For this week’s Creativity Prompt I have a fun little project for you – The Waterfall Mini Album. It’s a whimsical album that showcases your treasured memories in a playful way.
I have seen a couple of these mini-albums online but non had provided any instructions for assembling it. Therefore I have reversed engineered this album by trial and error with copy paper, until I managed to get it right. It ended up looking nothing like the ones I have seen online, but I love it and I can call it ‘mine’.
Now you can learn from my mistakes and have the full proof way of making your own waterfall mini-album…
Tools & Supply –
[For a closer look, click on the photo]
Click here for more details on my basic tools and supply.
[The great music is by: Josh Woodward from his album: Only Whispering.]
More peeks –
[For a closer look, click on the photos. I have erased the private letter to my husband]
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own waterfall mini albums, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
Some more feedback on the videos is welcomed!!! (Don’t forget to rate & comment on YouTube. If you feel like it… 😉 )
After yesterday’s introduction to the new title on Creativity Prompt: “On The Catwalk” here comes a video tutorial on how to make the notebook, featured on yesterday’s post, using Papertrey Ink’s products.
This notebook is made without stitching and is super easy to make, yet it has this special “artisan” look that we all love. This is the notebook that everyone will ask: “Where did you get it from?”.
Some additional peeks at the notebook –
[Click on the photo for a larger size]
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
My favorite projects are both quick and easy to make, which provide me with instant gratification and an appetite for more. This is why I immediately fell in love with Hagit’s mini-book, when I stumbled upon it.
I asked for Hagit’s permission to “reverse engineer” her project and she told me she’s got the idea from Moran, another talented Israeli artist. (Moran has also posted a tutorial, in Hebrew). Both of them gave me their gracious permission.
As you can see, my “reverse engineering” has brought me to a slightly different place, but my inspiration is definitely derived from Hagit and Moran – so THANK YOU!!!
In this week’s creativity prompt I am going to show you my way of creating a mini-book in about 10 minutes. (Depends on whether your tools and supply are at hand or not…)
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
What do you think about my second trial at putting together a video tutorial… I am keeping on experimenting with the webcam’s placement. Not quite there yet 🙂
Thank you so much for all your kind comments and e-mails on my first video tutorial. It really encouraged me to go ahead and make some more.
I would also be very happy to see your own mini-book creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
After long deliberations with myself (I admit. I have those.) I have decided to go ahead, roll up my sleeves and make a video tutorial. I have chosen to make a project similar to a former creativity prompt – a mini album I have prepared from a recycled cardboard box, for my nephews’ and niece’s photos.
I hope you will enjoy this tutorial and that the instructions are clear enough. However, bear in mind that this is my first attempt at a video tutorial, so it’s a bit rough around the edges (and then some). Therefore I would be much appreciative for any feedback – good and bad, so I can apply it to my next videos.
Covering the cardboard (which is the same as covering chipboard) with patterned paper is a step which is repeated in many creativity prompts. So it’s good to have it “on tape” for you to see the way I am going about it. I believe that even in poor quality, a video is more explanatory than a photo.
This week’s creativity prompt is brought to you in a video form… Enjoy!
[To watch in high resolution, go here and press the link below the video]
The song on my video was made and performed by my brother in law and his friend while they were still in high-school. I was amazed at their talent and I would like to know what you’re thinking as well 🙂
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
On December 4th my husband and I landed in California after an 11 hours flight and were welcomed by our wonderful friends. They’d hosted us for over a week, until we found an apartment, and drove us around for all our initial errands. I am very thankful for their help and hospitality. On one of our first shopping sprees, Andrea, my good friend, has introduced me to the one dollar bin at Target, where we bought a children’s chipboard book.
The idea of altering a children’s chipboard book has sat in my mind for quite a while and as soon as I saw these one dollar books at Target, I knew I have a project at hand. I made Andrea buy one as well, so she would join me for the “craft-session” and I enjoyed her talented company a lot.
So for this week’s creativity prompt I will show you how I turned this:
Bone folder or a paper trimmer with a scoring blade.
Step By Step Instructions –
First, measure the size of each page, the spine and the page fold. Write down the numbers on a scrap of paper.
The Spine.
The Page Fold.
Cut the patterned paper to the page’s size and adhere them on each of the book’s pages with a generous amount of glue stick. Make sure that the glue is completely dry before moving to the next page, otherwise, the pages will stick together and tear.
After adhering each patterned paper, flip the book and cut the excess paper with a sharp craft knife. Make sure not to glue two papers to both sides of the same page before cropping the excess out!
When applying the patterned paper to the cover, stop at the first score mark on each page. (One is probably flash with the spine and the other with the page’s fold.)
To conceal the spine start by trimming a patterned paper to the same height of the book and 2″ wider than the spine.
Next, score the strip at 1″ on each side (lengthwise) – that should create the spine’s score lines.
Then score the strip again on one side at the same size of the page’s fold that you have measured on step 1. Make the score line, measuring from the spine’s score line to the edge.
You should end up with a strip of patterned paper which looks like that:
Glue the patterned paper strip to the book, using a glue stick.
Cut the excess with a craft knife.
Voilà! You are done and free to embellish the altered book as you wish.
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own altered books, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
The year 2008 is coming to an end. It is time to start planing the glorious 2009 which is right at the corner. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to start the year to come with a handmade calendar, to stand beside you as a reminder of how awesome you are all year long. If you are interested – keep on reading for a step-by-step instructions and a FREE 2009 Calendar download.
Print the calendar template (either on cardstock or a regular copy-paper). Cut down the individual months’ boxes with an 1/8″ margin from the dashed frame. Use the marks on your ruler for the alignment and cut with a craft knife.
Work on each of the printed pages individually, as they are not perfectly aligned to each other.
Cut your cardstock at 3½” by 12″.
Score your cardtock strip (widthwise) at: 3½”, 4½”, 5″, 7″, 7½”, 8½”. I used the paper trimmer and a bone folder for the scoring.
Fold all the score lines and burnish with the bone folder.
Apply two strips of strong double sided tape to both ends of one of the 3½” flaps. It doesn’t matter which of them you choose to apply the tape to.
Align both 3½” flaps together and adhere them. That should form the calendar’s stand.
Group all the months’ boxes together and align them on the top flap of the calendar’s stand. Punch 2 holes right below the top edges of the dashed frame. (I was using a crop-a-dile).
Attach all the layers together with the loose-leaf rings or the ribbon and you are done!!!
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own handmade calendars, so do share 🙂
The star album has a strong “WOW” factor as it opens, but it is actually very simple to make one. The secret is in the graduating width of the partitions. For a step by step instructions on how to make this album, keep on reading:
8 pieces of 6″ by 12″ cardstock (just cut your cardstock in half).
8 pieces of 6″ by 10″ patterned paper.
8 pieces of 6″ by 8″ patterned paper.
Fold each piece in half, along its long edge, and burnish well with a bone folder.
Apply adhesive to the 6″ edges of the patterned papers.
Then attach the partitions together –
First, attach the 6″ by 10″ patterned paper to the 6″ by 12″ cardstock.
Then attach the 6″ by 8″ patterned paper to the 6″ by 10″ one.
You should end up with this shape –
Now repeat, until you’ve got 8 “legs” for building the star.
After you finish adhering the star’s “legs” – assemble it on your desktop, to make sure everything works well together and to guide you through the next stages.
Pick 2 adjacent “legs” randomly (they are going to become the cover of your album) and apply a double sided tape strip along their midsection.
Note that the adhesive’s strip is bulging out of the creased edge – this is done in order to tuck-in the edges of the ribbon for an elegant and more finished looking closure. Just wrap the access adhesive’s strip over the crease and attach the ribbon to it.
Next, pick one of the outer “legs” and start attaching each 6″ by 6″ partition to the adjacent one.
This is when assembling the star’s shape in advance is going to come in handy.
Repeat the last stage, until you finish attaching all the star’s partitions to each other. Make sure not to attach the partitions with the ribbon to each other…
A glimpse at the star album while it’s closed:
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own star-album creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
I have been using this technique for quite a while but only recently Meital, a childhood friend of my husband, suggested that I should make a tutorial on this technique, so here you go:
Go through your stash [if you’re like me and you’ve got a stash…] and choose a napkin with an interesting illustration. I chose a napkin with some flower illustrations. Each napkin usually has 4 prints.
Next, you need to paint your canvas. Pick a color that goes well with the illustration on your napkin. Using a foam brush, apply an even coat of the acrylic paint to the canvas. [When working with napkins and other light-weight papers it is better to use a very light color, otherwise the illustration will get “absorbed” and lost in the background.]
While the canvas is getting dried, cut the illustration from the napkin and separate its layers so you end up with the very top layer. You can discard the rest of the layers [it’s recyclable!]
After the canvas is completely dry arrange your cut-outs on it in a way that pleases your eye. [After applying the glue or the gel medium figuring out the placement of your cut-outs will get trickier.]
Then, when you are pleased with the composition, apply the Mod-Podge glue generously with the foam brush both below and above the cut-out, as the glue works as a sealer as well as an adhesive.
Repeat the gluing and sealing process with all your cut-outs and make sure you apply an even coat of glue and going with the brush at the same direction all over. When you are finished and the glue has completely dried you can embellish your canvas with alpha stickers and glitter glue or anything else you can think of.
The process is basically the same, only you can use any color for the background. Therefore I am not going to be as verbose…
Paint your canvas.
Choose your scraps and cut to size. On a 10″ by 10″ canvas I used 25 pieces of patterned paper, cut at: 1 7/8″ by 1 7/8″.
Figure out the placement of all your paper cut-outs.
Apply glue or gel medium below and on top of each piece of paper.
Finish off your canvas with your favorite embellishments and enjoy your art!
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your artistic creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
For this weeks creativity prompt I have got a cute project with a unique “measurement method“. If you want to learn how to create this whimsical & colorful mini-book – read on:
To determine the size of the pages – measure the width of your stapler’s “arm”. [I did promise a unique measurement technique…]
Next, determine the desired height of your mini-book [everything goes] and cut an even number of patterned papers at your desired height and double the width of your stapler’s “arm”.
My stapler’s “arm” width was 2¼” and I wanted the height of the mini-book to be 5″, so I cut my patterned papers at 5″ by 4½”
Adhere every two pieces of patterned paper together – back to back – to create your inserts. [or use double sided cardstock…]
Score each insert at the midpoint, lengthwise. [It should measure the same as your stapler’s “arm”. Mine is 2¼”.]
Stack all your inserts together and staple them twice in the middle crease to create your signature. This is when all your measurements are going to make sense…
Next cut your chipboard scraps ¼” taller and wider then each page of your signature. [mine are: 5¼” by 2½”.]
Now you need to cover your chipboard pieces:
First cut 2 pieces of patterned paper (or fabric) which are at least 1″ taller and wider than your chipboard pieces. Then, using a glue stick, adhere the chipboard pieces in the middle of the patterned paper pieces.
Next, cut all the corners of your patterned paper and create a triangle whose base is about an 1/8″ away from the chipboard’s corners.
First adhere two flaps which are opposite to each other.
Next, tuck the corners of the remaining flaps with the tip of your bone folder. This is going to give your cover a more professional look.
Adhere the remaining flaps to the chipboard, and your covers are ready.
Adhere a scrap of fabric [the same height as your book – mine is 2″ by 5″] to the inner side of your covers with a strong double sided tape. This is going to become the spine of your mini-book. This step is optional.
Adhere the ribbon to the spine – the thinner the ribbon is, the better. This step is also optional and is going to provide your mini book a built-in bookmark.
Finally, attach the signatures to the cover with a strong double-sided tape and enjoy your colorful mini-book.
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own mini-book creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
This card set holder is the perfect handmade token of appreciation to anyone you would like to give thanks to. It takes minutes to assemble and you can use inexpensive envelopes which are available at any convenient store and a couple sheets of cardstock (each sheet yields 4 cards, measured 3″ by 6″) and the holder accommodates 5 cards & 5 envelopes. The holder itself is made out of one sheet of cardstock.
So without further ado lets jump right into this week’s tutorial:
Download the card set holder template. Note that the template isn’t scaled but only designed to give you an idea of the measurements of all the folding and cutting that needs to be done. So don’t print out the template.
Trim one sheet of cardstock to a 9″ by 12″ piece.
Along the 12″ side, score your cardstock at 1/2″, 1″ on each side.
Flip your cardstock to the 9″ side and score at: 4″, 4 1/2″, 8 1/2″, 9″.
Trim along the one inch score line on each side and keep only the 3″ flap at the very end.
fold all the scoring lines and burnish with a bone folder.
Apply double sided tape to the two outer flaps.
Adhere the outer flap to the inner part of the first 4″ section of your cardstock. Repeat on both sides. That would form the pocket of your card set holder.
Use a circle punch to punch out half a circle from the middle of the pocket. That would give your card set holder a finished look.
[You could, and perhaps should, punch out the circle before adhering the pocket. It would be much easier to punch your cardstock while it’s still flat…]
Insert the envelopes and cards inside the pocket and your pretty gift is ready to be given.
For an added interest and a finished look you can embellish your cards and envelopes to match by using the same design on both.
Enjoy!!!
If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
For this week’s Creativity Prompt I have a fun little project for you – The Waterfall Mini Album. It’s a whimsical album that showcases your treasured memories in a playful way.
