'My First Trip to Europe' Paris mini-album

My niece visited us right after Christmas last year. We spent New Year's in Paris, then out and about around France and Switzerland afterwards. It was her very first trip to Europe.

As I mentioned with this London mini-album, I think it is very important to actually print out some of our photos. She was uploading photos to Facebook during the trip and that's all well and good, but in future years will Facebook still be there? I thought it important she have this special physical souvenir of her trip.

I used two Paris themed mini-kits I found at my favorite discount shop. I believe I paid around €2 a piece. I don't know the manufacturer and I had a doozy of a time even finding a link to share with you, but if you look at No. 6 HERE you'll see the one I used. It's a nice kit, but not much to it. On sale it was fine, but I certainly wouldn't pay the €8.11 price they're showing in the link.

There were thirty four photos I wanted to use, so I added cardstock inserts. Papers are a blend of pieces from the kit and ones from my stash. The same goes for embellishments, sticking with relatively flat ones so it would close. I noted on each photo the date and where it was taken before printing it out. Ribbon and charm decorated ring binders hold it all together. *Crafty Tip* Want to know how to keep ribbon from fraying? Use a little Fray Check brushed on each cut end after you tie them. Here's a sampling of some of the pages:

My favorite way to keep a mini shut is with this type of elastic closure and I plan the front in advance so that the elastic won't damage anything on it. In the bottom right photo above you can see how it looks on the last page of the album. Here's how it looks from behind when closed:

And here's the front closed:

My niece loved it (I sent it to for her birthday)!

I'm linking up with: Mini Albums Makers Challenge #1.