Tag Archives: Stampin Up

Download your July 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

Jul 2, 2021
Download your July 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar
July 2021 Walllpaper/Calendar
Your July 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is ready!

Hurray! Your July 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is here!

Well, figuring out the picture I wanted to feature for July’s calendar was pretty much a no-brainer! Not only has the northwest been subjected to previously-unheard-of temperatures this past week, but we’re entering the 4th-of-July 3-day weekend (when there will likely be plenty of ice cream served), AND National Ice Cream Day is but a couple of weeks away, as well. So if you live in a place that has been suffering through this interminable heat with the rest of us, feast your eyes on this! 

 

And you’ll no-doubt notice that I’ve redesigned the overall layout. I’ve been wanting to simplify the overall look, but also wanted to continue making those links available and useful to you. So I think (or at least hope) I’ve got a plan figured out. In the upper right-hand corner, just below the calendar, there’s an address that refers you to “allthelinks.YourPaperDreams.com”. If you key that into your browser it should take you to a page of live links that will refer you to most any place you might want to know about regarding how to find my stuff on the internet! All. In. One. Place! And the further beauty of this system is that I can go behind the scenes and tweak something on a moment’s notice and the link(s) on that page will update immediately. So the very next moment that someone looks at that page, it will all be up-to-date! Now, it’s probably not obvious to the casual observer, but not only has this allowed me to simplify the wallpaper/calendar page, but it will save me oodles of time and complexity behind the scenes, too. Win-win all around! 

My monthly desktop wallpaper & calendar offers you a pretty seasonal picture to brighten your computer monitor. But that’s not all. It also includes a handy monthly calendar and serves as a cheat-sheet reference to PDF’s and websites you may want to know about and access.  And it’s even FREE to download, so please don’t hesitate to share this page with your friends and family.

How to download & install your July 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

Note: You’ll probably want to consult your own computer operating system’s installation instructions, but installing the background image on my Windows 10 system takes just 3 quick steps – and less than a minute. It’s super-duper easy-peasy! 

Here’s how you can (probably) do it, too.

    1. Decide which version you’d like to download. If you’d like to download the higher-res version of this wallpaper/calendar, left-click here and this month’s image should open. (It might take a few moments to fully appear.) Locate and select the download option (probably somewhere near the upper-left of your screen) and save the image to your computer, renaming it as you wish. OR… if you’d prefer the standard-resolution version, left-click here to open the image. Then right-click on the image and save it to your computer, renaming it as appropriate.
    2. Once the file has been downloaded, named, and saved, click on your saved image to open it.
    3. Once open, right-click on the image and select “Set as” > “Set as Background”….. then right-click on the image again and select “Set as” > “Set as Lock screen”. And poof! That’s all there is to it! (For convenience, I recommend you install this on both your desktop system and your laptop. Assuming you still have such things these days, of course!)

Tips for other operating systems:

And in case you may have an operating system OTHER than Windows 10, you may find these installation tips helpful:

  1. Windows 10, 8.1 or 7: http://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-customize-desktop-background-windows 
  2. Apple Mac: http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Desktop-Background-on-an-Apple-Macintosh-Computer 

Finally, please keep in mind that the format of my monthly image is designed for most modern-day 16:9 monitors (a common format for monitors and HD TV’s since about 2009), oriented in landscape format. (If your monitor displays 1920 x 1080 pixels, or 2560 x 1440 pixels, it should work fine.) If you’re working with an older monitor (and/or one that’s more square-ish in format), or your monitor is set up in portrait format or some other variation, the picture will likely not work for you. And unfortunately, I am unable to trouble-shoot individual systems’ incompatibility challenges. Sorry!

Download your June 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

Jun 3, 2021
Download your June 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar
June 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar
Your June 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is ready!

Hurray! Your June 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is here!

When Stampin’ Up!® revealed their 5 new In Colors for the 2021-2023 term, I was only vaguely familiar with freesias (as in, “Fresh Freesia”, our new pale purple). I had thought of the flowers as purple, but then after a conversation with a friend who had thought they were yellow, I was particularly confused. So it was time for a little research. And lo and behold I discovered we were both right; freesias actually come in a brilliant kaleidoscope of many different colors! So I thought they’d be fun to feature for this month’s calendar, and you can even see a little suggestion of our own “Fresh Freesia” In Color down in the lower left corner.  (You HAVE already added that color to your ink collection by now, right?)

My monthly desktop wallpaper & calendar offers you a pretty seasonal picture to brighten your computer monitor. But that’s not all. It also includes a handy monthly calendar and serves as a cheat-sheet reference to PDF’s and websites you may want to know about and access.  And it’s even FREE to download, so please don’t hesitate to share this page with your friends and family.

How to download & install your June 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

Note: You’ll probably want to consult your own computer operating system’s installation instructions, but installing the background image on my Windows 10 system takes just 3 quick steps – and less than a minute. It’s super-duper easy-peasy! 

Here’s how you can (probably) do it, too.

    1. Decide which version you’d like to download. If you’d like to download the higher-res version of this wallpaper/calendar, left-click here and this month’s image should open. (It might take a few moments to fully appear.) Locate and select the download option (probably somewhere near the upper-left of your screen) and save the image to your computer, renaming it as you wish. OR… if you’d prefer the standard-resolution version, left-click here to open the image. Then right-click on the image and save it to your computer, renaming it as appropriate.
    2. Once the file has been downloaded, named, and saved, click on your saved image to open it.
    3. Once open, right-click on the image and select “Set as” > “Set as Background”….. then right-click on the image again and select “Set as” > “Set as Lock screen”. And poof! That’s all there is to it! (For convenience, I recommend you install this on both your desktop system and your laptop. Assuming you still have such things these days, of course!)

Tips for other operating systems:

And in case you may have an operating system OTHER than Windows 10, you may find these installation tips helpful:

  1. Windows 10, 8.1 or 7: http://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-customize-desktop-background-windows 
  2. Apple Mac: http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Desktop-Background-on-an-Apple-Macintosh-Computer 

Finally, please keep in mind that the format of my monthly image is designed for most modern-day 16:9 monitors (a common format for monitors and HD TV’s since about 2009), oriented in landscape format. (If your monitor displays 1920 x 1080 pixels, or 2560 x 1440 pixels, it should work fine.) If you’re working with an older monitor (and/or one that’s more square-ish in format), or your monitor is set up in portrait format or some other variation, the picture will likely not work for you. And unfortunately, I am unable to trouble-shoot individual systems’ incompatibility challenges. Sorry!

Download your May 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

May 1, 2021
Download your May 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar
June 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar
Your May 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is ready!

Hurray! Your May 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is here!

Have you noticed that the wallpaper images I’ve chosen for the past 4 May’s have all had lilacs in them? So this year makes #5! Well, I guess it goes without saying that I’m a fan of lilacs; have been since my teens, and to me, that’s what the month of May is all about!

My monthly desktop wallpaper & calendar offers you a pretty seasonal picture to brighten your computer monitor. But that’s not all. It also includes a handy monthly calendar and serves as a cheat-sheet reference to PDF’s and websites you may want to know about and access.  And it’s even FREE to download, so please don’t hesitate to share this page with your friends and family.

How to download & install your May 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

Note: You’ll probably want to consult your own computer operating system’s installation instructions, but installing the background image on my Windows 10 system takes just 3 quick steps – and less than a minute. It’s super-duper easy-peasy! 

Here’s how you can (probably) do it, too.

    1. Decide which version you’d like to download. If you’d like to download the higher-res version of this wallpaper/calendar, left-click here and this month’s image should open. (It might take a few moments to fully appear.) Locate and select the download option (probably somewhere near the upper-left of your screen) and save the image to your computer, renaming it as you wish. OR… if you’d prefer the standard-resolution version, left-click here to open the image. Then right-click on the image and save it to your computer, renaming it if you’d like.
    2. Once the file has been downloaded, named, and saved, click on your saved image to open it.
    3. Once open, right-click on the image and select “Set as” > “Set as Background”….. then right-click on the image again and select “Set as” > “Set as Lock screen”. And poof! That’s all there is to it! (For convenience, I recommend you install this on both your desktop system and your laptop. Assuming you still have such things these days, of course!)

Tips for other operating systems:

And in case you may have an operating system OTHER than Windows 10, you may find these installation tips helpful:

  1. Windows 10, 8.1 or 7: http://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-customize-desktop-background-windows 
  2. Apple Mac: http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Desktop-Background-on-an-Apple-Macintosh-Computer 

Finally, please keep in mind that the format of my monthly image is designed for most modern-day 16:9 monitors (a common format for monitors and HD TV’s since about 2009), oriented in landscape format. (If your monitor displays 1920 x 1080 pixels, or 2560 x 1440 pixels, it should work fine.) If you’re working with an older monitor (and/or one that’s more square-ish in format), or your monitor is set up in portrait format or some other variation, the picture will likely not work for you. And unfortunately, I am unable to trouble-shoot individual systems’ incompatibility challenges. Sorry!

Download your April 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

Apr 2, 2021
Download your April 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar
April 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar
Your April 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is ready!

Hurray! Your April 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is here!

Can it get any better than pink & purple cherry blossoms?!? Perhaps. But right now I can’t think of how. With Easter on its way, and temperatures reaching into the 60’s this week, I simply can’t WAIT to get outside and start enjoying the return of FLOWERS! 


And I hope you’ll enjoy these even when you have to be inside, too. 

My monthly desktop wallpaper & calendar offers you a pretty seasonal picture to brighten your computer monitor. But that’s not all. It also includes a handy monthly calendar and serves as a cheat-sheet reference to PDF’s and websites you may want to know about and access.  And it’s even FREE to download, so please don’t hesitate to share this page with your friends and family.

How to download & install your April 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

Note: You’ll probably want to consult your own computer operating system’s installation instructions, but installing the background image on my Windows 10 system takes just 3 quick steps – and less than a minute. It’s super-duper easy-peasy! 

Here’s how you can (probably) do it, too.

    1. Decide which version you’d like to download. If you’d like to download the higher-res version of this wallpaper/calendar, left-click here and this month’s image should open. (It might take a few moments to fully appear.) Locate and select the download option (probably somewhere near the upper-left of your screen) and save the image to your computer, renaming it as you wish. OR… if you’d prefer the standard-resolution version, left-click here to open the image. Then right-click on the image and save it to your computer, renaming it if you’d like.
    2. Once the file has been downloaded, named, and saved, click on your saved image to open it.
    3. Once open, right-click on the image and select “Set as” > “Set as Background”….. then right-click on the image again and select “Set as” > “Set as Lock screen”. And poof! That’s all there is to it! (For convenience, I recommend you install this on both your desktop system and your laptop. Assuming you still have such things these days, of course!)

Tips for other operating systems:

And in case you may have an operating system OTHER than Windows 10, you may find these installation tips helpful:

  1. Windows 10, 8.1 or 7: http://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-customize-desktop-background-windows 
  2. Apple Mac: http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Desktop-Background-on-an-Apple-Macintosh-Computer 

Finally, please keep in mind that the format of my monthly image is designed for most modern-day 16:9 monitors (a common format for monitors and HD TV’s since about 2009), oriented in landscape format. (If your monitor displays 1920 x 1080 pixels, or 2560 x 1440 pixels, it should work fine.) If you’re working with an older monitor (and/or one that’s more square-ish in format), or your monitor is set up in portrait format or some other variation, the picture will likely not work for you. And unfortunately, I am unable to trouble-shoot individual systems’ incompatibility challenges. Sorry!

Download your March 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

Mar 2, 2021
Download your March 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar
March 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar
Your March 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is ready!

Hurray! Your March 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is here!

How in the world did we get to March already? I still feel like we’re barely into January! But although it feels like this has been a particularly dark and gray winter, today has been offering some glimpses of blue sky, and I can’t wait to get my hands in the dirt again and fill my balcony with flowers. (As soon as it warms up enough to tolerate working outside, that is.)

So if you’re a gardener, too, I hope this picture will encourage and inspire you, as well. Spring IS coming!

My monthly desktop wallpaper & calendar offers you a pretty seasonal picture to brighten your computer monitor. But that’s not all. It also includes a handy monthly calendar and serves as a cheat-sheet reference to PDF’s and websites you may want to know about and access.  And it’s even FREE to download, so please don’t hesitate to share this page with your friends and family.

How to download & install your March 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

Note: You’ll probably want to consult your own computer operating system’s installation instructions, but installing the background image on my Windows 10 system takes just 3 quick steps – and less than a minute. It’s super-duper easy-peasy! 

Here’s how you can (probably) do it, too.

    1. Decide which version you’d like to download. If you’d like to download the higher-res version of this wallpaper/calendar, left-click here and this month’s image should open. (It might take a few moments to fully appear.) Locate and select the download option (probably somewhere near the upper-left of your screen) and save the image to your computer, renaming it as you wish. OR… if you’d prefer the standard-resolution version, left-click here to open the image. Then right-click on the image and save it to your computer, renaming it if you’d like. 
    2. Once the file has been downloaded, named, and saved, click on your saved image to open it. 
    3. Once open, right-click on the image and select “Set as” > “Set as Background”….. then right-click on the image again and select “Set as” > “Set as Lock screen”. And poof! That’s all there is to it! (For convenience, I recommend you install this on both your desktop system and your laptop. Assuming you still have such things these days, of course!)

Tips for other operating systems:

And in case you may have an operating system OTHER than Windows 10, you may find these installation tips helpful:

  1. Windows 10, 8.1 or 7: http://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-customize-desktop-background-windows 
  2. Apple Mac: http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Desktop-Background-on-an-Apple-Macintosh-Computer 

Finally, please keep in mind that the format of my monthly image is designed for most modern-day 16:9 monitors (a common format for monitors and HD TV’s since about 2009), oriented in landscape format. (If your monitor displays 1920 x 1080 pixels, or 2560 x 1440 pixels, it should work fine.) If you’re working with an older monitor (and/or one that’s more square-ish in format), or your monitor is set up in portrait format or some other variation, the picture will likely not work for you. And unfortunately, I am unable to trouble-shoot individual systems’ incompatibility challenges. Sorry!

Download your February 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

Feb 1, 2021
Download your February 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar
February 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar
Your February 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is ready!

Hurray! Your February 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is here!

February! One of my favorite months, because it means we’ve made it through the longest, coldest, and darkest season, and January is finally behind us. While there’s still likely plenty of cold and snow ahead, if I look carefully, I can find subtle indications of progress towards spring. Not only are the days finally growing noticeably longer, but well… “PINK”. 

February is a perfect excuse to celebrate pink! 

My monthly desktop wallpaper & calendar offers you a pretty seasonal picture to brighten your computer monitor. But that’s not all. It also includes a handy monthly calendar and serves as a cheat-sheet reference to PDF’s and websites you may want to know about and access.  And it’s even FREE to download, so please don’t hesitate to share this page with your friends and family.

How to download & install your February 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

Note: You’ll probably want to consult your own computer operating system’s installation instructions, but installing the background image on my Windows 10 system takes just 3 quick steps – and less than a minute. It’s super-duper easy-peasy! 

Here’s how you can (probably) do it, too.

    1. Decide which version you’d like to download. If you’d like to download the higher-res version of this wallpaper/calendar, left-click here and this month’s image should open. (It might take a few moments to fully appear.) Locate and select the download option (probably somewhere near the upper-left of your screen) and save the image to your computer, renaming it as you wish. OR… if you’d prefer the standard-resolution version, left-click here to open the image. Then right-click on the image and save it to your computer, renaming it if you’d like. 
    2. Once the file has been downloaded, named, and saved, click on your saved image to open it. 
    3. Once open, right-click on the image and select “Set as” > “Set as Background”….. then right-click on the image again and select “Set as” > “Set as Lock screen”. And poof! That’s all there is to it! (For convenience, I recommend you install this on both your desktop system and your laptop. Assuming you still have such things these days, of course!)

Tips for other operating systems:

And in case you may have an operating system OTHER than Windows 10, you may find these installation tips helpful:

  1. Windows 10, 8.1 or 7: http://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-customize-desktop-background-windows 
  2. Apple Mac: http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Desktop-Background-on-an-Apple-Macintosh-Computer 

Finally, please keep in mind that the format of my monthly image is designed for most modern-day 16:9 monitors (a common format for monitors and HD TV’s since about 2009), oriented in landscape format. (If your monitor displays 1920 x 1080 pixels, or 2560 x 1440 pixels, it should work fine.) If you’re working with an older monitor (and/or one that’s more square-ish in format), or your monitor is set up in portrait format or some other variation, the picture will likely not work for you. And unfortunately, I am unable to trouble-shoot individual systems’ incompatibility challenges. Sorry!

Download your January 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

Jan 2, 2021
Download your January 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar
Your January 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is ready!

Hurray! Your January 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar is here!

This image was another one of those particularly long searches for exactly the right thing this month, but once I found it, I knew immediately it was my “yes!” It nails the season (for those of us in the northern states, anyway), and I love the snow on each of these wolves’ snouts, as well as all the other detail captured by the photographer.
 
Which leads me to another “detail” topic. I *think* I’ve figured out how I can offer my monthly wallpaper/calendar in a higher resolution, so if your system and monitor can handle it, you may enjoy a bit crisper picture. But I’ll continue to include what I’ll now call a “standard” version, too. So now you’ll have a choice! (Personally, I am sporting the higher-res version on my new 27″ monitor, and it does make a difference!)

My monthly desktop wallpaper & calendar offers you a pretty seasonal picture to brighten your computer monitor. But that’s not all. It also includes a handy monthly calendar and serves as a cheat-sheet reference to PDF’s and websites you may want to know about and access.  And it’s even FREE to download, so please don’t hesitate to share this page with your friends and family.

How to download & install your January 2021 Wallpaper/Calendar

Note: You’ll probably want to consult your own computer operating system’s installation instructions, but installing the background image on my Windows 10 system takes just 3 quick steps – and less than a minute. It’s super-duper easy-peasy! 

Here’s how you can (probably) do it, too.

    1. Decide which version you’d like to download. If you’d like to download the higher-res version of this wallpaper/calendar, left-click here and this month’s image should open. (It might take a few moments to fully appear.) Locate and select the download option (probably somewhere near the upper-left of your screen) and save the image to your computer. OR… if you’d prefer the standard-resolution version, left-click here to open the image. Then right-click on the image and save it to your computer. 
    2. Once the file has been downloaded, named, and saved, click on your saved image to open it. 
    3. Once open, right-click on the image and select “Set as” > “Set as Background”….. then right-click on the image again and select “Set as” > “Set as Lock screen”. And poof! That’s all there is to it! (For convenience, I recommend you install this on both your desktop system and your laptop. Assuming you still have such things these days, of course!)

Tips for other operating systems:

And in case you may have an operating system OTHER than Windows 10, you may find these installation tips helpful:

  1. Windows 10, 8.1 or 7: http://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-customize-desktop-background-windows 
  2. Apple Mac: http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Desktop-Background-on-an-Apple-Macintosh-Computer 

Finally, please keep in mind that the format of my monthly image is designed for most modern-day 16:9 monitors (a common format for monitors and HD TV’s since about 2009), oriented in landscape format. (If your monitor displays 1920 x 1080 pixels, or 2560 x 1440 pixels, it should work fine.) If you’re working with an older monitor (and/or one that’s more square-ish in format), or your monitor is set up in portrait format or some other variation, the picture will likely not work for you. And unfortunately, I am unable to trouble-shoot individual systems’ incompatibility challenges. Sorry!

Download your December 2020 Wallpaper/Calendar

Dec 1, 2020
Download your December 2020 Wallpaper/Calendar
December 2020 Wallpaper/Calendar
Your December 2020 Wallpaper/Calendar is ready!

Hurray! Your December 2020 Wallpaper/Calendar is here!

As I write this today, the sun (which has been plenty elusive in recent weeks) has finally decided to make an appearance. And I LIKE it! As the days continue to shorten, a little “sparkley”, whether outside my window or on my computer’s screen, sure won’t hurt. I hope this helps you sparkle and smile, too!

My monthly desktop wallpaper & calendar offers you a pretty seasonal picture to brighten your computer monitor. But that’s not all. It also includes a handy monthly calendar and serves as a cheat-sheet reference to PDF’s and websites you may want to know about and access.  And it’s even FREE to download, so please don’t hesitate to share this page with your friends and family.

How to download & install your December 2020 Wallpaper/Calendar

Note: You’ll probably want to consult your own computer operating system’s installation instructions, but installing the background image on my Windows 10 system takes just 3 quick steps – and less than a minute. It’s super-duper easy-peasy! 

Here’s how you can (probably) do it, too.

    1. Start by left-clicking right here and this month’s image should pop up or open in a new tab. Then right-click on the image and save it to your hard drive.
    2. Once the file has been downloaded, named, and saved, click on your saved image to open it. 
    3. Once open, right-click on the image and select “Set as” > “Set as Background”….. then right-click again and select “Set as” > “Set as Lock screen”. And poof! That’s all there is to it! (For convenience, I recommend you install this on both your desktop system and your laptop. Assuming you still have such things these days, of course!)

Tips for other operating systems:

And in case you may have an operating system OTHER than Windows 10, you may find these installation tips helpful:

  1. Windows 10, 8.1 or 7: http://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-customize-desktop-background-windows 
  2. Apple Mac: http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Desktop-Background-on-an-Apple-Macintosh-Computer 

Finally, please keep in mind that the format of my monthly picture is designed for most modern-day 16:9 monitors (a common format for monitors and HD TV’s since about 2009), oriented in landscape format. (Typically 1920 x 1080 pixels.) If you’re working with an older monitor (and/or one that is more square-ish in format), or your monitor is set up in portrait format or some other variation, the picture may not work for you.

Shucks! And I’m real sorry about that!

Download your November 2020 Wallpaper/Calendar

Nov 2, 2020
Download your November 2020 Wallpaper/Calendar
November 2020 Wallpaper/Calendar
Your November 2020 Wallpaper/Calendar is ready!

Hurray! Your November 2020 Wallpaper/Calendar is here!

Wow. 2020 is actually starting to wind down. I know a lot of us are anxious to bid it farewell, although personally, somehow I am feeling a bit cheated out of a year. Nevertheless, Thanksgiving is coming, and for that, I’m looking forward… in the hopes I’ll be able to gather with a small group of family and participate. I hope you will be able to do so as well. 

My monthly desktop wallpaper & calendar offers you a pretty seasonal picture to brighten your computer monitor. But that’s not all. It also includes a handy monthly calendar and serves as a cheat-sheet reference to PDF’s and websites you may want to know about and access.  And it’s even FREE to download, so please don’t hesitate to share this page with your friends and family.

How to download & install your November 2020 Wallpaper/Calendar

Note: You’ll probably want to consult your own computer operating system’s installation instructions, but installing the background image on my Windows 10 system takes just 3 quick steps – and less than a minute. It’s super-duper easy-peasy! 

Here’s how you can (probably) do it, too.

    1. Start by left-clicking right here and this month’s image should pop up or open in a new tab. Then right-click on the image and save it to your hard drive.
    2. Once the file has been downloaded, named, and saved, click on your saved image to open it. 
    3. Once open, right-click on the image and select “Set as” > “Set as Background”….. then right-click again and select “Set as” > “Set as Lock screen”. And poof! That’s all there is to it! (For convenience, I recommend you install this on both your desktop system and your laptop. Assuming you still have such things these days, of course!)

Tips for other operating systems:

And in case you may have an operating system OTHER than Windows 10, you may find these installation tips helpful:

  1. Windows 10, 8.1 or 7: http://www.digitalcitizen.life/how-customize-desktop-background-windows 
  2. Apple Mac: http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Desktop-Background-on-an-Apple-Macintosh-Computer 

Finally, please keep in mind that the format of my monthly picture is designed for most modern-day 16:9 monitors (a common format for monitors and HD TV’s since about 2009), oriented in landscape format. (Typically 1920 x 1080 pixels.) If you’re working with an older monitor (and/or one that is more square-ish in format), or your monitor is set up in portrait format or some other variation, the picture may not work for you.

Shucks! And I’m real sorry about that!

Whale of a Time Birthday Card

Jul 31, 2020
Whale of a Time Birthday Card

So recently, I was invited to an (under 10 people) family gathering to celebrate July birthdays. And it just so happens that the day before, I’d received the new, bright and cheerful “Whale of a Time” suite, and I was very much itchin’ to dig in and start working with it. So here’s what happened…

About this card...

The finished size of this card is 5-1/2″ square. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve made a square card… likely because I have no square envelopes left of the required size, and the envelope maker tool has retired, too. And I couldn’t remember how to measure and make an envelope out of other paper.   (Great reasons to refrain from making square cards, huh?)

Fortunately, after a half-hour or so of fumbling around, I was able to remember (or reinvent; not sure which is more honest) how to make a custom-sized envelope from some coordinating DSP using my Simply Scored board and its diagonal insert (the latter of which is also retired; I just happen to still have mine).

But back to the card itself...

The front of the card is a delightful piece of 6″ x 6″ Designer Series Paper (DSP) from the suite, trimmed down to 5-1/2″ square, and mounted onto a folded piece of 5-1/2″ x 11″ Whisper White Thick Cardstock. I hated to have to trim the DSP at all because it was so lovely in its original state, but I just trimmed off little slivers at a time so as to maintain its visual balance around the edges.

Then I stamped the fishes (Terracotta Tile) and turtle (Shaded Spruce) directly onto the DSP. I stamped the whale (with Blackberry Bliss) onto scrap Whisper White cardstock, and punched out that image, along with 3 additional layers. Then stacked them all up and glued them all together to give the whale a little more dimension without having to resort to Stampin’ Dimensionals. For the water spouts above his head, I applied some Blackberry Bliss ink to a remaining scrap of white cardstock with a dauber, and then punched out the droplet shapes. All the punched pieces eventually got adhered to the DSP with Multipurpose Liquid glue, and that whole element was adhered to the card front. 

Whale of a Time

For the inside...

I decided to decorate the entire 11″ length, using images from the stamp set, in colors from the DSP. If you look closely, you may see that I used a foam brayer to add Balmy Blue to the lower 2/3 of the whole surface, starting at the bottom edge with each stroke and pulling upwards to yield a decreasing intensity of color moving upwards.

All-in-all, I absolutely adore this suite, and particularly the DSP! (Which I just about need a 2nd pack of already, lol.)

If you cuncur with the “adorable-ness” of this suite, go check it out beginning on page 94 of the 2020-2021 Annual Catalog.  And you can purchase the various elements individually at my online store. (Once in the store, just enter “Whale of a Time” in the search bar.)