February 2016 Blog Posts

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02.18.16
Hi everyone!  Theresa here to show you how my Carpe Diem Planner is setup for February!  

I love all the spacious pockets in the planner that allow me to store all the stickers, washi tape, die cuts and clips I need.  

For my February monthly layout, I am using bits and pieces from the Life in Color line.  

 
 
I add photos to my monthly layouts for my younger children to know who's birthday it is or if a special occasion, like an anniversary, is coming up.  
 
 
I layered each photo with die cuts and stickers.  I love all the pretty floral designs in this line!

When I saw the Let's Party collection, I knew it would be perfect for decorating the first week of February, the week of my son's birthday!   

 
 
I love all the fun designs and bright colors!  I never limit myself to just planner supplies, scrapbooking supplies are a great source for  your planner too.  The colors worked well with the Carpe Diem Calendar stickers, so I used those for my appointments and to do's.  I love using letter stickers to highlight special occasions, trips and other important dates.  
 
I decided to add a pocket page for the week with a few photos from my son's birthday and cards from the SN@P pack.  I used a vertical 4x6 page and punched the extra holes needed to add it to the planner.  
 
 
 
For the second week of February, I used the same Life in Color collection that I used on my monthly spread.  
 
 
For this week I used the little flower stickers from the various sticker sheets to mark my appointments and to do's.  Again I used letter stickers to highlight special events.  
 
And I added a 4x4 horizontal pocket to add a picture from our trip to the snow.   
 
 
 
 
I hope your February is as great as mine has been!  Happy planning! 
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02.17.16

Hello crafters!  It is Laura here today, and I am so super excited to share my very first post as part of the 2016 Simple Stories Creative Team!  I played with the "Life in Color" collection for both of the pages that I created for this reveal and let me tell you, it does not disappoint!  I am a long time hard-core Simple Stories fan, largely because each release includes so many fabulous patterns and embellishments - that there is something for everyone in each gorgeous collection!
 

My first layout is called "view life in colour" and I definitely went bold with this one!  The page documents  a summer day spent on our boat and checking out the sights, my youngest and my husband really enjoy being out on the water.  I opted for a central focal area for my photo and layered up several of the beautiful patterned papers beneath it.

My favourite part is always the embellishing, embellishments can truly take a layout to the next level.  I love layering up a variety of types of embellishments for impact.
 

With fun elements like wood veneer pieces, bradz, washi, chipboard frames, clips, die cuts, chipboard, enamel dots and two types of stickers I could have just kept adding and adding goodies!  I may have had to tell myself to walk away at one point! ha!
 

I really wanted to use black enamel dots so I pulled them from the Carpe Diem scrapbook collection, I just thought they would pop really nicely off of the yellow base paper. I was right, they look fab!  I am also so in love with the clips Simple Stories has added to their collections, the designs are great and they are so unique! (You can see one on this page above the photo, it is wood-grained with a heart on it.)
 

It is super fun to use a variety of text in a title, for mine I combined a large chipboard piece and the mid sized alphas stickers from the Expressions Cardstock Sticker sheet, and I just love the way it turned out!  I am trying real hard to remember to add journaling to all my pages even if it is pretty basic.  Tucking the journaling into an embellishment cluster helps to pull it into my page.
 

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My second page is called "lovely DAY captured", despite the way it looks with my reveal today, I do not always use a "framed base" for my layouts but I was so inspired to use many of the papers, so this was a nice way to be able to incorporate one more pattern!  I just couldn't leave one beautiful paper untouched! lol!
I really wanted to use three photos and frame them with some of the chipboard frames on this layout, which documents a trip with my son to a butterfly conservatory.  I designed my layout to highlight each photo, which also gives me lots of spaces to add embellishments - win win for me!
I used a combination of clear stickers and regular stickers to create my title. I removed the adhesive from the "DAY" stickers using baby powder so that I could pop them up with foam adhesive.  
How awesome are these wood veneer papers clips?  Love them!  I adhered a wood veneer butterfly to one for this page, I love the way it nestles perfectly within my signature ;) embellishment cluster.
 
I would love for you to visit my blog www.scrappinaroundtheclock.blogspot.ca  or Instagram account @whitakerlaura to see more of what I share!
 
Thanks for visiting today, I will be back next month with more creations! 

Supplies
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02.16.16
Good morning! Brenda Smith here with you today sharing my first ever blog post as a member of the Simple Stories creative team. 
 
Do you ever hold off scrapping certain events because you just don't have the right papers and supplies? I am completely caught up on my 2015 Pocket Page album with the exception of my son's third birthday party. Perhaps it was because of the primary colors that go along with a superhero-themed party but I just could not find anything that I liked to go with my photos. That is until I laid eyes on Let's Party. 
 
 
One of the things I like most about this collection is that it's so versatile! It works great for boys and girls alike and many different color schemes including the primary colors of a Spider-Man party. 
 
 
I used one of the numbers from the Pocket Pieces pack. These fit comfortably in a 3x4 pocket. Initially I put it in the pocket with nothing else and while it looked great, it suddenly struck me that a confetti pocket made with sequins would make it even better! The sequin pocket mimics the confetti theme on some of the other cards and gives the page a certain continuity. 
 
 
I also used the enamel dots to echo the confetti motif by "sprinkling" them across the spread. With the coordinating enamel dots, you can't choose the wrong color because they all match so perfectly. 
 
 
On the right side, I chose the Design 10 page protector by Simple Stories which has 4x4 square pockets. 
 
 
There were several smaller stories I wanted to tell about this birthday party so I took advantage of some of the cute journal cards and put them through my manual typewriter.  
 
 
Ready to document the birthday parties in your life? I think you'll agree that the Let's Party collection is perfect for so many different parties. Make sure you follow Simple Stories on Instagram to see more projects made with Let's Party.

 

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02.15.16

Hey there friends!!

Have you seen the new Let's Party collection?  Hip hip hooray & woo hoo!  It's the perfect birthday collection for celebrating and documenting that special day.  It's a gender neutral bday collection that not only works for boys and girls, but for people of all ages :)

These papers and embellishments worked perfectly for photos from my 'tween'age daughter's birthday.

One of my favorite accents in the collection is the glitter look - the design is in the print vs. actual glitter so you get the fun glittery look without the glittery mess - love that!  

The Bits & Pieces are always one of my favorite embellishments in the collections - they're perfect for lots of layering, and the coordinating enamel dots add a little extra dimension and that finishing touch.

If you're looking for a happy, all purpose birthday collection, definitely check out Let's Party!  Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!!!

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02.14.16

Good morning!

How about a giveaway today!  Our friends from Button Farm Club are giving away the February Mini Album Kit.  It is jammed packed with our very own, You Are Here collection.  They have included everything from brads to chipboard and die cuts to epoxy dots. All coordinating beautifully, giving you your very own tropical escape!  Lets take a peek.
 
 
 
 
 
There are several way you can win!  Complete all options for even more chances!
1.  Leave a comment here on our blog.
2.  Leave a comment on the Button Farm blog. 
3.  Leave a comment on the Button Farm Facebook Page and Simple Stories Facebook Page.
4.  Leave a comment on the Button Farm Instagram and Simple Stories Instagram.
 
Phew, there are so any ways you can win!  Now, start commenting and the Button Farm will announce their winner February 17th!

Supplies
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02.13.16

Hello friends! It's Jennifer on the blog today with my first post for Simple Stories! I am beyond excited to be here to share layouts I created using the new Carpe Diem Scrapbooking collection!  The colors of this line are so lovely and versatile for just about any theme!  

For my first layout, I started with the colorful circles of Make It Happen as my background. I used the b-side of the same paper along with the pretty teal of Brand New Day and stitched through with my sewing machine (which I use A LOT! )  

I enjoy mixing things up and using different elements for my titles!  Here, I used the bright pink letter stickers from the Expressions Cardstock Sticker sheet and a cute Simple Stories cut file from the Silhouette shop.  I love how the Black/White Dot pattern contrasts with the pink!   To accent my title, I layered a cute chipboard arrow and sentiment from the Bits and Pieces pack underneath. 

Creating clusters of little embellishments is definitely something I love to do when making layouts!  I used both chipboard and cardstock stickers along with a Carpe Diem Bradz to give dimension to my cluster.  

Another favorite Simple Stories' embellishment are the adorable Photo Clips! Here, I added a pink heart clip to the top of my photo and secured with a staple. 

I had the idea of using a heart background cut file on my page but couldn't quite find the right one. So, I duplicated identical heart images and cut using the Don't Mind Me print. 

I adhered the negative cut onto white cardstock as well as inserted a few hearts using the b-side of Don't Mind Me.  

I love that Carpe Diem has both vintage and modern elements so that you can scrap just about any photo! I used this cherished picture of my grandparents when they were dating!  

I started with white cardstock and cut my title on my Cameo Sihouette. I then backed the letters with both the Pink/White Dot and the b-side of Fist Bump. 

One of my absolute favorite Simple Stories embellishments are the Chipboard Frames! They are so cute and fun to accent your pages!  Here, I affixed a frame over one of the 3x4 Journaling Card Elements to jot down a little information about my photo! 

Again, I created a fun cluster of embellishments using Cardstock Stickers, a cute Photo Clip, and a self-adhesive Bradz.  I also added splatters of spray ink as well as Enamel Dots around my photo. 

Thank  you for stopping by today!  Be sure to check out this collection in its entirety here! Have a wonderful day!

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02.12.16

Good Morning,

Someone pinch me, but not too hard :o)  I am beyond excited to be joining such an amazing team of ladies and to be working with one of my favorite manufacturers.  Today is my first project ever as a Simple Stories Creative Team Member!  I'm Mary-Ann and I've been a crafter forever and a scrapper since 2000.  There should be support groups for us paper addicts, don't you think?  
 
For my first project, I had these photos printed for some time.  When I heard the theme for my post was to be about 'LOVE' I knew I wanted to use these along with the Life in Color collection.  Even with it being close to Valentine's Day and I do love my husband, I also love my boy and my mom which you will see in my second layout.  
 
 
 
 
I have attached two examples of how I have altered stickers and chipboards.  I did not want to waste the tab portion of the long sticker so I used my paper trimmer to cut it evenly right down the center, then added the portion I wanted to my layout.  
 
 
 
For the chipboard, this was a complete afterthought.  Because my clump was already stuck down, I chopped my chipboard as you can see and slid it beneath both sides of the photo section for more depth and embellishment.  
 
 
 

For my next layout, I wanted to focus on my mom.  She is the first person I have ever loved!  I dug a little deeper into my stash and grabbed out the We Are...Family collection.  It happened to match the colors in my photo perfectly.  

When I first saw the Our Story paper, I was intimidated by the floral sections in the corners.  Then I thought I would just enhance them since the photo was of two absolutely amazingly beautiful women, right!  I searched all the papers for floral sections that I could cut out.  I fussy cut some and used stickers, ephemera pieces and chipboards for others.  I did back a few with foam tape to help with dimension.  

 
For the clumping around the photo, I used bits and pieces from everything I had in the collection.  I wanted it to resemble, 'my cup runneth over.'  Runneth over with love, make sense?  Plus, I love to layer and clump :o)  
 
 
The chipboard banner was spread out a bit more on its sheet but with a little manipulation and the fact that it is self stick, it can be maneuvered a little.  
 
 
I sincerely hope that I have inspired you to document the ones you love in your life.  I have really enjoyed sharing my first projects with you and will see you again really soon!

 

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02.11.16
Hi guys! Thank you so much for stopping by to check out my blog post! Today I will be showing you how to set up your Carpe Diem Planner!
 
 
 
This is my first time using an a5 sized planner and I am loving all of the extra space it gives me compared to a personal size or smaller planner.
 

 
As you can see, I love decorating my planner and stuffing it with cute stationery that I can use when I am away from home and on the go! One thing I love about the Carpe Diem Planner is all of the pockets including the back pocket to slide and store things in. Right now, I keep lots of cute little cards, clips, sticky notes and page flags!

 
 
 

I also like to keep lots of tabs in my planner for easier organization and management. I love the tabs that come with the Carpe Diem Planner! They are so bright and colorful. I also love using the Pocket Inserts. They match the overall look of the Carpe Diem inserts and match perfectly with the planner! 
 

Another fun item that Simple Stories offers for these planners are the charms! I put a couple on the Inside strap and I love the extra bling and character it gives to my planner. It also adds a nice custom touch since you have a variety of chains to choose from in the package!

Another fun item are the cute Clips. I have these spread throughout my planner for easier access to different sections. If you are looking to customize or simply make your planner cuter, these clips are a must!

And lastly, I love these cute bookmarks! I am using this one to mark my month at a glance page just before the month on two pages. I use the other one for decoration in the front of my planner since it has a cute quote on it!

 
Thats it for today! Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post. Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions! Make sure you are following me on Instagram @filoally and of course the Simple Stories pages at @Simplestories_ and @carpediemplanners! Happy planning!
 

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