On the First Day of December......A New Christmas Album for 2014

Hello there!

Happy 1st December to you all.  Can you believe we are here already?  Where did the last 11 months go then?

As my lovely Friends and Followers may remember, for the last few years I have made Christmas Albums into which I post either a photograph or journalling for each day of December.  This year is no exception....

Here are the front covers of my 2014 Christmas Album.  I have used a pattern from Paper Phenomonon which I purchased around 3 years ago with the intention of making up into an album and so this year this is what I used.  The metal corners are Tim Holtz.

The main papers are MME which I had at a bargain price from Hobbycraft some time last year.  There was a pack and a few odd sheets with no price on.  I asked the assistant how much they were and surprisingly she asked me how much I would be willing to pay.  I told her £5 off the cuff and the Supervisor agreed to my offer!  There were around 12 sheets of doublesided, glittered card, a sheet of tags etc and previously I had paid around £1.50 a sheet!  Tee Hee!

Next I had to think about a closure.  Whilst racking my brain and looking around I remembered I had some clasps from Zutter.  I sprayed the leather with a mix of Red Pepper and Plum Ranger Colourwash, inked around it with some Vintage Stain DI and run it through my B/S with a Tonic embossing folder.  Job done!

The ribbon I bought some time ago from a store in my local town.  It is straight and even only every time I open and shut the album it moves.  I didn't want it stuck down until the front is finished, when I know it will not move!

Now for the inside....

This is the centre of the front with six flap pockets which hold tags.  You will notice that they are not overly decorated yet.  This is because I want to embellish as I go along depending on the photographs/journalling that occur.

Left front inside cover.  A flap which when opened there is another set of pockets.

Right side inside front cover.

Left flap opened which shows the pockets.  Also you can see some of the other papers I have used such as Stampin Up, Basic Gray and Bazzill.  Some of which are Snippets from previous albums.

And here is the central panel...

Punched around with a Martha Stewart punch.  I do hope we get some snow.  The 2014 is a decoration which I have bought and hope to incorporate, but not sure how yet.

And with the flap lifted, more space on which to journal and add photographs on.  

With the tags...

And here is the reverse of the whole album,..I love how shimmery this paper is.  I have also used some Treasure Gold but will add more as I work on this album.

I have used an absolute plethora of papers both new and Snippets from previous years.  I can see some Bo Bunny paper in there too.  Punches used are EK Success (the smaller brown one is NBUS from US), Martha Stewart, Some of the MME paper is from two years ago and was 6x6 paper.  I do like the mix of sizes of the same papers. Corner chomper by We R Memory Keepers.Tan cardstock from The Art Shop and also the chipboard.  The only new thing I bought for this album are the little owl embellishments and the reindeer ones too, which I have not actually used yet, but no doubt will very soon!

Off to share this with the Playground folk as there are a plethora of Snippets used on this album.  I permanently keep a basket of Christmas Snippets so they are easy to find and ready to use.

I thank you for coming over and look forward to reading your comments.

Hettie

x

Scrapbook Tuesday - T is for Christmas, and Rudolph Day!

Hello There

What a busy day it is today.  It is Tuesday, so time to join in with a cuppa T with my friend Elizabeth and Bleubeard.  It is also the day when I share a scrapbooking project with you.  AND it is the 25th of the month so thereby Rudolph Day!!

So I would get yourself a cuppa T right now as this is a picture heavy post today.

So to start, here is my scrapbooking project with a cuppa.  As it is Rudolph Day I chose a Christmassey type mug.  Not in your face Christmas, but it is a snowy scene nonetheless.  The cup is of Krtek (aka Little Mole) and was bought in Prague several years ago.  It contains some Twinings Camomile and Spiced Apple tea.  See I am trying to stay on the Christmas theme!  The project is my Christmas Album which I actually finished at the end of January!!  (Hurrah Hurrah) but have not been able to share with you until now....

Album was made by moi from chipboard, cut down, painted and then covered with pretty papers.  I added a die cut of Memory Box flourish, a Tonic flourish, ribbon, TH deer, Papermania owl, wooden Angel and MME Merry Christmas banner.  Once the pages were made I bound them all on my BIA and then decorage.

And now for the edge of the album...

Inside first page.....

Then it opened out like this....

And then this.....

I didn't do them all the same though.  Some I folded and cut and manipulated like so.....

If you are thinking the papers are familiar, I did not buy any new papers for this year's album, choosing instead to use papers that I already had in my collection.  Will someone please polish my halo for me?  There are MME, Basic Grey, DCWV, as well as trimmings from all over the place.  I did use a lot of TH Chit Chat stickers too as they are nice and small.  Please feel free to click on the pictures if you wish to have a closer look too. 

I had to include these picture.  Our Tree, Our Girls, Me wearing a silly had and my mad friend Sian, who after a long time not seeing, we got together again through a mutual friend and Facebook and now see each other on a regular basis!  

New items used on this album are some of the wooden elements, stars, gingerbread men and MC as well as the owl on the cover!  Other than that all the bits are old.

Some more pics. I like to keep the stamps from foreign climes and also this year's current Christmas stamps.  

And finally, our good friends Mandy and Andy usually meet up over Christmas to exchange presents, either at their house or ours.  This year we met at the pictures as we all wanted to see Disney's Frozen and then we came back to ours for tea.  Happy thoughts!  If you are going to the Crop I shall take it there so you can have a closer look.  Unfortunately I cannot credit anyone for the design as I saw something on Youtube and did not make a note of the person who had a similar one.  I say "similar" as I modified mine greatly. 

And now for the Rudolph Day.  My Mate Sandra runs a Rudolph Day challenge for which we are to make two Christmas cards.  Here are mine......

I used another image from the Tin of Shame for the chicken card.  For the poinsettia card I used some new vellum I have bought (mine ran out so valid purchase) and it is beautiful.  I coloured the back of the petals and leaves with Copics.  The ribbon was bought for me by Mandy (above) when they were in US and has been unused until now.  The card is pre-embossed and must be about 5 years old.  I bought them with Angela who passed away nearly 4 years ago!  Not used until now!

Both the Album and the cards contain Snippets so I am skipping down to the Snippets Playground too.  I am sneaking a visit to Hazel's Christmas challenge too! 

Phew!  Thanks for sticking me so long.  Sorry it is a bit of a long post today.  Bet your cup is ready for a refill now!

Thanks for popping by.  

Hettie

Rudolph Day - Last one of 2013!

Hello there Folks

Gosh today is the last Rudolph Day of 2013!!  It doesn't seem long ago that it was the first RD of 2013!

Before I start, you may want to get yourself a large coffee or something stronger as this is a loooong picture heavy post!  As promised I am sharing with you my little project I have been working on ready for December 2013.  Here goes....

Cover....Not very interesting as I decorate it at the end.  I am hoping to pick up a nice charm to dangle off the rings when I go to Bath with Miss and the Troublemaker on Saturday!

Inside cover..

Page 1....

Front cover of page one lifted....

Bottom flap of page 1 pulled down....

Back of page 1 and page 2....

Page 2 flap lifted.....

Back of page 2 and page 3....

Back of page 2 opened....

Page 3 lifted....

Behind the Silent Night and in other places there are gaps so that extra tags may be popped in later if needed.

Page 3 pulled down...

All the papers used are either a DCWV VOS mat pad, some of which I have struggled with using before as they are landscape and I tend to use portrait for my cards so they are perfick!  I have also used papers from the basket of Christmas Snippets and include papers used in previous Christmas Albums.  Also, like the Christmas trees and the flourish on page 3, they have been sent to me by kind bloggers.

Back of page 3 and Page 4.

Page 4 lifted.....

Page 4 second flap lifted....

Back of page 4 and page 5....

Page 5 lifted....

Back of page 5 and page 6....

Page 6 lifted....

Back of page 6 and back cover....

Can you see I have a new toy?  A We R MK envelope board.   Love it!

So there you have it.  This year's Christmas Album from me, all ready and waiting to go on Sunday 1st December.  Lots of punching, folding, snippets, VOS, stamping, die cutting and generally having fun making this year's Christmas Album.  I got the idea from a video I came across on YouTube but alas cannot now find it.  If you would like me to show you how to make it I will do a tutorial for you.  Let me know in the comments.  It is quite simple to do the basic page and then engineer it to your whim.  

Off to link this up to the last Rudolph Day of 2013 with my Buddy Sandra and also the Snippets Playground as this certainly used up a lot of Snippets in the making.  I am also linking this with Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge - anything goes.

Alison has kindly suggested I also enter this into the Artistic Stamper Challenge - Christmas so that I am doing.  There are still a few days so why not enter a Christmas card in too?

Thanks for bearing with me.

Hugs

Hettie

x