Over the weekend, I listened to the most recent episode of the Paperclipping Roundtable podcast. I don’t generally listen to it – since I’m not currently scrapbooking all that often – but Allie (of Alexandra Rae Designs) was on this particular podcast, so OF COURSE I listened to it!
This *particular* episode also featured Elise Blaha, and was about making unique minibooks.
I’ve been loving following all of Elise’s minibooks, like her Palms Springs book and the seasonal minibooks she’s been offering in her etsy shop.
Since I haven’t really been scrapbooking in years – all my ‘gear’ is in storage and I don’t want to buy all new stuff – I’ve been trying to find little ways to do more scrapbook-like projects.
I think starting with an Elise-inspired seasonal mini scrapbook is the best place to start!
As was probably clear when I showed you my Scotland travel journal, I tend to just base my projects on what is easy, supplies I already have, and the path of least resistance.
I happen to have a big fat 12×12 pad of Fall-colored cardstock out of storage (I probably got it for Christmas one year recently). So, since I already have that paper, THAT is what dictated this minibook size.
I pulled out a few of the 12×12 sheets, added some 12×12″ kraft paper that I also had … and then quickly just cut these papers into 6×6″ pages.
I used jump rings to bind the pages – again so I can change the order of pages if I need to – and then …. to find the cover.
This book cover is actually a record sleeve.
I originally just thought a record sleeve would be a good weight and I could decorate/recover it to look however I wanted.
My husband ordered Bonnie Prince Billy’s The Mindeater (whenever it came out), and for whatever reason was also sent an extra, empty record sleeve. Seriously no idea why.
And it turns out this record art is (not only rare, but) kind of amazing and I obviously couldn’t recover this bizarre illustration.
So I measured out a 6×6″ book cover – with some blank space to one side of the illustration – from the front and the back of the record sleeve.
I kind of LOVE it!
I mixed some white and bronze paint to hand-letter the book cover (like I did on the Scotland travel journal). I’m not super great at painting letters … but that could be because I have cheap brushes. Or it could be because I’m not patient enough. Who knows. It looks good enough for me, though.
The weather is only BARELY beginning to cool down here in SoCal, so really haven’t started documenting *just* yet … but I did make a first page in the minibook.
As you can see in the gallery above, the first page has a big S (for Schubert), created with the same bronze/white paint mix and a foam stamp. The first page also features a (blank for now) top 10 list, mounted on some brown grosgrain ribbon strips.
Easy. Basic. All supplies I already have in the house.
I’m really looking forward to whatever we may do this autumn to help fill the book!
And if I can, I’ll even get Andrew to journal in it – or at the very least get some of his iPhone photos to add!
Do you do seasonal minibooks?
Good luck filling it with lovely pages! I love the cover. That illustration is awesome.
Thanks! I am so thrilled Andrew kept this extra record sleeve!
I’m a big fan of Elise & making a seasonal mini book is on my list of to-dos. Wow – that extra record sleeve was quite a score! What a great cover for your book. Can’t wait to see the finished product.