ANNOUNCEMENT! Ledger & Lace is on Teachable.com

This has been a labor of LOVE, combining my passion for Traveler's Notebooks and teaching.
Here's a video explaining the two courses I have in the Ledger And Lace Teachable online classroom:

Here's a link to the classroom: https://ledgerandlace.teachable.com/

Traveler's Notebooks

In my obsession with planners and journals I came across the Midori Traveler's Notebook. Around about the same time, I'd gotten this really cute bible at a thrift store, but it reeked of smoke and the print was too small. So I thought I'd make my own Bible-dori.  Here's the outside:

I got multi-coloured elastic at the craft store.

This is what it looks like on the inside:

Scrapbook paper & washi tape with pocket on the inside, and it holds 6 books. I made the books using blank copy paper and scrapbook paper. Here are the books out of the Bible-dori cover:

I made little holes with a Crop-a-dile eyelet and snap punch, but you could use an awl if you wanted to. Then I threaded the elastic to make four bands to loop the books in:

On the right, you can see the elastic I used as a fastener to keep it closed.

Here's the outside:

I connected two books together with rubber bands before inserting them:

Rubber band at center of each book:

I should also mention that you can use any kind of paper; I just happen to prefer blank paper. Also I used a corner rounder to finish off the edges. I keep the Bible-dori in my purse and this is how I use it:

Book 1: Groceries and errands

Book 2: To do list

Book 3: Notes, quotes

Book 4: Ideas

Book 5: Expenses: I write down everything I spend.

Book 6: Appointment calendar: this is just for scheduling, so I know what I'm doing.

Folder: made with scrapbook paper and washi tape, it holds address labels, stamps, and stickers. 

The great thing about the traveler's notebook is that you can switch out the notebooks once they're full or rearrange however you want. The Bible-dori went thru three evolutions before I was happy with it this way. The traveler's notebooks come in different sizes; the Bible-dori is a bit bigger than the traditional "passport" size.

I showed the Bible-dori to my nephew and he thought it was a cool idea. So I made him one:

Larger field notes size.

I got a piece of leather from Michael's craft store. I used the same elastic that I used for the Bible-dori and painted it with a gold paint marker. The coin on the elastic closer thingie is from a jingley-belt I had with lots of different coins on it. 

Here it is open:

I made a folder with a manila envelope and taped it with duct tape.

Inside of folder and the TN holds 4 notebooks:

I got these notebooks in a pack of three at the office supply store. I had to trim them down with a rotary cutter about half an inch to fit the notebook. Here's a book secured in elastic:

Here's what it looks like with just the folder:

Everything out with just the leather cover:

Outside of the notebook:

It already has a nice "Indiana Jones" scuffed up look.

Here's Magnolia May DeSolay with a Show 'n' Tell:

Paperdori

I love discovering new worlds, and thus has begun my Midori-Fauxdori obsession. Midoris originate from Japan and are a kind of notebook where you buy a leather shell, and then you insert individual notebooks. These notebooks can be lined for writing, or blank or made of a sturdier art paper for painting.  Fauxdoris are like Midoris but can come in different colours, sizes & materials and are not made by the Midori company. Check out Etsy or Chic Sparrow for some awesome options! There are also Fabricdoris; haven't ventured there yet. But paperdoris are pretty easy to do!

I found some cute little notebooks at Tuesday Morning by Eccolo for $1.99.  They are 5 1/4" X 3 1/2" and I measured out my scrapbook paper allowing for half an inch more to those dimensions; so the paperdori is 5 3/4" X 4"  Here is the final product I made for my friend Tessa:

This is her favourite quote by John Morgan; Doing diffuses fear. I put quotes on post-it notes and stick them to my mirror in the bathroom. This was one of the notes. I printed this out on some scrapbook paper and then laminated it.

Here's the shell, without the books:

What I would do differently: I would have scored where the elastic bands are, so there wouldn't be that awkward crease. It's not visible when it's closed, but I think it would help better with wear and tear. Another thing I would do differently is that I would NOT laminate the inside because it puckered and I ended up cutting down the middle and overlapping it a bit. This prolly wouldn't be an issue if I'd used a heat laminator.

I punched in a bigger hole to accommodate 2 elastic bands:

About the elastic cord: It was vibrantly rainbowish & multi-coloured & I needed it to be more muted and dark. So I used a black Sharpie marker and dyed the cord. 

For the enclosure elastic, I used a Pilot gold marker:

I used goldish beads to secure the elastic on the outside of the notebook:

and I added a butterfly charm at the top:

This was actually a silver charm, but I used the same gold pen to colour it:

This is what it looks like on the inside:

That first thing is an insert folder that I made using left-over paper:

Outer folder.

Inside folder.

The insert folder slips around the first two notebooks:

Here's how I secured the two butterfly books together before I slipped them under the elastic:

With a rubber band along the center of each notebook.

See?

Here's the last book:

Oops, no photo, but I added some quotes in the book to get her started!

Here's the back:

 

Materials I used:
Aforementioned gold marker
Non-heat laminate roll.  I got it from the craft store and it says "Peel & Stick."  Here's something comparable from Avery.
Eyelet and Snap punch
Corner rounder
Scrapbook paper
2mm elastic cord. I got mine at the craft store, but here's something comparable on Amazon.
Charms, beads from craft store.
Scissors
Packing tape to tape together the papers for the insert folder.
Rubber band to connect 2 of the notebooks together.

Here's a quick flip-thru of the paperdori:

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