Oh whats this?  Christmas crafting? Yes, this IS the same person that was showing you a beach mini book in the last post! It just goes to show how drastically i can fluctuate between crafty moods.

To be honest, it was about time that i did some Christmassy crafting, I’ve been waiting for Crimbo for so long this year! And now we are in the final count down! Woohoo!

I picked up a new embossing folder from craft superstore.co.uk when i was buying another 12×12 album, its called Jo’s Circles and was only £2! I thought it looked kinda like snowflakes but it also be used for other non-seasonal stuff.

I cut some bazzill cardstock, ran it through my cuttlebug to test out the first embossed impression and admired the beautiful design. I then lay it on the desk and reached for my ribbon. The cat was miaowing at the door, so i let her inside turned and grabbed some pearlescent pink paper. When i returned to my table, there were three perfectly formed brown paw prints over my nice newly embossed cardstock!!! Darn it! Ihateitwhenthathappens!! D’OH! After chasing the cat, I turned the image over and used that side instead! hahaha. No one would have ever known!

I always return to this beautiful Quickutz snowflake die. Its so delicate and pretty, i love it! and the pearl paper makes it look stunning. A little pearl in the middle was another delicate final touch, as well as the little charms (which i think are from my meiflower.co.uk stash).

Hope you are in the festive mood now too!

x

 

I know this is a little out of season, but who cares, right?

After our first trip to the beach with Piper I was looking through my photos and realised there were loads that i really wanted to treasure forever, so i decided to make a mini book about our sandy adventure.

I had a fun time making this album, and kinda threw caution to the wind a little bit, not really worrying too much about the design on each page, just having fun! Some pages are minimal, others are a little more embellished, but I’m super pleased with the way it turned out.

 

The pages themselves I cut from scrapbook paper, some 6×6 pads and other remnants of larger 12×12 sheets that were lurking around my craft table at the time. I also mixed in some yellowy textured cardstock which really pops next to the patterned paper.

I wanted bright colours – of course i did, this project is about the happy, vibrant, fun times of summer! I didn’t care too much on what colours i used, but enjoyed mixing different patterns together to achieve a playful look.

I even decided to be a little bit brave and stamp directly onto some of my photos! I used a stamp set from Ali Edwards for the ‘you make me smile’ message, and the ‘you + me = together’ is from a Unity Stamps kit. So much fun. I also was delighted to FINALLY use a pre-printed ribbon that has been lurking in the craft room for ages, waiting for the perfect project to come along!

 

I printed my photos in a variety of different sizes – i didn’t want the book too look overly organised or restraint, rather i wanted it to be free flowing and quirky. I also mixed it up by giving some white borders and some i cut down without borders- thats just the way i roll! I have to say though that my fav photo in the whole book would have to be this wide photo of Pi and Daddy which I have made to span across the two pages. I love that they pop out of the right hand page, but i equally love the left page because of all those cute little beach huts all in a row! aww!

I bought some Any Tangerine Day Book embellishments a little while ago and i love that they are so perfect for projects like this. In fact i think i have used about three quarters of the whole pack on this project alone. What a great investment! Having those shapes and images on hand really made the process a lot quicker.

I used washi tape and stickers to add more layers to the page, but all in all the pages are not overly embellished or bulky – which is good because i wanted the book to stay relatively flat.

I stamped a few images using label stamps and i also printed a few of my “Thankful for this memory” journaling cards to use in the mini book too. There are great for layering and for adding little phrases and quotes.

To put it all together i used my Bind It All. I forgot how amazing it is. Every so often I am reminded at how easily i can make professional wire bound books that i adore. i {heart} BIA!

 

I think the thing i am most proud of is the cover. I had an idea to add layers in order to build a scene on the front cover, but almost dismissed this idea due to practical reasons. I thought that Piper would try to pull things off the cover and it would end up being messy and grubby. Then, Eureka!!!

..I built my layers, using a little of my ‘other lover’ aka distress ink to add definition and depth to the edges. I then hand cut a sand castle and spade, added alpha stickers and clouds, and to wrap everything up safely I covered everything with a piece of acetate and sewed around the outside edges. This was a great way to protect the front cover, prevent little prying fingers from ripping off any tiny pieces and it also means that I have hopefully extended the life of this little guy!

Thanks for stopping by even though you are all thinking about snowmen and elves and fairy lights. 🙂