Wow, look what I found today when I cleaned my office!  I’ve had this kit for almost 2 months I think and forgot all about it!  This would make a great gift for someone, a nice homemade touch over the hang on the wall calendar from Barnes & Noble.  

This Create a Calendar Kit found in our Winter mini-catalog comes with the calendar pages for the year 2009, some stickers and tabs for the cards and month, the outer pocket and sticker borders, and a large piece of chocolate chip grosgrain ribbon.  It requires that you purchase the triple clipboard separately, and the paper you’d like to cover the clipboard with. 

I covered left and right sides using the Old Olive dsp grid paper using a template that I made originally with our single clipboards awhile back.  I traced the template onto a new piece of sturdy confetti cream and shortened the length to 7.5" and trimmed a sliver 1/16 off each side.  With this new template created for the triple clipboard, I needed 3 sections, and traced it onto the backside of the dsp I chose.  The middle section is a piece of striped Hawaii Papaya dsp.  I added two pieces of Pumpkin Pie grosgrain over the seams and tied at the top of clipboard.  I used Chocolate Chip stitched ribbon, Riding Hood Red striped ribbon, and Old Olive 5/8” grosgrain ribbon for the tops.  I used Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie felt flowers from accents kit, with an aged build a brad in the center.  I punched the red flower with our 5 point flower punch, and placed a smaller pumpkin pie flower from the collection of die cut blooms.

On the packing, they used two sets of number stickers:  one on the clipboard, which you don’t see adhered yet, and the other on the outer calendar pouch.  Since there was only ONE set of “2009” stickers inside the kit,  I took a “2” and “9” from on board chipboard letters, and two solid circles from our other chipboard collection, on board essentials.  On the two solid circles, which were the same size as the numbers, I used the crop-a-dile to cut away at the center a little at a time. 

I used a chipboard label, also from the on board essentials, covered with Old Olive cs on the outside packing and attached the “calendar” sticker.  I covered square chipboard with dsp, attached Riding Hood Red mat, then Whisper White mat, and then “2 0 0 9” numbers sponged in Pumpkin Pie.

For my display, I included a small bag stamped with punches of flowers, and lots of arrows in coordinating colors, punched with My Way arrow punch.  I also included lots of stamped images from Calendar Cues and Fundamental Phrases (nice and small).  Calendar cues and Cute Cues would work especially nice in this project (I think). 

This may or may not be an upcoming “gift” class, because I have TOO DARN ideas already for others that I want to do!

I hope you think of the teachers and the HS and college students on your list, or make it for yourself to coordinate with your office or craft room!  Of course, everyone needs a new calendar at the beginning of the year, and this is just a really unique and special one.

See you soon!  Thanks for looking!

Technorati Tags: 3D items, 3D Projects, Calendar Cues stamp set, Calendar projects, crop-a-dile, Cute Cues stamp set, desk accessories, Hawaii Papaya dsp, My Way Arrow Punch, Old Olive designer series paper, On Board Essentials, On Board Letters, Triple Clipboard

Today’s card is from the stamp set, Window Dressing, page 22 of the new Fall/Winter 2008 Stampin’ Up! Idea Book and Catalog.  Actually, it is a level 3 hostess benefit set that you could obtain absolutely free with a qualifying hostess party.  I made this card today as part of my ongoing challenge for my 2008 New year goals to make everything that appears in the new catalog.  You may have seen my first post, Live with Passion, showcasing the Inspired by Nature stamp set. 

As my friend Shelley would say, "Anywhoo," I made this card last night and I loved this set immediately.  I have something similiar from another company that makes gates, windows, barn doors, and has children’s front and back sides.  This set is not as interactive as the one I just mentioned, but reminds me so much of it, and I’ve thought about chopping the cat’s head off and stamping it without it’s face on, and coloring it solid so it would look like the back of its head, and that it’s looking OUT the window instead.  That’ll be another post, on a day I’m feeling like beheading someone!  Nobody comes to mind at the moment, but all I can say is THANK GOODNESS the kids go back to school next week!    But, I digress…

I used the Polka Dot background stampset with white craft ink on Baja Breeze (new in color) cardstock.  I cut a mat from chocolate chip cardstock, and wet the top and right side, and rolled it with my fingers like making snakes with Play Doh.  I stamped the main window dressing image with brown staz-on, but you could use black, onto confetti white cardstock.  Just so you know, that’s why you see little blobs of colors or flecks on my card (it’s not ink), because the cardstock comes that way and it’s in the Naturals collection.  I use confetti cardstock and this method specifically when I’m going to watercolor an image.  I could also use our SU watercolor paper, however, it comes precut into a smaller size, and therefore, isn’t big enough for an image this size.  The confetti cardstock is a little more fibrous and thicker and holds up well.  So, the stazon keeps the image/ink from smearing when you apply the waterbrush and ink when you water color.  I used creamy caramel for the cat, baja breeze for the cat, and a much more watered version for the window panes, and used chocolate chip for the frame.  I finished with kiwi kiss (new in color), sahara sand in the window panes.  I glued pink pirouette cardstock onto the chipboard heart from Onboard Essentials chipboard collection.  Lastly, a slight variation on the ribbon since I haven’t received my latest order yet which has all the in-color striped ribbons in it, I used chocolate chip tafetta.

I really love watercoloring because it’s easier than it looks, you can add color dimension and shadows, and most of all it gives you permission to color outside the lines.  It doesn’t have to be perfect and in fact, it looks better when it’s not!

The window dressing set comes with 10 stamp sets, which you can see below.

You can catch other watercolored projects via my posts like this, or attend one of my stamp camp classes, or you can host a party at your home or mine if you feel you don’t have the room!  No worries, just add friends and waterbrushes and you have a party!  And maybe, if you set your goals up front, you can also get your hands on this awesome 10 piece window dressing set and some other free products of your choice!

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: confetti white, level 3 Hostess stamp set, On Board Essentials, Polka Dot Background Stamp, Stampin' Up! In Colors 2008, Stazon, watercoloring, white craft ink, Window Dressing