This is my album for Rosa Kelly Scrapbooking's Romance in Paris swap album event. There were so many first time for me with this album: first time 4 signatures album (I usually made 6 signatures), first time using 1/2" gusset (I usually used 1/4" or 3/8" gusset) first time using a lot of embellishment, first time sharing it on YouTube and first time swap album. I had to admit I was pretty nervous with this album. Albeit this wasn't my first time giving out the scrapbook album I made, this was my first time giving it to fellow crafters where some of them were doing it professionally.
The biggest challenge for me was meeting the theme: Romance in Paris. I used DCWV Le Tres Chic paper collection which I felt hit the "Paris" theme. But... what about the romance? What's romance? What made an album felt romantic? Was it a lot of hearts? I have a stash of it and I can cut more if necessary. A lot of laces? I only had one at the moment but I could buy more. A lot of flowers? I had a pile of it in my stash. In the end, I used all. However, to keep my personal theme: paper, I made parchment laces for embellishment as well as some parchment flowers and hearts for embellishment.
I made the album closure with Cricut. It was a see through pocket type closure with an opening on the top. I used ephemera card of G45 Mon Amour collection for the tag. The ephemera card wasn't adhered to the tag, it was tugged to the small cut on the bottom corner. My purpose was to gave my swap partner choices for the album cover. To write preferred tittle for the album on the back of the beautiful ephemera card, keep the current side of the ephemera card, or adhered a picture on the back of the tag. I also cut the Eiffle Tower with Cricut and used my silver glitter glue to make it sparkly, some flowers and die cut to decorate the cover. This was my second time time using these many embellishment to decorate my album cover. I usually make my album simple with flat cover so the people I gifted my albums to can slot the album in their bookcase with their other books. Also, some of my recipients were pretty rough person with their belongings. The only time I made my album with chunky cover, I also made a box for it. It's my DD, Cutie's first year album for her grandfather.
I kept the spine really simple: only using my parchment lace and brings to decorate it. The back of the album was even simpler. I usually attached my signature on the back. This time I decided not to because I was still designing my new signature. Instead I put my signature on a card I put inside the album.
On the left side of the gatefold cover, I made a small pocket and used parchment lace to decorate it. For the right side, I cut another Eiffle Tower - this time with Tea Party cardstock and used some blings to decorate the tower. Then I used paper flowers for the tower pedestal similar to my cover. The doily I used in this right gatefold was the same doily I used for the cover. I cut the circle doily halfway and used on for the cover and the other half to make sun-like effect on the back of the right gatefold. On the right spine, I made the flower using heart shaped bling and a circle bling. The paper I chose for the largest are of the album was so pretty that I was against putting a picture over it. Instead, I cut it to make the paper and making make-shift pocket. I used the same paper for the spine and right gatefold.
For me, a romance album shouldn't have a hard corner, so I used my border punch and corner rounder for the flaps, I also used a heart corner punch I got from Daiso for the mat. If you noticed, I used the cutout of other mats to fill the heart hole made by the punch.
I cut the Eiffle Tower in one of the page of Le Tres Chic paper collection for this page. I also used parchment lace to decorate. I tugged the lace behind the mat so it can acted as a belly band if preferred. The paper I picked for the other side has this pretty sparkly flower that I decided to cut the flower and made a make-shift pocket.
I used dimensional embellishment for pages between gusset and only parchment crafts for the rests. I also wrapped parchment lace on dark paper pad to decorate the gusset. This was also something I never done before as I usually use only 1/4" gusset. I would love to make couple different parchment crafts to decorate the pages but for simplicity, I decided to make only 2: roses corner and hearts. I did made 5 different types of parchment laces though.
I really enjoyed making this album. I spent a whole more time coordinating the paper and embellishing the pages than constructing the album itself. I had to tell myself to stop at one point otherwise I would be overthinking it. I hope my swap partner loves this album as much as I do.
Happy Crafting,
Sherls
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