2012 Calendar Challenge - Collection of Twelve

Sorry for the quality of this but used the snipping tool to convert a word document into a png file so that I could upload it here.  This is my collection of easel calendars that I made for my family and friends, inspired by The Craft Barn Challenge here

Wishing all fellow crafters a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year.

2012 Calendar Challenge - Embossing

For the final challenge over at The Craft Barn click here the technique is embossing.  Having sent out all my calendars I only had one left for me to make for myself so I chose to use heat embossing using Suze Weinberg's Cloisonne with Utee method, a favourite technique of mine.  This always give such a lustrous effect and is great for tags, centerpieces for a card, jewelry etc.  Firstly I swiped the cardstock with Versamark ink and sprinkled black Utee all over and melted it with my heat gun.  Two more layers gave a heavy coat thick enough for embossing well.  I dusted the black when cool with mica powders of various colour and reheated to melt them in.  While this was still hot I stamped the swirls with silver pigment ink.  Unfortunately my ink pad was rather dry so I enhanced the colours and the depth of the swirls with more mica powder.  The black Utee background really makes the mica pop.  A note pad added on the inside finishes off my calendar and the challenge.

I have thoroughly enjoyed making my twelve easel cards and I thank the team at The Craft Barn for setting this.  Off to enjoy the final pieces of my colleagues on the challenge.

Knitting Basket Overhaul

Bought myself an antique knitting basket from Craigslist to tame my growing collection of leftover wool. It has beautiful turned dowels at the top but the cover was in a terrible state, so out with the old and in with the new.  I had bought a remnant of heavy brocade for $1 at a yard sale just last weekend and it is perfect.  I chose to have the tapestry side on the outside and the embroidered silk on the inside.  I know my sewing isn't perfect but I am very happy with the end result.  Total cost $21.  If anyone needs the instructions for revamping their basket cover or indeed for making a complete knitting basket they can be found HERE

2012 Calendar Challenge - Circles

I think that you can see where my circles are on this calendar page.  The background is some spiral patterned paper and I used my bare tree stamp again.  Punched circles of red and two different greens are stuck over the branches and on the ground at the foot of the tree.  I added an embossed red border and the phrase "Seasons of Mists" but it looked unfinished.  So  I stamped the tree again on a piece of paper and cut around the trunk to use as a mask while I pounced yellow orange and red distress inks to represent the sun.

The challenge can be found over at The Craft Barn HERE

Thank you all for your kind comments over the past weeks, it really is encouraging.  Off to complete the challenge with the last calendar.

Heart Journal - Cover

For the twelfth month of the Heart Journal challenge we had to make a cover heart for the booklet incorporating all or as many of the techniques we have used over the past eleven months.  I have used all the techniques on my cover and added the word heart made out of wire (doesn't show very well in the photo) and a strip of transparency on the left side of each heart that I have punched with three holes and joined them all together with binder rings.  I added part of a charm bracelet between the rings to decorate it more.  On the reverse of each heart I have made a sticker that explains the technique used on that particular heart.  I am so pleased with the journal it has made and I thank Lillibule and Thealie for all their hard work this year setting this monthly challenge and I look forward to next year's challenge if they are doing another.  

A link to this challenge can be found HERE

2012 Calendar Challenge - Trees

Yet another easel calendar for The Craft Barn Challenge HERE  I used masks and brayered distress inks to make the background, a circle for the sun and torn paper for the ground.  A winter tree stamp and a few birds in flight (though you can't see them in the photo) complete the picture.

2012 Calendar Challenge - Teal, Rust and White

Late again for last week's challenge over at The Craft Barn HERE.  The challenge is a calendar using the colours Teal, Rust and White.  I made my easel card this week and pounced a blue sky (leaving white patches for the clouds) and an orange yellow sun with distress inks, stamped over the sun and embossed it with clear powder to make it shine.  The bird houses are stamped in brown ink and clear embossed and painted with watercolours of teal, rust, orange and maroon, the ground beneath is also painted to distinguish it from the sky.  The edges of the easel card are clear embossed over the various coloured inks.

A note pad stamped with a bird and the word "notes" finish off my calendar.