By Linda Harvey

MATCHBOOK ALBUM

Need a unique gift for someone? Take too many pictures of an event and don't know what to do with them? Want to complete an entire album in a day? The mini-album may be your answer.

Choose a theme:

Little girl, little boy, sports, new baby, pet, holiday, special day, special event, season, special person...the choices are endless!

Choose a color scheme:

• Cover
• Pages
• Papers for embellishments and contrast

CONSTRUCTION OF ALBUM

THE COVER
The cover is a 6" x 11" piece of cardstock. A fold needs to be made at 1", 6", and 6½". (The distance between the first and second fold is 5 inches.)

THE PAGES
The pages are 4¾" x 5¾". This album will have eight pages - four front and four back. Line the pages up with the level 5¾" side at the top--Lay pages in the 5 inch section of the cover, fold up the 1" flap and staple. The basic construction is now complete.

There are many ways to cover the staples...a few of them are:

• A strip of paper
• A ribbon
• Embellishments

COMPLETING PAGES

• Cover the page with contrasting paper:
• Have a straight edge, torn edge, and decorative edge cut with scissors
• Leave the edge plain or ink or chalk it
• Add embellishments
ex. summer theme - watermelon; fall theme - candy corn
• Add pockets and tags
• Add folders

PAGE IDEAS

Mat picture and adhere to page. If the picture is smaller, use the extra space for journaling.	When the book is open, use the one page for journaling and the other for your photo.
Make a "cabinet" for journaling or photos.	Use double sided paper to make a pocket and turn down the corner for contrast.
Journal or embellish a pocket. Use a tag with a photo, poem, saying, or journaling.	Use a purse for hidden journaling or photo.
These are only a few ideas for your pages. Just use your imagination and make the pages your own by adding your own personal touches. Patterns for the Pocket and Purse are included.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Save SCRAPS OF PAPER to use as embellishment. Ex: trim the edges of a page with the strip left when tearing an edge. Use a corner of a scrap to add a finishing touch to a page.
• Using a BUTTON: A button may be attached with a glue dot, extra strength double sided tape or stitched to the page. Thread can be used in the conventional manner or with the ends showing and tied in a knot. The thread adds detail, texture and color to your work. If you do not like the added thickness to your pages, cut "buttons" from cardstock.
• FLOWER embellishments: Buy inexpensive flowers from Wal*Mart and take them apart - Use as many layers as you wish. To color the flower (1) use tea stain - soak in a cup of tea until desired shade is reached (2) Use acrylics or watercolors. For pastel shades, water down paints to desired shade. The flower center can be anything you wish - a button, a brad, a circle of French knots are just a few possibilities.
• When GLUING paper- be sure to cover all the way to the edges so they will lay flat on the page.
• When gluing metal or plastic objects, use glue dots or extra strength double-sided tape.
• When using VINTAGE PHOTOS, use photo corners instead of gluing pictures directly to the pages.
• The XYRON is great for attaching letters, punchies, etc. It can also be used for ribbon - If the object will fit into the machine (thickness and width) it can be made into a "sticker."
• BRADS: When inserting brads, it helps to first punch a hole in the paper. If you need to make the backside smooth, attach a small square of card stock over the brad's "wings."
• Types of ADHESIVES:
  • Tape runner
  • Glue dots
  • Glue stick
  • Tabs
  • Double-sided tape
  • Xyron
• TAGS: An easy way to make your own tags - cut a rectangle of cardstock, round off the corners (or cut corners at a 45 degree angle) and punch a hole in the center of the top of the tag.