It’s a small thing, but I always appreciate having it when I am addressing my holiday cards, and it looks chic and professional for sending happy mail to our friends and family.

I’ve recently purchased some other types of custom stamps, and in today’s post, I want to share them all with you.

Custom Rubber Stamps

There are so many cool custom stamps that are made to order on Etsy and Amazon. They are more affordable than you think—and so useful.

Here are a few ideas for stamps you can order to use in your everyday life:

• Custom Return Address Stamp
• From the Library of Stamp
• Custom Logo stamp for Small Biz Owners
• Custom Book Embosser
• Kids Art Stamp
• Custom Portrait Stamp (we used this for our wedding invitations)
• Personalized Teacher Stamp

Custom Address Stamps

Each time we move to a new home, I order a custom return address stamp from Etsy. This is the exact design I am currently using, and this is the address stamp I chose for our next home.

Links: Parker Stamp / Andersons Stamp / First Name Stamp / Williams Stamp / Thompson Stamp / Hampton Stamp

Custom Teacher Stamps

I have found so many great options for teacher stamps. These stamps are helpful for grading and personalizing notes from teachers.

Links: Bitmoji Stamp / Like Stamp / Face Stamp / Sign and Return Stamp / Classroom Stamp / Seal of Approval Stamp

Custom Library Stamps

After I built my kids a hidden library, I ordered them a stamp to personalize their books. We don’t do it for every single book, but the kids enjoy adding the stamp and it’s great for books. I give them as gifts, too.

Links: Embossed Stamp / Moon Stamp / Teachers Stamp / Feather Stamp / Leaf Border Stamp / Cursive Stamp

Custom Wax Seals

I purchased an L monogram stamp from Etsy. You can also create fully custom designs. I love choosing from the different colors of melting wax. Wax seals are such an old-fashioned, luxurious way send a letter.

An important note is that when you send a wax sealed envelope in the mail you need to add 15 to 20 cents for “non-machinable surcharge.”

If you don’t want to pay the extra postage, I recommend using your wax seal for cards you will hand out in person instead.

Links: Sealing Wax Sticks / Eucalyptus Wax Stamp / Letter Wax Stamp / Wax Seal Set / Sealing Wax Kit / Swan Wax Stamp

Related links:

• How to Carve Your Own Stamps
• Make Your Own Stamped Necklace
• Gold Stamped Ring Dish

We love the creativity and personal touch that goes into scrapbooking, but sometimes it can be hard to take time to complete a few pages, or get your ideas flowing when looking at a blank page.

With that in mind, here are five easy scrapbooking ideas to take you from a basic book to a treasured keepsake in a fraction of the time!

For this post, we are partnering with our friends at Canon USA to show you how you can use the newly updated IVY 2 Mini Photo printer to easily print out all the photos for your scrapbooking project right from the comfort of your own home.

The printer paper actually has a sticker backing, so it’s totally ready to adhere to the page in a flash with no tape or glue needed. This cute printer comes in blush and white and has an upgraded Bluetooth and longer lasting charge so you can keep printing longer!

Looking for more photo ideas? Check out:

• Wooden Ball Photo Holder DIY (Only Takes 5 Minutes To Make!)
• Tips for Family Photo Displays
• DIY Photo Glitter Globes
• Make Your Own Personalized Photo Ring Dish

Supplies for 5 Simple and Easy Scrapbooking Ideas:

• IVY 2 Mini Photo printer
• ZINK Photo Paper Pack
• Cardstock paper or scrapbook paper of your choosing
• Circle Punch, any other shape paper punch or ZINK Pre Cut Photo Paper
• Custom Scrapbook Sticker Download
• Canon Mini Print app (Apple or Google Play)

What can the IVY 2 Mini Photo printer do?

One of the coolest things about the IVY 2 Mini Photo printer is that it prints onto sticker paper in either a 2″ x 3″ rectangle format or with two 1.3″ wide circle stickers.

You can go into the easy to use app and choose a photo from your camera roll to create a custom sticker photo whenever you want!

The app has options to make collages with several photos or add text/designs on top of your photos as well.

How do I use the custom scrapbook sticker downloads?

For these custom scrapbook stickers, just download the designs onto your phone so they are in your photo library and open the Canon Mini Print app.

Make sure your mini printer is on and connected to the app through Bluetooth. The top right corner of the app home screen will tell you if it’s connected or not. Then click on the icon to connect.

Once connected, choose the scrapbook sticker designs you want from your photo library. Click on the print icon in the left hand corner and watch your custom stickers appear!

5 Simple and Easy Scrapbooking Ideas!

Make a paper frame for your photo

All you need is a piece of paper and a pair of scissors to make a cute, quick frame to go around the edge of your photo.

Trace the size of your photo onto some paper and cut out the rectangle a little smaller than your photo for the photo window. This makes sure that the edges will be covered by the paper.

Then, make a fun frame with scalloped edges, pointed zig-zag edges, straight edges … whatever you like!

Add some virtual stickers to your photos

Using the Canon Mini Print app, you can easily add fun stickers or text for any occasion that will instantly jazz up your photos. No trip to the craft store necessary!

Use a shape punch to punch out a photo shape

You can use a punch tool (like these circle punches) to make your photo into a custom shaped size of sticker with just the push of a button.

Whether it’s a circle, star, heart, or whatever shaped punch you have, making the photo into a different shape adds some visual dimension to your scrapbook page.

For a super easy way to make circle stickers, you can also use the ZINK Pre Cut Circle Sticker Pack to instantly print two round stickers per page!

Print a list to customize with your memories

Whether it’s a holiday wishlist from that year or a list of your favorite things from a trip or vacation, making your own personal list is a great way to add a personal handwriting touch. Or, you can fill out the list with text in the Canon Mini Print app.

Print a cute phrase for your page theme

Using a phrase header on your page instantly shows what the theme of that page is. It also helps break up the photos with some text for some page variety.

We made designs you can download to showcase your holiday fun, vacation/trip, or time with your best pals. There are also word stickers and type options in the Canon Mini Print app!

How cute did those pages turn out? Scrapbooking can be an intimidating project, but tips like these make it easy for anyone to create a book of memories.

What’s your favorite way to add to scrapbook pages quickly? xo. Laura

Using custom stickers on the outside of your envelope is a great way to add some personality to your mail and I’ll show you a super easy way to do it!

For this post, we are partnering with our friends over at Canon USA to show you their IVY CLIQ+2 Instant Camera, and how you can print your own mail stickers quickly and easily directly from your phone.

We’ve even made a few extra custom sticker designs to add to all the options that come in the printing app, so you have plenty of options to get started!

Love taking photos? Try these photo DIY projects:

• Wooden Ball Photo Holder DIY (Only Takes 5 Minutes To Make!)
• Tips for Family Photo Displays!
• DIY Photo Glitter Globes
• Easy Photo Keychain DIY

Supplies:
–Canon IVY CLIQ+2 Instant Camera
–IVY peel & stick circle sticker paper
-Canon Mini Print app (Apple or Google Play)
–Custom sticker downloads
-Card + envelope (or postcard of your choice!)

What can the Ivy CLIQ+2 Instant Camera do?

One of the coolest things about the IVY CLIQ+2 is that it prints onto sticker paper in either a 2″ x 3″ rectangle format or with two 1.3″ wide circle stickers.

You can either take a photo with the camera and print your photo instantly, or you can go into the easy to use app and choose a photo from your camera roll to create a custom sticker photo whenever you want!

The app has options to make collages with several photos or add text/designs on top of your photos as well.

For these custom mail stickers, just download the designs onto your phone so they are in your photo library and open the Canon Mini Print app.

Make sure your IVY CLIQ+2 camera is on and connected to the app through bluetooth (the top right corner of the app home screen will tell you if it’s connected or not) and click on the icon to connect.

Once connected, choose the option to “Pre-Cut Sticker” and choose the two sticker designs you want from your photo library (you can also do two of the same sticker by tapping the same photo twice).

Click on the print icon in the left hand corner and watch your custom stickers appear!

Can I print photos for my circle stickers with the IVY CLIQ+2?

Yes! While I love using the sticker designs to create fun custom stickers, you can also choose photos for the pre-cut circle stickers so you can choose a wedding photo for thank you notes, a picture of your kid for their birthday card invite, and more. The options are endless!

Having a fun sticker on the back of an envelope makes the card or letter feel more personal and shows you put in a little extra thought for your recipient.

You can also add these to the front of the envelope or even to the card itself if you’d rather! So go on and send some happy mail and make someone’s day a little brighter! xo. Laura

Print

Make Your Own Custom Mail Stickers!

An easy way to make custom stickers to add to letters, envelopes, and postcards

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 20 stickers

Author Laura Gummerman

Equipment

• 1 Canon Ivy CLIQ+2 Instant Camera
• Canon Mini Print app (Apple or Google Play)
• Custom sticker downloads

Ingredients

• Ivy peel & stick circle sticker paper
• Card + envelope (or postcard of your choice!)

Instructions

• For these custom mail stickers, just download the designs onto your phone so they are in your photo library and open the Canon Mini Print app.

  Make sure your Ivy CLIQ+2 camera is on and connected to the app through bluetooth (the top right corner of the app home screen will tell you if it’s connected or not) and click on the icon to connect.
• Once connected, choose the option to “Pre-Cut Sticker” and choose the two sticker designs you want from your photo library (you can also do two of the same sticker by tapping the same photo twice).
• Click on the print icon in the left hand corner and watch your custom stickers appear!

For me, making paper collages scratches a creative itch in a unique way. It’s so much fun!

Related: 10 Home Decor Books That Will Inspire You

I have been making a lot of vision boards in my personal journals, and also decorating gifts with these supplies. My kids love making their own collages too!

Links: Extraordinary Things to Cut Out and Collage / Vintage Botanical Plants / The Botanist’s Sticker Anthology / The Antiquarian Sticker Book / John Derian Sticker Book / Women: A Pictorial Archive / Vintage Scrapbook Paper / A Treasury of Butterflies and Winged Insects

I like collecting books to cut images out from, as well as sticker books. It’s fun to mix and match the supplies. I don’t really use much else besides these books, scissors, and a glue stick.

I hope you’re feeling inspired to try and make a collage or art journal of your own! If you love this style, but aren’t into DIYing right now, I highly suggest John Derian’s coffee table book (it’s huge and gorgeous!).

Sending creative vibes your way! xx- Elsie

Like I said, these are incredibly simple and straightforward. Every year I have an album that I label with that year’s date that I fill up with printed photos. I almost always print my photos at home (I have a Canon PIXMA TS9521C printer that I use for work and for fun), and I try to do this about once a month. I print both DSLR and iPhone pictures, but I’ll be honest—it’s probably about 80% iPhone at this point. As I have time, I edit my photos with our app, A Color Story, and store them in a folder on my phone called “to print” until I have time that month to print them. Some months I have 25+ photos to print and some months I only have 5-6.

Although I very much LOVE photography and editing my photos, I also don’t get too hung up on the look of my photos for my annual albums. My philosophy is “better than done” than putting it off forever. And I’ve found that sometimes the task of gathering, editing, and printing my photos can feel overwhelming, so I make it as simple as possible for myself so I actually get those photos off my camera/phone and into my album.

I also print photos that are VERY random/not exactly picture perfect. My goal is to remember my real life and not every day is perfectly lit or pretty. Let me show you a few examples from last year’s album.

At the moment, a big part of my relationship with my nieces (and my sister) includes Face Time. So I sometimes screen shot one of us calling the other, just to remember these little moments. This was after crazy hair day at Nova’s preschool so she was looking extra adorable.

One of my older nieces got a cell phone for Christmas this year. So we’ve been texting emojis and pictures back and forth a lot and I will probably print a screen shot of that because I just think it’s this cute little picture into our relationship at this age and I love it.

Another big part of my life is my career, which involves a good amount of video meetings. One day Trey, Elsie, and I were meeting over Skype or something and I took a screen shot to print for my annual album (and also to troll Elsie) because it was like 10 a.m. and she was eating a popsicle. Ha! But I just want to remember my life this year and this season because it won’t always look this way, so I’m printing whatever random photos for my albums I can to capture this time.

It probably goes without saying, but the majority of my annual photo album contains the usual, well-edited, pretty photos of vacations and holidays and all that. I just wanted to show a few random things I also include just to show how committed I am to printing my life’s memories and not being too precious about it.

I like to buy fabric albums like this and add the year to the spine. Here are three ways I add the year to a photo album:

First is fabric transfers. In the above photo, you can see I bought a gold metallic fabric transfer sheet, cut out the numbers, and ironed them onto the side of the album following the instructions of the transfer. Super simple and I like that you can find lots of different colors. Although cutting out the numbers is a little difficult, this isn’t pictured but I would recommend an X-Acto knife in addition to scissors (I love this glittery pair).

Another way to add the year to a photo album is to print the numbers to a fabric transfer paper and then iron those in place. I like how clean this can look, and you can use any color or font you have on your computer. And if you don’t want to mess with fabric transfers and ironing things onto the fabric, here’s one last way to add the year to a photo album—just buy sticker labels and use any acid-free glue to secure them in place. Easy!

As you can see, the look of my albums vary slightly, but they all look good together on a shelf (to me). When I make more albums, I usually make at least two, but sometimes more just so I’m already prepared for coming years before they sneak up on me. This year, I’ve already printed photos from last month and I’m excited to see what fills up my 2020 album! Thanks for letting me share. xo. Emma

Today, I’m partnering with Canon USA to show you my thankful journal. It’s a simple photo journal that pairs short gratitude journaling with family photos. I plan to let my family add some of their own captions (Nova’s will be SO CUTE) when we celebrate Thanksgiving together this year.

I used my PIXMA TS9521C printer to print a bunch of photos from my phone. To do this, I simply AirDrop the photos to my computer, size them down on the size paper I’m using in Photoshop, and print. My favorite printer paper is Luster because it’s not too matte and not too glossy.

The first thing I did was print and cut out some square family photos. This is how I print ALL my photos, for any project. I print photos like this to send to my grandmothers too.

Next, I used textured stickers to add a simple title to the front. I cut each sticker out from the plastic to make sure the placement was just right.

Next, I used acid-free washi tape to secure one photo per page. I like to do it to one side or the other (not the middle) to leave an equal space for journaling.

The book I’m using is an art journal (meant for watercolors) because I loved the size and the paper weight.

Last, I did a bit of journaling. A few sentences per page.

Here’s what the finished pages look like. I’m excited because this is a photo album I can 100% finish and put on our shelf. Perfect for anyone in a busy season or just not ready to commit to a big memory keeping system.

I hope this project speaks to some of you who, like me, just need to GET STARTED. xx- Elsie

P.S. Want more inspiration? Check out my thoughts on The Art of Letting Go!

She was still at the age where we weren’t sure if she was fully recognizing her grandparents when they would come to visit, but she found a small photo album I had made this past fall and kept saying “Min-eh-mah” (i.e. Nana) and “Pops” when she came across the photo of my parents in there.

We have several scrapbook-type albums on our bookcase of past December Daily photo challenges and since she has been recognizing faces I decided to show them to her. 

Lola constantly points to them and asks to see photos of the family. Since she’s so into pointing people out in photos, I partnered with Canon USA to make her a little board book with pictures of our extended families, so she can point them out whenever she likes and also so she can remember faces that she may only see a couple of times a year.

I also included photos of herself and our cats since she loves to point out those faces as well!

Related: For more kids activities and printables check out Childhood Magic!

Supplies:
–small chipboard book
-Canon Luster photo paper
–Canon PIXMA MegaTank printer
-rubber cement glue or modpodge
-scissors or X-Acto knife

Start by gathering the photos you want to use for your book. I used Photoshop to resize them all into squares that were a little larger than 4″ square for my book and then printed them onto 8.5×11 pages.

I just got the new Canon PIXMA MegaTank printer and was super excited to start using it on this project. I love being able to print my photos at home and one of my favorite things is that it has a huge supply of ink, meaning you don’t have to order it as frequently.

Once all the photos were printed, I cut them out with an X-Acto knife and used my rubber cement to adhere them to the cardstock.

A little rubber cement trick is that if you want a stronger bond, you should do a thin layer of glue on the back of the photo as well as the page it’s going on and then let the sides dry before sticking them together.

If your kid is an early reader, once all your photos are in place, you can add labels or write on the photos who is who so they can also see a name next to the photo.

Decorate the outside of your album to your liking and your book is ready to use!

Normally, I would love to use some stickers on the outside of a book like this, but Lola loves to pull off stickers whenever she gets the chance, so I thought a painted or stamped design would be best.

If you want to leave this book alone with a toddler, make sure they are past the age of putting items in their mouth as these are not food-safe components. But I think it would be fine to show it to a younger baby as long as you are there with them to discourage any book tastings.

So far, Lola LOVES this book and I’ve even found it in her bed in the morning, which means she was looking at it for a bit before letting us know she was awake.

She’s even been carrying it around the house at times! If your little one loves looking at family photos too, this is a great way to have your family around the house at all times, even if you live far apart from family members or special friends you love. Three cheers for family! xo. Laura

I’m partnering with Canon HdAlbum Photo Books for this post. I have used their website and app to make books and guess what … I’ll be sharing a code at the end of this post so you can make your own books too!

Getting caught up wasn’t so bad! Here’s what I did.

First, I got out all the photo books in our living room and evaluated what I already had completed and what I felt was missing. I had recently made a vacation book, Nova’s adoption story book and one that archives Nova’s art. Next, I made a list of what I wanted to add.

I decided to do a book about our China trip (it’s a little different from the adoption book and since it was such a major trip I wanted to do it), a Disney World book, and a book of my favorite random memories with Nova. That last book ended up turning into three volumes, but it was totally worth it!

Here’s our China book. I decided to go without text and then add a few handwritten notes to the pages with dates, names and sentimental moments I want to remember.

Here’s our Disney World memories. Since we only spent two days in Disney, I didn’t have as many photos as the China book, so I opted for more full page photos, which is so easy to do with the app.

And, these are the random memories. It goes season by season and I basically just uploaded every photo from my phone that felt meaningful. I ended up with three small books for about four seasons. I don’t think that’s too bad for a new mom of the world’s cutest child, do you?

It could be worse!

Here’s our collection so far. I think I am liking the breakdown of books by year and trips, and will continue doing it in this way. I’m also liking a combination of large and small books.

I’m so happy to be caught up (for now!). If you’ve been wanting to catch up, I highly recommend making photo books online. Once you find your groove, it’s SUPER quick.

One extra tip that helps me is that I make folders on my phone (or computer) of the images I want to use before starting each book. I’ve found that actually takes more time than designing the entire boo—it’s that quick.

If you’re wanting to make your own photo book you can use our code to try it out! Just use ABM19 at checkout and you’ll get 40% off your purchase! The code is valid through 2/28/19.

If you have any questions about making photo books or staying on top of memory keeping, let me know. I’m definitely still learning, but it’s something I am so passionate about and enjoy doing. xx – Elsie

Credits//Author and Photography: Elsie Larson. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.

I framed the first painting she ever made. I remember how surreal it felt. Fast forward and in what felt like no time at all, the drawer was bursting … literally.

I couldn’t close it. I’m so happy she’s making art almost every day, and it’s a huge priority for us to keep making more. So I realized it was time to start making photo books because I can’t keep all the art in that drawer forever. Plus, this format makes it easier to actually look at and enjoy!

If you have a child who is making more art than you can keep up with, I highly recommend making one of these books! This will be the first of a series for us. Once the drawer fills up again, I will print another book.

This post is sponsored by Canon HdAlbum Photo Books—I’ve used their software for several photobooks now and am still so excited about the quality of these books! They have several options for creating them, too.

The Pro software gives you a lot of customization options, including layouts and design options, so it’s super flexible for whatever type of book you want to make.

Here’s a photo of maybe 1/3 of the art we’ve accumulated in 9 months. It’s crazy how quickly it adds up!

This book begins with Nova’s very first painting—some ornaments we painted at Christmas. I can’t believe that only nine months ago she could barely hold a marker or a paintbrush. You should see her go now!

I mixed photos of Nova’s art with photos of her making art. I plan to continue doing this.

Here’s a few of Nova’s projects from her school. I only keep the best of the best when it comes to school art since a lot of them are just coloring sheets or glue stick projects.

These photos make me so proud. I am so happy I started making these books now because I can already see how it’s something I will need to stay up with in order to keep them organized.

Nova’s first big paintings. It was a big day, about a month ago, when she suddenly developed an attention span to paint several large paintings in each sitting. I obviously have a photo on my phone of every single one!

Our painting picnics. The day I sent these images to my mom she wrote me back and said that she read that Georgia O’Keeffe’s earliest childhood memories were painting on a picnic blanket in her front yard when she was 3 years old. Made me cry!

That’s it for now! I am so excited to keep this series going! I just had the idea to make each one of the spines a different rainbow color. I think I will display them in Nova’s bedroom so it’s something she can be proud of.

And obviously I will keep them all in the 8×8 Canon books so they match!

Thanks so much for reading!

xx – Elsie

P.S. Isn’t that little pink ukulele so cute?

Credits/Author and Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.