S J Crafts August Challenge - a Teal Album

You know when you get an idea in your head and it is such a great idea that you just HAVE to do it?  But then you realise the logistics of completing the task in time alongside other last minute projects, and of course normal daily life, are not actually that favourable... but you decide to do it anyway?  Yep, that happened here!  I wanted to make something special for Louis's teacher because she really "got him" and he has really blossomed in her care.  I wanted to say a bigger thank you to her than my normal end of year projects so I decided to make her an album that she could use for her honeymoon photos and ephemera, or even her favourite moments from her wedding, which I knew to have a teal colour scheme.  Sarah's S J Crafts challenge for August was to make something holiday / travel related and to use something old and something new.  So with a week to go before the end of term I set about it..... ahem.....

I used an Ikea album with a snowflake on the front but I don't think its obviously a Christmas album.  I added some bling and ribbon and a butterfly because I used butterflies through the album too.  The chipboard butterfly shape that I used here is about 4 years old... gulp!

I secured some ribbon inside the covers concealed by patterned paper in order to hold the book closed.

Management pointed out that she might not know what to do with the book so I added this little note into a pocket for the inside front cover.  Basically it says "This book is for YOUR story" and explains that she should cover up / tear out anything she wants to so that they can display and record their memories in any way they would like to remember their special time.  Apparently this made the teacher cry because she was so touched!

I wanted something really special for the first page so I used the last scrap of my precious rose ribbon which was a perfect match for her teal colour scheme.

I used papers from the last 5 years and from various manufacturers and collections - it felt good to make a dent in my stash!  Very old alongside very new here!

I tried to echo the papers across each double page and used similar styles throughout the album for continuity as well as using similar gems and shapes and the butterfly motif.

I also added some Project Life cards for a bit of variety and to give her somewhere to add her journalling. These are the newest things that I used because I treated myself to the Jade kit a few weeks ago.   Please excuse the blob on the camera lens - it is not something on the book!!

I also created a few pages without patterned paper, just by stamping all over the page to give her lots of room to add her own touches and photos etc.

These stamps are all from Hero Arts - Stamp Your Story and are a perfect choice for layering and repeating.  I made sure to spread these pages throughout the album for variety.

Here is another "something new" from the S J Crafts Challenge - a new stencil!  The spotty one is new (a couple of days!) and the floral one is old (about 3 years and never been out of the packet...)

The pages in this album are approx 9x9 which is an awkward size when you are trying to do double pages with one piece of 12x12!  This page design using thirds worked really well to get the most out of the papers.

I also spread some bunting throughout the album.  I think it's a really pretty addition especially when it's popped up with foam tape for dimension.

I love this printed leaf effect stamp from the Hero Arts set.

I made a couple of pages with pockets for more journalling / additional photos / leaflets and memorabilia etc.  You can also see the border punch that I used throughout the album for continuity.

For this page I used Distress Ink (Broken China) dabbed through a doily and then used the doily on the facing page.  The book is pre-bound so you don't get a second chance to get things right but it is probably my least favourite layout.

Here is an example of the "thirds" page design flipped on its side.  I think this teal paper from LilyBee's Memorandum is my favourite pattern in the entire album.

This is the centre of the album using up lots of scraps for the banner across the top.  The envelopes can be used for holding whatever, but they also create another pocket behind them too.

When I've done photo-less albums before, I've put in blank photo mounts for people to add their standard sized photos in specific places.  These days though with the ability to take photos on phones, create collages and crop and play around more, there needs to be more flexibility with photo sizes.

With that in mind, I deliberately kept this album free of specific photo spots so that they can add in whatever they want, wherever they want - it is their album for their story after all.

More banners and butterflies and doilies.

More pockets using some PL cards, that border punch, some grey spotted washi tape to reinforce the edges.  Those spiral paper clips were a random purchase from a supermarket!  It's worth keeping your eyes open in all sorts of places for fab touches these days.

Another sponged page and another envelope for bits and bobs.

More bunting - perfect for any sort of celebration I think!

I inked all the edges with the Broken China Distress Ink and I love the way it brings all the pieces together.

It also helps to link the stamped pages to the ones that used patterned papers by adding another element of continuity.

I love these little fold over cards from Project Life - not something I would use on one of my normal pages probably but they are ideal here.

I would love to see this book when it is finished and full of special moments.  I really hope they enjoy looking back on it in years to come and also enjoy the process of creating a memory book of their own special story.

Finally the back pages with a spot for summing up and another little envelope full of labels and cards for them to add in her own time when and where she / they like.

So now its over to you to make something holiday or travel related for the challenge at S J Crafts!  Because it is the summer holidays you have until September 6th to enter your project.

I'm just back from holidays myself and looking forward to getting some of our wonderful memories scrapped.  I shall be around to lots of blogs to say hi again really soon.

Bye for now
xx

WOYWW 253

Rushing in briefly to join in with WOYWW.  As you may have read last week we were putting our house on the market that day.  It sold in the first viewing!  We've since been rushing around to find a house for us and I can tell you that there is a real shortage!  People are fighting over viewing appointments - its a crazy time.  Add to that the school holidays, Miss Bella's 5th birthday and associated party, a trip to Wales, a craft retreat in the Cotswolds and now a poorly husband and you can see why my desk is not in use again this week.  I even rushed to take the picture and didn't check it hence the dodgy angle.

Because I haven't had much chance to prepare for the retreat and I can't spread loads of stuff out because our buyers are coming several times in the next couple of days, I am just grabbing large collections and a big bundle of photos and hoping for the best!  I can't train with the children off school either but I did reward myself with my previous hard work by purchasing the Project Life Jade kit to use with some of the camping photos from last year.  It doesn't go exactly with the Echo Park Happy Camper collection you can see just above it but it goes well enough that I think I can make it work.  Check back next week to see if it worked!  I've also got loads of DT stuff outstanding too but luckily the team is a bit bigger now so our projects can be spread out a bit and Sarah is wonderful at appreciating that life sometimes doesn't allow for crafting, no matter how much we would like it too!

Right, another play date beckons but at least the weather is dry enough for them to get out in the garden (at the moment!!)

This post is brought to you by the wonders of What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.

Bye for now
xx

WOYWW 234

Ahem... 

In my defence it is that time of year when random things get dumped in my craft room because anything that doesn't belong to someone gets left there on the assumption that it is therefore mine.

To be fair, most of it is.  Some of it is only mine for a small time.  The things that are definitely mine are... the feet that you can see at the bottom of the picture.  There was so much on my desk that I had to stand on my chair but it meant going around the other side of the desk so to me it all looks upside down.

On the plus side a messy desk is a lot more interesting, even for the person's desk that it is because looking at the photo means that you realise where you left things...

So.. the pizza box is my delivery from Shimelle getting ready for Journal Your Christmas which starts on Sunday - yikes!  Working clockwise you can see a couple of funny shaped boxes that are actually selection boxes for the children.  Next to that is yet more sweets in the form of candy canes but I'll come back to those.  The thing that looks like a cocktail is actually a Hello Kitty electric toothbrush - another present, as are the pouches of Lego Friends.  The grey parcel is a Skylanders towel - yet another present, as is the crochet book further on round (but not for the same person...).  The very old Enid Blyton book Cristina's Kite is something that needed sticking (which I have just done) and the reel of sellotape has been returned after use by one of the children but not to it's proper place... gggrrr..

The white pizza box is a present for me!  Its a set of 60 Porject Life page protectors in 6 various styles so that should keep me going for a while.  I will be using some for my Journal Your Christmas and some for a little something after Christmas too.

The rest of the stuff, including the candy canes, is for some Christmas presents I have been making.  Last week I made soap for the first time and I loved it!  You can't see from this angle (I'm doing another post on it) but it has pink and white stripes and then the top layer has crushed candy canes in it with a little cane on top.  You can see left over blank soaps for the next batch, colouring agents and peppermint oil.  My room smells rather lovely and minty as a result!

Is your desk as messy as mine or full of random things?  Show us do, because sharing is caring!  Link up with the lovely Julia at Stamping Ground and share What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.

Bye for now
xx