My Mind's Eye: Insta-Days Mini Album

I have a new mini album tutorial up on the My Mind's Eye blog today.  It's full of "insta-goodness"!  Here's a peek at my finished book, but stop on by the MME blog to see a simple tutorial!

Jot Magazine: My Favorite Boys

Today I thought I would share another layout from Issue 6 of Jot Magazine!  Kim is working hard on Issue 7 right now, which will be out the beginning of September!  I know it will be amazing!

This layout using products from Heidi Swapps' awesome collections.  This page started with those beautiful acrylic stars.  I knew I wanted to scatter them around my page, so I just randomly laid them here and there.  I punched a few stars from vellum and then layered them over some of the brighter blues to soften the page a little.

Next, I added a few paper layers, my photo and some embellishments.  I didn't really know where to include my journaling since my page was busy as it was, so I added it in the white space of my photo.

The stars give the perfect amount of texture and dimension!!  I love pages like this because something so simple (the stars) can make your layout just pop!!

Guest Designing: Kerri Bradford Studio Part II

I'm back up on Kerri Bradford's blog today sharing another layout using her awesome cut files.  This page has some of my favorite colors right now....mint, grey and white!  Stop on by her blog to see more!

Guest Designing: Kerri Bradford Studio Part I

Hello!!  Happy Monday!  I'm guest designing over at Kerri Bradford Studio today and tomorrow.  Kerri emailed me a while back and asked if I would be interested in "playing over at her house", and OF COURSE, I said yes!!  :)  Kerri makes the most beautiful cut files and printables and I really just loved creating with them.  Hop on over to her blog to see my first layout!  I'll be back tomorrow with another one!!  

Gossamer Blue: Creative Uses for Journaling Cards

I shared these tips over at Gossamer Blue last month and thought I would share them here as well!!

I always try to get the most use out of my products, but sometimes my spreads are so photo heavy that I don't have a lot of leftover room for journaling cards.  Combining your cards and some common tools (think paper trimmer, circle punch, sewing machine) can stretch your supplies and help your creativity flow!

When I start organizing my photos and memorabilia for the month, I always pop a few journaling cards randomly into my pockets.  Although they may not stay in the same spot, they serve as a reminder to add in a few details about our week or month.  The rest of the cards sit in a pile by my photos and once my photos and memorabilia are in place, I grab them out and see what might work with my spread.

Let me share a few of my favorite ways to use journaling cards!

1. Trimming cards to create tags and journaling spots.

I loved the "sweet memories" sentiment on this journaling card, but I only had a few words to add to this photo, so I didn't want to use the entire card.  To make it work with my photo, I trimmed out the sentiment and used it as a journaling spot and label.  I added in one of the My Mind's Eye Chipboard banners for a little glitzy touch.

2. Using your punches to create embellishments.

For this photo, I used my circle punch to punch out part of a journaling card.  I adhered it to the middle of my photo using my tiny attacher and added my journaling with a white gel pen around the photo.  Simple, but super effective!

3. Using journaling cards as accents.

This vellum journaling card was trimmed down to fit a card that is on the other side of this pocket.  I added a flair button to the middle as an accent.  The card is a little smaller than the pocket and I love the see-through effect it has!

4. Sewing vellum to a card to create a transparent pocket.

And what's a Life Pages spread without a vellum pocket?  Here I used a journaling card and sewed on a small piece of vellum to act as a pocket to hold our Easter basket clues from the Easter bunny.  I added a small label with some journaling to the outside of the pocket to finish it off!

How fun, right?  Thanks so much for joining me today!!  I hope I have inspired you to take a closer look at those journaling cards and your supplies to get the most use out of your products as possible!!  

Maggie Holmes Design Team: Fabulous

I have a new layout up on Maggie's blog today!  I hope you will stop on over and check it out!!  Hope you have a fabulous day!!

Project Life: Fourth of July at the Lake & A Linky Party

After our trip to the lake for the Fourth of July, I knew I wanted to put together a few Project Life spreads using the photos from our trip.  And I also knew that I wanted to switch things up a little and try out a different size.  The variety of page protectors this year just plain rocks.  I love all of the different photo sizes and photo orientation.  It keeps the "spice" of Project Life alive for me and re-energizes me to continue my album.

For this spread, I decided to use the October Afternoon Daily Flash 12x12 page protector with the 3x3 square pockets.  I really love the uniformity of square pockets.  It just looks so cohesive and clean!

I started by printing my photos (2- 3x3 photos per 4x6 sheet of photo paper), and trimming my journaling cards to 3x3 inches.  For these two spreads, I used a variety of cards from the Studio Calico Penny Arcade Project Life kit, as well as some extra embellishments and alphabet stickers.

I love playing around with the transparent element of the page protectors and decided to stitch my title "July" directly onto the outside of the pocket, as well as slip a few of the Kal Barteski transparent diamonds into pockets by themselves.  I may go back and stitch the diamonds into the place.  They surprisingly don't around much in the pockets, but who knows what will happen over the years.  I thought about stitching them into place, but they are just so pretty I didn't want to mess them up!

I continued the same design with my second page protector, keeping with the transparent diamonds and embellishments sewn in/on the pockets.

I typed my journaling directly onto my cards using my typewriter.  And again...I realized how awesome this project really is.  These simple memories and moments from our week are recorded and documented.  I love that the details are now saved!

So where are you in your Project Life album??  Since I'm approaching Project Life monthly, I don't really worry much about being caught up anymore!  I love the freedom of working on the album whenever and not trying to keep myself to some crazy requirement!!  Remember...anything is better than nothing!  If you are still on January, well....good for you, keep going!  If you are all caught up.....awesome!  

I'd love to see your most recent or favorite Project Life spreads!!  Link up your projects below and let's get this Project Life party started!!  

An InLinkz Link-up

Glitz Design: Summer 2014

I'm getting my "grid-on" over at Glitz Design today!!

I love a good grid and this page came together so quickly and easily!  Check out the Glitz blog for a walk through of my process!!

Video: Paradise

Happy Monday everyone!!  I'm off gallivanting around Spain today taking photo after photo of this amazing place!  Hope you are doing something awesome today too!  :)

I've been in major travel documentation mode lately and have really enjoyed going back and revisiting some of the trips we took years ago.  I never got around to recording photos from our honeymoon, and what better way to record them than to create a two page layout with lots of photos!!

Today, I've got a little bit of paradise to share with you!!  My husband and I got married in St. John, USVI and we honeymooned there as well.  It literally is paradise.  Most of St. John is national park, so most of the island is undeveloped and breathtakingly beautiful!

I had originally recorded my process for Two Peas, but....you know... so now, I'm posting it here.  Hope you enjoy it!  And I'm really loving the two page layouts!!  Especially for multiple photos and vacation pages.  

You can see the process video here: 

It's paradise, right???

Ahh.....aren't you so ready for the beach??   I may not be in St. John, but I'm definitely enjoying the sand and sun in Spain!!  Wish you were here!!

Happy Birthday Maggie Holmes

Did you know today is the wonderful Maggie Holmes' birthday??  It sure is and her Design Team has created a fun surprise for her on her special day!!  

Each of her DT members put together a sweet little gift for Maggie and mailed it the old fashioned way!  I had so much fun putting my birthday surprise together for her and I hope she enjoyed opening it as much as I enjoyed making it!

I gave this quite a bit of thought and decided I wanted to some kind of "birthday in a box".  I created this birthday in a box for my daughter's fifth birthday, but it was kind of big and bulky.  I wanted something smaller and more delicate for Maggie!  Then I stumbled upon a pretty antique jar and knew it would be the perfect starting point for my "happy birthday jar"!  It was so cute, I almost had a hard time mailing it to Maggie!!

To decorate the jar, I made a few small tags and attached them to the jar using twine.  I also wrapped a small piece of ribbon around the lid to give it a little more feminine feel.

So are you wondering what's in this sweet little jar??

It's nothing too fancy, but it definitely screams happy birthday!!

In Maggie's jar, I included a few candles, nail polish, lip gloss and some pretty pens.  Since I was mailing this jar, I included lots of ruffled crepe paper and tulle to keep the items from tapping against the glass.

Isn't that a fun little surprise??

Happy birthday, Maggie!!  I hope you have a wonderful day full of cake and laughter!!  Oh...and be sure to stop by the rest of the Maggie Holmes' Design Team to see what they put together for her!!  You can click on their blogs below!  

Amanda Rydell

Jessy Christopher

Kim Stewart

You Are My Favorite

My personality is kind of funny.  Some days I crave order and white and cleanliness, and some days I really want to get messy.  This layout came after I created this page for Wilna's blog (which she shared yesterday).  Once I got started with my paints and gelatos, I just couldn't stop.  Like...I couldn't go to sleep because I had some many ideas in my head....  So I got up and made this page and the process was so freeing!  

Using paint and gelatos, or any art media really, opens up my creative inner self I think.  I get a little "rush" of excitement and find the ideas come easier.

For this page, I started by coloring gelatos down one side of my page to create a vertical band.  I then used some water to blend the colors and tone them down a little.  Finishing the page was so easy.  Wilna's cut files and a few cut files from Studio Calico kept my page bright and white, but added in some movement and texture.

The transparency diamonds from the Penny Arcade kit at Studio Calico were just made for layering over paints and gelatos!  I love how they look against the colors and paired with the cut files.

A little pop of gold and a sprinkle of embellishments finished off the page!!

I Heart Blog: A Layout & A Video

I'm getting artsy over on Wilna's blog today!!  I have a layout, as well as a process video to share with you all! Here are a few sneak peeks of my layout and you can see how it all came together in my video.  I had so much fun making this page and Wilna's cut files are to.die.for.  My process was so freeing and so rejuvenating.....and so awesome.  I hope you like it!!  

Sneak Peeks: L'Atelier Scrap Workshop

In just a few days, I will be flying over to Spain to spend some good quality time at L'Atelier Scrap to help them celebrate their first anniversary!! I am so excited and I can't wait to get there!!  Putting together my projects for the class has been so darn fun!  The supplies are just amazing and I have so many fun ideas to share with the ladies!  I have two layouts and one mini album and they are all full of pretty colors and sparkles!

Here are a few sneak peeks of the products I'm using, as well as my projects!

If you are attending the workshop, I CANNOT WAIT to meet you!!!  We are going to have so much fun!!  

xoxo

Gossamer Blue: Organizing Your Project Life Process

I have a new Project Life Process video up at Gossamer Blue.  I really loved putting this spread together and talking through my process.  The more I talk about it, the more I realize what works for me and what doesn't!!!