A Book of Months – 2017 (January)

8 years ago

Happy New Year! It’s time for a new year and I’ve decided to try to do an art challenge in place of the Tim Holtz 12 tags challenge. It was unfortunate news yesterday when we got word that Tim Holtz will be changing gears and seeking new ways to challenge, inspire, and teach us new techniques. While I’m excited to see what’s in store from him, I was bummed to see the 12 Tags Challenge be retired. So I’ve placed a challenge on myself (maybe some of you will join me in that challenge….) that I will do a monthly layout that would fit in my scrapbooks.

Right about New Year I was thinking of starting a different kind of scrapbook for myself – one driven by small every day moments. Those are the ones that kind of go by the wayside in my big scrapbooks yet I have a million photos on my phone. So I ordered page protectors that come with pockets that are sizes 4x6 and 3x4. I created some journaling cards to go in the 3x4 slots using the Tim Holtz notebook stamp. Throughout the month I will take a couple snapshots that will go in the 4x6 slots. Just a book of simple day-to-day snapshots and moments recorded. To make it manageable I decided to work month by month so I stamped all of the January notecards.

And, then after the news yesterday I decided to make a month page to go with it – one that is at the beginning of every month kind of like I would do for the 12 tags challenge. There is no plan for what the page is other than it will have something to do with the theme of the month (i.e. February – Valentine’s Day) and can be inspired by another project I saw or a technique I wanted to try.

January’s page is an ode to time – it just keeps going but the beginning of the month is always a bit glitzy and glamorous. And, I added the post card as the book will be my postcards for the every day. I was inspired by this project from the one on Simon Says Stamp by Emma Williams. The project forced me to try out my Distress Crayons (there’s a picture of the chipboard and Distress Crayon background) and several die cuts that I haven’t yet used even though I’ve had them for a while (Dapper, Gadget Gears, and Weathered Clock). The project only had one art disaster when my antiqued bronze dauber decided to explode all over everything on my craft table and my sweatshirt. Luckily, however, not the floor.

I know this sounds like a big project but I’m going to do my best to keep up with it. So, here’s to January!

Items used in this project

• Paper: Core’dinations (Black Soot, Antique Linen TH Paper Stash (Dapper); Maja Design (I Wish – those memories will last); Bo Bunny Double Dot (Wine); Carta Bella (Old World Traveler); Tim Holtz Metallic Collection (Bronze and Gold); Prima Engraver Collection (Arcade)
• Embellishments: Prima Finnabair Mechanicals (Steampunk Gears, Rustic Washers, Rustic Gears, Mini Hardware, Sunrise Sunset Brads); Tim Holtz Ideaology (Mini Gears, Gadget Gears, Hex Fasteners, Long Fasteners, Fluted Fasteners, Nail Heads, Cabinet Card Frames, Deco Sheets)
• Ink/Pigments/Paint/Gesso: Tim Holtz Distress Ink (Gathered Twigs); Tim Holtz Distress Crayons (Victorian Velvet, Walnut Stain, Pumice Stone, Antique Linen); Tim Holtz Distress Paint (Walnut Stain, Aged Mahogany, Ground Espresso, Hickory Smoke, Cracked Pistachio, Black Soot, White Picket Fence, Antique Linen, Tarnished Brass, Brushed Pewter, Antiqued Bronze); Distress Crackle Paint (Clear Rock Candy); Dina Wakley White Gesso
• Die Cuts: Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits (Stitched Rectangles); Sizzix Tim Holtz Bigz (Weathered Clock, Gadget Gears, Dapper)
• Stencil: Tim Holtz Layering Stencil (Numeric)