Perpetual Calendar - Birthday Box organizer...

Today is all about keeping track of birthdays, and looking pretty doing it :) I LOVE this Willoughby paper collection. I really have a hard time cutting into it because it is so pretty...


... yeah, I know... we've already gone over the whole ribbon & paper hoarding issues I have :) But I overcame my fear of the paper trimmer and started slicing...


I started with the nekkid recipe box that TAC carries. It is shipped flat, which means it is oh-so-much easier to cover with paper prior to gluing the box together! I painted a bit of Glimmer Mist over all of the chipboard edges for a touch of shimmer... you can't see it in the photos, but it is LOVELY :)


I glued all of my paper down, assembled the box, and realized that I REALLY didn't want to cover up the beautimousness that is Willoughby, especially the paper on the lid (yummy!!). So I concentrated on a small, but detailed, element in the corner. It is such an elegant "grown up" paper, which is perfect for this box since it will be sitting out in plain view... that I'm treating this box almost as a decor element.


I wanted the corner element to be elegant with a touch of whimsy... afterall, birthdays are supposed to be fun! So I dug into my old retired stamps again and found these balloons. How cool are they?! Yes, I know... very :) I stamped the frame image and pieced the balloons after coloring with a couple of Copics. I covered them in Crystal Laquer for a little oomphffff. I also paper pieced portions of the frame to add more color against the kraft paper.


Finish it off with some sheer ribbon, Scrapper's Floss, and pop dots and you're done!


The inside is pretty plain-jane. I stamped the months on the tabs, and added strips of the paper and coordinating cardstocks to the front of the dividers. They looked pretty blah, so I started adding small images & sentiments for some of the monthly holidays. My favorite one is for August with the little sailboat, sun and big wave, and of course October for celebrating the best holiday EVER!


Stamps: Another Year (retired), Birthday Wishes, All Season Swirls (Hostess Level C), Edge Designs (wave), "Halloween" (current GWP), Spooky Swirls (retiring this month!), Trendy Greetings, Calendar set (retired),

Paper: Willoughby SWIC & Cardstock, Kraft cs

Ink: Burnt Umber Palette, VersaMark, Walnut Ink (paper edges)

Other: Willoughby Ribbon, Crystal Laquer, Brown Scrapper's Floss, pop dots, Recipe Box, Tabbed Divider Refills, Autumn Leaves Glimmer Mist


What do you think?!