Masculine Scratchpad Weekend Project

First you need a scratch pad.  You can measure if you wish but I like to just wing it.  I do measure how wide the the scratchpad is but after that I just fold things over edges, mark them with my fingernail and score as I go.  My Island Indigo card stock measures 7-7/16" x 3-1/16".  It's not that important because each scratchpad is going to be different. Scratchpads are not precision work so it will be rare to find a whole pack that is exactly the same, especially if you buy them in bulk.  I had gotten mine in bulk from Staples.  Paper is heavy so you may have to pay a lot for shipping.  Fortunately when I ordered these I needed printer ink so I was able to get my order high enough to qualify for free shipping!!! 

I took a full sheet of cards stock and cut it on the short side at 4-1/4".  I did that so I could use the other side for a future card.  I took the other piece and cut it the width of my scratchpad.  Then I marked the edge of the card stock where the back of the scratchpad lined up to it.  I scored that line.  Then I marked the next edge where the card stock folds over the bound end of the scratch pad.  I scored there too.  Then I measured 2" from that last score and cut the end off.  You don't have to measure.  You can eye it, just make sure you have enough to fold over.  The top edge is tucked under so a fold is showing on the front and not a raw edge. Plus that makes a little side "pocket" for you to slide in the strip of card stock to bind the top piece to the scratchpad.  I took the strip of card stock that was left over from cutting the width of my scratchpad.  I slipped it in the "pocket" and folded it around the scratchpad to the front.  I cut off the end, leaving over an inch of card stock to slip into the other "pocket."

Now for the assembly.  Glue your card stock to the back of the scratchpad.  You can tape it but you need the Sticky Strip.  It just seemed like a lot of Sticky Strip to use and it's not as easy to work with if you get the pad on crooked.  And trust me, it doesn't always want to go on straight.  Glue the card stock to the bonded edge of the scratchpad, plus glue the inside flap to the white paper on the pad.  The bottom photo shows the card stock glued to the back of the scratchpad. You can see the bound edge is not glued or that inside flap.  In the photo the inside flap is facing outward. Once I glue that it will fold in and stick to the white scratch paper.  Do not glue that flap shut or you will not be able to slip that strip of card stock inside.  A note here: Even if you cut your card stock straight and think you glued it on straight, it may not end up straight due to the scratchpad being cut just a little bit crooked.  Don't panic, it will still look fine.

This part is a bit tricky.  Put a little glue on one end of the strip and slip it inside the "pocket."  I glued both sides of the card stock strip with a light layer of glue so it wouldn't ooze out or scrape off.  Then I repeated that for the other side.  Now your scratch pad is ready to decorate as you wish!  

I have a "notes" stamp that I had custom made a LONG time ago.  I use it when I make notepads and notebooks.   Next I stamped the pages with the fish from the "By the Sea" set.  That took a little while to do.  Just a note here.  The image is not as sharp as it is when you stamp on card stock.  Scratchpads are not the greatest quality of paper.  But the image is clear enough and the paper is just going to be written on and tossed out eventually.  And there you have it, a fun notepad from a plain scratchpad.

These are very fun to make and after you make a couple they go pretty fast.  It just takes a little bit of time to get the other end of that strip in.  Just start with a corner of the strip and slowly work it in.  You can bend the strip a little on the end, it won't matter, it won't show.  It will be tucked and glued to the inside!

Have fun making these and thank you SO much for stopping by today,
Wanda

Timeless Talk Matchbook Notes

These are called "Matchbook Notes" because the open like a matchbook.  The flap fit just behind that piece you see with the 4 pearls! 

You can do this with any scratch pad you have sitting around.  Just take a piece of card stock and scrap it around scrap copier paper to see if the 11" part is long enough.  Then you cut it to fit the width of the scratch pad.  

Glue the back of the scratch pad to the cardstock.  I also glued the little front flap to the  first piece of paper in the scratch pad.  The glued end of the scratch pad is at the bottom and I did glue that to the cardstock too.  

I found a scrap piece of the Patina Technique and I thought it would work well with this.  It's always fun to use some of your scrap findings!!  

I thought the phone image from the "Timeless Talk" set would be perfect for a scratch pad notebook.  And of course the "Hello there" was a perfect fit too!  

I embellished the phone with a lot of tiny pearls.  One in the center of the dial and tiny ones all around it, plus a few up above the dial too!  It looks SO much better in person!  

I will probably gift it.  I will wrap it up in cello wrap and set it aside until it's needed!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Summer Silhouettes Notes Weekend Project

Today I thought it would be fun to do a 3-D project.  I didn't intend to make notepads but I was digging in my storage closet and I found some scratch pads and thought I would make a few fun notepads for gifts.  These are always fun to just grab and give when you are visiting with friends.  I'll probably wrap these up individually in cellophane bags and have them all ready for when I need to grab a gift or to put in a gift basket.

The pretty colors I used on the Summer Silhouette set notes is Pool Party, Crumb Cake and Early Espresso.  The leaves were stamped in Crumb Cake and then stamped off to get a lighter image of that color.

The words are from the Teeny Tiny wishes set.  I masked off the "baby" after the "hello" and just stamped the "hello."

These are fun to make and a great way to use up scrap cardstock and leftover or retired ribbons.  I had to use these retired ribbons because I didn't have any other matching ribbon and I have decided to start using up the retired stuff before I buy anything new.  Everyone knows they can substitute current ribbon on any project.  But this year I'm just working hard to use up what I have.  It gets expensive having all of that ribbon hanging around and then buying new stuff.  I think the guilt is getting to me!!! LOL

Anyway, these are fun notepad covers.  Not all notebooks are the same size so you will need to measure yours.  I cut my my cardstock to fit and I set it in place on the front and folded it over the top edge and onto the back.  Then I creased those folds so the cover would lay nice.  I glued what card stock hung over on the back.  If you want you can cut a piece of cardstock to cover that back piece too so it looks smooth and even.  I cut layers for the front, stamped the image and then wrapped the ribbon around before I glued them in place.  Yes, I did say glue. Taping over ribbon on the back is hard to do.  It doesn't always want to stick to the ribbon plus it doesn't always like to stick to the cardstock either.  So I just save myself any headaches and use the glue. I don't have to be concerned about it popping up in spots.

And for the top I took a little strip of the card stock that I stamped on and I tore it and just glued that in place too.  So easy and it was pretty quick to do too. Now I just need to wrap them in some cellophane and they are ready for whatever!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Papillon Potpourri Scratch Pad Cover Weekend Project

I was having some fun with the Papillon Potpourri set and the beautiful butterfly punch.  How much do you love that punch?  It sure does beat cutting out butterflies.

Today I made a cover for a scratch pad.  The photo makes this look a little bigger than it actually is.  It measures 3" x 5".  I just wrapped some white card stock around the back and over the front.  I scored the lines so they were crisp instead of looking "folded" over (like they did before I scored them).  You can also mark them and score them to avoid any folding over to find the right fold measurements.  I didn't measure anything.  I just set the card stock on the scratch pad and marked the edge that I needed to cut.  I don't measure these things because a lot of the times they are all not the same exact size.  

SO to make this cover I took Whisper White card stock and cut it to the width of the pad.  Then I wrapped and cored it around the pad starting from the back and going to the front via the top.  I cut off the excess and punched the butterfly.  Then I took the Wisteria Wonder and wrapped it from the top of the back to the front, covering about 7/8 of the front.  

I punched the butterfly out on the white piece and then I used a glue stick and glued it in place.  I marked on the front of the Wisteria Wonder piece where I wanted the texture to be and then I added it.  Next I set the Wisteria Wonder on the scratch pad and tucked the front piece under the white.  I traced the butterfly and then used the Stamp-a-ma-jig to stamp the butterfly in the exact spot I needed it on the Wisteria Wonder.  I used some tiny magnets to hold the flap down.  I could have used the stamped and punched out butterfly to act as a way to tuck the flap down.

I have over 200 Weekend Projects on my blog (WOW, that's a lot!!!).  Just click here to see more of them!  A lot of them are great for Craft Fairs, Stamp Camps, Make N Takes, Customer Appreciation Gifts, Hostess Appreciation Gifts and just fun things to do on the weekend!

This one will be added to the box of "stuff" for the fall craft fair.  It's slowly getting full.  But keep in mind, it's not a very big box!!! LOL

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Quick Post it Holder Weekend Project

 I'm about ready to go crazy here.  But why you ask?  LOL  This computer is driving me nuts.  I was able to rotate the top photo but not the bottom photo.  I figured it would be ok to post it sideways, you just have to turn your head to see it.  It went into my folder that way and when it was downloaded here it was right!  So I just roll my eyes, remind myself that my computer really is my friend and continued on with the post!!! LOL

So here I am, continuing on with the post.  And speaking of post, I decided to cover a Post it note pad for a friend.  What surprised me the most was I only had 15 minutes to come up with an idea, get it done, take the photos and get out the door!  It's amazing what one can do under such pressure, isn't it?  

I have this wonderful and fun Domestic Goddess decorative paper that I have hardly used and I know it will be retiring.  All of the decorative papers seem to retire after 1 year.  SO I looked through the pack and picked out this checkered paper.  It's so pretty and so easy on the eyes!

First I set the pad on my cutter to measure it.  Then I cut some white card stock.  I didn't cut it exactly though.  I left less than 1/8" on each side and I was going to trim the bottom piece off but I decided to leave it and add the "notes" there.  

Then I cut the decorative paper to fit the top and the remaining piece of it was long enough to cover most of the bottom part.  It was cut small enough so it wouldn't show that it's not long enough!

The "notes" layers were set in place using Dimensionals.

On the top of the notepad I set a fun flower I made using the Flower Daisies #2 die.  What a fun die that is!  I cut 2 of each size and off set them a bit before taping them together.  In the center of the flower I added a 3/4" round circle of Pumpkin Pie card stock and it was done.  I set the flower in place using 2 pop up glue dots.  One was not quite enough.  There's a pretty deep hole on the back side of the flower from all of those layers.  And you know, when you set anything in place like that with a pop up glue dot, it's NOT going anywhere!  

And there you have it.  A fun gift in less than 10 minutes.  It probably took me longer to take the photo and type this up than it did to create this little gem.  This would be a fun item for a Stamp Camp, a Make n Take or for your hostess or customer appreciation gift.  With a Christmas theme it would be great for stocking stuffers!

Check out my other weekend projects.  There's over 190 of them.  That oughta keep you busy for a while!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Hello, Doily Matchbook Notepads Weekend Project

While I was looking for something else in my over-stuffed craft room I found these two matchbook notepads and I thought I would try some altered art!  I am sure I bought them to redecorate them.  And I'm glad I ran across them.  I am just loving this "Hello, Doily" stamp.  

To alter these, all I did was cut some card stock (here I used Melon Mambo) and wrapped it around the notepad.  I marked the folds and scored them so they were nice and crisp.  Then I taped the card stock in place around the notepad.  They sat on my worktable for a day because I wasn't sure what I wanted on the top of them. 

My first idea was to use the "Delicate Doilies" set and stamp each of the doily images in different colors.  Well, I did that but didn't like it.  It was just WAY too busy looking.  I put those images back and I put the set away, I was going to put the "Hello, Doily" stamp away and thought I would use it on the cover.  SO I stamped the image in VersaMark and embossed it in white.  I sponged on the Melon Mambo color and then I REALLY liked how well it covered.  All I needed was to add some words and "notes" seemed to be the best.  The notes are from a custom stamp I had made for me many years ago!  I wanted one that read "notes" because I do make a lot of note books.  It sure comes in handy!!!

And for the final touch I used the new scalloped edge Melon Mambo ribbon.  It's very pretty but a little difficult to tie into a bow because of the scallops.  And that was it.  Quick and simple and pretty too!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Fabulous Florets Scratch Pad Holder Weekend Project

I made and sold a lot of these scratch pad holders in last falls craft fair.  What I like best about them is that they are refillable.  I got the pattern for them from Linda at Splendiferous Creations.  

These scratch pad holders are very simple to make too.  You make 4 scores on the full sheet of card stock and cut away two sections.  I did find that if I trimmed the part that goes between the cardboard of the the scratch pad and the papers on the pad that it fit in the holder better.  It just needed to sit down in there a hair deeper for that back fold to lay nice.  You'll know what I mean when you make one.  

I did cut out the flower. Actually I cut out two flowers and I lost one somewhere in my workroom.  When it turns up I'll make another scratch pad holder with it and next time I will move the words over a tad bit more so they aren't in the stem of the flower.  Once again I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing.  But I will on the next one.  I'll be making more of these with different designs and I'll share them with you.  I had gotten some emails about some of the things I make and if they would be in the web store.  SO I am thinking about adding some of these to the web store so check back there now and then to see what else has been added.  Right now I have several new retired stamp sets in there.  

SO back to this cute scratch pad holder.   Lisa has the instructions posted on her blog.  The link is there in the first paragraph of this post.  You can get scratch pads at any of your local or online office supply stores.  They often sell them in bulk packs.  Just be sure to read that they don't say "irregular shapes" or you may have a bit of trouble getting them to look nice inside the holder.

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Quick Cover Sticky Notes Weekend Project

It's actually a very quick process to cover a sticky note pad. Take your note pad and measure how wide it is. Pick out your card stock color and cut a piece that width.

Now this is the tricky part, sort of. It's the most difficult part of the cover but yet it is still quick and easy. Measure the top of the pad and write the number down. Measure the edge of the pad and write that number down plus add that number to the top number. Now the bottom measurement should be the same as the top. Write that number down and plus add it to the other two totals. Now you will cut your piece of card stock using the total you got from adding the three surfaces.

And finally you will score your piece. Score at the first number you wrote down. Then score again for the thickness of the pad. Fold on the score lines. Tape the pad in place and decorate the front as desired.

I decorated the front of mine using the Stampin' Up! "Sweet Pea" download . I SO love this download. I was going to add some ribbon or buttons but remembered how they rip the paper when I dig then out of my purse. SO leaving it plain and smooth is the best way to go. Plus they stack nicer for storing. The word "notes" is from a custom stamp I had made for me several years ago.

I'm going to be making some of these for the fall craft fair. They were quick and easy enough to do and I could make a bunch in no time. Gotta love crafts like that! These little gems would be great for gifts, hostess appreciation gifts, customer appreciation gifts, craft fairs, stamp camp, make n takes and of course a fun teacher's gift. Oh and not to mention a GREAT stocking stuffer!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting today,
Wanda

Scratch Pad and Pencil Holder

This scratch pad holder was very easy and fun to make. I used the Stampin' Up! "Bella Bleu" decorative papers. I LOVE that pack of papers. And of course I had to play around with the new border punch too! SO glad it's going to be in the new catalog.

The adorable pencil holder is from a design by Nichole Heady at "Capture the Moment". She has the pattern for it at her site.

I did mine a bit differently than she did hers. I didn't make my holder part have the slot for sticking "stuff" into it. I just made a front and back to mine. I did add a little more card stock width to the back so the pencil holder could be taped in place there. The pencil holder Nichole has prints out on card stock right from your computer and you just cut and put it together. Very simple!

On mine, the "Don't Forget" came from the Stampin' Up! "Teacher's Pet" set.

I did take my pencil out in the garage and used the band saw to cut it down a bit. I suppose I could have just run it in the pencil sharpener until I got it shorter. And it would be sharp too! This one is not sharpened.

Oh and I did change the length of the pencil holder part too. I made it the same length as the scratch pad holder. I think it's adorable. I have lots and lots of decorative papers and I have LOTS of scratch pads too. I think I bought a case of them a few years ago!

Isn't it just adorable? And it's SO quick to make too. Well, the pencil holder did take a little time cutting out by hand but it's SO worth it. And it is very easy to cut out. These would make fabulous gifts and stocking stuffers! It would be great to get a head start on stocking stuffers!

I do have a couple more Valentine's Day things to post this week and the rest will be back to "business as usual." Which means I don't want to fill the week with Valentine's Day stuff when it's only a week away. Not much time to play and get new things created!

Thank you SO much for visiting today.
Wanda

It Started Out As a Plain Old Scratch Pad!

It did!! It was just a plain old scratch pad. I had ordered a bunch of them online at Staples a while back. I have them packed away in my storage closet (in a spot where I can get at them!!!). I take one out now and then to use as a scratch pad. But tonight I was looking at this scratch pad and thought I could dress it up a bit!! And this is what I came up with.

I found that a 12" x 12" piece of decorative paper worked well with this. You can get by with 8-1/2" x 11" but you would need to use two pieces for the notepad. It's not a big deal and the pieces would be glued or taped together in the back so you couldn't tell. But it's just a way to do it so that those who do not have that long of a piece of decorative paper or card stock can make these too.

I set the scratch pad on top of the decorative paper and made a mark so I knew where to cut it. They are not perfect sizes, meaning they measure in the 16th's and 32nds". It's just easier to lightly mark the paper and bring it to your paper cutter. And each pad is not the same size either! SO you would need to do them one at a time or trim when you are done.

Anyway, I cut the paper and set the scratch pad on top of it. I took the bottom end of the paper and brought it all the way up to the top where the pad is glued together. I pressed the paper into the edges of the bottom of the pad to make a fold mark. I removed the pad and folded the paper on those marks. I used the sides of the paper as my guideline for a straight fold. I put the scratch pad back on the paper and repeated the folding of the top. The top flap is not very big at all. Here is where I added a piece of card stock. I used the VersaMark pad and the flowers image from the Stampin' Up! set "Bird on a Branch." It doesn't really show on the card stock. And now that I look at it I think i should have used the matching ink pad and it would have shown up more. If you click on the photo you can see the images a bit better.

The flower in the pot is from the Stampin' Up! set "Always in My Thoughts." I colored it in with a blender pen, watercolor crayons and markers. I sponged the edges and layered it on a piece of card stock. The words were done on the computer, punched out and then layered. I did add a little circle magnet to the inside of the flap. It does show when you open it but from the outside it doesn't and it helps keep the flap closed. You can add ribbons or buttons to dress it up even more if you like! There's not a whole lot to making these, just a little materials and a little time!!! But it sure did dress up a plain old scratch pad!!!

Thank you SO much for visiting,
Wanda

So, I'm At The Dollar Spot In JoAnns...... Weekend Project

Need I say any more????? LOL I wish I could just walk right past that area but no, I just have to "look to see if there is anything new." Well of course there is, there's always something new there. Today it was strawberry stuff. The paper note cube is what caught my eye. And the Stampin' Up! "Tart & Tangy" set came to mind. And I knew I had some decorative papers left too. SO I got them out and my Crop-A-Dile and started to play.

Now this project didn't take long at all. I counted 30 sheet of the strawberry paper and removed them all at once so they would still be stuck together. Then I cut a piece of white cardboard that was in the package of decorative paper. I made it the exact size of the note paper. Then I cut a piece of the red decorative paper the exact same size too. I took a piece of white card stock and used the corner rounder and made my scallop. Now for those of you who pre-ordered the new scallop edge punch this will go much faster for you. I'm waiting to order mine, just didn't have the funds!

I taped the scalloped piece in place with a little bit of tape. I didn't put the tape where I was going to be punching. I didn't want my punch to get all sticky in the holes. It's REALLY hard to clean out. Using alcohol soaked q-tips wasn't on my list of things to do tonight!!! I marked where I wanted the holes to go and punched them with the Crop-A-Dile. Then I took some red grossgrain ribbon and fed it through the holes and tied the bow.

I took the strawberry from the "Tart & Tangy" set and used the Real Red marker on the strawberry and Garden Green on the top of the strawberry. I huffed on it and stamped the image on a piece of white card stock. Then I punched it out with the 1-1/4" punch. I punched out a red circle using the 1-3/8" punch and I used the scallop punch on the Garden Green card stock. I taped them all together and taped it on the cover. Just too quick and very simple. If you want a thicker pad just add more paper but you'll have to punch it separately, the Crop-A-Dile can only punch so many sheets at a time!

These would be a fun Make N' Take, Hostess Gift, Customer Appreciation Gift, Stamp Camp item or even for a Craft Fair.

This item was made entirely of Stampin' Up! products. To view more items made entirely of Stampin' Up! products click here

Thank you SO much for stopping by,
Wanda

Fun with Scratch Pads

Isn't it fun how you can turn an everyday ordinary object into a fun gift? Or something you can make a few bucks off???

I'm making these for gifts and to sell at the craft fairs I'm doing this fall. For the plum colored one I used Perfect and Pale Plum card stock. Perfect Plum ink and the new "Priceless" set. The words "notes" came from the "Office Accoutrement" set. I wanted the word "notes" on the pad but I wanted it to be a little fancier than just block printing. In that office set there is a stamp that reads "Daily Notes". I only wanted the word "notes" so I used a marker and colored only that part in.

The Chocolate Chip note pad cover was done using the "Doodle This" set. I really miss the "Doodle That" set but I'm leaning more towards the "Priceless" set and in no time I'll have forgotten all about "Doodle That!" I did use a retired word stamp on the brown one, along with retired decorative paper. They are both made the same way and it's VERY quick to cover a scratch pad and yet make it look elegant.

The pattern for this is on Lisa Somerville's blog Splendiferous Creations. I like the pattern because it forms a pocket on the inside and you slip the cardboard part of the scratch pad in it. The paper runs out and you just slip a new one in! So it's not only useful, it's refillable!!! It's great for demonstrators or sales people. Just add your business label to the back and it will be available to the receiver whenever they need it. And since it's refillable they will keep your information for a long time!

This project is great for Craft Fairs, Gifts, Hostess Gifts, Customer Appreciation Gifts and pretty darn inexpensive Make & Takes!

Thank you for stopping by,

Wanda

Make N Take From My Open House & Instructions

This is one of the Make N Takes I had for my Customer Appreciation Open House last Sunday. The new See You Around wheel was used for the background on the Tempting Turquoise card stock. The Office Accoutrement set was used on the front, adding black for the layers.

On the inside I used a piece of white card stock for the base to tape on the pad and pencil. I cut a 3/4" piece of card stock to hold the pencil. I cut the piece about 4" long and wrapped the pencil in the center and then taped it shut close to the pencil. Then I taped the strip between the white card stock and the note pad. I added a piece of Velcro to the top to keep it shut. But before I did that I punched an oval in the upper part to serve as a handle. Punch them one at a time. Punching both is possible but why push your luck on your punch, it's not worth it.

Measurements:

4 1/4" x 11". You will get two from one piece of card stock.
1 7/8" x 2 1/8" white piece to stamp on

2 1/8" x 2 3/8" colored piece for layer
2 3/8" x 2 5/8" black layer

Scoring: score at 5 1/4" and again at 5 3/4"

The circle was stamped in black on white card stock and then punched out and the layer behind it is a scrap piece of black.

The white piece behind the post it notes
measures 3 1/4" x 3 1/4"

I thought I should add this little note. For those of you without the means to cut a pencil like I did, here's a couple of things you can do. You can purchase the "golf" pencils. They are the ones used at the golf course. Or you can score the pencil a bit longer than you need and snap it. To score it you would take you x-acto knife and push it into the wood and roll it until it comes full circle. Then you continue doing that until you have a nice groove in it. Then you snap the pencil at the score line. Now you will sharpen that end because it's not very attractive , it's uneven and will have rough bits of wood sticking out.

Have fun making these. They are a quick project!

Thanks for stopping by,
Wanda