Monday, January 31, 2011

Calendar Challenge

Problem: Paper-crafting is always more fun with two, but I don't live close to any paper-crafting friends.
Solution: One of my friends and I decided to make a weekly challenge between the two of us last year.  Each week we alternated in picking a "challenge" (example: Sea themed, stitching, No layers, recycled etc.) and would post our cards together on the following Wednesday. In this way we enjoyed scraping "together" though we were far apart!
This year I ask her if she would like to change the challenge a bit.  My plan is to give more homemade things for Christmas this year (and her's is too!), so I thought it would be fun to make a calendar "together" as our challenge for this year.
Each month we will post a calendar page for that month (only with next year's date on it) on the last weekday of the month.  Come Christmas we should have some homemade 2012 calendars to give away as gifts!
I seem to do better at continued projects if they have a theme, so for my small desktop calendars (displayed in a CD case) I chose a Bible Verse theme.  The above page is my January 2012 page

Here's the supplies I used:
  • DP - Classics (K&Company)
  • "Tropical Blue" Ribbon
  • Sunflower Stamp (Heartfelt Creations)
    • stamped in Tropical Blue Ink
  • Blue Glitter
  • Martha Stewart Branch Punch
  • Martha Stewart Leaf Punch
  • Ornate Label # 4 (Sizzix)
  • Blue Bic Marker 
    • around the edge of the page
Since my attention span isn't very long, and I wanted to make at least four calendars to give away ---I decided to make the other two in a different design/theme. Each month of the second design will have a different patchwork quilt at the top!  I have a very special friend who enjoys sewing/embroidery and I think this calendar will be perfect for her.
So...Here's my first quilt block calendar page -- for January 2012
 Here's a little closer view to show you all the faux stitching I added to this with a black felt tipped pen. It was a bit time consuming, but well worth the effort in the end!!
Supplies used on this page:
  • DP - Classics (K & Company)
  • Poppies die (Provo Craft)
  • Yellow Cardstock
  • Green eyelets
  • Green, polka-dot ribbon
    • stems and leaves of flowers
  • Blue ribbbon
  • Black felt tip pen
    • faux stitching
  •  Green rhinestones 
    • centers of flowers
I really like how this one turned out - not sure I'll be able to give the second one away!
 Now go here to see what my friend came up with for a calendar page this month.
Anyone who wishes is welcome to join in on the challenge by leaving a comment and link to your own calendar post!

4 comments:

Christa said...

They are both lovely! The CD calendars are perfect for gifts. Where do you get the CD cases? (I'm assuming the slim cases won't work.) I was hoping that Michaels would still have a bunch when their calendars go down to $0.25 or $0.10 again this year, but I don't think they had any the last time I was in.

Esther Asbury said...

I got the CD cases at Michael's -- they had CD case calendars on clearance earlier this month. I only got two as I only planned to make two of these. It only needs to be wide enough to hold one page as the remaining pages go in a pretty box (that I don't have made yet) to be used when the appropriate month arrives.

Craftybegonia said...

Lovely! And a great idea as well. I would need something like that to keep me in course, I have so much on my plate!

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