Simple Stories

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. 

Click here to shop from the new Silhouette designs.

Click here to shop from the new digital collections.

Hello Friends! 

It's Kristine Davidson with you today and I am here to share a pocket page spread featuring the Happy SN@P! Pack!  At first I looked at the colors in this kit and really wasn't sure. I'm not much of a fan of pastel colors but this certainly fooled me! Once I started using it and adding my own personal touch to the cards It turned out - Awesome!

When I started my spread I wanted to add a few wood veneers but wanted a bit more color to match the papers so i took a few from the Say Cheese II collection and spray painted them. Super easy to do and adds a bit more color to your project.

This spread is from the month of May 2015, and I'm still on track doing my monthly spreads instead of weekly and I am enjoying it so far. This month of May I had a few things going on and one of them was a little photo shoot with my nieces and nephew. In order to add all those photos in my spread I created a little 6x12" pocket. Continue reading to find out more!

Here are a few close up pictures of the left hand side of my spread. - I added a few doodles on the cards and some ink splats as well. No sewing this time ;-)

Here's the right side of my spread -

Here are a few close up pics of my pages

Now for the fun part. I took a pocket page protector and cut it in half.  I wanted to add extra photos to my monthly spread and this was the perfect way to do so. I didn't want smaller photos or not include them in my spread so I added an extra pocket measuring 6" wide x 12". It was perfect!

Here I have the 6x12" page front and back

Here it the pocket page inserted in my album in the middle of my spread.

and to show you the finished pages - including the 6x12 pocket page

I hope you enjoyed my post today and I hope you enjoy creating with Simple Stories!

I always love scrapbooking photos that I've just recently taken.  The pictures in both of these layouts aren't the greatest because I took them with my phone but I love the stories behind all of them so that's why I decided to scrapbook them right away!!

First off I'd like to share this layout "Remember" about my daughter & me.

I used some Life Documented products on this layout along with my Silhouette CAMEO and some Simple Stories cut files. I love how everything goes together so wonderfully.

I printed my journaling right onto the journal cards and embellished the surrounding areas with some cut files, stickers, washi tape and canvas stickers.

As you can see from the full layout picture I added some more of the canvas shaped stickers in some of the circles section of the grey cut out card stock.

I cut the title and accompanying large circle using my Silhouette. I also kept some of the negative shapes from the cut designs to use as added embellishments on my page.  (i.e. the arrows from the arrow tabs).

The second layout that I want to share with you today is from a recent hike I took my kids on. Good thing I took a picture of all of us at the very beginning though because by the end they were tired out!

I went through my papers and when I came across the Legacy collection I knew it would be perfect.

I used some of the alpha stickers to create my title - changing the font and sizes helps to create an interesting effect.

At the end of the title I added a brad - shape of a clock - because it fit perfectly with the theme of my layout.

I used my computer to print right onto the journal card and added some chipboard shapes, sticker and enamel dots.

It's always fun when collections have so many different types of products that match. As you can already see I've used a variety of products already and I just love the dimension that the chipboard adds to a layout.

I hope that I've inspired you to scrap those photos that have special memories & meaning to you.

Howdy!  Layle here with you again today for the final day of our Simple Stories & My Favorite Things Product Swap!  

Hi there Simple Stories AND My Favorite Things fans! Suzanna here today to share with you a fun summer layout created using the new Summer Vibes collection from Simple Stories and some goodies from My Favorite Things.

The theme of this layout is none other than popsicles and what better way to share that than a row of stamped and die cut popsicles?! I used some of the MFT hybrid inks for the first time. If you have never tried these inks, I cannot recommend them enough. I definitely suggest you give them a go! MFT hybrid inks are pigment-based inks which dry like dye inks and are permanent on paper surfaces. They are acid-free, archival, and fade resistant. As these inks are fast drying and waterproof, they cannot be embossed with embossing powder.

I have always been a fan of MFT dies, I have collected my fair share over the years. The stamp and die combinations always stamp crisply and you always get clean cuts from the dies. For this layout, I used the You're the Sweetest Thing stamp set and cut them out with the Sweet Treats die set. These popsicles are the perfect compliment on the theme of my layout! I love the color combination of the aqua and yellow against the reddy, orange background!

This Summer Vibes collection is THE best! There are so many fun sub-themes within the collection and the colors are just sublime! The pocket scrapping cards, or SNAP cards as they called when referring specifically to Simple Stories' cards, are great for layout's as well. For those of you who are layer lovers, the SNAP cards make fantastic layers, as I've done here in this layout.

Thank you for stopping in today! Make sure to check out all the great projects from earlier this week and the MFT blog if you haven't already done so.

Howdy!  Layle here with you again today for day 4 of our Simple Stories & My Favorite Things Product Swap! 

Hello everybody !! It's Mindi here to share with you a few pocket pages using the new Summer Vibes from Simple Stories and a fun stamp set from My Favorite Things Stamps !! Fun stuff right ?!! 

Hello, again!   This is Amber, founder and creative director of Simple Stories.  I can't believe how fast this month has flown by - here I am for another installment of my monthly Document IT blog feature. 

Last month was super busy with our 2nd quarter release and design deadlines for our 3rd quarter release, so you may have noticed there wasn't a Document IT post from me in April; however, as part of our (inter)National Scrapbook Day celebration, we had some fabulous free printables, including April's Month in Review printable.  If you missed those, you can download them here :)

Can you believe it's the end of May already?!  Summer is just around the corner - YAY!  In fact, my kids are already out of school, and that means lots of activities for the kids this summer.  Thank goodness I've got my Life Documented planner to help me keep it all straight!  

During the summer I like to cook a lot, and that means lots of searching for recipes, weekly menu planning & shopping lists - anyone else out there like me?  If so, you're in luck.  This month's free printables are all about just that!

When I sit down to plan our menu for the week, I use the Menu from the Life Documented Basic Inserts pack.  I don't always decorate my weekly menu to this extent, but every once in a while it's fun to do!

I write my shopping list as I go through the recipes, using the Shopping List included in this month's free printables.  Once I have my menu set for the week, I write it on the days of the week card, also included in this month's free printables.

When I'm done, I add it to a cute decorative clipboard in my kitchen so the family can see what's planned for the week.  That eliminates all of those 'hey mom, what's for dinner' questions :)

You'll also find recipe cards in this month's free printables!  The Life Documented Envelope is a great place for storing your recipe cards & recipes printed from the internet for the week in your planner.

The Recipes to Try included in this month's free printables is a great place to list those recipes you want to try from different cookbooks, Pinterest, etc.  We've even included a 'made it' checkbox and rating scale for each recipe on the list.

Our Life Documented 3x4 and 4x6 cards are also a great place to note menu, recipe and snack ideas and insert directly in your planner!

FREE PRINTABLES!

Now we get to the really fun part!  We've designed these FREE printables for May to coordinate with your Life Documented planner.  Even better, we'll be offering free printables each month!  

Click here to download May's Free Life Documented Printables.

There are a 6 free printables this month, including:

May Month in Review
Recipes to Try
Recipe Cards
Menu Planner
Days of the Week Card
Shopping List

TIP: The May free printables are on a single PDF document with 7 pages - print off what you want and the quantity you need.  We've added cut marks to each printable, so you can easily trim your pages to size.