SUMMER FUN 4x4 MINI ALBUM | with Conny

Hello, crafty friends!  t’s Conny here from The Daily Life of Creativity, and I’m so happy to be back with another mini album tutorial! Today we’re creating a 4” x 4” mini album using the Summer Fun collection. This album may be small, but it has plenty of room for creativity! It includes pockets, flip pages, and interactive elements, giving you plenty of space for mini photos, journaling, and, of course, fun embellishment clusters. As always, I love creating my own album bases. They do take a little more time to construct, but I promise—the finished project is completely worth it!

I started with the chipboard pieces:  I cut two pieces measuring 4” x 4” for the covers and one piece measuring 4” x 2 1/2” for the spine.

For the cover, I used Swimming Pool Gingham Linen petite prints from which I cut one piece to 12” x 5”.   I placed the chipboard pieces onto the cardstock, leaving approximately 1/8” between the spine and covers. I centered everything and left an even amount of cardstock around the outside to wrap the chipboard.  Next I trimmed the corners at an angle, leaving about 1/8” from the chipboard, Lastly, I adhered and wrapped all four sides.

Now for the hinges:  I cut a piece of cardstock 4” x 9” and scored it on the 9” side at:

2”, 2 1/2”, 3”, 3 1/2”, 4”, 4 1/2”, 5”, 5 1/2”, 6”, 6 1/2”, and 7”.

I folded the scored sections into three raised hinges, leaving the first and last sections flat; I also left a flat section between the hinges.  To finish, I glued the raised sections together, then attached the hinge to the center of the spine. Three pages worked perfectly for me because I knew I would be adding lots of embellishments and foam adhesive. 

For each pocket page, I cut a piece of patterned paper 4” x 8” and score at 4”.  I folded it in half and added adhesive along the two sides and bottom, leaving the top open to create the pocket.

I added approximately 3 1/4” x 4"  inserts inside the pockets, leaving a little space at the top so I could add embellishment clusters.

For one of the pages, I also created a tri-fold using the Swimming Pool Gingham Linen cardstock. I cut it to approximately 3 3/4” x 11 1/4” and score at 3 3/4” and 7 1/2”.

I adhered the center section to the page, creating another fun spot for photos and journaling.

For the back, I used the adorable Polaroid-style scenes from the collection to create another tri-fold that opens from left to right.

And, of course, we can’t forget the best part—embellishing! I added layers, foam adhesive, mini icons, Doodle-Pops, and fun phrases like “The Life Is Sweet” and “On Vacation Mode.” For the front cover, I created a little beach scene using the palm tree Doodle-Pop, beach embellishments, and mini icons. I finished the album with a rainbow sheer ribbon closure.

And that’s it! A tiny 4” x 4” Summer Fun mini album with pockets, interactive pages, and plenty of space for photos and embellishments.

I hope you love this little album as much as I do. Remember, you can always change the number of pages, add more pockets, or make the album completely your own.   Make it fun, make it yours, and happy crafting! Xo, Conny!

BLOG | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

8943 Summer Fun Solid Assortment Textured Cardstock
8938 Flamazing Flock double sided cardstock

5437 Swimming Pool Gingham- Linen petite prints

6085 Bubblegum Floral-Graph petite prints

8925 Summer Fun 6” × 8” Paper Pad
8923 Summer Fun Bits and Pieces 

8921 Summer Fun Odds & Ends 

8908 Summer Fun Puffy Words 

8907 Summer Fun Puffy Icons

 8900 Palm Beach- Doodle-Pops
8897 Photo Op- Doodle- Pops
8906 Summer Fun - Mini Icons 

8927 Summer Fun - This & That 

OTHER

Score Board 
Rainbow Sheer Ribbons 

Liquid Glue 
Foam Adhesive 

Cutting Board 

Chipboard

SUMMER FUN CASCADING POCKET MINI | with Conny

Hello crafty friends! It’s Conny here from The Daily Life of Creativity, and we’re playing with the Summer Fun Collection once again!

Today we’re creating this fun little cascading pocket mini album. It has six pockets that get smaller as you work your way down, creating a fun layered look. You can add photos, journaling, or little memories inside each pocket.

Let's get started!

I started with a piece of cardstock measuring 5” x 8”, scored at ½” on the 8” side and ½” on both sides of the 5” side. This created the base. I added a piece of cardstock measuring 4” x 7½” to the front of the base.

Next I created the cascading pockets, Here are the pieces I cut for to make them:

• 7½” x 4” finished, cut 5” x 8”

• 6½” x 4” finished,  cut 5” x 7”

• 5½” x 4” finished, cut 5” x 6”

• 4½” x 4” finished , cut 5” x 5”

• 4” x 4” finished , cut 5” x 4½”

• 3” x 4” finished, cut 5” x 3½”. 

On each piece I scored ½” from both sides of the 5” width, and scored ½” at the end of the length.

I folded along thescore lines, trimmed away the corners, and adhered the pockets one on top of the other, starting with the largest and working down to the smallest.

For each pocket, I used a circle punch along the front edge to create a little thumb notch. This makes it easier to pull out your photo mats or cards. I decorated the pockets with pieces from the Summer Fun Collection, including the adorable toucan, turtle, seagull, and crab from the Odds & Ends. I also added some of the Puffy Icon Words, including Say Cheese, Hello, and Time to Relax, along with the fun Beach Hair. Don’t Care. phrase.

And that’s it! A simple little cascading pocket album that’s perfect for adding summer photos, journaling, and memories!  Happy crafting!

BLOG | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

7067 Blue Jean Buffalo Check/woodgrain Petite Prints

8940 Gulf Friends double sided cardstock
8934 Let's Luau double sided cardstock

8934 Polka Dot Bikini double sided cardstock

8931 Pink Paradise double sided cardstock

7069 Bumblebee Buffalo Check/Woodgrain Petite Prints

 8943 Summer Fun Solid Assortment Textured Cardstock
8923 Summer Fun Bits and Pieces 

8921 Summer Fun Odds & Ends 

8908 Summer Fun Puffy Words Stickers

8907 Summer Fun Puffy Icons Stickers
7274 Bright - Cards & Envelopes 

8906 Summer Fun - Mini Icons Stickers

8927 Summer Fun - This & That Stickers

OTHER

Score Board 
Ribbons 

Liquid Glue 
Foam Adhesive 

Cutting Board 

1" Circle Punch 

SUMMER FUN - SUMMER TIME MINI ALBUM | with Conny

Hello, crafty friends!  Conny here from The Daily Life of Creativity with another mini album tutorial. Today we’re creating a 5” × 7” chipboard mini album using the adorable Summer Fun collection from Doodlebug Design.

Let’s get started!  I began by cutting my chipboard:   Two covers measuring 7” × 5” and One spine measuring 7” × 1¼”.  

To cover the front and back chipboard pieces, I cut two pieces of patterned paper to 8½” × 6½”. I used Blue Jean Buffalo Check Woodgrain Petite Prints and  Gulf Friends from Summer Fun

.

I centered each chipboard piece on the paper, mitered the corners using a cover guide tool, then wrapped the paper around the edges using double-sided adhesive and liquid glue.

For the spine, I used Bumblebee Buffalo Check Woodgrain Petite Prints. I trimmed the paper to 8½” × 4”. I centered the 7” × 1¼” spine on the paper and wrapped the top and bottom around the chipboard.  I then adhered the side flaps to the front and back covers to each side.

Next, I covered the inside of the album.  I used papers from the Summer Fun 6” × 8” Paper Pad. For the center spine area, I cut a colorful stripe paper to 6⅞” × 6” and adhered it with double-sided tape and liquid glue.

For the inside covers, I used the colorful polka dot paper with a white background. I cut one piece to 6⅞” × 6”, then trimmed it in half to create two 6⅞” × 3” panels. I adhered one to the inside front cover and the other to the inside back cover

Next, I built the two waterfalls. Each waterfall has six pages. I cut six pieces of white cardstock measuring 4½” × 3½” for each waterfall. I scored on the 4½-inch side at ½ inch. Next I applied adhesive to the scored flap and stacked the pages one underneath another, beginning at the top of the patterned paper.

For the waterfall closure, I cut a piece measuring approximately 4” × 1½” and scored it at ½ inch on the 4-inch side. I also used a scallop punch to decorate the bottom corners of the waterfall pages as well as the closure for a fun decorative touch.

Next I created the interactive pages! Using the Summer Fun Solid Assortment Textured Cardstock, I used both the dark blue and white cardstock.  I cut one piece to 6⅞” × 12” and scored at: ½”, 5¼” and 7⅞”.

I cut the second piece to 6⅞” × 9⅞” and scored at: ½” and 5¼”.

I added a scallop border to both pages—one along the pocket edge and one at the end of the larger page. It adds such a cute finishing detail, so don’t be afraid to pull out your punches and have fun with them.

For the pocket, I cut a piece measuring 5½” × 3½” and scored it ½ inch on the 3½-inch side

½ inch on both the left and right sides of the 5½-inch side. 

I used a 1-inch circle punch to create a thumb notch before assembling the pocket. Inside the pocket, I tucked in one of the journaling cards from the collection. I also used one of the cards from the Cards & Envelopes pack as a tri-fold insert, giving the album even more room for photos.

The smaller photo mats throughout the album hold 3” × 3” photos, while the pocket is large enough to hold 4” × 6” photos or journaling cards. I also used one of the 6” × 8” paper pad cards, scored it in the center, and tucked it into the pocket to create a fold-out journaling insert.

On the first page, I created a simple flip-up element using another scallop edge, then decorated the album with clusters made from the Bits & Pieces, Odds & Ends, Chit Chat, Puffy Icons, and Puffy Words.

To finish the cover, I added the adorable  Flora Flamingo Doodle Pop, which makes the perfect focal point.

I hope this project inspires you to create your own Summer Fun mini album! Be sure to check out the full process video over on my YouTube channel.  

Thank you so much for watching, and happy crafting!

Xo, Conny -Bye!

BLOG | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

7067 Blue Jean Buffalo Check Woodgrain Petite Prints

8940 Summer Fun Gulf Friends double sided cardstock

7069 Bumblebee Buffalo Check Woodgrain Petite Prints

8925 Summer Fun 6” × 8” Paper Pad

 8943 Summer Fun Solid Assortment Textured Cardstock
8896 Flora Flamingo Doodle Pop
8923 Summer Fun Bits and Pieces 

8921 Summer Fun Odds & Ends 
8922 Summer Fun Chit Chat 

8908 Summer Fun Puffy Words 

8907 Summer Fun Puffy Icons 
7274 Bright - Cards & Envelopes 

8906 Summer Fun - Mini Icons 

8927 Summer Fun - This & That Stickers

OTHER

Score Board 
Ribbons 
Chipboard 

Liquid Glue 
Foam Adhesive 
We R Makers Book Cover Guide Tool 

Cutting Board 

Scalloped Punch 
1" Circle Punch 

HOMETOWN USA SWEET SUMMER MINI ALBUM | with Conny

Hello Crafty Friends,  Conny here from The Daily Life of Creativity, back with another project using Hometown USA . Today I have a fun Sweet Summer mini album. 

Let's get started! To create the covers, I cut two chipboard pieces measuring 5” × 5” each.  Next, I trimmed two pieces of patterned paper to 6½” × 6½”. These larger pieces were cut to wrap around the chipboard to create the front and back covers.

For this album, I used: Cherry Floral Gingham Petite Prints for one cover, and Lily White Dot Stripe Petite Prints for the other cover.  I Centered each 5” × 5” chipboard piece on a 6½” × 6½” patterned paper.

Using a corner guide tool, I trimmed each corner before wrapping the paper around the chipboard. If you don’t have a corner guide tool, simply cut each corner at an angle, leaving approximately 1/8” of space between the corner of the chipboard and the cut edge of the paper. This small gap allows the paper to fold neatly around the corners without adding bulk and ensuring the chipboard is covered at the edge.

Once both covers were wrapped, I cut two pieces  I ❤️ America patterned paper to 4⅞” × 4⅞”. I adhered one piece to the inside of the front cover and the other to the inside of the back cover to finish the interior of the covers.

For the inside pages,  I used the  Bubble Blue Dot/Stripe Petite Prints,  Lily White Buffalo Check/Woodgrain Petite Prints and  Plaid to Be American paper.

I cut each sheet to 5” × 12”, leaving the 12-inch length intact.  I then scored each piece on the 12-inch side at 5” and 10”. The remaining 2-inch section folds over to create a pocket, which is how I made most of the pages in this album.

If you prefer not to include a pocket on every page, simply trim the paper to 5” × 10” and score at 5” to create a standard folded page.  I love adding pockets because they’re perfect for tucking in 3” × 4” journaling cards, tags, extra photos, or handwritten notes. You can also adhere photos to the journaling cards to create interactive elements throughout the album.

To embellish the album, I used the Odds & Ends, the 4th of July Cards & Envelopes  and the coordinating stickers. 

One of my favorite interactive pieces came from the Cards & Envelopes pack. I added the card with the square window and added the Festive Floral Doodle-Pop to the front. It creates a fun dimensional element while still allowing room for photos and journaling.

To assemble the album, I adhered the pages back to back, continuing until all of the pages were connected together.  One thing I discovered while making this album is that you could actually skip lining the inside of the chipboard covers if you prefer. Since the first page adheres directly to the inside front cover and the last page adheres to the inside back cover, those pages naturally cover the chipboard. I still like the finished look of lining the covers first, but this is a great option if you’d like to save a little paper.

This construction method creates a sturdy hard-cover mini album with a beautiful spine—without having to build a separate spine piece.

This album includes room for a variety of photo sizes, including: 4” × 4”,  3” × 4” and 2” × 2”. I also created several flip-up pages using cards from the Cards & Envelopes pack. I trimmed them to approximately 4½ inches, leaving enough room to attach them to the page with adhesive so they flip open and reveal additional space for photos or journaling.

For the front cover, I layered patterned papers from the 6” × 6” Paper Pad to create a focal cluster.

I embellished the cover using pieces from the Hometown USA This & That Cardstock Sticker Sheet, including the “Summer Sweet” circle sticker layered on top of the coordinating scalloped circle sticker.

To finish the cluster, I added the adorable Patriotic Puppy Doodle-Pop, along with one of the scalloped border stickers from the sticker sheet.

The window card from the Cards & Envelopes pack also becomes an interactive flip page. Because the card extends beyond the window section, I adhered it in two places so the remaining panel flips open, creating another hidden area for photos or journaling.

This mini album comes together surprisingly quickly and is such a fun way to document your favorite summer memories.  It’s perfect for preserving your Fourth of July celebrations, family gatherings, backyard barbecues, vacations, or everyday summer moments.

Thank you so much for following along! I hope you enjoy creating this Summer Sweet Mini Album as much as I did, and I can’t wait to see how you fill yours with your own special memories.

BLOG | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

DOODLEBUG PRODUCTS USED

6088 Petite Prints – Cherry Floral Gingham
6129 Petite Prints  – Lily White Dot Stripe 
6123 – Petite Prints Bubble Blue Dot/Stripe
8535 – Plaid to Be American Double Sided Cardstock
8510 – Festive Floral Doodle-Pop
 8528 – 4th of July Assortment Cards & Envelopes
7032 – Petite Prints Lily White Buffalo Check/Woodgrain

8529 Hometown USA 6x8 Paper Pad
8548 Hometown USA Textured Cardstock Assortment 
8525 Hometown USA - Odds & Ends
8526 Hometown USA- Chit Chat

8131 – Hometown USA This & That Cardstock Sticker
8507 – Patriotic Puppy Doodle-Pop

OTHER

Foam Adhesive 
Liquid Glue 
Trim and Score Board
Chipboard