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02.27.16

Hello everyone! I’m Stacy Koo and I’m sending sunshine from the far end of the globe – Singapore!

It is such a thrill joining this team of talented ladies and working with my favourite brand of papers! I am excited to share my first project as a Simple Stories Creative Team Member today!

This same year marks another milestone for me. I recently got engaged with my boyfriend of 9 years and now embarking on a journey as husband and wife. With the traditional wedding coming up in another 4 months’ time, I am kept super busy with the preparations and decorations! We registered our marriage earlier in May 2015. I wanted to document down this set of memories, and in the following layouts, you will be seeing some of the photos taken during the ROM.

Life in 2015/2016 is showing me lots of new challenges and milestones completed. “Life in Color” collection from Simple Stories must really be the answer to my layouts’ needs! I love the vivid colors of the collection very much!

This is my first layout which I have concentrated on circular elements as the main shape of focus here. 

Started working on the negative space behind the light blue pattern paper, and then decided that I wanted to work with the positive side as well. This page comes up a little more bulky than usual because of all the 3D formations, but it works for me fine. 

On the positive spaces, I layered the elements with different depths to create more visual effects. After cutting the circular shape for the pattern paper, I also added sewing details to enhance the shape. Since this ROM took place in May, I added in the circular month as part of the embellishment detail. I love the “Bits and Pieces” pack in this collection. Simple Stories has filled it with so many choices and I am spoiled! 

See what I meant about the bits and pieces pack? Add the little piece “Today” with the memories tag in the “6x12 Chipboard pieces” and the embellishments start to hook up in amazing coordination! 

Finally, because the pattern papers are so attractive, I decided to make a little banner strip right at the top corner of the layout, to showcase the vivid colors and complement the rest of the elements.

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On the second layout, I decided on a cleaner grid page. After printing out all the photos, I noticed that these 2 photos had a significant complement to each other. It seems like my husband and I were looking at each other when the photos were placed side by side to each other. Hence, I decided to use a more grid form to this layout.

In addition, I was inspired by “Life in Color – Happy Little Moments” pattern paper. The triangular concept of the paper appealed to me and I started the arrangement of embellishments with the triangular cut in mind. 

I wanted to create some white space around the photo. Hence, to make it more prominent, I used a black marker pen to doodle some dotted lines to create emphasis on the main layout elements.

To top things up, I added some enamel dots scattered all around the layout. It helps to fill up the empty spaces yet not cluttering. I love the multiple colors and sizes of enamel dots in the series. Play along with different colors and sizes to create more (yet simple) attraction to your layout!

Hope you liked these layouts that I have shared with you today!

Comments
02.26.16
Hi, I'm Violet and I am a planner Addict! I am so excited to share with you how I have been using my Aqua Carpe Diem Planner. I used several  embellishments and packages from Simple Stories to make bits and pieces to add to my planner in a creative way. I am honored and thrilled to be chosen for the Simple Stories Creative Team. I want to say a great big thank to everyone who is involved in this process and allowing me this opportunity. Now, let the planner Fun begin!
 
One of the easiest accessories you can make or add to your planner are paperclips. They are fun and add character. I used the Carpe Diem and Life in Color self-adhesive Bradz, chipboard stickers and frames, by simply glueing them to a paperclip.  You will also spot the Carpe Diem Plastic decorative Clips.
 
 
For the Love of pockets! I used the Carpe Diem Snap Pack 3x4 cards to insert in the pockets to add some more color. Tucked safely in the large pocket is one of my favorite Carpe Diem Snap pages. Now this was the fun part, I placed the paperclips I created inside the pockets to give it some extra charm. Speaking of charms, notice the Carpe Diem chain of charms, dangling from the top of my planner, it makes my heart skip a beat.
 
 
Lets talk about the Carpe Diem sticky note bookmark. I was so inspired by this that I decided to make some extras. I used the Carpe Diem 12x12 designer cardstock paper and stickers. I traced around the original bookmark and added stickers to the top to work as a tab and laminated them. How cute and adorable and a great way to mark my spot in my planner.
 
For the  second week of February I couldn't wait to decorate my weekly pages. I used the Simple Stories You & Me stickers, and punched hearts out of the 12x12 cardstock paper and glued them to the pages. The Carpe Diem Word Label, icon and calendar stickers are a perfect way to keep track of my appointments, schedules and everyday activities. 
 
 
Valentines is my favorite holiday because of the colors and what it represents.  My pocket spread consisted of You&Me and Life in Color double-sided signature element pieces. 
 
 
My current planner set up is bright and happy and full of wonderful events. I keep track by using the Carpe Diem word label, icon, calendar and Insta Quote stickers. I lined the bottom of my planner with a thin layer of You&Me scrapbook paper and punched flags out using the same paper to add some character to my weekly pages. I love to outline everything because it makes everything pop and by adding enamel dots to the stickers it adds that special element of planner cuteness.
 
 
I truly enjoyed this month and all it has brought me. 
 
 
My second granddaughter was born and I celebrated my 20th wedding Anniversary. My son will be celebrating his 3rd wedding Anniversary and we will be celebrating my daughter-in-law's birthday this week. 
What a joy it is, to be able to plan such special events in my Aqua Carpe Diem Planner. Thank you to everyone who took time to stop by the blog. You can find me on Instagram @imvintagerose and www.imvintagerose.blogspot.com

 

Supplies
Comments
02.25.16

Hey there, friends!  Missy here with my very first blog post as a Design Team Member!  I’m beyond excited to be working with such talented ladies and such amazing products.  I decided to work with the You Are Here collection for my projects.  I love creating layouts, and I love incorporating die cuts and mixed media into my designs.  I also wanted to show how this collection can be used with color photos vs. black & white photos and also travel vs. non-travel photos.

For my first layout, I used a color travel photo.  My husband and I vacationed in St. Maarten right before New Year’s, and we took a day trip to Loterie Farms.  We went hiking, zip lining and ran through a fun obstacle course.  The photo in this layout is of me walking on a high wire in between some trees.  It was a first for me, and I can’t wait to do it again!  I wanted to create a “forest” feel, so I cut a background die cut pattern of leaves.  Behind that, I used white gesso and some blue spray inks to create a watercolor look.  I wanted to bring that bright blue into my background.

I layered a few papers from the 6x6 Paper Pad under my photo along with some tissue paper from my stash and added pop dots.  I love all of the fun die cuts in the Bits & Pieces pack, and this flower was perfect to layer here.  One of my favorite techniques is to add tangled thread under photos, papers and embellishments.  I think it creates awesome texture and gives an extra pop of color.  This cute brad was the perfect addition to this part of the page.

I love that Simple Stories gives such a variety of sizes in embellishments.  I found a large, medium and small flower embellishment to layer all together here.  And there are always so many colors!  This made it very easy to bring in all the colors of my layout to this area.

The bright orange alphas were perfect for creating my title, and I paired them up with the smaller blue alphas.  I love that you can get a few different colors & fonts on one sticker sheet.  I ran this through my sewing machine here, and then added another brad and a few sentiment stickers. 

Here’s one more close up of the leaf die cut.  I love the pop of green, and I like how it gives my background some interest without being overwhelming.  The leaves tie into my photo and create a nice tropical and jungle feel.  And this patterned paper cut beautifully in my Silhouette Cameo.

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For my second layout, I am using three black and white photos of my daughter twirling and jumping all around our patio.  She’s a special little girl, and she loves the simple things in life.  Sometimes she just looks so happy doing her own thing, and it made me think of how she creates her own little paradise here at home.  This collection showcases my idea very well.  As I said earlier, I love mixed media.  I used two different sunburst stencils.  I used a light pink texture paste through the small one and some yellow distress ink through the large one.  I also used blue and pink spray inks to create the watercolor effect.  This is a great way to create your own background.  I chose colors from this collection, so adding layers and embellishments was easy.

Here you can see the texture on the background and the pretty mix of colors.  I used several of the 3x4 SN@P! Pack cards.  They are excellent for layering and even fussy cutting.  I mixed and matched the pink and blue alphas for my title here and added some machine stitching.  I also added in a chipboard piece and a sentiment sticker.

Here’s a closer look at that cute chipboard banner piece.  That orange and pink circle element was cut from one of the Snap cards.  I love that these are part of the Simple Stories collections…you don’t always have to have 12x12 or even 6x6 papers sometimes!

Here’s the top of the layout.  You can see the SN@P! cards layered together and the color & texture above them.  I also used one of the Clear Stickers at the top.

Here’s one more photo of the top of the page.  I absolutely love the Simple Stories brads!  I love that they’re adhesive and stick well anywhere on your page.  I stuck this one right on top of my photo.  Once again, I added a few colors of tangled thread for extra texture and pops of color.

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  I hope these layouts inspire you in some way.  See you soon!

Comments
02.24.16

Hi there!  It’s Shei on the blog today, sharing my first Simple Stories post! I’m beyond thrilled to be part of an amazing team of talented ladies!! Let’s get started!  For my first layout I used the new Life in Color collection. I really like this line ‘cause it’s gorgeous and versatile. You can use it to document any theme.

I chose white cardstock as my background. I love the brightness that the white color brings to the whole project. One of my favorite Simple Stories’ embellishments are the chipboards frames, so I used them as my starting point. I chose seven frames with different sizes and I distribute them without apparent order, adding dimension with dimensional adhesive. Before that, I glued my picture and some paper pieces (Big Memories b-side paper, Happy Little Moments paper and one card from 3x4 Journaling Card Elements paper) on b-side of some frames.

Once I had the frames glued I stuck my tittle “Love, laugh, live”. I used the Scrabble words from Simple Stories’ Fundamentals Cardstock Stickers ‘cause I fell in love with them when I first saw them.

Next came the embellishing! (my favorite part). For that I used flowers, hearts and arrows from Fundamentals Cardstock Stickers and some stickers from 4x6 Sticker Sheets (I really love the black & white word label stickers). I also added another favorite Simple Stories embellishment - the self-adhesive Bradz (what a wonderful idea these Decorative Bradz!).

 

The next layout I’m sharing with you today was again created with the beautiful Life in Color collection. I started this page drawing a cross on a white cardstock, so the background was divided into 4 parts. Then I used three papers (the b-side parts of Happy Little Moments, The Good Life and So Much Happiness papers) to cover three of its four parts.

I glued my picture on the intersection of these patterned papers and I created a cluster of embellishments with flowers stickers from 4x6 Sticker Sheets and Fundamentals Cardstock Stickers. I also cut some flowers from 4x4/4x6 Vertical Elements paper. 

I used different elements for my tittle. The picture of my boyfriend and me was taken some months ago at childhood friend’s wedding. I wanted to document these fun moments I’m living with him, so I wanted to use the word “Enjoy” in my tittle. For that I used the Expressions Cardstock Stickers and I added a sticker from Fundamentals Cardstock Stickers with the sentence “happy little moments”. I also added a heart sticker from Fundamentals Cardstock Stickers behind the tittle.

Again, I used my favorite Simple Stories’ embellishments, the Bradz, to accent my journaling and a frame (half frame in this case) added at the bottom of the page.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post! I hope you enjoyed my layouts! See you next month!

Never stop smiling! Kisses!!

Comments
02.23.16

Hi Everyone! This is Jennie with my first Simple Stories post! Even though I still have to finish a few spreads on my 2015 album I decided to jump right into 2016 with Carpe Diem!

 

My daughters and I loved the puppy with flowers so I had to use it in our cover! That doggie might be my favorite image from this collection. It has been my favorite since the Carpe Diem Planner Collection came out!

 
This year I decided to use photos of the family in the intro and to frame them I used the Carpe Diem Chipboard Frames. At the bottom I added the Washi Paper from Life In Color and our names using the smaller alphas from the Expressions Cardstock Stickers.
 
 
I also wanted to share my first spread of the album! In this first week I always share my goals for the year. I also took a screen shot of my Goodreads challenge for the year which is to read 20 books.
 
 
Here is a close up of the left side and a few photos of my toddler driving and terrorizing the village. I love to use the die cuts or stickers in the center of these collages and that circle was perfect! Last year I promised to use my handwriting more often and I’ve done quite well with that promise. It might not be super neat but I want future generations to enjoy my handwriting as I enjoyed my mother’s. It also takes less time than typing.
 
 
One of the supplies I use up way too fast are alpha stickers. I love to use them on my weekly title cards. This first week was kind of confusing because according to the EpochConverter (which is what I use to track my weeks) the first week started on January 4 and that is why I added 0.5 in the title. I don’t like to add those days to my past album and I had to document those first days of what promises to be a crazy year.
 
 
These are my goals for the year, ironically I’m failing at sleeping more. I love these little pencil stickers! I’m so happy they made a scrapbooking version of this line because when I saw the planner version I wished I could do pocket pages with it and now that I get to do that it’s even better than it was in my head.  
 
 
 I like to leave extra space in my photos to add little sprinkles like the phrase sticker in the Expressions Cardstock Stickers or the Clear Stickers like the ones I used around my daughter.
 
 
I am so happy about these self adhesive Bradz! I loved the look of brads but the prongs used to drive me bonkers!
 
 
I am so happy to be a part of this team! Can’t wait to share the rest of my year with you! Have you started your 2016 album? If you want to share your Pocket Pages using Simple Stories make sure you share it with us! Tag us on Instagram @simplestories_
 
Comments
02.22.16

Hello planner friends! Leah here and I am so excited to be a part of the Simple Stories Creative Team this year! I cannot wait to show you how I have been using the products from the Carpe Diem Scrapbooking Collection to customize my platinum Carpe Diem planner.

One of my absolute favorite things to do in a new planner is setting up the front pockets. I love to create fun pieces to decorate them with so that when I change up my front pockets later, I can use the decorative pieces elsewhere in my planner. The Simple Stories Carpe Diem Scrapbooking Collection offers all sorts of beautiful embellishments to get crafty with, like washi paper tape, ephemera bits and pieces, chipboard frames, stickers and a SN@P! Pack full of goodies! I layered these embellishments to create the little cards you see below. 

The floral details in the Carpe Diem Collection are my favorite! You can see that those florals tend to find their way onto everything I have made here. I love using the paper washi tape as a background to the Word Label Stickers, it really makes the motivational messages pop off the cards! I also used a few of my paper punches to cut out some patterned papers from the 6x6 Paper Pad and then used those shapes to add layers to the cards.

Now time to get all of these pretties into the pockets! 

Most of the embellished cards just get tucked into the pockets like you see above. However, I wanted to put the card with the coffee cup in the bottom pocket and I wanted it to be fully visible. In order to do that, I took a scrap of paper I had punched earlier and glued it to the back of the coffee card to create a flap that I can tuck into the bottom pocket, so the full front of the card would remain exposed. 

Above, you can see what the pockets look like fully loaded! I use a Glue Arts GlueGlider Pro+ loaded with a repositionable tape cartridge to secure any pieces that might feel loose, but any non-permanent adhesive tape will work to help keep everything in place.

Another simple way to add a personalized detail to your planner is to add or change out your planner charm. Each Carpe Diem planner comes with one metal charm already on the strap, but the Carpe Diem Collection has a set of four metal charms you can buy to customize your planner even more. Did you know that the Decorative Bradz from all the new Simple Stories collections have a top row of brads that are the exact same size as the circle Carpe Diem charm? Of course, I chose the gorgeous flower brad from the Carpe Diem collection and stuck it to the flat side of the charm. 

All that was left to do to finish customizing the front of my planner was to stuff the front secretarial pocket with a bunch of super cute planner stickers for on-the-go planning. I also cut down my favorite 12x12 floral paper from the collection to use as a front dashboard and voila! Here is the full view! Hop on over to my Instagram account if you would like to see more of the projects I have created using this charming collecton from Simple Stories!  

 

Comments
02.19.16

Hello everyone! Marcia here today with some layout inspiration for you. My cutie patootie nephew recently celebrated his second birthday. I couldn't wait to scrap this picture of him using the new Simple Stories Let's Party collection. Take a look ...
 

 

I just adore this background paper with the two party goers on it and I didn't want to cover them up, so I created my photo and embellishment cluster in the opposite corner. Here I layered papers, stickers, chipboard stickers, decorative brads, bits and pieces die cuts, and some fun enamel dots.

 

 
The Number "2" is a Pocket Piece, it was designed to fit into a pocket page. I thought it would be fun to include on a traditional layout too. These pocket pieces have different colored dots on them which work really well for embellishing with the enamel dots.
 
 

I love adding a little dimension to my layouts by using foam tape underneath some of the stickers and bits and pieces die cuts.
 

 
My second layout is also from a birthday party, but not a kid party. We were celebrating my Dad's 75th birthday, my niece's 30th, my daughter's 24th, and my nephew's 18th at Twin Cities Whirlyball. What is Whirlyball? Think of lacrosse in bumper cars. So Much Fun!! Since the bumper cars were yellow and red, I decided to use the new Simple Stories Life In Color collection. I really love how versatile this collection is.
 
 
I had a lot of photos and wanted to include as many as possible, but I did not want my layout to look crowded. I opted to die cut a film strip using my Silhouette that I could frame some smaller photos in. I pulled other camera elements from the Life In Color collection to coordinate with the film strip like this decorative brad and the cameras on the washi paper tape.
 
 

I tucked a couple tags under my photos in the upper right. This is a fun way to hide more journaling. Along with the tags is a clip I embellished with another decorative brad.
 

 

I included one more chipboard sticker camera in the lower right under my journaling. The washi paper tape is so fun to use. I added another red strip here to draw in the eye.
 

Thanks for stopping by today.

Comments
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! 
Comments
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
Comments
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.

 

Comments
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!!!

Comments
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
Comments
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!

Comments
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!
 
Comments
02.10.16

Hello there! Allie here today, and I'm super excited to be sharing my first Simple Stories post with you today! I am in love with the new Life in Color collection. Those woodgrains and florals are just gorgeous! The "Here & Now" patterned paper was too pretty to cut up, so I used it as the foundation of my first layout.

 
To create this page, I used a craft knife to cut out the centers of the middle row of polariods. I sized and printed my pictures so that they would be able to fit inside them. Since I wanted the patterned paper to be the focus, and my pictures were from different times (aka different colors and clothing), I made them all black and white for a cohesive look. After "framing" each photo, I used the letter stickers to caption them. Since our wedding was the pivitol moment in the timeline of this layout, I used one of the gorgeous frames to highlight it!
 
 
Next came the embellishing! The patterned paper already had a lot of fun prints and accents on it, so I used those as my starting point. For example, I added flower stickers to where there was a printed flower, and actual staples where there were staples. I used this to build up the page and add dimension using chipboard, brads, stickers, and die cuts. Those backless brads are my absolute favorite!
 
 
 
Finally, I completed this layout with a big, bold title using the sticker sheet. I never would have considered doing a timeline layout like this, and I'm happy that this beautiful paper inspired me to do so!
 
For my next layout, I was inspired by a quilt I found on Pinterest.
 
 
 
I used the photo of the quilt as a reference to build my hearts using .5" strips of paper. I started with the three squares in the middle and worked my way to the rest of the heart. I was originally going to make four, but ended up liking how they looked with three hearts lined up on the side.
 
 
Once I had my hearts lined up, I added some gelatos to the white cardstock as a mat for my photo and layers. I really wanted to use some of the adorable frames, so I used several above and below my photo. The SN@P! pack squares fit perfectly behind them. Finally, I finished the layout by adding the finishing embellishments and the title. For the title, I searched the collection for as many "XOXOs" that I could find. I love a repeating title! 
 
 
That wraps it up for today! I'm so excited about creating with this beautiful collection, and I appreciate you joining me!
 
 
 
Comments
02.09.16

Hello Friends! This is Alexandra.  Today, I'm very excited to share my first pocket page spread for Simple Stories.  For these pocket pages I have used the beautiful collection called Life in Color.

I have been documenting our daily life for a few years now and one thing I know about a great collection of papers is that it has to offer a variety of colors together with some neutrals.  Life in Color caught my eye instantly because of its mix of neutrals and pops of colors and boy do we need a little color in this dreary Chicago winter!

On this page, I included pictures of the places we went (Chinatown, the morning commute) together with cards and gifts I received and a picture of the news, the new barbies! The colors on the cards pick up the ones on the pictures making for a balanced page

I love this 6x4 card on which I printed the number of the week and the dates. This almost "trompe l'oeil" adds both definition and depth to the page.

I was immediately attracted by that pocket page (Design 10) for its combo of 3" square and 3x4 rectangles. Of course, Simple Stories has thought of including all of these formats and more in their Pocket Page Variety Pack. For the top line on this page, I did something I often do when I have lots of pictures which is I categorized by subjects (Hubby's business trip,  our trip to Costco) and made two photo-collages under Picasa.

I used a label sticker to add the date underneath the Coffeecake I had made. Love the fact that it has a very light grid! Not only does it add depth but it also makes it much easier to align and print the text properly.

I also added a arrow sticker to direct the eye toward my daughter.

Thank you for joining us today. I was very happy to share a bit of our daily life documented with Life in Color.

Comments
02.08.16

Hi planner friends! Vanessa here with you today to show how you can dress up your Carpe Diem planner with a few items from the You & Me Simple Set and the So Fancy collection.  With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I wanted to use these two collections in my Robin’s Egg Carpe Diem Planner because of the beautiful color scheme and romantic florals. 

Throughout the month of February, I placed some of the double-sided cardstock papers from the You & Me Simple Set in the pockets, the Carpe Diem number stickers, and the DIY Tag Foundations. These elements, along with the I AM... clips can be beautiful details to add in a planner, but functional as well. I love using the diy tags to write down important dates or events and the 2x2 or 3x4 cardstock elements can be punched or taped into the planner inserts.

For my dashboard, I really wanted to make it more personal for Valentine’s Day by utilizing the cardstock paper and stickers from You & Me, as well as the chipboard frames, bradz, and enamel dots from the So Fancy collection. Using the self-adhesive bradz and enamel dots add more texture to the dashboard and a mixture of patterns.

One of the things I wanted to pay more attention to in my planner were the monthly pages. All too often I neglect them and focus on the weekly or daily pages, but having a monthly view can help plan for the whole month and upcoming events.

To help me want to utilize the monthly pages, I decorated the pages with the same theme and customized the top of the pages. I used the You & Me Love Story cardstock to add a pop of color and the coordinating cardstock alphabet stickers. To fill the dates, I used the Carpe Diem number stickers in one color for a streamlined look and a few more of the You & Me cardstock stickers for layering.

I hope your creativity runs wild with these collections for February and happy planning!

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