Senior Picture 8 x 8 layout Book, #57-67 of the 365 scrapbook challenge and what lessons I learned with this layout

Hi Newbies, 
I'm here working on finishing the 8 x 8 album for my Nephew who is graduating from High School (for the first 9 pages please read through my blog).  This album is so near and dear to my heart because he is Autistic and the struggles my sister had and still has with him are real!  So I wanted to make her a special album to remember his special day.

This album holds 20 pages so I thought I would do 10 pages for one blog and the remaining 10 for another blog just so it's not too overwhelming for anyone to read.  

This album will be layouts #57 - 67  of my 365 page layout challenge for 2019!- and yes I do include cards and 8x8 albums as well as my usual 12 x 12 layouts as part of my layout challenge, and FILLER pages (something new I'm doing for this album since I only have 11 pictures) - -just saying😬 

I will try to link all of the items used (and possibly where I bought them) just in case you decide you like any of it.  Since this entire album is an 8x8 album there aren't a lot of embellishments that I used.

After the first 8x8 album I did a couple of weeks ago, I lost my fear of doing them and kinda liked it.  I would NOT say they were easier, I mean you are trying to create an awesome layout with embellishments and stickers and stamps and sequence and heat embossing and...well you get it. When you are doing the 8x8's you are very limited on space to create such an amazing layout, especially if the pictures are bigger than 4x6.

For this album I had to try something a little different.  Since the album itself holds 20 layouts, I only had 11 pictures that my sister had sent to me for his photo shoot.  So I had to come up with some filler pages.  Basically, a scrapbook layout without a photo.  I've never done one before so it was fun to do.

SO HERE THEY ARE:

(57) - TITLE: HIP HIP HOORAY

TITLE: "HIP HIP HOORAY"

PHOTO: I backed the photo with colored tissue paper to match the layout.

PAPER: card stock from paper pad purchased at Michael's

TITLE: USED THE STAMPS from my Ranger Letter It Clear Stamp set (CELEBRATION) I used scrap paper from my card stock and also used my SPELLBINDERS SWIRL HEMSTITCH SQUARES NESTABILITITES die to cut it and leave the dots around the edges of the paper to "frame" it.

EPOXY FLAIRS: From my favorite flair shop, SCRAPPIN HAPPY STUDIO, I used the 'TODAY' and 'SHOOT' flair inside the camera lens (and the camera itself came from that shop.  They include it on their packaging so I fussy cut it and used the camera and it worked beautifully for this layout!

GRADUATION STICKERS: They all came from the same collection from PAPER CRAFTS (Michael's)

CHIPBOARDS: The black chipboards (swirly design in upper right corner and the corner piece in lower left corner) were in the same package that I had gotten from a mystery bag I purchased.

(58) - TITLE: JAMES

TITLE: Bubble-A-Bilities (from Hobby Lobby) bubble alphas

PHOTO: Backed by scrap card stock used on one of the previous pages.  Die cut with my Wonky Frames 

GRADUATION SAYINGS: The word "CONGRATS" and the "YOU DID IT!' came from EK Success, STICKO collection (Hobby Lobby)

GOLD BALLOONS: I cut the balloons with my Cricut machine out of gold foil paper from Michael's.  The "string" was done by using one of my fancy design scissors and the scrap from the gold foil paper (getting creative).

(59) - CONGRATULATIONS

TITLE: Stamped on to a banner I made with my banner punch using my Ranger Letter it stamp set, heat embossed with Ranger embossing powered in BUTTER CUP and then adhered to the background with brads (from old stash a friend gave me, a little tip for brads, if you don't want to make holes in your layout, the metal part twists off easily and I use a foam dot on the back to stick it down).

PHOTO: backed with a card cut from a page out of one of my HOT BUY pads from Michael's (don't miss out on those deals)!

CHIPBOARD STICKER: the word "DOCUMENTED" from American Crafts, Escape the Ordinary Collection.  I adhered it to a piece of the gold foil paper from Michael's and glued it to the background.

STICKER: The scroll sticker is from the Graduation pack by EK Success, Sticko Collection (Hobby Lobby).

CHIPBOARD STICKER: The black chipboard sticker was from a mystery bag that I purchased.

(60) - KIND & STRONG

TITLE: KIND & STRONG are cut from an amazing HOT BUY pad (that I wished I had gotten 2 of). I used my banner punch on both of them.  I also cut the flower border behind the word LOVE from the same pad.

POCKET CARD: This is from Becky Higgins Project Life (unfortunately they no longer carry this one).

PUZZLE PIECE: Die cut using my die from Stampin Up (it comes with the die and stamps in one set)

LOVE: This is actually a digital download that I fussy cut.

BIG HEART: I punched a heart out of a plastic overlay sheet of hearts from Acherryontop.com.  I've never used this type of "paper" before, a bit hard to punch through but I like the effect.

HEARTS: Punched from the heart EK Success punch I have (it punches in 4 different sizes...I LOVE it!

(61) - CELEBRATE

TITLE: "CELEBRATE" is from Jillibean Soup "Grey Sentiments" collection.

PHOTO: backed with grey stock card using the tear technique on the right side and the bottom.  I used a project life card to add to the bottom (barely sticking out) just to give it a little more pizzaz.

WORDS: From my Tim Holtz Small Talk collection sticker book from Hobby Lobby (I would buy stock in that place...if they sold it)!

EPOXY FLAIR: Is from Scrappin Happy Studio 

(62) - WAY TO GO!

TITLE: WAY TO GO! was done using my Cricut machine 3 times and stacked them on top of each other just a little off to show color.

SQUARE SAYINGS: cut from a 12 x 12 sheet of paper I found at Joann's, backed by scrap paper I  cut to size.

BALLOONS: Made by using my Cricut machine and the string was made by cutting the foil paper with my fancy scissors.

BANNER: I used my banner punch from Michaels (this one cuts in 3 different sizes!  L-o-v-e it!

GOLD HEARTS: Used with my EK Success Heart punch.

ALPHAS: His name I used alpha stickers from Echo Park

(63) - MARVELOUS

TITLE: The word "Marvelous" (and the puzzle piece) is from an old (very old) sticker stash a friend gave to me.  I wish I knew where she got it because I love all of the words on it and it's kinda shinny.

PHOTO: backed with scrap paper (SAVE YOUR SCRAPES)!

EPHEMERA: The word 'Great' is from an Ephemera pack from PINKFRESH STUDIO

SWIRLLIES: (I think I just made that up) are cut from my Cricut 

(64) - INSPIRE

TITLE: INSPIRE is from that same pack that the word MARVELOUS came from...I keep searching for it but no luck yet!

PHOTO: I backed it with card stock that I used the tear technique at the top and bottom.  It looked really good with this graph paper I cut from a 12 x 12 page from a pad I had.

GOLD WORDS & HEARTS: American Thickers, THE LUCKY ONES collection

EPHEMERA: Is from the Vicki Boutin gold accents label stickers

GOLD HEARTS: American Crafts' Goldie collection (Hobby Lobby)

(65) - BELIEVE

TITLE: The word "BELIEVE" the silver hearts and the banner that says Love This Life are from Paper House

PHOTO: I didn't back this photo because the paper I used to adhere it to was kinda awesome.  It was a scrap I flipped upside down to hide the colors that wouldn't work and it left me with this semi-framed page so I went with it! (I think we call that a lesson, used what you have however you can)

HEART: The black and white chipboard heart is something I got from a mystery bag (love those) so not sure where they are from.

PUFFY WORDS: Graduate is also from Paper House (Hobby Lobby)

BLACK DOTS: from Ms. Sparkle & Co (Joann's)

(66) - LIVE FOR THE MOMENT

TITLE: Ephemera pack from PinkFresh Studio 

PHOTO: I backed the photo with a scrap (people save your scrapes!) to the right of it and used the tear technique down the one side (I really got carried away with this technique in this album).

STICKERS: All fo the graduation stickers came from the same pack I purchased from Hobby Lobby.

FLAG: The "Hooray" flag is from Dear Lizzy

GOLD DOTS: These are actually from an alpha CONFETTI WISHES PHRASE THICKERS pack from PINK PAISLEE, 

GOLD WORDING: "SMART" is from a scrap paper in one of my HOT BUYS!  I really wish I had gotten 2 of them!

EPOXY FLAR: Scrappin Happy Stuido

The "I DID IT" sign...he held that up himself!  HE DID IT!!!!🤗

(67) - GRADUATE

TITLE: The title and the other graduation stickers are all from the same pack I purchased from Hobby Lobby.  

GOLD STARS: Came in a mystery box I purchased.  It was actually a tag filled with glitter and black and gold stars but I cut it open and used the stars for this layout.

OWL: I made the owl from my Owl punch and heat embossed him in gold.

GOLD STAR: was also from the tag that was filled with glitter and stars

EPOXY FLAIR: From Scrappin happy Studios

SHAKER "CARD": I made a Shaker "card" by stamping the sentiments from my Ranger Letter It clear stamp set on a piece of 12 x 12 I cut.  I added the glitter and sequence and then added vellum on top and glued all sides.  (here comes a LESSON), the glue didn't hold on the bottom so I had to get creative since all of the bits were falling out.  So I had a clear sticker with a sentiment and a swirly  on it that I wasn't using so I let the swirl (or scribble) show and hid the remaining sticker by adhering it to the back to keep the "card" together. That way it didn't show the sentiment and it kept the bits from falling out!  Win-Win situation😬
JOURNALING: I did the journaling using velum paper and adhered it with dots of clear glue and hid that by adding the gold dots from the Pink Paislee Alpha pack.

Well, there you have it...this album is officially complete and it brings me to page 68 of my 365 layout challenge for 2019. I am ahead so far (trying to stay a bit ahead so when I go to his graduation  I won't be behind when I get back).

Thanks for following along on my journey of 365 scrapbook page challenge that I am doing, and reading about the lessons I'm learning along the way!

Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about 8x8 layouts.  Have you used them before?

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Happy Scrapping🤗

Kimberly