2022 Calendar

It's Tuesday so it's my day to share a project created for Topflight Stamps. This week my teammates and I are celebrating the new year and/or new beginnings. I decided to make a calendar card. It was created with the appropriately named New Beginnings Unmounted Rubber Stamp #578 by Crafty Individuals, which features a wonderful hatching baby dragon. I also used the Mystic Swirl Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps to make the background paper with Confetti and Della Blue Elements Inks by Lavinia Stamps.

Here's the card which will stand on its own and fit into an A7 envelope.

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

New Beginnings Unmounted Rubber Stamp #578 by Crafty Individuals

Mystic Swirl Clear Polymer Stamp by Lavinia Stamps

Confetti and Della Blue Elements Inks by Lavinia Stamps

2" Speedball Brayer

Other Products Used:

140 lb. Mixed Media Cardstock by Strathmore®

Cryogen White Curious Metallics Cardstock by Arjowiggins

Commodore Blue Cardstock by My Colors

Crocodile Textured Specialty Paper by FiberMark*

Tuxedo Black Memento™ Ink by Tsukineko®

Copic® Markers:

   Dragon's Body: B60, B63, B66, RV52, RV63, RV91, RV93, V000, V01, V22, V91, V93

   Dragon's Wings: V000, V01, V91, V93, BV20

   Dragon's Talons, Spikes, and Horns: RV63, RV91, V91, Y11, Y13, Y15, Y19

   Dragon's Eyes: BG45, BG49, Y13

   Dragon's Shell: BVe1, BV34, N1, N3, N5, Y000

   Inside of Shell: BV23, BV34, N1, N3, N5, Y000

   Rocks: BG000, BG90, BG93, E41, E42

   Sky: BG0000, B0000, <B21, <B41, BV0000, RV0000, V0000, Y0000, C0, C00

Stamping Platform

Sookwang Tape

Gold Staples

2022 Tear Off Calendar: Taylored Expressions or Vippies.com

Stamping Platform

Big Shot or other Die Cutting Machine

Instructions:

1. Cut a piece of 12x12 blue cardstock to create two 7" x 5.5" pieces.
2. Score both pieces lengthwise at .5" and 5".
3. Pinch the middle of one piece then mountain fold to form the front panel.
4. Pinch the middle of the other piece then valley fold to form the back panel.
5. Set aside.
6. Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink to stamp the New Beginnings Dragon image onto a piece of Cryogen White cardstock. This cardstock is sparkly and when you use Copic markers to color and image, the image gets sparkly. It also makes plain ordinary dye ink sparkle. See the close-up photo below which shows a bit of the sparkle.
7. Cut a piece of blue cardstock slightly larger than the image panel and use it to mat the image panel.
8. Cut a piece of blue cardstock slightly larger than the calendar.
9. Adhere the calendar to the cardstock and then use gold staples to secure it.
10. Set the matted image panel and the calendar aside to work on a background panel.
11. Smoosh Confetti and Della Blue Elements Inks onto a craft mat, spritz the inks with water, then dip a 4.25" x 6.75" piece of mixed media cardstock into the puddles until happy with the coverage and blending.
12. While the cardstock is still wet, use a 2" Speedball Brayer to apply Della Blue Elements Ink to a the shiny side of a piece of crocodile textured specialty paper.
13. Immediately place the wet inked cardstock ink-side down onto the inked textured paper.
14.  Place those two pieces of inked mixed media cardstock and inked specialty cardstock atop the platform of a Big Shot.
15. Add both cutting plates over the inked paper combo, then crank the sandwich through the machine a few times to transfer the crocodile pattern to the inked paper. 
16. Remove the papers from the Big Shot and dry the platform with a paper towel.
17. Heat set the newly patterned and inked mixed media cardstock.
18. Wipe the ink off the specialty paper and set aside to dry.
19. Place the dried patterned and inked mixed media cardstock onto the platform of the Big Shot, top with the two cutting plates, and some scrap cardstock, and crank the sandwich through the Big Shot a few times to flatten the background panel.
20. Use magnets to secure the flattened background panel to the base of a stamping platform.
21. Place the Mystic Swirl Clear Polymer Stamp facedown on the upper left of the background panel.
22. Press the platform's lid onto the back of the stamp, lift, and ink the stamp with Della Blue Elements ink. 
23. Re-ink the stamp and stamp again if necessary to attain a good impression.
24. Keeping the stamp in place, flip the background panel 180°, and secure with magnets.
25. Re-ink the stamp with Della Blue Elements ink and stamp. Again, re-ink and stamp if necessary.
26. Use Della Blue Elements ink to edge the background panel.
27. Adhere the image panel and the calendar as shown.
28. Adhere the card front to the mountain folded front card base.
29. The two folded sides of the card front will cover the two folded sides of the card back.
30. Add tape to the inside of the left side of the card front and the outside of the left side of the card back.
31. Remove the tape liners, align the sides, and press.
32. Repeat Steps #30 and #31 for the right side of the card.

Notes:

• My card is a bit wobbly, so I think that next time, I'll make the sides wider by not trimming the 7" x 6" panels. Stay tuned! 

Here's the close-up of the colored image. I had to really tilt it so the camera would catch the shimmer. 

Thanks for visiting and Happy New Year!