Something Blue for the Graduate

 I created this graduation album back in May. This was a pretty special project for me.  It involved a lot of patience and timely communications with the client.

 I created a custom name card for on the front cover. This one is a little larger than my usual name cards, but it fit nicely with the words and verse that needed to be displayed on the cover.

 Inside, as you can see is a custom first page with the verses chosen by the client that come from the bible.

A very sweet and memorable graduation gift, don't you think?

Pastery Chef Graduation Autograph Flip Album

 Today, I wanted to share with you all a custom graduation autograph album that I just finished. It's a soft cover design with gold thread stab stitch binding. The inside pages are stamped "Best Wishes" just waiting to be filled with advice and well wishes.

Not to take away from the soft hued cover design, I added a little chef to the name card for this special pastery chef's graduation.

Way to go, Mollie!

No Matter the Occasion

I recently had to move my studio down into another part of our house. I simply out grow my tiny little work space. Now, however, I've got some elbow room.

I've been working on several different types of books lately.  Now that spring has sprung, rainy and wet and I can't wait for some sun shine, I've been working on a lot of bright and cheerful projects.

Tis the season for baby showers, bridal showers, retirement parties, graduations, and weddings.

There are probably 101 or more occasions that one can think of for the use of an autograph guest book album. There's nothing like creating those special memory books and flip albums filled with photos of a special occasion to last a life time.

How many times will you graduate from high school? college? get married? or have your first baby?

That's why many of my guest book albums have blank signature pages ready to write down those memories, best wishes, advice, and provide plenty of room for journaling. In the back are acid-free and lingign-free card stock pages that await your special photos. It's like a scrapbook to hold on and cherish through the generations.

What occasion is coming up in your life?

How soon should you be looking for a guest book?

I'm always getting asked, "Can I have this book by...."  then there is usually a date at the end of this question. Most of the time I'm able to create a book and have it shipped within the time frame. However, alot of times to ensure the package arrives on time I have to charge priority shipping.

And, 90% of the time we're talking soft cover or premade books that I already have made in my shops. 

So the big question for today, How soon should you be looking for a guest book?

There is no easy answer to this question, but here's a little advice.

If you're planning on having a custom, one-of-a-kind guest book made, I'd start searching as soon as you know the date of your occasion. Many times, book binders and other talented people need at least 2-4 weeks to create your special order. This doesn't include time for it to arrive once it's been shipped. Which depending on your location could take anywhere from 2 days to 14 days.

(That's why I ship a lot of my larger guest books and rush jobs via priority mail.)

Secondly, don't wait until Wednesday to have something shipped for Saturday. There's nothing worse than waiting for the mailman to arrive and wondering if you're package will make it on time.

If you're buying something pre-made, order two weeks (at least) before the event. I don't mind last minute orders, but it's a lot better on your stress level if you ensure you have a few days cushion for the mail man to deliver.

And lastly, when your shopping around for a guest book or any other book for your special occasion make sure you know who soon your item will be shipped. Pre-made orders from my shop are shipped within 48 hours of receipt of payment.  Most custom orders take on average two weeks for me to complete.  Every book binder and shop has their own time frame, make sure you and the shop your ordering from are on the same page when it comes to creation time, packaging, and shipping time.

If all else fails, ASK. It only hurts when you don't.

Have you started searching for your guest book yet? Why not? and when do you plan to start?

Congradulations to the Graduate!

You Go Girl Grad Autograph Book

 

Chad's cousin is graduation from PSU today. Way to go Kadi!

I got this really cute paper doll grad girl die cut from a shop on etsy.

Stab Stitch Binding

Best Wishes signature pages

Photo pages stamped with diplomas and hats

Graduation Autograph Books

I've been working on this idea for a little while now.  These are graduation autograph albums.  I don't know about you, but when I was in high school and even college we used to sign year books and tablets and even t-shirts with names and well wishes. Parents take a ton of photos for this special occasion and so, I got to thinking it would be nice to put them all together in a flip album type book to look back upon a few decades later.

Like most of my guest book albums, these graduation autograph books have blank signature pages in the front and black photo safe card stock in the back.

Know anyone graduating this year?

May All Your Dreams Come True

Something blue just got more interesting with this golden rod blue bird guest book album!

From the glossy bird cover and this bird stamp (below) this book was inspired.

"May all your DREAMS come true." What a sweet saying for the front page of this guest book album. It's so versatile, for a wedding, bridal shower, graduation, even a retirement party. I like how the bird is in flight, because isn't that how we all are? When we're getting married, starting a new journey in our life, we're fluttering and taking flight toward a dream.

Beyond the dream of the front page of this guest book album, are the autograph pages stamped with this new floral design swag.

There's plenty of room between these stamped flowers for your guest to write advice, well wishes, and their name to create memories of your special day.

Unlike any of my other guest book albums, I took that last autograph page and did something extra special. This page is more of a transition from those special hand written notes to the photo card stock pages. So, I stamped it with the floral swag, then with the little snowflake flower stamp that leads us into the photo pages of the book.

As you can see the snowflake flowers then grace the photo pages and carry the floral theme throughout this book.

May All Your Dreams Come True!

Gray and Ivory Damask

The ivory damask print on this cover reminds me of the print of shear lace table covers, you know the kind at grandma's house with the old fashion lamps or wash stands?

 Inside the pages are ivory and creme'. I've stamped the signature pages at opposite corners with the floral corner swag stamp.

I've included a matching pen and a felt sleeve to complete the package.

It's formal and antique looking, almost as if it should be in a house entry way or a hall. I think anyone who is looking for something vintage style and yet modern will enjoy this guest book album no matter what the occasion.

What a Hoot!

My high school mascot was an owl.  When I came across this textured card stock I knew I had to make a book with it. All I could think about was my high school graduation -- because of the owl.

Isn't he adorable?

I created pages using Microsoft Word that put the phrase"Hoot...Hoot..." across the top of the pages, just like the little owl is saying on the front cover. Since the book is small (5.5" x 8.5") it can be taken to school on the last day or passed around at a graduation party for friends and family to sign and write notes.

In the photo pages in the back, I stamped them with a cute little owl. He doesn't match the owl on the cover, but hey their friends and they like to hang out. Who else belongs on a photo page than an owl, right?

Although, high school was quite a while ago.... I can just imagine the fun graduating students will have with an autograph album like this one. In 50 years later, after their grand kids are graduating it will still be fun to pull out and remember the good ole days.

What a hoot!

Paper Gallery

I've been spending some time over on my website trying to remodel the site and make it easier for you all to navigate. But the main purpose of my site is to allow you to browse all the options of being able to create a book for your special occasion.

Originally, I loaded all my paper choices over on flickr and ran out of space. So, I've moved the paper gallery over onto my website at www.mrschadt.com.  You'll find it under the custom order tab.

I'll try to keep the paper designs updated frequently. But in the meantime, feel free to stop over and browse the paper gallery.

I'm working on getting the custom order form back up on site, but until then please excuse the inconvenience of using the contact page. 

If you have any suggestion on how to make the paper gallery or custom order process more user friendly, I'd love to hear them.

Graduation Farewell Autograph Albums

It's that time of year!

College Graduates, High School Graduates, all the way down to Pre-School Graduates!

Graduations are a time of farewell to something past and the beginning of something new. Graduations are also a time of celebration for those who have acheived accomplishments of suceeding in passing on to a higher level of education or moving on to a life time of learning in their chosen career paths.

Those times spent learning, meeting new friends, and journeying through self discovery will never be forgotten.

These graduation albums are a great little way of keeping those memories for long after we have started the next generation of our family.   Filled with lots of pages for autographs and well wishes of friends and family, and acid free - linign free card stock for photos too!

Not just your ordinary album.

Not just your ordinary autograph book.

At it's small size of 5.5" x 8.5" it's perfect for passing around at graduation, graduation parties, or while your packing up in the dorms or on the last day of school.

Because these little books can serve more than one purses you can flip them from one cover to the next. (one side autograph book, flip over and the other side an album).

They make a unique and memoriable gift to any graduate. 

The ones pictured above I've personalized inside to send off for a few relatives embarking on a new journey as one graduates from college and the other from high school.

You can find these or similuar autograph albums in my etsy shop.

Don't see one you like? Contact me through etsy's convo or email me and I'll be happy to make one for you.