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!

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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 :)

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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.

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LOVE LOVE LOVE I MIXED MEDIA MINC

 

hello everyone and welcome to a fun mixed media minc page.

this is one of my newest pages that uses some of my favourite products and techniques.  plus inspiration i learned from the heidi swapp minc love class...which i highly recommend.

such a great way to get inspired!

the concept of this page is based around the magic that is the minc texture paste.

i just love this stuff.

you can find it in both white (pictured) or clear.  they both work the same ideally...but the white is unique in that it can stand alone, if you so wish not to add foil or additional color to it.

texture paste is just the "right amount" of mixed media for me....and works beautifully with stencils and the minc.  i am not really a "get messy" crafter, so sometimes working with products that are more on the messy side can make me overwhelmed.  however i always love mixed media projects.  i love products like this one that give me those effects without creating a huge clean up at the end. texture paste is pretty basic, and clean up is minimal. 

to be honest, up until i took the minc love class i did not realize that the texture paste can be used with the minc glitter sheets too!  seriously, i had no idea!

the glitter sheets are a fabulous way to apply glitter to projects, that does NOT come off your projects.  it honestly stays put and looks fabulous.  i wish i would have known this sooner but alas! it is what it is. now that i do know though, i need to get my hands on more of these glitter sheets because they are SO much fun to play with.

so i went ahead and added texture paste to my page using these art walk stencils.  

the key to texture paste, just like any other medium is making sure that it is fully dry before moving on to the next step.  that step here being the glitter sheets and foiling.

so once my medium was fully dry, i then applied my glitter sheets and foil to the top.  

remember, foil is always foil side up, but glitter is glitter side down.

then i ran my project through my minc on heat setting 4.  

you can see from the reveal how incredible and with such ease the glitter adheres to the texture paste.  plus with the bit of added dimension from the paste, the glitter has just the right amount of "pop".

and that matte champagne foil just never gets old. i love it so much.  

and there you have it, the perfect mixed media background page ready to go.

to complete my page i added some additional art walk elements and embellishments, die cuts, stamping and a photo along with some type text. all products used are heidi swapp.

there are so many fun elements that came together to create this latest page of mine.  i really encourage you to get your hands on some of this stuff.  the texture paste is extremely easy to use and when paired with the minc it takes on a whole new level of creativity and fun.  

i know i am just getting started with this stuff! 

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STORYLINE CHAPTERS HACK I ORGANIZATION

anyone out there love a good hack?

I know I do.  my life can use any and every type of help it can get and even though today's post may not be revolutionary for some of you who are on top of the A game of organization, this system is truly revolutionary for me.

truth be told.  I am SO not an organized person.

I mean, I am organized for ME....but someone else may think, "just what in the world is going on here" hahaha.

in any case, todays little hack of mine may just speak to someone out there.  and if it works for me, it may just work for your too.

my current story telling and scrapbooking is using the Heidi Swapp storyline system.  but with so many pieces to making my storytelling work, I needed a method to keeping my essentials close at hand and organized so that when I am able to work on a page or entry everything I need is within arms reach.  

I hate when I waste precious time trying to look and locate my essential supplies or certain things, so this way I have everything I need as my 'basics' to get the job done.

to help gain a method to my little madness, I created a Storyline Chapters bin.  

my must haves within reach at all times and in a cute compact white bin (that I purchased from Ikea a few years ago).  

it is not a lot of stuff, completely minimized down (which actually helps me to be more productive) but all that I need to get the work started.  this way when I have my basics down, and I have extra time later, that is when I may add in or incorporate the extra stuff.  

but for now nailing things down to using just what is in this bin is essential, not only to my organization, but for my creative process as well.

interested in creating your own bin?  I will share everything that is in mine to help inspire you to get started assembling your own.

first up, tags and washi.

find yourself a cute little dish that you can fill with tags and washi.  for me I consider these basic essential supplies.  however whatever is essential and basic for you will work.  it may be stickers, ephemera, stencils.  no rules here, just whatever aids you to be more organized, functional and productive!

next, stamping inks.

I always include one ink in basic black, and another ink in a color. less is more here.

I always must have a stapler, ruler and date stamp on hand.  

favourite stamps will always be a part of my bin.  I use stamps all the time and I love to rotate out different ones as time and seasons pass on.

always be sure to include a basic tool kit.  things like scissors, pencils, pens and adhesive.  I am continuously reaching for these tools when working in my storyline chapters books.

and of course last but certainly not least my current storyline chapters notebooks must be tucked into my bin.  I need them ready to go at a moments notice and I love how they are big enough, yet small enough to be carried and stored anywhere.

I also have a storyline chapters paper pad always handy. these pads are great for adding in extra color and elements such as patterned paper, solid paper or a coordinating sticker or two.  I love that these pads come with it all.

and there you have it.

my little helping hand when it comes to documenting efficiently, and on the go.  

this has really helped my creative process and I hope maybe this is something you can be able to incorporate in your creative process.  no matter what, make a system work for you.  I find that is the key with all things. customize it to suit your needs.  i love to take inspiration from many different places and then make it work for me.

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MAKING OUR OWN MAGIC I STORYLINE CHAPTERS 2021

storyline chapters and 2021.

I have so many plans for you!

today I want to share the first direction I am taking, and that is a family 2021 storyline chapters book. 

a place to record highlights of each month, and little stories of us.  

I want to be able to have a place where I can place some of my favourite photos, stories and memories of the year and have a consistent place and routine so that I get the stories down.  I think setting ourselves up for success is a huge first step in making sure we are actually successful when setting out goals for ourselves.  this creative goal is huge for me and I am committed to filling this beautiful book up as we navigate through 2021.

but first, I had to customize it just a bit.  this technique is one heidi swapp has used a lot but I had never personally tried till now.  she loves to cut out interactive "windows" in the covers of these notebooks and I think it is such an adorable idea.  so for my notebook I created a circle template and traced it on the cover.  then cut out the circle using a craft knife.

once that was complete I used some of her digital art from this kit, and printed this phrase onto a piece of vellum from the Minc surfaces paper pad.  by running it through my laser printer, I will be able to add foil onto the text to give it a beautiful shine.

the matt champagne foil gave me the exact look I was going for.  I love how beautiful it looks.

once complete, I adhered it onto the back of the front cover so that the verse shows through my cut out circular window.

inside my album you will find my first entry.  a family selfie of 2021.  I just love this photo and I think it is the perfect start to my book.  I also used some of the amazing new stamps of Heidi's that you can find here.  they are amazing, just saying ;) .

layering favourite pieces of storyline chapters embellishments is always a favourite.  I may add in more journaling onto this page, or leave it.  I just have not yet decided.  I may even add an envelope pocket for some hidden journaling behind.  we will see!

I really hope you are able to take on your own creative memory keeping project for 2021.  I love having something to not only commit too, but look forward to keeping up and documenting as the days pass on.  creating brings me such joy...and we all need more joy in our lives.  I will be back next month sharing our February pages, so definitely stay tuned!

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