Nana's photo album gift.

Where do I start? I had an idea for Nana's 90th birthday to make her a family album with all her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. I knew it would not be easy and it would take a while; but I really wanted it to be special. I asked everyone to email me pictures or give me what they could so everyone would be represented. I gave my self four months to complete the challenge and I did it! This was done over a year ago but I couldn't figure out how to put the video I took of it on my blog so instead I borrowed the book and took pictures. You don't really get how all the pockets work and how the tags are in their pockets but I hope you like it anyway. I got the idea for the actual structure from Laura Denison on the internet. She has a Ustream channel and I think this is her gate fold mini album i copied. I used K&Co. papers and all the embellishments I could find or make. I distressed the heck out of it with Tim Holtz distress inks. I made all the 3-D flowers using punches. I have EK Success, Fiskers and Martha Stewart punches. No scrap was thrown away that couldn't be converted into an embellishment. There is about a ton of Alene's glue holding it all together.  Most of the photos were on regular printer paper and that was nice when I glued them to the pages of the album. I started with her oldest child and continued to the youngest and at the end of the album it is a variety of the left over pictures. Nana has 3 sons, 8 grandchildren, and so far 17 great-grandchildren. Enjoy.

I was on a create as needed weekend

I just love this cascading card, my friend Terri told me about this so I searched for it on Youtube and about 100 tutorials came up. I closed my eyes and picked one and tada! I made one. This kind of card is good for using die cuts, stickers, and punched out items. I took a sheet from a Martha Stewart pad I had and cut out the individual little pictures.

This is my new favorite kind of card, the cascading card.

I followed a really easy tutorial I found on Youtube. The one thing I couldn't control was how the two sides came together. The first card I made had white on the back side of the paper  I didn't really like that. When I tried to cut a second piece the white always showed up at some of the folds. I decided to use double sided paper and I liked that much better.

 a side shot, the card can fit into and envelope if you don't go crazy with the embellishments.  Obviously mine cannot. No worries I just didn't put it in one. 

I had to add a few pictures of the cake from the 1st birthday we went to

my sister-in-law made this. She said it took about 4 days on and off.

everything is edible. 

 Iwent to a baby shower and I made a set of thank you cards for the mother to be.

I kept it very simple, not really knowing the mothers taste in stationary and I wanted them to fit into envelopes.

I added a few without baby stamps on them for other occasions 

all tied up with a bow

there are 20 cards with envelopes