How to alter a notebook

Remember yesterday how I told you all that I take pictures as I process through my papercraft, card or layout? These things don't always go smoothly so I end up taking a lot of photos and then editing later. Today I decided to show all my pictures and the process of altering this notebook to show you that it's totally okay to change your mind halfway through just like I do. I've altered one of these particular notebooks before, they are cheap, $1.00, and I found them at Michael's in their dollar section. They measure approximately 5 by 7 inches.

To decorate this one I used Key to my Heart paper, my absolute favorite, in fact, I bought six packages from the clearance sale (see right sidebar) and am considering buying more before they run out.

For the background cut colonial white cardstock paper 4 1/4 by 6 1/2. Cut the pattern paper 4 by 6 1/4. Distress both pieces with juniper ink.

Cut another pattern paper 6 1/4 by 1 1/2 inches. Distress. Attach two large pieces together then add the strip 1/2 inch from outside mat on the left.

Cut another piece of colonial white cardstock 2 1/4 by 2 1/4 and a matching pattern paper mat 2 1/2 by 2 1/2. Stamp a flower from the Tickled Pink stamp set on a scrap piece of paper in juniper ink then cut it out. Add it to the center of the small mats and attach at a diagonal to the notebook about 1 inch down from the top.

Stamp a small flower center in tulip ink and cut out then attach to the middle of the flower.

Stamp another small design inside the flower circle in juniper ink and you're done. But I wasn't. I studied the almost finished product and completely changed my mind, not liking the center flower at all. I felt like the juniper flower didn't stand out enough and the tulip center was too bright especially since their wasn't much of the tulip coloring in the background paper to make it "fit." I tore the whole middle flower off.

Instead I took out a second set of stamps, Endless Friendship. I used the flowers from that and stamped them in sorbet and the centers in juniper then cut them out. Add the three flowers to the center of the small mat and let them overlap. Take the "so happy" stamp from the Tickled Pink stamp set and stamp it in juniper then cut it out closely around the letters. Add it to the bottom of the notebook. Add a couple of sorbet colored ribbons to the top and bottom bindings and it looks so much better. These are completely low cost but wonderful little stocking stuffers or small gifts for that mail carrier who goes out of her way to give you good customer service or the secretary at your church who always has a smile on her face, you know who I mean, make them feel appreciated.

Holiday Trinkets

I saw this cute notebook in a Michael's and picked it up to alter. Yes, I know it's adorable already but I really chose it because the red on the cover matches our tulip paper so I had to make my own cover. I used Perfect Day paper, one of our versatile papers that works as well for Christmas as Valentine's Day as well as every day.

The stamp set I'm using for this altered notebook is Holiday Trinkets. At the suggestion from the comments section I'm showing the stamp set for you! Here it is, too cute!

For this 5 1/4 by 5 1/4 album use the following measurements:

4 1/4 by 4 1/2 juniper cardstock

4 by 4 1/4 white cardstock

3 by 4 tulip pattern paper

2 by 3 juniper cardstock

2 by 3 striped pattern paper

(2) 1 x 1 tulip cardstock squares

1/2 by 3 1/2 white cardstock

1 /4 white cardstock circle

1 1/2 juniper cardstock circle

Distress with cocoa ink if desired.

Glue white cardstock to large juniper piece. Attach the tulip pattern piece to center of white cardstock piece, I moved mine down just a touch so it's not perfectly centered top to bottom, you do it the way you'd like.

Put the juniper rectangle to the left of the tulip pattern piece, about 1/4 inch from the left and top.

Add the striped piece over it 1/4 inch from bottom and right hand side of the piece. Turn the two 1 inch pieces diagonally and glue to the right side of the striped piece.

Stamp the smaller circle with a snowflake in juniper.

Stamp Merry Christmas on the long skinny white strip.

Add Merry Christmas to the left hand side of the white cardstock piece about a 1/2 inch down from the top of the white piece.

Attach white circle to juniper circle, add both to the right of the diamond shapes as shown.

Attach brads about an inch apart on the left side of the white cardstock. Add a window circle to the snowflake, love these embellishments.

Now attach the whole thing to the center of the notebook and you're done. Have you decided on the stamp sets you can't live without yet?