Altered Christmas Notebook

I went shopping at Staples the other day and came across a wonderful new find. They are now carrying eco-friendly notebooks that have plain kraft paper covers. They had spiral notebooks in several sizes, composition books and a few other items. I was so thrilled to find the spiral notebooks that I didn't really check out the others. Just inside the front was a page with pockets. I thought this would be great to carry with me in the car to jot down notes. I'm always seeing a great idea in a store and then totally forgetting the details about it when I get home. This notebook will be great for writing down ideas or recording what I have bought for everyone, including the price and where I bought it. The front pocket page would work well for putting receipts.

It's not a real fancy cover but then I didn't want a lot of embellishment on it. I can see it getting knocked around in the car and having buttons and baubles and bows all over the floor of the car. I'm sure I'll add to it sometime.......I just can't leave well enough alone!

Christmas Countdown 2008

Here is a copy of my Christmas Countdown 2008 that I made in Publisher. Feel free to use it. I have done other sheets for the index, divider sheets all in the same style (See samples on my Christmas Notebook post in April). If you would like a copy of the forms in *.pdf format, post a note and we'll see what we can work out.

The Notebook

One of the reasons for starting a blog was I HAD to show off my Christmas notebook cover. It's taken over a year to complete it. I started with a 2" 3-ring binder that I covered with a great Waverly fabric. It stayed that way until this past January. Sometimes I have to let things sit for a while and stare at me while I stare at them. Then one day a light bulb will come on and I'll know how to finish them but, boy, it sure can be frustrating waiting for that darn light bulb to come on.

The Santa picture I got off the internet and changed in Word to shades of red (it was a regular picture with a gazillion colors when I found it). It's printed on cardstock and sewn straight on the cover. The HO HO HO is metal from the scrapbook section of a local store. The rest is sewn on fabric and the text run through the printer on muslin.

These two pictures are of the section dividers. I made them in Publisher, printed them out and pasted them on pretty scrapbook paper. They always look better in person. But all the section covers look like the one on the left.