More Showing Off, but with a template for you!

I know you guys, you  always want more and more and I'm here to give it to you! Why? Because I am SO NICE...but you knew that, right?

Yes, you can see the word "template" up there in the title, but please restrain yourself...I will reveal all in time. Hey! Keep that finger off your mouse button...don't scroll down to see what you're getting! Let the writing flow, let it carry you there like a river! Got yourself under control? Good. Okay, onward and downward....

First, I need to get the first part of the Showing Off out of the way. This weekend I got busy. I wanted to make myself a check book to match my new awesome purse. I had my checks in a checkbook meant to hold a stamped image, but I hadn't actually gotten around to stamping anything to put in it. For years, I had not even carried a checkbook, since we used Quicken checks printed from our computer and if you want to take one with you, you simply folded it up and put it in your wallet. And after I started paying bills onlines, the 500 checks I had bought the last time took an AWFULLY long time to use up. But, finally, they were gone and I was free to buy normal checks. I say "normal" because Quicken checks are not that check-like; I always got funny looks and comments. So I indulged myself in some Tinkerbell checks, but since I didn't have a check book, I pulled out one of the vinyl ones I had bought long ago, meaning to make gifts for hostesses and what have you, but it never happened. So I have a lot of them.

Anyway, took me a while to finally get around to doing something with this checkbook cover and here it is:

Isn't it cute? Originally, I did not put my initials on it, but it was just a little too plain. After I stamped, faux-stitched and cut out my initials, I ended up running a Chocolate Chip marker around the edge of each; they just didn't stand out enough.

Now on to more showing off:

The template you've all been waiting for...tada! Isn't it CUTE?!?!?!?

And here's the template: Download pocketnotespurse.pdf

I adapted this from a template I got from Splitcoaststampers.com by S. Dailey. Her original was to hold Love Notes, but we are selling Pocket Notes right now and I wanted to adapt it for those. And I found the measurements on her template were a bit off and I wanted a thicker strap, so I twiddled it quite a bit, but the original inspiration remains.

Once I got this done, it was a matter of putting in some good Pocket Notes. It will hold 6 notes with envelopes quite comfortably and you could probably put 2 more in without any problem, depending on how you embellish them. So are you ready for more really stinkin' cute projects? Here we are:

There now...wasn't that worth waiting? Don't you love me now? You love me! You really love me!