August Kit Roundup!

It's been a busy August trying to soak up those last bits of summer while preparing for Back to School season! It feels like it just flew by! Personally, I'm ready for September. Football, Fall and sweater weather are calling my name. I'm so excited for what we have in store for you next month, but we can't move forward without celebrating the past. Here's a quick video of all the kits we released in August! What an adorable group of kits to join our DML family! Enjoy!

Find them here

What are your Scrapbook Villains?

I keep hearing the lament that scrapbooking is going out of style, but I beg to differ. Memory keeping is hugely important to most people – even social media has become a major place to record our special moments – who doesn’t love those memories that pop up each day from years past? Instagram is a wealth of memories in photo form. Add in Flickr, Shutterfly, “the cloud” and other photo storage platforms, and you’ll see millions of people who use the digital world to hang on to those precious memories.

No matter if you consider yourself a scrapbooker or not, who doesn't love looking back on these?

We scrapbookers – we memory keepers – are in very good company. What sets us apart is the effort to transform those photos into something beautiful, creative, and personal that we – and our generations after us – can hold in our hands. So what is it that holds most people – and, let’s be honest, us – from creating? I had some suspicions, but I wanted to know, so I polled our Facebook followers last week. We asked, “What are the reasons you don’t scrapbook as much as you like?” The answers were similar to the ones my non-scrappy friends list. It’s just tough to fit it into life!  

Here are a few of the comments from our Facebook crew:

Nancy B- “Overwhelming…don’t know where to start.” We hear you, Nancy. With so many options and directions and styles, where do you begin?

Betty E – “Overwhelmed. I prefer to scrap in chronological order and am very far behind.” And when you feel like you’re behind, it’s easier to say you’ll get to it tomorrow or give up all together. It’s a tough spot to be in!

Kelly O- “All of it!!! I can’t seem to find time and now I am overwhelmed on where to start.” It just spirals when we feel like we can’t get a step in! I feel you, girl!

Nichole S – “All. But mostly cost. Photos are expensive enough on their own, then add in the paper, scraps, buttons, washi tape, trinkets, etc.. I just cant justify it.” Cost is a big barrier for so many people. We are all about affordable and it adds up SO much when you purchase everything separately! Especially if you’re like I am and you impulse buy all that gorgeous paper, washi tape, and pretty gems…I don’t totally regret it…but they’re still sitting there unused.

We at Down Memory Lane understand this and making it easier to preserve your memories is the driving force behind our creativity and products!  We want to help because we are deeply committed to memory preservation – it’s right in our name! As a company and team, we seek to assist both brand new scrapbookers and seasoned veterans and everyone in between! When we design our kits, we want them to be multi-faceted. We know that time is a fleeting thing for some of our fans and customers. When we design a kit, we want people in a time-crunch to be able to pick out their layouts and simply adhere the die cuts and photos and file them in albums! We focus on making them user-friendly and ultimately, a beautiful addition to your album.

One of our best selling layouts: Drinks in Hand

We also know that we’re a stepping stone into creative scrapbooking for those who are new to the craft! Standing in the scrapbook aisle at your favorite craft store can be overwhelming! Where you do you begin? What’s the best paper? How much do I need? How to I color coordinate? It’s a lot to take in, and, let’s face it – it’s expensive to start from scratch! Starting with pre-designed and pre-cut layouts can ease new crafters into it. By examining how we put things together and learning the basics of layering, color choices, and design choices, newcomers can build their confidence and grow as a scrapbooker – while getting some of the memories scrapped and albums completed without spending a fortune on things you may or may not need!

We’re also a favorite of seasoned scrapbookers! When time, space, and money are crunched, we are a great starter step! Instead of starting with a totally blank canvas and having to hand craft everything yourself, our kits are wonderful for laying out the basics and letting your creative mind take it to the next level! We love it when our customers and fans show us how they’ve taken our kits and made them their own. It’s such a gift to be able to jump start their creative process and see where it takes them!

NO SCRAPBOOK VILLAINS ALLOWED!

Over the next few months, I want to take some time to really dig into these Scrapbook Villains. I’ll be sharing some of our favorite methods, products, and ideas we have in our Scrapbook toolbelt to get back to our favorite hobby. We’ll be looking at storage options and craft spaces. We’ll take a look at photo printing apps and programs that balance quality and cost. We’ll take a look at some design basics like color selection and techniques. As always, we’ll take some time with our kits to show you how you can use them as a starting point to create something personal and beautiful.  So what about you? What are the things that hold you back from the next level of crafting diva we all want to reach? In the comments, let us know what you’d like to learn more about and let us help you get there!

Our Popular School Album is Back!

We often hear people say that they'd love to scrapbook, but they don't know where to start. Well, we're here to help! We've put together an album kit that has everything you'll need to scrapbook each step in your child's school years from Pre-K all the way to Senior year! We've done all the hard work for you - designing each page, coordinating colors and pattern paper, cutting all of the die cuts and packaging them with simple instructions. All you have to do is open it up, assemble the layouts, and add your photos! It's that easy to have a fully coordinated and super cute album full of your child's school years. You can watch your little guys and girls grow - questionable fashion and hairstyle choices and all (see photo below...) - right before your eyes. Pull it out at graduation and you look like super-mom! 

Obviously, my 2nd grade fashion choices need to be documented carefully. And that perm and straight bangs...good grief.

When you purchase the album kit, you'll receive all the cardstock, pattern paper, and die cuts you see in the photos. 14 one-page layouts from Pre-Kindergarten to Senior Year. These pages are simple enough to put together for a beginner and are a great base palate for seasoned scrapbookers to add their own flair. Here's what you'll get (unassembled):

Our photos show photo mats sized 5 x 7, but you can cut them to fit your desired size and can rearrange them to add additional photos if you desire. You could even add an additional piece of cardstock and some extra photo mats and expand each to two page layouts if you've got extra photos! 

We had some requests for additional pages, so we created some add-on pages to add to your album. These are offered a la carte and can be purchased separately or in addition to the album kit if desired. These are one-page layouts that have been color coordinated and designed in the same style as the main album, so they will fit perfectly in with the album kit! 

School Days Album Cover

Preschool Add-On Page

Graduate Add-On Page

These best-selling albums are available now in limited quantities, so get yours today!

New Page Kit Roundup!

It's been a jam-packed August so far! We've been busy soaking up the last days of Summer and getting ourselves psyched up for school. Here in Wisconsin, we start school just after Labor Day, so this month is always a reluctant transition. Fortunately, it's also a time when we shift our creative focus to all the fun and adorable things related to back to school. It makes it easier to get excited about it when you're surrounded by cute things! Here's all the kits we've released so far this August. Let them bring you some joy and good vibes during the mid-month stretch!

Time for Cake
I am in LOVE with this page kit. These colors are classic, bold, and just darn cute! And while it screams Happy Birthday! to at first glance, it's more versatile! Retirement parties, engagements - any special events!

Ticket to Ride!
Summer is a time filled with County Fairs and Festivals in Wisconsin

First/Last Day of School
Not only is this PERFECT for capturing your kiddo's growth throughout the school year, we pulled this kit apart and made two other great projects you'll find here on the blog! Mini Album, First Day Chalkboard

Star Student
This is our newest $7.99 kit! It's great for so many different school memories! Place your photos here and save a photo mat for some personal stats! 

First Tooth Girl/BoyWho can resist such a cute page kit! We love the little teeth in the title and just look at those adorable little kiddos. What a great page kit to capture such a special milestone for your little one.

California
Our destination kits are SO popular, and I have a feeling California is going to be as hot as the California sun! The beachy, surf vibes and the bright, fun feel of Hollywood! What's not to love!? 

Yellowstone 
We added another great destination kit to our collection! Nothing is as beautiful as nature itself, but this kit is a great way to capture that beauty and remember forever. And if you haven't been yet, take the title off this page and use it for camping, hiking, or any other nature adventure!

As Summer continues and begins to wind down, we're working hard to bring you more and more to make your memory keeping simple, affordable, and beautiful - so you can get back out there and make more memories! Happy Scrapping! ~Chalsea

Project: First Day of School Photo Shoot Sign and Scrapbook Page

My boy is starting 4K this year. That’s what we call Pre-Kindergarten here in Wisconsin. I’m not sure how it happened, but I have a million emotions. My childhood best friend and I met when fate placed our desks next to each other on our very first day of school. Nolan is a social butterfly, so I’m SO excited for him to meet new friends and have new experiences. Of course, like most mamas, I’m a little sad about him getting so big. He will turn 5 just before his first day of school, and I just want to hang on to his little-ness. And since I can’t, my mind has turned to all the ways I can capture these moments. 

Look at this little cutie! AUGH! My Mama heart!

First day of school photos are a popular and simple way to start this. I also love those lists of questions to ask your kids – it’s a perfect way to document some of the cute things they say. I found a simple way to combine these in some cute portraits and then turn around and use them to complete a page in his album! Double win!

I love the look of the little chalkboard signs, so I modeled mine after them. I DIYed mine, but if you find a cute little chalkboard sign, that works! Here’s how I made it:

Items Needed:

• First/Last Day of School Page Kit from DML - We'll use the die cuts from this kit to make our board and then transfer them all back to the page kit to complete our layout! So simple!

• Medium-Large Sized Photo Frame or Simple Board - This will really be up to your taste. You could easily head to Michael's or Hobby Lobby and grab an inexpensive board or even use some thick foam board. I stopped into my local Goodwill store and hunted through the frames. I found this beauty for $5.99! It was big enough for me to  write all my information, but light enough for Nolan to hold. This gem was with a set of 3 other similar frames, so I chose the one whose frame was in the best shape - the picture doesn't matter; it'll be covered with paint.

• Chalkboard Paint - This can be picked up at your local craft store or many big box stores. I believe I got this jar of chalkboard paint for $6.99 at Walmart years ago. It was originally used to spruce my son's play area so I wasn't super concerned about quality, but, boy, did I luck out here! This is GREAT quality! We've used it on many surfaces and it's held up very well and we've still got half a jar left!

• Adhesive - You'll need adhesive to put your die cuts together and to then adhere your page kit. Your favorite adhesive will work just fine. This one is my favorite. It dries clear and pretty quickly. The design of the bottle is fantastic. It fits nicely and comfortably in my hand so I feel totally in control and the nozzle is super thin and seems to never gum up. I love it.

• Chalk - Basic chalkboard chalk will do, here!

Instructions:

1.Take your clean frame or board and paint one layer of chalkboard paint. It's best to paint in one direction so it will dry uniformly. I like using the foam paint brushes to avoid brush strokes. Depending on your surface and the thickness of your paint, you may need a second coat. Since I was painting on glass, it was difficult to get full coverage with just one coat. A quick second coat did the trick.

2.While the paint dried, I pulled out my DML page kit and assembled the die cuts using adhesive. I wasn't sure which ones I'd be using for my sign quite yet, but since I'd be putting them on my page kit, I assembled all of them. Look at that little glue nozzle! Seriously, I can't get over this adhesive.

3. The hardest part for me was deciding which categories to include. I wanted to capture some basic information, but also capture his little personality. Here's what I ended up with: 

Grade

Age

School

Teacher name

Favorites: Color, Food, Toy, & Activity

Best Friend

What I want to be when I grow up

4. Write your information with chalk on your board. I started with Nolan's name, making it the most prominent. I wrote the category titles in white, and then alternated colors. Here's a couple extra tips for writing:

• I freehanded the writing, but you could create a stencil for your chalk writing or you could cut the categories in vinyl if you want them to be permanent. I decided that I'd rather capture "mama's handwriting" rather than perfection, so I just wrote it out.

• Water is your friend here! I soaked a paper towel in water and rubbed the chalk into it - kind of like chalking up a pool cue - before I wrote. It's easier to control the chalk and color goes on smoother and deeper.  In the bottom photo, you can see that I used the water technique for the blue letters, but did not for the letters below them. The green "4K" is a little more splotchy. I fixed it by wetting the green chalk and filling it in.

5. Place assembled die cuts onto the board. I rearranged them for a while until I found my favorite look. I LOVED using the little stars as category markers! I used some tape to hold them in place for the photo shoot. 

6. Stage your photo! Find a cute tree or building to take your photo in front of. Be aware of your backgrounds! We used Nolan's little play shed since the rich, dark blue was so pretty as a background. Be creative with it! These are my favorites from the shoot. What a cheeseball. 

7. After your photo shoot, take the die cuts and place them on your page kit! Print out those adorable photos, adhere them down, and you've got your memories saved on this adorable little page kit! 

Now that you've got the chalkboard created, store it in a safe place and pull it out for the last day of school. Snap some photos, see what's changed, and marvel in your kiddo's growth. Each year from here on out will be easy as pie! Grab your chalkboard, a new First/Last Day of School kit, and get those photos! If you do it each year, you'll end up with a perfect album that shows your child's growth each year - perfect to set out at their graduation party! 

Project: Photo Expansion Pocket Mini Album

If you're anything like me, when you sit down to scrapbook your photos, you've got way too many photos to choose from - and each one of them is great it their own way! It's so hard to narrow them down! Especially when they are photos from an important milestone or event. But, if this is your struggle, too, today's project can help!

Last Wednesday, we reposted a video from Troom Troom on our DML Facebook page that showed how to make an expandable mini-album with pockets as a travel journal. You can see it here. It used minimal product, was useful, and was super cute! And it got me thinking...could I use this idea in a scrapbook layout? Happily, the answer is YES! and I had the perfect kit to try it out on! I love the First/Last Day of School layout, but I definitely took more than just a couple photos on the first day of school. This mini album allowed me to use ALL of my photos! I didn't have to leave any out! Below, I've outlined the steps to make a simple, expandable, accordion-style mini album that you can display on its own or, as I did, add it to a scrapbook layout. I would recommend watching the short video to get a quick idea of how it works, and then come back here to follow the step by step and see how we used it in a layout. Happy Crafting! 

Photo Expansion Pocket Mini Album

Items Needed:

• Blank Envelopes - the amount depends on the thickness of the album and number of photo mats you desire. I used 5 envelopes. I also had one additional envelope to use as a tracing pattern.
• Thin cardboard or similarly structured material. You will need two pieces the same size of your envelopes. For example, if you have 4 x 6 envelopes, you will need two pieces of thin cardboard size 4 x 6 each.
• Pattern Paper. You will need two pieces, each slightly larger than your envelopes. I used less than one 12 x 12.
• One 4 x 6 cardstock - Choose your color to match your pattern paper. 
• About 24" string, ribbon, twine, or other desired material to tie album closed.
• Your choice of adhesive. 

Instructions:

The first step is to assemble the envelopes to create the accordion of photo mats and pockets. Take your envelopes and lay them on your work space facing the same direction with flaps up. This will help you line them up correctly when you adhere them. 

Take your first envelope and line your adhesive around the flap of the envelope. Do not put any adhesive on the pocket side of the envelope. 

Bring second envelope over the flap with adhesive

Line bottom of the envelope up with natural crease

This is how the two adhered envelopes should look. The bottom envelope is the original envelope with adhesive on the envelope flap. It is now adhered to the bottom of envelope number 2.

Back view of the two adhered envelopes

Next, take the bottom of an additional envelope (still flap side on bottom - the same position as the first envelope) and line it up with the bottom line of the flap of the first envelope. You should have one long rectangle after adhering that bends naturally at the original flap fold. Press down to adhere tightly. 

Repeat these steps to adhere all remaining envelopes. Then, fold back and forth in an accordion style. Set aside for a moment.

Next, we'll assemble the front and back covers. Using a pen or pencil, trace a spare envelope onto your thin cardboard - once for the front cover and once for the back cover. Cut them out. If you don't have a spare envelope, you can simply use a ruler to match the dimensions of your envelopes.

Take your pattern paper and line the cardboard piece up, making sure you capture what you'd like to see on the front. For example, my pattern paper was lined, so I made sure the lines were straight and that they lined up nicely on the top and bottom of the cardboard. Once it is lined up, cut out your pattern piece leaving an additional half inch around each side. This extra half inch will be folded around the back to adhere.

Flip the paper over and place the cardboard in the center. Then, fold each side over, creasing the pattern paper along the edges.

Next, cut the corners out of the pattern paper following the creased lines you made by folding them. This will allow the paper to lay nicely against the back when you adhere it.

Finally, glue down each side.

Here's what it looks like when it's finished. Repeat these steps with your second piece of cardboard.

 Next we will complete the inside of the front and back panels. First, determine which panel you would like to be in front and which to be in back. Take your front panel, and with the inside facing up (the side with the cardboard peeking through), adhere a piece of cardstock to the center to cover the cardboard. The size of the cardstock will be determined by your envelope size. My envelopes were 5 x 7, so I was able to use the 4 x 6 photo mat that was included in the First/Last Day of School Scrapbook Kit. 

For the back panel, take your string/ribbon and cut it in half. Adhere one half of the string about halfway down on the left hand side and the other half of the string about halfway down on the right hand side. You do not have to place cardstock over this

 panel. We will cover this in our next steps.

To add the accordion envelopes, we will start with the back panel. Lay the back panel with the cardboard middle facing up and the strings spread outwards. Line it up to keep the envelope with the unglued flap on top of the stack (like the first photo). Then place adhesive on the inside of the back panel, adhere directly to the address-side of the last envelope in the stack, and press down to adhere. When you open the accordion, the last page (adhered to the back panel) will look like the second photo.

To adhere the front panel, place adhesive on the top envelope flap only. Do not put adhesive on the pocket part of the envelope. Then adhere the flap to the cardstock on the inside of the front panel.

Your album is now assembled! Here are a few photos of what it should look like when completed.

Now you can adhere your photos to the address-side of the envelopes and use the pockets to place keepsakes or extra photos! I placed my photos in, adhered some die cuts to the front to give it an additional interesting visual effect and then added  it to my layout. Look how cute it turned out!

Mini Album assembled and closed on layout.

Mini album expanded on layout

We love the millions of possible uses for this mini accordion album. What a great way to add extra photos to your layouts - or even to keep as a separate mini album.  And the pockets! So handy! We'd love to hear how you plan on using this idea. Drop a comment or a photo of your project! Happy crafting!