A Christmas Mini Album

I finished the Christmas mini album that we'll be making at our next Scraps and Prayers and can't wait to share it with you today.  It's design is a bit versatile and could be changed in several ways.

I designed a belly band to go around mine and couldn't seem to get the right fit to keep it around the album but still be able to slip it on and off easily.  So... I came up with using a magnetic closure.  I cut a magnet to size and used it to secure the belly band.

When you open the album, it has 3 sections and you can decorate it to your heart's desire.  I used a different paper for the flaps and then used scallop circles to hold the flaps shut.

I adhered each side of the lower flaps to form pockets.  You could leave them loose and add more photos on the lower flaps.  With the 3 pockets, I thought you could use them to hold 2 or 3 photos each.

Below... all the flaps are open.

Here's a closeup of the decorations I used to embellish the front of the album.  They are all attached to the belly band.

Another idea:
Leave the lower flaps open, attach a photo to the center flap and stamp/write messages and add stamped images on the outer 2 flaps.  This would make a wonderful Christmas card for special friends and family.

Before you go...

I thought you might like to learn more about our Scraps and Prayers group.  

How do we begin:

We have the best time ever!  We start with a brief chit chat time and then have a brief devotional time.  We then move on to share joys and concerns, and close with a prayer lifting up our loved ones and thanking God for our blessings.

What do we make:  

We make whatever I feel like throwing at the group.  We seem to enjoy every project I plan for our group.  We've made scrapbook layouts, decor projects, projects to make little gifts, ornaments, mini albums, and lots more.

Contact me if you have questions or would like to join our group.  Everyone is welcome! 

- Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogging world. 

- Click on the tab at the top of the page to see my class schedules and registration policies or look on the left for sneak peeks. 

- Come back soon and come back often for more creative inspiration. 

A Fun Trio of Note Cards

I have a TRIO of cards for you today, all using the cute little Santa's Gifts stamp set.  I haven't even used the Santa in the set.  It was the tree, the reindeer and a darling little bird (for another card/another time) that spoke to me with this set. 

I love little window cards.  The one on the left and the one in the middle have windows and the stamped image is actually on the inside of the card.  The one on the right uses the oval cut from the one on the left:)

I have quite a collection of bells and poms (and feathers) from past school and crafting projects, but I still had trouble finding a red pom that was small enough for his nose.  I'm off to buy some more today.  I want to make this one at my Open House Christmas Party.  He's so cute, I'm sure he'll be the star of the party.

The tree card is my favorite of the trio.  I love the polka dots and the plaid working together.

I 'painted' the tree using puddles of ink in the lids of my ink pads and my Aqua Painter.

I just love this little tree!

To keep the deer from getting too dark, I stayed with Crumb Cake ink.  I like how it turned out.

So... which one do you like the best?

I've been busy designing cards for my November 21 Christmas Retreat, as well as more to display for Christmas inspiration.  Be sure to come back to see what I've been creating to share with you.

- Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the blogging world. 

- Click on the tab at the top of the page to see my class schedules and registration policies or look on the left for sneak peeks. 

- Come back soon and come back often for more creative inspiration.

I'm ready for a fun party!

I really wanted to make our Christmas Retreat special today, so I made little gift bags for each person.  They hold their class kits and some special surprises.  When the Retreat is over, they can carry home all their finished cards in the gift bags.  Here's a view of some of the bags. 

I really like how they turned out.  Each person gets a little bag of more goodies, as well.

I'm almost finished cleaning, putting the finishing touches on our lunches, and I think we're ready to begin the fun!  Why do dog toys multiply when you turn your back?

I look forward to these kinds of classes.  Yes, they're a ton of prep work, but so well worth it for the fun we have.  I love having a class where I can really make everything special for my attendees.   

Everyone will go home today feeling like they have a real head start on their Christmas.

In another post, I'll share how I made the gift bags. 

Second of Two Posts Today: A Little Square Christmas Card

Are you ready to get back to some Christmas?  Here's my cute little card for today.  It's a 4 1/4" square card, inspired by one in our Holiday Catalog.  I've chosen Smoky Slate, Old Olive, and Cherry Cobbler for my color story.  We're going to be making this one at my October 17 Christmas Retreat.  

I chose to just use a regular sized envelope and line it with some Merry Moments DSP.

I love the little Reindeer Paper Clips for the embellishment here.  Tie some Cherry Cobbler Baker's Twine around one side of the clip and it's perfect.

I just love this little card!  It was really a fun one to make.

 

Ok, so now you've enjoyed two posts today.  Come on back for some more Christmas fun.  If you'd like to join us for the Christmas Retreat this Saturday, contact me ASAP.  We'd love to have you.