my friend mini

The gallery is up and live as you know. There are so many great projects in there this month...as always! Today I wanted to show more of the 'my friend' mini using April's kit. I am on a mini high these days. While these papers and colors were whimsical in nature, I went with that and simply had fun with the papers. I left the emphasis on the photos, but at the same time I think I let the kit shine through as well.

The foundation for this mini is 2-4x4 coasters. Do you have any of those laying around? I picked up stacks of them at a retreat a couple of years ago, and love their sturdiness and size. Perfect for a mini album. The cover's focus is a tag journaling card from Echo Park. I layered that over a doily and a small label die cut. I added the stitching and a heart from the element stickers. There are a couple of punched and die cut butterflies. The pink stripe is Making Memories from a previous Work In Progress kit.

The first inside page is vellum with part of the banner from the Element Stickers. The red polka dot heart is the Echo Park Hopscotch pattern paper with a layer of vellum over it to add some softness. Do you NOT love the polka dots included in Trish's kits lately?

Now you see the back side of the vellum with attached doily and some punched and hand cut paper elements. I did the same thing on the photo. After this page, I kept the photo side of the mini very, very bare. Again, I want the photos to shine, right?

The butterfly, paper punches, Element Sticker, and definition are layered on a clear overlay by Graphix. I have fallen in love with this craft plastic of late. It's fun to see the other photos and elements peaking out from underneath.

The backside of the clear overlay houses a Martha Stewart doily and trimmed and punched paper elements. Also, I trimmed some smaller red polka dot (also from an earlier kit) in such a way that it resembled a little piece of tape keeping the photo in place. Simple. Fun.

And then my pattern starts all over again...this page starts the rotation of a vellum page and embellishments...

Then the simply taped photo page...

Then the clear overlay and embellishment page...

And another simply taped photo page...

And then the vellum again...with a must have pocket sewn in and tag hidden inside. Don't you love pockets and hidden little treasures?

You get the idea...

O.K. my readers for today...perhaps you were needing a little weekend project inspiration...get out those whimsical papers, the Element Stickers, and those Tag Journal cards, and have yourself a sweet little time making up a fun little mini album to make you smile!