Why do you scrapbook?

Hi Leo here!

Thank you to Leila for those fab colourful projects :)

Today I've got a layout idea for you using the main kit 'Love of Paper'.
I don't know about you but I have some albums that are full of random pages, some about me, some about random days or random photographs. Thinking about this I wanted to make a kind of introduction page or 'first page' to one of these albums. The tag in the main kit also got me thinking of just why I love scrapbooking too. So after playing around with the bits and pieces I had leftover I came up with this layout:

I started off with the Studio Calico Rosebud paper as this was the last whole sheet of paper I had in the kit. I like the library card on the back of the paper and thought it'd make a great journalling card so first I've cut that out of the paper to use later.

Using one of the sheets of vanilla cardstock I've added a piece of paper to the lower right side. This paper is the street map bit on the back of the Studio Calico Rosebud paper. I cut a long three inch strip off the bottom of the Rosebud paper first then this bit was what was left on the remaining piece.

The next paper I've used is the Crate Paper one with the blue lines. I'm just using off cuts here but it's roughly 5.5 x 12 inches.

On the layout the back block of paper is a pocket to add in the photo and other bits and pieces. To make the piece of paper a pocket all I've done is turned over the paper and added strips of doublesided tape to the bottom edge and both sides. I've then cut some strips of cardstock and glued those around the edges of the tape, just so it runs along the edge of the tape. This will stop what you put in the pocket getting stuck in the tape.

To make the photo ready for the pocket I've first matted to a piece of card then stitched a little pull on the top edge made with a piece of the calico fabric. These alphabet stickers are some October Afternoon ones from my stash.

Now I just need to add the pocket to my page. To make sure I get the placement right I popped the photo down first then fixed the pocket down over the top. It's roughly 2 1/4 inches away from the top of the page.

Next I've used more paper strips over the top of the blue stripe paper. I've used the strip of the Rosebud paper I cut out earlier and a smaller strip of the Echo Park chevron paper.

I wanted to break up the paper strips a little bit so I've added a paper doily on top of the all layers.

Next I added the library card cut out that I'll be using as my journalling block.

To that I've added the 'I *heart* scrapbooking tag underneath. I popped some string through the top and stitched it down then added a layer of washi tape and some of the faux fabric tape I made with the fabric in the kit, (see posts further down for a how to for this it's mega easy).

Next I'm going to add the banner of bits and pieces that runs alongside the journalling. To start with I've added a small line of glue where I want the banner to be.

Then used a piece of twine, (this was leftover from the Downtown Tea Party kit) pushing it into the glue.

For the bits and pieces I've used the embellishments from the kit and one of the cuts outs on the Rosebud paper which I've distressed around the edge. The tag I've added one of the chipboard stars on top then the pencil button.

All these pieces I've added on top of the twine so it looks like they're hanging off it. With the bow button I cut the back off first then glued it down so it lay flat.

The edges of the library card are quite vintage looking so I thought I'd echo that around the edge of the layout and I've just used a grey mist dipped into with a paint brush and brushed around the edges.

In the top right corner there was a space that looked a bit empty so I used an off cut of the Echo Park paper fixed in place with a little washi tape then stamped over the top of it. The heart stamp is from an American Crafts set and I've used smoky grey Versafine ink. While my inkpad was out I also stamped on the date in the same colour.

Finally all that was left to do was fill in the journalling. I knew what i wanted it to say so but I needed to make sure it read right first so I scribbled out my thoughts on a piece of paper first then copied it out on my layout. With the colours in the layout being soft I went for a brown ink though if I'd had one I would've used grey, defo my next investment in my stash I think! :)

I've added some journalling to the back of the photo too. I'm going to add more photos to the pocket when I get some more printed off.

That's it done :)

So, how about you? Why do you love scrapbooking? Why do you make your scrapbooks? Maybe it's just as important to share why you make the memories on a page in your scrapbook too. Have you done something else with the tag in the kit to share?

xx Leo