My New Samples Mini Book...

I put the final touches on my new samples book over the past weekend.

I love making sample books...it's very satisfying to take inventory of all my products and try each and everyone out. The basic purpose of the book is two-fold:


First, I have a list of what I already own (so no more duplicates!).


Secondly, it works great as a guide when I am trying to choose colors for a project.

My book measures 5 1/2 inches square (this is the project that lead to all this strips of paper that finally became my Garden Mini Album).

I added a couple of chipboard covers and spiral bound the book.


I created tabbed sections for each type or brand of products...


And added a sample of the product.


For my mists, I sprayed each one onto a blank Avery address label sheet and used a circle punch to cut out each sample.


For my glitters and flock I used a Zot to adhere the samples. I simply placed a Zot down, sprinkled on the glitter or flock, pressed with my fingers to get good contact and shook off the excess...


After all the glitter and flock samples were placed, I lightly sprayed the page with a sealer so the glitter and flock wouldn't flake off.

In the end the whole process really gave me a good look at what I had "in stock". I had completely forgotten about my Twinklette glitter pens, and since adding them to the sample book, they are more in the front of my mind and I find I reach for them more often now.

Deborah, over at Lily Pad Cards' blog posted a great sample book earlier this week. Her book is housed in a 3-ring binder...which I think is fantastic...so she can add, remove and rearrange her pages.

Although I can't add, remove or rearrange pages without re-binding the whole book...I really loved being able to play around with all sorts of paints, inks, embossing powders, rub-ons, stamps and papers (Basic Grey's Steampunk Debutante) for my cover...







I guess I need to keep my eye open for a binder I can alter!