Leatherette Birthday Calendar

In an attempt to not forget a birthday this year, I decided that it was time for a birthday calendar. I LOVE THIS!! This is an 8x8 bound book that I created using scraps of textured boat leatherette. I used two colors of leatherette and created a reverse appliqué for the word "Happy" using the LD font Mon Cherie. I did use a cut machine to cut the word Happy from the leatherette. BE CAREFUL if you do this. If your machine doesn't have enough pressure, it can get jammed and ruin it. The machine that I used will cut through metal, so this was a cinch. If you don't have access to a super strong machine, you can use a Silhouette (or Cricut) to "score" the word into to top layer and then use a hobby knife to finish the job. BE SURE to tape the leatherette down really well so that it won’t shift. You can also cut the shapes out of vinyl and then use them like pattern templates. They stick to the leatherette GREAT and can then simply be cut out with a pair of sharp scissors. The cupcake is from the set "Sweet Nothings." I did add the sprinkles and stripes on the cupcake wrapper. I created the cupcake using adhesive vinyl (which sticks to the leatherette like glue), leatherette scraps, and hot fix crystals. After creating the cover, I then cut chipboard 1/2" smaller in Length and Width. I then used spray mount to temporarily adhere the leatherette to the chip board. Having the chipboard sandwiched between two pieces of leatherette, I then used my sewing machine to stitch around all four edges. **Note: When sewing on leatherette or vinyl be sure to use a long stitch. If you don't, you can create a perforation that can tear. The inside dividers are from a cut file that I created, as are the calendar pages themselves. The month labels were made using the LD font "Buttercream." -(this is one of my favorite, must have fonts when using a cut machine). I bound the book using my "Cinch" binder and binding wires. Let me know what you think!