If you are looking for the Heartfelt Creations Blog Hop, click HERE. The Mini Album Makers Challenge will feature a monthly challenge, with each Design Team Member posting a link to a mini album tutorial, tip, or trick on the 1st of each month. Then, one team member will post a full tutorial on the 14th of each month! (This is my tutorial month, so watch for an extra tutorial on the 14th!) In addition, there will be guest makers each month! The team will pick our FAVORITE project to be the next GUEST MAKER! Click HERE for the April Challenge! You will have all month to make a NEW project and enter the challenge for a chance to win a prize. (See prize details at the end of the post.) Winners will be posted on the 7th of each month on the Mini Album Makers Blog. I used the NEW Graphic 45 Sun Kissed Collection to make a colorful beach-themed mini for this month's tutorial. I love the blue and orange tones of this paper. My mini this month is in the classic style that I usually make, but is a little larger than my usual offering. This one is 8" tall by 5" wide with a 1 1/2" spine. There are four pages and two large pockets on the inside front and back covers. The front is a fun collage of paper, flowers, micro beads, and charms, with a luscious yellow bow to top it all off! I have a few fun techniques for you this month, so let's get busy making a mini! We have to start off by splicing some cardstock together because we need a 10" x 14" piece, and my cardstock only comes in 12" x 12". Cut one piece of black cardstock to 10" x 12" and a second piece to 10" x 4". Overlap the cardstock to create the 14" width needed. For the covers and spine you need two pieces of chipboard measuring 8" x 5" and one piece that is 8" x 1 1/2". Attach the chipboard to the center of the cardstock, leaving a 3/16" gutter between the spine piece and the cover pieces. Angle the cardstock corners and apply double-sided tape to the flaps. Wrap the cardstock around the chipboard and gently score the gutters. Cut black cardstock to 7 1/2" x 6 3/4" and score on the shorter side at 1", 1 1/2", 2", 2 1/4", 2 3/4", 3 1/4", 3 1/2", 4", 4 1/2", 4 3/4", 5 1/4", 5 3/4". Fold the cardstock to create the hinges in the same manner as described HERE. You will have four (4) hings, with1/4" gutters between the hinges. Attach decorative paper to the spine, then attach the hinge mechanism. Attach decorative paper to the inside of the covers, as shown. Now, we will create some large pockets and tags for the inside front and back covers. A number (a big number) of years ago, I purchased some HUGE pre-made tags and pockets. I am not sure what they were meant for, but they've languished in my stash for AGES. I decided to make use of them for this mini! The pockets are 5 1/2" tall and 4 3/4" wide when folded. {I am only using two for this project, so I will have TONS leftover for...something else!} Each pocket has a strange tab at the top, so I decided to cut that off and then round the top corners (see the left side of the photo above). I cut paper to fit the front of the tag, using a large circle punch to make the notch at the top of the pocket. I added double-sided adhesive to the tabs, which fold over to make the pocket. I flipped the pocket over and added decorative paper to just the top edge of the pocket. (This is the area where I cut that tab off and rounded the corners.) I then folded up the pocket. It's ready to attach to the inside of the album. I made two of these pockets. The pockets came with pre-made tags. I really don't care too much for the shape of the tags, so I decided to add the bottom of the tag to a Graphic 45 square tag. I cut the bottom off the pre-made tag and rounded the corners. I then attached to the G45 tag to make a 7 3/8" x 4 1/2" tag. I created two tags, one for each pocket. I added paper to the front and back of the tag. The tag fits into the pocket perfectly! I cut cardstock to create the pages for my mini. Each page is 7 3/4" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 3/4" on the long side. I used a circle punch to make a notch on the edge of the page. To create a pocket on the back of the folded page, cut cardsotck to 7 3/4" x 4 3/4" and cut a notch in the center of the panel. I then cut pocket inserts, measuring 6 3/4" x 4 1/4", with rounded corners. A few of the pages have a page flap, measuring 6 1/2" x 4", with a 1/2" score at the top to attach it to the page. I glued one of the main (folded) pages to each hinge. I added the center-notched piece to the back of each hinge to make the pocket. (To see all the pages in the album, scroll down.) I decided to fussy cut some of the images from the paper collection to use on the front of my mini. I also cut the front cover piece out of the Sun Kissed signature sheet. I added the paper to the front and back covers, and to the spine. I used glue and foam adhesive to attach the various fussy cut pieces to the cover. I wanted to cover up the little girl's legs in the main image. I added the sticker tag from the collection to black cardstock and then placed it at an angle on the front cover. I wanted to add some micro beads to various areas of the cover, as shown. To add the beads to the cover, I first place a bit of glue onto the paper where I want the beads to go. Then, I pour some beads into a paper bowl .I add a blob of glue to the bowl. With a toothpick, I mix the glue into the beads. I can then pick up glue and bead blobs with the toothpick and add them to the cover. The glue dries clear, giving me a love blob of beads! I added some charms as well. I love how the beads look with the metal charms. I added some flowers and a poofy bow to finish off the cover. I tucked a few more charms into the flower bouquet. The cover is finished! Here is the back and side view. Now, let's take a look at each page. The inside front cover, with the large pocket and tag. Page 1 has the folded page that flips open. Here is a view with the page flipped open and the tag out of the pocket. I used the 12" x 12" papers and the stickers, plus the ephemera cards from the Sun Kissed Collection (Graphic 45). Here is the back of the tag with one of the ephemera cards. Page 2 is has a side pocket and Page 3 has a flip insert. The side pocket contains a photo mat insert. Once you flip up the panel on Page 3, you can see that I added another ephemera card. Here is a look at the reverse side of the photo mat insert. Page 4 and Page 5 have the folded pages as mirror images. The pages flip open to reveal two side-pocket pages with photo mat inserts. This is what the photo mats look like on the reverse side. Page 6 has a side pocket and Page 7 is the fold-out page. Here is the photo mat insert and the Page 7 flipped open. Here is the reverse side of the photo mat. Page 8 is a flip page. I added an ephemera card to the inside back cover pocket. This is the flap flipped up and the tag out of the pocket. The reverse side of the tag. Thanks for joining me today! I hope that this will inspire you to "bring on the summer!" Below is a full list of the Design Team, with links to their blogs! Make sure to visit them and give them some bloggy love! Alison Bomber Anne Redfern Astrid Maclean Autumn Clark Gloria Stengel (you are here) Inna Bronnikova Nancy Wethington Our Prize Sponsor this month is.... Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Prize Pack Website Blog Instructionals and Kits Our challenge follows a few simple rules: Any Handmade Book Goes. Enter any form of handmade mini albums, scrapbooks, journals, and book arts. Our focus is on completed works, so no layouts or journal spreads that are not part of a complete handmade book project. You do not have to provide a tutorial, but we wish you would. Feel free to use one of the DT tutorials to make your project and give proper credit where due. No back links allowed (this means your project must be first seen on social media between April 1st and April 30th, 2018). Combine with any other challenges as applicable. No limit on entries. Share the love by visiting and commenting on other entries. Please become a follower. That's it - have fun! Click HERE to enter your project! Come back on May 1st for a new set of tutorials from the team! I will be back March 14th with another tutorial. Stay tuned! Cardstock: CutCardStock Basis Black Printed paper, stickers, ephemera cards: Graphic 45 Sun Kissed Chipboard: Grafix Tags: Graphic 45 Square Black, Pine Cone Press pre-made paper tags Pockets: Pine Cone Press Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts Ribbon: Really Reasonable Ribbon Maize Taffeta Charms: unknown Beads: craft supply Adhesive: Scor-tape, ATG tape, white glue, hot glue