Quick and Easy Mini

Today I am creating a mini book using the new This and That: Graceful Collection from Echo Park.  I wanted to change it up, make something bright since spring is here!  Although the weather in CA can't seem to make up it's mind.  I have an abundance of roses blooming in the backyard and yet today the weather man is calling for rain and thunderstorms.  Very weird for the end of April!
Anyway, back to the project at hand...Love the colors and the patterns of these papers.  I am working with the Graceful Paper Pack that has all the 12 x 12 papers, journaling cards and two 12 x 12 sticker sheets.  This pack would make for a seriously beautiful Mothers Day mini book even though some of the phrases are geared toward a younger girl.

I decided to make this a fun, not so serious mini.  I am using the 7gypsies Index cards: naked scalloped as the foundation and one binding ring in the top left corner.   The new scalloped cards are the same stock as the tabbed cards I love so much.  Nice and heavy, great for dividers and book pages since they have a fun edge.  They also soak up spray ink without getting sopping wet or overly warped, distress ink works beautifully on the manilla paper and 20 pieces come in a package for $3.99.  nice.

 

I decided to use the new Dylusions spray inks I purchased after seeing them at CHA.  With names like Cut Grass, Lemon Zest, Squeezed Orange, and Pure Sunshine you can imagine the inks are vibrant (nothing less than vibrant from Dyan Reaveley).  There are 12 colors of ink so far...and I imagine more to come.

So time to get out the inks and start on some foundation cards.  A craft mat, paper towels and heat gun is a must for this technique, oh and some loud music couldn't hurt!  Seriously love these ink colors.

1.  Using your craft mat as a base, spray two complementary colors of ink next to each other (not on top of).  Here I am using Lemon Zest and Vibrant Turquoise (I also added a spritz of water but that is not necessary).

2.  Swipe your card through the ink.

 3.  Turn the card over and see what you got. 

 4.  Dry with a heat gun.  Don't get the heat tool so close to the ink on the craft sheet that you accidentally dry it too...we still need it!

5.  Now back into the ink on the craft sheet and dry again.  The key is to have the heat gun close by so you can keep swiping or smashing the card into the ink and then drying between each swipe.  That way the colors layer on top of each other rather than just meld into one.

6.  Alright I think this is where I will stop with this one.  I like that some of the card color is showing through.  I know some of you are thinking, "Paula have you lost your gypsy marbles"?

7.  Ink the edges with Vintage Photo if you like...I do.  Just adds another layer of color and makes it a bit vintage...I mean seriously I haven't lost all my gypsy instinct.

So lets try another color combo:  Bubblegum Pink and Feeling Lime.

1.  Swipe

 2. Swipe... I still didn't pick up much color so I am going to keep going before I start drying.

3.  Swipe...smash...keep turning...time to dry.

 4.  Smash a couple more times picking up more color....dry again.

 5.  Ink the edges to add that bit of brown I love.  Love this one...definitely the cover of the mini.

After playing with the inks for a while, I have a stack of cards prepared.  I can pick through them and choose the ones I like for this project, save the others for another day.  Super fun playing with the inks, love all the colors and the combinations you can make.  I stuck with two colors on each card since two colors make more colors when combined.  I also didn't worry about the the back being messy since I will be covering it up with patterned paper.
I also wanted to mention that if you want to experiment with color combinations and might want to repeat them, it is best to write the colors on the back of your tests, otherwise it may be hard to identify the colors used once they start mixing.  trust me on this one.
 
Okay so on to the mini...
This one is meant to be quick and fun.  Not a lot of thinking, just creating.  A bit of glue was used but also staples and a lot of sewing. 

I cut a stack of Graceful papers 4.5 x 5.5" so they could be adhered to the back of a scalloped card or they could be punched as another page.  I also cut some plain manila paper the same size.  I used the inked cards for the cover and 3 inserts.

If you have an inked card that didn't turn out as well as you would have liked, just cut it up into smaller pieces or shapes.  Sometimes I just cut off the scalloped edges and sewed them to pages.

 

Here is the pink/orange card from the tutorial and of course my favorite stamp.  I'm not over it yet.

Journaling card as a fold out.  Buttons added.

 

Here is the green and blue card I made at the beginning of the tutorial.  Paper pieces stitched on, stamps, Tim Holtz (Papillon by Stampers Anonymous).

Extra scalloped piece stitched on and a small journaling card insert.

backside of pages

After finishing the mini I had so much paper left that I made this layout.  

I used the same materials including one of the sprayed cards.

SURPRISE!

We're giving away a

 12 x 12 Echo Park paper pack - Graceful

(a brand new pack, not the one I just cut up!)

 and

the Remember Mini Book

If you would like to win either of these two giveaways just leave a comment.  

You have until Thursday at midnight to leave a comment to win.

cheers!

paula