Scrap Matrix Blog: Year in Review

Hi there Creative friends,

Tam here today to share my first project for our first challenge of 2019 - A Year in Review!

I decided to create a Project Life Spread.

Some of you may know I try to complete a weekly Project Life spread. I've been doing this for a few years now, however this year I've dropped the ball with all my other creative commitments taking over and I'm 6 months behind. AaaaH!!

When I saw this challenge, I knew I could do a final spread for 2018, and hope I can catch up the rest later.

What you can't see in these pages are that there are lots of interactive lift the flap pages and also a couple of mini pages too.

Here's a closer look at the left hand side:

I'm sorry for the blurriness, no matter how I photographed it, it kept happening, so I gave up!'

Here's the right hand side:

Of all my creative projects, this one totally has my heart as it captures the everyday moments around here.

I love looking back on it and remembering totally random things I had forgotten - what we were reading, watching, eating, achieving - it's like watching a re-run of our life.

The kids love looking at it too.

As this was the year in summary, I really wanted to add all the family members voices, so I asked them their highlights and then added them to cards.

I made many of the cards myself, which I'll explain further below, and I also added a few smaller pocket pages - it was a big year as usual, and I had so much to cover!

Here's a look at the extra pages:

So let's take a look at how this began....

I used a couple of sheets of the 7Dots range - Messy Head, and a sheet by My Minds Eye. I also found a few of the pages from the Pinkfresh range fitted in perfectly.

I trimmed them all down, and just love that they are the correct sizes for my pockets.

I laid them all out - here you can see the mini pages I added in too. These are from Snap - a multipack and they are great if I've got a lot to say!!

This is how I plan my pages, so I know what size photos to print!

You can also see I added in some white watercolour pages. These will be used to add in the individual highlights of each family member, so there are 5 in total.

Time to make them non white!

I used Jane Davenport's Watercolours, and applied colour using the 'packaging technique'.

Just add some paint to some old packaging, add a bit more water and then splodge it on.

I then added stamping.

I used the Ideaology Alpha Stamps and added each persons initial.

I then added a few fun stamps too, leaving plenty of room for words and a photo.

I used stamps by Carabelle and AALL & Create.

I then added some embellishments - I used the AWESOME Snarky Stickers. These are hysterical and absolutely perfect for my Project Life. I also used some MAMBI Chips, and some of the Escape the Ordinary ephemera from Pinkfresh.

Here's the 5 finished cards:

Two of them I turned into pockets/flaps - mine and my daughters cards.

I always have so much to say, and my girl had a massive year which all needed a mention!

I just run some Washi tape along the side of a card and attach it to another card so it creates a hinge. The bottom card then gets slotted into the pocket and the top card sits on top, over the plastic.

Sorry about the glare from the plastic!

Here's a pic showing the 2018 card I created - I stamped with the Alpha Stamps and wrote around the edge. Too easy.

Here's a couple more cards I created:

I created that black and white striped card by using paint on a watercolour card.

Love the simplicity and boldness!

I really love that quote card - this came from the Simple Stories sheet.

So what are you going to do for our challenge? A layout, a journal page, a project life spread. You could summarise the year, like I've done, or document a significant event that happened in 2018, or you could add in your resolutions, or write down your bucket list. There's so many possibilities and you could win a Scrap Matrix Voucher and a guest design spot. How fun would that be, to come and play along with us?!?

Just load your entries into the 'Year in Review' Folder over at the Scrap Matrix Shares Group on Facebook and let us know which Scrap Matrix products you used! That simple. You don't need a blog.

Well that's it from me for today, I'll be back again soon with another share (I can't wait to share this one, it's been a while in the making!!)

Have a magical 2019

Luv Tam

xxx