Fauxdori Finish Explanation

I haven't used Blogger in a long time and forgot how fussy it is. I added the pics of the Fauxdori on the post that follows this one and it wouldn't let me add text before the pics. Rather than delete and start over, I decided that I'd just do another post to explain the pics:

Several months ago I became intrigued with the Fauxdori (a fake Midori, which is the name of the Japanese company that makes Midori journals in many sizes). I printed the wonderful calendar inserts sized perfectly by Brit, Ray Blake, to fit the Fauxdori Traveler's Journal size. Blake, it turns out, is something of a legend and very generously offers instructions, tips, ideas, the aforementioned templates in many sizes on his blog:
mylifeallinoneplace.com

He also has wonderful, easy-to-follow instructional videos on YouTube. I loved this project because you're upcycling in addition to creating from scratch. I started with the insert covers which are made from file folders and which I decorated with inks, stamps and stencils. I printed a set of calendar inserts and late one night spilled water all over them and thank goodness I hadn't trimmed them yet. I worked with metric measurements--really for the first time--on this project, and fell in love with the simplicity. I knew I had some leather stashed somewhere and found some beautiful deerskin, which I mistakenly deemed too floppy for a cover. I decided to find something stiffer in a thrift store and within a day had found (for a mere $2.99) the amazing cover that adapted perfectly to my needs. I am thrilled with the results and will be adding another elastic band in the spine so that I can fit in a couple more inserts: one blank for sketching and one with lined paper for taking notes. On one or both of those I will cut the back cover narrow enough that I can add a pen loop that will not protrude when the journal is closed.