captured

I just can't get over how much I love Maggie Holmes' newest line, Open Book. I have made so many layouts with it in the last two weeks. It has definitely sparked some creativity in me!


And those Thickers? They are just perfection. I could definitely use a few packs of them.



The ''love this'' sticker is actually from Crate Paper's Notes & Things line, which is my other new favourite line. I thought the right side of the photo needed a little something extra, so I added a row of gold gold sequins.

last week of october

This spread was hands down the hardest spread I have ever photographed. I just could not get good photos of it. I actually photographed this on two separate days in two different locations in our house. This spread is also one of my favourites ever though, so I had to share it, bad photos and all. 

This week consisted of municipal election, dinner with friends, pumpkin farm, painting pumpkins and Halloween itself. It was a busy week and there were so many photos to choose from.


The #pumpkineverything printable from Paper Issues was just perfect for photos of our pumpkin donuts and pumpkin sausages from the pumpkin farm.


I just love American Crafts' Haunted Hollow line. I got the layered tags and ephemera pack. This is definitely my ideal Halloween line. I love the shade or orange and that it isn't cutesy at all. I like a little spook to my Halloween products. :)


 I just love that 'October 31' card from a Studio Calico kit from 2013. I completely forgot to use it last year and have been waiting to use it again this year. I love the spooky font.



I used a Simple Stories Photo Flip with a card from an older October Afternoon line. When you flip it up, there is another photo of Andy at the pumpkin farm and journalling on the back of the card. I love those photo flips

board games

I made this layout for the Get Your Game On Issue at Paper Issues. I am far from you would call athletic and Andy isn't in any sports yet, but board games? Oh, we play a lot of board games in our house. We have a very large game collection and cannot wait until Andy is old enough for family game night!

I have had American Crafts' Chap line in my "maybe purge" pile for awhile now. I love this line, but it's three years old now and there is always a new line that I want to use. I thought the colours in Chap would be perfect for a layout about board games and I'm really happy with how it turned out and that I was able to use some stuff from stash!

I really love the way tags and labels look layered under photos and paper on layouts.

The chipboard frame is from Crate Paper's The Pier line, but it was the perfect colour for this layout.



Funny story about those Thickers. They came in a pack I bought from Winners (Canadan Marshalls) that were 5 for $10. That is an amazing deal for Canada! To put it in perspective, a pack of Thickers from Michaels here is $8.49! Anyway,  because this deal was so great, I didn't mind that there was a pack or two that I didn't like. And I did not like these ones. I have never used them and put them in my purge pile.

When I was looking for a Thicker to use for this layout, I knew I wanted a bold font. This pack was just perfect and I feel they go really well with the 'board game' theme. Well, wasn't I surprised when I looked up the Chap line on the American Crafts website to see that these are actually from that line. No wonder I thought they went well together.

Wow. That is a very long story about a pack of Thickers.

Do you have a scrapbooking product that you didn't like at first, but you either ended up loving or was perfect for a particular project?

her heart was an open book

This is the layout I made for Paper Issues Sketchy Saturday. I inverted the sketch as I've been dying to cut that file folder paper apart for ages. 

The layout is about my sweet niece, Ruby Sky and the hilarious things she says. She is the most articulate three-year-old and she is just too funny.

I just love that gold vellum. I bought two pieces and it's definitely not enough.



'Her heart was an open book" is definitely an appropriate title for this layout. Ruby Sky says whatever is on her mind.

I really loved this sketch as it allowed me to really show off some of my favourite papers from Maggie Holmes'new line.

captured 2

Maggie Holme's new Open Book collection with all of its camera/photography images was absolutely perfect for a photo of our first family photos we had taken a few weeks ago.

I started by centering my photo and just pulling every little bit from the epehmera pack, chipboard and flat sticker sheets that I loved and just layered them around.



I can't seem to make a page these days without including a chipboard frame. Can't stop. Wont stop.





I love the gold Thicker works in this line so much. I'm such a sucker for gold glitter.

the little things

This is the layout I made for last Sunday's sketch on the Studio Calico blog. I especially loved this sketch because of all the tags. I just got the layered tags from both Maggie Holmes' and Crate Paper's new lines and I was dying to use them. This sketch was the perfect excuse to show a bunch of them off. 

Both Open Book and Notes and Things were perfect for a photo of my sister and I dancing in our matching pink dresses when we were little

I love layered bits so much. And that pink ruffled crepe tag is just perfection.  

It was very hard for me to use something other than white cardstock for my background. I really love how this small polka dot looks though. it's a subtle enough of a pattern that it wasn't too far of a leap from plain white. 

lately

On Saturday, I got my first order from Paper Issues and I could not be happier with my order. I got lot of Crate Paper Notes and Things and Maggie Holmes Open Book. I definitely found my scrapbook line soul mates. I've already completed one layout and am working on a second one for Sketchy Saturday at Paper Issues. I also got the November Swag Bag from Paper Issues and  am so excited to make a mini album from Andy's first fall using it.

This order from Paper Issues was my first time buying scrapbooking products- that wasn't a kit of some kind, in well over a year. It was so fun and I just loved the selection they have. Paper Issues is definitely going to be my go to online scrapbooking store from now on.

I just love seeing Andy's imagination at work. It is one of the greatest joys as a parent. We bought Andy this dollhouse and a mish-mash of furniture at a thrift store and he just loves playing with it. He pretends the people are members of our family and acts out that they're coming over to visit and gives them food and puts them down for naps. It is so adorable to watch. Santa might be bringing Andy a bigger dollhouse for Christmas if he continues to enjoy it this much.



Eek! One of my layouts is Featured Project at Studio Calico and I am so honoured and excited.



There is a house around the corner from us that goes all out for Christmas. This is our fourth holiday season in this neighbourhood, and each year their display gets bigger and more elaborate. I just love their holiday spirit, however I do not envy their hydro bill. Tonight is the first night that they had the whole thing set up and I just had to take some pictures. It really got me excited for the upcoming season. Christmas is just my favourite. Bring on the christmas carols and merry making!

smash cake

I made this layout for last week's Sunday Sketch at Studio Calico. As soon as I saw that the sketch had four small vertical photos, I knew it would be perfect for photos of my niece, Evening Grey, on her first birthday last week. She was so funny with her smash cake and I love the progression the photos show- going from her nicely eating a bit of icing, to in the end, she's completely covered in cake. 

 

I used the Roundabout kit from Studio Calico and the add-ons. I think I actually just used the Outer Banks and Navy Pier add-ons. Those add-ons were just perfect for a layout of this sweet girl's birthday.

That gold Anna Griffin paper is just beautiful. I knew it would be perfect for beneath the title as focal point of the page. I still have about half a sheet of it left and I think I'm going to be hoarding it from now on. I really loved those Thickers that came in the Outer Banks kit. I love when the packages are a combination of upper and lower case and they are the perfect shade of pink.

Did you make a layout for last week's Sunday Sketch? If so, please link it in the comments. I would love to see it!

october part 3

Alternative title for this post could have been "Scrap the imperfect photos". I love beautiful photos. I am always learning new things about my camera and love trying to get that perfect shot.

Sometimes though, a moment provides an imperfect photo. Maybe it's grainy or maybe it's blurry. Maybe you think you shouldn't include it because it's not a great photo. Sometimes though even an imperfect photo is better than no photo at all. This week I have two photos that are blurry and two that are grainy because they were taken with my iphone in a dim room. I couldn't imagine not having those photos in our album though. They all document special moments in our week or are great photos, even with their imperfections. 

The top right photo of Derek and Andy is blurry as Andy's hands were moving. I love the photo though because it documents a time they spend alone together and I love that Derek sends me photos while I'm at work. The bottom right photo is our friends kissing during their first dance at their wedding. It's a dark, grainy iphone photo that I edited the best I could, but it's a great moment, so I wanted to include it. Also, that cake was the best wedding cake I have ever had and it was gluten free too, so it definitely had to be documented.

I know this might seem like an odd sentiment, but Derek and I tell each other we are 'the worst' as a sort of term of endearment.



In the bottom right photo, Andy's hands are blurry again as he is an active toddler. The photo is of him sweetly singing songs before bed. That night, we sang the sesame street theme and '1,2,3,4' by Feist over and over. Andy looks so happy and I really wanted to see that sweet photo in our album.

With the exception of one gold puffy heart sticker, I made this entire spread using leftovers from the Studio Calico Planetarium kit and add-ons. I really, really loved that kit!

I know it goes against everything that feels natural about scrapbooking, but I strongly encourage you to include some imperfect photos in your next spread if the memory behind the photo is important enough that you document it. 

october part 1

This is my first spread of October and somehow I managed to fill a full spread with photos from only four days. Highlights are my in-laws moved, crepes with old coworkers, a bachelor party, and both rough and amazing days with Andy. Little and big moments that all deserve to be documented.

I decided to type my journalling right on that 'Now' card and I totally messed up. So then I typed it onto a plan white 3x4 card, but I ended up messing up at the end again. I decided just to roll with it this time and glued the new card right on top of the 'Now' card where I messed up on. I real life, you have to look pretty hard to see the line where the new journalling card was added.

I love those chunky silver glitter thickers. Those wood veneer leaves came in a Studio Calico kit from November 2012 and I have been hoarding them ever since. I  really love them.

My husband's friend wanted to rent sumo suits as part of his bachelor party and have a wrestling tournament. This photo was captured on a phone that is longer than a true 4x6 photo and I couldn't crop it without cutting people off at one of the ends. I decided to crop the photo at 4x8 and just split it between two pockets. I'm really happy with how it turned out and am glad I was able to use the entire photo.

With the remainder of the pocket, I stapled some of those amazing Crate letters to some patterned paper and made a little cluster with a label, ticket from October Afternoon Miscellany pack, gold camera, enamel dot and wood veneer star. I really love treating pockets like mini layouts when I can.

five of my favourite project life things

This is my third year doing Project Life and I just couldn't imagine my life without it. It is so much more than a family photo album as it also has our stories attached to those photos so we never forget what was so special in that moment that it warranted a photo. Not to mention the addition of lots of pretty things. 

In the almost three years I have been doing this project, I have learned so much about how I create. Mostly, I have learned that I am a creature of habit. It is really hard to stick with a project like this and I feel that one of the reasons I have been able to do it for so long and stay (mostly) up to date, is I really have my process perfected now. 

I basically use the same products on every single spread and while some may think that is boring, it allows me to get each spread finished fairly quickly and I'm okay with that. I vary the colour combinations I use every week, so I think my albums have variety. By using the same products on each spread however, they still have a cohesive look.

So, without further ado, here are my five favourite products I use on Project Life. All five of these, without a doubt, appear on every single spread I make. 

1. Labels - I have a ton of the label sheets that Marcy Penner (Hello Forever) makes for Studio Calico each month. They are a pain to cut out since I don't have a Cameo, but they come in the loveliest colours and are the perfect size for Project Life. My albums are very photo heavy, so the labels are the perfect way to add journalling when I don't have enough 3x4 spots to fit it in. I also just cut the longer labels down to fit the size I need them for. Lots of companies make label sticker sheets now too.

2. Enamel dots - Ahh enamel dots. I still remember the first time My Mind's Eye came out with the enamel dots. I thought I died and went to embellishment heaven. Most manufacturers have their own version of enamel dots now and I love and want them all. They add the perfect little pop of colour to a project, are so nice and small and have a little dimension, without being too chunky. The perfect embellishment in my opinion.

3. Alphas - I really love the impact of using large alphas on my Project Life spreads. I often use Thickers to make titles in 4x6 pockets where I have put a square photo. On 4x6 photos, I usually use smaller, flat alphas- Basic Grey or the small sets that come in the Studio Calico PL kits, 

4. Wood veneers- They are so versatile and I know a lot of people stamp on them, spray, or emboss them, but I really just love them in their natural state. They're a great neutral embellishment and come in so many great shapes There are a lot of small veneer options too, so they are the perfect size for Project Life. 

5. Washi tape- Like most scrapbookers, I have a pretty good sized washi tape collection. Somehow though, I almost always end up using the five tapes pictured above. They are colourful, without having too busy of a pattern. I use a combination of those five on almost all of my spreads and I cannot believe how much of them I still have. Washi tape is definitely one of the most cost effective embellishments you can buy as they last forever. They are also perfect for the scrapbookers who love to embellish, but don't like a lot of bulk to their pages.

There are lost of other items that show up in my spreads, but these five are definitely the ones that I turn to week after week. What are the products that you use every week on your spreads?

four sweet girls

Another Studio Calico Sunday Sketch layout. I used the Camelot main kit and this layout came together so quickly.

I changed the top of the sketch a bit and added a couple of large tags and put the title on the tags. I matted the photo and journalling strips on vellum. I really adore that vellum and it was hard to use that large of a piece.

I typed out my journalling and cut it into strips. And I just realized that I missed a strip of journalling, so I going to have to go back and add that now.

happy to you

The layout is about my son's second birthday and how much he loved when everyone sang Happy Birthday to him and then how when he started to sing the song, he called it "Happy To You".

I made this layout almost entirely using Studio Calico's main Camelot kit. I added in the 'Happy Day' banner from Crate Paper, a chipboard frame, chipboard cupcake, and a few small embellishments and piece of washi tape from my stash. I really loved this kit, but since I only got the main and it came with the mask and ink dabber (which I love), I have had to supplement with embellishments from my stash usually when making layouts from this kit. I don't mind at all as there are few things that are as satisfying as using up your stash.

Little bits all lined up again. That large veneer star came in an older Studio Calico kit and I just loved them. I've been using them sparingly. That gold triangle washi is one of my favourites. It came in a class kit at Studio Calico and I am going to be so sad when I'm all out. Gold washi just seems to go on everything.

I love the way the layers of banners look across the page. The banner pieces of patterned paper I made from a pattern I cut based on banner pieces from Basic Grey. I love the variety sizes. I don't have a die cutting machine, so I cut them all out by hand. It was a bit of a process.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm sure banners are very 'out' now, but I love them and use them whenever I can. 

The Chipboard cupcake is from the October Afternoon Cakewalk Miscellany pack. I thought about altering it, but as there is so much going on on the page already, I liked the plain look if it.

I used gold Dymo tape to make my title. I love my Dymo label maker so much because I never have to worry if I don't have enough vowels to make my title. As long as I have tape, I can put as many As or Es in my title as I want. My Dymo label maker is definitely one of my most used tools. It appears on most of my layouts and almost all of my Project Life spreads. I even have some neon tape and a cursive cartridge.

Also, those Dear Lizzy gold rub ons, swoon!

Is there a tool that you use while scrapbooking that maybe isn't a traditional scrapbooking tool that you just couldn't imagine scrapping without?

june part 1

I made this spread sometime in the summer and just got around to photographing it last week. I couldn't believe jut how "summer" it felt when I pulled it out of the album. Almost all of the photos are taken outside and the colours are light and bright. I think this spread really encompasses whta summer is all about.

I loved that wood veneer "june" that came in the (surprise, surprise) June Studio Calico Project Life kit. I usually do my monthly pockets in a 3x4 spot, however the veneer was a little to big, so I taped it on top of a photo of my phlox.

We went to go visit friends in Toronto and the skyline from their balconey at sunset was just stunning. I took so many photos and cropped this one at 4x12. I then cropped that 4x12 photo in Photoshop into 2 4x6 photos. I get my photos printed at Costco, and by doing this, I only have to pay for two 4x6 photos ($0.34 total) as opposed to printing a 12x12, which is $4.99 I believe.

One of my favourite parts. I added a neon pink reinforcer to the hole on this white tag and did some typing on it and yes that is an 'i' instead of a 1. My typewriter doesn't have a 1 and I haven't learned how to do capital lettters on my typewriter yet.

That skyline badge was just perfect for journaling about our night in the "big city". I lined it up with some other little bits on some neon washi tape.

It seems very strange to be talking about a spread from before summer even offically started when we are right in the heart of fall, with more leaves on the ground than trees currently and downright cold mornings. With winter right around the corner, I know I'm going to be looking at this summery spread over and over, wishing we were back in warmer days.