Imagine Then & Now Family Fun Book

Imagine. Love. Dreams. Wish. Family. Moments.

The words in the Imagine Laser Cut Embellishments speak to me. They make me want to gather my family close and reminisce over photos and memories, old and new.

Poring over a bunch of old, seemingly random photos the other day got me thinking about how connected everything in my life really is. The circle of life and all that. How fun would it be to create a little coffee table book, connecting the old with the new, Then and Now? What if I could pull it out when the family is gathered and journal memories in it as the photos are talked about and stories are remembered?

Just one fun little book full of favorite photos, flaps and pull-outs…with places to jot and pockets to tuck.

I’ll warn you: half the fun is finding the photos! The ones that connect, that bridge the years. From past & present siblings and pets to cabin vacations to Sunday dinner rituals to longtime friends…the ideas are endless.

To create these layouts you’ll need:

• 8×8 Imagine Fast2Fab Album
• Imagine Designer Paper Pack, Tone-on-Tone Paper Pack, Variety Mat Pack, Stickers and Laser Cut Embellishments
• White Cardstock
• 12-inch Straight Trimmer
• Scallop Burst Border Punch
• All-Purpose Scissors
• Tape Runner with Repositionable Tape Runner Refill
• Black Dual-Tip Pen
• Washi Tape
• Ruler
• Powder

A few basic tips:

These album pages are intended to be without page protectors, so that one can easily pull tabs and flip photos. If you’d rather use protectors, adjust your project so that tabs are reached easily from the outside edges (or simply omit them).

I used mostly 4×6 photos, matted with White Cardstock and mounted either directly on the boxes printed on the pages or on paper cut to 4-1/2″ x 6-1/2″.

To add pull-out journal boxes, adhere tape strategically on the white cardstock mat so that it serves as a guide for the journal box to “sit” while hidden behind the photo.

Add sticker “tabs” along with arrow stickers to some of the pull-out boxes. Apply a little powder to the part of the sticker that sticks out to remove its stickiness.

For flip-up photos, mount each on a 4-1/8″ x 6-1/8″ piece of white cardstock. Place photos on top of each other and secure with a piece of washi tape at the top. With a ruler, mark lines on the back side for journaling.

To make an envelope, start with a 3″ square piece of paper. Find the center, draw up each corner to it and fold. Tuck a 2″ x 2″ piece of a ruled mat inside.

I figured extra journal boxes might come in handy when the book is passed around and stories start rolling. To create a pocket to hold them, simply apply tape to three sides and tuck boxes in the top opening.