Nutz about Stamping

How to create the perfect life adventure page

When you first saw the Come Sail Away product suite in Stampin' Up!s Annual Catalog, did you say to yourself: this is not for me, because I don't sail/live near the ocean or think I don't go on ocean cruises? Well, think again. These products are perfect to feature ALL life adventures, watery or not!

Yes, there is clearly an underlying nautical theme but think beyond that. These colors are perfect for travel pages, masculine pages, goals and ambitions, graduations and much more. 

When you scrapbook, do you tend to stick to the same type of layout? I sure do, so this week I challenged myself to try a layout that was outside my comfort zone. And that would be a photo that features a single photo. 

First I chose the colors and Come Sail Away card pack cards that I wanted to use. Next I turned to the sticker sheets to use as additional features on the page. 

A really fun feature is the 'Happy' double (night of navy and soft suede) phrase which I layered. Don't you love that!

The Sailing Home stamp made a soft background over the entire Balmy Blue base. The final touch was to add one of the Sail Away Trinkets, just for another eye-catching element that adds texture to the page. 

Here's my page:

As you can see this page was created to remember a particularly happy day in my life, on water or not it really doesn't matter, does it?

If you want to purchase the products to make pages like these, click the 'SHOP NOW' button on the right side of this page (shopping cart). That button will take you over to my online store. 

How to scrapbook like a boss

Scrapbooking doesn't have to be complicated to be fun and in just a few steps you can create a beautiful page and have everyone convinced you are a scrapbooking boss!

Here's how I created the page below. Follow my steps and be prepared at what you will create.

Step one: Choose your designer paper and let it be your color and style guide.  

For my page, I chose Magnolia Lane: I love the colors and patterns.

Magnolia Lane Designer Series Paper
$11.50

Step two: Choose your main page layout color. Pick one of the colors in your designer paper.

Step three: cut one strip of designer paper 12" x 2". Cut a second pattern 5" x 7".

Step four: adhere both designer strips to your page (see page photo below).

Step five: Cut three photo mats 5 1/2" x 3 1/2". Pick a photo mat color that coordinates with your designer paper.

Step six: choose a journaling card and embellishments. This is where Stampin' Up! can help, with their fabulous card and embellishment packs:

Magnolia Lane Memories & More Card Pack
$11.00

 

 

Step seven: Add other fun embellishments that coordinate in style and color:

Magnolia Lane Cork Embellishments
$8.00

Step 8: choose a stamp set and stamp an image (or more!) on your page to help pull the layout together. Another bonus from Stampin' Up! with their collection suggestions.

Good Morning Magnolia Cling Stamp Set
$36.00

Step nine: Add all the bits and pieces to finish your page!

Step ten: Add photos and journaling and prepare to look back years later and smile with the memories (and layout!) that you created!

How to create the perfect companion page

This week I made the perfect companion page to a recent Sailing Home scrapbook page that I posted a couple of weeks ago. I started with a matching Come Sail Away paper design and then chose a 12x12 sheet (Smoky Slate) as the base. 

I knew I wanted to use a phrase from the Sailing Home stamp set and decided to create a Smoky Slate banner to feature it:

Sailing Home Cling Stamp Set
$24.00

Next, I added three photo mats: two are 4 1/8" x 6 1/8"; one is 3" x 3".

 

My final touch was to add some additional embellishments: three sailboats and two compass rose(s). What is the plural of compass rose anyway! I popped each embellishment up using a Stampin' Dimensional for added visual interest. 

The banner in the middle of my page is really for journaling. Once I add my photos and journaling I will then think about adding a touch of sparkle to my page, perhaps some white Basic Adhesive-backed Sequins?

Do you scrapbook? Would you like to see more page ideas to help you preserve your memories? Leave me a comment below and tell what you'd like to see in the weeks ahead!

Do you want to sail away under the beautiful sea?

Well now you can, with the fabulous Come Sail Away product suite! And today I have a fun scrapbook page using many of these elements. 

First, here's the suite, in case you haven't seen it yet:

I decided to make a page featuring two photos and to use up some of the Come Sail Away paper that I had left over from another project. After centering this paper strip down the middle of my page I then added two Basic Black photo frames, one on either side. 

Come Sail Away Designer Series Paper
$11.50

 

Then I turned to the Memories & More card pack in this suite and chose 2 cards to compliment the grey and black theme that seemed to be emerging. 

And finally, to match my paper design I die-cut two underwater plants to add some visual interest to each of the cards. The final touch was to add some Adhesive-backed Sequins for a final sparkly touch. 

Here's my page:

After I find and add the perfect photos for my page I may add some additional elements and if I do I will add a photo to this blog post as well. 

If you want to see another scrapbook page I created using the same Come Sail Away suite, click here!

In life it's important to take the scenic route

Are you the type of person who takes the scenic route in life? I sure am because there is so much to see and do in such a short span of time. 

My life experiences have taught me that you shouldn't wait for the right time or moment. You need to take life by the horns and go for it! Whether at home, at work, or....all the time!

Today's blog post is sharing a product suite that has retired but I promised myself I would use it all up before moving on to any new supplies. And besides, you can take my idea and use products you have on hand, right? 

The moment I spotted the Best Route suite on Stampin' Up!s display boards I knew that I had met a crafter's dream. So many fun products and I bought them ALL once that catalog when live. 

I have created a few pages using this suite and posted them here on my blog. Check here and here for a couple of ideas. 

I had so much fun creating today's page. I used up one of the Washi Tape rolls (New Year's Resolution, check!) and came up with a fun idea using one of the Memories & More cards:

• I trimmed the phrase "Always take the scenic route" from the card to use separately down the left side
• I then used one of the left over pieces of the same card to create a banner in the middle of my page. I simply turned it over to use the striped side!

Here's my page!

I am sad to see this product suite retire. I only have a few more bits and pieces left so watch for another page using them, coming soon!

 

 

Capture your life adventures with this fun suite

Today I have another Come Sail Away product suite idea - a memory (scrapbook) page to help you capture and record your life adventures!

This suite is super cool - there are so many products to help make crafting a breeze! 

My page layout is not the usual so let me explain my design process:

• I chose the Memories & More card first and decided that it would sit in the middle of my page, popped up using Stampin' Dimensionals in the middle of the card so I can easily slide photos underneath. 
• I chose a second card from the same pack, one for journaling
• Because of the size of these two cards, I created three 4" x 4" photo frames
• I stamped and die-cut the sailboat and lighthouse
• I die-cut the two steering wheels and rope images
• I stamped the two bird images and then placed the sailboat and lighthouse

After adhering everything down I still see one open spot at the top of my page. What would you put there? For now I am going to leave it blank - maybe after I add my photos I will figure out that final touch to complete my page. 

If you have life adventures that you want to preserve, click here to link over to my online store and purchase this amazing product suite! 

Last chance for the perfect products for memory keeping

If you love to travel like I like to travel then I hope you are doing something with those amazing photos you are collecting on all of your devices. 

The Stampin' Up! Annual catalog (retiring soon!) offered the perfect product suite for those of us who love to travel: Best Route! These products are amazing and offer you such a variety of options for memory keeping. And this is your last chance to order them because they will ALL be retiring at the end of this month. 

Best Route Enamel Shapes
$7.00

Best Route Washi Tape
$5.50

Best Route Memories & More Card Pack
$10.00

Best Route Designer Series Paper
$11.00

En Route Clear-Mount Stamp Set
$21.00

I bought everything in the Best Route suite when it was first revealed and have made so many fun page ideas using it. I have also used many of these products for cards. 

I used several of the Best Route products to make the page below. Color coordination was super easy, following the colors in the designer series paper. The page was also very easy because I used the Best Route Memories & More card pack for my journaling cards. Add some embellishments and washi tape and my page is done:

My photo layers are 1/4" larger than the photos will be so some Mango Melody will frame them nicely. 

The Best Route suite is retiring at the end of this month - that means all of these products will be gone for good (sob). If you want to add them to your crafting collection, click the image below to link over to my online store - don't wait as once these products are sold out, they are gone for good!

If you want to see a video showing you how to create a Best Route memories pocket page, click here! 

How to create a happy and colorful scrapbook page

If you love memory keeping or scrapbooking, I have such a happy and colorful Happiness Blooms page idea to show you today. I used the following products and some scraps of Night of Navy, Whisper White and Call Me Clover - and that's it!

 

Bitty Blooms Punch Pack
$23.00

Happiness Blooms Memories & More Card Pack
$10.00

Variety Pack 12" X 12" Photo Pocket Pages
$7.50

You can click on any of the small photos above to link over to my online store to place a product order - and qualify for a FREE Sale-a-bration item (until March 31st). 

Let me walk you through my design process. 

The first card was super easy to make: I layered Call Me Clover onto Night of Navy and then onto a 4" x 6" Whisper White. The square is for a photo and the remaining white space on the side is for a photo title or journaling.  The final touch on this card was three punched flowers:

The card below used one of the card pack cards with a square of Call Me Clover on top - for another photo. The Whisper White banner and floral embellishment (from the card pack) completed this card:

The card below used one of the card pack cards and I added a Call Me Clover and punched flower embellishment. I could add a photo but most likely will leave it blank. 

The card below is another card pack card with a square of Call Me Clover added on top. I finished it off with a Night of Navy banner and flower sticker embellishment:

The next cards is a 4" x 6" card from the pack. I added a Whisper White layer with a sticker border. This will be my title card for my page. 

The two cards below are for journaling and come from the card pack. I left them plain:

And here is my final Happiness Blooms page using all the cards above - ready for my next adventure. I slid all the page cards into one of the Photo Pocket Pages, ready for my photos and memories:

See how easy it is to create a scrapbook or Memories & More page? Why not give it try and preserve your fun life memories too!

See the best product for memory keeping

If you love memory keeping as much as I do, you probably have a really nice stash of supplies for your pages. As do I. But if you don't have the Large Letter framelits I want to recommend them to you and show you a fun page idea using them. 

Large Letters Framelits Dies
$99.00

Here's why I love these dies:

• Create die-cut letters and symbols in seconds with these dies and your Big Shot
• Their open design allows you to place them where you want for precise cutting
• Combine die cuts to create your own messages

For my page design, I started with the Needlepoint Nook paper. (Tip: let your paper colors guide your page colors)

Needlepoint Nook 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper
$11.00

 

I decided my page base would be Blushing Bride and the accent colors would be Night of Navy, Crushed Curry and Poppy Parade. I wanted my page to be for some summer photos so chose to create "SUMMER" as my title using the Large Letter framelits. 

For accents I used the Bitty Blooms punch pack because I wanted to match the flower style and colors in the Needlepoint Nook paper. I created a layer banner and as a final touch I used a different pattern of the designer paper for faux washi tape and the strip under my page title. 

If you would like to invest in the perfect product for your scrapbook/memory keeping pages, click here to head to my online store. Consider sharing the cost and the framelits with your crafty friends! These letter dies are also fun for card making. 

Preserve your memories with this fun layout challenge

If you have been following my blog for the past few years you may have noticed that I have lost my memory keeping mojo - and seldom posted scrapbook or Project Life layouts. 

Well no more of that nonsense. What helped me get my mojo back was joining a Facebook page called Scrapbooking for Newbies. The owner of this page placed an order at my online store and then she invited me to join her group. I happily joined because I wanted to get back into memory keeping simply because I love it. 

Last week Kimberly (the group owner) posted this fun layout challenge:

I decided to give it a go and see what I could come up with to share over on our group page. 

I chose my Best Route product suite to help me with my layout:

Best Route Memories & More Card Pack
$10.00

Best Route Designer Series Paper
$11.00

Best Route Enamel Shapes
$7.00

These products make scrapbooking a breeze! I used one of the card pack cards as my title and a second card for a journaling spot, then used my Tailored Tag punch and left over bits of the Best Route designer paper to punch the shapes across the middle of the page - rather than use squares. 

I am delighted with my page and now need to grab some photos to finish it off:

If you scrapbook, why not join our fun layout challenge on your next page? And consider joining our Facebook group - newbies or not newbies are welcome! 

How to create a fun (and easy) thank you card

The card I want to share today was so fun and easy to create, thanks to my Big Shot. I love this tool and use it almost every week to show you a card idea on my YouTube channel.

If you have been following my blog for a few weeks you will also know that I am so in love with the Happiness Blooms card pack. Yes these cards were designed for memory pages but Stampin' Up! titles these projects as Memories & More. One possibility for more is for card making. 

I wanted to create a thank you card for an online order I received last week and so that was my goal. First I found a super cute card in the Happiness Blooms pack which I layered onto Night of Navy:

Happiness Blooms Memories & More Card Pack
$10.00

 

Then I die-cut a Night of Navy 'thanks' using the Well Written dies:

Well Written Framelits Dies
$40.00

I also decided to emboss the Whisper White card base using the Scattered Sequins folder because the pattern reminded me a bit of the flowers on the Happiness Blooms card:

Scattered Sequins Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder
$10.00

 

I added a Lovely Lipstick bow and two punched flowers using the Bitty Blooms punch pack (LOVE THESE!):

Bitty Blooms Punch Pack
$23.00

and my thank you card was done! 

If you want to order the products I used to make this fun (and easy!) thank you card, click the link to my online store below:

 

 

Here's how to use your colorful washi tape

Did you ever get the urge to create a scrapbook page? I rarely do but for some reason today I knew I wanted to craft using my Best Route product suite and to feature my washi tape in this suite. 

Here's the Best Route suite - products designed for all your adventures! (pages 52-53 Annual Catalog)

And here are the individual products in the suite - yes I own them all!

En Route Clear-Mount Stamp Set
$21.00

I do a fair bit of travel for my day job and have an upcoming trip to Hong Kong. Since I wanted to create a scrapbook page, I thought, why not get a travel page ready for the photos I will be taking while on my trip?

Here's my page - I used the washi tape, the enamel shapes, the designs paper, the En Route stamp set, and the solid cardstock. I didn't use the card pack (forgot I had it, eek!) or the embossing folder but I might make a partner page using these products and see how it turns out. For a fun detail I used Stampin' Dimensionals under the photo layer - I love how it looks in real life!

Do you scrapbook or keep your memories in some way? Leave me a comment and let me know if you have used a product suite on your pages. We can share ideas!

 

How to preserve your amazing life memories: companion page

Yesterday I created a Happiness Blooms memories page to capture some of my recent life adventures. There are so many terms and styles for preserving your memories: scrapbooking, Project Life®, or memory keeping pages, and Stampin' Up!s Memories & More® collections. 

Regardless of how you call it, what I have learned over the years is that your photos are always there but the specific memories may fade away over time: where was this taken? why did I take it? who is this person in the photo? what year was this? (and so on)

In today's video below I am going to show you how to create a companion page for the Happiness Blooms page I created yesterday. The beauty of this page is that you don't need a lot of supplies - not even stamps or ink!

Here are some of the supplies I used to create my page - click on any of them to link over to my Online Store:

Happiness Blooms Memories & More Card Pack
$10.00

Bitty Blooms Punch Pack
$23.00

Variety Pack 12" X 12" Photo Pocket Pages
$7.50

1" (2.5 Cm) Circle Punch
$13.00

 

In the video below my page photo, I walk you through what I did to create each pocket card. 

Here's my companion page:

Happiness Blooms pocket page

Supplies:

Paper and cutting dimensions:
          Pineapple Punch: 4" x 6"; 2 3/4" square; scraps for flowers
          Night of Navy: 4" x 6"; 2 3/4" square; 3 3/4" x 3 1/4" 
          Whisper White: 6" x  1 1/2"; 4" x 1"
          Calypso Coral: scraps for flowers
          In Color 6x6 Designer Series Paper (2018-20, 146963, Pineapple Punch): 3" x 4"

Accessories: Happiness Blooms Memories & More card pack (148531), SNAIL adhesive, Fine Tip Glue pen, Variety Pack 12x12 photo pocket pages (144204), 1" circle punch (119868)

Here's my video tutorial, thanks for watching.

So tell me, which memories page do you like best? The one I created yesterday, or the one today? Leave me a comment under this post to let me know your fave. 

Do you know how to preserve your travel memories?

It is not as hard as you think. Purchase the Best Route product suite and some 12x12 cardstock and you are good to go for many travel experiences. 

Oh, and you also need to travel and take photos while in all those amazing places!

Here's the Best Route product suite in case you don't know what I am talking about - it was designed for cards and memory pages:

This suite was part of my first purchase in the Annual Catalog because I knew I would use it up in a flash. 

Click here to link over to my online store!

Now let me show you how to use some of the Best Route products to make a travel page.

1. Choose your page layer - I chose Gray Granite because it is one of the colors in the Best Route paper (I have a thing about matching colors!). 
   
   
2. Choose your favorite pattern in the Best Route designer series paper pack. My layer is 8" x 12". 

 

3. Add a strip of coordinating (yes there's that need again!) Best Route washi tape - I added a strip of Gray Granite up my page, where the designer paper meets the card stock base. 

 

4. Choose and create your page title. I decided to use my Large Letters framelits to disc-cut my title - a pricey item but one with no regrets:

Large Letters Framelits Dies
$99.00

Hint: share the cost of this item with your crafty friends and share the letters around as needed!

 

 

5. Create some photo layers: my layers are 5" x 3" with a layer of Mango Melody underneath. I used my Circle Tab punch (another fun product!) to create an additional embellishment to the end of each photo layer:

Circle Tab Punch
$18.00

 

 

Hint: you can create larger photo layers for your page - just tweak the layout. 

6. Add a phrase from the En Route stamp set at the top and your page is done! 

Once I select and add my photos I will have lots of room on the right side to journal - or add a short bit under each photo in the space available. 

Traveling is an amazing experience and I wish you many travel adventures and fun memories to create and preserve in the coming years! Add a comment below and tell us which location in the world (near OR far) that is #1 on your bucket list! I'd also love to hear if you want to see more scrapbook/memory keeping page blog posts!

Mine is: Greece!

How to preserve your amazing memories

If you travel amazing places or love to preserve your memories then have a look at today's project! Stampin' Up! offers four different card packs and when I first spotted the Best Route pack I knew I had to have it for all my travel and life adventure photos. 

The Best Route card pack is part of the Best Route product suite and I used many product from the suite to create my pocket page below. I also created a video tutorial (under photo) showing how I make each card unique.

First, here are the products I used:

 

Best Route Memories & More Card Pack
$10.00

Best Route Enamel Shapes
$7.00

Best Route Washi Tape
$5.50

En Route Clear-Mount Stamp Set
$21.00

Click here to link over to my Online Store to purchase this product suite!

 

Best Route Pocket Page

Stamp set: En Route (146594)

Ink: Blueberry Bushel

Paper and cutting dimensions:
          Whisper White: 3 1/4" square; 1/4" x 3"; 1 1/2" square
          Mango Melody: two pieces 4" x 6"; two pieces 1/4" x 3"; 2" square
          Blueberry Bushel: 3 1/4" square; 3/4" x 3"

Accessories: Big Shot, Magnetic Platform, Layering Circles framelits (141705), Best Route Washi Tape (146901), SNAIL adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals, Best Route Enamel Shapes (146900), Best Route Card Pack (147036), Variety Pack 12x12 Pocket Pages (144204)

Here's a video showing you step-by-step how to make this page - if you want to see more ideas like this one, leave me a comment under this blog post!