Travel Journal - Authentique Dame Collection

Good morning, Crafters! It is my turn on the Authentique Blog. I have made a travel journal to share with you today. This is only my second time making this style of journal. I have learned a few things since my last attempt, but I still have a few "bugs" to work out!

I created my journal 8" tall, 4" wide, with a 1 1/4" spine. I used the BEAUTIFUL Authentique  Papers Dame Collection for this project. This collection has a Paris theme that works so well for a travel journal. 

I created three signatures (which is fancy way of saying a section of paper). Each signature includes blank paper and fun ephemera, plus a cover. This style and size of journal allows you to fit a lot of pages into it and it's easy to reload more blank paper! 

I used an elastic band to keep the book closed. I wanted this book to be user-friendly. That means it has a flat cover and an easy to open closure! I refrained from gluing umpty-bazillion flowers to the cover! 

Here is a little tutorial on how I made my book.
Cut two pieces of chipboard to 8" x 4" for the covers. Then cut a spine piece to 8" x 1 1/4". Use a hole punch to punch three holes in the top and bottom of the spine. (When you make yours, try to get your holes straight instead of wonky like mine!) 

These holes are for threading your elastic or twine to hold the signatures into the book. I wanted my inside pages to be roughly 7" tall, so I made sure that my holes were spaced to allow for that size paper.

Cut dark brown cardstock to 10 1/2" x 12". Attach the chipboard to the center of the cardstock so that you have a 1/8" gap between the cover pieces and the spine. 

Angle the corners of the cardstock and attach double-sided adhesive to the tabs. Mark your holes. I used a Fiskars punch to punch the binding holes. This type of punch can go anywhere and can punch through even very thick items. I made sure to punch the holes any time I covered them with paper, so that I would not "lose" them!

Wrap the cover and then mark or re-punched the holes. 

Cut decorative paper (Dame Six) to 7 7/8" x 3 1/4" and add it to the spine area. And, yes, re-punch or mark your holes!

Flip your book over and add paper to the front covers and the spine. I used Dame Three for the front cover and then Dame One for the spine and back cover. 

Now, you will need some elastic twine to thread through your holes. I have used regular twine in the past, but the elastic is stretchy, so it works a bit better. I found this particular elastic on Amazon for a good price and it comes in lots of colors. I like the 1.2 mm thickness of this style of elastic. 

Thread your twine through the holes in a pattern that you like. Make sure you have one "string" for each hole. Each signature will slip under one of the strings of twine. 

This is what my spine looked like after I added the elastic twine. Some people like to have the three strings showing on the outside of the spine also because it is a great way to add beads and such to the spine. I was keeping my book more simple, so I threaded the twine to only have the "stitches" showing. 

I wanted to add some eyelets to the tholes, but I used SUPER thick chipboard and none of my eyelets were long enough! So, my book is eyeletless. 

I added some pockets to the inside covers of my journal. You can add any style of pocket you wish, or add none at all. Click here to see a tutorial explaining how to make this style of pocket. This pocket measures 5" x 3 3/4" on the long side. The short side is 2".

I created three covers for my signatures by cutting the decorative paper to 7" x 7 1/2". I then folded each piece in half to make 7" x 3 3/4" covers. I cut the signature covers slightly wider than the inside pages.

For the blank inside pages, I used printer paper. I cut each page to 7" tall by slightly smaller than 7 1/2" wide and folded them all in half.
I placed a few sheets of the blank paper into a decorative cover and then slipped the signature under one of the strings in the journal cover. Since I added three strings, I can add three signatures.  

For my signature covers I used Dame Seven, Dame Four, and Dame 5. (Since the back side of Dame Seven is the ephemera cards, I trimmed Dame One to cover the inside of the signature.)

I then added some of the ephemera cards from Dame Seven and Dame Eight, as well as some of the Stickers and Components die cuts.

So see all of the inside pages, view the video below.

I cut a piece of the same elastic twine that I used for my signatures to use for a closure. I needed about 8" of the twine, which I knotted together. Now it can just wrap over the book. When the book is in use, I can just wrap the twine over my wrist to keep it safe. 

Thanks for joining me today! 

If you are interested in hand-made books, please CLICK HERE to see another tutorial AND get a chance to win this AMAZING prize!

Authentique Supplies Used:
Dame Collection Kit (with Details Stickers)
Dame 6x12 Components cardstock die-cuts

Additional Supplies: 
Cardstock: American Crafts Rocky Road, WorldWin Natural

Chipboard: Grafix

Ephemera: 7Gypsies, Tim Holtz, Canvas Corp
Elastic cord: Sulyn

Doilies: Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Sew Doily Box

Clips: Staples, Tim Holtz

Tags: various

Dies: Sizzix File Folder, File Folder 2; Tim Holtz Tag and Bookplates

Tools: Fiskars anywhere hole punch, Kadomaru pro corner rounder, Stampin' Up 1" circle punch

Adhesive: Scor-tape, ATG tape, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares, Blick Essentials glue

Sew Lovely Mini Album - Flexible Spine Tutorial

If you are looking for the Really Reasonable Ribbon April Blog Hop, click HERE.

Hello Mini Album Makers! It is my turn on the Mini Album Makers Challenge Blog to create an EXTRA project! I have a special style of spine that I want to share, so let's get started! 

This is the mini I created, with a sewing theme, using the new Authentique Stitches paper collection. I do NOT sew, but my mother did, as did many of my aunts. I have a few friends who also sew. And while I do not sew or quilt myself, I love sewing odds and ends, and I also love pretty fabric! 

This mini is a LARGE size, measuring 8" x 8" x 2". The inside has four "stacked" pages! There are lots of pockets and flips and pull-outs! This is a perfect gift for a quilter who photographs her (or his) work. 

Such a large mini requires a lot of cardstock and decorative paper! I had one 25-pack of dark brown cardstock and one 25-pack of natural cardstock on the desk. I used most of it! I also had FOUR, count 'em, FOUR sets of the 12" x 12" paper collection and used almost every scrap! If you want to make such a large mini, you do need lots of paper!

Here is a view of the flexible spine. What I mean by a flexible spine is that the spine is NOT made of chipboard, which would make a rigid spine. Instead, the spine curves and allows some "give" or "flex" in the opening and closing of the album. I love the look of these curved spines, but they are a bit of a pain to make. 

Let's get started! With this type of album, I always make the spine piece first.  

I cut the brown cardstock to 7 3/4" x 9 1/8". Since the covers are 8" tall, I need to make my spine just a tiny bit shorter, so I cut the cardstock at 7 3/4" tall. I do not want my pages to be the same height as the covers because it can cause the mini to look a bit messy. 

Score on the 9 1/8" side at: 2", 2 1/2", 3", 3 3/8", 3 7/8", 4 3/8", 4 3/4", 5 1/4", 5 3/4", 6 1/8", 6 5/8", 7 1/8".  Place double-sided adhesive on the 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 11th scored sections.

Use the double-sided tape to attach the 1/2" hinge sections together. Your hinge mechanism will have a 2" binding section at the beginning and end of the hinge.

Each of the four hinges will be 1/2" tall with a 3/8" gutter between each hinge. (I hear some folks call this gutter space a "gusset," but to me a gusset is something totally different! I have always called the space between pages a "gutter," so I will use that term.)

Flip the hinge mechanism over to the back. Now, we need to make sure that this piece is very STRONG or it will rip when we add our pages. This is especially true of a book this large. I used wide, double-sided tape to attach a piece of Tyvek to the back of my hinge. Tyvek is quite difficult to rip!  

Note: Tyvek is a a paper product that is thin, but very durable. In fact, they use it to wrap houses before they put on siding or stucco! My piece of Tyvek is a mailing envelope that I cut up! Anytime I get one of these in the mail, I hoard it for book-making!  

I added MORE double-sided adhesive and covered the Tyvek with a piece of decorative paper cut to 7 3/4" x 5 1/4". Now, set your spine and hinge piece aside while we make the front and back covers.

For the covers, cut two pieces of chipboard to 8" x 8". Trim decorative paper to 10" x 10" and attach the chipboard to the center. Angle the corners and then wrap the chipboard with the paper. (You can use cardstock instead, but the decorative paper I used is pretty thick and wrapped nicely with ZERO cracking!

This is what the front of the covers and the spine/hinge look like. 

Flip the covers over so that the inside is facing up. Place double-sided adhesive on the inside edges of each piece. Make sure your covers are oriented the correct way if you have a directional pattern! 

Place your covers 2" apart. You may need to attach them to the table with some repositionable tape to hold the covers in place and to keep things lined up properly. I have a grid mat on my table, which helps me keep things straight.

REMEMBER: Your hinge piece is a bit smaller than the cover height. Make sure you have about 1/8" of the cover showing at the top AND bottom of the hinge/spine piece!

Attach the spine/hinge piece to the inside of the covers. Use the strongest adhesive you have!

Place some decorative paper onto the inside of the covers. I also added a pocket made from cardstock to my covers.

Here is what the front of the mini looks like, with the front cover on the right.

When you close the covers, gently curve the spine. Once your pages are attached, it will hold its shape.

You are now ready to add your pages. I did not do a tutorial for the pages, because you may make any style of page you wish! My pages are all 7 3/4" x 7 3/4". I attached the pages to the hinges, making 4 pages, 8 sides. Each page may have a pocket, flip up, or pull out portion.  (See below.) 

The inside front cover contains a large pocket. Page 1 has a side pull-out mat. Plus, the page has a band holding two small photo cards. (To view the interactive pages, check out the video attached below!)

Page 2 has a side flip-out. Page 3 has a top flip-up with a large pocket hidden underneath. I used tons of pretty paper, photo mats, and some great chipboard elements from our sponsor this month, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts!

Page 4 has a side side pull-out mat, plus a divided page flip-out. Each of the flip-outs has a pocket. Page 5 has one photo mat flip-up and a side side pull-out mat

Page 6 has a side  has a side flip-out containing a pocket. Plus, the page has a band holding two small photo cards. Page 7 has a top flip-up and a bottom flip-up!

Page 8  contains a side side pull-out mat and a fun waterfall element, with a hidden pocket! The inside back cover contains a large pocket.

Check out all the interactive elements by watching this video!

I hope you enjoyed the "show-off" video of all the pages!

The last thing I do when I make a mini album is decorate the cover! I save the cover until the end because I don't want to mess it up while I work on the inside of the book!

This cover is pretty simple...just a load of paper flowers with a few sewing embellishments tucked around the fun title block!

We hope you get a chance to play along this month. You could be a Mini Album Makers Challenge Winner and have a chance to win a Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Prize Pack!

I am also giving away a prize pack! I am giving away a box of goodies from some of the Mini Album Makers Challenge Blog Sponsors: Graphic 45, Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts, and StencilGirl Products. 

The prize contains various Graphic 45 papers, including a full set of Raining Cats and Dogs paper and ephemera cards! I have also included a set of cats and dogs chipboard embellishments from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts! I sneaked in a few of the G45 metal staples, including one RETIRED item! The prize pack also includes a few StencilGirl stencils, perfect for creating mixed media projects! To go with all of this goodness there is a whack of GSL Cuts chipboard shapes to play with! And...if that is not enough...I am adding TWO of my project kits, complete with step-by-step directions! 
To have a chance at winning all this yummy-ness, just leave a comment here on the blog. I will do a random draw and announce the winner on May 1st!

Thanks for joining me today!

Cardstock: American Crafts Coffee, WorldWin Natural
Paper: Authentique Stitches, Dame (print One and Four only)
Stickers: Authentique Stitches Details
Chipboard: Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Dressforms Miniatures 1 and 2, Fashionistas: 1930s, Sew Doily Box, Vintage Seamstress Shape Set; Maya Road Still Sew Cute Set, Still Sew Cute Mini Set; Grafix chipboard sheets
Wood embellishments: Maya Road Wood Mini Spools and Rulers
Metal tag: unknown
Scissor charm: Funkie Junkie Boutique
Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts, Petaloo
Trims: Really Reasonable Ribbon lace, Cotton Candy Baker's Twine; Creative Impressions Antique Ruler Twill 
Button: from my stash
Magnets: Basic Grey magnetic discs
Ink: Delicata Silvery Shimmer, Colorbox Archival Mudslide
Ink sprays: various
Dies: Spellbinders Standard Circles Large; My Favorite Things Stitched Circle Stax, Postage Stamp Stax
Tools: Kadomaru Pro corner rounder, Martha Stewart lace border punch, Stampin' Up 3/4" and 1 1/4" circle punches
Adhesive: ATG double-sided tape, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares, Scor-tape, Blick Essentials glue

Really Reasonable Ribbon April Blog Hop

Welcome to the Really Reasonable Ribbon April Blog Hop! You should be coming to my blog from the Really Reasonable Ribbon Blog. (For the complete blog list, scroll to the bottom of the post.) After visiting me, hop over to the spectacular Ginny's Blog next!

At the end of the hop, comment on the RRR Blog post, answering the question listed, for a chance to win the April Ribbon Club Assortment shown below. (The Design Team appreciates your comments, too!)

This month the collection is called Blue and Brown Mix. This mix SCREAMS...BEACH! But, because I can never get with the program...

I did not do a beach-themed project. I did a wedding card instead. I know...you never can tell which way I will jump, can you?! I decided to cut into the Graphic 45 Little Women paper pad that has been sitting on my desk for a few weeks. I ordered some of the new papers, but it's taking me a while to get to use them! More paper comes into this house every week, along with ribbon and flowers, and....well, you get the idea!

This is a 6" x 6" card with lots of layers! In fact, the front was supposed to have a whole other layer on top of the blue print, but...somehow I got distracted and forgot to add it! Oh well, it looks fine without it! 

I chose to use the Royal Blue Delicate Stitched Satin and the Natural Crochet Lace from the assortment. (I think this particular lace is called Madison, but it's out of stock unless you order the April Ribbon Club. You can substitute any 3/8" lace.)

I added some blue and ivory Mulberry Flowers to my bows. So pretty! I also added the sentiment by placing an eyelet into the edge of the banner, and then sticking a decorative pin through the eyelet! Isn't that sweet?! I saw someone do this on a card YEARS ago, and have always wanted to try it.

I decorated the inside of the card, too!

Since this will probably be a card that is actually FOR someone, I added a gift card holder to the inside. (A friend of mine is getting married in April and my great-nephew is getting married in October...so I have need of some wedding cards!) 

You can see that this fits a standard gift card. I repeated the eyelet detail on the inside of the card. I have used eyelets a bunch the past few weeks! Maybe I can bring them back to popularity! But, maybe that's a bad thing...I already have 2000 pounds of eyelets, and if they come back into style I'd probably buy 2000 more pounds of them!!! 

I love this blue and ivory combination. So pretty! I cannot wait to make a bigger project with the paper so you cam see more of the patterns! I barely scratched the surface of how much paper there is. And...I have so much ribbon left, too! Can you say MORE STORAGE??!!

Now, hop over to Ginny's Blog to see what she has for you! Ginny is the QUEEN of all things layered and ribbon-y, so I am sure she has a beauty for you to see!

Here is the RRR Blog Hop Order in case you get lost!

Really Reasonable Ribbon's Ramblings (REMEMBER, LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE RRR BLOG FOR A CHANCE TO WIN!)
Gloria - YOU ARE HERE!

Ginny

Cheryl

Bonnie

Karen

Kathy

Linsey

Shelia

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Ribbon: Really Reasonable Ribbon April Ribbon Club Assortment (Royal Blue Delicate Stitched Satin, Natural Crochet Lace)

Cardstock: WorldWin Natural, Brown

Printed paper: Graphic 45 Little Women 12x12 Pad, Patterns and Solids Pad, Ephemera Cards

Stamps: Clearly Besotted Sweet Little Sentiments, Avery Elle Oh Happy Day

Ink: Versafine Onyx Black

Eyelets: unknown

Dies: My Favorite Things Fishtail Flag Stax and Layers, Horizontal Gift Card Pocket

Trinket pin: Maya Road

Flowers: Wild Orchid Crafts

Adhesive: ATG tape, Scor-tape, 3M foam tape, Blick Essentials White Glue, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam squares, hot glue