Family Folio Tutorial

Hello everyone!! Today I am happy to share my first tutorial to share as a member of the Tim Holtz Media Team. I altered a Small Collection Folio, using a lot of idea-ology products, dies and stamps. This is a pretty long post.

 

The Collection Folios are so much fun and I love their interactive nature, perfect for a topic about which you have many photos, or much to say. I like using these types of folios, but the ordinary office kind, to carry around papers in, so I knew I was going to enjoy altering this one. I decided to use a whole bunch of old family photos from my father's side, partly because the Wallflower papers are perfect for this side of the family: lots of postage related images, birds, nature and ledgers. You can easily adopt the techniques to work on other types of projects.  

Inside the folio you will find a little 'booklet', already sewn to keep the pages together. Fold the three shorter flaps over the three longer ones. Also remove the elastic. The small folio is 7 x 9 in when closed.

Here you can better see how to fold the inside booklet, this is what we are going to adhere our pages to.

 

I wanted my inside pages to be shaped, and used dies to die cut various shapes. Most of them were die cut from Wallflower paper, with some from Destinations. Here you can see tags and the Postage Stamp Frame.

I also die cut some Big Tickets and Pocket Envelopes. It is fun to add interactive elements to the folio and the pockets also give you more space for photos and journaling.

 

I made two tickets into a pocket, and they are just the right size for a medium tag.

 

Staple them together.

 

Hide the back of the staples with tissue tape.

 

Ink the edges of all the papers and start embellishing them with stamps and rub-ons. I used stamps and rub-ons which fit with my theme, so if you do a folio on other topics, you might choose to use different stamps. I like a mix of image and sentiment stamps.

 

I also added quite a few pieces of ephemera, which are great when it comes to quickly embellishing a project.

 

At this stage I was starting to plan what was going where and together with which photos.

 

The Mini Cabinet cards also work great inside the folio. They are so pretty at the back, so it is nice to use them in a project where you can see both sides. I inked and stamped them, and embellished with idea-ology pieces.

 

I die cut my title from grungeboard with the Vintage Market XL die. It translates 'roots'. I like using alphabet dies for titles and words since it means I never run out of letters. Paint them with Victorian Velvet.

Sand the edges.

Ink the edges with Gathered Twigs and an ink-blending tool.

Stamp the letters with a background stamp with small details. I used a calendar stamp. I like that you can see months and numbers on the letters.

Finally, coat with Glossy Accents. I did the same technique with the Artful Arrows die, painting the arrows red and pink. 

Cut a photo into a circle and glue it to the rim of a monocle with Glossy Accents. Add just a little bit of alcohol ink to the glass for an aged effect.

You can decorate the flaps in the booklet too. I stamped them, and added some tissue tape and ephemera. The long border stamps are perfect for this.

More of the flaps. I love that there are so many places to decorate in the folio.

Measure and cut patterned paper to fit all the flaps in the folio. Paint the back of the paper with matte multi medium and attach to the folio. Cut off any leftover paper.

Pierce the holes for the elastic wrap, since you covered them up with paper.

Continue until you have covered the whole folio with different papers. Sand the edges, which both tidies up the edges and gives a nice white worn look. Later, I inked the edges brown.

The inside looks like this.

I wanted one more page in the folio, and to fix that, I simply scored the last page in the booklet, so that it can be folded up. Only the part at the spine will be attached to the folio.

 

Attach all the pages to the flaps in the booklet. The only thing you need to check is that they will fit into the folio and not stick out too far. I love all the layers you can glimpse through from the top.

 

You can also fold the front so that it looks like this, with the title on the inside. I love this photo, particularly that they are holding badminton rackets and standing at a badminton net. That used to be my sport too.

 

I stamped on all the papers, which is a great way to customise patterned papers. There are also red and pink elements all through the folio.

 

The bird is carrying the monocle. I also added a rub-on.

Here you can maybe see the Glossy Accents on the title letters a little better.

I decorated all the inside flaps, there is a lot of space for photos, words and embellishments.

Because the papers are so pretty, you don't need to add much to them.

I stamped the number column stamp from School Desk on almost every page, which unifies the folio. Hold the cling stamp in your hand instead of mounting on a block for a more random impression.

Some stamping, a piece of film strip ribbon and a rub-on.

This is the inner flap at the bottom.

At the back I glued another patterned paper and poked holes for the elastic strap.

 

I placed the photos in at least sort of a chronological order. I like how the photo to the top left is almost mimic in the patterned paper.

You could easily do one of these designs as a tag or a card on their own.

I had fun adding details to this project, that is often a favourite thing of mine to do.

Quite a few of the family members emigrated to the US, which is why you will find ships, tickets, American postal stamps and so on in the folio.

You can layer elements on the same flap, here's a pocket envelope and a shipping tag.

Here you can see one of the die cut arrows a little better. I like to use arrows to show direction and movement.

I alternated the different die cut pages, so that there was always two different ones on a flap. If there is space in between, you can add a small ticket or film strip ribbon.

 

A heart charm and a piece of ephemera. I was happy to find all these postal related ephemera to use here.

This is a favourite photo of mine, and I love the paper with the birds.

On this page spread you'll find some school related papers, stamps and embellishments.

One of my favourite sentiment stamps paired with a fun photo.

The ink bottle and alphabet were stamped on the pocket. I used the Specks stamps here and there all over the folio.

My grandmother and her beloved dog. I liked the way the dog photo looked in the Mini Cabinet Card. 

 

Here you can see how the last flap on the kraft booklet opens. I did that so that there would be space for one additional larger photo.

 

Thank you so much for looking at this long post! I didn't want to you miss any details, and there were many of them.

Happy crafting!!

Anna-Karin

Supplies:
Surfaces: Tim Holtz idea-ology: Wallflower Paper Stash, Menagerie Paper Stash, Destinations Paper Stash, Small Collection Folio, Grungeboard
Dies: Sizzix: Tag & Bookplate, Tag & Tie, Postage Stamp Frame, Big Ticket, Pocket Envelope, Vintage Market XL, Mini Bottle Cap & Stamp, Artful Arrows
Stamps: Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz: School Desk, Postcards, Travel Ways, Simple Sayings, Stuff to Say, Typography, Cracks & Specks, Merchantile, Warehouse District, Elements of Time, Purveyor, Mini Muse, Going Somewhere, Curiosities, Way With Words, Tiny Things, Classics #5, At the Movies
Ink: Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black, Vermillion; Distress Ink: Gathered Twigs, Walnut Stain
Alcohol ink: Adirondack: Ginger
Paint: Victorian Velvet, Barn Door, Picket Fence, Antique Linen
Medium: Ranger Matte Multi Medium
Embellishments: Tim Holtz idea-ology: Mini Cabinet Cards, Word Bands, Observations Word Bands, Monocles, Heart Charms, Merriment Tissue Tape, Laboratorie Tissue Tape, Words Remnant Rubs, Elements Remnant Rubs, Life Quotes Remnant Rubs, Botanicals Remnant Rubs, Thrift Shop Ephemera, Expedition Ephemera, Game Spinners, Long Fasteners, Chiseled Industrious Stickers, Mirrored Stars, Filmstrip Ribbon, Label Letters, Index Labels, Alpha Chips, Commute Tissue Tape, Time Pieces, Alpha Cards