This week’s episode is the last for 2009! Many thanks to all the Paperclipping Members, whose memberships make it possible for us to produce these tutorials.

This week’s episode is for members only but anyone can click on the video above to see the trailer. There’s also a Quicktime version of the trailer here. If you are new here, you might want to watch the free tutorials available in the left-hand column. Anyone who would like to see this week’s video, plus the other 130 episodes in the archives, can find out how to become a Paperclipping Member by clicking here.

Supplies for New Years Album: Many thanks to Stampin’ Up for providing their Glassy Glaze Enamel and the Bashful Blue cardstock.
Reminder to Members: watch your emails today or tomorrow for an invitation to sign up for a one-week email course of seven daily lessons for holiday photography.

December Daily: My focus over the last couple workdays has been on the email photography course. I will post pictures of my album over the next few days here on the blog. I just need a little more.

Personal family videos are all over the internet these days. We put such an emphasis on photos in the scrapbook industry, but videos are just as much a part of our stories as pictures are.

We’ve now released this week’s episode to the Paperclipping Members and in it I share some different ways Izzy and I started to incorporate the fun videos we take of our family and friends into our scrapbooking.

If you’re not a member, you can click on the video above or download the Quicktime version. You can also watch the free videos available in the left column. Then, if you want more tutorials, just click your way over here.

Imaginisce give me the paper I used for these two pages. If you click on the link you can purchase it through my affiliate store. The bow is a classic Dedra Long bow which I’m fortunate to have learned from the Altered Books DVD we made.

The cover of the minibook I featured in this episode will appear in one of the January tutorials and I will post pictures of it at that time.

Ali Edwards conceived the December Daily project three years ago. The idea is to create a minibook ahead of time with a page for each day. Then everyday in December you find a way to add your picture(s), journaling, and/or memorabilia to the pre-assembled book. These pictures are my 2009 book:

You can see my entire album (before I add the events of each day) in the December Daily set on my Flickr page. This post only showcases a handful of my pages.

5 Tips For Super-Fast Assembly

Are you worried about finding the time to make your own? I flew through the assembly of mine and when I reached the last page I was sad because I wanted to do more. Here are some tips that made this one of my fastest minibook projects, even though it has the most pages of any I’ve ever made before:

1. Do it mindlessly.

Okay, how often does anybody tell you to do something mindlessly. Never, right? Well, I’m telling you now, don’t think through this one. Don’t ask what you might be doing on what day or how to make the page gorgeous. And if you do the other tips, mindlessness will be no problem.

2. Divide your Christmas supplies into five piles:

a. Whole Sheets
These usually come 12×12 and can be paper, transparencies or fabric
b. Alternative Page Foundations
These can be scraps, envelopes, pocketed page protectors, other minibook pages, and anything else unusual that you might want to use as a page foundation.
c. Numbers
d. Small Spots
These are to place numbers on. Some ideas are circles, very small frames, or tags
e. Embellishments and Ribbon

3. Crop your whole sheets all at once.

Cut your whole sheets down to the size of your album pages. Don’t worry about page placement or embellishing while you do this. Don’t worry about how many you’ll need. Just crop all the papers you want in your album and know that you’ll use the alternative page foundations (that 2nd pile) to make up the difference.

4. Mix cropped whole sheets with your alternative page foundations.

Remember, we’re still working mindlessly here. Just start interspersing them with the alternative page foundations. The only thing to think about is variety. That’s it.

5. Add numbers and trimming all at once.

Are you starting to see the pattern here? We’re doing this in assembly line fashion, which you probably learned in elementary school is the fastest way to make a stuff, right? Now that you’ve mindlessly put your pages in order, you can add the smaller details.

If your page is from a scrap that is smaller than the regular minibook, you can give it a decorative edge, or some trimming. Don’t think hard about what to do, just know that you have these options and choose the first one that comes to mind. If your ribbon is in your embellishment & ribbon pile, you can grab it quickly and add it to a page edge without thinking or searching. Then add the next number to the page.

If your page is the size of your minibook, give yourself a break and just add a number (perhaps on a circular spot) and move on to the next page.

Two keys here: MINDLESS WORK & ASSEMBLY LINE.

Oh, and don’t forget to have fun basking in all that Christmas-color goodness.

Click here to see my entire book.

Edited To Add: Someone requested links to supplies I used. I have not bought any Xmas items this year (Imaginisce items are the only brand new ones because they gave them to me). I’ll link the items I can still find available below. Note that I’ll receive a commission if you click and buy.

Poinsetta on cover * red polka dot transparency * 8×8 book covers * polar bear paper * frosted forest paper * flower-shaped transparent and chipboard page.

Altered Books Tutorial

You’ve waited forever for this and the tutorial is finally available in download-able form (a DVD will be available for purchase very soon). In this special edition Paperclipping tutorial, Dedra Long and I show you how to alter unwanted old hardcover books to make them your own beautiful works of art and another avenue for telling your own stories. See instructions at end of this post on how to win.

You can find out more or order your own by clicking here. If you buy the tutorial and then win it, we will refund your money.

American Crafts

American Crafts contacted me and asked if the Paperclipping audience would get excited about a giveaway package from them. Hello? Ummm, yeah, definitely. I’m a huge fan of American Craft albums. Their D-ring albums are all I’ve used for a number of years when it comes to standard scrapbook albums. Check out all the stuff below that one winner will get from American Crafts…



One winner will get one of each of their 12×12 cardstock packs, a 12×12 D-Ring Chestnut album, and 9 metallic Zing! embossing powders.

How To Win

I will choose two winners on Wednesday morning from the comments using a random number generator. The first winner will receive the Altered Books Tutorial and the second will win the American Crafts package. To enter, please leave a comment that answers this question: If you were going to make an altered book project, what would the topic of your book be?

Important Note: Because of international laws, you must be at least 18 years of age and be a resident of the United States to qualify.

Today’s episode is for the Paperclipping Members. If you want to commemorate the culture of a place you’ve visited or plan to visit, you might want to consider the topic of this episode: create a book with an authentic item that portrays the place and culture. Below are a few pictures of my own book, which I made to showcase photos and items from Rocky Point, Mexico…

Mexico Minibook From A Punched Tin Frame

Scrapbooking supplies I used: Tim Holtz Distress Emboss Powder in Scattered Straw. Versamark Ink. Old Olive and Creamy Caramel by Stampin’ Up. Book Binding Tape by 7 Gypsies. Epoxy sticker by s.e.i. Letter stickers by Creative Memories. Eyelets by American Crafts.

Do you wish you could watch this video? Get access to this and all the others after checking out the Membership Information Page.

The album is a Prima product. Watch for more videos to come of Donna leading a great make-and-take as well as a lot of amazing Prima goodness that I cannot wait to get my hands on.

While there is nothing wrong with a vacation album or minibook that simply highlights the trip’s activities, there are some trips that add up to more than just that list. Some vacations impact you at a deeper level than the exciting agenda can show.

For today’s episode, I’ll share a vacation minibook I made for a trip like that. I’ll share how I found connections among my memories of the trip that led to a theme which I carried through the entire book. Many of us will have family vacations to document this summer, and I hope this episode gives you a new way to think about how you can approach your album or mini.

This video is available to members only. Learn about a membership here.

Below are a couple photos of the book I featured in the video. You can see the rest of the book in a set on my flickr page by clicking here.

The Two Of Us (In Sedona)

Supplies for these pages: Spiral minibook (7 Gypsies) * Patterned paper and title (My Mind’s Eye, background paper of second pic unknown) * Scroll sticker (Creative Imaginations) * Letter stickers (Creating Memories).

Do you like this free video? You can get access to all of the Paperclipping tutorials if you are Member. Please click here to find out more.

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Show notes for this episode are here.

If you don’t have a Paperclipping Membership you’ll be happy to know that today’s episode is free for anyone to watch. In this tutorial I introduce my idea visual memoirs using mini-albums where we can tell a more complete story than what typical scrapbook pages and albums allow.

If you enjoy today’s episode, you might want to consider getting a Membership so you can watch all of the tutorials we release. For example, last week’s member’s-only video gave instructions on how to create the bead-effect on the cover of this mini-album. It also shared information on the various size and types of pages I used.

Note: you can also download the high-quality version of today’s episode.

Below are some pictures of the minibook in the video…

You * Me

This book cover is made by Maya Road and is 9×9 inches. The chipboard pages inside are 8×8.

I found the vintage pieces (the clock face and drawer knob) at my local vintage scrapbooking store, Mystic Paper. The wire hanger is from there as well, but I’m pretty sure it’s not vintage. The spinner arrow on the clock is definitely not vintage…it’s made by Tim Holtz.

Want To See More?

You can see more pictures in the photo set I added to my Flickr page. I expect to have a lot more of this project completed next week and will add more photos then.

I know many of you are working on minibooks for your moms for Mother’s Day so I hope this episode gives you some inspiration and help. If you’re not gifting a book, consider making one about your relationship with one of your children. That’s what my book is about. I’ll share more in an upcoming episode.

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Did you see that Jana Oliveira won the Paperclipping Monthly Challenge for March? You can see her winning page at The Crop Circle.

Below are photos from the featured book…

Love Notes

Inside pages are 5×7

The drawing on this picture is hard to see. Here is a closeup below, although it’s only slightly clearer…


Journaling reads: You kids show us so many expressions of love and some of those take form in love letters and drawings, both to us and to each other. This is that story of how you kids take love and spread it around.

Journaing reads: A year or two ago Trinity started taping envelopes to their doors and walls to act as mailboxes so the kids could write and send notes to each other. (Note: these aren’t just for Valentines. They stay up all year long).

Journaling reads: Aiden’s “mailbox” on the hallway wall just next to the boy’s bedroom door.



Journaing reads: This is Blake sending drawings and notes to Trin over his DS. Trinity is sending notes back to him and they were supposed to be sleeping. It was a school night, but how could we stop them when Dad had just read Trin’s note to Blake, “I love you!”

While we were out for ice cream, Dad turned one of Trinity’s lip drawings into a hat.



I plan to add more to this book, starting with this page. I will also be adding read paper to the inside cover of the back, which you see here on the right.

The coupon for a discount on the Membership is still available on the Membership Information Page and will be there for a little while longer. Take advantage of the discount while you can!

To see more about the project I made with Ashley’s idea, see below…

Computer Log

Last year we discovered our young computer geek has forgotten that his body needs activity, too–not just his brain. We started requiring a certain amount of physical activity and limited his time on the computer.

Since he was having a hard time remembering, I made this for him…

We weren’t sure if he’d actually crack it open, but he really liked it and so far it seems to be helping.

Inside the cover I placed a picture of him doing something physical. Pointing to it is a hand that says “this.” Below is another pointing hand that says, “before this,” and a photo of him with his greatest love.

Not only does it help Blake (and us) remember that he’s supposed to do something physical because of the “PA” initial he must check before logging in his time, it will also be a fun record for him later. I expect to add a handful of the numerous pictures I’ve taken of him at a computer.

I used Technique Tuesday’s date stamp to make the log, and Autumn Leaves’s stamps to decorate the bottom of the pages.

You may not have a computer geek with a serious addiction, but you may have someone who loves the TV a little too much. Or maybe your children need to mark their progress reading books, picking up their room, or fulfilling responsibilities around the house.

Whether it’s a log or a regular minibook, I think Ashley’s money-saving tip is a fantastic idea.

If you’ve been around Paperclipping for a long time, you’ve seen parts of this minibook in previous posts and tutorial videos. Below you can see the entire finished book–a compilation of notes and photos of what I was doing almost every hour on February 2nd this year.

If you would like to get access to the Paperclipping Quick Tips, the Premium Episodes, and the archived video tutorials, click here to see how you can.

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Acrylic Mini Album: Maya Road