Not all that long ago I was a non-stamper.   Yes, it's true!

When I first began to get interested in stamping, I started A Monthly Rubber Stamps Club Website.  And the rest is, as they say, is history!

I have been so inspired by all of the stamp art that has been sent to me over the past couple of years, and I have a box filled with some fabulous artwork!

After receiving a contest entry, "Treasured Moments: A Mini Memories Album" from Stamp Artist - Martha Myers, and reading her instructions on how to create these, which you can view here, I thought ... "Wow, that's how these are made"!

Of course, I was then on a mission to make my own ... That very night, I created four of these books, which you can see here.  I was still feeling creative, and thought, what the heck, I'll make one more.  BUT... when I sat down at my stamping table, I found I had a creative block!  

So I grabbed a cup of coffee and started looking through my box of stamp art for some inspiration and ideas.

THEN IT HIT ME!  RECYCLE, RECYCLE, RECYCLE!

So far I have created the six journals show at the tops of this page using cards that YOU might have sent to me!   These journals are sooooo easy, fun, and useful too!

Instructions:

Choose a card you would like to recycle and use as your journal cover.  

You will need four pieces of matboard or heavy weight cardboard. Two pieces should be the size of your card, these will be the front and back cover.  Two pieces should be the height of your card, and 1 inch in width, these will be your binder. See figure 1.

Lay a piece of duct tape, (the length of your duct tape should be long enough to wrap around the size of your card to your cover sticky side up, on your work surface. Lay one piece of binder, and one cover (front or back) onto the duct tape, leaving about a 1/8" gap. See figure 2. Use only one piece of duct tape to completely cover your binder. See Figure 3   I only used duct tape for it's strength. You must also use one layer of masking tape!

Rub n' buff will NOT stick to duct tape.  So I put one layer of masking tape over the duct tape.  Make sure you are using wide enough masking tape so you will not have any seems.  Repeat these steps to make a second cover.

To color co-ordinate my binder, I used Rub n' buff, Emerald Green was used in the example, See Figure 4.   

Once I have both a front and back cover, with binder attached, I cut paper 1/4" smaller than the inside cover.  I rounded my papers edges using a corner punch.   Once I had my paper in place, I clamped it down. See Figure 5.

With the clamps, shown in Figure 6, still in place, I placed the cover in place, lined it up and clamped the front and back together.

While clamps are holding everything in place, drill/punch two holes on the binder. One towards the top and the other towards the bottom.  Thread ribbon or fibers through holes, tie and then decorate outside cover.  I actually used my husband's drill.

If you do not have a drill, or would rather you can also use a hole punch and punch 2 holes in each "spine" section. Cut several sheets of inside paper 1/4" smaller than the inside cover.  Punch holes in each paper so they line up with the holes punched in the cover. Thread ribbon or fibers through holes, tie and then decorate outside cover. See Figure 7.

Once you book is securely tied together with ribbon or cord, simply adhere the card you are recycling to the front cover, and viola, you have a completed journal. See Figure 8.  

To see who the original stamp artist was and for stamp credit information, click on each of the thumbnail images at the top of this page.