Dear Zae Scrapbooking Blog

Happy New Year of Layouts

Sunday, December 31, 2017

I'm having difficulty coming to terms with the idea that it's going to be 2018. It's been a year of ups and downs, full of adventures with a growing toddler. It's been a difficult year, too. There has been heartbreak, but we muddle through and trudge onward. Phases of life have come and gone and we mourn their loss and look forward to new adventures, tomorrow's memories.

Perhaps I'm waxing sentimental here, but I'm sure you are all feeling the same as Christmas brings to mind childhood memories, and often of people we have lost. I miss my dad every Christmas, and as each year goes racing by I am forced to contemplate that it's been 8 Christmases without him, and each time I make another tick in the calendar I find it difficult to tally.

So it's important, at this time of year and all year long, to take nothing for granted. Seize opportunities. Remember little moments like feel of the breath of the wind on your face when you are having a special moment and capture every detail of them in your hearts. Sometimes the most poignant memories are the small ones where you take in the greater meaning of life in a quiet moment when something stirs your heart.

For this last post of the year, I wanted to look back and reminisce about the year gone by. It's also a fun way to see how my style has evolved and grown! So please follow along as we wander down the path of Memory Lane {which in my world is lined with cherry trees and bordered with lilies of the valley and anemones, and paved with flagstone fracatured with cracks of of creeping thyme}

January: Happy Winter

Deep in the heart of winter here in Minnesota, we donned our hats and [faux] fur-lined jackets and took the photo opportunity and inspired this wintery layout of snowflakes and icicles and sparkles.

Winter themed scrapbooking layout page with icicles, cheesecloth, crystal flourishes, bead dangles, glitter, puff paint, snowflakes, and gingham, Blue Fern Studios chipboard, handmade flowers. In red, gray, pale blue, and black. Heat embossed and embellished with prills.

February: A Love Like This
This has been the most popular post on my blog for most of this year...and can I tell you a secret? I almost didn't publish it. The crooked title and oddball handwriting still make me cringe a little, but it's grown on me--and I was happy to get our prom pictures out of a box and onto a page!

A mixed media Valentines Day love scrapbook layout page with doodling, heart ribbon, rosettes, texture paste, prills, and hearts in red and pink with black stitching.

March: Never Lose Your Shine

One of my favorite layouts, this one is full of sparkles. Also, I was having fun playing with my white uniball pen!

Scrapbook layout challenge - black cardstock background with stars, mixed media with heat embossed chipboard, mica flakes, glitter, blue fern studios chipboard, signo pen doodling, paint splatters, in gold, silver, black, and white with moon and stars using encrusted jewel technique from stampendous

April: This Face
I was on a total gold binge when I made this layout. I love how it paired with the black, white, and purple.

This Face: Scrapbook layout in purple, blue, gold, and black, with gold foil thickers, gold and purple mica, and mixed media glimmer sprays and pearlescent watercolors.

May: Joyous Day & Dream Catcher

I couldn't choose between these two layouts...Joyous Day features one of my favorite childhood photos, but Dream Catcher was so much fun to create {plus, the great part of having your own blog is you can just do whatever you want and get away with it!}

Mixed media scrapbook layout in peach and green with embossed chipboard and floral embellishments against texture paste background.

"Dream Catcher" mixed media scrapbook layout in turquoise and copper with process and 3D chipboard feather tutorial. Mixed media scrapbook layout page in turquoise, aqua, copper, and bronze with chipboard frame and feathers with texture paste, watercolors, paint splatters, glimmer mist, mica flakes, die cut foliage, and Petaloo velvet magnolias.

June: Anemone Bouquet

I had just invested in a bunch of Tim Holtz's distress inks and new stencils, so I was in crafting heaven creating this fantasy wedding layout {in honor of the Big Fat White Wedding we never had!}

Mixed media scrapbook layout in purple and teal blue, Prima Timeless memories forever paper and prima moroccan dies, and Petaloo anemones against a background using texture paste, stencils, and Tim Holtz distress inks and sprays

July: Fireworks Over the Lagoon
I was so honored to be selected to be part of the Scrap Our Stash Design Team starting in July! My first project fell on July Fourth, so of course I had to do an Independence Day scrapbook page. I don't buy much when it comes to holidays and themes, so I created my own background using red, white, and blue with texture paste, glitter, and mica fragments.

Fourth of July/Independence Day fireworks mixed media layout in red, white, and blue using texture paste and chipboard stars with encrusted jewel technique, glitter, mica fragments, bakers twine, texture paste and stenciling.

August: Seahorses

I finally scrapped my very favorite picture of my sister and me for this layout for the Cherish the Memory design team.

Seahorses nautical theme mixed media scrapbook page layout in blue with die cuts, cheesecloth, jute, seed beads, micro beads, and pearls

September: Love This Memory

For this layout for the Scrap Our Stash design team, I used one of the first pictures of me and my new baby (two years ago now!). As someone who has struggled through four miscarriages to finally have the sweet baby I had been yearning for, you can say proud mama and it would not nearly measure up to what I feel for this little miracle.

Blue and brown scrapbook layout featuring cork, ruler, rustic handmade flowers, wood veneers, tiny flowers, acrylic paint, and jute string rope with prills and stenciling

October: A Big Star

You can see the two years of change between the layout above and this one of my boy growing WAY. TOO. FAST!

I was completely surprised and honored to be asked to be part of the International Scrapbook Garden design team. I had a blast playing with some BOY themed items (instead of trying to fit pics of my boy into my usual pink and flowers!).

Grungy boys scrapbook layout mixed media with 7 Dots Hazy Days paper in black and white with rust

November: Ski Champ
I was finally able to scrap one of my favorite pics of my dad skiing the American Birkenbeiner alongside Olympians--at age 47. I lost my dad 8 years ago, so the pictures I have are treasures I cherish.

Cross country ski scrapbook page layout in blue, brown and cream yellow with burlap, corrugated cardboard, matboard, and snowflake die cuts

December: Snow Joy
I still have a ton of baby pictures of Zae to get scrapped, and in this season of thankfulness, they were what I was sifting through for much of December.

Rustic winter holiday Christmas scrapbook layout on woodgrain background, corrugated cardboard, burlap, jute, gingham plaid print, and snowflakes with die cuts including pinecones, wrapped packages, tags, owl, wood, clock timepiece, birdhouse, flowers, and ice skates

Thanks for meandering down Memory Lane with me! I wish you the best in the year to come, and hope you'll visit again soon.

Happy New Year!

You Are My Everything

Thursday, December 21, 2017

Grungy boys scrapbook layout mixed media with 7 Dots Hazy Days paper in black and white with rust, Creative Embellishments chipboard, art stones, die cuts, mixed media

We've almost reached the shortest day of the year here in the north. It's a day I always look forward to because it means the days start getting longer again! Christmas is almost upon us, so today's post will be short and sweet. I've been going through my stash as we approach the new year, cleaning up and sorting and using up some things. I came across my Toolshed: Summer Concert kit for the International Scrapbook Garden and couldn't help playing around a bit.

I loved all the grungy elements in this kit. If you're more of a girly scrapper, there is a kit just for you, as well! I love that about the ISBG kits: there is something for everyone, and each kit is packed with everything you need to create amazing layouts. You might also discover some awesome new products, like I have.

You can see past projects using this kit in these layouts:

Music In Your Heart
A Big Star
Dance With Me (Card)
Captured

Have a fabulous weekend! I hope you get a chance to get some scrapping done, and definitely get over to the ISBG shop and check out their kits and get yourself a little something for Christmas!

Ho Ho Ho! SOS Sketch Challenge

Monday, December 18, 2017

Christmas holiday scrapbook layout page for Scrap Our Stash Sketch Challenge. Gray, beige, black, white, red, and kraft, with chipboard, banner, enamel dots, "gingerbread" stars, polka dots, and buttons

Hello scrappy friends! Hi all! Christmas is only a week away and we're definitely in the holiday spirit around here. Zae's favorite words of the moment are Jesus and Christmas colors. {He's really into coloring right now...he practices making squares for an hour or two a day; I have sketchbooks filled with crooked little squares!}

I'm in today to share my sketch and a word challenge inspiration for the Scrap Our Stash design team. This month's word is PEACE.

Here's how I used my stash:

P: Polka dot paper
E: Embellishments
A: Alpha banner
C: Chipboard
E: Enamel dots

Christmas holiday scrapbook layout page for Scrap Our Stash Sketch Challenge. Gray, beige, black, white, red, and kraft, with chipboard, banner, "gingerbread" stars, polka dots, and buttons

I decided to dig through my stash of old photos for this one, too, scrapping some photos of my dad, and my aunt wearing fashionable Christmas bows, a Christmas morning tradition. {Dad is modeling the green foil version, while my aunt is modeling a more traditional red bow for an understated yet fun pop of color}

The Challenge

Create a layout using the sketch provided and use a STASH item for each letter in the word prompt PEACE.

When posting your layout, be sure to include in your write up what items you used from your stash to be considered for the random prize drawing.

Click HERE for SOS Challenge Guidelines
Entries are due on the 29th, 11:59 PM (PST)

Prize winners are selected by random.org and the TOP 3 are selected by the Design Team. One of the TOP 3 winners will be offered a Guest Designer position.

I hope you are all having the happiest of holidays, and enjoy this last week of excitement leading up to the big day! Be sure to stop back again soon: I'll be sharing my favorite layouts of 2017 on the new year!

Snow Joy

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Hi all! December is marching by...Christmas is less than three weeks away. I hope you've gotten your Christmas shopping done, presents wrapped, and can enjoy a little scrapbooking time this season.

Today I have a design team layout for Cherish the Memory. If you are short on time to create your own handmade Christmas cards, check out the die cut blocks in the shop--they are all perfectly coordinated and so easy to use and mix and match. You'll have a batch of cards whipped up in an evening.

I have lots of pictures on this one because there were so many cute elements to use, so you can see all the fun goodies in the card making kits.

Rustic winter holiday Christmas scrapbook layout on woodgrain background, corrugated cardboard, burlap, jute, plaid print, and snowflakes with die cuts including pinecones, wrapped packages, tags, owl, wood, clock timepiece, birdhouse, flowers, and ice skates

I used Ranger's Crackle Accents on the timepiece to give it an antique finish {and because I use it whenever I can!}

Die Cut Blocks Used:

Classic Christmas Die Cut Block: Gold Foil Card Kit

Frozen Forest Die Cut Block: Silver Foil Card Kit

Woodland Winter Die Cut Block: Gold Foil Card Kit

Studio Light Sweet Winter Season 3D Die Cut Block

Thank you for coming by and sharing some holiday cheer with me. As usual, there's a tray of invisible goodies to share--today we have eggnog and sugar cookies! Go ahead and indulge...they are calorie free ;)

Premade Christmas Layouts

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Hi all! I had taken a bit of a hiatus from creating for my Etsy shop, mainly because it takes a lot of time that I just can't seem to squeeze into the day with all the other projects I have going on! However, I've retired from a couple of design teams, and with winter is now upon us, I have managed to squeeze a few more scrapping hours into the week!

Today I wanted to share some of the Christmas layouts I've created over the last couple weeks. These are premade scrapbook layouts, ready to insert your photos, for those of you who are struggling with time to create like me, but who still want to create meaningful scrapbooks to capture your memories!