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

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 . . .

 

 

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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

 

Snap,Crackle, Pop! ~ Robin's Nest DT Post

For my last Robin's Nest project, I used the pink crackle paper (link below), but I decided to go a different direction this time.  I also mentioned in that post that you could use the crackle paper for a barbed wire look; so . . . that's just what I did!

In this project I used these Robin's Nest products:

 

 Blue Crackle Cardstock (two sided)

Double-sided Calamity Jane Roses Cardstock

Cowboy Tag Kit

 

I had some left-over pictures from our Deadwood trip and decided I wanted to make a mini album for my son (since most of the pictures are him lol).  I decided to make a one paper mini which you can create from one piece of 12x12 paper, scored, cut and then folded.   There are tons of tutorials with videos if you search it on youtube.  In fact, I believe Terri Sproul did one with Robin's Nest paper (click here to see it)!  I used the Blue Crackle Cardstock (link above) as my base.

 

 

 

 

You can see that it's cut into a "W" formation before being folded. 

 

 

I used pieces of the Cowboy Tag Kit (link above) to embellish my mini and scraps of the Calamity Jane Roses Cardstock (link above) which is a nice two-sided, heavy cardstock.  I especially like how the silhouette sticker looks on the binding.

 

 

The crackle finish, in this case, looks like barbed wire.  The next pictures shows it more closely (um love, love, love the glitter).

 

 

Here are a few more pictures.

 

Thanks for stopping by to visit and to view my project!  Don't forget to leave me a comment and let me know how you like it.  Make sure stop over at the Robin's Nest Website to check out these products and so many more.

 

~ Make Today Count

Wendy

www.scrappinwendysway.blogspot.com

 

Twilight Mini Album Birthday Gift

Love Bites! Mini Album

Okay, so in hindsight I went a little "My Big Fat Greek Wedding - Wedding Planning Album" all up on this thing, but I was trying to hide a seam and really should have just used ribbon, not lace.  I don't like the lace but it was finished and what could I do? I really think the rest of the album came out cute - I should have made one for me too lol.  Today I'm going to post the first few pictures and will post some more later this week.  I've been home sick and then home with a sick child and am still catching up.  So here's what I have so far . . .

The Jacob brooch I on the front cover is one I made

(see earlier posts for close-up pics and the how-to on it).

The binding has a wolf charm, a silver vampire teeth charm, a crystal charm and some ribbon.

The album is put together using "paper hinges" I created just scoring cardstock.  I like this method because you can choose the space between your pages by how far apart you score it.  That way you can have chunky embellishments without your book turning into a big "V" shaped monstrosity.

The inside front cover has a chain that is meant to look like Bella's

bracelet from Jacob with Edward's diamond heart on it as well.

That's all for today.  Check back later for more pictures of this album.

~ Make Today Count

Wendy

All You Need is Love Card Kit Mini Album DT Post for Robin's Nest

This month we are highlighting the Robin's Nest Card Kits and Tag Kits which are 20% off (yay!). Just use the promo code: cardkitpromo when placing an order. Because I am on the layout team and not so much a card maker, I challenged myself to use the card kit (the whole thing) to create something fun and . . . not a card - lol. Here's what I came up with; what do you think? I just want to show you how much you can do with a card kit. Don't limit yourself!

I started with the Roses Card Kit which you can find here. I also used the following items:

Wedding Tag Kit (a few items)

Flame Dew Drops (red ones)

Flame Clippies (the king of hearts)

Heartfelt Creations Posey Patch Flowers Stamp and Die Set

So, other than those items I used some bits and pieces of embellishments and scraps of black cardstock . . . that's it!

I started by attaching the envelopes that come with the card kit in a W or mountain formation. I had an envelope flap left over, so I sandwiched it between two of the cards from the kit to create a front cover for my mini and then adhered the third card to the last envelope to create a back cover:

Then I pulled out the pieces of my card kit and turned it into a mini album. I created the front flower using the Heartfelt Creations stamp and die set (what a fun idea - you stamp first and then cut out the stamped images with a die - no fussy cutting!). Here are some pictures of that process:



Here are some pictures of the finished product:

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Don't forget to check out The Robin's Nest website and pick-up your card kits and tag kits this month while they are on sale!

Team Jacob or Team Edward? Amazing Mold Putty DT Post

I enjoyed the books and tolerated the movies (but because I enjoyed the books I bought the movies - lol).  Anywhooo, I decided to make a Twilight mini album for a teenage friend for Christmas.  One of the things I needed was a big chunky Team Jacob embellishment.  So I decided to make both! 

So here's what I love about this project, not only did I get to use the Amazing Mold Putty and Amazing Casting Resin I use on all of my projects, but I also tried out the Alumilite Metallic Powders and the Alumilite Dyes.  And then to finish it off I used my Amazing Clear Cast for the first time ever (and love it!).

So, of course, I started with the Amazing Mold Putty mixing a 1:1 ratio of "A" and "B" (click on the link at the end of this post and go to their website for a tutorial).

This was the item I chose to mold.

After I made my mold, my experimenting began . . . I decided to try the metallic powder (link above).  I brushed the inside of my mold liberally with the powder on a paintbrush (and when I say "liberally" I mean I brushed the inside of the container - I didn't even have to dip the brush into the powder . . . this stuff goes a loooong way)

Next I poured the Amazing Casting Resin (link above) and waited for it to set.

Once the resin had turned completely white, I removed it from the mold and  . . . VOILA!  My piece came out with a metallic finish hard set in . . .no worrying about the color coming off or what product to use on the surface, etc. 

The next one I did I decided to go a little more crazy.  I mixed a couple of drops (and I mean just drops) of the African American dye and then added a little of the metallic powder to side "A" before mixing the resin.  This is what it looked like:

I love that the piece has a solid color and I don't have to doctor the back at all.  Once I get the desired look on the front, the back still has that brown and slightly metallic look and I can just leave it alone. 

Now when I say "desired look" you know I didn't just leave these pieces the way they were . . . nooooooo, I had to paint, daub, brush and rub to get them the way I wanted them.  You can see that I brushed them with black paint and then wiped it off so the black stayed in the low, indented or debossed areas.  Then on one of them I used some antique gold rub to finish it off. 

Once I had the frame portion complete, I glued in some pictures and THEN . . . I tried out the Amazing Clear Cast (link above) to seal the picture and create a glass look.  And look how "Amazing" it really is.

So here is another look at my finished project:

What do you think?  Don't forget to check out the Amazing Mold Putty website for these and more Amazing products.

 ~ Make Today Count

Wendy