Binding My Blog Planner

I want to do a better job at posting new post to myblog.  I want toshare more with everyone.  I also need to keep my thoughts together.  Hmm, what was I saying.  Oh, yes.  So I wanted to make a blog planner forever now and just got to it.

I am using a free blog planner printable from here, http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2012/02/free-printable-blogplanner.html. She did a wonderful job and made a video on it too.

So I wanted to make one.  I decided to make one using my binding system I got at the FPEA convention.  I was so excited to find this, that I had to take it home.  You can find it here, http://www.bindingbooksbeautifully.com/index.html.

I would love to call this a tutorial, but I think it is more of just a show how it went together.

So I got it all printed out, again I am making it just like Infarrantlycreative did her planner.  Except she went to the store to bind it and i did mine at home.

Then I got my binding things.

Next I got my covers.  I used craft card stock from just stampin up.  I like it because it is pretty sturdy.  

So here is where I just go my own way.  I love all the creations made by Lisa Cannon. If you go to her website you can see the fabric covers and man they are WOW!  For this project I really don't need a cover like that.  I am very happy to just have a good soft cover.  In the future, you will probably see a lot of soft style covers versus a hard covered fabric cover.  This is purely my preference.  I bind a lot of free books off google books.

The file folder is to create the divider for the month calendar just as she did in the video.  next I trimmed the file folder to fit the cover.

so first order of binding was the monthly calendar on the file folder.

to make it stay I used the big clips from staples.

To make sure I got the holes where i wanted them, I drew a line across the top.

I forgot to take a picture of lining it up.  In order to fit it in the bracket vise, I folded the file folder back.

here it is out and then I stitched it together.

here is the file folder altogether.  see the holes on the otherside?  that is because I had to fold it over to get it to fit in the vise

Next, I am assembling the rest of the book.  If you look close you can see that I have notebook paper at the front and back.  I like to take notes.  Now the file folder part with the monthly calendar is flipped out and the rest of the file folder is in to be bound. 

here is another view.

Then I stick it in the vise.

now i got it in and got the nails set, now take it apart.Now this is not how it is supposed to come apart.  My little engineering brain has concluded that I gripped the paper too tight and paper being wood held onto those nails pretty good. (if you want to know about this phonemina watch How stuff Works?  On Netflix about wood.).  But with some work it came apart.

Here are all my holes to stitch.

Then, I stitched and was finished.

Turned out great, have a look.

see, the monthly page can be teared off for the following month and the pad can flip out to hide the weekly pages, just as in the blog tutorial for the planner.

I like it!
I usually bind with hot glue and vices and the Your Story from Provo craft.  i like this better.  My fingers were not burned from the hot glue.  I had more control and not near the mess.  I plan to be stitching my binding from here on.

This little system runs $35 at http://www.bindingbooksbeautifully.com/order.html

Now let see if my planner gets me to do my work!  Just a hint, I now plan to bind the kids portfolio for school this year, well, if I get those portfolios done in time.

~trish
fyI - if you ever wonder why my caps are all squirrel-ly.  the monkey broke my shift key and i am still training my brain to use the shift on the right.

Flogging my home sewn purses

 

Here is my first ever flog!  I decided to start flogging, since I do not have much time.  Of course, my 1st one is about 12 minutes.  hopefully, you will still love me.

Homespun threads for the diaper bag: http://myhomespunthreads.blogspot.com/. All of her patterns are free.  She has an awesome bible cover pattern.

Kat at Kaydeebunz that is a notorious inspiration to me! http://craftymomma2.blogspot.com/

sew Mama, sew has the free Amy Butler pattern: http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=11705.  Sew mama, sew has a nice collection of tutorials and patterns for FREE.

I think that is everything I said I would link.  If you are local and wanted to know about me working at the cow, head over to www.craftincow.blogspot.com to see what all that is about.

Please let me know if you liked my unedited, basic flog.  And if I should continue.

Have a great day!

`trish

Inspired to be recover

 

 

Here is my best highchair ever.  It was about $50 at Target a couple of years ago.  After a few kids later, the cover had gotten a bit yucky!  SO I had to get a bit of stitchin done.  I hope you like it.  I absolutely love it.

 

 

Now I did manage to lose the latch part of the buckle, so I picked up a buckle from Walmart for $2.  It was originally a 3 point buckle.  The bottom strap I subbed for a 2 point, making the bottom strap a loop for the top to thread through.

We are loving it!  I think I might make a few bibs to match.

~trish

My class Schedule for the Beginning of January at The Cow!

Now that I am teaching at the Craftin’ Cow, I wanted to share my class schedule, if you can make it.

This coming week, I am hosting:

Monday January 3 10am – 2pm	Operation Write Home – Be my Valentine Card Bash Make cards from a kit or create you own. All cards will go to our American Heroes who are currently serving for them to send home to their loved ones. Find out more about this organization at www.operationwritehome.org	$5 donation to Operation Write Home
Friday January 7 11am-2pm	Digi – Lunch Box with Trish H. Getting into digital, but need some help. Pack your lunch and come on in to get some digi done.	Punch on the punch card or day pass

 

 

Next week:

Friday January 14 8pm - Midnight	Midnight PJ Party with Trish H. Let the party start! Bringing Trish’s notorious PJ party to the COW! Bring your stuff to work on, there will be some great FREE make and takes for valentines. Valentine’s ideas will be shared. Bring a little finger food to share. RSVP please!	Punch on the punch card or day pass
Saturday January 15 10am – 2pm	Sew a purse with Trish H. A great beginners class. You will need a yard of fabric for both the outer shell and the lining, plus a 1 ½ yards of interfacing. Plus a large button to match. Be sure to bring you sewing machine and basic kit.	$25

 

Head over to the cow to see the schedule for the entire month of January.

~trish

Christmas card template from the Craftin Cow

The Craftin’ Cow has a great free template for making cards.  Just print the card template on cardstock, cut and past.

Here is my version!

 

All of it is paper, printed on my printer.  I used glossy effects to give it an apoxy finish.

~trish

Winter Bookmarks!

I love the bookmarks done by Controlling my chaos!  so I am making a point to make my own.  The ones I am making this month, I will give away in a goodie bag at a crop this weekend and I will use them as bookmarks for my daughters class.  So here it is. Print it out on 4 by 6, I will send mine to the photo lab. Cut the photo to 2 by 6, fold it in half to be 2 by 3.  Place magnets at the bottom to close.

Enjoy!

~trish

Christmas Apron

I feel bad that I haven’t really been able to share great things with you.  Mostly it is because, I have no time to spare.  I am still doing some great things here and there, but mostly I am driving aimlessly around, unsure where my next direction is.   This school thing is making my head foggy! 

I drive them here and there and then turn around to be right back to where I left them.  I can’t even get a grocery list finished, much less a meal plan.  At this point, I just grab the sales and coupons from www.southernsavers.com and make due with what I have. 

I did start making Christmas gifts early November, so I have a huge lead on that.  But I am also helping my mom out with a new craft studio that my cause a bit of distraction with www.craftincow.blogspot.com. I really need to be posting stuff on craigslist.  See, here I am again rambling.  Let me show you what I made this last time.

This is a little apron I made out of a pair of jeans for the Christmas.  I grabbed the 3D flower from Make it and Love it blog.  The stamping is done with Stazon Ink, it showed up the best.  I did get the bedazzler out for the gem stones. 

Of course, I got this great idea from mimi at Paper Rose studio!   I added tulle thanks to the bright ideas of Barb from dinner in a pinch!

I love how cute it comes together.  I have so many more to make as gifts and also a baseball snuggi.  I can’t wait to show you that.

I did find a great new cooking/frugal/pantry resource: http://everydayfoodstorage.net/

 

I feel a bit lost with out keeping you in the loop of my creations.  It gives me some steadiness to know that I am able to share the little things I figure out each day!

 

Keep warm!

~trish

Digi – Tic Tac TOe!

So I am still testing myself to think outside the scrapbook pages for my digi work.  I seen some cool printables and decided to make my own.  So I made a tic tac toe board for this month.

Just print it on regular letter size paper, cut out the pieces and play.  I think I am going to put mine on the fridge for the kids to play and do magnets for the pieces.  I again used Cheerful Halloween Digital Kit.  I hope you like it, because it is here for you to have.

 

Enjoy!

~trish

Digital Hybrid – Christmas Planner

Alright, I am trying to challenge myself to think outside the box with my digital program!  So I was sifting through the web and cam across a lot of sites gearing up for an organized Christmas.  Now in years past, I had promised myself I would make one for me, well after the house went hushed last night.  I designed one on my digital storybook creator and then this morning I put it all together.

It is so nice being able to lay it out in the storybook creator and then print, cut and glue!  And I get to easily share it with you!  So here is my planner!

So I am using a brand new creative memories digital kit.  It is the Very Merry Digital Kit and is only $8.95 to download.  The kit comes with all this!

So In the first 2 pockets I have my to do list for each month and then lined paper to track my gifts.

 

Next pockets is for any cooking and then another to keep track of cards sent and received.

When I put the planner together, I had to use 2 pieces of 12 by 12 aqnd I ended up with a pocket at the back.  Then I realized how perfect.  I sealed an envelope and trimmed it to fit and added a tab and it became my receipt holder!  

 

See it is sturdy enough to stand up on its own!

 

 

So to make this all wonderful for you!  I have the files here for you to be able to make your own!  If you love the content!  Buy the digital package.  I got the calendar and the lined portion of the paper from the freebie blog by Creative Memories.  Have fun!  If you are part of my midnight PJ party crew.  Print these out and bring 2 12 by 12 cardstock, you cuter, and adhesive and we will make these Friday night.

Now click on them to enlarge them, then save them as a picture.  Print out on standard letter.  Make sure your printer ink is filled, I printed mine out the first time at the end of my color ink cartridge.  If you make yours, send me links so I can take a look!

Enjoy!

~trish

Party time! #1 is turning 6

So what do I love most about being mom!  Birthdays!  They were a miserably difficult experience to birth these wonderful children.  I never thought I could ever go through that much pain and live through it, much less be so happy.  I must say, God has a great since of humor.  It is horrible to go through it once, but then to repeat the process.  Hmm, must be a bit crazy.  So I love each birthday, because I am having another year with my child and I can celebrate that I went through the worst pain I can imagine and survived!  Wow!  My body is amazing for its strength!

So this week is #1’s storybook character parade and it works perfect with our costumes anyways.  So here is my little pig (1 of 3).

I still have 2 more pigs to make.  The overalls were a pair I had made for #2.  I added pink to the straps and the cuffs and was so thankful they fit here.  My husband and I had it out trying to put the snaps on them (this goes back to having 2 engineers that live and breath together).  I made the ears and tail out of felt and I used a good gauged wire left over from my wedding stuff.  I did pick up the nose at the party store.

So to celebrate at school, we brought in cupcakes.  To help make it special they had to be cute.

Here cake for her party is just finished. 

and my kitchen looks about like this.

Plenty of candy, another cake for just the family tonight.  What a mess!  I am so thankful for the Dollar Tree when it is birthday time!  I got her a balloon for each year!

 

I made custom bag toppers for her goodie bags. 

I am really trying to challenge myself to do more everyday stuff with my digital program.  I look forward to sharing some more of my ideas!

~trish

Digital Paint cans

I just came across Jill at www.controllingmychaos.com she has amazing ideas on using the digital storybook creator in different ways.  She has the entire layout for making these sweet candy filled treat cans at her blog!  You will love crawling through her blog of creativeness.  She has some amazing ideas that I am already trying out myself!