Retreat Beer Mat Mini Book

I honestly don't know why I bother with Mini Books. I can never seem to make them look as they do in my head. Perhaps it's because I haven't the knack to use tiny embellishments well or creatively. Anything under an 8x8 seems to go a bit squiffy.

But I have all these beer mats to use and I do enjoy covering them, even if filling them up is a little beyond me. So, I used the Counterfeit Kit to make it, hoping that the manufacturer mixing might help me. I don't think it did and I'm pretty sure I could do better than this, but I'm not sure I really know where I'm going wrong.

Perhaps I could do with a gadget that punches holes in chipboard so I don't have to poke holes with a compass! Occasionally I think about getting eyelet setters, Big Bites and things like that, but so far I've avoided the serious tools.

Ugh. I'm moaning. I blame the bad night of no sleep thanks to the baby kicking!


Maria in the Deli, Susi setting us up for the Caught in Crystal class and a page of journalling.

Everyone off to the Craft Shop for some serious stash shopping, outside the house getting ready for our Group photo session.

Maria, Sue and my Bump - with very fetching pink PJ bottoms!

One of the handmade flowers from a Quirky Kit that I've been stroking for ages. I put it in my Counterfeit in an attempt to use it up, and I have. :) There's still another one left for stroking!

Beautiful

The vase of daffodills that was on our table when we went to our Retreat in March. There was a box of Milk Tray as well, but we ate that! Jen took the picture, I can't put pictures together like she can.

First attempt at using my Counterfeit Kit to make a layout. I'm fairly happy with it as it's not something I would normally do, the mixing up of so many manufacturers.

Counterfeit Kit Challenge - April

My first time playing along and this is what I've pulled from my stash. Turns out I don't have many items with birds on, but I've included a few. I did have all the For the Record papers, so I've just put them in there rather than counterfeiting them.

Not a big fan or user of ribbons, so I'm using this as a chance to use up some of the little scrappy pieces I have.

As I normally scrap by manufacturer (unless I'm using a kit) I think I might find this a little tricky. For instance, I've pulled the three For the Record papers that are included in the Real Kit, which means I will be using those three pieces up and the rest of the For the Record collection will be sitting there, not being used up.

I'll go back to the rest of the papers some day and three of the sheets will be chopped up more than the rest, they won't have had equal use.

OK. I'm aware that I'm strange!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge

Grr... why do I discover fun things to do when I'm about to Pop and can't play with them?!

Counterfeit Kit Challenge.

Although, now I think about it, I seem to remember them mentioning this on the Paperclipping Roundtable a while back, I obviously just didn't take in at the time how inspirational it really is. Darn.