Mini Album...Eileen Hull: Art with Heart Challenge

Hello - hope your day is off to a wonderful start.  We've venturing off in pursuit of...cinnamon buns today! Sticky, sweet, decadent,  bakery shoppe cinnamon buns. I. am. stoked.

Several days ago, I found out that Michelle over at Pinch Your Chic, was invited to be a designer for Eileen Hull. Such a well-deserved and wonderful opportunity for her, because she is one creative, inspiring talented crafter! Part of her exciting post was also a link to a challenge over at Eileen's site, called Art with Heart,

where we're invited to share 3D creations we've made.  Now, I'm not sure if the challenge is still open, as I believe the winners have already been selected, but since the Linky doors aren't close quite yet, I thought I'd share "just because."

As you know, if you've been following my blog, I absolutely and completely love x love x love my sister-in-law. She is, in a word, awesome!  One of the many fabulous things about her, is that in her *BMMB* (before meeting my brother) days, she attended the Royal Ballet School, in London, England. Yes: WOW! We've not had the opportunity to see her perform in any 'professional' shows (she is quite the dancer in general - and continues to pursue dance through her work responsibilities, more in terms of 'exercise' type dancing), but oh my, the photos we've seen show her as a most elegant, exquisite ballerina.  Finesse, flair, style...gorgeous! And her mega-watt smile in her poses convey beautifully her love for this art form.  My niece, I know, will likely follow in her mom's ballet shoes at some point; or so I've been told, from Ms. Niece herself: "Aunty C, when I'm 'pive' (holding up five fingers), I'm going to do ballet dancing" and she flounces off with a flourish of spins and sort-of pirouettes, to punctuate her proclamation.  I can already picture her in a tutu...

Anyway, a while back, I made a mini album for my sister-in-law, using the oh-so-lovely Nutcracker Suite photos from Graphic 45.  I did have 'visions of sugar plums' dancing in my head, because I had zero clue about what I was doing.  Oh, the concept was figured out - a series of little cards to hold photos, using my MCT mini card die - but a cover?  Binding the 'pages' together?  Yeeshhh...Let's just say that I managed to figure it all out (umm...lots of internet research!), with a final result that worked out 'reasonably' well, for a first mini album.  I do have aspirations to make more, sized to hold bigger photos than little minis, however, those are in 'thinking' stages.

My photos aren't great, but they'll give you a concept of what I made for the best sister-in-law EVER!!

 The cover - using fancy stitched labels and my roses dies from MCT

The album's 'insides': a total of 12 little 'pages.'  I figured she could select a 'feature photo' for each month of the year....

Close up of one of the 'pages/cards' with labels on the outside to write details (and an upside down ballerina...sighhh...but the paper sure is pretty, isn't it?)

And the album closed, ready to deliver...Let's not talk about the binding production. 

Yeesh...knowing what I know now, things would have been different, and much neater!!

I'm not sure why I didn't post this before - most likely because I was caught up with the Christmas tag-making extrvaganza - but I'm happy to do so now.  It's not about the album; it's about my sister-in-law.  

She truly is just soooooo marvelous....By the way, she loved it when I gave to her a couple visits ago, which sure made me mega-watt smile!!

Thanks so much for dropping by; your visit and comments make my day!