I have been away from the computer this week.  

Taking a vacation with family.

We have been doing a little of this...

 

and lot of this...

 

 and a couple trips to town for this...

Someone is learning to swim,

someone is just getting to know the water

 and some of us just want a nap

 my kind of vacation

Since there are no projects during vacation I thought I'd share some recipes from the trip.  Here are two favorites.

Cinnamon French Toast Bake
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 (12.4 oz) can of Pillsbury Cinnamon Refigerated Rolls w/ icing
6 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup maple syrup
Icing from the cinnamon rolls
powdered sugar (optional)

1.  Heat over to 375 degrees F.  Pur melted butter into ungreased 13 x 9 glass baking dish.  Separate both cans of dough into 16 rolls, set icing aside.  Cut each roll into 8 pieces; place pieces over butter in dish.

2.  In medium bowl, beat eggs.  Beat in cream, cinnamon and vanilla until well blended, pour over roll pieces.  Sprinkle with peacans, drizzle with 1 cup syrup.

3.  Bake at 375 degrees for 28 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, remove covers from from icing; microwave on medium for 10-15 seconds.

4.  Drizzle icing over top; sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

serves 12

I don't have a picture of this salad but it's a favorite (we have already had it twice this week).

Dressing
1/2 cup honey
1 cup mayo
1 Tablespoon Grey Poupon mustard
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Combine ingredients, whisk together. Refrigerate.

Mixed greens
1 cup purple onion, cut into thin slices
1 can Mandarin oranges, drained
Feta cheese, crumbled
Slivered almonds, toasted.  To toast, bake about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Combine salad ingredients, serve dressing on the side. (that way any leftovers can be saved for the next day)

8.  This was the only piece I had left once I did the cover and it was a little short for a page but I used it anyway.

Added in a long envelope.  It was too long for the book so I just opened up the end, cut it down, corner rounded the edges and folded it back again.  No one will ever know it didn't come that size.  The blue sicker is from Russel & Hazel.  It says, Nicely Done.  I like that.

"Read This" sticker is Jenni Bowlin

9.  Another pocket page.  I used an "oldie but a goodie" rubbing to make the big card in the pocket.  7gypises doesn't make it anymore but I just couldn't help it.  It really was one of my favorites. 

10.  Super easy page.  Added a flash card with the word "SAY" and build a quote around the word already printed on the card. 

11.  Added a short page to the center of this section, wrapping the blue harlequin paper over the edge.  The small frame is cut from some of the Sassafras paper.

12.  Pink circles are from Hambly, one of my favorite makers of overlays.  I liked the idea that she could put a picture behind the overlay so faces are in the circles like little frames.

13.  Almost done!  Here's that paper that I was cutting up to get all the little frames (including the rose in #12).  The big K is from Wendy Addison.

It spins on a brad to reveal a favorite quote.  

A good one for a girl majoring in art.

14.  Another Curly Girls card...this one I cut off the back and glued the artwork to the page.  The envelope is empty...something to keep her future report cards in.

Back Cover....lots of Happy Tape and Tim Holtz Tissue Tape.

Now it's time to give it away...

Journal pages

Journal Basics

When I make a journal I start with blank pages and a few basic patterned papers that I want to work with.  With this journal I took the colors from the cover paper as my cue for the colors inside the book.  I picked about 5 other papers (a balance of large print with small prints), a couple transparencies and a few key embellishments, such as the large black "A" and the "report card" to start with.   Then I just start cutting.  I make a few of the main pages (no other embellishments yet), meaning pockets, flaps, etc.  I don't make any of the cards for the pockets till I have the basic pages done...then I decide what each page need.  At this point I like to start putting the book in some kind of order.  It may not look like it, but each page plays off the next and so on.  If I do flap on one page, I do a pocket on the next or leave it plain.  If I sew on a page I have to take into account what the back of the page is going to look like.  Once I get an order of sorts (and I do change my mind) I start adding embellishments and stamping.

1.  I used pieces from a puzzle to represent the journey.  Most of the word stamps in the journal are from the 7gypsies Disclaimer stamp set. 

2.  I love Curly Girl cards for the great sayings and whimsical artwork and that is just what the journal needed, a bit a of whimsy to go along with the Sassafras patterned paper.  Why not use artwork that is easily accessible?  I added the card to the page leaving it intact (so it can still be opened like a card) and just added a bit of stamping/scraps to the inside.  The colored strips bordering the card are strips of Japanese masking tape.  I buy mine from Happy Tape.
I used the Tiny Attacher to staple all the pockets to the 8 x 8 pages (and just a bit of glue for the edges).  LOVE this stapler!

A stamped card for the pocket.

3.  Flap with a fabric edge.  The polka dot side is a transparency.

The pink polka dot Happy Tape is my favorite because it's super sheer.

Inside the flap

4.  Another super cute Sassafras paper makes a foldout page.

5.  On the back side of the yellow polka dot paper was this great pink color so I just left it as is.  I used the gaffer tape strip with the numbers to secure the seam where the flap comes around the page.  I added a blue envelope with a card inside on top of another pocket page with 'fashion' report card.

6.  Turn the pocket over to a section on "Friends".  A leftover piece of the transparency is stapled to the next page for yet another pocket.  The stamp is from Catslife Press Rubber stamps...they have some great stamps.  They also make the writing lines that were pictured inside the Curly girl card.

7.  This one is also a fold out page.  The words are a transparency, then the fold-out starts with the green border edge.  The paper is held on with black/creme stripe gaffer tape.

We're halfway through...more pages tomorrow!

What I have...

Today's post is aptly named because it just proves I don't need any buy anything to make a great journal.  I wanted to make a journal of my friend's daughter who graduated from High School this last week and will be going away to college in the fall.  First of all she's an art major so I knew she would "get it" when I presented her with something so undone.  I used a ring method of binding so she could easily add things with just a standard hole punch.  I started the journal using the 7gypsies Binderie Punch and a more advanced punching method, but finished all the add-in's using a standard hole punch and one of the punched pages as a guide.
So I guess my reason for posting is just to say...I have a lot of stuff around here (I bet you do too) and you can make good things out of it. 


Today, I will start with the cover and binding technique.  Tomorrow I will start posting the pages.

Step 1- Cover the book board with paper.  I used the 8 x 8"  7gypsies book board pack and 8 x 8 creme paper.  I love this paper because it's thick, yet smooth and just the right color.
I use a glue stick when I cover book board with paper.  I prefer UHU or Thermoweb's  One Touch Quick Stick. 
NOTE: if you are going to use the Binderie Punch to make the holes, only glue paper to one side before punching.  Add paper to the back side, then punch holes with standard hole punch.  The reason for this is that the thicker the book board gets (with layer's of paper) the harder it will be to slide it into the punch.  My cover paper was Sasafraslass (which is a heavy weight paper) but the paper I used on the back was really thin so I did not have any trouble. 

Step 2 - Make a template from a piece of scrap paper.  The template needs to be as wide as your journal (mine is 2 x 8").  Mark the center (since my journal is 8" wide, my center mark is 4".  You will use this template when you punch the cover and the blank pages.  Don't skip this step!

Step 3 - Slide the cover into the Binderie punch, aligning the center mark on your template with the center mark on the punch.  Once it is all the way back, push the button at the top to make the holes. (I used my Binderie Punch that I decoupaged, normally they are red with a black center mark)

You can now put the template to the side until you need it to punch the pages.

Step 4 - Now here's the key to this punching method.  You must push the arm to the closed position.  Normally, when you use the Binderie punch the arm is one notch out to get the right spacing, but for this method you will need it in the closed position. 

Now hook the hole on the left side onto the button at the top of the arm.

 

Push the button to make the second hole. If you do not have the arm in the right place this is where you will see it.  The hole will be too far away from the first hole you punched.

Step 5 - Keeping the arm in the same locked position, turn your cover over to punch the last hole at the top of the book.  It is the same method we just did at the bottom, but the cover needs to be turned over to the back side to be able to hook it on the button for spacing.  Again, make sure the arm is in locked position before punching.

And here it is complete.  Repeat steps for the back cover and then for the pages.  Remember, with the Binderie punch you can punch 7-8 sheets of cardstock at one time. 
If you are still not sure you get it...cut a piece of paper/cardstock the same size as your cover and practice before you do the real thing.  It really is easy.

See you tomorrow for pages.
-paula