Stamper's Dream: Farm Friends Chipboard Book

The Farmyard Friends kit comes with this sweet tabbed chipboard book. This is my first time coverin' one of these & I am in luv. I'm thinkin' it'd make a dream gift [simple to make & fun to give to a stamper or crafter (or any kid.)]

At least it's is my idea of a dream book. (One filled with stamped images, and loads of cute goodies--even stamps & a little organization to boot!) You can turn these pages into anything at all, though, since they're covered with sturdy acetate made from clear card boxes. Which means the book's function can be changed at a whim, while keeping your decorating work intact.

Ideas to Fill the Pages:

Note board pages...which you can write on with an overhead marker for lists like...Birthdays to remember..Cards to make... or Wish lists...

This is too fun to write on! Non-permanent markers with medium or fine tips are perfect with this. The ink rubs right off with a damp paper towel (but it won't scratch off easily like dry-erase.) The strips that make the frame (black textured cardstock pieces which come in the kit) don't show any ink marks that accumulate in time.

Card Candy pages (just stick card candy onto the acetate) Make some with foam mounting tape between layers for extra oomph.

Little bags of Embellishments make cute toppers & stick the goodies onto the acetate with oh so sticky tape

ETA!!!: Barb was kind enough to let me know that "acetate will actually break-down the cling foam on rubber stamps, and cause them to not cling anymore." (That sucks!) So don't try this at home kids: Stamp Storage or gift presentation... this Farm Friend's kit would make the sweetest gift. The stamps could fill the whole book! :O) Just stick the stamps right onto the acetate.

Storage for stamp masks or stencil masks: (make masks or stencils with Eclipse tape roll
& store them on the acetate pages.)

Pockets for Images: Tuck some images into an acetate pocket. (These are WAY too easy to make, see step 15 below for the details.)

Pockets for pens: Tuck the overhead marker into a pocket made from fun foam (stuck on the acetate with oh so sticky tape; if the fun foam wears out, it can be peeled off easily enough.) You can make a mini pocket right on the note board pages. See this tutorial for more info about working with fun foam & acetate pockets.

Covered markers/pens: Wrap pens with patterned papers from the Farm Friends kit & add any specialty pens you like.

One way to Alter the Book:

Supplies:
All in the Paper Garden Projects Farmyard Friends Stamp Kit

Stamps: Farm Friends from the kit! (Designed by Pink Cat Studio)

--The tabbed chipboard Book
--Basic Grey Urban Prairie Papers: Harvest, Hayfield, Weather Vane, Petticoat.
--Wedding White cardstock (cut to 5 3/4 by 4 inches)
--Strips of Bazzill Raven (black) textured cardstock (for frames) cut at 1/2 inch thickness (for each frame you'll want two that are 5 3/4 inches long & two that are 4 inches long)
--Urban Prairie Brads

Other Materials:
(from your stash or Paper Garden Projects)

Clear Card Boxes
Oh So Sticky Tape
Copic markers
Pencil
Extra Brads

And anything you want to fill your book with.



Step 1) Mark the pages. I've marked them as the following for easy covering and assembling: Front cover, Front Cover (Back), Page 2 front, Page 2 back, Page 3 front, Page 3 back, Back cover (front), Back cover.



Step 2) Remove bits from holes & Trace the chipboard onto patterned papers-mark the holes too.



You can fit three onto one 12 x 12 sheet of patterned paper



Step 3) Cut the paper out (marking the patterned paper as you go is a big help)



Step 4) Colour edges of the chipboard (I painted the edges with White Gesso.)



Step 5) Punch holes & adhere the paper (You can use separate pieces of patterned paper too.)



Step 6) Adhere the patterned paper to the chipboard pages. Good old Tombow Monomulti gives excellent adhesion but wiggle room too



Step 7) Sand the edges of the covered pages to even it up with chipboard & to distress, if you like.



Step 8) Add Wedding White cardstock (5 3/4 by 4 inches)



Step 9) Prepare acetate window to cover white cardstock (pieces 5 3/4 by 4 inches) cut from clear card boxes.)



Step 10) Sand acetate to distress it--if you want (one side only)



Step 11) Adhere acetate sanded side down (on white cs)- Making sure there are no particles or smudges



Step 12) Trim over acetate with black cardstock (Raven Bazzill cardstock) [cut to be 1/2 inch thickness (for each frame you'll want two that are 5 3/4 inches long & two that are 4 inches long)]



Step 13) Add Basic Grey brads to the black cardstock strips



Step 14) Adhere black cardstock strips with brads over the Acetate



Step 15) To create a pocket:

A) Cut a piece of acetate 5 3/4 by 4 inches (from clear card boxes.)
B) Punch a shape out of it & edge with a Copic marker/permanent marker, if you like
C) Adhere one side of the acetate only
D) Trim over the place you've adhered with one strip of black cardstock (a 1/2" x 5 and 3/4")

Wooly Wooly Sheep:
(aka Fibre-holder Embellishment aminals)



Step 1) Stamp or emboss sheep



Step 2) Colour sheep any way you like



Step 3) Colour & puff up a sheep up with a white puffy pen, if you like.



Step 4) Cut your sheep out



Step 5) Wind around the whole sheep flock with fibers & adhere them to the acetate

Other Altering Ideas:
(non-stamping themes)

A Card Book: Make pockets on the pages to tuck cards & envelopes into & give as a gift. When the cards are gone it can be used as a...
A photo album: Photos can be stuck into acetate pockets & removed quickly to switch them out for new ones (no adhesive needs to touch the photos.)

Birthday Book / Planner / Tabbed Notebook/ Sketchbook / Journal:

-->The 4 pages & tabs are perfect for dividing into the four seasons. Spring, Summer, Fall, & Winter birthdays (or make planning sheets for other occasions.)

-->To make the book reusable... just cover the chipboard pages with acetate & add sticky note sheets.

-->To make Homemade sticky notes: You can even make your own sticky note sheets by printing them on the computer & adding Tombow Monomulti to the backs of them (let it dry & it is repositionable!)

-->To add extra pages: Trace a Chipboard page onto any paper & cut it out. Best thing about this is you can add any paper: watercolour paper for artists and/or handmade papers for art journallers. Lined paper for a notebook. Recipe cards, Calendar, Address book sheet... anything! :O)

A kids colouring book: Stamp images and/or add colouring pages printed on copy paper to acetate with repositionable adhesive.

A Sticker Album: Stickers will peel right off the acetate pages. Turn the farm friends into vellum/regular/linen stickers with sticky backed products from office supply or craft stores (for kids or us stampers!) ;o)

Hope this had a little inspiration for Ewe. :O) Happy Weekend!