2017 Calendars

Happy Thursday!

Woo Hoo!  Today is the day!  Not only does the new 2017 Occasions Catalogue go "live" but so does the 2017 Sale-a-brations promotion!!!  Check out the catalogue / brochure HERE and HERE … or click on the images of the catalogue / brochure over on the right hand side.

For the SAB promotion, you earn a FREE item from the SAB brochure with EVERY $60 you spend!  If you spend $60, pick 1 item.  Spend $120, pick 2 items.  Spend $180 …. you COULD pick 3 items but if you have THAT much on your wish list I will bully you into buying the "Super Saver Kit".  OK, Stampin' Up! calls it the "Starter Kit" but many people think that implies starting a business.  It doesn't - so I call it a "Super Saver Kit".  SAB is the BEST time to buy the kit.  You get the "usual" awesome deal (pick ANY $165 in product but only pay a flat $135 - no s/h/gst!!!) but you ALSO get to pick out ANY TWO STAMP SETS FROM THE CATALOGUE FOR FREE!  ANY value!  Pick the most expensive stamp sets in the catalogue!  Yours.  Free!!!  So!  My point is, if you have $180 worth of items you want, get the Super Saver Kit.  You get the BEST bang for your buck and save a truck load of money.  Send me an email if you want the fine print details (but there aren't any "catches"!)  I have sole 94 Kits in my career.  No one has ever told me they regret it!

Today I wanted to share my awesome little desk calendar project.  Check these little cuties out ...

I held a class on these before Christmas and also made them with my Kids Class of stampers.  They were a hit!  They are a little time consuming to cut in large quantities (lots of layers) but they are SO worth it!  I gave them out as gifts and the kids made a black and grey version for the Dad's for Christmas presents.  I love them!

I can't take credit for them - I stumbled across them  about 9 years ago in my early stamping days.  I LOVED making 3-d items (still do!) and ell in love with these.  I have no idea who I CASEd them from so I can't give proper credit where credit is due so THANK YOU to anonymous crafter for the idea!

The great thing about these calendars is you can use up all the old designer paper you've been hoarding for the last 10 years!  I also used up a bag of basic black scrap strips I've been collecting.  Don't you feel GREAT when you use what you've got???  Just validated the hoarding behaviour, doesn't it? *lol*

Right - let get to some measurements, shall we?

The base is simply a half sheet of card stock - 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and folded in half (standard card base size … which ALSO means they fit in our envelopes so you can MAIL THEM - sa-weet!!)

The next layer is 5 1/4" x 4".  In the above samples I used Tempting Turquoise, Tangelo Twist, Real Red and Old Olive.  I then hit my stash of DSP papers for the coordinating polka dot DSP.  I think I used Pumpkin Pie to coordinate with the Tangelo … can't remember now and since my cat is on my lap I can't go get my sample to check (any cat owners in the crowd will understand completely! lol)

The DSP layers are 5" x 2 1/2"

I used my scraps of black card stock to make a layer for the calendar months that was 1 1/2" x 4 1/2".  The calendar month pieces them selves are 1 1/4" x 4 1/4".

Where did I get the calendars from?  I just googled it and found a site HERE that fit nicely.  I didn't click on the "printer friendly" button - I just printed the entire page and cut off everything but the calendar.  I had tried a few different sites / printables but tis one gave me the size I wanted.  It's not a perfect printout …. some of the numbers are a little fuzzy but it rely doesn't matter,  People can figure it out even if, say, the "31" is a little blurry.

I used the Perpetual Birthday stamp set to stamp the images in coordinating inks.  I punched them out using the 1 1/4" punch and then punched a coordinating circle with the 1 3/8" circle punch.  A black scalloped circle (retired punch) in black frames them nicely.  I used dimensionals to pop up the circles.

The final step is to punch two small holes at the bottom of the calendar.  I used my (retired) crop-a-dile. A piece of 12" black Bakers Twine is what holds the calendar in place.  Thread the twine through the holes and tie a loose knot.  In July you will have to untie the thread, flip the calendar inside out (to access the Aug - Dec months) and then re-tie the thread.

Wa-low!  Done!  A sweet little gift that ANYONE can use!  My kind of project!

So there we have it!  I'm all caught up on my Christmas projects and gifts.  Phew!  It's been a lot of work (not so much to make but to post! *lol*) but SO worth it.

Thanks for checking me out.  Pop in again soon as I start sharing project using the new catalogue and SAB toys … and have a stampy day!


Tam