Sunday, March 7, 2021

Spring Mini Album

Page of Spring Mini-Album by Jeanne Selep
Page of Spring Mini-Album

I am in the process of making a mini album for displaying and storing sets of tags I have made.  Today I am sharing two spreads I finished from the Spring Mini Album I am creating.


Spring mini album spread 1 by Jeanne Selep
Spring Mini Album Spread 1: View 1 without tags

I designed the two page spread above to display and store three spring tags.  This kind of album could also be used to store vintage postcards.

Spring mini album spread 1 with tags by Jeanne Selep
Spring Mini Album Spread 1: View 2 with three Spring Tags

The spring green and pink color combo is one of my favorite color combinations.  There are pockets sewn on the paper with translucent fabric, so you can see the bottoms of the tags peaking through the fabric. 

Spring mini album spread 2 by Jeanne Selep
Spring Mini Album Spread 2: View without tags

The second two page spread (above) also displays three spring tags.  This spread started with the same background papers, but used a different color scheme and style.  I love the using a mini-album like this to experiment with materials, color schemes and styles.


Spring mini album spread 2 with tags by Jeanne Selep
Spring Mini Album Spread 2: View with tags

This project has been fun - a flurry of laying out and choosing papers, fabrics, laces and needlework.  The mess has flooded the 1st floor, especially the dining room table that we eat on.  The layouts are small but took me a large amount of time, spread out over multiple days.

1+ days: I found and picked papers, lace and fabric bits. (I don't rush picking paper, I look through stacks of paper I might never look at again, and couldn't possibly ever all use.)

1 day: I cut papers to size and assembled into a "signature". Then I collapsed exhausted because I actually had to make decisions.
(A signature is group of printed sheets that are folded and stitched together.)

1 day: I painted vintage music and other vintage papers with acrylic paint.

1 day: I experimented with coloring lace.

1 day: I made the hearts.

1 day: I reinforced the hearts so the paper doesn't crumble.

1 day: I stamped the pink ribbon and green paper (and a bunch of other stuff.)

1 day: I assembled layout 1.

1 day: I assembled layout 2.
 
   
As you might have guessed, I am not very efficient at the process.  But I love the creativity involved and taking my time thinking about what I want to do next. 



art journal lace and heart detail
Heart and Lace detail

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The story - Why did I create my album?


I enjoy making sets of tags to display seasonally in a framed display I have.  (See this post here).  In theory I change the tags displayed as the seasons change.  Practice is more problematic.  


Spring paper tags by Jeanne Selep
My Original Spring Tag Collection


Since I made my 1st set of tags in 2015, I have lost tags and sets of tags multiple times.  I have issues keeping them together and finding them again.  I've taken them down, put them in a plastic bag and lost the bag.  I have worried the tags got tossed.  Tags get bent.  I take a tag out for some reason and the tags get separated. 

In the meanwhile, Scrapbooking has been evolving, expanding, morphing and merging to include creating Art Journals, Altered books and Book Binding, Collages, Junk Journals (reusing ephemera and found materials), and more.  Magazines and videos have been enticing me to try these techniques, and so I came up with the idea of storing the tags in a beautiful hand-created mini-albums or books, and this post is showing the start of that project.

(If this post is getting too long, skip the rest below - It is just tips for crafters.
)

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Tips:


I'm not a tutorial wizard, there are many talented tutorial people on the internet, but I have tips I'm sharing that I want to remember for myself as well. 


Tip 1: Vintage papers are fragile and crumbly, so I used the PH Neutral PVA glue I like to glue the heart (or other) shapes to index cards which I then cut out. A better order would be to glue the paper to the index card and then cut them out. (Sometimes I learn from doing it wrong!)

Reinforce vintage paper
Tip 1 and 2: Reinforce vintage paper


Tip 2: I put a coat of Liquitex Matte Varnish over the top of the painted cutout shapes.
These two steps make the most fragile papers fairly strong.  The varnish in particular makes the paper almost waterproof.  It leaves a bit of a texture (which I like) and using Varnish works best over water-proof paints or inks.  Test on a sample piece if you are not sure if your paints or inks are waterproof.  Many / most aren't waterproof (The pink color on the hearts above weren't waterproof, so the color smeared.)

The darker heart on the far right above isn't backed yet, and it wants to curl up. It is basically unusable without reinforcement.


Tip make extras
Hearts in process and in use - The extras will make other projects go faster


Tip 3: I make bunches of shapes I like on the same day, (cutout; glue down to paper; paint/stamp/embellish; optionally varnish).  This can increase options and productivity on other days.


Tip 4: I work on multiple projects at the same time - I also created other signatures (one for Autumn and one for Travel) at the same time.  It keeps me engaged when I hit a drying spell (pun intended) or when I just want to use a different material, etc. This works for me but might not work for everyone.   

Album pages with vintage Easter postcards by Jeanne Selep
Album pages with vintage Easter postcards


Tip 5: What size?  I decided on sheets 11 inches wide x 8 inches high folded in half and sewn into signatures.  11 inches lets me use 8.5x11 inch paper folded in half and cut down.  Also, many resale shop hard covered books would easily contain the signatures if I decide to bind them together.  If creating a mini-album to display vintage postcards, I would recommend a wider size.


Album page with robin egg tag by Jeanne Selep
Album page with robin egg tag

I hope you have enjoyed this post
and the spring to come!
(unless you are south of the equator then enjoy fall!)



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Click on the images to see them enlarged.




If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy...

Spring Tags
Spring Needlework
Vintage Lace
Mixed Media 1
Mixed Media 2
Mixed Media 3
Eggs of stone
Eggs-travaganza
Mosaic Birds
Mosaic Birdhouse
Bluebirds
Glass Flowers
Winter Garden
Mosaic Cross


heart quilt
Heart Quilt





































I visit and linking up to lots of parties:

Create with Joy: Inspire me 477 Mon (m Entry 36 of 169.)     I was featured here!
My Random: Anything Goes 276 (Entry 9 of 62.
)
Texas Tanya: Hello Monday (s Entry 36 of 63.
)
Love my little cottage: Cottage Mon 93 8a (Entry 7x of 78.)
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BNOTP: Metamorphis Monday 6a (s Entry 3x of 59x.)
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* Stroll Life: Inspire Me Mon 582 3p (l Entry 8 of 118.)
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)
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62 of 100.)
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April Harris: Hearth and Soul Sun a (Entry 12 of **
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Marilyns treats: Over the Moon 269 (Entry 163
of **)
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39 of 123.)
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2 of 54.)
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of **)
Artsy mama: Artsy party 335 Th 7a (Entry 10 of 120.)
My Slices of Life: Hearts+Home Handmade Th 6a (Entry 25 of 136.)
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** Eye Love Knots: Snicker Doodle 378 Sat 5pm (m Entry
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Craft Specific and Challenges
Art-journal-journey: Something New (t Entry na
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Love to Craft: Love to Craft March (s Entry 101
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Mixitupchallenge: Mix it up Anything Goes (s Entry 19)
Movingalong: Challenge 128 March (t Entry 34)
* Avenue613: Challenge 3 Anything Goes (m Entry 10 of 38)
Crafters castle: Challenge 39 March (m Entry 51)
Dragonfly Dreams: March Challenge (m Entry 5)
Creative fingers: Challenge 203 (s Entry 58)

Craft rocket: Challenge 70 Spring (m Entry 16 of 152.)
Perfect time: Open Challenge (Entry 142)
A Pinch of Joy: Busy 459 Mon 8a (s Entry x of 120x.)
More Mixed Media: Mixed Media Challenge (s Entry 7 of 24)
Shopping our Stash: Shop our Stash 440 (Entry 9 of 16.
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Keeping it Real: Really Crafty 257 (s Entry 8 of 59.
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Sew Can Do: Craftastic Mon 8a (Entry 49
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Mostly blogging: Inspire Me Mon 314 (Entry 7
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We love 2 Create: Challenge 3 (Entry 71
)
Stitchin Mommy: Wed Party 389 (Entry
15 of 25)
Petals to Picots: Loop Scoop 9 (Entry
65 x)

430117


Related cool posts:
Paper from vintage linens 
French-vintage-farmhouse-journal
Making paper bag albums by Dragonflytreasure
Easy junk journal by Freshvintagebylisas
Wyzlemoncraft.pl: z-moodboardem (supercool)
An Envelope from a calendar



Life and Linda: Dishing it Digging it 89 Sun 3p (l Entry missed)








27 comments:

Michele Morin said...

So inspiring for spring!

Elizabeth Hart said...

A beautiful booklet for spring and I loved your tags. Thanks so very much for joining us this time at the Dragonfly Dreams Challenge, Elizabeth (DT)

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Seems like a great idea to me to have a place to store them well so that they don't become damaged or lost. These tags always remind me of bookmarks, a few of which have been handmade for me and are quite precious. It may sound ridiculous, but I tend to use my favourite bookmarks in "special" books!

Handmade in Israel said...

This is lovely! I like the colour palette you have chosen.

Tammy Kennington said...

These are beautiful! I don't have the talent you do but would enjoy creating these with my daughter. Thankyou for sharing!

Blessings,
Tammy

Judy McKay said...

Lobvely details in your project. Beautifully design. Thank you for joining us at 613Avenue Create this month. Hope to see you back here again. Judy DT

My name is Erika. said...

So many beautiful pieces of art. This post was a pleasure to read. Thanks for sharing it with us at try It On Tuesday. Hugs-Erika

The Crowned Goat said...

This is such a beautiful way to celebrate Spring! I love the tags and your book is so creative too. It's genius to keep them all together like this! Hope you have the best day, CoCo

junie-jesh said...

Have not allowed myself to work with little scraps of paper (maybe because my last works were as big as a wall) but I love how you let yourself go with all these tags! Happy combining things in a new way - love that you are not afraid to show the process, instead of only the end result with All Seasons! Have a fruitful week, Jesh

Nina said...

Oh my! Your collection of tags are amazing!!! And, I loved seeing how you made the heart ones.

I'm just barely getting into junk journaling so seeing your tags is very inspiring. Thanks so much for sharing this at our Party in Your PJs link party.

Darlene said...

WOW what a fabulous post! So many beautiful projects to be inspired by! Your album is amazing! Thanks so much for playing in our challenge at Mix It Up!
Darlene
Mix It Up
DAR’S CRAFTY CREATIONS
Please stop by for a visit.

Joanne said...

Those pages came out great! Thanks for sharing with us at Encouraging Hearts and Home. Pinned.

Jackie Cornfield said...

A fantastic body of work here, I admire it all!
So glad you have shared this with us at 613 Avenue Create.
Please come back again!
The best of luck with your entry.
Stay safe and well.
Jackie, DT member at 613 xx

Patti @ Pandoras Box said...

I used to do a lot of paper crafts, but, sadly, lost interest! I enjoyed this post and it brough back some memories of tags I made in the past!

Michelle said...

Nice! I admire your talent and creativity!

Janis Lewis said...

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing your art with us at Crafting Happiness Challenges. Hope you'll link up again! We always have two challenge options: 1) weekly theme OR 2) Anything Goes for those who don't want to use the theme. All craft types welcome, and Unlimited entries!
Smiles,
:) Janis, Owner & Design Team

Shelbee on the Edge said...

These are so beautiful! You really have a knack for combining colors and patterns in the loveliest way! Thanks for joining my link party!

Shelbee
www.shelbeeontheedge.com

Pam said...

this is really beautiful. I will be featuring it at the Thursday Favorite Things (TFT) party tomorrow. Thanks for sharing!

MS Kraft Store said...

So Beautiful creation.
Thanks for sharing with us at Love To Scrap Challenge.
Hope to see you again next challenge.
Hugs,
Mifta.

Linda said...

You have a very nice collection. Thank you for sharing on the Classy Flamingos.

riitta k said...

Your photos & sheets are delightful, pure joy to watch!

Jane Savage said...

Wonderful!
Thank you for joining us this month at We Love 2 Create With Polkadoodles! Jane (DT) Paper, Pencils & Pretty Things xxx

Jeanie Ellis - Scrapbookingmamaw said...

Wow! You've been busy! They're all so beautiful! Thank you so much for entering our Challenge at Crafter's Castle this week. Good luck!
Blessings, Jeanie Ellis DT
Crafter's Castle
crafterscastle.blogspot.com
Scrapbookingmamaw MyBlog

Elizabeth@ Pine Cones and Acorns said...

This is so beautiful! I am going to try to make something like this. Thank you for coming to visit Pinecones and Acorns. Please come and visit again.

crafty said...

A lovely creation. Thank you for sharing it with us at Dragonfly Dreams.
Mary

My Hubbard Home said...

I scrapbooked for years and no the feeling of lost items.
Your tags are like mini art, each one beautiful.
Thanks for sharing your art at the Friday with Friends link party.

LOU said...

Beautiful album pages Jeanne.
Thanks so much for joining us for our Love to Craft Challenge for March 2021.
We hope to see you again soon,
Lou DT xo
JemLou Productions