Fabulous New Folio Album

 Hi Crafters

Today I am sharing with you a new folio File I made. As you can see from my recent posts I love to make Journals, mini books etc and the embellishments for them. I admire the many journal style books I see made by other crafters  with coffee stained papers and the shabby chic look, but I find when I start to do a layout or design for an album or book of any kind, my designs veer towards a simpler page leaving a clean look for the photographs with practical and pretty embellishments.

The Folio style book is one of the simpler styles to compile as it requires no binder. The only downside is that it does not allow for additional sections to be added as there is not the room for expansion that there is in the binder style books. If you use Envelopes for the base part of the album you can still have several flip pages so the finished item can hold a reasonable amount of pictures and memorabilia.

This album has been made using Stamperia ‘Time’ papers. Stamperia is an Italian company that make the most beautiful double sided papers, they are lovely quality and for the 12 x 12 sheets they cost £1 a page if bought in the pack and approximately £1.50 a page if bought separately. I get mine from DaliArt.

You start the album by choosing a selection of envelopes to use. This one has 2 - C5, 1-  5” x 7” and 1- a little bigger than C6. You can use up your accumulated odd envelopes or you could use scrap envelopes such as those that come in junk mail or return envelopes that you don’t use, It is good to have a selection of sizes as they will sit onto the one underneath. Lay the envelopes out on your table and see how you want to configure them then use the flaps as hinges and glue the envelopes together. 

Then cover the envelopes with a base card, and top with your selected papers. 

Originally I had one C5 envelope and once I had put the base together I decided to add a second C5 envelope by glueing the top flap to the back of the first to give me  something to adhere the cover too. 

The cover is made of 2 pieces of 12 x 12 papers glued together and then cut to fit the height of the album, The papers are then folded to make the folio style cover with any extra width being cut after you are happy with your flap sizes. Round the corners and glue to the back of the base envelope. The 2 pieces of 12 x 12 used to make my cover was from a DCWV pad as this was heavier card stock. It was one sided so required covering in my selected papers to finish the inside flap. 

So here is the layout of the open album.

The construction of the envelopes means that you have storage areas inside the envelopes and these are made by having V shaped envelopes on the sides and gluing the black card panels to the V shape allowing the opening of the envelope to be the opening for your storage area. you can then add additional photo mats and tags etc to the inside. Once the album is in use they can store photographs or memorabilia. 

You can see the lace piece from the tag inside the left envelope just peeping out. 

 Here the album is opened up completely so you can see the base envelope and the side pockets on the inside flaps of the folder. The top 3 envelopes folds down with the side envelopes folding in.

Here we have the envelopes folded down, and the layering mats that are tucked into the storage space, showing at the top of the picture.

I have also made tags and decorated paperclips in matching papers.

On the outside I have added construction tape to the fold of the file to add additional strength. The closure is an elastic toggle style to allow for expansion. The toggle decoration is a black leather flower that I made  and has been sitting in the craft room waiting for the appropriate project. 

There is plenty of room on the front if you wanted to add a message.

I really enjoyed making this folio and whilst it was fairly simple, you can decorate and embellish with your own style of items 

If we are able to do craft fairs later in the year I will be making some to go on my table.

This one is available to buy on Ebay and in my Etsy shop. It is listed as a Folio Album

You can see many different style of the folio album on YouTube. 

Dee 

Fabulous Journal Tags Make them from Scraps

 Hi Crafters

Here I am, as promised,  with my lovely collection of journal tags. These were another idea taken from Gi Kerr on YouTube, 

https://youtu.be/Opb0vTGtHCU

although mine are finished a little differently, and I will have to make more to try more like tags finished like hers. 

I started with some  pieces from my scraps that looked suitable for journals and some I cut into tag shapes and some I tore and inked around. The tags are then laminated and cut around, a hole put into the tag and decorated. 

I loved the process and the fact that I was able to use up, not only my itty bitty scraps but also bits and pieces of beads, ribbon, charms etc.

So went onto try making some more journal tags from a catalogue delivered that morning, and this made some pretty vintage style tags, thou they have a bright finish from the lamination.

Here they are laminated and ready to cut out.

These were such pretty pictures they needed little adornment, so small beads or charms 

Some of the other pictures used were a little large for tags and so I laminated then to make tuck corners on my journal pages. I will have to make a envelope folio folder to show you all how I will use them.

Check back next week to see a spring flower pot card.

Dee

Fabulous files to store your Crafty Bits

 Hi Crafters

Well I find myself happily full of craft projects I want to try. After making the snap purses in my last blog I can't wait to try Gi Kerr's Journal Tags, but these will have to wait as I have seen some great files for storage on Sam Calcotts YouTube videos, so here we go.

I have made many files in the past, but Sam's video showed how to use laminated front and back panels, and also how to laminate the front flap to make it sturdier for a snap popper closing. 

Here is the one using Sam's directions  

This one was made usisng Stamperia papers for the front and back panels and coordinating pages from a DCWV paper pad. Both are lovely quality papers and the Stamperia have some great prints in the style of Graphics 45 but not such busy prints.

I was in the mood for file making then and decided to make another 2 to make a set. I altered the design a little so that the base was a solid shape and instead of laminating the flap and panels I lined the tops to take the snap poppers. I cut these 7" and 5" wide and 6" deep for the main printed panels so I was able to get them both out of one sheet of 12 x 12 Stamperia paper. I cut the base panels 3.5" x 7", and 3.5" x 5" scored at 1" either side, leaving a base of 1.5". The top panels are cut 5" x 7" and 5" x 5" and scored at 1" 2.5" (and at each score panel inbetween these 2 and then shorten the flap as required flace another piece of coordinating card inside the top flap from the 2.5" score line down, to reinforce front flap and line the front panel with an inch of coordinating card. Make up n the same way as Sam does her folder. Follow the link here.

https://youtu.be/HayvSU59DKQ

Next I want to try a combination of the two,  laminated front panels and layered flap for extra strength, as I love the laminated feature, or laminated flap and brad fastenings. This set will be put on Ebay and in my Etsy shop for sale, as I think they woudl make a great gift for Easter or Mother's day.

Back soon with those  Journal tags.

Dee 

Laminated purses WOW

Hi Crafters

Well today I have a great little project for you all. I cannot take credit for the design it was from a lady I follow on YouTube called GI Kerr, she makes some lovely journals and shabby chic folders to add to Albums and journals,  so pop along and have a look at her videos.

These looked so practical and I loved the concept as I am into folders and laminating, so took an afternoon and had a go. They are not difficult, and the purse inside uses up odd envelopes or you can even recycle some envelopes.So if you have some pretty papers, a laminator and some spare envelopes you want to use up have a go. The snap poppers work well on this but you can substitute them for a brad and some pretty binding tape, or lace fastening. 

I started with the envelopes that I wanted to use as I have lots of papers to choose from, so can cut them to fit. You need two the same size, the envelopes should be sealed, (if using recycled envelopes you need to have the long style, with the opening at the top, or if you are crafty nip into the top of a standard envelope on the top layer and fold the bottom layer to make a flap and glue down).

Then fold the envelope in half, at this stage the envelope will be fairly square or taller than width.

Unfold and glue a line of glue down the middle and along the crease inside, then press down to seal

Repeat with the second envelope and then add the same strips of glue to glue the two envelopes together. When you have left them to dry cut a tiny strip off the top to open the envelope, which will now look like the inside of a purse as in the picture below. 

Next measure the envelope and section and cut 2 strip of paper/card 1/8" wider  and 2.5 times the height.

Add the two pieces together,  face outwards to the inside of the laminating pouch and put through the machine. When laminated, cut around the card to seperate the 2 sheets. You will only use one for each purse. 

Think about any pattern you have on the papers before deciding which way up to use it. Lay the laminated sheet on the desk laminated side down. Place the envelope onto the sheet into the middle and fold up the laminated sheet to encase the envelope section. Take the envelope off and score a line 1/8" above the fold line to give a little space at the base of the purse. Allow 1/4"  from the top of the envelope and fold the top of the laminated sheet down. At this stage if the flap looks too long trim it.Next add your fastening to the centre of the flap either using your snap poppers or a brad. For the Brad system place a brad in the centre of the flap and another brad an inch below the flap , use a piece of binding cotton or lace and place in hte brad hole on the flap before putting the brad in and this will secure the tie in place, it can then be wound between the two brads to fasten the purse. 

Once that is done all that remains is to glue the back of your envelopes and sit into the folded purse in the middle section and then glue the front of the envelope and flatten the front down. Use your bone tool to press the laminated sheet down to the envelope. Leave for a little time to allow the glue to dry.

I love these and will be making more over the year. The ones made in this batch will be given as Happy Mail, to anyone purchasing from my Ebay sales or my Etsy shop during February.  Two have already gone out. 

Back soon with some more pockets using recycled materials with the shabby chic look

Dee

The Cutest Easter Gift - Stationary Folder

 Hello Crafters

Here I am back with another project to use up craft stash.

I have a thing about buying bargains. Even when I know I don't need any more cards or kits, I am a sucker for a good buy. Particularly Create and Craft card kits that include cards, envelopes, background card and papers and embellishments. If the price is right I buy them. So I accumulated several kits. I never have problems using up the Christmas kits, but the general kits make up very quickly and so I make 20 or so and then give up. 

I decided to do something with them and thought they would make great little gift sets. So I used 24 base cards and decorated them with various greeetings and embellishments. I then took some of my 12 x 12 card stock and made the folders to put them in. 

Here are the results 

Now if you look inside one here is the layout

There are 3 cards and envelopes each side of the folder. This folder holds general greeting cards

While this one has cards that are more notelet style with fun sayings 

For each of the folders you will need:

6 cards and envelopes

1 sheet of 12 x 12 card stock ( i like to use double sided so the inside is pretty as well)

2 small brads

A piece of matching ribbon 

The cards and envelopes i used measure 5.25” x 7.25”  

So to make the folder take a sheet of your 12 x 12 card  and cut 1” off the bottom 

Place flat on your score board and score 5.75” in, Turn 180˚ And score again at 5.75” this will give you a middle binder of approx 1/2”  

Turn the card on the score board, 90˚ and score at 3.5” to form the bottom flap

Place a small hole about 1” down and 1/4” in on the folded flap and add a brad to hold the flap together and this will allow the cards and envelopes wiggle room at the same time holding them in place in the folder.

If you are selling the folders you may wish to cover the brads inside with some WASHI tape or a circle of card so they are not going to catch on anything when the folder is opened.

I decided to put them altogether for a lot on Ebay as the idea is to destash, so I am happy to sell them at cost, and by putting them together with one p&p charge kept the price down.

They make alternative Easter presents, you could even slip a large bar of chocolate into the folder. All four folders are on sale for £10. They would also be great to have as little “Thank You” gifts, Teacher gifts etc.

Happy Crafting and keep thinking about how you can use up that craft stash.

Dee