Junk in the Trunk

Many individuals first came to know of my blog by eye spying my little Rolodex in a Group on Flickr and then through further investigation discovering my Photostream and then Blog. You do know I love a good mystery, and to me these Rolodex are as though you have opened a trunk long forgotten in the attic to find it filled with junk, the good kind!

This is such a perfectly perfect project to cull together all of those left over Scrapbooking Essentials and Doodads You Didn't Use to create your own craft room chronicle of all the projects you have made.

Wallet sized photographs are the best size to use for this project. Two for the price of a 4x6, I use my second print to make greeting cards or in a binder where I keep all of my patterns.

The company 7 Gypsies makes this Rolodex and includes manila cards which I only use as templates. Over time it is essential to create a card sturdy enough not to bow. I do this by tracing my template onto cardstock and printed papers for the front and back. These combined with photographs glued front and back create a "sandwich" nice and firm.

My Rolodex is like a book with many chapters. With each page turned you may find yourself visiting a favorite holiday or a work station in my craft room. Rule of thumb; however, I do make facing pages "go together" as these two spooky offerings do. Because the tops of the cards have been decorated with something obviously Halloweenish, the backs will as well as their facing pages. The tops of those second pages will not have anything at the tops so I can change subject with the next set of photos.

With go-together pages in place, I love to slip in what I call "tuck ins" which might be a favorite scrapbook feature, a greeting card, a fun vintage advertisement, or in the case here, a favorite childrens Valentine. Anything goes with this project!

I have been sent so many cute as can be What Nots I have saved especially for this project. This little Cracker Jack cowboy and holster are such fun with this very early made camping garland. I love the little marshmallows!

Because the template for your Rolodex is only the size of a playing card, don't be afraid to angle your photographs to create more space. It is such fun devising clever ways to expand the cards by decorating in every which direction. Here I have created an arch over this vintage married couple.

I hope you will be encouraged to look at unexpected items sent to you by friends in a new way. Vintage birthday candle holders,

doll clothes pins, cupcake banners, buttons and trims.

Keep your mind open to all "junk" being treasure, and your own Rolodex will reveal it's pages right before your eyes!