Wine country & old friends

* Reminder to click on the pictures for a better view.

I have been blessed to have many different groups of friends. I made this little mini book to honor my great friends from high school. Yes, that was a long, long time ago, but we have stayed close all of these years. One of these friends I have been close to since 5 th grade when we took violin lessons together. We get together once a month (or more) for dinner, a show, a special trip, golf, or whatever. I have been blessed to have these woman in my life. We all know each other's history and stories and share our most inter parts with each other. We go through the good times and the bad times together, with support, prayers, laughs, wine (of course!) and fellowship. I hope that each of you have been blessed with friends like this.

Last summer we took a tour of two of the local vineyards and had so much fun! We learned how to drink different wines, how wine was made, and of course got to taste different types too! I will always remember the trip and our close ties to each other. This book puts the memories together for me in a special way.

It is basically a card, 4.25 x 5.5", that I added on some of my left over pieces from the Woodrowe kit from TAC. On the front and the inside top, I added a page that flips open. This allowed me to add four pictures on each section. Then the bottom inside of the card. I added one of the pockets. In the pockets from the kit and I put two pull out sections that I have pictures on each side. The left top two pictures are from the front of the book and the right two are from the inside top. Then the bottom left two pictures are from the pocket with the pull outs.

I decorated it with ribbons, tags and tabs from the kit, and stamps. This could be added to another larger page to add more pictures or used just as a mini book of one occasion like I am using it. On the pull out sections I stamped words on the pictures themselves with Noir Palette ink.

When you take the time to make a mini album you bring back all of the feelings and fun that are associated with the pictures you are using. Then every time you look at it or share it with a friends these same feelings and thoughts come back. So I really do hope all of you are keeping your memories alive and close to your heart by scraping them. The time I put into this book, maybe 2 hours, is nothing to the joy it will bring me. They have not seen it yet, but I will be sending them the link to my blog to read. Thanks you Carol, Ally, and Sherry for being an important and meaningful part of my life! I challenge each of you readers to share your thank yous to those who are close to you and your memories today. Blessings