Paper Bag Scrapbook Album

What do you call a scrapbooker and a stamper? A scramper? Carole Himmel of Sunrise, Fla., fell in love with scrapbooking and stamping a few years ago and continues to invent new ways to make her albums. This time she's featuring her family in a scrapbook made out of paper bags.

Materials:

3 white or brown paper bags
3-5 sheets 12" x 12" patterned scrapbook paper
3 sheets 12" x 12" solid card stock
matching stamp pads
metal rimmed tags, circles and squares
My Accents accessories – swirl clips, brads, and buttons
ribbon
scrapbook tape
glue dots
sticker tape
clear embossing powder
embossing heat tool
binding machine
plastic binding combs
pictures

1. Measure the paper bags. Bags in this project measured 5" x 11". Cut scrapbook paper to cover the pages of the bag for five double pages plus the front and back cover. Cut 12, 5" x 5-1/4" pieces of patterned scrapbook paper (figure A). Cut 4" x 4" photo mounts out of solid card stock.

2. Print 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" pictures on the computer. Print phrases on the computer also. Cut tags and a small circle using a template. Trim photos and phrases to size (figure B).

3. Lay out all the pages as well as the tags in the order that they will be arranged in the album (figure C).

4. Cut a 2" x 2" square leaving a small tag on one side. Stamp a flower on the 2" x 2" square, stamp four "U" letters (figure D), stamp one name of each child in the book, and stamp "Made with Love".

5. Ink the pages and tags to depict an aged look.

• Cut a 2" x 2" sticker sheet square.
• Remove the backing off one side and place it directly on top of the 2" x 2" square with the flower stamped on it.
• Remove the second backing.
• Hold this piece on the little tag with a pair of tweezers.
• Pour clear embossing powder all over it.
• Heat the piece with the embossing heat tool.
• Pour additional embossing powder on the piece and heat again.
• Repeat this process eight more times.
• Set it aside to dry completely. When it dries a thick clear enamel finish forms over the stamped image.
• Once it is dry, bend the piece, and it will crack like a piece of glass. Every time you do this technique the "crack" will be different.

8. To make custom colored brads; heat the end of the brad, dip into the embossing powder and heat again.

9. For each of the three paper bags, fold each one in half and stack together to make up the album pages. (figure G). Tape the album together, beginning with the front cover (figure H), page-by-page, until you finish with the back cover.

10. Place each page on the fold in the binding machine to punch holes. Repeat this for all three bags (figure I). Place the plastic comb in the binding machine. Open the combs, insert the pages, close the combs and take it out of the binding machine. Cut off any extra binding.

11. Add the tags to the album pockets.

E-mail: himmel@bellsouth.net

Website: www.carolescreativecorner.myctmh.com