Books Are Life!

Hi everyone! It's all about hobbies today on the Traci Reed Designs blog and although I have a few things I like to do besides crafting, my favorite is definitely reading! For as long as I can remember, I have loved books!  They are so magical to me and have taught me so much! 

When it comes to favorite books, I could go on and on and on.... but I do have a few select ones that have really made a place in my heart. These are books that stay with me long after I have finished reading them. Books that make me think and wonder and make such an impacting impression that I will never forget them. This little mini is dedicated to just a few of those!

Of course, the perfect Traci Reed collection to use for this hobby scrapbook is the Ex Libris collection. Traci is also a book lover and it definitely shows with the great quotes, sentiments and amazing images and papers of this collection. 

I made the mini from chipboard and then added a rounded paper spine to give it more of a book look and to hide the metal rings. Some of the pages are made with 3x4 journal cards from the collection while others are cut from the gorgeous paper designs. 

There is a fabulous array of blank tags and labels in this collection which allows plenty of room for journaling and such fun sticker images for just the right embellishment! There are some great black and white stamp images in this collection as well- perfect for any book themed project!

Make sure to check out this and all of the other amazing digital collections at Tracireed.com and head on over to my Instagram page for a video look at this sweet mini album!

Thanks for checking out my blog! Bee Happy!!

All The Cake!

Hi everyone! Confetti, balloons and streamers aren't just for birthdays and the new Simple Stories 'Celebrate' collection gives you so many options for documenting all the special days in a life! The fabulous embellishments and sentiments are perfect for all the reasons to celebrate and party!

I used this super bright and fun collection to create a mini album that can also be used as decor! This mini is a book style that opens up to reveal three sections of photos and once opened, two of the sections can be hooked together to create a standing triangle frame! This is a great way to let everyone see all of your favorite photographs.

The two outside sections hold large photos and one is encased in a chipboard frame from the collection. Both sections are layered and decorated with the adorable embellishments of the collection including Bits & Pieces, brads, enamel dots and the chipboard, puffy and foam stickers! So much fun!

I created a flip element in the center to hold more photos and of course, more embellishments! I used the lively patterned papers for the backgrounds and then piled on all of the delightful extras! More cute party hats, sweet sentiment stickers and bright enamel dots!

The tiny ring element is attached to one outside section of the chipboard frame and on the other outside section, there are two magnets covered with ribbon- one is adhered to the mini album and the other is at the end of the ribbon. You slip the ribbon through the ring and it simply sticks back to the other magnet.

Need to create a celebration mini of your own? This collection is perfect no matter what the occasion! Watch the video below for a longer look at this mini album or visit my YouTube page!

Thanks for checking out my blog! Bee Happy!!

Tell The Story

Hi everyone! It's a Monday and over at Traci Reed Designs that means it's time to mix it up! A lot of her gorgeous collections blend really well together and the two featured today are no exception! 

Both 'My Story Matters' and the brand new 'Wildflower' are full of vibrant pastels along with hearts and stunning blooms! I love the message of the 'My Story Matters' collection and created a palm sized mini album that is all about what is really valuable to me. I stayed mainly with a palette of blue and yellow and both collections have amazing designs in those colors. I accented the mini with an assortment of pink and green touches from both as well.

This 4"x4" little mini actually opens up to four different sections and a whopping 16 inches! That means lots of photos and lots of embellishments!  The base of the album is made with the patterned paper designs from 'My Story Matters' while the interactive pages are done mostly with the 'Wildflower' designs. I embellished all of the pages with elements from both collections and I think they merge beautifully! 

This little album is dedicated to the loves of my life: my husband, my children, my grandchildren and my dogs and both of these pretty collections really helped me to create a sweet memento. I hope this inspires you to do some mixing up of your own to make something beautiful!

Thanks for checking out my blog!  Bee Happy!!

Embrace The Journey!

Hi everyone! I'm showcasing an 'oldie but goodie' today for Traci Reed Designs and this collection is really a beauty! It's the 'Time To Thrive' digital collection and not only are the colors gorgeous but the sentiments and the quotes are so up-lifting and inspiring! It may be an older collection but it is still so fresh and apropos.

Every woman has a special place in this world and it's so important to reinforce our individual beauty and uniqueness every day. I know how difficult it can be to self-praise, but a sweet journal like this one would definitely make the job easier! This updated diary would be perfect for personal use or would make a great gift for any of the exceptional women in your life!

The covers of the album are chipboard and measure 4.5" x 6"and are bound together with mini cinch wires. Both are covered with the vibrant and pretty papers of the collection inside and out and the interior is loaded with  a bounty of beautiful patterns, images and pearls of wisdom! I even added in an elastic ribbon pen holder for easy access!

There are three sections to this notebook and each has a tabbed divider, a pocket for keeping mementos and a bit of notebook paper to journal your deepest thoughts and self-love. Each page, pocket and insert is decorated and embellished with the vibrant pastels, joyful quotes  and delightful stickers of this digital collection. You will definitely be feeling better about yourself after designing with this charming collection!

You can see a flip through of this delightful journal and more of this gorgeous collection on my YouTube channel or watch it below.You can also visit Traci Reed Designs and get this collection for yourself!

Thanks for checking out my blog! Bee Happy!!

These Are The Days!

Hi everyone! For my first post as a 2022 designer with the Simple Stories team I am sharing a sweet summer mini scrapbook made with the bright and fun Summer Lovin’ collection! I took one look at all of the adorable paper patterns and embellishments and knew it was perfect for some summertime photos of my kids in their younger days! This collection is full of bright, happy colors and so many super cute images and it's perfect for documenting your summer adventures whether its sitting on a gorgeous beach somewhere or in a kiddie pool in your own backyard!

The cover of the album is a large sun shape in a cheery yellow gingham that is layered with more of the vibrant patterned papers along with some of the delightful summertime puffy stickers, enamel dots, Bits and Pieces and chipboard. I added in a larger piece of polka dot acetate to add some strength and visual interest to the cover. Since this is such a new collection, there was not a cut file for the sun shape so I created my own using my Silhouette Cameo. 

The inside is just as fun as the cover too! I cut the pages into slightly larger circles and covered them with the dazzling array of paper designs and then heaped on the joyful embellishments and sentiments! Some of the pages just have photos added but there are pockets and frames too, plus a few clever, interactive pages as well! In all, there are twelve pages loaded with all of the charm and loveliness of this collection!

There are three interactive pages in the album. One is on the inside cover and the circles fan out to reveal photos. The other two are circle pages that fold out for additional room for photos or journaling! One page is closed with a chipboard element and the other an embellished tag. Adding extra room this way allows for more pictures and my fave, more embellishing!

This super cute collection will definitely get you excited for the coming Summer and I hope it inspires lots of summertime crafting! You can watch a flip through of this album on my YouTube channel or below. 

Thanks for checking out my blog! Bee Happy!!

Rainbow Blessings!

Hi everyone! Happy St. Patricks Day! In Ireland, rainbows symbolize blessings from heaven and being that today is the global celebration of Irish culture, I made a rainbow mini to showcase my blessings! I consider myself so lucky to have two awesome kids that have made my life more fun, interesting and filled with love and they have blessed me with some pretty fantastic grandchildren! In my life, the rainbow would be my children and my grand babies would be the pot of gold!

The rainbow colored pages of this album are layered with the dazzling papers, journal cards and stickers from the 'Keep Chasing Rainbows' digital collection from Traci Reed Designs. This colorful collection is full of happy and uplifting sentiments and images that remind us that everyday life and the people we share it with are magical!

The 'Keep Chasing Rainbows' collection has quite a few frames included and these were perfect for filling with pictures of my grandchildren. LOL, you might notice a few 'placeholder' photos for the youngest grandson as he had not yet made his debut when I completed this album! He has been born since so I will have to switch those out:)

There is also a short flip through video on my YouTube channel and my Instagram page so you can check those out or watch it below!

Thanks for checking out my blog! Bee Happy!!

Take It Easy Mini Album!

Hi everyone! The start of a new year is always a time for reflection on what you want to do differently in your life. I know that I am always striving to give myself a break from my busy life and practice a bit more Self Love.

Self Love to me is giving myself permission to take a day off and do absolutely nothing! Maybe that means reading in bed all day, or binge watching Netflix with a big bowl of popcorn! I hardly ever take that kind of time for myself but when I do, I know how rested it makes me feel. 

I love the ‘On The Go & Going Slow’ digital collection from Traci Reed Designs because not only is it super adorable, but it is a general reflection of my life- mostly the ‘on the go’ part! For this mini, I wanted to use only the ‘going slow’ parts and create a book that I could jot notes in, write my favorite books and shows in, add pictures of my favorite ‘lazy’ things to do and be able to reflect back on those things when I need a moment to slow down and catch my breath. 

It is so important to take time for ourselves and I ‘m hoping this beautiful, little mini will help me to do just that! I also hope this inspires you to create a take it easy mini album of your own and to remember to give yourself a little bit of love from time to time!

Below is a short walk through video of the mini. You can also check it out on my YouTube channel!

Thanks for checking out my blog! Bee Happy!!