Remember the "Countdown Calendar" I'd started last week? I finished it just yesterday. As a reminder, here's how I started: (Warning -- LOTS of pictures ahead!)
And here is the finished product:
I've gotta say I'm THRILLED with how it turned out! The hardest part of the whole thing was tying the bow on top, because it was a chunky ribbon.
I'd wanted to use a satin ribbon, but besides the fact that the store didn't have the color I needed in satin, the lady in the flower dept. told me that satin ribbon tends to come loose very easily. She said the grosgrain would stay tied much better, so that's what I opted for. Just to be sure, the bow has glue dots all over the place to hold it. I'm not tying that sucker again! One more note about the bow: Because I didn't want the ribbon ends (the part you pull to untie it) hanging down in front of the drawers, I used one of them to wrap around the center knot, giving it a nice flat look. I then trimmed off the ribbon end on the other side short enough that it hides in the loop. Here's the side angle:
I'd planned to do a ribbon that was a darker green to look a little more Christmasy, but the darker tones didn't match my papers as well. Tim assured me that the lighter color looked fine, so I'm taking his word for it.
Here are some closer looks at the different drawers:
It doesn't show up too well in the photo, but I rubbed Ice Stickles all over the blue paper behind the penguin, so it's sparkly like, well... ice.
On drawer 9 I have a ribbon handle that arcs out, which you can't see in this picture. You can pull on that to open the drawer easily.
Drawer 12 is perhaps my favorite drawer (close in running to drawer 18) because of how it came together. Although the calendar kit came with a sheet of number stickers, I wanted to mix it up and use different kinds of numbers. In looking all through my supplies, I came across some clear number stamps in a Martha Stewart set. Although I've had bad luck with them before (and did again this time!) I used them anyway. The numbers are "negatives" in a circle -- meaning the circle is what picks up the color, not the number. After stamping with all kinds of inks to get a good impression, I settled on this attempt using Fresco chalk ink. I cut out the circles, but was still bothered by how the ink was uneven. Since I was surrounded by different supplies, I spotted my Spica clear glitter pen and thought that would help, and I think it did! The shine on the circles made me think a little of ornaments, so I decided that that's what they'd be. I ran upstairs and got some real Christmas tree hooks and snipped them a little shorter. Then I found some silver metallic cardstock and free-handed the toppers. And the moment of serendipity came when I went to attach the ornaments to the drawer, and realized that the paper pattern was pine trees. (I was pretty dang pleased with myself at that moment!) Moving on:
I had kind of a busy pattern for drawer 20 and couldn't decide on an embellishment. After trying several ideas I happened to look up and spot our
Icicle stamp on the shelf. While our stamp was too large for this treatment, it gave me the idea at least, so I free-handed some icicles on white cardstock, then again covered them with clear Stickles to make 'em sparkle. I'm happy with the result.
As mentioned before, I'm also quite pleased with drawer 18. In putting this calendar together, you wouldn't believe all the supplies I found that were pushed back in drawers or filed away -- many of them never used. This snowman was one of those things. He's part of a Cuttlebug die set. When I cut him out, I didn't have a specific place for him to go -- and then I realized that he was in the shape of an "8" (a little top-heavy, but then so am I, and I've come to terms with it and so should he!). I decided to use him for drawer 18, so I needed a "1" to go with him. I thought of a candy cane, so once again I cut out what I thought was a proper candy cane shape, then colored some stripes on with a marker. The little snow cap was a 3-D sticker that came with a polar bear sticker set. (Sadly, the polar bears were all too big to use.) Now I know you might not immediately see that it's supposed to be an "18" ... but when sandwiched between the "17" and "19" ... I think you can figure it out. :) Hang in there, we're almost done:
Here's the bottom row. I used the Hambo
Mittens on drawer 23. I'd intended to use more Hambo stamps on the calendar, but most were too big, and though I considered using Shrinky Dinks with them, I ended up going with alternate embellishments in the end.
Here's a quick rundown of some of the supplies I used: stickers, buttons, eyelets, brads, chipboard, pearls, gems, rinestones, Crop-a-Dile, Cuttlebug, yarn, wire, ribbon, Stickles, paper, chalk ink, glitter pen, white gel pen, clear stamps, rubber stamps, silk flower, paper-piercer, scissors, glue, glue dots, Copic markers, dimensionals, Christmas hangers, and probably much more! And one of the best things about this is that I finally used some of my supplies that had been neglected. Now I don't feel so guilty! LOL
Thanks for stopping by and humoring me as I gushed over this project! It's just that this is so different than anything I've done, and FAR outside what I thought was my comfort zone. Boy was I wrong! This was a TON of fun, and if you have any inkling to try making one yourself, I encourage you to go for it!!
Have a great Monday!!
