The versatile tri-shutter album!

Now that the lovely bride concerned has received her album, I can share another version of the tri- shutter album that we did at Christmas in July!


We received an invitation to the wedding of one of Roger's team way back in May - and the minute I opened the envelope and saw the beautiful dark purple ribbon on the front - I thought "Concord Crush!" (yes I KNOW I'm sad when I am thinking in SU colours when it comes to anything......) I thought then that one of these little albums would be a lovely little personal gift to Liza for asking us to share her big day on the 3rd July.


The next problem was just getting some decent photos of the happy couple on the day - a difficult task for someone not particularly close to either of them, but thanks to the huge photos my camera takes and editing software - I was able to get enough to make it so here it is.....

The front cover features 3 roses made from Concord Crush cardstock, and Elegant Eggplant DSP from the Regals stack. The main album is made with Concord Crush cardstock, the gorgeous shimmery white cardstock, and on the front cover - Concord Crush DSP from the Level 1 hostess gift paper pad. Add some vines cut from Old Olive cardstock, Concord Crush Ribbon and a couple of rhinestones and there we have it......

Open the front covers and you get.......

Photos of the happy couple just after the wedding, with the journalling blocks embellished with layered 5 petal flowers with rhinestone centres, and small photos of the gorgeous flower arrangements which decorated the Chuppah!


Open the centre out fully - and there are more photos - a large one of the couple cutting their cake, and two small ones of the Chuppah where Liza and Gavin were married, and the prayer shawl (belonging to Liza's late grandfather) which was hanging inside! An interesting fact the rabbi shared with us us was that Lisa and Gavin were the seventh couple to be married under it, as Liza's sister and cousins had also had it at their weddings!



It was a lovely day out for both of us - although we were roundly told off for leaving the reception early (at midnight!!!) - but Roger had to be up at 5:50am the next morning to go to work!!

I am in the process of making another one of these albums for the other wedding we went to last week - for Roger's cousin Charlotte - watch this space (Bashful Blue and Crumb Cake if you are interested!)!

The advantage of this little album is that the basic album is VERY quick and easy to run up so if you have a picture mate, and you know the colour scheme you can have one made up and just print off photos on the day and present it there and then!

Christmas in July projects

Well finally I can share the projects we completed on the Christmas in July  crafting days I ran yesterday and a couple of weeks ago. A total of  nine ladies signed up to a day of getting a head start on their Christmas cards and decorations on a sunny July day when snow, turkey and mince pies are still a very long way away!


The projects on offer were Andrea Walford's Christmas Jingle tri shutter album, 30 Christmas cards (six each of five different designs with decorated envelopes), six table favours, six place cards and an origami Christmas tree. Here is a pic of all the projects we made!

Here is the origami Christmas tree we made using 5 squares of Christmas paper (the ladies kits contained Jolly Holiday papers - mine was made using Christmas Jingle leftovers!). Much as I would love to say this was my own design - its actually by Jon Akashima and a fab video on how to make one can be found HERE. The great thing about this tree is that it folds flat for posting or storage

This versatile little album was designed by Andrea Walford and if you would like the instructions for it, you can get them at her website http://www.andreawalford.com/ for a reasonable fee (please don't ask me for them as the copyright for this particular album belongs to her, and while I can teach it to a live class, I can't rewrite her instructions and sell them to you). It really is one of those projects with the WOW! factor - and I think the ladies now believe me when I say that it really is a LOT easier than it looks to make.


It uses half of a Christmas Jingle kit with an extra sheet of red card and a piece of A4 chocolate chip. The lush red spotty ribbon was a limited edition available to customers last December and it was just perfect for this project! This is the cover.....

Which opens to give this inner page......

 and then pulls out again to give this great accordion effect.....

There are spaces for 3 large photos and several smaller ones - or spaces can be filled with other embellishments instead. I made another version of this album with another kit - and I added stamped baubles to the long inner panels on the first inner page, and had two more dangling fromthe top of the second inner pages. I can guarantee that once you get the measurements and techniques off pat - you can rustle up the basic album in around 20 minutes!!


We also made 5 different cards - each using a different technique. The 3D bauble on the top left is a variation on we made as a make & take at the SU training last September, and the origami tree I found on the internet HERE. Those who were at the SU convention last year may recognise the little dove card - although for this class it had grown from a 4x4 card to a full size A6 card!

Everybody got a set of the Contempo Christmas stamps to take home as well as loads of leftovers in the form of ribbon, brads and gold cord as well as papers and cardstock, so they can make more when they got home!


Our last project was a set of table favour boxes and place cards - again using the Contemp Christmas bauble stamp. Everyone got pre cut boxes to decorate and make up - and getting the twisting technique for the ends of the cracker just right was a great source of laughter for all of us. Its actually made using a contraband SU exclusive die - the candy wrapper, which will hopefully be available in the new 2011/12 catalogue - so watch this space for details of it.

So here is what greeted the ladies as they arrived.... every seat had a big bag full of stash on it. The bags were decorated with a jumbo wheel, and a die cut snowflake as well as a big 3D snowflake and a label.....

And inside the bag were lots of interesting brown paper packages containing all the supplies needed for each project....

And here is what the table looked like before everyone got there....

And here was a seat - with everyone's personal mini milk carton full of sweeties (to keep the energy levels up)

And here are Joan and Sue beqavering away on their  albums.....

We enjoyed a lovely salad lunch with ham home baked in our local village shop (yummy !), pork pie and a selection of salds with a roll and butter. Unfortuantely yesterday it was too cold to eat in the garden - but we did manage it two weeks ago!!

Anyway - I am now off for a well deserved holiday and while I'm away I will be collecting some goodies from the new US catalogue which launched on 1st July. I hope I have guessed right as to what may be coming in our new one in October as I am already planning the next class which will be an all day scrapbooking event featuring new patterned papers and embellishments. There will be two prices - one including an album (at a discounted price) and one without. I can't go firm yet until I see exactly what is in our catalogue, and what the prices will be - but if you would be interested - please let me know so i can plan dates accordingly.