#LittleSummerJoy 2016 | A DIY Mini Album Celebrating Summer (via LittlePaperProjects.com)

Hi friends! 

Do you love taking on new projects?  I do! I love the challenge of thinking outside the box, digging into something creative and pushing myself to try something new. This year, when LittlePaperProjects.com announced they were returning with #LittleSummerJoy and challenging us to create a traveler's notebook style mini album, I was so excited!  I've done traditional scrapbooking in the past, along with my pocket pages but hadn't ever really created something in book format.  So I decided to challenge myself to see what I could create.

My initial goal was to use supplies on hand from stash so my project would be budget friendly.  With summer being a really busy time for us, I wanted to keep my project simple so I could create and finish the project in a couple of weeks. Lastly, I wanted to make certain I took time to journal and really record the things that mattered - the memories, the thoughts and the feelings of this summer.

You can see the first few pages of my DIY traveler's notebook here and below are images from the rest of my project. At the bottom of this post are my thoughts on the project including what I learned and what I loved about the project. 

Products Used:  Turquoise Paper from Felicity Jane Studio | Stripe Paper from Midnight Collection Paper Pad by Becky Higgins | Remember This journal card by Paislee Press

Products Used:  Digital Stamps from Summer Notes available in my shop |  Find Your Happy Place digital word art by Digital Design Essentials |  Hombre journal card by Little Lamm & Co. | Paper by Felicity Jane Studio

Products Used:   Paper by Felicity Jane Studio | Scoop digital elements by One Little Bird | Ice cream cork sticker via Sweet Summertime available in my shop.

Products Used:    6x8 Faves Template , Circle Stamp and elements by Paislee Press | Paper from Felicity Jane | Acrylic heart by Color Cast Designs

Products Used:  Soleil paper, elements and journal cards by One Little Bird.  | Love and heart stickers by Felicity Jane

While the class at LittlePaperProjects.com is still on going, I had to wrap up my project early (check back here on Aug. 1 for a big announcement!) due to some other responsibilities and time constraints.  I have never really been a fan of the summer months but doing this class has given me a greater appreciation for the summer months and the little moments of togetherness, adventure and excitement that each day brings. I also love the community surrounding this project/class. So many talented, wonderful creatives coming together and building each other up while encouraging each other to find daily joy is truly amazing.

In doing the project, I had so much fun layering paper and adding crazy embellishments.  I really enjoyed that I could create hybrid pages as well by printing my journaling and using digital elements from my favorite designers. I wanted to bind my album and insert it into my 6x8 three ring binder... HOWEVER, I first had trouble with self binding since my pages were thick and the book became quite large. Second, I found that I personally couldn't escape the idea of wanting to protect those pages and memories from fingerprints and smudges. So, instead of binding my book, out came the 6x8 full sleeve page protectors and in went each lovingly created page of my #LittleSummerJoy album! Surprised? Probably not.  I just felt so much better having my work protected, even if it didn't "look" exactly how I had wanted it to! In the end, it's not a traveler's notebook, but it is lovingly created pages of memories I'll cherish from this summer and to me, that is all that matters.

I'd love to hear how your project is coming along! Leave me a comment below with your thoughts and a link to your project!