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!

Project Life: Week 19

Hello! I hope life has been good to everyone since I've been away from my blog the last week or so. In case you were wondering what I've been up to lately, every so often I like to step away from the internet and things technology related. And to be honest, I think everyone should give it a try at least once...or better yet, on a regular basis. This day and age it seems like our techno gadgets are extra appendages. And any chance I get to take a break from the craziness of this high tech world, I jump on it. You wouldn't believe how rejuvenating and worthwhile it is to "unplug." No internet, TV, or cell phones. It's time that I use to discover a new hobby, do fun things I haven't done for a while, get back to my roots, and most importantly spend real quality-time with my loved ones.

So now you know something new about me :) But I shouldn't have to tell you that I love to use some of that "unplugged" time to work in my books too. My recent time away gave me a chance to play catch-up in my Project Life Album. Instead of rushing through the last couple of weeks just to get them done, I've been able to really focus on them and fully enjoy designing the specific layouts.

And now I'm so excited to finally share them here with you...

                                  WEEK 19

Life Documented

May 5 - May 11

Week 19: Full Spread

I don't know about you, but I am so in love with neon! It's cheerful and fun and represents all that I love about the upcoming months. And although it isn't always warm here in the springtime in the Pacific NW, the bright and sunny colors on these pages puts a smile on my face. From the cards themselves, to the embellishments that adorn them, I used neon everywhere. Paired with the various colorful photos from this week, it's a perfect fit for documenting everyday life!

Week 19: Left Page

The layout for the left side came from a generic set of photo pages I picked up from Hobby Lobby. I was getting used to using Design A {with the horizontal 4x6s and vertical 3x4s}. But I'm liking the variety this specific photo page provides for my album. Plus I get to use more of my journal card collection! All of the vertical 4x6 cards you see here, came from my We R Memory Keepers double-sided journal card pads. To them, I added a few instagram pics, handwritten quotes, journaling, washi tape, cut-outs, a spritz of homemade alcohol ink, twine, Cameo cuts, an assortment of alphabet stickers and thickers, and other sweet little details.

[Click here for my Alcohol Ink DIY]

.

Week 19: Left Page - Close Up

For the smaller 4x3 slots I used a mix of fun cards. The orange "enjoy" card came from a lovely set of "Inspiration" cards by Melody Ross. The May calendar card is from a set of free printables you can find on my "SMASH* & PL" pinboard on Pinterest. On another card, I added an instagram pic, a cutout label, and some tiny alphabet and number stickers. My favorite card is the actual mail pick-up slip (cut-to-size) left by the postman which I used to claim my happy mail package :)

Week 19: Right Page

This right side is a from a We R Memory Keepers photo page set. I chose this specific page because I knew I needed the slim 2" slot (far left) for one of next week's photos. Here, I used a double-sided strip of bright and colorful neon scrapbook paper and some polka dot alphabet stickers. For the horizontal 4x6 slots I added two full-size snapshots of my newly redesigned blog, which I also documented on a free printable journal card with a Kraft cardstock mat. The vertical 4x6 quote card and numbered journal card is by WRMK. As for embellishments, I kept it simple and let the photos and cards speak for themselves.

Are you documenting 2013 with Project Life? What's your favorite element to use in your books? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? Feel free to drop me a line. Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Mahalo for stopping by!

Project Life: Week 18

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed your weekend :) When the sun comes out, we are out on the town exploring. Can't wait to document all of the fun stuff we do during the warm summer months coming up! Since I'm all caught up on my PL album, I thought I would share last week's layout with you now....

WEEK 18
Life Documented
April 28 - May 4

Week 18: Full Spread

It truly was a  lovely spring week here in the Pacific NW. We enjoyed plenty of sunshine and had lots of fun family time out-and-about our neck of the woods. Lots of great instagrams, cool snippets, fabulous fillers, journaling, and handmade cards fill these pages.

Week 18: Left Page

Here I'm usisng a Becky Higgins Design A photo page. I decided to do something different with it this week, and made some of my own cards using Amy Tangerines 6x6 "Sketchbook" paper pad. The small 6x6 pads are perfect for Project Life. Just one 2" slice off of one side gives you a beautiful 4x6 card to decorate as you choose. The embellishments on this page consist of some cute Cameo cuts, an Amy Tangerine "Sketchbook" label, some washi tape, alphabet stickers, and Amy T. thickers. 

Week 18: Left Page - CloseUp

I filled the 4x6 slots with a handmade card for instapics and a couple of We R Memory Keepers cards, even using one of them for my title card. Another slot holds a snippet of our recent activity on Netflix. Since it was about The Walking Dead, I added one of my Get Glue stickers. The smaller 3x4 slots hold some fun free printables. On one of those cards I chose to handwrite a favorite quote. I even added a snapshot of the weather this week taken from an app on my smartphone. The last 3x4 card came from a 12x12 paper pad collection. I used it as my "May Day is Lei Day" card.

Week 18: Right Page

This page came from a set of generic photo pages I picked up from Hobby Lobby. I love using 3x4 cards and when I saw this layout with 4x3 slots, I had to have it. It's awesome because I had lots of  horizontal 4x3 cards but no photo pages to hold them! I think it works great with Becky Higgins' Design A page. 

I included a couple more handmade cards using Amy T scrapbook paper, but this time I cut them vertical for the 4x6 slots. The "Favorite Things" and "Treasured Memories" cards are by WRMK. I filled the center column with cool 4x3 cards that came from the same paper pad collection of my "Lei Day" card on the left page. I added more instagram pics of various sizes spread throughout the different cards. More awesome Cameo cuts, alphabet stickers, washi tape, and other small little details finish off this spread.

Are you documenting 2013 with Project Life? How do you like it so far? 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!

Smashbook: Prompts & Doodles

Aloha! I would like to send Mother's Day wishes to all of the wonderful Mommies out there in the world. We are all someone's "hero." I hope you had a blessed day ♥ It's been a long time since I smash*ed in my pretty pink book. And feeling inspired by the love from today, I finally picked it back up and created something beautiful again.

As you can see, I spent my much needed "Me Time" during this Mother's Day weekend with writing utensils in hand. I don't know what urged me to turn the original "Top 10" prompt into a full spread, complete with a "Currently"  list and Doodles & Zentangles. As I worked, I kept having flashbacks from my high school days. Seeing notebook after notebook full of colorful journal entries and drawings. It's amazing to see how much my style has been consistent but yet evolved to what it is now.

Believe it or not, I was suffering from a KILLER migraine this whole weekend! I had to find something to get that awful pain out of my head... I turned to my SMASH* book. I remembered how relaxing and peaceful my last Zentangle session was. [See my "Zentangle Fairytale" post.] So I knew it was the perfect remedy now. I gathered my supplies, and let my thoughts and ideas flow... 

I flipped through the book searching for the perfect pages. I came across a set of lined "notebook" paper with a "Top Ten" prompt on the left side. If you know me and follow my blog, you know that I love writing and penmanship. I take full advantage of the chance to play around with different fonts. It's a passionate detail that I love adding to my books! Always starting out with pencil first, I freehand the various fonts using the lines as a guide. Then I go over the pencil using my black zig pen/marker, and erase all of the pencil marks. I usually make one more pass with the black pen to finish it off. I decided to leave each "fave" black since there was already so much color from the numbers and my doodles.

I guess it was only appropriate to turn this fully lined paper into my "Currently" list. I started out with Amy Tangerine "Journal" thickers for the title. The simple and slim letters fit perfectly into the space next to the (date/time/place) label already there. I didn't want to use only my writing on this page though. So I used some large Hero Arts wooden alphabet stamps for the prompts. It's okay to have the letters and words look a little imperfect. I think it totally compliments the randomness of the doodles and zentangles :) I added some sparkle with journaling using my metallic purple sakura gelly roll pen.... *Don't mind the little white "splotches"...it's white-out. I had to fix a couple of things because my toddler kept bumping me. The joys of "Motherhood." ;)

I left the best part for last! As far as the doodling and zentangles go, that was all done freehand too.  After I knew how much space I had, I used a mechanical pencil and just started drawing. Working in sections and using a mixture of fun shapes and designs paired with simple repetitive patterns....my work came to life. I outlined each section with the black pen twice and erased all of the pencil marks. I started filling in the  zentagles with touches of black, and added pops of color using a set of really chunky art pencils with different colors blended into each one. I added the different elements and designs as I went, slowly filling in the empty spaces. 

I love the way it turned out! I really hope you enjoyed this post and feel inspired to create your own Zentangle pages in your books. Once you get the hang of it, it only becomes more enjoyable. I like how incredibly relaxing and peaceful it is. Did I mention it also cured my 3-day migraine? Yup. It honestly did. I had nothing to focus on but my art and the paper in front of me.

Interested in trying another fun SMASH* book entry? How about a "100 Things I Love" spread? I even provided a list I made to help get you started on yours. Click here for my "100 Things" post. Wanna take a peek into my pretty pink book? You can find it here. Looking for more SMASH* inspiration? Check out my "SMASH* & PL" pinboard on Pinterest. It's full of hundreds of ideas, inspiration, DIY's, and printables. I know you'll find something you like! Want to stay updated on my recent posts and projects? Be sure to "like" my new fan page on Facebook! 

Do you SMASH*? Have you tried Zentangles yet? What do you think about it? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? Let me know. Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Thanks you for stopping by!

A SMASH* Travel Bag

Happy weekend! Are you enjoying this gorgeous weather as much as we are? I love this time of the year.... it has to be that "islander" gene in me ;) The sunshine makes me happy. And when the weather is warm, we love our family time together in the great outdoors. Let them be day trips exploring the local wildlife and natural beauty of the Pacific NW, or relaxing ferry rides to the "Emerald City". Weekend road trips visiting family down in Portland, OR, or a 3 hour scenic drive to vacation in "Twilight Country." Life is full of fantastic adventures. With family vacations being at the top of the list! So I thought, how perfect would it be to bring my love for documenting life along with us when we travel? And that is exactly what I did with our road trip last month to La Push, WA.

When I pack a bag for my supplies, I keep in mind what our trip is all about. We were going to live "The Twilight Saga." So many photo opportunities: the famous locations, beautiful scenery, the resort. I also knew we were going to collect plenty of ephemera since both the rez in La Push, and the nearby town of Forks caters to tourists. I grabbed "Twilight Maps," brochures for the surrounding area (rainforest trail guides, restaurant menus, outdoor activities, etc.), travel mags, pamphlets, etc. I even did a ton of research on the net, created an itinerary, printed turn-by-turn road maps with all of our destinations "pinned", and took down info of the locations we were visiting. I wanted to enjoy every minute of our time there!
[*I kept all of this info in a file folder and added it to my bag.]

Back to our trip... my favorite part was the fact that technology was pretty much non-existent at the oceanfront lodging we were staying at. No cell signal. No TV. No internet. No telephones. But that didn't stop us from enjoying each other's company. Not to mention the amazing culture, lush rainforests, and beautiful beaches right at our doorstep. Even the time in our room was wonderful...with a view of the ocean right from our bed! Best part... after all of the sightseeing, I had plenty of time to relax and SMASH.

You can add anything you want to your bag. This is what I like to include in mine... it's a little bit of everything. They're all things that I personally use on a regular basis. My go-to supplies when I SMASH* or create my Project Life pages. I have just enough here to hold me down while documenting our vacation, and satisfy my crafty fix while away from home. You are more than welcome to modify this list so it suits you better. It should give a good jumping off point when creating yours.

SUPPLIES

• A Bag with Sturdy Handles: I use an eco-friendly bag made from recycled plastic bags. I picked it up for 50% off only paying around $2.50.
• Instax Mini 8 Instant Camera & Film: Partnered with my digital point and shoot (not pictured)

• SMASH* Book or Daybook: I took both ;) I handmade my daybook especially for this trip!
• A Notebook: My journal that also holds ideas for my blog and Project Life/SMASH*
• Small Notepad: I use it to jot down specific details (dates/times/location/activities/feelings), make lists, as a photo log, to record things people said, etc. I stick it in my purse if we go out.

• Thickers & Stickers: Themed embellishments, different alphabet stickers, word sentiments, etc.
• Embellishments: Cardstock cutouts, diecuts, tags, or other fun stuff. Choose ones relating to your trip.

• Journal Cards: I picked out ones with a road trip/travel theme. I even made my own "Twilight" cards on Silhouette Studio and cut them with my Cameo.
• Pockets: A mix of different ones to hold journal cards and tidbits of paper ephemera and mementos. Glassine bags, library card holders, handmade pockets, etc.

• Goodie Bags: Plastic SMASH* bags that come in different sizes. I use them to hold the little treasures I collect from vacation, for postcards and other ephemera we pick up, and to store my  journal cards and embellishments for the trip.

• Pencil Box: Holds all of your writing utensils and tools so they aren't rolling around the bottom of your bag.
• Black Zig Pen/Marker, Mechanical Pencil, & Eraser
• Colored Pencils: I love working with different media.
• Scissors: Mine is Tonic's Spring-Cut Detail Scissors
• Glue Stick and Mounting Squares: Both are little to no-mess adhesives perfect for traveling with.

• Washi Tape: I know it's hard to choose, but I limit myself to just a few rolls.
• Roller Date Stamp: I chose one with sentiments that will work for my trip. 
• Mini-Inker by SMASH*: Very handy and portable little tool with 3 different ink colors.
• Mini Stamp Pad: Takes up less space than a standard ink pad.

That's about it. So super simple to put together. Just customize the contents of your bag to fit your style and needs. And as you can see, everything easily fits into my bag with room to spare. So there really is no need to bring a ton of supplies, in a huge bag that you have to lug around along with the rest of your stuff... unless you really want to. The only thing missing here though are my cameras, which have their own cases and stored in our "Tech" bag, and my file folder with all of my travel information. This sweet little bag was so easy to transport and took up very little space in the car. I kept it on the floor near my feet making it easy to get in and out of so I could SMASH* on the road, and find the maps I printed out :)

Wanna stay updated on my recent posts and projects? Be sure to "like" my new fan page on Facebook!

I really hope you enjoyed this post and feel inspired to bring a bag like this along on your next trip. Already have a travel bag? What do you like to include in yours? Did you find this info helpful? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? Feel free to drop me a line. Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated.

Mahalo for stopping by!