Happy Friday!  shelly here today  . WOW i was so honored when wendy approached me about being guest designer for this month.  i havent had the pleasure of meeting her or monique who i hear are just the sweetest  but we live about 2 hours away so a visit is in the future.

thank you so much monique and wendy  for thinking my crafty abilities are worthy.

for my project i made a card which is what i normally post on my blog. i do layouts too i just rarely share them.

i didnt make this card for any one specific person.. i made it for us all.. a reminder to NEVER lose yourself  in someone or something  so much that you lose yourself.

so now for the card..

 The base of the album is made using Elegant Edges.  I cut the pages at 5.24 inches (Real Size Off).  The paper is from K & Co Americana collection.  This collection is awesome.  I found it at Joann's.  It is double sided and so full of yummy patterns!  Once I attached all my papers to the album pages, I inked the edges with Chestnut Color Box ink.  This particular shade of brown has a bit of a rust tone with really compliments the paper.

Next I bound the album with my Cinch. 

 Then I began tying ribbons from my stash along the sides and the edges.

I kept tying until I felt like the album was full.

 usually on my minis I  like to have pockets and tags.  But this one I did a bit different.  I made a few of these straps out of thick ribbon to tuck pics and stuff into.  I wrapped the ribbon tight and sealed to itself with ATG tape.

 I then tied a flat bow and hid the seam.  The ribbon is not attached to album.  it is loose and can be lifted on both sides.  I really love how this turned out!

Next I began cutting with nippers the back of these brads off.  by cutting the back portion off, the brad will lay flat on my album.  I used these on several pages and on the cover.

On the cover I used Pink By Design Stamps in Red, White and Blue to stamp the sentiments.  I started with a red trimmed white grosgrain ribbon.

Using Archival Ink, I stamped the three sentiments to create a border.  Stamping on fabric and ribbon is super easy and a great way to incorporate stamps into your project.

Since the ink dries pretty quick on fabric, I could add it to my cover using Terrifically Tacky Tape.  Another feature on the cover I want to point out is the red metal spindle.  I found this in a garage sale for a stamping store here in Kansas City.  I always look for hardware items to add a bit of interest to my projects.  To hide the hole in the spindle, I added a rhinestone.  The font on the front is actually a phrase from Cricut Stand and Salute.  The shadow layer and the sentiment are cut at 1.15 inches (Real Size Off).  I also added some red white and blue pom poms.  I found these at Joann's.

So do you want to see this inside pages?!?! I have both photos and video to share today.

I have a video of the this mini in action here:

Liberty Mini Album on You Tube 

Here are the inside pages.  I have made some notations about some pages and features. The bottecap on the left is from my stash.

The photo mats are all cut at 3.5 for base and 3.25 for top layer.  On the right, I used some manila paper and stamped with Pink by Design Let's Write Backgrounder.

The stitching on these two mats are done with Paper Pizzaz Easy Stitcher.  I used a White Signo Pen to the stitching.  The Easy Stitcher is a a stencil that allows you to draw really straight stitching.  I only wish I could draw that straight!

I love minis that become a part of my home decor.  This one is no exception.  It stand beautifully and can display all photos of my kiddos enjoying the holiday.

I want to thank you so much for looking through my album.  This mini was so much fun to make.  Now if you want the free Gypsy File, please visit my personal blog at 217 Creations.

I always appreciate the time it takes to leave a comment and to follow or subscribe both here at Monique Griffith Designs and on my blog 217 Creations. Have a great day!