Butterfly Tri-Fold Album - Happy Birthday Lindsey!

I saw a tutorial for this album on YouTube and I just had to make one. It was really quick and simple, totally my style. :) I found this paper at Michaels and fell in love. It is a K & Company pack, the name is Cut N Paste. So I decided to make my niece an album for her Birthday. Happy Birthday Lindsey!

I decided to use the pictures from her high school graduation. I know that the paper is not very "graduationy" but, the paper fits her personality perfectly.  Did I mention it was Lindsey's birthday today? Anyway, I wanted to give all the photos the same feel as the paper, "vinatgey" and distressed, so I sanded around the edges and used my vintage photo ink pad to add a distressed look to each photo.

I LOVE how this mini came out! I like it so much that I almost kept it for myself. I wanted to keep it really bad, but I didn't because it is her birthday. Did I tell you that yet????? :)

This is the front cover. I added a little glossy accents to the smallest butterfly to give it a little dimension.

These are the first two pages ~ There is room on the back of the tags for journaling.

These are pages 3 and 4.

Again, the tags have room on the back for journaling.

This is the back cover of the album. I added glossy accents to the smallest butterfly to make her pop.

Oh! but wait, the album keeps going...... There are two more pages! I added a huge pink Prima flower with a little bling in the center and of course two more tags with room for journaling.

Close-up of the tags.... you can never have enough tags!  Just like shoes! Lindsey would agree with me on that one. Hey, have I mentioned yet that today is her birthday?

Here is a view of what it looks like standing up.

I had to add this one in too because I made those two small flowers and I am so proud of them! I used my scallop flower punch, burnished them (to make them soft), inked the edges, added a little bling in the center and can you say, Holy Cute!

I LOVE YOU LINDSEY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Sleep-over Bags

I have been busy working on Christmas presents... Here is a sneak peek. This is for one of my nephew's bff, so I should be safe posting this. :) 

It is a sleep-over bag. It measures 24" x 27", has a draw string, it's lined, and his initial is on the front. 

It is deffinately a step-up from the plastic Wal-Mart bag he uses. Don't you think? :)

Family Album - Envelope Album

I made this envelope album for my aunt so that she would have a small album that would hold photos of all her loved ones.  I used the larger 5 3/4 x 8 3/4 envelopes. I love how it turned out.

The paper I used was from a old K and Company pack that I purchased a couple years ago. I love the colors and that there were so many coordinating papers, it also had several pages of really nice coordinating die cuts. I kept the embellishments simple and used cream and brown ribbon on the tags.

Waterfall Paper Bag Album - Christmas

I love  searching YouTube for different types of paper bag albums. There are so may different ways to make them and I love seeing the different designs that people come up with. This album is made with only two bags. The first bag is folded so that there is a 1" gap between the front edges and the second bag folded so that there is a 3" gap between the front edges. The bag with the 1" gap is put inside the other bag. This creates the waterfall effect. 


I placed a grommet in the top left corner of the front of the album. I tied a small piece of ribbon through it and added a small charm, that I created with a Tim Holtz fragment and some paper. I attached it to the album with a jump ring and a safety pin. 

The first page has a "super mini", there are two pages that can be used for journaling or small photos.

Page two holds a large tag, inside the open end of the bag, that has decorative paper on one side and solid paper on the back for journaling.

Pages three and four.

Pages five and six. Page six holds the second large tag.

A view of the back

These mini albums are quick and easy and prefect for gifts.

Christmas Album

I made this mini envelope album for my aunt for Christmas. The design is similar to the fall albums in that it is made using envelopes. I love making the envelope albums because they are so easy. I used the Basic Grey, Blitzen collection. It is Basic Grey's Christmas collection from a couple years ago. I still really like the collection so I decided to try and the use the rest of what I had in a couple mini albums.

Pages One and two.

Pages three and four.

A view with the tag removed and the flap open.

Pages five and six.

A view of the "extra mini" album.

Pages seven and eight.

Close up of tags.

Pages nine and ten.

View with tag removed and flap open.

For the last three or four years I have been making the majority of my Chirtsmas presents. I will start posting more ideas for presents as we get closre to Christmas.

Pumpkin Bread

I found this recipe when I was in college and broke. I started making this bread as gifts for family and friends during the holiday season. The best part about this bread is that it is so much better after you freeze it. I usually start making it in September. What is nice is that it is really easy to personalize it for the person you are giving it to by adding in different ingredients. I usually make batches that include, walnuts, pecans, dried cranberries, raisins, and last but not least chocolate chips. :)  I make 10-15 batches each year. I go to the dollar store and get the small loaf tins, one batch will make 4 loaves.  

I get rave reviews every year about this bread. In fact usually by the end of September people start requesting it. :) Try it!

Pumpkin Bread:

3 1/2cups flour

2 tea. baking soda

2 tea. salt

1 tea. baking powder

1 tea. ground nutmeg

1 tea. ground allspice

1 tea. ground cinnamon

1/2 tea. ground cloves

3 cups white sugar

1 cup canola oil

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups solid pack pumpkin puree

2/3 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two regular size loaf pans. I use 4 smaller sized ones. In a mixing bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. Set aside. In a new bowl mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Once mixed, slowly combine pumpkin. Then slowly add in the flour mixture, once it is all mixed together slowly add the water. Then pour the batter into the two prepared loaf pans. Bake in preheated oven for 55 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. I buy the small light weight tins at the dollar store, so I just leave the loaves in the tins.

Yum! Try it, you will be glad that you did!

Fall / Harvest Cards

I found an old pack of ready made fall die cuts that I had never used. I was about 99% sure that I would never use them on pages so I decided to use them to make some cards. I added a little distressing ink and some pop dots and this is what I came up with. They are going to be perfect to deliver with my pumpkin bread.

I have a fabulous pumpkin bread recipe. It is even better after you freeze it. I usually make two or three batches at a time and then freeze it. I pass it out to friends and family a week or so before Thanksgiving. I will post the recipe next week. :)