2015 Books (with a discount code!)

Happy Monday friends and paper crafters! I have a new page to share with you today! Many of you have been regulars and already know that every year I love to make a page about the books I have read the previous year. You can see all my previous pages HERE.
2015 has been a terrible year for me in terms of my reading... I only managed to read 6 books! As I say in my journaling, I'm blaming Instagram for this shortcoming!

I used my November Scraptastic Feels Like Home kit and the most perfect little flair from Feed Your Craft:

This mini flair is part of an excellent set called "Did This" that you can purchase right here. Don't forget to use code nathalie20 at check out to get 20% off your entire order!

Now I need get off social media and start reading more! :P  Have a great week!

2014 Books

This is my fifth year making a page about the books I have read the previous 12 months. I love looking back on them as each book cover brings back memories:



I simply get the covers off of the internet and then print them at home as photos. This layout was created with the January "New Beginnings" kit from Citrus Twist Kits. My favorite item in the kit was the sheet of Maggie Holmes Open Book stickers seen on both close-ups:

If you didn't read the journaling, I'll tell you that my two favorites were Cutting for Stone (by Abraham Verghese) which was the first book I read in 2014 and Marie-Antoinette (by Stefan Zweig). They both stayed with me for a while and in the case of Marie-Antoinette, even prompted a visit to Versailles last summer :)

As we start the new year, I am looking for recommendations. What book(s) did you read in 2014 that I should pick up next?

PS: If you're interested in seeing all my previous "book layouts", click on the "books" category on the right >>>

2013 Books

Right around this time, for the past four years, I make a page about the books I have read during the previous year. I love to look at them as each book brings back memories of the stories I enjoyed (... or not so much).
You can see my 2010 page HERE,  the 2011 page HERE and 2012 right HERE. For 2013, I used my brand new (and not yet revealed) February Main kit from Citrus Twist Kits:

Here's a close-up of some of the embellishments:

Trina created another amazing kit this month! I can't wait to share the rest of my projects after the reveal on the 5th!

How about you, have you ever recorded your readings on a page? If you did, please share a link in the comments 'cause I would love to see! ;)

Tutorial: a reading log mini

Note: I created this tutorial for Citrus Twist Kits and it appeared on their blog yesterday (sorry for the repeat if you saw it there!)

Whether it is lounging by the pool, at the beach or on my own patio, I love to catch up on my reading during the summer... and the next best thing is keeping track of the books I read. I am using this log for my summer reads but it can by done at any time of course, or given along with a book as a gift...

Here are step-by-step instructions to make one:

My supplies come from the Citrus Twist July main kit "Sail Away", the embellishment kit "Go Girl" and the stamp add-on "Five Star" but you can use your own supplies.

You will need:

- patterned paper (can be scraps)

- library cards

- embellishments for your cover

- brad

- stamps

A note regarding the library cards: the ones I used are real ones from my stash. You can find them on Etsy, choose to make your own or you can easily find printable ones, like these. A search for free printable library cards on Pinterest, yielded lots of results.

1/ Cut the front and back covers out of patterned paper to the exact size of your library cards. Mine are 3x5 inches:

2/ Cut a smaller piece of patterned paper to fit on your cover. Mine is roughly 2.75x4.75. Round the corners and sew (optional):

3/ Print a quote onto copy paper and trim to about 1x1 inch to fit behind one of the veneer frames from the embellishment kit:

4/ Place the little frame on your cover along with your other embellishments. I added a tag, a brad, sequins and a little heart stamp:

5/ With the awesome "Five Star" stamp add-on and black ink, add "I rate this" and five stars onto each library card:

6/ Now put everything together in order:

7/ Line up everything and make a hole through both covers and the cards towards the bottom right corner. Bind everything together with a brad and you are done:

But I couldn't stop there so I decided to also make a quick bookmark to match! 

Simply cut a piece of patterned paper to 1.75x6.5 inches. Make a hole on top and add a hole reenforcement. String a few veneer and metal embellies on twine and attach to the hole. Add a couple small paper strips towards the bottom and another little veneer frame with a stamped paper behind it:

As always with my tutorials, feel free to ask any questions you might have in the comments. Thank you and happy scrapping!

2012 Books (January Citrus Twist)

 Since I am dealing with a dying computer I have to make it quick but I couldn't wait to share this new page with you. Created with the already sold out January Citrus Twist main and add-on kits, it recaps all the books I read in 2012. I have been making pages like this one for the past couple of years and I love them! You can see the one from 2011 here, and the one from 2010 here.

I simply loved the papers in this kit! Lots of Crate Paper goodness! Have you ever done a page about the books you read? Share a link with me if you have, I would love to see it!

See you back here real soon (if my computer is not in the hands of the repair man...) ~ Have a great one!

10 books

In 2010, I started to keep a list of the books I read throughout the year and then created a scrapbook page about them ("2010 books"). I love being able to see all my favorite reads in one place and decided to do it again in 2011. Here is my page for this past year:

En 2010, j'ai décidé de noter les titres que je lisais pendant l'année pour ensuite créer une page récapitulative ("2010 books"). L'idée me plait tellement que j'ai recommencé en 2011. Voici donc mes dix livres préférés de l'année passée:

I used the January Burlap & Buttercups kit and add-on available here (+ a tag and alphas from my stash) ~ And if you'd like to see more creations with this kit, make sure to visit the new Idea Gallery!

J'ai utilisé le kit et add-on de janvier de Burlap & Buttercups disponibles ici (+ le tag et les alphas qui sortent de mes tiroirs) ~ Et si vous souhaitez voir plus de réas avec ce kit, faites un tour par la Galerie de la DT!


Have a beautiful weekend! Passez un bon week-end!

Summer reading: 3 book reviews

I haven't done a book review in quite some time and since I have read a few books lately, some really good ones, I will share a bit about each one of them. The interesting thing I just realized is that they all have something to do with the second World War. I don't have any particular interest in the subject, it just happened that way!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Do not get scared by the super long (and a bit weird) title, this is a great read! It is in the format of letters between the main character, a 30-something english author, and the other characters. The story is set in 1946 after the war and does have a historical side (dealing with the Nazi occupation of the island of Guernsey) that makes it interesting. But the characters are the main reason why I would recommend reading this book! They are so lovable, witty and funny, to the point that you wish you could travel to Guernsey and meet them!

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
I kind of cheated on this one and decided to listen to the CDs rather than spend the time reading it. And in the end, I am glad to have chosen that path! Do you ever do that when you are not so sure you are going to like a book? It takes place in Paris and is mostly about a female american journalist who learns about and becomes obsessed by the deportation and the life of a little jewish girl during WWII. The subject is very interesting historically but I have to say that about halfway through the book, I was getting aggravated by this main character who was totally blinded by her obsession and her single track mind drove me nuts. This is a very popular book but I probably said "duh!" out loud a few times while listening in the car!

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Even though the subject did not attract me at first, I was very quickly hooked by Hillenbrand's biography of Olympian and WWII POW Louis Zamperini. Hillenbrand manages to transport you to wherever Zamperini is at the time and the details of his life are sometimes unimaginable in the cruelty he had to endure and the resilience he showed through it all. It is not only a great read, it is also a great lesson in history. I highly recommend it!
So tell me, have you read any of those books? What did you think? Do you have any recommendations for me?


Je ne vais pas tout traduire car les livres concernés sont en anglais mais je vois que Le cercle littéraire des amateurs d'épluchures de patates (le premier livre) est disponible en France et je le recommande vivement! Le second, Elle s'appelait Sarah m'a un peu déçue même si il a beaucoup de succés ici. Et enfin, je ne trouve pas la version française du troisième livre... mais si il sort en français je vous le recommande aussi même si le sujet ne vous branche pas de premier abord. Et vous, qu'avez-vous lu récemment? 

2010 Books

Here is the very last page I created with my January TTT kit. After seeing this page by Jill Marie Paulson, I wanted to make one with the books I had read in 2010 and thanks to this mini, I was able to remember them! I love to have this visual of all the covers together and I am already planning my 2011 page by keeping track of what I am reading this year! (my two favorites so far are this one and that one!).

Click on photo to read journaling

Voici ma toute dernière page créée avec le kit de janvier de TTT. Aprés avoir vu cette page de Jill Marie Paulson, j'ai voulu moi aussi rassembler mes meilleures lectures de l'année sur une page et c'est grâce à ce mini que j'ai pu me les rappeler! J'aime beaucoup cette assemblage de couvertures et je planifie déjà ma page pour 2011 en notant bien consciencieusement les titres que je lis depuis le mois dernier (mes préférés étant celui là et celui-çi!)

A bientôt!

Toot, Toot!!! I'm in a book!!!! :)

Look at what I just received in the mail! It is Kimber McGray's new book "175 Fresh Card Ideas" and on page 118: taadaa!!! My very first print publication!!! I am so, so excited about this!

Oui, oui, je suis dans un livre! :) Regardez ce que je viens de recevoir dans ma boite aux lettres! C'est le tout nouveau livre de Kimber McGray "175 Fresh Card Ideas" et sur la page 118: taadaa!!! Ma première publication dans un livre!!! J'vous dis pas comme je suis contente!

I had created and submitted this card a year ago (almost to the day) when I was on Nikki Sivils design team and I had to be very patient but I can finally share it with you!

J'avais créé cette carte il y a presque exactement un an pendant mon terme dans l'équipe créative de Nikki Sivils et il a fallu que je sois trés patiente pour ne rien dire ou montrer!

The book has a lot of card examples with instructions and some just for inspiration. Its nice feature is that it covers various skill levels and techniques. Don't hesitate to check it out! And thank you for letting me share my excitement!

Book reviews

I have been a little quiet on the blog as I am creating some DT projects with my April Transparent Touches kit! I feel so ...lucky! (OK, that was a major hint as to what kit I am working with!:) ~ So in the meantime, I thought I would share a review of a couple of books I have just been reading. They are not new releases and they are not really scrapbooking related but they are giving me some fun and new ideas for pages.

Je suis un peu absente ces derniers jours car je suis en train de créer mes projets de DT avec le kit d'avril de Transparent Touches. J'ai tellement de la chance... (là, je vous donne un sérieux indice du kit avec lequel je travaille!:) ~ En attendant donc, j'ai pensé vous donner mon avis sur deux livres que je viens de lire. Ils ne sont pas traduits en français alors je vais laisser ma critique en anglais mais si vous avez des questions, n'hésitez pas à me laisser un petit com'.

52 Projects: Random Acts of Everyday Creativity by Jeffrey Yamaguchi was a little disappointing. I started reading it with the intention of using it once a week for 52 weeks but I quickly discovered that some ideas were not really intended for a mother of 2 but more for a fresh out of college guy that enjoyed partying... nevertheless, I ended up going through the whole book and writing myself notes as it sparked a couple of ideas for future pages. And I wrote down the following, very "Ali-ish", quotes that I liked:

"You've got an endless reserve of stories worth getting down on paper, and each passing day offers up new ones to chronicle."

"Regardless, whether the quality is professional grade or point-and-shot simple, there's a story - and value- in every photograph." (that speaks to my average photographer's complex)

In a few words: Don't purchase it but borrow it from your library :)

Now Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a great (and easy) read! Not only does she have a great sense of humor and writing abilities but her concept of alphabetized entries make me want to start my own version. The content of these entries and her tables are also giving me a lot of ideas of things to remember to scrap about.

In a few words: I think this is a great purchase especially if you are looking for ideas for pages or mini albums, or to read it just for fun!

And if you have already read any of those, please chime in and tell me what you thought of them! I would love to hear your opinion!

A bientôt!

A book recommendation and a tag...

First of all, because of something serious I heard on the news yesterday, I wanted to recommend a book. I read it last year and it is still with me as it helps me better understand what is going on in that part of the world. 

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson is not a political book but the story and the adventures of one man changing the world by building schools for girls in Pakistan. In my opinion, it totally relates to what is going on right now in that country and to something we should all be concerned about. It also shows us a more human side of the situation which is rarely developed in the news. There, off my soap box, I only hope that at least one of you will feel like grabbing it at the library or at the book store.

A cause d'une émission d'actualités entendue hier, je voulais recommander un livre qui m'est cher. Je l'ai lu l'année dernière mais il me revient souvent en tête. Three Cups of Tea n'est pas un livre politique mais il raconte l'histoire d'un homme, Greg Mortenson, qui change le monde en contruisant des écoles pour filles au Pakistan. Je découvre en écrivant ce post qu'il n'est pas encore traduit en français (mais j'espère que c'est pour bientôt). C'est à mon avis un livre qui aide à mieux comprendre surtout le côté humain de ce qui se passe en ce moment dans ce pays et à propos de quoi nous avons tous à nous inquièter. Bon, j'arrête là, mais j'espère avoir au moins convaincu l'une d'entre vous à le lire.

~~ And now on a lighter note/ Et maintenant, pour passer à quelque chose de plus léger~~

I was just tagged by my friend Alexandra.  In this game, I have to share with you 6 random facts/habits of mine and then tag 6 people in return so that they hopefully do the same. 

As they come to my mind:

Je viens d'être taguée par ma scropine Alexandra. Dans ce jeu, je dois partager avec vous 6 habitudes/choses sans importance et ensuite taguer 6 autres personnes pour qu'elles fassent la même chose.

Alors voila, comme elles me viennent en tête:

1. I only use liquid soap / Je n'utilise que du savon liquide.

2. I take my own candy to the movie theater / J'emmène mes confiseries au cinéma (car c'est moins cher que de les acheter sur place!)

3. I like Dark Chocolate Raisinets / J'aime les Raisinets au chocolat noir.

4. I think of what to put in my kids lunch box first thing when I wake up / Dès que je me reveille, je me demande ce que je vais mettre dans la boite de déjeuner de mes enfants.

5. I only buy magazines and gum when I travel / J'achète des chewing gums et des magazines seulement quand je voyage.

6/ I always use my blinker and don't like people who don't! / J'utilise toujours mon clignotant et je n'aime pas les gens qui ne le font pas!

Now, I will tag Genmanou, Crystal, Jamie, Candace H. and Colleen because I'd love to hear about their little habits!

Another card for my Scrapperie challenge and a good book!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend. Spring break is over for us and it was back to school and back to work yesterday... and today I feel pretty tired... maybe it is because I have been staying up way too late reading this book (in English). I was surprised, after looking for the French version to post here, at how different the covers and the titles were! They are translations (since the book was written in Swedish) and the French title is closer to the original one. In English it means: "The men who did not like women". Drastically different, isn't it?! I get a kick out of that kind of stuff, especially when you read the book and realize how the title skews your approach of the subject like that... Anyway, the book is a great read and I will definitely be looking for the second part of this trilogy very soon!

J'espère que vous avez passé de joyeuses Pâques. C'était la fin des vacances et le retour à l'école/au boulot hier... et ce soir, je me sens bien fatiguée... mais peut-être est-ce dû au fait que je me couche trop, trop tard ces temps çi à cause de ce livre. J'étais surprise, en cherchant la photo du livre dans les 2 langues, par la grande différence de couverture et de titre! C'est une traduction dans les 2 cas (puisque le livre a été écrit en suédois) mais le titre français est beaucoup plus proche de l'original. En anglais, il a été traduit par "La fille au tatouage de dragon". Intéressant, non? Surtout quand aprés avoir lu le livre on voit bien que le titre met l'accent sur deux choses trés différentes... bon je n'en dirai pas plus, sauf que c'est vraiment prenant et que je vais lire le suivant dans la trilogie!