Project by Ann Bernklau
For the book covers: Cut eight 6 1/2”x6 1/2” pieces of Birdsong tissue paper. Mix together 1 Tbsp Tacky glue with 2 Tbsp water. Using a wide paintbrush, quickly coat one of the covers with the mixture. Carefully place one of the tissue squares on the cover. Rub down with your hands, making sure all of the tissue paper sticks. Repeat twice, creating a wrinkled layered look with the transparent tissue paper. Turn the cover over on a cutting mat and cut off the excess tissue with an X-acto® knife. Use the gluing technique on the inside of the cover, only doing one layer of tissue (make sure your images are facing the right direction in regards to the other side of the cover). Repeat the whole process on the second cover and flip both covers so the outside is facing up.
Cut 6 1/2” of black stripe tape. Place along the top edge of the front cover, with 5/8” hanging over the top. Wrap it around the edge, sticking it to the top of the inside as well. Trim off excess. Do this to all 4 edges of the front and back covers.
For the chevron (zigzag) stripes: Place 10” of red stripe tape on your cutting mat along one of the straight horizontal lines (you will peel it off later). Cut a 45 degree angle on one end, and cut the opposite angle on the other end (the more accurate your angles are, the more precise your stripes will be). Cut a 2” length of black or dot tape to 2”x1/4” to be used as a cutting guide. Place the black tape vertically over the red stripe tape on your cutting mat, lined up with one of the angled ends. Use a ruler and an X-acto® knife and the black dot tape as your cutting guide, to cut a piece 1/4” wide. Peel off your “cutting guide” and peel off the angled red stripe piece. Place it on the front cover in the upper right corner, just under the black stripe tape at the top. Place your “cutting guide” on the other end of the red stripe tape and cut another piece. Place this piece below the first, creating a sideways “V” shape. Repeat this process to place pieces all the way down the side of the cover, making a zigzag design as shown.
Place a 6 1/2” piece of red dot along the right edge over the end of the chevron stripes, with 5/8” hanging over the edge. Wrap around to the back and trim excess off the ends. Repeat on the back cover, covering the outside edge with red dot tape.
For the ribbon closure: Cut a 6” strip of ultra tape and place horizontally along the front cover, 2” from the bottom. Cut 14” of red satin ribbon. Adhere the ribbon to the Ultra tape, starting at 1/2” from the left edge. Place a 2” piece of red stripe tape cut at an angle over the remaining length of the Ultra tape on the left. Wrap excess around to the inside of the cover. On the back of the back cover, Place 2” of Ultra tape horizontally on the left edge, 2” from the bottom. Place the right end of 11” of red satin ribbon on the Ultra tape. Cover the end of the ribbon with red stripe tape, going off the right edge of the cover with the tape. Trim excess.
For the words on the front cover: Print your words on regular paper. Cut an 8 1/2”x11” piece of ivory tissue paper and lightly glue the very edges to the printed paper with glue stick. Run through the printer again to print on the tissue. Carefully remove the tissue paper from the printer paper. Tear around each word. Glue the words, some overlapping, onto the cover with glue stick (as shown).
For the inner pages and pockets: Cut 4 sheets of Natural 12”x12” cardstock into sixteen 6” squares, making the pages of your journal. Cut 10 of the same size squares from Kraft cardstock and 2 from Old Towne Red cardstock.
For the pockets: Score one 6” square of Kraft cardstock down the middle and fold in half. Place the fold on the bottom. Open the fold. Cut a 2 3/4” length of Ultra tape and cut two pieces 1/8” wide. Place one piece of Ultra tape along the right edge of the scored cardstock, starting at the top and ending a little before the fold line. Place the other piece of Ultra tape starting at the bottom and ending a little before the fold line. Peel off the backing of the Ultra tape and fold the cardstock slightly. Slip another 6” square of cardstock into the fold and press down along the right edge where the Ultra tape is. This creates your pocket. Leave the left side open; it will be bound with wire, which will allow it to expand as you fill the pocket. Create 5 Kraft pocket pages total.
Decorating the pockets and pages: Decorate each of your pocket pages a little differently, but tie them all together by using the same elements: black and/or red tape, and Sweet Tweets stamps. Check the photos for tape pattern ideas. For the red page at the beginning of your book, print your title (“My anything journal”) on ivory cardstock and cut out each word. Tape the words onto the red page using black dot and stripe tapes.
Assembling and binding your book with the Cinch: Finalize all the pieces of your book before punching holes. Make sure your covers, pages, and pockets are facing the correct way (i.e., pockets are not upside down). For the square blank pages it doesn’t matter. Important: pull peg #12 on the Cinch. Slide in your front cover with the spine in the Cinch. Pull down the bar to punch (it will take some force since the chipboard is very thick). Do the same with the back cover, then follow with a few pages at a time until all are punched. Stack your book in the following order (from bottom of stack to top): red page, pocket #5, 4 white pages, pocket #4, 4 white pages, pocket #3, 4 white pages, pocket #2, 4 white pages, pocket #1, red title page, front cover, back cover with the inside facing up and the holes on the left. Clip the black binding wires so you have wire long enough for 11 holes. Place the wire on the side of the Cinch for loading. Place the stack exactly in the order above, onto the wires. Turn the Cinch around and adjust the knob to 3/4”. Take the stack with the wires in it, and place the wires into the Cinch, with the opening touching the Cinch. Press down on the bar to close the wire binding. Take out your book and turn the back cover around to the front.
Water
Paintbrush
Cut 6 1/2” of black stripe tape. Place along the top edge of the front cover, with 5/8” hanging over the top. Wrap it around the edge, sticking it to the top of the inside as well. Trim off excess. Do this to all 4 edges of the front and back covers.
For the chevron (zigzag) stripes: Place 10” of red stripe tape on your cutting mat along one of the straight horizontal lines (you will peel it off later). Cut a 45 degree angle on one end, and cut the opposite angle on the other end (the more accurate your angles are, the more precise your stripes will be). Cut a 2” length of black or dot tape to 2”x1/4” to be used as a cutting guide. Place the black tape vertically over the red stripe tape on your cutting mat, lined up with one of the angled ends. Use a ruler and an X-acto® knife and the black dot tape as your cutting guide, to cut a piece 1/4” wide. Peel off your “cutting guide” and peel off the angled red stripe piece. Place it on the front cover in the upper right corner, just under the black stripe tape at the top. Place your “cutting guide” on the other end of the red stripe tape and cut another piece. Place this piece below the first, creating a sideways “V” shape. Repeat this process to place pieces all the way down the side of the cover, making a zigzag design as shown.
Place a 6 1/2” piece of red dot along the right edge over the end of the chevron stripes, with 5/8” hanging over the edge. Wrap around to the back and trim excess off the ends. Repeat on the back cover, covering the outside edge with red dot tape.
For the ribbon closure: Cut a 6” strip of ultra tape and place horizontally along the front cover, 2” from the bottom. Cut 14” of red satin ribbon. Adhere the ribbon to the Ultra tape, starting at 1/2” from the left edge. Place a 2” piece of red stripe tape cut at an angle over the remaining length of the Ultra tape on the left. Wrap excess around to the inside of the cover. On the back of the back cover, Place 2” of Ultra tape horizontally on the left edge, 2” from the bottom. Place the right end of 11” of red satin ribbon on the Ultra tape. Cover the end of the ribbon with red stripe tape, going off the right edge of the cover with the tape. Trim excess.
For the words on the front cover: Print your words on regular paper. Cut an 8 1/2”x11” piece of ivory tissue paper and lightly glue the very edges to the printed paper with glue stick. Run through the printer again to print on the tissue. Carefully remove the tissue paper from the printer paper. Tear around each word. Glue the words, some overlapping, onto the cover with glue stick (as shown).
For the inner pages and pockets: Cut 4 sheets of Natural 12”x12” cardstock into sixteen 6” squares, making the pages of your journal. Cut 10 of the same size squares from Kraft cardstock and 2 from Old Towne Red cardstock.
For the pockets: Score one 6” square of Kraft cardstock down the middle and fold in half. Place the fold on the bottom. Open the fold. Cut a 2 3/4” length of Ultra tape and cut two pieces 1/8” wide. Place one piece of Ultra tape along the right edge of the scored cardstock, starting at the top and ending a little before the fold line. Place the other piece of Ultra tape starting at the bottom and ending a little before the fold line. Peel off the backing of the Ultra tape and fold the cardstock slightly. Slip another 6” square of cardstock into the fold and press down along the right edge where the Ultra tape is. This creates your pocket. Leave the left side open; it will be bound with wire, which will allow it to expand as you fill the pocket. Create 5 Kraft pocket pages total.
Decorating the pockets and pages: Decorate each of your pocket pages a little differently, but tie them all together by using the same elements: black and/or red tape, and Sweet Tweets stamps. Check the photos for tape pattern ideas. For the red page at the beginning of your book, print your title (“My anything journal”) on ivory cardstock and cut out each word. Tape the words onto the red page using black dot and stripe tapes.
Assembling and binding your book with the Cinch: Finalize all the pieces of your book before punching holes. Make sure your covers, pages, and pockets are facing the correct way (i.e., pockets are not upside down). For the square blank pages it doesn’t matter. Important: pull peg #12 on the Cinch. Slide in your front cover with the spine in the Cinch. Pull down the bar to punch (it will take some force since the chipboard is very thick). Do the same with the back cover, then follow with a few pages at a time until all are punched. Stack your book in the following order (from bottom of stack to top): red page, pocket #5, 4 white pages, pocket #4, 4 white pages, pocket #3, 4 white pages, pocket #2, 4 white pages, pocket #1, red title page, front cover, back cover with the inside facing up and the holes on the left. Clip the black binding wires so you have wire long enough for 11 holes. Place the wire on the side of the Cinch for loading. Place the stack exactly in the order above, onto the wires. Turn the Cinch around and adjust the knob to 3/4”. Take the stack with the wires in it, and place the wires into the Cinch, with the opening touching the Cinch. Press down on the bar to close the wire binding. Take out your book and turn the back cover around to the front.
Water
Paintbrush