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October 28, 2015

Club Scrap Blog Hop - Big Top


Welcome back for October's blog hop!  We are celebrating with a festive and fun kit, Club Scrap's Big Top!

If you traveled here from Lisa's blog, then you are following the hop the hop! following the hop! If you've lost your way or just want to see all the links in one place, head over to the Club Scrap blog there to see a list of all the talented bloggers participating today.

I love it when we get a colorful and whimsical kit in the mail, and Big Top was no exception.  I decided that I needed something that I can use and see all of those festive colors every day, so I decided to make my own planner inserts using this kit!


There were so many wonderful colors and patterns that I could work into my pages so when I open the planner to start organizing my week, I had something fun to look at!

I started out by making a decorative dashboard for the front of my planner.  The circus quote from the Greetings stamp set was perfect - I think we all can relate to that quote!


On the back of the dashboard, I created a little pocket so I could slip in important things like receipts or memorabilia that I collected during the course of the week.


I couldn't find a two-page calendar I liked for free online, so I drew my own.  Using washi tape and stamps, I decorated these pages to stay colorful and to keep me on track for major events for the month.


I also created a dividing tab to show where my daily pages for October started.  The cutaparts in the Deluxe kit had the perfect tabs just waiting to be used!


On the back of my monthly divider, I decorated with washi and tried to write down all of the important dates for the month.  I plan to carry these over at the end of the year in to a perpetual calendar of sorts, so I don't forget anything next year!


My daily pages are pretty straightforward - a little bit of color, some stamping and washi, but mostly my to do list!


I have a set of planner stamps that I keep in the front of my planner to help keep me on track and I use my Club Scrap hybrid inks with the stamps to make my days fun to look at!


I hope to use pieces of the kits each month to create monthly pages for my planner and hopefully stay on track!  I hope you take some inspiration from this kit and if you are a planner addict, incorporate some Club Scrap into your daily life!

Thank you for stopping by!  You are on the last stop of the hop, but be sure to go to the Club Scrap blog to see all of the talented bloggers participating today.  Stop by next month when we are getting spicy with Moroccan Spice!

October 20, 2015

Club Scrap Quad Prints Challenge

Welcome to October's Club Scrap Artist team challenge!  This month we are working with one of my favorite products Club Scrap puts out - their text weight quad prints!  The team was fortunate enough to work with the wonderful patterns put out last year by Club Scrap - 2014 was a great year for kits!


I knew I wanted to take advantage of both the amazing patterns from last year's kits and the weight of the paper - text weight paper lends itself to wrapping bookboard beautifully, so I decided to make my own storage box for my pocket scrapbooking cards.  I figure if I have them out and visible, I am more likely to use them!


I created a box out of bookboard with enough spaces to house by 3x4, 4x6, and embellishments for my pocket scrapbooking pages.  Scroll down to the bottom to see how I use the finished project, but if you would like to make your own, I have some measurements and step-by-step photos below!
 
I first made the frame for my box.  I made the box so the final dimensions were 9.5x11x2.5 inches.  If I had to do it over again, I would add another 1/8 of an inch to the short side for a little extra wiggle room for my cards, but I worked with what I had already cut, and it is certainly still functional!
 
I used the following pieces of bookboard for my box:
  • (1) 9.5x11 in.
  • (2) 11x2.5 in.
  • (2) 9.25x11 in.
I first glued the long and short sides to form the frame using bookbinding glue, then attached it to the base.  This gave me the (literal) framework to start putting in my insert pieces to create the spaces for my cards.


I next put the longest inside piece in - this is 10.75x2.5 inches.


Next comes the two longer cross pieces.  These are two pieces that are glued in separately:
  • (2) 6x2.5 in.
  • (2) 3.25x2.5 in.
 

I then put in the remaining pieces:
  • (2) 3.25x2.5 in.
  • (1) 5 1/8x2.5 in.

I now have 6 spaces for 3x4 cards, 2 for 4x6 cards, and one for extra embellishments!
 
Now, on to the wrapping!  I tried measuring specific lengths of paper to wrap nicely, but gave up on that pretty much immediately.  (Sorry to my friends who love measurements - just wing it on your own and I promise it will look beautiful).  I simply tried to keep each side of the box and the insides of the inserts using one pattern of paper.  Using bookbinding glue again, I adhered the paper to the bookboard to cover.
 
One helpful item to note - when wrapping around the intersections of bookboard, I cut slits in the paper to help move around these joints.  If any "naked" bookboard showed through, I simply covered with a scrap of the same paper - you can't even notice if there is a little overlap of paper.


You can see below that I often switched patterns on different sides of the internal spaces - I just moved through the rainbow from red to purple and kept similar colors together.  This will help guide me when I sort by cards by color as well.


After I fully wrapped the piece, I put it in my Raskog cart - I designed this piece so it would fit in the top shelf of the cart.  This way I have a full visual on my cards and they are not out of sight, out of mind!


Here is the start of my sorting - I have A LOT more cards to sort but you can see how easy it will be to flip throgh what I have and put these cards to good use.


Thank you for stopping by to see my project!  Be sure to stop by tomorrow - I have a quick card I whipped up using these prints as well that turned out oh so cute!  Check out the other ladies on the team as well to see how they are using these prints too!
Don't forget to pick up your own set of quad prints and get crafty!











October 6, 2015

My First Fauxdori!

Every autumn, I start getting that itch to get organized with my schedule - I'm sure it's a residual feeling from the times when I was a full-time student.  I've been looking around for inspiration for calendars and planners, and decided I couldn't wait until January to get a fresh planner and planning system going.

I ordered the Webster's Pages Color Crush planner in white last week and I'm getting excited in deciding how I want to set that baby up (which will be another post on its own).  In my research and impatience in waiting for the planner to arrive, I got sucked into the wonderful rabbit hole that is Midoris/Fauxdoris, otherwise known as Traveler's Notebooks.


For the uninitiated, Midori is a Japanese design company that makes Traveler's Notebooks: notebook covers that come in several sizes with removable inserts, so you can change your notebook as often as you change your shoes, or add in/take out additional inserts when needed.  While Midoris are a quality and well-made product, the price can be a deterrent for many, so the Fauxdori was born.  These are homemade Midoris and can be made out of leather, fabric, or any felxible material you have on hand.  There are a lot of cute online shops that specialize in Fauxdoris that are full of fun notebook eye candy.

This weekend I remembered this post from Tricia at Club Scrap where she had made a stitch-bound journal out of a pencil case we received as a gift at the 2014 Retreat.  I loved this journal and kept it on my List O' Projects to do, but never got to starting it.  I decided that I would use the pencil case as the cover for my first (yes, I'm already planning on making more) Fauxdori.


What I like most about the Fauxdoris is that they aren't a permanent journal or album - sometimes it's hard to commit to a stitch bound album or journal if you aren't sure what you are going to use it for.  The Fauxdoris use removable inserts (or signatures, for my bookbinding friends) that are held in the cover by elastic bands.  This allows you to switch out the inserts once they are filled without needing a new cover.

So, on to my project!  (Finally!)

Here is what you will need to turn this pencil case into a Fauxdori:

  • Clear ruler
  • Pen, pencil, or marker
  • Paper piercing tool
  • Craft knife
  • Piercing mat
  • Waxed linen thread
  • Charms
  • Elastic thread
  • Bookbinding needle
  • Needle nose pliers
  • Hole punch
  • Papers for your inserts
  • Journal cover

I stole a lot of ideas from Tricia's journal, like removing the flap on the inside pockets in order to be able to pierce through the back of the journal.  I marked 5 holes in the journal cover at the following measurements:

  • .5 in from top and bottom
  • 7/8 in from top and bottom
  • 4 5/16 in from top (center hole)

All of these measurements were done in the middle of the cover which was 5 1/4 in from the left and right edges.  I punched holes in the cover where I marked the holes using the 1/8 in hole in my Cropadile.  I then threaded by elastic thread through the two upper holes, through the middle hole, being sure to leave a long loop, then through the bottom two holes, meeting in the middle.  I then tied the two pieces of elastic together to keep everything together.  The long loop on the outside of the cover is used to loop around the entire journal to keep together.

Once the cover was done, I needed to make the inserts.  I chose 5 papers from a few Club Scrap kits (Big Top, Transformations, and Cantina) and cut them to 7.5x9 in.  I folded these in half and used one folded page to be my piercing template.  



I pierced 5 holes into each page starting 1 1/4 in from the top, then four more holes 1 1/4 in apart.  I then bound 5 pages together using a pamphlet stitch.


Once I had my inserts created, I had a few choices how I wanted to fill my Fauxdori.  The simplest way is to have one insert - simply open the insert to the middle, slide through the large inner loop, and you are good to go!




In order to put your second insert in, you will need a long rubber band (about 7 inches long).  You will have you first insert already connected to the middle elastic, and you will open your second insert to the middle.  Loop the large rubber band around the middle of both inserts and you have them connected together!


You an even fit a third insert into this cover!  Join inserts 1 and 2 with the long rubber band and place on top of your cover.  Close each insert.  Place your third insert in between 1 and 2 and loop the elastic on the cover around the middle insert.  All three are now joined!


Now the fun part begins - decorating!  While I was threading the elastic thread on to the cover, I created a little protective cover for where the elastic meets the paper on the open edge of the notebook.  I die cut the skull and cross bones from the piece of the cover I had removed from the inside.


Also while I was threading the elastic, I created a little cluster of charms to attach with a lobster clasp to the front of the notebook.  Now I can switch these charms out for others when my mood changes!


Now, onto the insides!

I've only started writing in my first insert, but I knew I wanted a big quote on the outside of this insert.  I used materials from this month's Big Top collection to decorate!


I used some plainer papers on the inside of the insert so it would be easy to write on.  My first list is my packing list for the Club Scrap retreat on Thursday - I'm so excited, I had to plan out everything I was going to wear and pack.  Like a nerd.  Don't worry, I have a list of scrapbooking tools on the next page as well.


To mark my place in the notebook, I created a paperclip bookmark by using one of the tabs from the cutapart sheet from this month's kit and adhering it to a giant paperclip.  I love that I can move this around as I need it!


Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you try your hand at making your own Fauxdori.  I'll be updating here and on Instagram as I decorate and fill this notebook!  Hope you follow along!

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