Mini Scrapbook Albums

Creating a Mini Scrapbook : A Tribute to Autumn

By Merrideth Chenoweth

Rather than making separate layouts in different scrapbooks for your autumn traditions and happenings, why not make a mini book dedicated to the joys of autumn? A mini book can be the perfect way to celebrate this flamboyant season and all the treasures it has to offer!

To give you a head start, I’ll walk you through the book I’ve recently made to document our family traditions.

Supplies:
•Mini book of your choice
•Paper and cardstock in various colors and patters of gold, red, brown, green and orange
•Scissors
•Hole punch
•Your favorite adhesive
•Rubber or foam stamps related to autumn
•Embellishments like brads, eyelets fibers, buttons, die cuts, and slide mounts
•Chalk
•Walnut Ink and distressed ink pads
•Poems and quotes relating to autumn, leaves, Thanksgiving, and Halloween

Once you’ve gotten all your supplies gathered together, it’s time to go over a few tricks to give your book a little of the worn look.

Adding Paper under the Binding

My frustration with wire bound books was that I don’t like to scrap on plain white paper and the binding wires would get in my way. There is a way to get around this, however, and while it’s time consuming, the look is well worth your time!

What you will Need:
•Wire bound mini book
•Patterned paper or card stock
•Double sided tape
•Hole Punch
•Scissors

What you do:
1.) Tear a blank page out of the mini book to use as a pattern
2.) Adhere decorative paper to the removed album page, aligning the edges
3.) Apply a length of double sided tape to the side you are going to put the holes
4.) With the mini book page as a template, punch holes out
5.) Snip the paper into the holes, and remove back of the double sided tape
6.) Push paper into the binding using a q-tip or scissors, adhering the paper as you go

Distressing Techniques!

When I think of autumn, I think about weathered, and tarnished, and beaten up. While the shabby chic style isn’t usually the way I go in my scrapbooking, I decided to branch out a little this time. I’ve gone heavy on the walnut ink and distressed ink pads for my pages, which gives everything a rolled in the leaves look that reminds me of autumn. Feel free to go with whatever style suits you best! Here are a few of the products and techniques I’ve used throughout my Fall ’04 mini-book.

Walnut Ink
Walnut ink comes in crystal form, and is mixed with water to make a dye. Depending on the amount of crystals added to the water you will have a liquid colored from the shade of tea to coffee. You can use this in many ways, dip your paper, spray it by putting the walnut ink in a spray bottle, brush it on with a dry paint brush, or completely soak it in the ink. Practice a first with scrap paper to find the technique that gives you the look you’re aiming for.

Distress Ink
Distress Ink is a lot of fun to play with, and there too many uses for it to explain in this section. They come in many colors like “Old Paper,” “Sepia,” and “Tea Dye.”

You can use the distress ink directly from the pad onto the paper, rubbing it on the edges to highlight them a little, with a few swipes across the paper to carry the affect out. I even use my black ink pad the same way for drama.

For another great look, crumble your paper up tightly, wet it, and flatten it out without removing the wrinkles. Brush the ink pad across the top of the paper so it hits only the ridges of the paper, and not the crevasses. The ink should bleed into the surrounding paper, and make it look worn and old.

The last option I’m going to tell you about is using it with a brayer. Crumble your dry paper, and flatten it out, but leave the wrinkles in it. Ink up your brayer with the distress ink, and run across the paper. This is a lighter affect than that achieved with the previous method.

Tearing Paper
Paper tearing is a great and easy way to add texture to your page without much effort. Add chalk or ink to the torn edge for contrast, and you’re done. Think about tearing out leaves, or other shapes, for spots of extra interest.

Chalking
Chalking can add a bit of grunge to any page, but with a softer look than walnut or distress inks. Go with colors in brown, tan, burnt orange and gray to distress your pages. Rub some on here and there about the page to simulate dirty smudges from too much time outdoors.

Page Ideas for Your Mini book
Stuck on what kind of pages you might include in your mini book about autumn? Here’s a short list I’ve compiled. Some of these may not apply to you or your family, but try to think of the things you do each year, big or small, to celebrate the season.

A Visit to the Pumpkin Patch
Apple Picking
Block Party
Bonfire
Carving Pumpkins
Festivals
Football
Halloween
Hay Rides
Hunting
Leaf Peeping
Mums & Goldenrod
Nature’s Glory
Our Harvest
Playing in the Leaves
Popcorn Balls
Preparing for Halloween
Thanksgiving
Trick – Or – Treating
Windy Weather

Now Back to your Regularly Scheduled Scrapbooking….
From this point on it’s up to you! Add your favorite embellishments like brads, and eyelets, fibers, and buttons. There are so many options out there don’t limit yourself to leaves and pumpkins for autumn. Why not use colors that are not traditionally used to scrapbook autumn pages, like blue or purple, for a change of pace.

Add your pictures, journaling, in addition to the quotes and poems.

Have fun and Happy Scrappin’!