We spent this weekend with family in Portland, OR, and had a super time. I produced my next project while up there, with guidance and advice from my sister-in-law, who is much craftier than I am and will henceforth be known as RD SIL. We had such fun crafting together that we went to the same cool craft store for supplies 2 days in a row. And we were only up there for about 50 hours.
Alright. Before I get into the project details, I’ve got a bone to pick with Martha. Having completed 5 projects from the Encyclopedia, I’ve already come to a general conclusion that I hope will be proved wrong with the coming chapters. But to this point, with the albums, Martha’s book has far, far too many obscure materials. Virtually every project I’ve done has required intense effort, before the project even begins, just to find the things I need to make the craft. This is not the ideal state of things.
This time, there were multiple obscure elements. Some of which you wouldn’t think were obscure. I suppose in this internet age, we can just order everything online, but sometimes you want to make something right now and you don’t want to wait a week to get something via USPS.
This project calls for airmail envelopes. Remember these? I certainly do, and I definitely didn’t think they were going to be hard to find. Long story short? I went to six different stores before I found them. I had to stop at Michaels (I kind of live there these days), and I had what I thought was a reasonable expectation that Michaels would have airmail envelopes. Nope. I tried Target, because usually Target has everything, but not airmail envelopes. So then I thought, “Well, Staples MUST have them.” I drove out of my way to go to Staples, where they did NOT have airmail envelopes. In fact, everyone in the place looked at me like I was asking them for Bladderwrack or something. Airmail, envelopes, people. Is this that unusual?
So, no Michaels, no Target, no Staples. Where next? Post Masters! You know, this place:
You know this place. It's always next to the mini mall donut shop.
I know you’ve been here. I used to go to this little Mailboxes Etc-type joint all the time in my old neighborhood because we could walk there, they had a postal drop, and it was a reason to get out of the house with an infant. And I remember them having all kinds of supplies. I asked the nice man behind the counter who at least knew what I was talking about, but alas, did not have airmail envelopes. Since he knew what I was talking about, I decided to ask him, “Do you know where I can get airmail envelopes?” And he had a brilliant idea: um, hello, the post office? Duh? I felt supremely stupid. But, you’ll notice that the post office is only place number 5, so you know where this is going. They must have them at the post office, right? RIGHT? Wrong. In fact, the brain surgeons at the post office kept sending me to the priority mail wall. ”Right over there, on the top, those are the smallest ones we have.” No, GENIUS, I’m looking for AIRMAIL envelopes. Finally, my last ditch effort was to try this little mom and pop stationery store that is, amazingly, still in business. All the choirs of heaven sang in unison when I asked for airmail envelopes and the salesperson actually started walking towards a destination.
So I finally found my airmail envelopes. Then, I needed an out-of-date travel book that is tall and thin. The idea behind the Guidebook Album is that it unfolds like a map, accordion-style. So you have to make the accordion by taking apart an old guidebook (from the place you are scrapbooking about) and create an accordion out of it. But in order to make it work, you need a tall, thin book, and it has to be hardcover.
I will not go into excruciating detail about all the ways I tried to find a vintage travel book that didn’t cost $100, but I will say it involved RD SIL driving me to downtown Portland to visit the ACTUAL Powell’s Books storefront, which is the biggest bookstore ever, covering about a square block. Guess what? They didn’t have what I needed. Sure, it seems easy when the Encyclopedia tells you, “For these two albums, out-of-date travel books from destination cities (found at used bookstores) were taken apart.” Out-of-date travel books sounds easy and cheap, but what it really means is vintage and expensive.
RD SIL and I had to think on our feet. She suggested to me that I just get an accordion map, and bing! We had a solution. I bought a laminated, accordion-style Portland map for $6.95 and we were on our way.
So here’s what I essentially had to do to approximate the Martha project without spending a fortune and ripping my hair out. I took the map and cut two pieces of cardboard to match the size of the front and back covers. I attached them to the covers with this amazing double-sided tape that is stickier than all get out that RD SIL had. Then I cut travel-patterned decorative papers about an inch bigger than the cardboard and covered the cardboard with it, folding it over on the sides with a mitred edge.
the map and the cardboard I cut for the ends
Everything’s sitting on a purple background here, in case that looks confusing.
the back of the map on top of patterned paper, with mitred corners ready to fold
And this is what the final cover looked like, with some embellishments:
Those of you who hated the LOST finale are now thinking, “But where on earth are the airmail envelopes? After all that build up, she’s not going to tell us about the airmail envelopes?”
A cool element of this album is that it has its own mini-album within it. Made out of… AIRMAIL ENVELOPES. It’s kind of a cute idea, especially since you don’t have all that many pages to put photos on with the accordion thing. Here’s what it looks like:
I added my photos and embellishments, and it looks pretty good.
TIME INVESTED
About 6 hours
A lot. Not counting the hours spent shopping trying to find the right stuff (at least 3 – 4), the project took about 6 hours, and that’s only for the front side of the accordion.
DIFFICULTY
Moderate
Mitre-ing the corners and getting things to line up can be tricky. The mini-album required precision measuring and X-acto knife work.
TOTAL COST
- accordion map, $6.95
- 2 decorative papers, $0.99 each
- airmail envelopes, $4.99
Total = $13.92
Embellishments, cardboard, and tape not included in this cost estimate.
WAS IT WORTH IT?
No. It was very labor intensive for a small album that doesn’t hold a lot of photos. It’s a cute idea for a gift if you really want to put some serious personalization and time into it, but not worth it as an alternative vacation album.
SOURCES
You can get airmail envelopes through Amazon.
Phew. I can’t tell you how done I am with albums, and I still have about 8 to make. I can’t wait to get to beading.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, girl. You’ve taken it to a whole new level! I would’ve thrown in the towel after the POST OFFICE didn’t have airmail envelopes. (Sheesh! What’s up with that?) I am fer real impressed with your tenacity!
The album is super cute, but does seem like a huge amount of work for something that won’t hold a lot of pics. You’re right though–it would make an adorable gift!
The old travel book thing is so funny–and typical! Don’t you love how decorating magazines and such talk about “picking up a couple this-and-that at your local thrift store”? My local thrift store never has vintage, solid wood dining room chairs or whatever.
Well done! Keep crankin’ them out!
I am seriously exhausted thinking about all the fruitless shopping! Who would have thought airmail envelopes would be that hard to find?
It looks really cute! Question: how did you attach the envelopes to the page? Did you glue them by the flaps?
And 8 more albums! Girl, I don’t think I would have enough memorabilia to do all that! Any chance you could give yourself a pass on some of those?
Well done indeed!