Border Dies Add More Detail to Mini Album Pages

Die cutting the page elements adds texture and detail to the pages.

Hi crafty friends. Border dies are frequently used in card making to add interest and texture. However, that’s not all they can be used for and I want to share with you how to use border dies to make your mini album pages stand out. Best of all, these dies are an easy way to add extra detail to a mini album without taking away from the gorgeous papers.

For example, I made my mini album using the adorable new Graphic 45 Woodland Friends collection. Because these papers feature cute woodland critters, I wanted to add a simple detail that wouldn’t overpower how cute these papers are. To accomplish this, I selected border dies from Spellbinders that have a simple design of scalloped edges. These dies come in a set of 7 coordinating dies, but I only used two border dies in my project.

The two border dies used in my album.

Border dies require a die cutting machine such as the Spellbinders Platinum machine I used. However, before I bought my Spellbinders Platinum, I made a paper template that I traced by hand on my pages and flaps to create a similar effect. The die cutting machine and border dies make it so much simpler and quicker!

How to Use the Border Dies

Each piece of paper should be cut individually in order to be sure the paper does not slip during cutting. In order to make this easier, use Washi tape to hold the border dies to the paper. The Washi tape peels off easily, does not damage the papers, and can be used multiple times!

Line up the die with the marks on the sides.

Washi tape holds the die in place.

A centering ruler is quick for marking pieces.

Make sure the die is centered.

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Start with one of the interactive flaps or pockets for the base of the page. On the paper, mark the center and 1 inch down on both sides (this is how far down my border dies cut) as a guide. Then, center the border die and line up the sides with the two guide marks. Next, run it through the die cutting machine and then remove the Washi tape. When you are ready to cut the decorative papers, choose the plain border die. This die will cut the larger scallop shape but not the smaller scallops or the perforated holes from the first border die.

Using the same process from above, run the decorative paper and die through the cutting machine and remove the Washi tape. Then, place the decorative paper on top of the cardstock. It should fit perfectly, leaving the perforated holes exposed.

Close up of the two different die cuts.

Die cutting adds an extra touch to the waterfall.

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Tips for Using Dies in Projects

• Make sure to measure the paper carefully before cutting with the border dies in order to prevent wasted paper. Also, pay attention to the direction of the decorative papers and make sure you are cutting on the correct edge.
• Use a centering ruler to quickly mark the center of your papers. Mark the center of the die on the actual die so it is easier to line up with the center of the paper.
• Use Washi tape to hold the die in place during cutting and only cut one layer at a time.

Here’s a quick flip through of my album where you can see all of the die cut pages and papers using the border dies.

Check out the FotoBella online store to purchase the “I Want it All Bundle” for Woodland Friends.

Christmas Luminary made with Graphic 45 Christmas Time

Hi There! Lynda from Scrapbook with Lynda back to share another Christmas gift idea. This time I made a Christmas luminary using the Graphic 45 Christmas Time bundle from Fotobella.com.

Each year I like to decorate my Christmas table with a handmade holiday gift. This year I am making everyone a Christmas luminary. Inside I’ll tuck a special treat and a battery operated candle, so after the treat is gone everyone will have this pretty little luminary to remember a special day.

It looks so pretty with the battery operated candle lit. It’s just paper, so a real candle can’t be used. But a battery operated tea light is perfect.

Making a Luminary

This luminary is easy to make, and you can use a variety of embellishments on the lit area. I chose a die cut from the die cut pack in the Graphic 45 Christmas Time bundle, but you can use anything that has an interesting shape.

Select Your Supplies

Here’s what you’ll need to make a luminary.

• A sheet of scrapbook paper
  I chose this beautiful print from the Christmas Time collection pack
• Vellum
  A small scrap will do. You just need enough to fit the window.
• A die cut shape or sticker
  Look for a die cut or sticker that has an interesting silhouette.
• A battery operated tea light

You can find everything (except the tea light) you need to make this project at FotoBella.com.

I selected this gorgeous print from the Graphic 45 Christmas Time collection along with the clock face from the die cut pack.

Cut, Score and Fold

Cut a piece of paper 5” wide and 12” long, then score it at 5” and 7”. I like to use a stylus to make the score lines, because I find the small ball end doesn’t tear the paper.

Fold on the score lines, then run a bone folder along the folded edge to get a crisp fold.

Make the Luminary Window

I used a 3 1/2” square die to cut the window, but you can use a paper trimmer or craft knife to cut the opening.

I just centered the die, taped it in place with washi tape, then ran it through my die cutting machine. Washi tape is great for holding dies in place, because washi tape peels off easily and doesn’t leave a residue.

Cut a piece of vellum 4 1/4” by 4 1/4”, run a bead of glue around the window opening on the inside of the luminary, then add the vellum to cover the opening.

Attach the die cut with glue to the vellum. Chose the clock face from the die cut pack, but there are lots of others in the pack that would work great too.

Assemble the Luminary

It’s almost done! All we need to do is the final assembly.

Run a strip of double sided tape along the top edge. I used 1/8” tape, but you can use a tape roller or 1/4” tape or glue.

Remove the tape backing, then press the top and bottom edges together to form a triangle.

Punch two small holes using a paper punch. These holes will be used to attach a bow at the top of the luminary.

Thread ribbon through the holes, then tie in a bow. This black and white polka dot ribbon adds just the right touch.

Finally slip the tea candle inside. I didn’t attach the candle to the luminary, because the on/off switch is on the bottom of the candle. The candle is easy to remove and put pack in place, so it’s fine to not attach it to the luminary.

This luminary has a 2” wide base, which is just the perfect size to add a little treat inside. I’ll customize the treat to the receiver. I plan to insert small bags of coffee or candy or... some small item the receiver will like. Won’t these look great decorating each place setting on my holiday table? Each will be a bit different, but all will coordinate because they are all made with the Graphic 45 Christmas Time collection. You can find everything (except the tea light) you need to make this project at FotoBella.com.

I hope you have enjoyed the various Christmas gift ideas I’ve shared with you this month. I’ll be back in January 2021 to share more paper crafting with you. In the meantime, check out my blog at www.ScrapbookWithLynda.com to see some of my scrapbook layouts and planner spreads.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Lynda
@ScrapbookWithLynda

How to Make a Cute Tag Album Using Graphic 45

Graphic 45 Woodland Friends Tag Album

Hello crafty friends. Graphic 45 makes crafting easy with their metal dies, tag album sets, and coordinating paper collections. For today’s project, I am using the Graphic 45 Woodland Friends collection to create a cute tag album. Almost all of the products I used are available in the FotoBella online scrapbook store.

The Woodland Friends collection is a lovely assortment of green, pink, brown, and blue. Each of the design papers feature adorable squirrels, foxes, bunnies, and owls. Of course, it wouldn’t be Graphic 45 if there weren’t also floral papers in the collection! Between the Patterns and Solids pad and the Woodland Friends collection pack, there are so many sweet images to choose from. Also, the ephemera and journaling cards and chipboard pieces make cute accents for any project. In order to make the tag album, I used the “I Want It All Bundle” exclusively from FotoBella.

Cover of Tag Album

Second Tag

Third Tag

Fourth Tag

Fifth Tag

Sixth Tag

Back of Tag with Photo Mat in Pocket

Back of the Tags with Photo Mats in Pockets

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Other Graphic 45 Products Used

For the base of the album, I used one package of the Large Tags. They come with 6 tags and the large ring to place the tags on when finished. Although I used ivory, you can use any of the colors, such as the tan sold by FotoBella. I also used one package of the Artist Trading Tags. In order to cut the papers, I used the Large Tag, ATC Tag, and Flower Dies.

In order to make this project easier, I highly recommend purchasing the dies along with the tags. I often use the die set in other projects, too, and find them to be a go-to for making flowers. However, if you choose not to purchase the die set, you can trace the tags onto the decorative papers and hand cut them all.

Flower and Greenery Using Graphic 45 Dies

You can easily make this project in one day using the Graphic 45 tags and dies. In order to learn how to make this cute tag album using the Graphic 45 Woodland Friends collection, check out the video below. I hope you will find it helpful and inspiring. In the video, I will show you each step of creating a tag album of your own. Before viewing the video, head over to the FotoBella online store and pick up all of your Graphic 45 supplies or click on the links in the post to go directly to the products I used.

Happy crafting! ~Kristine for the FotoBella Design Team

If you’re new to making flowers, check out my video showing you how to use the Graphic 45 die set.

Kindness Gifts for Christmas using Graphic 45 Christmas Time

Hi There! Lynda from Scrapbook with Lynda back to share a couple more Christmas gift ideas with you. Today I’m sharing my 2020 Christmas kindness gifts.

I’ll be using the Graphic 45 Christmas Time bundle. These bundles make getting the entire paper collection easy, so check them out at Fotobella.com.

Kindness Gifts

A few years ago I began making kindness gifts to hand out to cashiers, store clerks, bank tellers and others that cross my way. People I don’t know, but who provide services to our community. These little gifts are just a way to say “Thank you for all you do.”

When I started doing this a couple years ago I was overwhelmed by the response I received. One teary eyed cashier told me “you don’t know what this means to me.” I was surprised what a little piece of candy and a Merry Christmas evoked in her. Since then I’ve made little kindness gifts each Christmas. I keep my purse well stocked and hand them out to anyone who I see doing something kind or looks like they need a bit of kindness in their day.

2020 Christmas Kindness Gifts

This year I’ll be handing out bars of my favorite chocolate and tea, so I designed two different styles of packaging. Let’s look at the chocolate bar kindness gift first.

Chocolate Bar Kindness Gift

For the chocolate bar I designed a matchbook style wrapping, because they are quick to make. Keeping the crafting time to a minimum is key, as I need to make a bunch!

I used a sheet of paper from the paper pad and one of the journal cards from the Graphic 45 Christmas Time bundle. And of course a bar of chocolate!

The journal cards are perfect for this project, because they are just a bit wider than the chocolate bar. The chocolate bar that I’m using is 1 3/4” x 3 3/4”. I’ll be giving you the measurements for this size bar. You will need to adjust these measurements if your candy bar is a different size.

The scrapbook paper is cut 4 1/4” wide by 7 3/4” long. Using a scoring board, I scored it on the long edge at 1/2”, 4” and 4 1/4”, then folded all the score lines using a bone folder.

Folded the 1/2” section, then stapled it using my tiny attacher, but you can use a regular size stapler.

Attached the journal card to the front using double sided tape.

This paper is so pretty that I could have left it as is, but I decided to add a bit of decoration to the inside. Cut a strip of black cardstock, then added a ticket from the die cut pack. The chocolate bar is attached with a glue dot.

Isn’t this a cute little kindness gift to hand out at Christmas? I just love doing little random acts of kindness like this. This matchbook packaging would also make a great wrapper for a gift card.

Tea Kindness Gifts

Some folks can’t have sweet treats, so I’m also making little kindness gifts that hold tea. While I could have replaced the chocolate bar with a tea bag, I decided that a holder with a pocket would be nice to make.

This time I selected a portrait journal card from the Graphic 45 Christmas Time bundle, along with a sheet of paper from the paper pad.

First I cut the paper to 3 1/4” x 8 5/8”, then scored it at 4 1/4” and 4 3/8” on the long side to make the outside cover.

To make the pocket I cut a piece of paper 3 3/4” by 2 3/4”. Decided to use a different sheet of paper from the paper pad, but you can use the same paper as the cover. Score three sides at 1/4” and cut off the corners.

I want the check side to show, so I applied tape to the hinges created by the score lines on the checked side. Be careful that the tape doesn’t overlap the score line.

Fold the hinges back, remove the tape backing and adhere the pocket to the base of the cover.

Decorated the pocket with a strip of the same green paper used for the cover, and an embellishment cut from one of the pattern papers.

Decorated this kindness gift by attaching a journal card to the cover with double sided tape. The journal cards are so decorative that I didn’t have to do anything else to make this charming package.

The final step is to insert a tea bag into the pocket. Doesn’t this look festive!

It really is the little things that matter at Christmas. I hope you’ll make some of these kindness gifts to hand out to those who pass your way during the holidays. A little kindness from a stranger really means a lot.

I’ll be back again next week with another gift idea for you. In the meantime, please stop by my blog to see more of my work.

Happy Scrapping!

Lynda Keyes
Scrapbook with Lynda
@ScrapbookWithLynda

Ciao Bella Frozen Roses Mini Album

Hello Friends,

Diane here to share with you a beautiful mini album I created with the new Ciao Bella paper collection, “Frozen Roses”. This collection is absolutely stunning with gorgeous red roses sprinkled with white ice. There is an adorable little white mongoose or white weasel, some may refer to him as a meerkat, but he is so cute peeking out throughout this collection. In addition to roses, there are many different scenes within the paper and plenty of fussy cut elements and cut a-parts. Come with me a discover this frozen winter land.

Frozen Roses Mini Album Front Cover

Ciao Bella Mini Album Front Cover and Spine

Frozen Roses Mini Album Inside Cover and 1st page

Frozen Roses Photo Gallery

Take a look at the Photo Gallery here to discover the inside of the album.

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Inside of the Mini Album

Frozen Roses Video Walk-Thru

I had so much fun working with this gorgeous Ciao Bella collection. Below I would like to share with you a Video walk through.

Frozen Roses Video Walk-Thru

Free Tutorial:

I hope that you would like to make one of these for yourself. On my YouTube channel, Pretty Fun Stuff by Diane, I have a complete Free Tutorial to make this lovely album. Come check it out: https://www.youtube.com/c/PrettyFunStuffbyDiane/videos?view

FotoBella Store Information:

Be sure to visit the FotoBella store for this gorgeous paper collection along with other beautiful paper collections by Graphic 45, Bo Bunny, Echo Park, Prima Marketing, Stamperia and many more. There are so many wonderful products to choose from, I’m sure you will find one to make that special someone something spectacular.

Come Visit FotoBella.com Today!

The items I used in this design team project are as follows:

Ciao Bella Frozen Roses Paper Pad: https://www.fotobella.com/Ciao-Bella-Frozen-Roses-Double-Sided-Paper-Pad-12x12-12Pkg_p_60894.html

Frozen Roses Patterns Pad: https://www.fotobella.com/Ciao-Bella-Frozen-Roses-Double-Sided-Patterns-Pad-12x12-8-Pkg

Frozen Roses 6X6 Paper Pad: https://www.fotobella.com/Ciao-Bella-Frozen-Roses-Double-Sided-Paper-Pad-6x6-24-Pkg

Thank you for joining me. I hope you were inspired to make something beautiful today.

Blessings and Hugs,

Diane