Sunday, February 13, 2011

A Valentine's Day Recipe for a Journal



Yes, I Love Valentine's Day but I loathe what greeting card franchises, flower shops and the retail industry as a whole has done to this day. For all the lovers in the house who do not believe in throwing dollars to the wind, I thought that I would introduce a little recipe for how to create a treat that your special one is sure to love.  Yes, guys you too can make this...it is easy! 

And....if your special loved one is on a diet- there are ZERO calories for indulging in this recipe.

Ingredients for this treat:

-1 composition note book- 
(yes the black & white kind that you used in elementary school. Can be purchased at Target)

-4 pieces of scrapbook paper (lots of designs to choose from) & 2 pieces of solid color card stock

-1 spool of decorative ribbon

-2 decorative flowers & basic rubber stamps (look in the dollar bin at Michael's)

-1 package of glue dots, 3/16 in size.
basic black ink pad

-2  buttons that you have been meaning to sew back on to one of your outfits but you know it will never get done.  If you do not have any lying around the house, Michael's also sells a bag of vintage buttons.  Although it might be easier to go to JoAnn's and get a simple packet containing 2 buttons; especially if you do not have a use for so many buttons

(All items except the note book can be purchased at Michael's)

Take the composition book and place it front side facing you. Take the scrapbook paper & place it so the paper lines up to the edge of the black tape on the left side of the composition book and front of the paper lines up with the top of the composition note book. Use a little bit of your glue stick and place a small amount on the scrapbook paper to it in place.  Then turn the book so that the scrapbook paper is on the bottom.  Trace around the cover of the book onto the back side of the scrapbook paper, cut out using your traced line as a guide. Repeat these steps again for the back of the book.


This is your creation so you can design it according to your hearts desires.  
In my design, I liked the idea of mixing it up a little, so I used the card stock on the top of the book and the scrapbook paper on the bottom. You can cut sheets in half and mix in match. 

Be careful that you pay attention to which sheets you are using for the front of the book vs the back of the book.

If you dare, you can use the extra two pieces of scrapbook paper for the inside of the covers, so that you don't have the name page & multiplication tables staring at your loved one when they open this prized position.

Then design & create!  Use your imagination....you can use your stamps on the card stock- like I did. I just did a random design, nothing formal. Have fun with it.

I cut 2 pieces of ribbon about 6inches.  I cut the ribbon bottoms at a 45 degree angle to get the pointed tips.  I used glue dots to hold the ribbon in place as well as glue dots to hold the flower in place over the ribbon.  The center of the flower is the button, also adhered with glue dots.  

Although, this Journal was created for a friend who was delivering her baby girl on Valentine's Day.  You can create this journal as a simple, unique & quick gift for anytime of the year.


 Stay tuned.......as other recipes will be popping up throughout the year.

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