Layouts by the numbers

Dog Day

So this was such a fun day, I did an entire mini-album about it.  But I also wanted to put it in Jake's chronological album, thus this quick layout.

Aowyn's book

I was going through a stack of old photos with my friend's daughter Aowyn, and we found several of her when she was a baby.  She asked if I could make her something with them, and I told her I'd try to throw something together.

I was going for fast, easy, and low materials use.  (Budget constraints - aren't we all there?)

To make the front and back covers of the album, I cut out thin cardboard and covered with paper.  For each picture (album page), I added a strip of pink paper to give me a place to punch holes.

Then I just threw it together with metal book rings from an office supply store.  Easy peasy, and perfect for a 5 year old - if she wears it out by looking at it, no big deal.  But she can enjoy a book about just her for as long as it lasts.

This was my first attempt at a book like this.  Looking through it I realized what I wish I had done differently, and I had an idea for a better one.  I'll post that next.

 

Halloween 2009 album

The church down the street had a great trunk-or-treat the Wednesday before Halloween this year, and I took so many great pictures there, I didn't even stress about pictures on the actual night of Halloween! 

I threw my favorites together in an album that is roughly 9x5.  I used chipboard album pieces for the covers, and cut my own inner pages out of kraft cardstock.  (Making my supplies go further!)  The only paper I used was a KiMemories paper pack, and then I used 4 different kinds of stickers - just made that up as I went along.  :)

Making work prettier

My job at a university is kind of mind-numbing.  I sit at a computer all. day. long.  I realized one day that the ugly file folders in my peripheral vision were making me grumpy, and that I would probably somehow be cheered by pretty ones.  So I bought some pretty ones, and it did help, but there was still a huge empty brown file-folder space just outside my line of vision that was distracting.  So I made this:

And I taped it to that file folder, and I can not tell you how happy it makes me!  Now when my eyes need a rest (don't stare at your computer all day! Look away!), I gaze at this print and can't help but smile.  Here's what it looks like at my desk. 

I have great plans to rework the image (I threw it together pretty quickly and there are lots of small details I want to change) and make it a big canvas print for my living room.  Someday, someday.