Mom Mini Album for Sounds Easy Voice Recorder

Here is the  Mom album I made for the Sounds Easy Voice Recorder booth at CKC Manchester. See my post below - or the link in the left hand column if you want to see the picture tutorial.

I used the basic  "tube album" directions with a few tweaks along the way that I will describe in this post.

Here is the cover. I used patterned paper from Prima - Iron Orchid designs - the Steel Toe Maray Jane collection. The pretty flower on the cover is also from Prima. The green lace was included in the paper kit as well.  I stamped the title and used my Nestabilities to cut the label. I made the flower leaves by using a paper punch and embossing "veins" with an embossing tool and sponging the edges with SU! Regal Rose ink.

Here is where this album differs a bit from the basic tutorial. I decided to make a "flap" over the open edges. Judy was going to use this album to hold some memorbelia and I wanted to make it was super secure.

You can see in the picture below that I attached a piece of coordinating cardstock into the opening of the  back cover. (TIP: I made the flap big enough so that it would wrap all the way to the front of the album when it was bigger than now - you know - when you've added tags and pictures the album gets a bit fatter). I used velcro dots to keep the album closed.

This is the inside of the front cover and the first page. I decided to cover the opening/pocket of the front cover. Simple to do - I took a 3 x 6 piece of paper and scored it at 1.5. I attached it to both sides.

You will notice on both pages of this layout there is a small flower in the lower right hand corner.This will hold the number that will correspond with the audio journaling made with the Sounds Easy Voice Recorder. All you have to do is make sure the correct sound memory card is in the recorder (that also plays back the sounds) and press the corresponding number. So for example if Judy used the number 1 for the page - you would press 1 on the recorder and it would play the journaling sounds that would correspond to that picture/page.

You can also see on the left hand page my new passion of combining my two favorite crafts in one - scrapbooking/paper crafting and crochet!!

In this 2 page spread I also deviated from the standard album by making an extra pocket on the left hand page. It was really easy to make buy just cutting a piece of coordinating paper to the size you want, punching out a 1/2 circle and adhering on only 3 sides to enable the tag to pull in and out.

Here is another "extra" tag made but in a vertical position. I really like making some tags where the pretty ribbon sticks out the top of the album and adds some color and dimension when the album is closed.

Messy desk and all here is another layout in the album.

One last look at a layout in the album. I tried my hand at crocheting embellishments in this book. You can see the circle motif in the right corner with some cute pearl bling.

Here is how I stored/displayed it in this album. I used some 1 1/2 inch wide lace and score tape to make a pocket for the memory card. See how small they are? They are about the size of a camera memory card - very easy to store in the album without bulk.

Thanks for stopping by! Please let me know what you think or if you have any questions about how to make these albums!!

Andrea

Mini Album Tutorial for Sounds Easy

                                                          Mini Album Tutorial
By Andrea Merlin for Sounds Easy


Here is a quick and easy mini album that can easily be made with our stash supplies. To me the best part of this album is the audio journaling created with the Sounds Easy Voice Recorder.

Depending on the paper and supplies you use - you can get a totally different feel to your album.

Here is how to make the album:

Supplies:

-12 x 12 cardstock or heavy patterned paper (I like double sided) – quantity varies depending on size of album

-coordinating cardstock and/or patterned paper

- Ribbon

-Binding: binder rings, brads, ribbon or Bind It All Coil

-Circle punch
- Adhesive - I prefer scor-tape
-bone folder (optional)

Directions:

1. Take a sheet of 12 x 12 cardstock/patterned paper. Have the side you want to “show” facing up.

2. Put adhesive along the entire bottom edge – I run a strip of ¼ scor-tape along the edge.

3. Carefully fold the paper so that the wrong side of the opposite edge gets adhered and you end up with a “tube” of cardstock with the correct paper showing.

4. Flatten and score your edges well – I like to use a bone folder.

5. You will now have approximately 5 ¾ inch by 12 inch piece. Fold and score in half lengthwise at 6 inches so you have a 5 ¾ x 6 inch piece with 2 pages and 2 pockets.

6. Create as many of these as you want pages in your album.

7. For interior pages (not the cover) I often use a circle punch to make a half circle along the open edge. This allows for easier pulling in and out of the tag. But this is optional.

8. I like to bind the book at this time. I’ve found that if I wait and bind it when I’m done I sometimes end up binding the tag inserts so they won’t come out!

Stack your pages together

You may have to trim a few of the inner edges.

Once you decided how you’re going to bind the album – just punch the holes (with a hole punch, crop-a-dile or binding system) and use the ribbon, brads, rings or coils to bind.

9. Cover treatment – I don’t like my covers to have a pocket (not sure why). Take a 6 x 3 inch piece of coordinating cardstock/patterned paper. Score at 1.5 inches and adhere to cover the opening in the “tube”. Trim as needed.

This isn't the easiest picture to see what I mean - but look at the left hand page and see the pink strip? Thats the 3 inch piece scored at 1.5 inches. I wish I had taken a better picture for y'all but I've already mailed the album to Judy at Sounds Easy for the CKC Manchester show.

Also in the Mom album pictures above - I decided to make a flap that goes from the pocket on the back cover all the way over the book and closes onto the front cover with Velcro

Super easy to do - Just take a piece of coordinating cardstock as wide as you think your album will be thick - adhere it well to the inside of the back cover pocket and fold it over to the front and press the Velcro in place.

10. Tags – make as many tags as you have open pockets. Depending on how you adhered your base page together – your pocket size may vary in size a bit. I usually cut my cardstock/patterned paper to 5 ¾ x at 6 inches and trim till it fits right. I put ribbon on the ends of most of my tags to look pretty as they stick out of the album.

11. Have fun decorating the pages and tags!

12. If you're making this for use with the Sounds Easy Voice Recorder you need to put an envelop to hold the memory card. I usually put mine on the back cover. Also, on each page with a sound you will put the number that corresponds with the sound for that page.

The Sounds Easy Recorder comes with an acrylic envelop but sometimes I like to make mine out of paper or in this case - ribbon. You can put a ribbon inside the slot of the card for easy access.

 Some ideas for mini albums:

School Days or Teacher Gift• Graduation • Favorite Things • Brag Book • Heritage • Vacation •Birthday • Holiday

Thanks for visiting!! Please drop me a note if you have any questions!!

Andrea

OOOOPs I've been MIA!! More candy goodness and a sneak peek

Wow - has it really been a month since I've been here ---YIKES! Sorry gang! I've been very crafty and busy but didn't get any of it here :(

I did get back into my first love - scrapbooking  - but alas - I made mini albums for others and gave them away - one was to a friend of my DDs that took her to Charleston SC for spring break - and typical me - I made the album the day they left and didn't get a chance to take any pictures. I used a retired SU! kit. I love using coordinating products for mini albums - makes them go super fast.

Here is a sneak peek of 2 that I made as demos for the Sounds Easy Voice Recorder that will be at CKC Manchester this week.

Later this week I"m going to post a tutorial on how to make them - The Sounds Easy folks will be giving out a tutorial handout at CKC Manchester as well.

What else have I been doing? Well I finished the candy boxes for my friends daughers Bat Mitzvah - all 120 of 'em.
I used SU! certainly celery, apricot appeal and rose red cardstock. The photograper took a few shots and once Audrey gets the pictures back - I'll put a better picture here. I used a 4 x5 rectangle, embossed with the SU! dots embossing folder, scored with the scor-pal, taped with scor-tape and a bit of glue dots, filled with candy (fortunately we were able to get the easter candy wrapped in pretty colors on sale) and tied the bows - easy peasys.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Andrea

Passover Crafty

Another Craft It Wednesday inspired post!!As I figured - belonging to Craft It Wednesday has motivated me to share and/or create.

So tomorrow is the first Sedar of Passover and we will be hosting at our house this year. I decided I wanted to make some Passover specific flower holders for centerpieces. During a Sedar there is ALOT of stuff that has to go on the table so I wanted a centerpiece with a small footprint and was low enough that people could see over.

I love african violets and this was a great excuse to get some new ones!!. I took some matza and broke it and hot glued it together to make a planter...let me tell you a couple of things - it is really difficult to break matza into approximately the same size rectangles - and it makes a HUGE mess!! LOL - crumbs all over the place. Unfortunately - I couldn't find our hot glue gun so I used one of those low heat hot glue guns --- yuck - I don't like them! They asre better for kids to use but the glue hardens so fast its really difficult to get the matza on their fast enough!

I  decided to make the second planter from some scrapbook supplies. I really like the bright cheery flowers in this paper. I took some twill and made it Passover Twill. I used brown stayz on ink and the Judaic stamp set from PaperTrey Ink. - I didn't get a picture of all of it - but I really like how it came out!!

So tomorrow - before I cook - I really would like to make another planter - if I do I'll try and post a picture. My goal is to use another piece of the twill I stamped at the same time -some scrapbook paper and maybe to "hot" glue a piece or two of matzo to it.

For those of you who celebrate it - Happy Passover.

Thanks for stopping by! Andrea

Crochet Platypus

Two posts in one day!! HOLD your seats!!

Isn't he CUTE???

I made him for my DD's friends BDay gift - for some reason - they love the platypus.

I googled and found directions by beavisfreak at craftster.org.

I'm gonna have to make some more of these crochet animals - they are TOO cute - actually - I just started a bird

thanks for looking. Andrea

Growing my Color Scheme Comfort zone.

Growing my Color Scheme comfort zone has long been a goal of mine. So what better way than to play along with a challenge? I'm also using this for the weekly Craft it Wed. Challenge. A 2:1!

This is the second time I've played along with Stacey's Curtain Call Color Challenge - I love her choices. You can visit her blog at http://www.stampinwithstacey.blogspot.com/

Aren't these colors great? I needed to make a sympathy card and decided to use Thinking of You vs the more traditional with sympathy verse.

I wasn't sure if this challenge is supposed to be SU! only so I made 2 cards.

This first card is all SU!. I used the flower vine from Vintage Vogue with versamark on Barely Banana to make my own subtle patterned paper. I put that on an almost artichoke card. The butterfly is a SU! bigz die cut with certainly celery. I cut 2 and pop dotted the second one for some depth. Again I used versamark to and the vine stamp. The swirly trail of the butterfly is the large (and small) swirl from Priceless (Yes Sharon - if you're here - I DID use that set). The inside of the card is layered with Barely Banana so I can write my letter.

This second card uses the same c/s colors. The stamp is Gina K Designs Spring Floral. I colored it with copics. This is my first Gina K set - and I really like how crisp it stamps. I'm soooo new to copics and don't have a lot of colors. But this was fun to experiment with. I colored the flower with a yellow and pink that I tried to layer so it made an almost orange color - cuz I don't have orange LOL.

I also tried a new to me but ancient technique or piercing the corner and the border strip for some more dimension.

I love these colors - I think I'm going to use a small rolodex holder that I have, the SU! rolodex die and one of my punches (not sure which yet) to make a rolodex file of color combos I like... if and when I start it - I'll post pix.

Thanks for looking!!

Andrea

So a Mini Album" to be" became a Birthday Card for a Friend

So it all started with some empty boxes of cereal. My Dad brings me his and I save ours. I was looking at them the other day - thinking how much I really missed making scrapbook pages or mini albums. If you've noticed I'm into cards (fast and easy) or crocheting lately.

So I took a bunch of the cereal boxes and the SU! scalloped Sizzix die. And made a bunch of mini pages - a bunch of stuff later from my massive stash - and I had a mini album - well sort a - I decided to make it into a Birthday Card for my friend Lori.

Course - those of you that know me IRL know that I often decide close to a "deadline" to make something - so in typical fashion I decided to make a coordinating box a half hour before I left the house - its "pretty" but a smidge too small LOL

Although the box has some "issues" since its the first I made of this type - I really really really like the way it looks - I love the thick ribbon (which when I first got it I felt was too thick to work with) and the clear sticker is great on the cover. I will be doing this again.

Da Cover


The first two pages - with my personal note in the pocket on the right page.

I like to hide "goodies" in the pockets - like this butterfly.

Isn't that little bird in the cage cute? Its from one of the SU! Saleabration sets - I forget the name and will check and hopefully add it later.

I had fun finding all my "friends" quotes etc in my stash.

Another - pocket - so I "hid" another saying

Ever have a "page" that comes out in a way that you just LOVE - and know you have to repeat again SOON? Well this is the one from this project. The bird is from the new SU! bird punch. Its hard to see but the navy background is dry embossed with a cuttlebug folder. The text is a stamp I've had forever that says Love Live Laugh..and ya gotta love the pearl "bling"!


The ending... I had fun heat embossing with the SU! Vintage Vogue set and some random stash friends stuff.

Have y'all heard of the Sounds Easy Voice Recorder? It allows you to make 30 separate 30 second voice recordings. Wouldn't this have been a perfect album - IF I'd thought about it in time - I could have asked a few of her friends to record a message for her and the recorder that also plays back the sounds would have made a great gift for her. Here is the link to their home page.

http://www.sounds-easy.com/

If you've been here for a while my 7/31/09 post Sounds of Summer shown here

www.mycreativesanity.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html

uses this product and I love it!!

Ok - I've sure turned this into a LONG LONG post - sorry but I was "excited" to share.

Hope ya'll enjoyed it - thanks for stopping by!