Monday, June 4, 2012

Simple Stories Mix & Match Blog Hop & Giveaway

Do any of you consider yourselves Foodies?  I've had the Simple Stories Summer Fresh collection and the Mix & Match 6x8 album on my mind and was thinking together they would make a perfect recipe book.  The 4x6 clear page protector pockets and Summer Fresh journal elements are just the right size for recipe cards, so below is the beginning of what could be a super delicious summer recipe book.
Tip # 1 - Label your albums.  They are so fun and easy to use that you will probably acquire many of them and will not be able to tell them apart unless you label them all.
I used my Dymo label making tool, which was getting a little dusty on my shelf, to create the tag for the photo album.  Set it to medium size and on the clear tape for a quick and easy label.
I know food is fun all year round, but it is especially fun in the summer when you can find so many fresh foods right in your own area at a farmer's market or from local farms that supply grocers in your town.  I thought a photo of berries would be a great starter for this summer cookbook and was inspired by many of the designs in the 12 x 12 Fundamental Cardstock Stickers, especially the tiny strawberries.
I added the 12 x 12 Expression Cardstock Sticker letters to the photo of the berries and then backed the photo with a 4 x 6 journal element and a piece of 6 x 6 patterned paper and then adhered it to the 6 x 8 album page.
When I start thinking about planning these little albums, I always feel like I will have a lot of detail and elements in them, but the truth is that I love how simple they are and the fact that Simple Stories "embellishes" a lot of their patterned papers in the design, so that I don't have to do a lot of it myself.  These 4 x 6 journal cards make great recipe cards and their fun designs, especially the summery ones in the Summer Fresh collection made it possible for me to type the recipe, add a photo and call it good.
When I first bought my typewriter, my husband was sure I would use it once and never touch it again, but truth be told, I use it all the time to type on journal cards.  It is more accurate and faster than trying to mess with my printer and I happen to like the old school font.
I am ready to make some wings on the barbeque grill.  This book will be such a great reminder about the stuff we love to eat in the summer.  Hope you found some inspiration as well and will start a recipe book of your own...

Giveaway - Now for the fun part - would you like an opportunity to win your very own Mix & Match 6 x 8 album with an assortment of Simple Stories coordinating papers?  There are two ways to win...
  1. leave a comment here on my blog for a chance to win
  2. leave a comment on the Simple Stories blog for an additional chance to win 

Please hop to these other talented Simple Stories designer's blogs for more ideas with the Simple Stories Mix & Match 6 x 8 albums and another chance to win one for yourself.

Liz Qualman (Your are Here)


Thank you so much for stopping by today!

111 comments:

  1. What a great idea to make it a recipe book! I really love the pages you created inside it!

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  3. This would make such a great gift!!

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  4. Wow what a wonderful idea!!

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  5. Wow what a wonderful idea!!

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  6. What a GREAT way to use the album and store your recipes. This will be something that stays in the family for a long time!

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  7. What a fabulous and creative idea Liz!!

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  8. I saw these albums at Archievers in April and am still kicking myself for not getting any. I just hope that they still have some on my next trip through. They do look like the ideal way to document special events.

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  9. What a cute recipe book! Thanks for sharing!

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  10. This would be fun to make and give as a gift or to pass around the family.

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  11. What a great recipe book. Thanks for the chance to win. jeandonny2000 at hotmail dot com

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  12. I love your album. What a neat idea and the colors from the Summer Fresh collection are perfect!

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  13. this is a cute idea to store all my recipes. the typewriter idea is neat. thanks for sharing!

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  14. So cute. great idea!

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  15. Oh, I LOVE the recipe book idea! I would love to win an album to use this way! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  16. LOVE your album/recipe book and of course I would love to win one myself!!! Thanks for the chance and I agree on the old school typewriter font. Love it.

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  17. My favorite part of summer is definitely the food too. =)

    What a great idea to use the album as a recipe binder. Would make a great gift too. Thanks for the inspiration, Liz.

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  18. What a great idea! I think I need a typewriter!

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  19. I will love to put my hands on the fabulous prize... great ideas

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  20. What acute recipe book. Love it what you did.

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  21. Summer recipes . . . GENIUS! I love this idea!

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  22. I really enjoy your blog, and so many of your contributions to other sites. I really LOVE what you've done with the Simple Stories, and this recipe book! What a great solution for something I've wanted to do for a long time!

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  23. What a super fun idea and this mini book is the perfect size for recipes...love it!

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  24. Liz...I love the idea of using this as a recipe book. I love all the typing too!

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  25. This is something I have wanted to do for my children. I just can't believe how beautiful and easy you have made it look. Fabulous project.

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  26. Oh my Liz! This recipe album is SO beautiful! I want one just like it!!! :)

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  27. Your album is fabulous!!!! It's making me hungry :)

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  28. The recipe cards are such a great idea! How inspiring! Thank you. :-)

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  29. I LOVE Simple Stories! Such a great and fresh idea as a recipe book. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  30. Oh I need to dust off my Dymo label maker too! LOve both of these

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  31. Wow! Such a great idea! Thanks for sharing your project and for the inspiration!

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  32. I love this idea. Going to start taking pics of summer recipes so I can create one of these.

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  33. I love this idea. Going to start taking pics of summer recipes so I can create one of these.

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  34. I also love the idea of a Recipe Book! Thanks for a chance to win.

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  35. LOVE this idea! Thanks for sharing!

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  36. So glad your summer recipes found such a wonderful home, Liz! The photos are beautiful and the recipe for the grilled salad is right up my alley. This is an awesome project and I love the different ways you embellished the Summer Fresh elements, like adding in the strawberries and "things that make me" to the "happy" element. :)

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  37. Fabulous idea! Now I know how to make a recipe book look amazing (or at least how you made one look amazing;-)! TFS!!!

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  38. I love this idea! My recipes are *everywhere* so this would be great organization for them!

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  39. Wow just the snippets have me hungry! Great recipe book!

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  40. LOVE the idea of making a recipe book with this album. Your HAPPY letters were great and I'm SO going to scraplift that!!!

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  41. It's beautiful, and the typewriter makes it even more inspiring (I would cook more if I had such a great recipe book=)

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  42. what a great idea. i love how you used ths album

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  43. I love the recipe book idea. Thanks for sharing.

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  44. Liz that is a brilliant idea for an album!

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  45. This is a cute fun album. Thanks for the idea.

    Carla from Utah

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  46. I love the idea and the look of your album! So fun!

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  47. Fabulous idea--my recipes definitely need organizing and this album size looks perfect.
    slrdowney at hotmail dot com

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  48. That's a great idea. This will definitely be something I'll keep in mind to do.

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  49. what an amazing idea...

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  50. This is just too much fun! I so love it.

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  51. Super cute job! I love the summer fresh you used too. I could definitely make a recipe book like this.

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  53. Liz, this is a very cute idea! The recipes fit in there perfectly.

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  54. This recipe book is a great idea. Love it!

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  55. Great Mix and Match ideas! Thanks for a fun hop!

    Carol B
    ciaoitalia2007(at)gmail(dot)com

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  56. Great ideas!!! Thanks for sharing!

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  57. Love this idea of using it for a recipe/journal...I've been wanting to do a family food history kind of project and this would be perfect for that...combination of scrapping the stories and recording the recipes!

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  58. Love this idea of using it for a recipe/journal...I've been wanting to do a family food history kind of project and this would be perfect for that...combination of scrapping the stories and recording the recipes!

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  59. I love how you used the Summer Fresh line in a recipe book - really cute! Thanks for sharing.

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  60. Awesome idea for your album! - looks delicious...You had me at the strawberries. :)

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  61. oh i love the way you play with this album..makes me wanna do the same thing and put something extra using the paper on my way...

    really want to have it

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  62. I love simple stories! Your recipe album looks fantastic. My sister was just talking the other day about doing a family recipe album scrapbook...the mix and match album would be perfect!

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  63. I love simple stories! Your recipe album looks fantastic. My sister was just talking the other day about doing a family recipe album scrapbook...the mix and match album would be perfect!

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  64. Love the recipes book idea! Thanks for the chance to win.
    Lula1206@yahoo.com

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  65. Love the recipes book idea! Thanks for the chance to win.
    Lula1206@yahoo.com

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  66. great idea, Liz! I love your cute recipes book!

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  67. Great idea, and beautiful recipe book. Thanks for the chance to win ! Would like to do something similar !

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  68. Oh my! This collection is a must have for me this summer~~~ :)

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  69. Loving the recipe book idea, thanks heaps for your wonderful inspiration
    God Bless
    Leanne

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  70. I absolutely love this recipe book!

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  71. Ohh it is a very good ieda I love it
    bizzz

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  72. A recipe book is a fabulous idea! I think I need to find a typewriter - that's a great idea for journaling cards :)

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  73. What a great idea!! I love the thought of looking through this in the winter and remembering all the cookouts and picnics of summer!

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  74. Love your projects ... Oh how I wish I still had a typewriter.

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  75. Thanks for the great ideas!!

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  76. Just a great project. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  77. Just a great project. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  78. Lovely project! What a great line for a recipe book!

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  79. Oh, I so need to make a family recipe book filled with our summer favorites now! :)

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  80. Oh, I so need to make a family recipe book filled with our summer favorites now! :)

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  81. so cool, great idea! Love it!

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  82. I love your summer recipe album. This Simple Stories Summer Fresh Collection is my favorite. I don't have one of their Mix and Match albums yet and would be thrilled to win one. Thank you for sharing and for the chance to win.
    God bless,
    Peggy Allen

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  83. what a fabulous idea. Another thing to add to my shopping list!

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  84. Such a nice idea - I love it! I live in South Africa and we do not get these mix and match albums here at all. I would love to win one of these. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  85. What a fabulous idea! Love simple stories but it's hard to get where I live in Texas - none of the LSS stores carry them. Thank you for the chance to win!

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  86. A recipe book is a fantastic idea!! Thanks for sharing!!

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  87. Liz, I love your recipe book idea and yes, I'd LOVE to win the album and paper set -- I want to make a mini-album of my friend's Adirondack camp where she has had a women's weekend over Memorial Day for a couple of years. I wonder if there's any chance of winning 6 of these -- one for each of the participants! LOL!!

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  88. OH, I just love this! The papers and embellishments are so perfect for the theme and love your label!

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  89. I love your recipe book - what a great idea!

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  90. LOVE the recipe book idea and the food photography rocks!

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  91. What a great way to scrapbook faster.. Hope I win....

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  92. Thanks for sharing your cook book idea. I have been trying to make one for my family but did not know how to start. You are right this book will be great for this. Hope to win it!!!

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  93. Just love this idea!!! And the book is the perfect size....thanks for the great layout plans....Sandy

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  94. What a fabulous album! I just adore the Summer Fresh line! And after seeing your gorgeous project I'm pretty sure I NEED a typewriter!!! Loveit!

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  95. I love that paper line! I had actually bought one of the albums already to do a recipe album with! I am going to make one for each of my girls for Christmas with our family favorites.

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  96. Really like how you made the recipe book! This would be great for one's own kitchen or as a wonderful gift!

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  97. I love the old-school typewriter font, too. Darling project.

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  98. Love your recipe book!! What an awesome idea!

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  99. I see you do a lot of journaling on your typewriter. I'd like to know if you have an internet supplier for typewriter ribbons. I no longer can find any for mine (and I have 2) and would sure love to use one again ... I enjoy your blog and all your creations - Beautiful! Greetings from Holiday, Florida!

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