Today, I’m excited to share my “Favorite Places” mini album. I used a 4”x4” binder and it was so much fun. I love creating mini albums because I can actually finish them and using pocket pages makes the process even easier. In fact, I got into such a groove with this album, it was hard to stop making more spreads.
Because my project has so many pages, I thought it would be fun to flip through the entire album and give you a peek of everything. All of the pages I've made so far can be seen above. Below, I’ve included more detailed information on how my album is organized, techniques I use to embellish my pages, and my go-to methods for keeping my process simple.
It can be overwhelming putting together an entire album. For me, success is usually contingent upon how simple I keep my process. Printing from home is huge when simplifying my work flow, not only with my photographs, but also with my journaling and title work.
Here, my title page is a combination of digital and handset type using foam Thickers from the Confetti collection to spell “LOVE”. By first partially adhering alphabet stickers to a ruler, I'm able to line up all the letters and keep them in place as I'm sticking them onto my project.
Another way I simplify my process is to follow a formula. For this album, I kept it simple: 1 photo + 1 caption + 1 embellishment = 1 spread.
The content of my album is organized geographically with each section separated by dividers. I used some of my favorite CP patterned papers to create the dividers. I also made a set of minimal labels for the titles of each section and used the Confetti cardstock number stickers for the double-sided tabs.
I never strayed far from my simple formula, however, for a bit of deviation, I cut down 4-pocket plastic sleeves to sandwich in between some of my full size pages. In this spread, I filled the little pockets with a fun range of CP sequins and AC glitter. Then, I used my Fuse tool (another great time saver) to seal the pockets shut.
Below are the rest of the half-page spreads I added to my album:
With my Tiny Attacher and Fuse in hand, I was able to quickly and easily incorporate different embellishments. I always make sure these two tools are easily accessible in my workstation.
And the most important way I keep my process simple is to embrace imperfections. Sometimes, I don’t want to spend extra time typing out my journaling. Sometimes, I just need to accept my imperfect handwriting. . .but that doesn't mean I won't grab a pencil and always keep an eraser handy!
- Maria
