Mini Book Cards

I always think about making scrapbooks for people I care about for special occasions.  I've struggled with how much time it takes to make a full or mini scrapbook for someone.  So I've come up with a new solution: mini book cards.  I take a few pieced of cardstock paper and sew them together into a mini book.  I keep the whole 'theme' of the card and cut the book into just a little larger than a normal card.  This size is so much more manageable to put together and still keeps the look and feel of a card for occasions.  I'm also playing with the ongoing Instagram print trend.  Anyone who knows me also knows I'm mad for Instagrams. Viola!  Here is a project I recently did for my boyfriend's sister who came to visit us in Florida.

I pulled some K&Company and Paper House stickers from my stash to create a pretty layered butterfly for the front cover of the book/card.  

I added a cluster of buttons and gems at the bottom left to add some more punches of color and interest.  I mixed a glitter ribbon and twine as a tie for the card.  I also used the twine as the 'thread' to sew the pages together.  Its chunky, but works fine and gives a rustic feel.  

I sewed together two additional pieces of paper in the card to create enough pages to include the pictures I wanted to scrap.  I pulled scraps from my hoarded paper, and mix and matched stickers and embellishments from different makers (Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye, Little Yellow Bicycle, Crate Paper, Amy Tangerine) to scrap the mini pages.  

I cut down the middle most page to a smaller size to create mini pages in the book, which are faster to scrap and add some unexpected fun.  

Color blocking with cardstock, rub ons, gems, buttons, epoxy stickers, border stickers, brads, clips, & chipboard fun.  I'll be sharing some more mini book cards in the near future. Thanks for stopping by!

I've entered this in the following challenge:
Use It Tuesday - Challenge #62: Trends

Stashing Inspiration

Before Pinterest came along, I had my own way of collecting images that inspired me.  I would pick up a large scrapbook with plain paper pages at a garage sale to use.  Now I hit the local craft store and pick up an inexpensive sketch pad.  I picked this one up at A.C.Moore for $5.00.  Of course I need to scrap out the front cover.  I fill the books with clippings from magazines for house decorating ideas, organization inspiration, recipes, you name it.  Of course you can also print out your Pinterest snapshots.  I save all of my magazines for these projects.  And a little secret...I actually get my magazine subscriptions free from saving my Coke points.

Here is my latest old school Pinterest book, now ready to be stuffed full of new ideas and inspiration.  I pulled out an eksuccess binding punch that I hadn't used yet. I love how it plays into the whole 'office supply' theme.

 
I also dug through my old supplies and used Crate Paper Stickers, a Basic Grey office tab, Recollections Paper Cut outs and Washi Tape.

I wanted to stick with fun summer colors like pink, lime green, orange, & yellow with some black accents.    

For inside of the book I make some quick and simple page markers. I used large black and white paper clips and tied ribbon around the tops.  This isn't your typical scrapbook project, but I will keep these books with my others.  In several years it will be fun to look back on what styles and ideas inspired me.

I'm submitting this for the following challenge:
Use It Tuesday -- Diecuts, Punches and Cutouts!! (my most hoarded item on this project is card stock)

Thanks for stopping by! 

Not Your Traditional Christmas Tags

Use It Tuesday has a really fun challenge going on... I had to dig through and find stamps I've never used before in a project.  (I have far too many unused stamps!)  Couple the challenge with Christmas being just around the corner and this is what I came up with.

I thought it would be super fun to use non traditional colors on Christmas tags.  I decided to use some of the bracket stamps from Inkadinkado that I hadn't even opened up yet.  I'm going to be honest say the one thing I am least comfortable with with scrapping is using stamps.  I see these AMAZING stamping projects from so many people on blogs.  Its really an art.  So this challenge made me go outside of my comfort zone, but that's just fine with me.  Instead of stamping with ink, I wanted to use embossing powder to give some dimension and shine.

I dug through my older paper stacks and found a nice roughed up paper from My Mind's Eye Academy series.  This is actually a series of paper all about school days.  It was perfect for this project.  I cut out the tags and used a hole punch in the top of each.

Then I went through my big box of fun stickers and found a whole page of Crate Paper Christmas/Winter stickers in fun colors.  I also popped a Jenni Bolin star sticker on each tag to accent.  The embossing on the brackets for the 'joyful' tag was a little scattered, but I actually loved that way that looked and decided to keep it.

After embossing with the stamps and adding the stickers, I added in some thick brown thread and brown half pearls to add some more dimension and texture.  I topped it off with glitter ribbon for the top of the tag.  Viola!

Thanks for stopping by & have a great day!
~K

Things I Love - Thankful Mini Book

For this project I wanted to pull together mini pages in a book all about the things I love.  I started with a 9x5in chipboard album.  I used a mix of new and old supplies to decorate the cover page.  Theresa Collins, Bo Bunny, Making Memories, Tim Holtz, & Crate Paper.

 I tied a combination of different ribbons, fibers, & charms on the rings 

 I cut all of the pages in various lengths and widths and staggered the pages.  

This project was easy to pull together. I took about 10 minutes for each page and worked on it for about a week total.  I still have plenty of room to add more pages if I want.  

I included some pages on my scrap room of course! 

I really liked working with the Theresa Collins paper.  The colors really pop!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest fun project.  Have a wonderful day!
~Kimberly

Vacation Mini Album Part Deux

This is the second mini album from our trip through New England.  For this one I decided to use the Kaisercraft Ticket Mini Album.

 For the front cover I used a picture of one of the many fun store signs you'll see in Portland Maine.  Lobsters Love Guinness apparently.  I inked around the outer edges of the board and glued on paper in the middle section.  I used some super cute Tim Holtz measuring tape ribbon and Jenni Bowlin Studio letter stickers.

 For this embellishment I used a metal tag that I have had forever and attached a Making Memories Flower onto the tag.  I added more Making Memories gems and some green cord wrapped around the tag.

This is a great shot of Bubbalouie jumping onto the bed.  Looks like he's flying.   On this page I used my My
 Little Shoebox tiny type stickers with Studio Calico paper and Making Memories gems.

For this page I put together a fun grouping of embellishments with a brad, clip, resin flower, gems and twine.  

Basic Gray paper with chipboard embellishments and ruffled ribbon on the bottom.  A few orange pearl gems to give it some zing.  

This is the Cremesicle page; inked in orange with cream and orange patterned paper.  I added a chipboard flourish on a frame with a pretty butterfly embellishment.  I attached Websters Pages Bloomers ribbon on the bottom.  Delicious! 

I love vintage anything.  Here I attached a cute 50s lady picture onto a frame with red backing.  I had inked the page a muted blue, added brightly striped paper and attached eyelet ribbon on the bottom.  More of the My Little Shoebox tiny type too! 

Our last stop on the trip was York Beach Maine.  I went bright pink with the page inking, added bright summer themed paper, can a journal tag.  Thickers and K&Company letters on the journal tag really pop.

And that's our trip in a nutshell.  I'm hoping we get back to New England again someday soon.  (But only in the summer.  I don't think I can handle winter in New England.  Brrr!)

Thanks for stopping in!
~K

Use It Tuesday Thankful Challenge

I envy the ladies out there that can keep all of the little pieces of everyday life in pristine order.  I am definitely not one of those people.  I have a drawer in my craft room that I use to keep little things that I just can't bear to get rid of, like movie tickets, cards, notes I've received from loved ones, post cards, airline tickets, special receipts and travel 'stuff'.  I toss it all into this drawer and then, a couple times a year, I'll pull it out and smoosh it into a fun and messy little memory book.  That's what I've done for this Use It Tuesday Challenge.  I think the most special things in life are the little things.  This book is packed full of just that... special little things.  I hope you like it!

For these memory books, I like to grab art sketch books.  They work great for me because the pages inside are thick and the outside covers are a good surface for customizing your book.  You can glue, stamp, and sticker without the paper going flimsy on you.  This is a middle sized 8x5in art book that I picked up at a local craft store.  

Mix and Match with My Mind's Eye, K & Company, Colorbok, and My Little Shoebox Stickers. 

I dug through my older papers and snagged some vintage K&Company paper for this cover.  Of course I have office tabs all over this book.  I love love love office tabs! I used October Afternoon, Basic Gray, & 7 Gypsies tabs.  

I love this Glitz Design Vintage sticker for the bottom.  My sentiments exactly! 

 Here is a peek at the inside of the book.  I love these books because I don't feel bad just 'slapping them together'.  There are a lot of other projects that I spend so much time deciding layout, embellishments, color scheme.  This kind of book is a great change of pace.  I allow myself to let go of worrying about the design and focus on the sweet little things I'm wanting to keep in them.  

 A page for free song downloads.  I love free stuff.  Ask anyone who knows me.  Big fan! 

 An adorable card from my friend Eric in San Francisco when I went out there for a visit.  Love this!

 A sweet post card from my Dutch daughter Myke.  Miss you sweetie!! xoxo

And an adorable note from Myke as well.  I have little cards and notes from all of my 'kids' in this particular book.  

I wish I had started doing this years ago, but I'm glad I started at all.  This is such an easy way to archive things that are meaningful to you now.  Imagine how meaningful they will be years from now...

Thanks for stopping by & have a wonderful day! 

Kimberly 

Vacation Mini Books

I adore putting together mini books.  If you're thinking about starting to scrap, I would highly recommend trying a mini book first.  Today I'm sharing one of two books I did for the same vacation.  I made one for myself and one for Bubbalouie.  I still have both... I couldn't part with either of them!  Today I'll cover the first book. :-)

 Zach & I went on a week long trip through New England.  Zach was living in Boston at the time and I had an opportunity to stay in the area for a month.  Boston is an amazing town.  I loved being able to explore that city and see Zach almost every day.  Zach enjoyed Mom taking him out to dinner, movies, shopping.  All the things he had missed the most when he moved away.  We had a ton of fun.

The first minibook was a simple square shaped 5 pages of chipboard.

 I used Jenny Bowlin lettering, Basic Gray Office tabs, and other goodies.  I sized and cut the paper to fully cover the chipboard.  I then 'roughed it up' along the edges to give it a rustic feel.  I also used some Basic Gray Bloomers on the bottom right side of the page by the fun canvas tag.

 Lunch at FINZ in Salem Mass. This cod is the best I've ever tasted.  I had no idea what a cute town Salem would be.  Its a beautiful town to walk around and explore.  I added some K&Company embellishments to this fun foodie page

 I love the canvas flowers (Jolee's) and the crocheted flowers (Websters Pages).  I added a Prima flower and a Making Memories gem on top of the crocheted flower.

 Zach was cracking me up in this one.  Here we're in Portland Maine, a super cute and funky town.  I added a snapshot of the market prices for the seafood.  It will be interesting to look back at this years from now and compare the prices.  I'm in love with using tags on my projects as you can clearly see in this shot.

I love how this little fishy charm paired up with the epoxy stickers looked together. 

 Next stop, York Beach Maine.  We lucked into a ridiculously awesome hotel room.  This is the first floor of the room we stayed in that night.  We were steps away from the beach.  On this page I went crazy with bling.

 On this cluster of embellishments I used a silver glitter tag frame, sliver key charm, vintage button and a Jenni Bowlin chipboard button with green ribbon.

 Mini books are super easy and fun to make.  They're chunky and grab the eye.  I sit them on bookcases around the house for anyone to check out.

Thanks for stopping by & have a great day!
~K