Sputnik Mini Album

Supplies: mini album kit, additional patterned paper, stickers, and buttons all by October Afternoon; white acrylic paint by Deco Art; pearlescent paint and glitter glue by Ranger; twine by Crystal Palace (Panda Superwash); chipboard stars by DCWV; rhinestones by Petaloo; upcycled items: used postage stamps.

As I mentioned last month, I want to spotlight some outer-space-related projects on my blog.  Since I'm still in a Russian mood after my last post, I thought that today I'd show you the Sputnik album that you see pictured above.  "Sputnik" is one of my son's nicknames, and I created this album to celebrate some sweet moments from his toddler years.  I made the album with an October Afternoon chipboard mini album kit, but I added my own personal touches, including painting, computer-printed journaling, vintage Soviet and American space-related postage stamps, and other fun embellishments.  There are only six pages in this mini (including the front and back covers), so I'll walk you through the whole album in this post.

You already saw the front cover of the album at the top of this page.  Here is a close-up of my painting technique.  I mixed white acrylic paint with turquoise Stickles, then brushed a few coats of this mixture over the album cover.  To finish the look, I squirted a little more of the Stickles directly onto the album cover, then used a paintbrush to work the glitter into the painted layers.

Here is the first inside page of the book.  My journaling reads: "When Americans hear the word "Sputnik," they usually think of the Soviet Sputnik (Спутник) satellites from the 1950's.  While the Russian word "sputnik" can mean satellite, its other meaning is "fellow traveler."  Some translators also render the word as "companion," or even "side-kick."  Since little A. is our constant companion, "Sputnik" is one of his nicknames.

Here is the second page.  The caption reads: "constant companion."

The caption on this page reads: "li'l sidekick."

Here, the caption reads: "fellow traveller through life."

The back cover of the album bears the message: "We love you, little Sputnik.  Love, Daddy and Mommy."

I thought I'd close with this photo of the fun little the embellishment cluster from the front of the album.  Hope you've enjoyed this journey through my spaceship album!