Hello friends. 
I'm thrilled to be sharing another Albums Made Easy Monday with you! 

I have officially switched to the 4x4 Instagram pages for my Albums Made Easy pages. I take most of my photos using my iPhone and love using the Rhonna Designs app for journaling. 
Then I print them out using my Canon Selphy 

 It's a perfect combination!

 Today I wanted to share a super quick and easy way to create your own pockets for your pages to hold tags, journaling, memorabilia and more!

 

 I added a journal card made with Teresa Collins Hello Life Page kit, a few of the stickers in the kit and finished with a button and twine.

Here's my finished AME page




I am really enjoying the week by week format. I find it easy and faster to print my photos and assemble the page with the 9 4x4 inserts.


 

I prefer to use 4x4 photos but you could add several 2x2 images to the 4x4 inserts as well. I like to use Picasa.com for cropping my photos to 4x4 and 2x2 sizes. It's a free site.

That's it for this week's Albums Made Easy Monday! I'd love to see what you are creating so leave me a link to your pocket page projects!

Have a creative day!

{S} 

Albums Made Easy Monday: Thank you Texas friends!

Hello friends. It's been a week since I got back from teaching at this year's Great American Scrapbook Convention. I had such an amazing trip this year.

 I really enjoyed getting into Dallas a few days early to spend some time with my dear friend Robyn Schaub.

The show this year was amazing! So many great classes and crafters! I really enjoyed bringing the Albums Made Easy System to my students. 

My pages included a variety of techniques from creating with the new Sew Easy templates, stamping, using misting inks, utilizing dies and paper punches and more! Here's a look at my class featuring Teresa Collins Snapshot collection.

 

I love using this system of scrapbooking and I am very passionate about We R Memory Keepers products and quality. I am sure many of you have heard about American Crafts recent purchase of We R Memory Keepers. I too was surprised about this news. As a long time design team member, I have enjoyed creating monthly assignments, Product Scoops, samples for CHA and HSN as well as teaching classes and helping promote the We R Memory Keepers brand. 

At this point I don't know if I'll be asked to continue designing with We R's products but I can assure you that my Albums Made Easy Monday's will continue.

I love sharing ideas with you for getting the most out of your Albums Made Easy collections!

Thank you for taking my classes featuring We R Memory Keepers products these past 3 years at The Great American Scrapbook Conventions as well as stopping by for my Albums Made Easy Mondays!

I appreciate your support and comments each week!

Have a creative day!

{S}

Albums Made Easy Monday: Letter Dies

Hello friends! Today I wanted to share an Albums Made Easy 4x6 insert I created using some of the letter dies that We R Memory Keepers has available.

I started with a 4x6 insert and layered a 3x4 insert. Then I layered in orange cardstock the notepage die from the Pocket Scrap Dies: Hello set. Then I added a few stickers from the Noteworthy sticker sheet and cut a flag and adhered with the tiny attacher. I finished it with a bow created from twine and a button and sequin.

I used the High Rise Alphabet to create my Great Day title. I love that you roll the die thru any cutting machine and get everything that you see here.

I hope you'll give these dies a try on your Albums Made Easy pages! 

Thanks for stopping by!

{S}

Albums Made Easy Monday

I know...it's been too long! I'm so sorry I have missed my Monday Albums Made Easy posts. My mom came to visit for a month from Arkansas and I took full advantage of having her here to kit for my upcoming classes at GASC. We got so much done but it took up so much of my time that my blog has suffered.

I have really missed creating for these posts and I am so happy to be back sharing another AME tip with you today!

I wanted to share some ideas with you for creating with your Albums Made Easy inserts outside of your pocket pages and onto a 12x12 layout.

For this layout I used 2 4x6 inserts and 2 photos.

One of the things I love about this system of scrapbooking is that you don't have to stick to the pockets. You can take the inserts and use them in creative ways on your scrapbook pages.

I love We R Memory Keepers Sew Easy system. We have 4 new templates that you can stitch up some really beautiful images or words to add to your layouts and projects.

On this project I wanted to show you that you don't need a template to have fun with your floss and Sew Easy Needle.

I added a stitch on the bottom of the Albums Made Easy insert for fun.

 

 I added some stamped images, wood veneers, sequins and enamel dots that appear to trickle down my page.

 When I am done with my stitching I attach the ends of the thread to the back of the layout with washi tape. I used to knot the end when I started but then I realized that left a bump in my layout. This method keeps it smooth.

I hope you'll create your own template for stitching and share it with me on Pinterest. I've created a board to share our ideas and inspiration. If you're interested in being added then leave me your Pinterest name and I will send you an invite.

Thank you for stopping by for today's Albums Made Easy Monday!
I'll be back next Monday with another fun way to use your left over AME inserts!

Have a creative day!

{S}

Albums Made Easy Mondays

Hello friends. I hope you had a great weekend! For this week's Albums Made Easy Monday I am sharing another page I created using the Snapshots 12x12 Page kit from We R Memory Keepers.

For last week's AME Monday, I used lettering on my photos with the Rhonna Designs app. For this week's page I stayed true to traditional scrapbooking and used patterned paper and embellished for my pages.

 

My process of working with pocket pages is to take 2 squares at a time and embellish.

Albums Made Easy pages are perfect for using up scraps and getting out those rarely used punches. I've had that heart punch for 10 years now.

I also love using border punches to enhance my inserts.

Don't forget to tell your story in your own handwriting. Yes I know...I too dislike my handwriting but it's personal and it's from you. So do it!

This page easily be done Sunday evenings so you can easily recall the events and information you wan to document. 

I use my iPhone to take most of my photos now and they are set to transfer to my laptop so finding the ones I want to use is easy and fast.

I hope you are inspired to pick up some We R Memory Keepers photo inserts and give pocket page scrapbooking a try.

If you already are, share the link to your pages. I'd love to come have a look.


Thanks for stopping by today!

{S}

Albums Made Easy Monday

Hello friends! Hope you all had a fantastic weekend. Thanks for joining me for another Albums Made Easy Monday. I'm so loving the new Teresa Collins lines for Albums Made Easy! Today I am creating with the Snapshots Page kit.

I loved using this kit for a Inst-Life page I created using We R Memory Keepers Instagram photo sleeves. I had my birthday a couple weeks ago and here are a few highlights of my special day.

I placed my photos in a tic tac toe arrangement and then used the remaining 4 inserts to add some fun ephemera, stamps and dies.

I used the Rhonna Designs App to add text to my photos. It makes journaling so much more fun since I really dislike my own handwriting. After I have edited my images, I  am can choose to save them as an Instagram size which makes the easy to print out on my Cannon Selphy.

 

 Try using overlays and cutting them to 4x4 in size to alter. I used a couple on my layouts.

I hope you found some ideas here today for your next Albums Made Easy page!

Thanks for stopping by!

{S}

Albums Made Easy Monday: Insta Life

Hello friends. Thanks for joining me for another Albums Made Easy Monday. This week I want to share an idea for those of you that don't have a lot of time to spend scrapbooking.

 I mentioned in my last Insta Life post that We R Memory Keepers had some 4x4 page inserts that were perfect for Instagram photos. Since I have my phone with me more than my camera I snapped a photo each day for a week.

Then I used the Rhonna Designs App to add the Day of the Week and other embellishments to the photos I took with my iPhone. I believe the app is 1.99 in iTunes.

At the end of the week I printed each of my images using my Cannon Selphy which prints a 4x4 image perfectly. You just need to trim away the extra length of the 4x6 paper.

 I arranged each photo into the 4x4 Instagram photo sleeves and added my journaling.

Since there are 9 4x4 slots, you have two extra 4x4's to embellish as you chose.




I used free cut file image I found from Pinterest for the celebrate life title and then I added a punched border strip and month die from My Favorite Things to My journaling card.

I use the Xyron Sticker maker to add adhesive to die cut images.

The layout took me less than 30 mins to print and assemble. Not bad for someone who doesn't want to spend a too much time or alot of money putting their photos together.

I used We R Memory Keepers Snapshot Page kit by Teresa Collins for my inserts and journaling.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this quick way of memory keeping!

Have a creative day!

{S}

Albums Made Easy Monday {The Insta-Life Project}

Hello friends. Thanks for joining me for this week's Albums Made Easy Monday. I love taking photos with my iPhone and sharing them on Instagram. Yep I am that lady you see photographing her food, my kids, park play, the beach...you name it! I love photographing our life and sharing it with family and friends we don't see everyday. I love that I don't have to lug around my Nikon everywhere we go.

So I wanted to start compiling those photos weekly. Sort of like Project Life but in my own way...

Let's call it Insta-Life:

 A week in my life thru Instagram photos.

We R Memory Keepers has 4x4 photo sleeves that make it a snap to get my photos off my phone and into my albums. 

Here's a look at the sleeve I am talking about.

12x12 Ring (9-4x4 Photo Sleeves)

I have my phone set to transfer my images to my laptop so I can easily find and edit them in Picasa. I am a home photo printer. I'm an impatient person, maybe it's the Aries in me but I am a NOW person so I use Picmonkey.com and Picasa.com to edit my photos so that I can print them right away

I own a Cannon Selphy and a HP All in One. Both do a great job printing my photos and both cost around $100.00.

In Picasa there is not a 4x4 option to print so I chose the 4x5 option and pick 4 photos to print. Then I click the "shrink to fit" tab and the photos turn to a little less than 4x4 in size like this.

I print them on 8 1/2 X 11 Kirkland photo paper from Costco. It's 19.99 for a 150 sheets. A great deal. Once they are printed, I cut them into the 4x4 Instagram size but just slightly smaller so that they slide easily into the sleeves like this.

I like to have the white boarder around my photos. You can also cheat and achieve this look by cutting white cardstock at slightly smaller than 4x4 and then cutting your photos down to mat.

I didn't have any of the 9 4x4 sleeves to start with So I used the 6 4x4 and 4 3x4 sleeve.

 I decided for my Insta Life pages I would go from Monday to Sunday and I used the We R Memory Keepers/Lifestyle Crafts die Oh Happy Day for the Month and some Basic Grey stickers for the dates.

The dies were easy to adhere using my Xyron 1'5 inch Sticker maker.

To add my own style I added some of my Unity SMAK kit images and some simple embellies.

 

I affixed this flower on the outside of the photo sleeve. I also stamped the best friends image directly on my photo with Staz-On ink.

So there you have it. My Insta-Life March 3-9

I hope you found some helpful tips here today. Please feel free to leave me any questions you have and I will do my best to respond as promptly as possible.

Have a creative day!

{S} 

Albums Made Easy Monday-Tools of the Trade

Hello friends. Thanks for joining me for another Albums Made Easy Monday. I got an email from someone asking about how to get started with the Albums Made Easy System and what products I suggested for using to keep everything organized. So today I want to share with you my  "tools of the trade."

You want to start with a good photo album. I prefer the Classic Leather 3 ring album. My personal color is Kiwi to match the green and brown in my living room.I love this album because it does not smush my pages. I love that the pages snap in easily and my embellishments don't get ruined over time. The spine has a tab I can label what year or event I have documented and they look great stacked together on my bookshelves in my living room.

12x12 3 Ring Classic Leather album

Then you choose your inserts.

Some of my favorite tools are the 3x4 punches that now come in rounded corners or square.

rounded 3x4 punch

square 3x4 punch

I love my magnetic mat and ruler.

And finally for the storage of all my supplies, I love the Albums Made Easy Organizer-card cabinet.

These drawers have tabs to separate your cards by theme, color...however you choose to store your cards.

 Albums Made Easy-sleeves shelf. 

There are tabs to help you store the different styles of photo sleeves that are available. Personally, I store them all with the dividers separating them on the top shelf and all of my solid paper on the rest of them.

 

So there you have it. All my favorites for crating up some fantastic Albums Made Easy pages.

Have a creative day!

{S}

Albums Made Easy Monday

Hello friends. Thanks for joining me for another Albums Made Easy Monday. Today I have 2 new tips to share with you. Last week we talked about using the 3x4 punch to make your own AME inserts. 

Here's where we left off.

And here's the finished layout 

I ended up switching out the left 3x4 card and used a few coordinating embellishments from the Game Day collection and some fun football brads from Eyelet Outlet to finish my page. I also used the We R label punch.

My first tip is for using die cuts or embellishments that have a shiny texture like the thought bubble I used above. How many times do you go to journal in them and the ink doesn't dry and you smear it? I do know that Sharpie also has fine point markers but sometimes you don't have one on hand. Since I typically use the ZIG Millenium .08 to journal with I found that if you sprinkle clear embossing powder over the ink and heat emboss it your problem is solved.

Now onto tip #2

I don't always like my journaling to be visible in my layouts so I try to find clever ways to hide it. Here's a tip for hiding your journaling on a 4x6 AME insert.

I created several layers, including some glitter tape to enhance my insert. Then I used a craft knife to cut a slit just about the green football strips that would fit my Unity Stamp Co. Library card image.

Then I journaled on the card and slid it into the insert so that only the top is showing.

Here's a view of the back.

Now for last week's winner of the Game Day sample pack!

Regina Hamilton said...

I've been thinking about these albums for awhile, but never purchased them. I really need to give theses a try, maybe then I'll get some of my pictures out of the boxes their in.

February 17, 2014 at 8:35 AM  

Congratulations Regina! Send me your mailing address to shemainesmith22@gmail.com and I will get those out in the mail to you!

Have a creative day!

{S}