Fotobella Design Team Project - Graphic 45 Ocean Blue Double Waterfall Album Tutorial

My final Fotobella Design Team project using the Graphic 45 Ocean Blue collection was a Double Waterfall Mini Album. I love this paper so much! I have lots and lots of photos from my time in San Diego and can't wait to fill this up!

Here is what you will need:

Medium weight chipboard:

• Cut 2 pieces 5 3/4" x 8 1/4" (cover)
• Cut 1 piece 1 1/2" x 8 1/4" (spine)

Cover Cardstock:

• Cut 2 pieces 10 1/4" x 12"
• Cut 1 piece 4 1/2" x 8 1/16" (I use the piece trimmed from the ends of the cover)

Colored Cardstock:

• Cut 4 pieces 5 9/16" x 8 1/16" (cover)
• Cut 2 pieces 1 1/2" x 8 1/16" (spine)
• Cut 2 pieces 5" x 7 1/2" (waterfall bases)
• Cut 16 pieces 4" x 5" (waterfall pages)

If you have a favorite way to cover chipboard for a mini album, by all means, feel free to use whatever works best for you. I began this one by gluing the two 10 1/4" x 12" pieces of cardstock together. I centered the chipboard spine on the joining seam, leaving 1 inch above and below. Then I add a strip of 1/4" scor-tape to each side as a spacer. I glue one of the larger cover pieces of chipboard, one on each side of the spacers. Then I trim off the cardstock at the ends so there is just a 1-inch border of cardstock all the way around the chipboard. Miter the corners, remove the paper from the scor-tape and glue the cardstock over the edges of the chipboard.

Add a strip of 1/4" scor-tape to the edges of the covers closest to the spine and along each side of the spine. This will prevent your cardstock from bubbling when you cover the spine. Add 1/4" scor-tape around the edge of the 4 1/2" x 81/16" piece of cardstock. Remove the paper from the tape and center it lengthwise over the spine.

Glue one of the cover pieces of colored cardstock to each of the inside cover sections and one of the spine pieces along the spine. This will cover all of the chipboard. Glue the remaining pieces of cover and spine colored cardstock to the outside of the album.

At this point, it is best to add the desired patterned paper to the inside and outside of the album. It is much easier to add when you can lay it flat. I cut mine with a small border all around between 1/8 and 1/4 inch. And it needs to be added before you can attach the waterfalls.

Each of the waterfalls consists of one base piece and 8 pages. Score each of the pages with the 4" side along the top of your score pad at 1/2". Burnish the folds. To assemble, begin at the top of the base and glue one of the pages along the scored section even with the top of the base. Glue each of the remaining 7 pages with the top edge of the fold up next to the bottom of the glued scored section of the page before it.

I used 4 of the Graphic 45 Tags for my waterfall closures. I scored them at 1 7/8" from the bottom edge. Burnish the fold and glue the smaller section to the back side of the base centered on the top and bottom. I had some rough edges along the fold on the tags, so I used an old nail file and smoothed the edges.

I added a layer of patterned cardstock to the top page only of the waterfall. I added Vintage Photo distress ink to the edges of all of the patterned paper and elements. On the remaining pages, I glued a piece cut 3/4" x 4 13/16" along the bottom edge on the front and along to top edge when the page is flipped up. Glue a piece 3/16" x 4 13/16" to the scored section that shows between the pages.

I used the Graphic 45 Regular Tag Die to cut a solid cardstock mat for the front and back of each tag and then added a mat of patterned paper on the front of each. I matted 4 of the small cut aparts and glued them to the front of the tags. I used twine to tie the tags together to close the waterfalls.

I added one of the journals from the Graphic 45 Travel Journal as a way to journal the photos I want to add. I punched a hole at the top and bottom of the center of the spine. I used a heavy baker's twine, doubled, and ran it along the center of the journal and tied it on the outside of the spine with some nautical trinkets that I had.

To decorate the journal, I kept the same theme and added patterned paper matted with colored cardstock to the outside of the cover. On the inside, I put just the solid cardstock on the full inside. On the slanted pockets, I put the cardstock and patterned paper. I added some pieces from the Die Cut Assortment pack and stickers along with a piece from the Ephemera pack as accents.

On the cover, I added a strip of trim that I had in my stash that looked a bit like fish net. I fussy cut a seahorse and angle fish from two of the cut aparts and a solid cardstock piece with a die from my stash to create some seaweed. Then I added a fabulous clock from the die cut assortment. In the corners, I stuck a few of the Matte Gem accents in gold. I just love the way it turned out....

This is truly one of my favorite collections by Graphic 45. They really outdid themselves on this one! I can't wait to fill this little gem with fun photos from whale watching and beach trips. I hope it inspires you to create an album using your favorite paper collection as well.

Thanks so much for stopping by and ….'til next time...

Happy Crafting,

Laurie