This project is also an easy one you can whip up in under 10 minutes. I love those type of projects and I can never have enough notebooks to sketch, doodle and write in. Can you?
I used the ribbon for the binding, as an alternative to the linen thread or embroidery floss I normally use for binding and as an added bonus, the ends of the ribbon also provide a nifty closure for the notebook.
If you are interested in making this sweet and simple notebook, then keep on reading for the supply, video how to and step-by-step instructions. Enjoy!
Tools & Supply
Plain white paper (I used 10 papers for a 40 pages notebook)
[Watch on YouTube. While you’re there, please comment, rate & subscribe]
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cut your papers 8″ wide and 5½” tall. Fold in half to 5½” by 4″.
Straighten the edges of the paper stack with a grid ruler, aligned with the edge of the paper and a craft knife.
Cut your cardstock 8½” wide and 5½” tall and wrap around the paper stack to adjust the spine.
Lay the paper stack over the cardstock cover and mark the piercing holes: one at the center and one to each side – 1″ apart.
Pierce the papers and cardstock following the marks you created before.
Thread the ribbon through the needle so both ends would meet and start the binding stitching from the inside out, through one of the outer holes.
Then go in through the opposite hole.
Tie the ends together in a double knot and thread the needle out through the center hole and in again through the same hole.
Thread the needle through the loop the tied ends create and then underneath the first stitch.
Thread the needle out through the center hole again.
Cut the ribbon off the needle and use the ends to close the notebook.
To embellish the notebook I adhered 3 buttons with a dab of Diamond Glaze to the center of the notebook’s cover and adhered three punched out circles of patterned paper to the button. I then secured the patterned paper with another layer of Diamond Glaze.
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If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
“Capture Your Dream” workshop is relaunching as a self-paced workshop. Isn’t this the perfect time for you to capture your dream and make it happen?
The Hero Arts blog has sparked this idea in my head when they came up with a gift card challenge. I’m always up for a challenge and instead of thinking about a fun way to incorporate money or a store gift card in the card, I thought why not incorporating the gift itself and the idea for this card emerged.
Another fun idea is to stamp and cut a tree image and to wrap a necklace around it, like a twinkling ornament chain.
Tools & Supply
The earing. (don’t forget the gift…)
Card base. (8½” by 5½” piece of cardstock, folded in half.)
Cut around the images with precision scissors, while rotating the cardstock and leaving the scissors at the same position.
Adhere the background piece of the patterned paper centered on the card base with permanent tape adhesive.
Temporarily lay the tree image on the background paper and arrange green buttons around it to simulate a grassy hill. When you are pleased with the buttons’ arrangement – adhere them with glue dots.
Adhere the tree image in its place on top of the buttons with a thick foam adhesive. Either use a ½” thick piece of foam adhesive or layer a few thinner foam adhesive pieces together.
Pierce holes in the owl “ears” and put on the earing. Then adhere the owl on top of the tree with another piece of thick foam adhesive. The thickness of the foam gives room to the earing’s stubs.
Add some more interest and texture with a few touches of glitter glue here and there.
Stamp your greeting with brown ink. Attach the stamp to the left side of the acrylic block, so the buttons won’t stand in your way.
Give the gift card to someone you love and get a smile in return.
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If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
Jump start your creativity for 2010 and Make Your Own Planner with an affordable workshop that keeps on giving with an unlimited personal use license…
“Capture Your Dream” workshop is relaunching as a self-paced workshop. Isn’t this the perfect time for you to capture your dream and make it happen?
This week I have a cool project – super duper simple and the results are fabulous. For a no bulk notebook that you can carry around freely, without worrying about wear & tear, I have a cool masking technique for you with a color spray and some chipboard letters.
I also have a fantastic tip for threading your embroidery floss through the needle in a split second, you wouldn’t want to miss that… 🙂
Cut your papers and cardstock to size & fold in half. Burnish the crease with a bone folder.
Lay the paper stack over the cardstock piece and center it.
Mark the placement of your piercing holes. Find the center and mark at ½” on each side and then go on and mark in 1″ increments.
Pierce all your marked holes, all the way through the papers and the cardstock. Make sure they are aligned together and that the piercer goes through the crease.
Thread your needle with the embroidery floss. TIP –To thread your needle in a split second (no exaggeration here) simply stick a small piece of tape to the end of your floss, fold it over and cut the excess. That will prevent the fraying of the floss and will also provide a slight stiffening effect for a quick and smooth threading.
Start stitching your notebook from the top hole, from the inside – out. Make a simple running stitch, going through each hole – once in and once out. After you go through all the holes, go back through the holes, switching direction, so the stitch will look like a backstitch. When you go through the last hole, tie the ends together in a strong knot.
For a no-bulk embellishment, adhere the chipboard letters with a temporary adhesive. Make sure the adhesive isn’t protruding outside or it will affect the impression of the letters.
Lightly spray from about 10″ above your notebook cover. Spritz the color mist as many times you want until you get the effect you are looking for. [The chipboard letters may be reused in another project, by the way…]
Before removing the letters go over them with a black or white marker, that will create a nice outline and will add visual interest. Just make sure to hold your letters tight, as the temporary adhesive isn’t strong enough and they may move around.
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If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
Check out the new “Make Your Own Planner” workshop and you may solve this year’s holiday gift shopping problem. An affordable workshop that keeps on giving…
“Capture Your Dream” workshop is relaunching as a self-paced workshop. Isn’t this the perfect time for you to capture your dream and make it happen?
Sending handmade cards is a wonderful and well appreciated gesture, but with a recipients list as long as eternity, who has the time to make them?
What if most of the work was already done? The basic design has been laid down. The greeting has been “stamped” and all you had to do is cut, score, punch and paste? That would really give the push you need to accomplish your goal of sending handmade cards to all your acquaintances.
Search no more. I have sorted out your Christmas cards dilemma for this year.
Below you can find a printable template (PDF file format) that does most of the work for you. If you are interested, keep on reading.
Tools & Supply
Printable cards template. [Right-click on the link and opt for “save link as…” OR “Save target as…”]
Print the template on a cardstock of your choice (8½” by 11″). Make sure your printer’s setting is on “No scaling”.
Cut your cardstock at 5½” and score each half at 4¼”.
Cut 1¼” by 1¼” squares from the patterned paper of your choice. Use a punch to make this step super quick.
Adhere your patterned paper squares to the squares on the template, using dimensional foam adhesive.
Either stop here, right a personal greeting inside and send the card OR embellish some more.
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If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
Check out the new “Make Your Own Planner” workshop and you may solve this year’s holiday gift shopping problem. An affordable workshop that keeps on giving…
That means that part of the book is designed digitally and part of it – traditionally. Together it’s a great mix of new & old.
Using digital elements, such as patterned papers, word art and other digital embellishments helps in keeping a theme and a color scheme for the book. If you want to make this book as a gift, in multiples, then starting on your computer also allows you to include all your journaling on the pages and then printing them either once or a million times, with no extra effort.
Start this project on the computer. Open your photo editing software and either crop or resize the digital patterned papers to the same width and height of your board book.
Don’t forget to count the spine while making the pages for the cover, leave a gap the same width as your spine between them.
Print your pages on cardstock. Plain paper won’t be opaque over the altered pages of the board book.
Use the borderless printing setting, otherwise the printer will scale down your images to allow a white border around them and it’ll distort your measurement.
Start working on the cover – trim off the excess paper and score your spine’s fold lines to get crisp creases. You may also go over the folds again with the bone folder, for an even crisper look.
Adhere the cover by applying a generous layer of glue stick on the board book cover and burnish with a brayer. Let dry.
In the meantime, start cutting the pages and your photos and any other digital element you have printed (word art, embellishments, journaling tags, etc.)
Once the glue has dried, turn your page around and cut off the excess with a very sharp craft knife. If you get uneven edges, you can file them down with sand paper.
Repeat the same process with the rest of the pages: adhere, go over it with a brayer, let dry and trim off the excess.
Make sure you trim off the edges of a page before adhering the printed cardstock to the other side.
Some ideas for embellishing your mini altered book:
Adhere your titles with foam pop-dots to give some extra dimension.
Stick to one type of embellishment (buttons in my case) to maintain cohesion.
Use different sizes of pen tips to create interesting handmade word art.
Outline your pictures, letter stickers and other elements with your journaling pen to anchor them to the page and add dimension.
Using 3D embellishments can make dents in your photos, so make sure both pages have the same “elevation” so the elements won’t touch the pictures themselves.
Have fun!!!
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If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
Check out the new “Make Your Own Planner” workshop and you may solve this year’s holiday gift shopping problem. An affordable workshop that keeps on giving…
In this week’s creativity prompt I am reusing bottle lids to create artistic patterned papers.
The polka-dot-circular-spotty look is extremely popular right now and almost ALL the patterned paper manufacturers have a few in their latest collections. Before you reach your hand to the wallet and buy some new papers why not stopping at the recycling bin and make your own ones?
If you are interested in some ideas, then keep on reading.
Watch on You Tube.
[I have had lots of comments requesting me to speak on my videos. I hate talking because my funny accent shines through. This time I took a deep breath and created a voice over – with my voice (I have to write it to believe it). Tell me the truth, don’t you want the fabulous music back?]
Step By Step Instructions
Dip the lid in a pool of acrylic paint and stamp over the cardstock. To get a good impression of the lid make sure its entire surface is covered with paint. You may also use a brush to apply the paint more evenly to the lid. Apply some pressure on the lid, but beware of the paint’s slipperiness. I was going for the artistic look so I didn’t mind the imperfect stamping.
You may use the opposite side of the lid to create a circular outline. Use it as a frame, or as an outline to the solid circle you stamped with the other side of the lid.
Experiment –
Create different patterns.
Use different sizes of lids.
Use other mediums (instead of acrylic paint):
Ink pads.
Embossing ink + embossing powder.
Glue + glitter/ flock/ foil.
Use different objects to stamp with:
Toilette paper rolls.
Paper swirls.
Cardstock/ corrugated cardstock.
Old credit or gift cards.
Vegetables (if they went bad…)
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If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
Check out the new “Make Your Own Planner” workshop and you may solve this year’s holiday gift shopping problem. An affordable workshop that keeps on giving…
This week’s project is also quick and easy to put together. You decide how much time you want to spend embellishing each page later on…
All you need is a bunch of envelopes, 2 pieces of chipboard and a long piece of ribbon. Pretty straightforward.
You can take your time and decorate each page individually, or just adhere a photo on the back of each envelope and insert your journaling in each corresponding envelope. The sky is the limit for you.
Cut 2 pieces of chipboard – ½” taller and wider than your envelopes.
Stick a strong double sided tape at the center of each chipboard piece. You can use the markings of your cutting mat for easy alignment.
Adhere your ribbon to both pieces of chipboard, while leaving a ½” gap between them.
Adhere each envelope to the next at the base with plain packaging/wrapping tape. Make sure you keep the orientation of the envelopes.
Cut the excess tape off the sides of the envelopes stack.
Adhere the envelopes stack to the chipboard with some more strong double sided tape.
Cut the envelope inserts out of cardstock. Make them ½” shorter and narrower than your envelopes.
Insert a piece of cardstock into each envelope.
Embellish and… Voilà!
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If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
For this week’s project you don’t even need cardstock. It’s as simple and easy as it gets…
All you need is a batch of 4″ by 6″ photos, a 5″ by 6″ piece of chipboard and a fabric scrap.
Is that all? Yes. That. Is. All.
In my album I gathered pictures from 5 different apartments my husband has lived at (in 5 different continents). There is one common denominator in each photo – my husband is completely absorbed in his computer. I named the mini album: “Nadav’s Playground”…
If you have a few photos that tell a story and you wish to compile them in this cute album you can carry around or gift to a dear one, than read on.
Fold each photo in half lengthwise (into 2″ by 6″).
Adhere half of each photo to the next with glue stick – back to back – to create a photo booklet. Go over it with a brayer to eliminate air bubbles or glue bumps.
Lay your chipboard pieces over the left side of the fabric scrap. Leave a gap between the 2 chipboard pieces. The gap should be as thick as the booklet’s spine.
Adhere the chipboard to the fabric with glue stick as laid before.
Trim off the excess fabric. Leave a 2″ edge all around the chipboard pieces.
Cut the corners of the fabric, but leave a small gap for a neat fold later.
Adhere the fabric flaps to the chipboard with glue stick. Use a brayer to ensure the adhesion.
Adhere the booklet to the cover with glue stick.
Embellish! (Although the American Crafts letter stickers are self adhered, I added a dab of strong liquid glue to make sure they stay put. TIP – I ran out of some of the letters so I switched on my creative half. The ‘N’ is actually a trimmed ‘M’ and one of the ‘A’s is an ‘at’ sign – which goes well with the computers theme.)
I want to share with you one of my favorite pictures from this mini album. It was taken here at our apartment in California. Note the pasta on his lap and the computer on the dinner table…
Isn’t that a memory to cherish?
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If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
I loverecycling and every time I manage to turn trash into treasure, I am happy. Maybe too happy, but that’s for the professionals to judge 🙂
If you are as jubilant about recycling as I am and would like to make a fat journal out of cardboard and packaging paper used for padding – then keep on scrolling.
I’ve got a video tutorial just for you.
Tools & Supply
Packaging material – cardboard and padding paper (or plain copier paper)
Cut cardboard at: 5½” by 4½” | 5½” by 4½” | 5½” by 1″.
Cut 2 pieces of patterned paper for the cover, at: 8″ by 6″.
Adhere the cover pieces to the center of the patterned paper with glue stick.
Cut the corners of the patterned paper and leave a gap from the cardboard corners – a gap as long as the cardboard is thick (between ½” to ¼” depending on the cardboard).
Fold the remaining patterned paper flaps over and adhere to the cardboard with glue stick.
To cover the spine, cut a 6″ by 6″ piece of patterned paper diagonally. Cut it 2″-1½” away from the corner on each side.
Fold and adhere the top patterned paper flaps to the cardboard spine with glue stick.
Apply strong double sided adhesive to both edges of the patterned paper and attach the cover pieces to it. Allow an 1/8″ gap between the spine and each of the cover pieces.
For the inside cover, cut your patterned paper at: 5¼” by 4¼” | 5¼” by 4¼” | 5¼” by 1″.
Adhere the patterned paper to the inside cover with glue stick. Optional – To secure the adhesion go over the cover with a brayer a few times in different directions.
Punch 2 holes in the spine using a Crop-a-Dile.
Cut the insert pages (from the packaging paper, or any other plain paper you have) at 8″ by 5″.
Fold the insert pages in half.
Optional – Use a T-Square ruler to straighten up the inserts (or leave them looking rustic).
Position your folded pages where they should lay inside the journal and mark the placement of the holes, then punch the inserts accordingly.
Thread your string through the inserts, from the inside – out.
Thread the ends of the string through the spine and secure in a knot or a double bow.
Write your secrets and deepest wishes in the pages of your new handmade journal.
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If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
A good quality art journal with sturdy signatures may burn a hole in our pocket. However, by using just 5 high quality cardstock pieces, you can make your own art journal for a fraction of the price – not to mention the cute foam cover you get…
If you are interested in watching how to make one of these cute art journals, than keep on scrolling…
Tools and Supply
Heavy weight cardstock (5 sheets of 8½” by 11″ will make 10 signatures = 20 pages)
Fold the signatures in half. For a sharp crease use a bone folder.
Poke holes along the crease line of each signature. Start at the center and then continue each inch below and above the center.
Sew your signatures together. Start at the top hole and go through each hole with a plain running stitch, after you went through the bottom hole go back through the top hole again.
When attaching the second signature (and the ones after it) secure each stitch by going through the stitches on the spine before threading the needle through the holes.
After you have made the last stitch on the last signature, secure the ends with a few knots.
Cut the fun foam at 9″ by 5¼” for the cover.
Attach the signatures to the fun foam with a generous layer of glue stick. Apply pressure on the journal for an hour or so to ensure good adhesion.
Start painting and sketching in your new art journal…
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If you have any question, suggestion or remark – don’t hesitate to contact me – either leave a comment here, use the contact form or start a new thread on the Creativity Prompt Flickr Group!!!
I would also be very happy to see your own creations, so don’t be shy and share 🙂
CL309 Whoo Loves You
This time I revisit an oldie, but a goodie – 
For this week’s project you don’t even need cardstock. It’s as simple and easy as it gets… 
