All My Heart! by Jen McMurtrey

Hello Simple Stories friends! It’s Jen today with a layout created using the gorgeous, new Simple Vintage Cottage Fields collection.

Recently, I was looking through some of my scrapbooks and realized that I have not done a very good job of including pictures of me in my memory keeping. While my children are sure to enjoy the projects I’ve created focusing on their lives and accomplishments, I would like to think that someday they’ll want to remember me as well. Sure, I’ve completed projects here and there using photos from my childhood, but I need to make a conscious effort to include current pictures as well.

I have to admit that I was slightly overwhelmed with this collection at first because I just could not narrow down which papers and embellishments to use. After selecting this photo of me from our recent trip to Charleston, SC, I decided to stick to a simple color scheme of black, cream, and blues/greens.

To begin, I used Distress Oxide inks to add color to white cardstock and followed that with torn strips of patterned papers from the Simple Vintage Cottage Fields collection.

In keeping with my color scheme, I chose a title and sentiments stickers in black and cream. I love the striking blacking against the white and cream in the layout.

After backing my photo in the same dotted paper used on the background, I used green, blue, and cream embellishments on and around the photo to create a cohesive cluster. Last, I added a yellow butterfly layered sticker and a strip of washi tape to add a small pop of color to the project.

While it isn’t always easy to create projects focusing on ourselves, I believe it is an important part of our memory keeping. If you noticed that I didn’t add much journaling to the layout, you are correct. A trick I’ve taught my kids to look for is to flip the project over where they most often will find my thoughts and feelings of the day/event on the back. This allows me to create projects that focus more on the art while still telling my story

Thank you for stopping by today. If you are not already doing so, I hope that you begin to record YOUR story in addition to those of your loved ones. I am certain it will be a cherished gift for those who love you most.