A Different Kind of Mini Album

I made this album for a challenge over at Scrapbook Crafting and Friends (Ning). The challenge was to create an album using non-scrapbook items. We couldn't use stamps, inks, papers, cardstock, embellies---nothing that would typically be manufactured by a scrapbooking line. Everything including the album and pages had to be created from items found in the everday stuff around your house, yard, etc.

I created this album about Zachery. I used a cheap ($1 store) album and covered it with denim from a worn out and out-grown pair of jeans of Zac's. The pocket is from those same jeans. The tag (Wrangler) is from a new pair of jeans. I cut a small tag from a larger clothing tag and wrote "All Boy" on it. The inside of the album was made from a too small shirt of Zac's. I left the edges 'rough' because it fell within the theme of the album (boys are rough). The album is held together with old shoelaces.

The tag was from a shirt of my husbands. I glued on left-over felt letters from an old project my oldest daughter made in college a few years ago.

Pages 1--For the base I used an old hamster treat bag and just used several photos of Zachery with his pet hamster, Yoko. The title is a clear tab used for binders.

Pages 2 & 3--Zachery loves the color pink so I tried to find as many things as I could using pink. The base is a pink envelope; the 'embellies' are a notecard; binder tab; tulle heart; doodling with a pink pencil; Page 3--pink notebook paper; pink and black shoelace; pink button; pink butterfly clothing tab; pink flower cut from a photo. Zachery is wearing a pink shirt that says: "Tough Guys Wear Pink". And of course, here is his pose of trying to look tough.

Pages 4 & 5--Zachery loves to draw superheroes so this page is an actual drawing of his. I also used a broken red emblem from a toy; a red binder tab and stars that I found in my office supply stash. The opposite page is a scanned pic of a cartoon page; an actual Yu-Gi-Oh card pack wrapper; a label from a Bakugan toy and a photo of Zachery holding all his Bakugans.

Pages 6 & 7--I used a yellow envie for the base on page 6. The word Funny is cut from a Funnybones snack box; the word Comic is cut from the Sunday Comic section; the colored circles are color code labels; white reinforcements--all from my office supply stash; googly eyes from Zac's art supplies; wire is from an Easter Egg dye kit. Page 7's base is cut from a school folder (Bart Simpson); more color coding labels; green binder label and plenty of pics of Zac being funny!

Pages 8 & 9--The pages were created from MS Word clipart. I used shells and seaglass from a project of Val's just recently. She made a beach themed shadow box. The cluster of shells with the flower came on a gift I had received in a swap. The twine I found in the junk drawer and the button is from an old sweater.

Page 10--the last page uses an actual lined sheet of notebook paper and a sheet from his math workbook. I used a real pencil and eraser found in Zac's desk. The mini book is from my dd's old doll house stuff. The felt letters are from the same stash of unused letters and numbers from Val's college project. Another binder tab for the title. These are photos of Zachery entering the 4th grade (last year).

I really enjoyed creating this album, once I got over the initial shock of "how the heck am I going to create an album without using anything scrapbook related!". I tell you, ladies, it can be done. I'm now inspired to create more! If you haven't done this, try it. Just look around your house for anything. Of course I found it easier once I knew the theme of my album. I even created flowers from a silver paper liner of a candy bar, but I didn't use it. Look at food labels, bags, boxes, clothing labels, odds and ends. If you do make one, post a link here. I'd love to see what you come up with!

Thanks for looking and I hope you were inspired.