Mini Album Makers - November Challenge

It is time for a new challenge at Mini Album Makers and, as always, it is any form of handmade mini album, scrapbook, journal and book arts.

I am still in 'mini album' mode and have created a little Christmas album, which tucks nicely into a small decorated gift box.

The finished album measures 2.1/4" x 2" and is 1.1/4" deep.

I used Eileen Hull's Box, Candy Drawer die to make my gift box.  It is cut from chipboard.

The box was painted with Black Soot Distress Paint, covered with paper from the Tim Holtz stack of paper.  All the raw edges were coloured with Black Soot Distress Oxide.

To create the album, cut a piece of board to 5.3/4" x 2.1/8" and score at
2.1/4" x 3.1/2".  Cover with your chosen paper and cut the corners as shown.  Fold the corners over and glue in place and place to one side to dry.

  To create the spine for your pages cut 4 pieces of lightweight card as follows:

1.  Cut a piece of card 1.3/4" x 2" and score at 3/8" and 1.5/8"
2.  Cut a piece of card 1.5/8" x 2" and score at 3/8" and 1.1/4"
3.  Cut a piece of card 1.1/2" x 2" and score at 3/8" and 1.1/8"
4.  Cut a piece of card 1.1/8" x 2" and score at 3/8" and 5/8"

Fold and layer up the spine pieces and glue together to form a 'fan' shape.  Glue a piece of card to the inside of the album.  I usually just glue the spine area and leave the cover pieces to be glued down later, this way you can trim the edges if necessary.

Next, cut your 'pages', you will need 8 of these, 4" x 1/7/8" and score and crease in the middle.

Glue the 'pages' in as shown and then glue to the base of the album.  Once fitted, glue the inside covers of the album, trimming if necessary.

Decorate your pages as you wish, I filled mine with lots of Christmas sentiments, Christmas trees, snowflakes and I added a little pocket to the front and back cover.  I added the number 25 to the front cover and also added an elastic closure.

To finish off the box I added a Tim Holtz Poinsettia in white card, some red jingle bells and some dyed seam binding.

So there you have it, I hope you like it!

Our wonderful sponsor at Mini Album Makers this month is Lindy's Stamp Gang.

Lindy's are offering a $25 voucher to one lucky winner!

We would love to see you join in this month at Mini Album Makers Challenge,

I would like to add my project to the Frilly and Funky Trick or Treat Challenge.  Not very Halloween-like but my frilly treat is that the mini album hides away in the little box....as a surprise.

Thanks for your visit, hope to see you again soon!

Hugs, Anne  xx

Secret Santa at Anything But Cute

Hello Friends

Is there anything nicer for a crafter, than getting a handmade gift from a crafty friend at Christmas?!

This year at Anything But Cute we decided to do a Secret Santa and I got to make a gift
for the uber talented Pamellia of  My Little Craft Things. So, what to make for such a talented crafter?  It had to be a 3D project using one of Eileen Hull's fabulous dies!  I used the Cantilever Sewing Box die to make Pamellia a little box to store some of her crafty bits and bobs.  I am happy to report that Pamellia loved her gift....

I added a flower to the top using Tim Holtz's fabulous Poinsettia die.  The flower is removable so that the box will look a little less Christmassy....

The box opens up and there are lots of little compartments to store crafty things.

I used some beautiful Maja Design papers for the inside and outside of the box.  The struts and insides of the trays are painted with IndigoBlu English Cottage Acrylic paint - Grandma's Teacup, it matched the papers so beautifully.

I also made a tag and included one of Tim Holtz's Idea-ology watches, decorated inside with the words 'Remember the Now'.  The little knobs on the top of the box are also from the Tim Holtz Idea-ology range.

Finally, I sent Pamellia quite a simple card.  Those who know Pamellia well will know how much love she has for the neighbourhood woodland creatures, particularly the squirrels.  When I saw this delightful image I knew it just had to go on Pamellia's card and I wanted it to be the centre of attention.

I was so lucky to receive my gift from my lovely and talented friend, Sara Emily of  Sara's Closet.  Here is a sneak peek of what Sara sent me, you will never guess what it is!

 I hope you will find the time to go over THERE and have a look, it is quite exquisite.  About a year or so ago Sara did a tag with a similar technique and I lusted after it for ages, the tag has been shared over a 1,000 times on Pinterest, so I think a lot of others were lusting after it too!  Sara, I LOVE MY GORGEOUS GIFT, it will be so incredibly useful, particularly over Christmas!

It has been such a pleasure participating in the Secret Santa with my lovely teamies at Anything But Cute this year!  It has been great fun ladies!!  We are taking a little break during December at Anything But Cute but we will be back with our Winners Post on 12th December and with a new challenge in January!

I am adding this to Country View Challenges where the challenge theme is - Christmas
I am also adding my little sewing box to Simon Says Monday Challenge where the challenge theme is Christmas Gifts.

Thank you for looking, hope to see you again soon.

Big hugs,  Anne xxx

A Stitch in Time

Hello Everyone!

It seems ages since I blogged but I had a few days away.  I am here to share my Inspiration Team piece for Eileen Hull's Art With Heart Challenge - A Stitch in Time.  Do come and join in the fun!

Eileen has designed a fabulous new range of sewing themed dies which are either in the stores now or will be coming very soon!  This week I chose to use the Cantilever Sewing Box die and next week I will be sharing projects made the new Stitchlits border and flower dies.  The sewing box is SO clever, just like the one your Mum or Grandma used to have, only in miniature!

This is a picture heavy post so I have kept the words to a minimum.

Using the die I cut out all the pieces and looked at the brief instructions.

Since I intended to cover my box with paper I attached strong red liner tape all around each box and painted the bottom and edges with Tim Holtz Aged Mahogany Distress Paint.

I chose the fabulous new Graphic 45 Christmas Carol papers to cover the box.

With the boxes covered, I painted the struts with DecoArt Media Fluid paint in Titan Buff.

I used some metal brads from my stash (the colour matched too!!) for the struts, and two knobs by Wendy Vecchi's Blossom Bucket range on the top.

At this point I decided to make it a jewelry box and lined each compartment with more of the papers and then some black felt.  Two of the compartments were fitted with concertina folded felt to create places for rings and earrings.

To decorate the top I cut a Tim Holtz Poinsettia, partly from G45 paper and partly from canvas fabric which was backed with Wendy Vecchi's Clearly For Art so that I could shape the flower and it would stay in place.  The greenery is from more Tim Holtz dies and the pearly embellishments are by Anna Marie Designs

Here is a close up of the finished top.  I also painted the stars on the little knobs.

One final look at the completed box.  The finished set measures 6.1/4" x 2.1/4" approx.

(16 cm x 7 cm approx) - perfect as a little jewelry box or for several small gifts.

I do hope you like it!  I can see myself making a few of these to put small Christmas gifts in, they would be brilliant for Valentine gifts too, but I also think they would make wonderful mini sewing boxes to keep all your sewing bits and bobs in.  They go together incredibly easily too.

So do please come an join us at Art With Heart in our A Stitch in Time Challenge HERE, where you could win one of Eileen's fabulous new dies!  At the moment you stand a very good chance of winning - just saying.....!

Thanks so much for looking, I hope to see you again soon.  Hugs, Anne xx