Use Your Stash to Make a Mini Album with Olatz Garaiyurrebaso

We're excited to bring you crafting ideas and inspiration from the Studio Calico community here on the blog. Olatz, a PhD student from Spain, is an active member of the community, creating distinct layouts full of style and color, along with mini albums like the one you're about to see! We're so glad she's been able to contribute this adorable mini album idea to the blog this month!

February is always my favorite month of the year. I am finally starting to say goodbye to the Christmas and Winter holidays whilst I am finally ready for the spring to come. Plus, the 27th is my birthday. Yaaay! I also love February because my boyfriend’s birthday is this month too, and we love to celebrate Valentine’s day as well by doing something fun together.

So this year, I decided to make a mini album about February and us to give to my boyfriend as a Valentine’s day/Birthday present. I was determined to use my stash from previous Studio Calico kits, you know, all those cool bits and pieces, cards and papers that you either hoard or haven't really decided where exactly to use. I also ended up using one of the boxes from the Project Life®

And there is no Valentine’s without some treats, is there? ;) So, I included a little bag of sweets and chocolates and a bunch of confetti for a party theme, right next to the mini album.

For the cover of the mini, I re-used the packaging of the Far Far Away hearts included in the Project Life®High Wire add-on

Here you can see some of my favorite pages from the mini album.

As I said before, I mix and matched different embellishments, papers and cards from a lot of previous kits. I really had tons of fun putting this mini together and I was so proud of myself for mixing kits and not just staying with the latest one.

The kits are super versatile, and at the same time they work very well together. Double the fun!

I also found out that sometimes those little things that you had leftover can go very well from previous kits and you can even build your own kit with what you have left.

There isn't much technique involved here, but to make it more interesting, I mixed lots of different elements like transparencies, rub-ons, stamping, die cutting, embossing or simple layering.

I also mix and matched different photos from previous Februaries.

To finish off the album, I punched holes in each page and secured them together with a ring.

I hope you'll try to make a mini like this for a birthday, Valentine’s day or for really any kind of celebration and if you do, be sure to link it in the comments below so I can check it out.

xoxo

- Olatz

Supplies: Far Far AwayProject Life®High Wire add-on; other past kits available here