Mintay Papers International Scrapbook Day 2026 Projects + My First Mintay Win!

I actually started writing this blog post just a few days after finishing my Mintay Papers International Scrapbook Day 2026 projects… but somehow I think I accidentally deleted the entire draft. So here I am rewriting this post days after the winners were announced - but to be fair, rewriting it now makes it even sweeter because I get to say this:

I WON!!! 💛

Yes. After years of joining Mintay Papers challenges, I finally won one.

And ironically, it happened right around the time I was already thinking of giving up joining altogether. Haha!

If you’ve been following my crafting journey for a while, you probably know how much I love Mintay challenges. I’ve joined so many over the years because I genuinely enjoy them - the themes, the creativity they inspire, and of course, the challenge itself. If you want to see just how many Mintay challenges I’ve joined, you can check out my Facebook album dedicated to all my Mintay challenge entries here.

And since starting this blog a year ago, I’ve also documented several Mintay challenge projects here on the blog too.

Mintay Papers World Card Making Day 2025

Mintay Papers International Scrapbook Day 2025 Challenges Recap - A Creative Sprint Against the Clock

Almost Didn’t Join This Year

Truthfully, I wasn’t even fully planning on joining this year’s International Scrapbook Day event.

Then one of my friends - who has been cheering me on creatively for a long time now - messaged me and sent me the challenge pub from Mintay. She encouraged me to join and I said ok, I'll try again.

And thankfully, I did.

Now here comes the funny part.

For some reason, I thought the challenges worked just like last year where we only had 24 hours to finish everything. So I spent basically the whole day cramming and rushing to finish all my entries.

Then the next day… I realized submissions were actually open for AN ENTIRE WEEK.

Imagine my face.

So naturally, my projects felt rushed to me. Not fully thought through. Not my usual layered-to-the-max style. Definitely not what I considered my “100%.”

But maybe that was exactly the point.

Because looking back now, these may actually be the simplest Mintay challenge entries I’ve ever made - and somehow, they became the ones that finally won.

Maybe simpler really was better this time.

My Winning Project - Four Stories 

Out of all the categories, I ended up winning the Four Stories challenge. I think the storytelling approach is what made this layout special.

Instead of documenting major milestones, I focused on the quieter in-between moments from the first quarter of 2026 - moments that may not seem huge individually, but still mattered deeply.

For this layout, I also challenged myself to do some serious scrapbusting by mixing different Mintay Papers collections and turning leftover bits into tiny boxes.

Each photo told its own story:

• January - a family photo with both sides before we left the Philippines
• February - my first Ramadan Iftar experience and finally trying dates after four years in Saudi
• March - a difficult health season, but also gratitude for healing and good care 
• April - our constants here in Saudi, the friends who make life away from home feel lighter

I skipped bigger events like our 15th anniversary and Valentine’s because those already had scrapbook pages and albums of their own. This layout became about the “ordinary” moments - the in-betweens that still deserve to be remembered.

And I think that’s why this page worked.

Negative Space Layout

15 years, one story… and a whole lot of self-control.

For this layout, I documented our 15th BF-GF anniversary from last January. This one is of course should be extra special which made it more challenging. Not because of the photos or the memories… but because of the empty space!

I’m so used to layering, tucking, and adding “just one more embellishment” (you know the struggle), so holding back for this negative space challenge really tested me.

But the truth is, it kinda helped knowing I already created a full mini album for this day (check it out here). So this layout didn’t need to carry everything - just a soft, simple highlight of a beautiful milestone.

Sometimes, letting your design breathe tells the story just as well.

Mini Folio Album

Simple on the outside… but full of little surprises inside.

For this mini folio, I kept the structure clean and beginner-friendly, but added just enough interactive elements to make it fun and functional.

This folio features:

• A belly band embellished with florals
• A Velcro closure
• An accordion pocket filled with cardstock for photos and journaling
• An elastic string in the middle for additional inserts
• Two pockets on the back panel with floral cardstock tucked inside

I love projects like this because they look compact and simple, but they can hold so many memories.

The Announcement 

The cutest part... I didn’t even see the announcement myself first.

Another friend - who also always cheers me on during Mintay challenges, sent me a screenshot of the winners announcement.

The moment I saw my name, I immediately called my husband because he knows how badly I’ve wanted to win a Mintay Papers challenge for years now.

And right after that, I forwarded the same screenshot to the friend who convinced me to join the iNSD challenges this year in the first place.

Needless to say… these girls are GIRLS’ GIRLS.

The kind who genuinely cheer for you, encourage you when you doubt yourself, remind you to keep trying, and celebrate your wins like they’re their own. Tbh, this win felt even more special because of the people surrounding me through it.

Looking back now, this entire experience feels oddly full circle.

The year I almost skipped joining.
The year I crammed everything thinking I only had one day.
The year I felt my projects were “too simple.”
The year I doubted myself the most.

Ended up being the year I finally won.

And maybe that’s the lesson I’m taking from all this, sometimes the projects made with less pressure, less overthinking, and more honest storytelling become the ones that connect the most.

Thank you so much to Mintay Papers for hosting these challenges every year and for choosing my project as one of the winners.

And thank you to the friends who continue cheering me on creatively. You really have no idea how much your encouragement mattered this year.

Now excuse me while I impatiently wait for the prize package because I absolutely cannot wait to share the unboxing with all of you.

:

Celebrating Creativity: 9 Layouts for Paige Evans’ iNSD Challenges

Happy (belated) International Scrapbook Day! This year, I dove headfirst into Paige Evans’ creative challenges and completed all 9 scrapbook layout prompts—and what a journey it’s been! From heartfelt memories to fun design experiments, each challenge gave me the chance to tell a story in a whole new way. Here’s a quick recap of each layout I created:

CHALLENGE #1: Hand Stitching

I stitched each sunray on a layout featuring our unforgettable trip to Australia with friends. The hand-stitching added so much texture and movement, guiding the eye outward from the photo. Finished it off with enamel dots, chipboard die cuts, and florals for extra flair.

CHALLENGE #2: Scraplift

Using a grid layout inspired by Paige Evans’ Make Your Memory book, I documented our USA trip—a trip that feels like another lifetime, just before the world shut down. We made it home to the Philippines literally the day before the lockdown. Grateful for the timing and the memories!

CHALLENGE #3: Wreath Design

This wreath layout had been on my mental to-do list, and I finally brought it to life for our Vietnam trip photos! I featured a photo of us with a Cu Chi cat at the Cu Chi Tunnels. I used flower die cuts and gem embellishments—and when my circle wasn’t perfect, I let butterflies and extra flowers do the work. Hehe.

CHALLENGE #4: Shapes

For this layout, I took hearts and turned them into flowers—a sweet way to represent the night my husband proposed (then boyfriend!) during a family party and surprised me with a second celebration with friends. I used scraps from Splendid and Blooming Wild collections to bring it all together.

CHALLENGE #5: 3+ Photos

A colorful tribute to our Hong Kong honeymoon! I used bright pennants, mini wooden clips, and flowers to echo the fun trip. This layout brought together a bunch of sweet moments in one happy spread.

CHALLENGE #6: Mixed Media

This layout captures my first-ever trip to Japan - so many fun moments, but the absolute highlight was meeting the gentle (but also agressive) deers in Nara Park! I wonder how they are so hungry when there are always too many tourists feeding them? haha! I had too many favorite cardstock colors to choose from, so I layered them all and hand stitched each strip to create a textured, colorful base. Then I added mini heart stenciling, white paint splatters, and layered on photos and embellishments for extra dimension. I loved mixing all these techniques.

CHALLENGE #7: CHALLENGE #7: Reinvent the Theme

Who says Christmas collections are only for the holidays? For this layout, I repurposed Paige Evans’ Sugar Plum Wishes to document a sunny Cebu getaway - and it worked like a charm! The vibrant colors and fun florals and polka dots paired beautifully with tropical memories. Missing the girlies and still dreaming of crispy , sinful lechon! This challenge was such a fun reminder that with a little creativity, any collection can work year-round.

CHALLENGE #8: Grid Design

Our Korea trip layout was extra special - we brought a printed photo of our friend Karen, who couldn’t join us, and included her in all the photos. The grid layout with colorful chipboard frames and a “Happy Korea” sentiment made this one so fun and meaningful to put together.

CHALLENGE #9: Cut File + 5+ Patterned Papers

To remember our quarantine years (2020–2022) at Citadines, I used Paige’s “Quarantine” cut file and backed each letter with a different patterned paper—5 patterns total, used back-to-back. This layout honors the people, challenges, and memories that made those years unforgettable.

These challenges pushed my creativity, helped me use up scraps, never been used stash, and favorite supplies, and gave me a chance to relive some truly important moments. Definitely made me catch up with my memory keeping! Huge thanks to Paige and the scrapbooking community for keeping the inspiration flowing!

Which layout was your favorite? I’d love to hear which challenge spoke to you most—or which one you want to try next!

Mintay Papers International Scrapbook Day 2025 Challenges Recap - A Creative Sprint Against the Clock

For the second year in a row, International Scrapbook Day becomes a highlight on my creative calendar, and this year, Mintay Papers truly brought the inspiration with four unique challenges! I had so much fun participating and pushing my creativity with each prompt. Here’s a closer look at my entries and the stories behind them:

A Creative Sprint Against the Clock

This year’s Mintay INSD challenge was, quite literally, a challenge! The prompts were revealed across May 3rd and 4th — but all entries had to be submitted by midnight on May 4. Since we were in Bahrain on May 3, I only had the morning and afternoon of May 4 to pull everything together.

It was an intense creative marathon, but I’m so happy I managed to complete and submit all four projects just in time. Exhausted? Yes. Inspired? Absolutely.

Challenge 1: Sketch It Out!

Layout: “Happiness”

Kicking off INSD with a layout from my bridal shower felt like the perfect way to celebrate. I used the City of Lovecollection — because pink was the theme (and really, when is pink not the answer?).

The hand-stitched border took time (yes, every single stitch!), but I loved the texture it added. I brought in die cuts from Joy of Life to highlight the laughter and joy from that special night. Glitter-paste hearts, sparkly flowers, and a touch of sentiment — “Happiness” — brought it all together.

This challenge was just the nudge I needed to stop procrastinating and create something truly meaningful. Turns out, I really do work best with a deadline!

Challenge 2: Album in a Day

Project: Mini Album - “Through His Lens”

This one-page wonder mini album is a personal favorite. I used Blissful Time as the base, with Written Memories for tags and layers — a dreamy combo!

It’s a continuation of a self-focused album I started five years ago during a crafting class. It’s rare to scrapbook ourselves, but this mini reminded me why it’s so important. Each photo is a favorite, not just because of how I look, but because of the story behind it — and the fact they were all taken by my husband, who always captures me in the best light (literally and figuratively).

A love letter to myself, seen through his lens. Click here to read a blog post I made for this mini project and see more photos of this one page wonder album.

Challenge 3: Monochromatic Magic

Layout: “29 & Loved”

This pink-on-pink layout celebrates one of the sweetest surprises — my 29th birthday and my very first as a Mrs.! My husband planned the whole thing, and it was pure happiness.

Of course, I chose pink as my monochromatic theme (are we sensing a pattern?). The City of Love collection delivered all the softness, sweetness, and romance the memory deserved.

Challenge 4: Dimensional Delight

Layout: “Bahrain Crew”

This layout documents another unforgettable Bahrain trip with our amazing Saudi crew. These memories are so close to my heart — the kind of moments I know I’ll want to revisit again and again when we return to the Philippines.

I used the Mamarazzi collection with bits from Better Times, layering watercolor splatters, flowers, and ribbon for that dimensional, textured feel. 

The last challenge was a selfie with our favorite Mintay product. My fave collection is Vacation but I had to pass up this challenge since a whole day of scrapbooking and chores is not a pretty sight especially since this prompt was released in the middle of the night. Haha!

These challenges reminded me of why I love scrapbooking — not just for the creativity, but for the connection to memory, self-expression, and storytelling. Big thanks to Mintay Papers for the beautiful collections and the push to create with heart.

Currently, I’m diving into Paige Evans’ International Scrapbook Day challenges too — and yes, a blog post on that is coming up next! Stay tuned!