Simple Stories

Hi everyone! Allison here with a layout using the Snow Fun Simple Set and a new sketch that mixes traditional scrapbooking with the SN@P! Pocket Pages.

You can download the full sketch with measurements and placements here.

The left side of the sketch is designed with a more traditional style of scrapbooking in mind, while the right side uses photos and cards with the SN@P! Pocket Page, Design 3.

Here is my layout based on the sketch.

The last few years we've had some pretty wicked snow and ice storms in my part of the country so I'm definitely not short on snow pictures. Both of my boys love playing outside and especially when there is lots of white, fluffy snow to roll around in or throw at each other.

The colors of the Snow Fun collection were so great for my snow pictures. From the wood papers matching the wood fence in our backyard to the blues and greens perfectly matching my oldest son, Drew's, hat. I did run into a little speed bump with my youngest son, Jackson's, hat. It was bright red! A simple solution was to convert all of his pictures to black and white. Not only did it compliment the papers, it also added a fun and different look to mix color photos with black and white photos. The wood paper with the snowflakes was my favorite of the whole collection. I thought it would be a great background for my layout and the snowflakes would help to frame my photo block design.

I used a combination of cards and photos to create a photo block and then added some hand stitching around the whole thing.

I used 4 x 4" photos and a card for most of the photo block but used 2 x 2" photos and patterned paper squares for one area. I added some snowflakes stickers to accent the snowflakes design on the paper. On the right page I used a combination of cards and photos with the SN@P! Pocket Page, Design 3 I decided to add some embellishments to the empty space on my photos. To go with the snowy theme, I added snowflake circles cut from patterned paper and then some hand stitching. On the snowman journaling card I added two smaller photos and a few word stickers. For my journaling, I let the "today is" card do most of the work. I used a heart sticker to "check" the box that fit the mood of my layout. I used the same snowflake embellishments on the empty space on the second  6x4" photo. I also sanded the edges of all the photos and patterned papers to reveal the white edges. I thought it would be very fitting for a snow themed page!

I hope you enjoy the new sketches! Happy New Year!

Wendy here today to share some layouts using the new Life Documented collection.   

Because I was able to create such a quick scrapbook page about the highlights of our month due to the amazing Life Documented collection I had plenty of time to scrap a fun picture of our youngest now.

 

 

So I am in love with the words included in the Bits & Pieces package!  I began this layout with the Today word and pictures printed straight from my printer, not even cutting them apart.  I grabbed a 3x4 card with the perfect sentiment for my little guy and my page was born.  

 

 

The camera paper was the perfect backdrop for my photos, but I needed a little more color and design because my page was a little bare.  I chose a blue paper to continue with the today word and the colors in my picture, but added a pop of yellow to spice up the page (plus the scrap was sitting right there on my table).  I cut a few triangles from another paper to match my background and to help lead your eyes around the page.

 

 

A few fussy cut pieces, a little tag and some twine added a little fun instead of the empty space on my photo.

 

 

I was having so much fun with the Life Documented products and since the layouts were coming together so quickly I was able to create yet another page which you can find on my blog, http://antenucci.blogspot.com.  Thanks for joining me today!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from our Simple Stories family!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of my crafty friends! Just popping in to share two cards that represent the joy I am feeling this season! I admit, I don’t send handmade cards to everyone on my list, but I always carve out a little time to make special ones for my family. The Simple Stories DIY Christmas collection makes it so easy! Everything coordinates so beautifully, it makes creating a pleasure.

This card was fun to make! I kind of love that the elements are going down in a vertical line instead of horizontal. I also loved layering all those cute little elements.

This card was really quick to create; I used my triangle punch and went to town with the DIY Christmas 6 X 6” pad. Just fantastic for making multiples. After adhering the triangles, it was simply a matter of adding different sentiments and embellishments from the coordinating Tags and Banners. I made six of these cards in a matter of minutes!

Thanks for taking a peek – wishing you a relaxing holiday season and certainly a wonderful New Year!

Hi everyone, Marie here today to share a Life Documented spread using Simple Stories' Cozy Christmas collection. I went back a few years and picked a Christmas I have never documented before. It was so easy to get these pictures displayed in an album with Pocket Pages.

This was a year we had a lot of snow which went so well with the Cozy Christmas theme.  Lots of skiing, sledding, plowing, and snowman building was going on.  And of course I couldn't leave out the hot chocolate!

 

I think my favorite card of the whole set is the one which reads "Don't get your tinsel in a tangle" which I thought was a great match for this photo of my daughter who had fallen in the snow. Don't feel too sorry for her...it happened right after she threw a snowball at her little brother.

 

I often have more Christmas pictures than a 2-page spread can handle, so a 6x8" insert came to the rescue. I used one with two 4x6 openings on each side and then added a sticker strip in between.

 

If you don't want to make an entire Christmas album, just adding an insert or two can give you enough space for all of your photos.

 

I hope whether or not you have snow where you are, you are enjoying this wonderful time of year!

Happy Holiday Greetings!  Shellye here to share a quartet of Cozy Christmas shabby chic-style gifting tags with you today.  I've pulled together chipboard stickers, cardstock stickers, brads, enamel dots, bits 'n pieces, insta squares and SN@P! cards from the collection, along with a few other basic office supplies from my stash.

To begin I started with basic manila shipping tags, as well as a couple of metal rim key tags (these can be found at office supply stores).  I soaked the key tags in a tea solution overnight to give them an aged look.

Next, I prepared the tags by inking around the edges with a brown distress ink.

I started each tag with a mat of paper that was cut from a larger SN@P! card or placed two of the smaller Insta Squares together to form a background. 

Add dimension by layering small stickers and die-cuts with foam adhesive.  When adding the brads, I made sure that I attached them to a piece so that the prongs wouldn't show at the back of the tag.

Use dies to create your own mats for the different bits 'n pieces die cuts.  And of course I had to add some pom pom trim and ribbon bows to the tops of each tag!

A bevy of beautiful, handmade tags can be whipped up in no time and they make lasting keepsakes for the recipients (or for yourself!).  Have fun tag making!

Hello there everyone! Donna here today, your host for the blog, and I have a few projects to share with you using the DIY Christmas collection.

To start, I want to share this countdown calendar I created for the DIY Christmas Simple Inspiration eBook:

If you haven’t had a chance to download the eBook, now is a great time to do so! (Just click on the link above.) It is free, and filled with lots of great ideas for cards, home décor projects, and more. I know there isn’t much time left until Christmas, but honestly I don’t think it’s too late to create a few simple homemade cards or tags.

With that in mind, I wanted to show you a couple of easy cards that you can put together quickly using items from DIY and DIY Christmas. I started with the Kraft A2 Card Bases, and added a layer from the A2 Card Fronts:

I then embellished with various other bits and pieces from DIY Christmas to create these:

I have always been a fan of the pockets made by Simple Stories, and now that they come in kraft they can be customized to match any collection. 

I decided to use them to create some gift card holders.

The Kraft Pocket Foundations and Pillow Boxes are the perfect size for gifts cards or cash. The pillow boxes would also easily accommodate a smaller gift such as jewelry. What’s better, both are small enough to make a perfect stocking stuffer!

Before I go, this will be my last blog post as a member of the Simple Stories design team. I have been on the team for almost three years now, and it has been a truly remarkable experience. I have loved sharing my projects with you here on the blog, and working with the fabulous team at Simple Stories, but as they say, all good things must come to an end, and it is time to say goodbye.

Thank you for stopping by the blog, and I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!

Hi Simple fans...I wanted to share a layout I made with the DIY Christmas line, using only a 6x6 pad and embellishments. Being a pocket page fan, I don't always go for the 12x12 papers but I love the smaller scale of the 6x6. Rather than the 'traditional' tree layout, I wanted to use this photo from the tree lot last year. It's a different kind of tradition, but one that is important to us.







This lot is literally in the middle of nowhere, and ran by a gentleman who lives in a camoflauge painted Winnebago during the Christmas tree season. He may seem a bit rough around the edges to some, but he remembers us every single year.  How I make my husband stand 20-something trees in the aisle for me to look at yet always end up with the first, lol...we laugh with him each year in the freezing cold. It would be 10x easier to go somewhere else, but that just wouldn't be the same. :)



I snapped this pic of his make shift lot with the spotlights strung about and it still makes me happy to look at. I wanted the layout to be simple to focus on the story, so I opted for a few strips from the 6x6 pad and some embellishments. 







Loving all of the fonts + phrases in the 8 sheet sticker sentiment set, I settled for the cream 'love'...just added an outline all around with a fine black pen to help it stand out a bit on the ledger paper. Some chipboard stickers here, a die cut there and I was set.







If you don't have the clear stickers yet, you're missing out. They have all of the cool phrases and look of rub-ons, without the need to rub. ;) They look awesome right on top of my photo...and I just added a few enamel dots & sequins here and there to finish things up.



Keeping it simple is 100% ok, especially at this time of year. What matters most are the things that you remember about the season...tied up in a neat little layout to remind you that good things come in small packages. 

Hello Friends! 

It's Kristine Davidson with you today and I am here to share a fun project with you. A beautifully decorate wreath created with paper! 

 I will admit this wasn't my idea - I did get this from Pinterest and if you'd like to see the original post CLICK HERE. 

I always love creating fun projects during the holidays. This year is no exception.

Here are the instructions and I would LOVE to see what you create! 

I used a 10" Foam Wreath for this project.

6 sheets of 12x12 patterned paper ( you could use more if you want a fuller wreath)

Cut strips of paper into 1/2″ X 12″ 

Curl each individual strip of paper with a bone folder

Add a bow or extra decorations such as balls, tags, candy canes etc!

I sprayed mine with Therm-O-Web Glitter Spray.

I hope you enjoyed my project today and perhaps you'll give this a try!

Hi! Angella here with you today, sharing a gift for giving this festive season. There is nothing more wonderful than giving a handmade gift to loved ones, especially when it is made with love. Take a cute little chipboard box, combine with DIY Christmas products and you have the perfect gift for giving!

I covered the box using patterned paper from DIY Christmas, then attached a couple of the die cuts using foam pop dots.

I then decorated the top using DIY twine and clothespins and some berries.

When I was done, I filled with chocolates!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry and safe holiday season. May the New Year bring love and peace for all.

Scrapbooking the holiday season fills me with the spirit of Christmas! I spent an afternoon going through some of my favorite photos when I came across this one of my niece dressed as a snowgirl last year. She’s two now and absolutely crazy about Olaf of Frozen fame. Was this a sign?  I knew it was a story that I wanted to tell. The Cozy Christmas collection with it’s warm feel and classic Christmas color palette was the perfect way to highlight the photo and story.

​I started the base of the design by cutting two patterned papers diagonally, combining the large snowflake print and wood background. I thought this would make an interesting backdrop. I placed the 4x4 photo in the center on a bed of patterned paper layers.  To keep the layers from overshadowing the photo, I used the scaled down prints from the 6x6 paper pad.

The chipboard candy cane and heart add dimension and pops of color to the neutral photo mat. A few snowflake stickers in the upper right add movement to the design.

At the bottom left of the layout, I added a cluster of embellishments to balance out the layout and add pops of color to the dark background. The sewn line grounds the cluster of snowflake brads, die cuts, chipboard accents and stars.

The Cozy Christmas collection makes the season bright. Happy holiday scrapping!