Tall Skinny Mini Album Tutorial #1

Hey everybody!!  I am finally getting this tutorial series underway!!  WOO HOO!!!  Thank you for being patient with me, I really appreciate it!

My plan is this:  I am going to do the cover and binding today, and then start with the pages, a couple at a time.  I am planning on trying to do the page tutorials on YouTube, as it will be a little bit easier to explain, but if it doesn't work out, I will do the tutorials all here on the blog.  Either way, you will get all of the information you need to make your own "Tall Skinny Mini"!

Let's get busy!!!  First, a few notes. The inspiration for this mini came from the "Witches Journal" I saw on YouTube.  The use of the Tyvek for reinforcing the spine came from Kathy at Paper Phenomenon.  It really does work and is a great way to recycle those Tyvek envelopes you get in mailings.  The "Stack the Deck" binding is by Laura at Following the Paper Trail.  The pages of this book are my creations.  I sure hope you like them!

 For this tutorial, I am going to use the papers from Basic Grey, Fact or Fiction, and Hello.  I have three paper stacks and a bunch of accessories to embellish it with!

 I also am going to use Bazzill card stock.  You will also need some chipboard for the covers and some strong adhesive.  I am using Score Tape...I love this stuff!

First, cut three pieces of chipboard for the covers, two at 12" x 6" and one at 12" x 2 1/2".

 I cut a strip of Tyvek, 12" x 5", and centered the spine piece on it.  I put a piece of 1/4" score tape along each side of the chipboard.  You use this as a space measurement between the cover pieces and the spine pieces.  Put more score tape on the rest of the Tyvek.

 Adhere the cover pieces.  This is what it should look like, this will be the inside of the cover.

 This is the outside of the cover.

 I inked up the corners of the book because they will not be totally covered with the card stock.  This is important, because if the chipboard isn't inked you will be able to see it once the card stock is on the piece if it is not super precise.

I cut strips of card stock as follows:  two at 12"x 1 1/2", and four at 9 1/4" by 1 1/2".  These pieces will edge your chipboard piece.  I like wrapped edges on my chipboard covers, so this is how I figured out how to cover the piece, since it is 12" tall.  You don't have to do this, you can simply just cover the chipboard and trim the edges if you desire.  If you decide to do that, ink the entire edge of your chipboard piece.

 The pieces layered onto the card stock.  The 12" pieces go on the sides, the others go on the top and the bottom.

 Use lots of score tape to adhere everything.  And, DON'T FORGET TO PICK UP THE STRIPS OFF OF THE GUSSETS BY THE SPINE BEFORE YOU ADHERE THE CARDSTOCK COMPLETELY DOWN.  See below.

 Wrap your edges.  I then used two pieces of patterned paper, cut 11 3/4" by 5 3/4", and covered the front and back outside covers.  This leaves the spine exposed.  I cut a piece of card stock at 12" x 6" and punched it.  Before I did the punching I put score tape on the edge.

That way when you go to adhere the piece, all of the punched edges have adhesive on them!

 This is the outside cover all done.

For the inside cover, I used the leftover 6" of card stock and covered the spine, then I covered the inside covers with more paper.  

 Here is my cover, all done.  Now to the binding mechanism.

I am making 10 pages for this book.  This means you need five papers.  They all, when stacked create a 1/4" gusset to allow for some room to embellish and add "stuff" to your pages.

 Cut the card stock into 5 strips, 12" by 1 1/4", 1 3/4", 2 1/4", 2 3/4" and 3 1/4".  Score each piece on each side at 1/2".  This is what your page pieces will adhere to.

 Side view of the binding.

If you desire, you can angle the edges of the binding pieces so that the pages adhere a little easier, but it's not necessary.

 Once your binding piece is done, adhere it to the inside spine of your cover.

That concludes the first part.  Next time, pages to put into your book.  This is going to be fun!

Stay Crafty, My friends!