End of the Week Technique # 20 - Memo Pads

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Hey y'all. Happy Humpday! I hope you're having a great week so far and are looking forward to a fabulous long weekend. My daughter's moving back home from Nashville, so my weekend is sure to be full of getting her settled in, plus we're going to take just a little time out to go see The Vow. How about you? Well, before you get too busy, here's a quick little project for you.

Are you a "List Maker"? I am so a list maker, in fact I like to think it's one of my charming habits that drives my daughter Batty. She's going to love this *snicker* (not!). As a nurse for nearly 23 years (kinda funny since I'm only 29, lol) these lists and notes, more often than not, would end up on my hands.

Funny story- when my daughter was not quite 3, and I worked nights in the ICU, my then husband would send her in to wake me in the evenings for dinner and family time. Often was the time when the notes had not been completely scrubbed off of my hands in that mornings pre-sleep shower. I would wake to my sweet baby shaking me and saying "Mommy we don't write on the walls, or the furniture or on our hands. We use the paper! Mommy!!!!!!" True story... she was soooo cute back then. I have no idea where she gets her sass from!

Now that I have a BlackBerry it keeps my hands clean...well most of the time at least. It currently has 12 ongoing lists that I keep updated. I told you, I'm a list maker. However, not everyone in my household has access to my BlackBerry or my hands as the case may be, so Memo-Pads are a great way to go. They're also  nice for "Honey-Do" lists. But they're not always the nicest looking things to have around. Why don't we make some that we don't mind looking at?

I'm helping my new friend Ashton from Something Swanky (Check her out. Great recipes and weekly link parties.) while she takes over her friends blog so she can enjoy her new baby. How nice is that? What a friend. Anyways, Ashton was looking for some crafty ideas and I thought this one would be Quick and Easy and something you can even involve the kids in.

Now, I don't normally believe in buying stuff just because it's on sale (seriously, who's got the money?) but over the holidays I got a bunch of those magnetic Memo-Pads at Target because they were in the $1 aisle and I knew I could use them for stampcamps or co-worker gifts that sort of thing or if for no other reason than I make a ton of lists and always need something to write on.

Here's my Memo-Pad-

No way Target's selling that for $1! Isn't it cute? It didn't start out that way.

Here's how it started out-

While certainly not bad for $1, not inspiring either. If you were to get a "Honey-Do" list which would you rather get it on? Me? I'm wanting the one with Love You at the bottom. Not to mention mine's definitely cuter.

Want to know what's even nicer? I used scraps of card-stock to give it it's little make-over. Scraps and about 15 minutes and I have something I don't mind putting on my refrigerator. One of things I always ask myself when I make a card or project is "Would I be happy if someone gave this to me?" I have to say if someone gave me the bottom one, not so much. If, however, someone gave me the completed top one I'd be tickled. Add a matching pen and you have a nice little set for a new office worker too.

Here's the Quick and Easy How-To. It's so easy, I didn't even take pictures for you.
1- Take a piece of scrap paper and fold it over the top of the memo-pad, from the front where the sheets tear off to the back where the magnet is (if yours has a magnet). Crease it at the top edges where the spine is (you want to make sure you give yourself enough paper to account for this).

2- Cut a piece of cardstock (construction paper- whatever you have on hand) the same width as your memo-pad and the length that you need to go cover your pad from front to back.

3- Score/crease your cardstock on the lines so you have crisp edges to border the spine of your memo-pad.  If you need to put holes in your new memo-pad cover for ribbon, now would be the time. I simply removed the ribbon and then used a pencil to push the holes through. If you have any old take-out chopsticks these would work great, plus they'll help you push the ribbon back through later.

4- Decorate your new memo-pad cover however you'd like. I actually chose to decorate mine after adhering it so, I could decorate around the ribbon, but it's your project, decorate it however you'd like. I used some embossed and cut out hearts from my Fashionable Hearts Embosslet, but mainly because I was still in a Valentine's kinda mood. I also used my Scalloped Ribbon Border Punch to make a little decorative edge.

5- Apply glue to the spine of your memo-pad and adhere this portion of your cardstock first holding it until it dries. It should only be  minute or so. I used Tombow Multi-Purpose Glue. It's great because you can use it as permanent or temporary glue depending on how you use it. Once that's secure, a little more glue to the underside of both the front and back flaps and you're pretty much set.

6- I took the Love You stamp from my P.S. I Love You set and stamped each page to give my notes a little something extra- also nice in case I forget to write it at the bottom of my memo. You could take any stamp you have and put a little sentiment or image on your pads as well to make them your own.

I hope you liked today's project ( I hope Ashton likes it too!) I hope it inspires you to try something new even if it's as simple as making over a $1 Memo-Pad. Remember the goal of this blog is to Just Try.
As always, if you're inspired to try something, I would love to see what you create.

If you liked today's card, I would love it if you left me a comment. It's great when I get to hear from you! Also, if you liked today's card, please feel free to +1 or Pin it. I've added the buttons to my side-bar for your convenience. Friends and Followers are also welcome. :)

If you need supplies to recreate today's project or to make your own special projects you can visit my Online Store 24-7

Today's Supplies-
Cardstock-Whisper White, Real Red, Pretty in Pink
Ink- Real Red Classic Ink
Stamps- P.S. I Love You
Big Shot, Fashionable Hearts Embosslet, Tombow

I hope to see you back here soon.

Till next time-

Remember- Life is not about Waiting for the storm to pass, It's about learning to Dance in the Rain

Be Safe,
Shan

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