We have had a fantastic summer filled with lots of sunshine and memories. Having a new baby at the house, your album’s get filled up with “first time” photos. Joel is no exception. So I created an album (8″x9″) with some of the photos from Joel’s first summer. Since we live on the countryside the Life In The Country collection was a perfect choice.
I have used Mod Podge to create the album cover. I simply tore papers apart and glued it to the cover and sealed it with Mod Podge. If you want to try it out, please remember that all layers must dry completely before adding a new one. I have cut out the holes with a knife and added some eyelets to the circular ones.
I added texture paste randomly and I also added some Weathered Wood Distress Stickles to the resin in the corner.
A tag created with Nestabilities. The bobbinet has been painted white and then I just added some ribbon and a cute pin. I like to hang all sorts of stuff on my mini-album rings.
What I really like with mini-albums is when you can see through the pages or the covers. It gives you a red thread to follow. Here you can see the photo from the first spread, together with the chipboard frames I used.
We are lucky to live a 20 minute drive from the west coast. We took refuge in Fiskebäckskil one really hot day, hoping for some breeze to cool us but no way. It was just as bad as back home. But it was Joel’s first time by the sea, so even if the album has been created with Life In The Country I thought it appropriate to use a bit of Life By The Sea for this photo.
I have used various punches from Fiskars and Martha Stewart for this album. Most flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and Prima. The raw chipboard is from Scrap FX, printed from Bo Bunny and Prima. The chipboard album itself is from FabScraps.
I have used gesso and Distress Stickles on most of the raw chipboard in this album. All pearls has been created with Pearl Maker white. The rings go through a die cut hinge that continues on the next spread… following the red thread.
Here you can see the rest of the red hinges.
I really love this photo of Joel. He is so full of life and spoof, always laughing no matter what. All lace and ribbon are from LSS’s, metal and flowers by Prima. This page has got a door attached to the hinges that you can open up…
and here’s what’s inside. A couple of tags and a photo of Joel and uncle Jan on our terrace. I know it’s hard to see on the photo but Joel’s carrying a t-shirt saying “There’s nothing sweet about me”. We thought it appropriate since everybody thinks he’s so sweet. 
Moments chipboard by Prima, spinner by Tim Holtz.
Our little cutie pie refuses to wear a sun hat. This must be the first time he used it, because it got “lost” very quickly after that. The die cut in the corner continues on the following page…
… with the chipboard that says “Friends”.
Well. “Friends.” Osiris loves to walk around his stroller screaming for all he’s got while Joel’s sleeping to wake him up and Joel loves to chase his tail. So I guess they are even.
More texture paste and die cuts. I folded one of them so you can see both sides of the pattern paper. It turned out to a nice decoration to put some roses on.
Joel got his first swing this spring and he really likes it. Frames by Nestabilities, chipboard, resin and flowers by Prima.
As you can see I really like to use the paper stripes as decoration.
More cozy papers…
I shot this photo in our garden while Joel was constantly crawling around a picnic blanket. I was going to send it to my office, but all they could see was his back. 🙂 
This photo was shot while Joel was lying directly on the grass for the first time. He was really thoughtful and had a philosophic kind of expression that I liked while he was watching his hand. So I cut it in two. Tape, frame and tag die cuts by Tim Holtz.
Here’s a little family spread…
Daddy and Joel with the same tape that I used on the previous page, just rounding the corner. Metal by Prima, die cuts by Tim Holtz. 
Mommy and Joel. I have cut out the paper using the chipboard as template and then added it to the side of the album. I have used hinges here too, stretching over two pages. Same with the die cuts.
And here’s the last page. Joel got a pirate uv suit to use this summer and of course he needed a pirate baby pool to go along with it. Pirate flag and everything.
I have used most papers from the Life In The Country collection to create this album. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I did creating it.
Flowers by Wild Orchid Crafts. The seam ribbon has been colourized with Distress Stain. Chipboard by Blue Fern and the butterfly has been cut out with a Martha Stewart punch.
And here’s what the card looks like on the inside.
I have cut out the grid by hand using a knife and glued it to the background paper. I have used a Martha Stewart punch, metal by Tim Holtz and pearls from Pearl Maker.
The white Prima flower is one of my favourites. The little cage was given to me as a present from another dear friend. And now I pass it on to another friend, spreading the love and friendship over the globe.
And here’s the first spread. 
I have used punches by Martha Stewart and dies by Spellbinders. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts. 
A little poem and more dies. 
Second spread with a quote to the left and some borders to the right.
The little fairy got a shabby paint and some pearls. 
Third spread…
I have used texture paste on the background and Crackle Paint on the chipboard butterflies. The pearls have been cut out from a Prima bling.
The right side… More die cuts and chipboard.
And the last pages…
I really liked creating that dress. I have used three layers of tulle in different colours. 
Close up… The textured letters are from a Prima sheet.
The last page has a pocket with tags…
I absolutely adore the blues of the Coffee In The Arbour collection. They are lovely. I have used Enjoying The Moment, Butterflies Are Free, Blueberry Cupcake, Lovely Weather, White Daisies, Smell of Freshly Brewed Coffee and Delicious Moments for this layout.
All chipboard are from Scrap FX. The white lace comes from my mother’s huge 16th century chest filled with fabric. It’s a goldmine! Bird by Tim Holtz, flowers from Petaloo, Prima and Wild Orchid Crafts. Bling from Prima, all dies used are from Spellbinders.
The white frame is a Prima resin.
And here’s what the inside looks like.
I’ve used the Coffee In The Arbour collection…
The small alpha pearls were found in a bargain bin on Michael’s a couple of years ago. Flower, ribbon and leaves by Magnolia and Wild Orchid Crafts. The little frame has been cut out from a Melissa Frances package, using a Sizzix/Tim Holtz die. Chipboard by Scrap FX, bowknot and metal heart from LSS.
Here’s a glimpse of the inside. Aren’t these papers to die for? Pure love. I’ve used a Martha Stewart deep edge punch for the border and cut out the heart by hand.
I’ve used the Vintage Summer Basics collection by Maja Design. 
All flowers, doily and ribbon from Wild Orchid Crafts.
And a look on the inside…The border is actually made with a paper scrap from the Coffee In The Arbour collection…
I’ve used Nestabilities dies for the frame. Flowers are a mixture of Prima, Magnolia and Wild Orchid Crafts. The seam binding has been coloured with Distress Stain Bundled Sage.
And a little close up…
And a look on the inside.
I’ve used the Vintage Spring Basics collection and some Fika for the front page…
Ups. Some Vintage Summer Basics and Coffee In The Arbour also found it’s way into this card.
And yes, the glasses and cake decoration was used during my own wedding eight years ago. The years do pass by very fast.
I’ve cut out different Scrap FX chipboards and painted them randomly with Gesso. I’ve used Pumice Stone Distress Ink and a border punch by Martha Stewart for the edge. The metallic frame is one of my Tim Holtz Idea-Ology favourites. The flowers are from Prima, floss by Karen Foster.
I hope you will find Cathy’s work inspiring.
