Disney Flag Book - Finished!

I finished my flag book today, and here is the cover design I settled on:

When you open the book, the flags can either all flap out like this:

Or you can flip through the pages individually:

I think these books make a high impact with very little effort.  I just trimmed my photos to fit the flags.  I could add journaling on a flag, or on the spine, but I decided to just put my favorite pictures in this album.  The way the flags flap back and forth (and make sound effects, too!) just make me happy.

The paper for this book is all from the Comics collection at Club Scrap.  The stickers on the cover are from Hot off the Press - their Disney Dazzles collection.  The Dazzles stickers look a bit like an embossed stamped image.  I like how they are simple, but provide the proper theme for the book.  Some of the Disney products are too themed or bright for my scrapbooking style.  One little trick - I didn't have black date stickers to match, so I colored some other stickers that I had with a Staz-on black ink refill to do "2011" on the cover.

I like these so much, I plan to make more! If you have a special trip or event that you have lots of pictures from to share, I'd encourage you to consider making a flag book!

A flag book for a fabulous vacation

So, where have I been?  I have a day job at a University, and for three months every year, my schedule is just swamped and leaves no time for blogging.  I thought I'd planned in advance for my busy schedule, but it just wasn't meant to be.

After recovering from work, we went on a planned and wonderful trip to Disney World (Interested?  Read all about it!)  This was supposed to be our only trip this summer, but then I had to go to England for work (and then to visit family) and then a spur-of-the-moment trip for a funeral (1000 miles driving in four days).  That was about 6 weeks of traveling in a summer when only two were planned!

In between trips, I really wanted to make a quick mini-book about our trip to Disney World.  I really wanted some time to myself, and I really feel at peace while crafting.

My choice for this type of project is a flag book.  The pages are little "flags" that simply cry out for a photo or fabulous embellish.

To start, I cut all of my pieces and prepared them.  I've done some of these aspects in my other projects, so I'll just provide links to instructions if you need more explanation:

• Two bookboard covers covered with paper (bookboard is 4 1/8" by 12.25" - large paper is needed to cover this paper. Try the oversized sheets by Club Scrap or a pad of larger watercolor paper.)
• The Club Scrap Essentials video shows you how to cover the board perfectly
• Two pieces of paper to cover the inside of the covers (3 7/8" by 12" - green with polka dots in the picture below)
• One piece of paper to make an accordion spine (12" x 12"-red in my picture)
• To prepare the spine:
• Score the paper starting at two inches
• Make 17 score lines every half inch
• Use a Scor-it board if possible - it makes the straightest score lines, which really helps this project be a success
• If you use a Scor-it board, flip the paper over every other score so that you make "mountain" and "valley" scores.
• Lots of flags (my book will use 24 measuring 3 7/8" x 4")

Score the accordion piece on the score lines - like folding a fan when you were crafting as a kid.

Glue the flat flaps to the covers, carefully lining up the scored edge with the edge of the book cover.

Glue some ribbon on each side. This will hold it in place while you complete the other glueing.  I love this polka dot ribbon!

Glue the green inside covers on each cover, centering each nicely, and burnishing well after glueing.

At this point, my book felt a little wobbly, and I was running out of crafting time.  I was a bit disappointed, because I love the colors, and was afraid I had done something wrong.  I put my book in a book press just to press the spine a bit.  When I took it out of my press the next time I had time to do crafting, I was amazed!  The spine was super crisp, and the book already felt solid.  You definitely need sharp, crisp folds for this book to be successful.  Use some weights or a heavy book if you aren't able to get this on your own with a bone folder.

Finally, glue the flags in.  If possible, do the top and bottom set of flags first.  The middle set can then be evenly spaced between them.  Another secret to this book is that the flags can't rub against each other, so each row needs to be even and even space between them.  The top and bottom rows of flags are glued to the left side of the fold, while the middle set is glued to the right side of the fold.  Here is a close-up of the bottom set of flags.

And, here is what the finished book looks like before I add pictures:

I'll share the pictures when it's finished.  I have some super cool pictures from Disney World, and I just got the embellishments I want to use in the mail this week.

All of the paper and ribbon is from the Club Scrap Comics kit except the cover which is oversized.  I think a really heavy cardstock is a must for the spine and pages of this project.  Stampin' Up! cardstock is also a good thickness for the spine.

The book can also be resized so you don't need extra large paper.

Want more information on flag books?  Here are some resources I found:

• Videos from Club Scrap - Flag Book Part 1 | Flag Book Part 2 | Tower Flag Book
• The Flagbook Bind-o-Rama - an artistic look at some of the possibilities with these books
• How to make a flag book - if you don't want to do the cover boards, this is a different way to make a simpler book

A Luminary to Light the Night

This luminary project was inspired by the Club Scrap Holiday Weekend of Workshops box.

I'm still trying to decide what to place in the brass holder on the front of the base.  I want to put a word there, but the right one hasn't struck me yet.  The paisley stamp is stamped on translucent paper and I watercolored it on the back (hence the wrinkles!).  The paper is loose, so I can take it out and swap it with another piece.

If you haven't checked out a Club Scrap project kit, I'd encourage you to take a look at the Girls' Night Out Event coming up in May.  You'll get to participate in a chat, receive some great (original) supplies, and learn techniques through the videos.

One of the things I really like about getting projects with instructional videos is that I can watch someone make the project, and then decide how I want to alter it.  In the original kit video, all of the base pieces were painted, and the luminary part was an open sheet of die cut paper.  I can also incorporate my own embellishments - those little spools are so cute!  I wrapped linen thread around them to make them look "real."

In a modification by Kay, the designer of the project, she wrapped the base in paper.  I liked the look of that, so I wrapped mine - twice - once with a solid paper, and a second time with a translucent paper.

I also cut four board panels for my luminary, so I could cover the top of it and decorate the top.  The board pieces are painted and then stamped with a musical note background from Purple Onion Designs.

Hope you enjoyed this peek at my project!  I had a lot of fun making it.

An alternative cover for a shaped book

So, as we learned in my previous post, I don't like raw chipboard edges in my projects.  In my last book, I used pigment ink to color the edges.

I cover so much bookboard with paper, I thought this might be fun to try.  I ripped up some pieces of text weight paper (you need something pliable that can wrap easily), applied glue to the paper (see the upper right of the photo), and folded carefully over the book edges, starting with the corners.

By applying glue on a magazine, I have a clean surface at all times.  Use a different part of the page to apply the glue by brushing over the entire piece.  When one page is messy, rip it off, and use the next page.

I continued around until the whole edge was covered.

I covered the center portion of the cover with half of a die cut shape, and pressed this overnight in my bookpress.

I wasn't 100% happy with how this turned out.  No matter how hard I tried, some glue transferred to the project, and didn't really have the crisp look I wanted.  There are no mistakes, however, only opportunities to embellish!  I coated the whole cover with acrylic medium (a mixture of gloss and matte) and I now love the final result.

I assembled the book the same way as my previous book and wound up with this finished product:

I can't decide if this needs more embellishment or not at this point.  I'm thinking of adding something sparkly, but time will tell. What do you think? Is it finished, or could it use a little more bling?

Most materials are from Club Scrap.  Hope you enjoy this alternative way to create a finished edge on a chipboard book!

Scrap your stash - March report

This month, I focussed on making some projects and trying out some new ideas.

I made these cute little shaped books (tutorial earlier in the week, and tomorrow!):

I also started to work on a luminary project I received last year (full reveal when it's completed!):

I also participated in a card challenge:

Which helped me use up an entire card kit:

Finally, I taught a class this month where I was able to share my stash with some great students.  It's fun to share - especially when it makes room for new goodies!

I did place one order with my favorite scrapbook company, Club Scrap.  They were having a fabulous sale on some supplies and projects I've had my eye on for a while.

Check out Lala's World for more inspiration on using your stash.  Join us next month and take a month to use your stash!