steampunk paperbag album graphic 45

Hi, at Crafts 4 Eternity this week, the challenge is: add a hidden element to your project. Uhmmmm, think I might have gone over the top a little! 

Now I must warn you now, that this is an extremely long post with like a gazillion photos in it, so either grab yourself a cuppa or hop away now ...

Before I carry on, I am going to enter this into the following challenges:

'anything but a card': Saturday Challenge and Tuesday Throwdown.
'embossing': Paper Sundaes.
'ribbons, pearls/rhinestones, flowers': A Spoonfull of Sugar.
'ladies day': My Time To craft.
'Mother's Day/Girlie': Simon Says Stamp Challenge. I have gone for girlie.
'embellishments beginning with C': Creative Belli. I have clocks.
'tags': Truly Scrumptious.

I will let the photos do most of the talking - click on any photo to get a better view. I actually started this just after Christmas and it has been on and off my craft table ever since. I was spurred on to get it finished when I saw the c4e challenge this week.

Front cover

I've used corrugated card for the front and back covers, to which I've smeared on some gesso and randomly embossed with gold embossing powder.

For the 'Time Flies', I stacked some buttons up, embossed them a bit with gold and then used rub ons for the letters. 

All of the sheer clocks used throughout the album are by Maya Road. The door knob and all the large sprocket wheels etc are Tim Holtz.

All papers used throughout are from the Graphic 45 ~ Steampunk Debutante collection. 

The metal piece being pinched between the fingers is the pull of a zipper which I've had sat in an old sewing box for at least two decades. I always knew I'd find a use for it one day! I've stuck on some watch innards and added some gold embossing powder.

Do you want a peak inside?

Inside front cover

I cut out the frame and stuck it to a piece of chipboard, which I've then added foam pads underneath to make it stand up a bit. A photo can now be slotted down the top of the frame.

Paper bag 1 front

There are lots of little pull out tags and cards throughout the album, which can be used as journalling spots or to add photos.

You will also see a lot of gold embossing! I've used the Tim Holtz ~ Speckle Stamp with gold embossing as a theme running throughout the album.

Paper bag 1 - back

A little card has been tucked in the side pocket.

 

Paper bag 1 - tag

Paper bag 1 - back and Paper bag 2 - front

 

Paper bag 2 front has it's own little book attached.

Which opens out like this. The right had side is a pocket that a tag needs to go into.

And flips up like this ... Again the butterfly border has been mounted onto chipboard and raised up with foam pads so that a photo can be tucked into the gap.

And turns again like this ...

More watch innards.

Here is the tag for this pocket.

 

 Paper bag 2 - back

Paper bag 2 - back and paper bag 3 - front

Paper bag 3 - front

This page is my absolute most favourite of them all. Which is your favourite? 

Took me forever to work out how I was going to do it, because it was a pocket side, but I got there in the end and I'm really pleased with the end result. A few photos on this page to show you what I did.

I used the tailor's dummy from the Sizzix Tim Holtz ~ Sewing Room die to carefully cut out the bodice of the dress from the paper. I cut another piece from chipboard, stuck the two together. A bit of gold embossing to the edges.

Then I did something I've seen around in blogland a lot. I cut the Sizzix Tim Holtz ~ Birdcage die out of grunge paper, painted it with espresso paint and added some gold embossing. I had to cut off the bottom of the cage to make it fit the page, but it looks like more of a skirt this way, I think.

I added some ribbon, a trinket pin and raised the whole lot up on foam pads and stuck it back down onto the gap in the paper that I had originally cut out from.

I did the same for the bottom.

I thought the sentiment on the tag for this pocket appropriate, with that tight corset!

Paper bag 3 - back

The hinge, my other half brought back for me from the hardware store (along with a few others). Bless. Much cheaper than the ones from the craft shops,  he said and cheaper still as I didn't have to pay for them. LOL!

Ignore the gems which decided to do a little dance on the page when I wasn't looking. They're all fixed now.

Another Maya Road clock which I embossed and added a yummy Teresa Collins brad.

Paper bag 4 - front

Another frame which a photo can be slid behind.

Paper bag 4 - back

Cards and tags.

Almost there!

Inside back cover

More clocks and a lovely chunky Teresa Collins brad.

Back cover

All tied together with black ribbon.

Well if you got all the way to the end, THANK YOU for taking the time to look.

keeley

home for the holidays vintage Christmas paper bag album

This project took a little while in the making, as I had to keep putting it aside to do other things, but it is finished now! I quite enjoyed pottering about with it and coming back to it from time to time.

Warning: This post is VERY photo heavy.

For my paper bag album I used the theme: Home for the holidays.

You can enlarge the photos by clicking on them.

All papers used in this project come from the Bo Bunny ~ Be Good collection. I pretty much used them all up and must now resist the urge to go and buy them all again, because they are so delish.

For the house I used a Maya Road chipboard house which I decorated with the papers. The windows were made from a Sizzix ~ Haunted House die, I just added a bit of stickles to look like snow. The door is a button, I wrapped some thread around it and added some stickles. Do you like the smoke rising from the chimney? That was a die cut from the paper collection.

Here is the inside of the front cover.

I've used 6" x 12" paper bags and used them for their entire length.

At the bottom right hand corner on the front of each bag, I have machine stitched a letter from the Bo Bunny die cuts and as you go through the album, it spells out the word 'home'.

Each bag has two pull out inserts which run the entire length of the bag.

Here is the back of the 'h' bag.

All sentiments, tags etc are all from the same Bo Bunny collection.

Each pull out insert has a little lace tag attached with staples.

Back of the 'o' bag.

Here is the 'm' front page with some close ups.

 

I love this Santa. He was taken from a Crafty Individuals paper pad and glued to a Tim Holtz ~ Fragment. I then embossed the edges with gold. I love the vintagey effect it gives. I added a little tinkling bell.

 

Back of the 'm' bag.

Almost forgot to show the inserts.

Have yourself a merry little christmas.

You may have noticed that at the opening of each bag, I have made a fastening. As it is a vertical album, I didn't want the tags falling out the bottom of the bags. They could become quite heavy once photos and other memorabilia are added to them.

Back of the 'e' page.

And a close up of the fastening.

A chipboard cover for the back.

And there you have it, all ready to be decorated.

I'm popping this in at the following challenges:

'Christmas traditions': Sir Stampalot.

'Buttons': Crafty Creations.

'Christmas': Crazy For Challenges.

'Holidays': ABC Challenge.

'Anything for Christmas but not a card': Bunny Zoes Crafts.

Thank you for looking.

keeley