Happy Memorial Weekend!

Hi!

It's Cindy here checking in. Are you more than ready for this holiday weekend? I am. Even though it's starting out a little cold and rainy. No matter. I see it as a cozy reason to stay in and do a little crafting.

I originally posted this on my blog in April of 2011 which was Stress Awareness Month. I approached it by saying that the best way to beat stress is something called “moving meditation”. Did you know that focusing on an enjoyable repetitive movement can bring your heart rate down? For some people, it may be knitting or crocheting. For me, it’s paper piecing and making mini books. So, today, we’re going to revisit the making of a Birthday Reminder mini book with a little paper piecing thrown in.

We need to start with a pretty pad of double sided 12x12 papers, a bone folder, paper trimmer, adhesive, an office double-hole punch, label maker, stamps, ink and bling.

Step #1: Take a 12”x12” sheet and score at 6” all the way down, then turn and score at 6” again. Fold in on both score lines and open flat. Now, as seen in the photo, bring in both corners on one end to meet in the middle.

Step #2: Fold them both up to form pockets. Fold again, use adhesive to hold them together and punch double holes using the office punch. Use your bone folder to make all the folds crisp. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each of 5 more papers. You will end up with 6 pages or 12 pockets.

Step #3: To make the front and back covers of my mini book, I’ve taken one 12”x12” sheet , scored it down the middle and then cut it in half, so that I end up with two 6”x12” panels that have a crease in the middle. Fold each panel in half, glue shut, and punch with office punch. Smooth crease with bone folder.

Step #4: After cutting 12 – 4”x5 ½” cards from the paper set and stamping each card and page with the month, it’s now time for the paper piecing fun. I used a flower stamp that has several layers in the image. By stamping it several times on two different patterned papers, I can cut out the various layers and build a unique flower image as seen in the photo. I’ll add a coordinating flower to each page.

Step #5: Paper piece a flower for the front cover but use foam dots between each layer to give it more dimension. Pop a rhinestone on top for a little glitz and adhere it over a stamped stem. Assemble the pages and covers with binder rings. Add a title with a label maker and you’re done. (Ribbons on the binder rings would be another way to dress up the mini book, if you wish.)

I hope this inspires you to experience a little moving meditation of your own!

Now, wouldn't it be fun to win your own little mini book? I'm going to make a similar one to give away to one random commenter. I'll even throw in my stamp set. But wait! After commenting below, increase your chances to win 5 times by leaving a comment when you: (1) follow us on Networked Blogs (see link on sidebar), (2) tell a friend about our giveaway, (3) tweet a link to our giveaway, (4) "like" us on Facebook and, finally, (5) share a Facebook post about our giveaway. That's six separate chances to win! You have until Thursday to leave comments. Random drawing will be announced on Friday, May 31st. Good luck and....

Cindy

SUPPLIES

Paper: Life Stories (My Mind’s Eye)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Garden Green (Stampin Up)

Stamps: Flower (Now & Always by Ippity), months (Messy Dates by Autumn Leaves)

Other: Rhinestone (Jolee’s Boutique), Label Maker (Dymo), Foam dots (Ranger), Gluedots