Project Life 2015 Weeks 1 & 2

Hi there!

Just sharing my Project Life pages from a couple weeks ago. I'm using Graphic 45's Time To Flourish paper line, along with tidbits from some of their other collections. For week 1, I borrowed an image from Come Away With Me. I used a little Place In Time for week 2. :)

If you're new to Project Life, I have some tips that I've learned along the way:

• Your first 12x12 (or whatever size) can be one of two main things: a "title" page or it can be your first week. A title page (I think) is mainly just pretty papers, possibly journaling (such as New Year's resolutions) and of course some stickers or letters featuring the year. 
• Pre-make your layouts for the year if it will help you commit to finishing them. Yes, things could change and you may need more page protectors or paper, but that's part of the randomness of life.
• Don't try so hard to be "perfect." If you stress over your pages much, you won't get anything done! 
• If you have a lot of photos from one week and a few photos from the following week, it's okay to "even out" your layouts by adding some of last week's photos to your current week's! 
• Take advantage of two-sided cards or paper as much as you can. This helps keep the cost of supplies down. And, I think it challenges you to be a little more creative. :)
• Make use of older embellishments to help add dimension to your layouts and not to mention, more free space in your home! 
• Unless you have a sizeable disposable income, don't print your Instagram photos or any square photos as 4x4's. They cost almost double ($0.29)!! Rather, take screen shots of them but include about 2" on each side, so that you're making a 4x6 screen shot of the photo. It's extra work, but will save you money in the long run. If anyone has a source for decently priced 4x4 prints, let me know! 
• Finally, if you've pre-made your layouts for the year, keep a 12x12 page protector behind every month filled with paper and any embellishments you'd like to use for that month. 

Well, hope your week has started off wonderfully! I'm off to do some work, then headed to the store to pick up photos for my week 3 layout! 

G45 Once Upon A Springtime Book Box Tutorial

Hi there!

As promised, here is my other Once Upon A Springtime project. It's a Graphic 45 ATC Book Box and it goes perfectly with the ATC tutorial I posted recently! Here are some photos along with step-by-step instructions on how you can make your own. :)

I know I used a lot of different kinds of flowers, but you can substitute any brand or color as you wish. You could even use different papers from the two paper pads I used. That's what I love about papercrafting - you can really make it your own! 

Supplies

Graphic 45 ATC Book Box

Graphic 45 Once Upon A Springtime 12x12 paper pad

Graphic 45 Baby 2 Bride 12x12 paper pad

Graphic 45 Shabby Chic Door Pull

Graphic 45 Shabby Chic Keys

Graphic 45 Ornate Metal Keyholes

Graphic 45 Washi Tape Set

Stickles - Star Dust, Copper, Aqua and Sea Foam

Handful of teal and white flowers - mine are a mix of Petaloo and Prima

Instructions

Step 1. Cover all the edges of your book box with washi tape. Cover the entire front, back and spine. 

Step 2. Cover the inside left of the box as well. 

Step 3. Cut out these images from your Springtime paper pad. Trim to 4.5" tall. 

Step 4. Cut out this image. From the same paper you cut this image from, fussy cut "The Fairies" banner. (See step 12)

Step 5. Adhere "Once Upon A Springtime" image to the front of your box. Attach green frame with foam dots. 

Step 6. Fussy cut these images from your Springtime paper pad. (They're all from the main page.)

Step 7. Arrange images per photo then adhere. 

Step 8. From your Springtime pad, take some blue stripe paper and cut a 2.25" x 10.5" piece. Score the top and bottom at 3 1/8". 

Step 9. Adhere blue stripe paper to the middle of your box. 

Step 10. Adhere some flowers to the top of your box. 

Step 11. From Baby 2 Bride paper pad, remove paper with blue floral design (white and blue vine design on the reverse). Measure the inside dimensions of the box, cut paper to match dimensions, then adhere to box. 

Step 12. Adhere blue frame and images per photo. 

Step 13. Add Stickles to the fairy's wings as well as the edges of the green frame. Adhere more blue and white flowers. 

Step 14. Adhere door pulls to the spine. 

And the Snapguide version:

Check out How to Make a Fairy-Themed Book Box by Maria Cole on Snapguide.

G45 Once Upon A Springtime ATCs Tutorial

Hello!

Just wanted to share one of my latest projects, an ATC tag album made with Graphic 45's Once Upon A Springtime paper! (Truthfully, it has remnants of Baby 2 Bride as well.) Tutorial below--whee! If you're wondering how the heck I got this paper, it's seriously all the leftovers from my original 2011 stash.

I was pretty excited--VERY excited--to see that G45 is bringing back this paper line. It means I can replenish this beloved collection! I have another project that I made with the same paper; I'll post photos as soon as that one's done, as it goes hand-in-hand with this one.

Supplies

Graphic 45 Once Upon A Springtime 12x12 paper pad
Graphic 45 Baby 2 Bride 12x12 paper pad
Graphic 45 ATC Tag Album - Kraft
The ring from a Graphic 45 Regular Tag Album - Kraft
Graphic 45 Staples - Metal Butterflies, Brads, Shabby Chic Keys
Spellbinders - 2" Oval die, Decorative Labels Eight die - 2nd largest size
Stickles - Aqua, Seafoam, Star Dust, Copper
Foam dots
Blue & green pearls

 Instructions

Step 1. Remove tags from packaging and place face up. Ink and distress edges; apply some Copper Stickles around edges as well.

2. From Springtime paper pad, remove a blue striped paper (blue butterflies on the reverse side). Cut (6) shapes using the 2nd smallest Decorative Labels Eight die. Lightly ink edges.

Step 3. From Springtime pad, fussy cut the following fairy and flower images. Apply Stickles to their wings. 

Step 4. From Baby 2 Bride, remove paper with light blue stripes (baby images on reverse) and paper with white background and blue vine (blue floral on reverse). The pink stripe paper is on the reverse side of the fairy paper that you cut from. Take a 2" oval Spellbinders die and cut (2) ovals per design.  Ink edges. 

 

Step 5. Use foam dots to adhere blue stripe mats to the tag base. Adhere oval shapes to blue stripe mats with foam dots. Then, assemble each tag per photos.

Thanks so much for looking and have a great rest of your week!

Check out How to Make Fairy-Themed ATC Tags by Maria Cole on Snapguide.

Teresa Collins Save The Date Mini Album and Layouts

Hi there!

With all these amazing sneak peeks of the latest and greatest papers coming out, it's hard to think about making projects with "last year's" paper. But, that is what you do when it's 50% off and your to-do list continues to grow taller.

My husband's cousin got married last summer. It was a beautiful day in Snohomish, Washington and I was fortunate to get a few photos from the event! I ended up making a couple 12x12 layouts for my 2014 album, along with a mini album to give to the happy couple.

I love the Basically Essential Album Kit! It was gifted to me at the Teresa Collins class in October. These little mini's come with a variety of pages, some little photo sleeves, a sticker sheet and some die cuts. Amazingly, Teresa's wedding line went perfectly with the album.

I used one of the photo sleeves to house some sequins. Some grey washi from TC's Urban Market sealed the deal. :)

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Supplies

Teresa Collins Basically Essential Album Kit
Teresa Collins Save The Date 12x12 paper pad
Teresa Collins Save The Date stickers
Teresa Collins Urban Market Washi
Teresa Collins You Are My Happy Sequins
Studio Calico wooden butterflies