Card Project - Mini folded album

There are a number of this type of folded albums on the internet, although I have mostly seen use a 12 X 12 square of card.  As I didn't have anything thick enough in this size I improvised and started with a piece of pale green thin card. 

The bigger card make more pages - 12 X 12 folded into 16 squares, unlike this one that is folded into 8 rectangles.

You can make this very girlie and all sorts of ribbons and fibres - but as this was for my Dad I have kept it simple.  Don't forget the back and front covers need to be neat unless you add another cover so no brads etc can be used on those pages, without adding layers.

So get your A4 piece of card fold it in half, along the length of the card, make sure the crease is nice and sharp, and that it is neatly folded.

Open out and fold the other way, again sharp and neat. Now you need to fold it in half again, if you are using fairly thick card I suggest that you fold each of the sides out. You really do need to get this bit folded nice and square otherwise your little album will end up wonky.

If you look at my completed album below you will understand the next instruction.  With scissors or a knife and ruler cut along the long fold through 3 sections leaving the last one uncut.

 

Now you need to fold each 'half' in a concertina, and fold in half so that you make a little booklet, the middle of the album will be stuck. See picture below.

Once you have folded it all to make your booklet I marked each page in pencil so I knew which page I was working on, I decorated each pair of open pages together. As I was stamping and inking directly I opened it all out and worked flat.


I inked each of the pages using Distress inks from Ranger - the colours I used were:

Peeled paint, scattered straw and spiced marmalade.  See these instructions on using Distress Inks to help you master this technique.  I do not have the tool I just use cut n Dry foam.

The first pages here is staped, the label is printed, and has two brads, and some patterned paper 

The star is cut using the Cuttlebug and a Sizzix star die, the card was already ribbed.  The background to the star is embossed with a cuttlebug embossing folder - Swiss Dots.

'You're a Star' was printed and the card has been edged with a chalk ink pad, the ribbon detail is finished with a couple of brads.


This next page is using the same techniques and products as previous pages - just some different rubber stamps.
The trowel is a charm from the shop.
I have added some fibres threaded through a button, this was the bulkiest item - I tried to put mainly flat things in the card as I didn't want it too bulky.  The back page I managed to muck up so ended up sticking over the top - but you wouldn't know it looks as though it was planned - so it just goes to show you can always cover up mistakes!


This was the middle page - that I chose to stick a strip along the back and bottom, with the fold at the top, and leaving the front to make a pocket.  This has been stamped - but you could print it, and the star is a clip from the shop.


And that is you finished 'card' or 'book' or 'album' whatever you want to make it!

You could add covers slightly larger, don't forget to score it to make a spine as it will be quite thick.  I left it as it was a decorated the front cover, shown at the top and just distress inked the back.

I also inked the spine with brown chalk ink.

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 © Carolyn Woodruff January 2009