This One's A Keeper

WARNING: Photo Heavy Post!

Thanks to Prima's Ustream channel I learned how to make a journal book by watching an online class led by Steff Miller over and over and over again. 'That is a cool idea' I thought and proceeded to make one for myself (or for a friend as it turns out). The original journal is 7.5" by 3.5" but mine is 6" by 3.5". The original was also made with 12x12 double-sided patterned paper but, of course me being me, mine was made with 6x6 single-sided papers as well. Makes it more difficult for sure. If you had 4 12x12 pieces of double-sided papers you could whip this up fairly quickly:

It's a little bit gorgeous isn't it? The large sparkly green flower is from Prima - part of my gift parcel from Mrs Frizz (I told you it was heading this way). The base paper for the album is by K&Co. The die cuts are Spellbinders and the journal card is from Making Memories. I purposely placed the journal card on the front cover so that the fold-around covers the second line on the journal card but still shows the first line, which stands alone.  I've added journal cards from Bella! and Websters Pages inside the album and popped a few extras in the back.

I've used PicFrame to compile the inside pages together into one picture to reduce the photo content. It may look like I have doubled up on pictures but it show the pages with and without the added journal cards. Here's the inside Pages: 

Here's the back page:

Amazing what you can do with a little time, paper and border punches isn't it? The border trim on the envelope is a bit I cut off the side of the journal card placed on the front cover. The colours and designs didn't work on the front but they certainly work here. I had to make the envelope by hand as I don't have an envelope die. I emailed a friend for help and she sent me links of the dies she has in her stash - love friends like that! Her dies didn't match my size requirements but the pictures gave me the basic design to try and have a go myself. For once my try-out actually worked out really well! :)

For my personal challenge of using items from my stash I have used here:
* an eyelet I bought for European Travel scrapping
* stamp sets x2 - new and unused
* Tim Holtz ink in a colour I thought I would never use again (from a class kit)
* Snot ribbon - which wasn't long enough but because I had two I had enough to use one for each side
* Journaling cards - new and unused
* DCWV cardstock sticker - new and unsed.
* K&Co paper pad - used before but definitely been around a while.

As I started to put this journal together I thought of a friend of mine who just happens to be having a birthday soon. I don't make a lot of gifts anymore as I have to carefully weigh my time and effort with the recipients enjoyment. The friend I am thinking of will truly enjoy the journal and will treasure the fact that I made it for her and the time & effort put into it. Just in case I have also bought her a present too! I see myself making a few more of these journals as it was really easy to put together and look fantastic even if I do say so myself. Basically, this little item is a keeper even though I am giving it away.

This little beauty is going to be entered in the Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes
http://www.simonsaysstampschallenge.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/simon-says-anything-goes.html
I know I posted mine a few days before this challenge opened but I needed to post it on my blog before their next challenge went up in order to make a deadline for another challenge. (which I didn't win btw - it's not about the winning; it's the joy of creating)