On the 4th day of Christmas....

....today, I've transformed a simple junior notepad into something a little more exciting!  This is something you can whip up quickly and on the cheap!

My note pad measured about 8 x 5.  So I cut my sheet of cardstock to 8 x 10 1/2.  I scored it at 5 1/8" and 5 3/8".  This gave me a slight overhang over the edge of the pad.  Easy!  Next. It's all about decorating.  I didn't want mine over done in Holiday colors.  So I went out on a limb.  Here you see Raspberry Ripple, Early Espresso and Very Vanilla.  I used a wheel to stamp across the bottom and top in Raspberry Ripple, I didn't want it to stand out too much.  I embossed a piece of Early Espresso Core'dinations paper and sanded lightly to get the lighter core to stand out.  I put some die cut border strips at the top and bottom to put some contrast, then stamped the notes letters and cut them out.  A piece of Raspberry Ripple ribbon anchors the letters and serves as a closure for the pad.  Simple, easy, quick and cheap.  Perfect for teachers,  great for stocking stuffers.  Make one for everyone you know - these are easy to customize.