muffins for mom, the ick update and my new stamp storage...

by 7am i was up, showered and sitting in mckenna's classroom for muffins with mom.
boy they start school early here!
there is nothing like a blueberry muffin, a 1/2 pint of OJ and a first grade chair and table to eat it at.
mckenna got the chance to show me all of her writing from this quarter and show off, it was fun.

on the ick homefront it appears as if cole's fever has broken and we are all good again...must be a 24 hour ick!

i tried to scrapbook yesterday but i just didn't feel the mojo working, however i did make my acrylic stamp storage binder. it is no frills, but i kinda like it that way. i am hoping to stamp and junk it up over time.

it was super easy to make too, however you have to be willing to think beyond the packaging. first i put all of my packages of stamps off their initial package backing and onto transparencies...yes i mixed several sets together (i realize this might compromise some people's scrapbooking morals...hee hee!). all my unmounted and acrylic stamps are now on transparencies in page protectors.

here's how i made the binder:

1. cut two 9 x 11.5" cardboard  and two 9 x 11.5" chipboard adhere them together to make the binder covers stronger (cardboard on outside and chipboard on inside).
2. cut one 5 x 11.5 " cardboard and one 5 x 11.5" chipboard  adhere them together to make the binder spine stronger (cardboard on outside and chipboard on inside).
3. use masking tape (or gaffer tape) to attach the covers and spine together leaving a 1/4" space between each piece. the space will allow the covers the swing to open and close. i wrapped each space/cover about 3 times with masking tape. i made it messy because i want to alter it later.
4. on the inside of the spine mark the placement for the holes. use the page protector holes as a guide and mark the first column of holes and the last column approx. 1/2" from the spine edge. center another column and add another set of holes in between those to create 5 in total.
5. use anywhere hole punch to punch holes through spine.
6. thread ribbons through page protectors and thread through holes in spine. i have approx. 12 page protectors in each section.

8. double knot and cut to length.

ideas to note:

• i used the last section for stamped images of my mounted stamps as a reference.

• i included extra empty page protectors in each section before binding (cause i know i will acquire more..hee hee!)
• i used only the front of each page protector so i could fill the back with more stamps if i needed.
• i tried to keep like companies together. so for example, i kept my 3 sets autumn leaves stamps i took out of their original packaging on two 8.5 x 11 transparencies.
• i have mostly acrylic stamps so my pages are fairly thin (only 1 page of ezmount, however it will still work)