It seems that there is always some holiday or celebration that sneaks up on us and, no matter what time of year it is, our time also seems to be at a minimum. Even with the best intentions we just don’t always have the time necessary to come up with some fabulous gift for the occasion upon us, especially when it is as important as, say, Mother’s Day or a best friend’s birthday or upcoming wedding, or…well, you get the point. Since I have started scrapbooking, the first thing I usually want to do is make a special album or tag book or the like, but again, there just never seems to be enough time to get a project of that magnitude together.



Thus the design for this sweet little photo pouch came to mind. What mom does not want new pictures of her family? Or what about the friend who scrapbooks, too? Wouldn’t she cherish a special place to put her photos until she has time to scrap them herself? Of course you could use this pouch for other things, as well, like recipes or whatever, but the point is that this is doable in a relatively small amount of time. Especially with all the great designer double-sided cardstock available and the new Scor-It Board, this project just sails along. You can size this project for just about anything you desire to use it for, as well. Why not just make a couple and use them to organize your own photos, especially the ones that you are not going to scrap but still want a nice place to keep them. As you can see, the possibilities are limitless!

Embellished Photo Pouch

Tools and Materials:
  • Pouch Pattern: Provided
  • Computer printer and paper
  • Optional: Tracing Paper
  • Soft Lead Pencil
  • 2 – 3 Designer 12” x 12” Heavy Cardstock (K & Company: Amy Butler)
  • Sharp craft knife
  • Cutting mat
  • Metal ruler
  • Scor-It Board or stylus
  • Optional: Bone Folder
  • Silver Metallic Ink Pad: (Brilliance: Dew Drop)
  • Adhesive:
  • Metal Brads: (K & Company: Amy Butler)
  • Self Adhesive Velcro Fastener
  • Waxed Paper
  • Silver Fine Glitter: (Stampendous)
  • Optional: Vintage Milner Flowers
    • Ephemera Scraps


Process:





1. Download and print out the pouch pattern that has been provided. Trace onto tracing paper, then, turn tracing paper over and go over traced lines with a soft lead pencil. Place right side up onto decorative cardstock and go over lines on front with either your pencil or a stylus with gentle pressure so the lines will transfer onto the cardstock. Another way that you can accomplish this task is to erase the verbiage on the pattern, but not the lines, using a photo editing program, then, cut cardstock to fit into your printer and print each pattern piece to what will be the inside of the pouch.

2. Using a sharp craft knife and cutting mat, precisely cut the pouch pieces from the cardstock. Ink all edges using silver metallic ink.



3. To score ‘mountain folds’, place the cardstock pattern piece right side up on the Scor-It Board, aligning the solid lines at the zero mark over the raised metal, then, using the wooden tool, place slot onto raised metal and pull towards you onto the cardstock to score the fold. Fold on scored lines using your fingers or a bone folder for a sharp crease. For the ‘valley folds’, place the cardstock inside up and repeat the process.



4. Lay a line of glue using the E-Z Runner or adhesive of your choice along the long fold of the triangular side piece, then, align the fold with glue side down (triangular shape should be facing inside) against long side of what will be the inside of the body pouch as illustrated and press firmly.



5. Repeat for the other side.



6. With a soft lead pencil, mark the dots that indicate the brad placement on the underside of the tracing paper body pattern, then, lay pattern onto inside of pouch and using the pencil again, mark over the dots to transfer the graphite.



7. Run another line of glue along the bottom edge of what will be the back inside pouch flap. Align the flap and press firmly in place, then, punch holes at the marked dots on the inside of pouch: insert brads from the outside.



8. Place a self adhesive Velcro fastener set on the inside of the front section of the flap towards the bottom: close flap to adhere the other half.



9. To embellish as the sample:
a. Place front portion of flap onto waxed paper then, run a piece of ¼” Terrifically Tacky Tape just above the curved edge of the front flap. Peel off the pink liner, then, sprinkle silver fine glitter over top, tap off excess and funnel leftover back into jar.
b. Attach a stem of vintage millinery flowers to the upper left hand side of the flap. Add some small scraps of ephemera to the floral to add interest.



c. Fill with photos or whatever strikes your interest.

To find the products mentioned in this article and shown in these layouts, check with your local scrapbook retailer. Browse our Premier Retail Stores for coupons to a store near you.

I am a self-taught artist. When folk art, decorative art and t-shirt painting were all the rage, I owned a folk art supply/teaching shop. When I became obsessed with collage and the paper arts, I began working exclusively in this genre until I started designing my own fabric creations and art quilts. I have taught workshops both locally and on the national level and have exhibited my collage artwork in various galleries, including a show in Dallas, Texas. My publications include projects and articles for many Somerset Studio publications. I was also a featured artist in Making Wreaths in Minutes for Sterling’s Red Lips for Courage book line and have been published in smaller venues, which include other local arts, stamping and scrapbook publications, including the fabulous Pasticcio Quartz ‘Zine. Check out my etsy store to view more of my work http://artboxstudio.etsy.com.