My First Memory Files

Hello!
I sit here in a bit of a daze. I have a head cold at the moment. Stayed in my PJ's all day apart from when I had to fetch kids from school and zap into the shop!  Hubby took the kid's to school this morning and came home to drop off some hall lozenges for me. (sweet man).

I wanted to share a new craze of mine. I recently discovered memory files. I am so inspired by the ones Jamie of On Today creates. Of course there are also lot's of ideas on Pinterest.
I've been looking in our local shop for the Heidi Swapp memory files, but to no avail.
So in the meantime, with a bee in my bonnet, I made my own!

The first two were trial and error but I love how the third one came out.

This was the first one I did. I used brown craft board which I covered only the outside of both sides and the inner left hand side. I used a piece of brown craft board to make my own spine which I bent and then sewed onto each cover. I used a piece of scrap booking paper that had the bracket shape already to obtain the cool bracket shape which I cut out.

I first made a mini book by using only double sided paper (different lengths and widths) and some double sided Journal cards. then I stitched it all down the middle with my sewing machine.
This memory file was for January 2012 vacation when my family from New Zealand came to stay for a few weeks. I had a lot of photo's to scrap, and they were special to me, so I knew I had to a mini album and the memory file system worked out so well. I had all my photo's printed small, (2 or 4 on a 10x15cm)

Once I had my book done, I glued the back page to the back of the inner cover and began working in it.

I did some accordion books,

Flaps that open up

This flap had more photo's behind it and a hidden journal pocket.

The same with this flap. I wanted to give some interest to the album.

This is the second file I did. Made a bit of a mess with the stitching. I think I had it on the wrong setting.

This is the inside of the file. I put my mini memory book I made inside. (glued to the back inside cover)

This is what it looks like when the book is open. Lot's of photo stacks, accordion photos, and tabs.

My third attempt. I love how this one came out. I found (yes-found) a whole packet of unopened file folders in pink in my studio (I have no idea when I bought them or what for!)  I cut a piece of scrap booking paper in half and joined it with a middle section. Here is the front

and this is the back. To give a cohesive look to the whole file. Inside the cover on the back, I used the same yellow card.

For this album I knew exactly the colors, theme, about of pages I would need and so I made three different books for photos. This memory file would hold all my holiday photo's from September in which we went to stay half by family and half in a little cottage we rented by the sea! So lot's of color, vibrant and fun paper!
It was a favorite time of mine last year and so once again, I had a lot of photo's I wanted to scrap that a 12x12 scrap book page wouldn't hold!
The inside I didn't mind the pink so much as it fitted with my color scheme.
I cut out a piece of card I had been saving for "in case" and finally I could use it.
It says "a cottage by the sea...how sweet it would be"!

For the front of the book, I used a sturdy piece of plastic (perspex?) cut out a heart shape and stuck the plastic behind and sewed it on.

The heart I cut out of the paper, I turned over and glued to the next page.
I made my own edges on the papers by using gorgeous stickers pasted to the edge and cut around.

Some ribbon and lace trim on the bottom of the book.

Here is a little stacked book.

After with all my photo's in it and some embellishments.

I love layers!!

And lastly, the little photo stack booklet I made. I used some home made brackets which I sewed on just to give the booklet some interest.

Well That is it for now! I don't know how much the real memory files cost or the little already made photo-stacks are etc, but one thing is sure that it is a lot of fun making it all myself and also making it to suit my needs. I didn't buy a single thing for any of these memory files. I used supplies I had in my studio!

I would love to hear what you think! So do pop a comment in the "box" to say hi! and have a super day!
Happy creating!
(feel free to pin  but please link back to here)