Moonlit Halloween Gatefold Mini Album

So....perhaps you are wondering where I've been for the last several days?  Hmmmm....well, uh, I've been here. But not blogging.  I did not get around to working on my next Finish it Friday project last Friday. I'd planned on it; but, just didn't do it. I still have not decided which unfinished project I want to work on for my next Finish it Friday series.  I blame my lack of creating and crafting on what I call..."crafting overload."  Yep.  I get this a couple of times a year especially after I've been to a crafting retreat where I stay up late for 3 nights in a row and I work on several projects all day and most of the night. Don't get me wrong, I love going on retreats but it's such a heavy dose of crafting that when I get home I'm like...eeehhh. I think I'd rather watch t.v., read a book or nap! Ha, ha.  So, yes, last week was the week after a retreat.  I did do the things I needed to do, like finish putting class kits in bags and actually teaching my Betsy Couture and coloring classes at Flossie Scrapper on Saturday, but I was definitely suffering from crafting overload and it shows by my lack of blogging.  I thought I was cured on Sunday when I added a fence and glued flowers to my Gypsy Garden wagon project but then I was interrupted by late afternoon lunch with hubby at Del Norte Tacos in Godley, Texas.  Yum. By the time we got home I only felt like watching movies which we did.  Yesterday I worked in the office and did laundry and then again watched t.v. in the evening.  So today, I figured I'd better pull myself together and blog!!

This album is a re-make of my Gatefold album and I finished decorating it at the retreat.  Several months ago I designed one out of Graphic 45 Artisan papers for Flossie Scrapper.  But I added so many pockets and elements that it can be a bit hard to close, so....I re-designed it with wider side spines and finished this album in Authentique's Moonlit paper collection for Halloween since I will be teaching a class on it in October at Flossie Scrapper.  If you are interested in signing up for the class, contact Vicky at the store for price etc.  I will be teaching it on Saturday, October 24th at 10:00 a.m.  You will be making a blank, black album so you can finish it in any papers of your choice at home or during one of the store's Finish It weekend workshops.



I kept the front of this album fairly simple with just one decorative grouping on the right front panel. The girl with the cat is cut out of the Moonlit paper and then Crystal Lacquered to make it really stand out.  I added some stickers from the collection and then a few Prima or Petaloo flowers, a Teresa Collins brad, glittery spider and twine.  The closure is one that I ordered last year from China via Etsy.  Not sure if I would be able to get any more of those or not so, a closure is not included in the class kit but I will give you ideas and techniques on how to or what to use for a closure for your album.



This photo shows how it looks open with pages on the left and pages on the right, lots of pockets, belly bands and a slide out photo mat on each page with a closure flap.  Lots of room for photos!



I figured out that it's impossible to take photos of every page of this album, so I did a quick YouTube video to showcase it.

https://youtu.be/F0R9TvsfX2o

And that's it for today....whew!  Will I be crafting any today?  Probably not.  But I am getting that feeling that I might want to by this weekend.  For now, we have plans to attend the State Fair of Texas on Thursday--hubby and I, my brother-in-law and two nephews.  Hopefully I'll get a few good photos with my iPhone to share.

Happy Crafting!