Mini Accordion Journaling Booklet Tutorial

One of the main reasons that I began to scrapbook was to have a way to capture memories throughout my life.  I wanted a creative way to document life events & milestones in my life that I want to remember & to pass down to future generations.  Because of this, I absolutely love to include journaling into my work.  What I realized is that the more I crafted the more story telling I had!  So I've come up with a couple of different ways to store my journaling onto my page & at the same time still keep it private.  Here's one such example...

A mini accordion booklet provides you with a large amount of space to write down or print your thoughts or story & it takes up a small amount of space!  What I like the most about these little booklets is that they add a unique embellishment to your projects.

This tutorial shows how I go about creating these versions of accordion mini booklets.

Let's get started...

A "Thrilling" Halloween Pocket Mini Album

Hello once again fellow crafters!  Today I'm sharing a mini album that I made for Authentique.  I've used papers from their Thrilling collection to create this Halloween themed album.  I spent two very long evenings/nights working on this mini.  When I mean long--I mean long...one night I started at around 6:00 am and didn't go to bed till about 2:00 am.  Needless to say several cups of coffee were drunk during this lengthy craft session.

I wanted to give this mini that extra special touch since it's going to be used to store photos of my son's first Halloween.  I plan on dressing him up as a little lion!  :-)  I can't wait for that photo session to begin!

All papers & sticker elements/embellishments used are from Authentique's Thriller collection.  The chipboard binder is by Basically Bare & the paints used are by Art Anthology.

I've used two stencils on this page & both are by the Crafter's Workshop.  One is the 12x12 Halftone Borders & the other is the 12x12 Mod Spirals.  In this closeup you see both in action.  I gave the border the dotted effect with the Halftone Circles & the bold circles in the background were made with the Mod Spirals.  I've used Marmalade & Black Soot Distress inks for the dots & Shabby Shutters distress ink for the circles.

Orange twine was randomly placed behind all of my elements.  To highlight some of the stenciled dots & a few dots from the background paper itself I've used Clear Dust Stickles.

These flowers are by Petaloo (except for the yellow mulberry one).  The bright orange one was actually an off-white flower--I ended up spritzing it with a bit of Juicy Colorations spray by Art Anthology to give it that bright orange color I needed.

What I love the most about chipboard binders is that you can punch holes through it!  With my crop-a-dile I punched four holes along the top edge of the binder's seam.  I then strung several ribbon & tulle through it.  This is a really simple way to dress up any chipboard album.

Creating the effect on the album's seam was a lot of fun!  I basically got down n' dirty with two dimensional paints by Art Anthology (Black Leather Jacket & Frost).

First I brushed on the black paint in a pouncing motion & heat set it just a bit with my heat gun.  I didn't dry it all the way.  While the black paint was still fairly wet I pounced on the Frost paint.  This pouncing motion with the brushes ended up giving me an almost granite effect.  The paints have a touch of glitter to them so in person the seam has a shimmery look to it which really adds a nice touch.

If you follow my work you'll notice that I'm a big fan of dimensional embellishments.  I know I'll be adding embellishments with some dimension to them to my album so I needed a way to keep this binder closed.  With this in mind I hot glued black ribbon to the chipboard cover & then applied my papers on top to further secure it.

Now for the pages of the album.  This album consists of three different types of pages.  They're full of pockets...whether big or small--the point is that they have pockets!  lol  I'm very much a fan of journaling/story telling.  I like to document special moments/events in life so I'm always needing space to store my journaling.  With this album I wanted pockets as my storage.

The first type of page is a combination of a pocket & flip pages to store several photos.  Here's the top which consists of one large pocket & can also be used to mat a photo.  I've pulled out my tag just a bit so you can see it.  By the way, the journaling tag is an element that I've cut out from the Forewarn paper of the Thrilling collection.  Authentique's papers always seem to have elements on them that can be easily cut out & transformed into a tag.

Turn the page & behind the pocket there's a cover that flips up revealing another place for a photo & yes, another small pocket.

This same page in turn flips out revealing yet another mat for a photo.  So to summarize this one page holds at a minimum four photos, one large journaling tag & any additional tags or elements you may want to store in the inner smaller pocket.

Here's my second type of page.  This one only has one flip page & one small pocket.  The border seen on the right hand side is a small pocket.

The top smaller square on the left flips over revealing a secondary place for a photo--plus you have the base of the page for more photos & embellies.

My third page has no flip pages or pockets!  GASP!!  How did that happen?  Instead I decided to go simple with this one & just make it out of corrugated cardboard.  I gave it a bit of texture & color by mixing the black & frost paint again & then spritzing it with a bit of Juicy Colorations spray by Art Anthology.

Here's a closeup of the effects the paint & spritz gave the cardboard.  It's hard to capture with a camera.  In person there's a shimmery effect that I really liked!

The best part about ring binders--is that they're expandable!  As you can see, I've barely begun--there aren't even any pictures in it & it's already fairly bulky because of the two mulberry flowers I've added to my large journaling tags.  When complete--I'll be lucky if I can tie this mini closed in some way!  :-)

I hope to find the time to create brief tutorials on how I created the two types of flip/pocket pages soon.

Thanks for stopping by & enjoy the rest of the week!

Mini Accordion Journaling Booklet

Hello fellow scrappers! Today I have a mini accordion journaling booklet which is my DT project for the October challenge going on over at Berry71Bleu. 

I'm a huge fan of journaling.  I can't say I've made a page within the past 3 years or so that didn't have some form of journaling/story telling on it.  Because of this, I'm always looking for different ways to store my story on my projects.  One of my preferred ways (especially when I have a lengthy story to tell) is by creating a mini accordion style journaling booklet.  This booklet can store lengthy thoughts & also adds a unique embellishment to your project.

This month's theme is 'Autumn is in the Air' hosted by Marivic.  Those that follow my posts know by now that Autumn is my absolute fave season!  Love that crisp morning air, the turning of the leaves & all the pumpkin goodies that come out!  Like the pumpkin spice latte by Starbucks or the pumpkin muffins...how about some apple cider!  Yummy...ok before I really get hungry let's move onto the description of this mini...

This lil' guy measures 3 1/2" inches high by 2 1/2" inches wide.  It's tiny but is capable of holding many thoughts.  

The covers were created with the use of a 6x6 Gelli Plate by Gelli Arts.  I followed one of their very own video tutorials for creating 'transfer film' with the designs I created with the Gelli Plate.  

To make the design I used two stencils--the 6" Shattered Glass mascil by Clear Scraps & the 6" Art Is stencil by the Crafter's Workshop. I used my brayer to apply the paint.  All paint used except for the green circles were by Speedball Paint which is one of our sponsors over at Berry71Bleu for the month of October.

Next I applied some Copper paint onto a leaf stamp & randomly stamped my image--the final step was to apply the green circles which I did with the end of an empty roll of toilet paper!  :-)  In the Gelli Plates video tutorial you'll see that a paper cup was used.  Well, I didn't have a paper cup on hand...so I improvised!  It worked like a charm...

Oh one thing that I will reiterate--it's mentioned several times in the video tutorial & I can vouch that this is a very necessary step.  You must let each layer of paint you apply FULLY dry prior to applying the next layer.  I learned the hard way that this step cannot be skipped.  I can't say how many times I had to re-start my project because I simply got impatient...

Here's the back cover.  Once I transferred my image onto the packing tape I applied Metallic Perfect Pearls to the back of the tape & finally adhered the tape to some old vintage french paper I have in my stash.

I really liked this technique--it provides a much sharper image of the designs you apply onto the Gelli Plate. 

To make the covers sturdier the 'transfer film' was adhered to pieces of Grungeboard by Tim Holtz.

This booklet extends much further than shown here.  I kept it fairly compact in order to fit it onto my photo.  You can hand write your journaling or print out your story & then adhere it to the booklet.

Here's a side view of the mini booklet.  From the side it looks like a little notepad. 

To see the 'Transfer Film' video tutorial by Gelli Arts go here.

Make sure you visit the Berry71Bleu blog to see the other DT's take on this month's challenge & to play along for the chance to win some prizes!

I've created a brief tutorial on how to create these mini-booklets.  You can find it here.

 Thanks for stopping by & enjoy the rest of the week!

Flip Wallet Mini Album

 Hello fellow crafters! Just checking in to post this flip wallet mini album that I made for Authentique.  I used their Natural collection which is composed of primarily a teal color paired up with earth tone colors.

After browsing Pinterest for a bit I noticed that there are several 'flip' minis or 'wallet' minis that seem to be in style lately--so based on a couple of minis that I saw on Pinterest I decided to give it a try.

The album measures 6 1/2" x 6 1/4".  I had 1" white Velcro circles with sticky backing in my stash.  I used one of these Velcro circles to keep my album closed.

All flowers/vine seen on the cover are by Petaloo.  I left the metal ornate frame empty for now--but this will hold a name for the mini.

Let's take this flip album step by step...as you start to flip open the pages (this album flips open like a book both vertically & diagonally) you start to see all the different layers this little album consists of.

 This is what it looks like when you initially open the album by flipping open the cover.

Next you flip open the two top inner flaps revealing yet another level of yeah, you guessed it--more flip pages!  :-)

 

 Flip open one more layer & we have the base, two more sides and one more flip page with a pocket at the bottom. 

I've used the pocket to hold a couple of cutouts from the Natural collection that I've turned into tags.   

 I've added two additional side pockets that flip out as well to the two side bottom flip pages.

 Here's an example of what the small side tag pockets look like.   I love having little pockets in minis to store my thoughts/story/journaling.  A mini isn't a mini unless there's a story behind it!

 What I loved the most about this particular mini is that it's meant to hold a bit of dimensional embellishments.  As you can see from this side view--it's about a 1/2" thick--this gives you a little bit of wiggle room to add a bit of dimensional flowers or embellies to the photos you add to the mini.  I love adding dimension to my work--so this album works particularly well for me.

There are several examples of all kinds of flip/wallet minis out on the internet--I tend to pull inspiration from different places to come up with a version that best fits my needs.

I hope to create a tutorial on how to create the base for this mini soon.

These minis make for wonderful gifts as well.  In fact, I've made a couple of these for friends as gifts.  They make for great keepsakes & add a personal touch to your gift.


Thanks for stopping by & enjoy the rest of the week!

Enjoy The Journey Layout

Good afternoon! Today I'm sharing my DT page for the latest OUAS October challenge.  The journaling theme for this month is: "The Journey..." this can be interpreted in anyway you see fit.  I interpreted it as our everyday journey through life & how for my son, he's at the beginning of his very long journey.

I used the Wander paper by Basic Grey which has a traveling theme with many arrows, cars, maps & stop & go stickers/elements.  I included all kinds of embellishments related to travel which I linked to the theme of taking a long 'journey through life'.

My son is having one big giggle fest in this photo.  He was crawling around on the rug when he just started laughing at a Jim Carrey movie that was playing on the telly during that time.  I'm still trying to figure out how a 9 month old was finding humor in a Jim Carrey flick--my guess is that he found the faces & sounds Jim Carrey was making simply hysterical!
Here's the sketch provided by Nadia & what I based the design for my page on. 

The edges were all heavily distressed & I layered several papers & elements with pop dots for added dimension.

There are several safety pins in my collection of embellishments in all kinds of colors.  I tend to use them to keep my rips & tears in place as shown here in this closeup.  My tearing was more random this time instead of linear.  That very cute banner is a die by La-La Land Crafts.

I'm in love with this hot air balloon die also by La-La Land Crafts.  It's so adorable & fits so many children themed pages.  Come to think of it...it works for just about any theme since I haven't just used it for pages regarding my son. 

I loved that winding road sticker element that is part of the Wander collection--to me it speaks volumes because that's how I interpret this road we call Life.  I see it as being full with many twists & turns--in the end you never know quite where you're going to end up--all that should matter is that wherever you do end up--let's hope you're happy & with no regrets.

The envelope holds my journaling.  My writing was heartfelt & for my son's eyes only--I'm hoping that when he's old enough--he'll read it & take something from it. 

Let's just say that I've gotten a 35 year head start on my own journey & have several lessons learned that I'd like to pass down to him--he'll most likely encounter the same obstacles on his journey that I have on my own--I hope to be there for him to help him get through his obstacles & to learn from them.  The road is long & full of unexpected obstacles as well as smooth traveling where the coast is clear.  We try to take the road less traveled because we want to make our own trails not walk behind existing ones.  It's a fulfilling & exciting journey where we meet so many other travelers from different walks of life. I'm hoping he makes the most out of it like I have tried my best to do so for myself.

Feel free to visit the OUAS blog & see the other DT's interpretation of this month's challenge--as always do take the time to play along if you can! 

Thanks to all of you for stopping by & enjoy the rest of the week.

(Because I) Adore You Layout

 Good morning!  I'm back with a page I just created for the Berry71Bleu September challenge.  For this month's challenge you have to use the provided sketch plus any kind of  mixed media.

All the papers used were provided by this month's sponsor Maja Design.  We were given their 'Walking In The Forest' collection which consists of Autumn themed papers in shades of blue, brown, yellow & just a hint of green.

This would be my son giving me his winning smile.  It's amazing how much my little guy actually looks like me when I was a baby.  I had the same dark curly hair, the same huge eyes, the same button nose.  The only two differences is that I have a tan & he's fair skinned plus I have a big mouth to go along with my big eyes.  My son ended up with my husband's tiny little mouth.  However, he's all mom in this one particular photo.

 All chipboard used on this page are by Scrapiniec.  I have to say that out of all the chippies I've used--this is the one that has absorbed mists the best.  I ended up giving all my chippies their texture & shimmer simply by applying a variety of mists in different colors.  I used brown, yellow, orange & tan mists.

 Something that has become customary for me is to store my journaling in the form of a scroll.  So once again--here's the story behind this photo stored on a bit of green vellum & rolled into a scroll.  I have to say--I'm in love with this form of journaling & am consistently using it in all my work.

For a tutorial on how to make these scrolls go here.

 Here's a closeup of the other chippies--I did add dabs of orange paint to these.  I wanted them to stand out just a bit more.

The bubble wrap image is a stamp by Donna Salazar. It was stamped with Versamark embossing ink & then it was heat embossed with a bit of Marmalade Distressed Embossing powder by Tim Holtz.

 Several types of mixed media were used to give the background some texture.  Here I combined white, gold & brown chunky embossing powder by Stampendous.  I mixed them up a bit & heat embossed them.  Next I randomly applied some transparent glass beads ontop.  This glass bead mixture can be found in any arts & crafts store.

 With some black StazOn I stamped right on top of my mixed media once dry with a script stamp.  That's the beauty of permanent ink--it sticks onto anything!

My cluster of bright yellow & orange flowers with a touch of bright blue.  I love these little flocked teddy bears that I find at my local AC Moore.  I have a ton of them in all different colors.  They are perfect embellishments for baby/children themed projects.

Thanks for stopping by--don't forget to check out this month's challenge over at Berry71Bleu & play along for the chance to win some prizes from this month's sponsor.

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Precious Memories Layout

Good afternoon fellow scrappers!  It's a crisp fall-like day here in the East Coast today--ahhhhh Autumn is almost here which is my most favorite season!  I can't wait until the leaves start turning colors & am more than ready for a pumpkin spice latte by Starbucks!

 Today I have a page I created for Authentique some time ago & have never posted.  For this layout I used Authentique's Irresistible collection which I felt was perfect for a wedding themed layout.

Of course I have been married almost 6 years now and still have photos I haven't scrapped yet from that memorable day...so finding the right photos for this was fairly easy.

I've also incorporated a small 'Memories' acrylic title by Clear Scraps.

I designed my page based on a sketch from Page Drafts.  Here's the sketch I based it on.

The Irresistible collection is all in black & white--I kept it predominantly with these colors & just decided to add splashes of red here and there.

The organza star flower shown here are items from my own stash.  I have an abundance of these flowers in different colors--so many in fact, that I've put some of them up for sale in my Etsy shop.  Feel free to take a look if interested.  

Adding dots of liquid pearls along any border adds a nice subtle visual touch--here I decided to highlight the border of the circular photo with Bisque Liquid Pearls.

The resin birds & bird bath are by Prima...all of the other elements are part of the Irresistible collection.  I'm a big fan of storing small nick knacks in tiny glass vials.  I've had little red heart confetti for the longest time and I finally found some use for them!

The shimmery red hearts are dollar items I found at my local Michaels store.  I'm guilty of buying miscellaneous items such as these when on clearance.  You never know when the perfect opportunity will arise to use them!

How I love acrylic!  You can do so much with it.  For the 'Memories' acrylic title I first highlighted the edges with a black Sharpie marker.  Next I dry embossed the title--embossing is one of the best ways to add a bit of texture to your acrylic elements.  Finally I went along the edges again but this time with Star Dust Stickles to give it a bit of a shine.

Embroidery floss was added for a different kind of embellishment to the background of my page.  I made this by creating some very, very, VERY long stitches!  lol  If interested on how I created these 'strings' I have a tutorial for it here.  The heart banner is a die by La-La Land Crafts.

Thanks to all of you who stop by for a visit...enjoy the rest of the week!