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!

• Donna 
• Lisa 
• Roni 
• Josette  
• Debbie
• Lilian
• Anne Marie 
 

Don't forget to pick up your own set of quad prints and get crafty!

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!

Club Scrap Blog Hop - Transformations

Welcome back, friends! It's the end of September and the weather is starting to change - that means it's time for a blog hop and it's perfect for this month's Transformations collection!

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

The papers and stamps in every kit each month are always amazing, but I especially loved the combination of the serene images, inspirational quotes, and calming colors of this month's kit.

As I was deciding on what to create this month, I looked through my "Drawer O' Projects" and came across an oldie but goodie - an acrylic mini album.

I knew this would be a great way to showcase the papers, the stamps, and those fun fibers that were included in the embellishment pack.

This album kit contained a bookboard back cover, page projectors, and an acrylic front cover.  I knew I wanted to keep the front cover relatively plain since I wanted that amazing ginko paper to shine through, so I kept it pretty simple with the bamboo stamp and the quote.  I stamped both of these with black Staz-On ink - it worked wonderfully with the acrylic cover.

The fun (and quick!) part came when I decorated the C-rings that held the album together.  Every month, you get amazing fibers in the Embellishment Pack and in the Lite kit as well.  They always add a nice touch to your scrapbook pages and cards, but they are so much fun to use all at once like decorating the spine of this album.

I even added one of the gold coins to the cluster of fibers for some added interest.  These types of spines are so easy to decorate - just keep adding ribbon!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you liked my project!  Grab your coffee and get hopping and visit each of our talented bloggers today.  Your next stop is Debby - I always love seeing what craftiness she has up her sleeve!

Drop by again next month because I am SO excited to be working with the new Big Top collection - it's going to be a great month!

Club Scrap Sketch Inspiration Challenge

Welcome to this month's Artist Team Challenge!  We got to work with two favorite things - sketches and Club Scrap kits!

This month, I chose to make a scrapbook page using the monthly sketch provided to Club Scrap members.  This is such an awesome perk of being a member - you add amazing sketches you can use over and over to your collection!

I particularly loved this sketch with its use of repeating squares across both pages.  I love to keep with a theme, and using squares helps to keep everything neat and organized.  Plus, the squares are perfect little homes for stamped images or embellishments.  These metal coins fit perfectly.

I love using these Assembly Line sketches because it is so much fun to pick out the papers from your stash or a particular collection and mix and match!  All papers and embellishments on this layout comes from this month's Transformations kit.  They go perfectly with my pictures from New Zealand - really helps to bring out the green and blue of the water!

There are plenty of spaces for photos on this layout, but you can also use the photo mattes for journaling and embellishment.  On this side, I layered a few cutaparts from the Embellishment Pack to have a space to write my memories down.

On the right-hand side of the page, the instructions create a section of 1-inch squares - a great place for small embellishments, or you can do what I do and stamp a image on a solid piece of cardstock and then cut apart to create your own sectioned embellishment.  I use this month's technique of stamping with bleach to create this look - it looks so great against the dark teal cardstock!

Thanks for stopping by.  Don't forget to come back again next week when we are showcasing this wonderful kit again for the monthly blog hop!

Club Scrap Blog Hop - Woven Strands

Welcome back, blog hoppers!  I really cannot believe it's the end of August - where did the time go?  The good thing about being at the end of the month is that it's time to share all of the fun projects we've been working on with the Club Scrap Woven Strands collection!

If you traveled here from Roni's blog, then you are 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 to see a list of all the talented bloggers participating today.

I fell in love with the intricate stamps and patterns in the kit this month, and I was inspired to highlight the beautiful artwork in a few ways this month.  I made three cards to show of the amazing designs in this kit:

For my first card, I drew inspiration form the delicate knots from the Art Nouveau and the Borders and Background stamp sets and the sentiment on the Collection stamp set.  I wanted to incorporate threads of some sort on this card, so I hand-stitched the variegated fiber from the Embellishment pack and some craft thread I had on hand over the stamped images I had stamped on the background.

I pierced holes in the corners of the stamped images so I could easily sew with a needle and thread.  I finished off with some rhinestone bling on the knots that didn't have any stitching on them, just so they wouldn't feel lonely.  I stamped the sentiment with embossing ink and hematite embossing powder to add a little shine.

My next card was my attempt at home Celtic-like knots.  I used the white ribbon from the Embellishment pack to create this large knot following these directions I found on Pinterest.

I stamped the "Joy" sentiment with the hematite embossing powder again.  While simple, I love the way the ribbon turned out - weaving it together was pretty fun!

My last card used the large knot panel from the Collection unmounted stamps - I stamped that on my background panel with India Black Ink, then stamped the individual panels on different colors of paper.

I then fussy-cut the colored images out using a craft knife, then adhered the colored knots on top of the panel in their own sections.  I love the way the images pop on this card!

There are so many wonderful techniques you can try with these intricate stamps - I hope you pick them up in the shop and try it out for yourself!

Thank you so much for stopping by, and be sure to head over to Anne Marie's to see what she has to share this month!  Don't forget to swing back around next month when we're working with the Transformations kit - I seriously can't wait for that one!

Woven Strands Club Scrap Deluxe Kit	Woven Strands Embellishment Pack	Woven Strands Collection Unmounted Rubber	Woven Strands Borders & Backgrounds Unmounted Rubber	Woven Strands Art Nouveau Unmounted Rubber
Watermark Ink Pad	Watermark Re-Inker	Woven Strands Rhinestone Wheel	Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents Precision Tip, 2-Ounce	Woven Strands Elbow Tweezers
American Crafts Amy Tan Stitched 12-Piece Embroidery Stencil Kit, Hello	Mount It Adhesive 2 oz.	Clear Block Bundle	Scotch CAT 085 Advanced Tape Glider with 2 Rolls of 1/4-Inch by 36-Yard Acid Free Tape,Cure Pink	Nicole- Multi-purpose Heat Gun Tool with Stand Is Perfect for Embossing, Drying Paint & More (Colors
Xyron 150 "X" Create-a-Sticker Machine Assorted Colors	India Ink Pad	Fiskars Fingertip Craft Knife

InLinkz.com