Baby Boy Diaper Bag Mini Album

Thanks for viewing stopping by to look at my Diaper Bag Baby Boy Mini Album. I created this album for a friend. The couple having the baby are not into really cutesy stuff, so I used this paper pad that’s just a but more edgy than your average baby paper. I really love the way it turned out.

You can see more of the album in the youtube video:

I used the hinge binding (Laura Dennison’s I think - but I’ve seen it so many times on youtube that I’ve lost track of where it started).

The thimble charm tassel I saw here: http://www.youtube.com/user/gladysgarden (she has some fabulous videos - take a look).

The micro mini album I saw here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OJkbRmMMeE&list=FLipu2K09pXKN1KZpXxPYbpQ


The album itself I just created like you would any mini except that I added the purse handles and the paper / buckle closure (it has a magnet under the buckle so you don’t have to actually unbuckle the paper strap). There are 7 page sets. Each page has front/back, a large fold out flap and a large side pocket with a tag. I’ve embellished only the pages you see when you flip through without opening the flaps so that inside the flaps they can include full sized pictures of the baby (either 5x7 or 4x6). There is room for 28 full size pictures plus what will fit on the embellished pages (another 14+) along with the 20 + various sized tags throughout the album (some as large as 4x5). With the hinges leaving a full half inch between pages, you can fit A TON of pictures in an album like this!

Thanks again for stopping by!

~ Make Today Count

Wendy

Baby Carriage and Mini Album

I've been holding off posting this because it is a gift for my niece and her new baby (and with the sickness in the family, we haven't been out to see the baby yet).  But, I decided, that she's probably so busy with the baby that she's certainly no looking at my blog (I hope).  So, even though these are not great pictures (taken with my phone right after I finished it), I'm posting them as a "sneak peek."

I created the carriage from chipboard and design paper (the wheels from ribbon spools).  It's just big enough to fit the mini album inside.  I really love how it turned out.  The canopy actually opens and closes since the strips are held in place with brads.  The wheels actually turn too.  The design paper is Basic Grey "Out of Print."

I'll have to post some better pictures taken with my camera now that it has the baby's name and some cute charms hanging from the carriage push handle.  I am really excited about how it came out though.  It was fun to create and will be even more fun to give to my niece!

Thanks for checking out my carriage!

~ Make Today Count

Wendy

Halloween Apothecary Cabinet

Okay, I know these pictures are not the best, but I took them at night with a really crappy light.  But I just love how it turned out so I'm gonna post these pictures even though they are not good and then maybe I will put some better ones up later lol. 

See . . .  blurry and yellow light . . . ugh!  But I took these quickly with my phone instead of using the camera, so that made a difference too.  Now I know I saw the idea to use the legs on the side on someone else's project, but I can't give credit because I can't find the one I saw.  So if I lifted this idea from you, let me know and I will give you credit and put a link to your project as well.  I think this little cabinet came out so cute.  I found it at a local thrift store (for like $.46) and painted it.  The paint treatment is hard to see, but I have been wanting to try it on a bigger piece of furniture and thought I would start small. 

The look I was going for was kind of like this one:



I think I got close but I didn't sand the edges at the end.

Then I just added all sorts of fun stuff inside.  I made the little books using a tutorial on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnhKe7BLRJQ).  I just altered the size to make them even smaller to fit in my cabinet.  The little book on the bottom is like a small file with tiny photo mats inside to put kids' Halloween pics. 

Thanks for stopping by to take a look at my Halloween Apothecary Cabinet!

~ Make Today Count
Wendy

Pictures Coming

If you are visiting my blog to view pictures of the Haunted Mansion Halloween Mini Album for sale in my Etsy shop, I will post them tomorrow.  In the meantime you can see the album in the YouTube video below.

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Make Today Count

Wendy

Haunted House and Halloween Mini Album Sneak Peek

Okay, this is totally a sneak peek because I am not finished with this yet.  I have a skeleton to go in the balcony of the haunted house and my album is near complete.  What do you think? Leave me a comment and let me know.  I started with a plain paper mache house from Hobby Lobby like this one:

 

I gave it a few coats of paint (okay, I painstakingly applied layer after layer until I got it just right lol), a balcony made from chipboard scraps, ragged cloth curtains in all windows, a chipboard door with real metal hinges and a door pull, not to mention spider webs and tombstones and voila!  You have a haunted mansion perfect for housing my Halloween Mini Album.  Here are a couple more pictures:

 

Close-up

 

 

The one below shows the inside.  I put "wallpaper" and a hanging picture on the back wall because with a couple of battery operated tea lights you can see through the windows.  I painted the entire inside black before installing the curtains and adding "wallpaper."

 

Now for a sneak peek at the album . . .wait  . . . for . . . it . . .

 

 

~

 

~

 

~

 

~

 

~

 

 

 

 

So . . . what do you think?  I totally love it.  Of course I agonized over the cover like I always do, layering things on top trying to figure out if I was going to like it, because the minute you glue it down there's no turning back.  But I really do like how it turned out.  So here's what's piled on . . . 

 

 The two metal corners are die cut from metal tape and dry embossed using my sizzix.  After that I added layers of emboss enamel and paint and then chipped some off to look really worn.  The skeleton hand has been painted and distressed and wiped off again.  I added three layers of lace to look like a vintage sleeve.  I also added a jump ring with a rhinestone to create a ring.  The skeleton is cut from design paper and embossed using an embossing stylus to give it some depth (of course I also adhered it with pop up tape for more height).Under the hand and skeleton is a black rose trim with a bit of black crocheted lace peeking out from just under the edge.  I have added two stick pins I created using various beads from my stash, a teeny tiny glass vial with green "poison" in it (the lid is glued in) a frame I created with Amazing Mold Putty and Resin with a glitter spider from design paper, I Am Roses flowers and skeleton leaves colored with Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst sprays, some bones and a tiny skull from my stash, a title tag from design paper, and to finish it off, a Tim Holtz door knob. 

 

Whew!  I think that about does it for the cover.  Since I didn't show the spine, I don't have to tell you about that yet lol.  I will be selling this house/album on Etsy or Ebay so when I show the finished product I will give all of these details again for anyone who is interested.  Wait until you see how chunky this album is . . . I think the spine is 5" wide (I need to measure).

 

Well, there's the sneak peek, thanks for stopping by.  Be sure to comment and let me know what you think.

 

~ Make Today Count

 

Wendy

 

But We Were on a Break!

I know it's been awhile since I've posted, but in the words of Ross Geller . . . "but we were on a break . . .!"  All kidding aside, between closing shop (the attorney I work for has retired and aside from a few lingering cases we are finishing up we are closed), a Kern River camping trip, a Vegas trip with my bestie and her family, a three week road trip (main destinations Durango and Cripple Creek Colorado with many stops along the way) and my son starting a new charter school, it has been a doozy of a summer (yeah, yeah I know summer is over and it's really fall already).  But now that kids are back in school and I'm trying to get a hold of my new schedule of being a glorified taxi (my 16 year old is in a hybrid independent study/online school through our district where I still have to haul him around to labs, language and for tests several times a week to the old district office (in another city).  So, that being said, I am going to start posting again regularly and start showcasing some of my recent projects. 

My first post (after this one) will be a sneak peek at my Haunted House and Halloween Mini Album (I think I will do a YouTube video on that one too).  It is almost finished and I think it is coming out fab! 

My next post will probably be a gift I made for my niece who just had a baby.  I don't want to post it before I give it to her because I'm afraid she might see it (although she probably doesn't follow my blog lol).  This one I am really excited about because it came out so stinking cute!  I created the mini album first, then when I got the idea to make a baby carriage to house it, I had to size it around the mini album.  It turned out to be a good fit, except that the next one (that's right I'm gonna make more!) will be a bit wider so that I can embellish the album front more.

Before I go, here is my favorite road trip 2013 photo of my boys and Gidget.

So, all that to say I'M BACK!  Stay tuned . . .

Thanks for stopping by!

~Make Today Count
Wendy