My Favorite Things Guest Designer Challenge - Pint Sized Perpetual Journal

Greetings friends!!  I'm here to show you my entry for this month's Guest Designer Challenge over at My Favorite Things Stamps.  This month we've been challenged to STAMP OUR HEART OUT.  And boy..did I EVER!!  (my fingers too!)  LOL!  

I have always loved journals and notebooks.  I buy them, put them on my shelves, and look at them.  I never use them!  I think I'm intimidated by the vast amount of blank space available.  So...after seeing this done similarly somewhere whilst browsing recently I have created a pint sized perpetual journal for my family.  It's not just for me.  Everyone loved the idea of participating in it!  Here's how it works.  There is a card for every day of the year.  Yes, I stamped a date onto 365 index cards.  But more about that in a minute.  Every month is separated by specialty dividers.  On any given day you pull out a card.  For example, this past Sunday's card read *Superbowl Sunday - Party At Auntie's* 2012.  And I tucked it back in.  Saturday's card read *Created pint sized perpetual journal for MFT*.  Make sense?  That way there's no massive commitment yet you get to look back and see what you did on that day last year, the year before, etc.  The first year is obviously the most "lackluster", if you will because you have to get it started but I'm really looking forward to next year to see the previous years activities!  

Ok so now that I've explained how it works here's how I made it.  I kept aside a nice, clean and dry pint container from the market.  I needed 180 - 4"x6" lined index cards.  I then cut those in half making 360 and then added a few for those months that are a bit longer.  You know the rule - 30 days has September, April, June and then November all the rest have 31...etc.

So I have 365 index cards measuring 3"x4".  I have a vintage style library stamp that I used the point of my Momento tear drop ink pad to meticulously ink only the month and day as the year was part of the stamp and I did not want that.  Stamp, flip date, ink, stamp.  Stamp, flip date, ink, stamp.  Did I mention there were 365 of them?  That was step one.  

I then needed to divide the months.  I decided that I wanted a color scheme of mainly Kraft, Red and Turquoise.  I know it's hot right now but it's one of my most favorite color combinations of all time.  So I decided that the dividers would be Kraft cardstock.  I pulled out the First Class Friends Stamp set and used the great small text stamp as the background for each divider.  I used my Fiskar's Stamp Press, Champagne colored Versamark ink and clear embossing powder.  Each card is 4.5" tall so it took about 3.5 times per card to stamp the script with the Versamark Ink.  I did three dividers at a time, then I'd sprinkle with embossing powder and heat set.  Then three more, etc until all twelve were done.

I then looked through all of my favorite MFT dies and decided to use my Rounded Banner Trio Die-namics for the tab dividers.  I cut them in alternating red and turquoise cardstock from SU!.  I used my Who's That Birthday Girl birthday numbers - and yes...I did it..I cut the flame off of the top of each of the numbers in order for them to suit my needs!!  I found I rarely used them so I wasn't that heartbroken to do so.  I then inked each number and stamped them to represent each month of the year. 

I adhered all pieces together and placed the month tabs, left justified, using a single bead of Glossy Accents.  I added a bit of zig zag stitching, and a felt heart to each month cut using my very favorite Hearts A Plenty Die-namics Die.

I then set to decorating every month's divider tab.  I sat and thought on this for a while.  I knew I wanted to use a different PI to represent each month respectively.  But I wanted to do something else...but didn't know what.  So I sat on it for a while...and thought.  While I thought I stamped and colored.  I stamped, colored and paper pieced twelve different Pure Innocence images.  

 And then it came to me.  The theme is STAMP YOUR HEART OUT.  So yes to stamping, yes to hearts, and...and...BINGO..yes to STAMPS!!  Postage stamps!! I wanted to make a faux line of commemorative Pure Innocence Stamps!!  So I pulled out my postage stamp die from the First Class Friends set and played around with different papers and textures.  I decided on corrugated cardboard which gets a wonderful texture once run through the die cutting machine.  So I cut 12 postage frames which I then sponged using a Ranger acrylic white paint dabber, I coated them in white embossing powder and heat set.  This step was mainly to get the paint dry faster but it added even more fabulous texture.  I cut 12 more frames and centers, this time in white.  But I only needed the center part.  I inked "First Class" in black ink and then overlayed it with the heart from the same First Class Friends inked with Momento ink in Red.  As a final touch to the "faux postage stamp" I added a bling circle to the stamped grouping on the right hand side of each stamp.  So now all twelve "stamps" have the same basic design elements.  

Now it was time to create a stamp for each month!!  FUN!!! 

I chose a stamp set to coordinate with each month as you will see below.  Each Pure Innocence Image is paper pieced in some way.  I used the same 4 or 5 paper packs revolving so that all colors, textures and designs for all twelve cards will be harmonious and happy!  =)  The 6x6 paper packs used are as follows:  MME - Love Me and Blush, Fancy Pants - Love Story, Basic Grey - Kissing Booth and LilyBeeDesigns - Head Over Heels.

We start here with the month of January.  My children for the first time ever have started skating lessons and they started in January so the perfect place to start was with PI - Ice Princess. 

She (like all images) is colored with Copics and her dress and tights are paper pieced.  Oh there's something about those tan skates that I just love SO much!

February brings you PI - I Love You This Big! 

His shirt, pants and tiny hands are all paper pieced.  His gorgeous heart is coated in a luscious layer of Glossy Accents.

For the month of March I have used the oh so sweet PI Daffodil.

I had a beautiful time coloring in her gorgeous flower and paper piecing her dress.

Since April showers always bring May flowers I decided to use PI - My Umbrella.

She is oh so darling with her paper pieced raincoat and umbrella as well as those sweet tiny hands and she is rocking her super shiny boots and umbrella thanks to another fabulous coat of Glossy Accents. 

We celebrate May for it's warm weather and fun days!  So I chose PI - Jump For Joy.

I have paper pieced her sweet dress, belt and collar.  I want a dress like that!!

There is nothing better on a June evening than heading to a local fair!!  It simply screams summer!  So for this month I chose PI Sweet Greetings.

I have paper pieced her top and leggings and given her cotton candy a fluffy coating of pink flock!!

For July there is nothing sweeter than this PI Water lily image! 

I have paper pieced her dress and flower and given her shoes a slick coat of Glossy Accents.  

What better way to visualize summer than with the delicious PI Make Mine A Double?!? =) 

I sooooooooooo want a dress in this pattern!!!  I have pieced her dress, ice cream cone and hand.  Using Glossy Accents I glazed up her delicious strawberry gelato!!  (It looks like gelato to me...don't ask me why!!?) 

September rings in the new school year so I, of course, reached for the adorable PI You Make The Grade.  

I pieced her skirt, sweater, collar, tiny hands (yes both left and right).  I also pieced the frame and stand on the chalk board and added a stitched felt heart for an added sweet touch.

Oh one of the most fun months...October!  I inked up PI Little Witch. 

Oh I love her SO much in these non-traditional colors for Halloween!!  I have paper pieced her tights, dress and hat.  I coated her broom in a thick layer of Crackle Accents, which is a bit hard to see in the photo but it looks super cool IRL!

November brings cool weather, pumpkin patch visits, sweaters and treats like delicious caramel apples!  So obviously I inked up PI - Caramel Apple. 

I pieced her sweater, pants, left hand and apple!  I coated the apple and her sweet blue shoes in Glossy Accents to make them super shiny!! 

And lastly, but not least, Christmas brings us beauty and sweetness with PI Holly Girl. 

Once again, her dress and sash are pieced.  I colored the holly berries with my red Sakura pen and then coated with Glossy Accents for some delicious extra shine as I also did with her pretty party shoes. 

Behind each "commemorative stamp" is coordinating papers from my variety of 6x6 packs.  I used different patterns stitched simply around the edge to make each image pop a bit. 

The back of these cards when placed in the pint container looked a bit...well...naked!  So I just went through the paper packs I'd used and pulled fun mix and match colors and patterns and simply covered the back of each month's divider card.  It looks SO pretty!! 

Here is a shot of the entire Pint Sized Perpetual Journal all wrapped up, hearts abound, colors displaying and everything is neat, tidy and waiting to be used!!  This would make a GORGEOUS gift and an idea that I'm going to be hanging onto for the future when I need something really special to give to a crafty friend.  But this one, my labor of stampy love, is for my family. 

Thanks so much for sticking with me for this long post!  It was truly a fabulous journey working with all of the gorgeous MFT products.  For me, creating things like this for my home and my family to have and cherish is literally the BEST feeling. 

Many Crafty Hugs!!
Meredith