Looking at what my most popular posts have been, I see that tutorials scores pretty high..This, combined with the nagging thought I’ve had for a while now that I oughta gather all my old tutorials that’s been posted at various manufacturer-blogs here and there – to keep them all together in one spot sorta, have made me decide that I’ll try to repost most of my tutorials here on my blog, and link them in the new list found to the right, labeled “tutorials”.
So, here’s a repost of a tutorial I created for Fancy Pants Designs, on creating a binder/reuseable cover for notebooks. I truly adore this one – especially because I discovered that if you apply multi-medium twice at both the front and back of a paper it makes it feel like a real canvas. Is it as strong as a real canvas? I doubt so, but I really do like the feel of it…and it’s certainly stronger than just reg. patterned paper!
Supplies:
Road Show: Strips
Road Show: Grocery List
Artist Edition: Bulb Shaped Safety Pin
scrap patterned paper and card stock (optional)
spiral bookbinder (optional)
black cardstock
decorative border punch
embroidery floss
matte medium
sewing machine
ribbon
magnet clasp
charm
flower
button
Instructions:
1. Use a purchased notebook, or make your own. Anne Jo's is made of random paper, scrap cardstock and patterned papers, bound together with a spinal bookbinder (I used a bind-it-all).
2. Measure your notebook and add at least 1/2 inch to the width (3/4 inches if you choose to hand stitch the edges). Score a full 12x12 sheet of patterned paper (Anne Jo used Road Show: Strips) as wide as the notebook + 1/2 inch.
3. Since Anne Jo's notebook was a bit large, she had to divide her sheet and add an extender - another patterned paper (she used Road Show: Grocery List – see the striped paper in the middle). She chose to place the extender approximately where the spine would be.
4. Using a sewing machine sew the pieces together. Decorate the ends of the spine with black cardstock, punched with a decorative border punch.
5. Score two pockets - slightly smaller in width than the front/back of the notebook.
6. Cover all the pieces of paper with some kind of sealer/matte medium. Apply two layers on both sides of the paper, allowing them enough time to dry in between the layers. Feel free to do three layers to make sure it will be durable. Anne Jo says her papers felt like canvas after two layers on both sides.
7. Hand stitch the pockets. Test with your notebook to find the correct placements, and remember when stitching that the notebook needs room to slide in and out the pockets.
8. Attach a lock-mechanism (Anne Jo used one with magnets and ribbons). Decorate the ribbon with an Artist Edition Bulb Shaped Safety Pin and attach a charm, button, pearl and a flower.
This tutorial was put together after I was done creating the notebook, thus no step-by-step-images, which’s a bit of a bummer. But – it’s not difficult making this cover/binder, so I urge you to give it a try. Maybe I’ll redo this one some day too..just need more multi-medium :)
Oh dear…I’ve forgotten yesterday’s “feelings”. Bummer!
20.02.11
listening: to the kids play WoW with their cousins…questing and doing instances together...mine at home, and two of their cousins at each their homes…communicating over skype…this makes me unbelievable happy :) especially watching/listening how my son, who’s the highest level in the group, takes care of the lower level ones and helping Amalie w/her character here at home…
eating: homemade rolls..
drinking: coffee
wearing: half proper clothes and half pyjamas…hey..it’s Sunday & lazyday! So far, anyways.-.
feeling: happy..blue sky, the sun’s out…gonna whip the kids outside some after they’re done w/the instance :)
weather: SUN+BLUE SKY=HAPPY ME!
wanting: better health..
needing: time&discipline..
thinking: about the kids and how well they’re enjoying each others companies atm..
enjoying: That Sunday also means a new batch of Postsecret-cards..
wondering: how long that will last – the kids and enjoying each others companies..
