The 10-Minute Notebook with Lori

Raise your hand if you've ever needed a project done, like, yesterday.  Uh-huh, I thought so.  Not that this kind of thing ever happens to me.  At least not often. Aw, who am I kidding? It's a regular occurrence. As luck would have it, the day Mandie & I were leaving for CHA I realized I should probably bring a notebook with me for a couple of the seminars I was taking. But honestly, how does it look at a craft conference if you walk in with a plain notebook?

So with 30 minutes left before I had to swing by and pick up Mandie, I pulled out a composition notebook, some Scor-Tape, a few embellishments, and a couple of sheets of paper from Graphic 45. Ten minutes later, I was ready to go with this in my bag:

Yes, I appear to be jumping the gun a little on Halloween, but I promise I'm not.  I happen to have been called the Wicked Witch of the West more than a time or two, just ask my husband.  (Honestly, I don't know where people get that idea.)  Besides, have you taken a look at that new Graphic 45 Primer paper pad?  Wouldn't that make an awesome notebook for a teacher at the beginning of the school year?

The Graphic 45 papers are perfect for a project like this.  They have lots of detail, so there's not a lot of work involved and you still get some wow factor.  I kept it all relatively flat, so as not to have something rip off while shoving it in my bag.  The ribbons are the perfect extra touch as they don't add a lot of bulk.  Note that this project requires 2 sheets of the same paper if you want the back to match the front.  I didn't think to take a picture of the back, but I used the backside of the paper on the back of the notebook, because it was the same color and a coordinating pattern.  Don't get anxious about making the edges perfect - swipe a little distress ink along all of the edges and it covers anyplace that isn't quite perfect, plus it adds dimension.

Supplies available at Cutters Creek:

• Graphic 45 papers, The Magic of Oz 12x12 paper pad
• Scor Tape
• Tim Holtz Distress Inks by Ranger