Scrappy Girl Around the World

Yesterday was my birthday, but the really big news is that I was also the featured guest on the Scrap Gals podcast!  The episode is called Top Tips for Travel Scrapbooking .  I had a great time recording the show with Tiffany and Tracie... some fangirling definitely happened when they asked me to be a guest on the show.  If you have any interest in travel and/or documenting it, give this episode a listen!

My latest featured layout is a traveler's notebook spread (2 pages) that features photos from a local farmers market.  This TN insert is all about a history and photo walk I took with a friend last summer; some of the gorgeous photos are featured here.  I couldn't take my eyes off of the amazing colors around the market, so I *may* have gone a little crazy when it comes to how many photos I took there.  I wanted to make sure that the background brought out the bright colors, so I chose to use a few pieces of lively yellow paper to go behind the photos.  I also followed the format I've been using by including a cork number to indicate the stop # on the tour we did.   Because I so loved this market, I included a shiny heart sticker from a kit I had that was made by Kelly Purkey .  As I had a large blank space at the top of the right-hand page, I needed to fill it with something.  I chose a phrase label that I had in my stash, and placed two puffy heart stickers on either si

I haven't posted here in a bit, and to be honest, it's because I am struggling with the writing.  Travel and scrapbooking are passions for me, but for some reason, I am finding it difficult to get something in print about it.  I think maybe it's because there is already so much digital noise on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. that I have information overload and have an aversion to adding to that in the online world.  The Scrap Gals just did a podcast episode that addresses memory keeping in the digital age, and it spoke to me because of this exact problem.  Does anyone else struggle with it this?  I feel like I can't be the only one.

I'm back on the blog today to give you a look at my latest NYC layout.  My whole NYC album uses 6"x8" pocket pages (plus some smaller inserts), and this particular layout is a one-pager.  It features two photos from the taking the subway, specifically the uptown E train.  I used a cool card I received in an older kit from Studio Calico (the one with the colorful numbers).  I thought it worked well with how the numbers and letters of train are listed on the overhead boards on the subway platforms. For the upper left pocket, I used a basic journaling card I had with a grid pattern.  I chose it because it was red at the top and had a space for the date.  I also chose to add a phrase/word label I had that had the word "train" on it; it seemed like a perfect fit.  The only other embellishments I added were a small enamel dot and a circular die-cut with the word "Adventure" on it in a fun font. If you'd like to see how it all came together, you c

I've been doing more planning for my big trip this summer.  I land in Munich, and my first stop after that will be Salzburg, Austria.  I've been researching both bus and train routes, pricing, seating options, etc. for a while now.  While I originally had my mind set to take the bus to Salzburg, I've since changed my mind.  On many of the travel blogs that I read and different discussions I frequent, the consensus seems to be that taking the train has a much more scenic route.  So, while the train will be a bit more money, I'm willing to spend it for the views.  Prior to this upcoming trip, I've only used trains in the UK and France, so I'm excited to experience train travel in other countries. Snacks on board a Virgin train in the UK The planning is also different for me this time because I've gotten quite used to traveling solo, but I'll be traveling with a friend (and fellow scrapper) this time.  That means that pretty much every decision made

My most recent layout features photos from Paper Presentation in NYC.  If you're a scrapper or card-marker that is going to NYC, this is the store for you!  I went on a Sunday morning right when they opened; I was actually a bit early, but that allowed me some time to take pictures outside of the store and on the surrounding blocks before the store opened for the day. Once I was inside the building, it was a bit overwhelming.  I had no idea just how big it was on the inside.  It essentially has doors on both side of a city block, taking up all the space in between.  There are sections for stationery, invitations, card-making, journals, scrapbooking, gift wrap, adult coloring ... really, any kind of project that involves paper would have supplies here.  They have also some souvenirs available, as you can see from one of the photos here. I spent most of my time in the loose paper section (placed nearer to the card and invitation supplies) and then the scrapbooking section, wh