Tag Archives: easel calendar

Oct1

Happy Little Pumpkin

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Happy October! It’s here! Officially fall and sweater weather (well, I can dream, right??) I currently am diffusing a harvest blend so that I can pretend I’m enjoying fall while I am sweating away in my office…

SU released a set called Harvest Hello (now retired) and it had a coordinating ‘apple’ punch to go with it. But, you could use that apple to also make pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns! I love using punches that coordinate with stamps… Makes it super easy to create cute projects. This little pumpkin would be a cute bag topper. It would even be cute just dimmensionaled (like how I turned the SU product into a verb??) to one of the snack size candy bars! And, because it’s so easy to make, you can make DOZENS in no time at all!

With the page turn to October, it makes my mind start thinking about the upcoming holiday crafting. And, then the panic that always comes with the ‘…I haven’t started my holiday crafting’ realization. So, if you need me, that is what I will be doing this month… 🙂 Namely starting on the 2022 easel calendar! See you next month!!

Check out what Anne and Cheryl have for you today!

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Aug1

Thoughtful Blooms

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AAAAAHhhhhhhhh…. August. The month that is both full of excitement and trepidation…. Funny how the ONE event can have both feelings…. but, alas, school is starting again.

I am very excited to go back to school. I have missed students! But, I’m also anxious about it because it means getting back to the busy. I am trying to find a way to keep the ‘slowness’ of the shutdown alive a little longer…

This beautiful stamp set is called Thoughtful Blooms. And, it was an Sale-A-Bration offering from last year. (No longer available) It also had the coordinating flower punch which makes this set really pop!

I love paring smoky slate and flirty flamingo together. They are such a good combination… the peacefulness of the gray with the excitement of the pink. Kind of the balance I am searching to create in my own busy.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy back to school! Head on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you today!

Jul1

Buzzing Through Summer

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I write while I am basking in the glory days of summer. The days are lazy and glorious, but we are SPEEDING through the weeks. And, I know that I will be returning to school in a few short weeks….. sigh.

Anyway, That’s what this bee means to me. Now, I know that bees are stereotypically busy… But, the serenity in these images and the feeling that I get to stop and actually notice the bees… That is what the glory days of summer are to me.

ANYAY…. I digress. This stamp set, (now retired) Is Honey Bee. It had a fantastic set of coordinating dies. The simplicity in the images and designs make for a fantastic calendar (and card). They are the epitome of simple stamping. Which is perfect for summer so that there is still time left over to sit and enjoy the world around you…and truly celebrate every moment.

The yellow I selected for this month is Bumble Bee (obviously) and it makes a simple monochromatic layout and image.

Hope you are able to slow down and enjoy summer. Head on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you today!

Jan1

Oh 2021. So happy to see you

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I’m not sure that there has ever been a new year that we’ve looked forward with as much anticipation as we have this new year.

So I’m happy to have a fresh new calendar to welcome 2021 with! For January, I did step out of my comfort zone and used an actual snowman image. It always seems weird to me to do much with snowmen or other winter scenes as…well, our idea of winter is about 76 degrees and partly cloudy…

This happy guy is from Snowman Season and he’s happy to be celebrating 2021 as well. Just a few swipes with the pool party blend and that adds just enough color to make him come alive.

I too am looking forward to 2021, but I keep remind myself to not put unreasonable expectations on the idea that just because 2020 is over we will be free from challenges. 2020 was a rough year for us, personally and collectively (as it was for everyone). And as I think back through the year I am so thankful for the constants I had in my life. My faith and my family sustained me through some dark times. And as I see this collective burst of anticipation for 2021, I just want to make sure that my focus is not on the year or the newness or any of the things that can change but that it remains on the constant that never changes: That my faith is my constant support and my family will be there for me no matter what the days on this new calendar brings. My wish is that we hold on these lessons from 2020 and they become the solid foundation for us in 2021.

I wish you the best of New Years and I’m hoping you can celebrate with those you love most (even if it is on FaceTime).

Head on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you for this new year!

Also! I have a handful of these completed calendars left. You will get a new image each month to brighten up your space. If your interested in one, contact me and we can work out the details!

Dec1

Christmas is HERE

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Normally, I am a decorate after Thanksgiving kind of person. I like to make sure EACH holiday (especially Thanksgiving) has it’s proper place and time. However, I have to say, I gave in to the kid’s requests to usher in Christmas a little early this year. So, we decorated a little early… You know. 2020. No rules right now…

I love Christmas time. I love the sights, smells, sounds. And, after the madness of this year, I enjoyed setting up the tree and decorating. And, for you, as you turn the calendar to Dec 1, you can use this little wreath to bring some Christmas to your space.

Do you remember this image? Painted Harvest. It makes fall flowers. BUT, it can also make a Christmas Wreath! Love the versatility. I used Mossy Meadow ink and stamped off to get the lighter image and did the straight ink for the darker. The stamparatus makes this task EASY AND FAST.

I hope you can truly take a moment to enjoy this season. The one thing that all this slow down has made me do was to take time and just BE with my family. Lets not lose that when we head into the Christmas season.

Also, as we look to 2021, I have the calendars available to you if you are interested! For $5, you will receive a PDF with cutting instructions and can make as many as you would like to make. But, please, refer others back here for the PDF as well. Your support helps me keep my business afloat. Just contact me and I can get back with you on how to get it.

Merry Christmas and go check out what Anne and Cheryl have for you today!

Sep1

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Oh, little rhino…. so cute and peaceful! This is wishing 2020 will settle down in the remaining months before it ends….

I just love this stamp set, Animal Outing. It has some of the cutest animals to include in your stamp collection. They are PERFECT for coloring with the blends (which, I might add, is a fabulous thing to do when you need to de-stress and unwind.)

Real Red provides the pop of color for the backdrop and the bird, which wakens up the sleepy rhino.

I hope you can start to ease into fall and find something to rest and relax in that provides a smile for you like the one on this rhino.

Pop on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have waiting for you!

Jul1

Summertime Flowers

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When I saw this stamp set, I KNEW it had to be on the calendar. My favorite part of it is (besides the fantastic flowers) IT IS ONLY 2 STAMPS!

This set is called Forever Lovely and it is a Distinktive Stamp Set (no, it’s not a typo, this is how it’s spelled). And, if you look close, you can see the gradations in the poppy ink. SU puts varying amounts of texture on the image itself to create these changes. So, you can get lots of variation out of ONE ink and stamp.

There is a small trick to helping this stamp better… The Stamparatus Deluxe Foam Mat makes a perfect stampin’ surface to help give it the cushion (like a red rubber stamp…has the foam) it needs to be able to contact the paper properly. I love this mat for all my general stamping… the you can wipe off the surface… it makes a perfect work mat.

Notice the enamel dots… I did not have black. BUT, you can color the surface with your blends to change the color. So, I grabbed whatever I had and colored away. It works perfectly.

I hope you are having a wonderful summer. It seems crazy to me that 2020 is half over (though, I must say, I am ready to MOVE ON).

Hop on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you today!

Jun1

Hedgehugging

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I’m hoping that we will be able to return to a time when we can be able to shake hands, share a smile, give a hug without being worried of infecting or being infected. I suppose that is coming in time. But, in the mean time, we can use this little hedge hog to give our hugs for us. This came from the stamp set Hedgehugs and it has just the CUTEST little hedge hogs (and skunks…who doesn’t love a cute skunk..??). (Sorry, the set is now retired).

This is the simplest page, and using a couple of markers and early espresso ink. But, it’s the simplicity that makes it nice… just like a smile. or hug.

So even though we have to smile at a distance, and send paper hugs, we can still do that to brighten another’s day. And, at this day and time, we need even more of that now than ever.

Check out what Anne and Cheryl have for you this month!

Apr1

Beautiful Promenade

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April, of course, makes me think of Easter, Spring, and all things pretty and pastel. Though I now live in the tropics, I still feel that sense of spring time coming and shaking off the cold dreariness of winter and making all things new and fresh.

And, that’s exactly what I wanted this flower to be! Something new and fresh. It’s the simple flower image from the stamp set, Beautiful Promenade.

I love the simplicty of the flower, and it gave me PERFECT opportunity to color with my blends. (I cannot tell you how much I enjoy coloring with these.) I decided to use the Hyland Heather and Purple Posey variations to create my lavenders in this flower.

Coloring is such a relaxing past time for me. And, I think it is a good one to occupy my time during this ‘extended at home staycation’. Speaking of, how’s everyone doing? Hope you are staying well. I must admit, I was a little worried (and still am) about being home for 5 weeks WITH littles, non stop… but, I am kind of enjoying it! (We’re only a week in…) But, we’ve been working on some projects as a family and it’s been GOOD. Productive.

Praying for your safety and continued wellness. Our thoughts, prayers, and gratitude are with our front line health care workers. I’m praying that we come out of this with a greater sense of care and understanding for those around us.

Stop by and see what Anne and Cheryl have done for you today!

Mar1

Happy Little Spring Piggy

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I am not sure what it is about pigs that makes them so cute, but…my, they are cute. Stampin Up’s This Little Pig set is no exception. When I saw this set and the pig dancing with the flower, I just KNEW it had to be part of my calendar.

The Stampin’ Blends make coloring this cute little piggy a BREEZE. I love that you can layer on the color to add intensity and depth. And, having two hues of the same color really helps to make the shading possible. I love the fact that the alcohol ink doesn’t leave the streaks that regular markers would either.

I’m happy to be welcoming spring with This Little Piggy celebration! Stop by Anne and Cheryl’s blogs to see how they’re welcoming March!