Experiment with different lace. It makes ALL the difference in the world on usage and finished product. The best of the real leather lace is called craftsman lace. If you want something that will hold up a little better, ProLace is a good option, although it is synthetic it's hard to tell on the finished product. I honestly try not to do a lot of lace work, I never make money doing it. It just eats up too much time. Herringbone and Mexican round braid are my favorites. They provide the best coverage on the edge and wear resistance. Your notebook cover looks great! Don't sweat the carving. Concentrate on getting good stencils and patience to start. With carving, a lot of times people get a little too ambitious to start with. Get some scrap and keep cutting. One thing I will add to that is this, your swivel knife is life or death. A high quality swivel knife yields high quality results. There are many custom makers on them and most are good.