Finished Mini Album to go with Cigar Box

I finished the mini album which goes with the cigar box I posted a few days ago. The cigar box will have to wait though, I had to start the other two jewelry boxes because they were commissioned.

The front of the album is done with a copper colored pearlized CS from Core'dinations. The lighthouse is from JustRite, and is stamped using VersaMark onto a pale gold Core'dinations Pearl CS, and embossed in gold. All die cuts were done with Spellbinders. The tags at the top and bottom are for labeling with whatever the recipient wants.

I only photographed a few of the pages, but they are alternating pages made with DP from K&Co, white CS, which I distressed with Antique Linen and Tea Dye, and made journaling lines with a gold Gellyroll pen, and white CS distressed with Antique Linen and lightly stamped with gold ink. There are four different stamps used for the various pages, Portland Head Light from PSX, a fish shack and boat from PSX, a clipper ship from Stampendous, and Bass Harbor Head from an unknown company.

The stamped pages can be used either for journaling, photos, or memorabilia, and the DP pages can either be left as is, or photos or memorabilia added.

This album is quite small, 4x7, to fit into the cigar box, so the recipient may want to use it more for a journal than an album.

Altered Cigar Box and Mini Album

For a few days I have been working on this altered cigar box and mini album. The top photos show the outside of the box. The stamps are from JustRite and Our Daily Bread Designs, and were done on a pale gold Core'dinations Pearls CS. They were stamped with VersaMark, and embossed with gold EP.

The stamps, which were cut with Spellbinders Labels Eight, were all framed with gold mirror card cut and embossed with Decorative Labels Eight, and shaded with Distress Tea Dye. Anchors were punched with a MS Punch.

I haven't done the inside yet, but it will have a compartments for a pen and other memorabilia. On top of the lower compartments will be a tray, which will hold the album.



This photo shows the front of the album. It was done using a copper metallic CS from Coredinations, which was the closest matching paper color I had. The cover isn't finished yet, but it was done using the same technique as the box, and uses a JustRite stamp.

I'll post more pictures when I have more done on it.

I made a third album

This album was made mostly with the Mariposa Stack by DCWV. It's one of my favorites. I also like that the CS is printed on only one side, since I always mount everything to make the CS thicker and more sturdy. I have also used a bit of paper and embellishments from Anna Griffin, Graphic 45, and K & Co in this Album.

Each page is mounted on a 6x9 envelope, and extra photos or souvenirs can be slipped into the envelopes. Almost everything is also outlined in gold. I started out with a Krylon pen, then that ran out, and I ended up using two Pen Touch pens. Both of those ran out as well. I don't think I will try outlining a whole album in gold again!

I also used a lot of Stickles throughout the album.

This is the front of the album. I die cut another piece from the same sheet with my Spellbinders and mounted it with dimensional tape. The butterflies are from K&Co and Anna Griffin.

The next pages both have places which flip up for more photos. The back of the cover also has a flap which opens to access the inside of the envelope.

The opposite page has a tag and a mini album which opens to reveal two places for journaling or photos.

The next set of pages each has a booklet. The page on the right also flips up.

The small album has a sewn border and has 16 pages. The larger one has three pages.

Here is the next set of pages. The flip up section on the left has three tags for journaling and photos behind it.

The one on the right is gatefold. When you open the doors using the pearl doorknobs, there is space for more photos and journaling. This page has ribbon outlines.

Since the next two pages are rather complicated, I am showing them in two separate sections of photographs.

This page flips up, and then flips out. There is a tag, and also a little sewn gatefold book with eight pages in each side.

When you open the flip up section on the next page, there is another flap to flip up, and a three way flip out section blow it. In the side pockets of that section are two more tags. I forgot to take them out and photograph them separately.

The page on the left contains a pop up album. The photo at the bottom of this image shows the album open.

The one on the right has a flip up, and also a flap to open to access the inside of the back envelope.

I didn't embellish the back of the album because it will mostly be laying down on surfaces, which might catch and tear any embellishments.

Every section of this album except for the smaller items is large enough to hold a 4x6 photo.

My Second Album is Finished

The beautiful Botanica Bella paper by Graphic 45 had one of the designs printed on heavy glossy cardstock for the back of the paper stack. I decided to use the glossy printed one on the back and front of my album.

I sure wish Graphic 45 paper was easier to get in my area, because I love their designs. The most difficult part is deciding which side of the paper to use, since on almost all of my projects one side is always hidden from view.

Anyway, this is the front of the album. It is mounted on a 6x9 envelope. The central motif is mounted on foam tape, and the two corner motifs are mounted a little higher to give plenty of dimension to the cover.

The inside of the front cover has a flip up flap. Photos could be mounted on both sides. under the flap, there is access to the inside of the envelope, which can be used to hold more photos or memorabilia. There is also another flap which flips up, providing more space for journaling or photos. The tag slides into the butterfly strip to hold everything in place.

The next page has a tag for journaling or photos holding down a square flippling section.

This photo shows how the section flips out into a twelve inch square. This section can be used for photos and journaling.

The next page has two booklets to hold photos and journaling. I forgot to take pictures of the inside of the one with the fish.

I love the paper on this page, so I wanted to cover as little of it as possible. I made two little booklets for journaling or pasting little photos or memorabilia. One booklet flips open like the earlier page, and the other is accordion folded. On the sides with the busy patterns, I glued tags from the paper stack for added interest.

This page has a flip up section for photos, and behind it are three tags for journaling or photos. There is also a motif with ribbon woven through it on one side.

This page has a little four page booklet for photos or journaling under the raised pocket and raised tag. The whole page also flips out revealing two more places for photos inside.

Inside the pocket on this page is an accordion fold section for more photos and journaling.

This section has gatefold doors to reveal another spot for photos. It is decorated with diamonds of paper from the stack, and has half pearl doorknobs.

The pocket on this page contains two tags for journaling and photos.

Inside the back cover is another spot for a photo. It is also done on a 6x9 envelope. The flap opens up to give access to the inside of the envelope, providing more space for storing extra goodies in.

The back of the album is not dimensional. I glued the motif on flat because it will probably be lying down on a surface most of the time, and I figured it would be more durable this way.

The whole album is bound in my Cinch, and I used old photo distress stain around the edges. There are a few other brands of paper used, but the majority is Graphic 45. Most of the places for photos are sized for 4x6.

This item is for sale in my Etsy shop.

Working on another album

This is an example of some of the pages. I have mostly used Graphic 45 Botanica Bella paper. I love the Graphic 45 paper, but no one carries it in my area. I got this when I was in Rochester, NY, but they only had this G 45 paper, and only one pad of it. Since I can't get any more easily, I am having to use other papers when I run short of a particular design.

The Finished Album

This is the finished album. Half of the front flips open. I have placed a light colored panel on the right hand flip open side so it can be labeled if the user desires. The pearl represents a door knob.

This is the front flipped open. There is a panel for a 4x6 photo with a label below, and a journaling panel on the flip up side.

Inside the front cover is a place for a photo, and one for journaling. Ooops, I flipped the photo instead of rotating it, the binding holes should be on the right hand side.

This is the back cover. I flipped it instead of rotating this one too. The binding holes are really on the opposite side.

Inside the back cover is a raised panel which holds two removable panels.

This is the front of the panels. Each has a place for a photo, and one for labeling.

The backs of the panels are for journaling.

Making this journal was a lot of work, but it was a lot of fun! If you would like to make your own, be sure to visit Susie McGuire at the Creative Cafe for her wonderful tutorial.

Also, be sure to see part one and part two of this album, which I posted over the past few days to see all the pages.

This item is for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Day Two of my Latest Album

I decided to make another set of half pages to tie in with the pages I made yesterday. The photos above are the front and backs.

This looks like another set of half pages, but it has a surprise.

The top one is a seven page album that flips up, and the bottom one is a seven page album that opens horizontally.

The backside has two places for more photos.

This page has a raised pocket holding another surprise.

A little standup album I made the same way as my circle album, only this one is square. When you fold the two covers together in an open position, it forms a square with places for eight photos.

This looks like an ordinary page with places for two photos.

Each one opens to hold more photos.

Hopefully, tomorrow I will have time to do the front and back covers and bind it all together!

Working on an Album, and a wonderful Blog

Today I found a wonderful blog, Creative Cafe, with tutorials for really fun albums. You can see the blog here. I had always wanted to make one of those complicated albums, but it's easier when you follow a tutorial for the first time. Since my internet is too slow for utube, and I don't have sound on my computer, I had never tried them.

Susie McGuire made such beautiful albums, that I sat through all those little dots that keep circling, and did my best to try to follow her instructions. I didn't have any of the envelopes she used, so I improvised, and also improvised on sizes, since I have no idea what size everything was. You need sound for a lot of the info! If I can get this far without sound, and seeing mostly dots circling around rather than video, I'm sure those of you who have real internet and sound should have no problems following the tutorials.

I've still got a lot of pages to do, and hope to do more tomorrow, but this is what I have so far.

This is the first page I did when everything is put together. There are two long panels for photos and journaling which are held in place by the tab. Under that, are two smaller panels for photos in pockets mounted on the page.

This photo shows the page without the panels inserted. The two longer panels have a place for a photo and a smaller place below to write on. The smaller panels are just made to mount a photo on.

This photo shows the backs of the panels. I have used a lined DP on the backs of the longer ones for journaling or notes about the photos on this page of the album.

This photo shows the next page. It has a band holding an envelope which contains another panel for journaling and photos. I didn't notice until now that I inserted the envelope upside down when I took the photograph. I made the envelope myself with no instructions, and was happy with the way it turned out. Sometimes I surprise myself!

This is the page with the envelope removed. The page is right side up this time.

This panel goes inside the envelope. It contains a place for a photo, and one for labeling.

The back side of the same panel has lines for easier journaling.

This is actually a split page, I should have seperated them in the photo to make it easier to see. The two sections are to mount photos on. Ooops, this photo is also upside down. The binding holes should be on the left.

The backs of the two sections also have lines for journaling.
These will actually be behind the sections I hope to make tomorrow. Tomorrow's pages will be quite complicated, with flip up little books on the sections.

I have used various brands of paper for my journal, I just chose a bunch of what I had in shades of brown. They were very easy to punch in my Cinch.