Simple Stories

A Happy Hodgepodge

Hi there everyone! Donna here today as your host, and I have a bit of a mixed-up post for you today. Even though it's been two months since CHA, I still haven't had a chance to share my projects with you here on the blog. I love everything that Simple Stories designs, but the two main collections released this past season, A Charmed Life and Homespun are definitely up there among my favorites.

Since St. Patricks's Day is just around the corner, let's start with this lucky card first:

Layered clovers... might be my new favorite shape. Love the mix of kelly green and navy in this collection.

And of course, we cannot forget the yellow polka dots:

I made another card for the show using Homespun, and the chipboard pieces from that collection.

As soon as I saw that little bicycle I knew I wanted to feature it on a card.

Some of you may not know that I am a huge fan of sketches and have actually written two eBooks all about them, Stretch Your Sketches and Stretch Your Sketches 2. The first eBook covers one-photo to seven-photo designs, while the sequel covers 8-photo through 20-photo designs.

 

This next layout uses a variation of one of the sketches featured in my second book. In place of photos I used the new Insta-Squares that were released with Homespun:

These little pre-cut squares make it so easy and fun to create your own customized patterned paper grid.

Speaking of hodgepodge, grids are such a great way to fit a lot of otherwise mixed-up photos onto a page. This next layout wasn't made for the show, but I want to share it with you today. You see, until recently I still hadn't scrapbooked any of our past Christmas photos and really wanted to make something before too much time passed. I used December Documented's Simple Basics Kit as the foundation for my page.

You're probably getting tired of me saying it, but I love the Simple Basics packs. I think the chalkboard background worked really well here since it is fairly neutral. With all the busyness in the photos I wanted to keep the rest of the layout rather simple.

I took a few highlight photos from the season and created a photo grid on an 8x10, added my title and finished with some very simple embellishments. It didn't take me very long at all to put together and now we have at least one layout documenting our Christmas. That's what my grandma used to call, "a good deal."

Thank you all for stopping by, and for letting me share my creations with you today!

Products Used:

A Charmed Life

• 12x12 Collection Kit
• 12x12 Simple Basics Kit
• 3x4 Journaling Card Elements
• Sn@p! Cards
• Happy. Go. Lucky
• Happy Times

 Homespun

• 12x12 Collection Kit
• 12x12 Simple Basics Kit
• Homemade
• Beautiful Life
• Insta-Squares
• Bits & Pieces
• Chipboard

December Documented

• 12x12 Simple Basics Kit
• Be Merry
• Brads

Documenting a Colorful Life with Daily Grind

Hello!! Donna here as your host for the blog today. And since this is my first post of the year, let me take this opportunity to wish you a very happy new year!

Are you excited about the sneak peeks shared on Friday? Don't forget to stop by tomorrow and all this coming week for the full reveals of all the new products!

Today I want to share with you some projects I've made using Daily Grind, starting with this layout.

 

I don't really like this photo... It was taken in late afternoon and the sun was going down. The overhead light in our dining area was on and I didn't get the lighting or the camera settings just right. Yet, I love this image.

This is my youngest and he is, something else. He is full of energy and he keeps me and his daddy on our toes to be sure. But, he is also super sweet and he has the best laugh and smile.

The photo may not be perfect, and yes I could have converted it to black and white, but I chose to embrace the imperfection here, and the color. Daily Grind was the perfect collection for this layout because it allowed me to use lots of color, but without being overwhelming.

About that photo, see all the clutter in the background? Well, that's real life too! I did use some stickers from the Everyday Sn@p! set to fill in some of that empty space in the photo.

 

Really, I was just happy to capture this moment. Sam is not the kind to make repeat performances. You either get the shot or you don't. Like the card says though, this is good stuff!

Before we move on, here is a small tip for adding something special to a title,

try replacing the dot in your "i's" with an embellishment like brads, buttons or enamel dots. It is a simple switch, but it can make a big difference.

Next up is this layout of my two youngest playing together.

 

Again, I was so happy to capture these moments. My middle son love, love, loves his baby brother. And Sam is finally old enough to hold his own and play with brothers too, so moments like these are happily becoming more common.

I used patterned papers from Daily Grind, but started with a ledger background from Sn@p! Life.

Then I added in embellishments like the brads, die-cuts and stickers from Daily Grind, chipboard from Sn@p! Life and a sticker from the Everyday Sn@p! set as well. In fact, the Everyday Sn@p! set coordinates perfectly with Daily Grind since there are lots of similar colors in both collections.

Finally, my latest obsession, these pocket cards:

 

I made them as a way to send photos to grandparents and other relatives. They are sized to fit 4x6 photos and I plan to use these two in particular to tuck in a few snapshots from Christmas morning along with handwritten thank you notes from my two oldest boys.

As always, thank you for stopping by the blog! Do you have any creative plans for this new year? I would love to hear about them in the comments. Have a great week!

Products Used:

Daily Grind 12x12 Collection Kit #3600

Daily Grind 12x12 Simple Basics Kit #3601

Daily Grind Fundamental Cardstock Stickers #3602

Daily Grind Expression Cardstock Stickers #3603

Daily Grind 6x6 Paper Pad #3622

Daily Grind Ephemera #3629

Daily Grind Chipboard #3628

Daily Grind Brads #3627

Busy Busy #3607

Daily Flair #3609

Bingo Cards/Months #3616

Sn@p! Life 12x12 Basics Kit #2822

Everyday Sn@p! Stickers #4174

Everyday 3x4 Sn@p! Cards #4176

Simple Shapes Background

Repetitive shapes used to create a background are super trendy right now, but you don't need an electronic die cutting device to create the look. A simple punch in a fun shape can be used too! I created this hexagon background with a hexagon punch and the Simple Stories Say Cheese collection:

Using two punches of the same shape in slightly different sizes lets you turn your photos into fun shapes and your patterned papers into fun photo mattes. For these smaller shapes I use the 6 x 6 pad to include more of the design on each shape.

And if you do happen to have an electronic die cutting machine, you can create a mixed font title by using Simple Stories stickers and a large cut title. I use the Simple Basics collection to cut titles.

And to top it all off, a smattering of brads and chipboard scattered throughout creates a fun look!

So pull out those basic shapes punches and your Simple Stories collections to create fun backgrounds!

Supplies Used:

Siple Stories Say Cheese Collection:

Expression Cardstock Stickers #3303

6 x 6 Paper Pad #3322

Chipboard #3328

Brads #3327

12 x 12 Simple Basics Kit #3301

Christmas is only 17 weeks away!

Please don't hate me for saying it. But can you believe it?  I have to admit that I'm usually the last person to start thinking about Christmas and getting ready for the holidays. But, I'm hoping to get a head start on it this year and be a bit more organized.  (famous last words huh? LOL! :))

Plus I've already got a head start because I was able to create some holiday cards using the amazing new December Documented collection.  This release is absolutely gorgeous!

The first card I created is more on the traditional & classic side. I used the Red Snowflake/Chevron (Simple Basics) as the background base for my card. Then added a 3x4 journal card, large sticker, brad and some ribbon to complete the look.

My second card some of the Blue Snowflake/Chevron (Simple Basics) paper. I just love the combination of red & blue . It's so bright & cheerful.

The 3x4 Journaling Cards really add some visual interest & color the front of the card. I also added a few stickers for dimension (by adhering them with foam squares).

On the inside of the card I added a few more stickers.

My last card makes me smile. There are some super cute sayings & quotes on the 3x4 journal cards and I had to use one of them.

Hopefully I've inspired you a bit with your christmas card making for the upcoming holidays.

Supply list:

Simple Stories: December Documented 

Fundamental Cardstock Stickers |#3502

Expression Cardstock Stickers |#3503

Chipboard |#3528

Brads |#3527

Naughty or NIce |#3505

Special Delivery |#3504

Peace, Love & Joy |#3507

3x4 Journaling Card Elements |#3510

Simple Basics (Blue Snowflake/Chevron |#3516 AND Red Snowflake/Chevron |#3517

 

Other: May Arts (ribbon), The Twinery (twine), Fiskars (punches), Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L (Foam squares); Adhesives by Xyron (Mega Runner, 1.5 Create-a-Sticker)

Hello Sunshine!!

Donna here, did you see yesterday's post? Aren't those sneak peeks exciting?! The design team is busy creating samples for CHA and to say that we all love the new collections would be an understatement. I know you are going to love them too!

Today I want to share with you two layouts I made recently using I {Heart} Summer.

I hope it is okay for me to admit that summer is not, in fact, my favorite season. I much prefer the cooler weather of both spring and fall. However, I can say with all honesty that I love this collection! It is so colorful and is absolutely perfect for documenting all of your summer memories.

I'm a complete pushover for cloud patterned paper and this one with the text, grids, and boardwalk prints inside the clouds makes me smile (and the floral pattern on the back is very pretty too!)

I know I will need multiple sheets of this paper; it is just the absolute perfect backdrop for summertime photos!

I also love these boardwalk prints. Aren't they fun?

The Simple Basics Kit comes with all the colors, so you don't have to stress about choosing a favorite!

Another favorite product of mine are the Sn@p! Cuts that were added with this collection (and this might be a bit cruel of me, I know, but wait until you see the Sn@p! Cuts for the upcoming collections!!)

These are perfect additions to your Life Documented pages since they come in both 4x6 and 3x4 sizes, they fit easily into Pocket Pages. I used these on both of my layouts and backed them with a contrasting patterned paper to make their designs pop.

I am a simple scrapbooker at heart and these die-cut cards make it so easy to add a touch of fun, dimension and color to my layouts.

For this layout I actually turned the card around so that the hearts would be on the left side of my layout. The cuts on these cards are very high quality and you cannot tell at all that the card is backwards when you look at the layout close-up.

Thanks for stopping by today and letting me share these projects with you! I hope I have inspired you to scrapbook your summer memories using I {Heart} Summer. I also hope you are enjoying your summer whether it is your favorite season or not! =)

Products Used:

12 x 12 Collection Kit #3200

Expressions Cardstock Stickers #3203

Sunshine & Laughter #3204

Feel the Breeze #3205

Daydream #3208

Hello Summer #3209

Chalkboard/White Boardwalk #3216

Teal Boardwalk/Dotted Line Notebook #3218

Yellow Boardwalk/Newsprint #3219

Brown Boardwalk/Graph #3220

Simple Basics Kit #3224

Sn@p! Cuts #3225

Decorative Brads #3226

Chipboard Stickers #3227

Chalkboard/White Boardwalk #3216

Yellow Boardwalk/Newsprint #3219

Layered Stickers #3228

Decorative Brads #3226

Fundamental Cardstock Stickers #3202

Expressions Cardstock Stickers #3203

Sn@p Cuts #3225

Bingo Cards/ Summer Stripe #3221

Flair Badges #3229

Chipboard Stickers #3227

- See more at: http://simplestories.typepad.com/simple_stories/#sthash.IXhwnfg1.dpuf

Chalkboard/White Boardwalk #3216

Yellow Boardwalk/Newsprint #3219

Layered Stickers #3228

Decorative Brads #3226

Fundamental Cardstock Stickers #3202

Expressions Cardstock Stickers #3203

Sn@p Cuts #3225

Bingo Cards/ Summer Stripe #3221

Flair Badges #3229

Chipboard Stickers #3227

- See more at: http://simplestories.typepad.com/simple_stories/#sthash.IXhwnfg1.dpuf

Chalkboard/White Boardwalk #3216

Yellow Boardwalk/Newsprint #3219

Layered Stickers #3228

Decorative Brads #3226

Fundamental Cardstock Stickers #3202

Expressions Cardstock Stickers #3203

Sn@p Cuts #3225

Bingo Cards/ Summer Stripe #3221

Flair Badges #3229

Chipboard Stickers #3227

- See more at: http://simplestories.typepad.com/simple_stories/#sthash.IXhwnfg1.dpuf

Twice the Fun!

Hi everyone! Ashley here today with not one, but TWO, scrapbook pages! I had so much fun playing with each of these lines that I got on a roll and couldn't put my Simple Stories down!

The first uses Vintage Bliss. I love that the colors in the line matches my theme perfectly.

I started by cutting the letters out of the Give Love (#3009) paper and knew I wanted the title sideways. From there, I chose a neutral background, Wood/Butterflies (#3017) and added some fussy-cut butterflies from Be Happy (#3007). They look "colored in" and create a nice line toward my photos.

I needed just a bit more color behind my photos so I cut a strip from the bingo cards in the 6x6 pad. The numbers give a bit of texture but also add a nice line of alternating colors.

For my next page, I used 24/Seven.

I love this color combination! You can use it for just about any photo, and it works especially well for boys! I chose my favorite elements from this line, fussy cutting pieces to layer from my main, vertical strip. It's a great way to frame a single, 4x6 photo, and adds a lot of interest!

I also utilized a lot of pieces from the 24/Seven Sn@p! Cards, like this journaling spot. That's what makes Simple Stories lines so versatile- there are so many elements you can cut from any of the papers to use in a different way.

Supplies Used:

Colors of Spring
Vintage Bliss
12x12 Collection Kit #3000
Expressions Cardstock Stickers #3003
6x6 Paper Pad #3001
Decorative Brads #3026
Be Happy #3007
Give Love #3009
Bingo Cards/Stripes #3016
Wood/Butterflies #3017
Teal Chevron/Lined Notebook #3018
Yellow Grid/Dictionary #3019
12x12 Simple Basics Kit #3024
Sn@p! Cards #3025

Read to Me
24/Seven
12x12 Collection Kit #3100
Fundamentals Cardstock Stickers #3102
Decorative Brads #3126
Layered Stickers #3128
Good Stuff #3107
4x6 Journaling Card Elements #3111
2x12 Border & 4x12 Title Strip Elements #3114
Cork/Ephemera #3117
Red Tweed/Calendar #3118
Blue Chevron/Grid #3120
Gray Grid/Lattice #3121
12x12 Simple Basics Kit #3124
Sn@p! Cards #3125

Creative Bliss

Happy Saturday! Donna here as your host for the blog today. I'm just going to come out and admit, life is a little crazy right now! My husband has been working overtime for the past month, I'm sick, two of my boys are sick - it has been a little rough. And I know you all know what that is like. Life gets that way sometimes for everyone. But, I tend to get antsy if I go too long without being creative, so today I want to share with you three cards I made using Vintage Bliss. With it's beautiful springtime palette and butterflies - I was hoping creating with this line would put me in a better mood.

You might have noticed the design team using all the new, fabulous embellishments that coordinate with the collections. I am in love with all the options, from the brads to the adhesive chipboard stickers, which you can see in the close-up below.

Pretty and fun!

The bingo cards that are a part of each collection make card making so easy. No need to stamp a sentiment or agonize over placement. I really love layering them with other elements like patterned paper and butterflies or flowers. Easy and fast too.

This last card is small, only 3.5 x 4.5 inches. To make the previous two cards I cut a 12 x 12 inch sheet of cardstock down to 8.5 x 11 and then cut that in half. This was the scrap of cardstock leftover from those cuts. It ended up being the perfect size for one of the Sn@p! pockets.

You can tuck a gift card or photo into the little pocket as a small present. Inside I lined the card with grid paper so that I can write a note or short greeting for the recipient. A lot of fun to make and I made use of something that would have otherwise been thrown away.

So, did my experiment work? You know what? It did! I spent a couple of hours crafting and just enjoying the process (I have to thank my husband for watching the boys for me!) and at the end of it all I was in a much happier frame of mind.

Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today! I hope you have a great weekend!

Products Used from Vintage Bliss:

12 x 12 Collection Kit #3000

Fundamentals Cardstock Stickers #3002

6 x 6 Paper Pad #3001

Chipboard Stickers #3027

Decorative Brads #3026

6 x 12 Page Elements #3015

Bingo Cards/Stripes #3016

Yellow Grid/Dictionary #3019

Pink Floral/Notebook #3020

Green Dots/Grid #3021

12 x 12 Simple Basics #3024

Sn@p! Pockets #3023

Done in a "Sn@p"!!

I love being able to create layouts in a short amount of time & not have to spend hours & hours (or sometimes even days).  That's why I absolutely adore Simple Stories Sn@p collection.  It is so versatile - going with pretty much any theme that you can possibly think of!

I used the Sn@p collection to create two 12x12 layouts.

The first one is about my daughter turning 12.  Still can't believe that I gave birth to her twelve years ago. How time flies. 

I decided to keep the layout relatively monochromatic and stick with the turquoise designs. I did add some color here and there.  I just love how the stickers work for adding so much of the embellishments - as that is pretty much all that I used ... along with foam squares (my favorite for adding dimension!)

My second layout I created about my dad's 70th birthday.  Both my daughter and my dad have birthdays in the same month and a little over a week apart.  My dad wanted to do something fun & memorable with his grandchildren.  So on the day of his birthday he picked up all of the children from school.  I drove them (because I was also the photographer :)  to one of our family favorite ice cream stores right on the beach.  Dad treated everyone to a delicious ice cream cone. The kids loved it!  

We hung around the beach for a while throwing stones into the ocean and I took a few pictures of Grandpa with his 5 grandchildren. The Sn@p collection has such fun colors that they just make you smile.  So they were a perfect match for these photos - as it was such a fun day for everyone!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Supplies used:

Sn@p Core Collection - 3x4 Sn@p Cards - Snappy Sayings (#4006); Snappy Thoughts |#4007

Sn@p Stickers - Icons (#4018); Labels (#4019); Typeset (#4021)

Sn@p Life Collection - 12x12 Fundamental Cardstock Stickers (#2802); 12x12 Calendar Cardstock Stickers (#2803); 

Sn@p Bubbles |#2806

4x4 Quote & 6x8 Photo Mat Elements |#2813

2x12 Border & 4x12 Title Strip Elements |#2814

Sn@p Vibe Collection - Teal Dot/Stripe (#2826); Teal Chevron/Mini Dot (#2827); Yellow Chevron/Mini Dot (#2831); 

It's {Simple} with Harvest Lane

I am so in love with this collection!
Harvest Lane just warms my heart with the rich colors and designs that it offers.

Today I'm going to share with you a layout that I created using this fabulous collection.

After begging my husband and kids to let me have a little family photo shoot they finally co-operated.  (but trust me ... it wasn't easy!)  Good thing I had a remote because everyone had a chance to play with it & that seemed to warm them up to the whole smiling idea for the camera!

Anyways, onto my layout.
I used the Homemade Happiness (#2607) patterned paper and matted it onto some wonderful Core'dinations cardstock. I then added some more layers of patterned paper using a 4x6 Journaling Card Element, a 2x12 Border, and a piece of Antique Dot paper. The layers create depth and colorful interest to the layout.

I added a banner by cutting out the little 'flags' from 4x6 Journaling Card Elements. I just adhered some twine behind each piece and then attached some threaded buttons as finishing touches.

The alphabet stickers help to create fun titles with different sized fonts and colors.

 

Plus the word strips stickers add some extra color and keep with the theme of my layout.
I also used a small journal card from the 6x6 paper pad. 

 

Here's a look at my finished layout.

Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies used:

Harvest Lane Collection :

12x12 Fundamental Cardstock Stickers #2602

12x12 Expression Cardstock Stickers #2603

Splendor #2606

4x6 Journaling Card Elements #2610

4x6 Journaling Card Elements #2611

2x12 Border & 4x12 Title Strip Elements #2614

Red Floral/Antique Dots #2618

Bingo Cards/Yellow Floral #2621

 

{Simple} Inspiration

Hi Everyone!  Donna here, your host for the blog today.  I think you might have surmised by now that the entire design team is in love with Sn@p!  Aren't you?  I mean, it is so amazingly fun and vibrant and happy!  I hope you will forgive me for sounding like a broken record, but once again I find that Simple Stories has the most inspiring designs.  I'd like to show you today how I took inspiration from the Sn@p! Icon Stickers:

to create a layout and two cards.  I was first drawn to the circle stickers with their graphic design and bold colors.  I loved the shapes within a circle and made this card to start.

After having made this card with its simple grid, I couldn't get grids out of my head.  I decided to build on that idea and created a grid-style layout with lots of simple layers.

I cut the numbers and icons using my Silhouette Cameo.  The icons are adhered using foam adhesive to add dimension to an otherwise flat page.

And for the numbers, I decided to use the negative image of the number and then back that image with papers from the Sn@p! Life Basics 6x6 paper pad.

 

And my goodness, can I tell you how much I love the Simple Basics that coordinate with Sn@p! Life?

I used the 6x6 paper pad here, but I love the 12x12 papers equally well, and I am certain I will need many sheets of all of the patterns. 

Finally, since I was just having so much fun, and because I happen to love the yellow polka dot that is a part of Sn@p! Color Vibe, I made this card.

 

The sentiment on the card above was stamped onto one of the label stickers:

I probably don't have to say this, but I love these too!  I wanted to mention something about the stickers before I go, and that is, they are a matte finish and are perfect for stamping!  It also makes them perfect for Project Life or for layouts since you can easily add some journaling, a short note, or date without worrying about it smudging.

I've mentioned a few of my favorite products throughout this post.  Now that you've had a chance to see the design team use the many bits and pieces of the new Sn@p! collections, what you are your favorite products?  Is there something you just can't wait to get your creative hands on?

Thanks for stopping by; have a fabulous weekend!!

 

Products used:

Sn@p! Color Vibe Paper Kit #2825

Sn@p! Color Vibe 6x6 Paper Pad #2824

Sn@p! Life Basics Kit #2822

Sn@p! Life Basics 6x6 pad #2823

Sn@p! Life 6x6 pad #2801

Sn@p! Stickers-Labels #4019

Sn@p! Stickers-Icons #4018

Teal Chevron/Mini Dot #2827

Yellow Chevron/Mini Dot #2831

Green Chevron/Mini Dot #2833

Orange Dot/Stripe #2834

Pink Chevron/Mini Dot #2837

Grey Dot/Stripe #2838

Red/Ledger #2817

Yellow/Grid #2818