Technique Calendar

It's still hard to believe another new year has started and we're more than a week into it! One of my favorite blogs that I follow is Ink Stains and Roni has a tradition to make a technique calendar each January. I only found her blog back in the early summer, so this is my first year making a calendar with her. She has all the directions and supply list on her site. I'll only list something here when I deviate from hers. I believe in using what you have on hand!

The January calendar page was so fun to make. The technique is taking kitchen aluminum foil and painting it with black gesso, then emobssing it and sanding the raised embossed areas to reveal the silver color underneath the black gesso. I don't have black gesso (though it's on my list to find!)and I did have TENseconds Studio black metal. It's my favorite metal any way! When you emboss with it through a Cuttlebug or similar, you need to put some tissue paper between the metal and the folder so the metal won't get cut. Once embossed, sand the metal to reveal the silver. Other than that I did pretty much what she shows. Glimmer Mist colors I used are Denim Blue, Blue Skies, Patina, and Riptide. I also used Pearl Perfect Pearls mist. For the icicles, she used Drippy Goo border which I dont have, so I used Martha Stewart's tree border and just turned it upside down. My glitter is Martha's also.

OH! I made little mats with clear photo corners for the little calendars so next year I can just change them out. I got my calendar template from Cat at Splitcoast.

February was equally as fun and nice inky technique I had never done. I made my first batch of floating stars in a Cuttlebug embossing package front just like Roni shows. I had no red re-inkers on hand except for Red Pepper and Cranberry Adirondack Alcohol inks. I wasn't sure if alcohol inks would work with Glossy Accents. I went and bought some just plain red from Office Depot because my local stamp store did not have any and Michaels did not have any reinkers at all. Making the glittery inky base, I was working from memory and after I made mine and looked at Roni's, I said "huh, mine is more solid in ink and not as much big chunky glitter. So of coarse I had to make another! LOL The 2nd version is the one on the calendar shown above. I made that batch on a flat piece of acetate and the glossy accents did not run off.

My first attempt is gorgeous I think but I wanted more open space for the calendar to see the vintage sheet music. My first piece I used on another project that I have made for Heartfelt Creations that you'll see later in the month. I used 3-4 drops of the Office Depot red reinker, 2-3 drops of the Red Pepper alcohol ink and 2-3 drops of the Cranberry Alcohol ink. I just can't remember if it was 2 or 3... but I really think it was 3 of each. I used 3 different Martha Stewart glitters. It probably took a half inch of the bottle of Glossy Accents, so make sure you have enough on hand before starting. Here is how it turned out... the pic does not do it justice... it's so glittery really:

For my 2nd batch, I used the flat acetate as opposed to a little tray package because I didnt have any more flat packaging. I only used Red Pepper alcohol ink. I used the 3 MS glitters, but I added Stampendous Gilded Fragments to give me a more chunky look. And as you can see, it yielded the more open space so the vintage sheet music shows better. The alcohol ink works wonderfully with the Glossy Accents! Just need a little... because alcohol ink spreads and goes a long way! I used Martha Stewart double heart border for my trim.

Roni over at Ink Stains has through May posted. I've had a lot of projects going on that you'll see later, so I'm happy I'm far along as February! LOL I'm making my calendars so they will go back to back and if you'll note the February chimney is on the left side of the house. You'll need to flip your houses if you make them back to back. You can do Jan/Feb, Mar/Apr, etc or do Jan/July, Feb/August, etc. or make each month single. I'm doing mine back to back so the calendar wont be so thick.

I'm entering the Feb. calendar over at Joan's Gardens Weekly Challenge #1. This is this week's recipe: Make a card and/or tag using some kind of hearts (It's an oversized tag really 4.5 x 6.5 inches & hearts in the house trim)
Use any kind of embellishments (thermometer vintage pics and all the glitter)
Use, pink or red with white (red glitter and white)
Do some kind of embossing (I embossed glitters to the acetate)


Be sure to check in tomorrow... I'll post my 2 year blogoversary candy tomorrow. And Wednesday is the new release day for Heartfelt Creations that you won't want to miss. Until then, happy stamping!