This is the time of year many of us who scrapbook are starting new albums and finishing up old ones. I do much of the same, although I’m not necessarily working on the first page of my current album! My first layout uses paper from the American Crafts “Romance” collection, Bazzill diecut card stock, and Petaloo’s “FloraDoodle” foam flowers. The main piece in the center is a vellum sheet from Quick Quotes that works as a great “first page” introduction.

I have the journaling below the layout so that you can appreciate the sentiment—the writing is small and kind of hard to read—but if you choose to use it, please remember to credit the author—Patsy Gaul:


“My Family”

“This book is dedicated to my family, along with the dream that our sweetest memories will live on through these pages. We have lived together and loved each other. We have cried together and shared wonderful moments of laughter. We have shared secrets and joys, and many celebrations. We have cherished the unexpected surprises and precious moments that make us a part of the puzzle that is family.

Life’s music is forever changing and we may not remember each and every milestone or candid moment. My dream is, while weaving our stories and photos onto these pages, we will be grateful for the little things, and someday, looking back at these pages we will realize these were the big things after all.

We are all a part of the story. We are family… we have weathered the storms and heartaches life sent our way and we also rejoiced in the pot-of-gold at the end of many rainbows.

So I will continue to gather our story onto these pages with the hope that it will spark the memory of a special moment from another time. You are my family and a piece of my heart is tucked into each page. Your precious lives and sweet memories are part of who I am.”—Patsy Gaul

My next layouts were made using the fabulous February Kit of the Month, which I am addicted to! The first layout was fun because the kit was a love/Valentine theme with lots of pink in it, and with my wedding album done and no daughters, I struggled to figure out what to do with it. However, I realized that there is a way to make pages about boys using pinks and reds, as you can see in my “For the Love of my Boys” page below! The only product I used that wasn’t in the kit was American Crafts buttons in Chestnut.



Finally, I made a girlie layout for my “Girlfriends” album. This is an album strictly dedicated to the women—both friends and family—who have touched my life, even some who are no longer in it. Each two-page layout depicts a relationship with a woman that is important to me. The one in the layout below, entitled “Giulia,” is about my wonderful friend from Italy. Despite the miles between us, she is truly one of my closest friends, and I loved having the perfect pictures to make a pink and red layout with! I used nothing but the Kit of the Month and some Cat's Eye brown chalk—if you don’t already subscribe, maybe these layouts will inspire you to!



Have a fabulously scrappy day!
--Kathy