Envelope Punch Board File Folder Album Weekend Project

 This project was a labor of love, to say the least.  When I found it on the internet. It was made by Cyndi at Cyndi's Blog of Stamping.  I thought it looked like a great project to try.  Be sure to check Cyndi's website for the instructions and photos. 

It appears that the info on this project has been removed by the one who posted it and by the one who designed it. This project was made 5 years ago and I don't remember much about it anymore. I followed along with the instructions on the other blog.  Sorry. Edited on 7-9-2019.

I did read the instructions before I started.  Something I rarely ever do.  LOL  I did get a little confused on the part where you are to add the "hinges".  It turns out you just cut those hinge strips out of some scrap laying around from your project (don't toss out anything until you are all done) and you cut pieces off those "hinges" to add to the flap on 3 sides.  It was the 3 sides that I wasn't clear on right away. Other than that I was able to follow the instructions without any questions.  I tried the links that were listed in the post but they didn't work.  But like I said, I was able to figure things out and get the project done.  I also didn't have the Zutter binder.  I have a Rubi Coil that does the spiral punch.  Either way it got bound and turned out just fine.  Though I do have to say that I like the Rubi Coil punch better because it punched the piece from the top to the bottom, not just in the middle.  The Rubi Coil one is more stable than the Zutter would be.  The instructions on the web site are very detailed and easy to follow (except for my hinge misunderstanding) 

I would have to say that this project took over 4+ hours to complete.  I didn't do it all in one day.  I started it one day last week and I finished it to day.   I was thrilled with how it turned out but I don't think I will ever make another one!  It did state at the end of the instructions that you should be careful when you make your first one because they are addictive.  I was excited to get addicted but I didn't get the addiction part!!!  I don't think I want to spend another 4+ hours of my life making another one, even though they are very fun and amazing looking! One is enough for me! Not to say that I don't love the outcome, I do!  It's fabulous!

I decorated the cover with an image I used to make not only a card a few weeks back but also a notebook last week.  I just love that image and the color too.

For my envelope punch board file folder album I used Perfect Plum for the base color, only because it was one of the few colors that I had in 12" x 12".  And for my pages, folders and flaps I used the "Sweet Taffy" designer series paper.  I did not tape my project together. I used liquid glue.  I used Tacky to be exact.  I find that it gives the project a much firmer feel.  The flaps are nice and firm.  The whole thing has a feel of quality to it because it's not flimsy at all.

I made this for a friend and I will be giving it to her next month.  I did not tie the bow on it. I thought I would let my friend do it after she sees it.  Sometimes it's difficult to retie it after you open it. It seems like you never get the bow right.  

Like I said, this was a fun project but I do not see myself making another one.  You will have fun making one.  Will you get addicted???

Thank you SO much fro visiting today,
Wanda

Watercolor Wonder Folding Photo Album Tutorial

 I found a very fun tutorial for making this great "Folding Photo Album."  You can find the tutorial here at Mariana's You Tube Post.  

My album measures 5-1/8" x 5-1/8" x 3/4"  

For the outside piece I cut a piece of Basic Black card stock 10-3/4" x 5-1/8".   I scored it at 4", 4-3/4" and 10".  Then I cut another piece of Basic Black card stock at 5-1/8" x 3-7/8" and I scored that one at 3/4". There should be enough left over from the first piece to cut the second piece.  

For the inside piece I cut a 8-1/2" x 11" piece of card stock to 10-1/4" x 5-1/8" and I scored that piece at 5-1/8".  I cut a second piece at 5-1/8" x 11".  I scored that one at 5-1/8" and at 10". Glue the two pieces together leaving the folded edge on the "third" page.  Cut one more piece at 5-1/8" x 5-1/8". This will be the fourth page. Glue this piece to the 1-1/2" folded edge. Glue it to the top of that edge so it will be hidden behind the last page.

To assemble my album I used liquid glue, Aleen's, School Glue or even a Glue Stick.  I used Aleen's Tacky glue for mine.  When making albums like this I prefer to use glue because it dries VERY firm so my album actually has some substance to it when I hold it.  It has the feeling of a hard "book board" cardboard.  

I cut some Island Indigo for my layers.  You will have to click on a photo to see that since the base of my album is Basic Black.  I chose a "basic" color because I had lots of it and I though it would be easier to build off of it with my layering.

I also chose the Watercolor Wonder decorative paper to decorate my album.  You can layer and decorate as much as you would like.  Personally I thought this was fun but a lot of time invested in it.  More than I cared to spend on it, which means I probably won't be making another one anytime soon!

I added layered "frames" and on many of them I only glued 3 edges so it became a pocket for adding more photos or for journaling.  I added stamped and punched flowers, tags, tabs and of course pockets.  There were no real diagrams on how to do each page so I was on my own.  I just kept adding different layouts for the pages and was REALLY glad when I had finished it.  I had set it aside to dry but still needed to do the front.  You can get some fun ideas using the pages posted on the link.  

For the front I used the En 'Francais background stamp.  I stamped off twice so I could get a softer image so it can be used as a background for a photo or words.    I also added a stamped and punched flower to the front.  

The album stays closed by some button magnets.  I hid them behind a couple of flowers.  You can see one of the flowers on the second photo, on the right inside the album.  See the little flower?  Behind that is a magnet.  And on the bottom photo, on the left side you can see a yellow flower.  The magnet is hidden behind that.  These are very strong magnets and the still "stick" between all that card stock.  

Be patient, these take a lot of time to make!  I made this for a friend and I'm sure she will find a use for it!  

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

And More Gifts

There was also another person I wanted to make a gift for. Cyndi! She LOVES to see her name on my blog! She's famous now!!! LOL

My niece and nephew went off to college and I bake them cookies (though I have not been too faithful about it lately). Cyndi gave me many tins so I could mail the cookies to them. SO I thought I'd make her something too.

I had gotten my hands on these cute mini album/scrapbooks. Aren't they just adorable???? I added my own personal touch to it in the Boho fashion that Cyndi likes so much and presented it to her on Sunday.

These are very fun to do. You just take them apart and wrap the front and back with your favorite decorative papers and put the album back together. Then decorate away!!!

Thanks SO much for stopping by,
Wanda

Mini Memories!!!

This is a mini photo album I decorated. It was already made. The left side had wood pieces but I took them off because I couldn't get them back on after laying with decorative papers. I added a folded strip of brown card stock in place of the wood pieces. The wood was blond and it wouldn't have looked well with it anyway. I could paint it but I didn't feel like digging out the paints. Plus it still wouldn't fit!!! Extender posts would be the trick here. SO this is how it's going to look.

I think it's a great album for a guy. Not much guy stuff out there. The top green paper is the back side of the strip paper. I used 3 stamps from the Stampin' Up! "Wanted" set and Sahara Sand ink pad to decorate it. The top just needed something to tie in the center circle "thing". Such wonderful stamping terminology!!! LOL Things and thingy's are very common items used when stamping, don't you think??? LOL It all started with that "Stamp-a-ma-jig!!!" LOL

I used the Mega scallop punch on the Chocolate Chip circle and I used the Stampin' Up! new scallop punch for the center circle. I did stamp the image first and then lined it up. I used the "Expressive Flexible Phrases" Stampin' Up! word set for the little "memories" word. I ran the ribbon around the whole thing before I put the screws back in. The ribbon is glued in place on the seam line just in the front. The back is the same paper as on the top part of the album. It was a very quick project to do. These would be great for a stamp camp. I believe you can buy the posts at your local craft store. It would be easy enough to cut some card stock and a couple of pieces of chipboard and make your own. This one measures 5" x 4". You would need to cut the inside papers 6" x 4". You will be scoring and folding over the left side (the one where you will punch two holes). This score and fold is done at 1" in. The purpose of this is to allow room for the thickness of photos. You don't want your book to be fanning out on the right side. Should this happen, just cut some strips of card stock or even chipboard and add it to the left side. This will raise up that end and help to balance out things. You don't need to add more pages to balance this out, just add 1" strips every few pages. You'll see as you add them how many you need and how far to space them.

Thank you for stopping by!
Wanda

Mini Photo Album

I was doing some moving of stuff around today and ran across some of these fabulous little mini photo albums so I thought I'd play with one when I finished my task. Well, the album kept calling to me and I did not finish the task. I still have a few things to put back in the storage closet but I'm not sure they will fit in it. I found lots of stuff to play with but this is what I chose to leave out.

I think I got the albums a while ago from Oriental Trading Company.

Don't use your tape runner across the cover, use it on your paper or card stock. My tape runner took some of the cover with it as I was rolling it. I think these covers are paper mache. They are pretty firm like chipboard but they are brown like the paper mache stuff. Anyway, don't use your tape runner directly on it.

I put the Whisper White and Soft Sky card stock in the snowflake Cuddlebug folder. I liked the texture on it. For those of you demonstrators who don't want to use the Cuddlebug folder for your album, you can get a nice effect by using the Snowflake Jumbo Wheel. For the Soft Sky side use White Craft Ink and for the Whisper White side use the Soft Sky ink.

I used the Giga scallop punch and a large circle punch. I did cut out the snowman and used dimensionals to attach it to the white. I colored the tree with the new Wild Wasabi color and then in the darker areas I added Garden Green. It seemed to be the color that looked best with the Wasabi.

I masked the tree off and stamped the snowflakes in the background. I used Soft Sky for them. The snowman was colored in using the new in colors and a blender pen. I put the album together and then taped the scalloped piece on so I could make sure it was centered to the eye!

This was a fun little project to do and it sure beat arranging that storage closet!!! LOL

Thank you for stopping by,
Wanda