HELLO 5 I 5 WAYS ART WALK TOOK CENTER STAGE IN MY MEMORY PLANNER

hello everyone and welcome to a little flashback into my memory planner.

all the way back to february to be exact.

gosh...february. what in the world.  that seems so far away, but yet not so long ago.

anyway, back to the memory planner.  

i thought it would be fun to share just how easy it is to use product from a collection in 5 different ways.  sometimes it can seem so overwhelming, but honestly in the end it all fits together like a perfectly made puzzle.

 

this week i chose to showcase art walk.

one of my favourite collections.

i love the artsy mixed media vibe, but with zero mess.

i loved using the following 5 products to pull my entire spread together.

i used the 6x8 paper pad, definition stickers, washi tape, 6x12 sticker sheet and alpha stickers primarily in this layout.  all from art walk.  they all play a different role in helping to bring the week together.

paper from the 6x8 paper pad lends itself beautifully to filling up otherwise empty blank space.  i also created some photo corners out of the paper as well as titles to prompt journaling.

the black alpha stickers make for great headings.  i love these bold letters.  they captivate instantly.  also definition stickers are a great addition when wanting to add a bit of 'emotion' to a page.  the compliment photos beautifully and enhance the overall mood of a page.

i used stickers from the 6x12 sticker sheet to not only add additonal fun details, but the labels that come with the set are also fabulous for journaling spots

the colorful washi also adds the perfect amount of color.  not only does it look great as a decorative detail but it also a gread addition to add on top of photos.  can never go wrong with coordinating washi tape.  it is one of my favourite ways to add photos into my planner, and the beautiful designs.  happiness right here.

at the end of the day, the moral of my story...this story is that it does not have to be complicated.  supplies used in the most basic of ways all work together so easily that it makes the end game look like it took forever.  which honestly was hardly the case. i only wish i had uninterrupted hours to memory plan!

so in summary:

-paper pads are amazing tools to use.  use patterns to fill up empty space or create additional elements such as die cuts.  for instance with this particular pattern paper from art walk i was able to cut apart the words and create titles.

-definition stickers are a great way to caption a photo, add extra sentiment to journaling and they just look awesome.

-washi tape is not only a standard decorative/functional piece but it also looks great securing photos on a spread.

-alphabet stickers are fabulous to combine and create custom headings and titles.

-sticker sheets are a great investment.  not only do they come with a variety of options, but most of the time they come with labels that offer great places to journal as well.

i hope that these tips are helpful in beginning your memory planner journey.  they are great little tools to help create beautiful memorable spreads that also provide a lot of functional practicality as well.

plus, they are just so fun and awesome.

everything i shared here in my post can be found right now at joann stores and joann online.  be sure to check them out, they have a lot of great extras when it comes to memory planning and all the things!

MEMORY DEX I CARDS FOR MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

hello may.

and mental health awareness month.

and my blush memory dex. cause you are just so awesome.

a topic of conversation that has really become so normalized over this past while, no thanks to the ongoing pandemic.  however the reality is (and has always been) mental health is such a huge part of our life, pandemic or not.  

regardless i am so happy that this conversation continues to happen.  our minds are so powerful.  they literally guide our every move, our every choice, our every thought.  keeping it healthy and doing everything we can in our power to do so is truly a game changer for our lives.

when it comes to mental health, i truly believe we are all more alike than different.

we are beings with deep feelings and thoughts.  behaviours and habits.  these all work together simultaneously making us who we are.  sometimes our mental health is great.  we feel at peace and motivated and overall happy with where we are.  other times, it is not.  i have always dealt with mental health ups and downs.  my whole life.  periods of anxiety, sadness.  anger, frustration.  becoming a mother 7 years ago has truly tested the waters of my mental health.  it has taken me down different roads, made me face new sets of feelings and challenges.  every day is a day where i am continuously working on my mental health.  it certainly does not take a day off.

so, in honour of mental health and this month (although mental health is a daily workout for sure) i created some new additions of cards for my blush memory dex spinner.  

using the newest heidi swapp paper collection, care free i designed visual reminders of some of my most favourite messages when it comes to mental health and celebrating it.  

all of it. 

the highs and the lows.  

because we truly would not have one without the other.

i love this one. be kind to your mind.

the stamping was done using these two sets.  i adore these alphas, and this flower set  is so beautiful too.  it is such a nice one to layer.

i really loved layering this card using care free tags, stickers, washi and ephemera.  simple layering can make some of the most visually interesting cards.  adding some added dimension with pop dots to adhere the embellishments is always a quick way i like to give my cards an added 'pop'.

and i love this last one.

the quote alone, "my tears watered my soul & gave me strength to bloom".  what a beautiful thought.  i used the same florals on this one, the other half of the tag i used in the previous card with some additonal stickers and stamping.  you will notice the 'remember' on this card is stamped multiple times in various levels of ink.  i think this is one of my favourite ways to create a subtle background and to maybe even fill up extra space i do not know what to do with.  

i adore the care free collection so much.  so many beautiful elements to bring my cards for mental health alive and come together.  i am happy i will have these reminders year round, but also in celebration and in honour of this very important month of awareness.

and remember, if you are looking to get your hands on one of these beautiful blush memory dex spinners they are exclusive and can only be found at scrapbook.com :)

MOTHERS DAY CARD I CARE FREE TWIST ON 'SURPRISE INSIDE'

hello everyone and welcome back.

this post is so exciting for me to share because i love to take what i learn, and then share it with you so that are inspired to learn too.

and speaking of learning, everything i learned in this post came from this incredible online class called 'surprise inside'.

it is a class heidi swapp designed and that is available now.  in it you will learn all of the steps to create this amazing interactive card.

i loved using the care free line to bring this card to life with what i learned from the class.  it turned out so pretty and i love that this content can be recreated over and over again with any and every kind of paper line/theme you can imagine.  it is endless!

i think now having taken this class what i loved about it most is the knowledge that you will learn to then take and adapt to future projects or cards.  i learned so many amazing tips and it really brought me back to how fabulous and fun it is to get creative with paper.

i know i will be repeating a lot of these techniques in future projects and i am really excited about that.  this class is such an awesome investment because once you learn the foundations of this card you can repeat and re create over and over again.

with mothers day fast approaching, i think this card is an amazing and unique gift idea that any mother would be sure to fall in love with and be amazed by.  if you are looking for something unique and that certainly has 'wow factor' this class would be the one.  i cannot emphasize strongly enough how much i loved taking this class and how much i learned.  the best part is how it resulted in the absolute cutest and neatest card i have ever made.

shall we go inside?

let's go!

this is one of the first pockets, which again you will learn all about in the class.  i loved and adored using the care free collection to pull this entire card together.  so many beautiful elements.  and the patterns and mood again is gorgeous for mothers day.

i loved customizing this card with stamping.  these care free alphas are awesome to play with and make the cutest sentiments.

and then once we lift up this fun banner pennant flap you will find another layer of surprise.

a fun tag card hidden with another sentiment and message.

but the fun does not end there.

next is the cutest match book openable, with another mini envelope housing the final touch, message and surprise.

ugh. this class really is the cutest. and how fun is this to gift for mothers day? pair with a gift card, cute plant or some coffee and bath salts and i can assure you it will go down as one of the most memorable hand made cards ever received!

i absolutely loved taking this online class and i know you will too.  so much to learn, so easy and captivating.  you will walk away wanting to make this card over and over again. 

this truly makes the most beautiful mothers day card, i hope you will bless someone in your life with this hand made beauty.

CARE FREE I A LAYOUT

I love this time of year for so many reasons.

but most of all, I love it for the amazing brand new paper crafting collections that emerge.

it seriously is the best time of year! :)

on that note, one cannot deny that the brand new care free collection by Heidi Swapp is stunning.  this collection just evokes everything that means better days ahead...I just adore it and all the parts of it.

this is my first official layout I created using the collection.  I even tried out a new page size, 9x12 to be exact.  I kind of love it.  its just enough real estate to celebrate all the things.  the photos, the stories and the pretty extras.

this layout has an element of interactivity.  I added care free washi to secure my photos on the page, and essentially hinge them so they could lift up.  that way I could layer even more elements and include more journaling and detail.  the embellishments in this collection are brilliant.  from the sticker book, to the card stock stickers, to the ephemera.  they all come and work together so beautifully.  

creating little flaps is such a fun way to add just a little something extra onto a page.  I mean who doesn't love an element of surprise now and then? I know I sure don't.  

I am just truly so grateful to have the ability to create things.  and make things with my hands.  to celebrate the little moments of life.  to now have this on paper forever.  to tuck away in my album and have the ability to revisit time and time again.

I hope you are inspired and moved to check out the brand new care free collection.  it is such a breath of fresh air and will make you feel so many beautiful moments as you flip through the details of it.  I love it, I just know you will too.

MEMORY DEX MUSINGS I DIY TAGS & CAREFREE

adding cards to my blush memory dex spinner is always my favourite way to channel into some creative energy.  it also is something extra special when i get to play with brand new paper releases and all the pretties.  and this collection i am sharing today, combined with the blush memory dex spinner is truly a match made in heaven. 

say hello to the brand new release from heidi swapp, care free.

it is SO pretty.  it could not be more perfect.  and looks beautiful paired with the blush spinner.  truly. exceptional.  remember, that blush spinner? it is exclusive and ONLY found at scrapbook.com 

when it comes to creating memory dex cards, i love to get creative and switch things up.  this time i thought it would be fun to create some cards except this time use die cut tags.  i love this change up and creating tags has always been such a therapeutic and fun way to just get creative for myself.

plus with all the stitching and layers, it really adds some gorgeous dimension into ones memory dex card collection.  i love all the texture.  it is one of my favourite ways to customize my cards.

if you have never incorporated machine stitching or sewing onto your cards, i highly recommend it.  i cannot sew anything to save my life but i can add stitching onto paper pretty successfully and it just makes me so happy.  trust me, you will love it!

these gorgeous pieces are all from the care free collection.  a mix of stickers, tags and pattern paper.  love love triple love.

if those butterflies look familiar, you've guessed it.  they are butterflies from one of my favourite current stamp sets found here.  mixing the solid stamp with the pattern stamp is a great way to maximize this set.  with all of the color combinations the options are endless.  this set is a must have. i embellished with some type text, and care free stickers.

this is happiness.

my happiness. 

and i am so happy to share it with you.

make sure to join in on the fun and creativity by getting your hands on a blush spinner and the beautiful collection of care free.  i know you are going to be just as obsessed as me.  it is pretty perfect!

xo

SPRING INSPIRED CARDS I ART WALK MEETS THE MINC

alas, it is the month of april.

and you better believe i am channeling all and anything that brings signs of spring and summer.

i love creating cards full of bright color, optimism and hope.

today's post does just that.

there is no better collection than art walk and the beautiful shine of the minc to make that come alive.

what is even better is that the art walk cards i am using come already to go.  simply embellish and customize and you instantly have a swoon worthy card ready to go.

most projects these days are often created using the amazing minc surface paper pad.  probably one of my most favourite products out, i just love how easy it is to add minc elements to pretty much anything!

i used my electronic die cutting machine to cut out a bunch of butterflies from the glue sheet.  i am going to add these to the fronts of my cards, but of course...we are not just done quite yet.  what makes the glue sheet special is that it not only works with the foil...but the minc glitter sheets as well.  this allows for more versatility and options when using this particular medium.

because the glue sheets are white, we must transform them.  i am going to use both the minc foil and the minc glitter sheets to add some beautiful sparkle and shine to the front of these cards.

with a little help from the magic that is the minc, these die cuts are magically transformed to coordinate and embellish the fronts of these cards simply and easily.  the end result makes it look like they took hours to create, when really just a few simple steps is what got us to this place!

take your cards one step further by adding favourite sentiments to the front.  these can be in the form of stamps, stickers, handwritten.  whatever your heart desires really.

i love when crafting does not have to be complicated!

keeping things simple is truly my cup of tea, and whenever i want a little something extra without a ton of complication...behold the minc.  it really is a crafters best friend.