All due to the inspiration of the gallery, no doubt? ☺ 

What inspiration did you draw from each layout? Taking time to make notes helps to solidify our ideas, so let's do it together. And please, if you have other ideas for pages that sparked from ours, leave your ideas in the comments. Or better yet, make a page and leave us a link!!

 

 

My Spring | Ewa Wesołowska

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper Shimelle Dowdy ( American Crafts ) + stickers ( American Crafts ) + others embellishments

WRITE Ewa didn't just discuss that she keeps a garden but also how it makes her feel to be in the spring air. Writing about your reasons and reactions for your hobbies offers more insight that just saying you have one.

 

 

Spring...You Are My Happy | Tracie Claiborne

8.5 x 11 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + patterned paper (American Crafts) + stickers (American Crafts) + fonts (Universal 57 Condensed)

WRITE Capturing the details of the transition of spring will inclusively and automatically include some of your favorite seasonal delights.

 

 

Spring, Actually | Marnie Flores

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (American Crafts, Glitz) + journaling cards (Glitz) + hearts (Glitz) + fonts (1942 Report, Letter Gothic) 

CLICK Remember that in spring with it bright sun and harsh shadows that it you need to keep a close eye on your lighting. It's hard to edit out the stark contrast without blowing out other portions of your photo.

 

 

bball | Celeste Smith

12 x 12 | materials kit (Just Jaimee & Mommyish Real Life in Pockets Love You Harder), font (Underwood Champion)

SCRAPBOOK  Celeste's use of Scrabble tiles to spell out "cute" is a clever way of creating an embellishment and sneaking pink onto a boy layout! Go Celeste!

 

 

Miss Mohawk | Valerie O'Neall

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye) + chipboard (My Mind's Eye) + thickers (American Crafts) + pen (Copic)

SCRAPBOOK Valerie's use of feathers helps to tell the story of her wacky little chicken. ☺ Let your embellishments help as much as you can. 

 

 

September | Cari Orellana

8.5 x 11 | materials cardstock (American Craft white) + patterned paper (Maggie Holmes Open Book) + embellishments (Maggie Holmes, Studio Calico) + mist (Studio Calico)

SCRAPBOOK Cari's use of stitching creates a repeating element in her layout that ties all the little bits and pieces together despite their differences in colors, shapes, sizes, and designs. And because the thread it white, it is a subtle element. Brilliant.

 

 

Hello Spring | Cristina C. Scrap

12 x 12 | materials Bloom and Grow papers, Bloom and Grow elements, Spring Fling stamps, Bloom and Grow journaling cards (Mari Koegelenberg and Mommyish)

CLICK  Cristina's photo captured not just the blossoms but the twigs. Not just the light. But the shadows. The contrasts provide depth and highlight the light and the blooms more than if they were the entire frame.

 

 

Enjoy The Ride | Jennifer Hignite

12 x 12 | materials Andiamo digital kit, Andiamo Journaling Cards, stitched-grid-templates-vol-2 (Scotty Girl Design)+ fonts (Myriad Pro)

WRITE Jennifer's journaling is tender and tells of her son's tentative ways. Notice as she encourages him to be brave that she uses cycling icons and terms. Unity of message and photo. Clever.

 

 

Signs of Spring | Lisa Borbély

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico) + stamp (Becky Higgins) + font (Arial Bold, Arial) + washi tape (Cocoa Daisy)

SCRAPBOOK  The embellishments on Lisa's layouts are all found on the top. It balances her lovely square photo. And tells us to look for the green. Your uppermost embellishment can serve as a table of contents if you want it to.

 

 

Welcome Back | Jenny Larson

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (October Afternoon) + stickers (October Afternoon) + acrylic letters (Heidi Swapp) + epoxy stickers (October Afternoon) + die cuts (October Afternoon) + pen (Copic) + metal charm (Webster’s Pages)

SCRAPBOOK  Did you see how Jenny used stitching to be the shelf for the bottom two photos and the clothesline for the top three? In so doing, Jenny also made it a frame for all her photos, providing them weight and importance.

 

 

Our Little Spring | Becca Dickson

12 x 12 | materials kit (February 2015 Storyteller-Quinn by Just Jaimee ) + fonts (Lavandaria Sturdy, Traveling Typewriter)

SCRAPBOOK Becca cleverly interpreted our spring theme with its alternate definition of a resilient device used chiefly to exert constant tension or absorb movement. Never forget to look for the pun and the fun!

 

 

I Can’t Remember | Aliza Deutsch

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill Basics Paper) + patterned paper (BasicGrey, We R Memory Keepers, Cocoa Daisy) + wood veneer (Cocoa Daisy) + stickers (October Afternoon, Evalicious, 7 gypsies) + fonts (Frente)

WRITE Honesty is always allowed. Encouraged even. And when teamed with some humor? well, it just doesn't get better.

 

 

In Like A Lion | Marnie Flores

12 x 12 | materials tag (American Crafts) + thickers (American Crafts) + flower (American Crafts) + fonts (KG Penmanship, Eller)

CLICK  Zooming in and then allowing the sky to create white space created a photo where the snow takes center stage as it ends right in the center. The central element doesn't need to spread from edge to edge in order to be the focal point.

 

 

Handstands & Cartwheels | Amy Sorensen

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Pebbles, Inc and Echo Park) + foam alphabet stickers (American Crafts) + small and script alphabet stickers (October Afternoon) + flower stickers (Echo Park) + font (Ainsley)

CLICK  Action shots are often a matter of having your camera in hand at the right time and then taking lots of pictures. But look how perfectly it helps to tell the story!

 

We hope you have enjoyed the gallery and we look forward to a new one shortly!!

Welcome, March!

Hello and welcome to a brand new month of inspiration here at write. click. scrapbook! This month our theme is 

All month we will be sharing our favorite things with you. From colors and patterns, to techniques and strategies. We hope that as spring begins to blossom around us that ideas and creativity will begin to bloom as well.

 

And speaking of spring, our gallery theme this month is

Let's look and see how our team interpreted our new theme. And while you are peeking, see if you can find four new designers who have joined us! And please leave them a warm welcome. We are so excited to have them join the family! As a reminder, feel free to head to the gallery album to see the layouts in a larger size and with the added journaling!

 

My Spring | Ewa Wesołowska

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper Shimelle Dowdy ( American Crafts ) + stickers ( American Crafts ) + others embellishments

A Note from Ewa
My spring starts early. Out of town I have a little house with a garden. I love warm days and to work with plants. After whole day spent at fresh spring air I feel full of energy and I'm in optimistic mood.

March Fun Fact
I'm sooooo honored to be the part of of this great team.

 

 

Spring...You Are My Happy | Tracie Claiborne

8.5 x 11 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + patterned paper (American Crafts) + stickers (American Crafts) + fonts (Universal 57 Condensed)

A Note from Tracie
Here in the South, we've experienced a lot of snow and ice lately so I am particularly thrilled about the soon coming of spring. I picked up these American Crafts products at the Target $1 spot last week and they happened to fit this month's gallery topic perfectly! Staying within a collection of supplies made this layout come together quickly and it was fun to use stickers. I am and always have been a lover of stickers!

March Fun Fact
I have loved write.click.scrapbook. since its inception and can't begin to describe how honored I am to now be a part of this lovely team.

 

 

Spring, Actually | Marnie Flores

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (American Crafts, Glitz) + journaling cards (Glitz) + hearts (Glitz) + fonts (1942 Report, Letter Gothic) 

A Note from Marnie
Spring is hiding in these parts, so I had to go looking for a spring photo in my old stash! Oh, those baby cheeks!

March Fun Fact
I have St Patrick's shirts in the closet all ready and waiting for the big day! We love the green day around here!

 

 

bball | Celeste Smith

12 x 12 | materials kit (Just Jaimee & Mommyish Real Life in Pockets Love You Harder), font (Underwood Champion)

A Note from Celeste
This layout shows how our spring typically begins with the snow melting and the fog rolling off of it on a 45 degree day. It’s amazing how 45 degrees can feel like 65 degrees after a long cold winter! I had fun layering some papers here. I love how the border keeps the eye from wandering 
off the top of the page.

March Fun Fact
Will the snow ever end? I really can’t wait to see the grass again!

 

 

Miss Mohawk | Valerie O'Neall

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye) + chipboard (My Mind's Eye) + thickers (American Crafts) + pen (Copic)

A Note from Valerie
One of my favorite things about Spring besides warmer weather is the new baby chicks we purchase each year. The chipboard from the My Mind's Eye Jubilee collection includes fun silver feathers that were perfect for a layout about our funny fluffy chicken.

March Fun Fact
My husband and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary with a trip to Puerto Rico last month.

 

 

September | Cari Orellana

8.5 x 11 | materials cardstock (American Craft white) + patterned paper (Maggie Holmes Open Book) + embellishments (Maggie Holmes, Studio Calico) + mist (Studio Calico)

A Note from Cari
My layout title is September, the first month of spring where I live (Santiago - Chile). This photo is from last September when Spring didn't want to show up yet and the days weren't as sunny as they supposed to be, but the flowers had already bloomed and it was very nice to see.

March Fun Fact
Where I live everyone hate March! Is the month children go back to school, the summer is over and there are a lot of things to pay, but basically everyone hate it because is the back to school month. I don't go to school anymore, but I still hate March. hahaha.

 

 

Hello Spring | Cristina C. Scrap

12 x 12 | materials Bloom and Grow papers, Bloom and Grow elements, Spring Fling stamps, Bloom and Grow journaling cards (Mari Koegelenberg and Mommyish)

A Note from Cristina
It feels like spring is so far, far away! I had to dig up some photos from last May to find some spring.

March Fun Fact
I don’t mind winter and snow, but cannot wait for the warmer weather to arrive so that I can start wearing some lighter clothes and shoes.

 

 

Enjoy The Ride | Jennifer Hignite

12 x 12 | materials Andiamo digital kit, Andiamo Journaling Cards, stitched-grid-templates-vol-2 (Scotty Girl Design)+ fonts (Myriad Pro)

A Note from Jennifer
This layout and most of my layouts spring from a starting point, a template. I love the look of basic grid templates to start my layouts. Where it goes from there, I never know but always the beginning starts with a template!

March Fun Fact
Spring can not get here soon enough, I am so ready to dig our bikes out from under all this snow and get moving!

 

 

Signs of Spring | Lisa Borbély

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Studio Calico) + stamp (Becky Higgins) + font (Arial Bold, Arial) + washi tape (Cocoa Daisy)

A Note from Lisa
I have been living in the same house since 2003 and we have recently decided to move. I will however always look for the snowdrops outside that house in the spring.

 

 

Welcome Back | Jenny Larson

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (October Afternoon) + stickers (October Afternoon) + acrylic letters (Heidi Swapp) + epoxy stickers (October Afternoon) + die cuts (October Afternoon) + pen (Copic) + metal charm (Webster’s Pages)

A Note from Jenny
Spring in Minnesota tends to be pretty ugly—snowy and dirty and brown—but the moment the plants pop out of the earth gives me joy. When they finally blossom, that’s when winter is done! I made this page, when it’s below zero at the end of February, to nurture that joy.

March Fun Fact
The last two years it has snowed in May. I know it’s not a fun fact, but as a gardener, I have to say I do not plant perennials that are so dainty they have to be nurtured through the winter. These flowers on the page are hearty and survive late snows, which makes me shake my fist in the air and say, “Take that, Winter!”

 

 

Our Little Spring | Becca Dickson

12 x 12 | materials kit (February 2015 Storyteller-Quinn by Just Jaimee ) + fonts (Lavandaria Sturdy, Traveling Typewriter)

A Note from Becca
As soon as I think of the word Spring, I don't necessarily think of the season. I think of a bouncy spring, like in a trampoline, and am reminded of my always active four-year-old daughter. This photo was taken in the fall when we had Spring-like weather and my daughter begged to jump on the trampoline.

March Fun Fact
I feel the need to wear green in some capacity all month long!

 

 

I Can’t Remember | Aliza Deutsch

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill Basics Paper) + patterned paper (BasicGrey, We R Memory Keepers, Cocoa Daisy) + wood veneer (Cocoa Daisy) + stickers (October Afternoon, Evalicious, 7 gypsies) + fonts (Frente)

A Note from Aliza
Really this is all I could say about spring at this point. It is such a distant memory. I also got to scrapbook about spring, while still recording some favorite snowy pictures.

March Fun Fact
Purim is coming up this week, one of my favorite Jewish holidays.

 

In Like A Lion | Marnie Flores

12 x 12 | materials tag (American Crafts) + thickers (American Crafts) + flower (American Crafts) + fonts (KG Penmanship, Eller)

A Note from Marnie
I thought I had left bitter winters behind when I left Canada. And I had. Until I moved to Wisconsin. And then I again left them behind. Until this year. When I think the bitter winter found everyone. Everywhere. Please, come back, Spring, please?

March Fun Fact
I have just finished watching season three of Call the Midwife. And now I have to wait for Netflix to get the next season. When, oh, when, pray tell, will that happen? I cannot wait!

 

Handstands & Cartwheels | Amy Sorensen

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Pebbles, Inc and Echo Park) + foam alphabet stickers (American Crafts) + small and script alphabet stickers (October Afternoon) + flower stickers (Echo Park) + font (Ainsley)

A Note from Amy
It's been a long time since I made a layout with a good, wide photo mat. I should do this more often!

March Fun Fact
I planted a new batch of spring bulbs last October. I'm excited to see the daffodils bloom this March!

 

That's it for today! We hope that you enjoyed it. Please don't forget to leave a little hello to Ewa, Tracie, Becca, and Cari.

In Review

Are you having a fun month making use of the things in your desk, and drawers, and boxes, and closets? Are you falling back in love with a tidbit of a paper you had forgotten that you loved? If so, this month is already a success!

It is our final October Saturday. Which means there are only a few more days to stock up on candy and to prep those little witches and goblins! And it also means that today is our day to look back through our gallery and find some things to love and inspire. Got your notebook out? Perfect. Let's go make a list of ways to use our scraps!

 

Leftovers | Aliza Deutsch

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Chic Tags, Cocoa Daisy, Elle’s Studio) + enamel dots (Freckled Fawn) + thickers (American Crafts) + stickers (Jillibean Soup, Evalicious, My Mind’s Eye, Heidi Swapp) + fonts (Skinny)

We love how Aliza used kit leftovers in preparation for getting a new kit. We know how new equals shiny so it is good to finish up with as much "old" as we can before new takes over.

 

Build | Jennifer Larson

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Basic Grey, Crate Paper, Jillibean Soup) + buttons (Studio Calico) + wood veneer (Pink Paislee, Studio Calico) + rub-ons (American Crafts) + tag (Jillibean Soup) + brads (American Crafts) + twine (American Crafts) + pen (Copic)

Background cardstock is the perfect holder for adding scraps. And digging through your scraps drawer is the perfect activity when you need to find a treasure!

 

 

Hello! | Lisa Borbely

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Simple Stories, American Crafts, Crate Paper, Cocoa Daisy, We R Memory Keepers) + letter stickers (Jillibean Soup)+ stickers (Simple Stories)

Lisa made quick work with her punches. The tiniest bit of leftovers can make a bit impact.

 

 

We Read | Sue Althouse

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + patterned paper (Jillibean Soup) + buttons (October Afternoon) + thickers (American Crafts) + Silhouette die cut (Lori Whitlock Square Background Shapes) + floss (We R Memory Keepers) + typewriter (Remington)

Sue smartly cut her paper into shapes that were approximately the same size so that it made for a quick and easy layout. And gorgeous...

 

 

Believe in Mischief | Amy Sorensen

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper strips from my scrap vase + fonts (Art Brewery (brush script), Veneer Extras (ampersand + birds), Century Gothic)

Amy didn't just reach for scraps, she reached for the loveliest little bit of freebie scraps. We think her use of the manufacture strip is brilliant. And did we mention free? ('ish. you did have to buy the paper to get it... :) )

 

 

Juicy Juice | Diane Payne

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (Studio Calico, Chickaniddy Crafts, BasicGrey) + buttons (A Flair For Buttons) + stickers (Freckled Fawn, Pebbles) + die cuts (Studio Calico) + bow (American Crafts) + stamp (Gossamer Blue) + ink (Tsukineko) + pen (American Crafts)

Keeping the leftovers from one scrap project together in a pile helps create a group of coordinated scraps all ready to go for a new project. Great idea, Diane!

 

 

I Pick Apples | Cristina C. Scrap

12 x 12 | materials documentary papers (Sahlin Studio at The Lilypad) + In the Orchard elements (Stolen Moments Design at The Lilypad) + fonts (NeoRetro Draw, DJB gimme space)

Sometimes we buy a digital kit to make a specific layout. And then forget to use it for awhile. It's fun to get it back out and see how you still love it!

 

 

Have Fun | Amy Kingsford

Scraps make for lovely rainbow color parties. Color coding your scraps helps to make it easier to find fun combinations!

 

 

Make Your Own Magic | Celeste Smith

12 x 12 | materials kits (Make Your Own magic papers and Sprinkles v27 by Valorie Wibbens; Documented by Sahlin Studio; Bright elements by Allison Pennington; Launch Pads v14 by Jacque Larson) + Template (Lots of Layers by Heather Joyce) + font(The Contessa by Heather Joyce)

Thinking of your digital papers as regular papers can help you think of innovative ways to use them!!

 

Harvest | Valerie O'Neall

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye, Sassafras, October Afternoon, Glitz Design, BasicGrey, Studio Calico) + thickers (American Crafts) + pen (Sharpie)

Valerie used a punch to create a quilted background. It was a lovely embellishment and took up the tiniest bit of leftovers. Awesome.

 

 

Enjoy 15 | Amy Coose

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (October Afternoon, Crate Paper, Carta Bella, My Mind's Eye) + acrylic numbers (Chic Tags) + flair (Chic Tags) + stickers (October Afternoon) + pen (American Crafts) + die cuts (American Crafts, Chic Tags) + wood sprinkles (Jillibean Soup)+ cut file (The Cut Shoppe)

Adding a little bit of color to the center of the white paper circles provides the perfect pop of color.

 

 

Halloween 2002-2012 | Jennifer Hignite

12 x 12 | materials template (Jennifer Hignite Designs) + patterned paper (Pixels & Company designers) + black cat (Deena Rutter) + stitching (Scotty Girl Designs)

Jennifer trimed her scraps to the same size as the photos, but meanwhile created a magnificent pumpkin. Such a creative use of squares and scraps.

 

 

Thanksgiving Dinner | Marnie Flores

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Jady Day Studio) + notebook paper, journaling strips, flair, owl, arrow, conversation bubble (Crystal Wilkerson) + fonts (Bebas, KG Falling Slowly, Ameritype)

Little scraps of paper make for perfect journaling strips. And photo mattes.

 

 

Summer's End | Francine Clouden

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Sassafras Lass, American Crafts) + rub-ons (October Afternoon) + flair (Studio Calico) + sticker (Jenni Bowlin) 

Scraps don't need to be used only in regularly sized pieces. Odd shapes make for interesting additions as well!

Scrap Plywood Transformation

 Do you all have your homes decked out for Halloween and/or fall yet? I don't do much seasonal home decorating with the exception of Christmas. My Mind's Eye has a super great new Halloween collection this year: Frightful. I never get excited about Halloween collections, but I honestly love this one! I decided to make a display piece with the fun chipboard elements from Frightful.

 I might have a craft supply problem—I have accrued quite the assortment of supplies of the years. I'll blame it on my high school art teacher for doing such an amazing job teaching and introducing me to such a wide range of substrates, mediums, and techniques. Now that the days of school deadlines are long gone, I can freely experiment and play. I have a lot of items that get abandoned and set aside to be finished later, or projects that just failed. This project started out as an 8 x 8 inch scrap of plywood. I attempted to gold leaf a design on it and it was a complete fail, so I tossed the scrap aside to be repurposed later. I have a whole of pile of items like this—mostly canvases, but there's some scraps of wood in there too. 

 Gold leaf doesn't photograph well, but it is on there. I messily painted around the gold leaf with some black acrylic paint. Then I grabbed some of the MME chipboard elements and played around with the grouping until I was happy with it. The elements are self-adhesive, but I used hot glue to adhere them to the rough plywood surface.

 And there you have it—super easy Halloween decor! I don't think your significant other will mind if you go raid the garage or basement in search of a really great piece of scrap wood. 

Welcome, October!

It is the first of the month and we couldn't be more excited! This month we are all about making use of what you have. Shopping your stash. Reduce/reuse/recycling all those piles of paper and all those drawers of embellishments. To get us started, our team created an entire gallery with scraps they had lying around. They weren't allowed to use anything new or whole (except a background paper, of course!). They did an amazing job! The layouts are hip, fresh, current, and well designed. A reminder that we have lots to work with even if we haven't shopped lately!

Let's go look, shall we? Don't forget you may always click over to the gallery album to read the journaling and see the layouts in a larger format! Enjoy!!

 

Leftovers | Aliza Deutsch

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Chic Tags, Cocoa Daisy, Elle’s Studio) + enamel dots (Freckled Fawn) + thickers (American Crafts) + stickers (Jillibean Soup, Evalicious, My Mind’s Eye, Heidi Swapp) + fonts (Skinny)

A Note from Aliza
You know that time of the month…When you have used your favorites from your monthly kit, another kit is not due to arrive for a few weeks, and all you have left is dozens and dozens of older supplies that are sitting in your crafting area. It is not the easiest time to scrap, but it gets some older products used, and flexes those creative muscles.

October Fun Fact
I work at a preschool, and every October I have to give a presentation to the parents. It’s always good, but it sure does get my nerves going!

 

 

Build | Jennifer Larson

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Basic Grey, Crate Paper, Jillibean Soup) + buttons (Studio Calico) + wood veneer (Pink Paislee, Studio Calico) + rub-ons (American Crafts) + tag (Jillibean Soup) + brads (American Crafts) + twine (American Crafts) + pen (Copic)

A Note from Jenny
The scraps may be hard to see—I wanted a neutral background with mixed papers, so I dug into my scraps bin and found these three pieces. I layered them and taped the back of the page to create the foundation for the page.

October Fun Fact
My eleven-year-old is almost as tall as I am. I’m 5’9”. Yikes!

 

 

Hello! | Lisa Borbely

8.5 x 11 | materials patterned paper (Simple Stories, American Crafts, Crate Paper, Cocoa Daisy, We R Memory Keepers) + letter stickers (Jillibean Soup)+ stickers (Simple Stories)

A Note Lisa
On this layout I have used the easiest way to use up scrap paper; punching circles from them. Super simple and it makes a big impact!

October Fun Fact
I am addicted to pumpkins. Yep, totally need to buy a lot of pumpkins!

 

 

We Read | Sue Althouse

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (Bazzill) + patterned paper (Jillibean Soup) + buttons (October Afternoon) + thickers (American Crafts) + Silhouette die cut (Lori Whitlock Square Background Shapes) + floss (We R Memory Keepers) + typewriter (Remington)

A Note from Sue
This layout was created with leftover strips of patterned paper die cut into a 9-square grid. Then it was just a matter of filling in the shapes!

October Fun Fact
This month our granddaughter will be 6 months old. She is an incredible joy and delight!

 

 

Believe in Mischief | Amy Sorensen

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper strips from my scrap vase + fonts (Art Brewery (brush script), Veneer Extras (ampersand + birds), Century Gothic)

A Note from Amy
One of my favorite sources for scraps is what I think of as paper selvage. You know...that .5"x12" strip you cut off your patterned paper? If they have any print on them at all (almost all of them do now), I save them. Quite often, I'll use the selvage on the same layout I use the patterned paper it came from...but not always. I keep them in a tall, skinny vase I bought at an antique store one day. Sometimes one of those strips is just the right little thing! For this layout, I sorted through all of the strips I have and used the ones with coordinating colors. I opted for a black and white photo to make the image stand out from all the different patterns.

October Fun Fact
My fitness goal this month is to start lifting weights again, four times a week.

 

 

Juicy Juice | Diane Payne

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (Studio Calico, Chickaniddy Crafts, BasicGrey) + buttons (A Flair For Buttons) + stickers (Freckled Fawn, Pebbles) + die cuts (Studio Calico) + bow (American Crafts) + stamp (Gossamer Blue) + ink (Tsukineko) + pen (American Crafts)

A Note from Diane
This layout was made using the scrap patterned paper left overs from the organizer I featured on write. click. scrapbook. last month.

October Fun Fact
This is my favorite month of the year (well, tied with December). Bring on pumpkin everything!

 

 

I Pick Apples | Cristina C. Scrap

12 x 12 | materials documentary papers (Sahlin Studio at The Lilypad) + In the Orchard elements (Stolen Moments Design at The Lilypad) + fonts (NeoRetro Draw, DJB gimme space)

A Note from Cristina
I have had this digital kit for about a month, but I had only made one page with it so far. I acquired it just around the time I took these pictures so I precisely knew what I wanted to scrap with it.

October Fun Fact
Like every year, this is the time I put together our annual calendars that we give as Christmas gifts to our parents. I usually gather the favorite pictures taken over the past year, but a photo shoot is often required to get the missing few shots.

 

 

Have Fun | Amy Kingsford

A Note from Amy
Inspired by this month's topic "Happy Scraps" I chose a rainbow color scheme and photos that made me feel happy for my page. Then I used this foundation of patterned paper strips and sprinkled random little bits to recreate the look of "scraps" on my digital page.

October Fun Fact
October is my absolute favorite month of the year. Bring on the corn mazes, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and Halloween costume making!

 

 

Make Your Own Magic | Celeste Smith

12 x 12 | materials kits (Make Your Own magic papers and Sprinkles v27 by Valorie Wibbens; Documented by Sahlin Studio; Bright elements by Allison Pennington; Launch Pads v14 by Jacque Larson) + Template (Lots of Layers by Heather Joyce) + font(The Contessa by Heather Joyce)

A Note from Celeste
I used little bits of digital patterned paper in the same manner I would normally use scraps. Layering up little pieces gives the grouping more weight and the jagged edges create energy.

October Fun Fact
My boys are just not into being in front of the camera lately. This is where having a teenage niece comes in handy. She’s selfie and photo obsessed! I love it.

 

Harvest | Valerie O'Neall

12 x 12 | materials cardstock (American Crafts) + patterned paper (My Mind's Eye, Sassafras, October Afternoon, Glitz Design, BasicGrey, Studio Calico) + thickers (American Crafts) + pen (Sharpie)

A Note from Valerie
I loved having a good reason to dig through my scrap drawer and use some up for the gallery this month. I got out a square punch then cut the squares down into triangles. I played around with the pattern until I found something I liked. I stitched down the middle of each column of triangles and them pulled up the edges for some dimension.

October Fun Fact
I've been using the same DSLR, a Nikon D50, for eight years now. I'd love to upgrade, but if it's not broke, don't fix it. Right?

 

 

Enjoy 15 | Amy Coose

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (October Afternoon, Crate Paper, Carta Bella, My Mind's Eye) + acrylic numbers (Chic Tags) + flair (Chic Tags) + stickers (October Afternoon) + pen (American Crafts) + die cuts (American Crafts, Chic Tags) + wood sprinkles (Jillibean Soup)+ cut file (The Cut Shoppe)

A Note from Amy
Every year I do a layout for each child about their favorites at the moment. This is about my boy at 15.

October Fun Fact
As much as I enjoyed our summer, I am so excited to get back into a routine this month and enjoy the fall weather.

 

 

Halloween 2002-2012 | Jennifer Hignite

12 x 12 | materials template (Jennifer Hignite Designs) + patterned paper (Pixels & Company designers) + black cat (Deena Rutter) + stitching (Scotty Girl Designs)

A Note from Jennifer
This layout is a look at 10 years of Halloween memories! Digital templates make putting together years of memories a cinch! Small photos can be used with a template, printed individually, or you can use up all of those small index photos you have lying around! Small scraps of paper can be cut up and pieced together to create the pumpkin (or really any shape you want!)It is a fun touch to make the layout scream Halloween!

October Fun Fact
This year we have made a list of 10 fall activities we want to accomplish this month! Our calendar is jam packed, but the fall always goes so fast and we want to fit in as much fun as possible before the busy holiday season is upon us!!

 

 

Thanksgiving Dinner | Marnie Flores

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Jady Day Studio) + notebook paper, journaling strips, flair, owl, arrow, conversation bubble (Crystal Wilkerson) + fonts (Bebas, KG Falling Slowly, Ameritype)

A Note from Marnie 
I love trolling through old kits to see what I haven't used in awhile. I have a few that are archived, but I am pretty frugal so I have most still accessible. Even still, it seems I reach for the same handful over and over. It was fun to push myself to find things I haven't used in a long while.

October Fun Fact
I already have Halloween decorations up! This year we get add in the poseable skeleton we got at season's end last yea! I can't wait!

 

 

Summer's End | Francine Clouden

12 x 12 | materials patterned paper (Sassafras Lass, American Crafts) + rub-ons (October Afternoon) + flair (Studio Calico) + sticker (Jenni Bowlin) 

A Note from Francine
It was fun digging through my box of scraps and finding bits and pieces for this page. I should do that more often! 

October Fun Fact
I haven't bought new scrapping supplies in over a year. And yet I still find tons of stuff to use on my pages. Fancy that!

In Review

This month we celebrated the return to schedules, and homework, and school. We said farewell to summer and hello to autumn. Before we get lost in all things October and Halloween, let's take one last look at our September gallery:

 

 

Let's start with finding some journaling ideas!

I Remember | Lisa Borbély

:: write about your childhood school or your memories of school ::

 

 

Walking Tall | Amy Sorensen

:: write about a past teacher that your child loved ::

 

 

Hello Senior Year | Diane Payne

:: make a list of classes that your student is taking ::

 

 

Visit the Old Teacher at Meet the Teacher | Marnie Flores

:: write about the unexpected in the usual. such as seeing old teachers as you meet new ones::

 

 

Now let's move onto some photography ideas! 

Grade School Years | Sue Althouse

:: pull out those old school photos and use them on a layout ::

 

 

First Day Back To School | Jennifer Hignite

:: if you missed photos like these on the first day of school, it's not too late to stage some ::

 

 

School Days | Lisa Borbély

:: school beginnings aren't the only photos worthy of comparing ::

 

 

Year 1 | Cristina C. Scrap

:: celebrate your success and growth by capturing yourself often ::

 

 

Currently Loving | Amy Kingsford

:: don't forget to look down to describe your children. footwear tells a lovely story ::

 

 

And lastly, some ideas for making well designed pages.

Goodbye Summer | Aliza Deutsch

:: design in 3s. Aliza used three hearts. small yet significant ::

 

 

Kindergarten | Jennifer Larson

:: Jenny's write up discussed how she (finally) put these pages together to
celebrate her OLW, do. Try it yourself. See what doing can do ::

 

 

First Day | Valerie O'Neall

:: grids don't need equal treatment in every quadrant ::

 

 

4th | Celeste Smith

:: themed pages do not need themed papers ::

 

 

First Day of 5th Grade | Jennifer Hignite

:: look for clever ways to further your story. Like the stamp under the five for fifth grade ::

 

We hope you have enjoyed the month, both the gallery and the posts! Only four more days until our new gallery!!

Remembering How I Used to Scrapbook

Hello! Valerie here and I'm revisiting the days when my scrapbooks consisted of construction paper and shaped photos. I started scrapbooking in junior high back in the 90's. I used to take a ton of (really bad) photos with a cheap 35mm film camera. When scrapbooking these not so great photos, I used to trim them down and cut out the subject(s). Anyone else admit to doing this? I used to make a lot of collages with pages from magazines. I think that's why I thought this technique would be really cool with my own photos, but my photography wasn't good enough to really make it work and the supplies definitely weren't so awesome.

So flash forward to now. Hooray for digital cameras and amazing supplies! As I was uploading photos from a recent trip to a hot air balloon festival, I was thinking about how I would scrapbook them. I remembered that awful cutting thing I used to do to my photos and thought it actually might work for these hot air balloons.

It helps that my photography has improved and my photos are bright, colorful, and sharp. My process is a lot more advanced as well. I picked the balloon photos I would use and opened them all in Photoshop. I made the colors pop and then just completely got rid of the background. Next I opened a new 12 x 12 document. I brought all the balloons in—each balloon had it's own layer. I resized and moved around the balloons until I ended up with the placement you see above. Then I marked-off an 8.5 x 11" area with guides and arranged all the images so they would print on one page since I was printing at home using my Epson printer. Here's what my sheet looked like before it was cut.

 I used foam dots to raise three of the balloons off the page a little. White paint was splattered and cloud shapes were cut from vellum and sewed on. Patterned paper and chipboard title are by My Mind's Eye.

My style has definitely changed and evolved a lot since the 90's. So many trends have come and gone (and have come back again). It was fun to take a technique from my past and make it new. What used to be your go-to technique when you first started scrapbooking?