|
|
Post by homemakermichigan on Jul 7, 2017 21:58:54 GMT
I have seen several mini-albums on various blogs over the years, and I'm always drawn to their cuteness and creativity. I like that the focus is one one event, place, topic, etc. so there is a clear beginning and end to them, versus an album that covers a whole year, etc. As an example, Heidi Swapp memory files, so unique and not the typical album in page projectors etc., the focus on one time period as in Ali Edwards week in the life, December Daily, and a few I just saw on Paige Taylor Evans blog. I'm curious what your thoughts are...would not having pictures in page protectors bother you? Do you do mini albums? My hubby just asked me what I'm asking on the forum and when I told him he replied, "if you like them, just do it! 😀
|
|
Elsabelle
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,602 
|
Post by Elsabelle on Jul 7, 2017 22:38:51 GMT
I love mini albums! I used to make them much more often than I do now. I have a couple of Ikea Tolsby frames that I've been meaning to use for a mini. I find that the minis I do now are 8x8 postbound albums. I tend to not make other kinds of minis anymore. I can tell the story with an 8.5x11 or 12x12 layout much faster. But I still love minis and I'm eventually going to get around to that Ikea frame mini.
One thing that keeps me from getting started is that I'm very indecisive about which pictures to use.
|
|
|
|
Post by lisacharlotte on Jul 7, 2017 23:02:12 GMT
I think they are cute, and I've done exactly 1. The problem is storage. I have no idea what to do with that tiny little TN.
|
|
|
|
Post by twillerbee on Jul 7, 2017 23:07:53 GMT
I love them because they are cute and faster to create. I make them all the time and give it as gifts to friends and family.
|
|
Chinagirl828
Drama Llama
Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 6,463
Jun 28, 2014 6:28:53 GMT
|
Post by Chinagirl828 on Jul 7, 2017 23:39:23 GMT
I do one mini album a year, for Dec daily/JYC, and I love it for the reasons you've already mentioned - a focus on a smaller time period that is different from my normal albums.
I've done a mix of photos in pages and albums without page protectors and I like both. I love that I don't have to worry about how bumpy a page becomes when there's no page protector although fitting a lot of those pages in the album can be its own challenge. I really love that I don't have to make sure everything fits "inside" the page format, so if that tag would look better hanging off the side a little I can do that.
|
|
scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,119
|
Post by scrapnnana on Jul 7, 2017 23:55:14 GMT
I love mini albums! They are very cute and fun to make!
I see no reason why photos in a mini album have to be covered by a page protector. You can always reprint photos if necessary.
Yesterday and today I've been working on a recipe mini album to store my mom's recipe cards. Right now they are in a crappy box. I want to find a way to showcase them but still use them if I want. I will probably use page protectors for her recipe cards, especially those in her handwriting.
Mini albums can be as traditional or as creative as you want to make them. They are a very fun way to use paper collections. I'm using the Graphic 45 Home Sweet Home collection for my recipe mini.
FWIW, many of the minis I've made still don't have photos in them yet. They were just fun to make. Someday I may have to schedule some photo shoots to get enough photos to fit the mini albums I've made that still need pictures added.
|
|
|
|
Post by lostwithout2peas on Jul 7, 2017 23:58:54 GMT
I absolutely love mini albums!! I like doing them for shorter trips that don't really require and entire 12x12 album, but are important enough to warrant their own album, albeit a smaller one.
I love the simple stories 6x8 snap albums. They're the perfect size and can hold a good amount of pictures. I also have a few 8x8 from back in the day. I mostly have vacations in them, and one high school marching band one for oldest DS. I too love how there is an end in sight, unlike some of my ongoing family albums. And they are perfect for a short little flip through.
|
|
|
|
Post by artisticscrapper on Jul 8, 2017 1:59:35 GMT
I think you should go for it and have fun. I love minis and have done many over the years. My problem is they take up a lot of space since they're essentially a lot of one or two page layouts. But that won't stop me from doing another one. I especially like the ones tha use different components. I have a Heidi Swapp mini I bought that has a couple of transparent acrylic pages, pockets, and frames used as pages.
As far as not using page protectors goes I've never had problems. I love making what they used to call lumpy pages but I make sure I use a good adhesive.
|
|
|
|
Post by justkat on Jul 8, 2017 2:59:47 GMT
I *love* mini albums. Depending on how you define them, they're all I do.
Not having my photos in page protectors doesn't bother me at all. However sometimes I do put them in sleeves, even in mini albums. I just make my own using the fuse tool or I buy a mini album that comes with the sleeves such as the instagram albums.
Like your husband said, if you like it do it. :-)
|
|
|
|
Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Jul 8, 2017 2:59:53 GMT
I like mini albums for topics like DD, but I have always used albums with page protectors.
I get too worried about damage to have to pages exposed.
|
|
AmandaA
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,501
|
Post by AmandaA on Jul 8, 2017 3:14:18 GMT
I love them, but don't make many since my PL maxes out my creative time and energy. Doing something outside of the pocket was way outside of my comfort zone, but I saw a lot of Stephanie Bryan's work over at Studio Calico and loved how she mixed it up. (She did a year of PL as basically 12 mini albums and some- or maybe all- were spotlighted on the blog there. You might hunt those posts videos down for ideas on how she incorporated the two styles).
|
|
|
|
Post by meridon on Jul 8, 2017 3:49:34 GMT
I love them, but don't make many since my PL maxes out my creative time and energy. Doing something outside of the pocket was way outside of my comfort zone, but I saw a lot of Stephanie Bryan's work over at Studio Calico and loved how she mixed it up. (She did a year of PL as basically 12 mini albums and some- or maybe all- were spotlighted on the blog there. You might hunt those posts videos down for ideas on how she incorporated the two styles). Oh I remember those! They were great! I need to go track them down and re-watch some of them. |
|
|
|
Post by KikiPea on Jul 8, 2017 3:55:49 GMT
I don't really care for handmade mini albums. They can be really cute, though. My "style" of mini album is just smaller albums, like 8x8, but one you buy, not make. I don't really have room to put a lot of weird sized albums. They will also get messed up with people looking at them all the time.
|
|
|
|
Post by anniefb on Jul 8, 2017 4:20:59 GMT
The smallest albums I do are 6x8 for DD. I like mini albums in theory but don't want to have to store so many small ones.
|
|
|
|
Post by canadianscrappergirl on Jul 8, 2017 6:09:54 GMT
I love them for a few reasons: document a whole event in a short period of time, great way to use up small photos, great way to use up some embellishments and paper and I love the tactile feeling of all the different textures and bits and bobs and how it's an interactive experience!
|
|
kstampin
Junior Member
Posts: 88
|
Post by kstampin on Jul 8, 2017 12:33:11 GMT
I really enjoy making mini albums, especially the ones from Paper Phenomenon. They are a lot of fun and very sturdy albums with great interactive elements. I do sometimes worry about the fact that the photos are not in page protectors and wonder how they will hold up over time, but I haven't let that stop me from making them. If it's something you want to do, go for it. You don't have to choose one or the other. If you want to go back to PL or regular 12x12 you can at any time. Who says you can't do both?  |
|
|
|
Post by cupcakepeddler on Jul 8, 2017 12:37:24 GMT
Your husband is right, if you like it you should do it. Personally they are not for me, I have tried on many occasions to make them both in small albums and the chipboard kind and you know what the size was something I struggled with and my ocd kicked in with the no page protector. I happily do my traditional 12x12 but I can look at an mini album that someone else has made and can appreciate how much work was involved and how nice it turned out. You have to try something first before you make the call on how you feel about it, go and have some crafty fun.
|
|
|
|
Post by grammadee on Jul 8, 2017 14:55:13 GMT
I think that if you have fun with them, then go for it. I like them as a break from "regular" scrapbooking, and find them great for myself for documenting travel or for specific events. Another "use" for them is to try out new techniques. I don't actually art journal, but have done a couple of 6x8 albums, responding to prompts with colour and texture and journaling--with many pages pictureless.
Also mini albums make great gifts, if you put in photo sleeves for the recipient to tuck in their own pics.
|
|
|
|
Post by 950nancy on Jul 8, 2017 15:54:50 GMT
I think they are cute, and I've done exactly 1. The problem is storage. I have no idea what to do with that tiny little TN. I have a basket by the fireplace that holds my mini albums. It is right next to a big comfy chair so I do look at them. |
|
nicolep
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,080
|
Post by nicolep on Jul 8, 2017 19:51:50 GMT
I have always loved mini albums! I have a ton that I have made when I used to design for mfg's and websites and I still love them!
|
|
eastcoastpea
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,252
Jun 27, 2014 13:05:28 GMT
|
Post by eastcoastpea on Jul 9, 2017 3:06:34 GMT
I think they're cute. Try one and see how you like the process and results.
|
|
|
|
Post by refugeepea on Jul 9, 2017 3:28:52 GMT
I LOVE looking at mini albums. I love seeing how creative people are at making them out of the box. I, however, am not creative. I take a long time to complete anything and I like my work covered in a sheet protector. The ones that always draw me in, are lumpy and bumpy with no protection.  I would like to make some recipe mini albums in the future and have slowly been collecting papers.  I would be very sad to have a project destroyed (I have a special needs kid) because I take forever to complete the simplest of pages. My solution to mini albums are 8.5x11 albums that focus on one thing (Christmas, Halloween, Birthdays), BUT they are on going. There's no continuity to them besides the subject. |
|
|
|
Post by LisaDV on Jul 9, 2017 15:16:40 GMT
I think they are cute, and I've done exactly 1. The problem is storage. I have no idea what to do with that tiny little TN. I have a basket by the fireplace that holds my mini albums. It is right next to a big comfy chair so I do look at them. I have mine in a decorative box with a lid (otherwise the cats would sleep on them and the beagle would destroy them), but they're on a shelf for easy access. Before animals I used an open basket. homemakermichigan , I love mini-albums. I don't mind my photos not being in page protectors, but I've used smaller albums with page protectors too. Your husband is right, if you love them do them. I don't do them very often now, but I used to. |
|
|
|
Post by guzismom on Jul 9, 2017 15:17:35 GMT
For me, they are a waste of time and feel like clutter.
|
|
|
|
Post by LisaDV on Jul 9, 2017 15:19:52 GMT
I love them, but don't make many since my PL maxes out my creative time and energy. Doing something outside of the pocket was way outside of my comfort zone, but I saw a lot of Stephanie Bryan's work over at Studio Calico and loved how she mixed it up. (She did a year of PL as basically 12 mini albums and some- or maybe all- were spotlighted on the blog there. You might hunt those posts videos down for ideas on how she incorporated the two styles). That sounds really interesting. I'll be checking that out. |
|
oaksong
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,163
Location: LA Suburbia
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 6:24:29 GMT
|
Post by oaksong on Jul 9, 2017 20:58:42 GMT
I really love making them. They're fun for holiday special collections. Right now I'm working on one with Graphic45 'Twas the Night Before Christmas paper, using various album construction ideas found on YouTube. I plan to display it on an easel as a Christmas decoration.
|
|
|
|
Post by grammadee on Jul 9, 2017 22:17:31 GMT
I love them, but don't make many since my PL maxes out my creative time and energy. Doing something outside of the pocket was way outside of my comfort zone, but I saw a lot of Stephanie Bryan's work over at Studio Calico and loved how she mixed it up. (She did a year of PL as basically 12 mini albums and some- or maybe all- were spotlighted on the blog there. You might hunt those posts videos down for ideas on how she incorporated the two styles). I saw this on a different site as well. They had a kit club a couple of years ago, and each month you received the album and the papers, etc. I didn't subscribe, but it looked like a lot of fun. |
|
scrapaddie
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,090
|
Post by scrapaddie on Jul 9, 2017 23:45:10 GMT
I a me them only as gifts. For myself, I would prefer to store one large album, rather than many smaller ones
|
|
|
|
Post by Leone on Jul 9, 2017 23:56:13 GMT
They are fun and I've made a lot in interesting classes...BUT..,I stopped as they end up being of little importance to me. They collect dust and are difficult to store. I ended up tossing them as my 12 x 12 albums are what I value. And I noticed the mini albums that I gave as gifts ended up being treated like cards...people hang onto them for awhile then toss them. They are fun to try new techniques and are cute but no more for me.
|
|
I would like to make some recipe mini albums in the future and have slowly been collecting papers. 
I would be very sad to have a project destroyed (I have a special needs kid) because I take forever to complete the simplest of pages. 
