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Rubber Road
Scenic Byway:

Personalized Journal/Scrapbook

By April Staker
Off Road Inksters
Intermediate Scramping Team Designer

Here is another easy gift project for you to try, which I made for my oldest daughter.  She is a gymnast and has started competing, but had a hard time remembering scores between meets. We wanted to keep track of them to see how much improvement was made from meet to meet. I found this spiral bound journal at a dollar store and decided to dress it up for her.

This project was completed in a single sitting of about two hours from thought to completion (not including drying time for the varnish).  The journal has sections so that as she moves from level to level she can have them each in a separate area.  She will, also, be able to add photos or chronicle her own thoughts as desired.  In the end, she has a permanent keepsake of records regarding her experiences and progress that can be shared with her own kids someday!

Supplies:

•  Dance With Your Spirit Stamp Set (The Angel Company)
•  Noir Black Palette Hybrid Ink Pad (Stewart Superior)
•  L’Amour Red Palette Hybrid Ink Pad (Stewart Superior)
•  Purple Cardstock 8” x 8” 2 sheets (Die Cuts with a View)
•  Flirt Fusion Paper (Basic Grey)
•  Infatuation Fusion Paper (Basic Grey)
•  Posh Fusion Paper (Basic Grey)
•  Ribbon (Michael’s)
•  Fusion Fibers (Basic Grey)
•  Poolside Lowercase Jigsaw Alphabet “g” (Making Memories)
•  Philadelphia Jigsaw Numbers “1” & “0” (Making Memories)
•  Gloss Varnish (DecoArt)
•  Diamond Glaze (Judikins)
•  Scissors (Provo Craft)
•  Paper Trimmer (Fiskars)
•  Xyron Machine with double sided adhesive
•  Hole Punches (Marvy)
•  4½” x 7” Spiral Bound Journal (dollar store special!)

Instructions:

1.    Remove the spiral binding from the journal by spinning it around until it has come out.  Set the pages aside for now. 

2.    Cut your papers to the following dimensions: 

a.    Flirt:

5½” x 8” Front cover
(2) 4¼” x 6¾” Divider Page
scrap to cover the “g” and the “1” 

b.    Infatuation:

(2) 5½” x 3” Accent Strips on Front & Back Covers
(2) 4¼” x 6¾” Divider Page 

c.     Posh:

5½” x 8” Back cover
(2) 4¼” x 6¾” Divider Page
scrap to cover the negative part of the “g” and the “0” 

d.    Purple Cardstock:

(2) 4¼” x 6½” (for the inside covers) 

3.    Run the papers all through the Xyron except the scraps.  Run the alphabet and numbers through the Xyron face down. 

4.    Wrap the front cover in the Flirt paper being careful to center it before adhering. Cut out and remove the corners of the paper to the journal cover so that you can wrap the paper to the back without having to fold corners.  Wrap and press the edges around to the back.  Smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles. 

5.    Adhere one of the Infatuation accent strips to the front as shown. 

6.    Place a piece of the purple cardstock on the inside of the front cover.  This will go over the wrapped edges of the Flirt paper to help hold them in place and give the book a finished look. 

7.    Repeat steps 4 through 6 with the back cover using the Posh paper. 

8.    Place the two Divider pieces of each paper together; with sticky sides together, to form one piece that is double thick.  

9.     Ink all edges in L’Amour Red ink. 

10. Tie a ribbon around the front cover as shown. 

11. Place the scraps onto the alphabet and number pieces.  Using scissors trim away the excess.  Press the “g” back into the negative piece.  Ink all edges in L’Amour Red ink. 

12. Punch the holes back into the front and back cover.  If your punch cannot get through the thickness you can also use and eyelet punch.  I used the end of a paintbrush to press along the top.  This helped me to find the holes that were already there.  I pressed in to make indentations at each of those holes so that I would know where to punch my holes. 

13. Place a piece of the journal paper over the dividers you made.  Use this to align the holes for punching so that they will match and lay nicely. 

14. Divide the journal papers into four piles.  Using a ½” or ¾” circle punch make reverse tabs for each section.  Hold the section’s pile of papers together and punch.  Scoot the punch over for the next section so that they are staggered. 

15. Place a divider between each section and form a stack. 

16. Glue the “g” and the “10” to the front cover with Diamond Glaze.  Make sure to get the middle and the edges and press firmly to secure the adhesion. 

17. Stamp the words in black ink as shown. 

18. Paint two coats of gloss varnish over the front and back covers allowing it to dry between coats.  Varnish the inside of the covers as well. 

19. When the varnish is completely dry stack the papers back together and line the holes up.  Twist the spiral binding back through the holes.  If it is difficult you probably need to make the holes larger on the cover and/or dividers. 

20. Tie pieces of the Basic Grey Fibers to the binding in knots. 

That’s it!  When you have completed one once, these journals becomes really quick to make.  If you need a quick but meaningful gift in a rush, make one of these and customize it to the receiver with the monogram alphabets or photos.  It will be a one of a kind gift!

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