Maggie Holmes Design Team: Love

You really can't go wrong with the Confetti gold star vellum paper, right?  I'm over on Maggie's blog sharing my love for her Confetti gold star vellum paper!  Hop on over to read more about my project!   

Studio Calico // Galileo Sneaks

I can't believe it's already time for reveal over at Studio Calico.  My days are all thrown off because of the Monday holiday (which was fantastic, by the way)!

I should have shared these sooner, but life got in the way, so better late than never, right?

The Galileo kits at Studio Calico are so fun and so full of vibrant colors, design elements and fun extras!  The extras are always my favorite!!  You can see more of this month's kits over on the blog. 

And here are my sneaks.  The first two are from the main Galileo scrapbook kit.  I love x100000 that cork map paper and I had so much fun creating our own "travel map"!!

This next sneak is a mix of Scrapbook kits!  The wood veneer frames are my fave and I really had fun  using them for my page.  Plus, you just can't go wrong with beach photos!

And last but not least is the awesome Project Life kit!  The colors and sentiments scream everything summer!  The stacked ice cream cards are just awesome and the kit extras are worth getting the kit alone!!

Hope you are joining us for pre-reveat chat today at 11am and 11pm and then reveal at midnight!!  See ya there!

May Project Life Album | Part I

Hey hey!

I'm so excited to be sharing the first part of my May Project Life album today over at Studio Calico!  I really love how this book came together - and I've learned that I really love working with a square sized album.  The 4x4 album I created for February and this 6x6 album for May have been my favorites so far!

I used up all of my Carolina Moon kits for this fun little book!  Love mixing up my supplies and using my stash!!  

Here's a look at my book below!  I also have a walk through video for those of you who are visual people (like myself)!!  Stop by the Studio Calico blog to read more about how my book came together!

A Day in the Life: 5.12.15

I played along with Ali's Day in the Life last week.  Since it feel on the 12th of the month, I decided to stick with taking 12 photos.  That's a super doable number to me and it keeps me from feeling stressed and overwhelmed if I forget to take a few photos here and there.  I used my big camera to document our day and I so need to do this more often.  I love these "random" photos so much.  They show a glimpse at our everyday, and looking back on them, you realize how BIG these small things are.  Did you play along last week??

Creative Jumpstarts 15

Happy Monday and welcome to our next Creative Jumpstarts challenge!!

This week's challenge is a photo challenge, but I kind of mixed it up a little and tackled a project I've been wanting to do for a while now!

The photo challenge is COLLECTIONS - and instead of grouping items together or finding items in a collection around my house, I decided to photograph and print a collection of Anna's artwork!  She is always bringing home page after page of stories, pictures, cards, and they usually just sit in a big pile in our kitchen.  I hate to throw them away, but let's be honest - we can't keep every picture she draws. So, to make things easier, I decided to snap a photo of her pictures, print her art collection and add it to my Project Life album.  

I laid each drawing on a white poster board and then took a quick picture of her artwork.  Then I printed them out on an 8.5x11 piece of photo paper, trimmed them down and popped them in a page protector!

I used my AMAZING fuse to create these pockets (since they were a little smaller than a normal 3x3 slot)!  The Fuse is so super cool - and SO much easier than pulling out my sewing machine!!

I added the photos back to back in three of the pockets and then added in the "art happens" patch from the Studio Calico Carolina Moon Scrapbook kit.

I have a few more drawings to add, so I think I'll add in an additional page protector.

I'm switching up sizes again this month for my Project Life album (my walk through video coming to the Studio Calico blog later this week), so I punched holes in the page protector and then added it into my album!  So so easy!

And that's my take on this photo challenge!!  We so hope you will play along!! Be sure to tag us on Instagram and post your projects here on the blog!  Happy creating!

Creative Jumpstarts were created by Marcy Penner and Stephanie Bryan to challenge each other with their paper endeavors. Delivered in the form of bimonthly challenges, they encourage us (and hopefully you too) to stretch supplies, think outside of the box and to remain intentional about the memories we capture.  Challenges are posted on the first and third Mondays of every month.  Projects are shared on our blogs and on Instagram using the hashtag #creativejumpstarts. We'd love it if you'd share along with us at either of those places and be sure to tag us (@helloforeverpaperco and @stephaniebryan) if you do!

Maggie Holmes Design Team: Soccer Dude

Happy Friday, friends!!

I'm up on Maggie's blog this week sharing how easy it is to use the Confetti collection for a variety of pages - even sweet little soccer dude boy pages!  Hop on over and check it out!!  

Fun with the Photo Sleeve Fuse Tool

I spent some time this weekend playing around with the new WRMK Photo Sleeve Fuse tool.  I have long been a fan of altering my page protectors to create pockets and add in odd-shaped elements, but I always use my sewing machine.  Sewing is fast and easy, but the plastic page protectors don't always move throw the sewing foot easily.  I've torn my fair share of page protectors in my sewing machine.  So when the Fuse came along, I couldn't wait to try it!  It really is easy to use (MUCH easier than my sewing machine) - and I love that I can customize a page protector with any size pockets that I want!  For the example above, I used a full 6x8 page protector and created several individual pockets.  The bottom two are roughly 3x3, but the other pockets were created for the specific items (sequins, buttons/wood veneer, letter). The only "issue" I came across was sealing a small pocket that had bulkier items (confetti and buttons).  I think part of my problem was not being directly over the pocket (since I was filming a video and all you would have seen was my head, lol). 

I filmed a quick video of my process, more for just an informational video.  I know a lot of people are curious about this tool, so I thought it would be fun if I could share my process and thoughts as I was trying it out for the first time!

So what do you think?? Is the Fuse on your wish list?

Hello 12 on the Twelfth

It's been a while since I've done a photography project and I'm looking forward to playing along with Ali's Day in the Life today!  Since it falls on the 12th of the month, I'll be snapping 12 photos of our day.  Looking forward to seeing the moments I can capture today.  This project is always an eye opener for me, and it reminds me of just how much I have in my life - and how the everyday is more than the "everyday".  It's our day.  It's our life.

I hope you will play along!  There's no pressure or number of photos you have to capture.  Keep it simple.  Keep it fun!  Just keep documenting!  

Escape to the Ocean

The beach is one of our favorite places.  I love that we live close enough to run away for just a weekend, or even a day-cation.  And beach photos are my favorite!  When Kerri Bradford asked me to play along with her National Scrapbook Day blog fun, I jumped right on the "escape to the ocean" cut file. I love Kerri's bubbly and fun handwriting!  It adds such a playful element to a page.  (And side note: I do not use my silhouette nearly enough!!  Am I the only one??)

I wanted to group my title around my beach photos, so I started by layering the photos onto my background and then added in a few papers layers beneath them.  I cut my title on an aqua blue card stock, but it was a little too bold for what I was hoping for.  To soften the color a little, I cut the same title again, but on vellum this time.  I layered the vellum on top of the blue card stock and then sewed each word together.  

Since the vellum and card stock were stitched together, I decided to just hot glue them to my page.  I like that hot glue adds a little bit of height and depth!

I finished my page with some handwritten journaling, which I tucked into a sewn pocket behind my photos, and the stamped place/date using Kerri's new awesome alpha stamps!!  I've never met an alpha stamp I didn't like!  

Thanks so much for having me over, Kerri!  It is always an honor to be a part of your blog!!  xo

March Project Life Album || Part II

Have I mentioned that I LOVE the 6x8 Handbook size for Project Life??  It is so easy and fun to fill up the pages.  And I feel like the "stress" of completing a full 12x24 cohesive spread is just not there! It's nice to work on a few pockets and tell one story or be able to include one event between the two pages.  

For my Project Life gallery this month at Studio Calico, I decided to just finish up my March Project Life album.  I used a few enlarged photos, as well as a photo collage to tell our story.  I think both elements add such a fun dynamic to a "mini" album.  

I wanted to have a few "see through" elements, so I sprinkled in some stars and confetti in one pocket and then stitched some of the Carolina Moon Project Life alpha on the outside of another pocket.  I love how it kind of screams "party"!  

The rest of these pages are pretty simple - photos, words, journaling cards.  Sometimes that's really all you need!  

I used my typewriter to type directly onto the photos and journaling cards.  It's just so easy and convenient to type and be done!  Sometimes I misspell words, and sometimes the type ends up all crooked, but I'm totally ok with that.  It's the words that count!

I finished these spreads with a few little stamps here and there.  I'm not the best at remembering to use my stamps, but the cute little tab stamp from the Project Life kit was just too fun to not use!  And it's designed by my favorite designer - Peppermint Granberg of One Little Bird.  She just makes so rad stuff, doesn't she??

And that's about it for March.  I'm thinking about doing a photo recap with a photo collage - just because collages are awesome and I love making them!  

On to finish April now!!  And then start my May Project Life - album.  Where do the months go??

Be prepared to see A LOT of puppy pictures.  He's like our new a baby!  :)

Happy National Scrapbook Day | Blog Hop

Happy National Scrapbook Day! I can't think of a better way to spend today than cutting and pasting! Today, I'm sharing a challenge over on the Studio Calico blog and I'm also joining in with some of my favorite creatives and getting this party started with a fun and inspirational blog hop!!

Currently:

Favorite YouTube clip: Swiftamine on Saturday Night Live  | Listening to: Ed Sheeran on repeat | Watching: nothing. I just can't find a favorite show right now! Any suggestions? | Reading: Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult | I can eat this everyday: nachos, nachos and more nachos. Oh, and sweet potatoes too! | Favorite drink at 4pm: Hmm...it used to be coffee but ever since Whole 30, I would probably have to go with a tall glass of ice water! | On my wish list: A lazy and relaxing weekend full of giggles, hugs and crafting! | Enjoying: Sunny spring days and our porch swing. | Favorite quote right now: Start each day with a grateful heart. | Smiling about: The possibility of adding a puppy to our family TODAY! | My favorite project for this year is: I think my favorite project this year has to be my Project Life albums. I've really enjoyed the freedom of creating various sized albums with tons of photos. Project Life will always be one of my favorite projects because it reminds me to stop and capture our everyday. It reminds to document those little details before they fade with time. 

To celebrate today, the super sweet and talented Wilna has put together a beautiful cut file to share with you all! You can download the free file here.  Wilna is just so amazingly talented, isn't she?!

                               

I wish I could create and share like Wilna, but I just don't have those skills! But what I do have is a craft room FULL of supplies  that I would love to share with YOU!! Leave a comment below telling me your favorite thing about NSD and I will select one random person to send a fun goodie bag to!! 

Now it's your turn to hop on over to Jen's's blog! Be sure to hop around and check out all the amazing ladies and inspiration! Have an amazing and creative day! 

xoxo