This was the best coptic stitch tutorial that I have ever followed!  For the sketchbook with the leaves, I actually used wallpaper for the cover.  I used plain cardboard for the little guy and I painted the mushroom on the cover with gouache.  Both are meant to be watercolor sketchbooks, so I used watercolor paper.  The brown one is a journal that I am making for my mother-in-law so I used plain drawing paper.