Penny's ATC swap Part II: How to make my ATC concertina book

I thought I'd share a tutorial showing how I made my ATC book for my swap. I started with big sheets of watercolor paper that I tea-dyed and left to dry outside on the grass giving it lovely patterns. I tore it into strips that are 4in x 21.5in and then scored every 3in except for adding an extra half inch between two panels on one end. Then I accordion folded it and you can see how the last two panels wrap around it creating a front and back cover.

Here are all 10 books together for the swap.

.....Enter Inspector #1.....



He thinks they are fine, but thought I was being a bit too neat with the whole process! Inspectors #2 an #3 also checked stuff out but stayed clear of the photo, and I think Inspector #4 was napping.

Now back to the tutorial:

I embossed just the cover with an embossing folder and have cut 3 slits with my knife. On the spine they are horizontal - you can just barely see them, and there is one other vertical slit directly across from the middle slit on the spine.

Take a ribbon of 24 - 30in and slip it through the middle horizontal slit on the spine and then out the vertical slit to the back as in the picture.

Holding the book so you can see the outside of the spine, take the ribbon from the center slit and place it through an end slit.

Flip back to the inside of the spine and place the ribbon through the other end slit.

Flip it to the back of the spine one last time and slip the ribbon under the ribbon already in place to cinch it.

And now you're left with two ends that can be tied together in a bow holding the book together.