Calendars Done- Better Late Than Never?

Holy guacamole!  It has taken me so long to get my 2014 calendars done.  As usual, even though the new year comes at the same time every year,  it sneaks up on me - totally shocked to find that it's early December and not one page done.   Then there was the house upgrade - new counter tops in the kitchen and new floors through the whole first floor.   Furniture moved, counters cleared - repeated several times.  Add in a Christmas trip to Austin - the  list of reasons excuses  seems pretty reasonable right? 

Then the procrastination paralysis moves in ; instead of attacking the project, I obsess about not getting it done,  find all kinds of other things to do instead, wake up at 4 in the morning feeling crummy because I haven't finished - all the stuff that keeps therapists' schedules full.  The calendars are at the printers and I can move one to obsessing about something else.

My first calendars were pretty simple stamped affairs.  Each year the pages got a bit more complicated as I used the opportunity to focus on some technique or process that captured my attention.  This year I've been working more on adding in painted backgrounds, more collage elements and sticking Washi tape on anything that doesn't move.

This page reminds me of my far-flung family.   Since our kids are scattered all over the country, we can all be "home" whenever we visit each other.   This page was done on map, with the houses cut from text pages.  The red road is, of course, Washi tape.

This page was inspired by the wonderful work done by Mon Scrap par Liliema.  She makes gorgeous pages with layers made of little bits of scraps.  It was fun looking through my stash to find spring-y things to add to this.    I started with swipe of gesso on watercolor paper, then a light watercolor wash for the background.   There is a mix of old and new stuff for the collage - vintage calling cards, old sheet music, Washi tape and tinted dryer sheet flower petals. 

I like a grid pattern, but with some outside the lines elements.  And the bird obsession continues.

Since the calendars haven't yet made it to their homes, I'll save the rest of the pages for later.  Now I should really attack the chaos that is my studio.