Paper Bag Albums: To Infinity and Beyond

So it turns out that Paper Bag albums are having a bit of a moment. I'm not quite as behind as I thought. Which is very handy because I decided to make another one. Several of you asked for some instructions, so I too a few photos along the way.

1. Of course bags are right at the top of the list of things you need. Mine are gussetted lunch sacks bought in the U.S. The gusset gives you the little extra smaller pages, but if you can only get plain "shop" bags, don't let that stop you. Try Homebase in the UK or keep reading

2. Decide how many pages you want. I used three bags . The gussets do make them bulky, so don't get too ambitious. You can always make Volume Two!. Fold each gusset up towards the top of the bag, then take two bags and glue their gussets back to back. repeat until you have a stack of pages. My pages measure 6 1/4 x 6 inches, but I trimmed them slightly so that I could use 6x6 patterned papers, for economy. You can cover four sides with one 12x12 sheet - and if you use double sided paper you'll get to use two different patterns with that.

3. This is a great excuse to use up a paper collection you love! Yes, you could spend a happy couple of hours working through your stash and choosing coordinating items, but this album will go together really quickly if you use one line or a kit already matched. A few sheets pf paper and a sheet of label stickers is enough. The secret to making it look good is to be prepared to use the whole sheet.

4. Trim your sheets to fit and adhere. Choose an especially nice square for the front. If you'd like to punch along the edge, punch the bag first, then the paper. It's too thick to do it all at once. You'll see at this point that the paper bags are open. I like them like that because I love to stuff extra bits inside, but glue them together of you'd rather. It's easier to do now than after you have embellished.

5.Then, decorate away! Layer up your embellishments, but remember you need room to bind it at the side so keep it clear. I work in stages - all the blank pages, then all the stickers, then all the stamps instead of on each page individually.

6. I chose book rings to bind and I made a quick template with a hole punch to help me place my crop-a-dile holes

And that's it! There are other way to do this (and there are lots of Youtube videos if you are interested), but don't forget you can make a joliprint pdf of this one if you want to keep hold of it.  Now, here's my plan. I know bags are hard to get hold of, and I have quite a lot going spare. So I'm happy to give some away. Leave me a comment saying you are interested and I'll send you enough for an album. BUT you must make it! I want to see it when it's finished! Mine is going to Little E, that rascal nephew of mine. He is just about getting big enough now to think about a bit of Space exploration. Just the other day he was wondering why the sky was broken..

Five Steps to a Bowmaker Bow..

...even if you don't have a bowmaker. Keep watching.

You wanted to see how to use the bowmaker for bows? Here you go:

Wrap the ribbon around the bowmaker as shown.

Take the end of the ribbon you put to the back and bring it over the top and back to the front. It's easier to follow the picture than a written instruction here

Now tie a knot

Straighten up your bow, slip it off the prongs and trim the ends

After I posted the pompom tutorial I remembered what I had used years ago before I got the bowmaker. Here it is - a piece of corrugated cardboard with two knitting needles pushed through the holes. You can alter the size of the bow depending on how far apart you put the needles. And you'll need someone to hold it tight while you tie; but it does work!

Twine Pompoms

I've been having a bit of a thing with string lately. Sandra from Gotta Craft sent me some of the new MME twine and I think it's lovely. I made a few little pompoms for the blog and I thought you might like to see them too:

I pulled out a little bow maker I've had since my miniature making days

I wrapped the twine round about eight times

I threaded a needle with embroidery thread so that it was easy to pass it under the twine. Then I tied a tight knot.

I slipped the pompom off the bowmaker and fluffed it up.

Then I used it to dress up a Crate paper journaling card for a quick tag.

The iPhone Page

I'm still texting madly with my new phone and looking for great app recommendations, so today I decided to make a page about it. I've found a new trick for adding a bit of depth to a layout and here it is:

Starting with a sheet of patterned paper, I cut out an apple shape to emphasize the iPhone theme. A strong shape works best for this, I think. I'm going to try a heart next, or a house.

Then I laid the patterned paper over a sheet of cardstock and drew round the apple shape. Then I laid strips of paper and a line of rubons inside the apple. I'm thinking of using lines of stitching the next time maybe?

Finally I layered the patterned paper over the cardstock to line up exactly with my shape and added the rest of my elements:

What do you think? It would work for a layout all in one colour, maybe for a wedding or a baby page with rows of little buttons or cross stitch motifs. I might give it a go.

Today I'm Loving...The photography class I'm starting at Get It Scrapped

Misting Matters

So, misting matters then. Lots of you think so. And lots of you wondered about the difference between misting mayhem and misting magic. Truthfully? I don't think there is one. Please, go back and look very closely at mine: it's blotchy, it's splotchy, but it's still misting. Listen, (because I'm only going to humiliate myself the once here) I am really bad at art. My average school art mark was around 50; and if this D-grader can give it a go, anyone can.

There are lots of tutorials around - Kathy kindly put me onto a great one over at Studio Calico. But, really, just try it out. This is what I did to ease myself in:

• Grab a sheet of cardstock. I put it into a cardboard box from a kit. It's the perfect size. Shake the bottle really, really well and then give the nozzle a quick check - if it's slightly blocked, your splotches will get even splotchier

• Now, spray over the whole sheet. Don't worry about trying to keep a steady hand because it's virtually impossible; but spray from as far away as you dare

• My Maya mists dry fast, so already you have a sheet which looks really quite arty. But here's the thing. You are only going to pick your favourite bits. Decide which sections show off your misting prowess the best then stamp, stencil, draw around whatever. Cut those bits out and forget about the rest! I made a journaling spot with one section I liked and then picked out other smaller pieces to make accents which will be mounted on card for dimension and adhered with pop dots. So they stand out! Because all misting is magic.

Today I'm Loving...everyone who has taken time to leave me a lovely comment. I've been reading and enjoying them all. I hope I've answered your questions here; but, please, keep asking them. Lizzie told me about a misting machine. It sounds perfect. If we all lived closer we could timeshare one. If you don't have a blog for me to visit - email. We can chat.