Monday, April 23, 2012

Mini Album Mania Blog Hop!

Hi everyone! Welcome to the Technique Junkie Mini Album Mania CD blog hop! If you've landed here first, make sure you go back to the TJ blog and start at the beginning - you don't want to miss any of the fantastic albums that we're sharing!

A couple months ago, Pat Huntoon asked me to contribute to a new CD she was putting together. Even though I have pretty much NEVER scrapped in my life, I said yes. After I got my assignments I was like...what on Earth have I gotten myself into?! Yes, two gorgeous children, tons of photos and yet I am still a dunce when it comes to making scrapbooks. Thankfully, the incredible ideas on the CD inspired me and I think I've found a new hobby!







Ok, now...don't laugh! Yes, my first scrapbook is about one of my chickens. I know, crazy. But Cheepers is a pretty special girl. She was the only one out of a dozen that we hatched in our incubator, so we feel very attached to her!



This album is called the Toilet Tube Album. What a great way to recycle, right? Each of the pages forms a pocket that holds a little pull-out. I absolutely love this little album! The first pull-out is when Cheepers was hatching. This was the first time we'd ever tried to hatch our own eggs and it was amazing. I could hear her cheeping away before she even hatched - hence the name!

My album pages were covered with some paper I had lying around (I can't remember the maker, sorry). To give it a little interest, I highlighted the flowers with Tumbled Glass Distress Stickles. I love that little bit of sparkle it adds. The title piece was cut from green cardstock using the Sizzix Mini Labels die. On top of it I added a little banner that was cut using the Tattered Banners die.  The metal tab is from the new Idea-ology File Tabs set.



Oh my goodness...who wouldn't fall in love with this little baby? The first pic is my daughter holding her after her feathers had dried. The next pic is a little 'glamour shot' I took a few days later. In the third one, you can see she's starting to get her little wing feathers. So cute! All of my pull-out pages were cut from green cardstock and stamped with a chicken wire stamp from Oxford Impressions. The tabs were cut using the Sizzix Tiny Tabs and Tags die and attached using the Idea-ology Tiny Attacher.


For the first few weeks, Cheepers lived in a little bin in our kitchen. Naturally, she was pretty tame and would let me hold her, or she'd perch on my hand. The first pic is when she was going through a bit of an awkward stage - feathers growing in, giant feet - she was a gawky teenager! Cheepers was very happy when she figured out how to fly up and perch on the edge of her bin. For some reason she never left it. Yes...lots of newspaper had to be put down. :) The last pic is when she got to move out to her grown up 'apartment'. She had to be kept apart from the rest of the chickens until she was old enough to defend herself (they can be very mean - pecking order is a serious business).


Almost big enough to move in with the big girls, now she's growing into her feet and feathers and has a nice little comb going. The next picture was taken after she'd moved into the big coop - she immediately started bossing everyone else around! Go Cheepers! The final pull-out is of her first egg. Her entire journey (from egg to egg) only took six months - isn't that incredible?

So, out of curiosity, what is the strangest thing you've ever made an album for? In a related question - how crazy am I? Wait, don't answer that! ;-)

Thanks so much for visiting! Your next stop on the hop is Chris Dickenson's wonderful blog. Chris is one of my favorite TJ designers and she has something wonderful to share!

Most of the supplies I've used can be found at Inspiration Emporium via the links below. Be sure and use my coupon code - stamptramp - to save 10% off your order!

InLinkz.com
The Mini Album Mania CD contains 35 tutorials in PDF format. There are SO many fantastic ideas on this CD! I have more mini books to share in the coming days that will seriously blow your mind. Seriously! If you'd like to purchase the CD, you can do so through the link below. The cost is $14.95 plus shipping.

50 comments:

  1. Shelly, this is just too tweet! Even though you never scrapped, you made a fantastic album!

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  2. You sure rocked your first mini album, Shelly.... beautiful!

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  3. How cute this is Shelly!

    greetings, Alie :-)

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  4. Wow, love it - love the recycling! Thank you!

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  5. Lovely album you made Shelly.

    Greetings Janny

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  6. What a FUN way to use up your scraps! So cool with a toilet tube! Who would have thought? Beautiful album! Great work on your first album!

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  7. Your album is just beautiful but those little chicks - oooh I love them. Great idea to scrapbook them.

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  8. oops, thought I was here already, maybe not love your cheepers album, easy to get hooked on mini albums

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  9. Cheepers is really cool and so is your album.

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  10. Great album! You are a 'natural' scrapbooker. Love the background paper. Brought back memories of growing up on a farm and hatching chickens and ducks.
    Mitzi

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  11. Cute post and scrapbook album! You should know you would be great with anything paper and ink :)

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  12. I love this album and you're not crazy at all for scrapping your chicken! It's adorable. It makes me wish I could have chickens.... =)

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  13. Okay - being the city girl that I am...I have to say that is the coolest thing I've ever seen - a baby chick to a full grown chicken laying eggs...AWESOME! I have seen them as new little things and full grown, but never in that in between stage.
    Sorry, I'm a moron...LOL I got sidetracked...I'm supposed to mention how awesome the album is - and it is! LOL I love this! so gladd I hopped by here!
    Hugs,
    Karen C
    www.busybusyhoneybee.wordpress.com

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  14. Love the idea of the toilet paper tube! Too cute!!! Who would have thought?!?

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  15. Great mini book. Love all your chicken pics~

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  16. A pet is a pet.....a chicken album! Who would have thought??? But I love the idea of being to add or subtract without trashing the whole album. Very clever.

    Sue McNeill
    ssmcneill@hotmail.com

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  17. How cool. My daughters would love this, they are learning about recycling in school.

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  18. What an awesome album! I loved seeing Cheeper's journey today! I never would have guessed this was made from toilet paper tubes!!

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  19. Adorable! Love it a mini album documenting the life of a chicken. What a trip! TFS

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  20. Sam allensam833@yahoo.comApril 23, 2012 at 8:57 PM

    You're not crazy, but are being fasionable. Cary, NC ( a very preppy town) just made it legal to have backyard chickens. Your book is adorable . Love the recycling of toilet paper tubes.
    Sam

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  21. love this book! the pull out pages are great!
    Sandra ltb
    slbt17 at yahoo dot com

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  22. OK Shelly, only you could turn an empty toilet paper tube into something glamorous....UR charmed woman, I swear!! Very nice!! Can't wait to see the rest of the "teasers". Hugs, Rockin Robin C

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  23. I'm not in love with the name of the technique..... but I do love seeing Cheepers in her own little album! As always, it's a great creation, Shelly!

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  24. I also like the pull out pages. hugs, Aileen

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  25. So so so cute Shelly!!! I love your papers...so country...perfect for this!

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  26. What a fun album!!! I love it. The pictures are great, I totally understand what you mean. I have raised 3 little kittens, and I am still very fond of the one we kept. It is kind of special if you had done it yourself.

    If you didn't tell me, I would never have guessed this is your first scrapbooking project.

    Marrigje

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  27. Shelly:
    I love every single item you make.... you are soooooo creative! And making a mini-album about a chicken's journey from egg to egg is, well, very special! Cheepers is adorable and your album is also. Thanks for sharing!
    Ann

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  28. how creative to use toilet paper rolls!!! recycling is a good thing!
    stamping sue
    http://stampingsueinconnecticut.blogspot.com/

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  29. Absolutely adorable. You are BY FAR my favorite designer. I've been following you for over a year now - when I found your blog I just flipped. LOVE LOVE LOVE your projects. Glad Sizzix discovered you, but hope that you won't become too mainstream. :) Your biggest fan, Susan

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    1. Me, mainstream?? Never! The great thing about Sizzix is that they encourage us to be true to our own artistic vision - whatever our style might be. Thanks so much for your kind words!! :)

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  30. I love the cute little mini album

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  31. This is so sweet and springy! Love the soft colors.

    ~Linda

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  32. I love it!! I don't think you're crazy at all...I've made an album of my Duck that I hatched in the house ;-)

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  33. WOW! Never lived on a farm so I learned a lot from your "unusual" mini album. I think it's a great idea!

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  34. I think it's adorable to make the "egg to egg" book for Cheepers.

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  35. Great album, green in more ways than one - beautiful chick/chook and great memories. I can only imagine the mess thank goodness:-)Would love to win the cd, sounds like the kick in the b--- I need to get me started again

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  36. What a great album. The pictures are adorable. Good job.
    Candy Meyers

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  37. I love this mini (technique and pictures)

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  38. Love this mini. The technique and pictures are great!

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  39. Love your album--we raise chickens too.

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  40. I don't do much scrapbooking - yet - I keep planning on it, just never seems to get to it....
    Stocking up on ideas today for sure!!!

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  41. Shelly, your Cheepers Mini Album is too cute. Loved your description of the whole egg-to-chick-to-chicken-back-to-egg!!!

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  42. Shelly, your Cheepers Mini Album is too cute. Loved your description of the whole egg-to-chick-to-chicken-back-to-egg!!!

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  43. Love your little Cheepers album and the story to go with it, Shelly! Nope, you're not crazy. Just have a BIG heart for sweet critters:) Can't wait to see what you come up with next.
    - DebbieK

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  44. Certainly not a book subject I would have thought of, but why not? It was very cute! And I never would have guessed that it was made out of toilet paper tubes. We recycle those at Preschool too (the gerbils chew them up to bits!)
    God bless,
    Bonnie S
    stampin-a at gci dot net

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  45. Definitely a fun little album! Not strange at all considering we raised some chickies to full grown, they all had names fitting to their personalities and I'm sure they are in some family pictures! Of course that was looong before my scrapbooking days!

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  46. You guys make the mini albums look so simple. Even a cardmaker may have to try one.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. I appreciate your comments so much!