Vintage Christmas Fat book pages

Our Yahoo! Mini-Books group is doing a fat book swap with the theme of Vintage Christmas. Here are all 8 of my pages that I sent out. I'm getting them in now from the other group members and they are gorgeous! I can't wait to put them all together into a mini album!

The Creative Memories Way

I'm reading a really good book right now, "Creating Keepsake Albums and Building Your Family Legacy ... The Creative Memories Way." I actually started scrapbooking through a Creative Memories party that my sister had at her house. Funny thing is, she didn't really take to the scrapbooking bug like I did. Of course, I've gotten sidetracked into all sorts of fun papercrafts! But this book has really reminded me that I need to be doing my albums! I need to be recording that family history for future generations! I have done 6 pages since starting to read this book. I'm so proud of myself! The link above is for half.com. It's a great place to get used books. I don't know if you'll be able to find this book on there, but it's the first place I always check when I want a book. The prices are fabulous!

Open to Suggestions

Do you remember those gum wrapper chains we used to make as kids? Well, a friend of my daughters has this really cool purse she got in Mexico that is made out of gum wrappers. So I got on the Internet and found some instructions on making a gum wrapper purse. I guess people are making them out of potato chip bags, cookie bags, magazine strips, etc. Well, I have a ton of magazines sitting around for collage and such so I decided to use those. I started making the purse, but as I'm plugging along I thought, oh, I could make an art journal or a mini book. So I made this for the front, and I was going to put some watercolor paper inside and make another like this for the back. My plan had been to bind it with my Bind-It-All machine, but it is too thick! I know they have a new machine out that might be able to get through it, but it's a bit pricey and I don't have one yet. The Big Bite would also probably work ~ but I don't have that either. My hole punch won't go through it. So I am open to suggestions on a binding for this book. In the meantime, back to my purse ... By the way the magazine papers are cut to 4-1/2 x 2 and you sew the rows together with fishing line or I got some Tandy black waxy thread at Ben Franklins. Please help me figure out how to bind this book! I'm looking for ideas!

New Altered Art Style Mini Scrapbook Kit Available

Make a Mermaid Paper Bag Album! Just an update that we have some brand new kits available in our mini scrapbooks products section that is made up of quite a bit of Art Chix Studio collage sheets and faux postage, etc. We have a limited number available at the moment, so it's first come, first served. There will be more available later. These are so fun!

Free Collage Sheets

There are quite a few different sets of free collage sheets available at the above link. Enjoy!

Piano Hinge Mini Album

By special request I have done up instructions on my website for the piano hinge mini scrapbook. (I had been wanting to add it anyway, but getting the request gave me the jump start I needed.) I used regular scrapbook paper that is actually white on the opposite side because I'm thinking of actually using this as a sort of art journal and those white pages will come in quite handy. You could also mat photos on colored cardstock. Or you could use double-sided paper, just make sure it is fairly lightweight as getting those skewers through the notches can be a little tough with a heavier paper.

CD Case Mini Scrapbook

I've been wanting to make a CD Case Mini Album for awhile. I really liked this one because it has the accordion album inside the CD case to allow for lots of photos! Janine Tinklenberg's blog, Stamps, Paper, Scissors, is where I got the idea. She actually calls it a card and has a cute little gift card holder, but since I'm all about the mini scrapbook I changed the front card holder to another matting for another photo.

Finished my little ATC pocket book

I finished my little ATC book the other day and wanted to post the photos of it. I am not sure I can upload all the pictures here, but I'm going to try. A couple of the photos came out a little blurry unfortunately. I need my daughter to help me a little on getting better photos. She's just so busy.

I finished the book off with another one of those Teresa Collins Perfect Closures. I am hooked on those things. I did lose two of my pockets (first one and last one) when I connected the closure, but I just love the way it holds the book together. Without it the book wouldn't even stay closed.

I made it with paper bags, but it is a little smaller than a regular paper bag album. It actually only measures 4-1/4 by 5-1/4". I cut off the serrated edge of the paper bag, and the flat bottom of the bag.

ATC Paper Bag Pocket Book

I bought the supplies to make this ATC paper bag pocket book well over a year and a half ago! Do any of you do that? It isn't my intent when I start out, but time just flies, and then I forget about the project and other projects come up. Well, I am finally making it and it feels so good! I'll post the photos of the whole thing when I am done. I've got the base of the book done, the pull outs still need some cards and the first two-page spread is done.

Paper Dolls Paper Bag Album

This week I was finally able to work on the round robin swap for the mini books Yahoo! group I am in. We are each choosing our own theme and then sending it on to the other members who joined in this swap. I chose paper dolls for my theme. I have included the actual dolls and wardrobe on my website for anybody who might want to create a similar paper bag book for themselves. The link above will take you to my website where you can download the paper dolls.

Perfect Closures

I've had this glue book that I made out of a composition notebook about a year ago. The butterfly on the front was cut from a Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine. This book is just for me with no value other than a place to just goof around. This thing is fat and bulky and of course never closes all the way. The other day I got some Teresa Collins Perfect Closures and attached one and ... amazingly my book closes now! I guess you can paint, ink, et cetera the leather straps, but I didn't do anything with this one. I've inked another one, but haven't used it yet.

Bind It All Tag Book

I just finished a little Bind-It-All Tag book for a swap I am in. It seems I can't make a mini scrapbook these days without using my Bind It All. I am going to consciously not use it on my next mini album. Anyway, on this book I used the Far East Mat Stack from DCWV, along with some rub-ons and elements I got at my LSS, some clip art from the Internet, some stuff I had gotten in Chinatown, et cetera.

Some ATC Cards

This week I made a couple of ATC cards -- one for my friend and ATC buddy, Francine, and one for me to keep. Francine and I get together once a month (or at least we try to get together once a month) and try new techniques. Last month Francine taught me a technique where we took brown paper bags, scrunched them up, got them wet and then put three different acrylic paints (two complimentary colors and one complimentary metallic color) on them and gently used a brayer to blend the colors. The background in these are from that day. The face buttons I had gotten in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco this past fall at a neat art store called Far Out Fabrics and Art Supply. I've been wondering what to do with them, and this was just the thing.