Mini Album Makers ~ First on the First

Hello Creative Friends,

Back in January I was overjoyed to receive an email asking if 

I would like to join the *Mini Album Maker's Design Team* 

What an honour to be considered let alone be part of this 

amazingly talented Design Team, i'm really looking forward to 

sharing this stage of my creative journey with you all.

March Mini Album Makers Challenge

Well today I get to share my first creation on the First of the month 

as it's the start of a new challenge over at Mini Album Maker's. 

Here's a pocket album I created and how it all came to be...

There are so many fabulous tutorials on album making and dies that do the 

maths and measurement for us all. To start my Mini Album DT journey 

I gave myself a task to see what I could create using a sheet of A4 card.

I started by creating a template for a folded 5" x 3.5" album, 

"you can see all the measurements below..."

Cut out, scored and folded you can see the cover when folded 

and those left overs waiting to be used to create features and 

elements within the album.

Scoring and folding 1/4" apart down the length of one 

of those left overs the concertinaed card creates strength 

to the spine and support for the book leaves.

The pages of this album are created by sewing two pieces 

of card together leaving one edge unsewn so they slot 

easily on top to conceal those supports. 

I chose to have three pages in this album 

leaving space behind for up to three signatures.

Heavy calico helps create a sturdy cover with punched eyelets creating the 

anchor for elastic which holds up to three signatures within this album.

I couldn't resist decorating the cover using Tim Holtz Wildflower Stems #1 

Painting the wildflower's using Wendy Vecchi's enamel accents those 

raised areas are exaggerated by sprinkling on clear embossing powder 

activating with a heat tool. 

Pops of distress stickles create a little drama bringing us closer 

to Spring by complementing what will lie within this album.. 

Time to play, create and lose myself in the wonders of Graphic 45 

using Journaling and ephemera cards along with tags and pockets 

from their Floral Shoppe collection to decorate the album inside.

Ephemera cards sewn onto calico are glued onto the inside 

cover using book binding glue, continuing the natural theme.

Here's a flip through the pages...

Sewn corner pockets, flaps that conceal even more pockets and signatures 

used to hold important dates to remember... especially Birthdays!

... this little album really is bursting to the brim with Graphic 45.

Held closed with elastic, a Bee Brooch rests upon a handmade tag 

pillow completing my first Mini Album Makers Design Team project.

We'd love you to share your created albums with us over HERE 

as it's March and a new monthly challenge awaits with a fabulous 

prize on offer from our generous sponsors Graphic 45.

Do pop on over and check out all the loveliness from the Design Team.

Wishing you all a wonderful week and 

Thank YOU so much for stopping by.

Creative Hugs

Tracey xx

I'd like to share today's creativity with:

Crafty Cardmakers ~ Flowers

Kristin & Eva ~ PPF

Try it on tuesday ~ Powder your..

Pixie's Snippets Playground ~ Challenge #346

Lacquer look Book Box..

I do so love this stamp by Paperbabe, I had used it in a project earlier in the year 

but whilst having a clean up & recycle this week I came across this image I had already coloured hiding in a Graphic 45 Book Box. This is what I created using it.. 

Lacquer look Book Box..

I distressed around the image using Tea Dye Distress ink then cut the image to size. Creating faux stitching around the edge I then triple embossing the whole image. 

When dry I created cracks in the embossed image by bending it gently and stained 

them with gathered twigs distress ink to add age.

The image was edged with Stampendous Gold embossing powder and glued onto a 5x7 canvas board that had been painted with gold paint, edged and scribbled over with a wax tealight to create a resist  and black gesso painted on top. When dry areas were sanded back to expose some of the gold underneath.

A layer or two of Mod Podge helps create the Lacquered look.

A panel was created for the spine of the box using a distressed paper off cut.

I stamped the Flower from Paperbabe oriental Zen stamp set as it is the same stamp that is in Mae Lee Dees hair. and used the same colours to replicate the design. The triple embossing & cracking technique was repeated along with the gold embossed edges and distressing of the cracks to marry up both front and side designs.

Ribbon coloured to coordinate with the flower was tied around the box 

to act as a closure and the canvas glued onto the box front securing the ribbon.

Modelling paste has been scraped around the edge of the box using a comb to resemble book pages and left to harden. When dry I covered with a layer of black gesso and highlighted all the raised edges with gilding wax.

A final layer of Mod Podge and brass brads complete the finished design..

I'm using my book box to store inchies i'm creating for a 365 days of inchies challenge and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that It will hold all 365 of them by the end of the year..

Thank you for stopping by, wishing you all a super weekend.

Hugs Tracey xx

Creative Recipe:

Graphic 45 Book Box
5x7 Canvas Board

Paperbabe MayLeeDee Clear Stamp
Paperbabe Oriental Zen Clear Stamps
Stamps Away Embossing Powder
Pebeo Gilding Wax *King Gold*
Spectrum Noir Illustrator Pens

Pebeo Black Gesso
Pebeo Gold Paint
Modelling Paste
Mod Podge