Baby Scrapbooking Layout | Night Night

Hi everyone.  I just love working with baby collections. My babies aren't so little anymore but I have tons of photos left to scrap.  A baby scrapbooking layout is the perfect excuse to go into the vault and print some of those photos.
Today's layout combines all of my favorite things...a single focus photo that tells the story, supersized title, repeating pattern and an area for handwritten journaling.
 

I started out by figuring out where I wanted my title to be, which just happens to take up 2/3 of the page.  To make sure everything was precise, I designed the page in my die cutting machine software.  Once I had the title in place, I added space for the photo.  I had to adjust the size of the title ever so slightly to accommodate my photo.  Next, I added stars around the title, adding the bulk at the top and adding fewer and fewer as I went down the page.  I made sure to save room for sticker embellishments as well.

  

Next, I glued patterned papers to the back of the stars, in varying patterns, making sure no two patterns were too close to each other.



Then, I added the title to the page.  You can see I lined my star cuts up when I was designing the page so that they would be the dots to each "i" in "twinkle twinkle". Optional: I chose to stitch around and through a few select stars. Some stars got an outer border, while some had another star stitched over them and others were rounded out with wonky circles.  Other stars were left as-is.  I also added stitching under the "twinkle twinkle" amd under the "R" at the end of the word "STAR".  I chose to highlight the R because my daughter's name starts with an R.



Last but not least, the "star" of the show, the photo.  I added a few patterned papers as layers behind the photo and then tucked a flower die cut and "dream baby" flag.  Then I added additional embellishments around the page, adding more stars, clouds and a sweet little moon. I left space to add journaling.  I have a lot to say about sleepy time so I will collect my thoughts and add the journaling in a day or two.

Thanks for stopping by today.
xoxo, Heather
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Supplies: Night Night “Summer Breeze” Patterned Paper
Night Night “Snuggle Time” Patterned Paper
Night Night “Twinkle Twinkle” Patterned Paper
Night Night “Baby Blossoms” Patterned Paper
Night Night “Sweet Baby Girl” Patterned Paper Night Night Puffy Stickers
Night Night Accent Stickers Night Night Printed Cardstock Shapes

Milestones Baby Gift | Mini Album

Hello, I wanted to show you a cute baby gift idea for documenting all those 12 month bundle of joy milestones. This is exactly what every new mommy needs, along with sleep. Am I right?



This is the gift that keeps giving!  Included in this is an album with a page for each month, a spot for a photo and journaling prompts. You can also include the Lullaby collection monthly stickers for the parents to apply to onesies. Simply pull out the sticker for that month, apply to the onesie, snap and print a photo of precious baby and voila!  You've documented the month and now your photo perfectly matches the mini album.  Easy breezy!

To begin:

Here's what you need to get started...

patterned paper for mini album pages

patterned paper with the months pre-printed

Download the "about me" template I created for journaling (print on plain paper)

monthly labels

Choosing prints:

To get started, I used patterned paper printed with journaling cards for the cover.  I cut it to 6" x 6".  Of course that meant that the bottom was cut through half of the design. My easy solution was to add a paper strip to the bottom to cover that up.  I stitched it with my sewing machine before adhering it to the cover so the stitching would show through the back.  This also made a great spot to add the baby's name.



Inside pages:

Next, I cut the inside pages.  I suggest you cut these slightly smaller than the cover so the edges of the pages don't stick out when you fold it in half.

Now you are ready to start decorating the pages. The monthly 2" x 3" patterned paper cards are perfect for this.  You can download the "about me" template I used HERE.



I used two pages for each month.  I included a spot for the month, about me and a place for a 4" x 4" photo. Here is the entire album:



You can see each of the pages above.  I also included a spot for when the baby is born on the inside cover as well as a gender reveal card and a pocket for additional notes.



And once this sweet little bundle of joy turns one, this is the perfect spot for a cake smashing photo!



So there you have it.  I can't wait to gift this to my friend, who's having her baby this month!  I hope she treasures it as much as I enjoyed making it for her.  Remember that you can include a set of onesies and monthly onesie stickers that match the album.  What do you think?

Supplies:

Lullaby Baby Boy Patterned Paper Quotes (733496)
Lullaby Baby Boy Patterned Paper Blossoms (733497)
Lullaby Baby Boy Patterned Paper Delivering Baby Boy(733498)
Lullaby Baby Boy Patterned Paper Just Ducky (733502)
Lullaby Baby Boy Patterned Paper Plaid (733503)
Lullaby Baby Boy Patterned Woodland Baby Boy (733504)
Lullaby Baby Boy Ephemera Cardstock Die Cuts (733515)
Lullaby Baby Boy Printed Chipboard Alpha (733513)
Lullaby Baby Boy Cardstock Stickers (733511)
Lullaby Baby Boy Scratch Off Cards (733521)

DIY Baby Room Decor

Hello, friends.  I have a special delivery today...a quick and easy DIY Baby room decor item, perfect for a baby's room. It can also double as a gift wrap decor that can then later be used in the nursery.

Here's what you'll need to get started:

• Embroidery Hoop
• 12x12 patterned paper
• die cut embellishments
• Stickers
• Liquid adhesive or glue dots
• foam squares
• sewing machine

The first thing you'll do is cut a circle just a bit larger than the inside of the embroidery hoop.  I simply took the hoop apart and traced along the outside. Once cut, attach to the back of the hoop. Trust me, this is the easiest route and also helps add dimension to the project.

Next, choose a few die cuts to make a banner.

Stitch them together using a sewing machine.

Position them across the top of the hoop.  Adhere the edges to the hoop.  Add foam dots to the back of the die cuts that are in the middle of the hoop.

Lastly, add the babies name to the open area of the hoop and embellish around the name as well as around the hoop to your liking. Now you have the perfect DIY baby room decor for your sweet bundle of joy!

Supplies:
Lullaby Baby Boy Quotes Patterned Paper (733496)
Lullaby Baby Boy Accent Stickers (733511)Lullaby Baby Boy Ephemera (733515)
Lullaby Baby Boy / American Crafts Maggie Chipboard Letter Stickers (733513)

Sweet Baby Girl | Silhouette CAMEO Die Cut Tutorial

I wanted to document how precious the little moments are with children.  Here, my daughter is enjoying playing with a pine needle. My daughter is 7 now but I stumbled across this photo as I was looking for something to create with the new Bella Blvd. Baby Girl collection and found this gem.

I had completely forgotten how something so simple was so interesting to my daughter.  I knew when I spotted it that I needed to document it.  Since this photo was outdoors and she was wearing a cute little polka dot floral outfit, I decided to cut flowers using my Silhouette.

I backed each of the flowers with a coordinating paper, which at initial thought sounded like a bad idea but I used a function in the Silhouette software to make it easy peasy.  I included a tutorial about how I did this below.

Once I had my flowers, I arranged them in two opposite corners, leaving plenty of space for my photo and title.  The journaling will go right under the photo. The other corners were feeling a bit bare so I added a few borders and stickers to balance it out.



Supplies: Bella Blvd. Baby Girl collection: Pretty as a Posie, Sweet Safari, Just a Wink, She Stole My Heart, Mrs. Teddy 12x12 papers, Ciao Chip Icons, Treasures & Text; Ciao Chip: Whatnots; Amorie Alphas: Guacamole, Peep; Enamel Dots: Guacamole, Milk White; Enamel DooDads: Punch; Illustrated Faith Cute Clips: Adam's Mix

Baby Love

Last week, I shared month 1 of my youngest daughter's baby album, as part of Operation Baby Album catch-up. You can see it HERE. FYI, it's one of my favorite layouts!

I have done some of their baby pages already but it doesn't hurt to create more, right? 

As I mentioned last week, these 12x12 layouts will have complimentary Pocket Pages so I can include more photos, lots more journaling, and special things I may want to save. With that said, let's take a look at month 2, created using Simple Stories Hello Baby collection.

You know when you are so inspired by the products that the pages just come together naturally? Yep, that's what happens every time I get Hello Baby out. This collection makes creating these baby pages a breeze. 

I had some leftover pieces from paper I cut out for the Month 1 layout I showed last week so I put them to use on this layout by creating a wide border at the bottom and smaller one at the top.

I adore the sentiments that are pre-printed on the papers. They are great to use them as titles but I choose to create a title above and use the pre-printed one as a subtle message. I added hand and machine stitching, embellishments and journaling to complete the page.

Now I just need to get my hands on some 12x12 Pocket Pages so I can complete the complimentary 2nd page for each month!

Thanks for stopping by today. Now go on and get scrappy crafty.

Hello Sweet Little One - Reese @ 1 Month

This baby is 5 years old already. Actually, she's 5 1/2 but I digress. The point is, I am WAY behind on her baby album and even moreso behind on my 10 year old's album. I mean, I have scrapped baby photos but I want to go back and specifically go month by month and make sure it's all there with all the details.

The new Simple Stories Hello Baby collection is just what I needed to get back into the swing of things and now I have a plan.  My plan is to create a 12x12 layout with a coordinating 12x12 Pocket Page so I can include more photos and journaling details.  I am eagerly awaiting for my SN@P Pocket Pages to arrive but until then, how about a look at my youngest daughter's 1 month layout.

I was inspired to create this layout based on the So Sweet 12x12 paper. I love the pattern and wanted to use it as a background but I my photo got a bit lost so I cut up some of the paper elements and recreated the background.

I trimmed the pieces and then arranged them on the page and then stitched lines down the page. Once that was done, I added the title, photo and embellishments. 

I chose tone on tone wood grain alphas to add her name to the page. The journaling is included on a grey pull out tab behind the photo.

Thanks for stopping by today. I'll show her 2nd month layout very soon. Until then, visit the Simple Stories blog. Hint: it's up on the blog with this one today. Check back here for detailed shots soon.

Welcome Baby Reese

I've been trying very hard the past couple of years to keep up with scrapbooking current memories, focusing more on scrapping the here & now than things from the past but every now and again I go back. Today, I'm going back almost 4 years to document a photo from the day my youngest daughter was born. What an absolutely, tremendous, FABULOUS day!!!

Supplies from my Memorable Seasons August design team kit: Crate Paper Little Bo Peep collection - Jane Paper, Clara Paper, Sophie Paper, Border Sticker Sheet, Alpha Labels Sticker Sheet, Brads, Cardstock 6x12 Phrases, The Twinery twine.

Creative Notes: I created this sketch to use as inspiration. After selecting my feature photo, I hand cut various sized banners from different papers - a great way to use up scraps - and laid them out beside my matted photo. I then layered the paper banners with pre-cut sticker banners, added twine and then topped with buttons and brads. I added a pre-made sticker for the title and a sticker for my daughter's stats and layered them over strips of coordinating papers at the top and bottom of the page.

Journaling includes her name, birth date, weight and length.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Simple Stories Guest Designer

I am soo excited to be guest designing for Simple Stories this month.  I won one of their collections during one of their blog contests right before CHA Winter. Several weeks passed and I never got the any mail from them so after I knew they'd be back from CHA and starting to breath again I wrote a nice reminder email. It really never gets you anywhere but fired up when you're not nice and I knew they had bigger fish to fry than worrying about my little shipment! Through that, I kind of became cyber-friends with Jodi.  After several email exchanges I got a guest designer spot! I sent Jodi my blog link and the rest is history! I guess it does pay off to be nice and now I have a new friend somewhere out there.

They sent me some gorgeous collections to play with and let me just tell you, they think of everything. If you haven't had a chance to play with their goodies yet, I highly recommend it!  Here's a couple of things I created for them. 

I fell in LOVE with you before i met YOU layout

Baby Steps Collection
***No, I am not pregnant, just behind in scrapping some of my preggy photos***

Supplies: Simple Stories Baby Steps Collection: Signature Elements 2x12 Border & 4x12 Title Strip Elements, Designer Cardstock Totally Adorable, Designer Cardstock Sweet Dreams, Designer Cardstock So Precious, Fundamentals Carstock Stickers; Martha Stewart Punch, Bazzill Cream Cardstock, October Afternoon Mini Market alphas in Kraft & Black, Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type alphas in brown and cream, Zig Marker in Chocolate, Tattered Angels Mist in Tattered Leather, Shimmerz Spritz in Bed of Roses, Misc. thread

Birthday Gift Card Holder Card

Happy Day Collection

Pack the Track Layout

Happy Day Collection

Thanks for stopping by today.  I would love it if you would leave me a comment here of course but it would mean soo much if you would also stop over and comment on the Simple Stories blog!

Oh and I'll be showing you some more layouts made with their Generations line next Tuesday so be sure to stop by again!

Reese @ 4 Weeks

It's really hard to believe that my little majita chicadita will be turning 3 is a little over a month.  Here's my sweet little Reese when she was just 4 weeks old.  Her hemangioma was well on it's way to showing and growing and this was just the beginning.  I won't focus on that except to say that we are so blessed to have such wonderful doctors here in Houston who have cared for us in so many ways and now it's barely visible.  I bet you probably haven't even noticed it in previous layouts I've done of her.

Anyway, I used the Birds of a Feather September 2011 kit combined with this week's Sketchy Thursdays sketch and came up with this sweet layout for my sweet little girly girl.

I chose to journal on the back and use one of the phrases from the Echo Park Victoria Gardens collection as the title because it was perfect for this...NATURAL BEAUTY is what you are born with. It's so easy to judge people because of the way they look or act and trust me when this grew to the size of a quarter and was raised 1/4" by the time she was 6 months (or sooner), we got looks from not just kids (I understand curiosity) but adults? REALLY???  I'll refrain from saying anything more than that but next time, just think about your words, actions and body language when you see people with imperfections or unruly kids. You probably don't know half of their story and more than likely I bet they could use a little empathy!

As for us, this child is perfect in every way, she has taught me sooo much and she helps put everything in perspective!

Back to scrapping...make sure to check out what the other amazing Sketchy Thursdays designers did with this sketch and play along for your chance to win a great prize from My Memories Suite!

My "Tool Time" Video with the Imaginisce i-bond

Imaginisce asked me to do a Tool Time video to show the many things you can do with the i-bond cordless glue gun. 

Doesn't this tool and those gorgeous colored glue sticks look like so much fun? Well check out this video I made this video to show you a few of the things I have created with the tool. The video is packed with multiple projects, tips, techniques and ideas. So without further ado, here's some things I'd like to share about the i-bond....

Check out some close up photos of the projects I made in the video and then feel free to tell me what you think in the comments below AND leave me some love on the Imaginisce blog!

Little Cutie Girl Card - flowers embellished with purple glitter glue using the i-bond

Snag 'em Stamps Sweet Baby Doll stamped in pink glue using the i-bond

Little Cutie Boy line - buttons embedded in brown glue using the i-bond

Thanks for stopping by today! Make sure to swing my the Imaginisce blog and leave a comment there as well for your chance to win your very own i-bond!

xoxo Heather

Bundle of Joy Brag Book Mini Album

It's Day 3 of the Imaginisce party celebrating the release of it's new collection, Little Cutie.  I've been playing around with this line and it is TDF cute.  Did you see the card I posted yesterday? I love that you can use it for a little baby BUT I also love that it can be used for non-baby scrappiness too.

As usual, the DT has created some incredible projects that are posted on the Imaginisce blog and they will be giving away a collection or two, three or four! Make sure to head over there AFTER you see the first project I created with the "girl" line of the collection.

I made this cute little "Bundle of Joy" brag book mini AND I made a video tutorial below so that you can make one of your own. It's so super easy and I can think of so many other reasons to make more.

The inside of the album.

 A glimpse at the fussy cutting detail and i-rock bling:

Supplies: Imaginisce Little Cutie Collection: Baby Doll, Sweet Baby and Beyond Precious papers, Die-cuts; Petal Roller, Roly Posies; Martha Stewart Scoring Board; misc. ribbon.

And here's the video tutorial: 

Now head over to the Imaginisce blog to see what the other design team members created and to learn how you can be eligible to win your own collection.

Little Bundle of Joy Card

What better way to celebrate the birth of a new collection than to throw a party??? Imaginisce has released it's new line this week and it's called Little Cutie.  There's a boy version and a girl version of papers, stamps, die-cuts, stickers, chipboard elements and more.  It's seriously adorable.  Today, we are focusing on the little boy line. 

With a lot of fussy cutting and LOVE, I made this little card.

Supplies: Little Cutie Collection - Little Man paper, chipboard stickers; misc. baker's twine.

I had so much fun creating this card.  The sentiment is actually affixed to the inside of the card and shows throught the front through a window I cut out. I mentioned before that it includes lot of fussing cutting...all the little items hanging from the twine "clothesline", the scallops and the window were all cut by hand.  It's just what I do.  I had the white/chocolate twine and it just wasn't popping against the white background of the card so I misted it with some blue (Spring Rain) mist.

I lifted the items hanging from the clothesline with pop dots and hung a sock and bear over the sentiment window.  Then I curled up the scallops for dimension.

I can't wait to give this card away to someone special I am thinking of.

Of course, there's so much more you could do with this line other than baby so head over to the Imaginisce blog to see what the rest of the DT did PLUS, you have two chances to get your hands on your very own collection.

Expectation of Life

This is a picture story about the 9 month wait (or maybe I should say weight gain) for our little expectation of life. This is one of the first LO's I've created in quite a while that wasn't for a design team reveal. I did create it for a e-pub call but I had free will with it. The only thing that it needed to incorporate was "real world print".

I got a page from the dictionary in a recent Scrapbook Circle kit and it couldn't have been more appropriate for me.  It's like they hand-picked it for me. Granted, I'm talking about the pregnant me from 2008 but regardless, I hadn't scrapped the photos yet and now I know why. 

Supplies: October Afternoon Thrift Shop and Schoolhouse Collection Paper; 7 Gypsies Numbers Rub-ons; Pink Paislee Artisan Elements Borders; Tattered Angels Charcoal Mist "Peacock"; Girl's Paperie Tinsel & Twig vintage button; CTMH Cranberry Ink; misc. bling and thread.

I really goofed up on this page.  I meant to do more of a tic tac toe grid and while I was just stitching away, I realized I sewed a top border that I wasn't supposed to stitch. My option was to rip it out and have holes in my paper or keep on going and add a bottom border. I actually like how it turned out.

If you look at the close-ups below you can see that the defined words on one of the circles are expectant, expectant mother, and expectation of life and the words on the other circle are expand and expanded. I also whipped out my new i-top tool to add a little punch to some of the patterned circles. Then I fussy cut 3 of the same red flowers from the patterned paper and cut them in various sizes according to the pattern and then rolled them to make a dimensional flower.

I used a Pink Paislee border that absorbs the mist, which I then inked in red to add a bit more texture. What I love the most is all the symbolism in the layout - the measuring tape for the expanding belly, No. 2 for baby #2, pic of a girl since I was expecting a girl, 9 months of pregnancy and lastly the due date (but not the actual birth date) on the full body photo (see above).

Oh and now you know the story behind me and my tiara in my avatar. Thanks for looking.