Doodlebug Design Inc Blog: September 2026

There is just something extra special about turning favorite memories into a handmade gift! Today I’m sharing this bright and cheerful little mini album I created using the Summer Fun collection . This album is going to a sweet family friend so she can flip through it again and again and remember some of the fun times we shared at the beach. One of the things I love most about paper crafting is being able to take photos and memories and turn them into meaningful little gifts for the people I love. And with all of the happy colors and adorable beach-themed icons in Summer Fun, this collection was absolutely perfect!

For the cover, I wanted to give a little peek at all the color and texture tucked inside the album. I layered several different circular elements together, mixing patterned papers, die cuts, and embellishments to create lots of dimension. I added the cute “Happy” banner from the Chit Chat die cuts, across the top along with that adorable smiling starfish, and tucked a colorful beach ball, also from the Chit Chat and the “Best Day Ever” sentiment into the layers. The bright pink paper tassel and sheer polka-dot ribbon tied onto the album ring add such a fun finishing touch. I especially love the yellow pom-pom trim peeking out around the edges—it gives the whole album such a playful, summery personality!

Once the cover is opened, you can really see all those fun layers. I used circles in several different sizes throughout the album so that pieces from the pages behind peek out here and there. I love how this makes the album feel full and interesting before you even start flipping through it! The colorful beach ball makes a great focal point on this page, and I layered the “Best Day Ever” sentiment, which is a sticker from the This and That Sticker Sheet, across the bottom. A few tiny flowers from the Island Tropics Shape Sprinkles add just the right amount of extra detail without covering up all of those cute patterned papers.

For the next page, I knew I wanted it to be bright and sunny. The bright yellow speech bubble with the “It’s a Beautiful Day!” sentiment from the This and That Sticker Sheet, makes such a happy introduction . A few shiny blue Sprinkles add another pop of color and dimension. The bottom page features this adorable beach photo, which I cropped into a circle to coordinate with the shape of the album. I added a sunshine embellishment along with a few tiny flowers, which are all from the Puffy Icon Stickers, to frame the photo while still letting that sweet little face be the star of the page.

I continued the circular design on the next section with another favorite close-up photo. I layered the picture over colorful patterned paper and added the cutest little Puffy Sticker jellyfish alongside it. The “Life’s a Beach” sentiment was the perfect phrase for this photo, and the bright pink heart from the Odds and Ends, adds another fun pop of color. On the page below, I created a larger embellishment cluster using the “Summer Fun” piece, which is a sticker from the This and That Sticker Sheet, a flamingo sticker from the Icons stickers, umbrella, beach ball, bucket and other little beach icons. I love mixing embellishments of different sizes like this—it gives such a tiny album a surprising amount of detail!

I also wanted the album to have plenty of pages that were more decorative so that flipping through it feels like a little explosion of summer. For this page, I layered a large sunshine over the colorful plaid background and added the adorable rainbow flip-flops. The die cuts are from the Odds and Ends and the papers are all from the 6x8 Paper Pad. The “Sunny Memories” sentiment says exactly what this album is all about! Below it, I used the blue polka-dot paper to really make the bright green “FUN” title stand out. I tucked the photo behind the title and added the snorkel mask, colorful fish and “Summer” word strip around it. The yellow pom-pom trim framing this page might be one of my favorite details in the entire album—it adds so much texture and whimsy!

The next spread is filled with even more beach-day happiness! For the top page, I used the colorful dotted patterned paper and added the cute umbrella ands and bucket and shovel die cut from the Odds and Ends along with the little seagull Icon sticker. The rainbow umbrella across the top adds another fun pop of color, while the “You Make Me Smile” banner , from the Chit Chat, stretches across the page and ties everything together. I added just a touch of dimension with a shiny pink Sprinkle. On the lower page, I fit two circular photos side by side and surrounded them with tropical flowers, a palm tree, starfish and heart. These are all from the Icon Stickers and the Odds and Ends . The bold “Fun in the Sun” title along the bottom, is from the This and That Sticker Sheet, and was just too perfect for these sweet beach photos!

I had so much fun creating this little keepsake with the Summer Fun collection. More than anything, I love knowing that it will be given to someone special who can flip through these pages whenever she wants and remember the fun beach days we spent together. Handmade gifts filled with photographs and memories will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you so much for stopping by today! I hope this colorful little album has inspired you to pull out some of your favorite summer photos, get those memories printed, and turn them into a cute mini album of your own. Summer always seems to fly by, but capturing those sunny days in a handmade album means we can enjoy them over and over again! ☀️🏖️💕