Altered Note Paper & Pen

Oh my, it's NOT a Baroque Motifs card! Not even a Baroque Motif notebook!!!! LOL I am sure having a lot of fun with that set. I just can't believe how quick you can make a lovely card with so few stamps!

This is one of those little notebooks from the dollar bin at Michaels. I took the ink pen out and opened up the cover. I didn't remove the note paper. When I say I opened up the cover I am saying I pulled it open until it's glue didn't hold anymore. I laid it flat and measured a piece of Rose Red card stock. I made the card stock 1/8" longer than needed. Once you fold the card stock you lose a little in the folds. I marked where the original cover was scored and scored the card stock accordingly. I taped it in place. I usually use the Anywhere Glue Stick by Stampin' Up! but I ran out and my order is not coming until Monday. So you just make due with what you have. After the cover was on I glued the seams shut with tacky glue and clipped them in place. You can use clothes pins or paper clips for that. I just wanted to have my hands free so I could move along with this project. As the glue was drying I took some of the smaller pieces of the Prints designer papers that I had in a pile and cut them to fit the front of the notebook. I added a piece of ribbon to cover the seam where the two sheets of paper meet. I added a layer on top of that and the flowers. Stampin' Up! has come out with some flowers. I have not seen them yet but if you want to make this a Stampin' Up! project you can replace these Prima flowers with theirs. For the words I had gotten a rubber stamp made (for free) from Vista Print. They have business cards, note pads, post-it notes and many other office items. I have ordered from them several times and have been pleased with every order I've received. For the "notes" I just entered in that instead of my name and address. It's a quick way to stamp something you stamp often. It's a pre-inked stamp which makes these projects go even quicker! My "notes" had a black border around it but I cut it off because I was using a piece of black card stock on the layer and the black border didn't look right.

Now for the brads, those are the new ones from Stampin' Up! I didn't want the backs to show so I took a pair of utility scissors (not really the official word for that pair of scissors, they are a pair of old ones that it doesn't matter what I cut with them) and I cut off the prongs fairly close to the back of the brad. I left about 1/8 so I could take a pliers and fold it back. I "glued" the flower and the brads in place with Crystal Effects. I LOVE how that stuff sticks metal to paper. Once it dries it will be ready for gift giving. These also make great craft fair items but I recommend you purchase your own pen, paper and make your own pattern for the cover or you'd have to charge a lot for them at a craft fair and they won't sell as fast. Rule of thumb in selling your crafts is "Materials times 3." In some cases it doesn't work. I've made things from scraps amounting to 15 cents and in cases like that you use your best judgment. Shop around and see what other items close to what you make are selling for. It's a tough call to make. And you have to ask yourself if you want to sell a few at a higher price or sell them all for a lower price. Either way you are making money and that is why you're selling them, isn't it???

So back to the notebook. These do not take long at all to make and remember what you add for embellishments costs you money too! I tend to give more of these away as gifts than I sell.

Thank you for stopping by!
Wanda