Smashbook: I Heart Washi

Hello! I hope you're having a great week :) Mine? It's been very productive! Helping my family recuperate from a cold bug this past week, has also given me lots of free time at home to work in my books. Yesterday I showed my up-to-date layouts in my Project Life album, and today I'm excited to share a new spread in my pretty pink SMASH* book!

I haven't been able to SMASH* much this year because of my obsession with Project Life and staying current in that album. Now that I'm all caught up, I was finally able to create a new spread in my book! It felt so good to SMASH* again. I didn't lose my mojo afterall! I just needed some extra me-time...

Creating a "Washi Tape" spread in my pretty pink book has been on my to-do list for over a year. I really can't believe I waited this long to do it. It was super simple to make... but has a huge impact! And it only required TWO supplies! You can play around with different tapes in your collection, and have some fun with cool thickers. Even the way you layout your pages has endless possiblities...

SMASH* Book: I Heart Washi

I started out by choosing pages in my book that had a simple and basic design and pattern. You don't want anything too detailed or with too much color. Paper washi tape is semi-transparent, so you don't want to detract from the designs on your tape. The pages I used have a simple and small pink and white design, hardly noticeable through the tape.

I guess it's kind of a good thing that I waited a while to start this project. Over the last year I was able build a wonderful collection of washi, paper, and deco tape. I loved digging through my storage bin for some new designs, my favorite rolls, and even samples gifted to me. There were so many rolls to choose from that I didn't have enough room to use all of them! No problem for me, I wouldn't mind doing another spread like this in my next book :)

When it came to using the different tapes to lay out the design, I just played around with it. The best thing about washi tape is that it isn't permanent! If you don't like the placement of a particular tape, just take it off and move it wherever. Mix up different colors, patterns, and widths of your tape! I also varied the length of my tape strips, and didn't use a scissors because I like the look of torn tape. You can even see that some of the tapes overlap. It very much reminds me of a quilt.

SMASH* Book: I Heart Washi & Thickers

I couldn't leave this spread as just tape. It needed a title. So I rummaged through my stash of Thickers and found one of my favorites. "Umbrella." I used these puffy stickers to spell "washi." I purchased them over a year ago at Big Lots, and have only used it once before now. The font is the largest of all my thickers [it's HUGE!], so it isn't desirable on my Project Life cards. But they are great for my double-page SMASH* Book spreads. And they're the perfect alphabet stickers for this layout! I also used another one of my larger alphas for the "I."  The black heart is a cutout.

A majority of these tapes came from two of my favorite online shops: Paper Addict and The Beary Scrap. The owners Cathy and Kimm are amazing! I've known both for over a year, and have been a loyal customer since Day 1. Check them out!

I've also snagged some fabulous designs online from Downtown Tape. Walmart has great tape for $.97/roll, visit Michael's for their Recollections brand [lots of variety], JoAnne's carries cute little Studio G packages for $.99, Target stocks Scotch and SMASH*, and even Big Lots and Tuesday Morning have sets of designer tapes. I was lucky enough to pick up a Cosmo Cricket "Hello" set from T.M. and a set of Elmer's designer tape at B.L., for only $3- each.

SMASH* Book: I Heart Washi | Close Up

I really love the way this spread came together... It looks fabulous! I'm so happy to be SMASHing again :) I hope you enjoyed today's post and leave here feeling inspired to create something beautiful in your book! If you would like to take a peek at my pretty pink SMASH* Book, you can find it here. If you're looking for more SMASH* inspiration, check out my "SMASH* & PL" pinboard on Pinterest. You'll find links to hundreds of DIYs, free printables, How-To's, ideas, tips, and inspiration for everything SMASH*. Be sure to follow that board because I find new stuff daily!

You also can stay updated on my recent posts, projects, and photos by following me on instagram, and by "liking" my new fan page on Facebook. So why not head over there now and show some love...

Do you SMASH*? Have you made a spread like this yet? I'd love to see it! Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? Please let me know. Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated!

Thanks for stopping by!