You are My Happy by Stacey Michaud

Raise your hand if you are loving the new releases from Teresa Collins?  I have my hand way up high.  Each collection has embellishments and papers that I absolutely adore.  One of my favorite lines is the Daily Stories collection.  I get all swoony when Teresa makes a collections with lots of color.  This one is fantastic.

I made a layout using a simple and clean design.  The detail is in the details!

All of my major elements went into the center of the page.  I used a 4X6 photo that I overlapped with the new Essentials frame and the You Are My Happy card.  I then layered on a new overlay.  These things are so great!  I cut this one so just the words were showing.

I love the new embellishments that I used in this cluster.  I went with the bold You are My Happy because there is not a lot of color in my photo.  I tied the two together using the curvy flower chipboard.  In order to create more curves, I used the Remember This die-cut with the rhinestone.  

I finished off the top of the page with a chipboard butterfly and saying along with the new wood pieces!  I am  in love!  These little wood pieces point right to my photo.  Using arrows on a page is a good idea, especially when you point them to a photo, title or main element.

I am loving the new collections!  I am sure you are too!

Happy Holidays! by Jamie Harder

I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday and spending oodles of time with your families!  I am enjoying spending so much time with these two girls:

There is just so much goodness in Teresa's Santa's List Collection.  I mixed up the border strips with patterned papers along the left hand side and on the right of the picture, I mixed up die cuts and chipboard pieces.

I finished this layout off with a sprinkling of sequins…LOVE those sequins!!  And a couple of die cuts adhered with dimension dots and the button chipboard!

It has been an absolute pleasure designing for Teresa Collins - she is so crazy talented and truly a wonderful person!  I am filled with so much gratitude to have been part of such an amazing team.  xoxo  Lots of love to you all and to your families this holiday season and all the best in the New Year.

Santa Love - Santa's List by Leslie Ashe

Merry Christmas Eve, Eve everyone!

Leslie here to share a little Santa's List layout with you.

Here's My "Santa Love":

I know some people either do or don't save scraps from previous
layouts, cards, projects. I sometimes and I mean SOMETIMES do.
A few months ago while creating CHA projects for Teresa Collins,
I decided whatever scraps I had left over I'd keep and see if I'd use later 
on anything I have planned for the year.
I'm SO glad I did. 
This background is the remnants of a layout you've seen recently by me, 
only you saw the circle. This is the negative of that...and turned on the
opposite side so it looks COMPLETELY different. 
(it's red/white polka dot on the previous side)

I took some extra scraps I had cut (strips of paper, etc...)
and used them as my background matting. I layered each piece
and added some of the border strips from the Santa's List collection.

What's the most fun about my Santa Love layout (to me!) is 
I placed my photo of my husband and Santa on top of the file folder
so I could journal on the inside:

I just recently purchased that reindeer punch and was DYING to use it.
Punching from some Teresa Collins Santa's List paper really made his stand
out, don't you think?

My touches for this layout are adding the twine to some of the cardstock
buttons, sequins & bits from the die cut sheet.

Thanks for stopping by today. I know this time of the year is 
quiet busy with all the hustle and bustle of last minute Christmas 
festivities and shopping.  Enjoy every second!

When you get a chance - create and keep those scraps!
You never know when you'll need them :D

War & Peace by Stacey Michaud

This past weekend, we were hit with snow.  In the spirit of all things winter, I am sharing a layout about good, ole snowball fights!  I will show you how to use small touches to make a layout pop!

 

Here is my page.  I love how Teresa's Santa's List line uses Kraft as an unexpected color.  It reminds me of simple brown paper wrapping and burlap, both beautiful textures in the winter.  While the line is mainly Christmas-based, it has strong winter themed pages and embellishments.

 

 

I used the snowflake paper across the middle because it has the red, glittery ones as well as the larger flakes.  To make my photos stand out, I placed them on top of red elements, the journaling card and an open envelope in candy cane stripes.

 

 

I incorporated other snowflakes around page.  I purposely placed them to the right of my photo cluster to lead the eye to the title.  It is important to link the elements of your pages together.

 

I used the large chipboard snowflake, placing a die-cut circle and enamel dot in the center.  I hand cut one of the glittery snowflakes and put a cream enamel dot in the middle.  To add more elements and movement, I stamped a couple of more. Scrapbook design is like home décor, use groupings of three in all different sizes!

 

 

 

I didn't know where to place my journaling as I didn't want to crowd the title and snowflakes.  So I place my words on a die-cut ticket and glued it along the top of the page.  I grounded it with a Love die-cut circle and black border.  Notice the number of snowflake themed items I incorporated around the page!

 

Have fun adding small details to your next page!

 

Twinkle Twinkle Santa's List Layout by Dedra Long

Hi Everyone! Dedra here to share a layout using the Santa's List Collection. This collection will get you in the Christmas spirit for sure.

To create this layout I used leftover paper scraps from my other projects. I used both of the red and white striped papers just as they were cut. I moved them from top to bottom to see which orientation I liked best.

Once the orientation was good to go I used another striped border piece to overlap and tie the other papers together. Adding the snowflakes, die cut cardstock pieces, stickers, enamel dots and a little bling was subtle and simple enough that I felt the photos took center stage in this one.

I have a confession, I have always believed in the saying that sometimes mistakes end up adding an unexpected element to your projects. That is exactly what happened in this layout, even though it was small, it still kind of stressed me out initially.
If you scroll back up and take a look at the star cardstock sticker to the left of the layout I had to put something there because I was trying to use my trimmer to cut all of the layered pieces and it totally crunched and chewed that striped border piece. You should have seen me trying to figure out what to put there to cover it up, lol!

I always love to hear the stories of other disasters and how they were "creatively dealt with!"
Do you have one you could share?

25 Days by Stacey Michaud

Hello everyone!  Today I am sharing a layout that documents an annual family tradition, the arrival of our elf!  The little fellow's name is Dash and he is a member of our household for 25 days each year.

I remembered to document some of his best moments last year so I could scrap them using the Santa's List collection!

This base paper comes with the newsprint and scalloped edge.  I decided to work with the already fabulous design by building along the edges!  I placed my photos along the bottom edge, staggering my three pictures. 

When I design, I look for a way to balance my photos.  In this case, I went to the opposite side.  I used a journaling card along the left side and layered on top of it.  I used the die-cut banner and some chipboard.  To give it the last touch, I used some burlap twine in a chipboard button. 

I wanted some more green on the page, so I glued down a line of the sequins.  I love, love, love sequins!

For the rest of the page, I chose elements that worked with my ideas.  I went with the large, numerical title, using a die-cut ticket and black alphabet to mix it all up.  I also created a cluster along the bottom.  It started with the naughty or nice chipboard banner.  I figured it was perfect since the elf's job is to report back to Santa! 

I layered a different shape, using the circular Christmas die-cut and the chipboard star.  Try mixing up three different shapes and sizes in a cluster!

Be sure to record all of your annual traditions this year!  Grab several photos and create a balanced, detailed layout!

Negative 40 - You Are My Happy Layout by Leslie Ashe

Good Monday morning everyone!

Leslie here to share with you a layout I made using
one of my favorite new lines:  You Are My Happy.

I used to be so hard on myself when scrapbooking my
OWN self. Why that is? I don't know...you know that
my future generation is going to wonder things. How best to
show them by sharing things about me myself that some
people in my close knit family may not know.

I finally decided - it's time to do more of me.

Especially during this milestone accomplishment I'm quite
proud of. I've recently lost 40 lbs. I'm doing Weight Watchers
and LOVE it. I am so happy with my outcome so far.
While I have just a bit more to go, I decided now is a good
time to get that part of me on paper.

Here's what I did.

This layout was SO easy to do.
All I used as my background was cardstock and...
 border strips from You Are My Happy.

After I adhered my strips, I simply placed my photos
(one on the left is me right now, the other is of a saying
I found, saved and printed.)
onto one of the You Are My Happy file folders and
adhered directly to my  page.

I added the "hello my name is" die cut just under
and the heart tag just under that. I tied my bow using jute.

I cut a flower die cut in half and placed the top half above the
"Hello My Name Is" die cut and the last one at the bottom of my page.

another favorite thing I LOVE to do is cluster embellishments together.
You can see at the bottom right of my page I did that. I clustered my title
(a negative sign and a 4 die cut, with the xoxo die cut as my "0", a heart die cut,
some stickers, buttons and sequins)

I drew lines for my journaling and then added chipboard banners as well
as small tidbits before I wrote out my journaling - which reads:
"Down 40 lbs as of 12/13!! Yay! When I saw this quote I had to save it to use
next to my new milestone.  I have more to go, but honestly? -40 is a HUGE step.
I'm happy. Content. Determined."

Thank you for stopping by today! I hope I've inspired you!

Have a great day!

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Post by Leslie Ashe using Santa's List

It's Monday, y'all! Happy Monday!

Leslie here to share a layout I did not too long ago
about my precious niece, Presley. I LOVE these photo's
I snapped of her during last Christmas for her mom & dad.
Isn't she DARLING? I know, biased...but seriously, I love to 
have her as the center of my project today!

Playing on her darling photo's, I decided to use them as 
a banner. One with no end or beginning, just the photo's 
on the page, in the center, as a banner. They're sized 3x5" 
printed and they're the perfect size to go across my page 
for the look I wanted.


-I started my layout with cutting 3 strips in 1" increments,
placing 2 at the top, 1 at the bottom. 

-Next I did some fussy cutting. I cut the doilies from one 
sheet of paper & placed them behind my photos to the right.
and also under the bottom of the very first photo.

-you might notice some patterned mattes behind my center photo.
I matted only 1 of the photo's and placed it right in the center using
3D glue dots. 

-I then took a scallop border punch & punched a few pieces to place
at the top of my layout & under a photo.

-topping this off by adding buttons and other embellishments completes
my Christmas look. I love how this turned out & love how easy 
all the papers from Santa's are to mix and match to any project!

Thanks for taking the time to visit the blog today, I hope you've enjoyed
my little piece of inspiration. Until next time!
Have a great day!

"Today" - Jamie Harder - Family Stories

Happy Friday everyone!  Today I have a layout to share using the Family Stories collection ( I can seriously NOT get enough of this collection!!)

It has been a goal of mine to make sure that I get in my pictures from time and I am proud to say that I have been fulfilling this goal quite regularly now :-)  My daughters love set the timer on my camera, push the button and run back to join me for a photo…often we get quite silly photos that makes us laugh.  Taking the pictures has become a fun event for us and they look forward to it!  I love that!

I kept the layout quite simple..all it needed was a sprinkling of Teresa's fabulous embellishments!  I love the brads, the buttons, the chipboard and the die cuts!  It really makes scrapbooking so easy!

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope YOU are getting into your photos!!!

Remember This Layout by Dedra Long

It's hard to believe next week is Thanksgiving and Christmas is right around the corner. Today I wanted to share a layout that features the Santa's List Collection. This is one of my favorites. The red glitter border pieces are devine!

For this layout I wanted to give my background a little subtle dimension. So, I started by using a snowflake punch with vellum and then used the Santa's List acrylic stamp set to add another snowflake to the center. I used a Martha Stewart glue pen to adhere each snowflake making the adhesive clear and invisible.

Once the snowflakes were adhered I added the patterned paper (at and angle for a little interest) on top of that and cut a red glitter border piece in half, placing it underneath that patterned paper. I loved how the snowflake background looked like a subtle extension of the patterned paper.

After the layered background was figured out I moved onto more stamping (the vintage Santa on the tag), adding chipboard stickers, more layering of journal cards, the beautfiul sequins and some clear jewels. Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!

You Are My Happy Layout: Do More Of What Makes YOU Happy by Leslie Ashe

Can you believe we are in the 2nd week of November?
WHAT? Time is FLYING. 

I like to do simple things this time of year. Make simple projects,
cards, crafty things for decorations...etc.

I did that with my layout I'm sharing with you today using
the You Are My Happy line:

 

for my layout, I simply trimmed my choice of patterned paper
that I thought matched this awesome photo of  my cute cycling husband.
I love his smile here! Anyway...I decided to go with gold because for this 
photo, he's actually just about to race an event that he WON! So fun.

 

Also, I only used a TAD of pink - I mean
real guys wear pink, right? LOL! Or rather are on scrapbook pages in pink. HAHA!

To recreate this layout all you have to do is simply:
-trim your choice of patterned paper and place in the center of cardstock (I chose white)
-use 3 border strips of your choice and place to the right of your paper
-add your photo (mine is 5x7) to the right, flush with the border strips
-add a chipboard border to the left side of your photo. It's ok if it's ON your photo (seen here)
-cut apart a file folder, add to the top of your chipboard border
-tie a tiny piece of cord around the file folder & add embellishments on top
-add embellishments and letter stickers to the left side of your page
-add chipboard strip & banner stickers to the top of the file folder you've cut
-to play on the gold circles from the patterned paper, add buttons, sequins & brads in 
 various places for a fun effect.

see, that's it! So easy! I seriously created this layout in an hour. 
That's a RECORD for me. And I love it...

have a great day!
thanks for stopping by today.

Santa's List Layout by Dedra Long

Time is really flying by. I realized today that we only have 7 Saturdays until Christmas and I kind of got a little panicked. The holidays are such a special time of year and the Santa's List Collection is perfect for Christmas. This collection is filled with glittered border pieces, glittered papers and just plain cute!

I loved the vintage Santa stamp so I punched a scallop shape, layered it to the white background to see where the scallop shape would land. Made a little pencil mark in the center of the scallop so I would know where to stamp my Santa. After the ink dried I erased the pencil mark.

For subtle journaling I always lean toward printing it on vellum to give it a softer look. Bringing the border pieces together I created a banner and to finish it off used a sequin and an enamel dots.
Thanks for stopping by today! Hope your Friday is fabulous!

Create by Stacey Michaud

Being creative is a blessing.  It is the ability to express your feelings via art.  There is something so simple, yet wonderful about being able to make something that is uniquely yours.  My daughter has the gift of creativity.  Her imagination is wild and free.  I love that part of her personality and know the pursuit of creativity will keep her happy for a long time.

That is where the You Are My Happy collection comes in to help!  I wanted to record her joy with a layout.  The collection has such a great variety of embellishment and goodies.  It allows for creativity in itself.

 

When I started designing this page, I knew I wanted the feel of a grid.  You can never go wrong with a grid design.  Typical grid designs are made up of rows and columns.  I shook mine up a bit by going outside the lines.  I kept the paper to a minimum to really show off the embellishments.  It is amazing what you can make with only a few products! 

 

I grouped together the large chipboard block, adding the heart and button to the right, giving it more dimension.  I combined round brads and enamel dots around the grid to make it softer.  I also added the sequins to the top of the two taupe hearts on the tickets.  Feel free to embellish your embellishments!  It makes them special!

 

 

I also cut the scalloped edges from the Hearts paper and layered a few along the top of my page.  I often like to use portions of paper to add a different twist to a page.

 

Grab your favorite parts of this collection and start building a page today!  Begin with a grid and let your creativity take you from there!  Just like my I tell my daughter, it will make you happy!