Old Pictures + New Mind's Eye Paper = Family Memories

The newest My Mind’s Eye Lost & Found Ruby line is perfect for old photos so I used it to create a two-page layout of black and white photos from 1955.  They feature me with every member of my family that existed in 1955 except my Dad, who I believe was in the Air Force in Morroco and my two uncles. 

I used the Paper Lace paper to provide my background.  To use the design of the paper that I loved , which was on the paper’s right and left edges, I simply used the edges of the paper and put a different paper for the center of the layout.  And just like that I had the same design as the initial paper, but as a two-page layout rather than a one-page one. 

 I added gray paper from the line, which is a solid color but textured to make a photo mat.  To add glitz and focus to the layout I added some embellishments.  I started with three of the layered stickers, which had glitter and the one that said “Happy Days are Here” seemed appropriate for pictures of people wearing party hats.  The layered doily wasn’t quite large enough so I added a red doily sticker underneath.  To add a little glitz to another layered sticker, I added red rhinestones.    I used the little pennants from the chipboard set across the bottom.  I added a few more up the right side.  Finally, I added a crown and mirror I created with a Spellbinder set that has stamps to match.  And to tie in, I added the red rhinestones I had used on the layered sticker to the crown.

This line has so many items you can use it for almost any type of layouts.   To see how you can personalize your layouts very easily with the many coordinating items offered in this line.   added lots of embellishments. 

Le Petit Journal

As soon as I saw this paper, I knew I wanted to do something with the Remember Journal paper to document some of my French experiences.  The paper had lots of blocks with decorations and space for journaling.  So I created a layout with pictures and stories that individually would not fill up a whole layout.

  I started  with the Remember Journal paper for my left page background.  Using a 2^nd piece of the paper, I cut out the “Le Petit Journal” emblem and a row of the boxes from the right side.  I affixed the emblem with pop dots  directly over the one on the  background (after inking it).  I used the block of boxes for the right edge on top of  a piece of Playful Mischief.  I added a horizontal strip of Playful Mischief on the left and a narrow vertical strip from the Playful Lively page on the left. 

With the background complete, I added a few pictures and lots of journaling and then went crazy adding embellishments.  I used Playful Layered Stickers, Bright Chipboard, Everyday Decorative Brads, Smile Stickers and Playful Label Stickers.  The final touch was a couple of Tim Holtz Word keys with twine tied through them. 

Although this fit well with my French pictures, it would work well for any situation where you want to tell a story.  If you don’t want Le Petit Journal put a block of paper over it and put a picture, journaling or some other embellishment. 

Embellishments Plus

This bright paper made me happy -- just to looking at it.  Once I got started embellishing the embellishments I had a great time.  The end result is a lovely layout with 5 pictures from a wedding I recently attended and lots of room for journaling.  (You can’t see it in this picture because I hid it!). 

On a background of Smile Beam, I used a 11 ½” square piece of Bright Blossom.  I put the five 3 ½’ x 5” pictures on a piece of Smile Bouquet paper ¼” larger on all sides than picture block and added this to a piece of Smile Beam about ¼” larger on all sides than Smile Bouquet.  I inked the edges with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink

I used the new Tim Holtz Brushed Pewter Distress Stain to make the two silver (okay actually peweter) accents, one of which is a pull tag for the hidden journaling.  Here’s how you make them.  Cut  2”  X 4” and 2 x 6” pieces from neutral-colored cardstock.  Using the Sizzix Tim Holtz On the Edge Brackets Die cut one edge of each piece.  Put a piece of scotch or masking tape across the edge of the design (the part above the tape is what will show.)   Color the part above tape on each piece with Brushed Pewter Distress Stain. Quickly after adding 2^nd coat, cover with clear embossing powder and heat emboss.  Affix the shorter strip to bottom left of photo block. Apply Range Wonder Tape ¼” around sides and bottom fof the photo block.  Affix to backgroung forming a large pocket for the journaling tag.  To finishe the pull tag, put a small brad from the Everday Decorative Brads in the center of the remaining strip.    Add piece of thread or ribbon around brad to pull in and out of pocket and you’ve got a pull tag.  (I colored white thread with the Brushed Pewter Distress Stain.)   Add journaling now or later.   (I printed mine on Playful Mischief paper and scalloped the top & bottom before affixing to pull tag.  I really like it with the scalloped edge showing just above the photo block.) I added the “Tell Me A Story” label  from the Label Sticker set.

I used embellishments in three corners.  Instructions for making them follow. 

Upper right – Start with Decorative Brad from the Everyday Decorative Brad set.   Attach to a 1”scalloped circle from Smile Beam paper and inked with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink with a pop dot.  Affix to a 1 1/2” scalloped circle from Smile Beam and inked with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink with a pop dot.

Lower right – Start with Bright Chipboard flower that is same flower as is in the background.  Affix to a 1 ½ ” Smile Beam scalloped circle inked with Scattered Straw Distress ink with a pop dot.  Affix to a 2.5 circle cut from Smile Beam and inked with Tumbled Glass Distress ink with a pop dot. 

Lower left –Start with a 3” circle of Smile Beam inked with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink and affix it to the background.  Add a 2.5” of Remember Record.  Ink a strip (approx 9 ½”)  of net ribbon (available at Scrapbooks Plus) with Brushed Pewter Distress Ink.    Fold into a bow and secure with two heart pins Little Yellow Bicycle Stick Pins.  To create the center, you start with a 1” scalloped circle of Playful Mischief (inked with Scattered Straw & Tumbled Glass) and insert a brad from the Everyday Decorative Brad set.  Insert this in the center of the bow you have made.  Add two smaller brads.   Using 450 glue or Glossy Accents affix the bow to the circles on the page.

A variation of this page could be made with a variety of the papers and embellishments.  And if you don’t to journal (and I know many of you don’t), either just use the brackets for embellishments and don’t make into a pull tag or use the pull tag for additional pictures instead of journaling.

Making Pinwheels

I really love the look of pinwheels and they are so easy to make.  They can be multidimensional or flat.  The three pinwheel-layers can be three different papers or all the same paper.   It is all up to you.  Here’s how you make the pinwheels.   

Cut 2 circles of three different sizes.   Cut each circle in half.   If you are making them flat against the paper, simply affix the largest four half circles to the paper in a circular pattern with all the flat edges facing the same way.  You will probably want to overlap them in the center a bit.  Repeat with each successive smaller circle, gluing them so blades of pinwheels do not totally cover the layer below.  On top of the top circle, add something to cover up the area where blades come together.  I like using a small paper circle and then an ornament – a brad, a button, or some fun object.  For this box, I used Elements White Buttons, which I threaded and tied a knot before affixing.  For Easter, some with eggs or bunnies in the center would be cute.  The possibilities are almost endless.

Now it is only slightly more complicated to make the pin wheels multi-dimensional.  Instead of gluing pinwheel blades to the paper, glue them to a circle (sized so that the next layer completely covers it).  Put another circle on top.  Do the same with the other layers.  Add a pop dot to the bottom and between each layer.    

To decorate mine a little more, I embossed the edges.  I “inked” the round edges with VersaMark.  This is the same technique that you use when inking an object so it isn’t even.  Then I embossed with a transparent glittery embossing powder.

To make the box, you simply cut and score a 12” piece of paper into  9 even squares.  The center square is scored and the lines that go from outside to center square are alternated scoring and cutting.   (If you’ve not done this before, the instructions with a diagram are in the 12/30/11 blog.)  Glue the sides of the box together.  I used the Bazzill pre-cut edges to decorate the top. You’ll need two packages, but you’ll have lots left over for other projects.  These come in lots of colors.  A ribbon, which is also available at Scrapbooks Plus, goes around the center.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Using the great new line from My Mind’s Eye, this week’s Make & Take provides you a way to tell about “A Few of Your Favorite” things with pictures.  In fact, the layout has space for 8  pictures, one  large and 7 smaller ones.  Each of the 7 smaller spaces could either be pictures or journaling.  In either case, this page fits with the current scrapbooking trend of showing what our life is like, rather than just scrapping special events.  Because it is your favorite things, you can use pictures from a variety of time frames.  For example, if you love baseball (and I do) you can use an old picture (in my case one from the 70s) while using a picture of your granddaughter from today.  Whether you are telling about your favorite things through pictures, writing or both, you’ll want to get to Scrapbooks Plus and make this two-page layout using the charming new line from My Mind’s Eye called “Follow Your Heart – Be Happy.”  As always with My Mind’s Eye the line has fabulous buttons, brads, and chipboards!  If you like more bling, ScrapbooksPlus also has rhinestones from this line.  

4th of July Barbeque Page with Recipes

My 2-page layout this month gave me the opportunity to preserve our traditional 4th of July barbeque. I used pictures from two different years and included the recipe for the barbequed ribs that are the featured item every year. Most of the paper was from My Mind’s Eye American Made line.

To make this page, I started with Petticoat Plaid Red Polka Dot paper for the background. I added a 2 ½” strip of My Mind’s Eye Celebration Banner across the top. To make it a little more interesting, I cut the bottom of the strip in large scallops rather than a straight line. I added a 3” strip of Pieced Pinwheels across both pages.

I used two techniques to make the rather boring title (4th of July Barbeque) more fun – a banner & a chipboard star frame. I painted a chipboard star frame white. After inking it with Weathered Wood Distress Ink, I added some solid blue cardstock to fill in the inner star. For the banner, I cut individual flags using the Celebration Cricut cartridge. After string these on Lime Twist Fly a Kite “ Soar” Twine, I tied a small bow on each end and affixed with Glossy Accents. The “4th of July” was cut from the Petticoat Plaid Red Polka Dot paper using the Cricut. The “4” was made much larger. The “Barbeque” part of the title was cut from solid blue cardstock using the From My Kitchen Cartridge. The smaller “Barbeque” and “Chef” and the background ovals for each were also cut using this cartridge.

I printed my journaling on The Day We Celebrate paper so that I could create a box that overlaps the two pages and would use the papers border on three sides. In addition to journaling this box serves as a photo mat for two pictures. I also inked this. After printing the two recipes on The Day We Celebrate paper, I hand cut the recipes into the shape of recipe cards. To draw more attention to the recipes, I cut an outline for each recipe from polka dot paper (one red and one blue). The remaining photo mats were cut from Pieced Pinwheels paper.

To finish the page, I embellished with flowers, buttons and stars. All buttons were tied with twine. The buttons and the stars came from the BoBunny Liberty Button set. To make the flowers, I stamped plain white flowers with Weathered Wood Distress Ink very lightly. I tied twine in the center of buttons for the center.

I love this page and even more love that our 4th of July barbeques will not be forgotten.

Creating a Sea Layout

I had fun with this month’s page map, which is available at the store. I liked the proposed placement of a trio of pictures so I began there. I had three pictures that went well with the papers. I went with a theme-based layout to tell the story of an attempted fishing trip that was miserable due to “Rough Seas.”

A few elements worth noting. As you know, I am a big fun a canvas and that seemed to fit with a nautical theme so I cut “SEAS” for my title out of a piece of canvas and raveled the edges. I put a bit of brown paper behind the letters so that the letters would pop a bit more. For the “rough,” I used another favorite. I cut the letters out of grungepaper and embossed them with vintage photo embossing powder. The anchors were made using the same technique.

The page map had a line near the bottom. I decided to use the “sea” for the bottom section of the page. To create the sea, I cut several strips of paper with the top being wavy out of the turquoise side of “Little Lady” Fine Flowers paper. To create the white caps on top, I distressed the edges of the waves. I glued this to the background at varying levels, overlapping the strips.

Journaling was done on cream cardstock. To make it fit the colors and theme better, I distressed it with three colors of Distress Ink (Vintage Photo, Scattered Straw & Wild Honey).

Just a few Stella and Rose Brads completed the page.

Designing A Page to Tell Your Story

My two-page layout this month is a good example of what I like to do when scrapbooking -- tell the story of a family event. To begin, I think about the event and consider how I can use the pictures to tell the story. Once I have an idea of this, I design a page around the pictures and the story.

This page was to tell the story of a trip my niece and I took to San Francisco. What I recalled was that we did all the typical touristy things. I decided that pictures would be better to convey this activity than journaling, but I was challenged by how to fit so many pictures in two pages. Also, since this was before the days of digital pictures, I was stuck with 3” x 5” pictures. By cropping some pictures, I managed to include pictures depicting the skyline, the Golden Gate Bridge, our hotel, the sea lions at Fisherman’s Wharf, Hard Rock Café, Buena Vista Café, Candlestick Park, Ghirardelli square, a total of 12 pictures.

To avoid a cluttered appearance with so many pictures, there had to be an order. I achieved this by dividing the two pages into three horizontal sections that went across both pages, using thin strips of the “Joy” Woodgrain paper to divide the sections. The top section contains only the title. The middle section consists of a row of pictures between the two strips of woodgrain paper that divide the middle section from the top and bottom. These strips also create a frame for these pictures. Some of the pictures are cropped so that six pictures can fit in the 3” x 24” space. The center picture on each side was put in a fun polka dot frame (cut with a Sizzix die). I used the bottom and largest section to have larger pictures and in most cases those with people, which of course are more important.

I used small tags cut with Sizzix dies to label the pictures and the beautiful Stella & Rose brads to hold them to the page. Because there was so much in these two pages, I printed the jounaling directly on the background cardstock and did not in any way frame it. Even with journaling you can’t fit everything. One thing I remembered about the trip was every time we went by a sign directing you to San Jose, I would start singing “do you know the way to San Jose?” and since I can’t sing I would be asked to stop. To scrap this little memory with hardly any space, I just cut the San Jose sign out of picture. I wrote on the tag near it “Do you know the way . . .” and drew some musical notes. The pages were decorated with selectively placed Mabel “Joy” labeled Stickers, Mabel “Love” Decorative Brads and a Mabel “Play” button. I love the way you can mix and match this stuff to create the look that you like.

Soup's On!

The Design Team has been busy this month with Chopped Parsley, Roasted Pumpkin and Minestrone. No, we have not moved our creative pursuits into the kitchen! These are the names of a few of the "ingredients" in this month's kit: The manufacturer is Jillibean Soup, a company featuring designs on kraft paper as well as brightly colored prints, some of which are double-sided (like the Olive Sugar). There are also a bunch of coordinating elements available with this line - ribbons, felt flowers, and *yummy* journaling spots. Just wait until you see the corrugated kraft paper alphabet!

I also "mixed in" some papers from Anna Griffin and the "Boo To You" line from My Mind's Eye, because how can you scrap for October and not include Halloween?

We are really looking forward to seeing what your pages look like! For the DT Challenge this month we are providing you with a page map to use for your layout. We are also offering another incentive - a "free with purchase" bonus! I will post a picture of it tomorrow, so make sure you check back. Once you see how the DT used it on their projects you will definitely be inspired.

.So come on into the store, check out The Wall, choose your papers, pick up a page map and get "cooking" - there is another Gift Certificate up for grabs!!!
(and yes, I will probably continue to "pepper" my blogs for the rest of the month with references to cooking - oops! I did it again!)

Are you ready for some Football?!?

I love the wedding layouts from Debbie and Lisa - the papers were classy and elegant and they reminded me of weddings, too...but I noticed how similar the colors were to some papers by Teresa Collins Designs - The Sports Edition - and I went in a totally different direction.I want everyone to notice that I *gasp* tore and inked on this layout! It made the papers seem more rugged and tough - like my son!

Don't be afraid to mix papers from different lines...and different companies. You will end up with a page that is completely unique!

A Glass of Wine and a Good Book...

Have you noticed the small journals displayed on the table just inside the door on the right as you enter the store? There is a nice assortment and they cover a range of subjects, including vacations, websites, pets, children, teens and - two of my favorite things - books and wine! I don't pretend to be a wine connoisseur, but I do enjoy having a glass of wine occasionally. Many of the bottles that currently occupy my wine rack were gifts and the wine journal provides a place to record what I like and would purchase for myself. (This particular wine was a gift from my brother, Ed, and is a new personal favorite...you can pick it up at Costco for less than $10.)

I also picked up a reader's journal. We are avid readers in my family, but the names of books and authors often slip my mind. The journal has a series of prompts for you to note favorite quotes or characters from the story as well as a place to record your personal review. (It would also be a great place to write down the reading recommendation of a friend, since I am always looking for something good to read.)

In any event, these journals inpired me to do something I rarely do...create a scrapbook page about me! A page about wine and a book I enjoyed...part of that daily minutiae that seems so unimportant...but I would be fascinated to know about my mother and her preferences, for example. The paper is acid-free, the pages are the perfect size, and the "ripped out page look" is just cool!

I think this may be the beginning of a series...I just got back from a weekend in New York where I happened to shared a fabulous bottle of German wine with my mother-in-law and sisters-in-law...and I kept the label...

Do you need some All Occasion Cards?

My kit this month was the Andrea Victoria line from MME and I *loved* it! The colors are a combination of classic neutrals and classy golden tones. I usually struggle with cards, but I made (4) this month! Check it out: These are generic, all occasion cards that are even okay to send to a guy!
I always struggle trying to make cards that are a little more masculine, but because of the colors, I even think the flowers don't make them too "pretty" or "girly"... although I wouldn't hesitate to send them to my girlfriends either!

The sentiment on (2) of the cards are from a stamp set that Debbie has in the store from Inkadoo "Tell It Like It Is" - they are so cute and so true! The asian word tiles are from a doodlebat font set I purchased online. The "perfect day" icon is also from a purchased doodlebat font.
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The die cut sheet makes it quick and easy to assemble the cards.

I am going to go back and buy a few more of these to keep in my stash because I can see turning any of these cards into birthday or wedding or graduation cards with a simple change in sentiment!

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I also cut a lot of flowers out of the "Floral Stripes"paper in the line, so I will have to add a couple more of these sheets to my stash as well!

Young Love

My parents as high school sweethearts...16 and 17 years old. I usually pack my 2 page layouts with pictures, but I wanted these 5" x 7" portraits to be the focal points. The large blue and white element on the right page actually overlaps the page on the left. I have decided to frame these pages for my mom, so I don't need to cut the overlap section.
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There is lots of texture in this project - Bazzill polka dot paper, chipboard die cuts, velveteen paper, MME die cuts, Prima flowers and buttons. Mom will add journaling when it comes down off of the wall at the store.

Fact: 5 Year Olds Ask the Most Interesting Questions...

This layout was started months ago when Method Playground had a challenge up for making a page with a resist technique. I used a white crayon and water colors to create the centerpiece of page 1, then it kind of laid around my scrap room until I got the MME Bloom & Grow papers for this month. This layout is not my usual style, but I like the way it turned out. I (gasp) tore paper - although I must admit I did not do it free hand - I used a tearing ruler, which gave me enough control that I didn't freak out. Then I made up for all that tearing by using plenty of crisp straight edges, too. I also used a label maker for the first time - I see more of that in my future - it kind of reminds me of the strip journaling that I have been admiring in Loretta's layouts. The Bazzill Edge die cuts were lots of fun to work with - a quick way to add a funky element. I really like the PINK Heidi Swapp letters and the way they contrast with the orange paper - HIGH VOLTAGE!
I think the contrasts on this layout are what makes me happy - or maybe it is just looking at my daughter's little red boots and thinking about her curious nature that turns up the corners of my smile...

Bloom & Grow...

and grow, and grow! Several of my relatives and friends are having babies in the near future, so I have been thinking about baby gifts. I created a growth chart this month using paper from My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow Collection. It went together really quickly, using the birds from the die cut sheet. I did trim a couple of smaller birds out of the patterned paper to add a little variety. The heads of the birds are popped up to add dimension (because I never make anything just flat!). I placed the die cut journaling block at the bottom - the perfect place to add a little personalization.

A great companion to this gift would be to create a matching scrapbook to chronicle the baby's growth for the first year - one page per month so that all the new mom has to do is to print a picture and put it in place - and beyond...to cover the first 10 years. Imagine pictures taken next to the growth chart every year to include in the scrapbook (not that I was ever that organized, but some people are!).

I am actually getting very excited about this idea and am going to have to plan a class - anybody interested?

This Little Piggy

The weather has been so nice lately that I took my guinea pig outside to enjoy some fresh greens...and there were so many beautiful spring flowers, I turned it into a photo shoot! Not many tips to share from this layout. It went together so quickly because I used several elements from the My Mind's Eye Die Cut sheet - a scalloped border, the journaling block, the parentheses, and two cute little floral paisley embellishments!
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Because I chose to put the scalloped border on top of paper with similar colors, inking the edges definitely helped the die cut stand out - and the vellum did the same thing for the smaller letters in the title. This is actually one of my favorite uses for vellum because it lets the background show through, but provides just enough contrast to separate the title. The die cut parentheses provided the perfect little frame.

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And don't you just LOVE the Heidi Swapp Foam Letters?!?! They are so thick and the adhesive on them is great. I always try to add a little dimension to my projects - there are pop dots under the paisley embellishments - but the Heidi Swapp letters just JUMP off the page - perfect for a title!

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I actually took waaaay too many pictures of my cute little piglet! I was going to make an exploding box for the rest (what a surprise, right?) but I think I will turn this 1 page layout into a 2 page layout when it comes home. I hope Debbie has ordered more of those die cut sheets...

Recital 2005

I have been looking for ages for the right paper to use for scrapping my daughter's first dance recital and this month I found it with MME's Laundry Line.

It may sound silly, but I really liked the journaling card, so it was actually my starting point for this layout. There is a place to record the event and the date, but it also adds a bit of whimsy with a choice of emotions. EXCITED was how my daughter felt for her first time on stage, so I used some Glitter from Doodlebug Designs to accent a chipboard arrow. A brad in the center holds it pointing in the right direction. Next to the journaling card, the program from the recital actually was just too bright and clean, so I swiped the front with a light brown inkpad to match the tones a bit. The background paper ties in the pinks & browns from the photos. The picture frame on the first page was cut using an Accu-Cut die you can find in the classroom area of Scrapbooks Plus. I used pop dots under this picture because I wanted it to lay on top of the program, giving it a bit more prominence in the layout.

Page 2 went together very quickly. I used the light brown ink pad to distress the cream colored background paper. Using a square punch and a corner rounder I created a border using pieces of coordinating papers. I also used (2) slide frames in the border, covered in coordinating paper, to highlight a couple of detail shots of my daughter. (I just love the little awkward angle of her tiny dancing feet!)

I plan on adding journaling over the long block on the right side of page 2. I will print it on vellum and use some brads to hold it in place...and I may use Erin's glittering technique to give them some shine! (Thanks for the tip, Erin!)

Or I might add the journaling as a pull out from inside the program on page 1...decisions, decisions...

Pocket Page

From the moment I saw the Laundry Line Collection from My Mind's Eye I was hooked. I just loved the combination of glittered paper and distressed finishes...a real shabby chic vibe!
Pink and Brown was the perfect color choice to use for scrapping my daughter's baby picture...and the glittery paper added a feminine touch.
With a piece of brown bazill as a base, I started by trimming the Flirty "Lil Girl" Pretty Coat Print paper to 11.5" x 7.5" and used a little adhesive in the center to temporarily hold it in place across the top of the page. Then I cut a piece of brown bazill to 12" x 5.5" and placed it across the bottom of the layout, lining up the side and bottom of the page. A zig zag stitch around the edges held it all in place, and added a textural detail. The chipboard borders from MME's Laundry Line are actually adhesive, but just to really hold it in place on top of the pocket edge, I put a copper colored brad at each end through the entire layout. Then it was a simple matter of punching out some squares of coordinating papers ( Winding Vine & Fresh Pressed Lines) and rounding the corners to match the journaling card. The title was printed on vellum and is highlighted by a set of decorative parentheses. These were soooo easy to make because I used the Clear Acrylic Stamps from the Laundry Line Natural Aspire collection (it has 4 different sizes in the set!) and stamped them on the back of the glitter paper. Then I simply trimmed them out, flipped them over, and attached them to the layout around the title. The velvety flowers are also from bazill and added even more texture and depth...and voila! A pocket page to hold cards and momentos from baby's arrival.

Snow generous!

Another gift card holder from Susie!

I used MME's Be Merry Collection for this one. The "paper" is really a nice weight card stock. Candy Stripes is the basis of the card. I added a strip of pastel trees across the front (Trim the Tree). The scalloped edge is Bazzil Bling with a Martha Stewart edge punch. A Snowman (Jack Frost) provides a fun focal image. On the inside of the card I added some Velcro to keep it closed.

Perfect for that special someone with a winter birthday! Just stamp an appropriate sentiment on the bottom right corner.

(Pssst! Mine is in January)

Christmas Cookies

I actually started this layout knowing exactly what I was going to do with the 2nd page. Although I don't think she blogged it, Lisa created a beautiful 1 page layout with the September kit that really stuck in my mind and I have been waiting for the opportunity to scraplift!

The basis of her layout was a simple 3x3 grid pattern, so I cut 9 pictures into 3" squares. My photo mattes are a little different than hers though, because mine are actually flaps, cut 3.5" x 4" ,scored and folded at 1/2" from the top. I inked the edges because - well, I just like the way it looks!

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Under each flap I plan to include a recipe for each of the cookies we baked that day. I have to add that I had no idea my daughter stuck her tongue out when she was really concentrating. I caught her at it a couple of times that day! The Scenic Route chipboard provides nice little accents for my series of photos.

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The first page went together really easily because all of the papers in MME's Be Merry Collection are so cute. I kept with a very linear layout, but got a little funky within the title block...adding some of those snowmen and trees I like so much - and I just had to jumble the thickers when I added the title!