Father's Day Album Revisited

I shared this album with you last year in honor of Father’s Day, but I thought it was worth revisiting.  

I gained inspiration from Ali Edwards. The album is a tribute to David and what a fantastic father he has been throughout the last 6 1/2 years.  What I like best is that the photos ARE the pages, which really makes them the emphasis.  This compact little book holds a total of 24 photos, all featuring David doing different things with the kids.  The photos are divided into three chapters, which graduate in size making the book more interesting and unique.  The only thing I bought to create this album was the three 1-inch binder rings and two pieces of chipboard.  Everything else is just cardstock. photos, glue and a little ribbon for good measure.  I really enjoyed sanding the photos for a cool antique look.  It adds a nice homey, weathered feel that I love.  All of the patterned papers are from American Crafts, my favorite company right now.  It took a total of 5 hours to make, after I already had the photos gathered and copied.  I'm anxious to give it to him!  I know he will really enjoy reminiscing about how much the kids have grown and changed over time.  Here are some detailed instructions and measurements.

1. Chipboard covers measure 6 ¾ x 4 ¾.  I covered them with my selected patterned papers and punched three holes in the spine with my Cropadile.

2.  Select 24 (4x6) black & white photos.  Divide them into three sets of eight.  You want to divide them according to how wide their focal point is.  One batch of eight will be cropped to 4-inches wide, the second to 5-inches wide and the third will remain 6-inches.  The original height of 4-inches will remain the same for all photos.  The easiest way yo get your focal points centered when cropping to a particular measurement is to cut a piece of vellum the size you would like for the final photo.  You can then position the vellum over the photo to establish where you would like to crop.  Create tick marks with a pencil onto your photo marking where these boundaries are.  Your cropping will turn out perfect every time!

3.  After your photos are cropped, you need to create your photos pages.  Cut white cardstock in the following quantities & measurements:

*4 (4x4) pages

*4 (4x5) pages

*4 (4x6) pages

Use a heavy duty glue stick to adhere the coordinating sized photos front and back to each page, basically creating a photos “sandwich”.  Photo-cardstock-photo.

4. Create three dividers for your book from sandwiched patterned paper in the following measurements:

      *1 (4 1/2 x 4 1/2)

      *1 (4 1/2 x 5 1/2)

      *1 (4 1/2 x 6 1/2)

5. Use a corner rounder punch on the two right end corners of all your photo pages & dividers.  Trace the holes from  the cover onto one of the pages and use that as a guide to punch all the contents of the book.  Sand the edges of all pages  in a crosshatch motion using a sanding block.  Print quotes from computer and cut into strips.  Add to pages.   

6. To finish dividers, punch six circles from patterned paper.  Sandwich them around the edge of each divider. 

7. As a finishing detail, punch a slot in the edge of the first photo of each "size chapter".  Thread with ribbon and create a loop, fastening in place with an eyelet.   Assemble the whole book together by threading the pages & covers onto the binder rings.

In honor of Father's Day, I thought I would share my research for this album and the great quotes I found regarding fatherhood.  I thought maybe one of you might find them helpful and use them in a creation of your own!

"It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons."

"A Father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow."

"A father is someone who walks in front of you when you need footsteps to follow...
behind you when you need encouragement, and beside you when you need a friend."

"A father sees himself in his child's eyes."

"A father's love is Like a rainbow--you can never find it's end."

"A father is neither an anchor to hold us back.

Nor a sail to take us there.

But a guiding light whose love shows us the way."

"Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad."

"As many drops that are in the ocean
and as many grains of sand on a beach may still not
amount to the vastness of the love
between a father and his son."

"Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father."

"Dad; a sons first hero, a daughters first love."

"Sometimes it's better to put love into hugs than to put it into words."

"Live doesn't come with an instruction book;
that's why we have fathers."

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person -- he believed in me."

"My heart is happy,
my mind is free.
I had a father who
talked with me."

"No music is so pleasant to my ears as that word--father."

"That is how I would remember my father.
There was never a place he walked
that was not better for his having passed."

"There is something ultimate in a father's love,
something that cannot fail, something to be
believed against the whole world."

Comments

[Beth]

This album is absolutley fabulous. I love your color choices and the PP (which goes great with the distressed look.) Thank you so very much for sharing the tutorial AND the wonderful quotes!

[Angie Kelley]

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful album, the directions, and all the father quotes !! Love you blog and all the thing you share here!

[Leandra]

I have been trying to CASE this project for several months and couldn't get all the dimensions right. Imagine my delight when I opened your blogsite this morning and found step-by-step instructions!! You're amazing!Thank you soooo much for sharing.

[Suzy Tyler]

What an elegant book! You are such an inspiration for me, Nichole. Can't wait to get started with my new punches from Paper Trey Ink....

You're such an inspiration to me...TAG, you're it. (Please see my blog for details).

[Adelina]

Great album! I absolutely LOVE Ali Edwards. Her book rocks!

[Erin Bassett]

What a great little album!!
Thanks for the quotes too...I'm definitely snag'n those!

[Kelly]

Gorgeous book thank so much for sharing!

[JoyOfStamping]

What an awesome book! Very cool! :)

[Susanna]

This is really wonderful! I LOVE it! I think this might have to be my Father's Day present to my husband.... now to scrounge up those 24 pictures....

[KayellWY]

Thank you for sharing both your wonderful album AND your sentiments. We're always looking for those, aren't we? :)

[Debbie Olson]

WOW! I'm so glad that you posted this again, Nichole, because I missed it the first time. It's absolutely TOP-notch! TFS!

[Jenny]

this is brilliant. thanks so much for sharing... wonder if I can round up enough pics to do one of these justice.

[Niki]

What a cute album! Your work is so amazing. Thanks for all the inspiratione and cute stamp sets!

[Sara]

Love, love love this idea!!!! thanks for inspiring us!

[kim]

Love it!!!!! Thanks for the inspiration...

[Nancy from Conroe]

Loved it so much that I took your idea and ran with it! I made one for a girlfriend of mine whose bday is this week, used photos of her twins. Let me know what you think if you get a chance to look at it on my blog.

[Connie]

Nichole Love your album and it is so neat. The flimsy ones are cute, but this looks like one that will hold up through many people looking at it. Great idea.....
btw, I am up in the Northeast and we get our supplies and ideas later than other places. I have tried to find chipboard all over with no luck. They have the pre- packaged letters, etc, but chipboard is unheard of. Would art stores, or office supply stores carry it ? I have called quite a few, but they don't seem to know what it is.
If you know of any place in general, please let me know. I really would appreciate it.
I enjoy your work and your site very much.

[Fathers Day Quotes]

Very lovely album..