Marvelously Magical Mini Albums + A Tutorial

Happy Tuesday, G45ers!

Welcome to our marvelously magical blog today! It's a beautiful Tuesday for some inspiration and we have it here for you. Today we are featuring two mini albums using the Tropical Travelogue and the Little Darlings collections. Our fantastic designers Betto Cesare and Susan Lui have created some crafting magic for us today. Susan even included a tutorial of how to make a mini from scratch. Get ready for some fun!

First off, we have a beautiful 5X5 Altered Art Box with a Tropical Travelogue mini inside from Betto Cesare! The texture is so rich, this mini album is sure to impress! Beautiful details with the rolled and distressed edges on the cover.

 

Betto Cesare is a masterful fussy cutter. Don't you Love seeing these details on the cover?

Betto maximized his altered art box by creating a beautiful scene on the far right panel. Great idea!

 

And now, the magical mini inside!

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue papers

Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue Stickers

Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue Alphabet Stickers

Graphic 45 Tropical Travelogue Tags

Graphic 45 Metal Brads

Graphic 45 Shadowbox and craft album

Core'Dinations Cardstock - Dark Cashmere

Studio Ink - Classic Teal

Studio Canvas natural

Distress Ink colors : Vintage photo, Rusty Hinge, Spiced Marmalade and Black Soot.

Tim Holtz - Tissue tape

Sizzix - Filmstrip Frames

Tim Holtz - Film Strip Ribbon

Distress Crackle Paint - Clear Rock Candy

 

What a fun way to remember an excellent travelling adventure! Did you get fun ideas?

Next, we have Susan Lui's stunning Little Darlings Mini Album she made from SCRATCH! Including a tutorial so you can make one too. Fun fun fun!

This is what Susan Lui has to say about her Little Darlings Mini Album: "I whipped up this mini album using Graphic 45’s new Little Darlings collection as a gift for the grandparents. The raw mini album is really quick and easy to make. And all you'll need to do after making the album is to decorate it with your favourite Graphic 45 papers and embellishments. Here is a photo of the completed album:

So let's get started on how to create the raw mini album. Here's what you'll need: 

Supplies:

Graphic 45 Little Darlings patterned papers - 4-5 sheets of 12x12 inch papers

Graphic 45 Little Darlings chipboard tags

Vanilla cardstock paper - 1 sheet

2 chipboard pieces measuring 6x6 inches for the covers

Ribbon - 30 inches

Instructions:

1. Cut 2 sheets of 7x7 inch patterned papers for your cover. Adhere the 6x6 inch chipboards on to the back and centre of these patterned papers.

 

2. Cut a diagonal off the corners of your patterned papers. Fold over the sides of the patterned paper on to the back of the chipboard and adhere securely. Repeat for the back cover.

 

 

3. Place the front and back covers side by side an inch apart. Lay the ribbon across the centre of the back of the covers and glue down.

4. Now onto the spine of the mini album. You'll need two sheets of vanilla cardstock measuring 5 3/4 x 11 3/4 inch each. Score each cardstock at the 5 3/4" mark. Then score at intervals of 1" apart. Accordion fold the cardstock. Do this for both sheets of cardstock.

5. Join the two pieces of cardstock together as shown. Adhere securely.

 

6. Adhere the cardstock to the front and back covers of your mini album.

7. Cut 5 sheets of Little Darlings patterned paper measuring 5 3/4 x 11 1/2 inches. Fold each sheet into half and glue the ends together.

8. Adhere each page on to the spine of your album and you're done! To securely close the album, just tie the ends of your ribbon together into a pretty bow. How simple was that?

Now all you need to do is decorate and embellish the mini album to your heart's desire. I decided on a lace cover for my spine and this is how it looked before I embellished the cover.

The inside pages - again I embellished the spine.

 

More photos of my completed album which I decorated using images from the Little Darlings patterned paper, chipboard tags, fabric, seam binding, pearls and flowers. The images were given more dimension using 3D foam dots.

 

So if you're thinking of making a pretty mini album for a mum-to-be or a brag book for the grandparents, why not give this a shot? Happy scrapping!" - Susan Lui

Wow! That WAS magical! Thanks to Betto Cesare and Susan Lui for their amazing mini albums today. Join us tomorrow for more inspiration! The fun never stops at Graphic 45.

 

Happy Papercrafting!

The Graphic 45 Team

 

 

 

 

Comments

[deb]

What a complete and concise tutorial in the Little Darlings Album. I have had the paper and chipboard, just waiting to create with it. Thank you for the inspiration!

[Sharon Y (sharona62)]

Wow, both albums are great. I am blown away by Betto's fussy cutting. Susans tutorial is very easy to follow. Thank You

[Julie Tucker-Wolek]

Wowwwwwwww!!! These are both gorgeous!! Loving all the details!!!!

[Jo Anne Mason]

Another inspirational day! The Little Darlings Album is adorable and what perfect timing! I need to make a baby album for a new grandbaby coming our way in November!

[Pamela M. Perkins Zirbel]

Gorgeous work from Betto & Susan!! Wow!! Love the film strip part from Betto..the one where his arms are stretched out! That looks cool! Then, Susan's tut on the cover! That is my biggest problem..how to do it!! Looks fantastic you two!!!

[cindy braden]

Great tutorial on the Mini and love the way the pages look and are held together. Thanks for the wonderful book and the inspiration. I love the G45 papers and forward to making a mini!!!

[Glenda]

Wow, love that mini album. I am going to have to try that one. These papers are just so increbibly gorgeous. I LOVE G45!!!!!

[Luce Lavertu]

I just love this mini album!
I love all your products and got lucky to be able to teach my first card class with Old Curiosity line and it was a success!
Thank you for all your good work guys!
Luce
Myvintagecat.blogspot.com

[Sheila Bacon]

I could virtually spend most of the morning glued to these postings. Thank you for the pictures of the steps to make the Little Darlings book. I also have acquired an altered art book so will be making one similar to the Tropical Travelogue art box. The filmstrips - nice touch--and a definite reason to get the die.

[Mary Werner]

Pink and Blue look so pretty together - what a beautiful mini and so easy to make with G45 papers!

[Kelly Sas]

I sure wish my mom would appreciate something like this. I would love to make one, but I think it will be for my best friend of over 35 years. Thanks for sharing how you made this gorgeous mini. NOW I know how and that I can make it!

[jengd]

Beautiful! LOVE the look of the box and what a great tutorial! Thanks!

[Miriam Prantner]

Great tutorial! I'm going to pin that! I also love the little filmstrip piece for the other mini!

[Barbara Johnson]

Wow guys!!!! These are fabulous projects!!!! I was looking for the perfect little mini for my new grandmother- friend and this is it!!! GREAT instructions!! Thank you so much!! And I always love the tropical travelogue and those great boxes you came out with!! Just beautiful!!

[Gayla Templeton]

Any one who knows me knows about my love affair with Little Darlings and this mni is total eye candy to me. However, when Tropical Travelogue came out, I was kind of ho hum about it. Pretty but not my taste at all. Suddenly, seeing what can be done with it, I'm in love with it, too. Two very different themes but both are over the top. Now, I'm going shopping for all the goodies to make both. I've done a couple of home dec. items w/Little Darlings but I think I have enough left to do the album so I'll need another pad of it for later and a pad of Trop. Travel. Shopping therapy, here I come.

[Marilyn B. Hughes]

Wonderful projects. And I love the tutorial on how to make your own mini album. I've got to give this a try.

[Michelle Reaves]

First I'm blown away by all of the fussy cutting here today!! I used to be intimidated by fussy cutting but no more, now I find it fun! That mini album is just stunning and I'm so excited about the way Susan did her binding, I can't wait to try it out myself!! It's a rainy day today so I'm going to hit the craft table and make a Little Darlings mini album :-)

[Lori Dyke]

Love Susan's mini! I am going to be making a mini as a gift for a friend and think I will try this technique for it.

[Mary Hinton]

Love the projects today. Susan's baby mini is something I can make for a friend. Yea! Thanks for the inspiration!

[Mary Jane]

Both albums are absolutely beautiful. Thanks for the tutorial!

[Judy Webb]

Thanks for this detailed tutorial. Love the way she put her pages together.

[Marcy F.]

What great albums, can't wait to make them.

[Dorothy McCarthy]

Fantabulous!!!!!

[Paula]

I love minis more than layouts so this is awesome!!

Paula

[Anne McIntosh]

Betto is my fussy cutting hero! I've started doing more since I've seen his work. Just nothing like it!

Susan's mini from scratch album is a must keep tutorial! She made a great album with a minimum of fuss (except for the cover!). I see many of these in my future!

Thanks and Happy Tuesday!

[karine]

Coucou, ces 2 albums sont magnifiques, merci pour le tuto, bises

[Dorina D]

OH MY! How gorgeous both projects are. Loved the mini tutorial and the book is sto cute. Great job.

[jocelyn]

Beautiful. I love mini books.

[Solveig]

Wow! Beautiful mini albums and great tutorial! Thanks a lot!

[Debbie E]

gorgeous mini album and thanks for the tutorial. Great book thanks

[achairnadream]

Will be teaching a class at my friends Scrap Shop using the G45 small window box like Betto used...thanks for all the inspiration I could have asked for to start making my samples...great binding tech on the Little Darlings album...thanks to both of you

[Mary]

Love this tutorial on the Mini...saving this for sure to make one! Great projects G45. Another inspiring day!

[Danielle Copley]

Fabulous fussy cutting! Love the 'from scratch' mini. Looks super simple and cute.

[Val Slaa]

I love these albums and the ideas on how to make them! So fun!!

[Arlene]

WOW! Love the altered art box by Betto and the awesome tutorial for Susan's custom baby book. Fabulous projects!

[Jeyatha]

Amazing work by both Betto and Susan.. Love it..

[Kathi R]

Wow. Both projects are absolutely stunning.

Thanks for the tutorials.

[Emily H]

Oh my! These are marvelously magical!!

[Lynne]

More great ideas! Thank you.

[Ilene Puente]

These are beautiful projects! I'm so glad I stopped here today: the mini album is moving up to the top of my to-do list!