Category Archives: Mini Albums

Rejoice Christmas Recipe Mini Album Kit Release

Authentique Rejoice Christmas Recipe Mini Album Kit Release from The Button Farm Club

Hello, Friends!  It’s time to announce the release of my Rejoice Christmas Recipe Mini Album Kit with the Button Farm Club.  I think this is my favorite kit for 2019.  Warm and nostalgic, fun and festive, pretty and practical…this album kit has it all. Even jingle bells!

Holiday baking is part of what makes the season so special.  We all have special family recipes that we only pull out at Yuletide.  Many of these are family heritage recipes.  For years, I’ve had these recipes scattered in various file folders, cookbooks and boxes.  Every year it’s like a scavenger hunt gathering them all up for holiday baking with my kids and grandkids.  Now I can finally have them all at my fingertips in this gorgeous Christmas recipe album!

The base is a Frank Garcia Dossier Waterfall album measuring 6″ x 9″.  It does double duty as Christmas kitchen decor.

I’ve built in loads of pockets, interactive elements and places for recipes, photos and journaling.

This is the album fully opened.  Isn’t it gorgeous?  The center waterfall has room for 24 recipe cards.  The side pocket holds a bundle of printed holiday recipe cards bundled together with Christmas Plaid ribbon.

Rejoice Christmas Recipe Mini Album Kit:  YouTube Video

To help you get a feel for all the wonderful features of this album, I prepared a very short video tour.

Rejoice Christmas Recipe Mini Album Kit:  What Comes in the Kit

Basically, everything you need comes in the kit.  Just add your favorite adhesive and cutting/scoring tools.  Here’s what comes in this wonderful kit:

  • Prima Dossier Waterfall Album designed by Frank Garcia
  • (16) 12″ x 12″ sheets of Authentique Rejoice paper
  • (1) 12″ x 12″ Rejoice Cardstock Die Cut Elements Sheet
  • (5) 12″ x 12″ sheets of color matched Spectrum Cardstock
  •  Traditional Christmas Plaid Ribbon/2 yards
  •  burlap string/ 2 yards
  • 2 full packages of Little Birdie Christmas Flowers
  • 6 Red and Green Jingle Bells
  • 9 wooden Christmas embellishments
  • Full color, printed, step by step tutorial

This is the perfect holiday gift for yourself, or your favorite baker.  It’s a wonderful family activity for the holiday season, and is destined to become a treasured family keepsake.

The price of the kit is just $54.99.  I honestly do not think you could buy all the individual elements for less.  I have so much fun curating these kits with Laura at The Button Farm.  We search high and low for just the right ribbons and embellishments to make the kits extra special.

You can order your kit at The Button Farm Club.  It will ship out in time for you to get it made for your Christmas celebrations.

As always, I thank you for your kind support of these Button Farm Kit projects.  So  many of you have asked if I teach classes. This is how I do it.  I’m always honored to share these kits with you, and hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

To see past Button Farm Club Kit releases, click HERE.  There are a few past kits and kit tutorials still in stock at The Button Farm Club.  Many of these would make wonderful holiday gifts.  To see these kits, click HERE.

Wishing you a joyful and creative weekend!

Cheerio,

kathy

Ephemoire Queen Bee Mini Album

Farmhouse Style Queen Bee Mini Album with Ephemoire Digital Designs

Hello, Friends!  Let’s add some sweetness to your weekend with a Farmhouse Style Queen Bee Mini Album made with digital designs from Ephemoire.  As a tea drinker, I love honey.  And as a honey love, I love bees!  And as a country girl, I love farmhouse style.  So why combine all these loves together in a scrumptious, made from scratch mini album?

I wish you could hold this 5 3/4″ x 7 3/4″ x 3″ album in your hands.  With its warm honey hues, rich textures and buzzing bees, it may just be my favorite mini album of all time.  Let’s look at the details, shall we?

Queen Bee Mini Album: The Shaker Box

It is a well known fact that I love a shaker element.  I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate them into my work.  And in preparing the Tim Holtz Lace Frame for this shaker box, I stumbled upon a new technique.  Here are the steps to follow in case you feel like putting on your mixed media boots.

  • Begin by inking the inside and outside edge of the large oval shaker frame with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.
  • Next, use a mini blending tool to apply Fossilized Amber Distress Oxide Ink randomly over the face of the frame.  Follow this up with a generous application of Wild Honey Distress Oxide Ink.
  • Now, spritz the surface of the frame with the Distress Mister and let the Oxide Ink work its magic.  Dry thoroughly with a heat tool.
  • Then, apply a nice coat of Versamark Embossing Ink over the entire surface of the frame.  Place the frame on a large sheet of clean paper and cover with Seth Apter Vintage Beeswax Baked Texture.  Press the embossing powder lightly with your fingertips, then let the excess slide off onto the paper and put it back in the jar.  Heat emboss.  Repeat.
  • Now the real fun begins.  Apply Vintage Photo Distress Oxide Ink directly to the surface of the frame.  That’s right, just swipe the pad over the frame.  Spritz with water to activate and heat dry, using a clean paper towel to dab up any really big puddles of ink.
  • The most amazing thing will happen as you heat emboss.  The Vintage Beeswax will sort of open up and swallow the ink, then seal over as it cools.  So the ink goes from the surface to a lower layer.  It’s really, really cool, and you’ve got to try it if you love to play around with embossing powders!
  • Repeat the above step, but use Walnut Stain Distress Oxide Inks this time.  Yummy!
Queen Bee Mini Album: The Spine and Back Cover

The rustic feel of this album cover makes me so happy.  First you have the natural canvas layer…which is really cool all on its own.  But then I added burlap, a vintage lace handkerchief, and a linen panel…and giant wood buttons????  Stop already!  These photos are good…but they don’t begin to capture the true beauty of this album.

Queen Bee Mini Album: A Peek Inside

The inside of the album is black, white, cream and gold with pops of red.  I dug through my stash of specialty papers to find the faux embossed leather paper that you see here.  All the patterned papers are digital print outs from Ephemoire.  Aren’t they gorgeous?

The album has pretty to look at pages, photo mount pockets, and little folios tucked in.  It’s a very fun album to flip through.

I dug through my textile bin to find special vintage treasures that just seemed to be in waiting for this album.  Washi tape is used throughout to create borders.

This is my favorite page in the album.  A vintage handkerchief, folded and bundled together with gold crochet thread and topped with a sweet little bee. Stitch the vintage button through the folded hankie to hold all the layers in place.  I also love the little vintage ticket, which is an ephemera print out, topped with a vintage safety pin.

I topped laser cut lace paper with a lovely printed border and more ephemera bits from kit.  The cute little plaid guest checks in the slash pocket are actually folios.  And I tucked in a honey dipper, just for fun.

Queen Bee Mini Album Tour on Youtube

This mini is so loaded with goodness that I had to create a project tour to share it all with you.  You’ll get to see all the pages, and I’ll share little tips that you might find useful in your own crafty adventures.

I hope I’ve inspired you to get your craft on this weekend.  If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a joyful and creative weekend!

Cheerio,

kathy

SUPPLY LIST

Authentique Twilight Double Waterfall Album Tutorial

Authentique Twilight Double Waterfall Mini Album Tutorial

Hello, Friends!  Halloween is such a frightfully fun holiday!  It deserves a frightfully fun mini album, dontcha think?  This Authentique Twilight Double Waterfall Mini Album Tutorial is the perfect spot to preserve all the photos of your favorite ghouls and goblins.  Check it out!

Talk about tall, dark and handsome!  This 5″ x 9 1/2″ tall and skinny album fits that description perfectly!  Learn how to build the album base with chipboard and black cardstock.  Then see how I layered up the elements on the front cover.  Next, I’ll show you how to quickly and easily add a double waterfall feature that will hold 34 photos!  Finally, you will learn how to add a shockingly stylish magnetic belly band to keep everything tucked into place.

I had a devilishly delightful time altering all the chipboard elements on the album cover, and I share that information with you in the project tour.

The album is spooky cute, not creepy, which is what I love about Authentique’s Halloween collections.

Double Waterfall Mini Album Tutorial: Icy Fingers Up & Down the Spine

Learn how to create this overlapping spine and ribbon closure in the tutorial.  And I share some of my special tips and tricks for adding strength and durability during the album construction.

Double Waterfall Mini Album Tutorial: A Peek Inside

I just love the way the double waterfall looks inside this album.  It’s sleek and chic and so easy to put together.  You are going to love it!

Double Waterfall Mini Album Tutorial on YouTube

If you are ready to get your Halloween craft on, just click play!

I hope you’ll find time to make this fun mini album!  If so, let me hear from you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

Supply List

 

Laserowe Love Watermelon Friends Mini Album

Laserowe Love Watermelon Friends Mini Album: Crafting with Sophie on My Birthday

Hello, Friends!  Last week was a whirlwind!  But I managed to squeeze in time to spend a day with my sweet Sophie Grace making this Laserowe Love Watermelon Friends Mini Album.  Oh, what fun!  Sophie spent my birthday with me, helping me to design and and decorate this delightful little mini album.

Sophie is a veteran crafter.  She began playing in my studio shortly before she turned 3 years old.  Now that she’s 10, we can tackle meatier projects, like this mini album together.  Since I knew the focus of our time together would be filming us decorating the album, I took a little time the day before to prep the album base and pages.

Laserowe Love Watermelon Friends Mini Album: The Basics

The base for this album is an older version of the Graphic 45 Tag and Pocket Album.  There are 48 pages in that album, and I could never manage to make one and have the covers close!  Plus, it took forever to make and used a ton of material.  So I began by “gutting” the album.

  • First, insert a kraft knife carefully between the interior spine and the binding mechanism.  With a little effort, you can lift the entire thing out in one piece!
  • Next, use scissors to cut the 6 sections into individual bundles.  Each bundle has 4 pages.  I chose to work with just 2 sections, and set the other 4 aside for later use.
  • Now, score an 8 1/2″ x 5 3/4″ piece of kraft cardstock at 1 1/2″ on both ends . Then score at 1″ intervals between those 2 marks.  Follow THIS tutorial to create a tab style binding for the album.
  • Next, adhere the binding in the center of the album spine and burnish well.
  • When you are ready to add your 2 page units to the album, simply slip the open edge over the tabs and use adhesive to seal in place.

TIP:  I find it easier to decorate the pages before adding them to the album.

To create the shabby chic finish, paint the album inside and out with ivory chalk paint.  Then come back and lightly sand the edges to reveal the kraft base beneath.

Laserowe Love Watermelon Friends Mini Album: The Basics: Designing the pages

Each page in this cute album has an interactive element to it.  Here’s a little guide for making the pages.

  • Front Pocket: Cut a 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ panel of green cardstock.  Then score on the long side at 5 3/4″.   Adhere the designer paper behind the pocket, then adhere the sides of the pocket for a quick and easy pocket page.
  • Tip in pages: Cut the cardstock base to measure 8 1/2″ x 5 1/2″.  Score at  3″ for left  hand tip  in, or at 5 1/2: for right hand tip in.

To make the hidden pocket insert page on the left:

  • First, cut  base cardstock to measure 6″ x 6″.
  • Next, score 1/2″ on the sides and the bottom.
  • Now trim out the bottom corner pieces.
  • Fold the flaps to the back side of the panel and adhere to the album base.  This creates a “channel” for the insert to slide into, and allows a little more room for the insert.

To make the insert:

  • Cut cardstock to measure 4 3/4″ x 8 1/2″.  Score at 3 1/2″ on the long side.
  • Line the panels with designer paper.
  • Slide the longer side of the insert behind the page.
  • Decorate!

Pocket Pages are part of the album page unit.  Simply line the top and bottom with papers that play well together.  All set!

Sophie and I will show you how to make these cute little bookmarks in the video.

Laserowe Love Watermelon Friends Mini Album: The Video

If you’re ready to get your craft on, you can watch Sophie and I make the album together in this video.

This was such a fun way to spend my birthday!  And I think Sophie enjoyed it, too.

I hope Sophie and I shared some tips, tricks and techniques that you can use in your own crafty adventures.  If so, we’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Thanks for stopping by,

Cheerio,

kathy (and Sophie!)

SUPPLY LIST

Scatter Kindness Like Confetti Waterfall Album

Scatter Kindness Like Confetti Waterfall Album: A Scrap Your Stash Project Share

Hello, Friends!  This Scatter Kindness Like Confetti Waterfall Album is a real collection mash up!  It contains papers from Simple Stories Simple Vintage Botanicals, Craft Consortium’s Tell the Bees, and My Mind’s Eye Madison Avenue (an oldie..but a goodie!)

Let me ask you a question.  What do you do with the little bits and bobs you have left over from a favorite paper collection?  Do you stash them in a drawer to gather dust?  Toss them in the recycle bin?  Well, I like to periodically gather them all up and create what I call a “Scrap Your Stash” project.

Scatter Kindness Like Confetti Waterfall Album: The Inspiration

Our son and his lovely wife are in the process of moving, so when Melody cleaned out her craft room, she set aside a few treasures she thought I might enjoy.  A lovely 8 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ binder was in the mix.  It was sturdy and I liked the size…but not the bright green cover or the ring binder.  So the first step in this process was removing the ring binder mechanism (not for the faint of heart, I might add) and altering the cover.  I wish I had thought to take process photos, but I do describe the process I followed in the video tour of the album below.

Since I am completely obsessed with shakers at the moment, I also altered this Tim Holtz Vignette Frame and turned it into a shaker box.  Then I combed through the odds and ends of my Little Birdie Flowers and created the pretty floral feature on the cover.

The spine is wrapped with ribbon and adorned with lots of pretty metal charms.  If you look at the back cover, you can see how I collaged a bunch of papers together.  These are all coated with Distress Vintage Collage Medium.  It did a great job of unifying all the different colors and patterns.

Scatter Kindness Like Confetti Waterfall Album: A Peek Inside

Since I got rid of the ring binder mechanism, I had to do a little repair work on the inside cover.  There were some holes and a few little tears.  Nothing that a layer of heavy kraft paper would not cover up.  In place of the ring binder, I created simple double waterfall.  This is probably the easiest way in the world to create a mini album, as there is no binding system required.  You can see how to do this HERE.

The pages are secured with a ribbon closure.  Each page measures 4 1/4″ x 6 1/4″; a nice size for photos.  And, there are 8 pages in each waterfall, giving you room for 32 photos in all.

Of course, I had to add flaps and fun belly bands and all sorts of interactive fun to the pages.  You’ll see all of that in the video tour.

Scatter Kindness Like Confetti Waterfall Album: Pockets and Inserts

Behind the waterfall cascade, I added a pair of double pockets.

The shallow side holds little 3″ x 3″ journaling folios.  Aren’t they sweet?

Scatter Kindness Like Confetti Waterfall Album: The Video Tour

I’ll share lots of tips and tricks in this project share video.  I’m sure you will find ideas that you can use to help you Scrap your Stash and make a lovely mini album.

 

I hope I shared some tips, tricks and ideas you can use in your own crafty adventures.  If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

SUPPLY LIST

NOTE: Since lots of these items have been in my stash a LONG time, I may not be able to provide links.  I’ll do so wherever I can, but thanks for understanding when I cannot.

Paper:

 

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