Caribbean Gatefold Album

 After a long hiatus, I am back working on my Caribbean album.  I've always wanted to try a gate fold album, but I'm realizing a few TRICKY BITS about it that I hadn't considered before.

As you can see from the pictures, the idea was to have 2 pages that open up "gate style", with photos and a post card on the front (top photo), with my journaling on the back (bottom photo).  Once these pages open, a full page underneath would be visible.  The full pages would alternate as right turning or left turning pages, so the bound spines would be equal in size.

This is great in theory, but I am finding that as the album gets bigger, it is a bit of a PUZZLE to get it closed again.  Maybe it will be better once I get it bound, which is tricky bit #2.

I'm doing the pages first, and then binding them, as I think it will be easier to work on.  I will have to be really, really careful when I bind, or I may have pages going the wrong way. 

I'm trying to keep this album as flat as I can, I've had some trying times with past albums getting way to thick.  So I'm back to cutting out the backs of the mats, and keeping embellishments as thin as possible. 

The paper I'm using is Webster's Pages and Bo Bunny.  There is a little Theresa Collins in there as well.  And that butterfly is G45.  I'm playing with large stamps and Perfect Pearls (the grass and crab in the top photo), and the odd Memory Box die cut is finding its way onto the pages. 

On the UFO front, I have dragged out an old afghan I have been knitting for years.  I have been procrastinating because once I started, I realized I didn't really like knitting the pattern ("moss stitch" sounded so innocent!), and I wasn't thrilled with the colour palette I had chosen.  So I'm taking things into my own hands and switching it up.  I'll keep you posted.

Until next time.....