Envelope Journal, page or album!

Hello!
How are you? Hope that better with this nice weather!
Here is a small tutorial and how to do journals using envelopes that come through the mail!
This is fun, we save money and we re use this envelopes and convert them in Art!
I usually prefer the big envelopes but you can use what ever size you like.

This one I did for X mas.  You can observe how I use the pockets and put tags, notes and little presents.

Here I put a framed picture.

This is the back cover of the Journal, I used the back cover of the paper pad in this case Graphic 45.

This is the front cover; I like to break the mould and not do the normal X mas stuff! Ja

Here are 2 videos of 2 other totally different Journal Envelopes, In this one I used magazine Inspiration  from Debbie Moore

The  X mas Fairy Journal

Flower Journal

Well lets go now to the how to! This little videos and picture is to inspire you!

1. Before doing anything choose a theme
2. Choose a purpose, this will depend what you are going to be using it for? Is it for a friend you can personalize it with your friend taste, or a picture/photos journal album, for sale; you must decide what you are going to use it, because this will depend how you arrange it and décor it. This one in t he tutorial the theme is garden, the purpose will be a picture or photo journal, for sale or for a person a don't know.
3. When you know the theme and purpose then you can decide the arrangement of the envelopes.
4. Decide how many envelopes you want to use, it is up to you, for this project I am using 6 envelopes and making 3 pages.

You can use any type and size of envelopes, I prefer this big ones

I usually try to be gentle when open the envelope, but if it tear you can still use it. Cutting the edge and do it very straight as possible.

Cut the edge with a scissor the straighter the better

Now we need the materials, in this case I will use papers from a magazine I have, and also lots of scarps papers can come useful.

1. Papers with the themes you have in mind.
2. Embellishment, ribbons, buttons etc.
3. Scraps papers from other projects.
4. Glue, pencil, scissor or crafting knife (be careful)
5. Embossing board, ruler.
6. 2 different size of circle punch (1 smaller 1 bigger)
7. 2 pieces of cardboard or packaging for the covers.
8. And the envelopes of course!

You can use the size you like, to do the principal pages of the album in this case I will use the height of the envelope and 6 inches wide, the leftover I don't cut it, I turn it into a pocket.

I measure the 6 inches then I score them.

After they have been score I fold them; then I proceed to glue on the paper. I usually use photo glue, this allow me to move the paper with out sticking right away, when it is glue like I want I use a stronger glue in the border and corners.

This is the first page of the album, I decide to cover it all with the same pattern paper from a magazine.

Now in this stage I have to decide how I will arrange it. The envelopes give you freedom in the arrangement and layouts.  I decide to paste another pattern paper in the other side of this same envelope. I call this type flipped envelope or an envelope with a flip! Ja
I use my punch to make an aperture for my pocket I decide to use the bigger punch.  The I glue some leftover scrap paper so it would look nice!

  This is my first envelope finish.  Now I will begin with the second doing it a bit different. First score it and fold it. The folded side (flip) will be glue to the body of the envelope.  That is why I only cover it with paper to the side of the envelope that would show, or that the flip doesn't cover.

I used an scrap paper from an old project you can observe that the butterfly  is  had been cut out.

So here I cover the cut-out with some piece of the same paper I used to cover the first envelope.

Then I cover the flip with pattern paper make the aperture and then glued to the body of the envelope. The other side of the envelope isn't cover.  I will paste it to another envelope.

As you can observe in the below picture  I will use the flip of the third envelope to paste it to the second envelope, so it will have a different style and arrangement.  In this pic. I use the clip to show how I will glued it, I haven't paste it still, I prefer to work the envelope first and when I am done I paste it.  It is easy to do this way; for example if you want to stamp, paint etc. 

Now I begin to work with the 3 envelope, like with the other I cover it with a pattern paper, punch the pockets and cover the behind of the aperture with some scrap paper. I position it over the 2 envelope and mark the blank space with a pencil so I can cover it also.

I decide not to cover it, instead I stamp it and use some flower that I cut from used filter coffee,  Usually I don't use sticker but in this case I use one golden so the edge of the paper didn't look so sharp. Then I pasted them and hold them with clip. 

The other blank side of the envelope 2&3 I paste a digital collage I make ages ago and didn't use it!

Now we had used 3 envelopes, but because we glue the 2 & 3 it will be count like 1 page.

Here I am using 2 envelopes, I cover one half of the envelope with the purple paper and leave the flip blank, then I cover the flip of envelope 2 with the garden boot pattern.

The envelope 1 is covering envelope 2.

Now I will proceed to measure what part will be visible so I cover it with paper.

Then we proceed to cover it with the paper we choose and when we are done we glue both envelopes.

This is one side of the envelope. Now here is the other side with 2 pockets.

Now that we had made the pages, we will pass  to do the back and front cover. For this I will use a thicker material from a packaging, not to thick either just hard enough to cover the journal.
I glue both side of the packaging with paper.

I distress a little bit of the paper with ink and embossing powders . To change it a little bit.

Here you can notice difference between the original paper with the one I distress.

 Now I had to do the same with the front cover, cover the packaging both side.  Usually I use embellishment in the front; appropriate with the theme.

Here is the inner  cover of the front, I will take the peg off as soon my ribbon is pasted.

Here is the front of the Journal, I will add a title also.  As soon the ribbon is ok, then we will proceed to open the holes for the rings.

Now here are all the pages for our journal. Remember to check for imperfections before you assemble it.

Here I realize that the corner of this page wasn't glue, so I glue it again

The pages made from used envelopes

The front and back covers, mad e using packaging.

I usually with a marker or ink pad I paint the edge for a more dramatic look; is all about what you like and the freedom to do it.

Now I will proceed to open the hole for the ring, depending on the size of the I do 2 or 3 holes. Because this is a small journal with 3 pages I decide to make 2 holes.

Depending on the size I mark the holes, here you can observed it were the pointer is.

Then using a hole opener, I use a Crop o Dile, I proceed to punch it.

 Then I continue to do it page by page always measuring that the punch are on the right place; when I finish I check using 2 sticks.

I proceed to look what size of ring to use, even this journal is small, the smaller ring wouldn't suitable; a big one either so I choose between my 2 medium size rings.

This are my 2 medium size, I use the smaller.

The rings already in the journal

 The themes is gardens so I look for butterflies, flowers and beads that match.

Then I look in my stash, embellishment to make a charm to hang in the first ring; The decorations should match the theme of the journal. 

I use ribbons for the ribbon. I tie them up to the rings

Here I just add some ribbons, fibres and threads. 

Here I add a charm and the Journal is finish! Oh I forgot the title! Jajajajaj

Hope you enjoy this tutorial, any question please e mail and we will answer as soon as possible!