Tutorial: Explosion Album

Supplies:
* Trimmer/Scissors
*Scorer/Bone Folder
* Tacky glue & scrap adhesive
* 2 pieces of chipboard (for this one, size is 6.6" squared)
* 1 yd ribbon
* 3 doubled sided pattern paper/cardstock (12x12; aka PP/CS)
* 3 pattern papers
* 1 card stock
* Embellishments

1. Check to make sure PP/CS are 12x12 squared. Just because they are sold that way, doesn't mean they are! If they are just smaller, make your sheets into perfect squares. For this demo I used 12x12, but any size square will work. I wouldn't go smaller than 6x6, as it's very small- but perfect for a mini brag book to carry in a purse.

2. Score your paper in half twice, making a "window frame." Once that is done score it diagonally, one way only. So it will have two square, opposite, that aren't scored down the center (see above photo.)

3. Next you are going to fold your diagonal corners inward. Think of it as they want to meet and be friends. (That is what I told the kids, and it cracked them up during the class!)

4. Once you do that, it will all fold down neatly into a square (see above photo, and imagine it all the way down.)

5. Repeat steps 1-4 with the other two sheets of double sided PP/CS. Use bone folder (or back of scissors) to make creases very apparent.

6. Open up your sheets of paper, and lay them out in the following order: mountain, valley, mountain OR valley, mountain, valley. Mountains mean the folds are up with the edges of the paper down, opposite for valley.

7. You will adhere the corners of the paper to each other. Start at the bottom, put adhesive on the complete square (the one with no diagonal in it) and place the next sheet of paper (the complete square) on top and stick down. Do the same for the 3rd sheet.

8. You will then work the folds for all three paper back into each other- just like the 2nd photo here. The only difference is that you now have a longer sheet of paper. The photo above shows what it looks like completely open. The photo below also helps to show.

9. Grab your 2 pieces of chip board. They are a bit larger than your folded papers. The reason being is to offer added protection and to hid any folding flaws that might have occurred! Cut 2 pieces out of your PP for the top & bottom. I make mine an inch bigger, and cover one side of each board. Cut diagonally at edges, and fold paper over (like wrapping a present) and adhere down.

10. Take your yard of ribbon and the back chipboard piece. On the uncovered side squirt a line of adhesive down the center, center the ribbon, and hold for a minute. This becomes how you hold your album together.

11. Grab your stack of paper, and put glue on the top square (picture your paper piece as a book already) and adhere it to the uncovered side of chipboard piece, be sure to center. Do the same thing with the back piece (glue will go on the same side as the ribbon) making sure the bottom & top chipboard piece match up.

12. Embellish the top and insides. Remember, this mini album can be used on the front and back sides of the paper!