Happy National Scrapbook Month! With a challenge from Michaels to make every moment count, I decided to get my kids involved in my endeavor. Having all boys, I knew they wouldn't be into creating a typical scrapbook and it would definitely be too time intensive for them. So I set out to make an easy scrapbook with more of a journal feel so they could get excited about preserving their favorite memories!

I created an easy washi tape scrapbook journal that my boys loved creating! All you need is a few simple supplies. I picked up a few natural composition notebooks, washi tape, craft markers, and embellishments.


I let my boys decide how they wanted to cover their notebooks with washi tape. My oldest wanted a diagonal design so he chose a couple washi tape designs that he wanted and we got taping! We just taped all the way across the book in diagonal lines and alternated between two different washi tapes.


After we got the notebook completely covered, we added a wood letter and burlap sticker that my son picked out. The letter was just plain wood, so my son wanted to color it with a gold craft marker.


After the outside of the book was finished, we started adding pictures inside and then let my son write about what was happening in the picture and his favorite memories of those moments. It is a great way for kids to relate the experiences to go back and read later and it is a fun way to get them involved in simple scrapbooking and journaling!


Here is the book I helped my other son design. He wanted his washi tape in horizontal lines and he wanted spaces left between each row of tape. I love how it turned out!


The great thing about these easy kids scrapbooks is that they can customize them any way they want. The possibilities are endless! Celebrate National Scrapbook Month by getting your kids involved and making a simple easy scrapbook or journal and make every moment count!

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I've got a lot on my plate, (you can probably tell by my lack of crafty posts lately), but somehow I managed to find a few days to hit Chicago this month with some of the most amazing women I know.
The seven of us have been friends since high school (some of us even longer!), and I love that when we see each other it's as if no time has passed. We live all over the country, and we've tried to have a girls trip every 2-3 years, but this is the first time all seven us (plus one cute baby boy) could actually make it. And I so needed it. We shopped, we ate, we saw the sights, but mostly we talked. And talked. And talked. It was a weekend of much-needed therapy on so many levels.

I've been loving washi tape for a while (remember how I hunted it down in Japan before it showed up everywhere here?), but most of my collection is in storage back in Seattle. My friend Kalli gave me this assortment of paper tape from Target recently, and I've been using it a lot lately for quick and easy gift tags (they literally take under a minute to make), and I knew my friends would love it.

So I put together these washi tape gift tag kits as my favorite thing gift, including assorted sizes of gift tags, 2 rolls of washi tape, a pack of alphabet stickers, and a length of coordinating ribbon, and made a sample tag with each girl's initial to tie on the bag.

Washi Tape Gift Tags Tutorial
*Assorted, coordinating washi tapes
*Blank shipping tags or card stock cut into tags (I found packs at Hobby Lobby)
*Alphabet letter stickers (I used Thickers, but I found $1 letter sticker packs at Walmart for the favorite things gifts)
*Ribbon (I wrapped lengths of ribbon around clothes pins to keep it tidy in the bags)

1. Place strips of washi tape on bottom 1/2 of a gift tag, wrapping the ends around the back.

2. Place monogram letter sticker on tag, slightly overlapping the tape.

3. Tie to gift with a piece of coordinating ribbon.



Lots of scrapbooking companies are now making washi tape (you can even find it at Target in the desk organization aisle), or you can try my favorite brand, mt, that I got in Japan and here at Ginko Papers. It really is one of my favorite things!

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One of our favorite papercrafting designers gave me the chance to play with one of her new lines recently. I was in heaven! I am always in love with the girly scrapbooking supplies out there, but finding really cool 'boy' themed lines to scrapbook my boys can be more difficult. My friend London from Such Sweet Tierney has a cool, edgy style that I love but don't know quite how to duplicate. Enter London's new lines, including her signature chipboard buttons (you've seen me use them here on the pink card), journaling tags, packaging tags, and labels. The colors are awesome and so are the little details, like paint splatters, and en vogue elements, like houndstooth. She also has the yummiest colors of cotton baker's twine. How many spools of each color do you think I need? Don't answer that.

Here's what I did with the you rock collection. I LOVE the little boom boxes and cassette tapes!

Here are some peeks at the other collections. Check out her design team for awe-inspiring work using her products. My mind cannot even conceive of the things these ladies are creating (that's why I have to copy!).


simply sweet collection


woodland collection

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Okay, my laundry is finally under control so I can get down to uploading the hundreds of pictures we took at CHA. Are you ready for this? Or are you asking, what the heck is CHA?

CHA - the Craft and Hobby Association - puts on a trade show for craft retailers twice a year. What does that mean? Tons of craft manufacturers in one room (well, two floors, actually) showing off their new lines and products to your local (and online) craft retailers. Oh, and did I mention tons of gorgeous samples? Well that's what I went for anyway. A once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience all the best of the craft world (and all the best designers) in one place. I know!

As a first-timer, the entire show was magical for me. I soaked in the creativity every moment. I did make and takes and scored a little swag. We even spotted a few celebrities (like Tim Holtz, Stacy Julian, Margie Romney, Rhona Farrer, Heidi Swapp, and Lizzy Kartchner with Lola!). And I had a great time seeing it all with this girl and this girl.

It was overwhelming and inspirational and wonderful. But I was also surprised that there were very few new or different ideas between scrapbooking/papercrafting vendors (where I spent most of my time). It almost seemed the same ideas (some of them from previous years) popped up in each booth, just made over in that manufacturer's style. Although I have to admit I was happy to see many of the trends from last year had endured. Here are what I think the trends are for 2011 (some old, some new):

*silhouettes

Jenni Bowlin Studio

Maya Road

*paper garlands

Pebbles

October Afternoon

*framed quotes and accessories


Tim Holtz

*printer trays

7 Gypsies

Tim Holtz
Maya Road

*zippers


Maya Road

*dress forms

The Girls Paperie

DCWV

*canvas art

The Girls' Paperie

EK Success

*mustaches

My Cute Stamps


*flowers


Cosmo Cricket

*cupcakes

Pebbles, Inc.

Silhouette America

*birds / birdcages

EK Success

Jillybean Soup

The Girls Paperie

*banners / pennants

Pink Paislee


*paper wreaths



Cosmo Cricket

*vintage themes

October Afternoon

Cosmo Cricket

*sewing notions

My Little Shoebox

Cosmo Cricket

*felt


EK Success

*embroidery hoops

October Afternoon

*doilies
*bottle caps (we did multiple bottle cap necklace make and takes!)

My favorite booths and new product lines:

*Smash books by EK Success. This was one product that really did seem new and original. Check out this video. But beware--you're going to want one (or four).


*Everything by Crate Paper. They nailed it with all four of their new lines. Even if they weren't totally new ideas, the designs and accessories were a home run. I need them all. And I'll need multiples of the vintage buttons. Gaaa!






This little album was spectacular. Look for pics of all the pages in the slide show at the end!


*My other favorite new item was Silhouette's fabric stabilizer. That's right--we can now cut fabric with our Silhouette machines! You know there are going to be some good tutorials coming up. . .I can't wait to get my hands on some!


*October Afternoon was also fabulous (as per usual). Loved the new Rocket Age line for boys, and the vintage 5 & Dime! Plus their Sprinklers opaque ink sprays were very cool.






*Cosmo Cricket, in addition to their awesome new lines (Upcycle was my fave!), had an innovative new product called Gloobers. These are going to be a must-have in my flower supply arsenal!


My Mind's Eye is still in my top 3 favorite companies. They've expanded the Lush line to include new colors (love the orange!), and their Stella & Rose line is absolutely delicious (I need the doily stamps!).




*Jilly Bean Soup's Blossom Soup was completely adorable. We got to use it for the make and take and I'm in love! I was also blown away by this cool thread spool wreath.



*7 Gypsies' booth was over the top. It was completely decked with vintage goodness. Loved the Lille collection and the printed tissue paper (they decoupaged the walls with it!) There are tons of photos in the slideshow of this booth!






*Graphic 45 was total eye candy. I could hardly take it all in!




*Loved The Girls' Paperie booth, too. It was over-the-top amazing. Gorgeous, sweet, innovative. Margie had an altered book that made my heart skip a few beats.

Check out this kite! Amazing!



*Studio Calico not only had pretty papers but AMAZING samples! They always have great designers.




*Pink Paislee's Daily Junque and Soiree were to die for! It's designed by the three cool cats at House of 3.


Other favorites: Bella Blvd's Mr. Boy, Little Yellow Bicycle's Elizabeth Park, and Basic Grey's Sweet Threads. Among so many others!

Here's the slide show of our photos. I made them move semi-quickly, so click pause if you want to linger on a photo a little longer. Enjoy!

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