Happy Place | April Studio AE Blog Hop From Technique Tuesday

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Welcome to the April Studio AE Blog Hop From Technique Tuesday.

Technique Tuesday offers a monthly stamp club that features a limited edition stamp set designed by me each month. You can check out past stamp sets (some are still available) here.

This month's stamp set: Good Times

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DIGITAL MEMORY KEEPER? | A similar set of digital word art is available here: No Day Like Today Brushes and Stamps

Here's a look at the 2-page, 8.5x11 layout I created this month:

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Sometimes it's fun to do a layout that has no photos.

This one ended up with one very small image but could have just as easily had none. Scrapbooks don't have to include photos. There are lots of times we have stories to tell and potentially no photos to go along with them - definitely doesn't discount the story!

This spread is all about some of the things I love about this home.

Can you guess what motivated me to tell this story? I keep thinking of all the things I want to change here (paint all the walls white, rip out the carpet and add hardwood in the upstairs, take down some of the cabinets in the kitchen and add more windows, repaint the exterior, etc - things I've been talking about and wanting forever but just haven't been able to swing yet) and I was starting to get really obsessed with it and it was making me grumpy. So I decided to make a list of the things I love about it right now rather than wishing for it to be something else.

It's all about #gratitude my friends.

I don't think I've documented just how thankful I am for this house and the shelter and comfort it has provided me over the last few years.

I totally enjoyed the process of putting this layout together. Here's a look at how this layout progressed:

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STEP ONE | Place that awesome large circle sticker from Me And My Big Ideas along the top of the page. These new packs of really big stickers are definitely a new favorite for me - especially because I've long been a fan of big type on my layouts.

STEP TWO | Draw a grid to create homes for the embellishments and words. I used a silver metallic marker. Doesn't have to be perfect or straight or anything like that. Just draw.

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STEP THREE | Start picking and choosing some embellishments and laying them out.

STEP FOUR | Choose three squares for the Good Times stamps. I used Bahama Blue ink from Memento Luxe. I spread them out a bit knowing I was going to be adding words.

STEP FIVE | Add the title along the bottom. As you can see I ran out of the first chipboard letter stickers I was using. Ha. So I ended up just adding in some others that were the same font but had different finishes on the top.

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STEP SIX | Create 5 circle tags and add a chipboard number to each one to indicate you are starting a new journaling thought. I also used a small one-inch circle punch to punch out a couple pattern circles that were placed behind the chipboard numbers (this punch cuts circles just right to fit inside those metal rimmed circle tags).

STEP SEVEN | Start entering your journaling. At first I thought I was going to do 10 things and then decided to do 5 and be able to write a little bit more by continuing my journaling either across or down into the next square. I started in the top row of boxes and first went across (for #1). I just journaled in each box and then moved into the next box (vs. writing across two boxes).

As you can see I also can't stop underlining my journaling.

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STEP EIGHT | Continue your journaling and add in a few more embellishments as you work your way across and down the pages.

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STEP NINE | You might choose to add a small photo to one of the boxes. I also added the date using a rolling date stamp along the left side right under the big circle sticker.

I love how this spread turned out.

Here's a few close up shots of the spread and the journaling. Click on each photo to make it bigger:

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The little word stickers (and the yellow letter stickers) I used around the page are all from this sticker sheet from Simple Stories: Hopespun.

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Ah, the XO.

Still in love with this set of stickers from Amy Tan: Black Foam Phrase Twins.

I also just used a black pen to draw some lines and dots on the chipboard letters.

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A NOTE ABOUT BREAKING "RULES" | I'm not generally big on creative "rules" but there are a few things I usually don't do when creating a layout (good topic for a future post). One of those things is that I don't usually spread journaling across two pages like I did on this one. To be honest it just sort of happened and then I went with it even though it's not great when I put it in the page protectors. I got too excited about working within that grid.

ACTION ITEMS/IDEAS



  • Journal 5-10 things you love about your home - no matter what you want to change about it - right now.

  • Create a layout that includes a hand-drawn grid. Embrace the imperfection.

  • Make a layout with no photos.


SUPPLIES


Click on the images to jump to the products.


































































































CREATIVE TEAM


Check out what our Creative Team is doing with the stamps this month:

GIVEAWAY | We are going to give away one $25 e-Gift Card to TechniqueTuesday.com to someone who comments during the hop. To be eligible to win, all you need to do is comment on any of our blog posts! The lucky winner will be announced on the 21st on the Technique Tuesday blog.

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142 thoughts

  1. Jenell says…
    04/11/2014

    Very cool layout, Ali, and I'm a real fan of those new stamps.

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Jen D says…
    04/11/2014

    I love how you used no photos but just text and still make it look graphic! And that stamp set is awesome. =)

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Za says…
    04/11/2014

    I love it! This one goes directly into my inspiration file! :-)

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Patti L says…
    04/11/2014

    I'm not big on scrap lifting, but this is one layout I need to do! I've found myself with lots of photo-less stories to tell lately. And did you order the MAMBI stickers or find them in Michaels? I haven't found them in mine yet. Love them.

    Awesome layout.

    Reply 1 Reply
    1. Ali says…
      04/11/2014

      MAMBI sent them to us - they are available online and in stores.

  5. Scrappin' Diva - Cindy B says…
    04/11/2014

    This is fantastic! Love the look of this LO! I agree, there are some things you want to document but have no pictures. This LO is perfect for it!

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. Jane S says…
    04/11/2014

    Hey Ali, thanks for posting this. I feel the same way about my house as you do about yours. (Right now I'm obsessing about my front door.) But I have many things to be thankful for in this old house. I've been wanting to do something similar and now I have a kick start.

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. Sue D says…
    04/11/2014

    Very interesting having a layout with no photos.

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Angela Ezzell says…
    04/11/2014

    I love your "Action Items/Ideas" at the bottom of the post. That's just what you and Elise mentioned on her podcast this week!

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Shae says…
    04/11/2014

    Completely awesome layout! thanks for the step by step!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Erin says…
    04/11/2014

    What a fun way to document a home! I've got some great ideas now, as I bought my first home a few months ago. Thanks, Ali!

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. Bonnie Jean says…
    04/11/2014

    Love the layout and the way you showed it gradually so that we could do something similar if we want to. Love all the products too!!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Samantha B. says…
    04/11/2014

    Absolutely adore these stamps. I have rushed and immediately joined the club, oh and accidentally had a little shopping spree at the same time!!!

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. Amber P says…
    04/11/2014

    Cute!

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. yin says…
    04/11/2014

    Awesome layout! And happy theme!! I love the colors too thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Sue Alg says…
    04/12/2014

    Neat idea Ali. I did something like this, but digitally.

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Sandy R. MN says…
    04/12/2014

    I don't do project life, but do use pocket pages when there are a great deal of photos to scrap. I always get ideas from your pages when I do use them TFS :) Love the layout.

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. NatQuebec says…
    04/12/2014

    Cool, I love this idea !

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Deborah says…
    04/12/2014

    I just love your ideas!!! So much inspiration for me. I have to always remember to think outside the box!!! That's a challenge for me.

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Vicki Smith says…
    04/12/2014

    The layout was a work of love.
    The stamp set would be a good addition to my stash.
    Thank you for sharing...

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Marcie L says…
    04/12/2014

    I love this layout, and especially love the turquoise ink you used!

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. Rossana says…
    04/12/2014

    Wow! I love this.

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Ria Montefalcon says…
    04/12/2014

    I love each and every way you used the stamps to your projects, love the colors, the combination to other elements too, so pretty

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. Roberta says…
    04/12/2014

    Hi Ali,

    I paid paypal via your site for the life artist download. I have not received any way to download it. Could you help please.

    Thank you!

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Mary-Anne V. says…
    04/12/2014

    Such a wonderfully detailed post...its so nice to see how this page came together.

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. Cassie says…
    04/12/2014

    I always struggle with journalling, love seeing a full two page spread with just that!

    Reply 0 Replies

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