Chasing Rainbows Summer 3x4 Mini Album

I'm a summer girl through and through, and I'm thankful that I have at least a few more weeks, before it really starts to cool off.  Till then I get fill up some albums and this cute little book with memories I made with my little family this summer.  I've been crushing so hard all the summery colors in the past couple kits.

I really wanted a cute little album to string together, with a few photos that I adored from this summer.  I even let my little one help me string up each page together in a cross pattern.

I first began by picking out the patterned papers from the kit that I liked and a few 3x4 coordinating cards as well.  After I decided what order they would all go in, I folded it in half, then punched four holes along the folded edge.  We strung up the pages with yellow ribbon, along the spine and tied it off with a pretty yellow bow.

I sifted through all the goodies that came in the "Chasing Rainbows" kit, and I chose a few coordinating embellishments.  They were the perfect addition to my photos.  Most of my photos I chose to fit a 2 1/2" or less space within my book.  After arranging my photos I nestled in my chosen embellishment, added some scraps for dimension, and stitched on all the pretties.

I really love how this cute little mini album turned out, and it was so much fun to create!  I hope if you find yourself with a few hours to yourself, that you'll use this cute little mini as inspiration to memory keep some of your memories too!

Life Crafted Album | Hello Fun

Hello there, friends!  Today I'm sharing a little peak at how I've added some great summer photos to my Life Crafted album.  I hope you're inspire!

I knew as soon as I sat down at my desk that I wanted to use that beautiful sky patterned paper in this month's kit.  I instantly fell in love with those blues.  I wanted to add some great summer photos to my Life Crafted album, so it was the perfect addition.

Next, I decided on my title for these two great photos of my little and I before a bike ride.  I really wanted to use the great acrylic "hello" piece in the kit, and it paired perfectly with a piece from the acetate die-cuts.  The acetate pieces are simply my favorite!

I layered up my main photo on top of some scrap packaging, then stitched on a sentiment on a cut-apart label.  I nestled in another great acrylic piece, this cute as ever heart!

I used the remainder of my sky patterned paper to create a little tip-in on the left side of the spread.  I stitched my scraps, my photo, and another great acetate piece onto the tip-in.  I really love the simplicity of this spread.  It was such a great way to add a few more summer photos to my Life Crafted album.

Documenting Pool Photos | Life Crafted Album

I am clearly a proud lover of CTK kits, but guys, this month's kit is everything my crafty heart loves!  I'm so completely smitten!  All the bold bright summery colors just align perfectly with my bright shiny soul.  I already know I'll be smashing this kit to bits, because I'm obsessed with every single element!

This little Life Crafted spread was all about these great photos of my little man in the pool this past weekend.  They turned out so lovely and cute with that amazingly clean water in the background.  I've always been a sucker for a good pool photo!  This month's kit was the perfect addition to that blue background!  I couldn't wait to scrap them.

I snuck in one of the 3x4 cards to document the date and location of the photos.  I love the way it just pops behind the lower photo on this side of the spread.

I also chose to pop my photos off the page with a little wax paper packaging.  This is one of my go to tricks for adding eye-catching dimension to any project including photos.  I then layered up some pieces from the ephemera pack and a couple puffy stars.

I added this amazing 4x6 card to the right side of my spread and decked it out with a great title, using the new chipboard alphas.  Aren't they amazing?!  I added another few of my favorite bits from the ephemera pack and some enamel dots.  I'll add all my journaling for our weekend at the pool on this card!  I just love how it turned out!

3 Friends | Life Crafted Album

I've been having such a blast working in my Life Crafted album this month, and this month's kit is the perfect addition.  I'm a little jealous that I haven't quite filled this album up, because how perfect would this month's kit look with the new yellow albums!?  All the heart eyes guys!

This whole spread started with this lovely little photo of myself and two gal friends.  I really wanted to document this great little moment of summer bliss.  The lemons and orange and green pops were the perfect scheme for this summer fun photo!

I made sure to add some dimension behind my photo by tearing off a piece of wax paper from some old subway packaging.  Save your packaging ladies!  I tore the corner near the photo, so that my main theme of "3" could pop up and make a splash on the page!

The large "3" that I chose to tip-in is from the great Add-On kit this month.  I'm seriously loving those die-cut numbers and alphas.  I stitched on a little tag, including the word "friends" with this month's alpha stickers, and then I punched my holes to insert along the spine of my album.

I lined the back of the large "3," so that I could fill in all my journaling for this spread.  It was such an impactful and pretty place for me to write out all the goodness about my gal pals and our weekend out.

It really does look so pretty piled on top of my main page in the spread.  Am I allowed to add large die-cut numbers to everything?!  I think I'm obsessed!

Love This | Life Crafted Spread

I know it's going to be a huge shocker, but I really don't like coffee... gasp, I know!  I'm an avid hot tea drinker, so I have to get a little creative with this month's kit for that reason.  It really isn't that hard though because this month's kit includes a great selection of versitle colors and patterns that work just fine for documenting all the other exciting things in our life!

I wanted to document this great photo of my little and I at a hockey game this winter, and I figured the blue seating in the background would pair nicely with the gorgeous papers in the kit this month.

On my photo side, I cut that beautiful floral paper at an angle to place behind my photo, and I knew I wanted to continue that angle onto the opposing page.  This was great for angling my title as well, using the "LOVE" piece of ephemera and the great puffy stickers in this month's kit.

On the opposing page, I decided to stitch on the opposite edge of the floral paper, so that I could create a pocket for a journaling card.

This journaling card actually has a white border around it, but I liked it for this particular project without, so I simply trimmed it off with my scissors.  I then stitched on some lovely mint tulle.  An easy-peasy spread, but the colors are oh so lovely!

Thanks for joining me today!  I can't wait to see what you guys are making with this month's kit!

3 Relaxing Days | 12x12 Mixed Media Layout

I know I'm not the first person to be totally and utterly infatuated with the many shades of blue.  When I saw this amazing striped sheet in this month's kit, I knew it would need to be the foundation of a layout, filled with all the shades of blue that make me dreamy-eyed.

I pulled out a few goodies from this month's Add-On Kit to match up with that gorgeous sheet of paper!  The ephemera and puffy stickers in the Add-On Kit are the perfect addition to the shades of blue in the monthly kit.

I began my layout on a white sheet of 12x12 paper; I then added 3 stripes of mixed media to solidify the love of dreamy blues.  I swiped on some mint, ocean blue, and a little cornflower blue.  I knew I wanted to align the great cork numbers that came in this month's kit with the swipes of blues.

I decided on a whim to cut apart the sheet of stripes to spread across my layout.  I really love how it created little slots to tuck in ephemera and cardstock phrases.  I adhered them to my layout, over the slightly buckled mixed media areas, by stitching them on.  I decided to leave the extra thread because I love the way it adds even more dimension and color.

I chose to place my photo in the lower right corner, backed with another great paper in this month's kit.  I really wanted to hide my journaling on this layout, because I wanted the colors to do all the talking!  I included some hidden journaling, using the glassine bag that the cork numbers came in.  I trimmed down a 3x4 card to slide in for my journaling.  I then stitched on some mint tulle, so it would be easy to pull out from behind my photo, and isn't it so pretty?!

The last step was to add all kinds of pretty pieces of ephemera, and I had a bounty at my hands between the main and Add-On kit this month.

Thanks so much for joining me today!  I hope you fell just as hard as I did this month with the beautiful blues that splatter both amazing kits!

MAud | Life Crafted with Lydia Cost

I'm still in a little shock that I get to play with the amazing CTK goodies each month!  What a blessing I feel to be welcomed to this amazing team!  For my first project, I'm working through my Life Crafted Album.

This spread is all about achieving Master level on my Audible membership last year.  Audible had re-posted to their Instagram account someone who had joked about adding MA to their post-nominal initials, and I just thought that was so funny and clever, so I had to document that myself in true papercrafting fashion!

Using the amazing white-scalloped pocket that comes with this month's Life Chapters kit, I slid in a selection of books I'm currently reading, and stitched it down on my spread.  I then layered on a screenshot of my master level to document the achievement.

I finished off my spread by adding a great 3x4 card from this month's kit.  I wanted to document my book count from last year, because it was quite a feat for me!  This pretty, little yellow card summarizes the idea behind my title, Lydia Cost MAud!

If you want to see how this spread came together, feel free to check out the process video below!  I'm so excited to get to know all of you over the next couple months!

Tuesday tutorial: Don't forget you!

If you're anything like me, when your kit arrives all beautiful and new, your first thought is to grab those kiddy, pet or family pics. The ones that you're not in because - surprise! - you're behind the camera. I know I tend to reach for pictures of my daughter (especially when she was tiny) because those are the pictures I like looking at.

But we need to remember to get ourselves in our layouts too: we're an important part of our family's stories and our faces need to be in those albums. But of course, most of us don't love, a. having our pictures taken or b. how we look when we do force ourselves to pose! 

So here are a couple of tips to ensure that that gorgeously unique face of yours makes it onto at least a few of your pages...

1. Pose in front of your mirror whenever you feel even vaguely good about how you look... if you've blow-dried your hair or put on some make-up - get snapping. You can crop out your camera later on.

2. Work out how your camera's timer setting works and see what result you get that way. For this bike shot, I'm posing outside our local takeaway which has lovely white walls!

3. Ask someone to take a shot of you whenever you like your outfit. This shot was taken outside a supermarket, but I was wearing my very favourite mint-coloured cardi.

4. Don't be afraid to pose with a prop. Yes, I felt silly posing away in my husband's glasses for these shots, but I love the resulting photos and they have already graced a few projects (going into black and white is also a top tip if you happen to suffer from rosacea like me).

So come on, girls: let's get ourselves on those pages! God gave us these faces and our families love them, so we should celebrate them too.

Make a page about your favourite outfit, your favourite song lyrics, your hobby or drink... just get yourself in your album and don't feel shy about it. Let's really 'enjoy ourselves'!