Welcome back to another day of Giving Thanks Week here on the SCT blog! One wonderful way to document all of the things you are grateful for in one place is by creating a mini album, and today Conny Craig is sharing a very special album that she created to inspire us! Let’s take a look and find out how she put it together—it is easier than you think to make with just chipboard and paper!

Hello, crafty friends! It’s Conny here from @thedailylifeofcreativity sharing a 4 x 6.5-inch mini album that I made using the gorgeous Acorn Collection by Simple Stories. It was such a fun project to create and I’m excited to show it to all of you. I think you’ll be blown away by how it turned out!

Supplies | Patterned paper, stickers, chipboard, ephemera die cuts, enamel dots: Acorn Lane collection from Simple Stories

The Acorn Lane collection by Simple Stories is the perfect choice for any fall-themed project. The warm and cozy colors along with the beautiful patterns truly capture the essence of this beautiful season. Whether you’re creating a mini album like mine or any other fall-themed project, the Acorn Collection will surely add beauty and charm.Let’s get started!For this project, you will need two pieces of chipboard measuring 4″ by 6 1/2″ for the covers, and one piece of chipboard measuring 1 1/2″ by 6 1/2″ for the spine. Once you have your chipboard pieces, you can cover them with warm hearts and Fall Ellujah papers. I recommend adding stitching using a sewing machine to give it a more polished look. I focused the embellishments around the chipboard frame with the fox, as the theme is “fall in the air.” You can add chipboard, foam, enamel dots, and brads from the collection to the cover. To add texture, you can also add a cloth bow.

Inside the AlbumYou’ll need a piece of cardstock measuring 5 1/2″ by 6 3/4″ for the hinges. Score the longest side at 1″, 1 1/2″, 2″, 2-1/4″, 2-3/4″, 3-1/4″, 3-1/2″, 4″, 4-1/2″, 4-3/4″, 5-1/4″, and 5-3/4″. This will leave about one inch at the beginning and the end. Apply double-sided tape to every half-inch segment on one side and adhere it, leaving 1/4″ of an inch in between every hinge. Finally, add double-sided tape or liquid glue to the hinge and adhere it to the spine of your album.

To make the pages, you will need three pieces of paper measuring 6″ by 7 3/4″. Score each page at 3-7/8″ and leave a pocket open at the top. Adhere the bottom of the pocket to the side you are attaching to the hinges. You can use these pockets to add extra photos or private little notes. For one of the pages, you will need a piece of paper measuring 6″ by 11″. Score it at 3 7/8″ and 7 3/4″ to create a flip, signature page.

You don’t need a lot of photos to create a beautiful mini album. In fact, in this mini, I only used five photos of a trip to the park. To add interest and dimension, I created clusters using embellishments from the Acorn Lane collection. For example, on one page, I used six white squares that measure 1.5″ by 1.5″ and added the smallest embellishments from the Bits and Pieces, floral bits, stickers from the sticker book, and enamel dots.

I also created clusters around the 3″ by 4″ photos and used some of the 3″ by 4″ cut-apart cards with tulle to add extra texture. Adding ribbons, tulle, or threads can enhance the overall look of the album.

We are excited to see how you will document your gratitude this fall, and if you put together an album, be sure to share it with us on social media! See you all soon, and it has been a pleasure to be here once again!

Find more of Conny’s work here: Instagram | Blog | Gallery

What a beautiful mini album that Conny shared with us! You can create the same to document what you’re grateful for this year, or a cherished memory!

To continue to show you how thankful we are for you, we’re hosting another giveaway for one lucky commenter—a seat in our year-long sketch class in 2024!

Click HERE to learn more about Sketches 2024!

We are so excited about this year-long class with Allison Davis that will inspire us with monthly sketches and layout inspiration, and we want one of YOU to join us in class! To enter to win your seat, leave a comment on this post, telling us about one PERSON in your life who you are grateful for. Comments will close at midnight Eastern time on Wednesday, November 22nd, and a winner will be announced on November 24th.

We look forward to sharing a beautiful card project from Dilay Nacar here tomorrow, so be sure to stop by to get inspired, and enter to win another giveaway!