StAMPFEST SATURDAY

Twice a year I help with a Stampfest in our local community. Today was our winter one. We has a great time as 33 women gathered to learn new techniques and make cards and gift items. I think it is safe to say that they went home happy with the time spent and three cards, one candy gift box and this little note pad.

This was the project that I taught. I got the idea from a swap I received at SU's convention in Denver last year. The original was made by someone who will remain anonymous as there is no information on the project. Everyone loved it. They liked it even better when I told them you really didn't have to purchase the chipboard coaster that it was built on. All you had to do was visit your neighborhood bar and order a drink, then put the coaster in your purse before it got wet. They throw them away anyway......

The items used in this project are a chipboard coaster, approximately 4x4 inches, a piece of designer paper to cover the front and a piece of cardstock to cover the back. Also needed is a 3x2 inch piece of card stock scored along the 3 inch side at 1/4", 3/4", 1-1/4", and 1-3/4" and a scrap of card stock or designer paper to punch the three flowers with three brads for their centers. Finally you need a short wooden pencil like you get when you play miniature golf, two strips of magnetic tape with adhesive on one side and a small section, about 1/2 thick of post-it notes.

The tools I used were a crop-a-dile to punch holes for brads through the covered coaster and flowers and an adhesive like the Tombrow multi that SU now carries or a good glue stick like SU's.

I didn't take pictures of each step, as I am not in a tutorial state of mind with my posting yet, but I think seeing the finished item you can pretty much figure out how to put it together. Here are a few tips:

1. When covering the coaster be sure and get your adhesive all the way to the edge of coaster so paper sticks well at edges.
2. First cover the front then punch wholes along ege for flowers and brads. This way when you cover the back you cover the ends of the brads.
3. Lay your post-it note pad on front when you determine how far in to punch holes for the flowers. You want it to fit.
   
4. Place the holder for the pencil right up at top edge so you have room for the post-it pad.
5. The holder for the pencil is not folded into a open ended box. it is either like _l l_ or l_l_ with a top line added between the two l l's. (I hope that makes sense I couldn't figure out how to type a line on the top.) The pad of notes covers the bottom leg of the box and gives the pencil holder note strength and stability.
   
6. Place the magnet strips horizontally near top and bottom of back of covered coaster.
7. Don't use a whole post-it note pad it's too heavy.
   
8. Place some adhesive along top edge of post-it notes the post-it sticky is not enough to hold pad in place
   

Now you are ready to place this on your fridge or other metal surface for your note writing. When you use up your notes just glue on more....Have fun.