Mini Album of "Firsts" Using the SevenPaper Collection | Julie Campbell

When my boys were tiny, I assumed I would always remember their “firsts” in life - the first time they smiled, their first steps, their first words. My days were so full and I rarely found the time to document the milestones and memories of their early years. At that time, I didn’t know anything about scrapbooking or the importance of memory keeping. My oldest is a teenager now & I’ve come to realize that memories are fleeting & those that remain are so precious.

My sister just had her first baby a few months ago & I didn’t want her to make the same mistakes that I did by not recording her memories while they were still fresh. As a new mom, I knew my sister needed a system that was quick & easy. I started an album for her to document the first 12 months of my niece’s life.

One of my favorite things about the SevenPaper 4x4 album is its size. You can quickly add a photo or jot down some words & it looks great! To give the album a personal touch, I created a monogrammed cover page. The SevenPaper chipboard alphas are sized perfectly to fit inside the page protectors. I added a little color to mine using a gold ink pad.

Don’t be afraid to work outside of the page protectors as well! Add stickers or embellishments to the outside of the plastic to give your pages some added texture & dimension.

You can also stamp directly onto your photos. Use a solvent ink pad, such as StazOn ink, to prevent smearing. This also works great when stamping onto washi tape or any slick surface.

Incorporate stickers into your journaling. This helps give your pages a splash of color & visual interest.

The transparent inserts are a great way to divide sections of your album. I’ve included one for every month of my niece’s first year & I love seeing her face peeking through from behind the page. They come pre-punched and are sized to fit perfectly in the album.

I hope this gives you some ideas on how you can customize your own albums. This was such a fun project to work on & I know my sister is going to love it!

Supplies: SevenPaper Amelia Journal Cards, Amelia 4x4 Handbook, Amelia Embellishment Bundle, Stazon Ink