When I saw theTasteful Trim die, for the Big Shot die cutting machine, the first thing I thought of was cutting felt out with it. Sure, I've used it with paper, but felt was my first thought. I finally got to use it with felt this past weekend and I LOVE the way this little handmade journalturned out. The bright colors, the patterns of the trims, the beads....it all makes me smile every time I look at it!(You can find this journal on my Etsy Shop - with more to come!)
Yes, this did take a lot of time and yes, I am a perfectionist when it comes to my stitches (I just can't help myself). But....it keeps my hands busy when I'm sitting. I'm determined that I'll never have arthritis when I get older if I keep my hands busy with needlework. *wink*
I love using my Big Shot for felt projects. Because felt doesn't fray, die cutting shapes out of felt makes embroidering felt on projects so easy! In fact, last year, I created a Tutorial CD that deals specifically with the Big Shot and felt projects: Be a Big Shot with Felt is still available as a CD!
I did a double lining on the journal cover so that it hid the stitching from the back of the front cover. I also made the trims go across the entire cover of the journal.
I did 12 folded pages of cardstock (for a total of 24 double-sided pages) and used my Crop-a-dileto punch holes in the fold of all the pages at once (LOVE that tool!) and double-stitched the pages into the binding so they're extra secure.
When the journal is folded, it measures 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches. It can be used for so many different purposes:
- A journal
- A sketchbook
- A quote book
- An art journal
- A mini scrapbook
Since the cardstock inside the journal is acid and lignin free, it makes for a great mini scrapbook and you don't have to worry about your photos being adversely affected.
A lot of people ask me what type of felt I use and where they can get it. Most fabric stores have eco-felt (made from recycled plastics and the cheaper option, also known as craft felt) and wool-blend felt by the yard. You can also get felt on Ebay stores and one of the best sites I've found online is Felt-o-rama.
