Madelyn's Mini Scrapbook Album: Recycling a CM Portfolio Album into a Mini Scrapbook Album...

This was one crazy creation! I purchased a regular $1 photo album and then took a 4x6 Mariposa paper stack and added some photos to the papers and then a single layer of embellishments. Nothing fancy. The photo album was so thick it was frightening and wouldn't close! LOL. So, I got a Creative Memories scrapbook album ((hear me yell "scrapboook album"...)), one would think this would work, right? NO! IT wouldn't close either! ARGH!! So...look what I did to it...=) I am such a creative type...

I totally took the album apart and put it back together again! I cut the stitching out of the center of the portfolio which was designed to hold photos only, apparently, and then cut the fabric pages in half, but, I am jumping ahead...I made new covers for the album by covering cereal boxes as my chipboard with decorative paper then added rings to hold the cover and pages together.

 To create a better page, I cut strips then scored them in half, used one of my favorite decorated punches to edge both sides. Well, then if you know me, I had to add the tab punch to create the binding for the rings. Perfect!!

 I added simple embellishment to the pages and the photos can still be changed if my mother, the recipient of this mini album, wishes to do so.

This album is of my great-niece and my mother's first great-grandchild and she had no photos of her. So I made this album for her on Valentine's to take to the beauty shop, to church or her sisters homes to share the photos.

I love the Mariposa papers because of the butterfly theme it carries and that is my mother's favorite character. So I used it throughout the book. 

I also used some of my stash of stickers for embellishments...

I clipped butterflies from the paper to use here and there too...

I didn't journal on all the pages but did label a few...

My mother has Dementia and Alzheimer's and 

I felt labeling some of the photos would help with her memory as time goes on. 

Here is one page where I clipped on corner of the butterfly

and raised it, slipping the photo under it...

Love the corner rounder on only two sides of this photo...

As I said earlier, I kept the embellishments simple since

the paper collection speaks for itself and I wanted it

to be something easy to carry in a bag or purse.

Again, I used a cereal box for the back cover...

adding decorative paper...

Should my mother lose it or leave the mini album somewhere, I went ahead and added my business card to the back. I don't normally do that to my creations, but felt this was important for her situation. I wanted my mother to have something that was important to her. Right now, mother has some really good days for the most part, however, she dwells on things and gets fixated on something. So, I try to take care of whatever is bothering her so that she has peace of mind. One of those things was that she have photos of her great-granddaughter, so I knew I could fix this album for her. It was my gift to her for Valentine's Day. I love my mother and she is so happy which makes me happy. God blessed us with giving us these final days with her ever how long they may be.

When something doesn't quiet fit together, I simply make it work. What have you used lately that didn't  quiet fit but you revamped it to make it work?

Hugs, Rita