Project Life 2016 November Round-up Layout

Project Mouse

Project Life 2016

Project Life 2016 November Round-up Layout

April 7, 2017

Hi guys, today I am sharing my layout for the month of November in my 2016 Project Life album. This is the final layout for 2016 and so next week I will share full walk-through videos of those albums. I created this layout in the Project Life app, printed at home and then embellished on top.

Here is a look at the completed layout!

This layout represents the entire month of November and so it just includes a few random photos from throughout the month. November is typically a month I take off from Project Life in order to prepare for December Daily. At this time I have two full albums from 2016, which is fantastic documenting.

I used this photo of our Thanksgiving table as a focal point on the layout. I love capturing the dinnerware and check out the already-consumed cheese ball! This dinnerware has special significance as it belonged to my Mom many years ago. I have added a few pieces myself over the years via Etsy and always love using it on this holiday.

I used the Beginnings collection from Project Mouse for this layout. Even though it is not specifically fall-themed, it works beautifully alongside the Maggie Holmes Gather ephemera. And just look at the girls on their ride-ons – they look so small and I just know that these images of them playing in our neighborhood will invoke such wonderful memories over the years. I will miss them being this little and this close.

I love the light that fall gives us – the photo of Alan and I captures that light and it makes me so happy every year. Notice how I used the tiny touches of gold from the Gather collection to carry the gold throughout the layout.

One of the things I love most about Project Life is being able to carry forward proof and hope of a good life. Especially as our country bombed another country last night, I am pretty sure we all wonder what the future holds. You guys, I don’t want to get political but I do want us to remember there is hope. There is hope that good will over come and we must continue.

Some days it feels overwhelming, watching news and seeing so much pain in the world. Several years ago Alan and I were each living separately, rebuilding our lives and struggling to keep hope. We had no idea what the future held for us. For some the struggles of today might be shocking because maybe it’s the first time reality has hit so hard, I don’t know. But I do know that years ago Alan and I cried some really hard tears and our children cried tears that no children should ever have to cry. Today I am able to share photos and reminders of how we each came through that, found each other, and rebuilt our families. Look at these smiles.

I am so thankful to be able to share our family stories with you all. I am so incredibly grateful for our life today, even though it is far from perfect we are doing so well. No matter what the future holds, always remember there is hope. We will come through.

~Theresa

Project Life 2016

Project Life 2016 | Halloween Layout!!!!

March 30, 2017

Hi guys, today I am sharing my Halloween layout in our 2016 Project Life album! As always, one of my favorite layouts every single year, and this year is no different. I created the layout using the Project Life app and then embellished on top.

The digital journaling cards can be purchased at The Lilypad here: Project Mouse Halloween. The photo templates were part of the Project Mouse FANniversary celebration challenges, and all of that can be read here: The Lilypad FANniversary challenge | Photo Templates.

I began with the title card that simply says the date and event. No date card here, no week number.

I made a point to document the names of the characters they were each dressed up as. Nick’s character is noted on the photo template and for Addison I stamped his character on his photo. They are so cute!

I used several of the journal cards for journaling, and then others for fun filler cards. I love the opportunities to add tiny embellishments and pops of color and dimension!

The right hand side features the girls with their costumes. For Emberlynn I added my journaling to the template in Photoshop, which suits her character perfectly. She is more austere than the others and carries off her costume perfectly! So cute!!!

Natalie saw these layouts as I was creating them and insisted that I type What a Cute Little Foxy on her photo template. Ha!

Thanks for following along today! See you back here again soon!

~Theresa

Bermuda Honeymoon Album

Bermuda Honeymoon Album | Layout 02 Horseshoe Bay (Hybrid)

March 23, 2017

Hi guys, today I am sharing my process of digital and physical for using Photoshop to plan and print my elements for this layout from our Bermuda honeymoon album! I am using the Project Mouse Beginnings collection!

So the wonderful thing about using digital elements and creating hybrid layouts is the ability to plan and print your layouts right on the computer. So quick and easy! Be sure to watch the video so you can see how I did that for this layout.

This photo was taken on one of our jaunts around the island of Bermuda when we discovered this amazing beach called Horseshoe Bay. There are several beach areas here punctuated by these grand rocky shores and there were so many photo opportunities it was hard to choose which ones to include in the album!

Obviously the photo takes center stage on this layout, rightfully so. It measures 9″w x 6 3/4″ h, the full width of the layout and takes position on the lower half of the canvas. I only added just a few tiny embellishments and the date at the bottom right hand corner.

In contrast to the visually heavy photo, I printed the digital cards onto vellum and layered them directly over the photo. Then just a few more tiny embellishments and the layout is perfect.

~Theresa

Bermuda Honeymoon Album

Bermuda Honeymoon Album | Layout 01 feat. Project Mouse Beginnings!!!!

March 22, 2017

Hi guys, I am so excited to share my honeymoon album with you, layout by layout! This layout is about our hotel we stayed at while on the island of Bermuda, called Grotto Bay. I am using the Beginnings collection from Project Mouse.

The hotel was the first place we landed after arriving on the island, so this seemed like a great place to begin documenting our stay. I took quite a few photos of our hotel, called Grotto Bay, so this will be one of several layouts about this part of our honeymoon!

A kind stranger took our photo on the lanai of the main guest house, and the other photos plus the journaling cards flowed from there. The left hand side includes the photo of us plus the view from the place we were sitting at, which was absolutely stunning!

I could not wait to use journaling cards from the Beginnings collection for this project! I knew the pastels would be perfect to go along with the photos we took. Typically I choose my favorites from a collection, and then arrange them alternating primarily white ones with primarily colorful ones.

My embellishments on this page are: roses from Maggie Holmes Chasing Dreams, pink wood veneer stars from Studio Calico Confidant kit, wood veneer arrow from Freckled Fawn, and paper clip from American Crafts Hazelwood. Stamped sentiment from One Little Bird.

The left hand side includes more photos from around the hotel plus journaling cards that were also simply chosen because they are favorites. I know that is probably disappointing to some who wish I would give grand design decision-making advice about which journaling cards to use, but I really so leave it as simple as: choose favorites and you cannot go wrong.

I managed to pick up some typewriter ribbons for my antique typewriter (the We R Memory Keepers ones do fit in Sears Corona machines, in case you were wondering!) and so I have made a deal with myself to use it in this album. I love the list I made here about our favorite things we loved at this hotel/resort.

I loved making a few tags using the word art that is included in the Project Mouse Beginnings collection! I plan to include a tutorial about how I made them later on, so stay tuned for that (possibly next week?)

Thanks so much for following along with me today! I hope you are feeling inspired by this album! See you soon!

~Theresa

Tutorials

07 Photoshop Tutorial Digital Layout | Beauty and the Beast Opening Night

March 21, 2017

Hi guys! So do you ever have the kind of event that you just cannot wait to get home and scrapbook about it?! That was me after the release of Beauty and the Beast last weekend, and especially knowing that the Beginnings collection was also there to use and I could not wait! So I thought I would share with you how I created this super quick and easy layout in Photoshop.

Here is the layout I created! This is my first digital layout that I have created and shared publicly, so be sure to let me know how I did! It was definitely a fun process!

That is all for today! I will see you back here again soon!

~Theresa

Bermuda Honeymoon Album, Disney Album, Traditional Layouts, Tutorials

Busy and Fun Weekend!!!!!

March 20, 2017

Oh my goodness, what an exciting weekend! Between the long-awaited release of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, plus a brand new collection from Project Mouse called Beginnings, this little Disney-loving fan is in heaven! I have lots to share with you, and that means that this week will look a bit different than normal!

I created a few layouts for the Sahlin Studio creative team, and as always, these are sooo much fun to create and even more fun to share with you. Let me invite you to check out the Sahlin Studio blog to learn more about Project Mouse Beginnings and find even more amazing inspiration right here: Project Mouse Beginnings.

Did you get to see Beauty and the Beast yet?! Alan and I actually got to go on opening night and seriously, it was AMAZING! I couldn’t wait to get home and scrapbook the night! I created the layout above entirely digitally, my very first (!!!!), and I plan to share my process for that with you this week.

Last week I introduced you to our honeymoon album, Bermuda edition, and the Beginnings collection was simply perfect for it! Ah, these pastels compliment the Bermuda scenery beautifully.

I also created these fun tags and had some questions on Instagram and in The Lilypad forum about how I made them, so I hope to share that process with you as well. You can see the discussion on the forum here: The Lilypad FANniversary forum.

So stay tuned this week! Lots of tutorials coming, hopefully lots of inspiration and fun ways to use Project Mouse Beginnings. See you back here soon!

~Theresa

Disney Album

Disney Album Final Flip-Thru!!!!

October 5, 2016

Yay my Disney album is finally completed and I am delighted to just quickly share the flip-thru video with you today.

Thank you so much for following me and for encouraging me along the way! This album has been an absolute joy to work on, in spite of my original overwhelm. It has also brought some really wonderful opportunities with Sahlin Studio and I encourage you to follow along on that blog, particularly if you are a Disney/Project Mouse fan!!!!!

For now I will be resting on Wednesdays and using that time to produce my December album and prepare for that journey. I also am planning a new travel album that will fill my Wednesday time slot after the New Year, and I am already so excited to begin that project. It will probably be a similar format as the Disney album, in Project Life pocket pages and embellished in my usual fun way! So stay with me, there are so many awesome things coming and I wish I could just share them all with you all at once. But first I gotta get some work done. Ha.

See you soon,

~Theresa

Disney Album

Disney Hollywood Studios | One Magical Night Pt. 02 Maggie Holmes Gather!!

September 21, 2016

Hi guys! Today will be the second to last process video in my Disney Series, can you believe that?! I am both excited and a tiny bit sad. Have a look at my process video today:

So the last night we were in Florida we found ourselves right on Main Street in Hollywood Studios, in the middle of the Spectacle of Lights New Year’s Eve!!!! Here is my layout:

I couldn’t help but use this Magic card from the Project Mouse Classics collection. I have used these title cards throughout the album because they are so awesome! Even though they don’t need a bit of embellishment, I added a touch of glitter tape across the top and bottom.

These two cards make me so very happy. Simple cards with simple embellishments, but they tell the story of what the significance of this night really is. It’s New Year’s Eve, everybody, and we are loving it!

It was really hard to narrow down which photos to use in this layout, as you can imagine, so I chose two that showed the lights, one with our group, and then a couple of the kids by themselves. This one speaks for itself: lights, lights, and then even more lights.

This photo cracks me up every time I see it. These are the sillies I hung out with, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Aren’t they hilarious?!

I did not do much to either of these cards, but the Unforgettable card has been altered in Photoshop. Originally that card is black, but I changed the background to a really light grey and added a slight black drop shadow to the letters. I also added two acrylic hearts from Shimelle’s Starshine collection.

More of the lights here, and a simple chipboard piece from Maggie Holmes Gather. Very simple.

Another look at this side:

For the right hand side I began with photos of our children. One is missing, who knows why? Regardless, Emberlynn is here looking quite content and happy with the current situation. Beautiful.

More simple journaling cards here, home for the story and more fun embellishing. I originally was going to put 2013 over the date on the starburst card, but this chipboard piece fit better!

I am absolutely in love with this filler card! I wasn’t really sure if the Maggie Holmes collection would fit in with this layout, to be honest, but this card seals it for me: Maggie’s products go with anything. I can’t think of a better way to wind down this layout and this album.

This sassy girl loved her hat and I am pretty sure they wore them to bed the next few weeks. Ha! Ok but seriously, these happy faces you guys. There is only one place that brings out this kind of excitement and joy, and we had found it.

I really am having a hard time believing this is the last set of photos from our trip! We talk about this night all the time – I tell Alan he will never be able to find a better New Year’s Eve party than this one, ever!

And there is that magic again, taking it all in, absorbing it, never wanting it to end.

One more look at this side:

Have you guys heard the great news? Krista Sahlin, the Krista of our beloved Project Mouse that I have been using throughout this project, found my blog and my Disney album and has asked me to share the Disney album on her blog and also if I would be on her Creative Team! So this project is being featured on her blog every Wednesday, if you would like to revisit your favorite pages. And let me just be the first to say how wonderful Krista is! She is incredibly talented and designs beautiful products, and she has been most gracious to me! Her blog is here: Sahlin Studio.

~Theresa

Disney Album

Disney Hollywood Studios | One Magical Night Part 01

September 14, 2016

Hi there! We are getting so close to the end of this album and I am so excited to finish it up. This layout is one of two layouts about our really awesome night at Hollywood Studios on New Year’s Eve. Have a look at my process here:

I began the layout as always, with photos and journaling cards.

Then I added my embellishments and journaling to bring it all together, here:

The enlarged photo of the magical Mickey hat takes center stage here. I chose to use my monthly kits from Gossamer Blue and Freckled Fawn as my embellishments on this layout. The camera is from the Project Mouse Classic kit; it is one of the pieces included in the elements pack that I have printed and cut using my Silhouette.

Because the photo is printed at 9×12, there are three 3×4 pockets on one side. I chose journaling cards from Project Mouse that were very neutral and have lots of white space.

I wanted to repeat the star elements from the magical hat, so the star card is repeated three times across the layout. I added a few embossed stars as well.

I also decided to blend gold and silver both on this layout. Silver has been carried through the whole album but this photo seems to have gold stars on the Mickey hat, so both it is. The Freckled Fawn washi tape is perfect!

The Gossamer Blue kit this month included pieces from the We R Memory Keepers Urban Chic collection, so I added a few things for a pop of color. Here is one more look at this side of the layout:

The right side of the layout shows photos of each of our children individually. With the girls I added a half circle and a glitter enamel embellishment.

Strike a pose seemed perfect for these photos. These black and white embellishments layer so well on top of the Project Mouse cards!

For the boys I added these pieces from the element pack in the Project Mouse Classic kit, and they are printed on vellum. The hearts are from the Urban Chic collection.

This girl! She is all sass!

Here is the star card again, this time treated a little differently. I added a few tiny enamel dots to the stars, and layered the embellishment on top.

One last photo, and one last vellum ticket. So very simple and fun!

Just two more process videos for this album to go!!!! See you tomorrow for TBT!

~Theresa

Disney Album

Disney Hollywood Studios Beauty and the Beast | Project Mouse and Maggie Holmes Bloom

September 7, 2016

Hi guys! Oh I just have to tell you how excited I am to show you today’s layout! The photos are from the Beauty and the Beast show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and I have chosen some fantastic products to go along with. Have a look at my process here:

Ok, here is the layout with photos and journaling cards which I created using products from Sahlin Studio Project Mouse, namely the Princess and Fantasy collections:

I decided to add my Maggie Holmes Bloom transparency in between this layout. So I have two photos of the completed layout:

I don’t even know where to begin! I guess I will just show you around the layout as usual, but I admit this is no ordinary layout! I began this title card in Photoshop (I use the Cloud version) and brought in the patterned paper, hearts, and bracket. I created a mask using the bracket so there was a place for text or embellishments, then I added a drop shadow, and then I added the word sentiment. All of those elements are available from Sahlin Studio Project Mouse, and The Lilypad.

Under that card are two 3×4 cards with added embellishments.

I couldn’t help but add just the tiniest touches to the photos of the show. Every scene was so beautiful, and my camera captured the stage amazingly well (these were taken with a Canon T3 with a kit lens).

This 4×6 card is another one I made myself using just a tiny strip of the patterned paper and some simple lines. I only added a tiny strip of glitter tape and my journaling.

I thought it would be cute to use the Princess Checklist card to create a checklist of some of my favorite characters. Don’t worry, all the beloved characters in the movie appeared in the show, and they did not disappoint!

There were several banners in the Maggie Holmes Bloom collection, this one in the cardstock stickers, so I repeated those in several places on the layout.

Here is a look at this side of the layout one more time:

I love how the colors of this transparency coordinate so beautifully with the colors on the stage and in the costumes, plus it ties in the gold glitter. I seriously love transparencies and use them every year in my December Dailies, and I try to incorporate them into my other albums as well. This seemed like a great opportunity to use this one!

It is somewhat challenging to photograph transparencies, so forgive the imperfect photos. Hopefully you can see how I added a vellum banner from the Project Mouse Princess kit. Layered on that are some word strips and a chipboard flower. When you turn the page you will find the back of the chipboard flower that has been embossed with gold and layered with a floral die cut.

For the left hand side of the layout, I created this journaling card again in Photoshop, printed it out, and then embellished on top. I am particularly in love with these hexagons! They became great layering elements for other little bits and bobs.

More 3×4 cards and layered embellishments here, and a few stamped s sentiments. The roller stamp I used is from Maggie Holmes’ Shine collection. Definitely a favorite stamp here!

On this photo I layered the XO banner with a glitter leaf! I wanted to repeat the glitter around the page, you know, because glitter.

Ah, these photos just make me so happy! I remember taking them and imagining the layout I wanted to create, so I kept the drapes in the frame. This glittered label is perfect right here!

More glitter, and a chipboard frame here, layered together. I also repeated the bracket and hearts on this filler card, and then layered labels and stamps on top. I love this so much!

One last photo and a banner layered with a glittered leaf and gold word sticker. Check out the concerned characters in the frame – this was the scene where Beast was pitching his temper!

Here isone more look at the right hand side of the layout:

Oh you guys, this might be one of my absolute favorite layouts ever! It all came together so much prettier than I could have ever imagined! I do hope you will let me know in the comments what you think. Thanks so much for following along!

~Theresa