Friday, September 21, 2012

Fall Banner and Decor

I created an Autumn banner this week and had the best time!  Started with Large Tags out of heavy chipboard and used my little Silhouette cutter to cut out A U T U M N, leaves and segmented globes/balls.  I added glitter for sparkle on the leaves and tied the banner up with jute and the balls with orangey twine.

I pulled my grandmother's old treadle machine out in front of the fireplace....we are running our AC as Fall is only a HOPE in mid-September. Hubby found the leaves I cut last year to lay on the Thanksgiving buffet and table and he distributed them on the machine and arranged things.  I love when he does this, it's so 'us', 'ours' and looking back over the photos is always fun.

And, I wanted to show the banner off to my PEEPS tomorrow when the 4 of us go on a Cropping field trip.

Fall is so fun!




Enjoy your Fall!!





Friday, September 14, 2012

SUPER Simple Note Book EZ Tutorial

What do Danish Wedding Cookies have to do with a FUN Home-Made note book? 

Take a look...


The Closure uses the closure on top of the box.....


It holds together very well! One side of the closure goes on the cover.


The other side of the closure goes on the back.

In a Nut-Shell, here is how I did it....but, experiment and you can make it almost any size!  My last notebook was from a TacoBell box and was about 8 inches long and 6 inches tall.

Cut to a size that will slip into your purse, bag, etc.  The one above is approx 5x5 inches. Be sure to leave enough room for your binding and closure so they don't cover up the design.

Look at the IN and OUT tabs that form the Closure.  Mine is cut 5 inches by 1.5 inches.  It is the INy tab and will align with the edge of the notebook.  I used my ATG to run a single strip twice along the straight side and did the same with each edge.  This left the inside of the tab for the OUTy tab to slip inside it and hold well.

The Outy tab on mine is cut at approx. 2.5 inches x 5 inches. Then make a cut .5 inch from the back strip and in .5 inch.  You will now have a single slice and use that as a guide to cut all the way to the other edge of the strip.  What you have is a strip .5 inch wide that you will double tape to the outside back of the notebook along the opening edge.  AND from there protrudes the rest of the Outy closure that you will score every .25 inch, more or less to your liking.  Now the TAB of your back OUTy will slide into your front  INy once the book is closed.

My TacoBell notebook has dividers made of Coke and DrPepper boxes and I used a variety of papers.  The papers were: Tracking paper, drawing/sketching paper, notebook paper and some pastel copy paper.  You can also cut Mixed Media paper wish will give you a few more options depending on your life-style and where your inspiration comes from.

For this notebook, it is simple pastel copy papers hastily cut at 5x5.  NOW....when next I do this, I'll cut the paper 4x5 and it will not protrude beyond the edge of the covers.  But that is up to you....and also, you may want more papers, a variety of paper, or less, again, up to you.  You can make LOTS of these so have fun and don't lock yourself into perfection.  You will want to make more so you will have plenty of situations to experiment with as time goes on.

Once you have your papers cut out, determine the size rings you want to use.  I had small ones last time and larger ones this time....3rd time's the charm, right?  Pull out your Bind-It-All or Cinch and punch your holes, put your binding wires in and you have a notebook!

If this is clear as mud, leave a comment and I will try to clarify.

I just send Hubby to the store with a list I wrote on a page in my notebook.  My list for JoAnn's is in there, my packing list for a crop is in there. AND, a Christmas idea list is in there. Instructions for a new album is in there and all this is in my purse when I go out.

I hope you will make one for yourself and more to share with friends.  Ok, imagine the cover decorated instead of a cookie box.  LOTS of ideas will start flooding your mind when you make one!

Enjoy!
Melissa