Using Simple Stories Line to Scrapbook Your Life (Easily)

My last two pages for December show how easy it is to match the Simple Stories to the pictures you have.

My first page uses the page map to make a Christmas page.  I was delighted to use these paper as my family wears a lot of orange and rarely does Christmas paper go with orange.  Using a page map makes it easy to make a page.  It shows where to put the picture and the title and you fill it in with the paper you like and the embellishments.  I used the striped side of Everyday Life for my background.  To give it a little shine (I always like shine for the holidays), I sprayed the edges with Spiced Marmalade Glimmer Mist.  I used an 11” x 11” square of Green/Notebook for the inner background.  I distress the edges of this square before gluing down.  Finally, I made photo mat of Orange/Grid from a 10 ½” x 10 ½” square.  (I cut it along grid lines so it may not be exactly a 10 ½” square.  I distressed the edges and inked the edges with Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink.  I scalloped a  strip of Green/Notebook on both sides and placed it below the bottom pictures to complete the frame.  I used the pieces left over after scalloping to separate the pictures. The title was made from two different size and colors of stickers from the set.  I added a Christmas tree sticker and a scalloped circle on which I placed another Christmas tree sticker.  The final embellishment was a scalloped circle cut from the Grid paper. I inked it with Spiced Marmalade Distress ink and added a circle from the set and a “24” sticker to show that picture was from Christmas Eve.

The other one-page layout  truly scraps an everyday event.  A relative and I had driven to Georgetown (45 minutes from my house) just to get a cupcake.  We had such a great time that I wanted to be reminded of the day.  When I saw the pink paper from this line, I thought it was perfect.  Georgetown Cupcake colors are pink but the line lent itself to a less girly pink picture that totally fit the bill. I used pictures of a variety of sizes; most I cut to fit the space/look I wanted, but I did use Photoshop to make a 2” x 6” picture of the three types of cookies we tried.   I used several items from the line to add to the page.  For example, I cut circles in half and then put below the picture to label each type of cupcake. Similarly, I cut out a scalloped circle that said “Celebrate, today” to put beneath a picture of my relative eating a cupcake.  I cut out a heart and a strip of paper that said “Life is Sweet,” clearly appropriate for a page about cupcakes. I again stitched to match stitch design on the paper.  (I just made holes where you needed them with my needled and then went back and stitched.)  I used a sticker to add “May” and “28.”  The small title, “Georgetown Cupcake” also came from the line.  I put a journaling tag on a piece of red paper.  I stitched across the top (as the journaling card showed) and added the year with stickers on the bottom.  

This line really offers stickers, journaling tags, etc that allow you to personalize a page just for your event.  Even if you don't see exactly how they work for your pictures, just buy paper, stickers and journaling cards.  Take them home and look at them.  I guarantee by the next morning you will be thinking, "Oh yeah, that message really fits this day."