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Handmade Holiday Journal

By Nancy Leimer
Rubber Roadsters
Advanced Team Stamp Designer

Handmade Journals have a multitude of uses from holiday pictures to everyday lists and collectable thoughts.  I have called this one “The Music of My Soul” reflecting the spirit of the holidays that will last all year long.

Supplies:
French Horn Stamp- (PSX)
Floral Design Stamp- (CTMH)
Red Scrapbooking Paper-2 pieces 8 ½ x 11- (Frances Meyer)
Floral Cardstock- 3 ¾ ” x 3 ¾ ”-(CTMH)
Red Striped Cardstock-8 ½ x 11- (Unknown)
Cream Cardstock-Scrap- (Office Depot)
White Cardstock-8 ½ x 11- 12 sheets- (Office Depot)
Red Paper-8 ½ x 11- (Unknown)
Old piece of Music
Large Empty Rice Krispie Box
Fresco Stamp Pad-Tuscan Earth- (Stampa Rosa)
Gold Detail Embossing Powder-(Stamp’n Around)
Glue (Zig )
Embossing Heat Tool-(Uchida)
Personal Paper Trimmer-(Fiskars)
Scissors-(Fiskars)
Deckle Scissors-(Stampin Up)
Tidy Tray-(Hobby Lobby)
Embossing Pad-(Rubber Stampede)
Embossing Buddy-(Unknown)
Tassels- 2-(Unknown)
Olive Ribbon-3 yards – 1/8”
Hole Punch- (Gem)
Angel Button- (Unknown)
Needle
Ruler
Sponge
Small Glue Dots

Instructions: 

1.      Cut the Rice Krispie box apart leaving the large front and back piece whole.  Fold them in half and glue together to equal size 6 3/8” x 7 ¾”.  Using paper clips put all the way around the glued cardboard and set aside to dry. 

2.      Make a template the same size as the cardboard that you just glue together.  On the 7 inch side draw a line inside from the edge ¾”.  From each end on that line mark 6/16 from each end.  Now continue marking every 1 inch until you will have 8 markings.  Using the hole punch make a hole on each mark. This completes your template.  When the glued cardboard is dry draw a line 3/4 inch in from the edge score the line.  Then punch the holes.  Bend the scored area back and forth to make it easier to bend when the journal is put together. 

3.      Cut the red cardstock to size 8 ½ x 10 and lay the cardboard pieces without the paperclips in the middle of the paper. Begin to glue the cardboard to the red paper. Make sure that you miter the corners so that the outside of your journal looks nice.  Rub over where the holes should be and make a small indentation and use the hole punch to make the holes for the ribbon.  

4.      Cut the red striped paper to cover the inside of the front and back covers and glue on but do not cover the holes.  See photo.  Set aside to dry. 

5.      Use paper cutter to cut the white paper and the two pieces of red paper to 6 3/16 x 7 9/16 paper. Use the template to mark the holes for the ribbon and then punch the holes.  Center the paper on the template because it will just a little bit larger than your paper. 

6.      Once the papers have been punched use the Fresco stamp pad and the Floral design stamp to stamp randomly on each of the white pages in no particular order.  See photo. Put the pages in order of four white one red four white one red and four white.  This order makes individual sections. 
 
                     
 

7.     To assemble the Journal. Put the pages inside the front and back cover.  Thread the needle with the olive ribbon. Starting at the top, leave a tail long enough to tie a bow, come up in one hole and down in the next until you reach the bottom.  Cut thread leaving a tail and do the reverse going up.  Then tie bows on each end.  If you want you also can bind the edges, see photo. 

8.      Emboss the Flower design stamp in gold on the left side of the cover and glue the button to the middle of the design.  Don’t forget to remove the shank from the button. 

9.      Use the deckle scissors to trim out the piece of music and glue it to the cover of the journal.  Glue the music off center for a somewhat different focal point. 

10.   Cut piece of cardboard 3 ¼ x 3/14 and cover with the scrap of floral cardstock and glue to journal front. 

11.   Stamp and emboss the French horn onto the cream cardstock and emboss in gold.  Cut out with the deckle scissors, add the glue dots to raise and add to the cover.  See photo for placement.

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