Family mini album portfolio

My daughter as a mother of two girls, is very involved with her family.  So what better theme for her boudoir journal than the joy and love a family bring to the world.  My eldest granddaughter, Kendall, constantly tells her mother she loves her - through notes on a wipe board on the fridge, through texts, and of course hugs and kisses. She also leaves post a notes here and there and creates a magnet heart out of her younger, one year-old sister, Deven's ABC magnetic blocks on the fridge. So there was no debating a theme when it came to my design of my daughter, Beth's boudoir journal. 
The only challenge was a difference in our styles.  I'm all shabby chic and Victorian business with my head in the past or steampunk's future past, and Beth is a minimalist, contemporary woman who prefers neutral colors over my mauves, browns, cobalts and teals.

I have to say this was simply mini journal I ever made.  I can't count the times, I had to snatch my hand away and return a wonderful item to my stash.  Her life is very busy since she works at our local hospital shortly after adults with brain or spinal chord injuries have come out of ICU. That;s is one active world - so when she comes home, while she prefers peace and quiet, she has the home of a very active family. As a single parent she doesn't have much time to herself so I was hoping this simply boudoir journal was small enough that she wouldn't feel too overwhelmed  to use.

I chose a green botanical graph paper paper from a  K&Company's small designer paperstack by Brenda Walton. Then I accented the cover with a green polka dot edge border cut with a Tim Holtz die and tinted the edges green. to keep to her a simple theme, I added a :Family is life's Blessing" embellishment and simply the letter "B" for my daughters first initial hidden in the foliage.

The second page has a pocket made from a seven gypsies paper over a K&Company paper from a stack I've had about five years - I can't remember the name.  I found a tiny scrap that says "I" along with the hart symbol and added it to a top edges border and beneath it added a word sentiment, "scribble daily and have random thoughts." The tag inserted in the pocket is made with metallic copper card stock. The 3rd page is more of the copper cardstock but this time, I embossed it with a Sizzix swirl die and tinted it with purple Perfect Pearls.  On top is a Smash memo list.  I love the little light bulb!   

On many of the pages, I designed all the word sentiments to mean something when read in order such as "Discover, Quick! Quick! Write that good idea down. Happiness.
A pocket and tag I made with paper form the Julianne paper stack takes over much of this page, along with a rondelle which reads "The best thing to hold onto in this life is each other.  The fourth page starts off with some open stock Recollections paper and another Smash list to which I added the recommended "Remember This"  And beneath that I added a quote by Mother Teresa,  I cut from a bookmark,"Small Things doe with great love bring joy and peace."

The fourth page layout I did in greens and browns, since my daughter loves neutrals.  The focus and fun on these pages are tags made by Debbie Anne Parent  over at Ephemera's Vintage Garden.  there are tow different kinds the dramatic mandala flowers and the beautiful dictionary birds. I made a simple pocket on pg 4 and used a stylized belly band on page five made with a Tim Holtz die cut.
The fifth page has another belly band I made with two different card stocks and word sentiments "Together" and "Good Times" and page six Has another Smash to do list and at the bottom I added the word sentiment "Love" which I cut from a 2011 Christmas card.

The final page has a key on brown background and a pocket made from a Julianne paper, along with another Ephemera's Vintage Garden garden ephemera tag and a copper tag and the final page is made with the a family word paper from open stock at A.C. Moore and the pocket is made with some handmade mulberry paper, a border, and the two words "Cherish" Laughter" finalize my thoughts on how our family strives to be.