Anatomy of an Album: Baby (the beginnings)
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[ American Crafts 12x12 Corduroy album in Blush; K&Company Butterfly; Hambly Butterfly transparency ]
And so it begins. A collection of stuff: images, stories, and bits of this & that picked up along the way.
I want Anna's baby album to essentially be a home for a bunch of different things. Some pages will be artsy, some simple, and others will just act as a place to store stuff. Little things (like the hospital bracelets & hat below) will be kept safe and sound inside the pocket of a page protector.
My mission is to selectively keep stuff, tell stories, and create a home for the memories of her first year.
This is not an album with a master plan. There are no spots to fill in the blanks. It doesn't all match. Rather it is something that is evolving as she (and I) evolve.
I am using is a 12x12 3-ring album from American Crafts in Blush. Inside are four different sizes of page protectors from American Crafts: 12x12, 8.5x11, 6x12, and the divided 12x12 with 6 pockets for 4x6 photos. The pages are intermixed from one size to another which is one of my favorite things about 3-ring albums.
The current first page (shown above) is a divided page protector from Crop-In-Style that is designed as sticker & die cut storage. I am using these page protectors for little things because each pocket has an extra piece of transparency that essentially closes the pocket keeping the contents safe inside. This particular page protector has 5 pockets and holds a hat, the hospital bracelets, a clothing tag, the newspaper birth announcement, and the proof of the hospital photo. I envision that I will use more of these throughout the album.
[ Information and supplies on this layout can be found here. ]
One of the reasons I like to include 8.5x11 (besides that I like scrapbooking in that size) is that it fits standard sized papers - such as a document from the hospital and some information from the pediatrician that will be fun to look back on some day. The back of the layout above is a certificate from the hospital with Anna's footprints stamped onto the page.
[ Information and supplies on this layout can be found here. ]
[ Cosmo Cricket Animal Friends patterned paper]
The layout on the back of the music 6x12 page is one that documents what was happening around here at week 6. Journaling is from this post.
[ Hambly Onesie Transparency ]
As I mentioned in the beginning, I don't want this book to be just layouts. I want to include more bits of life such as this onesie. It's one of those tiny ones that only lasts a few weeks but is such a great reminder of what a miracle this whole thing is in our lives. Currently it is just sitting in there on top of the onsie transparency. I am not sure exactly how I am going to attach it to the transparency yet - I don't want any sort of adhesive that will yellow the onsie.
The next couple pages are divided 12x12 protectors with 6 pockets for 4x6 photos. I want to be able to quickly slip in some of our favorite photos that may or may not be scrapbooked in a crafty way.
It's a start. I am excited about getting some more stories documented - especially some layouts about meeting family, our time in the hospital, etc. I've done a few more 12x12 double-page spreads for Creating Keepsakes that will be coming out in issues later this year and will be placed in this album once they are photographed. There's no particular order to how I am telling these stories - usually it just depends on which one is inspiring me the most when I have the time to put something together.
I'm also planning to add in some 12x12 photo enlargements - maybe one like this:
I'm excited and inspired to get more of her stories told and to give them a home in this album.
I'll share some more interior shots again in a couple months as the album begins to grow.
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164 comments
She does have Simon's smile...:) beautiful book. I still add pages to all my kids books, and they are 21, 16, 14.
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I love the elegant simplicity of the front cover of Anna's album. Just beautiful. About the onesie maybe you could tack it down to the transparency by stitching it in four of the corners or to a piece of paper then slide it in the protector.
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what brands and texture of white cardstock do you use?
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Love the onesie transparency and actual clothing inside the album. Very inspiring! Darling photos of your baby girl!
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this is beautiful, thanks for sharing.
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You are so inspiring. I am expecting our first girl (we have three boys) in 39 days and hope to do an album like this...It's simple and yet full of the details you really want to remember! I LOVE that last photo! Thanks for always sharing with us!!!
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It's gotta be realistic for sure...I am totally living it!
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Love this! What made you do a pink album for her.. all your albums are brown right even your sons? I love it though I may switch to this blush I have the AC regular blush but i love the courdory! May also do a cord album for my son ( 14mos) I am now working on his baby album! Great ideas.
Also do your books hold up well.. mine seem fimsy I have ac d ring albums was considering switch to wrmk..any suggestions?
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My favorite is Bazzill Lily White. Not sure which actual texture it is...but it is my favorite by far.
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I am planning that just this first year album will be pink and then move to the brown ones that I use for Simon, Chris & I, and my family (siblings + parents) books. You can see those here: /2008/05/q-a-albums.html
My American Crafts have been holding up really well - no complaints.
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The album is wonderful and inspiring as always. I love the last photo of Anna looking at you. such a treasure.
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You've inspired me once again, thank you! I love that you use different page sizes and include not just layouts but other keepsake items in the album. Both of my boys' keepsake items are currently in cute boxes but I'm now inspired to change that and create an album like yours for each of them.
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My son had that same hospital cap when he was born 9 years ago. We put it on the christmas tree every year along with his first pair of mittens.
Yes, I like the 3 ring binders for the same reason as being able to use different size page protectors within the album.
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Just a thought on attaching the onesie. I think if you used your smallest hole punch and punched 2 holes into the transparency at both shoulders and maybe another set down by the snaps, you could use adorable baby pins to attach it. Jo-ann's has some baby pins that have little rings attached for beading but I've been using those little rings to knot different textures of ribbon. It would be super cute on her onesie!
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maybe you could punch small holes in the transparency and stitch the onesie on with thread?
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Question, for the newspaper clipping...do you use archival spray?
and a suggestion for the onesie...maybe a few small well placed stitches to adhere it to the page?
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BEAUTIFUL book! i'm loving the simplicity, yet thoroughness of being able to include non-paper goodies. that last picture of anna looks sooooooo much like chris (is it the eyes, maybe?). thanks for sharing!
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I love seeing how you're documenting Anna's life. I too have a new baby girl and have just been getting started on her album. The hardest thing so far, besides finding the time to work on it, is actually ordering pictures. I have sat down at my computer three times to pick some pictures to order so that I can start on some pages, and instead I get sucked in and just look at the pictures.
I'm using Becky Higgin's baby kit for my daughter's album - I just needed something where I had everything othewise I'd spend too much time trying to decide on papers and embellishments and never get anything done. But I think I'll also use your idea of having some page protectors that are divided into 4x6 sections. And I'm definitely doing a page like the one that is currently first in your album. I was trying to decide what do with our hospital bracelets and her hat and that is the perfect place for them!
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What about putting the transparency and the onsie together in a page protector? No adhesive needed that way...
The only other idea I have is brads...
What a great book! I love how you are putting it together.
Smiles,
Dianne
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Molly--my babies spit up so much that I never had a onesie that wasn't stained after the first use--unlike Anna's perfectly white onesie in the photo (so lucky).
I did save favorite outfits from each of my kids to give them when they have babies. Trinity was just asking to see them yesterday. Amazing how seeing those little outfits fill me with so many memories and emotions.
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