Tiny Tresures  

Stacey Michaud

Anyone who enjoys flipping through magazines or surfing the web to gather ideas will notice a surge in a different kind of scrapbooking format.  Typically, crafters use paper that is sized either 12X12 or 8.5X11, but those aren’t your only choices.  The option of scrapping within a mini album is quickly gaining in popularity.  It is easy to see why these tiny treasures are so sought after.  The possibilities are endless, as mini albums come in all shapes, sizes and colors.  You can buy them with fancy covers or they come with bare chipboard, ready to be decorated.  Don’t want to spend a lot?  Make your own out of thin pieces of cardboard, old CDs or sturdy tags.  Mini albums are unique representations of your vision, meant to capture any given topic under the sun.  The end result will surely bring rewards for years to come.

One of the many reasons why I love using minis is that you can document a big event such as a vacation or holiday celebration in a comprehensive, yet interesting way.  Based on the large number of pictures I take at any event, I would need to create several layouts to showcase them.  That seems unmanageable to me, so I hesitate and then don’t scrap at all.  But the prospect of working in a small format with multiple pages motivates me.  Looking for a way to make this process even easier?  Incorporate a variety of papers from the same line as well as common embellishments.

Both Danielle’s and Cecilia’s adorable mini-albums demonstrate these techniques perfectly!  Danielle documented her family’s trip to the beach within one beautifully decorated and uniquely shaped mini!   Cecilia cleverly repurposed one of her daughter’s old board books to create her little album.  Both used rings as the binding system, so the album simply flips open to reveal the inside pages.

I loved the Making Memories Passport line, and thought it was perfect for our beach photos to Maine last year! I had so many photos that I wanted to use, so I decided on creating each page as something we did while we were there, such as, "we dug in the sand, we splashed in the ocean, we went for walks on the beach, we relaxed on the beach and snacked on our favorite snacks, we rode the rides at the boardwalk", etc. This way I could encompass all of our favorite vacation photos in one album!

I took apart one of my daughter's old board books, sanded down the pages to remove any slickness, and used Gel Medium to apply the photos and papers.  After adding all the embellishments, I sanded down all edges and chalked them.  Then I used my Crop-a-dile to punch holes and inserted jump rings and ribbons.   I have continually been inspired by Michelle Filo's mini album creations.

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