"Today Happens Only Once" Minibook Tutorial

"Today Happens Only Once" Minibook
designed by Susan Tidwell

This is one of the projects I created for my LBH Media Team assignment this month and is being featured over on the LBH blog today.  It's a minibook  using the fabulous "Playful" paper line from Authentique. The fun color palette of orange, turquoise, navy and gray make these papers perfect for summer projects!

This mini "squash" book (4" x 4") is also called a "dragon" book because of it's meandering folds. It can be made larger as well - you just need to start with three square base pages whatever size you desire.

So here's the tutorial!

Supply List

(2) 4"x4" pieces of corrugated cardboard

(3) 8"x8" cardstock (I used navy)

(1) sheet Authentique "Playful" Components (cardstock diecut embellishments)

(1) sheet Authentique "Playful" Enhancements (journal cards)

(1) Authentique "Playful" - Hoopla (plaid)

(1) Authentique "Playful" - Elate (hearts)

(1) Authentique "Playful" - Accompany (ampersands)

(1) Authentique "Playful" - Foundation (solid, orange/teal)

(1) pkg. Queen & Co. "Checkers" (orange gingham "button" stickers)

1/2 yard blue and white baker's twine

2" red satin ribbon

5" thin orange twine

blue ink - Quick Quotes Chalk Ink "Blue Moon"

coral ink - Distress Ink "Abandoned Coral"

2 small pieces velcro

liquid adhesive or tape runner or Scor tape

Glossy Accents

white Uniball Signo gel pen

1/8 or 1/16" hole punch

Scoring tool and bone folder

scrap of washi tape

optional: star and heart punches, stapler

Instructions

1. Score and fold each square piece of yardstick in half. Open up and score and fold in half in the other direction. This will make a cross ( + ) on each sheet.  Score and fold each sheet once again but diagonally from one corner to the opposite corner.

2.  Grasp the corners with the diagonal folds and push the diagonals in to collapse the sheet into a square. Press all folds well. Repeat for all three.

3. Unfold the squares and adhere together overlapping the lower right quadrant of the first piece with the upper left quadrant of the second piece. Repeat with the third piece, gluing the upper left quadrant to the lower right quadrant of the second piece. When all three pieces have been attached, collapse/"squash" into a square book.

4. Tear paper off one side of each of the corrugated cardboard pieces exposing the ridges. Ink edges and ridges with blue ink. Glue one piece to the front cover and one to the back cover.

5. Cut 3 3/4" x 3 3/4" square pieces from the assorted pattern pieces. Some of these pieces will then be cut in half diagonally to form triangles for some of the pages in the book. Ink all edges with coral ink.

6. Open book and lay flat. Start adhering papers to cardstock pages. Mix up the patterns and colors for interest. I left some pages blank and later decorated with scraps, the cardstock diecuts and journal cards. Below you can see one "side" of the opened book decorated.

7. Turn over and repeat for second side.

8.  Decorate pages as desired. I added some punched hearts and stars and some of the yardstick diets here and there. Add Glossy Accents over these. I also doodled with a white pen.

9. To decorate the cover, I used one of the journal cards, cut it down slightly and inked the edges. I added for checkered "buttons" in the corners and looped and glued baker's twine around to form a frame, knotting it in the upper right corner. The tiny tag is cut from one of the journal cards. I cut it into a tag shape, punched a hole in the top and threaded orange twine through the hole. It is attached around the upper right button as well.

10.  Since the book is fat and didn't want to stay closed very well, I made a closure out of one of the cardstock embellishments. I cut the strip in half and glued one end of each piece under the right and left edges of the cover panel. I added tiny pieces of velcro to the ends and then wrapped them to the back, glueing the other side of the velcro pieces to the back. (See below.)

 11. Add some fun photos and you are finished! Here is another photo showing how the little book "meanders."

I hope you enjoyed my little minibook project! All supplies can be found either in-house at The Little Blue House or on our website: www.thelittlebluehouseonline.com  The book is also on display at the store if you would like to see it "up close and personal."

HAPPY CREATING THIS SUMMER!

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I  also wanted to share with you a workshop I will be repeating soon at The Little Blue House!
If you love the color theme of the Authentique- Playful Collection you will love these
"Happy Houses" designed me!

This fun mixed media workshop will be offered on July 7th  (Tuesday) and you can choose either the morning or evening session.  Visit the Workshops Page on the LBH Website for all the details on this upcoming class! www.thelittlebluehouseonline.com