By The Sea

The inspiration for my July Linky Party project came from my incredibly talented sisters on Crafty Secrets Design Team. Every month one or two of them create the most amazing altered items and mini albums and every month I make a card. For my one year anniversary on the design team I stepped way out of my comfort zone and made a mini album. The theme this month decided the stamp set I wanted to use, Crafty Secrets "Seaside" has always been one of my favourites. I have a new great niece and I left enough empty places in this little album for my niece to place a few of babies first summer pictures. Another thing that brings me satisfaction is recycling things that would otherwise have gone to the dump! Instead of my usual...present the card and follow with a tutorial, this month I will describe each step I took. One thing I found out with this project was the hours it took to dry between steps.

Front Cover

Materials used

- 4 (or more) pieces of corrugated cardboard cut to the same size

- some kind of book binding strips, I used a roll of 1 1/2" fabric bandaging but gummed strips work

- glue stick (Prang is the best)

- Acrylic paint (I used Martha Stewart white and cloud)

- white tulle with little glitter dots

- Dreamweavers white paste

- Dreamweavers scallop shell stencil

- Memory Box dies, "Big Splash Border" and "Under the Sea Frame"

- glitter

- stylus

- stickles

- "Yes" glue,  a molding glue used for decoupage which holds its shape, doesn't shrink, and dries clear

- rhinestones

- ribbon

- small foam brush

Let's get started

Preparation of pages fig 1,2, &3

fig. 1

fig 2

fig. 3

Fig 1 shows the deconstruction of the cardboard. You can reveal as much of the corrugation as you want. Make sure you leave the paper on where the binding will be so there is more surface to adhere to

Fig 2 shows the "carving of the design". I specified "Memory Box" as these dies are not very deep and so when run through a Big Shot they only cut the top paper not all the way through. I then took a craft knife and lifted the die cut pieces out.

Fig 3 shows two pages with their bandage binding and the third page waiting to be added. The two pages will be folded onto themselves and a third page added the same way. The front cover was out of sight drying somewhere at this point.

Paint and Fabric

Fig 1

 Fig 2

Fig 3

In Fig 1 acrylic paint was applied to the pages and bandage spine combining the white and cloud paints. In Fig 2 after the paint was well dried I covered all the pages with a light coat of glue stick and then placed a piece of tulle over every page. Now let it dry over night  as in Fig 3 

Shell preparation

I knew I would need 2 or 3 shells per page so I printed 6 starfish, 6 scallops, and 6 sand dollars from Crafty Secrets "Seaside"in a medium grey colour. For the starfish I flipped it over and used a large ball stylus on the centre to create a deep indentation and then a light stroke down each arm, for the scallops I flipped it over and rounded it then turned it right side and traced a scallop design on it, for the sand dollars I flipped it over and cupped it the same as the scallop and then turned it right side and took a small stylus to the star like design in it. All shells were coloured with copics and stickled. These were left to dry.

Decorating the pages

First I used Dreamweavers stencil and paste to letter "By the Sea" while the paste was still wet I sprinkled with aqua glitter. (The aqua scallop shell was made the same way) Next I dyed some ribbon with distress ink and attached around the front and back covers. I coloured this sweet image from Crafty Secrets  "Seaside" with copics. The seagulls came from the same stamp set and again they were coloured with copics. Now for some serious glueing! The reason I specified "Yes" glue is that it holds its shape. I take a wad of it and put it under each shell and this prevents it from flattening. To finish it off a couple of rhinestones were added

For this double spread I die cut white paper, lightly glued, and added glitter. the facing page I added a velum envelope to add  extra photos and traced the verse from the same stamp set "Seaside"onto the velum. The frame was die cut from velum and both pages were decorated with the prepared shells. 

Another verse and the lighthouse image from the same set Crafty Secrets "Seaside". This time the die cut wave edge and bubble from were cut from craft paper. Shells for decoration.

Last double page. Yet another verse from this wonderful set, more shells and this time some seagulls from again the same set.

If you read to the end you deserve a medal!

Please come and join our July Linky Party where you can add a sample(s) you've created using any of our products and receive a $6.00 coupon and one random.org winner will get a $50.00 gift card

Make sure you visit the rest of the design team!

This month we are fortunate to have the talented well known Gloria Getgen Stengal as a guest member of our design team.

Kathy Clement Team Leader

Michele Kovack - 300+ Gallery!

Darlene Pavlick

Sheila Rumney

Thanks for dropping by,

Cheers, Elizabeth