Tara Chaussee's Blog Posts

04.10.19

Hi everyone! It’s Tara with Secretbees Studio. Get ready to smile from ear to ear with this amazing album that has been decked out in what has to be the cutest paper collection ever! 'Say Cheese' has been around for a long time but Simple Stories has really outdone themselves with this fourth version that is not only filled with the well loved bright colors and images of past collections but is super extra with the addition of happy kids!

Because this collection is so fabulous, I wanted a big book that would really show it off and this large gate-fold album was just the ticket! I found the design for this album online at yourbookofmemories and couldn't wait to get started! This album has multi flip-out pages and pockets and every turn and flip is a magical surprise that conveys the pure joy of Disney!

This album measures 9.5 inches square when closed and is over 2.5 inches thick! Inside, it unfolds to reveal 4 large pages that alternately flip and open to even more pockets and photo/journaling spots! Plus, the front flaps have their own marvelous surprises! On one side there is a large pocket that holds not only photos and mementos but also a small notebook to record all of your memories. The other flap starts out like this:

goes to this:

and then this!

With each turn of a page, the revelations keep coming and are made even better with this adorable collection that screams happy and fun! Following are some of my favorite sections of the album but to really see all of the stunning detail, watch the video at my YouTube channel and be prepared to want to create a magical album of your own!

"Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, dreams are forever" - Walt Disney

Supplies
03.21.19

Hi everyone! Tara with Secretbees Studio here! Simple Stories has some new paper collection releases and they are fabulous! One of my new favorites is the 'Simple Vintage Traveler'. I love to travel and I think one of the best (and cutest!) ways to document a trip is a mini album!

I made this mini into a travel folio with lots of places for photos, journaling spots and mementos! There are even some hidden pockets too!The folio, which measures 5"x7 3/4" when closed, has a tie closure and I included a luggage tag from the Bits & Pieces along with some travel charms as accents.

This inside flap has both a photo and journaling spot as well as a hidden pocket with a pull-out card! The tickets on the edge are from the combo stickers included with the kit! The other flap is actually a large pocket with a long pull-out card that features quite a few spaces for photos or journaling.

The flaps open up to reveal a pocket with a large tag that also holds photos. The pocket has a few sticker embellishments and been stamped with one of the new clear stamps from the 'See The World' stamp set! In the center are a couple of multi photo flips that have been decorated with small stickers and sentiments.

The center of the folio has three sections. The left flap features a beautiful frame from the Layered Frames packet and the right flap has one of the Bits & Pieces adhered to the corner to hold a couple of photo and tag card! For the center, I folded a Simple Stories pocket page in half to hold more photos. Behind the pocket page is another hidden pocket holding another cute card!

The center section folds up and flips over to reveal the back of the folio. There is another frame, ready for a photo, and a pocket that hold a travelers notebook that I made using a piece of the patterned paper. I cut notebook paper down to size and used that for the inside of the notebook. Super cute! Now I just need to got a trip so I can fill up this folio!

There is so much more amazing detail to this folio that you really should see! Head over to my YouTube channel to check out a short walk-through video to see it all!

Supplies
02.28.19

Hi everyone! If you have a special boy in your life that is celebrating a special occasion or needs some extra love and affection, make any day a party with the bold and bright 'Lil' Dude' paper collection from Simple Stories! This collection is full of everything boy- trucks, dinosaurs, frogs and dogs along with the coolest boy sentiments!

This fun party set includes treat holders, cupcake wraps and a cute drink bottle! All super easy to make and they look even more fab with all of these awesome embellishments! I used a Silhouette cut file to make these adorable popcorn boxes that can hold all kinds of edible goodies or prizes. The papers in this collection have great prints on both sides so they look wonderful inside and out!

For the cupcakes, I simply traced a cupcake wrap that I had on hand onto the patterned paper and then cut them out. I then wrapped them around the cupcake and taped them together in the back before layering on the charming stickers, chipboard and Bits & Pieces. Voilá, the cutest treat ever!

For the milk bottle wrap, I cut strips of the patterned papers with decorative scissors to add details around the edges and then decorated them with more of the marvelous stickers and chipboard, layering some with foam adhesive for dimension. You could easily do this with water and juice bottles too! The treat holder is cut from a die and is also embellished with more bright pieces from the collection! These cool touches will bring a smile to any boys face and make for the raddest party ever!

Supplies

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