 |
 |
 |
• shabbyprincess.com
• shoppe info
• faq's
• shabby artists
• contact info
• about
•
• gallery
• message boards
• tutorials
• blog
• beyond digi
•
PIECE-a-CAKE album {instructions ::: tips ::: resources} ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- {QUICK TIPS} ::::A 'dry' glue is MUCH better than a 'wet' or 'liquid' glue for this type of application.:::: ::::For a fun and polished look...use a corner rounder to trim the corners of your pages (you can find these at most craft stores and scrapbook stores for anywhere from $4 - $10):::: ::::BE CREATIVE! While these albums are READY TO GO and require no additional embellishing, etc...you can STILL have fun with them and make them your 'own'!:::: ::::Re-Use some of the piece-a-cake pages! If you have an album with 20 pages to fill...simply re-use the pages and more than likely - no one will ever even notice :):::: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- {INSTRUCTIONS} Here are some basic, step-by-step instructions for putting together your Piece-a-Cake album...
First things first...CREATE the album digitally...using your photo
editing software (i.e. Photoshop Elements, Photoshop, PSP, DIP,
etc.)!
Here is a fabulous tutorial on how to do just that :) Before you get too far, I think it's a good idea to decide what type of album you will use/create. This should help you determine how you print your album pages and on what type of paper...and, of course, the SIZE. Generally, if I am going to create an 'altered' album (i.e. board book, accordion album, etc.)...I print the layouts at home on heavyweight, premium matte photo paper. PERSONALLY, I just think this 'goes' better with these types of albums...as opposed to a lustre or glossy finished photo (that is complete personal preference though and should really mean nothing to you - LOL). It is easier to assemble these types of albums if the prints are slightly smaller than the measurement of the book/album...so, keep this in mind when printing. For example...if my album is 8x8, I would probably print my photos at about 7.75x7.75" :) But, if I am printing the pages to go into a scrapbook album with page protectors...I go ahead and send my pages off to a lab to be printed because I am looking for archival quality, long lasting, etc. Plus...for my 'forever' albums...I like to have lustre finish :) Of course, in this scenario...you would have your pages printed at the actual size of your protector sheets. So...once you have all of your album pages printed and ready to go... The next step is trim away any excess paper around the layout. You can use a paper trimmer/cutter, plain scissors, or even a straight edge/ruler and a utility knife if you do not have a paper trimmer. If you choose to use an album with sheet protectors...your work is basically done after you print/trim the layouts or have them printed! At that point, you simply insert them into the page protectors and VOILA! A perfectly finished album!!!
However...if you wish to go with a board book, accordion album, etc...the FUN is just beginning! A quick and fun touch with board books is to use a corner rounder to round the corners of the layout. OF COURSE, this is NOT necessary...but, just an added touch! So, once you have decided on album type and size... printed your pages and trimmed them (with or without the rounded corners)...it is time to ADHERE! DRY glue/adhesive works soooo much better with these albums than a wet or liquid glue! My faves are the Dotto Runners and Xyron Cheetahs (looove those)! I like the Xyron because it is wider and goes on quickly! Super easy to cover a large area! Run the adhesive around all outside edges as close to the edge as possible. Place the layouts in the book/album by carefully centering the layout on the page, putting it in place and then smoothing it down from one edge to the other. Once you have adhered all of the pages...either you are FINISHED...OR...you could move to the next step of EMBELLISHING :) This is soooo much fun and a great way to make each and every album unique! You can use things like ribbons, buttons, jewels, keepsakes, memorabilia, brads, eyelets, paints, inks, stamps, flowers and so much more to further embellish your album! Of course, your album is beautiful even without the extra 'stuff'! So - choose how far you want to take it! SEE...it really is a PIECE-A-CAKE to create these albums! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Below is a great list of resources and links to help you in the creation of your album(s)! Please remember that this is just a small selection of all of the wonderful products out there...so - shop around and be creative! While all of these products are available online...don't forget that it can be a BLAST to browse through your local craft or scrapbooking store :) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- {RESOURCES} just click on the image to find the product at an online store! of course...many of these items are available at lots of different stores...but, this is a great starting point!
Just a few notes on these products... There are SOOOOO many albums to choose from and this just gives you a small glimpse!!! I love the board books and accordion albums because they are so easy to work with! And...they are pretty inexpensive, too! And...here is another great resource for board books...it is a site called...BARE BOOKS...and just as the name implies - LOL - they have lots of BARE books for sale! And they have chunky, blank board books at a really LOW price :) Oriental Trading Company is a fabulous resource for inexpensive album and supplies! There are soooo many products on their site that it can be overwhelming to shop - LOL - but, it's worth it! I love dry adhesive runners and the Cheetah runner is awesome because you can buy them in 2" or 4" widths! GREAT for covering a lot of surface at once! The smaller runners like the DOTTO...are awesome for small and detailed areas! There are so many trimmers out there and you just have to shop around for what suits you. Many scrappers only use a straight edge and blade/knife for cutting! So - don't think that you have to invest in an expensive trimmer! And embellishments! AHHHHH - they make scrapping so much fun! Most of us even have items around our house that could be used! From something as simple as a stapler...to buttons and beads and silk flowers! The possibilities are endless! Just use your imagination! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope that these instructions have helped you to create a wonderful album for yourself, your child, friends or family...OR ALL OF THE ABOVE - LOL! If you have any questions that are not covered in this or the digital tutorial...please feel free to post a question on our message board HERE!!! |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ENJOY :)
{special thanks to Steph C. for helping with this tutorial and for the wonderful images}
copyright 2006 shabby princess designs
