Hello, everyone. It’s Judi Kauffman, back as today’s guest designer with a continuation of the Elizabeth Craft Designs December 2015 Designers’ Challenge. The theme was calendars and I couldn’t stop at just one. I kept going and designed three more! (I’ll include a photo of my Challenge calendar and a link to the instructions for it at the end of this post, right before the supply list.)
I decided to use up the random-width 6” long scraps of Els van de Burgt Studio ‘Through the Lens’ Metal, Wood, and Stone Series papers that were left after a flurry of card making.
As you can see from the three project photos shown above, the calendars are super simple. And they were fast and easy to make and customize.
In addition to the paper strips, I incorporated some new Els van de Burgt Studio dies – Stitched Rectangles and Corners 1, plus some previously-released favorites of mine – Hardware 1 – Hinges, Numbers & More 2, and some bits from Tags & More.
I made my own calendar pads with a simple graphics program, but they are available pre-made in a variety of sizes.
Because no two people will have the same scraps, your calendars will be unique and different from mine. Even if you cut identical strips, changing the progression of the pieces will yield an endless number of options, a new ‘look’ each and every single time!
My favorite is the one with the faux clipboard topper at the top of the rectangle with the calendar pad. I love the way the strips at the bottom look have the pattern oriented so that the wood pieces are vertical, anchoring the calendar, while all of the other strips are oriented so that the patterns have a distinct horizontal feel to them. This is intentional, not accidental, and the result of lots of arranging and rearranging the paper scraps.
Which is your favorite? Why? Please do some ‘show and tell’ – Post YOUR calendar on the Elizabeth Craft Designs Facebook Family page so we can see what you’ve made!
Instructions:
- Arrange a series of random-width 6” long strips of ‘Through the Lens’ papers. Rearrange till you like the progression and the way the colors and designs work together. For the projects shown, strips vary from 1” to 3” x 6”. Use smaller pieces to create 6” long strips if needed.
- Leaving a scant 1/8” border at the top and right, adhere the strips to a piece of 12” x 12” light tan (or other neutral) solid color cardstock so the strips touch, but do not overlap. As soon as the calendar is the desired length, cut off the extra cardstock at the left side and across the bottom edge, leaving the same scant 1/8” border. The shortest calendar measures 10” from top to bottom; the longest one measures 11.75”. (If you know you are making a calendar that is shorter than 11.75”, use a standard sheet of 8.5” x 11” cardstock instead of 12” x 12”.)
- Back Fire Opal Gemstone Shimmer Sheetz with Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape. For each calendar, die cut a 3” x 4.25” Stitched Rectangle and two Hardware 1 – Hinges. Cut each of the Hinges in half along the score line. Be careful not to lose the six little circles that are part of the hinge die! You’ll need them in step 5. Lightly sand the rectangles and hinges, but NOT the little circles.
Reminder: A Metal Adaptor Plate is required for die cutting Shimmer Sheetz. Review Els van de Burgt’s YouTube video HERE if you are new to this technique.
- Optional: Also die cut a Fire Opal Gemstone Shimmer Sheetz decorative reinforcement for the hanging hole and a clipboard topper (using any reinforcement from the Tags & More die series) or two decorative Corners 1 pieces. Lightly sand these pieces. Use the matching circle die or a .25” circle punch to cut a hole, centered, at the top of the calendar. Die cut the numbers ‘2016’ from Velvet Adhesive Sheet.
- To complete the calendar, add the Stitched Rectangle, calendar pad, and any of these embellishments: Decorative reinforcement for the hanging hole, clipboard topper piece, Velvet numbers, Corners 1 pieces, sanded hinge pieces and the tiny un-sanded circles that fit into the hinge pieces (resembling nail heads). Refer to project photos for placement.
- More ideas:
*Instead of Hardware 1 – Hinges, use four Corners 1 pieces.
*Instead of mixing papers from all three packs, use only papers from one or two.
*Instead of random-width strips, use strips that are all the same size.
*Instead of strips measuring an inch or more, use narrower ones and leave 1/8” of the solid color cardstock visible between them.
*Instead of strips, use 1”, 2”, or 3” squares and create a mosaic background instead of stripes.
*Use black, brown or navy ink to distress the edges of all of the paper pieces before arranging them.
The photo above shows my December 2015 Designers’ Challenge calendar project. Here are the instructions.
Supplies for ‘It’s Always Calendar Time, Continued…’:
Elizabeth Craft Designs –
Els van de Burgt Studio
Through the Lens 6×6 Wood, Metal, and Stone Series paper packs of choice
Stitched Rectangles (1120)
Hardware 1 – Hinges (962)
Corners 1 (1124)
Numbers & More 2 (1076)
Optional: Tags & More (for circle, circle reinforcements, clipboard topper dies)
Shimmer Sheetz in Fire Opal Gemstone (SS 0218) or color of choice
Metal Adaptor Plate (803) required for die cutting Shimmer Sheetz
Clear Double Sided Adhesive Tape
Velvet Adhesive Sheets in Black (406)
Other –
Calendar pad, 2.25” high x 2.5” wide
Cardstock, 12” x 12” in Light Tan
Paper trimmer
Die cutting machine
Sanding block
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