Diana Forsgren's blog

Simple Scrapbooking - Using Dotty For You Paperpack

Simple.

Yes, I am a Simple Scrapbooker lately.

Why?

I want to get my pictures organized, journaled and into albums so I can relax. 

Today I worked on some photos from 2004. Yes, 2004. And I loved it! It felt good to go through the box of photos, grab a stack, get them into page protectors and call it a day. I think I did it all in a couple of hours. 

I used the new Dotty For You paperpack. Available through May.

For all the journaling, I used the My Legacy Writer Black Pens. I used the 0.3 tip. These are new to me and I am really liking them! Even better than my Copics, which I spent a lot of money on!

I usually use stamps in my layouts, but I really was going for simple here. 

Don't be afraid to cut up your paper. I know I have been guilty of this in the past. Some paper is so pretty I don't want to cut into it. But I find with the Photo Storage Pages that I want to cut up my papers. I cropped most of these photos to 4x4 and adhered them to a 4x6 piece of Dotty for You paper. Since these are double sided, they worked perfect in the these page protectors! Simple journaling on a strip of paper and I'm done! I also used the Paradise Paper Flowers.

I really love the Cork Alphabet. I have been using them a lot lately in my projects.

I did get a lot done today. I kept it simple and stayed with the photos and words. The embellishments I used were simple ones. The Footloose chipboard just went on with adhesive. Very simple. I feel good.

As always, if you need anything call or email and I would be glad to help. All products are available on my website.

Happy PaperCrafting!

Dotty For You!

I am so excited about this paper pack!

And the best thing about it is that it is only $5!! Yes, with a $35 purchase of any Close To My Heart product, you can get this beautiful set of 24 cardstock weight patterened paper! And yes they are more beautiful in person than pictures can show! I tried to take a few pictures of the layouts I am working on.

These are some of the templates that I copied from the artwork idea insert that is included in the pack. 

Here is the insert:

If you are looking to pair it with a paper pack, I highly recommend the Footloose complements and colors! I can't wait to scrapbook my Spring Break pictures from San Diego with them! This is how they look!

Start shopping now!

Happy Spring!

Spring has sprung at my house! Actually to be honest with you, this is the first "official" spring I have experienced! Pine and Palm trees don't really count as spring like trees where I come from! So I am really enjoying all the new leaves and flowers that are popping up around our yard!

I would like to challenge you to take out your camera and capture some of those little things around you that you would usually not notice. Pretend that you are looking at it all for the first time like me. Zoom your lens in and take a closer look. The "big picture" is always nice, but what does that little leaf or pettle have to say?

When we moved into our home, this ivy growing under our deck was so ugly and gross! I had it on my to do list to rip it all out and start something new. But when I came home today to let the dog out I spotted these new purple flowers that I had never seen before! I nicely walked past all the wasps that were out and got a shot of them! I love spring!

What is new around your yard that is popping up this spring?

How To Books Inventory Update

Update on How-To Books Inventory
As we announced last week in the post, the how-to books will be retiring and, as promised, we will try to keep you up-to-date on inventory levels. Reflections® is now out of stock, and Originals® will be unavailable very soon. The remaining how-to books are also quickly approaching run-out levels.

Order fast before they are gone!!! Happy Shopping!

Stella and Pemberley Scrapbook Layouts

I  was really excited to use these two sets. They are my favorite out of the Spring Summer 2012 idea book. I don't usually use these colors in my layouts, so I was up for using something different.

The Stella Collection uses colors: Cocoa, Olive, Lagoon and Sunset

When I have a lot of pictures, I really like using the Memory Protectors Photo Storage Pages. They come in vertical and Horizontal. The one I have used above are the horizonal pockets. They come 10 to a package for $8.95. They are a very thick plastic. I have to say that I love our Close To My Heart page protectors more than other companies.  I always buy the 50 pack of the 12x12 protectors for my albums. I just don't like flimsy cheap protectors. I want to make sure that outer corner doesn't get bent.

Sometimes I put stickers and journaling directly on my photos. Its like scrapbooking at a 4x6 size. I can't believe how fast it is to just slip your photos in and a journaling card!

Pemberley examples:

Thanks for looking! If you like any of the products that you see here you can purchase them anytime from my website.

Close to my Heart ideas using Stella and Pemberley Collections

Oh I am such a bad blogger! Well I am committing to sharing more ideas with you and projects this year! The problem isn't doing I projects, the problem is me actually taking pictures of them and uploading them! But I just need to force myself to sit down and do it! Once I have the pictures, writing the blog entry is the fun part!

So thank you to all those who attended my first open house! I had so much fun and really enjoyed crafting with all of you! I would like to share some of the cards that I made and shared at the event. I used the Pemberley collection along with the Color Ready Garden Wooden shapes (Z1718).

This one was a pretty simple card, just adhering the wooden shape to the card with glue dots. Inking the edges with Outdoor Denim ink and a simple stamp that came with the Workshop on the Go kit (G1033).

 Here is another one. Same concept.

I haven't tried painting or inking them as suggested in the catalog. But that is on my to do list. Here are both the sets.

Stella Collection and Quick Pic Album

Oh this was such a fun project! And I am glad that you can see in this picture the glossy cover of this album. You can't really see it in the catalog. This is a 6x6 album. It has 8 pages, both sides, so it holds 16 6x6 layouts. I used 5x5 size pictures and the Stella Collection along with the Canvas shapes as you can see on the front cover. They are made of a canvas and they are "stickers" and just peel off and stick.

Thanks for looking! I will share more layouts soon using the same paper packs!

Final day to order from Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book

It's January 31st, and that means it's the last day to order from the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book! Please make sure your orders are in before 11:59pm MST.

You can start shopping here!

Don't forget to check back at my website tomorrow for the new catalog!! I am so excited about all the new product! I can't wait to share it with you!

Product Showcase: Memory Protectors Flip Flaps

Flip Flaps...what are Flip Flaps? I was asking myself the same thing!! So I bought some and thought I would try them out! Oh how I love them now! Here is the official description:

"Slide photos or other artwork into the pocket and attach the Flip Flap with its adhesive strip". And believe me, its really that easy! The hardest part is picking what you are going to put in them!

So far, I have only attached them to a 12x12 page protector. But you could attach them to anything really! Here is what I have come up with, first adding additional journaling to a layout and second, adding two additional photos to a Photo Storage Page. All on page 122 of the new catalog that is coming out on February 1st!!

This first photo is a 12x12 layout of my pets. I knew I wanted to write about them but with all their pictures, it took up the whole page. So I added a 4x12 Flip Flap and inserted a strip of cardstock and added my journaling. The "sticky" adhesive strip went right down the edge of the page protector that has the holes in it.

Below is a picture of the flip flap closed, laying on the page.

Below is what the flip flap looks like open. I haven't added anything to the backside yet, but I think I will add more small photos and some journaling.

The set of Flip Flaps I used was the 12" Assortment. For only $4.95 you get a total of 8 protectors. 4 - 6x12" and 2-4x12" like what I used and 2- 8x12". 

 

I also tried the 4x6" protectors. Great if you are doing Project Life and need to add a couple more photos to your week. In this example, I had 6 photos in a Photo Storage Page and just needed to add a couple of more. 

I simply adhered the strip right onto the page protector at the hole side and it sticks. I added a little tab to the end so you know to life it up. I got that at the office supply store.

Besides the little tab I used, all products are Close To My Heart and available in the new catalog.

If you live near by, I am looking forward to see you on Saturday, February 4th for my open house! It will be fun day of paper crafting!

As always, if you have any questions or would like to know more about the products featured here, please contact me! I look forward to hearing from you!

Faux Instax Photos

I saw this post from Eve. And I thought, I can do this. I don't need a really expensive printer to do it! And so I did! I followed her tutorial and I need to tweek the size of the pictures a little for my camera the Nikon D60, but for the most part, this is how they turned out!

 I can't wait to put these in my December Daily! How fun! I think they will look great in my Project Life album too!

January Stamp of the Month - Loving it!

This is one of my most favorite stamp of the months yet!! I just love it! I am using it on some small journaling cards (3x4) and stamping them off the edges and circling the Jan and stamping the date on them.

You can use this stamp set for invitations, but I just love numbers and dates on my journaling. It is great for Project Life entries, December Daily projects and any type of daily entries or something you want to put the date on or use numbers!

If you have the catalog, it is on the last page. Its only $5 when you spend $50 or buy it by itself for only $17.95. It is so worth it! I plan on using this stamp all year long on my journal cards!

Buy it now here!

If you are in Kentucky, I will have having an Open House on Saturday February 4th between 10am and 2pm for the new catalog! So stop by anytime! I will have lots of new products for you to see hands on and play with! I am so excited to share it with you! Call or email if you have any questions!

Here is a sneak peak of what I have been working on with the new products:

I can't wait to see you! If you are not in Kentucky, keep checking my new website for the new catalog and products to be posted! It goes live February 1st!

Happy Paper Crafting!