Smashbook: 13 Years of Love

Since my obsession with Project Life has taken up much of my time this year, I haven't really had the chance to work in any of my other books. A while back I decided to start sharing some old layouts that I created last year in my pretty pink SMASH* book here on my blog. Today's post is very close to my heart because tomorrow marks our 14 year anniversary. So I thought I would share the spread I created last year in honor of our special day...

I created this spread when I was fairly new to SMASH*ing, but I've been using this style of documenting life for as long as I can remember. I still have all of the altered composition books from my childhood filled with old photographs & photobooth pics, cutouts from magazines, doodles and drawings, journaling, and even little bits and pieces of ephemera that I didn't have the heart to throw away. I guess you can say that I'm a natural SMASH*er. Seeing how my style has evolved through this creative outlet many years later makes me incredibly happy.

Smashbook: 13 Years of Love | Full Spread

Our endless love and the memories we've shared over the last decade was the inspiration for this spread. I started out by flipping through my book to find the perfect set of pages. My love of the color pink also served as inspiration and when I came across these pretty pink patterned papers, I knew they were the ones. I took it a step further and used some love-themed stamps and colorful ink to create another layer for my background.

Smashbook: 13 Years of Love | Left Page

With some double-sided paper scraps and pink & white twine, I made a lovely pennant banner. Then I used a metallic silver paint pen and black zig marker to write the year. Next, I scoured my collection of magazine clippings and found a perfect "October" for this spread. The best part of creating these pages was digging through 10+ years of our "couple" pics, but choosing my favorites had to be the hardest.

For embellishments I used a Dear Lizzy chipboard Polaroid frame, to which I added the "heart and soul" rub-on, an Amy Tangerine cardstock camera, a LOVE element [gifted from a friend], pink argyle & love grid washi tape, a SMASH* roller date stamp, and a variety of tiny alphabet stickers.

Smashbook: 13 Years of Love | Right Page

Here I added more of our favorite "couple" pics. For embellishments I used another strip of pink argyle washi tape, some Basic Grey alphabet stickers, pink glitter cardstock letters by Colorbok, and a cardstock heart [gifted to me by a friend]. This spread wouldn't be complete without a pocket full of goodies...

Smashbook: A Pocket Full of Love

Handmade pockets are one of my favorite elements to add to my books. And my Smashbook is full of them! I love creating my own because it's such a simple way to add a personal touch to your pages. You can choose any paper you like depending on your mood or theme, and easily customize the size of the pocket. For this one, I used pretty pink paper from Amy Tangerine's Sketchbook line, and found a printable label from my stash that had the perfect sentiment. The funnest part about having a pocket is finding stuff to fill it with...

Smashbook: How I SMASH* with Journal Cards

I love using Project Life journal and filler cards in my SMASH* book. I print them a bit smaller than normal and stuff my handmade pockets with 'em! The ones I chose for this spread are love themed, of course. I used a journal card to document the day, a "This is Why I Love You" prompt card, a filler card which I added a small photobooth sticker of us, a lovely quote card, and a sweet card that holds an instagram photo of our daughter.

Our little one loves flipping through my SMASH* book and interacting with all of the different elements. So whenever I include a pocket, I always add washi tape tabs to the top of the journal cards. It makes it much easier for little hands to pull out the cards and deters the munchkin from tearing my pockets apart trying to get them out!

Well that's all I have for you today! I hope you enjoyed my post and leave here feeling inspired to create something beautiful in your book :) Want to take a peek at the pages in my pretty pink SMASH* book? You can find it here. Looking for the fun free printables I used in this spread? Feel free to browse my "SMASH* & PL" or "Printables/Templates" pinboards on Pinterest. You'll find links to hundreds of freebies, DIYs, How-To's, ideas, and inspiration for everything SMASH* and Project Life. Be sure to follow those boards because I find new stuff daily!

You can stay updated on my recent posts, projects, and photos by following me on instagram, or by "liking" my new fan page on Facebook. So why not head over there now and show some love...

Do you SMASH*? What inspires you? Any thoughts, questions, or comments about this post? Please let me know. Your feedback is always welcome and much appreciated!

Thanks for stopping by!