A Fall Staggered Mini Album with Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts

Hi everyone!  If you are ready for Fall, I have a fun Staggered Mini Album for you to help celebrate the coming of the Season.  Even here in the Mid-South, there is a crispness in the air in the evening, and I am loving it. 

To begin, I am using Graphic 45's Botanicabella paper collection.  I am so glad they resurrected this beautiful paper line. It is perfect for this time of year, and I love all of the elements, as well.  So, cut out your papers and adhere them to each page of the Staggered Mini Album.  This album is super easy to cover because of its straight lines.

To decorate the front cover using the 4" square chipboard piece, I discovered that the Deco Frames 6 Inch and the Tudor Rose Singles would work perfectly.

Paint Deco Frames 6 Inch with two colors of paint using a sponge and dabbing motion to provide the mottled effect.   Paint both sides of the frame since they will show when the book is opened.  Distress the edge with a brown distress ink.  Paint the Tudor Rose Singles with black paint.

Paint a single gear from the Gears Shape Set with a rust paint, dabbing a tiny bit of black to give a mottled effect.

Glue frame edges to the 4" square chipboard piece.

Turn the Tudor Rose over and glue the gear to the center back.  (TIP:  Put the glue on the back of the Tudor Rose and not on the gear.)

Back side

Front side

Add foam dots to the center (gear) of the Tudor Rose and adhere to center of 4" square chipboard piece.

Use a ruler to mark about 1" from the right side of the 4" chipboard piece and place white glue inside this area.  

Flip the narrow chipboard piece over and align the strip along the pencil line.  This is now your front cover of the mini album.

I wanted to add some pockets to the pages, so I adhered small black pocket style envelopes to the second, third and fourth pages, as shown.  This will allow me to insert tags or bits of ephemera for safe keeping.

To finish off the cover, I added floral embellishments.  I decided to add this butterfly to the focal point since butterflies were prevalent in the paper.  I colored the butterfly with green chalk paint, then added copper metallic paint along the outer edge.  Lastly, I added a thin edging of black paint.  (See finished photo above for placement).

I fussy cut lots of images from the print papers to use throughout the book.  For the next page, I painted one of the chevron words with black paint and adhered a piece of print paper beneath it.  

I cut apart two strips from the Texture Sheet Diamonds, painted them black, and adhered them to the next page, as shown.  I cut apart a few of the leaves from Skeleton Leaves 2, painted with green paint, and adhered over the diamond texture.  

I added a couple more of the skeleton leaves on this page, as well.

I painted a Border Sticks Shell strip with black paint and adhered it along the edge, as shown.  It really adds some beautiful detail to the page.  Oh yes, I had a few more skeleton leaves left to add to the floral spray on this page. 

To finish off the back cover, I painted the large Tulip Scroll Corners and adhered it to the left edge.  

Supplies Used:

GSL Staggered Mini Album (contact store)
GSL Border Sticks Shell
GSL Tudor Rose Singles
GSL Deco Frames 6 Inch
GSL Gears Shape Set
GSL Chevron Words
GSL Tulip Scroll Corners 
GSL Butterflies and Dragonflies
GSL Skeleton Leaves 2
GSL Texture Sheet Diamonds

I hope you enjoyed my Fall themed mini album today.  Be sure to check out all the great chipboard in the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts shop.  

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful week!

Barbara

Shabby Chic Business Card Holder

Hey everyone!  I am here today with another project using the awesome Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts chipboard.  When I saw this business card holder, I just knew I would love to have it to sit on my desk, displaying my business cards.  They are so easy and quick to make!  You could make several as gifts to friends, and of course, yourself!  If you don't have business cards, it would also make a pretty note holder, as well.  Just insert cut up pieces of paper and sit next to your phone.  So many ideas!

First, lay out the pieces to make sure you know how they will go together.

I first ran my paper through my Xyron machine to add adhesive to the back.  In the photo, the sticky side is on the striped side showing.  Lay your pieces onto the sticky side, as shown.  If your paper has a direction, as mine does, be aware of how you are placing your pieces.  My paper has flowers that all go in one direction.  At this point, I removed the two curved side pieces.  I want to cover the outside last.  I continued covering the rectangular pieces and set my paper aside for now.

Now, for the inside pieces, I continued laying my pieces out on the sticky side of my second paper, trimming away the excess.  

At this point, I used a craft knife to remove the paper along the slit openings in the side pieces, as well as the extended bits that fit into the slit openings.  The chipboard is cut precisely to fit together nice and tight.  Do not leave any paper on those pieces.  

In the photo below, I show you why you need to cover the inside of the side sections first.  This allows you to cut out the slits before adding the outside paper.  The outside paper will cover the slit openings.

I sanded the edges of each piece to bring out the white of the paper.  In this instance, I did not add distress ink because I liked the look of the white edge with the paper and the natural color of the chipboard.  Next, I glued all the pieces together.

I cut a section from the 6 inch Deco Frame, as shown.  This will be adhered to the back of the card holder.  I inked this piece with embossing ink and heat embossed with a blue embossing powder.

I chose a label from the stackable labels set, heat embossed the base label the same as for the frame piece.  I computer generated "Black Hole Art Studio", the name of my blog, and printed it onto a polka dot paper from the Graphic 45 pad.  I carefully aligned it onto the top label, removed the excess paper and sanded the edges.

I treated the shells border stick the same way and adhered them along the bottom edges of the holder. Then I glued the frame piece to the back at the top, and the stacked label to the front, as shown.

Here are some pictures from different angles.

And here it is holding my business cards.  

Gypsy Soul Supplies Used:

Business Card Holder
Border Sticks
Deco Frames 6 Inch
Stackable Labels Shape Set

Other Supplies Used:

Graphic 45 Botanical Tea 8x8 paper pad
Zing embossing powder (Glacier)
Alene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue
sandpaper or emery board

I really love how this turned out, and I hope you are inspired to make one, too!  

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful, creative week!!!

Barbara