Contagiously Crafty Runs in the Family

My daughter decided during Christmas break from college that she wanted a calendar for her dorm room.  I think the original thought was that she wanted to me buy her some calendar on the shelf during a shopping trip.  We're used to her purchasing tricks, having spent 18 years (she couldn't form full sentences on shopping trips until she was over 12 months old...) distracting and correcting this habit.  So I responded - "Hey,  I have one of those calendar kits at home (leftover from 2014...) that you could use to make your own calendar with your own pictures."  I followed up my response by pulling the kit from the stash and placing it strategically on the island in the kitchen.  She quietly began putting it together and I thought to share her final product here with you.  Bear with me and all the pictures for another post this year...

This kit is from Basic Grey - a now defunct manufacturer.  This project made me miss them, their design and creativity more.  Any funkyness to the photos are the fault of photography - Katie's or mine.  The pages are fantastic in person and will be a nice hello from home or her friends as she will be away at school for a large portion of 2018 - her first since last fall was her freshman semester in school.  Like mama, like daughter...

for Katie

2016 Calendar - My Annual Tradition

One of my traditions is to create a calendar each year for my grandma using the Basic Grey Calendar Kit.  I really love the style of their kits and the ease with which everything goes together.  I simply need 4 x 6 photos and follow the instructions.

I have tried to remind myself that you really want to have a good thin tipped black journaling pen and a white gel pen.   The details that are created with these pens just adds to the lovely finish of the album.

My son, Timothy with our Abby whom we lost this past September.  This pictuer was taken on the first day of college - that's what you get for staying home for college - I get photos....

I end up making two of these - one for my grandma and one for me.  It is a thrill to me to be able to make these and now to look back on previous years at the scrapbook these make when the year is over.  I'll soon be cutting down 2015 and stuffing it into a scrapbook.  My grandma has hers to fill with appointments and other commitments.  Such joy!  As we wind down 2015, I am wishing you and yours a safe New Year's celebration.  I will also wish us all much crafting in 2016!

A 2015 Calendar Gift for the New Year

I'm hoping this finds you all happy and well satisfied with your New Year celebrations.  I took the past week off to work through the weekend.  I need to catch up on posts of Christmas gifts which were completed in the week before Christmas.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute!

This project is my annual present to my grandmother.  My grandfather turned 90 years old this year- however the advancing of the years makes these gifts more and more special.  Grap a cuppa and sit down for this picture heavy post.

The calendar is a Basic Grey kit.  At the risk of creating shopping competition, I'll let you know that I've purchased this kit for the past three years at Embellish It's online store.  They still have the 2015 kit for sale.  The instructions are easy to follow and result in a very beautiful project.

I used my Distress Inks to edge quite a few of the pages, here I used Vintage Photo to distress the edges of the chipboard pieces.

I added some of my own embellishments for a few of the pages.  Here I added pearl pieces to the butterflies.  Here also I added some Vintage Photo Distress Ink.

I make two different calendars- one for my grandma and one for me. Our May included a picture of our Jilly.   We had to put our beloved Saint down in June.  She was the happiest dog we've ever owned and so it seemed like she belonged on this page with the tag- Life is Good.  Feeling poorly (Jilly had an autoimmune disease and we treated her illness throughout her life) or feeling great, Jilly always would have told you Life is Good!

This kit is so full that I often have many extras that find their way on cards in the new year.  I am hopeful that I might have the grace to make this gift for my grandparents one more year.  May God continue to grant us the gift of their health in 2015!  I'm looking forward to the new year and the opportunity to visit my blog friends, watching all your exploits.

Happy New Year!!

2014 Scrappy Calendar

I have made a scrappy calendar for the past couple of years. I usually make one version for my Grandma and one for myself. Occasionally, I make and extra one for either my mom or my husband Dan's mom. This year, I ended up making three using Basic Grey's Calendar Kit. I picked up two of the kits at Embellish It's Play All Day. When Dan asked for one for his mom, I ordered a third kit for myself. I thought I'd post this quickly to give you a heads up. Embellish It is having a sale on all Basic Grey and Graphic 45 product which includes this fabulous kit. Check out the sale product Basic Grey and Graphic 45. Hopefully, the calendar kit won't sell out early.

I didn't always use the exact same pictures. I've included a few duplicate pages to show how different pictures make for different finished looks. Where the pages were fundamentally the same, I've only included one representative photo.




The calendar is the perfect size- 8 x 8 inches. Not too big and not too small. The boxes are small enough to fit appointment and schedule reminders.

Most of the embellishments are adhered with either Crystal Accents or a tape runner. I've edged most pages in Vintage Photo Distress Ink, including the three open edges of the calendar page.

 

I'm pleased with the results and I've had very positive, complementary responses from the recipients. The instructions help make this kit go together quickly and easily. I'd highly recommend it. Even though 2014 has arrived, it's not too late.