Stationer's Desk Family Photo Album

Hello again, friends!

I'm back with my second project as the June guest designer for eclectic Paperie. This one became more involved then I planned... totally my fault. It's a very easy project... if you don't take the side steps that I did.

My idea was to make an

album for old family photos using an Idea-ology Worn Cover Memoir Book and the Prima Staioner's Desk 6x6 paper pad. I started by tearing the sheet of Stationer's Desk paper I wanted, inking the edges with Walnut Stain Distress Ink...

 and applying with gel medium.

I gave the corners

a subtile stamping using Jet Black Archival ink and the flourish from the Tim Holtz Boundless Flight set... no stamping block.

Now a few layers...

a journal spot from the paper pad as well as fussy-cut flowers, three chipboard pieces from the Prima Cartographer collection and a Petaloo Botanica gray bloom. Most of this is popped up with 3-D adhesive foam and everything except the bloom was sponged with Walnut Stain D I. I ran a file over the edges of the chipboard first so the ink soaks in a bit.

The letters were cut with

Alterations Vintage Market Decorative Strip die. I applied them with the gel medium then gave them a top coat for a little extra protection from wear (which I also did to the other papers on the cover.)

With my cover complete

I moved to the inside, and this is the point at which I wasted a lot of time. My original thought was to use Tim's binder assembly, but after I fastened it into the book, I realized that wasn't the look I wanted. I removed the binder and went to my downstairs bookcase. I pulled out a stack of old paperbacks I didn't need and chose one that would fit into the covers.

I tore the front and

back covers off of the paperback and measured the spine. I cut a strip of kraft cardstock the same length minus an 1/8". The depth of my book was 3/4" wide so I cut the strip 3/4" plus a 1/4" for each side (score these at 1/4" and burnish)... total 1 1/4". (Your sizes will probably not be the same as mine... so be sure to measure.) I added Score Tape to the center (only) of the back of the strip, and covered the entire front of the strip. I removed the paper backing on just the back section and adhered it down in the center of the album over the holes.

I pulled off the paper backing

from the center Score Tape strips and pressed in the spire of my paperback. One by one, I did the same to the two 1/4" sides.

Ah yes... this is so neat!

I covered the book

title with some of Tim's Tissue Tape, added more Vintage Market letters and pulled out Tim's Nature Walk stamp set and added that foliage cluster at the bottom. I had a full cup of McDonald's coffee on my desk, so I splashed a little on the page... lovely! Some Walnut Stain D I to the edges and on to the next.

I'm taping three pages

together to form one usable page.

I won't go into detail

on these. I used the Stationer's Desk paper and some die-cuts and scraps of trims I had on my desk. I have two photos in and I'm on my way.

This is my favorite photo

of the Penmaker when he was a little boy visiting his aunt in the Smoky Mountains. Love the rope used as a belt.

I hope you like my

photo album and will try making one for yourself. T H has several different cover styles and Kim has them in her store now. Be sure to check them all out.

Thanks for stopping by!

Linda