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)

Our Story: A Journal

I adore making Journals. There is something therapeutic in the process for me. I imagine the kind of journal I would use, what photographs, memento's , journaling I would put into a journal and then I begin with a theme and a color palette and it's all go from there.

I love to imagine the joy and good usage a customer would get from such a unique hand-crafted with thought and joy book! I really take pride in my work and I always try and make something that comes from "me"-something original and from what I am feeling at the moment. I hope that my work reflects who I am and the things I love.

I have a new little ring-bound journal in my Etsy shop. It is entitled "Our Story" and has a Paris travel theme throughout. I imagine it's for a couple who have spent a romantic mini break in the City of Love and she wants to capture every second of walking down those cobbled streets, gazing out over the River Siene, through the transulent light of dusk...standing under the Eifell tower and looking up through the huge curved structure and being transfixed in awe at it's sheer size and architectual beauty.

Sigh...now I want to go back to Paris...

.

End of year Teacher Gifts

So it's that time of year...
The time of year when school is almost over (just over 2 school weeks left for the year!)
When exams are on (studying with my son every afternoon, such a joy!)
And when it's time to start buying making Teacher's gifts.

I had a cool idea this year that allowed me to use my current love of washi tape and love of crochet and vintage doilies all in one!

I made each teacher a notebook. I bought a plain black notebook, covered it with white paper and then used strips of washi tape to decorate the cover. I then glued on a vintage doily and crocheted a double flower which was also glued on. Done.

Next I bought a pack of white envelopes and added a strip of washi tape to each one. A pack of envelopes.
Idea two: Done.

Simple but I think highly effective and of course, personalized and not commercialized! To me that is a winner!

Re-purpose old window frames into photo fames {Part 2}

Remember this post?
I did it 5 months ago! 5 months? Where on earth does the time go? I had every intention of doing part 2 sooner than this...but nonetheless, here is part 2.
I hope this answers any questions I got in part 1.

I left off with the wood work of the frame completely finished.
Now let's carry on from there...

1. Putting The glass back in.

So I didn't get any photos of this part,(sorry) but it is really quite straight forward.
Before I begin, a few notes:
If you are going to use the original glass, you just need to fit each panel back into the right place. Sometimes
the sizes are slightly out by a few mm, so you might need to check each piece of glass until you have the right one for each place.
Or, you can do what I did. I like the "old" looking frame work, but wanted clean,new glass as I was putting photos into the frame. So I carefully measured each individual little frame within the frame and made a note of each measurement. Be sure to measure to within the last 2-3mm all around. This Leaves a very small gap to get the glass in. (I measured from side to side all around and then subtracted 2mm all the way around )
Take your measurements to your local glass cutter and they will cut each piece for you. This is very cheap to have done, for the new glass and labor.

So getting back to putting the glass in...
-make sure your framework is clean and completely free of any residue or dust. A good vacuum or sweep will do the trick!
-Double check the back of the frame where you took the grout out,that it is completely free of lumps and bumps and if need be, sand down any forgotten or missed areas.
-I used no more nails. Simply squeeze a line around the border of the panel (working one panel at a time)
Then insert your glass and press down gently but firmly (only on the sides , don't press the glass in the middle-you could break it). Press it down enough so that the excess solvent squeezes out.
You should wipe this off with kitchen paper and have a damp cloth nearby to clean the glass  as the stuff is a pain to get off once it dries.
Carry on with the rest of the panels in this fashion.
WARNING: wear old clothes and rubber gloves when you are doing this and make sure your surface is covered in newspaper, this stuff is MESSY!

After each panel of glass is in, clean and neat, leave it as is to dry overnight.

{note: For photos you can use a 3mm glass. the thicker you go, the heavier your frame will be and the more expensive your glass will be. 3mm is quite adequate if you are using it as a photo frame. }

2. Backing Board

Again, I measured each frame and then subtracted about 2mm all the way around. I got the wood cut (just used ordinary chipboard)

We drilled a small hole into each adjacent corner of each panel (so 8 holes for each panel in the inside of the frame work -at the back). He made these little metal hooks for me and inserted one into each place. They act as a kind of spring, holding the board down. But you could use normal black blips you find on the back of any photo frame that are inserted into the woodwork of the frame. We just couldn't find them anywhere and so had to make our own plan.
Ask your local framer or hardware store.

And that is it! Here is my frame finished and hanging in my dining room!

Parisian Journal pages

{by the way I don't know the sun could "shin it!!" (see spelling on my pic from yesterday!!) HA HA HA. I meant Shining!! I can spell...honest! A pity PSE doesn't come with a spell check!

Anyway....

During the holidays I had a chance to spend a brief time working on my (still ongoing) Paris journal of our trip we did in March 2011. It is so fat and bulging now and I still have a ton of pix to print (well to be precise 145 photos)

I love seeing all the colors and tabs sticking out...

A photo I took of a door, which I cut out like a door and stuck another photo behind!

French postcards...

Pockets to fill with musings...