Saturday, June 2, 2012

Petals Mini Album

This is a fun mini album you can make for yourself, as mom's or grandmom's brag book, or as a gift to a special friend. The way I've made it here, you can put up to 10 photos (front & back) with hidden journaling for every one. I must be honest and tell you that this idea came from a book called Outstanding Mini Albums by Jessica Acs. I put my own touches to and used bunches of my SU! products. I've got a couple of tips that aren't in her book too. So here goes!

For this project, you will need:
 2 12 x 12" pieces of chipboard
 3 pieces 12 x 12" double sided patterned paper ( I used SU! Sunny Garden patterned paper #119831)
 4 different colors cardstock-Certainly Celery, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango
Tangerine Tango classic ink
2 1/2" Circle punch (#120906)
Fancy Flower punch (#118073)
Sponge dauber (#102892)
Corner rounder(#119871)
various button from the Brights Button Collection (#119747)
several ribbons or pieces of ribbon that coordinate with your colors
1/2" long screw and nut (my dh tells me I don't call these by the right names but I hope you get the idea.
hole punch or Crop-a-Dile (#108362)
adhesive
Sticky Strip(#104294)

  1. Start with the petal pattern that I've put on my pattern page or you can free hand draw your own. Print it out and then trace it on a sheet of 12 x 12" chipboard. Another item that can work is the cardboard pieces that come at the back of a pack of SU! patterned papers. It's not quite as heavy as chipboard but still will work. You can trace 4 of my patterns on one 12 x 12" sheet of chipboard or patterned paper.


2.With the 2 1/2" circle punch, punch one circle from the chipboard.











3. Trace 4 petals onto each of 2 diferent double sided 12x 12" patterned papers and 2 petals on a third sheet. Cut out all of the petals, both the chipboard and the patterned paper ones.

4. On one corner of one piece of patterned paper, punch a 2 1/2" circle.

5. You should now have 5 chipboard petals and 10 patterned paper petals. You should also have one chipboard circle and one patterned paper circle. Now you are ready to start putting it together.










6. You will be covering both sides of the chipboard. If you use my pattern, it is not exactly symmetrical so you will want to lay the patterned paper down on the chipboard first to see which side fits best. Place adhesive on the back of one petal, getting close to the edges and some in the middle.

 For me, the paper seemed to line up easier if I placed it at the end of the petal first and then smoothed it down.

7. Cover both sides of all of your petals, using the different sides of the double sided paper. Also, cover one side of the circle chipboard.










8. Use the sponge dauber to color around the edges of the petals. The sponge dauber fits on your finger and you daub it on the ink  pad to pick up ink. Use Tangerine Tango classic ink for this step.

9. You may not be able to tell from this picture but I'm trying to show the edge of the petal. Daub the ink all around the edge so that the chipboard in the center blends in with the colors of the patterned paper.

10. Daub the edge of the circle also. I used the sponge dauber to make the circles on this circle piece. I thought it gave it a fun look. Now punch a hole in the center of the circle. If you have a paper piercer it will work well. If not, the tip of pointed scissors will work.


11. Push the screw through the hole that you made and make sure that it has enough room to rotate.











12. Punch holes at the end of each petal about 1/2" from the edge and near the center. I find that a Crop-A-Dile punches holes through thick materials much easier than a regular hole punch.

13. Put the screw through the holes you just punched in the petals and add the nut on the back of the screw. Do not tighten it to tight because you want the petals and circle to be able to rotate.

14. Choose your pictures and crop them to 2 3/4 x 3 3/4" each or smaller. Cut mats to 3 x 4." If you are doing 10 photos, front and back of the petals, you will need 10 mats. Use the corner rounder on the corners of the mats and the photos. This will help them fit the curved edge of the petals easier. Adhere each photo on a different mat.
You need to make pockets for your hidden journaling now. For side pockets, place a strip of Sticky Strip on the two short side.




15. For top pockets, place a strip of Sticky Strip on each of the long sides and the bottom of the mat. Be sure to check which direction the picture is going. Pull the red covering off and stick it to the petal, watching the edges so they don't go off the petal.

16. Make your journal box with cardstock cut at 2 1/2 x 2 1/2" for the side pockets. Cut the cardstock at 2 x 2 1/2" for top pockets. Cut patterned paper to 2 1/4 x 2 1/4" for side pockets and 1 3/4 x 2 1/4" for top pockets. Put the journal boxes together and decorate with ribbon, cut outs, stamps, etc.



17. Each journal box will need a tab or ribbon so the person looking at your work will know there is something there to pull. On this picture, I stapled a piece of Certainly Celery grosgrain ribbon on the edge.



18. To make tabs, punch out a small oval with your punch (#119863) out of coordinating patterned paper.

19. Fold the oval in halve and place adhesive over the inside of it.

20.Place the folded oval on the top or side of the journal box. If you have the stamp set Got Treats (#120627) you can use one of the neat stamps that say "to open" or "push up" to stamp instructions on the tab.






21.  Now, I want to cover the screw on the center flower, the one that holds it all together. I punched out a flower with the Fancy Flower punch. I don't have any stamps or stickers that are small enough to put what I want on it so I go to my computer. I choose the font and size that I want and type in my title "Gran's Blooming Flowers." I print that out on a piece of regular printer paper.
22.Next, I fold a piece of tape  and place it on the back of my flower. Double sided repositionable tape works best but I don't have any so this will do the job too. Do not close the computer program. Leave your typed title there!

23. I tape the flower on TOP of the printing on the paper and put it back in my printer and print again. It will now pring where I want it on my flower punch.



24.Now use the sponge dauber again and sponge the edge of the flower with Tangerine Tango classic ink like you did the petals. Place Stampin' Dimensionals on the back of the flower, one on each curve. Peel the paper off and place it over the screw head.



Here is your finished mini album. Hope you enjoy it.


It took me about 2 1/2 hours to do this but I was trying out different ways to do it and writing down the sizes that worked so it shouldn't take you that long. Once you have found the pictures that you want to use, it shouldn't take but about an hour to do this project.

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