Howdy!  Layle here with you again today for day 5 of our Simple Stories & Top Dog Dies Product Swap! 

I have a friend who is the mama of two boys. That being said, she immediately passes by anything pink as being 'meant for little girls'...and claims in the same breath that she wishes she had a girl to document. After years of nudging her to not count out pink/purple/gold/etc, she is slowly coming around...probably due to my nagging, lol. 



Sifting through the new So Fancy collection initially, I had planned on using it to document some photos of my daughter + her friends. It has great trendy phrases and images that I hear and see them using constantly, so it seemed meant to be. After digging further into the collection though, I realized it would be an even better fit for photos taken during a girl's weekend away with two dear friends. On top of that, I could show my friend that this collection isn't JUST for teen girls. ;)







I still love the versatility of the Design 4 pocket page. The combination of vertical + horizontal + 3x4 + 4x6 + 2x12 pockets leaves you with more options than you'll ever know what to do with! I was able to simply print a few of my favorite photos and get started. As I often do, I loved several of the 3x4 cards from the collection, so I slipped (2) 3x4 cards into a 4x6 pocket to allow me to use my favorites.







The Top Dog Dies for pocket scrapbooking helped me to fill the 2x12 pocket along the left side. I knew I wanted to include my boarding pass but needed to fill the space with something else...so I reached for the pocket die and designed my own card to fill the gap. The 'hello' die + shadow came in handy, repeated around the page to unify everything together. 







The mix tape card couldn't have been more perfect for this project...we joked after snapping the top right photo that we looked like we were a rock band posing for the cover of our first album, lol. Love when I happen along an element that just seems 'meant to be'. 



Bottom line?  Don't assume when you first see a collection that it may not work for you...sift through the patterns & embellishments. More often than not, I bet you'll find something you love.

:)

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Howdy!  Layle here with you again today for day 4 of our Simple Stories & Top Dog Dies Product Swap! 

Hello!  Shellye here today with a couple of sweet summer-themed cards using the brand new "Summer Vibes" Collection and adorable dies from Top Dog Dies!

First up is a "Fun Summertime" card featuring the cutest hippo:

I've used the Top Dog Dies Hippo Die Set TC112 and the grey woodgrain paper found in the 6X6 paper pad to create the hippo. 
 

I chalked around the edge of the face and body with a darker grey and black chalk.  For the feet I used a black watercolor pencil.  The cheeks were also given blush with pink chalk.  I cut one of the "O" sticker letters in half to make the mouth.  And the chipboard sunglasses are a perfect fit!
 

I made the card a 5X7 size to accommodate the large die-cut title.  The sides of the title were embellished with die-cut and chipboard flowers with enamel dot centers.

Next up is a layered card featuring waves and sand using Top Dog Dies Water Die Set:

At the top of the card I used the sunburst clear overlay and placed it on top of the multi dot paper.  The waves were die cut from the blue floral and bits of solid blue paper that I found throughout the 6X6 paper pad. 
 

All of the layers were pieces together to form a 5" square so that it could be added to the 5.5" yellow woodgrain mat.  One of the Top Dog Dies Mini Tags TC044 was cut from a solid paper and a clear sticker attached to the center.
 

Foam adhesive was placed just along the top edge of each layer, with the bottom edge simply glued in place.  I finished the card by embellishing with enamel dots and Bradz.

Thanks for joining me today!
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Howdy!  Layle here with you again today for day 3 of our Simple Stories & Top Dog Dies Product Swap! 

Hey there!  Vicki here with a cute project using Top Dog Dies and the brand new Summer Vibes collection!  I am a huge fan of die-cutting and I love the ease of use steel-rule dies offer.  It sure makes cutting paper pieced images a lot easier than when I did it all by hand!  I used three set of dies from Top Dog Dies to create today’s project.  Here are the sets - Pretty Petals #2, Leaves Set and Gift Tag Die.

 

Take a look at the project…

 

 

These dies were super easy to use!!!!  They cut through the paper like butter and the images are so clean!  I think they go splendidly with the new Summer Vibes line!

 

 

Here is a little peek at the dies and some of the flowers I cut out.  

 

 

Take a closer look at the details these dies offer.  I LOVE the “pinholes” and intricate designs.

 

 

I used the Gift Tag die as a label.  Love this one and will be using it often!

 

 

The Summer Vibes Chipboard and Fundamental Stickers layer perfectly with the “customizable” die cuts.

 

 

Another fun way to use the Top Dog Dies is to create a pattern from the “negative” cuts like I did with the border here.  When I cut the leaves out I repeated a pattern on the strip of paper I was cutting from and then backed it with a strip of red paper.  I LOVE how this turned out.

 

Thanks again to Top Dog Dies for sharing their wonderful dies!  

 

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Howdy!  Layle here with you again today for a 3rd project for day 2 of our Simple Stories & Top Dog Dies Product Swap! 

My final share today is this airy page using the new ‘So Fancy' collection and the Circle Die Set from Top Dog. 

 

 

When I was testing this die out, I initially thought about using the shapes in a circular pattern on the page. One of the shapes came out half cut, where the test paper had failed to cover the area, and I thought how much the shape looked like a little cloud. Total change of plan and I ended up with this arrangement instead. I love how that kind of evolution takes place in a project sometimes!

 

 

I wanted to keep the page uncluttered, so I have kept lots of space between the elements - topping the circle shape with half the middle, flower-like shape. Some have been raised on foam tape for dimension and one has been given a sparkly finish with the addition of some fine glitter. Some others have been stamped for interest.

 

 

To compliment the ’So lovely’ banner, I have snipped the edges of a couple of phrases from the So Fancy Expressions sticker sheet and added them at intervals behind the circles. A few enamel dots and photo stickers add whimsy and as a final flourish, some small paint spatters (fake the really tiny ones with a good white pen, like a Uni-ball Signo.)

 

 

Thank you so much for stopping by today. If you would like to see more of what I get up to, you are most welcome to pop by and say hello on Instagram @chantallemcdaniel.

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Howdy!  Layle here with you again today for another project for day 2 of our Simple Stories & Top Dog Dies Product Swap! 

Howdy!  Chantalle back with you again for my 2nd layout.  This layout uses the new ’So Rad’ collection. Totally perfect for the dude in my life!

 

 

I’m also working with a Top Dog Banner die. I’ve made the most of the So Rad 6x6 pad and cut multiple banners which I have adhered in the centre of the page, to draw the eye in.

 

 

Experiment with different media. I used vellum with the die and tried to cut acetate (although the type I had was too thick, so it didn’t work this time around.) I’ve arranged the banners overlapping each other and then stitched them to my page using a sewing machine.

 

 

The photo sits in it’s own ‘cheat’ pocket. I was inspired by the awesome bonus pockets and die cut shapes you get with the So Rad Sn@p Cards!

 

 

• To create the pocket, I used a craft knife to carefully cut along the striped line on this Sn@p card. I didn’t cut all the way to edge, just enough to tuck my photo inside the slit. To prevent the photo from falling all the way through, I popped a bit of foam tape near the bottom of the underside of the card.

 

• I dislike my handwriting, so I used the notebook shape from the So Rad Bits & Pieces pack for journalling. I then attached this to my photo using an eyelet. 

 

• Finally, I punched a hole into a star shaped chipboard sticker and threaded a small chain through it to connect it to the photo.

 

 

A couple of pencil doodles are a commitment-free way to add personality to your project. If you are happy with the result, you can always go over the line work in pen.

 

 

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Howdy!  Layle here with you again today for day 2 of our Simple Stories & Top Dog Dies Product Swap! 

Another confession… I love to hoard woodgrain print papers. It was really difficult not to squirrel away the beautiful shades in the Summer Vibes Simple Basics kit! I have chosen the dark brown so the gorgeous summery colours really stand out. For this project I worked with the Flamingo Die Set from Top Dog Dies. Flamingos are trending right now and I am thrilled to add this little beauty to my collection. The dies are lovely and slim which makes them lightweight and very easy to store. I used them with my Cuttlebug and popped a scrap sheet of cardstock as a shim under my ‘C’ plate to make up for the density of the die and ensure I got an even cut.

Howdy!  Layle here with you today.  We've got a fun week planned for you - a Simple Stories & Top Dog Dies Product Swap! 

Both design teams have swapped products and will be sharing on our blogs all week long.  Join us for some great inspiration as well as a chance to win a prize package from both Top Dog Dies & Simple Stories! 

Today design team member Teri Anderson joins us with a a fun collection of cards -

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Hi there, Simple Stories fans!

Now for even more fun!!  Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below and we'll draw one lucky winner on Sunday to win a Summer Vibes prize pack!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

After you've entered, head on over to the Top Dog Dies blog to see what their team has created.  Make sure to enter there as well - they're giving away a $50 prize!

Want to follow Top Dog Dies and keep up with all of their great projects & products?  Here you go!

Instagram: @topdogdies

Facebook: www.facebook.com/topdogdies

Twitter: @TopDogDies

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/topdogdies

Website: topdogdies.com

Blog: http://www.topdogdies.com/blog

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/topdogdies

Join us again tomorrow for more great projects using Simple Stories & Top Dog Dies!

Hi everyone, Marie here today sharing a mini album project using the new Stars and Stripes Simple Set.

The Fourth of July is a big event at our house. It's become an annual tradition for us to host a party which goes from early afternoon until the last of the fireworks go off at night.  I have wanted to put together an album with photos from different years' celebrations all in one place, and when the Stars and Stripes Simple Set came along I knew it was a perfect match.

I started out using a 4x6 SN@P! Binder in red.  I added a simple sheet of patterned paper for the cover and then made a quick label for the spine on my computer.

I love the mix of friends, family, and neighbors who stop by every year.  Adding in journaling cards between photos keeps the 4th of July theme cohesive throughout the album.

Fireworks are illegal in our area, but we always set out a big box of poppers, and the next morning we can be found cleaning up piles of confetti from the patio.

When nightfall hits, we move things over to the neighbor's driveway where we have a better view of the city fireworks, and the kids enjoy sparklers and smores.

If you have an annual celebration of some type, I highly recommend using a SN@P! binder to include all your photos in one album. I'm already getting prepared for this year's party, and I plan to set out my mini album so people can look through it and see themselves from prior year's celebrations.