Red Leather Journal

Hello Friends

I do love making journals and this week I am sharing a red leather journal created with Eileen Hull's latest Notebook die (Sizzix 663635).  This die is a brilliant size and cuts all in one piece so it is perfect to use with leather.

I started with a beautiful piece of red leather, this is approx 1.5cm thick, I find that this is the best thickness to use without putting any strain on your machine.

When cutting with leather I like to cut with the wrong side facing down so that the score lines do not show on the outside of the journal.  Once cut I attach some co-ordinating card to the inside with a strong adhesive.  This does cover up the score lines inside but also adds some stability and because the leather is soft, it still bends nicely.

Note:  If your leather is thick, do not add any extra bulk by attaching card first and take care when running through your die cutting machine, ensuring you use the right combination of plates for your machine.  If it is too thick you could damage your machine.  When I get a new piece of leather I do a little test with a small piece of leather first and if I meet any resistance I stop.

I used a Tim Holtz embossing folder to emboss the leather, one half at a time, using a busy pattern means that it is not necessary to match the design fully (the join will appear on the spine).

The Notebook die does not come with holes punched in the spine, which is great because you can choose how many holes you would like.  I punched two holes at each end with my cropodile and added eyelets.  I wanted to have an elastic closure so I punched two holes in the back of the journal and added eyelets to allow the elastic to feed through.

I like to add pockets to my journal and I used the same co-ordinating card to make one closed and one open pocket.

To create the closed pocket, I did this in a single piece, following the above measurements.  I folded it and glued the two small edges to create an open topped 'envelope'.

Once glued together, I added a closure to the lid and front that could be fastened with some light string.  I punched a small circle to add to the tail of the string to prevent fraying.

I created an 'open' pocket using the above measurements.  I folded and glued this in place on the back cover.  The advantage of attaching this pocket is that it hides the elastic closure fixings.  To attach the elastic closure, I fed it through the eyelet holes and stitched (or you can staple it) it together before attaching the pocket.

I fed elastic through the spine and tied it in a knot, leaving sufficient room to add a couple of signatures.

You can then create signatures to fit your journal and add these.  The size of the finished journal is 5" x 3.3/4", a nice handy size to fit in your handbag/purse.

I do get asked where I get my leather from, I purchase it in the UK from a company called Artisan Leather.  To make this size of journal I buy an A4 size, this will make two full journals in this size.

In the USA, Eileen Hull sells leather in her Etsy shop which you can find HERE.

Here is another look at the completed journal.  It has already gone to a good home!

If you have any questions please leave them in the comments and I will do my
best to answer them.

Thanks so much for your visit, it is much appreciated.

Hugs, Anne xx