Tuesday 31 December 2013

Happy 2014!


Flourish and bunny stamps by Crafty Individuals
Alphabet stamps by Amy Tangerine

Woohoo! 2014! Happy new year everyone, may 2014 be a fabulous year for us all :-)

So, a new year, a new beginning ... you know what this means? Oh yes, it's the launch of the art calendar challenge 2014. Come and join us! The challenge is now entering its fifth year, which is pretty unbelievable as the time seems to have whizzed by. I have completed most months now for the last four years, although I must admit life gets the better of me sometimes and I just don't get round to it. Going back to complete a month can be soul destroying so I just move on and get ready for the next month.


January can be a fairly bleak month here in the northern hemisphere as it barely gets light before it gets dark again so I decided to add as much colour as I could to my January page to compensate for the lack of light and colour around me. The cute little bunny stamps are by Alice Palace for Crafty Individuals (although in this case I prefer to think of them as arctic hares!) Aren't they adorable?





Here's a few snippets of my 2013.....





So, if you are already taking part in the challenge, welcome to 2104! But if you are not already taking part then what are you waiting for?! This is a great way to journal every day, and capture life's moments. There are NO rules ... just make a calendar every month, decorate however you wish, and write a little every day. Simples!

In answer to some frequently asked questions:

Q What size journal do you work in?
A Personally I work in a large 12x8" (A4) journal. Either a Moleskine Folio Sketchbook, 
   or a Dylusions journal, and make a double page spread every month.

Q What size are the daily squares?
A I use 1 1/2" squares for each day. But who says they have to be squares?! Remember - no rules.

Q Do you work in a journal or on loose pages that you  bind at the end of the year?
A I work in a bound journal which also includes my regular art journal pages, but some people prefer to work on loose pages and then bind them. Anything goes!

Q Where do I post my pages when they are completed?
A You can post your pages on the link here on my blog, the inspirational group page on flickr, or the very large, active and inspirational group on facebook.

Q Not many people seem to link on the blog any more. Will the link still continue every month?
A Yes, many people have moved from the blog link to facebook (almost 1,000 members on facebook) but to keep this challenge all inclusive, then the link will continue here each month.

Got any more questions? Fire away! 

Happy new year everyone! May 2014 be a joyful and art filled year for you all.








19 comments:

  1. Fab to see a review of last years work!! Hugs Juls xxx

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  2. Happy New Year Kate! I found the two Januarys I've completed the other day, still wondering whether to have another go this year :) x

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  3. Wishing you and your family kate a very happy new year
    x catherine

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  4. wow you are jumping ahead in time Kate . . 2104, ninety years of art calendars !!!

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  5. Happy New Year, Kate. I'm thrilled to be here for a fourth year and thankful for this link.

    I love your review, and look forward to seeing January filled to the brim. I wish I could be more colorful like you, but this new book I bought is just the wrong size. And I'm stuck with it for two years. However, I'll make do with it and learn my lesson, now that I have read the size you use.

    Again, Happy New Year, and I hope you have the best year yet!

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  6. I'm a first timer and it's fantastic to see a review of the past year. Happy New year to you. :-)

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  7. I think I'll actually try to do some thing year. I know I'd never get the whole year done. I love seeing what you do Kate so maybe I'll be inspired to get further along. :)
    Thank you for so much eye candy in 2013 and looking forward to what you have in store for 2014!!!

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  8. I can't get the Facebook link to work so I searched. Is it the same group as 2013? One of my goals for the year is to record something positive for every day and I think this would be a perfect method.

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    1. Hi Sheri, Not sure why the link won't work for you ... it seems to be working ok. Yes, the group is still the same on FB. FB won't allow me to update the title of the group so we are just staying as we are!

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  9. Happy New Year to you too! Your pages are so great. The colors in this new one are lovely. I just finished my third year participating and am finding it difficult to come up with new ideas for calendars. Your pages always inspire!

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  10. I love that calendar page. Not promising anything, but I might take part this year..... Happy New Year, I hope 2014 is wonderful for you.

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  11. I want to say Thank You for the inspiration and wishing you a very Happy and Creative New Year!

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  12. It is an awesome blast of colour for a dreary January. I love it Kate, I should start mine again for sure. Happy New Year xx Michelle

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  13. Oh I do so LOVE the colors you use on your layouts and journal pages! It certainly makes the grays of January more tolerable when I look at your work. I'm headed into my second journal now. Maybe I can make it a second full year. Happy New Year!

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  14. Love your bright January page Kate!
    I finally got my act together & joined in! Lol!
    Wishing you a happy & creative new year
    Alison x

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  15. I am excited to join your challenge this year after much debate with myself. :) Your pages are very inspirational.

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  16. Hi Kate, Happy New Year and I just had to pop on to say I got my DVD!!!!! Yay, just in time for my birthday and I am so looking forward to watching it this weekend! Hugs from Wathena, KS - USA

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  17. I've just made it to join in on time for January! Hoping to keep up this year as I missed 2013. Love the new DVDs, I now need a bind it all!!!

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