A boy mini album scrapbook

Boys will be boys!  Sometimes, I think our pantry (which is really our "catch all storage room" of the house) looks more like an armoury!  We store Nerf dart guns, Nerf water guns, Star Wars light sabers, and Nerf swords, axes and shields in there.  Having three nephews, my husband acts as their weapons master and train them in all combat arts!

I made this mini album for my husband.  I came down to the kitchen to make a tea one afternoon and could hear the battle cries from the back yard.  So, I went out on the deck and snapped some shots.  (These are from 2011).  Since my husband was so good to me to help me outfit my new paper studio layout over the Christmas holidays, I decided it was about time I finished this project!

You can jump to this all boy mini album VIDEO on my Vimeo channel.

I made it with chipboard covers and black cardstock pages.  The pocket pages are actually more like sleeves.  In one side, I inserted the hinge.  In the other side, I have pull out page with a flap.  I prefer to make my pull outs at the side so that the photos on the inside are protected from dust.

I am still experimenting with mini albums a little.  Thus far, I have reinforced the hinges and all folds with Tyvek, however this makes the folds thicker and therefore stiffer.  I've started another album where the hinges are Tyvek only - no cardstock.  (It might take me another 2 years to finish the next album though!) After that, I might try an album where the hinges are ribbon only.  Lots of ideas, so little time!

Minion Birthday Party - 8 yr old Give a Poem a Home

My nephew celebrated an 8th birthday this weekend.  His party theme were Minions from Despicable Me.  I love the minions!  So do all three of my nephews too.

His grandma, Claire, made him a perfectly themed minion card herself by hand!

Click for larger view.

I like this minion image!  (In fact, I use it as an avatar on Two Peas in a Bucket.)  Claire perfectly matched the minion colours and put a "D" for David where the G for Gru would normally appear.  She also used embroidery floss or crochet thread for the hair and the googly eyes were a great choice!  Super cute.

For my minion themed card, I used an image very similar to the one my sister-in-law used on the birthday invitation.

Click for larger view.

I printed it on cardstock from the computer (same with the sentiment).  I coloured it with Copic markers and cut it out.  The dump truck is from a stamp set by Close to My Heart called fast and furious.  David's favourite colour is green which is why both Claire and I included it in our card backgrounds.

My sister-in-law always gets fun themed decorations and cakes.  Here's a picture of the birthday cake this year which are scenes based on Despicable Me 2.

I composed a poem for the 8-year old birthday boy inside my card.  It could be changed to work for an 8-year old girl too.

Happy Birthday to you!
The birthday boy[girl] is eight!
How’d you get so sweet and charming?
My gosh, it must be fate. 

Hope your birthday is fantastic 

And your wishes come true today. 

May the joy and happiness around you 

Bring you fun in every way!