How did I not know about Traci Reed before now?

I believe I have found a new favorite - tracireeddesign.  She has journal cards, templates (with stitching, without stitching, with stitching and plastic overlays - seriously, where have these been all year for me?!  I'm going to have to go back and redo many of my pages with stitching!!!!) and embellishments that are really realistic.

Here is what I have done so far with several of her product lines.  She has a few "Get Artsy" collaborations over at Sweet Shoppe Designs that you will want to be sure to check out.  They make art journaling in the digital world not only easy, but FUN.

This first layout features cards, alphas and brushes from the Get Artsy: Love collaboration by Traci Reed and Jenn Barrette.  When I saw the pinks, I knew I had to have it to record the memory of my 6 year old's Christmas ballet performance.

Template/Overlay: Traci Reed 365Unscripted Plastic Stitched Grids

Cards, Paint, Embellishments/Overlay: Get Artsy: Love by Traci Reed and Jenn Barrette

And then, I found the Old Time Magic collection.  Oh.  My.  Word.  We are, as you may have guessed, a Disney people.  Late this year, our family bought annual passes to Walt Disney World.  Needless to say, let the scrapbooking ensue.  The layout below is a perfect marriage of Traci Reed's Old Time Magic collections with a little Project Mouse by Sahlin Studio thrown in for fun.

Template: 11November13 by Sahlin Studio

Cards/Elements/Brushes: Old Time Magic (various) by Traci Reed and Project Mouse (various) by Sahlin Studio

This final layout is true project life style, with the twist of an added overlay for the feel of using plastics on a physical layout.  Traci's Our Everyday collection has 2x2 and 4x4 square cards in addition to the more traditional 3x4 and 4x6 Project Life sizes.  I was first introduced to using these cards by Becky Higgins' Just Add Color core kit and am so excited to see other designers following suit with more cards and even more templates to use.  I'm always thrilled to find elements from one designer that work well with another, and the photo overlay from the Just Add Color kit worked perfectly with this set.  And the fact that there was a "Family" 4x4 card in the set to use with these pictures?  Priceless.

Template: 365Unscripted Slipins 5 by Traci Reed

Cards/Elements: 365Unscripted Our Everyday by Traci Reed, 365 Unscripted Oh Snap by Traci Reed

Overlay: Just Add Color by Becky Higgins/Digital Project Life

I can't wait to acquire more of the Get Artsy collection and play more with using the art journal style both within Project Life-style and traditional layouts!

Dabbling with Just Jaimee's products and art journaling

Recently, I have been introduced to a couple of new designers.  The first is Just Jaimee.
She has a unique collection of monthly themed kits called Storytellers.  Each kit contains everything needed to put together either project life style or traditional scrapbooking layouts.  I did both and had a great time doing so!

Template: inspired by Lori Whitlock

Cards/elements: November Storyteller Collection by Just Jaimee

Template: 11November13 by Sahlin Studio

Cards/elements: November Storyteller Collection by Just Jaimee

These templates were my first foray into very basic art journal style scrapbooking (think messy, gorgeous art - paint, spatters, layers of paper, etc).  Art and paint without the mess?  Yes please!

Look what's coming....

For the first time, I will be participating in December Daily scrapbooking.  I have always taken a ton of pictures during December and, well, not done a whole lot with them.  

After seeing the December Story Collection from SuzyQ Scraps (whose site is currently down - link to come), I opted to go with more subdued, neutral colors for the majority of this album.  And the concept of december daily really appealed to me.  I am going to attempt to take one picture per day in December (I know some days there will be many more, but for now, the goal is one.  Underpromise and overdeliver, right?) and document our family Advent and Christmas traditions.

Pleased to present the cover page... Here we go!