creating hybrid pages in a notebook

One of the questions I tend to receive a lot is how do I type on my pages. Do I take the insert apart? Is it a lot of work? Does it take more time? The answers are No, no and no, but I think that might be different for everybody, so allow me to explain.

I build my pages in Adobe Illustrator, a program with which I am very familiar. Doing it this way is actually much faster for me and I can build several layouts in less time than it would take me to build them directly in my notebook. Doing things this way permits me to use digital products like paper, journal cards, brushes/ stamps and of course it makes it easier to add journaling. I can format everything before printing it out and because the elements are digital, they are also flat which means less bulk overall.

Since I prefer hybrid pages and not completely digital, I still physically stamp on my pages, I add die cuts, I sew and add staples...I still do all the things I love to do...I just enlist the help of my computer.

So here are my steps...they are pretty basic. I build the pages on the computer. I have created custom settings so I can print a single page at a time. I don't always make everything on the computer...sometimes just one of the pages. On the pages above I added digital diecuts, but sometimes I do that after...depends on if I have something else I want to use. I usually add a digital pattern careful to block out the areas that will be covered. If it's not going to show I don't print it. I use high quality text weight paper. It's not matte photo paper, but still prints well. I rarely use heavyweight paper anymore. My diecuts are usually cardstock and I still print my photos on photo paper but that's it. Next I print it out...I usually have to cut it a tiny bit depending on where it lands in my notebook and then I add whatever I want...stitching, staples, my photos, stamping...whatever. Sometimes the only thing I need to add is my photo. This is especially helpful when I am playing catch up and just want to get things done. Last step, I adhere these pages into my notebook. A friend told me that this seemed redundant to her and it made more sense to just use the pages of your notebook. My thing is, I do use the pages of my notebook...it's the bottom layer. This is kind of what we do as scrapbookers...we stick paper to paper and then stick more things on top of that. Nobody's counting.

So yeah...this is how I make hybrid notebook pages. It's how I made hybrid layouts and hybrid pocket pages and I'm simply doing what I've always done. It's not the approach everyone would take or even prefer, but I say try it...you might like it:)

Products used: journal card by Paislee Press for Ali Edwards Design, Digi Diecuts by In a Creative Bubble, Paper by Paper Source

december daily® | 2016

So I didn't make a mistake with the date. I am, in fact, working on last year's project at this very moment. I have always had a bit of a problem following through on my DD's. I have been attempting to make one every year since 2008 with varying degrees of success. After all that time I've figured out a few things:

1. The manner in which you complete this project is personal. Notebook, album, minibook...holiday specific, secular, seasonal, everyday, numbers/no numbers, to the 25th...to the 31st, etc. The bottom line...do you.

2. Take pictures and keep a journal.

3. Use products that make you swoon and participate in the community. Enthusiasm is motivating.

4. Create a process. Whether it's photo printing, journaling, layout or design...creating some aspect that is repetitive simplifies everything else.

That's it. I'm mostly saying all of this stuff to myself since it's really about guiding my own success. I have no idea how to help anybody finish this project since, as I mentioned, I happen to be working on mine a year later.

Once I finish I'll write a more comprehensive post and film a flip thru...fingers crossed I get it done this year:)

let's try this again...

I haven't blogged since August of last year. That's a long time and I have no excuse really other than I just wasn't feeling it. There were times I began the rather enjoyable process of crafting posts in my head, but then I would lose them. The long winded paragraphs I imagined writing filled with interesting tidbits and bright photos got bumped by the far less taxing Instagram. So much for good intentions and hours wasted on words I would never write. To be honest, that's why I'm here, because I missed a place where I could just write. I've had a blog since 2007. The original iteration (not counting that tragic Live journal I had) still lives here if you fancy a gander. I was never terribly prolific there either, but I'm hoping to change that.

So what are my intentions? Will this be a crafty blog devoted to memorykeeping and yarn? Will it be a lifestyle blog where I wax poetic on my favorite meals, the lovely cushions I just found and my favorite shade of Grey? Or will it be wordy...oh you know, the type of blog with lots and lots of words? I felt like I had an answer to all of these questions when I began...but now I'm not so sure. Look, I'm not trying to entertain anyone or drive traffic or grow my brand. Those are worthy goals, but not to me and not right now. This is a place for stories and that's all I can promise. I will write many a crafty post, because it's what I love and do. I will also include talk of food, cushions and the color of Grey...because I like those things...a lot. I will also use 5 words when 2 will do because it's how I write and I'm too old to change that. So if you're into it...welcome. I will endeavor to please you and myself by being occasionally funny and or insightful.

the zibaldone

I have not been very diligent with this space. I have forsaken it many times over the last 10 years and while it has often served multiple functions, it remains the home to which I keep returning. Who can argue the simplicity of essentially publishing your own words on your own tiny internet island for all to see. While there is something special in that, the words don't begin here. Most exist in anonymity for they are planted in another place. A place that connects me to a long line of storytellers.

A while back I did a podcast discussing my preferred method of memorykeeping: The Notebook. I was surprised how often it was described as a trend or something new when in fact, it pre-dates many of our scrapbooking proclivities like splatters or layers. My grandfather, perhaps the most dominant figure in my life, until his passing in my early thirties...kept a notebook. He had a strange name for it, which I promptly forgot until last night when I was re introduced to it.

The Zibaldone...otherwise known as...

"A strange melange of diary, ledger, doodle pad, and scrapbook, these volumes—along with similar "hodgepodges" and "commonplace books"—served as a pattern for interior life from the 14th century onward, bringing comfort and inspiration to everyone from Thomas Jefferson to Lewis Carroll."

I thought it was interesting that the article refers to it as an ancient form of Tumblr.  I never saw my Tumblr the way I see my notebook, but perhaps that was me and my somewhat older self and general dislike of Tumblr. I do understand the relationships between collections we create online and the ones I continue to curate in my books. One is very public...the other minimally so.

I think that some scrapbookers see the notebook....specifically the "Traveler's Notebook," as an interloper. Something that distracts from the very important task of normal everyday scrapbooking. It is simultaneously embraced by some for its simplicity and smallness and despised by others for its unprotected pages and tiny photos. Lest you think we memorykeepers are a fickle bunch...we just know what we like. We share a devotion to telling our stories in a way that completes something in us. Whether we do so in a notebook or a photobook matters little.

Personally, while keeping a notebook is not at all new for me, scrapbooking in one is. While I was busy using them as an art journal, a sketch pad, a rudimentary planner and a diary...I never actually added pretty paper or washi tape or stickers. I am happy to have evolved as a Zibaldoner. Do I think this has changed my scrapbooking forever? Yes, I do. I love that my notebooks are about everything. I love that they are unfettered. I love that they are portable and smallish. Mostly I love the link I feel with my grandfather when I write in it. 

I feel like notebooks have given us common ground. It is the place where writers, art journalers, travelers, memorykeepers and planners all come together. It is the place where we can ultimately be any of those things by simply being ourselves.

april traveler's notebook

Even though I completed it a while ago, I'm just getting around to sharing my April Traveler's Notebook. I have a flip through coming with a bit more commentary a little bit later in the week. I am ever so slightly behind with my little monthly notebooks so I'll have to let you know my plan for playing catch-up...once I come up with one:) Until then, here's a look at some of my pages:

If you're interested in hearing me talk more about scrapbooking in my Traveler's Notebook, head on over to the The Scrap Gals Website and listen to the podcast I recorded with Tiffany and Tracie.

week in the life | 2016

I just wrote an entire blog post which, upon it's completion, I mistakenly deleted. It was a shit! shit! shit! moment and I cannot bear to rewrite the words I so carefully crafted. So here is the gist...I'm participating in Week in the Life albeit in a different sort of way. The science geek in me wanted to explore how the senses and memories intersect. I will be using this as a means of documenting over the course of the week honing in on a specific sense each day.

What I heard

Monday will be about the soundtrack of my day.  The sounds of music, podcasts and conversation. The birds tweeting, Ronin’s playful bark and the sounds of my fingers tapping away on my keyboard.

What I saw

Tuesday will not only be about how I see, but how I perceive. What I see in the backyard, what I watch on TV, what I read, what I see in the mirror, on my computer screen and through my windows...and how I perceive what I witness.

What I touched

Wednesday will be devoted to the tactile details of my life...the warmth of my bed in the morning, the heat of my coffee cup, the feel of Keith’s hands and Ronin's fur... all the things I touch and that touch me throughout the day.

What I tasted

Thursday will be about the flavors of life, some of which are so familiar they stir up memories of childhood. The taste of coffee, of my favorite breakfast, of strawberries...the tastes that are specific to this season and our home.

What I smelled

Friday is dedicated to one of my most powerful senses...that of smell. I want to document the smells in my life right now. What perfumes I am wearing, my shampoo, the flowers blooming in my neighborhood, the smell of dinner cooking...these things are fleeting and I want to capture them.

The next two are not senses per se, but it seemed appropriate to include them.

What I felt

Saturday will be for feelings. That sounds funny since everyday will be about feelings, but I will actually focus on how I feel during this season of life, about the election, about where I live and how I’m spending my days.

What I dreamt

What better day than Sunday for dreaming. I think dreams are so significant and tell a story of where we are in life. My dreams today are so different than the ones I had ten years ago. I want to document my dreams at this moment. What I want, what I hope and what I believe.

As you might have noticed, I didn’t really mention photos.  I have chosen to make this less a project based on images and one based on words. Years from now, when I look back on this, I want to leave myself room for imagining. I want to try and flex my muscle memory through my senses. I will take and include some intentional images, but that won’t be the heart of this...I will be the heart. My words, my stories. That’s it.

may gossamer blue layouts

Wow! Is it really May? Don't I say something to that effect every month? We have had some beautiful days here in the Pacific Northwest and I have soaked up every last bit of it. It has made me long for drinks with umbrellas and bright colors. Well the May Gossamer Blue kits don't come with cocktails (unfortunately), but they do come with color...including a bunch of the highly sought after Fancy Free collection by Paige Evans for Pink Paislee. Normally this cut apart style is not my sweet spot. I don't have the patience for all the cutting...but Paige and Pink Paislee made it possible for me to make a layout that looks like it took way longer than it actually did to finish.

Top portion of layout: Gossamer Blue Main Add-On Kit • Stamps: May Life Pages Kit and May Main Scrapbook Kit • Title Circles: May 2016 Main Kit & Add-On Kit #2 • Puffy Heart sticker: Main Life Pages Kit • Layering Papers: Main Kit & Main Add-On Kit

The MVP this month was definitely the Fancy Free page kit. In addition to the pre cut overlay, it also came with a title, embellishments and the bottom patterned sheet. When I first saw it I was a bit bummed because I thought for sure I couldn't use it. I've always admired that intricate look, but it just wasn't my style...or so I thought. Well, I was happy to be wrong. The fact that it comes in a full 12x12 sheet means you can use as much or as little of it as you want and that's exactly what I did. I also chose to use just the die cut overlay placing bits of the patterned paper in some areas and leaving others open. This created a more simple look that suited my tastes. I finished things off with some stitching and tiny stamps (I LOOOOVE TINY STAMPS). The title circles were cut from a Simple Stories cut apart page.

Top strips & Layering Papers: Gossamer Blue Main 2016 Kit, Life Pages, Main Add-On #2 • Stamps: May Life Pages Kit • Title & Embellishments: May Add-On #2, Life Pages Kit, May 2016 Main Kit

I chose to go with a simple grid style layout to showcase some of my favorite flower pictures this Spring. I take a LOT of flower pictures so using a grid helps me to get a few extra pictures on my page without it being too much. There was so much color in these photos, that the chipboard title seemed like a perfect fit.

Bottom strips & Layering Papers: Gossamer Blue Main 2016 Kit & Life Pages • Stamps: Main 2016 Kit, April Life Pages & May Life Pages Kit • Puffies & Other Stckers: Life Pages Kit & Main Kit

As you know, I can't exactly go a month without making one (or several) layouts dedicated to Ronin...my beloved Blue Heeler/Beagle. The colorful papers that came in the May Kits definitely capture his playful personality. I used those puffy numbers from the Fancy Free collection to direct the look of this page.

When it comes to memorykeeping, there are so many ways to document life that don't include pretty paper and stickers. That's why I LOVE scrapbooking. It's a creative process driven by beautiful products. I'm not ashamed to say that I often allow the products to drive the look and feel of my layouts. It was a complete joy to play with the kits this month and I'm just getting started:)

april gossamer blue layouts

Since all that crazy Instagram drama, I've decided to make a concerted effort to post my monthly design team layouts here on the blog. As much as I love Instagram...and I do love it, I like having a bit more control over what I share. I don't like feeling dependent on a social media outlet that can do whatever they want whenever they want. That said, I will still post there, but I will post more here as well. I feel like the blog inspires me to tell a more in depth story and that's a good thing:)

Here's a few of the layouts I made for April using my Gossamer Blue Kits:

March Traveler's Notebook

I finally got around to filming a flip-thru of my March notebook. I thought I would post a few pictures here as well. This was my favorite book to make so far and I think that had a lot to do with the fact that I have developed a pretty good process. It was the same thing when I was doing a pocket based version of Project Life...things went so much more smoothly once I had a system in place. While these books seem rather compact, I am now realizing that devoting an entire book to a single month gives me so much more room to document and play than I ever allowed myself when I was using pockets. This has been a welcome change.

I have received some questions regarding the notebook itself so I decided to create a little tutorial that I plan to put up in the next few days. In regard to the supplies, I just use cardstock and text weight paper from Paper Source. I worked there for years and have had plenty of experience using the paper for all sorts of projects. Creating my own notebooks has made it possible for me to choose colors I like as well as control not only the quality of the paper on the the inside, but the quantity as well. Because I'm using it more as a scrapbook rather than a notebook I don't really need that many pages. I also like that my paper is more substantial than regular notebook or printer paper which makes it better for stamping and light watercoloring.

Check out the video flip thru here:

February Traveler's Notebook

Like I promised, I recorded a video flip through of my February TN. I'm enjoying this approach to everyday style scrapbooking so much. If you are feeling a bit over albums and pocket page protectors, but not stories and pictures...this may be a style of memorykeeping that will work for you.

By the way...I'm still getting used to the whole video making thing so I humbly ask that you forgive my slow rambly way of speaking and anything thing else that gets on your nerves:)