Friday, July 25, 2014

Vintage Girls File Folder Mini

a Meg's Garden Design Team Project

I'm excited to share my first Design Team Project for Meg's Garden.  I'm an avid YouTube watcher. I glean all kinds of ideas and information from watching the crafting community create.  These last few weeks I've seen an influx of file folder minis appear and when my package from Meg arrived I just had to create one for myself.

Using Kerry-Jean Watson's paper collections, The Gentlemen's Collection and The Correspondence Collection along with the Vintage French Girls page and strip I created this little file folder mini using just 1 1/2 folders.   The book measures 6 1/4" x 5 1/4" (it really should be 6 1/2" high but I got a little trim happy and it shrunk a quarter inch :-)


I really enjoyed making this mini.  I love the distressed look and as you'll see I had a heavy hand with Tim Holtz Gathered Twigs and Tattered Rose Distress Inks.  It's easy to adjust the look to suit you taste if you don't care for as much inking as I do.  On the front I did a simple seam binding ribbon closure dying the seam binding and the lace with the Tattered Rose providing a perfect color match. Using embellishments from Meg's Garden like the Pearl Loops, Dyed Lace, Carabella Rose Posies, one of the Vintage French Girls along with a few of my own embellishments completed the front cover.


I like to tuck a 'Made With Love' heart charm somewhere on my projects 
and tucked behind the velvet posies was the
perfect spot on the front of the mini.


This is a mini overflowing with 
pockets and booklets for a multitude of photos and keepsakes.  
Because of the way the closure on the front is done 
there's lots of room for expansion.


I even included a couple top pockets complete with postcards 
stamped with one of the teeny tiny Vintage French girls 
I used my Stamp Scissor to give it that true postage stamp look.  
(Thank you Eva for the wonderful stack of post cards!)


When I started the mini I had intended on just using 
The Correspondence Mini Pack 
but as I went along I soon realized how interchangeable 
I could become sliding in bits and pieces from 
The Gentlemen's Collection as well.  


There ended up being a lot to this little mini 
and you'll see each page as I walk you through it 
on the video and yes, 
I've included many more photos 
to give you ideas and inspiration to make your own file folder mini.


Just a note about ideas -  I didn't do a tutorial for this mini because there are so many floating around YouTube right now, but if you need step by steps check out Dawns Inspirations channel, she has lots of file folder mini ideas, that's where I got mine from. You can also check out Michele Mooney's channel The Paper Addiction, she also has scads of file folder tutorials.   Do what I did, watch a few and take what you like from here and there to make your own unique style.  It's all a matter of cutting and folding and trimming and burnishing maybe several times over until you get the look you like. Remember - there is no wrong way!!

Supplies from Meg's Garden:


3 comments:

Adriana B said...

fabulous project Patti, I do love your vintage touches :) have a great week

Paula said...

another top notch project Patti! I may have to try one of these soon.

JD/ Jill said...

This is so beautifully done...thanks so much for sharing...