Pages from the Heart: Simply Spring Collection

Simply Spring Projects

For Pages from the Heart, I made a series of projects using We R Memory Keeper's Simply Spring collection. 

It is a gorgeous spring themed collection with pastel colors and super cute embellishments. 

The first project I completed was a New Orleans layout, which I've already written about here. I also altered a wooden basket into an Easter basket and made an egg themed card. 

Easter Basket
I started with a plain wooden basket from a craft store and painted it with white craft paint. 

Then I traced each side onto patterned paper, cut it out, and adhered it to the wood with Mod Podge. All four sides were covered using only one sheet of 12 x 12" paper. The basket is a reasonable size as it held the entire bag of large plastic eggs I had purchased. 

For a central decoration, I used a journaling die cut as the starting off point and layered it with some dimensional stickers, alphabet stickers and Stickles.

A child would love receiving a handmade basket, especially with all the goodies inside. 

An Eggstraordinary Card

I wanted to make an encouragement card featuring some eggs, but instead of popping them up, I wanted them recessed in the card. 

I ended up popping up the front panel and embedding the Easter eggs behind the panel. 

I was going to cut out the Easter egg shapes with my Silhouette, but decided it might be faster just to do it the old fashioned way. I used the leftover egg shape from the sticker sheet as a tracing template and traced the eggs on my front panel. I then used an X-Acto knife to cut out the eggs. This made the egg windows from which the egg stickers could be seen. I used some Authentique alphabet stickers for my sentiment as they are the perfect size for cards.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the three projects I created for Pages from the Heart, which is where they are currently displayed. I'm working on three new projects for them which I will share with you upon completion.

I'm entering this in:
MilkCoffee Challenge - welcome spring
Creative Belli Blog - pastels
Fab 'n' Funky Challenges - spring colors
Inklings & Yarn - anything goes link

Thanks so much for droppin' by,

Pages from the Heart: Detour Collection

For Pages from the Heart, I made a series of projects using Bo Bunny's Detour collection, which is a travel themed line. 

The first project I completed was a layout of my new puppy which I've already blogged about  here. I also made an altered item and a mini-album. 

Rockstar Altered Item

Even though this is a travel collection, I wanted to make something non-travel related. I paired it with a can of Rockstar Energy Drink since the colors of the can matched perfectly with the colors of the Detour collection.

I used a cloth wrapped floral stem, which can be found in the floral section of a craft store, as the starting off point. I attached a sign which reads, "I think you're a ..." which is completed by the name of the drink. To continue the rockstar theme, I made some star shaped flowers and attached it to the sign. The floral stem is a green color and didn't match, so to tone it down, I wrapped some black washi tape around the stem. 

I adhered the stem to a belly band that I wrapped around the drink. This would make a fun gift to give to a guy, especially on Valentine's Day. 

New Orleans Mini Album

For my last project, I made a travel mini-album. The cover is a piece of plain chipboard that I folded and added patterned papers and embellishments onto. I hole punched it and used two book rings to secure the inside pages. I tied some Mardi Gras beads to the rings and added the baby Jesus that Kevin found in his King cake to the cover. 

This is a view of the back cover. 

The best part of the album is that the inside pages are made from the 6 x 6" sheets. Just make a 2" fold along one edge, take two folded pieces and stitch on three sides. This will give you a pocket along the 2" fold to store tags, photos and memorabilia. 

The bonus is that there is an extra space between the pages (back to back). That is where I placed my journaling with little pull tabs. For more info. about the construction, please see this post from Practical Scrapper's blog. 

Here is a view of all the pages inside. 

This is a great way to use up those 6 x 6" pads. If you don't have that, then just cut up a 12 x 12" paper and you'll have four pages to work with. I ended up placing all the memorabilia I brought back from my trip (brochures, photos, business cards, bookmarks, pins) inside the album. Otherwise, it would just be gathering dust in a forgotten drawer. 

All the projects are on display at Pages from the Heart, so you can see it in person when you come on by!

Pages from the Heart: Jeans Pocket Card

The News

I just wanted to share that I will be returning to Paper Made Bakery's design team for a second term starting in August. You can meet all the members of the new team here, as PMB made the official announcement today. I'm excited to work with all the new members, and to bring you another six months of projects using their super cute kits!

The Reveal
This is my third and last project this month for Pages from the Heart featuring Echo Park's This & That collection. Since I worked with the Charming version, which features a boy theme, I wanted to design a card that paid homage to the theme but wasn't a literal interpretation. I decided on jeans as an inspiration as it reminded me of a boy, but it could also be used for a girl. I made a pocket card that can hold a note, money or gift card, so it is general enough to be used for any occasion.

Jeans Pocket Card

I used some dark blue cardstock that looked like the color of dark washed demin, plus yellow thread and a sewing machine for the base. I added pieces from This & That collection for the accents.

The Details

I wanted an iconic jeans pocket so I went with a Levis 501 look. I found out the design is called a gull wing pocket with a red tab logo fabric, which you can read about here. I really felt like a seamstress as there was a lot of stitching and replicating the parts. I cut out a pocket and drew in the stitching lines with a pencil. I sewed most of the lines first, only attaching it to the card base with the outlining stitch along the edges minus the one on the top so the pocket has a top opening.

I punched out a yellow tab using a tab hand punch, wrote a sentiment instead of a brand and adhered it to the side where the red label would go.

I stitched some belt lines across the top. I cut out two narrow rectangles and stitched around them for two belt loops. I also cut out a design from the patterned papers to make a larger label. 

I thought the pocket would be a good place to put a little something extra for the recipient, like Gap gift card would match the jeans theme. I placed a sticker the size of a gift card to show the use of the pocket for display purposes. As a finishing touch, I distressed the card with some chalk ink to simulate some wear on the fabric. 

You can make a pocket card based on your favorite brand or item of clothing, you don't have to stick with jeans. You can make a really cute girl version using patterned papers and ribbons. Let your creativity be your guide. 

The Supplies

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics
Patterned Paper: Echo Park
Sticker: Echo Park
Tab Punch: Fiskars
Chalk Ink: Prima
Thread: Coats & Clark
Sewing Machine: Singer

Thanks so much for stoppin' by,

Pages from the Heart: Beach Boy Layout

The Reveal
This is my second project for Pages from the Heart this month featuring Echo Park's This & That collection.

Beach Boy Layout

The Details
I really wanted to make a boy layout so I could utilized all the really cute but really specific boy themed chipboard stickers from the collection, so I went over to my sister's house and perused all her photos of my nephew. I wanted ones where he was more natural and in the middle of an action rather than posing. I found a few of him at the beach, which matched the colors and theme of the collection, but there were a lot of distractions in the background.

Original Background

As I had a limited amount of individual photos of him from this setting, I edited it Photoshop. I cut out patches of the ocean and placed it over the people in the background, and cropped it into the square shaped I wanted to use. Don't disregard a photo if it isn't perfect, there are ways to fix a photo and get it to suit your design. 

Edited Background

I decided to use a grid design of six 3 x 3" squares for the central portion of my layout, so it would be like little pockets of embellishments and photos. Since I used journaling strips layered over some cardstock stickers, I also used strips in the other two embellishment boxes to match. I cut up a number border strip and layered it behind a chipboard sticker in one box. In the other box, I cut up a sentiment sticker that was too wide, into smaller strips and paired it with a boy's silhouette sticker.  

For my title, I liked the "boy" banner stickers but they were too small for the title area. I recreated a larger version using my Silhouette Cameo, cardstock and Thickers and paired it with the original to read, "Boy oh Boy." For each letter block, I cut 4 banners in 4 different sizes in 3 colors to match the original chipboard sticker. If you would like the downloadable banner cut file I created, I've included it here. 

Download for Silhouette Cameo: Layered Banner Cut File

The Supplies

Cardstock: Bazzill Basics

Patterned Papers: Echo Park

Stickers: Echo Park

Alphabet Letters: American Crafts

Brads: Making Memories

Ribbon: May Arts

Chalk Ink: Prima

Paint Pen: Viva Decor

Glitter Glue: Stickles by Ranger Ink

Thanks so much for stoppin' by,

Florida Vacation Mini-Album

 Masculine Card Challenge Update
I made this tie rack card last month for Father's Day and entered it in CutCardStock's masculine card challenge. If you want to make one yourself or see the link to the origami fold, please go here. I ended up winning the viewer's choice award, so I wanted to say thank you to everyone who voted for me.

Tie Rack Card

As an added bonus, CutCardStock asked me to be a guest designer for them this month. I made two projects using their cardstock and invitation sets which will be shown on their blog today and next Saturday.

The Supply Base

For being a guest designer, CutCardStock set me a Priority Mail Box filled to the brim with their products. I was so surprised by their generosity and loved the versatility of their products. My favorite item was the brown bag A7 (5 x 7") folded invitation set. It really does feel like a brown paper bag, being softer than Kraft cardstock and that cut out on the flap is super cute. I decided to create a project featuring the brown bag set. 

Brown Bag Card & Envelope

This month from Pages from the Heart, I worked with two new Echo Park collections - This & That (Charming version, which is boy themed one) and Enjoy the Ride (which is a mini-theme featuring travel).

Echo Park Collections

I paired the solid paper bags with fun images from the patterned papers to create an interactive vacation mini-album. 

The Reveal

I bought a small three ring binder from Big Lots for $2.00 for my album's exterior. I decorated it with the Echo Park papers and stickers, along with some photos and Glossy Accents. 

Orlando Vacation Album

For the inside cover, I covered it with light blue airplane paper and adhered my itinerary for the week. Each page inside the album consists of an envelope. I have 7 pages total, one for each attraction I visited plus a bonus envelope to house unused items like extra postcards. 

Inside Cover and First Page

Inside each envelope is the matching folded card, which can be taken out and opened up. This allows for six surfaces to be decorated - the front and back of the envelope, the front and back of the card, and the interior double panel of the card. This is a lot of room to work with, so I actually used everything I brought back from my trip - photos, brochures, pressed pennies, souvenirs and other memorabilia. 

Envelope Opens with Pull Out Card

The Interior

I'll show you one complete page in my album. This one features a trip to Gatorland. Here is the front of the envelope with has a group photo, description of the park cut out from the brochure, a pressed penny, admittance wristband and real alligator teeth I adhered to the alligator photo. 

Front of Envelope

Real Gator Teeth

The flap opens and you can pull out the card. I brought some 3 x 4" journaling cards with me on the trip which I filled out each day. I cut them in half and adhered them to the inside flap on each envelope. This way, I didn't have to try to remember the details weeks or months later, especially when I'm in the middle of designing a page.

Inside of envelope and card front

The card opens up and I can place the larger items inside. Here I cut out the map of the park, attached a photo with an arrow pointing to the location where the photo was taken.

Inside of Card

The back of the envelope is the perfect size for a 5 x 7" photo, and the back of the card can hold a collage of mini-photos. I used 10 photos, a map, journaling card, brochure, souvenirs, plus my regular embellishments on one "page" of my album. Anything else leftover from my Gatorland visit, I just tossed as I'm never going to use them again.

To see the rest of the pages, they are spread out on CutCardStock's blog and Pages from the Heart's blog. 

This gave me a good feeling of utilizing everything I brought back and a sense of completion regarding scrapping my trip. It was a lot faster than scrapping a 12 x 12" album and turned out to be a fun and interactive album that people might enjoy browsing through. 

You can use any card envelope you have lying around, an empty small binder and a piece of cardstock cut to fit inside your envelope. If you want to use the brown paper bag set that I used, you can purchase the envelope here and the card here. I actually liked them so much, I later purchased the A2 and square set. If you want to see the album in person, please visit Pages from the Heart. 

Thanks so much for stoppin' by, 

Pages from the Heart: Simple Stories Mix & Match Album

The Reveal

For my last project with Pages from the Heart this month, I used Simple Stories' 6 x 8" Mini-Album to document my recent trip to Korea. I found it to be a cross between Smash Books and Project Life, where I could just tape on my collectibles like postcards and pamphlets while still being able to display numerous photos and journaling cards. 

Simple Stories Mini-Album

The Interior

I ended up making over 20 double page spreads, but I'll only share some of them here. 

For the title page, I used a blank calendar document page and filled it in with the travel itinerary. I decorated it with a metal bookmark and some stickers. For my final page, I made a pocket to hold some pamphlets I acquired during the trip. I decorated the pocket with some patterned papers and part of a Korean card I cut out. 

Title and Final Page

The two main components of the album are the page protectors and document pages. The page protectors come in various designs so you can use 3 x 4", 4 x 4" and 4 x 6" photos. The document pages are 6 x 8" and you can journal on it directly or adhere memorabilia and embellishments. 

I made my own tabs and stapled them onto the document pages to make it easier to find a specific section.

Journal Card and Collage

I printed out a larger photo which I cut to place in two pockets. I also completely cover the document page on the left with a menu I picked up.

I had some receipts I kept so those when on a document page. I downloaded some free Simple Stories journaling cards (right) which matched my color scheme.

I found that one of the best things I did in preparation for the album was to bring a few journaling cards with me on the trip. I filled out one a day which documented what I did and the names of the places I visited. I'm glad I didn't have to try to recall details and spelling of foreign names weeks or months later, in which I would have forgotten most of it.

I find that the things I collect from a trip which I intend to scrap, like the train ticket below (left) and metal bookmark (right), never get scrapped. They make a layout look too busy and ruin the aesthetic, so I end up not using any of the things I brought back, and only use the pictures.

This system reminds me of old school scrapbooking, like when I was a kid. You can just stick anything onto the document pages and not have to worry about layout design, negative space, balance and proportion. 

The purpose is more about documenting your life and less about design principals. I ended up using 100% of all my souvenirs and travel memorabilia, which has never happened before. Also I could document the entire trip unlike the one 12 x 12" summary page I usually do for my regular albums. 

The Supplies

6 x 8” Album: Simple Stories Mix & Match

Album Pages: Simple Stories This & That

Cardstock: Bazzill

Patterned Paper: Echo Park, Simple Stories

Journaling Cards: Simple Stories Free Downloads

Stickers: Echo Park, Sanrio

Alphabet Stickers: Echo Park, Making Memories

Washi Tape: K & Co., assorted

Souvenirs from Korea: bookmarks, gift wrap, cards, stickers, thimble


You can find some Simple Stories free downloads here and here. I also have a Pinterest board of free downloads if you are interested. 


Thanks so much for stoppin' by,