Organising with Eileen Hull dies ...

Hello Friends

This month Eileen Hull's Inspiration Team are sharing projects using Eileen's dies to help us get organised.  In my case I have created a couple of things that a boy or girl (or grown up!) might find useful on their workspace/desk.

I used one of Eileen's new dies (Cardbox, Planner Storage & Organiser- Sizzix 662361) and also one of her original Scoreboard dies (Block/Cube/Bank Sizzix 658983) to create a notepad holder and a phone/pen holder.  I also used some wonderful stamp sets by AALL & Create (Set #13 and #14 by Olga Heldwein), they are such fun stamps!

In my stash of papers I have lots of painty backgrounds that I created after taking a couple of classes with Seth Apter - for this one I used his monoprint technique and then brayered some white gesso over the top to lighten the colour and add more texture before adding some paint splats.

I die cut the planner box from my painty card and constructed it, it comes in one main piece and goes together like a dream.  I made two boxes and glued them together to give double the storage space.  You can of course, have a whole row of these, free standing or glued together - they are very substantial and will hold CDs, small books, cards, pens, pencils, brushes - whatever you choose to organise!

I stamped and fussy cut the character for the front, added some hashtag stamps from the same stamp set, made a couple of bookmarks and notepads, all stamped from Set #13 and #14.  Don't you just love that little character peeking over the edge!!

I wanted to make something to house a mobile phone and so I used the Box/Cube, it was originally designed to be able to have a hole cut in the top to make the box into a bank.  I used the idea to cut a larger hole that would house a phone.

I also cut six holes that can house pens, scissors etc., before constructing the box, again cut from my painty background card.  I added the stamping from Set #13.

A view from the top so that you can see the hole I cut for the mobile phone.  I simply measured the phone and cut the hole with a sharp knife.  For a larger phone you could simply cut the hole diagonally and still have room for a couple of holes for pens etc.

I used the left over pieces of card to create some notepads and a couple of bookmarks...

I decided to create a robot (as you do!) with a small block and some bits I had in my stash, his 'lightbulb head' is covered with one of the Tim Holtz Idea-ology domes and his body has been stamped with a stamp from Set #14 of the AALL & Create stamp sets.

I hope you will visit Eileen's Blog to see what my talented team mates have been making this month, there have been and will be posts each week sharing organising ideas.

As always, thank you so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon!

Best Wishes,  Anne xxx

Mini Album Makers March Challenge

Hello Friends

It is time for a new challenge at Mini Album Makers and as always, it is anything goes, as long as your entry comprises any form of handmade mini album, scrapbook, journal and book art.  Our focus is on completed works, so no layouts or journal spreads that are not part of a complete handmade book project.  You do not have to provide a tutorial, but we wish you would.  Feel free to use one of the DT tutorials to make your project and give proper credit where due.

I have a new found love for ATCs, so I made a little ATC album holder to house them.

  I used a couple of stencils from one of our recent Sponsors, StencilGirl.  I have a few step by steps to share with you, this is such an easy little album to create.

I started by preparing the background, using PaperArtsy paints, applied with a brayer and dabbing the same colours of paint through a StencilGirl stencil - Ribbons. 

Since both sides of the card would show, I treated the reverse side the same way and using the Squared On stencil by StencilGirl - I love this stencil! 

 Create the pockets for the inside, by:
1) taking a piece of card measuring 7" x 4.5/8"
2) Score at 1/2" and 3.3/4 " on the long side and at 1/2" on the short side
3) Cut where shown in the above picture

Once cut and scored, each pocket should look the above.  Fold on the score lines and glue together for form pockets.  I made eleven pockets in total for my album but you can make as many or as few as you like.

Once assembled, punch a finger hole at the top of each pocket.  Place strong tape (or glue) along the centre of each pocket and glue together in an accordion fashion.

To create the cover, cut a piece of your painted and stencilled card into a strip 11.5/8" long and slightly wider than the finished pocket (in my case 3.1/4").  The width may vary depending on the finished width of your pockets.  I find it easier to wait until the pockets are formed, before cutting the cover to size.

Score at 4.1/8", 5", 9.1/8" and 10" - again, you can adjust the scoring lines to fit your pockets.

Glue, or tape the completed pockets to the front and back cover, but without gluing the bottom of the pockets, they will stay put without glue or tape and will provide some movement if you have thicker ATCs to store in some of the pockets.

Once assembled you can finish off the outside by adding a button and string closure as in my case or by using a closure of your choice.  I added some more stencilling and marks to the outer part of the cover.

Here is a view from the top, with some ATCs ready to be stored away.

We hope you will join in this month at Mini Album Makers where our Sponsor for the month of  March is the one and only Seth Apter!


Website - http://www.sethapter.com/

Blog - https://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sethapter/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thealteredpage

Twitter - https://twitter.com/sethapter

Seth is offering a set of his brand new Baked Textures Embossing Powders created by Seth and Kim Evans of Emerald Creek

I would also love it, if you have the time, if you will pop over to Mini Album Makers to see the wonderful creations my teamies have made!.

Thanks so much for your visit, I hope to see you again soon.

Hugs, Anne xx