A VINTAGE ALBUM WITH B-LINE STAMPS

It's Friday!  I hope everyone has a great weekend planned.

Monday, I posted three vintage/shabby chic postcards that I made for Simon Says Stamp and Show's shabby to chic challenge.  Some of the images I used were from a line of stamps that aren't new but they are new to me....B Line Designs.

I absolutely ADORE these stamps.  They have such a vintage feeling and the quality of the stamps and their prints is amazing!  

I created this chipboard album that could be used as a photo album or as a journal.  All of the stamped images on this album cover are from B Line Designs.  

 

This album is made from fairly heavy weight chipboard.  I cut two pieces of chipboard 6x6. Those would be the covers of the album.  Then I cut two pieces of chipboard 1x6.  These would be the "spines" of the album.  Then I cut two strips of Tyvek approximately 1 1/2 x 6.  The Tyvek acts as a reinforcement at the joint to keep the paper from eventually tearing apart with so much opening and closing of the album covers.  The design of this album puts me in mind of the old scrapbooks you used to get that were tied together.  I applied 1/4" Scor Tape on either side of one edge of the chipboard.  

I made sure I had about 1/4" space between the two pieces of chipboard before I attached the Tyvek strip to the chipboard using the Scor Tape.  Again, this creates the joint for opening and closing the album cover.  None of this will be seen as it will be underneath cardstock that will completely cover the chipboard.  Repeat this for the other cover as well.

 Next, I added a piece of paper to cover each of the album covers.  You must be sure when you do this step; whether you are using a blank paper or a patterned cardstock, that you are aware of any direction designs on the paper and also that the spine of the album will match with the other cover so that when you put them together, the insides are facing each other.

I like to leave at least 1/2" border of paper around the edge of my chipboard when covering a piece of chipboard.  I used 1/4" Scor Tape to adhere my paper to the inside of the chipboard.  

My original thought was that I was going to apply paint to blank paper, creating real "artsy" covers after I had already adhered them to the chipboard.  But, once I did this, I R-E-A-L-L-Y didn't like what I made.  And, I decided rather than to go "artsy", I was going to go vintage.  So, remembering that there are not mistakes in art...haha...I decided to cover up this cover with some vintage tissue paper and move on.  Ahhh....that is one thing I love about doing vintage stuff.  You can cover up a multitude of things with layers of ephemera, book text, and in this case, vintage looking tissue paper!

With the help of some Multi Matte Medium and 7 Gypsies Life Tissue Paper, here are the new and improved covers.  I did some distressing with Distress Inks as well.  I also applied Multi Matte Medium over the tissue paper to seal it and better protect the album cover.  Then I added little bits of gold highlights from a Gold Paint Dabber and my finger as I lightly swiped the edges of the chipboard and some streaks onto the covers.

Here are all of the pieces before I put them together.  In this photo, you can see how important it is to be sure that the spines match up (on the outer edges of this photo) or your album won't open properly.

Then I added Tim Holtz' new Tissue Tape from his Industrial Grunge series to the top and bottom of the covers.  I LOVE this stuff!!!!  And I love how much more vintage it makes the covers look.  That black and sepia toned tissue tape with those wonderful vintage images is really amazing stuff! 

 

Next I stamped all of my images onto Specialty Stamping Paper with Jet Black Archival Ink and then colored in all of the images using various Distress Inks and Tim's small detailer water brush.  I added Glossy Accents to the "watch crystal" to give it more dimension and realism.  And I added a piece of vintage black tulle behind my dapper gentleman that is pop dotted onto an old vintage letter.  The letter is stamped on a newsprint type of paper and distressed with Vintage Photo, Gathered Twig and Black Soot Distress Inks. 

I cut two pieces of interior cardstock 6x7 inches (leaving about 1/8" border of the cover tissue paper showing on the interior of the album).  Then I glued those into place on the interior of the album covers.  I measured in 1 1/2" inches from the top or bottom of the spine and punched the larger hole using my CropADile in the center of the spine piece.  Then I cut 24 sheets of the newsprint type of paper 6x7 inches and lined up a paper with the holes I had punched into the spine.  Then I used that paper to line up the rest of the papers and punched holes in all of the papers to match the holes that I punched into the "spines" of the album.  Next I put the album together using about a yard of black ribbon that was threaded through the front cover, down through all of the papers, across the back of the album and up through the other hole.  Then I tied a knot then a bow on the front of the album.

 

Here is a picture of the album back.

Here is a closeup of my gentleman also known as "Chris" on the B Line Designs Stamp.  I love the vintage hand written letter behind him.  I also ran a small chain from Chris' hand over to the pocket watch which is also pop dotted.  The chain is held in place with the use of a Tim Holtz' Jump Ring.

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I hope that you like my little vintage album/journal and the tutorial on how to construct one of your own.  For more information about B Line Design Stamps, click HERE or check with my very dear friend at Rocky Mountain Memories in Estes Park, Colorado.  Cheryl Grigsby is a Ranger U buddy and owner of Rocky Mountain Memories.  She and her very dear friend and my new buddy as well, Susan Mostek are the sweet ladies who got me onto these lovely lovely stamps.

Have a great weekend!