Project Life - Gift Albums

I have included this project in the Crazy Crafters Team Project Highlights this week.  Click here to see the other projects submitted and to vote for your favourites.

Knowing that two of my nieces were coming to lunch to, belatedly, celebrate their birthdays, I was wracking my brain to think of a good gift.  Then it hit hit me (the idea, not the gift!) .... what better gift for a young mother than a Project Life album, already partially completed?!

Project Life album covered with Watermelon Wonder cardstock & Affectionately Yours DSP

Project Life album covered with Crumb Cake Cardstock
& Affectionately Yours DSP

I used two of the Espresso 6" x 8" albums and covered them with cardstock and DSP.  Since I've been very active on the #loveitchopit front, I only had one sheet each of the Affectionately Yours DSP and needed 2 sheets per album to fully cover them.  So I cut two 1" strips of cardstock (one for the back cover and one for the front) and adhered them next to the fabric spine.  Then I cut a sheet of DSP in half and used one half each for the front and back cover.  I trimmed the corners (cutting at a slight diagonal into towards the corner) and glued the paper to the inside of the cover.  I then hid all those edges by cutting a matching piece of cardstock to size and glueing it over the inside of the cover.

I then set about finding and printing wedding and family photographs that I particularly liked.  I started each album with some photographs of the couple (a reminder of the romantic before children days!) followed by fairly randomly organised family photographs.  I wasn't too concerned about time lines - it was more about which photos I liked together.

Watermelon Wonder cardstock covers all the untidy edges on the inside of the cover
I stamped a piece of Whisper White card, created a flower to match those in the bride's hair &
left plenty of space for the couple to write something about their wedding day

I didn't have any Project Life cards - which would have made the process even quicker and easier - so I made my own using DSP or cardstock that I trimmed to size.  Some I round cornered with the Project Life Corner Punch and some I didn't and it doesn't seem to matter!  I tried to find colours to go with colours in the photographs.

Crushed Curry and Basic Black cardstock pick up the colours in the large photograph
and the little heart sequin picks up the pop of red in the sock

Hearts were called for here!

I took courage from the great results that I had seen others achieving and chopped photographs to fit.  The first one was the hardest one - after that I was chopping people in half (so to speak) at a rate of knots!

I used retiring DSP on these pages, picking up patterns or colours in the images

For these pages, I tried to pick images with similar colours and I left journalling spaces

I got really courageous here and chopped the photo into four pieces!  I matted it before I chopped.

I left some  spaces for my nieces to journal or write little comments and I also left lots of spaces for them to add more photographs - I simply cut more DSP to size and included a few lined cards (I drew the lines old school with a pen and ruler).

My nieces have two good hands and are capable of turning the album, so I wasn't too concerned about putting some of the photos in sideways!

By the time I'd finished the first few pages of the first album I had overcome the intimidation that I had been feeling about putting together a Project Life album.  By the time I had finished, I had lost all inhibitions about chopping or placing photos and was having so much fun I'd started thinking about the next project!  

A Flirty Flamingo label and new Rouched Ribbon with
Flirty Flamingo and Watermelon Wonder flowers.

To finish the gifts, I wrapped them in pretty paper and made gift cards using the Tags & Labels framelits and Botanical Builder flowers with Metal Rimmed Pearl centres.  

Both nieces were thrilled with their gifts.  One said that she thought it might be the best gift she'd ever received and the other immediately started looking through the images on her phone, deciding which ones she was going to add to the album. 

If you have photographs stored electronically - on your phone, computer, laptop etc - consider printing at least some and putting together a Project Life album of your own.  It's quick, fun and simple (you can keep it super-simple or dress it up as much as you like) but more importantly it will ensure that your photographs are secured and seen and memories shared.  

A little while ago my computer turned up its heels and drew its last breath and I hadn't been backing up as carefully as I should.  I lost several years' worth of photographs - precious mementos - that I'll never be able to get back but I'll be creating some Project Life albums for myself now with my current photographs!

'Til next time
Stephanie

Product List - to shop in my online store - click on one of the product images below (Australian Residents only)

Espresso 6" X 8" Project Life Album

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Variety Pack 6" X 8" Project Life Photo Pocket Pages

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Punch Corner Project Life

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Project Life Paper Clips Thinlits Dies

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Botanical Builder Framelits Dies

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Tags & Labels Framelits Dies

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Metal Rimmed Pearls

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