Let's check out a book!

     The sun is out and shining brightly!  Of course it is still cold here.  I hope that you are having beautiful (if not warm) weather where you are.  Either way, it is another great day for crafting.  How would you like to see something different today?

     Instead of a card, I have a mini-book to show you.  I love mini-books for a number of reasons.  Most importantly for me, they are quick and easy to put together, and they are the perfect size to carry around to show your friends and family.  This book is one that I made a couple of years ago after our annual trip with our riding group to The 4 -J Big Piney Horse Camp in Missouri.  We always have a good time, and I like to finish my book up as soon as possible after we get home.

     I made this book out of a few 5 x 8 tabbed index cards that I stained with strong coffee to make them look old.  I love the vintage look, and it goes well with our riding photos.  To make the stain  I dissolve 1/4 cup of instant coffee crystals in 1 cup of hot water, and add about 1 tsp of vanilla for the scent.  It doesn't take long to just dip the index cards and shipping tags into the stain and lay them out to dry.  I usually do up a bunch at a time so that they are ready to use when an idea pops into my head.  The papers were all from the Hopscotch line from K & Co.

  This is the front cover of the book.  I made a smaller photo copy of a bumper sticker from the camp.

     On some of the pages I made pockets to hold stained shipping tags, or other ephemera from the trip.

     I added a few things to open, pull, or lift for more pictures or information.  I think that it keeps the book more interesting and gets the viewer involved more than just flipping pages.

It's hard to believe how many pictures and how much information you can fit into one of these mini-books!

     Well, that wasn't every page, but you get the idea.  This book has held up very well through all the handling and travel.  The best part about vintage style is that the more beat up the book gets, the better it looks.  I have made several books out of index cards like this one.  The only thing that I have really changed is that I usually sew the edges now.  That way the tags and such inside the pockets don't stick to the adhesive.

That's all for today!  See you tomorrow,
Anne