Days of December Mini Album -Lydell Quin

Good Morning!

Some of you may have seen the mini album I created with the Days of December Collection (October Kit)  It was featured as an inspiration album in the October 2021 Magazine.  

I created a quick flip through video so you can see what it looks like in reality....

 

 and I also made a video on how to stitch your slimline cards together.

Good luck creating your own!!!

Thanks for stopping by

 Just thought we would put together a little bit of information on how the July Album in the Fresh Folk Kit can be altered to create a fun landscape version.

This album holds in excess of 60 photos (mine are all printed 2x3 inches ie-4 to a 6x4 print)  To start with I edged them in black ink by running the edges along a black permanent marker and then matted them on white copy paper.  This just lifts them a little when mounted on printed paper.

After constructing the album (see video for tips) I cut up papers from the collection to cover each page.  Just measure them and cut to fit.  Glue on each page to prepare the album for production.  I also cut up a bunch the same height as the album pages but only half as wide to create page extension flaps on any pages I wanted them on.  Just score and fold 1 inch in from the edge to create the hinge, then glue that piece on the existing page.

 

I cut up a 12x12 Sheet of watercolor cardstock into tags measuring about            punched a hole in each and used them throughout the project.  Ink, draw borders or faux stitching lines as desired.  They will be large enough to mount a 2x3 matted photo, front and back.  Tie each with string.

You can also cut a bunch of square pieces to be photo mats or even more internal pages, score 1 inch and fold and use that as the hinge for the page.

Cutting up a bunch of strips to be 'belly bands' to act as a pocket to slide in more tags and photos is very helpful.  You can make them 1.5-2 inches wide and the height of your pages.  Just glue them top and bottom so you can slip anything in behind them.  Add any titles, photos or embellishments to these to decorate and add layers.

add in any page flaps to create places to continue a story you have more photos for, where ever you like.

It's fun to cut out circles and other little embellishment pieces, but glue only half on the edge of a page to create 'page turns'.

I also cut some wider tags a bit smaller than each page, and used these front and back to add more photos.  These can be poked in nicely behind the belly band pockets.

  

 

And here is a walkthrough with a bit of explanation on each page.  It's a little over 15 minutes so grab yourself a cup of tea!

Thanks for stopping by today.  Enjoy making your own album!

Isolation Mini Album

I found creating this little album quite cathartic in the midst of the chaos that was 2020.

sadly (there may have almost been some tears.....)  a cup of coffee was spilt on it, post production by a well meaning DH....but really what more can we expect from 2020?  It is stained, but it still represents the year that was and sits happily on the bookshelf in all its imperfect glory!

I created a memory album about being in lockdown last year.  There are lots of memories I wanted recorded, so we can look back to these strange times we have been currently living in! 

The True North Creative kit and Paper Collection was a great choice for this project.  I also created the Lockdown Cut-apart Sheet for this particular project!

Here's a quick video walk through.....

 
 

And a video on how I made the sweet tassles on the spine!

 

what I used....

Uniquely Creative Products  TRUE NORTH COLLECTION
Uniquely Creative True North Kit, Isolation Cut-a-Part sheet, Doily Elements Die, Small Lower Case Alpha Die, Cork Alpha Stickers, Lacey Tabs Die, Little Lace Die

Other products used
Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Black Soot, Bind it all machine and metal binding coil, beads and jewellery findings, clothing tag, metal key, black string, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher (stapler)

so with that enjoy your day!

Lydell x

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I'm in Planner Heaven........

Hello Planner Peeps!!!
I am sharing something today here (and at Paper Flourish a couple of weeks ago) that I have recently gotten into, that I am quite excited about.  My Daily Planner!  I have tried all kinds of planning.  I thought something on my phone would be the best course of action seeing I have my phone with me constantly, and I trialed several apps and even bought a couple, in my quest to find something that worked and got my life in order!  Being a predominantly 'Stay at Home Mum', I feel like I am on a constant mission to declutter, stay on top of house hold 'stuff' as well as keep up with all my creating duties, both work and play, and nothing was working for me.

Recently I caught sight of Midori Travellers Notebooks and Journals.  and it piqued my interest.

(Source Here)

I didn't love the price imported from Japan, so after filling my cart and pausing before pushing that 'Buy Now' button....  I stumbled across other handmade versions and faux-doris on the net.  Never one to buy something I can make, I decided to go that route and make my own.

So thus began my love for this system if you will.
I will explain it a little further.....

So The Midori Notebooks are this lovely soft leather cover with elastic bands threaded through it.  It gets more worn and lovely with age, as leather does.  It feels nice and looks good.  Ticks all the boxes!

Next the 'proper' Midori brand sells all these lovely little notebooks, with all kinds of insides, lines, graph, plain, diary, journal, different paper etc. These are thin little notebooks that you add into your midori cover and band then altogether using the elastic band system.

So if you like making your own stuff, you just print out paper with grid lines or lines, or just blank computer paper, and cut to size,  add a cover using any scrapbooking paper that inspires you

and stitch down the middle with your sewing Machine

 (or stitch with a needle and thread)

Embellish how you wish, using your substantial stash!!! :-)

So here's a sample of my Bullet Journal....made the same way......

The idea behind this particular booklet, is that you list your month on the top....  write the days in the month on the left (so you can see at a glance what you have to have done on each day)

On the right you 'brain dump'.  Just jot down every single thing you can think of that you might want to achieve this month.  The things that have due dates or appointments you can put straight in on the left.  You mark off when you achieve the task,  If you didn't manage it, when you do the next month, you flip back to the past month and transfer everything you didn't get done straight in the next month.  Really cool.  gets you in the right headspace and helps you remember all the things you need to do.  Out of your head onto the paper kinda thing!

The actual planner is one I purchased from Etsy.  Its just a file with a planner layout, which I print double sided.  I make a booklet for each month, which means I print on 8 sheets of paper for each notebook and fold in half.  Making enough pages for 31 days....plenty for any month.

I include a calendar printout before I stitch and add in a menu plan or a list I want to get done on the back and stitch that in as well!  Folded into 3 and having it fold out full width when opened.

(The planner pages)

(The Calendar foldout)

(the Menu Plan)

Then I fill out each day.  Including what I drink, what I plan to have for dinner, My studies, exercise, due dates, to do lists, what I purchased and anything else that I need to remember!

         (and I doodle and draw as I go.  Lovely way to relax with a cup of tea!)             

Now that you have the planner elements.....You can add in what ever you need.  A sketch book, diary, work planner, Calendars etc and then you plan your life!

my watercolour journal goes in here, just for play and practise.....

My little list notebook as well from 'listersgottalist' website (a challenge of lists every month)  

This is cool as it often makes you think and jot down things about your history, your ideas, beliefs etc and is a lovely keepsake for your family.  

I also have a pocket book in mine where I can keep lists, loose papers, receipts etc that I need.

NOW......This is where the fun begins.  All that left over Scrapbooking paper and other bits and pieces come into play.  Washi tape, stamps, inks, die cuts....sprays, paints, what ever you see fit!!

I keep a small stash of everything I need in a little ready-to-go basket with all these simple things so I can prepare for the next day while watching TV.....

or while sitting outside on the balcony in the sun with a cup of coffee!!!!

I doodle away....I stick down washi, and I stamp!

Fun fun fun!

(My little stack of notebooks inside my planner....mmmmm)

Best of all, because I jot down so much about daily life, I include each notebook after the month has passed, in my Project life album.  It helps me catch up, with my Project life when I am behind, and it will be cool to see what each day entailed in the future!

So with that -I will leave all this info sink in, and maybe it will spark a bit or inspiration with you and your desire for a pretty and functional planner!!!

Have an awesome day :-)

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Watercolour Background, Hand lettered Bible JournalingProcess Video.

A new Process Video today, done for a friend for Church on the weekend.

Unfortunately I could not embed the original one I used with the most beautiful music (Unstoppable Love by Kim Walker Smith......See this original one HERE)

It was perfect for the verse but because of copyright restrictions on Youtube I could not load it anywhere.... But I did replace the music in the video below with a nice piece.  Not quite the same but anyway!

So if you are into hand lettering you might find this interesting.




The page is the inside cover and the first page in my Bible.  I covered each with my favourite Gesso for my Bible.  'Pro Art Economy' Gesso, which I got sent over to me from the US in a HUGE 2.9 litre tub!  (LOVE IT!!!)  Read More about that HERE.

I then added a layer of Daniel Smith 'Watercolour Ground'  which is a paste you can brush onto a non absorbant surface, to accept watercolour better.  I dried that well before beginning my page as you can see in the video above.

Its certainly the perfect piece of scripture to have in the very front page!

Anyway.  I will leave you with that.
Hope you enjoyed the quick look into the process.

See you again soon.

Lydell :-)

Watercolour Art with Stencils and Pan Pastels

I have a super quick post today!

I created a guide on how I used The Crafters Workshop Stencils and Pan Pastels to create pattern in my watercolour Painting.

Check out How to Use Stencils in a Watercolour Painting by Lydell Quin on Snapguide.

Thanks for stopping in today!