If you follow my personal blog at all, you know I have a thing for calendars -- I love them! I like combining them with artwork to have on display in my home and most importantly -- right on my desk or in my office/creative space! I also enjoy finding new ways to create them for gifts. So here's a new one I came up with, that utilizes my 7 Gypsies Black Photo Tray:
(Click on any photo for a larger view)
Each section of the tray measures 4" x 6" -- perfect for just adding family photos to your calendar, if you wish, or artwork close to the size of a standard A2 card. I decided to make three months at a time so I would have additional room to showcase some different techniques for you, but you could easily make this a 6-month calendar if you wish. Then if you give the tray as a holiday gift, you can easily follow up with additional months later in the year (if you don't get them completed all at once) and they will be easy to mail to the recepient. I'll try to have each calendar quarter prepared a month in advance over the coming year, allowing you plenty of time to follow along and create your own calendar/months, if you'd like!
The beautiful coordinating papers I used this quarter are all from Lilybee Design's Head Over Heels 6x6 Tiny Tablet, designed by our very own multi-talented Miss Julia Stainton . . . I adore all these colors together!
The calendars are Ellen's 2012 PDF Downloadable Calendar -- printed at 75%, they are approximately 3" square. Each one was matted with Memory Box cardstock: Lagoon, Raspberry, and Vanilla Bean:
January:
I used Tim Holtz Texture Fades Embossing Folders-Snow Flurries & Snowman for the top panel. The embossed snowflakes were rubbed with Adirondack Snow Cap pigment ink pad and sprinkled with Glitter Ritz Transparent Warm Highlights micro fine glitter and then heat embossed with Clear Embossing Powder (they were a little tricky to photograph, but show up a little better in the close-up views):
The embossed snowman was just hand trimmed closely to the embossed edges and the edges of both the snowman and snowflake embossed panel were sponged with Distress Inks. Pretty Zva Clear Swirl gemstones accent the Maya Road Mini Chipboard Snowflake which was also clear embossed with glitter. Hero Arts Pink Crystals accent the snowflake and calendar.
TECHNIQUE - Watercolor Two Ways:
I just recently discovered this gorgeous Hero Arts Felt Finish Natural White Watercolor Paper Ellen started carrying and LOVE that it comes in either Bright White or this soft Natural White color I used! I used for both of these watercolor techniques.
February:
Lockhart Stamp Company's Love Angel was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto the watercolor paper. Using a Niji Waterbrush filled with Copic Colorless Blender Solution, I dipped the brush into Copic Various Ink Refills (BG11, BG13, R24, R81, and YR31 placed in a plastic paint palette) to "water" color the angel (clean up afterwards with Clear Blender Solution):
Copic Clear Atyou Spica Glitter Pen accents the angel's wings and a light pink crystal accents the heart she is carrying. Memory Box Raspberry cardstock, die cut with Tim Holtz's Heart Wings Bigz Die, accents the background and calendar:
March:
Lockhart Roses Daisies & Polka Dots was also stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black onto the watercolor paper, but then watercolored the more traditional way, with Adirondack Dye Ink Pads (Lettuce, Pink Sherbet, Pool, Raspberry, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow). You can just used the ink pad lid as a palette, by rubbing the ink pad onto the lid (as seen in the lower left of the photo below) -- this will usually transfer enough ink to watercolor with, if your pads are juicy enough:
Or you can place a few drops of reinker into the stamp pad lid and use this to watercolor with. To finish this piece, I used a few dye-based Memento Markers to accent the flowers and color those tiny flower stems!
Memory Box Taffy cardstock, die cut with Tim Holtz's Tattered Florals die, accents the background.
Please let me know if you like this concept and if you'd like to see more months each quarter next year! ~ Sharon
Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company Love Angel (#7008), Roses Daisies & Polka Dots (#2122)
Paper: Hero Arts Felt Finish Natural White Watercolor Paper; Lilybee Design Head Over Heels 6x6 Tiny Tablet; Memory Box cardstock-Lagoon, Raspberry, Taffy, Vanilla Bean;
Ink: Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo Black ink kpad and Memento Markers; Ranger Adirondack Pigment Ink (January)-Snow Cap; Ranger Adirondack Dye Ink Pads (March)-Lettuce, Pink Sherbet, Pool, Raspberry, Sunset Orange, Sunshine Yellow; Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Inks (Jan & Feb)-Antique Linen, Brushed Corduroy & (Mar) Worn Lipstick;
Copic Markers: E33 & BG13 (Angel), Colorless Blender Solution; Clear Atyou Spica Glitter Pen
Copic Various Ink Refills: BG11, BG13, R24, R81, YR31 (Angel)
Dies: Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz Die-Heart Wings and Tattered Florals;
Accessories: 7 Gypsies Black Photo Tray; Ellen's 2012 PDF Downloadable Calendar (printed at 75%); Niji Waterbrush; Sizzix Tim Holtz Texture Fades Embossing Folders-Snow Flurries & Snowman; Ranger Clear Embossing Powder, Heat It Craft Tool, and Ink Blending Tool; Glitter Ritz Microfine Glitter-Transparent Warm Highlights; Maya Road Mini Chipboard Sets: Snowflakes; Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares; Zva Clear Swirl gemstones; KaiserCraft Pearls; Hero Arts Pink Crystals; Darice Plastic Paint Palette;
