Flip Album - my version, with tutorial

Okay, think waaaaay back to March, LOL. Remember this flip album that I made? Well, I've been revisiting it for a couple reasons. One was that a good friend requested that I make some for her, and I'm finally getting around to it - at least here's one done, LeAnn. :) The other reason is that after I posted my original album, a very sweet stamper - I don't remember her name, sorry! - took the time to look up my phone number and call me to ask me some questions about it, and I promised that someday I would make a tutorial on it. So I'm finally getting around to it, and I hope that wherever she is, she's reading and sees this!

My album is based on Chiaki Haverstick's directions here. I have made a few changes, which is why I'm doing my own tutorial - I don't want to take anything away from Chiaki's wonderful work or try to one-up her or anything, really! Mostly my changes relate to the fact that when I made mine, it didn't want to close very well, so I made some modifications that, for me, have helped with that issue.

I was also semi-inspired by Erin's lovely baby girl album. I started out intending to use this same scrappin' kit but I messed it up, so I used the wedding kit Tie the Knot instead. So, let's get started! Let me just say, do not attempt to do this when you are either tired or in a hurry, or both - it's a little complicated, and if anything in my tutorial doesn't make sense, please let me know! And remember, if you click the photos you can see them larger.

Supplies:
2 sheets 12x12 cardstock in color 1
1 or 2 sheets 12x12 cardstock in color 2 (I used 2)
Extra coordinating cardstock for layering (I used one sheet each of the two other colors in the kit)
Coordinating designer paper (I used 3 of the double-sided sheets in the kit)
Coordinating borders and stickers from kit (optional)
Paper trimmer
Scor-Pal or other scoring tool
Sticky strip or similar strong adhesive
SNAIL or other tape runner
Ribbon - one piece approx. 2 ft. in length
Cardstock, stickers, stamps, punches, etc., for decorating pages as desired

Step 1. Cut color 1 cardstock as follows:
6" x 12" (1 piece), 5.75" x 12" (3 pieces)

Step 2. Cut color 2 cardstock into 5.5" squares. You will need at least 4; I used both sheets to get 8.


Step 3. Score your 6x12 cardstock 2 7/8" and 2 5/8" from each end. If you're using the Scor-Pal, you can position the edge 1/8" in from the left, then move in another 1/4" for the second score line.


Step 4. Fold on each score line to make your cover. It will wrap around the flap pieces on the inside. When finished it will look like this:


Step 5. Score your other color 1 pieces 3" from each end. (Note: if using textured cardstock, you want to score them all on the same side - textured side up or down on all three. I scored with the textured side down.) Then fold on the score lines. These will make the inside flaps. I'll refer to them as the inside pieces.


Step 6. Take one of your inside pieces and apply sticky strip to the left flap. Leave at least 1/8" between the score line and where you place your tape.


Step 7. Take another of the inside pieces and line up the right score line with the right strip of tape on the bottom piece. This will leave the right flap of the top piece free to open and close. Remember to maintain that 1/8" clearance between the score lines on your top and bottom layers - this is important for helping the album to close well.


Step 8. Fold this left set of flaps closed and apply sticky strip to the flap on the right side of your bottom piece, again leaving at least 1/8" clearance from the score line (which should approximately line up with the folded flap).


Step 9. Attach third inside piece to the right flap in the same way as in step 7. When all three pieces are connected, it should look like this when open:


Step 10. Turn your attached inside pieces over (flaps should be facing down) and apply sticky strip to the solid square in the center. (I actually put the tape all the way around the square - just took the photo too soon. Sorry!)


Step 11. Take your cover piece and lay it on the work surface open, with the inside of the cover facing you. Place the center square of the inside pieces so that it is centered within the square of the cover piece and adhere. Now your album should look like this, first open:


And closed:








Step 12. Take four of your color 2 5.5" squares and decorate as desired. Remember that one is going to be on the front cover of your album.


Step 13. Take your strip of ribbon and wrap it around the closed album, leaving the same length of ribbon free on the right side on both ends.


Step 14. Take your decorated cover square and adhere sticky strip only on the left side - otherwise when you adhere it, it could stick to the rest of the album. Holding the ribbon in place, adhere the left side of the square to the left cover flap. I suggest leaving a slightly larger margin on the left side, or else the right edge of your cover piece on the other flap may show when the album is closed.


Step 15. Open this cover and secure the ribbon to the back of your decorated square with Scotch tape, then adhere a second square to the back of the first square so that your flap is now enclosed.

Step 16. Secure the ribbon to the back of your album with the tape runner.


Step 17. Repeat the same process for the other cover flap with your two remaining decorated squares, only this time the ribbon does not go between your squares. Keep it off to the right so that you can tie your bow when you're all done.


This shows the fourth square, open (the ribbon tail is covered up when this flap is open):

Now you are ready to decorate the rest of your album. You have five more square surfaces and eight flap surfaces. I ended up using some of the brown on my flaps and cutting a couple squares of a different color cardstock from the kit. Note: I highly recommend using the sticky strip to adhere your various pieces, especially if they are going onto textured cardstock.

If you wish to use layers for the flaps as I did, the measurements are:
Cardstock bottom layer is 5.5" x 2.75"
Designer paper or lighter cardstock layer is 5.25" x 2.5"


Here's how the rest of my album looks. This is the first flap open, showing the inside half of the "cover":


This shows the center and right of the album when the second cover flap is open:


Now I've opened the "This Day and Always" page to show the first set of flaps. The center "love" page is the back of the second set of flaps.


This shows the very back of the inside, once the second set of flaps is flipped over.


First set of flaps open:


Second set of flaps open:


The whole album opened up:

Whew! I think that was almost as much effort as making the album itself. ;) I really love how it turned out. I encourage you to try this out yourself - the scrappin' kits make it easy to embellish the pages since you can cut the border strips to whatever size you want or use your punches to change the shape of the stickers. If you do try this version, leave me a link so I can see your creation, and please give me feedback on the tutorial if anything is confusing or doesn't seem to work for you. This is my first time doing a tutorial as complex as this one and I want to know if something doesn't make sense. Really!

Here's a rundown of what I used in my album:
Tie the Knot Simply Scrappin' kit
Extra very vanilla plain cardstock for some layers and stamping
Chocolate chip and certainly celery ink
To Have and To Hold and Together Forever stamp sets
Kraft taffeta ribbon
Dimensionals for cover
Scallop, 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle, and photo corner punches