Rhodia's new dotWebbie can't get here fast enough for me, but I thought about my other favorite, the Reverse Book, and how a dotReverse would be a great addition to the line up. How would it look, would it work as well as the grid, would I love it as much? The only way I could find out would be to make one.
A few weeks earlier I had cannibalized some Rhodia large notepads to use with a three-ring binder, and hadn't thrown out one of the backs of an orange notepad. I cut down the paper, then got my buddy C. to run the Fellowes binder. We found the plastic rings, then started aligning paper and punching rectangles. (I now have quite a bit of dotPad paper for a 3.25 by 8.5 notepad, but that's another project entirely.)
The dotPad paper works well with the Reverse Book style, and doesn't overwhelm the way the grid paper does. The only part I would do over would be the size of the plastic ring binder, there was a smaller one available but according to the specs it wouldn't hold as much paper as this larger one. Now I realize I should have used it anyway, as this massive plastic binder takes up too much space. Maybe if it was in orange or black plastic, or bronze metal, I would be more accepting. But you can only work with what's on hand.
This is the top inside cover, where you can see that I'm really using the back of a Rhodia notepad.
And finally, the plain chipboard used to back the Rhodia notepads. All in all, this worked out very well. I used the same 8.25 by 8.25 dimensions as the Reverse Book, and added the dotPad and Rhodia motifs on the front cover.
Last, a pic of the Rhodia Reverse Book next to my "Rhodia dotReverse". I'm not a crafts-y person, although when I put my mind to it I can manage not to glue myself to the table when working on something. This came out much better than I expected, and now I have my own dotReverse while I wait and hope for Rhodia to make an official version.
I've been using a cut-down clamp folder (those spring-loaded, lever-actuated things) as a top-bound memo pad cover for 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" scrap paper. Don't know if it'll work for your
ReplyDelete3 1/4" X 8 1/2" stash. I've been thinking of using screwposts, like those for scrapbooks, for some improvised thing. Jack/Youngstown
Love this! Well done :D
ReplyDeleteI really need to get on this dot paper wagon... I feel so archaic without it :D
Talk about going above and beyond. This is great! Thanks for taking the time to make this prototype happen.
ReplyDeleteNice job! Clever of you and it looks like it turned out quite well!
ReplyDeleteThe dotReverse did turn out better than I expected, possibly because I was careful to plan each step rather than just do my usual "measure it why?" routine. And it basically took all of 45 minutes, the only hold up being trying to figure out how to use the new binder. So now I have a new Rhodia notebook. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's terrific! But if it didn't take you long, you're probably more craft-talented than you realize!
ReplyDeleteP.S. It was me who just sent you an email regarding the "What Caliber is Your Fountain Pen?" post in December.
Eliza Ward, thanks for the email. That is really interesting, I want to know what those papers were!
ReplyDeleteLooks great. Put me down for a hundred!
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing!
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