Hello! Today, I though I would share with you my Traveller's Notebook. I demoed this on a FB live, and the video is available on the Hixxy Studio YouTube Channel - or just click on the picture below.
I was given the Elizabeth Craft Designs: Art Journal - Bubble Flowers die set to play with. It comes with an amazing array of journaling dies - flowers, a great little bubble cut-in die, signpost, lock, keys and a couple of butterflies. But I was initially unsure as to what the large die was for. It looks like it cuts out a base card - with a score line (and I have a project using it in that way which I may share later). However, I like to know what I am playing with, so had a bit of a shifty around the internet and realised that it's for cutting pages to create signatures for the Elizabeth Craft Designs XL square Traveller's Notebook. ECD make three sizes of TNs - the XL Square which is 5 1/2", the Square which is 4 1/2" and the original which is 4.88" x 3.5".
That lead me to researching traveller's notebooks, and to ultimately deciding that, as I didn't have one then I would make one.
I immediately thought of the faux leather technique to create the cover, but was unsure about how to create it. This YouTube video is what I ultimately found, and adapted to suit my sizing.
So, firstly, let's look at how to make the faux leather. This technique has been around a while - and there are lots of variations, but this is how I do it. You need glycerine (just bog standard from the chemist or supermarket), water, a spray bottle and the card you want to make into faux leather. I tend to use Kraft card as it already has a suitable tone for the leather look. But you can use other card if you want a different coloured effect.
Mix the glycerine with water. There are various different ratios out there online. I used a ratio of 6 parts water : 1 part glycerine, which has a higher amount of glycerine than some. It doesn't really matter how you measure this. I marked an old Distress Sprayer bottle that I have managed to break the sprayer on, and marked it at 1/4" intervals. I then decanted it into a smaller spray bottle.
Spray your card and get it quite wet. Gently massage the liquid in. If you rub too hard, the card will start to pill. Do this on both sides. Scrunch the card up, and open out. You can repeat the application of the liquid if you think it still feels a little stiff.
At this point, while it's still wet, you can run it through with an embossing folder (which I did on the video), or you can leave it with the creases from the scrunching (you can run it through your machine with just the plates to make it flatter if wanted). On my finished piece, I did both - one for the outside and one for the inside. You can heat dry it, or leave it to dry naturally.
Then next step is to ink it. I have used Distress Inks (NOT Oxides): Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge, Fired Brick, Vintage Photo and Black Soot. Apply them from lightest to darkest ie Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge and Fired brick - all of which I was quite random with. With Vintage Photo, I took more time to get an overall coverage on the whole piece. And finally, Black Soot over that adds that aged look.
The piece below is the one I created on the FB live.
For the journal, I created two pieces - one that was embossed with a folder for the outside, and one that was left with the creases for the inside.
When I originally made this, I had pre-cut the pieces of card to the size I wanted them to be. I would suggest that you don't do that - do two full pieces of A4 - as I found, once they had been made wet and embossed and dried, that the didn't match up anymore. Once you have inked and they are dry, then cut your pieces. Use the whole length of the A4 card, and then cut to somewhere between 5 1/2" to 6". My template is based on 5 1/2" - but I would probably make it nearer 6" if I did it again.
Stick them together with either a good PVA or a book binding glue. In the video, I said I used Paper Pantry - actually it's Jane's Originals Paper Bindery Smooth Stick. Run a brayer over it to ensure a good adhesion, and check the edges to make sure there are no gaps. Seal your cover with something - Mod Podge or another decoupage type glue. I used Cadence Satin Finish Decoupage glue. Sponge it on - don't brush it - otherwise you will move the Distress Ink around. Let this dry.
You now need to insert the elastic that will hold the signatures in. I used 3mm round black elastic, and started with a piece approximately 90cm. It's a good idea to make a template for placing your holes. I started with a paper one, which I used to create a more durable card one. If you are making your notebook 6" as opposed to 5 1/2", then alter the 2 3/4" measurement to 3". The 3 top and bottom holes need to be just at the top and bottom of the paper, so again, that may need adjusting - it would be useful to watch the video to see what I mean.
You then need to thread the elastic through. I will write the instructions here - but the video may help.
Have the inside of the notebook face up.
Push the elastic out through the top middle hole, and back up through the top left. Leave the end from the middle hole reasonably long, and keep it to one side. Fix with a piece of washi if it helps.
Then: out from the bottom left, and in through the bottom middle
out through the top middle, and in through the top right
out through the bottom right, and in through the bottom middle
Tie the two ends together, making sure it's reasonably tight - but will allow you to add in your signatures.
To create the loop to hold the notebook together, you need approximately 60cm of elastic. If you don't want the bookmark, you can use less.
The elastic needs to be threaded from the inside to the outside, and then back through to the inside, leaving a loop. You then need to judge how much of a loop to leave. Mine was 3". Secure the loop on the inside with a knot. The rest is for your bookmark - you can add a charm at the end if you like.
Create your signatures using the base die from the Bubble Flowers set. This notebook will hold three. One I made from single sided papers (from my stash and that have been sitting there forever), and coloured paper from a child's drawing pad; another was from old double sided papers (again - from my stash); and the third was from a combination of mixed media paper, watercolour paper and stamping card. Personally, I like that the signatures are loose leaf and not bound - but that is my preference.
