Hallstatt, Austria Mini Album

New mini album alert! I loved using the Twilight collection by 1canoe2 to create this project - the colors are so beautiful and coordinated perfectly with our day in Hallstatt, Austria. I also wanted to try doing some more mixed media... baby steps! I used modeling paste and stencils, acrylic paint, and watercolors on almost every page.

First, here is a flip through with me jibber jabbering so you can see this album in "real life".

To make the base of this album, I started by die cutting butterflies from four patterned papers (Evening Posies, Peony, Twilight Blooms, and Fireflies) and one piece of smooth white cardstock. You can find the cut file I used (for free!) HERE :) The butterfly design also includes the stitching holes - if you don't want the holes, just delete that layer before cutting. On two of the layers I did cut the holes and made a chain link stitch, on two of the other papers I machine stitched around the edges, and one of the papers I left stitching free. I started working on the album a bit before attaching it all together (creating the cover and adding modeling paste and mixed media to the pages, etc) and then to attach it together I layered all the pages together and then machine stitched down the center.
For the cover I used a Kaisercraft 6x6 Bloom stencil and white modeling paste to apply a base texture on the top right side. Once that dried I splashed on a layer of Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine. I used the Twilight Thickers to create the title "hallstatt" and machine stitched three times through it to make sure they stay in place forever. Below I placed light blue "AUSTRIA" letter stickers from my stash. I machine stitched around the edges using three colors of thread (white, blue, and gray) and added zig zag stitching a few places around the edges. From the Cabin Box of Cards I used one of the round flower stickers to embellish and placed an Epoxy Wood Button on top.

On the first spread I copied, pasted, printed, trimmed, and glued journaling taken straight from our blog post recap all down the left side. There was a gap at the bottom which I filled in with a sentiment sticker trimmed in two. The right side is the smooth white cardstock that I cut with the stitching holes and did a chain link stitch through with light pink thread (the other half of the cardstock butterfly I used light blue thread). I added a layer of texture with modeling paste, splashed on white acrylic paint, placed a photo on top (I trimmed off the corner to fit) and then fussy cut flowers from the Peony paper to tuck under the photo. I finished with a remember" sticker.

I love how the back of a chain link stitch isn't messy, it looks like a regular back stitch! On the left side I added modeling paste through my Wonky Hearts Background cut file. Tip - when the modeling paste dried I used a bit of sandpaper to file down any sharp edges or overly dimensional spots - I did this every time I used modeling paste. Then I added two little square photos, flower, sentiment, and heart stickers, and a wood veneer "grateful" piece. To finish I added more journaling strips.

For this spread, on the left side I layered three sentiment stickers (trimming off the excess) over a leaf die cut and then machine stitched over the edge for texture. I tucked a photo under a flower sticker. On the right side, this is another page with the chain link stitch border - the holes included in the cut file make it so easy to stitch evenly! I used gray thread on the entire butterfly. I splashed white acrylic paint on the bottom side and then layered a photo, flower sticker, and another sticker from the Cabin Box of Cards set on top. 

On the left side I used a 6x6 TCW Believe stencil with white modeling paste to create texture and sanded over it once dry. On the right side, this is the back of the center page of the album and on this paper I zig zag stitched around the border with blue thread for a lovely textured edge. I fussy cut a flower from the Peony paper and added it to the top right side along with two photos on top. I placed a banner sticker cut in half across the middle and then tucked a leaf die cut under the left side. To finish I added printed & trimmed journaling strips.

This is the center of the album. It was around this point in creating the album when I decided to sew it together - I had just been working on the pages separately but wanted everything to stay put. I lined all the pages up and machine stitched straight down the middle here, just one time through, using white thread and the longest stitch my machine makes. Moving on, I used a doily stencil and white modeling paste over the middle and then splashed dark blue watercolors on top. I placed a flower die cut in the center and folded it where the crease of the album folds. On the back of the flower I added a sticker from the Cabin Box of Cards set. I added our family photo over the flower die cut, also folding it in the crease, and on the back of the photo I placed a selfie. I didn't glue these edges down because they kept getting bunched up. I like how there are more layers and places to add pictures and things anyhow :)

Under the right side of the family photo (I did add adhesive under this side), I placed a large flower die cut and topped it with journaling strips.

On this left side I fussy cut a blue flower from the Peony paper and added a photo on top along with a single word caption. There is a stamp set in this collection so I used the leaves and dark blue ink, stamped them on smooth white cardstock, fussy cut them out, and tucked them under the flower. Used here to help the album stay open but also what I use to keep the album close is a couple of the mini wooden clothespins from the Twilight collection.

The right page is actually an insert / extra page. I die cut half of a butterfly from smooth white cardstock and covered the front (or looking at it from here it's the back) with strips of all the washi tape. I machine stitched with white thread around the edge and between lots of the washi tape seams, mixing straight and zig zag stitches for ultimate texture. I used the Twilight Rotary Stamp with black StazOn ink to stamp sentiments and designs on this right side. To insert it into the album I folded a little bit of the edge, placed super glue along that edge, and pressed it in place. Not sure if that's archival but it works for now!

This left side is the washi tape page explained above. I also added a photo with a "grateful" gold rub-on applied to the bottom. I fussy cut leaves from a die cut and tucked them into the top edge of the photo. On the right side I used the Kaisercraft Blossom stencil with white modeling paste and a layer of Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine topped with a photo that has a "love" gold rub-on applied to the white space.

For this spread on the left side I used another doily stencil with white modeling paste and then added a trio of photos on top. On the right side I placed a large flower die cut, "love" wood veneer, and alphabet stickers from my stash to complete the caption.

On this second to last spread I used a TCW Flower Frenzy stencil on the right side with white modeling paste and then once it dried I spritzed and flicked Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine on the entire spread. On the left side, I layered flower die cuts under a photo and also fussy cut a gold foil flower from the 12x12 Specialty Watercolor Paper to tuck underneath. I added a gold "x" sticker to the corner and placed journaling strips below. Back on the right side, I added a photo, a fussy cut gold leaf from the 12x12 Specialty Watercolor Paper, "this" and a heart sticker, and journaling strips as shown. 

The heart sticker is actually the outline of a heart sticker. I had used up all the heart stickers on a previous project. So I fussy cut around a heart outline, backed it with a light pink patterned paper, and then glued it above the "i" in "this". Make your supplies go the extra mile by using even the outlines!

Which brings us to the last spread! On the left side I used the Dylusions Holes Small stencil with white modeling past and splashed blue watercolors on top. I added a photo, gold geometric die cut, sticker from the Cabin Box of Cards, and sentiment stickers to the top left edge. On the right side, I used the bottom left design from the TCW 12x12 Doodling Template - Well Rounded stencil with white modeling paste to create a texture on the bottom half. I topped the texture with a funny photo, tucked a flower die cut under the right edge, and added journaling on top.

I hope this mini album inspires you in some way! Whether it's to create a shaped mini album to document your memories, or to check out the Twilight collection by 1canoe2 with its soft and beautiful colors, or even to just get a little bit messy with mixed media!

Let me know if you have any questions, I'd be so happy to answer them! Thanks for stopping by today! Now, I really need to get back to packing, the movers are coming tomorrow! The next chapter in our lives is about to begin!

SUPPLIES: TWILIGHT: Patterned paper (Evening Posies, Peony, Twilight Blooms, and Fireflies), Cabin Box of Cards, Thickers, Epoxy Wood Buttons, Stickers, Wood Veneer, Ephemera Die Cuts, Mini Wooden Clothespins, Washi Tape, Rotary Stamp, Rub-Ons, 12x12 Specialty Watercolor Paper; modeling paste; acrylic paint; StazOn ink; watercolors; smooth white cardstock; Heidi Swapp Gold Color Shine; Die cut machine: Silhouette Cameo 3; Cut file: Wonky Hearts Background and Butterfly with Stitching Holes by Paige Evans; Stencils: Kaisercraft 6x6 Bloom, Kaisercraft Blossom, TCW Flower Frenzy, Dylusions Holes Small, TCW 12x12 Doodling Template - Well Rounded