An art journal calendar is a fun way to just make a few note about your daily life, and this style is great if you are just dipping your toes into the world of daily journaling. A great feature of creating your own pages is the fact that you can start anytime. If you didn’t start in January, no problem! You don’t have a pre-made book with dates that are just empty. (If you did use a pre-dated item, you could always just fill in the previous pages with other stuff — notes, ideas, sketches — it’s all good!)
It’s been kind of hard to get into a spring mindset, with all the snow that kept showing up in April. I felt like where I went, there it snowed! This page kind of represents a spring morning, the dawn of a new season! Even with the threat of snow as I was making this page, and my daughter coming in to tell me that she was standing outside and watched a light rain turn into snowflakes, I was still determined to make a spring page for May.
Here’s the way the page came together:
Large letters were used to create a mask for the word May.
I used pastels to create the background.
Then I blended and played with the color to make my version of early morning.
I decided I didn’t want to cover the background I had so much fun creating, so I used a piece of lightweight cardboard from the back of a tablet of paper and made a flower template with my Big Shot and a flower die.
Tracing around the flower die, I left a few running off the edge of the paper, and made some close enough together to make them look like there are some behind others.
Day numbers were added at the edges of the flower shapes.
Some doodles were added here and there.
A border was doodled around the entire border.
That was it! I think as the month goes on, I will be able to add more doodling and other embellishments as it becomes clear which days have more written in them. We’ll see how that goes.
Keeping an open mind to what you can use a punch for, made quick work in creating my February Art Journal calendar in a bit of both scrapbook and art journal style. Making things more artful isn’t hard!
Here is how this went together:
I found a piece of red with white dot paper for the background.
Used coordinating paper and cut letter out.
Found the letters not only coordinated, they just blended in and faded away.
Outlined the die cut letters with marker to make them stand out! Much better! Adhered the February title.
Hand cut 3 hearts in different shapes from paper that looked like book text. I didn’t want to use book text, because I wanted to make sure the paper was archival safe for this project.
Added definition to the text hearts by using pastels on the edges with both a gray and red color. (Use what you have on hand for this step, inking will be just fine – just rub it on.) Note that this was purposefully not done neatly.
More definition was added by just loosely outlining around and partially on the hearts, with a thin black marker
Punched smaller hearts out of a white vellum card stock, and arranged them on page.
Attached the vellum hearts in the corners with a glue dot. Normally you want to be careful what you use to adhere vellum, because it can show through. I used that to my advantage, and used it as the tiny spot to write my numbers for the days of the month. Also, I decided that I would attach the hearts only in a single spot, in case I want to write under the heart. That way, I have several options for journalling and can actually double my writing space if I need to!
I outlined a couple of special days during the month, which are a holiday and a family birthday!
I went in a put a dot of Crystal Effects on the upper left edge of each punched heart to give it a little more stability. Those dots weren’t dry when I took the photos, so they really don’t show up. It will be a nice little shiny accent for each day!
Done! Although I realized I forgot to put the year. However, don’t you think if it is sandwiched in with a bunch of other months from the same year it will be okay? I may add the year, I may not. Oh, maybe I’ll just use a date stamp!
Many of you said that you have problems finding ways to use some of the products you have in your stash. Today’s project will show you how to use extra alphabet stickers, ribbon, and patterned paper! I’m going to show you a masking technique to create an interesting element on a recycled project. This project will also work if you want to use die cut letters, which is actually what I will use today.
You’ve probably heard me tell you many times that thrift stores, estate sales, and even garage sales are great places to find thing that you can alter or up cycle. I was at the thrift store the other day and found two hinged boxes that I decided I would spruce up and use for handmade cards an envelopes, which I will probably use for gifts.
So, here is the before and after picture.
First, wipe down your item with rubbing alcohol to make sure it is clean and free of any dirt or oils.
Next, if the existing color on the outside rim of the lid, and the lip it closes over don’t coordinate with your choice of paper, you’ll want to recolor it. You’ll either need an alcohol ink, pigment ink, or in this case I used StazOn. I opened the lid of the stamp pad, and squirted a few drops of the StazOn ink refill into the lid, and just used it like paint to cover the edged which would not be covered by paper.
StazOn ink refill in the lid of the stamp pad. Use it like paint on the rim of the lid.
Paint outer edge of lid, and the lip that it will close over.
Select your paper and measure around the box for the length needed. Measure the height of the area you will place the paper in. This box needed 28 inches of paper to wrap around, with a height of 3.75 inches. I was able to use a 12×12″ paper for the body; but had to use a second piece for the lid. Place the tin upside down and trace around it for the top piece; or hold it in place and press the edges into the paper to mark where it will need to be cut.
Now, take your paper that will wrap around the body, and adhere it together for a single piece.
Next take some painters masking tape to mask off a boarder along your paper. IMPORTANT TIP: Take the masking tape and tape it to your clothes and lift it off. Repeat several times until you can tell the tape is still just a little bit tacky. Be doing this, your masking tape will stick to the paper, but will easily come off the paper without ripping it!
IMPORTANT TIP: Take the masking tape and tape it to your clothes and lift it off. Repeat several times until you can tell the tape is still just a little bit tacky. Be doing this, your masking tape will stick to the paper, but will easily come off the paper!
Now we are going to put those alphabet stickers to work! If you don’t have alphabet stickers, you can get the same effect by using die cut letters. These were created with the Big Shot. To use these as stickers for the masking technique, simple turn them upside down and apply non-permanent adhesive. The 2-Way Glue Pen is perfect for this. If the glue has a bit of a blue tint, it will bond items together. If you let it dry, it becomes a non-permanent bond, like a sticky note. So, that’s what you see here, the glue is drying so that I can make them removable.
2-Way Glue Pen is perfect for making a permanent or temporary bond. Leaving them in the paper makes it easier to apply the adhesive.
Now apply your alphabet stickers between your two rows of masking tape. If you are using alphabet stickers, use the same method as we used with the masking tape, before you stick them on the page. We want to take the stickers off in a minute, so stick them on and off of your cloths or a cloth, before you stick them on the paper. You can be as random or as planned as you want with the placement.
I used an ink pad and a sponge to apply the color. Be careful that you don’t knock the letters off the paper. Gently sponge as much color on as you would like. Notice that I only inked enough to add color, and left it somewhat transparent, and you can see the design of the paper still.
Ink along the length of your paper.
When your are finished inking, you can gently remove your alphas and your masked off borders. Apply your paper to the tin! I used Sticky Strip so that it would have a secure hold on the metal, and will be secure enough if this item is not going to see heavy action. A few glue dots helped tack the paper in place to make it more manageable to deal with. (If a super duper, all over hold is desired, you could use ModPodge to adhere the paper to your tin, but it will greatly increase the length of time before completion because you’ll have to wait on it to dry.)
I ran a length of ribbon around the body and added a bow. I opted to not place anything else on the lid, although I had made a paper flower. It just seemed that it looked best at this point without more embellishments.
I hope this will help you with some ideas to use your stash of supplies! If you need something, feel free to shop my Stampin’Up!store for the items used above:
StazOn Ink Refill – #102566
Stazon Ink Pad – #101406
Paper – “First Edition Specialty” – #121878, digital version – #124408
2 Way Glue Pen – #100425
Stamping Sponges – #101610
Black Classic Ink Pad – #126980
Sticky Strip – #104294
Glue Dots – #103683
Black 3/8″ Ribbon – #119962
Now, get out there and have some Artful Adventures! —Kristie
Keeping an open mind to what you can use a punch for, made quick work in creating my February Art Journal calendar in a bit of both scrapbook and art journal style. Making things more artful isn’t hard!
I hope this will help you with some ideas to use your stash of supplies! If you need something, feel free to shop my Stampin’Up! store for the items used above: