scrapbooking

Baby Album(s) Prep

| A Peace of Creativity

My c-section date is almost a week away.  In my time before the boys arrive, I have been trying to think of as many things that I can do now to make my life easier after the births.  It is so cliche but so true that it is just harder to do these things the more kids you have and now I have two more albums to make, not just one!  I had to come up with a plan now so that this process would not be so time consuming.

I picked up a couple 8.5″ x 11″ scrapbook albums in different colors.  I want the boys to be twins but to also have their own identities and so I decided against making each one the same.Photo May 17, 10 41 29 AM.jpgCoordinated sets of scrapbook paper and animal stickers set the theme and tone for each book.  One, jungle animals and the other, sea animals.Photo May 18, 8 53 08 AM.pngThese monthly stickers by Months In Motion came in the perfect palettes to match each album.  Not only can I use them for the boys’ monthly photos but they can go in their scrapbook after.Photo May 18, 8 52 38 AMI assembled each book, choosing which page in which order and including a monthly sticker every two pages.  This will give me a two page spread for each month of photos.Photo May 17, 10 48 50 AM.jpgWe have received so many adorable cards for the boys and I hate to have to throw them away. In the past, I have made milestone frames from them, but I also love to cut out the cute parts and include them as embellishments in the albums once the photos are in.Photo May 17, 10 50 10 AMI also picked up a pack of themed cards from Project Life and will use them for more embellishment and to write little notes about the boys throughout the books.Photo May 17, 10 51 24 AM.jpgOrganizing photos is always challenging.  As we take photos of the babies, I hope to create a folder either on my phone or computer of ones that would be good for the album and to have them printed on a regular basis.

I really think this prep work will allow me to enjoy the process and to not feel overwhelmed that I have two to make!  Having all the supplies I need, ready to go, will also motivate me to actually get it done.  Wish me luck!

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Birthday Wish Book

| A Peace of Creativity

A couple of posts ago, I told you about my Mom’s 60th Birthday in Vegas. At the brunch, I asked family and friends to write a quick birthday note for her, a memory, a birthday wish, or something they appreciate.

IMG_4656I found this collection of scrapbook supplies online.  Finding collections makes the process that much easier in that the decorative pieces and paper are already cohesive and coordinating.  I only added in a few more prints of paper that I thought would go with the existing prints.


My best friend and Guest Peace blogger, Lauren, is a talented quilter and inspires me to want to try it. However, I am not a huge fan of sewing on a machine, so I thought I would try my hands at some paper quilting.  This simple heart took a lot more brain power than I expected in trying to…make the pieces exact squares…with the right angles…to then create a heart the size I needed.  This small part of my project was a testament to how crafting very much uses both sides of your brain!

With the included stickers and letters of the collection, my paper quilting became part of the front, back and spine of my birthday wish book.  To try something a little different than the 6×6 or 12×12 scrapbook, I went with a half letter sized, three ringed binder with an already existing pink flower pattern. Now to begin with the birthday notes.  I thought about documenting my process in how I mounted and decorated each note, but really, this was my process in a nutshell: crafting chaos.
As you can see, we are a close immediate and extended family. Sometimes, it is easy to carry on in our busy lives and assume that our family knows that we love and appreciate them. I have found that even when you know you are loved and appreciated, it still means so much to actually hear or read it every now and then.  To everyone that contributed a note, my mom loved her book.  And the thing is, it could have been words on scrap paper and I think she still would have still loved it because it was more about what you all said than what it looked like.

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