DIY Arc Binder goodness

I am so in love with the new ARC by Staples Customizable notebook system!!

I've been a loyal Franklin covey user, but it's just time for a change!

I've been swooning over the circa binders for awhile but I couldn't really justify spending that much money and making my own would be crazy expensive! 

The punch was out of line and that 

meant that making the mushroom shaped holes would be impossible!

But there I was at work when I saw the most beautiful thing EVA!!!!

it was the arc display so I picked up this beauty!

I'm not excited about the whole vinyl or leather cover, just because the designs were black and white and the leather ones were just solid colors. I need more selection!

( Really I just needed something with bigger discs!)

 So I picked up the essentials for any amazing notebook!

I bought the punch, tabs and 1.5" discs.

Like I said I'm not a huge fan of the cover, while thinking it over in the isle with my husband on my day off he suggested just making a cover, 

GENIUS!

But not only make a cover, but out of a place mat!

OMG MY HUBBY IS AMAZING!

When we went to target to pick up the essentials I picked up this perfect place mat!

I traced the covers on the placemat with a pencil...

You can see here my awesome lines......

Make sure that you position the holes on the right side for the front in back or you will cut one upside down..... Not saying I did but it was a close call!

 I had some placemat design still left over and I can't very well just throw it away!!

So I made a page finder thingie, Yes I'm sure thats the technical name!

 I was worried that the large punch would confuse me when trying to cut the junior size but heck it had a cute little sliding guide for junior and desk size (or whatever they want to call letter and half of letter)

 Its really hard to get a picture of it but it just slides easily for each size which is a bonus because for F.C. you have to buy the separate punches for each size!

Which really gets me rilled up!

After you are done playing with the awesome handle of the punch, 

its a lever so all you have to do is push down!

 Goodbye wrist pain!

Theres also a cute lil drawer for the punch confetti that slides out and you can trash it that way! 

no more fighting with those flimsy tray things and getting dots everywhere!

I'm pretty dang proud of my new notebook!

I will be buying about two more packages of tabs though, there just weren't enough!

I also might use my label maker to make the labels look better too!

This is my page finder thingie, it is so perfect!

And my planner pages work wonderfully in my new note book.

For next year I will be doing some new weekly planner pages, but making them!

I adore digital scrapbooking so I'm sure I will be using that route!

Thank goodness I work at the Staples copy and print center where I can design and print all of those great planner pages! The discount is really going to save me some pennies and it looks so much better than my little ink jet printer!

I really cant wait to create all sorts of forms and lists and stuff to fill my planner!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

M

Ps you can follow me on pinterest  Here!

Some times things just don't work out....

Some times things just get screwed up and even though they aren't what you expected 

they can work as something else.

I've been trying to make my own planner for awhile now, from sewing a cover, trying to put a binder in a book, etc. I did like my franklin covey leather but it's just so big!

I've been trying for about a month now and I think I might have gotten it,

now that I got a job at staples. in the copy and print center, 

facepalm.

but let'g proceed to my planner fails.

here are the two finished products.

 first off I had this book from a used book sale, I tore the pages out, and covered it with fabric, I even made  a cute embroidery patch for it!

I go to put the binder rings in there (1") and they were too big 

FAIL!!

so then I sewed the red white and blue one but I had forgotten about the large fold allowance, so it fit a 5.5"x8" binder.....when it was open......

FAIL!

After looking around the internet I just glued my planner pages together using the note pad method, 

with silicone glue, then I glued it in the book. 

I did have to remove some pages because it was quite bulky but it works amazingly!

The book here is open, you can see how well the fabric fits.... I thought this would be the back page not the FRONT, FAIL.... 

you can also see the holes from the FC binder, really should have cut that off....

meh.

These are all the tabs I made from scrap book card stock.

hand stamped and all.

( I LOVE my tab punch!)

you can see the difference in pages here, planner in front, party tabs in the back!

This is a better view of the binding.

top view!

(also you get a sneak peak at my camera strap cover!)

I drilled holes here to use loose leaf rings, it helps if you line up the holes for the pages so the top 1/2" doesn't stick out the top...

FAIL

Also I noticed today the embroidery is coming off the backing, so much for iron on!

nothing stitch witch wont solve!

Okay so it at least worked out!

Now on to the matching stripe binder cover...

 It actually works out to hold the papers I cant fit in my book planner!

the left holds the bills I need to pay, and some other schtuff.

behind the pockets holds blank forms that I've made up, like expenses, to do lists etc.

the right holds blank recycled paper for notes and such!

the front of the right pocket has a medical file tab for clipping really important stuff!

my mothers office was donating them so I swiped some!

They are actually awesome for list making!

cute huh?

I'm glad they both worked out in the end!

I was making a planner for christmas for my sister but she just threw that out the window,

so I just have to work on one for me for next year!

DARN!

Thanks for stopping by!

(and keep crafting)

M

the only problem with an ipad 2

OK so there are two problems I have with the new ipad 2.

There is no Pinterest app just for it so you have to use the browser. LAME

and, Kitten.

You heard me, Kitten aka bumble, our new kitty likes it too much

I can't get anything done!

my poor hubby demonstrates how it works to use the ipad 2

At first he just watches, but nooooo

he has to touch it and it changes stuff! so he keeps doing it.

then he just gets tired and lays on it!

until you kick him off and you start all over!

hope you had a good laugh!

thanks for stopping by!

M

Book case cubes

I have these crap tastic book cases from menards.

the shelves are sagging, and its just crap.

But they work so I have no problem with them.

So what I did was I cut some old laminate board to fit in the sagging shelf.

I know they don't match exactly but no one will notice.

Here is the after!

Cute huh?? now I just need to find more of those boards for the other levels!

Thanks for stopping by!

Trash Tuesday!

I love living in a place where there is a trash day every day of the week,

Especially because we have one car and I need to drop off the boys early in the A.M.

I love driving around looking at what people are throwing out!

here is my curb side finds!

I found this umbrella!

I thought it would have something wrong with it, like a huge tear or something,

nope!

Its perfectly fine! now just to put it in the ground some how....

The next great find is this mirror!

 Sure its cracked and doesn't stand but I can use it for something!!

I might paint the mirror and put some fabric or paper over the mirror 

and then put up some candles on it!

There are some awesome spindles on that baby!!

This lil bolt held in the whole mirror, it was easy to take apart.

This beauty was hanging out, right next to the trash.

 who would throw out such a beauty?!?!?!

oh, thats why!

But thats why they make just the lamp part you can buy!!

after some investigation (IE me plugging the lamp) I found out it worked!

well screw my original plan!!

I just glued it back on!

The clothespins were there to keep it straight while the glue dried.

you can see where the ring was crushed here.

 The lamp shade was also pretty ripped up...

so I peeled back the bias tape and put it all back together!

You would have never known!

This trunk is in really bad shape on the outside.

It needs a ton of sand blasting~

At least it has good bones!

 Some awesome tags came with it!

This poor stand looks like someone tried to paint it.. And just gave up!

 poor thing! it just needs some love!

To be honest it found a loving home in my garage!!

my saws love their new home!

Thanks to who ever threw it out! it works perfectly!!

Thanks for stopping by!

M