Hello and a look ahead to July

 Hi Crafters

Just a quick post today to introduce you to the theme for July. Over the past year I have widened my paper-crafts to include gift bags, boxes, journals and ephemera, and I love construction and adjusting ideas  and templates to my own version, but I have made few cards recently and so I went back over my files to see what card projects I have made and became quite nostalgic about my creations. 

I also realised that like everyone who crafts, the more you do the better the finished project, and that led me to thinking, would these cards look different now, and would some of the techniques I have learnt in the last couple of years seep into the cards I make. So July will be all about card making. 

As we are going back to basics I will start with cards that require little if any special tool, so they would be perfect to make with little ones during the summer holiday.

As I started to prepare for my first couple of blogs I realised that although I am an avid crafter, and have taken classes as well as attended them I do not always get everything right first time. And I certainly do not remember every fold and design I have done. I do keep a file on my computer with categories of makes and a project number and I try to add a photograph of the finished item (although I am not always that organised) and even then I cannot always follow my own instructions. If that is you don’t beat yourself up about any of that, that what YouTube is for to remind us how to make those lovely projects we enjoyed making, and will no doubt want to try again in another couple of years.

One trick I have learnt is to keep some cheaper paper pads in the craft stash to use for trial runs. This is so useful for the first make of any design and stops that sinking feeling when you make an error.

If it does not turn out right first time, use that as a learning tool, try a second time with the tweaks you need to make and using those special papers, so you can enjoy the process. It is hard to throw anything away but if the papers your used for the trial cost 15p instead of your special papers at 50p, you may feel more inclined to bin your errors. 

During July if I make a trial sample for any of the cards, I will show them on the post as well as the final piece. 

As this is the last day of June I will finish this post with some pictures of the Album I made for a new Great Nephew.

I used the envelope style sleeve card centre, and the papers covering are from an 8 x 8 pad by K & Co.

Album Finished

Inside Cover with mini book and tags 

                                                   Next double page with folder                                                                      slipped into side pocket

2nd Double page with concertina mini book for small photographs 

3rd Double page layout

                                                            4th Double Page layout 
                                                            Booklet on the left and Tags                                                                     on  inside cover 

This picture shows the four photo mats inserted into the sleeves where other memorabilia can be tucked and photographs stored  

The pull out concertina booklet for small photographs 

This concertina booklet is held together with a beaded paperclip. Of course all the flaps can be used for photographs front and back as well as the inserted photo-mats. More can be made to store in the sleeves. So the album should hold 30 photographs. 

Dee