File Folders

I am on the threshold of beginning the Graphic 45 Little Darlings mini. 

I'm using plain manilla file folders as the page base.  Until today, I'd forgotten this was the original plan, and it got stuck in my mind that I need to take a trip to JoAnn's  to buy some pretty, glimmery, heavier weight card stock before beginning.  Up until now, I built all my minis pages on medium-heavy weight card stock.  I've thought to use chipboard from cereal boxes, but this seems too "coarse" for a baby's album.  Perhaps this would best be used on future albums where children will handle. 

I know the file folder concept for scrapbooking is very popular right now; these and the memory file box Heidi Swapp's claim to fame - among her other incredible ideas.  I have a couple sets of some patterned file folders, but I'm not ready to commit to a project using these.  Good grief, there's only so much a novice can handle!  Instead, the file folders I plan to use in this project is due solely to their strength. 

When committing to the baby album, I gathered all the papers, embellishments, pictures, ribbons, etc I could possibly think to use in the creation and put it all together in a box.  Today I stumbled upon several videos demonstrating how to begin a project.  I was dead on.  Now I'm left with figuring out what doesn't belong!

I've made an actual size mock up of the album using printer paper.  This is going to save a ton of designer paper I surely would have cut incorrectly.  There's only the front and back covers and four pages designed so far, and I'm fairly confident there should be at least one more page, if not two.  The binding style also remains yet undetermined.

My mother did fill in a baby album for the first few years of my life, but it was very much hit or miss.  Fifty years later, the book is actually beginning to crumble.  I'm at a loss as how best to preserve her work.  There are several options available.  I could scan all the images and print them to include into the updated version; however, in doing so, it's all but guaranteed the original will continue deterioration.  I could cut up the book, deacidfy the pages and use the cut portions on small journaling tags.  I'm not entirely sure, but I think her notes to be so scarce as to not worry about cutting one side and cutting into another entry on the other.  Either way, the original book is not going to last much longer, so it's a choice between two evils.  I'm leaning toward the second option now that it's spelled out.  Now to find a store willing to order Krylon's de-acidfication spray.  None of the stores do at present, but I'm betting if they put it on their shelves, it would fly off the shelves.