Sometimes we make special little books like this to use as an elaborate card for a significant person in our lives. They might be filled with fun and colorful images, seasonal greetings and maybe even tiny photographs to document the memories of a great family gathering. And then sometimes, our best intentions are hijacked by our emotions and we rationalize how much creative energy and late nights went into it and we decide...no way am I giving this away!
This little book was created using one of the 3 pre-folded accordions that come in the Inchie Accordion Kit. This book has a total of 16 panels, 8 visible on one side and 6 plus the covers on the other side. The khaki is a perfect neutral tone that works with any combination of colors.
Begin by wrapping/covering the 2 covers (there are a total of 6 in the kit) with a festive text weight patterned paper. (one of these days I promise to do a tutorial on how to wrap the covers!) This cover was decorated with a Lockhart Holly Cupcake. Stamp the image on white card stock, color with Copic markers or Prismacolor pencils, highlight with a red glitter marker and carefully trim out. Lay an 18" strip of decorative ribbon across the cover before you mount the cupcake on the cover with 3D foam tape.
A little trick to help decide what images to use where, is to create a mock-up of the accordion in plain white paper. First lay out the stamps you want to use next to each designated panel. After rearranging them a few times go ahead and stamp them directly on the white panels adding little pencil notes if you need to. This mock-up literally becomes the 'assembly manual' that will guide you after all the inchies have been stamped and colored and are littering your desk!
All the picture stamps are new holiday additions to the Lockhart Itty Bitty collection. #3044 IB Wreath, #3047 IB Ornaments, #3048 IB Stocking and #3043 IB Three Packages. All were stamped direct onto white Inchie Squares and then colored with a combination of Copic Markers, Prismacolor pencils and an occasional touch of Stardust glitter pen or red Spica glitter marker. The backgrounds and edges were left white.
It's fun to create two different 'messages' by carefully planning what you place on the panels. This was achieved by using picture stamps on four of the panels and then letter stamps on the alternating panels. As you can see in the photos, if you look at the accordion from one way, the picture stamps are what stand out. If you then look at the book from a different angle, the letters are most prominent.
The noel message was created starting with white Inchie Squares. Each square was first completely colored (edges too) with Copic marker E42 - sand white. The idea being to try and match the same color as the khaki of the accordion panels. Then using the Lockhart Holiday Embellishment stamp #9006 stamp a portion of the image onto the square with Memento Cottage Ivy ink. (it may be easier to ink the stamp, turn it face up and bring the Inchie Square to the inked surface) Color in the leaves and berries with Prismacolor pencils and touch up with Stardust glitter pen.
The letters are created with my new favorite alphabet stamps made by the same people that make those really cool magnetic poetry sets. The Letter Stamp Kit by Words & Crafts in the Typewriter Typeface are individual letter stamps, caps and lower case, with easy to hold little handles. And they are the perfect size to use with Inchie Squares. The lower case letters were stamped with Color Box cranberry pigment ink and heat set with clear embossing powder.
After all the inchies have been stamped and colored it is time to assemble the book. To further emphasize the difference between the two messages (pictures and noel) select two different but similar background papers and trim 4 of each color to 1-3/8" squares. Bo Bunny Harvest Dot (red) and Evergreen Dot (dark green) were the perfect color and pattern to set off the inchies. The white paper mock-up will be your guide as you assemble the different parts and pieces of the accordion book.
And after all this...to have only completed one side! Perhaps the other side could incorporate tiny photos of close up images that portray holiday traditions...and a handwritten note about family gatherings on at least one panel.
Now the tough part...to give it away...or to keep it...
