Tell Your Story... outside of the lines!

I'll admit it. I like to color "outside of the lines".
Scrapbooking, like art, should have no boundaries.
Now I'll admit it-when I started this blog as a journaling challenge blog, it was because I thought scrapbooking without journaling was kinda pointless... at LEAST the "who, where, when"... and I am ALL in for the story behind it all.

I get it. Sometimes designers are focusing on the product, are not interested in documenting these things. But I really hope they write these important facts on the back, because in even 10 years, no one will care about the design. But anyone that would be looking at the layout will care who it is, when it happened, or what the story was or how people FELT. Or why it was important to scrapbook in the first place.

When I first came back to scrapbooking (I took many long breaks for life after my start in 1995ish) I was thrown by all the layouts with kids with random expressions, and NO writing at all... sometimes there wasn't even a title! It's gotten better... most of the time. But if we aren't leaving a legacy, maybe we should rethink the "why's"... art might be enough of a reason, but then I will still encourage the facts to be stated. And I am reminded every time I look at vintage pictures I have acquired with no notation of who is it.

OK, so you wondering what the challenge is-well of course it is journaling, but I wanted to point out layouts we have done that weren't restricted to a journaling card, or symmetrical lines on a page! "Journal outside the lines" (or use the lines outside of the standard.)

Megan does one of the best jobs I have seen journaling "wherever" on a page! (Bias I have for her fabulous work aside, I promise!) She journals in little spaces here and there, and makes it work regardless!

You may remember this from a couple of days ago! (Various kits)
Or there might be lines, but she makes them were she needs them. (January Kit)
(January kit plus her own stash)
And even though there ARE journaling cards, doesn't mean you have to ONLY journal in/on them! Whatever it takes to get the story told! (January Kit)
And if the paper on your layout HAS lines, you don't have to use ALL that space either!
(August Kit)
And here are some other examples of journaling "outside the lines"!
{Mandy (December Kit)
{Kim (January Kit)
{Penny (don't forget your white pen on dark papers!) (January Kit)And who needs lines, where there are dots! :)
{Michelle (January Kit)
Also, I wanted to show this layout again... tags have commonly been used to journal, but I especially liked Mandy's use of the tags to journal, but then they're just kinda are hangin' out! :)
(December Kit)
So journal where ever you want! And share your stories with us this week! Let's see how creative we can get!

Using more stash...

After I am done using up a kit, I toss all of the leftover buttons into a bag. I take that bag with me to crops. I love those buttons!!!

I created this simple thank you card which I mailed to my grandmother with pictures of the boys from Christmas tucked inside it using the January kit. But I also mixed in a button from an older kit.

What do you do with the extras from your kits?

Author's Choice

KristenW totally inspired me this week to work on scrapping my Christmas photos. In fact, I have them all packed in my crop bag as I head off to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to scrap with some friends this weekend.

Lovin how she used the December kit!!! Thanks Kristen for inspiring and sharing your work with us at the TSM Gallery!

Use your stash...

Do you ever use every little piece of your monthly kit? Probably not, eh?

This week, we are creating pretties by digging into our kit stash and mixing it up.

I created this winter layout by using the following from the January kit: green button, Basic Grey Marjolaine mini mono stickers, Basic Grey Pyrus pattern paper, Making Memories snowflake pattern paper, and the flap from one of the envelopes for my title/journaling area from the January kit.

I then used some of leftovers from my December kit: Basic Grey Jovial micro mono stickers and the Le P

I challenge you to mix it up and use your stash!

Card Day With Bree!

I'm super excited to share these projects with you today!

Here's a Valentine Card,

It's a little ahead of schedule.

It was easy to turn wintery papers into a Love note,

with just a touch of red cardstock and a little glitter.

And instead of putting the card IN the envelope,

I turned the envelope into an embellishment on the front of the card.

You could sneak a love letter, a treat, or gift card

into the envelope if you wanted!

And here's my 2nd card

Hello Sunshine,

again i used the envelope on the front of the card, i really loved the way it looks.

This card reminds me of Grandma's garden,

And could be used for any occasion!

And instead of a third card, I made this little frame.

I used a dollar store frame.

It was dark brown, so I lightly sanded it

and added a couple of layers of acrylic paint on top.

After it dried i sanded some of the edges off to give it a chippy look.

I then used the matte that came with the frame as a base

and covered it with cardstock and patterned paper.

I layered some Prima Leaves, Prima pebbles, Webster's pages button, and a flower.

I added stickers to the journalling card to make the title,

and popped it with foam adhesive.

A giant bow, and voila,

a simply shabby chic little frame!

Don't forget to visit on the 12th and 24th of each month

for lots of

CARDS INSPIRATION.

And pick up your copies of the April, May and June CARDS magazine

to see some of THE STORY MATTERS Cards in Print!

Bree

Inspiration found...

Where do you look for inspiration? And what do you do when you find it?

I love to look through magazines as well as blogs for design inspiration.

And over at decor8, they never disappoint!

I love this image.

The lines... the shapes... the colors... the white space.

mmmm.....

{source}

This makes me think leaves & rain drops...

{source}

typography within a shape...yes, please!

{source}

circles...you just can't go wrong with circles...

{source}

Hexagon's on hearts...the ideas are stirring now!

What's your favorite shape these days?

hexagon love...

Hexagons are fast becoming a hot trend.
They're so fun, and country feeling, and quilty.
Oh patterns...how I love thee.

{this layout created with bits & pieces from a few past TSM kits}

I created the hexagons on this layout with my new favorite tool...the ELITE slice by making memories.
I've already used this SO much. I even created a few onsies for my ella and her twin cousins.

{Gotta get some pics of those soon.}

{and there's that great Feb kit hinding in the background}

Come back tomorrow for some great inspiration found around the web!

Sneakin in with a few more sneaks...

...from Tania!



and from Penny!


Did you miss the sneaks from the other gals?
Check them out HERE.

Shape it up!

I love punches...punches...punches...punches!
They are so versitale and can be used over and over again!
Love that!

So this week is going to be filled with shapes. Whether they came from punches, die cuts, or something you hand cut!
We want to see your favorite shapes!

It's no surprise that this is my favorite punch this season:


For this layout I wanted to base it around these colors:

{american crafts: mixtape}

So, using my January kit and a few things from my stash, I created this:


For this punched piece...

...I used popdots to raise the punched piece over some of that great mixtape {from my stash}.

For my title I used these...

...I bought them years ago at a junk mall. It was way before I was really "into" scrapbooking and just thought they were so neat. Now, I want more to add to my collection!

Your turn!

Create something with your favorite "shape" and share it with us in our gallery!

Just a little peek....

Amy:



Michelle:


Mandy:







Megan:




Shelley:

Card Day with Bree!

Are you guys snowed in like we are in AB, Canada?

I haven't left the house for 4 whole days, but I'm loving it.

It gives me some free time to do what I love best, make cards & scrap!

And this month's kit made it soo easy.

I thought I would switch it up a bit,

Still focusing on cards, but with a little twist.

For all you card makers out there

( or scrappers, you're definitely included)

I made this....

A Birthday Journal.

I have always wanted one, but have never had the chance.

Thanks to an amazing kit (with those darling little month labels)

and some snowy weather,

I was able to create one.

What's a Birthday Journal?

It's kind of like a Calendar without the years and days of the week.

It is a "who-has-a-birthday-when?- and-plan-ahead-card-making-tool"

It's where you list the birthday, with the date, under the coinciding Month.

This handy dandy little mini will allow me to make my cards in advance,

for the people I love and care about.

I don't usually make birthday cards in advance,

because I want them to be personal.

I'm not really a generic card maker...

I like to add special things for the special people that will receive it.

So instated of making them last minute,

(you know, after the presents wrapped,

you're about to walk out the door, and you realize you forgot a card.

You know the fancy handmade card

everyone has come to expect

because they know you are a paper crafter?)

In 2011 ... I WILL BE PREPARED!

New years Resolution #524

I will show up at the door,

with a handmade gift,

(New Years resolution #325)

And I will be able to present my gift

with a well designed,

gorgeous card, with all the personal touches,

made especially for that special someone.

Thanks to my little Birthday Journal.

Now if I can only find the time to fill it in....

Bree