Tutorial: Creating acrylic mini-albums

Here are some creative ideas to use when creating acrylic mini-albums: I think acrylic pages in any album create an impressive backdrop for photos. I will be showing you several ways to alter your acrylic album pages so you can start using acrylic pages in your albums too. Ready to get creative?

First, choose a mini-album. I am using Maya Road's Acrylic Coaster album. It's pages measure 2.5x3.5" each so it is quite small. Also, you will want to grab some micro or small glue dots to adhere paper to the pages and items to the pages. Glue pens also work. Your adhesive should be placed in areas that will be covered by embellishments on the "other side" of the page so try to always be thinking ahead.

Second, choose a line of paper. You will need a very small amount of paper for this size of a mini-album so scraps are perfect. I am using BoBunny's Christmas paper line Blitzen.  This is a great choice because Bo-Bunny's heavy double sided printed papers have great design elements on both sides of the paper. This is extremely important during the design portion of your album because both sides of the paper will be visible.
Third, choose your pictures. Remember, the pages are extremely tiny so one 4x6 picture may provide you with two pages of layouts.

 Also, keep in mind that very small parts of photos may be used to emphasize certain items on your pages. I will show you an example below. I used a circle punch to include the pictures of the tree ornaments. Then I matted them with another circle, adhered them with glue dots and pop dots to add a bit of dimension. 
Fourth, decide what order your pictures will be used in the mini-album. What is the story this little album will tell? Your photos don't have to be used chronologically. Because both sides of the pages/papers are visible; the entire album needs to be planned out and designed before you begin any techniques or adding paper or pictures to the pages.
Fifth, begin the actual creation of the mini-album. I love adding "snow" and "frost" to acrylic pages because the acrylic page naturally gives the viewer a feeling of ice or liquid. Here's how to give the look of snow: add Ranger's Adirondack Dabber in Snow Cap acrylic paint around the outer edges of the page. Allow to dry or use a heat tool to quicken the process.

On the second page of the book create the look of frozen metal or "frost" by adding Ranger Adirondack Metallics Silver Dabber paint around the outer edges of the page. Again allow the page to dry or use a heat tool to quicken the process.

Next use a tiny word stamp on a die cut or punch label and adhere to the front of the second page. Also, use a snowflake punch (mine is from EK Success) and punch a few snowflakes (hearts would be great too) to place in the upper left corner of the page. Use another small lable punch to add a second seasonal word to the paper you'll be adhering to the back of page 2. Using micro-glue dots adhere the paper to the backside of page 2. Check for paper placement through the acrylic page before adhering.
I applied a sheet of paper to the backside of page two. This can be seen all the way through the front of the album. I think it sort of looks like I am peering through several layers of ice. I added a  Maya Road chipboard snowflake (stained and glittered of course) along with a brown Maya Road flower in the center. These first two pages work together to create a snowy, frosty look setting the tone for the chilly holiday mini-album.

Sixth, continue working through your mini-album continually keeping in mind that you need to check the pages's fronts and backs before adhering anything to see what the view is through the acylic. On the fourth piece of acrylic I used alcohol inks to color the page green. I used Rangers Adirondack Earthtones in Lettuce on a piece of felt attached to a blending tool. I used a heat tool to dry the alcohol ink.

The alcohol ink creates the background behind the circle photos on the left page seen here:
Seventh, the fifth page of the album I distressed using a sanding tool and then inks with Ranger Distress Festive Berries red ink. This effect is very suddle. (It's the left page pictured below). I used a Maya Road chipboard stocking colored with Tattered Angels glimmer mist as a journaling block.
Eighth, the sixth page of the album I stamped using a Just Rite Holiday stamp and StazOn Solvent ink in Jet Black (StazOn ink works great on acylic surfaces!). I stamped on the backside of the last page and adhered the paper to the front side of the page allowing the final "Happy Holidays" greeting to be seen through the acylic.


Have fun creating with acrylic! Hopefully, some of these ideas have inspired you to create something with acylic.
Products Used:
Mini-Album: Maya Road
Patterned Papers: Bo Bunny Blitzen
Chipboard embellishments: Maya Road
Paints: Ranger Adirondack Dabbers (Snow Cap & Silver)
Inks: Ranger Distress Ink in Festive Berries
Ink: StazOn Solvent ink Jet Black and Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink in Lettuce/Blending Tool
Stamps: JustRite
Bling/Pearls: Queen
Plastic Flower: Maya Road
Punches: EK Success
Adhesive: Micro Glue Dots & Glue Pen

Showing some Family Pride with a little help from Reminisce

Create adorable jungle animal themed layouts using Reminisce's new line of papers/stickers titled "Family Pride". Our family's last trip to the zoo was a while ago now, but these adorable animal stickers from Reminisce reminded me I still needed to scrapbook a few memories. Our family trip to the zoo in Madison, WI. Leaf stickers used as photo corners, green "back-side" used for grassy fringe along right side of layout.

I also created a fun-loving birthday card using a new die I picked up at The Scrapbooking Studio in Moline, IL and Reminisce's Family Pride papers. I love the fluffiness of the flower.

Challenge-Use a Rub-On on your next layout or card design

Add drama and a unique flare to your next layout or card creation by including a rub-on on your design. Rub-ons are an inexpensive way to add a lot of pizzazz to any project. I used a Bo-Bunny Doodle Dude rub-on on my layout I created with a picture of my son, Charlie. The patterned papers are from the Cambridge Chess BoBunny collection, and the giant "M" is also a Bobunny embellishment. Did you know that rub-ons can be used on a lot of different surfaces? Rub-ons can be layered over pictures, paper and buttons and many other surfaces as well. Post your rub-on creation today on the A Walk Down Memory Lane Facebook Wall so we can all see how you used a rub-on on your card or layout.

Supplies Used:
BoBunny Cambridge Chess Printed Papers
BoBunny Dood Dude Rub-On
BoBunny Large Letters-Brown
Maya Road Acrylic Embellishments
American Crafts Thickers
White Pen
I purchased my supplies on-line at A Walk Down Memory Lane

The Scrapbooking Studio carries the entire line of Doodlebug's easy to create cards. This giant collection includes several card and envelope styles and colors along with dimensional stickers, and card greetings. The great news is that it's all reasonably priced starting at only $0.75/piece. I created these four cards in less than 15 minutes. I think they turned out adorable thanks to the huge selection at The Scrapbooking Studio-but you be the final judge. Stop by the store to check out the samples on display today.

What do Maya Road, Simple Stories, and Ranger products all have in common? Great Design! Quickly create a beautiful mini-album with exquisite detail using Maya Road's chimpboard mini-albums, Ranger's Tim Holtz Distress Stain to cover the chipboard pages, and a 6x6 Mini-Pad from Simple Stories to create the perfect background pages and pieces for your own story. Add some emphamira, ribbon, and twine and the album is created (painlessly) in no time at all! You can purchase all of these products today at The Scrapbooking Studio.

 

I used Simple Stories' Generations paper, Ranger's Pumice Stone, Crushed Olive and Tea Dye Distress Stain, and Maya Road's Curved Edge Layered Scolloped Book. Sparkle was added with Ranger's Perfect Pearls Mists in Interference Red and Perfect Pearl.

Creating Altered Chipboard and Wooden pieces

Step 1: Select several pieces for your project. I am using Maya Road's chipboard and wooden snowflake pieces.

Step 2: Add color to the pieces using Tattered Angel's glimmer mist (Santa Baby), Distress Ink (Peeled Paint), and/or Rangers Paint Daubers (Snow Cap), or Clearsnap cat eye ink pads.

Step 3: Use a heat tool to set the ink/paint onto the pieces.

Step 4: Add glitter to a few of the pieces by running them upside down (good side down)through a Xyron.

Step 5: Sprinkle glitter over the sticky painted side of the pieces.

Step 6: Use glue dots to adhere chipboard or wooden pieces to your layout, card or art project...

 

I used BoBunny's Blitzen line of papers to create this layout along with my wooden and chipboard pieces I altered.

Supplies

Patterned Paper: BoBunny Blitzen

Embellishements: Maya Road Snowflake chipboard and wooden pieces

Paints/Ink: Ranger Distress Ink, Ranger Paint Daubers, Cat Eye Inks, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist

Adhesive: Glue Dots

Ribbon: Maya Road

Title Stickers: American Craft Thickers

AWDML Blog Sketch Challenge-Card

Shelly here with a card sketch challenge! Jillibean soup is on sale at AWDML all month so I picked up some of the Jillibean soup Christmas Chestnut Soup paper line & some accesories that matched to create a Christmas card and get a jump on the holiday season. Here's the sketch:

And here's my take on it:



Why not try the sketch and show off what you made? Don't forget to post it in the gallery on the AWDML web site.

AWDML Manufacturer Spotlight: Ranger

Ranger is known worldwide as a leader for scrapbooking, stamping, jewelry making, mixed media artists and home decor artists everywhere. The company is based in New Jersey and it's products are all created in the United States! Ranger has Inkssentials™, Adirondack® and Distress™ lines to name a few examples of their inks.
 
However, my personal favorite products from Ranger are their tools! The Tiny Attacher, Tim Holtz distress tool, and sanding block are at the top of my "must have" list. As this month's featured manufacturer, you can enjoy25% off all Ranger Industry products in stock at AWDML store. Here are a few examples of fun things to create with Ranger Products:


Ranger Distress Tool-use it along the edges of paper to create a torn look.

 

Alcohol Inks on felt pad/blending tool tapped onto clearly for art and molded with heat tool.









Embossed image after it was sanded with the sanding tool.








Blending tool and Distress ink used to ink tag's edges to give it an aged appearance.

Tiny Attacher used to hold ribbon to tag's front.

Here are a few cards created with these parts/pieces:

Product List:

Jillibean Soup papers & pea pod parts

Ranger Tiny Attacher

Ranger Sanding Tool

Distress Tool

Ranger Glassine paper

Ranger Blending Tool

Ranger Alcohol Inks

Ranger Distress Ink



Technique Using Ranger Perfect Medium and Perfect Pearls

Create gorgeous stamped images with Ranger's Perfect Medium and Perfect Pearls. I created this card using Jillibean Soup's Gazpacho Soup, Accucut die cut card base (Bazzill cardstock), Perfect Medium, stamps, and Perfect pearls in two different colors.



Perfect Pearls in two different colors!



Begin by die cutting a card base with an Accucut die cutting machine (or similar die machine). Adhere Jillibean soup Gazpacho soup papers to inside base. Use Ranger Distress ink and blending tool around scalloped edges of the card front. Cut striped paper for card top using the Tim Holtz distress tool around the paper's edge, ink if desired. Use stamps on Ranger Perfect Medium ink pad and stamp on brown cardstock (the Perfect Pearls really shines through when used on darker cardstock colors). Use fluffy Perfect Pearls brush to apply Perfect Pearls in first color (spider is Kiwi). Stamp second image and use second Perfect Pearls to dust over the second image (floral is Blush). Adhere stamped image to card front. Use Ranger Liquid Pearls in four courners of cardstock to "anchor" the image to card front. Also, I used a silver metalic pen to outline the cardstock just a bit. Finally, add a Jillibean "Soup Label" for the card's greeting.

Items Used:

Bazzill Cardstosck

Jillibean Soup Gazpacho Soup papers & soup labels

Ranger Perfect Medium ink & Perfect Pearls

Ranger Liquid Pearls

Ranger's Tim Holtz Distress Tool

Silver Metalic pen

Ranger Distress Ink

Ranger Blending Tool



Sassy Lil' Sketches Week 3 Reveal

Week 3 Sketch is:

And here's my take on it: I used Graphic 45 Christmas papers, Ranger stickles, black pen for faux stiching, pop dots for dimension.

Sadly, the gals at Sassy Lil' Sketchs have decided to shut their site down after three years so this will be my last reveal/posts for their website. I appreciate the opportunity they gave me and wish them both the greatest of futures in their scrapbooking and personal lives. Thanks ladies!

Sassy Lil' Sketches Week 1 Reveal (Ramped up Schedule this month!)

Week 1 Card Sketch revealed: And here's my take on it: I used black cardstock for the base, Canvas Corp kraft printed cardstock for the printed paper and the greeting. Used an EK Success corner punch and Queen & Co. bling along with May Arts wide gingham ribbon in cream/peach.

I love the simple elegance this sketch offers. Pretty and grown-up at the same time.

Sassy Lil' Sketches Week 3 Card Reveal

We're half way through September and it's already time for another Sassy Lil' Sketch card reveal. Are you ready? Here it is:

I created an Anniversay card for my brother and his wife who were married on October 31. I used Cosmo Cricut paper, Kaiser Kraft blooms, Stampin' Up punches, and Ranger Distress ink on the edges of the card and patterned paper.

This card has most of my favorite colors on it. I love Autumn and all the beauty it has to offer. I think it may be my favorite season. What's yours? Oh, did I mention this month's Sassy Lil Sketch sponsor is Authentique Paper? Well, they are-so play along on Sassy Lil' Sketches and you will be registered for the monthly drawing. All you have to do is copy the sketch above, take a picture of your card, and post it on the website here: http://www.sassylilsketches.com/ You'll find the rules, gallery, and lots of inspiration!