January 21, 2011

Last Year's Calendar...

Every year, i get a new calendar for my desk. I like them to be fairly small, but easy to reference at a glance. If they happen to be beautiful and inspiring, well, i love them even more. When i spotted this flip-open calendar by Cavallini & Co. at my local Borders bookstore,
i had to have it.
The prints are hand-colored from the 18th and 19th centuries and had a wonderful Audubon-esque feeling about them. For 12 months, i have adored each of the images. But then December came, and i just didn't have the heart to toss these beauties into the recycle bin..so i held onto it. Then yesterday...ding! An idea...
So, i tore all the pages off the sprial binding:
got out my ruler, xacto knife, some card stock paper, and a few different shades of red/pink/maroon construction paper:
and cut out the bird image(s) with my pinking shears. On this one i used my xacto to make a single slit on the front edge of the nest:
Then cut out some hearts in all different colors, shapes and sizes—
glued the bird image to the card stock paper, put a dab of glue on the back of the heart cut-outs and inserted them into the slit on the front to make them look like they're in the nest:and voila! Valentines.Some birds didn't have nests so i had to get a little creative..Next year...Already seeing lots of potential for that elephant's trunk!
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32 comments:

  1. AllisonJanuary 21, 2011 at 12:58 PM

    What an absolutely adorable idea! I love it :)

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  2. JewelJanuary 21, 2011 at 1:11 PM

    So stinkin' cute!

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  3. Tina in BostonJanuary 21, 2011 at 1:35 PM

    Kate, you are so clever. Great idea! I love the Cavallini calendars, too. I have fruits and vegetables. I'll have to think about what I can do with those... Thanksgiving, perhaps!

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  4. PattiJanuary 21, 2011 at 1:50 PM

    These are beautiful. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  5. Liesl GibsonJanuary 21, 2011 at 2:03 PM

    So cute!

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  6. AmyJanuary 21, 2011 at 2:33 PM

    These are awesome! I am have having a Valentine's card swap on my blog. I going to link back to this post as a great idea.

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  7. SherriJanuary 21, 2011 at 4:15 PM

    So beautiful...I love them!

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  8. AnneMarieJanuary 21, 2011 at 4:39 PM

    Oh wow! Super cute!

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  9. Cheryl ArkisonJanuary 21, 2011 at 6:17 PM

    I love that company's calendars. I've used them many times, many years.

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  10. MelissaJanuary 21, 2011 at 7:07 PM

    Every year I have to get my mom the Cavallini Wall calendar. Oh she raves on their flowers and how she is going to mat and frame some of them. 3 years now and no prints up..lol. Yes, I have had to go to great lengths to get those...and oooo the corners must be perfect, etc. Those are really special and I agree, their artwork is very nice.

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  11. Kate S.January 21, 2011 at 7:23 PM

    These are so cute! I love all the places you found to stick the hearts :)

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  12. AnnJanuary 21, 2011 at 7:29 PM

    You are just too amazing. You are lucky to have the creative talent plus the physical skills to make things look just perfect.

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  13. KaramatJanuary 21, 2011 at 11:12 PM

    Wow!! Could those birds be any cuter?!?

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  14. ThimbleannaJanuary 22, 2011 at 12:35 AM

    You're so cute! Those little birds with the hearts are adorable but I can't wait to see what next year will bring -- that's quite a challenge!

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  15. BritaJanuary 22, 2011 at 10:16 AM

    Lucky recipients! Thanks for sharing, what a cool idea.

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  16. KasualkatJanuary 22, 2011 at 1:48 PM

    What a great idea!
    I am visualizing a heart sitting at the end of the elelphan'ts trunk and one tied to the tail for next year.

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  17. lissaJanuary 22, 2011 at 5:50 PM

    Kate,
    That is so clever. What is it about red hearts that make everything so wonderful?

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  18. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2011 at 5:48 PM

    I love your Valentine cards! And a HUGE thanks for the parcel you sent me through Thimbleanna. It is just gorgeous and arrived on Christmas Eve.....not that I have had time to blog about it and have been really slack in saying thanks but summer holidays are almost over and I will be home and organised (?) again so there will be a parcel from Australia coming your way soon....

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  19. michelle hJanuary 23, 2011 at 9:34 PM

    wow!! Wonderful idea!!! Those calendars are gorgeous...I must have missed them somehow!! I love what you did with them...passing on the love. Awesome.
    Michelle

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  20. Shirley PandoJanuary 24, 2011 at 2:24 PM

    I love what you did with that calendar! I love birds, nests and eggs! TFS

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  21. EileenJanuary 24, 2011 at 11:20 PM

    So cute! This is fabulous, I'm crazy about this! Now I want to pink everything and add a heart! :)

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  22. Naturally CarolJanuary 25, 2011 at 6:02 AM

    Ha! Ha!...I love the bird with the heart under his wing...delightful!

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  23. SewBella’s Quilt CartJanuary 26, 2011 at 9:35 AM

    You are so creative, does your mind ever rest?
    I love what you did with your birds.

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  24. HeidiJanuary 27, 2011 at 5:06 PM

    So *sweet*!

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  25. LorrieJanuary 27, 2011 at 5:25 PM

    I love this - I came over from Charlotte's blog.

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  26. Geralyn GrayJanuary 27, 2011 at 5:47 PM

    This is really great.....my calender is from Papaya and I was going to make cards with it.....but, this is adorable with the hearts for Valentine's Day.

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  27. SarahJanuary 27, 2011 at 10:39 PM

    What adorable valentine cards. I wish I were on your list. ;-)
    I've had these calendars in the past, but didn't see this one. I always save them. Can't think of tossing these images away. I need to pull out my old ones and see what I have to work with. Thanks for sharing this creative idea. I popped over from Charlotte's blog, and I'm now following you.~
    ~ Sarah

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  28. Linda JoJanuary 28, 2011 at 1:14 PM

    Love it!!!!!!!!!!

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  29. jackieJanuary 29, 2011 at 11:42 AM

    Love your creative idea! Thanks for sharing........

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  30. AnonymousFebruary 2, 2011 at 9:38 AM

    Too sweet! Great ideas! Thanks for sharing

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  31. The Junque SeekerFebruary 6, 2011 at 8:30 PM

    Really cute! I love this idea

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  32. Stephanie RyanFebruary 7, 2011 at 2:56 PM

    Great idea! I love the new look of your blog. I love yellow and gray together!

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