#goodbye2013

• Hashtags are super popular this year - I thought I'd have a little bit of fun with the title of this post. :D #yesiknowtheyservenopurposehere
• so long.. so long :) You have been awesome. Thank you for the memories. What did you do on the last day of 2013? Nidhi and I took the bus to town - had a nice lunch at Nando's, shopped at Sephora and bought some Krispy Kreme to bring home. Then we met Neha, got the car and drove to the grocery store to stock up on fruits and vege for juicing! Living on the edge here, I know. I have Krispy Kreme in front of me but will be drinking kale juice for dinner. Ha!
• One last layout for the year. Besides being on the team for the awesome Come On Get Crafty, I don't know yet where 2014 is gonna take me in the wonderful world of paper craft - that's the exciting part! :) 

• Do you recognize those Making Memories fabric brads? And believe it or not, 'I like this a lot' chipboard is Chatterbox. LOL. Some Chic Tags here - no secret that I adore them, also some Studio Calico and hand stitching. 

• And I must say this - I'm thankful for you. Yes, you. Thank you for coming, reading, commenting, encouraging, being you. I appreciate your friendship, I appreciate that you choose to read my blog, to look at my work and photos - here, on instagram, on facebook, on pinterest. Thank you!

14 & Counting

• This post is way overdue - our anniversary was in November! I'm having a rare 'at home' day (why is December so busy?!) with Neha while Sam is in Australia and Nidhi is spending some time with my mom in Malaysia, so I figured I better post this layout and letter set before we celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary. :D Better late than never, yes? 
• Lets say we're playing a game where I say the first thing that comes to mind when the other party says something (ala this scene in Skyfall) - You say 'thankful' and I will say 'Sam'. I'm a hopeless romantic, I admit, and I'm blessed with a good man I call my husband. 

• 'Cross-stitched' heart - so adorable, don't you think so? I've been cross-stitching since I was 12. That's a long time. Suddenly I feel ancient. LOL.

• Lots of layering here - but not a lot of work, really. Crate Paper die cuts make layering so easy. I absolutely adore the process of taking my plastic tub (from the dollar shop, nothing fancy) of die cuts and going through them one by one to find perfect pieces for my projects.
• I also got into the habit of stitching my button to the layout lately. I ran out of glue dots - and keep forgetting to buy more. By stitching them down, I can be sure they will stay where I want them to be (and it's definitely cheaper - more work, but cheaper ;))

• My favorite element on this layout, beside that wedding photo, is the yellow ampersand with stitched blue outline. I have a 'thing' for ampersand, I have a hard time not buying loads of stuff with ampersand motifs on them!

• I also decorated an envelope to house a letter I'm still writing to Sam. Yes, you read that right. I haven't finished the letter. What? 14 years is a long time to be collecting memories. Cut me some slack. LOL. 

xoxo

25 Holiday Memories - Crate Paper December Daily

I don't celebrate Christmas. But I have a friend who doesn't scrapbook, loves the color 'Pink' and who has mentioned in passing that she would love to attempt a journal about her family's December happenings. So, what would be better than putting together a mini album for her as a gift?

I decided to include pink on every page while showcasing the awesome Crate Paper Bundled Up collection. I used kraft chipboard for the cover and the album itself is held together by four binder rings.

The introduction page is a piece of gold vellum from the Flea Market collection. I love how festive the doilies look! I adhered most of the chipboard pieces and die cuts to the outside of the page protectors. I prefer this type of set-up when using protectors. There's less warping of the plastic and you can touch and feel the various textures. The only downside is that advanced planning is a must, but it's totally worth it! 

I love to stitch Bundle Up's journaling cards - they're already beautiful by themselves, but the stitches lend more interest and texture.

I added a couple of clear pages to the album. I think they look beautiful layered on top of each other. I don't worry too much about the backsides showing on the next page. The stories and photos will take center stage when the album is complete.

I left some of the pockets empty on purpose for the addition of photos and maybe more journaling cards. If needed, more page protectors can be added as well. This is why I love making my own album - there's always plenty of room to grow!

Most of the paper clips are holding photo overlays so that a photo can easily be slipped in between. I love the subtle vintage effect of the overlays.

Another way to build an interesting album is to mix different sized page protectors. I used a blend of various sized pages, including a few trimmed pages! If you like the look, you might want to experiment with cutting your own page protectors at some point.

I stapled silver twine to the hanging ornaments above. I wanted to spice up a pocket with silver glitter and sequins and sew it shut, but didn't have the courage. LOL. The silver twine will have to do for now.

I made pocket pages from patterned papers using my Silhouette Cameo. I figured they're a convenient space to store ticket stubs, receipts or any other December memorabilia.

I added another piece of Flea Market vellum - the colors work really well with the pink on every page.

I ended the album with this cute pair on a piece of overlay with a brad between them, and also, a full page Christmas Tree cut with my Cameo.

I think I'm in love with Bundled Up - the colors are beautiful, don't you think? My friend is going to really like the album, too.

xoxo

Blue Note. The Layouts.

Sharing my December layouts - my final kit with Studio Calico :)

I used a couple of Mister Huey for the background color, and also some leftovers of negative cuts from 

the cameo. I knew I wanted to use the bright pink labels - and this was exactly what I had in mind. So glad it came out nicely. :)

Am I too early for a ‘2014 resolution’ layout? LOL. I hope not. Ampersand was from ‘Mission Script’ 

font. I love that yellow puffy camera - just perfect for my layout because I love that bright yellow and I love cameras!

I used the digital stamp for stitching template, then turned it into a cut file without resizing. I also masked the photos on the letters Os and D. Stitching took a long time, but totally worth it. :)

I made the ‘heart’ cut shape! So proud of myself. LOL. I layered washi covered carstock strips behind the white cardstock. I also recolored the label in photoshop and printed everything in grey - because I want the colors of the washi to stand out.

I cut the chevron from a few patterned papers and arranged them in a stack. I added some vellum chevron as well to break the ‘heaviness’ of the layout. Vellum chevrons were attached with a couple of tiny cross stitches.

This is my last layout done with the kit. This is also my favorite, I think. Simple and heartfelt. Just the way I am. I used Gold Mister Huey for the background, some die cuts (for misting and title), and a little piece of vellum to mat my photo :)

I'll see you really really soon! :)

xoxo