Photo Folio - Step by Step Tutorial #1

Hello everyone and welcome to my bloggy space.  Hope you are having a fabulous day.

Here  I am finally, sharing Part 1 of my Step by Step Tutorial for the little Photo Folio I made as exchange gifts for some scrappy friends .. Adriana Bolzon, Astrid Maclean, Heather Jacob and Helen Wallace.

 I have to warn you .. this post is really HUGE!!!  Probably would have been better as a video but, as I don't make videos, I have decided to do it in two stages.  This first stage will show you how to make the inside pages (which is what you need to first anyway) and then in stage two I will share how to create the cover and put it all together.

So, this is what I'll be showing how to make today.

First up though, I would like to thank all the generous people who share their ideas and techniques freely on You Tube.  They are way too many to name but, without the inspiration and little tips from these fabulous crafters, this would have been a lot more difficult to put together.  Thank you ladies and gents.

Hoping this will all make sense to you.

NOTE:  You can use 12 x 12 sheets of cardstock for the whole of the folio but, for the cover, it is easier if you have A3 size.  You can make it with 12 x 12 sheets but with the A3 size it can be made in one piece.  I am just letting you know this so that you can match colour for both parts of the book.
For this part of the folio you will need 4 sheets of 12 x 12 cardstock.   If you do have A3 size sheets you will need less of course.  

THE BASE PAGES.

Following the diagram, cut three base pages from your chosen cardstock.

As you can see, I rounded the corners but that is really not necessary as it all gets covered over anyway.

The base sheets get sewn together so, lay them over each other staggering them, as shown below.  Set your machine at the largest stitch size to sew them.  The larger the stitch, the less likely it is to tear.   If you do not have a machine you can, of course, do it by hand.

I staggered mine about 5/8th inch apart and then did my sew line about an inch in from the edge of the top leaf.

To create the pages, turn the set over ..

.. and, using a bone folder or something similar, crease the first sheet on the left side towards the center.

Do the same for the second sheet.  The bottom sheet is left as is, as this one gets glued to the cover.

Use some sticky tape to secure the ends of the threads to the back to ensure that the stitches don't come undone.  Probably a good idea to knot them first (I forgot that bit).

This is what it should now look like.  You have the base, which gets glued to the inside of the cover, and four basic 'leaves' to create the inside pages of your folio.  Obviously the leaves don't need to be quite as wide as I've made them so you can cut them down if you wish.  I feel though, that the bigger the surface you have to adhere to, the stronger it will be.  But that's just me.

With this basic structure, you can create any number of different types of pages for your folio.  Of course, you can also add more 'leaves' for more pages but I didn't want my folio to be too thick and bulky so, four pages was enough for me.

Now we need to create those 'pages'.

 HALF POCKET PAGE.

Following the diagram, cut out the two pieces from your chosen cardstock.
(The solid lines are cut lines, the red broken lines are score lines)
Ink the edges.  (You can see by the photos that I forgot to do this until after the pocket was finished .. Duhh!!  LOL!!)

To make the pocket, Part B  is glued to the back of the first leaf (the narrowest one) of your base pages and Part A gets wrapped around them.
TIP: To ensure that they fit together properly, you may need to trim a tiny bit off the side of the base leaf and off Part B as well .. this will enable Part A to fit comfortably around without buckling them.  

Adhere double sided tape to the back of the 'base leaf' and then, adhere Part B, making sure it is lined up properly.  (The 'base leaf' actually ends up inside the pocket.)

Score the lines on Part A (3/4 inch from each end) as per the diagram, crease the score lines and cover the inside of each end with double sided tape.
TIP:  To ensure a neat finish it is a good idea to trim a tiny V section off each end starting at the score line.  It's a bit hard to tell from the photo below but you can see it more clearly further down.
You can also see that I cut out a small half circle in the center at the top.  This is optional of course but I feel it may make it easier to pull out the booklet that fits into this pocket.

Wrap Part A around Part B  making sure it is lined up properly and that the tops of the pocket are even.

Remove the backing on the double sided tape and adhere the end to the back of Part B.
Below you can see what I meant about cutting out the V section at the ends.

Before glueing down the other side, just make sure it is still lined up properly.

 To close the pocket at the base, simply run a small bead of glue along the inside at the bottom.  I used Glossy Accents.  The thin nozzle makes it easy to insert under the bottom edge.
The finished pocket (after inking!).

On to the next page.  Hope you're still with me peeps.


DOUBLE POCKET PAGE

Following the diagram, cut two of each from your chosen cardstock. Ink the edges.

These pockets are assembled the same as the previous pocket. Part B is attached to the 'base leaf' and Part A is wrapped around them both.

Round the corners on one of the short edges of Part B.  This will be the top of the back of the pocket.

The first step is to cut the 'base leaf' to create two sections.
Find the center at the inside edge of the leaf (the sew line) and make a mark 1/4 inch on each side.  Do the same at the outside edge.  Draw a line between the two marks and cut this section away leaving about an eighth of an inch at the bottom for strength (this also prevents you from cutting through the sew line).

As with the other pocket, you may need to trim a tiny bit off one side edge of both the 'base leaf' and Part B to ensure a good fit for Part A.

Adhere double sided tape to the back of both base sections ..

.. remove the backing and adhere Part B to each section with the rounded corners at the top as shown.

Score the lines on both Part A's (3/4 inch from each edge) as per the diagram and crease on the score line.

Attach double sided tape to the scored sections and cut a small V shape from each end as on the previous pocket.

When wrapping Part A around Part B to create the pocket, make sure you push it down to the bottom.  Part B should protrude about 3/4 inch above Part A.  Don't push it too tight to the bottom though, leave about a 1/16th to 1/8th inch  as it needs a little space so you can flip the page comfortably. 

The photos below show how it should look.

To close the bottom of the pockets, run a small bead of glue on the inside at the base.

I hope everything is making sense to you thus far.

FULL POCKET PAGE

Following the diagram, cut out the two pieces from your chosen cardstock and ink the edges.

Score Part B as shown on the diagram (2.25 inch from the top).  This creates the flap for the pocket.  Round the edges of the flap if desired.
 

Once again, Part B is glued to the 'base leaf' and Part A is wrapped around them.
Put your double sided tape on the back of the base leaf and adhere Part B making sure it is lined up properly.  The photo shows the back .. unfortunately, I forgot to take a shot of the front .. sorry about that.

On Part A, crease on the score lines ..

.. attach the double sided tape and cut the small Vshapes off the bottom ends.

As with the previous pockets, Part A needs to be placed close to the bottom leaving just enough room to be able to open and close the page.

Again, to close the pocket at the bottom, run a thin line of glue on the inside at the base.

Attach magnets to ensure that the pocket flap stays closed. 

So, now onto the last of our pages.

FLIP OUT PAGE
Following the diagram, cut one piece only.

This is the simplest of the pages to make.  Simply cut it out and score as per the diagram.  Crease the score lines, ink the edges and then adhere it to the last of the 'base leaves'.

Attach double sided tape to the back of the 'base leaf'.

Making sure the page is lined up straight, remove the backing and adhere the largest section of the flip page to the folio base leaf.

Fold your page to the inside ..

.. and it's done!!

That's all folks!!  The pages are now complete and ready for matting .. Yayy!! 

Before you start adding your papers, you will need to trim the base down.  It was easier to do this as a last step rather than try to explain it at the beginning.  Trim the base to about half an inch on the left side of the sew line and three and a half inches on the right side (4" total width).   This will ensure that your pages will fit properly inside the outer cover.

Here is the page set with papers added.  ('Cos I forgot to take a photo before I matted everything.  Duhh!! )  When adding your papers, do not cover the base as yet.  That will get done after it is adhered to the outer cover.

Tip:  When lining the pockets, make sure your paper covers the little

ridge left by the 'base leaf'.  This will ensure that your photo and journalling mats don't get caught on it.  It's not necessary to take your paper all the way to the bottom, just make sure that the 'ridge' is covered.

So, the inside of the folio is now done.  I hope I explained everything clearly enough.  If you have any problems please don't hesitate to contact me either in the comment section or on my facebook page.

As I stated at the beginning, I will post the tutorial for the cover and the photo mats etc.  as soon as it is done.  Trying to make sure that will be by the end of the week.  Have had my granddaughter staying with us so some things had to go on the back burner.

Just a little note:  I have given these plans and instructions freely for you to use however you wish and I am happy for you to share under the same conditions .. for free.  I would just ask that you make mention of where you got them from.  Thank you. 

Thank you so much for visiting and for sticking with me through this huge post.  I hope you enjoy the rest of your day and, please, if you do decide to make a folio of your own following these instructions, send me a link.  I would love to see it.  Thank you.

Hope to see you here again in a few days for Part #2

Take care and God Bless.

Step by Step Tutorial for My Simple Christmas Planner!!

Hello you lovely visitors and welcome to my little blog.  Hope you are enjoying your day.  A very special welcome to my new followers.  Thank you so much for joining me on my crafty journey!!  Hopefully, I can give you some inspiration now and then.

So, as promised, here is the step by step for the Christmas Planner I shared in my last post.

If you've been to have a look at it you would have seen it is nothing fancy .. I wanted to keep it simple because it's going to be used quite a lot over the next couple of months and, hopefully, in years to come as well.

This is going to be a very long post so, grab yourself a nice cuppa and a comfy chair and here we go!!

The Inside Pages

You will need:

Two sheets of Card stock 8.25" x 10".  I actually used two sheets of A4 and simply trimmed the length down to 10".

Designer paper to decorate.

Double sided tape for adhering your papers.

A small amount of wet Glue.

 Score your card stock on the long side, at 7".

To create the gusset, score on the short side at 4" and again at 4.25".  If you're using an A4 sheet like I did, it will be the tiniest bit wider than 8.25" so, simply find the center of the short edge ..

 line it up on your score board (I lined it up on the 5" mark) .. 

.. and score 1/8th" on either side so that you have a quarter inch scored section running down the center of your sheet.

I rounded the corners on mine but, of course, that is optional.

 Fold along the score lines

Run a line of glue (I used Glossy Accents) along the gusset in the 3" section ..

 .. fold up the bottom and press it down to create the pockets.   You can glue the outer edges down as well but I didn't bother because it is much easier to insert your lists and receipts if the outer edges are left open.  It will still hold everything in place.

I would suggest that you decorate the inside of your pages at this stage.  You can do it once the book is assembled but it is a lot easier to do it now.  Don't decorate the outside as yet though. 

Repeat this process with the second sheet.

The Cover

You will need:

2 pieces of chipboard measuring 5" x 7".   Cardboard is also suitable or anything really that has a bit more strength to it.  You could just use cardstock but it wouldn't be as sturdy.  

1 piece of chipboard measuring 5/8th " x 7" for the spine.

Cloth tape.

Elastic -  3" for the pen loop and 10.5" for the closure.  I used two different widths of elastic but the same width could be used for both.

Designer paper to decorate.

Double sided tape. 

A small amount of wet glue.

Lay all three pieces of chipboard flat on your work surface (as shown) lining up the edges and leaving a small gap (about an eighth of an inch) between each one for movement.

Then, tape the three pieces together.  I used Cloth Tape (available at Hardware Stores like Bunnings) but you could use Duct Tape, Cardstock, fabric, anything that will hold the cover in place and still be flexible for opening and closing the booklet.  Whatever you use needs to be at least 2" wide.  This is enough to cover the spine and give you just over half an inch on either side.  Turn the cover over and also tape the other side in the same way.  On the inside, run an embossing tool between the cover pieces  so that the tape sinks into the crease.  This will help to ensure that it will open and close properly.

To add the pencil loop, take the 3" piece of elastic, loop it around the pen or pencil you wish to use and sew the loop closed.  Then use a hot glue gun to tape the ends to the cover making sure the loop sits in the center of the spine. I staggered the ends of the elastic so it wouldn't be quite as bulky under the inserts.

This is how it looks at this stage.

To add the elastic closure .. on the outside of the cover, mark where you would like it to sit ..

..   and glue approx. 1.5" of the elastic to the top of the cover using your hot glue gun.  Run your elastic around the back of the cover making sure not to get it twisted and glue the other end 1.5" to the bottom of the cover.  As you can see, I had already started putting on the double sided tape ready to add the papers before I remembered to take a photo of where I stuck the elastic.  Got a bit over enthused I think!  LOL!!

Here it is, all closed up and ready to decorate!!

Now, I know you are all well versed in how to adhere your selected papers to the cover of your book, but I thought I would show you how to glue it down around the elastic closure.

Turn the elastic to the inside of the back cover and then adhere your paper to the outside.  As you can see I only took my paper to the edge of the cloth tape.  I didn't bother trying to cover the spine.  I did say this was clean and simple didn't I??  Wasn't kidding!!  LOL!!

Turn the book over.  You now need to slit the paper so as to accommodate the elastic.

I've drawn a pencil line showing where you need to slit the paper .. from the edge straight down to the center of the elastic.

Turn the book over again. and make a tiny slit on each side of the cut to the width of the elastic as shown.  Sorry for the blurry photo.  I didn't realise how fuzzy it was until after I had already finished the book, but I think you get the idea.

Turning the book back again (getting repetitious isn't it??  LOL!!)  place double sided tape all around the edge of the cover.  You need to stick down the top and bottom edges of the paper first.  On either edge (doesn't matter which one you do first), start folding the paper over, gently ease it around the elastic (being careful not to tear it) and stick it down. 

 Then do the same for the other side.

Once the top and bottom edges have been stuck down, turn the elastic back to the outside of the cover.

Before folding the end edge over you will need to trim the corners of the paper so it will sit neatly.

Once it's stuck down you can round your corners if necessary.  As you can see, the paper doesn't sit flat once you've done your corners but I simply stuck it down with some wet glue.

 And here is the cover, all finished!!

Now to add your pages.
Adhere double sided tape on both sides of the inserts.  You need to decide how you want this planner to open up.  If you are doing it the same way as mine, the closed end of the insert needs to go to the outside edge of the Planner.   Adhere your selected paper to the front of the insert.

Remove the backing from the double sided tape, center the insert on the cover and stick down. You can see that it leaves about 1/2" of the cover showing on both sides of the insert.  It doesn't really matter how far in from the outer edge you glue your insert, but you must leave at least that 1/2" on the inside to accommodate your pen or pencil when the cover is closed. 

Adhere the other insert to the opposite cover and, that's it.. your planner is finished!!  You can, of course, add any other decoration you wish.

About the lists, I created my own in excel but, unfortunately haven't yet worked out how to convert them to PDF so I can't offer them to you.  I am still working on it though and hope to get it done (with a little help from a friend) soon. 

I hope I have made these instructions reasonably clear but, if you have any questions, simply leave your query in the comments section with a way for me to contact you and I will get back to you with the answer.

Thank you so much for taking a look at my little step by step and sticking with me to the end.  If you decide to create your own planner based on these instructions, please let me know as I would really love to see it.

Enjoy the rest of your day.
Take care and God Bless.