Basic Grey Out of Print Bead Bound Mini

I have so much paper and decided I needed to 'use the stash'.  It's so easy to just buy as each new collection comes out, we all love that paper don't we (and bling and flowers and embellies  and... and... and...) I found it's much easier when I have a whole collection to work with. Paper, stickers, chipboard, stamps, flowers, bling.  It's so much harder to hunt and peck and find what looks good together. But it's a nice feeling when you're done knowing that you didn't hit the local scrapbook store or Michaels once during the process!

Most papers are Basic Grey, the Out of Print 6x6 Paper Pad
I added others to fill in from just what I had in supply.
You'll see Prima on the front and lots of K & Co Die Cuts,
For some reason last year, or perhaps the year before, I really went
crazy buying these, not sure why but decided now was the time to
put them to good use.  That's what started the mini, wanting to use
up these cardstock and acetate die cuts.
Next was finding paper that would work will with these colors.

I used Laura from Following the Paper Trail's 
Bead Binding to attach the pages with pony beads as
spacers, these are multi colored and pick up whatever
colors are nearby.

Many pockets, tags, flip ups and outs

The larger tag on the right is strips of leftovers, glued to a backing
paper and then cut to fit the mat.  I like the striped look don't you?

Large mats go into each end pocket, three have double backed
Martha Stewart flowers and the other three have pull tabs.

I did an extra flip out on this page to give a little extra room

The sunflower on the left is a large cardstock die cut which
I added Martha Stewart glitter glue to the center, looks so
nice when you're up close.  It actually has magnets behind that lift
and reveal a larger mat behind

Pockets, envelopes and mini books stashed here and there

The bird on the left is a fold out revealing 3 spots
for photos (I took an old Starbucks gift card holder for the basic pattern)
I love the look of the pocket on the left.  I fussy cut the paper
and then cut more of the flowers weaving them into themselves

A look at the larger pocket mats.

Old MacDonald Mini Baby Book

If you'd rather watch the YouTube video
of my mini I've included it as well

 

 I wanted a mini for my new Great-Great Nephew 

wow, does that make me sound old or what?

He's due to arrive in November

I found this 8x8 paper pak, Old MacDonald's Farm and
knew it would be perfect for a little boy album

I had intended to leave the front plain, since I had made
the decorated belly band to hold it together.
But after second thoughts I added some rows of
rub ons and this verse and of course a few
stickles, you gotta have stickles!

The darling little caricatures are cut on my Cricut
from Everyday Paper Dolls, Old West and Create a Critter cartridges. 

I decided since the book was already a little puffy
I'd best add a tie to the side to keep it secure once
the baby's photos were added.

Most of the embelishments are fairly flat but it still takes
up a fair amount of room, especially when you're trying
to get it to fold into itself and become a box.

Loved the fence, made a perfect holder for the mat.
The sheep came from an old Debbie Mumm paper pak,
Noah's Ark and the little hanging sign was in a set of 4
I picked up at Tuesday Morning.

The tractor was too pristine when I cut it so I added
a good coat or two of clear embossing and when
cooled I cracked the embossing to give it that old look.

Yep, I know, his eyes are a little funky, but that's the fun
of making things they can be funky once in a while.

Added Glossy Accents and Stickles and a shot or two
of Lindy's to give it a glittery sheen.

Rub-ons look better with a little Stickles

This was cut on the Cricut and then several layers
of UTEE added, love how it looks like plastic now.

He's my favorite, I'd hung on to this one sheet of 6x6 paper
for eons and sure enough it made just the right texture
for the wool on this little fellow.

The little puffy cloud is from Martha Stewart, it came with the
stars and crescent moons that are on other pages.

Love the kitty, he'll hold the baby's photo real snug.

And doesn't this little puppy just make you smile?

Thanks to the talent of the Peachy Keen designers and their
wonderful face stamps!

And of course the farm had to have a pig...

and a love bug...

and a bee (with Ice Stickle wings!)

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my little boxed mini.

Together Forever

An old friend just recently got married and I wanted to send her
a very special birthday card.
A few days ago I ran across a YouTube video by Amazing Paper Grace
on using a wide border punch, like the Martha Stewart Trellis Punch
here to make a framework for your card.
I had to try it!  It worked so well, thank you Becca!

I used a Webster's Pages 6x6 Paper for the photo behind the frame
Highlighting the peacock's tail with Stickles
The flower and Love are also Websters

I popped the whole framework up on pop strips to pull it away
from the cardstock and added pearls to the corners and
along the flower centers

The beautiful flower ribbon is more of that 90% off closeout
I got from my LSS (it ended up costing $1.19 for 10 yards!)
The lace behind it was in a RAK

Sentiments are from My Cute Stamps

To finish I lightly sprayed the inside and out with Iridescence Shimmer
from Glimmer Mists

Supplies:

InLinkz.com

Mini Squares

I used a 1 inch ruffled square punch and punched out a multitude of  squares
Inking each square around the edges

On a mat of white paper 5x6" I drew a faint pencil line diagonally from corner to corner
Working from the middle I started placing my squares along this line
Moving from row to row until the entire surface was covered, leaving a small space
between each square showing the mat below
I trimmed the square to 4 x 51/4" and placed it on my card front

Next I punched out a Martha Stewart Monarch Butterfly,
Inked the edges and used some Diamond Stickles on the wings
I took some light weight purple beading wire to form the antenna
and popped the butterfly up on the lower left of my card front.

On the inside I used a script stamp over a piece of printed paper from
the K&Company Best of Brenda Walton stack
I was given the butterfly (which was cut on white cardstock) in a RAK
so I used some spray and glittered it up,
ran it through the Polka Dot Embossing Folder in my Cuttlebug and
stamped it with a My Sentiments Exactly stamp

The last step was placing some small pearls
where each square met at the corners

Supplies used:

Best of Brenda Walton 12 x 12 Paper Pad	Monarch Butterfly Large Double Punch	*Ranger STICKLES DIAMOND	Tim Holtz Distress Ink PAD VINTAGE PHOTO	Cuttlebug 5 x 7 Embossing Folder POLKA DOTS
Martha Stewart 1-Inch Scalloped Square Punch	Hero Arts CLING Stamp ANTIQUE BACKGROUND WRITING	*Cuttlebug Die-Cut & Emboss Machine	3M Scotch ATG GUN 700

InLinkz.com