Happy Place | April Studio AE Blog Hop From Technique Tuesday
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
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:
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:
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.
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.
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.
STEP EIGHT | Continue your journaling and add in a few more embellishments as you work your way across and down the pages.
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:
The little word stickers (and the yellow letter stickers) I used around the page are all from this sticker sheet from Simple Stories: Hopespun.
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.
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.
Wow! I have focused so much on getting pictures into Project Life, I never thought to do a word focused page. Great idea - I look forward putting this idea into my books.
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Ali, I read all your Posts but I do not comment very often but today I just want to say that I totally relate to your words. I do also love my home but want to Change lots of things, it is a small house - and I am very happy and proud to live in a small house and not have tons of unnecessary things - but I crave for more space. it is funny how we can love a place and want to Change things. but it may be part of woman's nature :)
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WOW, I cant believe how much went in to that. That is just amazing!
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This is a great layout. Love the grid, the big sticker, the use of multiple types of letters. And I really like the thought of telling the story with minimal photos.
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Wow!This is a super cool layout. I love all the journaling! I have to credit Project Life with really helping me write more in my scrapbooks, and I think my writing is improving!
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Great layout! I love that big happy place element and the stamping in blue, makes it stand out against all the black journaling.
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Very inspiring...and I'd love that stamp set!
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Love, love, love the action list and idea section at the bottom of your post - I feel like you read MY survey and aimed this post at me!
We are reading all of them!
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I love this layout. Yes I want to change Some things with my house. It just gives a person something to plan for and look forward to.
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Love the grid layout--must remember to use that soon!
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Love the layout and the stamp set!
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Love the whole idea of this. We have a family friend doing this on facebook currently, listing something everyday he loves about Bejing, the city he is currently making his life in. It's always good to take note of how many wonderful things we already have before we embrace wishing for so much more. Thanks for sharing.
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[…] Ali […]
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Ali,
This is another one of the GREAT Things you do on your blog!
You have the Most Wonderfulest Ideas!!!!!
I have been wanting to do a layout for some time about our house. We built it 10 years ago and I sit on the front porch a lot thinking about how lucky I am to have such a wonderful house and beautiful view, ect..............
THANKS for sharing and giving me a Boost to get that layout done!
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What a great way to tell my Grandchildren why I chose to move to this house. And a great way to remind myself of all the reasons I am glad I did!!
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Love it! Yes please!
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Wonderful layout! Love how you turned your "things I want" into "things I'm grateful for"!! Such an inspirational layout!
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i love this layout! and the stamps! i definitely will have to give this a try :)
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Such a fun and cute page.
isoscia at aol dot com
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Love. This. Post. Ali. Tonight is my birthday eve and I was going to spend it reflecting and journaling my gratitude and happiness prior to the "Big Day" celebration. Might as well make it a scrapbook kind of reflection and night. Loving it! Heading to my stash. Thanks for the creative inspiration. You rock!
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Such a great spread! I'm trying to get back into 12x12 scrapbooking so this could be a great layout to scraplift! Thanks!
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WOW - what a clever idea!!! Extraordinary!!!!
Jan
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I love this idea.
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What a great idea for a layout! Love everything about it! I also love the "We do" idea. You are so creative, Ali! Thanks so much for sharing that with those of us who may not be so creative, but we are pretty good copiers!
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I love the gracious ideas for my journals as well as my journal Callenders on grid style with embellishments
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