How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways: Mini Card File Album Tutorial

Hello Everyone, I wanted to share this tutorial with you. If you want to know more about the designer and other services, page kits or classes they may offer please visit their blog, store or web site. Enjoy!

http://blog.papermonkey.org/index/scrapbook_layouts_albums/

Hi and welcome :)

Reveal Week continues! Today's project was made with one of my favorite new toys, the Glue Art & Paper Mini Cardfile. It comes with "naked" wood and fits 2.25x4 index cards that you can buy in lots of fun colors to fit your project. The card file would be perfect for use as an address/phone or recipe keeper. How about a birthday file so you never forget? The possibilities are endless.

I chose to make my Valentine and soul mate Allan a cardfile that would list 29 reasons why I love him - one for each day of February. I am actually going to use it beyond Valentine's Day and keep adding to it, so I kept blank pink and red cards in there too. I think it is perfect as a little flippable scrapbook of our moments together.

Supplies Needed:

• Glue Art & Paper Studio Mini Cardfile (for shopping details see the bottom of this post)
• Patterned Paper ~ Imaginisce Love Is In the Air from the Loves Me collection used here
• Paint ~ I used Delta Ceramcoat Butter Cream acrylic paint under Distress Worn Lipstick (pink) crackle paint
• Mod Podge (Matte used here)
• Brush and/or small foam applicator to apply the Mod Podge and the paint
• Stamps and/or Embellishments ~ I used matching rub-ons (Imaginisce From My Heart and Blossoming Romance from the Loves Me Collection) for a uniform look as well as flowers, dollar store mini heart crystals; ribbon, buttons
• Small pictures that will fit on the small 2.25x4 index cards (I resized my photos to 2 inches and cropped from there)
• Journaling words or comments in a font small enough to fit on the cards - You can write on the cards or do as I did and type them out, then print them onto cardstock.

Instructions:

1. Paint your cardfile. It took three coats of Butter Cream to get a really nice uniform look, but I used very cheap paint. Allow to dry between coats. Paint trim with crackle paint, going just a bit into where the paper will be with a very thin coat (or else the paper won't lay smooth). You want to keep a uniform, neat look between the paper and the paint. Allow to dry.

Once dry, the crackle paint leaves very fine cracks. If I had applied the crackle paint while the Butter Cream was wet, the cracks would have been larger and flakier. Click on any picture for a pop up larger version to see detail.

2.Trace side of file onto paper. If using printed paper, pick a nice patch of paper to trace around that includes lots of print. You are tracing such a small area that you want to use a paper with smaller print. Cut out just inside the lines (so that the paper will be a tiny bit smaller than the wood you traced) and trim so that edges of paper fit perfectly.

The Butter Cream is more an ivory color than the yellow it looks like here.

3. With a brush or foam applicator, apply a coat of Mod Podge to the paper and adhere it to the file. While it is wet and pliable, center the paper and smooth it out, making sure there are no creases or bubbles of air. Allow 15 minutes to dry then apply a coat of Mod Podge over the paper to seal it. Make sure you get the edges so that they lay flat and adhere well to the wood. Don't worry if you get a bit of Mod Podge on the dry paint.

4. Design and embellish your index cards as desired and put them in the file. When designing your cards be sure to remember that you will need to fit pictures, words and embellishments on a very small card and then you may need room at the top to add a marking tab, so plan where everything will go.

I added lots of hearts and scallop circles - I wanted it to look like it was just bursting with love.

I also found this button in my stash that had almost the same floral pattern as the patterned paper - I was giddy! I am such a nerd.

A Few Layouts

Here are a few of the cards that I made:

The flowers on the circles and the layouts are rub-ons and I added a few tiny heart crystals here and there.

Cardfile details and where to buy:

I got so much e-mail asking me this about my vertical album that I thought I would just post the details here for those that want them. The card file comes in two sizes: mini (used for this project) that uses 2.25x4 index cards, and standard size that uses 3x5 index cards.

The cards themselves are sold separately in a rainbow of colors including my favorite Kraft. The neutral colors come in packs of 100 and the brighter colors come in packs of 12 I believe. You could also cut your own cardstock, or buy Rolodex or lined index cards from an office supply. You can buy the file online at Doodliedoo. There is a full listing of stores that sell them click here. All the listings are for stores in the US. Doodliedoo will ship to Canada but I am not sure about other countries.

Thanks for stopping by! See you tomorrow with another reveal :)

Stamps: Stampin' Up! Always (heart)

Paper: Imaginisce Love Is In the Air from the Loves Me collection; Glue Art & Paper Studio Index Cards in Red and Pink; Stampin' Up Real Red, Wasabi, Textured Certainly Celery; Pretty In Pink

Ink: VersaMark for embossing; VersaMagic in various colors

Accessories: Stampendous Clear and White Embossing powders; Pop up glue dots; sponge; Stampin' Up! circle punches in 1 3/8, 1 1/4, Scallop Punch; Stampin' Up! Wasabi Striped ribbon and Pink grosgrain ribbon; Autumn Leaves buttons; Imaginisce Rub-Ons in From My Heart and Blossoming Romance from the Loves Me Collection; Crystal hearts from the dollar store; K&Co Smitten Adhesive paper ribbon; Prima mulberry paper flowers; Petalloo fabric and bead flowers