A New Planner

It's going to be a new year and I need a new planner!  I had been using the one on the right, made with Graphic 45 papers, for a while, I think 2 years...  I loved it, but it is small and I decided that I needed something a little bigger that I can keep all of my things together in, in ONE PLACE!  One of my goals is to be more organized, and I am hoping that this will help.  I custom designed it.  I made it classic size, and I think it will meet my needs.  I don't have a hugely busy life.  I work a lot.  I don't have kids in the house anymore, so school and after-school stuff is not an issue.  My planner is simple, and does what I need it to do.

I got the ARC binding system from Staples.  So far I love it!  I decided to use up some of my hoarded stash, and this is what I came up with.  I have included a bunch of links that inspired my creation so that you can see them also.

The cover, pockets and dividers were made from seriously heavy duty file folders I bought at New Seasons, by Cavallini and Co.

WARNING:  VERY PICTURE HEAVY, BUT I THINK YOU WILL LIKE IT!!!

 I cut the folders and created pockets on both of the covers.  The piece on the right folds out...

 ...Where I put a Post-It pocket on one side and created a pocket on on the other for my coupons.

 Turn the page, I added some other Post-It notes for use later.  And, they match!!

 Turn that page and I am going to use this section for my stuff, ideas, journaling, lists, home stuff, etc.

 I used some left over stickers to make this page.  Once I started listing all of the projects I need to FINISH, I was amazed!  I better get busy!

 I found this list of ways to stay creative on Pinterest, printed it and put it in the book for inspiration.  This section has graph paper that I folded.  I figure I can draw out my plans for projects on the graph paper and...

 ...it opens up to blank paper so that I can write notes, steps, etc.

 Another pocket...turn this page...

 ...and a section of papers for notes about work...my schedule, call schedule, etc.

 I got this idea from a brilliant person!  Beckie at Infarrantly Creative had created a system that I incorporated for my monthly/weekly planner section.  It looks like above when first opened.  When you flip open the left side...

 I have clipped inside a calendar I created from this site, here.  This flip out section also hides some project cards that I made using Rolodex cards I got for super cheap at Tuesday Morning, and a variety of craft tapes in my stash.

 I have my project cards, a year/day reference and my birthday/occasion sheet safely tucked away under this flap.

 I also made a tape page.  I took a piece of graph paper and sandwiched it inside a piece of folded waxed paper.  Then I put on some of my tapes, so that I can have some to use as I need it.

 The tapes come from a variety of sources, I think some are Washi, some are Cavallini and Co., some are Recollections and some are from Smash Book.

 So, the reason that I did the flip page this way is so that when I am looking at my weekly section (on the right) I can flip out the monthly section to see it while I plan.  I use the blank page on the back of the weekly pages (in the middle) to write to do lists, make notes, etc.

 If I don't need to see the monthly calendar, it just tucks away.  I used a piece of file folder to create the page marker.  On the other side of it, not shown, I put some sticky notes made from the same paper line as the file folders.  Here is one of my project cards.  If I have a big project that will span over a couple of weeks, I can just remove it and place it in the next week.  When done, I can just toss it.

 My week pages, you notice are different.  I have almost every weekend off and every Wednesday off. These are the days I can make appointments.  The other four days of the week are work, 10 hours a day with about 2 hours of commute.  I don't get much done during those days.  So...I made the weekly pages so that I had more room for my days off, and less for my working days.

 I also created a little mini page that folds, so I can try to do some menu planning and grocery shopping planning.  I need to get better at that, since I get home so late.  The left side is the back of the previous week page that I will use for notes.

 I found these free printable address pages at SampleWords.  They have tons of free printables.

 Phew, this is long!!  I put another Post-It pocket on this divider page for stamps and stickers.  I had some labels, again by Cavallini and Co., and I also put some slide stickers by Industrial Chic...you never know when you need to embellish something.

 The blog planner is based loosely off of a bunch that I have seen.  I am going to try to plan and stay more organized with my posts. This is the section where I will also keep track of my activities and assignments with the group, Just a Few Friends, headed by Elsa, of Just a Few Designs.

The back cover, is another pocket.  I also took another scrap of a folder and made a pen holder, the rectangle on the far right.

Woo Hoo!!  Done!!  I hope you enjoyed it.  I had a bunch of influences that inspired me when I was creating this book.  Please check out the links and check them out for yourself.

Stay crafty and organized, my friends!!

Happy Holidays!!!

We want to wish you all a

Very

Merry

Christmas!!!

2012 December Daily

I bet you thought I wasn't doing one, did you?  Well, I am, and I am actually up to date on it!  Want to see it?  OK, here it is!

 Jackie and I actually got this book and made it last year at the CK convention.  But, since I already had a December Daily book for last year, I saved it for this year.  The paper line is by Simple Stories.  I'm sorry, I don't remember where the book is from.  It came with lined and blank papers, and was wire bound.  It has photo sleeves and pocket pages as well.

 Here's my first page.

 I decided to use my Fuji Instax camera for the pictures for a couple of reasons.  I love it, and it's instant pictures to add to the book!  Some things I did print out, like new recipes I tried, and a couple of pictures that I took with my phone, but MOST of them are the instant pictures.  They aren't always the best quality, but for this project it is PERFECT!

 I made this bread twice, it is sooooooo good.

 I added my own pocket pages here and there by folding a page and adhering it down.  There is a copy of an afghan pattern I made for my Grandson in this one.  I also put the printout of the new wedding rings that Hubbin and I ordered.  It's a long story, but we decided for our 15th anniversary we were finally getting the replacement wedding rings we have needed for 10 years!  Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary to me!

 Decorations outside our home.  Do you like the gnome, I mean elf in the top left?

 This is Roxie, the German Shepherd that we found.  We did find her Mom and her two boys the next day, they were do happy to get her back for Christmas.

 OK, I had to include this...how many times do we get to have all of the excitement (or hysteria) of the Mayan Calendar being misinterpreted?!

 But wait, there's more...

I won the bet, and my Hubbin owed me $1!  I included it in the book.

So, that's some of my book.  There is a lot of room, I am going to continue it through December, and include New Years day as well.  Are you doing a December Daily?

Stay Crafty, My Friends!!  HO HO HO!

Button Bookmarks

I was on Pinterest, (OMG, I LOVE PINTEREST!) and saw this tutorial on making button bookmarks, and thought that I had to try it.  I have a huge stash of cool buttons, and a bunch of paper clips.  This is a perfect way to use them up and to have something useful at the same time.  I was thinking that not only would they be great bookmarks, but also awesome to add as decoration/embellishments to a mini album.  What a cool last minute Christmas present for that special someone who loves to read!

 Here are the first ones I made.  I am definitely going to make more.

I used E6000 glue, and strung the paperclips through the back loop of the button.  They came out perfect.

Stay Crafty, My Friends!

Christmas Decor

The other morning I was hit with a brain storm, and this is what came out of it.  I needed a Christmas decoration to hang on my craft room door.  I didn't want a traditional wreath, and I seem to be into trees this year, so I made this.  I used K and Company border stickers, adhered them to card stock, and used jump rings to attach the pieces.  The bottom tier border sticker is cut at 11", and each one after is 1" shorter.  I tied ribbon to the top, and Taa Daa!!!  I got this cute tree decoration for my craft room!!

Stay crafty, my friends!!!

Day Album: Paper Bag Tutorial

As promised, here is a quick tutorial on how I made my Day Album paper bag mini album for the December blog hop with Just a Few Friends.  It's a long post, please go to the end of it as it's the 3rd project.

The paper bag I used was large, it measured 16 1/4" x 9 3/4".  I was designing it to be sort of a "day album".  I used a simple ribbon closure, but you could do any closure you wanted..velcro, magnets, belly band, etc. You can also use any size bag you want.

 First, I folded the bottom of the bag (on the left) over, and gave it a good crease with a bone folder, then I added a 1/4" gusset to the right of that crease, giving the album a little extra wiggle room.

 Then I took the bag bottom flap, and folded it to the left, so that I created a pocket on either side of that fold.  I used wet glue to secure this fold AFTER I adhered my papers to the bag.

 This is just a picture of the 1/4" gusset I created above.

 Then I opened the bag sides, and cut on the 2nd score line on the top and the bottom.

 I put the bag sides back where the go on the left, and left the ones on the right out.  This is going to create page flaps and pockets.

 I folded the bag flaps to the inside of the book, creased well.  Then I folded the bottom of the bag over, finding where the far right flap would go, made a score, then another score at 1/4" away from that.  Again, this gives the book a little more wiggle room.

 I trimmed off the edge of the bag to give a straight edge as well.

 Next, I cut the flap we made with the sides of the bag again to finish the page flaps.  The two smaller flaps folded inside the bag again.

 I didn't use this opening in the album at all, since this was going to be part of the cover and closure of the book.  I folded these little pieces in, and adhered the piece together.  Then, when covering this piece, I wrapped paper around the whole flap for stability.

I then measured and cut two pieces of card stock to adhere to the flaps of the bag that we created, making the flip out pages.  

I covered the flaps with paper, and adhered them onto the card stock pages, one flipping up and one flipping down.  I then had created two pages with two pockets.  

 This shows the flaps closed.  On the LEFT I added a card stock page BEFORE I placed paper on the pocket created by the bottom of the bag.  Closed, it has the pink mat...

...open it has the blue mat on the page.  It was just another way to add more space to the book.  I also adhered the mats so that tags could be slipped behind them for journaling.

I used the same technique with some patterned paper on the back of this book (the red striped paper).  It opens to reveal the back page of this book (the green dotted paper).  Again, I added the page with a 1/2" tab to the back of the album before I added the green paper.

And here it is, opened up.  

I hope that this tutorial helped, and you all have fun trying this out.  You can do this with any size album, and you can get creative and add as many interesting options as you want!  

Have a great day, and remember to ROAR WITH PRIDE!

Stay Crafty, My Friends!