Documenting Fall Memories with Scrapbook.com Exclusives!

Hello, friends! I’m so glad you joined me today! I just had a new project to share over at the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog, and I wanted to share it with you here, too! Fall is my favorite season, and I am in love with this new, seasonal traveler’s notebook spread that I created with the latest Scrapbook.com exclusive products. Take a look!

Supplies | Scrapbook.com: Cozy patterned paper 6×8 pad, Cozy Autumn Foliage shape dies, Cozy Autumn Sentiments & Critters stamp, Cozy Autumn rub-on transfers, Rose Quartz Misti, Magic Mat, ink blending tool, Deluxe adhesive roller, Mint tape – 1-inch roll, small precision scissors; Concord & 9th: Ink (Pebble, Nutmeg), Pebble cardstock; LDRS Creative: Rose Quartz Stampendable tool; Spellbinders: Platinum 6 die-cutting machine; American Crafts: Bungalow Lane embellishment die-cuts; WeR Makers: glass mat; Citrus Twist Kits: traveler’s notebook; Font: American Typewriter; Other: sewing machine, thread

This layout was so fun to create, not to mention easy, using the new, exclusive products from Scrapbook.com. From patterned paper to must-have rub-ons, these products made this spread come together in no time!

The left side of my spread is full of texture & interest with the column of leaves on the edge, created using the Cozy patterned paper 6×8 pad and Cozy Autumn Foliage shape dies. I loved the beautiful patterns and colors in the paper pad, which even includes solids! I also loved the special touch that the dies deboss the veins on the leaves and cut them at the same time!

The Cozy Autumn Sentiments & Critters stamp helped me create my title with the “hello” word and this sweet “love you” below. To finish my title, I paired this stamp with the Cozy Autumn rub-on transfers to add the sparkly “fall” word and a few small leaves and hearts around the spread.

On the right side of the spread, I had to use the beautiful plaid pattern from the Cozy patterned paper 6×8 pad, adding stitching around the edge for texture. I added two die cut leaves to the corner of my photo and was so happy to use two pieces from the American Crafts Bungalow Lane embellishment pack, which coordinated beautifully with the Scrapbook.com products. It feels great to use something from my stash at the same time as creating with new products!

Ready to see more of this project? Watch my process video, featured on the Scrapbook & Cards Today YouTube channel below!

I hope you enjoyed seeing this project come together as much as I did creating it! Be sure to follow me on Instagram so that you can see more projects using Scrapbook.com exclusives, and be sure to shop what I used to create this project at the affiliate links below and above in my supply list. Thanks so much for your support, and happy creating this fall!

How to Get Published in 2023!

Hey there, friends! It has been a while since I have stopped by this space of mine, and I think it is about time that we become reacquainted! I have missed blogging, and want to make it a goal to add updates here regularly in 2023.

Today I want to talk to you about being published! I know that as papercrafters, this is often a goal. I’m here to tell you that your goal is attainable and give you some tips for checking off that bucket-list item!

I was so fortunate to be published on the cover of the Scrapbook & Cards Today Winter 2022 issue! If you haven’t yet checked out this publication, I highly recommend you do, and it’s FREE!

Click HERE to download the Winter 2022 Issue today!

When I was assigned the task to create a cover layout, did I run out and purchase the latest collections to work with? Nope. I looked around my stash and grabbed what I had on hand. What makes a pub-worthy project? Good design! Let me break that down for you:

• Color matters: When I begin my layout, 95% of the time I choose a color scheme that ties into my photo. This will make your photo POP and helps it to become the focus of the page. On this layout, I chose the darkest color, navy, to frame my page, then filled in the background with the accent colors from the photo, pink and teal.

• Think contrast! Bold designs are what will draw your eye to the project on the pages of a magazine, so think about how you can use contrasting colors, shapes, textures, patterns and fonts.

• Titles are terrific! Layout titles are a great way to add contrast and interest and make your layout stand out. Use only 2-3 different fonts and colors and choose contrasting fonts like I did here!

• Don’t go overboard with embellishment. A clean design is often best on a magazine page, so when choosing your embellishment, select wisely. Be sure to think about contrast in shape and texture, and always take off one item before you call it done. Just like Coco Chanel said, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” Do the same with your layouts!

• Use lines. Last, but certainly not least, think about how lines play a role into how you look at your layout. Borders, frames and other implied lines created by embellishment or the way you cut patterned paper can all create interest and draw your eye to the photo on your page. Use lines to your advantage!

I hope you’ll use these tips when creating for a magazine submission, and great news: the Scrapbook & Cards Today Summer issue call is now available!

Click HERE to find the summer call and plan your submission today!

Find the current products that I used to create this layout by clicking the images below:

Documenting My Happy Thoughts with the Blush Memorydex!

Hello friends! Today I’m here to share a new project with you, one that is especially dear to me. This year has been rough for our family—moving and having a new little one during a pandemic has made us all look at life differently. To counter what is going on in the world around us, we try to add a dose of happiness into our lives every day, with walks, music and our favorite foods. I decided that I also needed a dose of that happiness in my crafty space, and today I’m sharing how I did that with the new Heidi Swapp Blush Memorydex Spinner*, only available at Scrapbook.com!

I’ve always loved the idea of “happy thoughts,” like in Peter Pan, the thoughts and memories that make you fly. Well, this project pulls at my heart strings, and each new Memorydex card that I create for the spinner will showcase the most special people and moments that make me happy.

I created my cards by cutting patterned paper using the Memorydex die set. On this title card, I used the Title Builder Vol. 3 stamp to add the words “my” and “thoughts,” and embellished with Heidi Swapp’s beautiful Storyline Chapters collection and the gold Thickers from the Avenue collection by Pebbles, Inc. I love the look of layered paper, labels, tags, vellum and washi tape on this card.

None of these cards are meant to be complicated: a simple mixture of patterned paper, die cuts, tags and a bit of gold thrown in highlights the photos, which are the most important part of this project.

If I choose to add journaling, I’m leaving the back of each card blank. Here I could add my thoughts, the details of the memory, or the date.

What I especially love about this project is that it is timeless. I can add a memory that makes me happy from ten years ago, or just yesterday. It’s all about how each moment makes me feel.

So, when the things going on in the world around me get me down, my plan is to just flip through this Memorydex that stores all of my happy thoughts, the ones that make my heart fly. I can’t wait to share more of my cards with you.

Find all of the products that I used in my Memorydex project below in the shoppable gallery, and consider starting a “happy thoughts” project of your own, or gifting this beautiful Memorydex to someone you care about this Christmas!

* Affiliate links used at no extra cost to you! Clicking to shop helps me pay for this blog and video feed. Thanks so much for your support!