Heartfelt Creations Everyday Heroes Mini Album Tutorial and Video

Hello Friends!

What an exciting Heartfelt Creations Wednesday this is going to be!  It’s the release day for the epic Everyday Heroes Collection of Stamps, Dies and Papers. Before I share my Everyday Heroes Mini Album with you, here’s a little more information about this amazing collection:

Do you have an unsung hero in your life? Your champion may never have a medal pinned to his or her chest, but you can demonstrate your gratitude with the Everyday Heroes Collection from Heartfelt Creations. These epic stamps, dies and papers salute the extraordinary “ordinary people” who inspire us as they live their daily lives with honor and integrity. Greys, teals, khakis, creams and browns have been blended with distressed newsprint, vintage maps, globes, sailing ships, timepieces, combat boots, stripes, dots and flourishes to create a rugged, paper collection that is timeless in its appeal. Six deeply etched cling stamp sets featuring detailed collages, inspiring sentiments and unique circular elements that mesh perfectly with the paper collection and matching set of dies. Let’s sing the praises of the unsung heroes in our lives with the Everyday Heroes Collection from Heartfelt Creations!

I fell in love with this collection immediately!  It is totally “my cup of tea!” And I could not wait to work up a mini album with all the fabulous stamps, dies and papers.  Here’s a look at the cover:

I have one more photos to share, then a step out tutorial for the cover and some tips on how to make the pocket pages, followed by a video tour of the album.  You’ll find a complete supply list and tutorial at the end of this post.

A little peeky at the inside.  I decided to change the orientation of this binder and use it horizontally.  It just seemed like the right thing to do.  This mini is loaded with tags and pockets.  But I’m going to show you the steps I took to build the cover and the pocket page you see here.  Ready?

Everyday Heroes Mini Album  Cover Tutorial

For starters, I inked all the edges of the album with Vintage Photo Distress ink.  Then I stamped it randomly with the fabulous Newsprint stamp from the collection.  I used Ranger Cobalt Archival Ink to do this.  I cut a 5″ square of burlap, fringed the edges and secured it to the cover with Scor-Tape.  Then I tore a piece of kraft corrugate cardstock, inked it up and glued it to the right hand side of the cover.  I cut a 4.25″ square of the aqua newsprint paper from the collection, crumpled it all up, opened it carefully and inked the creases with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  Then I spritzed it with Perfect Pearls Mists in Cappuccino, Bronze and Blue Patina and glued it down, leaving all those yummy creases in place.

Using the Luggage and Tags die, I cut one of the beautiful tags from the paper collection along with one of the journal tags.  I popped a copper brad into the top of the tag, inked all the edges and layered them on top of the cover as you see here.

Next, I fussy cut this medallion from the paper collection, inked the edges and used foam dots to mount it on two Lattice Swirls dies that I cut from teal cardstock.

I used foam dots to secure this to the album cover.

I wanted to add a bow, but I wanted it to look sort of weathered and grunged up, so I spritzed this navy center stitch burlap ribbon with water, tapped it with Vintage Photo DI, and crumpled it up a little before I created this big loopy bow on my Zutter Bow-it-All.  TI tied the center of the bow with a piece of burlap string to prevent it from being too bulky.  I also fringed the tails.

Next, I created another loopy bow with natural burlap string and navy burlap string.  This was hot glued on top of the first bow.

I dug through my button stash and found this big denim button…which was the perfect finishing touch for the cover of my mini album!  Hooray!

Here’s how I made the large pockets in this album.  Each one is slightly different, but the process is very similar, so this will be a good guide for you.  Cut a 7″ x 4.75″ rectangle from the paper of your choice, and round the top edges with a 1/2″ corner chomper.  Use a 3/4″ circle punch to cut a thumb hole, then ink all the edges with Vintage Photo ink.

Cut a 7.5″ x 5.25″ rectangle of teal cardstock.  Score the sides so that the interior is just slightly larger than the panel you created in the last step.  Fold the sides UP and burnish with a bone folder.

Add a thin bead of glue to the sides and bottom of your rectangle.

Carefully center the designer paper panel over the glued edges of the cardstock panel. Round the top corners with a 1/2″ corner chomper. Glue it into the mini album.  I cut card fronts down and backed them with cardstock to form pockets within the album.  I also scored and folded tags and die cuts to make pockets.  You can really turn anything into a pocket as long as you remember to leave an open edge somewhere.  Now you should have enough information to get you started in making pockets of all shapes and sizes.

Everyday Heroes Mini Album Video Tour

I hope you enjoy this short video tour, and if you do, I hope you’ll let me know in the comment section below.  Thanks so much for joining me here today….and be sure to let the Everyday Heroes in your life know how much they mean to you today!

Cheerio,

kathy

TUTORIAL

Everyday Heroes Mini Album Tutorial

Products Used:
HCDP1 253 Everyday Hero Paper Collection
HCD 733 Lattice Swirls Die
HCD 744 Celebrate the Journey Die
HCD 745 Luggage and Tags Die
Cut, Mat, Create Dies 1-A, 1-B, 2-A, 2-B
HCD 761 Everyday Hero Die
HCPC 3596 Celebrate the Journey Sentiments Cling Stamps
HCPC 3662 My Anchor Cling Stamps
HCPC 3665 Everyday Hero Newsprint Cling Stamps
HCPC 3666 Everyday Hero Cling Stamps

Other Products: Tall Sara Binder, Tall Sara Binder Envelopes (Paper Wishes); Spellbinders Majestic Labels 25; teal, kraft, island indigo, natural, copper, black, tan parchment, and corrugate cardstock; Cobalt, Jet Black, Coffee Ranger Archival Ink; Tumbled Glass, Evergreen Bough, Salty Ocean, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo Distress Ink; Cappuccino, Blue Patina, Bronze Perfect Pearls Mist; Navy Burlap Center Stitch Ribbon, Natural Burlap String, Navy Burlap String; Copper Brads; 1/2″ corner chomper, 3/4″ circle punch; foam dots, glue gun; assorted embellishments.

Directions:
Note: All the paper edges are inked with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.
Ink the edges of the binder with Vintage Photo Ink. Stamp the edges , spine and back of the binder with the Newsprint Stamp and Cobalt Ink. Cut a 5″ burlap square and adhere to the left hand side of the cover. Spritz with Perfect Pearls Mist. Cut a 5″ square of the aqua newsprint paper from the collection. Distress the edges and crumple up into a ball. Open carefully, sponge the creases with tea die and spritz with Perfect Pearls Mists. Glue onto cover, as shown. Tear a piece of corrugate cardstock, ink and spritz, then layer under the aqua newsprint. Cut the artwork panel and tag from the paper collection and layer onto the cover, as shown.

Fussy cut the Everyday Heroes Medallion from the paper collection. Die cut teal Lattice Swirls and use foam dots to position the medallion above the Lattice Swirls. Adhere the medallion to the cover with foam dots.

Spritz the burlap center stitch ribbon with water. Crumple lightly. Tap with Tea Dye Ink. Tie a multi-loop bow and hot glue to the cover, as shown. Tie a burlap string bow, and glue on top. Add a large denim button.
Cut 14 tags from cardstock, parchment, and the paper collection. Top with copper brads. You will insert these into the various pockets found in the album.
Cut 5 kraft cardstock pages measuring 6.5″ x 4.75″. Punch holes along the top to line up with the rings in the binder. These will be your pages.
Decorate 3 of the Tall Sara Envelopes by stamping with the Newsprint stamp and inking with Distress Inks or covering with designer paper. Insert between the kraft cardstock pages. These will be used to hold photos, journal notes or ephemera.
Cut photo mats to fit the cardstock pages using the Cut, Mat, Create 1-A and 2-A Dies. Cut additional embellishments using the 1-B, 2-B Dies.
Create pocket pages by leaving one edge of the designer papers or photo mats unglued. Slip tags or artwork into these pockets. To create tag pockets, score the tag 1/3 of the distance from the top and fold. Staple the edges together to form a pocket. Die cut the largest nested label from the Spellbinders die and fold to create a fancy pocket. Staple the edges. Tuck small artwork from the collection into these pockets.
Stamp and die cut the Celebrate the Journey Sentiments and use to decorate the mini album. Add pearls, buttons and artwork from the collection as desired.