Mixed Media Monday - Something New

The challenge this week on Mixed Media Monday is Something New. So what better project to post than my NEW 2010 Calendar!

I participated in three successful round robin calendar swaps in 2005, 2006 and 2007. A few of my altered book friends loved to look through them each month to see what interesting collage and journalling people were doing. So we decided to start up a new project - Calendar Girls 2010~!

The "rules" are simple - we each purchase a artsy spiral bound calendar - they type they sell at the big books stores. Whatever theme you want. Then you "alter" the covers and create a few pages to set the mood and tone for the book. Then you do whatever journalling, collage or whatever for the days and weeks of January.

Then you mail the calendar off to the next person - around the 25th of the month. So you get a new book by the first of February. You alter that book for a month - adding your journalling to THEIR book. Then you mail, get another book - and so on.

When i did the calendar swaps before - they were large unmanageable groups with 30 - 36 people to track. We kept out group small - just 6 of us. This way you actually get your own calendar back in July - like it takes a summer holidday at home - then you send it off again. It comes back in time for christmas holidays.

The calendar is filled with 52 weeks of collage and images and whatever else your creative friends have added. The books can be chunky and dangly - with lots of embellishments. Or they can be flat but richly detailed. I removed the spiral binding and added large rings - then added some fun ribbons and fibres for texture. Added bonus? you can remove the pages to work in them!

My calendar is filled with quirky illustrations and collage from French Canadian artists. I picked the book up last fall when i was in Montreal. I want the book to be inspiration to try something new - modern collage with an abstract edge. No sepia or vintage photos. Keep is fun and bright and silly.

I have altered several pages - using the illustrations in the book as the jumping off point. I like to work this way - rather than fretting over composition - just have fun with it. Either choose the colour theme or the pattern or whatever - and add elements that echo what is already there. it is like finishing a puzzle or a crossword that someone else started - so easy and no stress!