first birthday

layout comparisons.

as always....starting with Aidan.

i'm thinking i need to start putting a date on when i made the pages...not just when the photos were taken! i believe i completed this one before i started the christmas cards...same year as his birthday...2005. so probably around November 2005. at least two years ago!

you may have seen these letter "dots" on a previous layout (four months). [i actually bought them for a 'baby parts' page i scraplifted. these letters are at least three years old. 'lil davis designs. and i still have some left. and i'm still finding uses for them!!]

this was also the first time i had covered chipboard with patterned paper. the "A" and the "1". since then i have learned a lot tricks (and tools!) to use and make the task MUCH simpler! scrapbook classes and questions are really good for that....

i cannot remember who made the rubber embellishments. they were popular for a short time.

and still using the trick of hidden journalling. i recall being very proud of these hinges. they just worked so well with the colours and design. and i still have some of those coloured brad/tags. and still use them. almost used them for his playschool page in fact! i had used so many different things as tabs to lift up the photos for the hidden stuff. i wanted to do something different. and was stumped. for one of the first times ever i asked one of the girls at Urban what she suggested (yes this has become a habit for me now!!). i think it was Kim who helped me. she was stumped too. but then she saw these. i know i had wanted to use blue for the main colour. i think i found the patterned paper after the brads. or did the rubber embellishments come first? hmmmm..... well.....there just isn't a single right way to put a page together....lots of ways work!

that is chalk from Stampin'Up on the journalling.

(note to home party people: i don't do them well. and it is really tough for me to leave a home party and NOT buy anything. out of guilt. so now i rarely attend. back in the days when i still had a job....i was invited to a SU home party of a teacher i used to sub for frequently. it was so fun. so relaxing. and she made us supper. a yummy supper. it was one of the first parties i left not buying anything. and i still felt guilty! yes i have a problem. i got thinking about the good price of the chalk, considering i had a nice supper and fun time. so i ordered it the next day. and i did not feel guilty anymore. AND those chalks have been used A LOT. and they will be around long enough for my kids to used them, i'm sure. although it was a good experience....still not crazy about home parties! and this life changing, earth shattering confession you just wanted to know. lol.)

pretty simple page. yet it took me long enough...i recall!

and now to Kiara.

i just finished it. her album has taken longer to complete than Aidan's. i'm still happy with that. managed to meet my original scrapbooking goal before they each turned two!

this one is also simple. no fancy hidden journalling. i've gotten lazy. lol!

i bought the last sheet of birthday paper by Three Bugs In A Rug. (seems to be a trend with a lot of product on this layout.) my first thought was to use white paper. then i changed my mind. found some basic grey pink paper that i thought went well. laid it out with the photos and everything else....and decided i liked white better. sometimes you just never know!

i tried the flocking and foiling product by Making Memories. (my only complaint is that they only have 4 colours in these packages.) i also used a vinyl rub-on. interesting. i die-cut a chipboard swirl at Urban a long time ago....painted it white and used some glimmer mist on it.

do you notice the faint pink/white flower pattern at the bottom. i used one of the felt ribbons as a mask. they are self adhesive (excellent invention), so was able to use the backing as a mask. recycling! i also added some tulle. loved it on other layouts i'd seen....and finally had a perfect excuse to try it myself. and as i mentioned i sued doodlebug sugar coating glitter on Heidi Swapp letters.
for more photos and journalling i tucked everything into a pocket. the patterned paper was double sided. added some ki memories die-cut sheet for some interest. and some gems! each photo was made on photoshop....kind of a photobooth technique. which i can't wait to try again. ( i got the idea from One Little Word...tutorial here.) two scraps of patterned paper have journalling on the back. each photo has ribbon and tulle stapled to it.

and a final close up of that amazing glitter! they just brought out some flocking too. i will definitely be getting it in a package with lots of colours. good value!

i used liquid glue. spread it over the surface of the letter. and sprinkled the glitter over. complicated! it's hard to see, but i also put some on the edges of the chipboard swirl on the first page.

so basically the baby albums are completed. they are both in a 12x12 album with sheet protectors. i don't doubt that i may see a class for a baby layout. or get a neat idea off the internet. or maybe dream about one myself. if the urge strikes...i can always add more pages to their baby albums. love that. my original goal was to have a page for first holidays. one for each month. and anything interesting along the way. there are some pages i have not shared from the albums. Aidan has a 'baby parts' page, and Kiara does not. Kiara has a layout of a neat photo i took of her, Aidan doesn't. so a few differences. i guess it will psychologically make them feel even more unique and special.....let's go with that!

i am not a baby album expert. but i guess you could say i am a baby album success story?! if there can be such a thing. if you have questions, please leave a comment or e-mail me.

and thanks for taking an interest in my pages. it has been fun to share.