An altered Valentine...

Warning: this post has a TON of photos.

(which are better seen if you click on them to see them larger)

This post was supposed to go up yesterday, but then all the neighbors started shoveling so I was guilted into going out and shoveling about 2 hours before I had actually planned to do it. Then, I never got back on the computer all day long....but I did read 2 books!?! I have got to stop doing that so that I can get SOMETHING else done around here. Hehe!

Like I mentioned in my first Valentine's Day post (you can see what I received on that post), we did a Secret Admirer exchange within the design team for Paper Makeup Stamps. This post is about what I made for my admiree, Tangii... an altered inspiration portfolio folder.

(outside cover)

The overall idea behind this project is the idea of an inspiration board.

I started out with a 7gypsies large portfolio folder and pulled some papers (mostly Scenic Route), stamps, and ribbons and simply started layering it up.

(detail of the cover)

Stamps used:

*Paper Makeup Stamps Moody for Art

*Paper Makeup Stamps Art is Life

*Unity Stamp Co. Donna Downey Inspired

This is the first section of the folder. I had inserted another file folder into the interior of the portfolio to add more pages to it. Luckily that additional file folder was already this great black & white floral that worked so well with my existing color scheme. I just had to cover the monogrammed "S" on the cover of it.

(rub-on corner from Prima)

This portfolio was supposed to create an inspirational look, but it also contained my gift for my admiree so there are bits and pieces like these ribbon tags inserted throughout the portfolio.

The detail of how I covered the monogram "S" on the cover of the file.

Most of the items in the portfolio were attached using ribbons for easy removal without destroying the entire project.

This is the interior of the added file folder. Lots of bits/gifts in here.

Simply some of the decorative details.

This is a 7gypsies library envelope. Inserted within it were some Tim Holtz tags tied up with string.

Simply some added embellishments. Notice they are in a ziploc that I added with the zipper exposed so they coulee be removed easily. That "Artist" is a Tim Holtz stamp.

This little sack held a tag full of antique buttons.

Another rub-on detail from Prima. This is the top of the glassine envelope that was on the right side of the interior of this file folder. It held a Unity stamp kit. I had it set up so that you could simply slide the top off and pull the stamps out, but I have a feeling that was harder said than done, so this probably got destroyed in the unwrapping...which is totally okay. ;o)

This was the final page of the portfolio. That gift wrap section in the center was a pile of 6x6 papers. There was a final flap over there on the right where I added a bookmark. I have a separate blog post for it that will be up later in the week.

I hope that you have had fun looking at this project. I had so much fun making it!!! Luckily when I bought this portfolio, I bought several of them, so you should be seeing more of these in the future!