Smashbook: Family Fun

Happy Friday Everyone! Soon it's going to be summer, so I thought I would share a fun spread from my pretty pink book documented last year. 

There is nothing more precious than looking back at captured memories. And what I love most about smashing, is that those moments in time can be documented not only with photos, but with other pieces of memorabilia. Today I want to share how I use those sweet little tidbits of paper ephemera, coupled with treasured photos, to document a family trip, concert, special event, or anything that you want to remember for years to come.

Here is our first trip we took to nearby Seattle, WA....

As much as I love Smashbooks, there always ends up being a few page designs in each book that I just don't care for. For instance, this particular spread in my pink book was originally of a bunch of old spoons. Not really my taste. So I decided to cover it. The Washington State Ferries fleet is stocked with tourist pamphlets, brochures, and magazines full of information, photos, and maps. On the back of one of the tourist mags I picked up, I came across a double-page map of Washington State. It was the perfect background to use for our trip to Seattle!

Since our trip began with a ferry ride, I decided to showcase our route on the map. Using a couple of star stickers, I marked our home location and our final destination. Doesn't it look great?! This is such a simple element to use for documenting day trips or vacations. You can use any type of map. This one worked perfectly for me because it was free, and it's an actual piece of ephemera I picked up while on our trip.

Another thing I love doing on my pages is adding peek-a-boo flaps with hidden journaling. You can also do it using photos. In my case I used a favorite postcard. All you need is a long piece of washi tape attached "halfway" onto one side of your photo or card. Using an Xacto knife, create two small cuts on the washi tape at the top and bottom edges of the postcard, stopping your cut at the corner of the card or photo. This creates a "hinge" to easily open and close revealing the hidden journaling underneath.

Here you can see the cool little journal spot I added underneath my card. I used it to briefly talk about some of the details of our day. I didn't want anything too big because I love the look of the map. Plus, I had plenty more journaling space on the back of the postcard if I needed it. I also added a small tag for the date and placed it where it is visible when the card is both open and closed.

Another one of my favorite elements to add to my books are pockets. I love them! They are perfect for stuffing full of the lovely paper "goodies" you pick up. Most of the time my pockets are handmade ones I create from scrapbook paper. But this one actually came from an awesome set of free printable pockets I saw on Pinterest. You can find them on my "Printables/Templates" pinboard.

Whenever you go out, be sure to keep all of the little paper tidbits you pick up. From ticket stubs to receipts, they are perfect for adding to your pockets. Here you can see the admission ticket from our visit to The Seattle Aquarium, the ticket stub from our ferry ride, a photograph that I didn't have room for on my spread, and a souvenir we picked up from a cool little shop downtown. To each piece of ephemera, I added a washi tape tag so that they can easily be pulled out of the pocket.

All of these elements together, along with your favorite photos help to make a wonderful recreation of that specific moment in time. With the addition of fun embellishments that complement your pages, you will truly have something personal and special that will never be forgotten.

Now I am so ready and super excited for summer 2013 and can't wait to document it! I really hope you enjoyed this post and leave here with new ideas and inspiration to create something fabulous in your SMASH* book. Wanna take a peek into my Pretty Pink Book? You can find it here. Looking for more Smashbook inspiration? Be sure to check out my "SMASH* & PL" pinboard on Pinterest. It is full of links to hundreds of free printables, ideas, inspiration, and DIYs. I'm positive you'll find something you like! Wanna stay updated on my recent posts and projects? Be sure to "like" my new fan page on Facebook!

Are you a SMASHer? Do you have any favorite elements you like to add to your books? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? Please let me know. Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Thank you for stopping by!