New Year, New Calendar Book!

Happy New Year Everyone!

I meant to do a profound post about the ending of 2011, and new beginnings for 2012.

Truth is, 2011 was not my favorite year. 

I had two dear friends pass away last year (Angela and Ruth, both my age!) and my last remaining grandmother. 

It was a year of a lot of lows and recovery periods and bleh....

In honor of Angela and Ruth, I am choosing to move FORWARD. 

They would both smack me upside the head and tell me to do just that. (I love my feisty friends).

So here you go... my New Handmade 2012 Calendar Book!

I always make my own calendar book. While I love store-bought versions, they never seem to have everything I want.. the pages are not laid out right, or the size is off, or they are too fancy...

I tried to use the fancy computer calendar on my smart phone, but it just frustrated me. Some things just work better with pen and paper, ya know?

My calendar book is really also a journal of our days, how we spent our time, recorded in short phrases, etc. They get stored with our photo albums and ephemera after the year passes. 

Here is my well-worn and loved 2011 calendar book, the cover made from a Matisse print.

The 2012 cover was cut from a painting that I did last year on some poster board... 

an abstract version of a map of our farm.  

I added a cover page of neon pink (the pink is a requirement) card stock 

and a lined page for notes and such.

All bound together using a simple binding...

...Clamped and ready to bind..

The calendar pages are blank calendar pages printed from PrintablePaper.net. 

I used some stamps my Eve carved for me for a Christmas gift 

and added silver number stickers, so I don't forget what the year is (grin). 

I then added some lined clear packing tape to strengthen the edges (I am hard on things) 

and the spine... (also to cover and protect the binding threads)

...and then laminated the entire cover using regular clear packing tape. 

(a trick I learned from Teesha Moore)

You can see the light reflected off the tape in this photo. 

I added the months and dates to each page, then went thorough 

and added important dates to each month (birthdays, holidays, etc.) 

Some months get very scribbly and messy, but that is OK. Life is scribbly and messy.

Voila! All ready to go!

It is sized to fit right inside my current journal of insanity, my manifesto of dreams and ideas...

Which is also a new manifesto for 2012. More on that later (that's another post entirely)...

Ezmaralda approves...

Happy NewYear, and friends? PLEASE, no more dying off on me. seriously.