Only a small part of my paper stash has been purchased recently [and I am waiting for one more order with a couple 6 by 6 packs to arrive on Monday].

Most of my papers have been accumulated over time ever since I started scrapbooking a while back. That means I have some pretty old paper.

Why do I have so much paper? Well…

First, I love papers. I am drawn to their patterns, colors or the overhaul happiness they confer.

Second, I am afraid to use pretty paper. Yes, I admit. I’m silly like that. What good will the paper bring if I don’t use it, I don’t know. But I’m still afraid to take a beautiful piece of paper and cut it or stick stuff on it. To make things worse, a few years back I used to buy every pattern at least twice (occasionally in several colors). Beware, don’t think it made me use it more often. I just have double-trouble right now…

Lastly, when I was working as a lawyer back home I used to compensate the lack of free time with excessive supply shopping. Every time I had a few minutes to spare on my lunch time I would go online and look for cute scrapbooking supply – and between us crafters, what scrapbook supply isn’t cute and inviting?

To make a long story short, I have A LOT of papers. Most are old. Many are “out of fashion” [some have made a come back, though].

So what do I do now?

Simple.

Steering clear of my new stuff and start pulling the old stuff. Here’s what I made this weekend:

What’s On your mind Layout

Patterned paper: Chatterbox
Letter stickers: Doodlebug Designs
Rub ons: American Crafts Remarks
Marker: American Crafts
Flowers: handmade
Button: Autumn Leaves
Tools: Tiny Attacher by Tim Holtz; Doily Lace punch by Martha Stewart.

Boys Will Be Boys Layout

Patterned paper: Background – Pebbles Inc.; Cut flowers – Autumn Leaves.
Letter stickers: Doodlebug Designs
Paper Frills: Doodlebug Designs
Marker: American Crafts
Gems: Zva
Tools: Precision scissors

Sometimes Sad But Mostly Happy Layout

Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned paper: Chatterbox
Letter stickers: American Crafts Remarks “JFK”
Marker: Uniball white gel pen
Button: Autumn Leaves
Tools: Corner Chomper by We R Memory Keepers; Heart punch by Martha Stewart.

Very Happy Layout

Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned paper: Chatterbox
Letter stickers: American Crafts, Jenni Bowlin
Marker: American Crafts, Uniball white gel pen
Chipboard button: Love Elsie by KI Memories
Stickers: KI Memories
Rub ons: DCWV
Tools: Corner Chomper by We R Memory Keepers, Precision scissors.

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Have you been piling up your stash too? What type of supply do you tend to accumulate most? Share by leaving a comment. I’d LOVE to hear I am not the only one.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a mixed media mini album.

Feel free to use these labels as many times you want (for personal use only). I’d love to start spotting them on wonderful layouts, cards, mini-books, fancy stationary, etc…

To download it simply click on the image (or the link) and if it doesn’t work try to right-click on it and opt for the “save target as…” option (it may be phrased a bit differently on different operating systems).

Have fun and be creative.

Make sure you didn’t miss the rest of the free printables on Creativity Prompt.

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Do you wish to “order” any specific printable? Tell me. My skills are limited (and so is my time these days…) but if I can help – I would LOVE to!

What are you going to use these labels for? Do you likey?

Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a mixed media mini album.

Journaling reads:

St. Paddy’s Day festivities in Dublin were the happiest I have seen. The sun was untypically shining and the mood was elevated. Green was the dominant color and pride the dominant spirit. I love the Irish people, they have the best spirit in the whole wide world. Always happy. Always friendly. Always Irish

I am very pleased to announce that the gorgeous CTBLOG that Karla Dudley has created and designed (hence it’s being stunning) is up and running. Go ahead and treat yourself to all the eye candy + a video tutorial by Karla on drop shadows.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a mixed media mini album.

To download it simply click on the image (or the link) and if it doesn’t work try to right-click on it and opt for the “save target as…” option (it may be phrased a bit differently on different operating systems).

I hope you like it and have lots and lots and lots of fun with it.

Make sure you didn’t miss the rest of the free printables on Creativity Prompt.

[Have you heard my exciting news?]

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How would you use (or have used…) these journaling labels? Share by leaving a comment here.

You have probably noticed how much I LOVE Karla Dudley’s designs. I have been using her gorgeous products in my digital layouts for a long while – they are classically stylish and if a “hard copy” line had been offered, I would probably buy it too…

You can only imagine my delightful surprise when she said she was looking for designers for her CT. I just couldn’t believe my own eyes.

I am beyond happy for making it to the talented CT of the uber talented Karla.

Journaling Prompt

This layout is all about small comforts.

In my journaling I wrote:

When I was a young girl I used to think I needed to be a princess living in a crystal palace located on a rainbow in order to feel grateful. Now I know all I need are tea and cookies.

Like their name suggests small comforts are the little things that make us go “ahhhh…”.
The small things that make us feel serene and happy and thankful.
Jot down what are your small comforts. I assure you that acknowledging them alone would already make you feel this much better.

[Go here for the digital tip on how to create an outline image of your brush or png. image]

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What are your small comforts? Leave a comment and share your delights with me. Please…
I love hearing from you guys.

Stay tuned for some more free journaling labels.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a mixed media mini album.

Smiling is better than make up. It gives you a natural glow and a sparkle in your eyes. It deepens your dimples and covers you with irresistibleness. I am telling you – smiling is way better tan putting on make up.

You may buy make up online, at department stores, drugstores, boutique shops – but where do you get a smile?

What have you that makes you brake out with a glowing smile?
Who brightens your day in a way that curves your lips from deep inside?
What can transform a gray day into a glorious and a happy moment?
Who is able to make you forget everything but your happiness and gratefulness?

I have my Nadav, my husband.

He injects my life with humor and makes it a million times better.
He manages to make me smile and forget I have been angry for an untended chore.
He surprises me, time and again, with the creative ways he finds to make me laugh.
He brightens my day and keeps my plate of gratitude overflowing.

When asked “where did you come up with that?”, he simply answers: “my mouth” or “my hands” – depending whether his current cuteness involves a saying or a deed.

Same goes for the arbitrary day in which he brought me a plate with an “apple face” – mine is smiling and his – sour.

I was surely smiling once I got this plate, but he’s just incapable of being sour

I love my Nadav.

Digital Tip

Do you want your png. images or brushes in your digital kit do double duty? Then create an outlined image of them.

How To – Adobe Photoshop Elements

1. Lay your image or brush stroke on a separate layer.
2. Copy this layer – either right-click on the layer indicator and choose “duplicate layer” or click on the image itself, while pressing the [Alt on a PC] or [OPT on a Mac] button.
3. Reposition the copied image with the move-tool to where you wish your outline image to be.
4. Open a new layer above the latter.
5. Press [CTRL on a PC] or [CMD on a MAC] and click on the image on the left side of the copy layer indicator. That step will automatically select the image’s silhouette.
6. Make sure your new – top layer – is selected and click on: “Edit” => “Stroke” (use the eye-drop tool to choose the color from the original image) and commit.
7. Uncheck or delete the copied layer.

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What makes you smile? Share by leaving a comment. I LOVE hearing from you. Each comment makes me smile, so please share!

Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a mixed media mini album.

A scrap basket isn’t supposed to act as a burial place for broken 12 by 12 sheets… It is supposed to live symbiotically with the rest of the supply. Complete and enrich each other.

This is not the case, unfortunately.

My total lack of time drives me repeatedly to my stash of paper pads and loose leaf papers because it is easier, fresher, more approachable. Not the most economically and environmentally friendly way of working with papers… I know.

Sometimes I am determined to work with my scraps, and I usually love the result but it doesn’t happen frequently enough.

This weekend I felt like pulling out my scrap basket and see what treasures I can find inside, here is what I made -

Supply


Patterned papers: Black River, Sassafras, Chatterbox.

Letter stickers: American Crafts, Making Memories.

Embellishments: Paper frills by Doodlebug Designs, buttons by We R Memory Keepers, Crochet flowers – handmade.

Journaling tag: Creativity Prompt.

Tools: Tim Holtz (Tiny Attacher + Scissors), We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper.

Supply


Patterned papers: Black River, KI Memories.

Cardstock & letter stickers: American Crafts.

Embellishments: Ribbon: American craft (orange), Other (lace). Chipboard accents: Making Memories. Jewels: Basic Grey.

Journaling tag: Creativity Prompt.

Tools: Tim Holtz. (I absolutely love the Tiny attacher. I was skeptic at first, but it goes through the chipboard like butter)

Supply


Patterned papers: vintage textbook paper.
Cardstock: Bazzill (dark brown) DCWV (red).

Letter stickers: American Crafts, Doodlebug Designs; White gel pen: Uniball Signo.

Punches: Martha Stewart (Heart + Doily Lace), Fiskars (Threading Water + Scallop Sentiment), Other: Small heart.

Journaling tag: Creativity Prompt (will be posted soon).

Other: colored pencils (Prisma)

This year you can really make your dream come true!

“Capture Your Dream” workshop is a self-paced, six weeks long workshop, that will walk you through a journey of capturing your biggest dream and making it come true.

In the process of making your dream happen – with lots of inspiration and guided self-exploration, you will also create a mixed media mini album from scratch and learn many tips and techniques – including some photography pointers that will add character to your photos and will help you take better pictures of your projects.


The workshop includes 30 printable PDF lessons with step-by-step pictures and instructions as well as several printable templates you may use in other projects too.

I am confident you will enjoy it and find it helpful so I also offer full money back guarantee while the workshop lasts.

As always, when something makes me happy, I open my Photoshop Elements and try to create it, so I can have unlimited amount of it…

Here is a variety of squared journaling labels I whipped up and wanted to share with my beloved readers.

Feel free to download it and use it for your amazing stories and precious memories [Click on the image to download the file. Personal use only]

I’d love if you came back and showed me, or told me, how you used those journaling labels.

Spread the word so others can enjoy the freebie too.

More free printables for your personal disposal.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a mixed media mini album.

Way back, when I was a wee kid, my sister used to tell me the most wonderful made-up stories. I was completely mesmerized by her stories, not to mention extremely gullible…

My favorite stroy was about a magic typewriter, hidden in a secret compartment inside the wall (I used to spend HOURS looking for it). Everything you type on it with the words: “I wish” at the beginning, comes true. You could write short sentences such as ‘I wish I had ice-cream with hot chocolate sauce…‘ and immediately enjoy the treat, or you may materialize imaginary worlds, built from scratch with the power of your words (These were my favorite types of stories).

In crafts, as in creative writing or story telling, you may build imaginary worlds from scratch and go as far as your imagination and creativity go.

Go ahead and build a scene. Let your inner creative child guide you through the labyrinth of your vast imagination.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Adhere a vintage text paper onto a plain, non-textured cardstock using glue stick.
2. Stamp your image a few times on different patterned papers, including on the vintage text paper. Use as many patterned papers as the number of pieces you want to combine together.
3. Cut each piece of your image with precision scissors.
4. Start assembling the “scene”: Adhere the “flat” pieces with a glue pen and the dimensional pieces with foam dots.
5. For the “hill” – cut a piece of patterned paper in a curve.
6. Draw some freehand clouds on your leftover text paper and cut the out with precision scissors.
7. Spritz your “clouds” with Glimmer Mist.
8. Stamp or punch the little heart on a reddish patterned paper. Apply some Glossy Accent. Let dry and cut out. Adhere to the image with a foam dot.
9. Stamp the greeting in a curve, by laying it that way on the acrylic block.
10. Add some gems for the finishing touches.

Check out Creativity Prompt’s self paced workshop: “Capture Your Dream”. In this workshop you will capture, follow and make your dream come true as well as document your journey in a mixed media mini album.