Mini Album Binding-Pros & Cons

I recently watched Laura Denison's "Perfect Hinge Binding" stream over on Ustream (click here for link to Laura's stream of new binding" and at first I thought it sounded like a great binding system but when I went to try it I knew right away that it wasn't for me.

I made the Perfect Hinge Binding but was unsure of the strength of the "flaps/pages". I was also terrible at trying to line up each section on the spine straight - all over the place LOL.

The Perfect Hinge Binding was Laura's way of creating a binding system which would allow for either an odd or an even amount of pages in your mini albums. Also, Laura created the hinges as part of her pages. The way this binding system was created, allowed you to have more styles of pages in your album, as opposed to pocket/envelope style throughout. Great thought process, Laura!

Anyway, you know me and my fight with binding systems and the need for perfection all the time. I just had to play around with this Perfect Hinge Binding system a bit to see if it could work for me. I'm still playing around with it (in my head at the moment) but I did come up with a couple of variations on the Stack The Deck to allow for both an odd amount of pages as well as an even amount.

I have uploaded two variations onto my YouTube channel and you can click the links from here:

Stack the Deck + One
Perfect Hinge Binding - Doubled

I have also written a couple of tutorials on how I created the above two adaptations and you can get them here:

Stack the Deck + One
Perfect Hinge Binding - Doubled

Now Kathy Orta on the other hand adapted the "Hidden Hinge" binding system for her mini albums and I also had problems with this binding system (shock, horror!). Kathy listened and devised a way around the problems I was having by making a cut-off cover where you could attach a front & back cover thereby hiding the ridges that appeared in all my Hidden Hinge bindings. This adaptation of Kathy's Hidden Hinge is shown in Kathy's "Sophistication" mini album tutorial and is available on Kathy's web site here.

This Sophistication style mini album is OK for some albums, but I don't want them ALL that way so I'll alternate between my adapted version of Kathy's Hidden Hinge (the Stacked Hinge) and the Sophistication style Hidden Hinge.

Well, I'm guessing you're still as confused as me when it comes to the "Perfect" binding system and I'm sure we'll continue to strive for the "Perfect" binding system for our mini albums. Or are you happy with the binding system you currently use?

Sophistication Baby Mini Album Using G45 Little Darlings

Has it really been a month since my last post? That's almost as long as I've been sick :(

I made this mini album while being sick as it was for my niece's baby shower gift and needed to be started and finished!

I'm not that happy with it - only because it's so "clean" looking. I had one 12x12 and one 8x8 pad of the Graphic 45's "Little Diary" paper line. Also because the baby is supposed to be a boy, I could only use the "boy" papers in each. There are not a lot of pages in these pads so I was very restricted, and I had no other paper line that would have matched the "Little Diary" either. So, had to beg, scrape and do what I could to fill it.

I am currently making a slideshow of this album and posting it on my YouTube channel soon.

I used Kathy Orta's (PaperPhenomenon) "Sophistication" album instructions for this album - I do not think it should be called a mini album it's so big. Anyway, here it is:

Front of album with closure

Close-up of front - the papers say it all!

Used flat backed beads & lace on album cover

Perfect sentiment for this album

Some charms I had in my stash added to silver chain

Lace, TH ideology clock, velum tag & baby tag from paper line

Spine is wrapped with white ribbon between each page section

Ribbons attached by tying

Simple tag inserts

Plenty of space for photos

Only addition to cream page is strip of paper on left

Pocket page on left & plain page on right, then tag pockets

Used some journal tags from stash

Journal Page Swap - Hosted by Mandy

Happy New Year to everyone!

I've just had a quick look at all my posts throughout 2012, and I must say, I was a busy little crafter! Very industrious I think LOL.

One thing I didn't do much of, was journal pages. So when Mandy announced she was thinking of hosting a Journal Page Swap I thought - OK, this should get me back to journalling - so I joined!

There are 20 of us in the swap and we have 20 weeks to have them all finished & posted off to each individual participant. You would think one a week should be achievable - not if you procrastinate! LOL

I think this swap is a great idea - there's a huge risk involved with sending a journal book around the world, not to mention the time it would take to fill AND the postage cost - and to rely on the postal systems - scarey thought! So this way - each sends a 5x8" page and we get to create the album for the pieces of artwork to be added! Awesome! I can't think of a better way to have a piece of our online friends' artwork.

OK, procrastinating? Best get to journalling!

New Years Eve International Streamathon

UPDATED 30 DECEMBER 2012

For all information about the Worldwide New Years Eve Streamathon - click here!

Little Miss Closet - So Far

The Little Miss Closet is a closet created by Kathy Orta (PaperPhenomenon) and I was challenged to make the closet by Eileen (BocaBabeArt). Thanks Eileen!

It was a struggle in the beginning as I wasn't quite sure how I would go with it, the tutorial was a bit of a struggle to follow sometimes but I got there in the end with the help of the video tutorials.

I was very lucky to have a couple of great online friends who gifted me the Ladies Diary packs (thanks Susan & Annette), along with the stamp set and die cuts (thanks Annette). This project screamed Ladies Diary so I couldn't wait to build the closet to get to covering it and embellishing. This paper line was made for a project like this!

I also loved the privacy screen, which sits inside one of the doors of the closet. Instead of wrapping it in black cardstock I used black chipboard so as to have less bulk - love love loved how this turned out!

So I'm not finished yet as I'm waiting on some strong magnets so the doors can stay closed against the mini album and the privacy screen. I cannot cover the album until I get the magnets, so this project will have to go on the backburner for a bit. Can't wait to finish it though. This one's going to my grand daughter, Amelia - but not for a few years as she's only 2 and too young to appreciate it yet!

So here is the link to the YouTube video showing a slideshow of the closet and mini album and privacy screen so far.

A Fishy Canvas?

Today being Friday, it was my usual day to stream and Mandy suggested I should do a canvas with a photo of Amelia (my grand daughter, Mandy's daughter). So that's what I intended to do, however ...

My idea of a canvas, my uneducated idea, was nowhere near what I ended up creating.

O - M - G !!! How stinking awesome is this technique??? I had Darcie, Darcie's sister Johnna, and Eileen advising me of what I should do to create the canvas. Now I was happy to go along with whatever they suggested - even when at times I thought "What the ???", but I persisted, and oh I'm so glad I did. Those ladies did an amazing job instructing me on this canvas. For those of you who have been to a few of my streams where I'm being "instructed" on how to do something will know I don't really take instructions too well LOL, so theses three were unbelievably GOOD!

I just wish Mandy had suggested I take photos of the canvas at the various stages in the beginning. You would NOT believe where it all started from LOL. Anyway, here are some pics of what it eventually became (it's not quite finished yet though, I need to add a plaque above the photo, and tidy up the sides).

You can watch how the ladies & I created this canvas on my Ustream channel here.

Ink Storage Unit - Mark II (completed)

Here's another ink storage unit - this time it holds 24 Ranger Archival Ink Pads, 24 Distress Ink Pads and 24 Alcohol Ink Refill bottles.

This unit was created pretty much like the original was but sizing had to be adjusted due to the longer depth of the Archival Ink pads. However this created an advantage which allowed room for the addition of the Alcohol Ink bottles - score! This unit is for Mandy - enjoy!

I haven't written a tutorial for this one as yet, and don't think I will either. I will provide the measurements here and you can create it pretty much in the same way as the original storage unit.

Each layer measures 7" x 7". The height is 13 1/4" (this is without including the spinner - yes this one spins too!).

The labels for the Archival Ink pads are different as only one label on each of the two shorter ends is required. This posed a problem, along with the fact that as there is a longer area to cover, the paper strip does not extend to the entire perimeter. Not important anyway, as long as both ends can be labelled - which they are. You can grab the label sheet here.

Please email or leave a comment here with a link to your completed storage units.

Have fun creating!