Simple Stories: Autumn Outing

Fall is my family’s favorite time of year to be outside! Whether it’s driving through the mountains to see the colorful leaves, a visit to the pumpkin patch, or walks around the neighborhood, we can never seem to get enough of our favorite season!

The Autumn Splendor collection by Simple Stories encapsulates everything we love about autumn with its color palette and beautiful, botanical images. It was so much fun creating this page for our family album!

I fell head over heels for the coordinating stencil for this collection and decided to add it to the background paper (3×4 Elements paper). I love the way the stenciled details look peeking out from behind the Foliage Bits & Pieces. I repeated the stenciling around the page in three areas to create a visual triangle in my design and to keep your eye moving around the page.

I framed the single photo for this page with a Layered Chipboard Frame and then added layers of additional patterned papers and Foliage Bits & Pieces leaves behind for texture. This entire grouping is popped up on foam tape.

I fussy-cut the journal block from the 3×4 Elements paper and then added it to the right of my photo at a downward angle. A pair of foliage leaves and a butterfly connect the journal block to the layered photo block and add even more to the outdoorsy feel!

I combined the chipboard “AUTUMN” word with orange letters from my stash for the title. I added distress ink to the orange letters to tie them in with the inking in the background.

This beautiful collection makes me long for sunny Autumn days and fall drives in the mountains! I can’t wait for the leaves to begin changing! Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you feel inspired to scrapbook some of your fall family photos, too!

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Simple Stories: Fall Baking

Ahhhh! Can you feel it?! Lately, there has been a bit of a bite in the early morning and evening air and that means that fall is just around the corner! Squeal! It’s my favorite time of the year!

Whenever fall comes around, I get in the mood to cozy up inside the house and BAKE! You do, too?! There’s just something about coming home to the scent of pumpkin muffins or chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven on a crisp fall day, am I right?

Today’s layout features the BRAND NEW Simple Stories Fall Farmhouse collection along with photos of my daughter and her friend doing a little fall baking themselves.

I wanted to create a patchwork effect for the background of this layout. I chose the Harvest/Dots paper for the layout base and then cut several of the papers from the 6×8 Paper Pad into 2″ x 2″ and 2″ x 4″ blocks.

My photos are also 2″ x 4″, but I set them apart a little bit more by matting them with the SN@P! Basics Aspen/White Notebook paper.

Next, I used the Chipboard Stickers and Combo Stickers to accent the title and create an embellishment cluster next to the middle photo. Aren’t those florals darling?! I am in LOVE with the wheat stalks and berry branches tucked in with the florals. They look so cute accenting the plump, cheerful pumpkins!

I cut the label shape from the 4×4 Elements paper for the journaling, adding a pumpkin and label sticker from the Mini Sticker Tablet to accent the chipboard banner and chipboard tiered plate stickers. CUTE!!!

Of course I had to pull in some of that cute washi tape, too! You can see that I layered the gingham and stripe washi tapes together across the top and bottom blocks. I also added a bit of the gingham washi tape to the right of the title

Happy Fall to one and all! I hope you are having a great day!

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Simple Stories: Forever Fall Layout

Today I am up on the Simple Stories Blog sharing a scrapbook page using my favorite Forever Fall Collection.

I love the name of this collection, because if there is one season I would want to last forever, it would definitely be Fall! I love everything about it, the rich colors, the coziness, everything! I wanted to embody that feeling on this next page about my daughter.

First of all, the Be Grateful paper with it’s denim pattern … SWOON! I could use this paper for every layout this season! I cut out the heart from the 4×4 Elements paper and paired it with the chipboard fox to use as a large accent next to my die cut title.

Next, I wanted to do something special around this cute photo of my daughter. I used an electronic die cutting machine to cut out several large leaves and then backed them with the Gather Together, Changing Leaves, and Pumpkin Everything papers.

I then used my sewing machine to stitch around the outer edges and veins of the leaves, giving them lots of cozy texture!

Finally, I fussy-cut the large floral element from the 4×6 Horizontal Elements paper and gathered several other floral die cuts and stickers to tuck in among the leaves. The result is a fun way to show off a favorite photo!

Try using a mixture of oversized fall leaves and florals on your next fall layout. It’s a lot of fun to do!

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Happy Fall!

Two-Page Layout: Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

I’ve loved playing with the Simple Stories Forever Fall collection this year. Today I have a two-page layout featuring family photos from our Thanksgiving dinner last year.

GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE

DESIGN TIP:  Look to bring in additional patterns by taking a cue from the elements in the collection you are working with. Some of the leaves and pumpkins in this collection had a newsprint pattern, so I decided to pull in a text patterned paper from my stash. I used it to die cut my title words and the leaves across the top of the page.

I used the Gobble, Gobble, Gobble cut file by Loni Stevens found in the Silhouette Design Store (#22530) to create the title block behind my family photo. It was fun to add little accents of chipboard and die cuts from the Bits & Pieces pack in the openings of the letters.

DESIGN TIP: Try looking for pattern cues in your photos. My dad was wearing a plaid shirt on this day, so I decided to mat these photos with the plaid Pumpkin Everything paper. It subtly ties the left side of the layout together with the pattern of my dad’s shirt on the right side of the layout.

I also used the plaid heart sticker on the journal block above the photo of my parents to bring in a bit of that plaid again.

Finally, here is a closer look of the leaf border across the top of both pages. I simply used some metal leaf dies from my stash, adhering them lightly with liquid glue to keep them in place while I stitched through them with my sewing machine.

After stitching through them, I fluffed up the edges of the leaves for a bit more texture.

Don’t forget to take family photos this year at your Thanksgiving dinner. It’s the perfect time to grab a shot of your family for your annual Christmas card!

It’s been awhile since I have used dictionary/text style paper on a project. It was a lot of fun! Will you give it a try on your next project?

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