Cool Clipboard Tutorial

I have always been a list maker and a few years ago I decided that pretty clipboards were the perfect place for my lists. I have a shopping list clipboard at home and at my shop we have them for schedules, orders, time sheets and more. I am just finishing up a "Scott could you please…." clipboard too as EVERY time I ask him to do something he asks me to write it on a list….Now he won't have any excuse 'casue he'll have his very own clipboard !!!

Last year for Christmas I took a pretty clipboard shopping for the kids gifts and it saved me and kept me soooooo organized. When I saw Bella's "Christmas Wishes" line I knew I had to make them for the kids wish lists too…..and of course a new one for me to match :))

I wanted to share with you how I make the paper fit perfectly around the clip at the top….so here we go….

Start with a plain clipboard, a pencil, ruler and a piece of scrap cardstock.

Line up your piece of cardstock under the top of the clipboard as shown.

Make a small pencil mark on either side of the top portion of the clip as well as lined up with the bottom edge of the clip.

Using your ruler connect the lines and cut out to create template.

Cut your patterned paper to the width of the clipboard and lay it underneath the clip so you know where to trace your template.

Precision cut out the space for the clip.

Add quick dry liquid glue to the back of your patterned paper.

Open clip and carefully place your patterned paper around the clip and smooth down to secure.

Then decorate and embellish as desired !!!

Emma and Alex LOVED filling out their cards and it was PERFECT for me so I knew exactly what they really wanted to see under the tree on Christmas morning.

I added envelopes to mine to keep my shopping list for each of them inside AND…..I can also tuck the reciepts in the envelopes 'just in case'…..

December is such a crazy busy month and now I can head out and get the shopping done with LOTS of time leftover to wrap !!!

Have fun creating your own holiday (or everyday :)) clipboards.....

j. xo

...an easy build ??!!

Okay so I am sure i am NOT the only one that has dreaded opening that bog heavy box from IKEA that should really only take you an hour or so and then it really takes you 4 - 6 hours right ??!

Well remember when I told you I managed to fit everything, even a bed in my jeep a few weeks back ?! Well, Scott got Emma's bed up before he went back to work but these (2) chairs and another shelf for my office had to wait.

I was refusing to put up the Christmas tree until the box was gone from my living room and since I couldn't lift it, the kids and I decided (okay I decided :)) to tackle it on our own.

I thought this chair was so cute and had to have a couple of them 'cause they look EASY to put together right ??!! Well.......

.....the first chair caused me a bit of grief and I did have to take it apart once or twice and move a piece or two around but.....I finally got it and chair number 2 went much more smoothly :))

So then I moved on to the shelf. Everyone I know seems to have this shelf and I've always loved it but when I couldn't even get the box open without tearing it to pieces I wasn't feeling very optimistic.

In honour of Scott, I even laid all the pieces out first to make sure I had them all 'cause my luck I'd get to the end and be missing a screw. So I had them all and got to work.....

...and I have to tell you that it went WAAYY more smoothly than I had expected and i LOVE the shelf.

Emma helped me move things around to make it fit and now I just have to fill it....shouldn't be a problem :))

I figure now that it wasn't such a huge deal that I should go back and buy some more.....and not tell Scott ?!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and

CHECK BACK MONDAY

for another fun tutorial !!!

j. xo

SAVE BIG......

.......a note from Scrapbookin' Adventures

DO NOT MISS THIS........

Saturday November 26th from 9:30am - 4:30pm you will SAVE.

Scrapbookin' Adventures is excited to offer you

25% off ALL CHRISTMAS PRODUCT for ONE DAY ONLY !!

This means more than (12) holiday lines are ON SALE.

ITEMS INCLUDE:

• patterned paper
• stamps
• embellishments
• ribbon

PERFECT for all your holiday themed projects such as:

• Christmas cards
• mini albums
• calendars
• layouts
• gifts and more......

So call all your friends, jump in your car and head into the shop SATURDAY ONLY and stock up on all your favorite CHRISTMAS product !!!

.......HAPPY SHOPPING.......

j. xo

Please Note: This sale does NOT include winter themed lines. "Winter Wonder", "Winter Twig" and "Snow Days" are NOT included in this promotion. Stamps will NOT be given for sale purchases. Full stamp cards are not accepted as a form of payment on sale items. Thank you.....

Gatefold Album Tutorial

Okay ladies......here it is, the Gatefold Album tutorial I promised !!

It's a long one 'cause I wanted to show you step by step.

Once you do it the first time, it's a piece of cake every time after that......

I love this album and hope that you will too :))

First you will need to have your favorite scoring tool, (2) 4 x 8" pieces of cardstock,

(1) 8 x 8" and (2) 4 x 8" pieces of decent weight chipboard.

Next, using the (2) pieces of 4 x 8" cardstock, score at every 1/2" and fold as shown.

You will want to use a quick dry liquid glue (Tombow is my fave) and adhere the INSIDE of the folds together as shown below.

This is how your 'binding' should look once dry.

Lay all (3) of your chipboard 'cover's flat 1/8" apart as shown to accept your 'binding'.

Add glue to the bottom 2 flaps and adhere onto the edge of your center

8 x 8" piece and the edge of one of your 4 x 8" pieces as shown.

Close and hold together until dry.

Your album should look like this on each side once dry.

....and like this when open laying flat !!

....and like this standing up with all (3) pieces adhered together with your cardstock binding !!

Once you have secured your covers together, you can choose patterned for the inside and outside of your album.

Cut (1) 8 x 8" and (2) 4 x 8" pieces for the inside and outside. I choose different patterns, but you can embellish however you like :))

Now it is time to add your inside 'pages'. I use (4) chipboard and (2) acrylic.

They are cut to (2) 3 x 5" and (2) 4 x 5" of chipboard and (1) 3 x 5" and (1) 4 x 5" acrylic.

Feel free to round the inside corners of all, some or none - your choice !!

Using your quick dry glue, adhere your pages into the folds of your binding as shown.

It should look similar to this when complete.

Remember, add your mini pages alternating throughout your binding folds as you choose. There is no rhyme or reason :))

I like to 'cover' where I've adhered my inside mini pages using 1/2 x 8" pieces of patterned paper as shown.

Once you've added your inside mini pages you can go ahead and complete

the covering of your pages with coordinating paper, stickers and borders too !!

Pretty up your covers with matching embellishments, die cuts

and stickers as desired.

.....then fill it with photos and journaling !!

I hope that you've enjoyed this tutorial on one of my favorite Altered Albums.

If you have any questions just shoot me an email at jenniferedwardson@me.com anytime !!

Have fun making your own Gatefold Album from scratch.....

using your favorite Bella Blvd. paper of course :))

j. xo

....a card sneak peek

Happy Monday all you fabulously crafty ladies......Just a short share today.

This is a peek at a few of the cards I am dropping in the mail this week for a DT Christmas Card swap that I'm participating in.....

I am so excited to do this with such a talented group of ladies and can't wait to get my card package in the mail.....I highly doubt that I will be wanting to give them away tho :))

Make sure to check back tomorrow for a Gatefold Album Tutorial.

It is the perfect gift album and I wanted you all to be able to make one for the holidays.......

See you soon.

j. xo

Gatefold Album

I created this fun altered album using Bella Blvd. "Finally Fall" for Summer CHA in Chicago and it is one of my favorite style of mini albums to create.

The colors of the line made it so easy to work with and it came together beautifully.

I used a friends fall photos of her daughter playing in the leaves....they were perfect !!

This is a 'go to' album for me for gifts as it holds so many photos and is really fun to embellish.....

I've got SO MANY projects on the go right now and will be sharing some sneak peeks this week so check back for more fun ideas for your own holiday projects !!

j. xo

FREE from Bella......

Looking for a fun, easy and ADORABLE project to work

on this weekend ??!!

Stephanie over at Bella Blvd. has the answer.....

She has created a fantastic download-able mini album for you that you won't want to miss out on.....Head over and start printing !!!

Perfect for all your Fall and Thanksgiving photos !!!

Have fun....

j. xo

.....too long

So sorry for the delay in new posts....After the power outage it took me a day to get back the one I lost and then it was back to school and crazy days of running kids here there and everywhere......Back in the routine now thanks goodness !!

Check out these great Fall crates I prettied up with 'Finally Fall' from Bella Blvd.

They were not so pretty when I found them at a discount store but I knew just what I wanted to do with them as soon as I saw them....

A few hours, several pieces of paper and some chipboard bits later, this is how they looked......Perfect for the Thanksgiving table !!

Check out the BLOG POST over at Bella today for this and more fun ways to use pretty pretty paper :))

Check back tomorrow for a few new layouts I've been working on to inspire you to sit down and create for your own albums too.

j. xo

.....power please

Today has been a CRAZY day......I had BIG BIG plans to clean my house today. Yep, might sound silly to plan a day to clean the house but life has kept me from vacuuming lately

.....so today was the day.

No more had Emma started the vacuum when the power went out. I literally had just finished putting soup in bowls for lunch and it was out. Normally it wouldn't have bothered me much but today

I HAD PLANS TO CLEAN

....and trust me, that does not happen often :))

So, we read books, watched a movie on Em's computer until the battery died, went out for a loooong dinner and came home to light as many candles as we could find

(which is a lot 'cause I like smelly candles)

Poor Emma.....She had invited Mackenzie for a sleepover and now we're bundling up to stay warm. I offered to take Kenzie home, but what a girl...she thought it was a fun adventure !!

So I gave everyone flashlights and when I went to Em's room to check on them I found this......

They were huddled on the floor in her room playing Operation by flashlight.

I absolutely LOVE how kids find the fun in EVERYTHING.....

So it's been a little over 8 hours now....and they say (1) more to go. We'll see.....

My laptops' battery had enough time to post this with about 3 minutes left. I'm going to read by candle light and hope that the power comes back

before the groceries go into the green bin !!!

Wish us luck......

j. xo