Happy October everyone! This year is flying by! Today is the official launch of Eileen Hull's new Chapter 4 Sizzix Die, The Pocket Notebook Score Board XL, and she decided to have a Release Party Blog Hop, and I'm happy to be a part of it! You will definitely want to grab some sustenance if you plan on participating...there is a lot to see and read. On the die, you get all of the pieces you need to make an entire
book- the cover, pages, latch and pen loop, and the completed notebook measures 6 3/4”
x 4 1/2” with a spine that can adjust from 3/8 of an inch to almost 2 inches. String it with
elastic, hemp, ribbon or twine. There are so many options for this die.
I only had time to make one project with this fabulous new die, but make sure you visit the other designer's as well, as you will have your socks knocked off with all the makes (see blog hop links below), and many of them made a slew of them...talk about inspiration! For me, it was all about business function and organization, so I made (more like stitched up) a Travel Organizer Folio to hold all that I need on the go for business, and it even holds my phone, with the help of some other dies.
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I wanted a raw feel to this which is good because my sewing machine did not like the leather so much! I embrace imperfection.
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| I added a lined notebook to the first insert, and folder of sticky notes to the second insert. I love and use sticky notes a ton, so I included lots. |
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| Lots and lots of pockets and slots for business cards, hotel keys, credit cards, receipts, whatever. |
In case you want to know how I put this together, I have included my steps, although might be a little confusing, but now you can make one yourself.
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| I die cut the pieces with mat board and adhered them together with Multi Matte Medium so that four of the stitching holes are shown...even though I am only using two...so that the folio is nice and wide. |
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| I found this faux leather animal print material at the craft store, and thought it would be perfect for this. I wanted to wrap the notebook front and back with the material and then stitch the top and bottom, so I measured and cut the material to fit exactly, but it is just one long piece that wraps around the sides of the notebook. I also marked where the hole would need to go on the spine of the notebook for a closure, and I punched that hole. I stitched the edges of each side that will be next to the inside spine piece so that it will look nicely finished. |
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| I cut the material to fit the center spine portion on the inside and punched the holes for the pages. I also cut the leather binding strap and inserted the elastic for the closure, and then set this all aside for later. Note...I ended up adding a black piece of leather to the back of the red and stitched these together as I thought it looked better on the front of the folio. |
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| I die cut black leather from Eileen's Gift Card Folder and Label #2 L Die, as I thought this would be a perfect pouch for the phone. I cut a long strip of the red leather for the strap, and found large snaps for the closure on the phone pouch. I also die cut the pen holder from the Pocket Notebook Die. I stitched around the three folding edges of the Gift Card Folder just for a nice look. I set these aside for a bit. |
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| I die cut only the front portion of the Notebook Pocket from black leather, and cut off the folding edges so it would fit in the notebook. I also cut red leather to fit inside of the pocket, and cut slits for the cards. I stitched a piece of the animal print behind the red leather so the cards would stay in place as it will also serve as a pocket behind the cards. Then I stitched the this to the black leather pocket. |
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| I used the mat board notebook as a guide and marked where everything needed to go, so the mat board notebook was constantly added and removed and things measured...no pattern here for sure. I stitched the pen holder in place above where the pouch would go so I
had plenty of room for it. I stitched the back portion of the Gift Card Folder
onto the animal print onto the left inside, leaving the pouch folding sides loose. I gathered the
sides together and stitched the snap in the center of the pieces to hold
them together and of course for the closure. I stitched the other snap to the back of the red leather strap, and then stitched the strap above the pouch measuring how long it needed to be using my phone. |
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| Before I did the opposite (right) side of the pouch, I decided the front needed something, so I die cut my initials using the animal print from Tim Holtz's Storybook Alphabet Bigz Die. I stitched them onto the red leather, and then stitched that onto black leather, and finally onto the front of the book. It was difficult maneuvering the front part with the back part already having the pouch sewn on, so I should have done the front first. Live and learn. |
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| I stitched the pocket and slotted pocket onto the left side of the notebook. The mat board notebook was placed for the last time in the center of the animal print, and I threaded the closure strap through the hole on the front spine and through the hole in the mat board spine and tied a knot, making sure that the closure strap would fit tightly but not too tight, and then I added tape over the knot to hold it in place so that it would not show. This proved a little challenge as the sides are not adhered to the mat board yet, so it felt clumsy to have the closure hanging but there was no other way to do that. I added skor tape to the inside spine on the mat board, and adhered the animal print spine over this. I threaded the stretchy cord through the two holes for my inserts, and tie the knot behind the mat board spine between the animal print fabric so it would not be seen. Finally I adhered the sides onto the mat board pulling them nice and tight using a little skor tape. Then I stitched the top and bottom edges, and cut the overhang of animal print fabric. |
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| ...and Voila!!! |
Now it's time to visit all the others! Please follow the Blog Hop to see all of the fabulous projects,
techniques and videos! AND...There
are also two GIVEAWAYS- the Pocket Notebook die and a gift certificate for Eileen’s Etsy store. To enter to win,
leave a comment on each of the posts. Winners will be announced on Tuesday,
October 8, 2019, on Eileen’s Facebook Live show.
Thanks so much for stopping by everyone, and good luck on the prizes! I'll be back soon!
I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!
