Using my Aliexpress Stamps and Cutting Dies

i am now living in the middle east and it is almost impossible for me to get the dies sold in the US. Usually they dont ship here and if they do, they will cost me so much. so during these past few months i have been buying stamps and dies from Aliexpress. it can be addictive cause it is very cheap. i must admit that i have spent a lot of money in here. not to mention, you need patience in waiting for the dies to arrive. sometimes, seller will ship it at different times (some have 2 or more warehouses where the dies are mailed out).

to lessen my guilt and hoarding dilemma, i decided to make use of them starting today.

i have made a card, and this time i was so inlove with it that i made a replica for my daughter's mini album.

this is one best way to get the most out of your creativity. also, a memento of the card you make. once you give your card away, you wont totally forget about it cause it is still in your keepsakes.

here are some photos

having fun doing some cards

i have always been a scrapbooker, but lately i found myself doing some cards. what i find enjoyable in doing so is that it is very fast to make because it is very small compared to 12x12 layout, and you can do different scenic background without the worry of thinking if a photo will look good on it.

Here are some of the cards i made.

DIY Post Bound Album for 6X6 layout

I first prepared the items needed

you will need:


chipboard design paper to cover your chipboard screw posts and extenders if your album is thick adhesives *optional are the metal corners for edges of albums and clear adhesive cover


directions:

prepare your chipboard:
2 pcs: 7 3/4 x 6 1/2 inches (main cover) 4 pcs: 3/4 x 6 1/2 inches (spine/screw posts holder)

prepare your outer cover:
2 pcs design paper: 8 x 11 1/4 inches

prepare your inner cover:
2 pcs cardstock: 6 1/4 x 9 1/2 inches

prepare your album's spine/side cover:
1 pc 3 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches scored at 3/4, 1, 1 1/4, 2 1/4, 2 1/2, 2 3/4 (scoring is just to make the paper easily fold when used as cover

optional:
2 pcs plastic cover for added protection and longevity of album cover: 8 X 11 1/4 inches (i used the brand ROCO as shown in photos below). i adhere this sticky plastic to my outer design paper cover prior to adhering it to chipboard.

1. align spine/screwposts holders with the page protectors you are using and punch a hole. i used memory keepers 1/4 inch hole punch to do this. only do this to one of the chipboard as you will be using the other chipboard to cover the screwposts.

2. align your main chipboards and the 2 spine to your outer cover design paper. leave 3/4 inch around the four edges.

3. miter the four corners as shown in photo below. after attaching the chipboards, make sure to punch a hole to the outer cover by using the chipboard spine's hole as a guide

4. cover the chipboard entirely:

5: attach your inner cover using a more sticky tape: i used sookwang tape. and once completely covered, punch out the two holes again.

6. do this again to the remaining chipboards and papers you have. you will end up with two covers

7. assemble your album:

note:


it's hard to close the cover because of the bulk of the 2 spines. so i ended up removing one of the spines on each cover. i initially did this to have the same look as the post bound albums that we buy in stores. the one we bought covers the screwposts, but i guess its not that unsightly if it is not cover. better show it and be able to close the album.

DIY album using old stash of papers and left over chipboards

I looked at my bookshelves and see the pile ups of my 6x6 papers that i bought and havent touched. I admired the papers and afraid of cutting them. So i stepped out of that zone and decided to make use of them.

There's a never ending new collections coming out and i dont have to keep up and make projects based on the date an item was released or based on what everyone is using at that time.

So i grabbed my left over chipboards and make a 6x6 album. Used my tim holtz binding ring to hold my pages which are sturdy cause i used the chipboard covers of my old paper stacks as base. I used tim holtz edger for the tabs. Then i covered them with my old stack of prima papers and gc studio papers. Add photos and put very minimal embellishments. I also added the plates at the album hinge to hold the title of my album. I dont decorate front of my album. I want it plain for easy storage.

I have so much fun doing this and more to come. I need to use up my papers to have a room for more. Since the page is so small, i finished these albums in no time.

It felt good using your old stacks and crafting gadgets thats collecting dust somewhere in your craft room. It feels good to have your favorite paper with your photos in it. Now it inspire me to do more. My MOJO is back.

graphic 45 curtain call gatefold album

8.5x12 gatefold album using graphic 45 curtain call paper collection. this album has a lot of room for photos and i love it...enjoy and thanks for looking