My Other Creations: Notebooks Using Jungle Friends by My Favorite Things

This week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge theme is, "Flora and Fauna."  This theme reminded me of my dad, who, when we went on hikes when I was growing up, would always admonish us to "embrace the flora and fauna!" (which I did not always do as a moody tween)!  Not sure we ever saw elephants or giraffes on our hikes, but I used some cute little jungle animal dies on my re-vamped composition notebooks:

 I bought these notebooks as a 3-pack from Walmart for under a buck.  Then I traced the cover on patterned paper to get the right shape and layered plaid on top of florals.  I smeared white acrylic paint over the combo to make the patterns look more subtle and blended.

Next I started adding layers!  On both covers, I used the negative outline shape from Tim Holtz's Artful Dwellings die to create a "house frame," which I cut out of Simon Says Stamps' vintage dictionary paper.

With my base complete, it was time to add all the fixin's!  For the elephant cover, I used some hydrangeas cut with Martha Stewart punches, then I added the elephant from My Favorite Things' Jungle Friends die set.  Love the whimsical look of this little guy!  I made a section of polka dot paper and added the word, "Hope," which I got from a strip of Illustrated Faith washi tape.  The heart coming out of the elephant's trunk is from Tim Holtz's shape strips die.  I also wanted some sort of bookmark, so I made one topped with a number from Tim Holtz's Ruler Ribbon.  

  
I do know the difference between zebras and giraffes, but I just wanted to give this giraffe a stripped funky vibe instead of a traditional look, so I went with black and white paper.  The background is the same as what I did for the elephant, but I added some polka dot washi to create a faux door to the house and tacked on a snippet out of a cook book, since I thought anything with "sugar" would fit into my whimsical theme.  The sentiment on this one is from the Journal Words stamp set.

   
One last thing I wanted to give to these notebooks was an elastic strap to keep them closed.  I'd never done one of those before, so I was excited to give it a go.  On the back of the notebook, I used my Crop-A-Dile to punch and set two eyelets (yes, I still use and love eyelets)!  I found some elastic ribbon in my stash and measured it to the length I would need for it to wrap around the notebook.

  
I strung the elastic through the holes, then sewed the ends together with my sewing machine.

I pulled the sewed section through so that it was hidden underneath the section between the eyelets on the back cover and wah-la!  My elastic band was complete.

   
Here are the products I used to make my notebooks, which you can find at Simon Says Stamp:

My Favorite Things Jungle Friends die set	Tim Holtz Sizzix die: Artful Dwellings	Sizzix Big Shot	MME Hello Gorgeous 6x6 Paper	C′est La Vie 6x6 Paper	Bo Bunny Believe 6x6 Paper	Echo Park Let′s Be Mermaids 12x12 Paper
PhotoPlay Family Ties 12 x 12 Paper Pack	Lawn Fawn Perfectly Plaid 6x6 Paper	Simon Vintage Dictionary Paper	Martha Stewart 3-in-1 Hydrangea Punch	Idea-ology Ruler Ribbon	Illustrated Faith Reminders Washi Tape	Doodlebug Dainty Dots Spring Garden Washi Tape
Spellbinders Donna Salazar Journal Words stamp set	Ranger Archival Jet Black Ink Pad	Peacock Feathers - Distress Ink	Mustard Seed - Distress Ink	Worn Lipstick Distress Ink Pad	Mixed Media Sponges Bars	Dina Wakley Ranger WHITE Media Heavy Body Acrylic Paints

I thoroughly enjoyed this project and can't wait to see your Flora and Fauna creations.  Be sure to upload them to the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog for your chance to win a $50 voucher to the Simon Says Stamp store!