My Mind's Eye "Family" Mini Album

Hey there!

Today's post is all about a very special mini album packed full of family photos. This summer, my sister and brother-in-law celebrated their 25th Anniversary, which is such an amazing accomplishment!  I am so happy to have this special keepsake to remember the fun day we had together as a family.

This album is larger than my usual... it's 7 x 8 and it perfectly fits all of my 4x6 photos inside.

Here is the video for all the details to this mini, I hope you enjoy it!



Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Standing Photo Display

Hello again!

First of all, I apologize for not posting in awhile, but I do have a really fun project to share with you all today!

I've had this idea for a Standing Photo Display in my sketchbook for some time now (I usually keep a sketchbook nearby so that when ideas pop in my head - I can quickly write them down, or sketch them out before I forget), and I am so happy I finally made the project. 

I wanted a decorative piece that will look lovely sitting around the home, and yet it is still functional with lots of photos inside.

The idea here is to stagger the pages in size so that you can embellish to your hearts content.  As you flip through the book, you will find the photo mats hidden under each page, as you can see here:

Each page is of chipboard, and then covered front and back with Designer Paper of your choice.  Mine was the "Butterfly Garden" paper collection by Pink Paislee.

Dimensions:

1st Page: 4 x 5
2nd Page: 5 1/2 x 5
3rd Page: 7 x 5
4th Page: 8 1/2 x 5
5th Page: 10 x 5

Back Cover: 9 1/2 x 5

I am not including dimensions for the photo mats just because you may want to adjust those to fit your particular photos. I just made sure mine were placed directly behind the page on top of it so that they were hidden from view.

Now to keep your display from slipping and sliding around on you, I have the solution for that in the video - just click here.

Here are a few more detail photos:

Hope you guys have a great week and weekend, and I will see you all very soon!

New 12 x 12 Layouts & Scrapbook Retreat

Hello my scrappy friends!
In a previous post, I mentioned that I was going to a Scrapbooking Retreat with my sister, friends and extended family! It was so much fun! There was alot of talking, alot of laughing, and a little bit of scrappin' :-) lol!   But, I was able to finish 2 - 12x12 layouts as well as the start of a family mini album. 

Here's my first layout:

I focused on this beautiful picture of my niece.  I used the Prima Moulin Rouge paper collection along with lots of Prima flowers.  The key to this layout was the layering, I think.  I am a big fan of paper layering - it really adds so much dimension and depth to your layout!

The chipboard pieces you see are also from the Collection, and the lace is Webster's Pages.

The next layout is a bit more Contemporary in it's style:

I used this black and cream striped paper from my stash, and to add a little pop of color - I used more of the Moulin Rouge paper in this layout as well.  I also used a Bingo Board from a Tattered Angels set for behind the upper left photo - and the flowers and spray are from Prima.

Click here to watch the video for a more detailed look at these projects!

I will post pics and video of the completed mini album very soon!

"Girlfriend" Card

Hello again!

I am super excited today because tomorrow I am going to a Scrapbooking Retreat for the weekend! I'm super excited because this is my time to "get-away" and have some special time with my sister, plus we have alot of friends and extended family that will be there as well! I didn't think I was going to make it this year, but my husband surprised me a couple days ago and he arranged for me to go... Isn't he just the cutest??

So today before I go, I just wanted to share a little cardmaking project with you.  I have been hoarding this K&Company "Jubilee" paper collection for some time now, and I really wanted to start using it. So this pretty card was the result!

The base is 5x10 Recollections cream colored cardstock that I folded in half to make a 5x5 square.  The inside squares measure: 4 3/4 x 4 3/4, 4 1/4 x 4 1/4 and the smallest square is 3 1/4, 3 1/4.  Each of the squares has a black cardstock matting that measures 1/8 inch larger to give you a 1/16 border, this really makes your patterned paper pop!

The flowers are Recollections and Iamroses, and the trim is from Joann's. 

Thank you so much for stopping by today and I will have some fun projects to share next week after my Retreat!

Scrapbooking Tutorial: "Brag Book"

Good Morning,

I hope you are all having a great week! :-)

So if you haven't noticed a trend yet in my posts and tutorials.... I am a mini-album-aholic!  When I think of scrapbooking - that's where my mind first goes - to the mini!  I love doing layouts, altered art, etc. But my passion is really for these fun little books.... I could do a whole blog post just on how I ♥ mini albums!

But today I will just share my newest little project - a Mini Album "Brag Book" for all you parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles.... anyone who wants to show off pics of the little cuties in your life!

This little mini is a chipboard wrapped cover, that measures, when closed, about 4 1/2 x 5 1/2.  The paper I used for the entire album is from the K & Company "Watercolor Bouquet" collection.... gorgeous, shabby chic papers!

I used some beautiful Prima lace and flowers on my cover, as well as some bling, and a Tattered Angels chip frame, that I left open at the top to add a photo.

On the inside of this little mini... you will find 2 accordian style fold out pages, with pockets and space for 10 tags with photos (you could even do 20 photos if you use the back of the tags) that are matted to perfectly fit your wallet (2 1/2 x 3 1/2) size photos. So this little book provides tons of room for pics... which is what scrapbooking is all about, right?

The reason I made the tags in pockets, instead of gluing them down to the pages, is I wanted the versatility of switching around your pictures, so you can change out what picture you have on the front pages and mix it up a little!

I do have a full explanation of how to make this album, including instructions for the wrapped cover on my youtube channel.  So if you'd like to see the video tutorial - just click here!

Thanks for stopping by!

Birdcage Mini Album - Scrapbooking Album

"Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings." -- Victor Hugo

The subject of today's post and project is this bird and birdcage that I painted and embellished quite some time ago, yet never had a project to add it to... well I came across this sweet little thing last night while playing in my scrap-room and decided that it was time to showcase this cute little bird!

So in the spirit of summer, I made this very bright, colorful mini album with lots of pretty flowers and lace.  I used the Prima, Fairy Flora journaling tags as my pages, and glimmered the backs and added the patterned paper from the collection to make some big photo mats.

The interior pages are very simple, with plenty of room left for pictures and journaling.

If you'd like a page-by-page look at this album, check out the video here. 

Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Acrylic on Canvas - "Cherry Blossoms"

I don't know what got into me this weekend, but I sat down at my scrapbooking desk and said, "I feel like painting!" Now please know that I am not a "painter"... in fact, I feel as though I can barely scribble a smiley face, yet I somehow felt compelled to paint... on canvas... with real paint... and no "numbers" to tell me where to put which color...

So that being said, here is what I came up with:

There you have it, a "cute" little painting inspired by one of the most beautiful trees - the Cherry Blossom!

Now that I painstakingly shared this with you - I will go back to my scrapbook desk and do what I am good at!  But I still secretly wish that I was a "painter" and I will keep trying... secretly.

Simple "Thank You" Note Cards

Good Morning,
I don't have any major scrapbooking projects to share with you this week... yet... but I just wanted to say hello, and tell you about my scrappy-skype-date with my sister that I had last night! 

We live about 4 hours away from each other - so we love to jump on Skype and have a gab and scrappin' session every once in awhile.  So my sweet husband cleaned up the dinner dishes for me so that I could spend the evening with my sis!

There was alot of talking.... and a little bit of scrappin'.... I worked on a few thank you cards that I needed to send out this week, and she worked on her junk journal.  It was so much fun, and cured my homesickness for my wonderful big sister... for the moment at least.

  
I used some K&Company paper lines for these cards, mainly the "Watercolor Bouquet".  Aren't these papers just so sweet and pretty? I just love them! I didn't do a lot of embellishing besides the lace because I just needed some simple cards that I could easily send in the mail.

Thanks for stopping by!

Blog Makeover!

Hey guys!

I think you will quickly see that my blog looks a little different... it had an "extreme makeover" this afternoon... I had so much fun re-designing it - I hope you all like it!

Vintage Junk Journal

Good Morning and TGIF everyone!

Today's project is a "Junk Journal".  I know everyone is crazy about the new K & Company "Smash" books, but I have to tell ya, it is so much more fun to make your own!

I didn't have much of a "plan" when I first started, just began pulling paper that I love from my stash... but in the process, this journal turned into this vintage, almost antique looking book that I really love!

I used Chipboard for my covers, and the book measures 6" x 9".  The flower on the front is a Prima and the leaves as well.  I used a Melissa Frances keyhole and some lace from my stash.

The paper collection is mainly the Prima "Moulin Rouge" collection, but there is some K&Company "Life's Stories" papers, antique book pages, lined notebook paper and kraft journaling paper and lots of pockets, tags and photo mats.

I love how I didn't have to touch the antique book page with my distress inks - they are "naturally" distressed.

If you would like more detail, check out the video:

I really had so much fun making this journal, and now I can't wait to start a new one!

Thank you so much for stopping by! Have a great weekend!!