Christmas Pocket pages in July (with Doodlebug Design)

Apparently nobody is really sure of the origins of Christmas in July but for us scrapbookers it is a fun occasion to catch up on documenting Christmas past. So I pulled out my Christmas Town collection from Doodlebug Design and finally printed some photos from one week in December (it might be from three years ago but that's the whole point, isn't it?!) in order to make this pocket page:

The bases of my cards were cut from a mix of patterned papers (both from 12x12 and 6x6 sheets) and matching cardstock. Since my photos are kind of dark and busy, I went with a bright but classic color combo and kept the pockets fairly simple. 

 I spent a bit more time on my title card, which might be my favorite, featuring a Doodle-Pop on a home made tag. A bit of machine stitching and white twine add just the right amount of detail and texture.

I typed my journaling on white cardstock and sewed only the top on the background card, tearing the bottom for a less rigid look. I used a gingerbread sticker from the Icon sheet as a topper, placing it on a red circle with a foam dot to make it pop.

The rest of the embellishments are listed in the supply list below. Basically, I cut word strips from the Berry Christmas paper, used a few border stickers from the This & That sheet and the Fancy frills sheet in limeade and found the "Time" die-cut in the Chit Chat pack. The final touches were added with some Holly berries shape Sprinkles.

I hope to have inspired you to record some of your Christmas memories this month. Not only was I able to cross off a line on my long "need to scrap list" but I also caught myself singing "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" on repeat! Then I heard my kid humming it too! :) So much fun!

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Documenting with Christmas Town (Doodlebug Design)

Are you still working on documenting your Christmas? I have shared these pages on Instagram but forgot to do so here. Maybe they will inspire you to finish up! They were created with the fabulous Christmas Town collection from Doodlebug Design.

 I think the smaller scale of the patterns in the 6x6 paper pad are the best to create cards for pocket pages. I selected three different ones to make my 4x6 cards. I went heavy on the kraft in my selection not only for unity but also because it is my favorite in this range! Even back when I made 12x12 layouts, I loved kraft backgrounds!

 I also cut a 3x4 card (above) from the 12x12 Christmas jammies paper and added Sprinkles enamel dots in various colors. It is a festive eye-catcher that quickly gives the timeframe of my spread. For the rest of my pockets, I added die-cuts from both the Chit Chat and the Odds & Ends packs, stickers from the This & That sticker page and a piece of blue ("linen") paper from the Petite Prints collection. It was selected to match the die-cut on the opposite page.

My journaling was typed on light pink graph paper also from the Petite Prints collection. I added machine stitching here and there for texture and, as a final touch, placed a Santa Jelly clip at the top edge of my page. He is so cute!

If you haven't yet, I urge you to record those happy moments while they are fresh in your mind. Happy crafting!

Project Life: Now back in December 2016... (with Elle's Studio)

Hello again! Not only was I able to work on my 2017 album with Elle's Studio new November kit and extras but I also went back to 2016 where I was missing the same time frame. I love it when new supplies inspire me to go into unfinished projects! This is week 48 in my 2016 album:

I picked a lot of the red and pink elements in the kit and added touches of grey and blue. Just like in my previous spread, my title card carries all the colors included in the spread:

 I placed a large snow globe embellishment on a piece of pattern paper from the Merry & Bright 6x6 pack, added some navy puffy alphas, numbers from the cardstock stickers in pink and an asterisk from the new Jane alphabet in red. You will find the full list of supplies with links at the bottom of the post.

I love the fact that the Toys for Tots ephemera I had kept all this time worked perfectly on a 4x6 card! It's actually a magnet :) 

I also used some of the new stamps from the Merry Moment set on the bottom corner and directly on a photo (both visible above)... which brings me to a little trick I'd like to share, in case you have a mishap like I did: Sometimes for a reason or another (often due to a dry ink pad or the photo paper itself), stamping directly on a photo doesn't turn out as planned. My fix was to stamp the same image on vellum and placing it directly on top of the first partial image. You still get a see-through effect but you can't see the original that way and you don't need to throw away the photo :)

Below are affiliate links to all the new (and old) products I used for this page. Thank you for stopping by again today!

More Halloween pockets with Elle's Studio (Project Life 2016: Week 45)

Hello friends! I am here today to share my second spread featuring the October kit and extras from Elle's Studio. If you deduct by looking at it that my favorites this month are the shipping tags, the wood veneers and the puffy stickers, you are right! Also, thanks to this kit, I knocked out the Halloween weeks of the past two years!

* parts of this post appeared on the Elle's Studio blog on 10/16/18

 Supplies: October kit, Puffy stars and dots stickers, Sweater Weather 6 x 6 papers, Thankful stamp, Good job stamp, Autumn Fun stickers, Halloween wood veneer, Autumn shipping tags, Jane Alphabet Stickers in White

I had so much fun organizing my spread around the shipping tags and layering them with embellishments. Place them on the edge, tucked under a photo or in the center of a tag for a variety of looks. 
They can bring attention to your dates, title or journaling. I loved creating contrasts below with colors but also with textures. With this prominent pocket, I have established the subject/timeframe of my spread. I paired the shipping tag with a Halloween wood veneer, stickers from the Autumn fun sticker sheet and dots from the Puffy dots and stars pack. I can't tell you how much I love those two-tone dots!

 Looking at the whole spread, you will see that I have a visual triangle with those two-tone dots but also with the wood veneers. That is a design principle that I use very often (sometimes even without thinking about it). I believe you can never go wrong applying it when embellishing your projects.

 I had to include that adorable cat veneer and rather than use it for Halloween, I thought outside the box and used it for a brag, lol! I stamped "more of this" from the Thankful set on white cardstock and handcut it, positioning it like a speech bubble.

This last close-up shows a pocket I made using a patterned paper from the Sweater Weather 6x6 paper pad along with stamping and more puffy stickers.
I hope you feel inspired by these colorful and seasonal pockets! Thank you for stopping by!

(this post contains a few affiliate links: you don't pay anything extra by using them, but I do get a small commission on the sale. Thank you!)

Project Life 2016: Week 48 (Birthday themed)

I went back to my 2016 album because I recently received the Birthday collection from Elle's Studio and I had a birthday spread left to do. The themed tags made it so easy!

Pretty much all I had to do was type my journaling and add a few embellishments. Ok, I lied I also played with stamps :) I used my Dated Stamp set on the title card...

 ... and the Stanley Number stamps, which I stamped and fussy cut before adhering onto the tag:

Also, the "Let's celebrate" stamp above is from the Birthday stamp set. You will find the supplies I used on this spread linked on the bottom (via affiliate links). 

Sometimes, we delay scrapping events like birthdays because we feel like we need to do something big or special but I want to encourage you to scrap them simply! I include them into my weekly spreads, dedicating a bit more room and focus on them but it is simple and it is done! 

Now I "only" have 6 weeks left to do to finish my 2016 album :)

Thank you for your visit!

Project Life 2016: Week 47 (with a Studio Calico Promo Code)

Hello crafty friends! I recently received the Homestead kit from Studio Calico and found the colors perfect for a set of photos from a week last November that I had not scrapped yet. To tell you the truth, I have 7 to 10 weeks unfinished in last year's album but i am not freaking out about it because, like it just happened, I will find the motivation to finish them when I get the right supplies.

The main event being the birthday of my oldest, I dedicated almost the whole spread to it. I love to print extra large photos (here 8x6 inches) and cut them into several pockets. I also enjoyed layering the die-cuts from the kit.

I often get asked about my journaling and it is done on a vintage typewriter. If I have to type on a small tag (like above) I attach the sides to a sheet of paper with washi tape that I insert into the machine.

If you are interested in starting a 6 or 12-month subscription with Studio Calico, I have a coupon code that will give you the first kit for only $5.00! Use AnounceofcreativityShares5 at check out for this and next month only!

Small print: The kit was sent to me free of charge in exchange for this promo. This offer can not be combined with other offers, and must be entered at checkout. Offer valid on the first month of a new subscription.

Thank you for visiting! 

Project Life: Back in June 2016...

So I went back to work on my 2016 album and I'm sharing today the second week of June. That concludes my summer pages. Now all I have left to do is November and parts of December, not too bad...

For this spread, I used three of the latest stamp sets by Kellie Stamps (released today): "Top Shop", "Seymour" and "Take a Number". Other supplies include papers, cards and bits from Gossamer Blue February Life Pages and Main kits as well as a mini flair from Feed Your Craft.

For my title card, I used the "Take A Number" stamps which are great for dates and I dusted my old Dymo to add the month sideways:

To add color, I made a couple of other cards out of patterned papers but my favorite is the one below made with the "Top Shop" stamps:

Because this was a big week for us (with family visiting and end of school year events), I repeated the word big over and over and then added a couple embellishments. I love the statement it makes in my spread. 

I have another project in the works with these stamps but this time I'm going a bit "off the page" ;) Hope to see you back here soon! Thank you for stopping by!

Project Life: Week 44 and a door closes...

Welcome back! I have a new pocket page to share today. Here's Week 44:

It was created with the December This Life Noted kit by Scraptastic to which I added a couple of planner stickers (also from Scraptastic).

Even though this covers one week, all my photos are from the weekend but I don't mind. I added a fun "Good Things that Happened" list that was prompted by a similar list in my Passion Planner. I like it and hope to include more in future spreads.

Did you see the movie Doctor Strange? As you can see above, I highly recommend it :) 

Now onto my door closing: I have decided to leave my position on the Design Team so this is actually my last project for Scraptastic Club.  It was not easy as I have a long history with this kit club and its owner Jessica. I have been on her team for more than four years! Jessica has always spoiled me and we have gone through a lot of changes together so, before I move on, I would like to send her and Jennie, her DT coordinator extraordinaire, my most heartfelt thank you for everything. I absolutely loved working with you both and I hope that our paths will cross again somewhere somehow! ❤️

Project Life: Week 42 and Week 43

Hello friends and thank you so much for sharing my excitement about yesterday's announcement! I am here today with a new PL spread from my 6x12 album.
I decided to work two weeks into this page (one on each side) because 1/ i didn't have very many photos or stories and 2/ it's easier to catch up that way... I like the fact that in the end this album might have two weeks bunched together or a whole spread just for one day... And knowing that this flexibility is open to me, I think that I will keep the same somewhat weekly format for 2017...
But first October 2016:

This page was created with the December This Life Noted kit from Scraptastic. I also used some stickers from the December Plan On It kit and a couple of wood veneers from my stash. I like how they add warmth to the spread.

 I also brought out the sewing machine to add a bit of texture here and there.

I really like the colors in this kit and the fact they can be used for any time of year. I have another page in the works with this same kit that I hope to share with you soon!

Have a great weekend!

Project Life: Back to school!

Hello, I am back today to share two 6x12 pocket spreads created with the November This Life Noted kit (sold out). I know it is the Holiday season but so what, I am sure I am not the only one scrapping September in December! Am I right?

This first spread highlights one main event from mid-September, my oldest's move to college. I combined cards and embellishments from the November kit with a few older supplies (also from Scraptastic Club):

I used a soft palette due to all the black in my photos but I also added a few black touches such as the  puffy alphas and the small list die-cut.

Just as I write this post, I realize that I forgot to add the stitching that I wanted to do on the side of the tag! You'll have to imagine it and I'll have to go fix that! :)

The second spread actually covers two weeks (one on each side) which is something I have done before and will do again for times when photos/stories are too few.

It was easy to pull a great color combination that went well with my photos from the cards in this kit and I am totally in love, once again, with the exclusive puffy alphas (red this time)!

I embellished with a couple of stickers from my Plan On It kits (the stars and small banner) as well as  older Scraptastic stamps and labels. Labels are my favorite way to add dates... All the journaling was done by feeding my cards in the printer (Remington Noiseless is my go to font)

I think I will be able to finish September and maybe even October this week since I am now on break :) Thank you for stopping by! I always appreciate it! 

Project Life: September, finally!

Hello! I am back today with a new spread which is another "stash" spread. I mixed supplies from different This Life Noted kits by Scraptastic and used a couple of planner stickers.

This is my second time putting these yellow puffy alphas directly on a photo. I love them and I was happy to see them in red in my next kit!

The two journaling cards with square photos + text were created with Picmonkey. If someone would like to know more about this process, just let me know in the comments.

I am just happy to have reached September in my album! It means I only have four more months to go :P I am not freaking out about catching up but I hope to get a bit more done during the Christmas break!

I recently shared my top posts of the year on Instagram and they are all related to pockets! Pocket pages, PL cards or pocket letters! 2016 was the year of the pocket for me... a big switch from the previous years...  What did 2016 mean for you creatively?

Project Life: way back when in August...

I know it's December 1st but I am still playing catch up in my 6x12 album and this spread doesn't really scream summer like my previous one. It covers our visit to the Large Particle Collider in Geneva and my grandfather's 90th birthday celebration... good times...

The supplies are from the Scraptastic Club October This Life Noted kit, various stickers and stamps from older kits and a mini flair from Feed Your Craft.

Since the photos were pretty busy and varied I stayed with a yellow and light grey color combo and left quite a bit of white space.

I really need to wrap up our Summer... if you are doing Project Life, are you all caught up? or are you hoping to at some point like I am? Also, since I took advantage of Cyber Monday sales to order multiple packs of 6x12 page protectors, it looks like I will continue with this format in the New Year. I think it fits me :)

What are your memory keeping plans for 2017?