First Look - Pages from Travel Junk Journal * Road Trip *

Okay, here is the front cover of our Travel Junk Journal from our Road Trip to South Dakota.  I know the faces in the windows is a corny touch, but I just couldn't help myself (I know, I know. . . ).  Anyway, I also added a pic of the boys on the faux Polaroid.  The cover itself was already completed (I created the whole thing before we left and took it with us for journaling as we went (and yeah, I actually did journal a little bit - lol), so I just slipped the photos in.

For the cover, I used medium weight chipboard (I painted with black acrylic paint) and covered with a vintage print paper bag (you can get them at this blog http://www.thejulebox.com/2011/04/vintage-newspaper-ad-bags-in-2-designs.html  The Jule Box.  Check out her other items as well - she has a lot of great things.  I finished off the cover with a faux Polaroid a "Road Trip" tag, some patterned paper, a small shipping tag I stamped and a Tim Holtz die cut.

Below is a little bit of a closer look at the detail.

 Here is a closer look at the charms hanging on the binding.  Speaking of the binding, this journal was so big by the time I finished, that I had to use leather cord to bind it because even my 2" binder rings were not big enough!  I guess I need to plan better next time.

That's all for today, next I will post some inside pages.  Keep a lookout for my next Robin's Nest post, it's a fun one this time (well, hopefully, they're all fun lol).

~ Make Today Count

Wendy

Hello Again and Instructions for Mix and Match Mini Album

Well we are officially back from our summer road trips (we started with a family camping trip to Kern River, then a two week road trip to South Dakota and then finished it off with three days in Vegas - whew! - I don't ever want to get back in the car again).  As much as I like vacations, I am so glad to be home where we can just spend some time on the beach.  But keep an eye out for that Road Trip Travel Junk Journal I mentioned a few weeks back.  I will be posting it once I get my pictures back and have it completely filled-in.

Okay, I have had a ton of requests for the instructions on how to make the base for the Mix and Match Mini Album (and, because I didn't get her user name correct, no one can find them!).  Yes, I am brain dead!  So, here is a link to Mariana's video (be sure to check out her channel as well - she has a lot of really cool tutorials) . . .

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpVCbLh-3uk&list=FLipu2K09pXKN1KZpXxPYbpQ&index=2&feature=plpp_video  -

So send me some pictures and let me know what you make - This came together so much more quickly than I thought it would (thanks to the video with measurements).

~ Make Today Count
Wendy

Mix and Match Travel Mini Album * Robin's Nest Design Team Post *

This album shows how you can mix and match patterned papers that don't necessarily "go together" and create a unique, cohesive album (or layout) that totally works.

I started with a mini album which I created out of Robin's Nest black cardstock from the new Hot Flame line.   There is no chipboard involved, but you need to use a good quality, thick cardstock like Robin's Nest cardstocks in order for your mini to be sturdy enough. I can't take credit for the idea on this mini.  Angel400 on YouTube has a tutorial with measurements and complete instructions. Below is what it looked like made from just black cardstock and adhesive.

I used magnets for my closure and added my patterned paper on top to hide the magnets.

I went through  my Robin's Nest patterned papers to decide what would go with my travel theme.  I grabbed the obvious (Palm Tree Glitter Cardstock, and Tropical Voyage Paper), and then some not-so-obvious choices like the Olive Fleur on Linen, the Brown Leopard Print on Cream, and Glitter Vanilla Wedding.  I pulled out a few others, but ultimately, these are the ones I chose.

I also pulled out the Robin's Nest Palm Tree Rub-Ons and the Palm Tree Paper Clips - These were perfect for this project!

After cutting my papers to match my page sizes for my mini album, I chose two of my favorite inks a deep brown and a black, to distress the edges of all of the papers, which not only gave the papers the distressed look I was going for, but it also pulls all of the different colors and patterns together.  Now, even though the patterns are all very different, they all have the exact same distressed edge in the same color tones.  I started with the brown and did a pretty good sized border, then I followed up with the black just edging it a bit.

Once I had everything inked, I adhered all of the papers to my mini.  I used any left-over scraps to create tags and photo mats to go in the pockets I created.

As you can see, even though I have used all patterned papers (no solids) and they are all from different Robin's Nest lines and sets, they do work together.  Don't be afraid to mix and match your patterned papers and come up with something totally unique to you and your style!

Even though I want the photos to be the focus of this mini, I decided the front needed just a bit more.  So, I used the largest of the rub-ons (link above) and rubbed it onto a piece of Robin's Nest Glitter Vanilla Wedding paper (link above).  I then fussy cut the image and adhered it to my cover using foam dots.  I used the Glitter Vanilla Wedding paper because it has a nice linen finish and is a good, thick quality paper, but was still easy to cut.  I used the same brown ink as before on the edges of the image to make it stand out even more and give it some depth.

I finished the album off with the "Tropical Breeze" quote found in the Rub-ons package (link above) and a bow to give it the appearance that it's holding the mini closed (even though it's just decorative).

Thanks for looking.  Let me know if you try this, I would love to see some finished products where you "mixed and matched."  Happy Scrapping!

~Make Today Count

Wendy



Just Checking In . . .

I know I haven't been posting, but we have been doing summer vacations (with limited internet access up in the Black Hills of South Dakota).  I will have a new Robin's Nest post coming out on July 15th, so watch out for that.

We are in town now but it will be hit and miss until the middle of next week . . . and then I will be right back at it.

Thanks for sticking with me!

~ Make Today Count
Wendy

Let Freedom Ring! Robin's Nest Design Team Post

Hey everone, I am so excited to share my first Robin's Nest Design Team post!  With July 4th rapidly approaching, I felt it only appropriate to use the fun and glittery Robin's Nest Washington D.C. line.  What a fun easy way to decorate for a 4th of July picnic!  You could use this 4th of July bag for popcorn, or fill it with sand to display mini flags, or even to line your walkway (fill with sand and add a tea light at the top) with different pictures from holidays past on each bag.  There are so many way you could use this.

I started with this fabulous picture of my friend's two adorable grandchildren. . . How could I go wrong?

I pulled out my Robin's Nest supplies and laid them out. 

 I decided I would do a layered mat and cut squares from the Glitter Blue Stars Border paper, the Glittered Blue Chipboard and the Glitter Wite on White paper in varying sizes.  I laid them out on the paper bag to get an indea of how large to make them and where to place them.

Next, distress the edges with a distress tool or a pair of sharp scissors, curling up the edges with your fingers as you go.  Adhere the squares together with your picture on top.

Lastly, adhere the matted photo to the bag.  Choose what phrase you like best from the Glitter America Words paper and cut it out into a banner and distress the edges, curling them up as you go, just as you did with the photo and mats.  I glued my banner at an angle just under the corner of the photo mat and added a red snippet of fabric, attached with my Stars RN Paper Clip.  For an extra wow, adde a Glitter Firework Diecut with some red Dew Drops in the center just under the top left corner of the photo mat.  After folding the top down a bit, the bag was ready to serve popcorn to the most discriminating 4th of July picnic crowd!  Let me know if you try this . . . I would love to see your version!

Close-ups:

Here are the supplies I used:

Glitter White on White paper
Glitter Blue Stars Border paper
Glitter Blue Chipboard
Glitter America Words paper
Stars RN Paper Clips
Glitter Die Cut Fireworks

They can all be found on the Robin's Nest website here:   http://robinsnest-scrap.com/

Also, check out their blog here:  http://chatteringrobins.blogspot.com/