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Greeting Cards for a Year Organizer (8" x 8")

By Nancy West Johnson
Off-Road Inksters
Intermediate Scramping Team Designer

I bought a flimsy card organizer years ago and it finally bit the dust. I decided to use an inexpensive photo album to make a sturdier version. This one has a great feature - an envelope inside the front cover to hold postage stamps! Here are some basic instructions to make one for yourself. Get creative and make a customized cover. Why not add a decorative pen and give one as a great personalized gift!

Supplies:

•  Seasonal Celebrations (CTMH)
•  Paper Airplane (unknown)
•  Friendly Phrases Mail Art (Club Scrap)
•  Open Carefully! (Meer Image)
•  Autumn Terracotta, Barn Red, New England Ivy, Outdoor Denim, Pansy Purple, Sunflower (CTMH Exclusive Inks™)
•  12 pieces of Harvest 12” x 12” solid paper (CTMH)
•  2 pieces of Nature’s Treasures 12” x 12” patterned paper (CTMH)
•  Computer printed calendar sheets (Template in tech sheet below)
•  Adhesive: double-sided tape (3M), Xyron
•  ¼” circle paper punch (Fiskars)
•  Paper piercing tool (CTMH)
•  12 Brads, My Accents™ Autumn Terracotta (CTMH)
•  Bone Folder (Ranger)
•  Ruler (unknown)
•  12” Paper cutter (Fiskars)
•  8” x 8” Brown post-bound album (Jo-Ann Scrap Essentials)
•  2 album extender posts (CTMH)
•  Envelope (Paper Zone)
•  1 yard of 1” ribbon cut in half (unknown)
•  Optional: embossing powder and embellishments of your choice

Instructions: 

1.    Measure and cut paper.

·        12 solids = 9” x 12”

·        2 patterned = 9 1/2” x 8 1/4”

2.    Using a bone folder, measure in 1” on the left edge of each piece of solid paper and score for folding ease.

3.    Fold the long end up 4” to create a pocket. Use a bone folder to smooth and sharpen the fold. Repeat for all pages.

4.    Ink all the visible edges with a coordinating color of ink.

5.    Using the paper piercing tool, make a hole on the outside edge of each pocket and insert a brad. Add addition brads if desired.

6.    Using one of the page protectors, place it on a page and use a pencil to mark matching holes on the left side. Repeat for all pages.

7.    Using the paper punch, punch a hole at each mark.

8.    Using stamps or coordinating printed paper, decorate the top part of each page. Remember, this will be hidden when you place a greeting card in the pocket so you don’t need to get too carried away.

9.    Download and print out the monthly calendar pages and trim. If desired, ink the edges. Run them through the Xyron using an adhesive cartridge and adhere one to the pocket of each page.

10. Starting with January/February, adhere two pages back-to-back using double-sided tape.

11. Take apart the 8” x 8” photo album and remove the page protectors to use for another project.

12. Attach the post extenders - this organizer is going to get thick when you add your cards!

13. To make ribbon closure and inside covers:

·        Center the ribbon 4” in to the middle of both the inside front and back covers. Adhere with double-sided tape.

·        Run the 2 pieces of patterned paper through the Xyron and adhere, smoothing in from the outer edge, over the ribbon on each cover.

·        Adhere envelope to the center of the inside front cover, flap out. Optional: use stamps and inks to decorate before adhering. Put postage stamps inside.

14. Using the date lines on the calendars, write down the names of people you regularly send cards to. If desired, add a notation for birthday, anniversary, etc. If this is a gift, be sure to write down YOUR birthday before you give it to your friend!

15. As you make (or buy - gasp!) your greeting cards, insert them in a pocket. You can always add another set of post extenders later as the organizer fills up.

If you would like to print this technique including the template, click here.  Once you've saved or printed the technique sheet, use your browser's back button to return.

Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to obtain this file.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, click here to download and install.