Bind-It-All Tutorial

Have you ever used a Bind-it-All by Zutter? I love mine. It is a wired binding system that cuts the holes and binds the wire. I love using it to make my “Perfect Travel Journals” which you can see in my Etsy shop, Frolicasions. But almost any kind of spiral bound book can be created using it.

Today, I’ll share how I bound the birthday reminder book that I posted HERE. Here is a picture of the final project that I created using CutCardStock.com’s papers.

• After creating pages for a book, place a few of them in the cutting slot in the Bind-it-all. Depress the blue lever to cut holes for the wire binding. This book is the perfect size and all 6 holes fit the width perfectly.
  
• After all the pages have cut holes, stack the pages in regular book order. Then take the back cover out from the bottom of the pile and place it on top of the pile, in the direction it should go.
  
• Now trim a piece of wire from Zutter. I used 1/2″ black for this project and cut off 6 coils. Thread the wire into the 6 holes of the project, leaving the side with the cross pieces up (near December).
• Hold the end of the book, opposite the wires and insert the wires into the “squeezing” part of the Zutter Bind-it-all, making sure the wire is centered.
  
• Depress the lever to squeeze the spiral shut.
  
• Release the lever and pull out your bound book.
  
• Turn the back cover to the back. Add ribbons and a charm for the finishing touches.
  
• Now that you’re finished…put in all your family and friend’s celebrations: Birthdays, Anniversaries, Holiday, etc.

Spiral Notes (CPS179)

It’s been several weeks but I finally got back to a sketch challenge at Card Positioning System. It’s a simple but elegant sketch, seen here. I decided to stray a little from the “card” positioning system to make a small note pad.

I used a stack of neon notebook paper, cut into four equal pieces and stacked them, alternating the orange and pink, the yellow and turquoise.

I think it is a fun little note pad to add to your purse or just leave on the kitchen counter. Hopefully it inspires you to go beyond the card when using sketches for inspiration.

Important Stuff
Papers Celebration pad striped and leaf papers (Me and My Big Ideas); Astrobrights lined paper (Wausau Paper)
Binding Bind it All, Silver Owires (Zutter)
Die Cuts/Tools S5-019 Labels Eight, Wizard System (Spellbinders)
Embellishments Chipboard letters (Colorbök), buckle and small ribbons (JoAnn),
Adhesives Glue Dots (Glue Dots Intl), Glossy Accents (Ranger)

Other Stuff Recycled chipboard, Blue ultrafine marker, seed beads, brown satin ribbon, silk white flowers, PVA glue

I’m dreaming of a white

…well, few more days. Here in Denver, we are buried in snow. It was coming down for over 30 hours. In waves. I think it may have stopped for now and yes, the kids are back to school today.

About the project today, even though it isn’t even Halloween (by 18 or so hours)…crafters have to move ahead to the holidays to be able to make all those gifts, craft show items, etc. (I still can’t abide Christmas stuff in the stores until after Thanksgiving.)

So here is a little peek at an album that I worked on while we were having our snow day. It is for someone who wants to create a little memory of Christmas with her own photos.

Boy do I love that Santa Face. It’s comes from a holiday stamp set from Stampers Anonymous. Here is a close-up.

Just so you can see how the pages are set up, check out the final image: they have four photo corners that will hold a 4×6″ photo (two are seen on the right page). The recipient simply needs to print out pics and slip them into the scrapbook. The left page shows some stamping and space for journaling. About ¼ of the pages have this.

Important Stuff: Scalloped Cardstock (Die Cuts with a View), Santa’s Wish stamp set (Stamper’s Anonymous), Bind it All binding system (Zutter), 12″ trimmer (Tonic),

Other Stuff: Red ink, PVA Glue, Organza ribbon, Striped ribbon, other Christmas stamp images, hole punch

Double Duty

Here are my last two Art Money pieces. Enjoy!

#4 Tea-party

QUOTE: Another novelty is the tea-party, an extraordinary meal in that, being offered to persons who have already dined well, it supposes neither appetite nor thirts, and has no object but distraction, no basis but delicate enjoyment.~ Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste

Recycled: The chipboard from a sticker pack which had been used as a stamping surface as you can see below.

#5 Who doesn’t love Seuss?

QUOTE:
My alphabet starts with a letter called yuzz
It’s the letter I use to spell yuzz-a-ma-tuzz.
You’ll be sort of surprised what there is to ber found
once you go beyond “Z” and start poking around
~Dr. Seuss

RECYCLED: A page from an old Nature book and the outlines of letter stickers.

Have a glorious Sunday and if you are in Colorado…enjoy the snow.

Happy Creating! Eli

#3 Art Money

OK. Here is the next installment in the 5 Art Money I created. If you haven’t seen the other ones, check over there too: It’s Magical and My Favorite…

QUOTE,which I loved:
Life beats down and crushes the soul
and art reminds you that you have one. ~ Stella Adler

RECYCLED a piece of white cardstock that I had been using to wipe off some stamps before I really cleaned them. The colors were nice with turquoise, brown, yellow, deep red.

Let me know what you think!

So that’s your inspiration for the day. I hope you go and create something with no supply list and just something that reminds you that you have one (a soul)!

Happy Creating, Eli

My Favorite…

This one is my favorite of the five “Art Money” pieces I made. If you don’t know what I am talking about, start with this post or go to Art Money to find out more. If you know what I’m talking about, you can just feel free to check it out.

#2 Art Money 10/2009

QUOTE: Dancing is like dreaming with your feet.~Constanze

RECYCLED: This was a 9×6″ envelope that I had used as a surface to airbrush on, so on the second page, you can see the area that was covered by a die cut and the over-spray around that. Pretty much everything on the second page was there except for the stamping. It made for an interesting palette and a great place to start.

Eli

Now, it’s your turn…what are you going to create today…just for FUN (remember, no supply list, ladies)

Happy Creating. Eli

It’s Magical.

Hello, Everyone. Let’s see what I can pull out of my hat today. Ahhh, yes! A little magic.

I was inspired by my sister-in-law who recently asked if I wanted to do a little art swap with her, on-going. (Are you kidding?) Of course! So, she picked a theme: Art Money! or you could say, original pieces of art that can be used as a kind of “currency,” (Click on the link to find out more…it’s fascinating.)

It sounds crazy but heck, it is a way to take some time to create, in a different way than I normally do. To be honest, the deadline that she and I set, rushed past me without so much as a flicker…until my package arrived with five art money “bills”.

So, I was really inspired! And listen to this, my paper crafting friends…I created these pieces without paying attention my supply list, without writing any products down or even worrying about what products I was using. That’s the magic! (I know, you can get back up off the floor now).

Armed with little knowledge of where to begin, I started each piece with two things:  a quote and something recycled. Over the next week or so, I will be showing you my “Art Money”. I hope you like them and I hope it inspires you to do something different in your craft room soon.

Art Money #1 of 5, 2009
Quote: “For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is time of sewing, of scattering abroad. ~Edwin Way Teale

Recycled Piece: I used some white cardstock that had covered my craft table while I was stamping. The back side also had great ink smudges on it.

Here’s what I think…if you are low on mojo or are missing some paper crafting magic of your own, make something like this. It’s freeing and so much fun!

Happy Creating, Eli

Journal ‘Round

Are you an avid scrapbooker that has journaling floating around in your head as you go through the day? Or do you think of questions to ask your family (you know, to add journaling to a page about something for them) while grocery shopping? Are you a photographer who sometimes misses details when you get around to scrapping them?

If you answered yes to any of these questions…this Journal’ Round is for you.

I created this one to fit into a purse so while you’re out and about, doing those things you do, traveling, etc, you can add journaling or take notes on photography details. Then the pages can be easily torn out and added to a layout. Check out some of the cute details on some of the pages:

Little stamped details, ink distressing and lines that go in different directions. Super fun and simple to create.

I used 2 thick coasters (I always bring them home from restaurants when I have a little glass of wine and then recycle them for projects) for the covers. Then I matched the perfectly sized Spellbinders Circle Nestabilities to cut my lined pages. I put it together with my trusty Zutter binding system. Finally, I added some cute stamping, ribbons and a little ink distressing and voila! That’s all there is too it!

I imagine you could come up with some other great shapes to make other little journaling books too.

Happy Creative Day!

Eli

How it started…

I’ve been working on products for the craft fair that  I’ll be a vendor at on November 19th. I want to share some of my projects with you. I hope you’ll be inspired by them and might even try some of them out…in your own beautiful and magical way, of course.

My journey into this “selling-what-I-create” thing began with “The Perfect Travel Journal”™. I had always looked for a journal with pages that had lines on one side and blank on the other. I wanted choices about whether to write or add memorabilia, ephemera, pics and stuff. Then I always wanted a place to tuck little bits of stuff: tickets, itineraries, receipts, etc.

So after years of looking for this, I thought, “I can make these.”

So, I create pages that are lined on one side, blank on the other and add envelopes every so often. Then added touches of myself that include:

• a bit of the “green.” Whenever possible, I use recycled chipboard, papers, postage stamps, etc.
• are one-of-a-kind. I add stamped images, distress them with ink, add color,  themes, etc. Whatever I can think of that will make it lovely and practical.

So here is one of my creations that I sold off my Etsy shop, Frolicacious:

I love using the Zutter to bind my books. It gives me freedom to make them the size and shape I want.

Important Stuff: Wizard, S7-002 Wisteria Borderabilities Grand and S3-146 Butterflies 2 (Spellbinders Paper Arts), Metallic Rub-ons (Craf-T), Bind-It-All Binding System (Zutter), Glue Dots (Glue Dots International)
Other Stuff: Velvet ribbon, letter and word stickers, patterned papers

Here are a couple more images to get the full idea of what they look like:

I have created about 20 of these to date and find something new to put in every one. Plus, I actually took one on my travels to Europe this summer and, you know what, it worked perfectly!
Eli