How to...Calendar Pages

The other day I showed this picture as my Photo of the Day and there was some confusion as to how this calendar was used.  I think my love of post-it notes is legendary, but this is not a Post-It Note calendar.  This is something that I make.

The spiral book is one of the larger sketch books that are almost always on sale at Borders or Barnes and Noble book stores.  I have a love of paper, too, so blank sketch books are an immediate draw!  I had had this book for a few years before I finally found a use for it.  I shouldn't have purchased it before I knew what to do with it, but now that I've made this calendar (since January of 2009) I feel a lot better about the purchase. 

I use the 2" square post-its and lay out 5 weeks, plus some spaces on the top and sides for doodles, phone numbers and the days of the week. 

The past few months I've been using rubber stamps to fill in around the post-its.  The squares are really just place holders for the calendar days. 

I just recently purchased a date stamp.  It's the kind that has the little dials on it so you can change the dates.  I thought it might make an interesting design.  It took longer than I had anticipated to fill in all the blank spaces, but I like it. 

Oh and after much searching, I finally found the post I did in 2009 about the calendar I was making that day.    I really like how the pages have evolved over the two years. 

I usually make just two months at a time, that way I can look ahead and write down events, but I don't want to make them too far ahead because I enjoy thinking about what I'm going to do next.

Have a great day and for all of you experiencing some of that snowy white stuff...Stay warm!
Kristin

POTD - Calendar Page

POTD - Calendar Page

©2011 Kristin Corlett

I spent Sunday afternoon enjoying some time to myself not to mention a whole lotta sunshine and warm air coming through the windows.  I  recorded about 6 hours of 80s videos on my DVR so it was the perfect time to listen to the music while I cleaned a bit and swapped a load of laundry or two.   I made calendar pages for March and April, too.  I realized the my experiment in Jan 2009 (to make my own calendar pages instead of buying a big calendar) was no longer an experiment.  I've now done it for two years.  I don't fill up the pages as beautifully as TracyU does (you have to see her calendar journals) but I like making mine.

This photo is of the beginning stages of the page.  I have laid out the post-its (already used post its from the month previous) and will now stamp or decorate around each of them.  I have been searching to try to find my previous posts on my calendar pages, but I can't seem to find them.   I tried the little search up in the left hand corner.  It isn't doing a very good job for me.  I'll find them some other time.

No blog post yesterday, so this is kind of making up for that :)

Enjoy!
Kristin

Monthly Calendar

It occurred to me that I hadn't updated my calendar making at all this year.  In January I talked about the calendar I had decided to make this year - here.  After looking at that page, I realize that I've gotten a bit better at doing these.  I didn't want to make the entire year right away, so I make the next month usually around the 15th of the current month.

 

Yesterday, I started October's calendar.  The sketch pad I use is quite large -- 14 X 11.  Opened up it's 14 x 22 of usable space.  I finally bought some 2" square post-its, which fit perfectly on the pages.  Each month has a different layout, so where there is extra room I add in diamonds, rectangles or triangles to use as note taking areas.

I've laid out the calendar grid for October and have used my stamp pads and stamped over the top of the post-its.  I used some autumny colors.  I know I should have said a fall pallette, but I like autumny :)

When everything is covered sufficiently...

Peel off the post-its to reveal the squares.  (I save the post-its to use again - I've been able to use them for about three months worth of calendars)  Doesn't that look cool?  It takes very little creativity to make these calendar pages, but of course, you can get as creative as possible.  I choose to doodle and add stickers and what not as the month progresses.

I don't number the squares in order, because I learned years and years ago, that I always miss a number.  So I go down the page, looking at another calendar for reference and write in the number, checking to make sure I've got it correct for each number.  This way I don't have to use a lot of white out :)

I do add in the month, the days of the week and the dates in each square.  I add in the activities that I know are going to happen and that's it!

I've really enjoyed making this calendar.  It's been a nice creative outlet (it takes about 15 minutes) and I'm able to get ink on all of my fingers, usually a forearm or two and if I didn't drop one of the stamp pads on the floor (ink side down) then it wouldn't be a craft project!  I do keep a wet papertowel next to my work surface and I have tile floors, so the ink comes right up.

I'm leaving in a two hours to go gather my husband from the airport.  He's in Atlanta right now waiting for his flight to Jacksonville.  He hasn't had much time to talk to me since he's been gone, so I'm looking forward to find out how it all went and how his family is doing.  I think we may even go out to dinner :)  hmmmm, what to eat?

I hope you have a great day!
Kristin

WFMW - Post-It Pockets

It's another Works For Me Wednesday. This is a blog carnival where hundreds of folks gather to share their tips for better living.

It can be tips about kids, meals, laundry, or the best place to stay when you go to Memphis. You just never know what fantastic tips you will find. So when you finish reading my fabulous tip, please go visit all the other folks at the new host for WFMW -We Are THAT Family.

These pocket Post-its are great. There are three sizes in this package. I got three sets the other day at OfficeDepot @ 3 for $20. They aren't cheap. However, they have the removable sticky back adhesive just like command strips on those removable hangers. (I'm going to take a few of the pockets over to my rental condos for their fridges)
There are two sticky backed strips on the back of each envelope and the envelopes themselves are a flexible thin plastic.
The side of our fridge is where we keep all of my husband's schedules for his doctors appointments and other assorted medical stuff. If I filed it anywhere it would get lost, guaranteed. So it needs to be in plain sight and reached easily. These Post-It Pockets are really great!


This is my calendar that I made. I cannot for the life of me get the day straight - so I made a Post-It that says TODAY on it... and point it at the correct day. I now routinely go into the kitchen and move the post-it each morning. I always know what day it is. Why am I telling you this??

Because I saw that as I was flipping to the front of my homemade calendar where I have placed the post-it pocket that holds the receipts or coupons that I want to keep track of. I thought I'd add in the "today" post-it as a bonus.

Pocket Post-Its work for me!

Have a fabulous day!
Kristin

PDFs for MACs and Calendars.

I just found this today and have already used it twice - I love it!! If you own a MAC, then you should know about this...It is SO easy!

How can I turn a web page into a PDF? Just Ask Dave Taylor!

Then here's the other stuff I wanted to tell you about...

Calendars!

Have you been thinking about getting a little calendar for your table, or child's room? Here are some really cute free printables.

Zakka Life - miniature community calendar There are twelve little scenes that when put together look like a little community with trees and houses and a Ferris Wheel.

From the Canon website... It's a cow. (I copied off just the first page and put the cow on my bulletin board.) At the bottom of the page are a few other styles, too. But I like the cow best. It prints on 7 pages and is real easy to cut out and tape together.

Schlosser Designs had this as their tutorial for Tuesday - Hexagon Happy. (this is on the side of my fridge right now.) There are two calendars on each 8x11 page. One is is more muted tones and the other has brighter colors. So you can give one to a friend!


I was totally inspired by this persons journal on Flickr - TracyU

Go take a look.

Click on all of the months, go ahead, I'll wait.

I have this large spiral sketch book that has been in my office for a few years, unused, untouched. I usually just look at it and sigh. I WANT to use it!

I've been looking for a calendar for the kitchen for over a month. Nothing clicked. I didn't want anything that I saw. Some were too big to fit on the fridge, others were just too small to write on. Some were so cutesy that I just couldn't look at it all year. So I decided two days ago to use that sketch book, even though it is giant. It's 14 x 11. I think the journal that TracyU uses is 8 x 11. She uses 2" post-its , but all I had were the 3" square ones. So I had to modify Wednesdays. I'll get smaller post-its for next month if this works out for us.

So here is my attempt to make a TracyU inspired calendar.



This is the completed page. Well, sort of - the page will get filled in and will have more fun stuff added - so I guess I should say, this is the beginning of the January calendar.



I placed Post-its on the page, then used just two of my stamp pads and marked all of the white space around each post-it. Since I had used such large post-its, I didn't have enough space for Jan 1,2 & 3 - so I used post-it page markers for those dates. If this works out (and I hope it does), then I'll get smaller post-its so they will all fit on the two pages.

On this last photo you can click on it to give you a larger version.


I'm excited to see if this calendar works for us. It doesn't fit on the fridge, obviously, but it does fit on the countertop that I cleaned off a few weeks ago. That countertop is near the phone, the pen cup (sharpies, too) the post-its and other assorted note taking items. It might just be perfect.

I'll let you know.

So, there's a little random stuff for you today. Enjoy!!

Kristin