A Notable Brief

I am SO EXCITED about this little Briefcase Note Holder. I wanted to make a gift of notes for a male co-worker who's birthday was last week (and I missed it! Yikes!) I wanted to make some kind of masculine looking package. I know I've seen a brief case card somewhere before but I haven't been able to locate it in my HUGE pile of things I've printed off the internet!! (one of my 'to do' piles).

Luckily, while I was blogging around this morning I came upon this wonderful tutorial by Tracy Harp (Inky Doodles). She calls it a Tote Purse and she decorated hers using a feminine design.

I masculined it up by using this great striped designer paper and by using brown twill for the handles. Here is a side view and you can get your first peek as to what's inside the case!

I made 16 - 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" personalized notes (just a single layer note - no fold) using my friends initials (PTI Fresh Alphabet) and 'From the Desk Of' (PTI Simply Stationary). I attached a thin strip of the designer paper to the top of the card so it coordinated with the case.

I needed something to hold my case closed so I attached a tag (the designer paper came with a sheet of die cut tags - how nice!) to the back of the case with tacky tape and used velcro on the front. I added a piece of Chocolate Chip card stock to the tag as it was a little bit light weight and I thought it would rip with repeated openings). Luckily my twill was spaced just perfectly so the tag fit between the handles as I hadn't planned for the tag when I started out making the case!! Phew!! I also used my corner rounder on the top corners of the case.

I also put a piece of designer paper inside the Pentel RSVP Pen (you can get them at CVS or Staples about $1.00 a piece). You just open the bottom of the pen - take out the ink stick - roll a piece of 3/4" x 3" designer paper so the long ends overlap and slip it into the pen barrel and then replace the ink and the end of the pen and - Voila! - A coordinating pen to go with your project!

The clear box inside the case that holds the cards and envelopes - is a 4 1/2" x 5 7/8" x 1" box. I bought mine at Clear Bags.com. They also sell them at Papertrey Ink. You just cut the box in half and attach it with tacky tape (see Tracy's complete instructions)

Here you can see the note, the envelope and the matching pen close up. I'm so thrilled with how this project came out!

I added the tag with the Hand Stamped (Stamps by Judith) on the front of this project to look like a luggage or ID tag. It was also our Tuesday Doubledog Dare Challenge for this week - Beverly (beestamper) challenged us to use a 'Card Back Stamp' on the front of our card or project. A card back stamp is one that you would usually use on the back to show who made the card or that it was hand stamped etc.

We'd love to have you join in on our challenges - just load your card or project following the challenge into your Split Coast Gallery and use the keyword DDC so we can all come by and see it! Check my side bar to see all the Double Dare challenge members and check here to see all the DDC cards!

Thanks for stopping by today! let me know if you make one of these cases - I'd love to see it!

Stamps: Fresh Alphabet & Simply Stationary: PTI, Hand Stamped: Stamps by Judith

Paper: Chocolate Chip: SU, Vingage Cream: PTI, DP: Crate Paper - Cowgirl Buckle

Ink: Dark Chocolate: PTI

Accessories: corner rounder, tacky tape, foam dimensionals, loopi brad, Twine: SU, clear box: Clear Bags.com, copics, Twill: Martha Stewart, Pentel RSVP Pen, Velcro Tab, Large Brad: American Crafts