Memo Block for Dec Sketch File

I've used the December Sketch over on The Sketch File to decorate the front of a memo block which I've made to give as a Christmas present.  

As a few people have asked how I make these I thought I'd add a tutorial on how it's done. They are really easy and fairly quick to make but end up looking much more impressive and complicated, which is always good, isn't it! :-)
This is the SKETCH I used for the top cover:

 The memo block I've used was  Wilkinsons, I actually divided the block into three pieces ready to make three memo blocks Mine has pages measuring 8.5cms sq, but you can easily alter the measurements to fit any memo block you buy.

To make this I used

Patterned Papers (Fancy Pants "Lilac House"), Matching mauve Bazzill (for "notes"), Silky Crush ribbon, Large Jewel brad, Imaginisce i-rock gems, Spellbinders flower die, Small square punch

Inks

 You'll also need:

an empty cereal packet or chipboard for the covers, 

Square of thicker chipboard or use 2 pieces of cereal packet glued together

Memo Block, optional pen/pencil. 

As mentioned above I split my memo block into three equal pieces.  

The pages measure 8.5 cms square so the measurements I give are based on that.

 Here's how to make it

1. Cut two pieces of chipboard/cereal packet 1cm bigger than your memo block. For mine that meant cutting two pieces measuring 9.5x 9.5cm.  Now cut a strip of card measuring about 0.5cms more the depth of your memo block and the same length.  For me this was a piece 2.0 x 9.5cms, This piece forms the spine of the block

2. Cut a strip of patterned paper which measures about 3cms wider than your card pieces Leaving 1.5 cms at one end of the paper strip and a 1.5cms margin at each long edge arrange and glue the card pieces in place, with the spine piece in the centre, leaving a small gap (about 3mm) between each piece of card.  You need to make sure the pieces are level or it won't fold up properly.  If it helps, use a ruler and draw a pencil line on the paper to use as a guide.

3. Cut off all but a 1.5cm margin off the spare paper.  Mitre the corners and then turn in all the edges so that it looks like this

4. Use a bone folder between the sections to help the folds take on the correct form. Ink the edges.

 7. Cut a piece of another paper which is about 1cm smaller than the whole of the cover. Ink the edges and adhere to the reverse, covering and concealing all the raw edges, draw your bone folder down the crease lines again to form the creases - doing this before the glue has a chance to dry makes sure the two layers of paper that form the "hinges" stick together properly.

**I sometimes only stick down this inner paper to the back and spine of the cover, leaving the piece loose for the front until I've finished decorating the cover - this way any ends of ribbon, stitches or brad prongs etc will be concealed when I adhere the rest of the paper inner to the cover - you can just about tell on the photo below that one side is still unstuck

 This is the time you get to do the pretty stuff and add the decorative elements to the top cover.

If you've left that Inner Flap loose to hide brads etc, don't forget to stick it down firmly before you move on to the next stage.

To Make the Base

8. Cut a square of heavy chipboard which is 1cm larger than the cover of your memo block, if you don't have a heavier chipboard you could stick two pieces of cereal packet together.

Cover the chipboard square with  a square of paper 3cms larger, fold in the margins and mitre the corners.

Cut another square of paper slightly smaller than the card square, ink the edges and adhere in place to neaten the other side of the card square.

9. If you want to add a little loop to hold a pencil, this is the time to do that.  You can simply use a length of ribbon or twill tape, or make one with paper as I've done here.

You need a strip of paper about 3cms wide and about 12cms long, the diagram shows how to fold and stick.  Form the loop by wrapping it around a pen, then stick the two ends of the paper strip together.  Glue this to the bottom edge of the memo block cover centrally.  It will be quite thick, so cut a square of cereal packet just smaller than the memo blog itself, cut out a rectangular shape where the ends of the pencil loop will lie and stick in place, this will

even out the thickness caused by the loop. 

10. Glue the bottom of the cover to the base square, leave a slightly wider margin at the end that opens to make room for the pencil.  

 11. Finally, glue the memo block itself into place and you're all finished. 

I've decorated this with a flower made using Silky Crush ribbon (Creative Treasures) and used some of the same ribbon to cover the two narrow card strips on the centre decorative panel.  I've punched lots of tiny squares for the other "lines" on the sketch.
"notes" is cut using my Craft Robo and the background to the ribbon flower is made using a Spellbinders die

I'll probably add a bit of Glittery stuff and some Glossy Accents to the tiny squares on my block as they don't really show up at the moment. 

I'd love to know if you use this tutorial and see what you make so please come and let me know how you get on

Happy Crafting