Holiday Projects Notebook

Edited for Instructions: The notebooks are simply covered with one piece of cut and scored cardstock that folds around the back, spine and front of the notebook. It's best to take your own measurements because the notebooks can vary in size once cut in half and some brands are thicker than others. The books are generally 8" tall x 2.5" wide when cut in half. I leave about a 1/16" overhang on the edges so that my notebook is fully covered. I always cover the top portion of the notebook with a small rectangle scrap of patterned paper too. That's it, have fun!

My life right now totally revolves around my two girls. We are so busy with basketball practices and games, Girl Scouts, guitar lessons, homework, and filling up the gas tank that sometimes I am lucky to get a decent frozen pizza on the table at night. Other nights we're eating hot dogs and nachos at the ballgames. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world but I am definitely going to have to organize more around here. Finding time to work in my stamp room is becoming a major challenge so when I finally get free time, I just let loose and totally enjoy my creative time.

Yesterday afternoon I found about an hour to create a blog project. While at my scrapbooking retreat over the weekend, the girls and I went shopping at our favorite local scrapbook store. 20% off everything too so that helped even more! I wanted some new holiday paper and stumbled upon K and Company's new Swell Noel line. The pastel-like colors were different than the vintage, old time colors I've been using so I thought it would be fun to work with. A few sheets didn't satisfy me, I had to purchase an additional 12 x 12 pad of papers. AND I found the last box of some adorable, glittery die cut images. The images from this line are so sweet and retro looking, they remind me of old movies like Rudolf and Frosty the Snowman. So they all came home with me and are now an addition to my Holiday Inspiration Station.


Wanna see what I made? I felt the need to make something just for me. So I thought a little Holiday Projects Notebook would be fun. I spread out all my new papers and just ooh-ed and aah-ed for a little while before selecting just one piece.
Then I cracked open this fun little treasure box of glitterfied chipboard accents from a ChipBox. Aren't the little images just adorable? I want to take all those little creatures and move into that wintry home, nestled in the snow!
I then got to work on my project after much drooling and some hot spice tea. I used Copic markers to color in Karen Lockhart's Pencils image. I LOOOVE this image, it's one of my all time faves from Karen's stamp collection. When I see it, it makes me think *CREATE*.

I then cut out my image...added a fine line, black border with a Copic Multiliner Pen....added my stamped title and then masked the pencil jar so that I could stamp an oval shadow using Pine's Papertrey stamp set called Warm Happiness(the coffee mug set).

I used an older notepad project as my inspiration. I used the junior lined notebooks that I had cut in half at the print shop. I love the long, skinny shape these have.

I threw together some embellishments real speedy quick like, just plopping stuff down on my notebook cover to see what looked good.

Didn't take long and I had my notebook completed. I liked my *plopped* arrangement of embellishments so I just glued them all down. Don't you want one???

I didn't fuss over this project one bit, I just had FUN with it. Christmas projects should remind you of getting out the craft box when you were little.....making paper chain garlands out of crappy construction paper...snowflakes out of folded white paper......pipe cleaner candy canes...Santa's that had cotton balls for beards....photo frame ornaments made with wooden popsicle sticks.......ahhhhhhh, doesn't that take you back to the good ol' days??

I didn't worry that my letters were crooked or smudged with ink. It's the look I was going for.

And I purposely glued my embellishments down kinda crooked.....like the wonky lace that I held in place with staples and hangs over the edge of the notebook, the strip of sequins that got adhered right were they landed on the paper. It just all fell into place and I know I will LOVE this little notebook. I'm going to fill it very soon with all the ideas that are stored in the ol' noggin.

I can't wait for Thanksgiving break.....nothing to do but spend time with family, enjoy the last of the decent Fall weather and CRAFT BAYBEE!! Until then I'll keep finding a few hours here and there to CReaTe!! Make it fun, my friends!