I have been away from posting on my Blog for the past couple of months, but I'm planning to be back on a more consistent basis. There are two reasons for that:
1. For a while, I was on several Design Teams and keeping up with my own DT and Etsy shop, that I just couldn't find the time. And with all of the social media channels out there these days, sometimes certain ones get neglected. Now that my DT commitments are more manageable, I have more time to focus on other areas of the crafty community.
2. Because I am a WAHM and I consider paper crafting to be my favorite hobby, but also my at home job, I want to be able to share what I'm creating with you and the products I'm using. I will never share anything with you, that I don't love myself. Some of the products I use on my projects are purchased by me and some are provided from companies that I've worked with or purchased from for years. You may run across affiliate links in my posts, which means I just make a commission if you click on a link and make a purchase while visiting that site. And if you're like me, you probably can't resist awesome scrappy purchases every once in a while...or a few times a week! HA!
So, with all of that out of the way, I've got a new Traveler's Notebook layout to share with you today. And I'll tell you a little bit about why I'm so in love with documenting in a TN.
If you're wondering why the switch from 12x12 to Traveler's Notebooks, here's a few reasons:
1. The size and they are self contained! After so many years on Design Teams, I have accumulated quite the stack of layouts. There were some months where I would be creating 15-20 layouts. That means lots of Scrapbook albums. I am not big on clutter, so having Scrapbook albums shoved in all parts of the house is just not appealing to me...currently the reason that almost all of them are at my husband's office. I have a few at our new house, but they are not something I put on display, so having to store them in a closet just doesn't do it for me. With Traveler's Notebooks, I could have 10 covers filled with inserts and not make a dent in storage space.
2. I like to use my stamps in the TN. You will not find much stamping on my 12x12 layouts. I usually make a big mess when I'm stamping and just can't ever seem to work them into my layout designs very well. But I love that they are so easy to use in my TN. It's another flat embellishment I can add to my TN layout, that doesn't add bulk to the insert.
3. Journaling. I am not a journaler on my layouts. I gave it a try back in the day when I first started, but it just wasn't something I enjoyed doing. In the TN, I feel like they are easier for me to journal in. It's just one of those things, it doesn't make sense to me either! HA!
4. Time. Most of my 12x12 layouts are pretty time consuming. It can take an hour or two to complete one layout. Documenting in the TN is so much faster, but I still end up with a fun layout and the time to sit down and create.
5. They are just fun!
Hopefully this gives you a little more insight into the world of TN. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it!
Now, onto some info about my Traveler's Notebook spread. This notebook is one I am working in for Reese. Right now, I have one for Madison, Emma, Reese, and an everyday insert that I created after watching a tutorial from Heba Alsibai. For this layout, I used the center pages. I wanted my photo to span across both pages. I snapped this photo on my phone one afternoon, when we were heading home from our swim at the neighborhood pool.
For my title, I used a mix of alpha stickers from Pinkfresh Studio and the new Max Outlined Alpha from Studio Calico. I used the stamp set on a scrap piece of patterned paper and fussy cut each letter to add to my layout. I also used the Here & Now Stamp on a piece of White card stock and then cut it out, to layer over my photo. To complete the layout, I grabbed the Wild Child collection from Pink Paislee and embellished with a few stickers.
Thanks for stopping by today, and I hope you enjoyed a look at my new Traveler's Notebook layout!
