vacation book

Click image to enlarge

Designer: Patti Milazzo

By far, my kids’ favorite tools are Fiskars Squeeze Punches and Border Punches!  Fiskars has a ton of variety in their punch collection and they’re very easy to use even for small hands.  I’ve always loved paper piecing since I first started scrapbooking and I enjoy showing my children that with a little ingenuity and imagination, we can use these great punches to create all sorts of paper pieced accents.  With Spring break coming up, we thought a pre-made album using these accents would be a wonderful way to record our vacation memories on the road. 

To make this mini album even more kid friendly, we pre-printed double spaced lines on the cardstock for easy journaling and left space for photo matting.  The pages have room for 1 – 3 photos and we included pages for memorabilia (ticket stubs, etc) and a final page to record favorite memories of the trip.  Since we often combine our vacations with family visits we were sure to include a page for these moments too. 

Difficulty rating

Instructions (Print version)

1. Cut 6 sheets of kraft paper to 8 ½ x 11.  Then print dotted line pattern (made in word document on these.
2. Score down center dividing the each piece into 5 ½” x 8 ½” halves.  Fold and crease on the scored lines for each of the 6 sheets.  These are the pages of the mini album.

Note: Alternate pages in how the lines are positioned.  For example, on page one the photo mat space is on the left.  Then on page two it is on the right. 

3. Page 1 “Our Trip”– Use Ultra ShapeXpress and Circle Shape Template to create sun; Boundary Waters Border Punch to create waves on bottom left of page; Alpha stickers for page title.  Photo mat is 4 ½” x 5”.
Palm Tree – small circles for trunk; Mint Condition for palm leaves (cut wedges from punch); coconuts are Pop Up Punch circles with 1/16” circles punched in center.
Seagulls – punch twice from white cardstock using the Funky Love Squeeze Punch

4. Page 2 “Good Times” – Photo mat is 5 ½” x 4 ½”.  Alpha stickers for page title.  Squeeze Punch Extra Large circle from yellow cardstock and adhere punched hands in center.
Popsicles – Squeeze Punch He Said, She Said shapes from bright colored cardstock; trim off small point.  Create popsicle with narrow side up and adhere thin strip of tan cardstock for stick. 

5. Page 3 “Family” – Photo mats are 5 ½” x 4 ½”, 2 – 2 ½” squares.  Squeeze Punch He Said, She Said shapes and position near photo mats. Squeeze Punch circles and hearts; layer and adhere to page as shown.

6. Page 4 “H2O Fun” – Photo mat is 5 ½” x 4 ½” from white cardstock.  Mix alpha stickers for title.  Bubbles are created with ¼” Hand Punch, Pop Up Punch and Medium Squeeze Punch.

Fish – Extra Large circle for body; Large partial circle for tail and lower fin; Medium hearts for pectoral fin (side) and dorsal fin(top); Pop Up Punch circles from black and white cardstock with ¼” circle cut from white create the eye.

7. Page 5 “Stuff...” – page with 2 pockets for memorabilia.  Cut 5” x 4” piece of yellow cardstock; punch ½ Extra Large circle from top.  Have adult machine stitch 3 sides of the cardstock to create the pocket.  Cut a 4” x 3” piece of aqua cardstock; Corner Squeeze Punch the corners and machine stitch to page.  Create tags to fit in pockets for additional photos or journaling.  Squeeze Punch stars to embellish.  Mix alpha stickers for title.

8. Assemble Pages – with pages folded, apply adhesive to the back of the right side and line it up with the back of the next page’s left side.  Repeat until all the pages are attached.  Once complete the pages will now lay flat like a book as you flip each page.

9. Cut 1 sheet of kraft paper to 8 ½ x 11, then cut in half creating 2 - 5 ½” x 8 ½” pieces.  These will be the front and back cover.

10. Cover  - Border Punch Scalloped Sentiment on red cardstock; trim to 1”w x 8 ½”h and adhere to front cover.  Repeat to create trim for back cover as well.
Beach scene – Cut 4”w x 8”h piece of light blue cardstock for background.  Border Punch 4 layers of cardstock (alternating colors) to create waves.  Create seagulls from white cardstock using Funky Love Squeeze Punch like on Page 1.  Use Ultra ShapeXpress Tool and Circle Shape Template to create circles for sun.  Squeeze Punch Large triangles for sun’s rays and adhere around circle.
11. Print mini album title on white cardstock; Squeeze Punch circles and adhere to lower left of cover.

Suggestions:
Other shapes you might create for vacations – sail boat (triangles with half circle); Mickey Mouse (circles); flowers; butterflies; ice cream cones; sunglasses; splashes; flip flops; etc.
Don’t limit your mini album to 6 pages.  Create as many or as few as you wish. 

Supply List:

Fiskars Brands: 94817797 No. 5 Micro-Tip® Scissors
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_no-5-micro-tip-scissors.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-9902 7097 Desktop Rotary Trimmer
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_desktop-rotary-trimmer.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-99037097 28mm Scoring Rotary Blade – Blade Style F
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_28mm-scoring-rotary-blade.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 4800 7097 Ultra ShapeXpress™
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_ultra-shapexpress.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 4850 7097 ShapeTemplate™ Tool - Circles-1 w/Scallop Border
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_shapetemplate-tool-circles-1-wsca.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 8608 7097 12 x 12 Craft Mat
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_125-x-125-cutting-mat.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-7436 7097 Medium Squeeze Punch - Round n’ Round
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_round-n-round-m.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-7424 7097 Large Squeeze Punch - Round n’ Round
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_roundnnroundl.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-7414 7097 Extra Large Squeeze Punch - Round n’ Round
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_round-n-round.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-74337097 Large Squeeze Punch - Funky Love
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_funky-love-l.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-74237097 Extra Large Squeeze Punch - Funky Love
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_funky-love.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-74417097 Medium Squeeze Punch - Twinkle, Twinkle
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_twinkle-twinkle-m.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-74187097 Extra Large Squeeze Punch - Twinkle, Twinkle
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_twinkle-twinkle.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-74177097 Extra Large Squeeze Punch - He Said, She Said
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_he-said-she-said.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-74197097 Medium Squeeze Punch - That’s Amore
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_thats-amore-m.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-73087097 Large Squeeze Punch - That’s Amore
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_thats-amore-large.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-74197097 Extra Large Squeeze Punch - That’s Amore
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_thats-amore.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-74317097 Large Squeeze Punch - One Way
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_one-way-l.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-74207097 Extra Large Squeeze Punch - One Way
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_one-way.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-73257097 Extra Large Squeeze Punch - Mint Condition
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_xl-squeeze-punch-mint-condition-ls.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-74327097 Large Squeeze Punch - Nice Tri
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_nice-tri-l.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-74537097 Medium Squeeze Punch - High Five
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_high-five-m.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-7327 7097 Extra Large Squeeze Punch - You Bracket, You Bought It
Fiskars Brands: 12-7329 7097 Corner Squeeze Punch - ¼ Round the Corner
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_cornersqueeze-roundthebend.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-7332 7097 Corner Squeeze Punch - Chip Off the Ol’ Block
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_squeezecorner-chipoffblock.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-7331 7097 Corner Squeeze Punch – Admission for One
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_squeezecorner-admissionforone.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-25637097 Pop-Up Punch – Circle
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_pop-up-punch-circle.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 23527097 Hand Punch – ¼” Circle
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_hand-punch-14-circle.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 23507097 Hand Punch – 1/16” Circle
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_hand-punch-116-circle.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 01-004599 Border Punch – Boundary Waters
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_borderpunch-boundary-waters.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 01-004596 Border Punch – Scalloped Sentiment
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_borderpunch-scallop-sentiment.aspx
Fiskars Brands: 12-33897097 Tape Runner (adhesive)
http://www.fiskarscrafts.com/tools/t_tape-runner.aspx
Heidi Grace Designs: Alpha Stickers – Beyond the Sea, We Are Family, Day Dream Believer, A Little Bird’s Tale, Midnight Kisses, Harvest Row, It’s My Party
http://www.heidigrace.com/productlist
Other: cardstock – black, white, kraft (7) & mix of bright, vibrant colors