Road Trip Simple Folio with APG June 2022 DOM and Carta Bella Summer Farmhouse

Hello, Friends!  Let’s go on a road trip!  Remember those?  Before gas prices spiraled out of control?  Our family used to take at least one big road trip each summer when the kids were little.  We would plan it for months in advance, poring over maps, we would look for places of interest, historical markers, and beautiful destinations.

This was before the internet, mind you.  I would often write local Chambers of Commerce (do those still exist?) and request information about an area.  Huge manila envelopes filled with colorful brochures would come in the mail as a result.  These would be spread all over the kitchen table (or the living room floor) as we carefully plotted the stops along the way.  Our trusty highlighter pen marked the routes we would follow in the road atlas or on folded maps.

The anticipation of the trip was almost as good as the road trip itself.  My mom would often sew new summer outfits for our girls, and I would carefully pack suitcases with clothes that would suffice for climate changes along the way.  We always had to plan at least one “nice” outfit for eating out.  I can vividly recall having all the piles of neatly folded clothes laid out on my bed: one pile for each of our 5 children.

Then there was the preparation of road trip snacks and picnic lunches.  Rice Krispie Treats (with peanut butter mixed in) was not only a snack, but a great road trip breakfast.  GORP (good old raisins and peanuts) was a standby, too.  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?  Always!

So this simple road trip folio is a tribute to those bygone days when we carried sleeping children out to the car in the early morning dark and set out on the open road.

Amazing Paper Grace Pop-Up 3-D Vignette Road Trip

The inspiration for this project is found on the cover.  How cute  is the Amazing Paper Grace Pop Up 3D Vignette Road Trip this month?  Yes, there are a lot of little pieces.  And yes, it takes a few minutes to put it all together.  But, oh…it is soooooo doggone cute that as soon as you get one made, you want to make another.  In all the colors!  LOL

I used heavy 110# powder blue cardstock for the body of the car.  The “chrome” trim is silver metallic cardstock.  Navy blue cardstock is perfect for the dashboard.  And a scrap of black cardstock is the right choice for the tires.

Helpful Tips

•  Make the headlights POP by adding Citron Essentials Gems to the center.
•  Foam tabs between the layers really make the car pop off the page.
•  Create a neutral background for your Road Trip Die.  I die cut a very small print from the Carta Bella Summer Farmhouse collection using the largest APG Picot Petite Oval die.

You can find a tutorial for assembling the car as well as other samples for using this die on Becca’s blog.

Road Trip Simple Folio: A Peek Inside

The folio base is (2) 8 1/2″ x 6″ panels of heavy white cardstock.

• First, score a 1/2″ flap on the 6″ end of each panel.
• Next, overlap these 1/2″ pieces and adhere to form the spine.
• Now, cover the inside with papers from Carta Bella Summer Farmhouse Collection.

The left hand side of the folio is a mini flip book with hidden pockets, photo mats and lots of room to save memories of your road trip.

There’s a tiny pocket at the back of the folio with a journal card tucked inside.  Keep things simple so that the photos can take center stage.

The right hand side of the folio is a 5 panel waterfall folio with a magnetic closure. Each panel measures 5 1/2″ x 6″. You will cut your panels 6″ x 6″.  Then score a 1/2″ flap on the left to serve as the hinge for the waterfall.

Secure the magnetic closure behind a decorative panel at the back.

I know everyone keeps photos on their phones and computers these days.  But I have a sneaky suspicion that someday we will wish we had put more “real” photos into “real” books that we can hold in our hands and enjoy.  Making a simple folio like this one only takes an afternoon, but the memories last for many years to come.

What’s your favorite road trip memory?  I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below.

You’ll find a linked supply list below this post.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

SUPPLY LIST

• Spellbinder’s APG Die of the Month: Road Trip
• Picot Petite Oval Dies
• Citron Essential Elements Gems
• Carta Bella Summer Farmhouse Collection
  • 12×12 Collection Kit
  • 6×6 Pad
  • Summer Farmhouse Solids
• Smoke Blue Taffeta Ribbon
• Little Birdie Flowers
• Charms from my stash.