Looking to unfold a little fun this week? Try out this fold out Accordion Mini Album Tutorial by Jenn DuBell. This scrapbook is a part of our #ClubG45LeveledUp series where we ask our Graphic 45 Brand Ambassadors to take one of our monthly kit tutorials and add their own spin to it. Jenn has added file folder pockets and so many more interactive details show below all using our Ephemera Queen paper collection.

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Leveled Up Accordion Mini Album Featuring

Ephemera Queen

By Jenn DuBell

Today I have a walkthrough and instructions on how I leveled up this Club G45 project by Annette Green from 2019.

This little accordion mini album is so fun to make as well as simple and quite versatile. Annette created this using the Dreamland (retired) collection and I have chosen the Ephemera Queen collection for my level up version. My album has many elements that are the same as hers and a few new ones including a fun shaker box element on my cover!

For the instruction sheet of Annette’s original project here is the link: Dreamland Accordion Mini Album by Annette Green

Video Tour:

Accordion Mini Album by Jenn DuBell | Graphic 45

Original Video Tutorial:

[Tutorial] Accordion Mini Album Featuring Dreamland: Club G45 Vol 11 – 2019

Leveled- Up instructions:

For the album base I have followed the original instructions. Ivory cardstock cut to 5 ½”X7 ¾” and scored with paper tall ½” from the right edge. Cut a 10”X 7 ¾” piece and score with paper wide at ½”, 6 ½”, and 7”. Join the two as shown above overlapping the ½” scored areas.

Cut a 5 ½”X 7 ¾” piece of Les Chapeaux (a side)and score with paper tall ½” from the right edge. Cut another piece of the same at 3 ½”X 7 ¾” and score with paper tall ½” from the left edge. Cut a 5 ⅞”X7 ¾” piece of blue from Patterns and Solids pad. Adhere these to the inside of constructed base, matching up score lines and burnish well.

Turn album over to the front side. Cut and adhere a 3”X7 ¾” piece of String of Pearls (A side)to left panel, a 5 ⅞”X7 ¾” piece String of Pearls (B side) to center, and a 5X7 ¾” piece of Oh Happy Day (B Side) to the right. Cut two ½”X7 ¾” strips of green dot from P&S and adhere to the ½” spaces between scores. Round corners of the album if desired.

4.For the accordion pages portion cut cut the following:

2 – Simply the Best ( 1 of each side) 5 ¾”X7” and score ½” from left edges of each,String of Pearls 5 ¼”X7” (no scoring)and 2 – Treat Youself (1 of each side)5 ¾”X7” scored at ½” from right.

5. Adhere the pieces from step 4 in the order shown below, starting right to left in photo, to form the accordion page unit.

Flip side should look like the photo below.

6. Following the original instructions, adhere the last page (String of Pearls A side up)of the accordion page unit into the center panel of the album base, centered and folded as shown.

Because my album has a shaker box element rather than the original photo slide created we will skip the original instructions step 7-10. If you want to do those please refer to the original PDF.

The shaker box element was built and then the following steps were taken prior to adhering it. I also decorated the entire inside of my album before the shaker and cover embellishments.

To adhere the shaker box element place the die cut piece with the sentiment “Wisdom begins in Wonder” on the album cover where it will be visible under the shaker box. Adhere with glue on top of ribbon and then adhere the box. The die cut element used to cover my shaker was cut to size and the remaining piece was placed over a wrapped piece of chipboard and adhered just under the shaker box. I then followed the original instructions step 10 for the chipboard piece and butterfly chipboard. I also used the heart chipboard piece and tied my ribbon through it and adhered in the same way as the original. (See main photo for reference at the top of this post.)

Now onto decorating and embellishing the inside!

For this portion I have made several changes.

Page 1. This page was done the same as the original with the following papers:

3 ½”X5” – String of Pearls Side B

3”X3 ½” – Simply the Best Side B

Adorned with 2 die cut hearts, a die cut rose, chipboard piece with yellow jute string and one of the fancy die cut corners I cut from the die set and scraps.

Page 2. This page is adorned with a chipboard piece tied with yellow string and a sticker from the collection was added to the bottom.

Page 3. Follow original instructions for the double pocket. (Step 16) using the following:

5 ¾”X4 ¼” – Les Chapeaux Side B scored ½” on both sides and across the bottom. Cut away corners as shown below.

4 ⅜”X3 ¼” piece – Simply the Best Side B

Fold and burnish score lines of the large pocket and adhere by using glue on the ½” flaps then adhere the yellow pocket by adhering with glue on sides and across the bottom.

Adorn with a fancy die cut corner and cut a part from Oh Happy Day Side A.

Create 2 tags and a photo mat for these pockets as follows:

Pink script/dark pink Patterns & Solids – 4 ½”X6” (corners rounded, edges inked) Add a sticker folder over.

Tag 1 – 2 ½”X8” folded in half, hole punched and strung with yellow string.

I used the green dot/green from patterns & Solids

Tag 2 – 2 ¾”X 7 ¾” folded in half, hole punched and strung with yellow string.

I used Les Chapeaux Side A

Tags can be made from any leftover papers of the correct size.

Page 4. This page was decorated very similar to Annette’s original using cut aparts from If The Shoe Fits Side A and the small cards from Ephemera Queen Side A. Adhere by adding glue only to sides and bottom portions to create the pocket. Add a chipboard circle.

Photo mat 3 ⅝”X5 ¾” Simply The Best Add Dreaming is Doing sticker to adorn.

Page 5. Die cut piece adhered on the right side and across bottom only to create a tuck spot for the cut away cut from Oh Happy Day.

Page 6. Cut the card strip from Oh Happy Day to 1 ¾”X6 ¾” and adhere using glue on the left side and a small amount on the top and bottom. This will form a tuck in spot which I have placed a journaling card in.

Page 7. For this page I have used the template on the packaging for the file folder. This was done using the blue floral/blue from Patterns & Solids.

Inside I fussy cut the journaling card from Oh Happy Day Side A and adhered to the inside of the file gluing only the sides and bottom to create a tuck spot for the bookmark also created with one of the templates. Adorn the front of file with a cut away from If The Shoe Fits Side A. This is adhered by adding glue to the left side and bottom portions only to create a tuck spot for a journaling card.

To adhere the pocket leaving room for the charm clip see photo below.

Draw around the clip leaving some space on the sides and the bottom before adding scoretape. Then add scoretape as shown below and adher pocket to the page. This will create a small pocket for the charm clip to slide in and out easily.

Page 8. Cut the border shown above from Oh Happy Day Side A and adhere with glue along the right edge and a small amount on the top and bottom of the strip. Adhere about ¼” from the left side of the page. Insert cut apart shown from the same paper.

Page 9. This page is similar to the original with different cut aparts. The card was cut from A Winning Hand Side A. The fussy cut tickets are from Ephemera Queen Side A. The card is adhered with glue only on the left side and bottom followed by the tickets which were adhered with foam adhesive tape on the edges to create the pocket. A journaling card and photo mat were added. The photo mat was cut from Treat Yourself Side A and measures 3 ½”X5” with rounded corners.

Finally we will create the angled pocket for the front inside cover and two tags to tuck inside of it.

The pocket is created in the same way Annette created hers and is as follows:

Cut a 5”X6” piece of Treat Yourself Side B. Score at ½” from left and across the bottom. Trim away the corner as shown.

Next, flip over and fold as shown.

Burnish well and adhere to the inside front cover with adhesive on the ½” scored flaps only.

Adorn pocket with cut aparts, die cut piece, and strung chipboard piece. Create two tags for the inside.

Mine are as follows:

3 ½”X6” – Pink script/pink Patterns & Solids corners trimmed on top. A round sticker was added to the top middle and then a hole was punched. Add string.

4”X7” – Green Dot/Green Patterns & Solids – repeat steps above.

The tags are adorned with a card cut apart from A Winning Hand Side A, Border from Oh Happy Day Side A on the green and die cut pieces on the pink.” ~Jenn