Monday Muses: School Day Box Album

Hello Everyone,
It is back to me - Ali - for your Monday Muses.
I did a little shopping this weekend - nothing special just the usual 'box' store for some household supplies and then off to the grocery store so my family can eat this week. But while doing these very normal errands I discovered a trend I am definately NOT ready to embrace. It is BACK TO SCHOOL time! Yes you heard me - the school supplies were everywhere and I saw parents and students taking the journey down the school aisles with list in hand. Glue sticks where flying off the shelves, paper was sailing into carts, and all the pencils were standing at attention saying 'pick me pick me'. I have to admit, shopping for school supplies is one of my FAVORITE activities to do with my kids. I love the look of a clean notebook and sharp pencils. But alas, I am not ready to send my kids back to school yet. We are having a really fun summer, they are at a terrific age of discovery, and fankly school starts too early this year (August 20th for us). They say they are giving us extra time at winter break, but winter here is kind of yucky - not all snowy and pretty, but wet, grimy, and not much fun. So I would rather have more time NOW in the beautiful sunshine. Besides I LOVE lazy pajama days!
Okay - I hear you - you are saying - enough with the musing we want to see product and samples. My musing does have a point....school days - have you seen the collection? Here is a box album I did with a simple box that was about 4x6 and the MOSD school days collection. You might even spy a couple of techniques for attaching transparencies...



This is our School Days Topper - and the first technique for adhering a transparency. For this one I simply tied the transparency to a piece of cardstock and then I attached the cardstock to the covered box. I used a glue pen and 'wrote' on the back of the transparency behind the printing to give it a little extra stick.

Here is Technique number two (School Days Translated): Did you know you can use paint like an adhesive? I turned the transparency upside down and laid the word learn on top of it. I then painted with plain white acrylic paint over the top of both of them. Enough paint seeped around the edges of the word learn to hold it firmly to the transparency, and then I used adhesive behind the word learn to attach the entire piece to the page.
Technique number 3 (School Days Monogram): This one is pretty simple and you have probably already done it - but you can attach your transparencies using brads.
Bonus Technique: If you love the look of clear or 'see through' and you have a double sided 'ablum' like this one...simply line up both the front and back pages and punch through both of them. Then make a transparency sandwich with punched shapes, or stickers, using your punched out 'circles' (in this case) as a guide. Glue your transparency sandwich between the two pages and PRESTO - magic!

There you have it - a few techniques and a back to school mini box album sure to give you an A+. Now your homework...

1 - Make a plan for your first day of school pictures - think about the lighting at the time of day you send your kids off to school, it the lighting is bad - too dark or too bright think about where you will take your photos. If it is inside make sure you straighten up the night before so you don't have cluttered backgrounds or messes to try to scrap around.

2 - charge those camera batteries if shooting digital, or make sure you have film on hand if you shoot with a traditional camera

3 - stock up on some great school days collections for those pages

4 - get those kids on the bus and plan a morning of 'back to scrapping'

Leave me a comment and I will pick a winner to receive a school days collection.

ENJOY!