Project Life Mini Album Part 1

Hello folks -

Life is so madly busy at the moment, that it is hard to catch-up with anything, let alone technical difficulties of the maddening computer nature!

Last week, my computer did some kind of update and the Camera Launcher I received with the Canon 350D package decided to become incompatible with Vista!  I have only had both for many years, so I have no idea why they suddenly decided they no longer wanted to play together!

I have spent many many hours last week trying to find a software solution, but to no avail.  I am not the most technical person in the world, so thank goodness someone suggested getting a card reader.  I have now purchased a Compact Flash reader from Amazon and am hoping that it will arrive tomorrow, and that specific difficulty is then resolved!

In the meantime, I have been planning the boys' second birthday party and our combined farewell bash.  I made the bunting at the Bellaboo crop last night and have designed the birthday invitation this lunchtime.  Not as handcrafted or arty as I would have liked, but time is definitely not on my side!  So I resorted to knocking up one in Word instead. 

On the crafty side, I made Paul's Mum and Dad an album covering the boys' first two years.  I bought the PL mini album from a seller on UK Scrappers - it was a beautiful lime green with a faux leather cover.  I loved the quality of the album - for me, the only downside of this was the design - the pages are all landscape, and none in portrait.

I purchased it to use as an interim scrapping medium whilst we are on the move, but the landscape format only would bug me - so I decided to use it as the basis for a present.  Whew!  A much larger project than I thought. 

I am going to be sharing my pages, but I will break it down into a series of blog posts to make it more digestible, and for me to edit the photos gradually!

 

Page 1 - Welcome to the World.  I used First Edition "Up Up and Away" stack, some old K & Co letters which I outlined in blue chalk ink and added the boys' names as a banner using old rub-on circles and letters.  I ensured that they wouldn't "rub off" by covering with Glossy Accents. 

 

Even I had to look closely at some of these pictures to know which boy was which! I added some Artemio felt teddies and some October Afternoon rub-ons which otherwise won't get used. 

 

Tara once again shared her stash with me - the "2 Peas in a Pod" was an old rub-on from Poundland, I think.  I've actually used washi tape here as it was intended and some scraps of paper from the pad serve as decoration.  I have cut out quite a few of the letters from the pad; otherwise they won't get used either.  The sticker letters were actually a new purchase - Studio Calico.  I should have realised before how versatile grey is as a colour - coordinates with so many things!

 

My husband's mother and our niece meeting the boys for the first time.  The cupcakes were a celebratory gift from my lovely friend Tara and could be cut down easily.  I have also used a lot of the roller stamps - the newer American Crafts ones from Tara, and my own from Inkadinkado which I have had for a couple of years.  Very versatile!

 

Now onto my Father-in-law.  Decoration was a freebie stamp set coloured with Promarkers.  I stamped out a sheet sometime ago and had no idea what I would use them for.  They have come in very handy for this project. 

 

I think the album slots (4 x 6 inches) fit 80 photos so whilst you can easily flip through, it does take some time to "decorate!" My supplies have been a real mish-mash of things, but once again I advocate that this divided Page Protector system (albeit in a mini format) really does get the stash used up, which is great.

 

I'll be back soon with the next instalment.  :)