Gift Idea Tuesday plus a challenge

Good Morning to you!

It is time for another Gift Idea Tuesday and today I made Calendars! Do you realize that Christmas is 5 1/2 months away?! Not that far away so I figured I better start coming up with Christmas Gifts. I decided that Clearly Digi Stamps has so many cute digital images that would look terrific on a calendar that someone would be getting a calendar this year! Well, now that I got making them I think I'm keeping them...ssshhh don't tell anyone! 

I went to the store and bought a 12 x 12 and 8 x 8 blank calendar. I also bought the number stickers to fit in the little boxes.

First I started with the traditional 12 x 12 Calendar and treated it like a scrapbook page. I used this sketch from my friend, Melissa W. See her sketches at her gallery on scrapbook.com or her new challenge blog, Simple Sketches.

 

I used  Snowman Wishes Digital Image

When I started out with wanting to make a calendar it was going to be a Christmas gift for some lucky family member. But when I started looking for photos I didn't have any that would work. I realized how neglectful I have been in taking photos. So that got me thinking....I will make it without photos and challenge my self to take photos that can fit into the layout. That way I will take more photos and have a scrapbook page done when that month is over. My plan is to cut that page off and stick it in an album when that month is over!

I also wanted to show that you can make a calendar without photos. If you can make a card you can make a calendar! I took this card sketch from My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club Challenge 130 (MFTWSC130) and used it as my inspiration for the calendar page....it's just a big card front!

I think I'm keeping the 8 x 8 for me to take to work next year! Much better then the free ones you get in the mail!

I also made a card to show you how a card sketch can work for the calendar and a card! I just used the scraps left over from the calendar page so it worked out perfectly! Now I have one card done for Christmas too!

Now, you want to know where the challenge is in this, right?  

We are going to challenge each other 

to make and complete a calendar by September.  

I figured we can do 3 pages in 3 weeks....surely we can! For every page you enter during those 3 weeks (up to 3 entries) you will be entered into a drawing for a $5.00 gift code for digital stamps at Clearly Digi Stamps. Then in September we should have a completed calendar! There will be a grand prize!! Anyone who completes a whole calendar (12 pages) will be entered into a drawing to win 1/2 the amount of Clearly Digi Stamps that you used on your calendar. So if you use 12 Clearly Digi Stamps to make the calendar you will win 6 Clearly Digi Stamps of your choice!! You don't have to use CDS images to enter but it will get you more CDS stamps if you win the Grand Prize.

CHALLENGE: 3 calendar pages any size (with or without pictures)

Time: July 2 @ 10 am - July 23 @ 11 pm (Central Time)

Prize: $5 gift code to Clearly Digi Stamps for digital stamps.

Winner will be announced on July 24th @ 10 am (central time) 

* You don't have to make the pages in order. So start out with any month that you have inspiration for!

 CHALLENGE RULES:

• You may use digis or stamps from any company on your challenge entry. Or no stamps at all but you must meet the requirement of the challenge.
• If you use a CDS image then you will be entered twice into the drawing.
• You may enter the Calendar challenge up to 3 times per post.
• Please, no back posting. Your challenge entry needs to be a new creation.
• Must link directly to your post that contains your entry.
• We also ask that you link back to Clearly iStamp.
• Any submission that does not fit the challenge rules will be eliminated from winning the prize and removed from the challenge.

Please link directly to your project using Mister Linky down below.