Living the Good Life
The January Cards, Tags and More Kit comes with several items from the Simple Stories collection: 6x8 paper pad, a sheet of cardstock stickers and a set of layered stickers, along with flowers, resin embellishments and 4 6x6 black chipboard squares – all you need to make a mini album! Here’s what I came up with:
And here’s a walk-through, along with a few explanations of how I fashioned the different elements.
I decided to use two of the chipboard squares to form the covers and to use black cardstock from my stash to make the bases for my pages, saving the other two for a future project.
I used glue throughout: Beacon Fabri-Tac to attach the patterned paper to the bases and Art Institute Glitter Glue (with a fine tip) to seal the pockets.
The pattern papers were cut at 6” x 6” for the covers. All other papers were cut .25” x .25” less than their bases to create black borders all around. I inked all the edges with Black Soot Distress Ink.
I chose to use one of the darker patterns on the bottom to make that top image (backed with 2 layers of scrap cardstock) pop. My sole embellishment was one of the dimensional stickers – it’s actually 4 layers high!
A doily from my stash, then one of the journaling pieces from the paper pad, garnished with a few bloom and a dimensional butterfly completes this page.
To create this pocket, I cut the cardstock to 6” x 8.72” and scored it at 6”. I wanted my card inserts to glide smoothly in and out, so the background paper is full size. I added one of the cardstock stickers to embellish.
The black cardstock was cut to 6.25” x 4.25” and folded in half. I added a journaling piece and embellished it with a length of twine tied in a bow.
I cut a triangle measuring 7” x 5” and trimmed an inch off each end to form this pocket.
The black cardstock was cut to 6” x 4.5” and topped with a scrap, then embellished with several cardstock stickers and a twine bow.
I cut the cardstock for this page to 6” x 9.5”, scored at 3.5”. I used a circle punch to create a notch in the center. (I meant to make this page with the pocket on the side, facing the middle. Somehow, I forgot this when I was assembling the album.)
The black cardstock was cut to 8.25” x 5’, topped with a scrap and embellished with a cardstock sticker and a twine bow.
I love making waterfalls; they’re an easy way to add variety to my project. I simply cut a piece of cardstock .25” longer than my patterned paper, score and fold at the .25” and attach the pieces. Glue the first piece at the top, then the next just below the bottom of the fold-over and continue the same procedure. Glue the last piece flat against the base. I added one of the resin pieces that came in the kit to the bottom of the first layer to hold it all down.
Next, I created a fold-out page, using 2 pieces of the black cardstock as follows: Cut to 6” x 11” and score at 6”. Cut the next piece to 6” x 9.5” and score at .5”, and 5.25”. Glue the first piece to the second at the .5” fold.
Here’s what I did with the various pages:
One of the patterned papers, trimmed to fit the sentiment to the page.
A few more layers (love that checked paper!), a doily and a couple of cardstock stickers.
Layers (note the dots on the bottom) and a dimensional sticker.
I couldn’t figure out how to use this large check as a base, but it works perfectly as a banner piece. I added a cardstock sticker to the center.
This is one of the chipboard butterflies. I left it raw; it fits the rustic feel of the papers.
A few layers, each cut .25” inches smaller than the bottom layer, then a journaling piece and a cardstock sticker.
Another notched pocket.
And another chipboard butterfly with a doily base.
A side pocket…
And a couple of cards in a bottom pocket.
This is the inside of the back cover, with contrasting layers…
And the back. I always leave this plain because of the wear and tear to come.
A word about the binding. I bought a Bind-It-All on sale some time in the past and it gathered dust because I never figured out how it worked. I finally said “Enough!” and found a series of videos on YouTube that showed me just how easy it was to use this thing. This mini album can be bound with metal rings; just punch the holes carefully to make sure the pages match.
***And now a word about this project: This will be my final project as a member of the Tres Jolie Design Team. I want to thank Kim for all the amazing kits and all of my fellow designers for the inspiration and encouragement over the past year. It has been such a pleasure to have worked with these amazing ladies.***
***************************************************
Don’t forget that Tres Jolie can be found in the following places: