Midori Travelers Notebook Santa Style

I am very busy. At least, that is what's on the cover of my pink listy notebook I keep on my desk at home (see it right here)...and it's true! I haven't even had time lately to put new lists in it. (sad for a listy girl like me) But, last year, I had started stitching up Midori Traveler's style notebooks, and by the time I sold some of them, it was after the holidays, so I still had SantaDori in my stash. Although I love the upcycled Coach leather Midori I made, it was really fun to switch over to this Christmas theme for the month. 
 See how I upcycled an old leather handbag into a Midori notebook

 One of my favorite things about this large fabric Cahier-size Midori is how I stitched the inside with white felt lining, a cute pocket, a heart diecut from the fabric, and a Christmas tree pin. I had made a lot of those Christmas pins the year before out of felt, and so I just stuck one in there. So cute. At the time, the plan was to make a lot of SantaDori's and use up all those Christmas tree pins. Sigh. Maybe next year.

I'm on the go right now with work and a show I'm in (9 to 5 The Musical), so this notebook is fully loaded and keeping me sane. It has two six-month planners, a list book with every list I need for every thing, a folder packed with diecuts and scraps, a dashboard I made to keep extra posties and washi, a business book with plans and ideas, and a verse and phrase art journal to play in. Plus I have extra Ink Joy gel pens hooked on the side there--I really love those gel pens they've come out with.

Playing in my art journal phrase/verse book

Does this Midori stay with me at all times. Oh yes. Is it like a personal assistant? Definitely! Plus, if I have a little downtime, I've got art supplies.

I love my sugarplum fairy Nutcracker charm on the spine.

And, I have a home for my cute DIY decorative paperclips. They really come in handy here.

Because this Midori has a pen loop stitched on, I can just clip on a few binder clips to also carry around the extra gel pens, and keep my Smashbook marker/glue pen in the loop.

Most crafters probably have all the supplies they need to stitch up a Midori style notebook, in whatever size you wish. Then, load it up with everything you need!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Midori by the Sea -- WOYWW 382

Happy Wednesday Lovely. Join us at What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday.

What is a desk anyway? It's the place where you are camped out getting something done, creating, pondering, browsing...all of the above. Right? So while I couldn't...sadly...camp out by the sea, I made my desk, at least for an hour, by a big fountain. This is why they call this thing a Midori traveler's notebook. It travels, with lots-o-notebooks inside! I was doodling things into my planner, and listing things in my listbook and having a happy ole time in a world surrounded by iphones.

I have to say though, there's really nothing wrong with being on your phone. It connects you with the world! Being able to check on my business, my family, and my friends remotely--amazing. But I also need pretty paper and stitching time.

It's good to get away from your regular desk sometimes, especially when the weather is gorgeous. I also have to share, I've made it, finally, to the first floor of the cross-stitch dollhouse. Woo hoo!

Four rooms to go before the end of the year. This is the start of the living room. The last room to stitch will be the garage. My nephews will love that I'm cross-stitching a car!

I leave you with the other sight I see everywhere right now. It's pumpkin time in the Ozarks! And I need those mums in my life. Have a beautiful week.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Making a Midori - Handmade Gifts are the Best

I have a very sweet sweet older sister, and wanted to make her a Midori for a gift from my handmade heart to hers as she lives clear across the country from me. To make it special, and one of a kind, this Dolldori--the Stitchydori's I make with matryoshka doll fabric--start with felt cut to the extra-wide Midori size. I add a pocket and an applique to the inside front cover, and some hand embroidery with pearl cotton #5 floss to the back cover.

I use a heat bond to iron the felt to the fabric, and then I stitch a decorative seam all around the edge. I do not "finish" the edge though, because it doesn't really fray that much...and I know because I've been using my Stitchydori's for months...and what little fray there is adds to the character. After that is all stitched, I add the grommet hardware, elastics and charms for the front and the spine. For my Dolldori's, a matryoshka ceramic bead goes on the front.

 For Kathleen's one-of-a-kind dori, I added a Disney princess charm to the back!

I also made her booklets, including a 2016 planner. I used the scrapbook paper pad from MAMBI for the covers. The booklets I make for myself are decorated with stamps, stickers and washi to within an inch of their life! 
      Take a peek at how I decorated my Midori booklets

But when creating booklets for someone else, or for sale, I leave room for the dori owner to do their own decorating. I did add just a little to my sister's as it was a gift.

I'm working on replenishing my sale supply of Stitchydori's! They are so much fun to make and to have. I can't do a day without my dori.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan--Planner Love

Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don't!
I love planning, doodling and listing in my Midori traveler's notebook, that is true.
I am a lister beyond listers!
So I tried the Reset Girl's (whom I love on Youtube) lister challenge. And it was really fun, and when you join she sends you the cutest free downloadable stickers, and everything you need for the challenge. 
But what I found was it was a little too forced for me. I'm a natural lister, and so in my Midori I need lists that are going to last. It was just too sad to know that my lister challenge booklet would be obsolete after 30 days!

Who knows, maybe I'll try it again when I have more time. Life is very busy right now with much to do. However, I did print Cory's latest sticker sheet and found a great use for one of my oldest punches! I plan to shop for a few things in her cute online store soon.

Planning in my Midori is just the best, because along with my weekly spread in my planner are all my booklets with my business and my lists. It all goes together beautifully. Love it!

Stitching more dori's!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

How My Traveler's Notebook Travels

 I often carry my Midori style traveler's notebook (my Stitchydori) with me on a daily basis in my tote bag. Last year I had purchased one of those handbag organizers, and used it for a bit, but then put it away. One day I realized it was the perfect size for my Stitchydori and it lets me bring along planner supplies including stickers, markers, washi, you name it! Here's how it all looked the other day.

My Dori is a perfect fit in here!

Paintbrush markers on this side.

Stickers on this side

Scissors and washi

A flat little makeup bag with a few stamping-on-the-go supplies

I didn't even begin to really load this bag up. I bought my handbag organizer from Amazon for just a few dollars and they have plenty of them in different styles, colors and sizes. My dori is big! And this is the perfect way to tote it along when I want to bring the extras.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Decorating Planner Booklets for Your Midori

The reason I love Midori traveler's notebooks is, of course, all the booklets you can carry inside! The booklets may be planners, listy books, art journals, or anything you need. Whether you make your own or order your booklets, they start out pretty plain. And they are fun to decorate. Recently I got out my planner booklets I downloaded from a free website and got to work decorating the 2016 booklets. They give me six months in one booklet in a weekly format.

You will know what you like when you start playing around with your papers, stamps and stickers.

 When you make or receive your Midori booklets, just get out your favorite patterned papers, scraps, stash, and start having fun. I use stamps, washi, stickers, and journaling cards too. I like to use different patterned papers on the front and back covers. After measuring them to fit the cover, using the booklet itself, I glue them on, and then add washi tape to the spine.

After I finish decorating, I add packing tape to laminate the spine and the front edge so that my booklet won't get frayed or come apart over its months of use.

I used letter stamps for the planner cover

 Then I worked on the inside cover. I look at my planner every day, so I like using my favorite papers and themes. I had these Lucy stickers, and once I decided to go with Vitametavegimin, I had a little 50's advertising theme going for this inside cover. I used some clippings from my mothers vintage Workbasket magazines and they were perfect, and also remind me of my sweet mother.

Inside front cover

 You can just have fun with your scrap papers, sparkly washi tape, and stickers. I always love a good cupcake sticker too!

The inside back cover of my planner

 Decorating the booklets is as much fun as using them I think! It's a great way to use your scraps and paper stash, because anything goes. Make what you want to look at all the time.

 Click here to see a recent walk-thru in my Midori.
 

I made a Stitchydori with my favorite matryoshka doll fabric!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

WOYWW 333--Wonky but Cute

Watching YouTube videos on my tablet and decorating dori books.

My poor sister gets one of the wonky ones! I'll explain...but first, welcome to What's-On-Your-Workdesk-Wednesday where we link up with deskers all over the planet courtesy of Miss Julia.

So...when I first started stitching Midori-style traveler's notebooks, the first few were a wee bit wonky here and there. I think you know what I mean if you're a sewist. For example, one of my friends made her own wedding dress, and it was wonky, although super cute. So she made the second one more perfectly, and used the first one to wear into the ocean for some of the photos. You couldn't tell it was wonky in any way in the photos, of course, especially when soaked in the ocean, so that was brilliant, and her perfect version stayed perfect.

So while I'm not going to photograph my Stitchydori's in the ocean, I don't feel I can sell the more wonky ones either, although they are super cute, and thus dear little sister got a wonky one. BUT, she doesn't seem to mind and that's my desk up there in the middle of me making some cute booklets for her Stitchydori, so there you go. I think my favorite thing might be making the booklets. I'm trying get her more organized, so this is her test to see if she will start using a planner.

I'm starting to decorate my 2016 planner booklets, so I'll be posting about that tomorrow. And after I get out of my morning meeting, I plan to visit some deskers this afternoon! Have a lovely Wednesday.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

A Little Crafty Haul on the Weekend

Here is what happens when you spend a good part of 2015 upcycling, recycling, repurposing, and using up your stash...you run out of something! And that's a good thing right? So when darling daughter needed some colored pencils I wanted to see how far a small amount....$25...would go at the ole craft store. With tax, in all, I spent 27. but not bad I'd say. The fact that everything I got was either on sale or bought with a coupon made all the difference.

The patterned papers and paper pads were all 50% off, so I was immediately drawn to this gorgeous 12X12 pad called Simple Stories. It has a bit of Disney to it, and I like that, and I especially love the bold gorgeous patterns and colors which I desperately need in my stash which had way too much floral in it! The nice thing about this pad is that it has some great variety and it doesn't necessarily have to go with Disney things, but it would be perfect if you were scrapbooking your Disney World trip! My favorite pattern in here is the cameras with the hearts. So cute.

Since it was all 50% off I had to get a couple of 12X12 sheets of an adorable heart pattern and a 6X6 pad. This one, called My Mind's Eye, is double-sided paper which I love, and has plenty of shiny foil in the patterns which makes it magical. I'm already using some of it to decorate Midori booklets.

Besides the papers, some cute washi, the colored pencils, and the adorable cupcake stickers (on the really nice sticker paper) I couldn't resist this sewing stamp set. 

I have been wanting a sewing machine stamp forever. It wasn't until I got it home that I realized it also had a button in the set, and I actually needed a button stamp for a project! That was a win-win. I'm going to keep trying to resist being a craft shop-aholic, but my list is getting longer for the next haul! The main rule is, I can't buy it unless I have a place to put it. And I have a lot more room in my patterned paper storage caddies now, so I don't feel guilty at all.

Click here to see my original declaration to use up my stash this year.

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch



 

Stamping on the Go - Art Journal Friday

There is no reason why your stamps shouldn't travel with you, whether you're going to the office, a crop, or a getaway. On this day I wanted to do a little art journaling and stamping in my Midori Traveler's notebook, during the day, so I found this little makeup bag perfect for taking a couple of ink pads and a few stamping supplies because it zips all the way open. Just what I needed!
The bottom was not even expanded all the way with the supplies I packed, so I know I could get more ink pads and stamps in here!

 
I've been quite obsessed with my "dolldori" lately, and I love the art journal booklet I made for it out of watercolor paper, because it will take any medium. I've never doodled sugar skulls before, so for this October, I want to make a lot of flowerly sugar skulls!

My Dolldori

 If you'd like to see a flip-thru of my homemade fabric Midori Traveler's Notebook, click here. I use it for planning, listing, and art journaling. It's like your life wrapped up in one book!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch

Planning...Listing...Doodling and Decorating in My Midori

I have called it a Midori, Fauxdori, Dolldori, and Stitchydori -- but whatever it is fits me perfectly in every way. And it's like having both a personal assistant and a muse.

Stitched with matryoshka fabric plus a little doll bead on the elastic

Classic Midori Travelers Notebooks measure 4.33X8.25 inches, are made of leather, bound together by elastic and can hold anywhere from one to six booklets.

Backview shows off the pen loop stitched in with a piece of elastic, and how I left on the selvage edge of the fabric.

I stitched up my own Midori at first and realized it wasn't fat enough for me! I love using my favorite fabrics, lining them with felt, embroidering in them for wearable art, and even making my own planner and booklets for the inside. So I didn't mind taking the matryoshka fabric I love (for my "dolldori") and trying out the bigger size of 6-1/4X9 inches. After a month, the results are in:
     I LOVE this bigger size
     I LOVE planning in my Midori
 

I decided to punch all the holes in the spine--I added another charm at the top

I like the larger size because I stuff my Midori fat with five booklets, a six-pocket folder, a clear plastic folder and a dashboard. That's a lot. But it makes me feel like my planner and craft room and listy notebooks go with me everywhere. My Midori has two elastic straps.

Here are the first three books on the first strap.

Inside front cover pocket - and my weekly planner

 

First book: Weekly planner - six months at a time

A planner page with lists, to-do's, some stenciling, stickers, and daily prompts for a Midori Instagram challenge I was doing.

This was a free downloadable planner and it was fairly easy to print up. I make my covers with plain white cardstock and decorate them with stickers, scraps and diecuts, and protect them with washi tape and packing tape.
I do have more than one planner--like a lot of planner girls. I think I'm one of the original planner girls, I just didn't know it. Anyway, my dori planner has really become my go-to planner. I like to write down my usual planner things, but then when I'm doing that there are ideas and thoughts that belong in other booklets, and I can go right to them, yet keep it all together. The nicer lettering is done with stencils I keep right in my Midori, purchased off Amazon. I've also used washi tape to tip in some food journaling sheets in the back of my dori planner--so far, I'm sticking to it!

Junky listy book front cover

Book no. 2 is made with multi-color lined pages. I've put a table-of-contents in all my booklets and this one is dedicated to ideas for my side hustles, like my Etsy shops, writing and craft selling.

My junky listy journal

I call book no. 3 my junky listy journal. I made it from a pad of yellow lined paper, and it's a shorter width than the other books' pages, but perfect just for all the lists I keep. You know you're a major lister when your lists have a table-of-contents!

You can see where the two straps are here--Art journal front cover

Inside my Midori art journal

 The first book in my second strap inside the Midori is the art journal I made out of watercolor paper. It can take wet and dry medium and plenty of sticking and gluing...that makes it my therapy, my yoga, and a way try out ideas for all my arts and crafts.

Triple duty dashboard--front cover

Dashboard inside cover and six pocket folder inside

Another angle of the folder inside the dashboard

Clear plastic folder inside six pocket folder--also where I keep my stencils

Dashboard back cover with swingout washi tape pallet

The second book on my second strap does triple duty. It is a dashboard folder (laminated so it's a place for extra post-its) and inside is a six pocket folder (made with a tutorial on YouTube) and inside that is a clear pocket made from colored pencil packaging. On the backside of my dashboard folder I hinged a washi tape pallet using my crop-o-dile and a grommet. I cut and upcycled an old plastic planner cover to create my pallet so that I can keep washi tape samples inside the Midori. Is that the hardest working dashboard you've ever seen!

Last booklet: A place for quotes and thoughts

Inside back cover is embroidered - wearable art!

My last booklet is a place for random quotes, thoughts and inspirations. When I need a boost, I go here. When I can give myself a future boost, I go here.

I like the feel of lining my stitchydori's with felt, and for my own dori, I took the time to embroider for the inside back cover. It says, love your life and it has my signature typewriter with the flowers. When I open my Etsy shop or sell dori's in a local shop, some of the stitchydori's may have applique or embroidery on the inside back covers. They will all be unique and one-of-a-kind. My goal is not to be a manufacturer, but a creator.

My one-of-a-kind dori with the selvage edge on the back, and trimmed in machine embroidery

And that's the end of this doribook. Stitching my own Midori meant doing whatever I wanted, like leaving the selvage edge on the back of the fabric (I'm a weird sewist who loves the selvage edge!), and embroidering what I wanted, and putting the grommets in the best place and adding the charm and bead and places for my quatro pens. Once I started trying it out, I quickly arrived at the best way to package my life-in-a-dori. Making and decorating my own booklets just makes me happy, the way scrapbooking and art journaling make me happy. Just good art therapy for the soul.

Yes, I also made a matryoshka bracelet

I like it so much I'm creating more, just for fun, with owl fabric, Mary Engelbreit fabric, and a Santa Clause print that's super cute for Christmas time. I don't know how I got hooked on this, but I think it started with my journey for planner peace and ended up with Midori peace. It's like stitching and scrapping combined.

That's why art and crafts can change your life. Future plans include making a floss and needle holder for my Midori for cross-stitching on the go. There's no end to what you can put in your Midori, if you're creative enough.

Stitch happy!

Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch