Lynne Ashcraft

November 6, 2019November 7, 2019

A Halloween Story Layout

My plans for documenting has changed many times over throughout the years. But I think after almost three years of indecision, I finally have something solid to work with.

My plan is for 9×12 Project Life based pocket pages, layouts, and inserts that are more time specific or just photo features and everyday life based. My more story focused layouts will go into my 6×8 albums. I have one for me, one for my son, and one for the family.

Although that’s my overall plan, there are times where they may cross over. And this was one of those moments. I knew I wanted to tell the story of this moment my son ran with arms wide open toward his dad, full of giggles of excitement. It could have gone in my son’s album or the family album, but I was really motivated to make this a full 9×12 layout, so into Project Life as a time based layout it goes!

Here is the layout using elements from the October 2018 Digital Stories by The Month kit by Ali Edwards and printed digital papers from the Wicked kit by Little Lamm Paper Co.

My plan is for this to back up a full page photo of my son in his costume and the full insert to be placed in between the two page pocket spread for October. I am enjoying the ease of using pocket pages while also still getting my creative fix with full layouts in between! I foresee this full size photo/layout insert becoming a regular pattern in my album making future!

October 21, 2019November 7, 2019

Hello 9×12

I started Project Life in 2012 with weekly 12×12 pocket page spreads. This was the first year of my son’s life so I am incredibly happy to have that documentation through his first year. But weekly was definitely overwhelming, especially with an infant, so for 2013-2015, I switched to monthly 12×12 spreads with an occasional insert. I switched back to weekly in 2016 with my introduction to the Project Life app, but again got so overwhelmed, I completely burned out.

In 2018, I thought I would try again with 6×8, but learned rather quickly, that just was not the size for this project. While I still love 6×8 for my individual story based albums and for special projects, it just did not fit my everyday life photos framework.

After over two years of no Project Life, I definitely missed it, and decided for 2019 that I would give monthly layouts in 9×12 format a try. I created this layout for February and was quickly hooked!

This one was put together using the Jaimee kit by Felicity Jane

I knew I wanted to try some more and play catch up on the years I had missed. So I printed all of my photos from 2017 that I wanted to include and created a couple more layouts.

This layout uses the Megan Kit by Felicity Jane

And finally – this one is using the Sarah Kit by Felicity Jane

I have now printed all of 2018 and through June of 2019 and have all the photos in my album. I also added cards for about 10 more months and have some final embellishing to do on a few before I call those done. I am a bit sad I didn’t take better notes to add as journaling at the time and it will be more retrospective for prior years, but I am still glad I will have this project continuing with what I can remember.

I have taken a look back at my past Project Life albums, and although in the moment, it seems like a lot of work and I am not always super motivated to work on it, I am incredibly thankful to have the albums I have already completed and it reminds me how important it is for me to continue this documentation of my family’s everyday life.

September 24, 2019November 7, 2019

Felicity Jane Creative Team Layout – Hip Hip Hooray Birthday!

One of my projects for the Felicity Jane Creative team was a birthday layout that I plan to insert into my 9×12 Project Life album. You can read the full blog post about my process here

What I loved most about this layout is the hidden journaling! It’s not something I do often, but I love how it turned out.

But most of all, I love that I have documented this story about my son and his best friend.

Here is the full layout where the journaling is hidden behind the photo.

I had a lot of fun making this one and feel the bug to start making more 8.5×11 and 9×12 layouts now.

July 5, 2019November 7, 2019

Felicity Jane Creative Team Layout – My Mug

Hey there! I am back on the Felicity Jane blog today with a 6×8 layout telling the story of how much we tease each other in my household. You can check out the details and process of this layout here.

April 6, 2019November 7, 2019

Felicity Jane Creative Team Layout – Where I Create

Hey all!

I am up on the Felicity Jane blog showing my Where I Create layout I created for my Book of Me in my Note to Self Binder. You can check out more details here on the FJ blog!

Where I create thosemissingpieces

March 4, 2019March 4, 2019

Felicity Jane Creative Team Member – Woot Woot!

I am super excited to announce that I have been selected to join the Felicity Jane Creative Team for March – August 2019. As you can tell from my previous blog posts, I use FJ products a heck of a lot, so to be chosen to represent their brand was a great honor. I am joining some fabulous artists that I have admired for a very long time and I cannot wait to get creating and sharing inspiration with them!

You can read more of the announcement on the Felicity Jane Blog HERE.

February 4, 2019November 7, 2019

52 Favorites

I have been admiring all the traveler’s notebook inspiration I have seen lately. I have a few in my stash but was never really quite sure what project I might want to do in them. I have also been a little burnt out on Project Life but still wanted a way to capture some of our normal, everyday stories.

Then came the 52 Favorites Project by Paper Issues and the light bulb moment dawned on me! Where has this project been all year and why was I just hearing about it in October? I immediately picked out one favorite photo from each week from January through October and printed them all small enough for a travelers notebook. I also printed journaling for about half of those weeks with no rhyme or reason, other than the size would fit in a TN. This is so unlike me to NOT start with a sketch or some sort of plan in mind. I am just going with the flow, using what I have, and totally loving it! I got five weeks worth of photos and journaling in my TN within a few days! Here are my first few spreads.

These first two are using Felicity Jane kits

This next one was using the new Freckled Fawn November 2018 Traveler’s Notebook kit

This one was Elle’s Studio papers and elements

And back to Felicity Jane kits with this two week spread

I’m using my stash. I’m finally using my stamps! I’m using my TN’s. This project is awesome!

January 5, 2019January 4, 2019

5 Tips for Getting Yourself in the Picture

My article 5 Tips for Getting Yourself in the Picture was originally posted in April 2018 but Elif just reposted it again as a refresher. I loved writing this and taking the photos for it. And it’s so cool to see it reposted and hopefully provide inspiration to new readers.

Hope you pop over to the Sahin Designs blog and check it out!

December 28, 2018November 7, 2019

December Daily 2018

I have completed three December Daily albums in past years, but the last one I finished was in 2013. I set out every year with good intentions. Last year, I even printed out a whole bunch of photos and got all my supplies together. But the year progressed and so did my motivation. I find if I don’t journal pretty close to the moment, the narrative changes or I don’t remember what I would want to say about it.

But this year, I am determined. I will finish this. Even if it takes me all year!

This year, I limited my supplies to only use Felicity Jane or Paislee Press items as my base and I am only pulling embellishments from the choices I have loaded into my Raskog cart. I have decided on a loose ringed Traveler’s Notebook size clear acrylic cover from Color Cast Designs which will help with it’s manageable size. Here is my cover page that shows through the acrylic cover.

I also am trying to make it as simple as possible, using the Little Lamm Paper Co’s Reindeer Games TN Template for all of my journaling. I spent a few hours typing up journaling for every day in Evernote, then post holiday craziness, all I had to do was drop it into the template and print. Now I have photos and printed journaling waiting for me whenever I have a chance to work on it.

I am working out of order – just picking up whatever photo inspires me in the moment. So far this whole plan has been working well for me. Especially since I actually have a few pages already done! That’s way better than the last four years already!

Here are the first few pages I have finished

My craft room is a total mess but I look at it as a sure sign of progress!

November 14, 2018November 7, 2019

My Favorite Sahin Designs Creations

I set a goal at the beginning of 2018 to be more active on social media in order to up my chances of making another scrapbook design team in 2019. Little did I know how much sooner than 2019 that goal would happen. It seemed like within a few weeks of each other, I made the Sahin Designs Creative Team and was also asked to guest design for Paislee Press, Kellie Stamps, and Ali Edwards. I have to say that due to some of these opportunities, 2018 ended up being my most productively creative year yet!

I was not so good at keeping up with my blog, though, so I wanted to post a recap of some of my favorite layouts that I made while part of the Sahin Designs team.

Using the Blue Skies Collection

Using the Mermaid Dreams Collection

Using the Unwind Collection

And using the Getaway Collection