Finally!!

Finally! A craft project! It feels like ages since I finished a project. I had a friend ask me a while ago if I had seen any clipboard projects. At that point I had not....but while visiting at a different friend's house I noticed that she had a cute clipboard hanging on her wall. It was all done up for cuteness and I had to have one liked it very much. I have 2 friends nearby that rock the scrapbook world like to scrapbook. I didn't know the world made such a thing as a 12x12 clipboard....but it does exist (sort of). My friends and I usually make 12x12 scrapbook pages and using a hanging clipboard would be a cute way to display a page that you didn't screw up that you were particularly fond of. As you can see....I started this project a while ago....hated it....and put it away. But now that I had a minute to think about it....here goes.
The clipboard isn't 12x12....it is a pesky 12.674 x 13ish. Not great if you were planning on covering the entire thing with paper. Hence the fit throwing and pause in the project.
I got out my trusty cutter and some paper that I had been saving for "just the perfect project". Let me just tell you....don't wait. The perfect project is the one you are working right now. I cut some plain paper strips to go down the sides. Now that I look at it, I'm not sure this step was necessary. I'll show you why in a minute.
Then I decided how big to cut the top paper and then the bottom paper. Having made 3 of these now....I can tell you....Mod Podge the top paper down first. You will have to rearrange it less often and create fewer bubbles. Trust me....top first. After you have the top and bottom papers cemented down you need to cut a strip of paper for the top....above the clippy thing. I just traced around it an hoped for the best. That is usually how I roll.
I used ribbon to cover the transition between papers. I almost used jute...but I didn't....but you could...I'm just saying.
Then I took my distressing ink and went around the edges. Remember the strips of paper I used first. You probably don't need them if you are distressing the edges.. See the waves in the orange dots.....do the top paper first. If you use really light layers of Mod Podge it won't bubble so bad.
I did the top first on this one....not so many bubbles. sheesh.....I can never make just one craft. I have to make 3 or 4 to get the plan down just right.
This is the first one I started. It had the lumpy flower paper on it already. I like it. I just have some finishing touches on the other 2....like little initial dots....and then they will be finished.
I do hope my friends like them.....and if they don't.....they'd better not tell me!! haha

I am linking up with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. Run over there and get your craft on!!

((Editor's note))
I'm also linking to Life as Lori (love the name) for her party. Check it out HERE!