Smash Book Meets Artbooking Mini Albums: The Mini Series!

 Part 1:  Counting the Layers!

I'm starting my Christmas gifts with a sort of ........ well, it's not really a mini album and I wouldn't call it a scrapbook -- wouldn't necessarily say it's a smash book.....  Hmmmmm, maybe I'll create a name for it as the mini-series continues!

The challenge over at Heart 2 Heart this week is a multi-layer
work.  This inspired the page on the left.  I've included 2 pages in this post; but I'll be concentrating on the multi-layer page.

All of this incredible cardstock and paper is from CTMH ~ with one exception.

I'll start with a brief description of the page on the right.  I started with Champagne Cardstock and paper from the Florentine collection.  (I've been saving this for the right project!)  The large tag is Tag 3 from the Art Philosophy Cartridge.  I went into CCR and "hid" the holes, cut the tag and then cut off the bottom and sliced it in half.  The stamps are from CTMH Country Born and A Flowering Bunch.  (Sidenote about Flowering Bunch:  I didn't like this one when I bought it and now it's one of my favs!  Funny how that happens!)  Distressing was done with Barn Red and Chocolate inks.  I only taped down the left side under the ribbon area.  That way my friend can lift this tag and put something under there!  I then embellished with a scrap of brown grosgrain ribbon, Mocha Gems, and the little gem over the ribbon is from Mini-Medley Accents Rosewood.



Ok, on to the layers upon layers page!  I started with a piece of  cardstock *layer 1 and adhered my blue patterned paper *layer 2.  Then I put the border on the right side.  The ribbon creates *layer 3.  I then cut two envelopes from the dark brown cardstock (I think it might be Chocolate) using the Artbooking cartridge.  Since the envelopes fold we now have *layers 4 & 5!  Cuttlebug bird and vines folder added embossing to the 5th layer.  I then turned to my Art Philosophy cartridge and cut 4 tags; 2 from Champagne and 2 from the Florentine paper.  I stamped the Champagne tags with the notebook lines for journaling.  Let's see, this creates 2 more layers; now we're up to *layers 6 & 7!

I put twine around the envelopes before sticking them onto the page and tied the lace doilies from the Mini-Medley Antiqued Gold onto the twine.  There's *layer 8.  The You are my Happy is from the CTMH Stamp Set with the same name - another *layer 8.  NOTE:  This tag is not from CTMH paper; I found it laying on the desk and thought it was a great size!  It was left over from Katie's wedding; you'll be seeing lots of wedding leftovers in my projects!

I took this entire page and adhered it to another piece of cardstock (could this be *layer 9?) you will see next week in the mini-series.  When I adhered it, I used an ATG and did a U or C shape leaving the left side open to slide in the mat for pictures and journaling.

I then cut the Art Philosophy shape 8 *layer 10 from Champagne cardstock and inked it in Chocolate.  I cut mats for both sides, corner rounded them, and inked them in Sweet Leaf and Twilight. I placed a journaling card on one of the mats *layers 11, 12, & 13!  The Chocolate stamping on that journaling card is from the Sweet and Lovely set.  I, of course, had to pop a Mocha Gem there for the pull.  I love those Mocha Gems!

I imagine you feel you've been in on an episode of Sesame Street counting to the number 13 on Halloween!  I can just see 'The Count' going through the layers of this!

*If you are obsessed with counting, I didn't count the twine as a layer. I included it with the doilies. I had to end on 13 since it's Halloween!