Calendar Cover, Post #1

*You can order the kit for this calendar by emailing me at matildyjanedesigns@gmail.com.

This is post #1 on the calendar pages. There are no super secret special techniques in this entire project. But there are a few little tricks I used to create it and I'll share those as I go. The main trick is one I learned from the beautiful Heidi Swapp. You start with a store bought wall calendar as your base. She has a video of how she does that here:
http://www.mycraftchannel.com/Shows/Create-to-Remember-with-Heidi-Swapp/Heidi-Swapp-Calendar-Album/

I chose to bind mine with 3 clip rings, just because I'm challenged using theBind-It-All. I love that thing for smaller projects, but I couldn't get the punches lined up for this. So, here we go. This is my cover. (Apologies in advance for the poor pictures.) After I'm done using this as a calendar, this will be the cover page for my 2014 album. 

I stuck the polaroid photo mat behind one of the zig zag points.

There is a small trick here. The pink floral paper does not go all the way across the page. I had used it on another page and didn't have enough left so I improvised and just cut it so that the break in the paper would be hidden behind the text paper. 

Then just added some hearts for more cuteness. 

I will post the measurements for the pages in the order I made them, including these. For those of you who are OCD, I know this will drive you crazy. But I didn't do the pages in order, so they won't be posted in order. That way I can keep my measurements straight and won't end up with some odd piece of paper that doesn't fit when I get to the last month. Think of it as an exercise in patience. lol!

Another favorite and a little tutorial . . .

These layouts are from a DCWV sketch that we had for Scrap-IN at Michaels. The papers are all from the DCWV paper pad, Vintage Collector, which I absolutely LOVE! The only thing I added was the little chalkboard titles, 1st beach trip, 1st Disney trip, the 2 black mats and the mat under the zigzag on the second page. Those are Recollections chalkboard paper found in the open stock 12x12 paper at Michaels. I used a white chalk marker for those titles. You can find chalk markers in most Michaels over close to craft paint. They come in a set of 4. I can't remember right now what comes in the package, I think 2 white, a red, and a blue, maybe. You can also get colored chalk markers. I love these things! 

So a little info on the sketch. (I will try to post a picture later. Don't have one at home.)

Sometimes people look at a sketch and think they can't use it because their pictures are the wrong orientation, or too big, or too small, or whatever. Don't be afraid to alter the sketch! The first one was actually supposed to have been turned the other way. But that didn't work for the pictures I wanted to use. So I just flipped it on it's side. Simple!

I also changed up the title and embellishments a bit. The frames were all cut out of the paper, as were the hearts and the 'I Love U'. The zigzags (known by some as Chevrons) are from a whole page of, well, zig zags! I just cut them apart. Fun! And on the detail shots you can see that some of the hearts and zigzags are glittered around the edge, already done for you in the paper pad, as was the 'Make Good Things Happen'! No stickles or glitter needed! Woot! I did use a couple of circle punches to get those circles on the second page. Isn't it awesome when you can just take a paper pad, scissors, and glue and do an entire layout? 

Love it! 

There are 2 detail shots of the 'I Love You' for a reason. I used 2 different thicknesses of foam tape to pop that up. Don't have 2 thicknesses? Just use one behind your lowest embellie and double the foam dots to make the higher one. Yep, just pop one on top of the other. And see all that striped fun inside the brown frame? Well, keep reading and I'll show you the easiest way to make that!

Now for a little tutorial . . .
You know all those little paper pieces you end up with after crafting? Come on, you know you have them. And you horde them because ONE DAY you might need them? I really know nothing about that. I've only heard that some of my friends do this. Not me. Yeah, right. lolWell, here's an idea. You start with a piece of cardstock, any color, doesn't matter. Cut it to the size of your finished embellisment. Run it through a xyron. If you don't have a xyron, you could use any dry adhesive, even a glue stick. I just prefer the xyron. You do have to make sure that the entire piece is covered with sticky.Peel back a little of the plastic covering.Start placing your strips side by side over the sticky. (I inked first with Distress Ink.) Continue until you have the whole piece covered. Then trim the excess from the back. Viola! A beautiful embellishment from that stuff you thought you should have thrown away but just couldn't bring yourself to do it!

Have a creative Friday!

Well, as Porky says, 'Ehhh, th-th-th-that's all, folks!' 

Blessings, 

Renea