But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling, like dew, upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think. –Lord Byron

Click on the picture for a supply list for recreating this awesome piece of artwork!

This is the front of the album (using the Tailor Made Simply Scrappin' Kit). This album is perfect for almost anyone, but it is especially good for those hard-to-buy for guys in your life.

Here's a top view of the album so you can see how cool it looks open:

(Be sure to click on the pictures for a larger view.)

This album is so much fun to make and even more fun to play with! You can add pictures to most, or all, of the different panels in this unique album, along with journaling and embellishments.

I am offering this class on 2 separate days in October – Friday night, October 23 (6:30p), or Saturday morning, October 24 (10a) – and your choice of the Tailor Made or Christmas Jingle Simply Scrappin' Kits.

Get a jump on your holiday gifts and create this memory keepsake that will be treasured for years to come.

Can't attend in person? If there is interest, I will create this as a tutorial, with step-by-step directions and full-color pictures. Email me if you are interested or leave a comment.

Tri-Fold Memory Album - Choose the day and SS kit

Friday - Tailor Made $25.00 Friday - Christmas Jingle $25.00 Saturday - Tailor Made $25.00 Saturday - Christmas Jingle $25.00

This is a view of the Christmas Jingle Tri-Fold Memory Album.

Want to make your scrapbook buddies jealous?  While they are still organizing their photos, you can have a completed album in hand.  By the time your friends start their albums, you can have multiple albums done and ready to give as gifts.

It's here! 30 pages long with over 50 photographs!

This tutorial contains step-by-step instructions and color photos for completing the Top Note Mini-Scrapbook Album.

Included is a section on various options (e.g. you can still make this album without a Big Shot and Top Note die!) and pictures of additional albums using other color palettes/kits.

Price: $6.95

So, are you ready to create a cute, unique scrapbook without a lot of time or work?

Are you a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator? 
While this is an instructional tutorial, it can be used for holding your own classes. I’ve already had some demonstrators schedule multiple class times because their customers are so excited about this fun project!

Please refer to my policy on teaching my projects for classes.

May is National Scrapbooking Month and we're celebrating by creating this adorable mini-scrapbook album in an afternoon using the Big Shot and the exclusive Stampin' Up! Top Note die. Does the thought of scrapbooking intimidate you? Then you will love this class using Stampin' Up!'s ® Simply Scrappin' Kits, which take all of the guesswork out of creating your albums.

This album makes a wonderful gift for anyone who enjoys giving unique handmade gifts of love. This would make a great gift for Dad made from the Tailor-Made Simply Scrappin' Kit, or use the 2 Sweet Simply Scrappin' Kit as shown above for your best friend, Mom, Grandma, end-of-school teacher gift, etc. The size is perfect for keeping a little family album right in your purse to share your photos at a moment's notice! Personally, I am making a couple of these to give to my friends, capturing memories of our monthly Girls' Afternoon Club.

In this class we will be using the Stampin' Up!® Big Shot Die-Cut Machine and the Top Note die to complete an eight page album, which includes a 4-page accordion pull-out section (see bottom of the photo above) and 2 pocket pages! This project features a fun color combination that is both trendy and timeless, and appeals to many tastes! You will be so surprised how easily you can create this album using the Big Shot and Simply Scrappin' Kit!

Can't make my scheduled class? Schedule your own class with your friends (minimum 4 people)! Bring together a group of friends and I'll show you how each guest can make their own personalized album while enjoying each other's company.

This class will fill quickly, so register online now:

Here's the front of my miniature scrapbook using the Top Note die for the Big Shot machine:

I used the Secret Garden Simply Scrappin' Kit (sadly retired), for the entire album and then coil bound it using my Bind-It-All. (Sneak peek: this is going to be one of the upcoming classes for May, which is National Scrapbooking Month).

This is the inside look, a couple of pages in. It's difficult to see since I don't have the pictures in yet, but this page on the right is actually a pocket. How cool is that?! There are a couple of pockets, quite a few blank pages, and then there's this fold-out, accordion style page that I just love. This is the first page of the accordion pagelet:

And this is what one side looks like open (remember you can click on any picture to bring up a larger view):

The accordion pages are double-sided, so you can load up on pictures, journaling or whatever you choose! *Love it!* (Can you tell I'm excited about this project? LOL.) I was so pleased with myself that I could take Melanie's project and re-invent it using the Top Note die and Stampin' Up! products.

As I mentioned, this will be an upcoming hands-on class, as well as a kit or instructions for those of you who aren't in the Northern Colorado area. (Note: I will be re-making this using current product and will share that as soon as I have it done.)

I am going to make a couple more of these to share with 2 of my dear friends. We get together monthly for a girl's afternoon out, and last week I decided that we had to take pictures to immortalize our outings. Unfortunately I forgot my camera, so my best friend brought hers and now we just have to get the pictures transferred from her computer to mine (after we get back from our Spring Break trip). You probably already figured this out, but there are no pictures in my album right now, because I don't have the pictures. I can't wait to see what it looks like with pictures and journaling.

Well, I have to get this posted before we leave (we have to get up very, *very* early in the morning), so I'd better sign off.

I hope you enjoy my little book as much as I do!

- Kari

Here is the first page of my 2-page layout (remember that you can click on the picture to bring up a larger view):

Kyanne (my daughter) had a blast at her Homecoming dance, and I was tickled because she asked me to make her dress for her (the burgundy dress is the one I made). She chose the pattern and fabric, and I think she has wonderful taste – she looked amazing in her dress. She went to the dance with her girlfriends (lucky for me, no boys in the picture yet) and they all had so much fun. Something that was new to me was that girls these days do NOT wear pantyhose/nylons with their fancy dresses/shoes anymore. Turns out that's "old school"! LOL. Gosh, I really didn't think I was that old, but I guess to a 15 year old, I am. J Personally, I don't think those fancy shoes are very comfortable without nylons, but perhaps that's why she thinks I am "old". J

Anyway, here's the second page:

The textured 12x12" paper makes for such beautiful backgrounds (though they are a little challenging to journal on – I learn new things everyday!). On the first page, Melanie suggested some extra embellishment along the left side of the page, and I found that a clear button threaded with some Mellow Moss gingham ribbon was just the right touch (thanks, Melanie!). And I did create the title using my computer and a font that I liked. The second page was as simple to put together as the first. I simply laid out my pictures the way I wanted them, then started adding the embellishments from the Simply Scrappin' Kit.

Check out Stampin' Up!'s selection of Simply Scrappin' Kits here. There are so many neat styles and colors that I can't wait to try some more, especially the Tailor Made Simply Scrappin' kit – those colors are fabulous! And don't forget that you still have until the end of the month to earn free Sale-a-Bration stamp sets, designer series paper and/or ribbon! You can order online 24/7 here. (Then click on the Shop Now button in the upper right hand corner.)

Be sure to check back in the next few days for another *way cool* scrappin' project that Melanie shared with me. I liked it so much that I had to make my own with Stampin' Up! products. I think it turned out so cute!

Thanks for all the fun, Melanie, and I can't wait until next month's crop!

- Kari

We created this page during convention this past summer, but I wasn't quite sure what picture I wanted to use, or how I wanted to finish the page. Then while I was sitting here, I ran across some pictures of my beautiful daughter when she was much younger and this one just screamed to be put on this page. It's like the page was designed for this picture specifically!

Everything on the page, except for the text, is regular scrapbooking. We used Rose Red for the base (and of course we had to use the new Scallop Edge punch!), with accents of Old Olive and More Mustard. A felt flower and button in Baja Breeze coordinate beautifully with the Baja Breeze textured card stock. Wrap a little rose grosgrain ribbon, and you've got a page! Well, okay, I guess I forgot to mention the stamping (doh!). We used the new 2-step stamping set – Flight of the Butterfly – with tone-on-tone stamping.

I added the text using Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0. I think I may have to turn the paper original into an actual 12x12" spread (currently it's only 8" square), but I like the way the digital copy came out, so I'm definitely going to add it to my new digital scrapbook album.

So do you scrapbook? And if so, are you strictly paper, or digital or have you tried playing with both? Please send me any tips you may have – this could become addicting!

Happy scrapbooking!

- Kari

Instructions

1. Layer Naturals Ivory card stock on to Chocolate Chip textured card stock page.
2. Tear Kraft card stock and layer on Naturals Ivory card stock.
3. Stamp date in Chocolate Chip ink on top of page.
4. Tie Chocolate Chip grosgrain ribbon around page.
5. Layer Baja Breeze card stock on to page over ribbon and adhere photograph.
6. Cover chipboard with Really Rust and Chocolate Chip card stock and adhere to page.
7. Stamp leaf images in black StazOn ink on Naturals Ivory card stock.
8. Watercolor leaf images using Aqua Painter.
9. Cut out leaf images and adhere to page. 

(Instructions ©Stampin' Up! 1990-2008)

Happy Holiday Stamping!
- Kari

We had a lot of fun and I love how different everyone's purses turned out.

Here is Tracy's purse front & inside: 

And here is Terry's:

And Angela's:

Aren't these great?! I think it is so neat how people can take one idea and make it totally their own. These are going to make awesome gifts for special people. And once they add their pictures, these scrapbooks will be priceless!

What if you don't have any Carousel Notes left?  Then you are going to love this!  I reworked this project so you can make it without using the Carousel Notes. Here is a picture of one I made using DSP from last year's catalog (I'm bummed this paper is no longer available – isn't this purse the cutest?!).

Are you interested in making one of these purses? Then please join me for my Scrapbook Satchel Stamp Camp! Or if you can't make it, you can order my Class-To-Go Kit. Already have all of the supplies and just want the step-by-step picture instructions? Then I will be offering the class-by-email in the next week or so, which includes both options (using the Carousel Notes or DSP only), so definitely check back.

Hope you can join me for this fun, easy class!

This was really fun and easy to make. I followed the directions in the handout for the Wild Wasabi textured card stock special (you can find that information here). I did use different colors (other than the Wild Wasabi) – including Groovy Guava and Chocolate Chip. That way I got to use some of our awesome new Chocolate Chip twill ribbon (found in the Occasions Mini Collection)!

Now I always try to share that every "mistake" is really an opportunity in disguise. Take the inside of my album for instance. I accidentally adhered the green flap to the very inside of the album pages, instead of just to the back page. When I pulled it back up, it left a mess on the page. So what's a stamper to do? Cover the "boo boo" with designer series paper of course!

You can put as many pages into these little albums as you choose.  I chose to put 3 full pages in (so it made 6 pages total).  You could use these for so many different things, like a signature album for those DisneyLand trips; a favorite quotes album; a grandparent's brag book, and the list goes on!

Hope you enjoy my album (and my mistake!).

Happy Stamping!
- Kari