The Coronavirus Chronicles | Jo Boland
Hello there. This month I’m using the Quarantined collection from Simple Stories to document the pandemic. I’ve called my album The Coronavirus Chronicles.
This was the stash of papers, sticker and album I chose. I didn’t end up using the Elle’s Studio day cards, as I decided to go a different route with my album. I thought this would be a good opportunity to try the Simple Stories Sn@p! Flipbook I’ve not used one before. It’s very easy to use and does remind me of my University days and handing in assignments using those pronged fastening document folders! However, it allows you to add extra pages while keeping the thickness of the album to a minimum, so I’d definitely use one again. Plus there are lots of colours to choose from, two sizes (6×8″ and 4×6″) and different styles of page protectors.
The Coronavirus Chronicles.
The album is a Simple Stories Sn@p! 6×8″ Flipbook in Yellow. For my front cover I used a cut down tag from the Current Reality paper and a piece of the branding strip from the Virtual Life paper. The stickers from the 12×12 cardstock sticker sheet and Elle’s Studio letter stickers (these stickers are really sticky, hurrah!).
The first page uses a tag cut from the Current Reality paper on to which I’ve stated what the album is about. The background paper is actually from the Pinkfresh Studio Let’s Stay Home collection and is called You Are Stronger. The colour on this side of the paper goes perfectly with the Quarantined collection. I added the branding strip from the Current Reality paper along the bottom and two stickers from the sticker sheet. The TV sticker is popped up on foam pads for added dimension.
On the left hand side I used a piece of white cardstock. Note, for this album and all Simple Stories albums the page protectors are not actually 6×8″. I cut the width to 6″ which allowed me to get two pages from one piece of cardstock, but the height is just under 8 1/2″. The Coronavirus timeline print outs are some I found on the internet as free downloaded from Persnickerty Prints. It would have been a good idea in hindsight to have typed my entries rather than writing them. I may go back and do that.
The timeline inserts are printed on thin white card and mounted on to kraft cardstock cut to 4 x 7 1/2″. I cut pieces of acetate to 3 x 7 1/2″ and sandwiched them between the cardstock leaving a 1 1/4″ overhang into which to punch the holes. On the reverse side of the timeline I have added a cut out card from the Virtual Life paper, plus stickers from the Quarantined collection and the Hello Today collection. The Simple Stories Hello Today collection goes really well with the Quarantined collection. I used month stickers from the Hello Today sticker book.
I added the months January, February and March into the first spread because I wanted to add a few photos from life before the pandemic really hit in March.
The background paper for the right hand side of the spread is Quarantine Life. I may go back and add some extra journaling by the photos.
The April coronavirus timeline is on the front of the insert and details about life in April are on the reverse.
The cut out card comes from the Current Reality paper and the background paper is the Virtual Life paper. The stickers are all from the Quarantined sticker sheet. I bought two Current Reality papers, one for cutting up and the other sheet for the backgrounds. Whereas I bought 3 sheets of the Virtual Life paper, one for cutting up and two for backgrounds. I also bought two sheets of the Quarantine Life paper, but one of each of the others.
May and the first lockdown birthday in our house.
The cut out card is from Virtual Life paper and the background paper is Staying at Home.
My album will continue hopefully only up until May, when fingers crossed the restrictions will have pretty much eased. The other months are not yet, but they are already set up waiting for photos and journaling.
The back page uses the same paper as the front page and I may add a start and end date. I’ll decide that later, if we get an end date!
Later in the month I’ll be back with more pages updated and a scrapbook layout using some of the leftovers. Take care all.
