... just Laura

Sunny Studio Stamps: On The List

This week, I'm quickly sharing all of the projects that I created for Sunny Studio Stamps for National Scrapbook Day, all of which are focusing on their awesome standalone dies. 

For this 6x8" pocket page spread, I picked out two pocket page dividers that have lots of tiny 2"x2" pockets. The smallest die in the Fancy Frame Squares dies fits perfectly in the 2"x2" pocket, which I just love.

I picked out a handful of patterned papers to coordinate with the colors in my 3"x4" title card, and die cut lots of tiny scalloped frames. I used the Lots of Dots embossing folder to emboss square of white cardstock to add behind each frame, and then added random embellishments to the centers of each. 

This is another photo-less layout, which I'm a huge fan of. But it includes lots of journaling and random facts about my life, which I think will be fun to look back on.

(Fancy Frame Square Dies, Heroic Halftones Paper, Dots & Stripes Jewel Tones Paper, Sweater Weather Paper, Lots Of Dots Embossing)

Sunny Studio Stamps: Hello Old Age

This week, I'm quickly sharing all of the projects that I created for Sunny Studio Stamps for National Scrapbook Day, all of which are focusing on their awesome standalone dies. 

For this travelors notebook sized spread (pages are 4"x8.25"), I started by using the Sunny Semi-Circle dies on several different patterned papers, as well as white cardstock. My original plan for these pieces didn't work like I had hoped, so I played around with a few other options and was happy with their final placement. 

I die cut the Hello Word die multiple times from green patterned paper and layered them together to create a thicker "hello" word, adding some pink alpha stickers to complete my title. I used the Lots of Dots embossing folder on white cardstock to add texture to the piece behind my title.

I'm a huge fan of using white cardstock in my projects and always love to add texture and interest using embossing folders, as well as light ink splatters.

I used the Notebook Tab dies on green patterned paper (coordinates with the paper I used for my title) to create a notebook page to hold my journaling block and added a die-cut tab along the top, which holds the date. I also used the Notebook Photo Corner dies to add photo corners to the full photo that makes up the second page of the spread.

(Sunny Semi-Circle Dies, Hello Word Die, Notebook Photo Corner Dies, Notebook Tabs Dies, Ribbon & Lace Border Dies, Dots & Stripes Jewel Tones Paper, Polka-dot Parade Paper, Heroic Halftones Paper, Lots Of Dots Embossing)

 

Sunny Studio Stamps: Makes Me Happy

This week, I'm quickly sharing all of the projects that I created for Sunny Studio Stamps for National Scrapbook Day, all of which are focusing on their awesome standalone dies. 

For this 6"x12" spread (half full sized page, and half pocket page), I started by printing a 6"x6" photo collage for the first page, building around it with patterned papers and white cardstock. I used the Ribbon & Lace Border dies to add small strips between my collage and the papers. I like very clean and linear designs, so I feel like adding those small strips helps define each "section" and creates a sort of block design that I love.

I used the Moroccan Circles embossing folder to add texture to the white cardstock at the top of the first page, using the Happy Word die to create the main part of my title (I added alphabet stickers to complete the title). 

I die cut the inside piece of the middle Fancy Frame Squares Dies, cutting them from white cardstock and adhering them onto 3"x3" pieces of patterned paper. 

(Ribbon & Lace Border Dies, Happy Word Die, Fancy Frame Squares Dies, Heroic Halftones Paper, Moroccan Circles Embossing)

Sunny Studio Stamps: Embrace The Mess

This week, I'm quickly sharing all of the projects that I created for Sunny Studio Stamps for National Scrapbook Day, all of which are focusing on their awesome standalone dies. 

For this 6x8" spread, I used the Staggered Circle dies to create two borders for the top and bottom of the left side of the spread. I adhered those pieces on a sheet of patterned paper, so that the fun teal pattern would show through the cut out circles. 

I used the Ribbon & Lace Border dies to die-cut several border strips - two for the first page of the spread, to go above and below my journaling and title card, and one for the second page of the spread to go alongside my photo. 

I used the Notebook Tab dies to die cut a notebook page from yellow patterned paper, adding my journaling block to the center. I work with 3"x4" filler cards and journaling cards in the majority of my scrapbooking these days, so these notebook page dies fit perfectly into my design process. 

(Ribbon & Lace Border Dies, Notebook Tab Dies, Staggered Circle Dies, Dots & Stripes Jewel Tones Paper)

Sunny Studio Stamps: My Brain Has Too Many Tabs Open

This week, I'm going to be sharing all of the projects that I created for Sunny Studio Stamps for National Scrapbook Day, all of which are focusing on their awesome standalone dies. For this 6x8" spread (half pocket page, half full sized page), I wanted to focus on the Notebook Tab dies. 

I had a 3"x4" filler card that reads "my brain has too many tabs open", and I knew it was perfect for this project. This is a photo-less scrapbook page, which I do often. I'm all about documenting stories, whether I have specific photos for those stories or not. 

I used the Moroccan Circles embossing folder and Lots Of Dots embossing folder to emboss strips of white cardstock and covered my 6"x8" page with them. I then cut strips of patterned papers (using my dotted patterned paper on the first page to pull my colors from) and layered them over the embossed strips, mimicing the look of file folders stacked up. 

I used 3 of the tab dies to create a tab for each "file folder", and labeled each of them with a sampling of the "tabs" that are constantly open in my brain. I die cut the notebook page from a green polka dot patterned paper and added my printed journaling to the center of it. The notebook pages, when die-cut, are the perfect size to fit into 3"x4" pockets, making them perfect for pocket page and project life projects.

(Notebook Tabs Dies, Rainbow Bright Paper, Striped Silly Paper, Dots & Stripes Jewel Tones Paper, Heroic Halftones Paper, Moroccan Circles Embossing, Lots Of Dots Embossing)

I'll be back tomorrow to share another project with you :)

Sunny Studio Stamps: Where You'll Find Me

Hey everyone! I'm coming out of the woodworks to share some scrapbooking inspriation on National Scrapbook Day! I've been working behind the scenes for Sunny Studio Stamps for quite a few years now, so I was excited when Mendi asked me if I could some projects using her new dies (and I couldn't help but mix in a few older dies as well!). 

When I think of Sunny Studio's stamps, I automatically think of card making. But when I think of Sunny Studio's dies - specifically her standalone dies - I can see so many ways to work them into scrapbooking projects, whether it's traditional layouts, smaller sized travelers notebook pages, or pocket pages. I've switched over to the smaller sized "layouts" and pocket page style of scrapbooking over the last few years, so I was excited to create some projects focusing on these fun dies. 

For this travelers notebook sized spread (pages are 4"x8.25"), I started by die-cutting the white cardstock base of the second page using the Staggered Circle dies.

I backed it with some black and white polka dot patterned paper, and then added some borders along the top and bottom using the Ribbon & Lace Border dies. 

I used the Notebook Photo Corner dies to die-cut two banners and added alphabet stickers to each to hold my title. I also die-cut three notebook pages from white cardstock, using the same die set, adhered my photos to each of them, and then tore the cardstock directly under the photo.

I used the Notebook Tab dies to create a tab for each photo, writing my "chore" (aka, where you'll find me on my days off work) in the center piece of each tab.

Sunny Studio Supplies: (Ribbon & Lace Border Dies, Staggered Circle Dies, Notebook Photo Corner Dies, Notebook Tabs Dies, Classic Gingham Paper, Polka-dot Parade Paper, Amazing Argyle Paper, Heroic Halftones Paper)

I'll be sharing the rest of my projects next week, but you can see them all now over on the Sunny Studio blog.

Simple Scrapper: Scrapbook Your Way Podcast

Last month, I had the pleasure of chatting with Jennifer Wilson of Simple Scrapper about a variety of semi-controversial scrapbooking topics - including turning layouts into digital books, and getting rid of/throwing away mini albums and other projects. We also chatted a little about how I haven’t been super creative lately, and how that’s ok.

The episode is now available HERE or in podcast apps if you’d care to listen to my random ramblings for 57 minutes ;)

I Can Do Hard Things: A 6x8 Pocket Page Spread

One more project to share with you this week, and this one is a 6x8" pocket page spread. I recently shared a little story on Instagram about yanking old shelving out of my pantry, as I was in the process of giving it a new look. I shared that bottom photo (with the wood pieces in the box), and somehow ended up sharing this bigger story, and I knew that I wanted to get this into my album. These are the kind of stories that I want to do more of. Basically, the ones that have a little more depth to them.

I pulled out the TOUGH Story Kit from Ali Edwards to use for this project. I first used this kit way back in 2016, for THIS PROJECT, and I recently purchased the digital version, knowing that I wanted to have it handy for other projects. I still have plenty of pieces from the kit left to work with, but that was one of the few kits that I did NOT have the digital kit, so I made sure to add it to my collection. 

The photos for this pocket page spread aren't really pretty by any means. Lol. But they are what inspired my little "story time" share, so I knew I wanted to use them. I printed a "before" photo (showing all of the old shelving I had to rip out), a "after" photo (showing the results of all of those shelves being ripped out - basically, messed up walls and a few holes in the wall as well), and a photo of some of the pieces of wood I managed to pry off the walls (I had been tossing them in a box by the front door). 

One of the nice thing about having the digital kit is that you can print elements to whatever size you need. I had used the "tough and strong" chipboard piece on my other project back in 2016 - it was a small chipboard piece, which I adhered to the corner of a 4x6" photo. I wanted to use it on this project too, and ended up sizing it big enough to fit on the 3x4" filler card. I printed it, trimmed it, and adhered it with pop dots to add a little dimension. 

For my "before" and "after" photos, I dug out a few die cut labels and added alpha stickers to them (labels and stickers both from Bella Blvd) before adhering them to each photo.

I created a full 6x8" journaling page, copying and pasting my journaling directly from my Instagram post. I added a digital stamp, from the TOUGH Story Kit, to the top of the page, and used the digital version of the polka dot filler card to add a strip of coordinating polka dot "paper" along the bottom of the page. The "yes I can" was also the digital version of a chipboard piece, which I sized a little larger to add to the bottom of the page. 

It felt so good to get in there and create these three projects, and I'm really hoping to keep the momentum going and work on more projects in the upcoming weeks!

This Girl Needs A Coffee: A Travelers Notebook Spread

Hi again! I'm back to share a super quick travelers notebook sized project. I can't seem to get into actual travelers notebooks, but I am a fan of the Life Crafted albums from Citrus Twist, which basically hold TN sized pages. I like the flexibility to move pages around, as opposed to being locked into a notebook, where the pages are all bound together.

This came about very randomly. I was scrolling thru my Instagram, looking for photos/stories that I could use on little projects, and this shot of my two frappacinos caught my eye.

I printed my photo, along with the "caffeine fix" filler card (from In A Creative Bubble), and adhered them both to a coffee bean patterned paper that I had in my stash. Took me forever to find it, but I knew it was there, so I was persistent and took the time to find it ;)

For my journaling page, I went with a simple white background, and added a digital stamp to the top (from Kellie Stamps).

I copied my journaling straight from my Instagram post. Which is the same thing I do when I work on my Project Life album. 

Truthfully, I could do a lot of little quick and easy projects like this with photos I share on Instagram. But I also work 95% of our photos into my PL album, and almost every photo in my PL album has journaling of some kind to go with it. Which is maybe why I'm not creating as many other projects, seeing as how all of the photos and stories are covered already. That's what I love about PL, and the way that I approach it - as long as I keep up with my PL album, I don't feel like I have to do any other documenting throughout the year if I don't want too, because everything is pretty much in there. If that makes sense.

But it's also fun to just play sometimes. And these little projects go into MY albums, so it can be nice to have some of my little stories all in one place.

Work Friends: A 6x12 Pocket Page Spread

Hey - to anyone that still checks this little blog of mine ;) I started this year so well, creating a little project on the first day of the year. It felt like I was kicking things off right, with the intention of creating more projects this year. Sadly, I haven't created a single thing this year. I haven't even worked on my Project Life album yet, other than slipping my photos into pockets. 

I've had good intentions. I've had projects in mind that I wanted to create. I wrote down some ideas. I pulled out some products. But I just couldn't get a single project going past those initial ideas in my head. Until last week, when I finally got some creative juices going and mananged to whip up three projects. 

The first one is this 6x12" pocket page spread, dedicated to work friends. I had pulled out the FRIENDS Story Kit from Ali Edwards earlier this year, and when I realized that I had quite a few funny quotes about work friends saved as screenshots on my phone, I thought they'd make for a fun little project. 

I started with this 3x4" floral filler card from the kit, and turned to my Dear Lizzy collections to find patterned papers that coordinated. The colors matched up so well with the papers I picked out. 

Instead of printing the screenshots, I ended up typing them up myself in Photoshop, so that they would all have the same font and plain white background. For the quotes that were shorter, and didn't take up the full 3x3" square, I added a little piece of patterned paper along the bottom to fill the empty space.

I also have the digital kits for almost all of my Story kits, which I LOVE! I'm a huge fan of working with digital elements, especially the journaling cards. I like to type out my journaling, so the digital versions of those cards are a must-have for me. I added the "friendship" digital stamp to the bottom of the card, and then added a few physical stickers and the little fabric heart patch. 

I'll be back to share another quick and easy project tomorrow.

Project Life 2021: December

I'm taking a monthly approach to my album this year, and I shared quite a few details about my plans in THIS POST, where I shared my January pages.

Here's the first spread for the month of December.

Here's the second spread for the month of December.

Here's the third spread for the month of December, with a 6x12" insert on the right.

Here's the forth spread for the month of December, with a 6x12" insert on the left.

Here's the fifth spread for the month of December.

Here's the last page for December, and the last page of my 2021 album.

For more info on my Project Life process, please check out these posts I put together:
PL || Photos
PL || Filler Cards
PL || Journaling Cards

Project Life 2021: November

I'm taking a monthly approach to my album this year, and I shared quite a few details about my plans in THIS POST, where I shared my January pages.

Here's the first spread for the month of November.

Here's the second spread for the month of November.

Here's the third spread for the month of November.

Here's the fourth spread for the month of November.

For more info on my Project Life process, please check out these posts I put together:
PL || Photos
PL || Filler Cards
PL || Journaling Cards

Bathtime: A Travelers Notebook Spread

Happy New Year! I had no intention of having a new project to share only a few days into the new year, but here I am! One of my goals for 2022 is to find more time to be creative. With the exception of my PL album, reading album, and TV show album, the only projects I managed to create in 2021 was a single 6x8 spread, a single 12x12 layout, and 3 little TN sized spreads. Those were all done way back in February and March, so close to a year ago.

I’m off to a good start, throwing this quick TN sized spread together in about 15 min. I came across the super old “bath time” tag months and months ago and printed out this photo of Milo to go with it. And then it just went to live in a pile on one of my shelves.

I was doing something totally different in my room on New Year's Day, hanging out with Alyssa, and out of nowhere, I said “I should make a project”. And I did. I pulled out the photo and the tag, grabbed two different patterned papers (the first ones that caught my eye and matched the tag), typed up a little journaling, and tossed it all together.

It felt really good, and was a great reminder that there’s no need to overthink projects all the time. I’m all about quick and simple - have been for quite some time now - and it works for me.

I have a lot of projects that I want to work on this year, and the underlying theme is "quick and easy". Little TN sized spreads definitely fall under that theme :)

Project Life 2021: October

I'm taking a monthly approach to my album this year, and I shared quite a few details about my plans in THIS POST, where I shared my January pages.

Here's the first spread for the month of October.

Here's the second spread for the month of October.

Here's the third spread for the month of October. And because sometimes crap happens in life, I added in a 6x8" insert, with an enlarged filler card on one side, and a full page of journaling on the back side. While I'm not one to include all of the hard stuff in our albums, I'm finding that some of it should be in there to keep things real.

For more info on my Project Life process, please check out these posts I put together:
PL || Photos
PL || Filler Cards
PL || Journaling Cards

If you have any questions on anything specific within these pages, feel free to message me. I know I'm not sharing too many details, but my approach to my PL pages has been pretty much the same for the last several years.

Project Life 2021: September

I'm taking a monthly approach to my album this year, and I shared quite a few details about my plans in THIS POST, where I shared my January pages.

Here's the first spread for the month of September.

Here's the second spread for the month of September.

Here's the third spread for the month of September. 

For more info on my Project Life process, please check out these posts I put together:
PL || Photos
PL || Filler Cards
PL || Journaling Cards

If you have any questions on anything specific within these pages, feel free to message me. I know I'm not sharing too many details, but my approach to my PL pages has been pretty much the same for the last several years.