The Circus is Coming!
Anyway, I've been having so much fun with this Circus Wagon and Mini Album! The idea came to me way back in May? Maybe it was even April when I saw the Graphic 45 Le Cirque paper on eBay and bought them! I started right away making the wagon and papered it with the Graphic 45. I thought then that it would be a great tutorial and maybe a kit if I could find some current paper line and then I saw online the new paper collection by Fancy Pants--"Everyday Circus" that was to be released in July. The first album that I made using my flip hinges was patterned with French Country papers and the size was perfect to fit in to the wagon "box." Once I was able to order the Fancy Pants papers I started working on the tutorial and videos. It has taken me forever! Doing the paperwork to transfer the co-op water company we have managed for 30 plus years is seriously taking away a chunk of my crafty time!
I used the awesome Tim Holtz metal vintage wheels! I had bought a set in April for my first wagon and then had a heck of a time finding more of them. I love how they actually roll but be aware this is NOT a toy for children. I also shopped around for just the right hardware for the latch and the hinge. The "Everyday Circus" paper has these adorable Circus "Posters" that were just perfect for decorating the outside of the wagon. On the front side that you see in the first photo above, I created an animal cage that is really a photo frame! Of course I had to add bling, banners and flags on the top! (I will have a few kits of this project for sale and I was able to get a few set of the wheels for those kits.)
Below you see the end of the wagon, the latch lifts up and the "ramp" drops down to reveal....
....the Mini Album! It has a really wide spine. Around 3 inches I think and the decorations are kept flat so the wagon will close. To pull it out of the wagon, I've added a Tim Holtz "ring".
The first page is a title page and has the dimensional decor that I would normally put on the front of the album.
Inside there is also a set of flip waterfall photo pages complete with another flag, a big tent pocket and a cute "Fun" booklet. The flip waterfall pages are held shut with magnetic snaps.
I had fun creating a tutu skirt for this lady circus performer! My album is designed with a unique "Flip Hinge" with 1/2" gussets between the pages so you can easily add thicker embellishments and your album will still close flat AND fit in the wagon!
On this faux flip page, I added this collage using some of the ephemera from the "Everyday Circus" collection and flowers from my stash. The flowers will not be included in my kit but everything else on the page will be.
On the second faux flip page, I added this cute Circus poster from the papers and the Photo Booth from the ephemera pack! You can actually put a photo in the Photo Booth! Fun, Fun, FUN! And the Poster is actually a pocket so you can slip more photos down behind it!
I created this flower out of odds and ends! It won't be in the kit BUT I share how I made it in the video. It reminds me of something that would be found on a circus costume, don't you think?
And this last page I'm sharing is one of my favorites! The Tim Holtz belt buckle piece will be in the kit and you'll get the instructions on how to make the belt. At this time I don't think I'll have enough of the rhinestones to put them in the kit but you never know. If I find more I'll toss them in for free. The Juggler Bear is attached to a Wobbler spring and he's on a photo mat booklet that slides out from behind the belt!
I have a couple of more pages I need to finish but first, I'm off to work on the piles of papers on my desk that accumulated since yesterday. Maybe by tonight I can get into the crafty room!
Happy Crafting,
