An easy way to make more use of your 12″x12″ scrapbook layout space is to hide extra pages “inside” your layouts. And the Slit Die Set from Creek Bank Creations makes it easy to create hidden pages for journaling or extra photos.
First, gather all your supplies, including a 12″ x 12″ base page for your scrapbook page (and one extra 12″ x 12″ piece for the back. You will also need chipboard or a beverage box and some liquid adhesive. For best results, I also recommend using 6″ x 6″ page protectors and a tab die to pull out your hidden scrapbook page.
Start by trimming your base page to 11-3/4″ x 11-3/4″ square. I always do this extra step before anything else, because it gives me a little more wiggle room with my scrapbook layouts.
Then, cut an overlay piece of cardstock to 10″ square. I used a blue piece of pearlescent textured cardstock. For this project, I also used a stamped, colored lighthouse image from the Lighthouse Stamp Set (also by Creek Bank Creations). It was actually a practice image I had leftover from another project, but I didn’t want it to go to waste, so I used it here.
Then, I prepared my insert page. I trimmed my 6″ x 6″ page protector to fit the size die I wanted. NOTE: I trimmed the page protector, not just the PAPER.
I positioned the slit die on my white base page where I wanted to cut the slit and secured it with washi tape.
Then, I folded my white base page in half vertically so it would fit inside my Sizzix Big Shot.
After die cutting, I removed the die with a little bit of Un-Du Adhesive Remover and with a bone folder, I burnished the fold as much as possible.
My page had 2 identical slit die cuts. Since I only wanted ONE slit, I used the 10″ square piece of cardstock to hide the slit I don’t want. You don’t HAVE to hide the second slit. You certainly could add a second hidden page, but you have to consider the size of the hidden pages. If you want to add more than one, you will have to make them smaller than a 6″ x 6″ square.
The Tab Die set and the Super Tacky Tape from Creek Bank Creations made it super easy to create a pull tab for my 6″ x 6″ page protector.
The tape lets you basically create a sticker with any cardstock or patterned paper you want. Slide your little hidden page in the page AS YOU WILL WANT IT TO LAY in the 12″ x 12″ page. Secure with washi tape before continuing.
Next, you will need to create a little barrier with the chipboard or beverage box. Either cut 1/4″ strips or use the slit die to cut 6 little strips from the cardboard.
I used Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to glue the cardboard strips around 3 sides of the hidden page, creating a kind of “barrier wall”. This way, when I slide the hidden page in the slit, it doesn’t get lost somewhere behind the page. Double up on the strips, depending on the thickness of your cardboard.
When you are satisfied, trim another piece of 12″ x 12″ cardstock to measure 11-1/4″ square and adhere it over top of the entire back of the page. This will cover the barrier completely, and will also leave a nice touch to the empty slit die when your hidden page is not in place.
Decorate the rest of the 12″ x 12″ layout as desired. You can use the hidden page for journaling or even for extra photos. It’s a wonderful way to extend the story and give your page a nice surprise!
Now, about the 12″ x 12″ page protector… this can be tricky. If you are including this layout in an album with page protectors, you could remove the entire layout each time you wanted to pull out the hidden 6″ x 6″ page. BUT, there is a way to keep the whole page intact and still pull out the hidden journaling or layout. Remove the hidden page and place the completed 12″ x 12″ page into its page protector. With a dull pencil, press against the outline of the slit where the hidden page will go.
Remove the 12″ x 12″ page from the page protector and you should see an indentation in the plastic where you pressed the dull pencil. You can use sharp detail scissors to CAREFULLY trim out this little slit from the FRONT of the page protector ONLY (leave the back untouched). I didn’t have little detail scissors, so I placed a self-healing mat inside the page protector and cut out the plastic with my Tonic Craft Knife.
Personally, I think starting the cut with a craft knife would be good, but definitely it would be easiest to use detail scissors to hand-cut the slit from the page protector.
When you are finished, simply replace the hidden page back into the 12″ x 12″ completed page and slide the completed layout into the page protector.
You now have the freedom to remove the hidden page as desired, while still keeping everything in its own page protector. THAT is awesome!
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