Seriously...brains.

Daydream Believer...Studio Calico February.

2012-01-28T00:01:00.001-05:00

Another month has flown by, and I found myself really enjoying sitting down to play with this month's Studio Calico kit + add-ons. There is plenty of brand new Dear Lizzy/American Crafts product in softer colors, but also bolder bits to work in with them. I confess, I am not usually drawn to this softer palette, and yet these pages are the happiest I've made in quite some time.

Maybe it's the words, maybe it's the glitter I added with the POW papers or maybe it was the shop items I threw in. Any way you look at it, They make me smile. :)

This first one shows the background stamp from the Clarksville add-on. I paired it with my Shabby Tote Chalk Ink and intentionally didn't go for a 'clear' image. It dirtied up the base paper a bit, and I love how it came out. Yes, this is an older picture of Allie...but I fell in love with the vintage number card and so I dug one out from when she was only 8 years old. The 'Follow Your Heart' title was cut with my Cameo + the Gold POW glitter paper from the shop. I can't stress what a subtle bit of glitz this stuff brings...I LOVE it.

The numbers and bits that are attached all over this page are from a sheet of paper in the Lady Lane add-on...I will buy another sheet of that paper, yesiwill. ;) This next layout is a bit of a hodge podge...POW glitter paper (this time in Powder) + Cameo (Pacifico font) + the alpha stamps from Stepping Stone + My Minds Eye chipboard from the shop + the '12' sticker from the Dear Lizzy sticker book...it all just kind of fell together. I LOVE this photo I got of Allie and her friends at midnight on NYE. I left the alpha stamps on their backer, and used the Teal Chalk Ink to stamp the initials of the girls in the photo...while the rest of them were stamped with Old Road Chalk Ink.
This one uses more of the Gold POW Glitter paper (cut again with the Cameo)...and a favorite 'technique' of mine. I hesitate to even call it a technique, lol...but I use it a lot, so it's a technique to me HA! I made a kind of 'shelf' with the yellow dot paper and placed my photo on top of it...then added in bits and pieces to 'sit' on the shelf. The stamps + chalk ink worked WONDERFULLY on the muslin trim from the Main kit, and I sprinkled some Dewey Mister Huey on it as well. I cut the bling chevron that was in the Stepping Stone add-on to kind of use them as 'arrows'...I'm big into arrows right now.
This last one is my Main Kit only layout (the first layout from each DT member in the gallery uses the Main Kit only...a great reference if you need ideas!), and I love every bit of it. The photos, the colors, the words, the circles, the shimmer, the word bubble...ALL OF IT. It may not be a masterpiece to anyone else, but this one means a lot to me. I added some journaling to the back...just a few thoughts about this particular moment that I shared with the most beautiful girl in my world. ;)

So there you have it!
If you have any questions about something I did/used...please ask, and I promise to respond.
Have a great weekend!!
(don't forget to check out the SC Challenge Forum for our CHA-GANZA...beginning tomorrow morning at 8AM EST!)

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Week 3 Project Life...word heavy.

2012-01-24T11:13:00.004-05:00

First off, let me just say that it is a super gloomy day here...snow is in the forecast, and I'm just not able to get a good photo of Week 3 lol. That being said though, I had a blast making this week's page on Sunday night! I still used the WRMK page protector, since it is on the back of last week's share. Going back to the Project Life Design F pages next week...I'm digging mixing it up. Here you have it:LOTS of words this week. A friend posted a thread over at Studio Calico about not feeling like she had enough pictures, because she hasn't had much going on lately...and I SO get where she's coming from. As I've said before, there aren't a ton of 'exciting' things happening around here either lol...we're home bodies who lead a pretty routine life. So this week, I printed just a few pics and journaled the HECK out of them.

The top two slots were all about our Saturday night...we got together with 2 very dear families to cheer on the boys freshman basketball team in the brand new gym at my alma mater. I can't even say how much it meant to be there...for him and for us. It was surreal to watch Allie walk around with her friends, knowing that in another year she'll be a freshman herself. Lots of emotions that evening, for sure. Which meant lots of words. :)
Used Marcy's 4x6 journailng cards again to type my story on...and my beloved alphabet stamps in our school colors. I had these Fancy Pants rub-ons in my stash that I knew would come in handy...I was right. I used them all over this week's page.
Really love using a 4x6 card + slot for a run-down of the week. I had cut the 'hello' with my Cameo + POW glitter paper for an SC project, and cut out the negative to use here...couldn't bear to throw it away. Also LOVE including a 'text of the week'...this one was funny to me because Allie & I came to a compromise about what she would wear to the game via text. The large photo shows her tech-friendly gloves, so it kind of all ties in. (I think, lol.)

Still loving the word bubbles...while talking with Lisa about them one evening, I sat and made a bunch of random ones all at once. Now I just reach into my stash that are pre-cut if I need a little 'something'. I cut them with all different words...and will probably use one per week.

Again, if you have any questions, please ask...I will reply to them, I promise!!
Have a great week!
:)

InLinkz.com

Time for Studio Calico February Sneaks...Daydream Believer.

2012-01-22T17:42:00.003-05:00

I'll just dive right in.
But first, I'm starting with a confession.
Historically, February's kits and I don't hit it off very well.
I can't quite say why...but it's true.
I am happy to report, that is SO not the case this month!
Loved working with softer colors, that may not normally be 'me'...these pages came together so quickly and I love every single one of them.

Here we go. :)
Silhouette Cameo + POW Glitter paper love in that one right above. plus a few shop items. there are a TON of new releases in the kits this month, and I really enjoyed them!
The above page was made with bits laying on my desk. So I tucked them all under the edge of a 'shelf' made from that lovely yellow dot paper...a favorite 'technique' of mine. (not really a technique, lol...but I love to do it!) More Silhouette Cameo + POW Glitter paper love. OH. and I stamped with the awesome KP-designed alphabet right onto the muslin trim that is in the Main with some Chalk Ink...FUN.
Above is my Main Kit only sneak. Lots of private journaling on the back of that one...that girl of mine was pouring her heart out & I jotted some notes on the B side so I won't forget.
The image above shows the 'elusive' background stamp in add-on 1 (Clarksville)...used with the Shabby Tote Chalk Ink. AND...my Cameo + Glitter paper in gold. (shocker)

I love you, Daydream Believer.
I'm so happy you landed on my doorstep.
:)

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Project Life...Week 2 curve ball.

2012-01-16T19:00:00.002-05:00

***edited to add the WINNER of my Amy Tan/SC Class giveaway...SHELLYJ!! Shelly, please contact me: brains32192ATaolDOTcom!! CONGRATS!!

Normally I'm a very routine kind of girl...I mean, you name a restaurant, I can tell you what I order there EVERY TIME. No switching it up. So with this week's Project Life page, I threw myself a curve ball and used a different style of page protector. SHOCKING. (hahaha) It's funny, because even after just our title page & the Week 1 page...I was kind of in a groove. LOVE the Design F Project Life Page Protectors...LOVE. (as in, I ordered 2 more packs of them yesterday!) Love the versatility of those happy 3x4 windows.

So this week, I broke into these WeRMemoryKeepers page protectors I picked up awhile back, when I wasn't sure if I would like the Design F style. total of (4) 4x6 pockets and (3) 4x4 pockets.

I am happy, and conflicted (lol) to say that I enjoyed these as well!! I was nervous about so many 4x6 pockets...I don't print very many 4x6 photos. But I ended up just treating them like 'mini pages' and VOILA! It all came together ;)
The 'happenings' up in the top left pocket was cut with my Silhouette Cameo...I used the Blackout font and welded the letters together before cutting, so they would come out as one piece. It looked a bit plain, so I stamped on it with the circle graph stamp from a Studio Calico add-on and the Teal Damask Chalk Ink.

I want to take a quick second to RAVE about the journaling cards designed by Marcy Penner. I have been scouring online for journaling cards I can love...I've even purchased a few. NONE of them are as AWESOME as these. Most have a dingey, yellowish/creamish cast that I just don't care for...give me a nice crisp white any day! Add to that the simple, clean designs and I am HOOKED. I printed out several sheets this weekend on plain old (cheap) white cardstock and they look AMAZING. She even has a tutorial on her blog if you'd like to recolor any of the designs she has made! Honestly, it will be hard for me to find other cards that I like as well as these, that work PERFECTLY with the original 3x4 Grid Cards I use. (I even used the title that prints with the cards on top of the photo of Allie and her BFF!)

This page this week uses a few bits I grabbed from my stash of vintage supplies...the doily edge, red trim & silver foil stars. Something else from my stash that I haven't pulled out in AGES (which I vow to remedy immediately...I AM IN LOVE WITH THESE STAMPS!), are these Alphabet Stamps by Educational Insights. I used them in a class with Ali Edwards a loooooooooong time ago, knew I had to pick them up for myself and haven't really had a chance to use them since!! I used the capital set to stamp 'LUCK' on the label above (with the Tin Can Chalk Ink)...they are the perfect size (capitals are about 3/4" tall) and such a classic shape that they really do mix with just about anything.

Side note: they look like they are about 30% off right now...grab them while they're on sale!!

As with the last post I did re: Project Life, please feel free to ask questions in the comments section and I will be happy to answer!!

Have a great week!

InLinkz.com

Studio Calico/Amy Tan Class Giveaway :)

2012-01-16T14:29:00.002-05:00

Excited to offer a spot in this class with Amy Tan & Studio Calico...who couldn't use a few ideas to help stretch (and USE) their kits?! Here is the class description:

Are you ready to jumpstart the way you look at supplies? Tired of letting your kits pile up month after month without touching them? Ready to pull out the tools you have on hand and put them to use? Amy Tan is here to help show you how to see the Studio Calico Main kits in new ways and get those supplies onto your pages. She’s ready to share tips and tricks on making your kit supplies stretch to create beautiful page after page.

Known for her playful and innovative pages, Amy is the perfect teacher to help you stretch your kits. She’ll walk you through ideas for breaking open those brown paper bags and seeing your kits in a fun new way. Amy and Studio Calico kits... what a great combination!

Amy is joined by creative powerhouses Kelly Goree, Celine Navarro, and Jen Jockisch who will all share inspiration for using ONLY the Studio Calico Main kit. You’ll see their process for getting started on a layout, selecting which supplies to pull from the kits, and tips for using their favorite tools and techniques.

START DATE: FEBRUARY 1, 2012

Just post a comment here by 8PM EST Tuesday (1/17/12) and I'll choose a winner Wednesday morning!!

Project Life...Week 1 (a learning curve).

2012-01-11T09:56:00.004-05:00

Sharing my first week of Project Life...
As with anything new, there is a learning curve. Here are a few things that i discovered along the way this week:

At first I wasn't sure what to do. I printed out what I thought was the most 'important' photo that summed up what (in my mind) was the focus of our week as 4x4. That photo up there of Allie just makes my heart soar...she came home from school and found me reading in my bedroom, plopped down and said she just wanted to 'chit chat' for a bit. we got to talking about her day/her happenings/'stuff', and i snapped a few pics while she wasn't looking. (she's laughing in the photo...and i stuck a note to the BACK of this 4x6 insert about our chat to keep it 'just for us') Printed the others at 2x2 and cropped them a bit bigger to leave a nice white frame around them.
I didn't use every photo I took this week. As I've mentioned before, my hope to keep this stress-free and more about the stories is to only use 1 page protector per week instead of 2. This worked great, and left lots of room for WORDS...which was perfect. My extra pics went into a 'filler/random' file on my computer for weeks that I may need an extra.
I used some buttons/wood veneer this week, and it makes my cards not quite fit into the slots. Well, they fit...but they seem to want to creep out of the page protector, lol. Next week, I think I'll try flat embellishments in the sleeves and if i want to add something bulkier, I'll add it OUTSIDE of the pocket.
Not all of my cards are perfectly sized...which means that you can see a bit of them here and there peeking through from the other side of the page. I'm totally ok with that.
Found that neutrals work best for me, with punches of color. I'm going to stick with grey/kraft/white for my base cards and add in color here and there. At first the 3x4 cards I'd set aside for this week were 'louder' and I was struggling a bit. As soon as I reverted to the basics, it all fell together.

One of my favorite things about this so far is how it has given me cause to reevaluate what is going on in my surroundings. Mike was out of town for work, and my mom stopped by to cook her infamous baked pork chops for Allie and i...so i snapped a pic of her hands while dipping/breading. She was like 'what the heck are you doing?', and I just laughed and walked away. I would have NEVER thought to document something like that. Just like I wouldn't ever have had somewhere to jot down how dang cool I think it is that President Obama joined Instagram this week...but I journaled about it on that 'random' card I made using my Silhouette.

I also took a screen shot of a routine that we have...our 'Morning Family Text Message'. On the days that I work, i group text Mike & Allie to make sure they are up and moving around before I clock in...sometimes they are grumpy, sometimes witty. Either way, it's part of what we do...and I'd never considered making a note of it until now.
Used my old typewriter lots...mixed in with my own handwriting. Can't wait to have Mike & Allie add their own notes. Played around with my Silhouette Cameo to make the January 2012 and the arrow. (i have an arrow 'problem' lol...i could use them on just about everything)

All in all, I had a blast while working on this on Sunday evening.
Looking forward to what next week brings.
:)

(if you have questions about anything I've used/done/mentioned...please ask in the comments section and I will answer ASAP!)

side note: i love the flexibility/style of the Design F page protectors, which are what I've used here. Also planning on trying a few other styles out, but this one allows a great place to use those 2x2 photos as well as kind of break things up a bit so they aren't intimidating. I just look at each 3x4 window as it's own little area!

Project Life...with a twist or two.

2012-01-01T10:32:00.004-05:00

It begins with a celebration.
This was 10.5 hours ago...Allie + friends throwing confetti with not a care in the world.
Screaming at the top of their lungs...
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Hugs all around, party hats and horns.
This is what it's all about.
These are moments I want her to remember.
Not just because they may be happy...sad ones will happen as well.
But I want her to remember that at 12 o'clock, on January 1, 2012...at the age of 12, she was having the time of her life.

Enter Project Life.
I'm never ashamed to admit that I am a skeptic...or that I hesitate to go along with something just 'because everyone else is'. That is SO me. If it's trendy/popular/cool, I'm usually passing it right up, lol. And initially, that's what I thought this project might be...so I passed.

But this past year has changed my outlook a bit. My friend Stephanie put it perfectly in this blog post...please take a moment to read it. I'm kind of feeling stuck lately with projects/assignments/scrap responsibilities...even the word 'responsibility' shouldn't come into play when thinking about my hobby, right?! So, while I am challenging myself to break out of my box a bit where those things are concerned...I realized at the same time that I missed having FUN with all of this.

But that was before I gave this Project Life thing a try. :)

And I've only done our title page...up there in that picture...but it was a blast. I just grabbed things from my stash and played around. I bought a set of the 'F' page protectors and some grid cards...that's it. Everything else will be from what I have on hand. (plus a few more page protectors) I don't intend to post photos of every page I make for this project, nor do I plan to do a strict 2-page per week kind of thing.

That sounds too rigid. Like work.
Everyone is different...but the cool thing is that from what i can tell, you can make it work just right for you.
It isn't an assignment. It isn't 'work'. There is no deadline.
There is just...play.
At least for me, anyway.
:)

Here are a few close-ups of our title page. (and i do mean OUR...Mike & Allie are on board with this and have agreed to contribute. Mike was a bit nervous at first...until Allie gave him that look that he can't say no to, lol.) What a cool thing for us to do together. Heck, i need to just figure out a way to get Lola Kitty involved and all Harpers will be represented lol.
The first thing I started with was the grid card with the Silhouette cut cumbers in the middle row. (i had cut it while playing last week and it was too small for what i was making at the time...so i set it aside.) I knew I wanted to use individual photos of us, a piece from an old Road Atlas (a bargain for only $4 at an antique shop) showing where we live and a title in the 4x6 slot. The rest just kind of 'happened'. I'm not in any way/shape/form a 'planner' when it comes to this stuff. I do not sketch and I rarely think ahead, lol. I envy people who do...but that just ain't me. :)
Who knows if this 'loosey Goosey' approach will have the legs to work for us all year...certainly not I. But we'll adjust it if need be, and just continue to do what we do.

And we'll add this to the list of things we do together.
Harper-family style.
:)

County Fair...January's Studio Calico Kit.

2011-12-28T00:01:00.001-05:00

December is winding down...and that means that the January Kit from Studio Calico is available for purchase!! I also grabbed the Ring Toss and Photo booth add-ons, as well as the Old School Letter Set. Jumping right in...

This is my Main Kit only layout...loved the bold colors in County Fair, and the 'winner winner' chipboard piece cracked me up! The journaling here is kind of retrospective, but also about my upcoming 39th birthday. holy pete...39??
County Fair + Mister Huey Clay + Zing (Powder, Apricot, Mustard and Leaf) + Old Road Chalk Ink

Next is a layout about Spirit Week at Allie's school...they wear uniforms now, so it's a big deal for them to get to step outside of that for a week. We snapped a pic every morning at 645 AM before she went out, and it's cool to see the result of her 'spirit'. I cut the word 'Spirit' with my Silhouette Cameo (Pacifico and Blackout fonts)...the alphabets in the Photo Booth add-on weren't available yet when our boxes shipped, so it gave me a reason to try it out! the graph is from my FAVORITE item this month...the Old School Letter Set...as are the teal labels. (the teal/white diamond sticker is the negative from the label sheet!) Also had to use the cool 4x4" circle graph stamp from Ring Toss!
Ring Toss + Photo Booth + Old School Letter Set + Mustard Zing + Tin Can Chalk Ink + Silhouette Cameo

I have been eyeing up the Ormolu fabric swatches for awhile now, so I'm happy they were in the Photo Booth add-on...and will definitely be grabbing more, now that i see what good quality they are. I strung a few on some thread and used them to make a banner on this next one. This old photo of my bro and i cracks me up every time :)
Photo Booth + English Ivy Chalk Ink + Farmers Jeans Chalk Ink + Old Road Chalk Ink + Mister Huey Clay

This layout came about after a reaalllly rough holiday season this year for me. it's about missing my dad, and it felt good to just type out that i struggle with having lost him so long ago. call me a sap...but it helped a bit to get it down on paper. at the top, the little bit with the gold heart?? i cut it out randomly...then when i looked at the words in French, they caught my eye so i looked them up on Google Translator lol. they mean 'return, please'...how perfect is that? total accident, but maybe it was meant to be.
Photo Booth + Ring Toss + County Fair + Cough Syrup JBS Ink + Mister Huey Clay + Rusty Keys Chalk Ink + Old Road Chalk Ink + Shooting Gallery (arrow stamp) + Old School Letter Set

Finally, this card.
Allie thought it would be cool to make one for Mike to sneak into his luggage...he's been traveling a lot for work, and we miss him like crazy when he's not with us. The globe was cut with my Cameo (as was the title, Pacifico font)...and the banner was made using one of the graph note papers in the Photo Booth add-on. I just wiped JBS Malted Milk ink all over it, so that it would work with the cream colored paper i'd already cut...the white was a bit much. ;)

Photo Booth + Ring Toss + County Fair + White Mister Huey + Silhouette Cameo + JBS Malted Milk Ink + Old School Letter Set

That's it for me this month.
i loved this kit.
enjoy!

InLinkz.com

January Studio Calico sneaks...County Fair.

2011-12-20T11:10:00.003-05:00

i know everyone is crazed with last minute holiday happenings, but i wanted to share my January Studio Calico sneaks...so i'll just dive right in.Above is my Main Kit only sneak...had fun with the vertical number border stamp and Mustard + Apricot + Powder Zing. :)
The numbers border stamp again...plus a strip of the KesiArt paper from add-on 1 and the camera transparency from add-on 4. (star cut with my Silhouette...now back in stock at SC!)
This one puts the cool Ormolu fabric swatches to good use...love those. (the wood alphabet from the Main kit was spritzed with some Classic Calico Mister Huey)

The circle graph stamp in add-on 1 is AMAZING. the graph paper and teal labels seen here are from the Old School Letter Set that will be available in the shop, and i used bits of it on nearly every layout this month! ('spirit' cut with my Silhouette)
(and how cute is the arrow stamp that is part of a set in add-on #3?)

enjoy the rest of your week!

bright. {Holiday mini album}

2011-12-12T12:12:00.010-05:00

I'd forgotten how much I love making mini albums...until this weekend.

I gathered a few supplies and started off. Before I knew it, I was knee-deep in documenting a few 'new' traditions that we have made over the years...and I was feeling a bit less glum about the whole season. Here's what I came up with, and some ideas behind how it came about.

I used a Studio Calico Woodgrain Journal as my base...set the innards aside for another day, as I only needed the chipboard. Painted it with some grey paint, flicked a bit of White Mister Huey on it and I was off and running. The 'December' file card, '3' tag and embroidered 'H' are all vintage. (the top of the December card reads: 'This card is for an outline of important things to be done this month, so you can see them all at a glance. Each matter should be written out on a short card and filed according to date'. HOW PERFECT IS THAT?!)
I used a few SC Veneer stars as masks in conjunction with Mister Huey Clay...ran the card through my old typewriter, just retyping 'merry' over and over and then spritzed the whole thing with Mister Huey Shine. I LOVE THE SHINE. Seriously...photos do not do it justice. The 'bright' was cut with my brand-spanking new Silhouette Cameo (which i never thought i would want and am head over heels for) + the Pacifico font. Snowflake punch is Martha Stewart, naturally lol. ;)
Inside cover= old doily + old Crate paper + Warm Calico droplets + tag cut with the Cameo. Also used LOTS of those red October Afternoon snowflake rub-ons I fell in love with from their Christmas line. Wreath on our front door was jazzed up with some felt circle garland i sewed on my machine + wax paper stars filled with confetti. :)

The red chevron paper from that October Afternoon line is just...WOW. perfect scale so that it doesn't hurt your eyes ;) Wrote about how Mike & Allie always joke when we find our tree each year that they are 'tree huggers'...and then they pose for this photo, lol.
I cut down a baseball card sleeve for this next page, and backed one photo with a piece of old paper doily.
This is the B side of above. Old foil stars in the bottom pocket floating around...and i stapled a wooden tag (from West Elm last year at Christmas) to a photo of some of our feather trees to make the next page. Took an idea from April on mod podging the wood tag and sprinkling confetti on it. :)
Here is the B side of above...backed the photo with a piece of old map paper i had that shows the Columbus area. Perfect for mentioning our Thanksgiving weekend activities! Star cut with the Cameo. The right hand side of that is actually 3 manilla shipping tags that i picked up at Scrappy Chic a week ago...they had embossed a bunch for a make & take and these were leftover, so i bought every last one, lol. I AM HOARDING THEM. I sewed them together to make a page for our annual trip to Amish country to buy Christmas dinner supplies :)
This is the B side of those embossed tags. I misted an old paper doily with Mister Huey Clay and added some oooooooooold grey polka dot October Afternoon paper on top. added a photo of our finished tree, some old Prima pretties and a few snowflakes :)
last page = similar to first...kind of ties it all together.
That's what i came up with. And i had a blast making it...no deadline, no pressure.
Just playing with paper.
That's what it all boils down to, right?
;)

InLinkz.com

A Vintage Collection of Christmas.

2011-12-06T08:25:00.007-05:00

We all have something we like to collect, right??
My thing...is old Christmas goods.
Old as in, pre-1940.
(which is kind of funny now, because I am having a harder time getting into the spirit every year. i love seeing everything all put together and sprucing up the house...but yet i can't quite shake the 'blah' feeling.)

Anyway. ;)
It started with a photo I saw of myself at my Grandma's house when I was a wee babe...in front of her Christmas tree, which was all decked out in glass ornaments from Germany and Poland. That was right after i got married, and I knew then that I wanted a tree like the one in the photo...so the obsession/collection began.

I don't have ONE of the ornaments that were in that photo...Grandma sold them all in a rummage sale years ago lol...THE IRONY! So everything in my collection has come my way via auctions/estate sales/eBay/antique shows...and I get lots of questions about them, so I thought I'd share a few pics.

This isn't vintage obviously lol...but it's for my front door. Cut some felt circles, sewed them together and wrapped around a $7 live wreath from Trader Joe's. The stars are wax paper that I filled with confetti...a new obsession! Love how it turned out.

Starting off with my 2 feather trees...they sit on top of my entertainment cabinet. One filled with ornaments that are glass (all German). These are TINY...under 2 inches long each. Super fragile, thin glass.
The other feather tree is covered with these spun cotton fruit-shaped ornaments. I love how they have glass glitter sprinkled on them. (again, all German...dating to pre-1940)
Here they are all decked out, with one of my papier mache Santas making a cameo appearance, lol.
Collection of tiny bottle brush/tinsel trees.There is a 3rd shelf above these two that didn't quite fit the frame ;) I love grouping them together...they look cool all lined up. A few still have their original price tags on them...29 cents would be a DREAM, right?!
On to the big tree. We always get a Frasier Fir...around $35, 6-7 feet tall. I hack about 50% of the branches off...CRAZY, right?! If you don't do this, you can only hang ornaments on the OUTSIDE of the branches...and I have too many to do that. (plus, the long ones need somewhere to 'hang', so the inside works nicely for that) The goal when i grab my pruning sheers is to make it look somewhat like the 2 that are pictured above on top of the entertainment hutch...not quite as drastic, but you get the idea. If i could find a fake tree that was built more 'open' I'd buy it, but I haven't seen one yet. This is how I store the ornaments...each wrapped individually:
Several different types...here are Victorian era 'tinsel' or 'wire-wrapped' ones. Parasols, ones made with paper 'scrap' faces...these date to 1910-ish.
'Figural' German glass ornaments: meaning, they are shaped in the 'figure' of something. A fish, a little boy, mother & child, angel, pig, dog, owl, ladybug, Easter egg...very thin glass that was hand-blown and painted.

These are a favorite of mine...they are called 'end of day' ornaments. At the end of the work day, a glass blower would take their leftover paints they'd been working with and use them up on 'plain' ornaments...so no two are alike. The paint looks creamy, and is beautiful!
A few of our 'vintage Harper' ornaments. The silver angel is mine from when I was very small...Higbee's was a department store that used to give these to children and somehow mine has survived. Gingerbread man is from an elementary school craft fair when I was probably 7? Wedding bells are from our first Christmas after we were married. Hands are Allie's that she made in preschool when she was only 4. And the blue tinsel one with the mirror was my Dad's favorite ornament that he hung on the tree every year. :)

More figurals. Corn, bird on a tree stump, teddy bear, flower, jesters, clam, gnome.
Here is a pic of the finished result. See how you can see through the tree and what's inside?? The only way to go. :)
I've been collecting these for about 15 years, and continue to search wherever we go. It didn't happen overnight, lol...I started out with Shiny Brites that I picked up at an auction, and it progressed from there. What's really cool is that I seem to have passed this love for old Christmas goods on to Allie, because she oohs and aahs every year when we decorate. I remember when she was 2 or 3 I was terrified to put them on the tree...but Mike encouraged me to include her in the process to maybe take some of the 'mystery' out of it for her...thus maybe curbing her desire to 'grab them', lol.

It worked.
She hasn't ever broken a single one.
I however, am good for breaking one every few years.
(and darn him for being right, lol)
;)

So that's a bit of my collection.
If you have any questions, please ask...I promise to reply!
:)

having fun making a layout = loving the result.

2011-12-02T08:00:00.004-05:00

not going to lie.
when Nichol Magouirk first invited me to join in on her Scrapbook Stamping class for 2peas, i was a bit gunshy. i LOVE stamps, but typically use them here and there to add a little 'something'...and her assignment was to 'make a background' with them. WHA? but i dove right in and ended up just playing around...adding stamps here and there until i was happy with the result. here is what i came up with:
Supplies: Mister Huey Dewey + Mister Huey Clay + Chalk Ink Farmers Jeans + Cough Syrup JBS Ink + Teal Damask Chalk Ink + SC My Happy Stamp Set + MME Happy Days Stamp Set + JBS Labels Stamp Set + Bella Blvd Yellow Chevron Paper + AC Chap Sticker Book + Tin Can Chalk Ink

After making a confetti window card for my SC gallery this month, I had leftovers of happy little dots...and so the basis of this page started there. I used the JBS label stamps to make my windows, and then sewed wax paper to the page...leaving one edge open to fill with the confetti :)
Then i added the chevron border stamps in red, a little row of pennants, some stickers from the AC Chap book, a few brads clustered together...i just played.

And the end result is a page i love.
isn't it great when that happens??
:)

Brooklyn Flea...December at Studio Calico.

2011-11-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

I've been looking forward to this kit since JULY...when I first got a sneak of it at CHA. Love the bright colors with the neutrals, the stamps, the embellishments...all so easy to work with.

This is my Main Kit only layout...about celebrating my mama's 63rd birthday a few weeks ago.Supplies: Old Road Chalk Ink + White Mister Huey + Brooklyn Flea kit + Heart Layering Punch + Cough Syrup JBS Paint

Totally cool to find out that the Chalk Inks are GREAT for stamping on slick surfaces like photos!! They dried so dang fast...and i love the phrase from the main that i used on these photos above.

Next, a fun surprise with my old EK Success Nostalgique Photo Corner Punch.
Supplies: Old Road Chalk Ink + Tin Can Chalk Ink + Paper Piercer/Brad Setting Tool

I like the look of chevrons, so it was a happy accident to see that i can make my own with that old punch!

Then, I made a card using the Burst stamp from the Snow Cone add-on...and confetti windows with leftover cellophane from the packaging this month!!
Supplies: White Zing + Versamark + Heat Tool + Old Road Chalk Ink + Shiny Brite add-on + Bubbles Border Punch + Snow Cone add-on

I Stamped the burst, then laid cellophane down onto the grey parts and sewed the edges with my machine. Left one edge open, slid in the confetti i made with my Bubbles border punch and then sewed all the edges shut. The confetti shakes in there, and this will be a fun card to give!! (and i may or may not have also used this technique on a soon-to-be-seen layout lol) ;)

The ornament stamps from the Shiny Brite add-on inspired this one:
Supplies: Shiny Brite add-on + White Mister Huey + Clay Mister Huey + White Zing + Mustard Zing + Seed Packet JBS Ink + Old Road Chalk Ink + Bubbles border punch + Tiny Attacher + Silver Zing

Stamped & Zing'ed the ornaments, cut them out and 'hung' them from the top of the scalloped paper.

last, my page about Allie's 'joke' she plays every year when we hunt for our Christmas tree ;)
supplies: Salvaged add-on + Paper Piercer/Brad Setting Tool + Old Road Chalk Ink

The green circle border was an experiment with several of my circle punches...just punched out a few different sizes then cut around the outside to make this border.

Hope you love this kit as much as I did!!

Happy Thanksgiving...and one last sneak.

2011-11-24T09:27:00.002-05:00

Taking a quick second to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving...and share my last sneak for the Brooklyn Flea kit. The confetti that you see is actually inside little cellophane 'window pockets' that i made with some leftover packaging in my kit. I'd been wanting to try this for awhile and it was a BLAST!! Definitely doing this again!Snow Cone add-on + White Zing + Versamark + Bubbles Border Punch + Zig Embossing Pen

Also...one of my all-time fave border punches, the Bubbles Border Punch, makes PERFECT confetti. ;)

Have a wonderful day with your family today!!
:)

winner of Maggie's December Daily class!!

2011-11-23T09:44:00.001-05:00

drum roll..........

Latrice said...

Oh my! I've been wanting to take one of Maggie's classes for a long time. This would be great for me to push myself to stay updated on my DD album!

Thanks for the giveaway!

November 21, 2011 12:53 PM

Off to email you Latrice!! Thanks to all for checking out her class!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

December Studio Calico Sneaks!!

2011-11-22T09:08:00.004-05:00

***giveaway for Maggie's class still open on the post below until 8PM tonight!

Oh Brooklyn Flea...how I love you. I have been waiting for you to arrive at my doorstep since I first saw your potential way back in July at CHA...and here you are. I am smitten. :)

I'm including info on some goods I used from the SC shop...in case you were planning on shopping our Black Friday sale. ;) (see info below)

Mustard Zing + White Zing + Silver Zing + White Mister Huey + Clay Mister Huey + Seed Packet Ink + Old Road Chalk Ink

How can you NOT love the vintage ornament stamps?! They are part of the Shiny Brite add-on, and you get 4 ornaments PLUS 2 sentiments in the stamp set.
Old Road Chalk Ink + Salvaged add-on

This one uses ONLY the Salvaged add-on...i played around with my circle punches and the AWESOME My Minds Eye twine.
Old Road Chalk Ink + my old EK Success Nostalgique Photo Corner Punch = a happy discovery.

I like chevrons...but not when they hurt my eyes, lol. This layout began as me playing around with an old photo corner punch I have, and ended up as a happy way to make an EASY chevron pattern.
Main Kit + JBS Cough Syrup Paint + White Mister Huey + Old Road Chalk Ink

Discovered yet another redeeming quality to the $2 Chalk Inks in the SC Shop...as seen here, YOU CAN USE THEM TO STAMP ON PHOTOS!! No smear, no expensive VersaMark needed lol.

And as mentioned earlier...the legendary Black Friday at the SC Shop. :)

You will be able to see Black Friday items HERE when they go live...and don't forget about the new free shipping policy!! (orders over $75 US, $99 international ship for free!!)

Perfect time to pick up:

Mister Huey Collection Packs (save 10% per bottle when you buy the pack!)
new to the Shop: Autumn Press, Memoir and Classic Calico collections
Stamp Storage Panels
New Hero Arts + SC Stamp Sets
and anything else you have had your eye on...

Free Shipping is a huge plus!!

Have a great week!

Giveaway...Maggie Holmes December Daily Photo Workshop!

2011-11-21T10:04:00.002-05:00

Exciting news...Maggie Holmes is offering a class focusing on snapping pics for your December Daily album!!
I have to admit, I'm pretty stoked about this because while I love the idea of a DD...I don't ever follow through on the photo commitment. I love assembling the album, and then I fall short with completing it...so I'm hoping to get some inspo from this to encourage me for next year. I'm excited to take this class myself, and would love to GIVE AWAY A SPOT TO A READER!!

Please leave a comment here and I'll select a winner...you have until 8PM EST TUE. NIGHT (11/22/2011) to post, and I'll post a winner on Wednesday. (This will give me time to contact the winner and get your info to Maggie) REMEMBER: make sure that you include a way to reach you when you post!! This begins on December 1, and I want to ensure that the winner is included on ALL of the daily emails!!

Have a great day!!

winner!!

2011-11-11T08:14:00.002-05:00

winner of the CK Fabric+Notions Special Issue is...

Kirsten said...

this looks so fun - it's the first I've heard about it!!

November 08, 2011 4:38 PM

Congrats Kirsten!! Emailing you right now, and will get your info to CK so they can ship this to you!!

CK Fabric+Notions Issue...giveaway!!

2011-11-08T10:46:00.003-05:00

**just wanted to say a quick thank you for the emails, comments and encouragement re: my previous post on a VERY loosely interpreted Project Life undertaking...I'll blog along the way to share my progress, but wanted to stress once again that it won't be regimented/'timed' at all lol. i'm going for more of a random feel...not necessarily daily/weekly/monthly, but we'll see how it goes!

now...back to why i originally started this post. ;)
Fabric + Notions are HOT right now in scrapping right?! Buttons, hand sewing, die cut fabric bits, machine stitching...you name it!!

and while I may be biased, THIS BOOK IS AWESOME.

I had a sneak inside when I picked one up to flip through at Scrappy Chic when I was there a week or two ago...and loved what I was seeing. So many different twists on things that you probably already have in your stash!! Here is one of the items I was challenged with...ELASTIC. Initially I was like, 'WHA??'. But it was fun to think of a way to use a few different kinds of elastic on this page...I like to look at these Special Issues like 'Challenge' books!!
I'm offering a FREE copy of this Special issue for my blog readers...please leave a comment (i'll leave it open until 10PM EST Thursday 11/10/11) and I'll choose a name at random on Friday. PLEASE MAKE SURE WHEN YOU COMMENT THAT I CAN EITHER CLICK BACK TO YOUR BLOG OR THAT YOU LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS WHERE YOU CAN BE REACHED!!

Have a happy day!!

My Take on Documenting Our Family's Day to Day.

2011-11-02T10:24:00.005-04:00

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed...and all I want to do is play with paper, lol. Not for any other reason than it makes me happy. It's my thing. On top of that, I love to just jot down notes of what has happened with our family at any random moment...but those pieces of paper either end up as full size scrapbook pages, or crumpled at the bottom of my purse. So I've decided to take a flying leap into the process/idea of Project Life.

I'm not 'committing'...that term makes me feel obligated to do something.
I'm not forcing myself to sit down weekly and get stuff done.
And I most certainly am not going to feel pressured about keeping up.

That kind of defeats the whole idea I have in mind, you know?

I don't intend to document every week.
I plan on just randomly sitting down when I feel the urge to play with paper and DO JUST THAT...PLAY.
No deadline/timeframe. No tweaking it here and there. No perfection allowed.

I've always been a sucker for journaling spots/tags/die cuts/vintage ledger paper/twine/tin buttons (flair)/ephemera. I have plenty to play with!! And those are the bits I love to shop for...so why not put them to good use?
I hang on to fave pieces of paper...I'll use those too!
STAMPS??
I. love. stamps.
This will give me the PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY WITH MY STAMPS!!

There's that word again...play.
It's what I really want to do with paper and bits, so play I shall.

Here is the binder I'm using...nothing fancy, but it's my favorite.

American Crafts 12x12 Modern Binder

And you have to love American Crafts, they also make lots of cool sizes/styles of page protectors...here are ones I have waiting to be used:

AC 10x12 Page Protectors

AC 6x12 Divided Page Protectors

These two sizes are cool because they're different...I'll use others as well, but these caught my eye.

So, that's my take on documenting the day to day stuff for my family.
I'm taking it on with a playful twist. ;)
I'd love to hear what others have in mind!

Studio Calico Handmade...November's kit.

2011-10-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

can you believe we are talking about DECEMBER already?! Here is a quick pic of the combined Studio Calico/Ali Edwards December Daily kit...including an exclusive American Crafts album with 25 page protectors, white ink on chipboard calendar pages (6), letterpress number tags (0-9), limited edition Holly Berry Mister Huey (only available in this kit!) and MORE. Make sure you check it out, because this one is expected to fly once it is available to the public!!

where has this month gone?
as i sit here typing out this post, i can hardly believe that autumn is nearly over and Christmas will be here before we know it...wow.
November's kit is full of bits and pieces that just kind of fell together...love when that happens. Below is my Main Kit layout (remember, each of us makes at least 1 project every month with the Main Kit ONLY...it will be the first one in our gallery at the Studio Calico site!)

The one photo i have of me at my 1st birthday party lol...1974, and the colors of this kit were MADE for this photo, i tell ya! I added some Calico Shine to the exclusive red woodgrain diecut paper, added some punched hearts to the border, typed the date on one of those leaves, cut the green alphabet down a bit to add to the chipboard banner and threw in some random buttons/circles on pop dots here and there. the '1' was cut with my Slice and the FabRips that come in the Main Kit. The 'Girl' in the title was colored using Clover Mister Huey :)
This one above cracks me up lol...she is SO my 'mini me'. she still digs hanging out with her mama, even at the age of 12.5...and i intend to soak up as much of that as possible. we snapped these shots of ourselves while antiquing one day, and i've been waiting to use them, so i finally did. i cut some of the exclusive SC leaf paper from the Main to use as a border, and paired it with bits from Pin Cushion, Thimble and the Main. I cut the red border above the grey check from the diecut paper and used the dress pattern stamp in Pin Cushion on it with some Powder Blue Zing...LOVE this and will do it again for sure! This time i colored the 'ME' in the title with Moss Lawn Prima Chalk Ink :)
another photo I've been holding onto...this one of my brother and i all decked out for trick-or-treat, circa 1982. THE DRESS PATTERN STAMP WAS PERFECT FOR THIS!! meant to be, i tell ya! i also wanted a way to use those October Afternoon pennant/banners that come in both Pin Cushion and Thimble, so i used halves of them to make a border :) The chipboard 'hand' in the title was painted with a brush and my Custard Mister Huey. Also slightly obsessed with the OA journaling cards from Thimble...they made it onto every page except the first!
This layout was kind of sad...just because it represents a time in Allie's past that will likely not be revisited. Tons of hours spent at the park down the street from our house, and we drive by it nearly every day...and every. single. time, i picture her just like this...in fact, this picture comes to mind. *sigh*

loved using the Basic Grey alpha stickers here...the font is awesome. the little collection in the middle was built on the B side of one of the Main Kit papers (a doily) with the #7 (her age in the photo), a little girl jumping rope and other bits.
i know what you're thinking about that image there.
that's a card.
GASP.
i have long professed my fear of cards, but decided it was time to get over that business, lol.
and what i found was that cards can be FUN and EASY.
the key, at least for me??
making them with someone in mind to send them to. :)
when i know who i'm making it for...it just falls together.
hopefully, this one will make someone's day very soon.

have a great weekend!!

InLinkz.com

Studio Calico November...Handmade Sneaks.

2011-10-20T08:06:00.007-04:00

I'm not sure if it's because this is may favorite time of year that the time flies so fast, but MAN...it's already time for November Studio Calico sneaks!? Here is what I have so far, with a few more in the works...
The image above is using the Main kit, as well as bits from the Thimble add-on. The green 'ME' alpha is from the Main, but i colored it with the Moss Lawn Chalk Ink that we are now carrying in the store...THEY ARE ONLY $2!!

Above is the image of my Main Kit only layout...it is in the sneak slide show HERE, but this is a different view. :)
This one uses bits of everything...Thimble add-on (WAY cool border stamp!), Main kit, Mustard Zing...and on the edges of my photos I used the Moss Lawn Chalk Ink. IT DRIES FASTER THAN PAINT!!

Here are a few sample images of the colors I am loving:

Off to work on a couple more...loving the feel of this kit!!

side note: if you loved the American Crafts Chap line as much as i did when first seen online, it is now available at 2peas!!! Here is what I picked up...great embellishments with an 'office' feel...in other words, right up my alley. ;)

InLinkz.com

and the winner is...

2011-10-17T07:36:00.003-04:00

Michelle G!! (Michelle, please email me: brains32192(AT)aol(DOT)com with your address so we can get Field Guide out to you!!)

Michelle*G said...

Gorgeous page! Love this new feature at SC! I love that if I don't get add-ons (doesn't happen often - but it sometimes it does!), there is still some inspiration with just the main kit! Awesome!

October 14, 2011 10:22 AM

Let me be your Field Guide...

2011-10-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

Here it is...one more chance to win Studio Calico's October Main Kit, Field Guide!!

Everything you see above will be delivered to your door...just begging to be used in your next crafty adventure. :)

just a quick note: if you are a subscriber, or have already received this kit, you will still receive Field Guide if you win...no swapping for a different kit, etc. Keep it for yourself (all of those cool exclusives!!), or share it with a friend...it's up to you!!

One cool new feature we wanted to point out is that the first layout in each DT member's gallery each month will be made using the MAIN KIT ONLY...you asked, we listened!! And i have to say, i am LOVING the push to use that Main all by itself. Between work and travel this week, i just couldn't find the time to whip up a new one, but here is mine from the Field Guide gallery...

It had been awhile since I made a page using a photo of just myself...and i LOVE the 'You Are Here' stamp, so i used that as my jumping off point. The double-sided die cut starburst journal tags were lovely...but i had a hard time deciding which side to use, lol!! the border of hearts was made with the EK Success 3-in-1 punch (new fave punch), and i kind of let the Sassafras exclusive paper shine up there near the top.

i used a few spritzes of Clay Mister Huey on the manila tag before running it through my typewriter...and decided at the last minute to add that bit of yellow tulle. love how it added just the right bit of girly ;)

To enter to win, please leave a comment by 6PM EST Sunday October 16...i will post the winner on Monday. I'm off to Cincinnati to teach at CKC...bringing Allie as my lovely assistant and can't wait to spend some girl time with her. Have a great weekend!

field guide

Mister Huey Clay

Tiny Attacher

JBS Speckled Egg Ink

InLinkz.com

World Cardmaking Day...wha??

2011-10-01T13:19:00.003-04:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that I fear the cardmaking aspect of playing with paper. I get caught up I think, and end up wanting to 'overdo' it...instead of just sitting down to play.

But this morning, I was inspired.
By a friend who is consistently there to perk me up...even though she lives miles & miles away.
I love her to bits.
And I got to thinking about her this morning, and so I sat down and whipped this up.

It isn't fancy by any means...but I made it. And I'm going to send it her way, so that maybe it will put a smile on her face when she's having a bad day.

:)
Happy World Cardmaking Day.
Take a few minutes to whip something up for someone who makes YOU smile.

InLinkz.com

Field Guide from Studio Calico...so much goodness.

2011-09-28T00:01:00.001-04:00

SO much goodness in this month's Studio Calico kit...where to begin?!

I guess I'll start with my Main only layout.Showing off some love for the 3-in-1 heart punch, Clay Mister Huey (on the tag and sunburst card) and the Sass exclusive paper. The Speckled Egg ink is a new fave!!
Next, is my Pinterest Inspo. Challenge page...here is the Pinterest image:
and my layout about my sweet Grandpa :)
more love for the heart punch, lol...but mostly, i love these pics i snapped of him with my phone. he had no clue i was taking a pic...isn't he the CUTEST thing?? and totally perfect that one of the flash cards on the Fancy Pants paper in the Meadowlark add-on reads '84' :) the circle background stamp from Perennial is a new fave...will have to force myself to put it away!
this next one is cool, because i don't have many pics of me at work.
plus, these are two of my best friends...neurosurgeons in training, who keep me sane 99% of the time lol. i used the brads from the Main, plus a torn out sheet of map paper from the Amy Tan album in the Almanac add-on to pinpoint where they are both from, and to show that we all met up in Cleveland. the title is a common text we send to each other, to plan out our day (as in, 'which OR are you working in today?')...and the days of the week stickers along the right side are the days we get to plan on working together schedule-wise. love these 2 friends :)
last is using a photo i took while Mike and i had a 'Date Day' at my first Ohio State home game...i'd been to a few away games, but there is NOTHING like seeing them at the Horseshoe.

lots of the Bits from Almanac used along the bottom...as well as the JBS chipboard houses from Greenhouse. (it was a HOME game...get it, lol?!) plus i also snuck in one of our ticket stubs for fun. lots of Scarlet + Grey with a punch of yellow!!
Don't forget, you can stuff your box to the limit for only ONE FLAT SHIPPING RATE!! I picked up some extra Stamp Storage Boards and how in the HECK could you pass up the Prima Chalk Ink pads...ONLY $2 EACH?!?! Lots of great colors, and they are mounted on a cool base that helps you NOT drop them on your project while using them.

(i may or may not have done that once or twice with the Cat's Eye/Colorbox brand lol.)
;)

Hope you love Field Guide as much as i have!!

Main Kit	SC Perennial Add-on	SC Meadowlark Add-on	SC Greenhouse Add-on
SC Almanac Add-on	JBS Speckled Egg Ink	JBS Weather Vane Ink	MME Sunshine Brads
BG File Set	Mister Huey Calico White	Mister Huey Clay	Crate Farmhouse Label Stickers
JBS Cough Syrup Ink

InLinkz.com

practicing patience.

2011-09-25T15:01:00.006-04:00

this layout started on a different note.

i had planned on using a photo of Allie getting ready for her Spring Formal and talking about how pretty she looked, etc.

i wasn't home when she got ready (darn work got in the way, lol)...but Mike knew i'd want some pics, so he snapped a few. this one completely escaped me initially when i scanned through the photos he'd taken, but when i sat down today to print out a photo, it SCREAMED at me.

she is 12 years old.
she isn't always perfect, but she's learning.
she tries her hardest at every single thing she does.
she loses her temper.
she is hard on herself.
she excels.
she stumbles.
and then she picks herself right back up.

and i marvel at the level of patience she has.
with frustrating situations, friends and even her parents. :)

so...this one isn't at all about her first Spring Formal.
it's about patience.Supplies: Mister Huey Shine + Autumn Press Papers + Autumn Press 6x6 Pad + Mister Huey Dewey + Mister Huey Clay + Wood Asterisks + Autumn Press Scrap Pads (like little Post-it Notes!) + Woodgrain Chipboard Alpha + Cardstock Alpha + JBS Speckled Egg Ink + Hero Arts Hooray Stamps + Hero Arts Silhouettes Stamps + Butterfly Masks + Fiskars Fingertip Craft Knife

It's hard to tell from the angle, but i layered Calico Shine over the Clay Mister Huey with the butterfly masks...SHINE IS AMAZING. it isn't quite metallic, it isn't glitter...it's more like a pearl effect. in other words, it is PERFECT. it allows you to change any bottle of mist you already own and add a mist of shimmer...no need for 2 separate stashes of matte vs. shimmery!! 1 bottle transforms all of the mists you already own when layered together :)
I know that historically, 6x6 pads have been targeted toward card makers...but i am really enjoying them lately. all of the papers here, other than the pink faux die-cut (heehee, love my craft knife!) are from the 6x6 Autumn Press pad...you can really streeeeeeeeeeetch your stash with those pads!!

hope you have a great week...

InLinkz.com

Studio Calico Field Guide Sneaks.

2011-09-22T17:30:00.003-04:00

Hey there...just sharing a few of sneaks of my October layouts for Studio Calico. what a DOOZIE of a month we have in store for everyone!!

The above layout uses ONLY the Main Kit...we've listened to feedback and will all be including a layout in our galleries each month using only the Main. I am OBSESSED with the Heart Layering Punch...seriously. Forced myself to put it away.
The layout above was just *fun* to make...using bits from Almanac (add-on 4 with the Amy Tan album), Meadow Lark AND Greenhouse. Clay Mister Huey toned the white cardstock down a bit, and there is a really cool stamp set (that's right, a SET) in Greenhouse that i used here...but you can't quite see it ;)
This one here uses more bits from the Almanac add-on...i ripped the map page from the Amy Tan album and colored the white alpha stickers with Estate Green Mister Huey :) IN LOVE with the Prima canvas alphas in Meadow Lark!!
this one here is my favorite of the month i think, simply because of the photos. more to come on that later ;)

i'll be back before Reveal with a list of things you may want to grab from the Shop...you really can't go wrong this month, as EVERYTHING works great together!!

soccer moms...celebrated :)

2011-09-14T20:12:00.002-04:00

just sharing a new layout made with ALL NEW Studio Calico products, which just landed in the shop today at 2peas :)

supplies: Alpha Background Stamp + Plum Thumb Mister Huey + Custard Mister Huey + Ampersand Mask + Memoir Alpha Stickers + Teal Chipboard Alpha + Memoir Scrap Pad + Veneer Asterisks + Classic Calico Papers + Autumn Press Papers + Die Cut Paper + Star Washi Tape

First off, i love these women.
I know, soccer moms are a cliche these days...heck, i used to make fun of them.
But after YEARS of our daughters playing on a team together, they become family.
There is something to be said for raising daughters of the same age together...we share similar experiences and i almost feel like i have several 'acquired' daughters instead of just my own lol.

So I thought I'd pay them a little tribute and used this photo of us together. :)

The purple border at the bottom of the photo is the die-cut paper that i trimmed...first i sprayed some Plum Thumb Mister Huey on it, then i stamped the Alphabet background with VersaMark and added White Zing. attached it with a few pop dots...and i LOVE the ampersand mask, it seriously could be used on just about any kind of project!

I'm off to ScrapFest at the Mall of America in Minnesota...working with KP at the SC booth, and looking forward to seeing lots of friendly faces!! Hope you have a great weekend!!

CK Budget Issue...use those scraps wisely!!

2011-09-01T09:58:00.003-04:00

***eta: These AWESOME crop bags are perfect for fitting kits in either to take on the go or to stash at home...they are back after a loooong hiatus at Studio Calico, so pick them up now and they will ship with your kit at no extra charge to you!!

Hi everyone! CK just came out with a new Special Issue on Budget Friendly Scrapbooking...pretty cool if you ask me! Here are two layouts I made for this issue...the first was to use ONE product that wasn't a 'basic' on your layout. Challenge yourself...THAT IS HARD!! Only one?! I chose the SC State Fair Die Cut Tags...which just so happen to be ONLY $1 THROUGH TONIGHT. How perfectly does that tie in with being Budget Friendly?!

This next one was for an article where several of us cyber-pretended we were at a crop together lol...sharing ONE kit/pack from Basic Grey. These really turned out cool and it's neat to see a few people use the same product come out with very different layouts.
As seen in the Budget-Friendly Scrapbooking issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine. Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.

Make sure you check out this special issue...TONS of ideas for using up that stash!!

Glee Club...makes me smile. :)

2011-08-28T00:01:00.001-04:00

Studio Calico's September kit...Glee Club just went live, and i wanted to share my layouts super quick. This kit has more DT Members squealing than I can count...it's definitely a collective fave!!

Main Kit + Pep Squad + Debate Team + White Mister Huey + JBS Cough Syrup Paint + Amy Tan Sticker Book + JBS Lemon Drop Paint + Tiny Attacher

I had fun with my Slice on the layout above...been wanting to chop up a bunch of squares for awhile lol. LOVE the exclusive American Crafts Thickers in the Main kit!! The Amy Tan books WILL BE RESTOCKED...watch the Message Board for info!!

Main Kit + Debate Team + White Zing + VersaMark Ink + Thespians + JBS Lemon Drops Paint

I never did a layout confessing the way I freaked out when I snapped this picture of Allie on her 12th birthday this year...so here it is. :) Couldn't help stitching around those circles on the SC Exclusive Patterned Paper!!

Main Kit + Pep Squad + White Mister Huey + Amy Tan Sticker Book + Thespians + White Zing + VersaMark Ink + Debate Team

Oh my...this photo.
And see the AWESOME banner stamp from Thespians?!
sigh.

Make sure to check out the rest of the Gallery...SO much goodness this month!!
:)

Glee Club Sneaks!!

2011-08-23T19:22:00.003-04:00

< wow, time flies during summer...right? after spending all day out with my girl, wandering around Put-in-Bay Island, i remembered i needed to post my Studio Calico sneaks for the September kit, Glee Club.

here we go :)

fun with my Slice.
fun with White Zing, the way cool stamp in the Main and my sewing machine.
fun with the Amy Tan sticker book. (coming to the Shop)
more fun with the White Zing + Sass for SC border stickers.

make sure to check back for more details after the 28th!!

**SIDE NOTE: BRAND NEW, CHA-SUMMER Studio Calico/Hero Arts Stamps just in at 2peas!!!

Including my fave...

grab them before they're gone!!

and the winner is...

2011-08-22T21:46:00.004-04:00

for the Studio Calico Boardwalk kit:

Angela said...

Looks like I stopped by on the right day! ;) Love the colors in this kit, and I can't wait to try out the chalkboard goodies! Thanks for a shot at it.

August 19, 2011 11:39 AM

Thanks Angela!!
(and everyone else for entering!!)

Angela, i'm shooting you an email right now!
:)

Free Giveaway?? YES, Please!!

2011-08-19T09:33:00.003-04:00

Who wouldn't like a chance at winning this lovely kit, courtesy of Studio Calico??

What a GREAT kit for summer pages...and with several exclusive items from Crate Paper, Sassafras & Studio Calico along with BRAND NEW items (just released last month!) from American Crafts and Pink Paislee, it's sure to be a hit when you sit down to use it!

I fell in LOVE with the chalkboard stickers...and you can see the layouts I made with this kit HERE. I grabbed the Add-On Patterned Paper pack shown below...just to give me a few more options with color. (LOVE the red!)

You are able to enter at every blog you land on that has posted the giveaway...but in an effort to share the goods, you may only win one time. (if we happen upon a duplicate winner after the names are pulled, we'll choose another) Most of our DT is participating, so try your luck at winning!!

Enter until Monday evening at 6PM EST...I'll pull a winner and post then!!

SHARE THE LOVE!!
Tell your friends!
Share it on Facebook!
Just leave a comment here for a chance to win...GOOD LUCK!!

100 Photos in ONE NIGHT?? Yes, indeed.

2011-08-09T15:25:00.007-04:00

when asked to think of a way to scrapbook 100 photos in ONE NIGHT for the September issue of Creating Keepsakes Magazine, i didn't even think twice.
mini album, baby.
assembly line style.
wallet sized pics.
one line of product to minimize decision making.
here's what i came up with...
Supplies: JBS Malted Milk Ink + JBS paints (Chewing Gum + Lemon Drops) + Stampin' Up! Going Grey Ink + EK Success Chinese Knot Border Punch + Studio Calico Countryside Die Cut Tags + Cherry Divine Twine + SC Countryside Papers + SC rub-ons (Phrase + Butterfly) + SC Alphabet Stickers + SC Mister Huey (Clover + Bonny Blue + Piglet) + SC Wood Veneer (Hearts + Butterflies) + SC Label Stickers + American Crafts Zing! (Powder Blue + Leaf Green) + SC Months of the Year Stamps + VersaMark Ink

The recipe is SUPER SIMPLE.

Print 8-9 wallet-sized photos for each month of the year you're reviewing...I edged all of mine with paint, because I love how it looks.
My album is 8x8...so I cut down all of my base papers to that size prior to assembly.
Stamp months of the year along the left side of every left page. I used a neutral grey, and whatever month I was focusing on, embossed that specific month with Zing Powder.
Eyeball where the photos should go, and then glue those suckers down!
Add journaling.
VOILA!

I know from traveling this year, teaching at CKC Events, that many folks out there aren't really comfortable with 'eyeball-ing' anything, lol. As Nike would say...JUST DO IT. Really, it's ok! You can see from these images that my photos overlap and each page looks different than the next...even though the general theme is carried throughout the entire album. I also mixed up lots of black/white with color photos...IT'S ALL GOOD!
Another common theme...FEAR OF JOURNALING. It's no secret that 9 times out of 10, my pages start with the story I want to jot down, but try though I may, lots of people I've met fear their own written words. This album is, hands down, the EASIEST way to journal anything...simply draw some lines with a ruler and pen and RECAP WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN A FEW OF THE PHOTOS! It's a Year in Review album, yes?? Therefore, words/details of your adventures are necessary :)

**As seen in the September 2011 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine.

Copyright Creative Crafts Group. Posted with prior permission from the publisher.

The rest is easy. I added a punched border to one page, and a handcut border to the opposing page. Threw down a few label stickers and a rub-on or two.

You can do this!
I promise.
:)

hello August.

2011-08-06T10:36:00.009-04:00

August = calm.
July was insane.
i had a blast, but it was literally a whirlwind.
(at least for me, lol)
i don't travel often, but have had lots of opportunities to do so this year. i am enjoying meeting so many new people at the CKC Events i've been to, while also getting to see pieces of this country i would probably never have gotten to...even if it's just a quick view from the car/airplane. here's a brief rundown of July:

week 1, Houston CKC with April & KP. lots of laughs, hard work and HOLY HANNAH, was it hot.

week 2, pick up Allie from her week away from home at soccer camp. i missed the heck out of that girl, and judging by the way she ran into my arms when we showed up, the feeling was mutual. :)
week 3, CHA in Chicago with lots of the SC Crew. it's hard to force yourself to grab some shuteye, when you know you only see them twice a year...i think i logged 25 hours of sleep TOTAL that week?
week 4, CKC-Valley Forge. worked for both SC and CK at this one...laughed it up with Nic, Lorie and Vee, and taught 10 sold out classes for CK. i'm a talker, but MAN...i was hoarse at the end of this road trip lol!
so, July came and went...and now August is here. time to regroup, get back to the day to day and soak up this last month before Allie heads back to school. she has caught the crafty bug this summer...and so i crack up when she asks if we can 'look online' together for stuff we could 'both use'. uhhh...sure? :P

so i give you...her picks. have to admit, she has a good eye...every single one of these made it into our collective shopping cart.
Martha Stewart Halloween tape. i would have NEVER looked at this...it is pretty dang rare for me to look at ANY kind of Halloween product. but missy noticed the lace tape and the one right below it...kind of a twist on wood grain maybe?? and for only $6?? LOVE the lace doily!
October Afternoon Boarding Pass 8x8 Paper Pad. fits in perfectly with my recent paper pad affection, and there is plenty for her and i to share.
OA Tin Pins. my fave product from OA...every release i pick up their Tin pins. she and i split this one...i called the camera, plane and you are here. she gets the rest. :)

OA Camera Mini album: love the shape, will use it for something completely different than travel theme...and i LOVE that they include diecut papers inside! this allows both Allie and i to use the fun camera shaped paper on layouts!!

have to admit, it's fun to craft with her...

and i'll happily soak up any chance to spend time together.
:)

Studio Calico Boardwalk.

2011-07-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

hi there...just sharing my Studio Calico August layouts, well, kind of lol.
i'm actually in Valley Forge for the Creating Keepsakes Convention, but scheduled this ahead of time...wasn't sure if i'd have time to squeeze a post in from the road!
Main Kit + Sea Glass add-on + Sandcastle add-on + White Mister Huey + Lemon Drops Paint

i used the Basic Grey Bloomers from the Sea Glass add-on on EVERY page this month...love those things. i took one apart on the page above and used the natural canvas piece and button separately. see?? even a flower i can love lol!!

Main Kit + Sea Glass add-on + Silver Zing + Zig Embossing Pen + White Zing + Warm Calico Mister Huey

the foam letters in Sea Glass took mist PERFECTLY...i just spritzed, and then dabbed the letter on a paper towel to make it look 'blotchy'. i used the new Heirloom Blue, but debated using Bluegrass instead...either word PERFECTLY with this kit. and how cool does the Silver Zing look with the frame stamp?! reminds me of a mirror. The white outline around the black chalkboard cloud sticker was made with my Zig Embossing Pen and White Zing. :)

Main Kit + Sea Glass + Hydrangea Punch + JBS Bubble Gum Paint

another BG Bloomer. and the LOVELY Sass border stickers from Sea Glass. and my Slice. love my Slice. most of all, i love this photo of Mike & i...snapped while we were onfield during pregame at a Columbus Crew game. need more of these kinds of pics...and i'm not going to lie, this journaling choked me up as i typed it. (choked him up as well when he read it.)

oh, and one other thing...these EZ-Mount Stamp & Store Boards?

they kind of changed my life.
ok, ok...not like THAT lol.
but they DID give me reason to organize all of my past SC Stamps...all into one neat little 8.5x11" binder. which i now keep right beside my desk.

how handy is that?!

Studio Calico Boardwalk sneaks.

2011-07-26T05:55:00.000-04:00

just sharing my sneaks for the August gallery at Studio Calico...ended up really liking the layouts i made with this kit.

items used:

Mister Huey White
Mister Huey Heirloom Blue (from the new Memoir collection, but i debated using Bluegrass instead...any of the Huey's work GREAT with the foam alphabet stickers in the Sea Glass add-on)
Mister Huey Warm Calico
Zing! Silver Metallic...looks WAY cool with the frame stamps, almost like a mirror!
Zig Embossing Pen (to outline the cloud chalkboard sticker)
VersaMark Ink Pad
Heat Tool
Zing! White Powder
JBS Bubble Gum Paint
JBS Lemon Drops Paint
Sea Glass add-on (BG Bloomers on every page this month, plus LOVE how the foam alphabet takes Mister Huey's!)
Boogie Board add-on (the MME stickers + Journaling card)
Sandcastle add-on (the frame stamp + Simple Stories papers)

**if you are one of our members who has been around since Cotillion (Aug 2009 Main Kit), then you will want to make sure and pick up the Sandcastle add-on as well as the Main Kit this month (Boardwalk)...you will have a complete set of the 'frame' stamps that originally appeared on the Home Front Odds & Ends paper!!

back on the 28th with the full layouts...happy shopping!!

Studio Calico Summer 2011 CHA Blog Blitz

2011-07-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone!! We wanted to continue the excitement about our 3 new lines released at CHA last week, so today and tomorrow we are having a BLOG BLITZ!! Everyone participating will be sharing what they made for our booth, as well as giving away SOMETHING FROM THE NEW LINES!! here is what i've chosen...please ignore the puffy, sleep-deprived eyes, as this photo was taken as we were packing up the booth after the show ended.
a 6x6 Memoir paper pad! LOVE the scale of these, and how cool to have bits of EVERY paper in the collection?!

i made a mini album for the booth using the Classic Calico collection and bits from Memoir. (better photos to come...but the album is currently in the crate on it's way home from the show, so this is what i had on my computer!)
inside cover.

the stamps are WAY cool...and i LOVE the little post-it note/Scrap Pads!!

here is a layout i made for the booth using the Classic line + Memoir. the Classic line was meant to work with just about EVERY line out there...so you can combine it with anything and it will be gorgeous. the tags are different this time around, they are a thin chipboard...how fun is that?!

so click around to these blogs to see more of what decorated our booth: Stephanie, Susan, Tina, Nic S, Sasha, Lisa D., Geralyn.

and just leave a comment here and you'll be entered to win the 6x6 Memoir pad!!

July is racing by...

2011-07-14T20:45:00.003-04:00

and i find myself attempting to catch up.

but then i get caught up in how fast everything is going...not just one specific month.
but a couple of them strung together.
that fold into a year.
or a few years.
and suddenly, i am choked up about my baby girl not being a baby at all anymore.

an entire week passed where i was working out of town, and Mike dropped her off at soccer camp at a university 1.5 hours away. i didn't think i would miss her so dang much...but holy guacamole, these last 5 days have been rough. which got me thinking...she may only be 12 now, but then she'll be 15...and then 18...and then college...

and.
and.
and.

and despite the trying times we may have between now and then, this growing up thing is BLOWING MY MIND. we couldn't be more proud of her...every quality we could have hoped for shines right through in every single thing she does. i keep getting told by people: 'just wait, your turn will come...it's going to get rough eventually'.

i don't know, i'm having a hard time accepting that.
i think it's 100% possible to raise a child that doesn't automatically 'go through a hellish teen phase' just because 'all kids do it'. personally, i'm going to place all my faith in this girl.

because that approach hasn't failed me yet.
;)

man, am i glad she's home.

rethINKing Mister Huey :)

2011-07-02T09:40:00.004-04:00

while traveling around teaching at different Creating Keepsakes Conventions this year, lots of students ask about spray mists/inks (they're a hot topic right now!)...so i usually share this technique with them. i wouldn't consider myself a 'spray ink maestro', but i do like playing around with them.

i like it even better when i figure out something different to do with it!!

this chipboard frame from the Studio Calico Lawn Party Gallery (how is this Main kit still available?!) needed a bit of color...and i don't know what came over me, but i whipped the top of my Piglet Mister Huey bottle off and dipped a paint brush in it.

problem solved.

so then i thought, why not try it on paper??

i used a few of the Veneer Stars as masks, laying them onto the paper and spritzing some Lemonade Mister Huey in the 'traditional fashion', outlined the star area with a pen and twisted off the top of my favorite Huey color, Clover.

i dipped it right into the bottle...then dabbed the excess off onto a spare paper towel.
then just started painting inside the star shape.
i was going for a 'watercolor' look...and this worked perfectly. i could easily have used my regular paints, but i like the look of this a wee bit better...love how the text still shows through the colors of ink.

just thought it would be fun to share a quick way to rethINK those Mister Hueys. ;)
(and...you can get 10% off of them this weekend...keep reading lol)

and just a quick head's up...2peas is celebrating the 4th of July this weekend with a GREAT sale!

So many new products in the shop...including the fun tapes i mentioned a post or two ago. mine arrived the other day and i've already decided i need the yellow stars to go along with the red i originally chose...they are perfectly subtle in person and i am in love.

have a happy 4th!!

Studio Calico July...

2011-06-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

just posting super quick before heading to bed...crazy week coming up, and i'm one tired chickie!!

i used mostly the Main Kit this month...along with some Zing. ;)

Apricot Zing + Powder Zing + Main Kit + Zig Pen

stamped the circles, colored the centers with my Zig Pen and then punched them out. even tried some handstitching around the punched circles...have to admit, it was fun. ;)

White Zing + Mini Months Stamps + VersaMark Ink

super simple...had fun with Instagram on this one.

Seed Packet JBS Ink + Lemon Drops JBS Ink + Seed Packet JBS Paint

this one was a blast to make...it was fun piecing all of the little squares together! the camera was cut with my Slice (International Travel design card), and caused me to rethink my Fabrips in a whole new way!!

enjoy your week!
:)

crazy week.

2011-06-20T21:47:00.004-04:00

crazy good...not crazy bad.

crammed my full-time shift into 3 days, drove to Buffalo, taught 10 classes in 2 days at CKC, had a blast meeting with an old friend and making new ones, drove back home and crashed for 2 days. WHEW!! life isn't generally like that for me lol...i'm a home body! wandered over to 2peas while surfing the net and ordered a few cool things...can't wait for them to arrive :) i mean, come ON. i'm a sucker for tapes...but NUMBERS??? no brainer. and FIVE ROLLS??? in this fun metal container??? come to mama. :)

wait...is that more tape?? but it has stars on it...and also comes in yellow. sigh.

0:)

can't wait to see this in person...i'm really drawn to the muted colors. (shocking, right?) there are always 2 or 3 papers i'm drawn to from Sass and this one was at the top for Sunshine Broadcast!

about the only flowers that don't give me chest pain...BG Bloomers, from the Out of Print line. my fave is the one that looks like an asterisk. :)

last but not least, a few sheets of this Summer line by Simple Stories. numbers again. in yellow.

school is finally out, and we are spending tons of time at Cedar Point/hanging around together. Allie is full-out comitted to her Smash book, lol...i love to walk through the house and find her curled up with it, jotting down whatever happened in her day.

have a great week!!

Cover Girl?? Me??

2011-06-14T20:04:00.003-04:00

well, not ME exactly lol...but the layout on the cover 0f the July/Aug 2011 CK issue is mine lol. i was pretty dang nervous about it...but working with the CK Editorial team is always a hoot! you can get the inside scoop on some of the articles you can look forward to here...make sure you check it out!!

as for life around here, it's pretty calm right now...we finished our spring soccer season this past weekend, and have a week off before she begins conditioning with the high school team. (it's dang cute...the high school girls all 'adopt' a player to run drills with etc, and then when the high school season starts up the young ones get to be sideline aides during the games. who'd have thought chasing a ball out of bounds would tickle her so lol??)

i'm off to Buffalo this weekend to teach some classes for Creating Keepsakes at their CKC event...eager to see my friend Joanne and hopefully meet lots of fun people!! If classes aren't sold out, you can register on site...and there is also a vendor fair to shop at, including an AWESOME Studio Calico booth!!

have a great week!!
:)

'spring' in the 2peas Garden.

2011-06-09T09:37:00.003-04:00

spring was the theme for the May Garden over at 2peas...which was funny for me, because we didn't really have a 'spring' here in Ohio! we had tons of rain/cold weather, followed by approximately 3-4 'spring' days...and now the heat of summer is here. what can you do, lol?! ;)

i decided to focus on the brief tidbit of spring i know i can count on each year...my hyacinths. copyright 2peas. Supplies: Smash polka dot tape + Smash blue words tape + Smash stamp + SC Lemonade Mister Huey + Smash graph paper (Mod album...still available at SC!) + SC Wood Veneer + AC green alpha + AC Tag + Girls Paperie label sticker + Girls Paperie Metal pin + Smash sticky label/tab + Girls Paperie polka dot paper

i received my Smash goods a week ago or so, and i love them as much as i did when i first saw them at CHA back in January! the graph paper was ripped right out of the Black Mod notebook...and is the PERFECT size for using as a base on an 8.5x11" page. (still available at SC!!) plan on doing this LOTS, and the black polka dot tape seems to keep finding it's way to my pages, lol.

i've been hoarding my wood veneer pieces a bit, since i know they aren't being reordered...and one way to stretch them is to use them as masks with some Mister Huey. (hearts still in stock here at SC) i spray the backside of the veneer shape, so i can use the front in it's 'natural' state later on...then just outline the negative image with a fine black pen.

love all of the fun tags that American Crafts has been producing...i seem to pick them up whenever i can, and since you get so many in a pack they go a looooooooong way. this one gave me a fun base and way to include a couple different fonts for my title.

we are STILL in school here...we started later than everyone this year, so we go through next Wednesday. which is funny, because from what i can tell, they don't seem to be accomplishing much this last week lol. off to the school today for her final band concert of the year...eager to see/hear how they've progressed!

enjoy your day :)

a twist on a sketch.

2011-06-07T08:51:00.002-04:00

i'm not going to lie...sketches scare me.

which is weird, because so many of my friends say that's their 'go-to way out of a rut'...but i think it's because i tend to take them too literally. so when i got the SC Blog sketch assignment in my inbox, i panicked a bit. and then when i saw the sketch i panicked a bit more...so i just decided to focus on an element or two of the original and came up with this. supplies: OA 5&Dime Tin Pins + OA Rocket Age Paper + SC White Mister Huey+ Moon Stamp from SC's June Kit + Girls Paperie Sticker Booklet (total steal for $5!!) + Sassafras Sunshine Broadcast camera/cloud/heart stickers + Fiskars Star Punch + Smash Tape & Stamp + OA Tiny ALphabet + JBS Spice Tin Ink + AC Mustard Zing + AC Thickers from Main Kit

i snapped a pic of A, engrossed in her tech-heavy world right now, and thought it would be a fun way to use the 'orbit' paper...thus the title. i focused on the little elements from the original sketch and sewed around the smaller cardstock as well.

suddenly, that sketch wasn't so intimidating!!

please check out Laura's gorgeous original page (as well as the details of the sketch challenge) on the SC Blog...we'd love to see you play along!!

i'm off to lunch + a movie...have a great day!!

Paper Moon...Studio Calico June.

2011-05-28T09:21:00.005-04:00

just jumping in here quick to share my June layouts for the Studio Calico gallery...the Paper Moon kit had some unexpected surprises i ended up loving!! this one may seem kind of muted for this kit, but i focused on the kraft accents...to go with my Instagram photo of my desk. the orange thread from the hand-stitched tag didn't quite work (i wanted it to...LOVED the color!), so i took it out and restitched it in grey. i stamped the film strip from the Countdown add-on with Versamark and used Brown Sugar Zing on it...LOVE. i treated the openings like little windows and filled them with bits laying around my desk.

if you haven't picked up the Girls Paperie Sticker book yet, YOU SHOULD. the floral border sticker, typed words and blue alpha are all from there...a steal for $5. :)

supplies: Countdown + Main Kit + Brown Sugar Zing + VersaMark + White Mister Huey + Lemon Drop JBS Ink + Cough Syrup JBS Paint + Girls Paperie Sticker Book

found this old photo and wanted to use it immediately...look how small she was!! this one uses items from Ray Gun, and a Martha punch i'd forgotten about.

supplies: Ray Gun + Cough Syrup JBS Paint + Martha flower punch

this last one was made after a 'just girls day out'...we had such a fun time and i realized how much i love spending time together right now. the heart was cut with my Slice and i switched up the colors of both of the alphabets...one with Blush Zing (used my Zig Embossing Pen...seemed easier to me), the other with Clover Mister Huey. i layered strips of the blue Smash tape ont the chipboard star from Ray Gun, and typed some thoughts onto one of the Travel Smash tags. the 'May' was stamped with Leaf Zing and filled in with Piglet Mister Huey...more on that soon. ;)

supplies: Main Kit + Leaf Zing + Blush Zing + Piglet Mister Huey + Lemonade Mister Huey + Clover Mister Huey + Bracket border punch + Heart punch + Girls Paperie Sticker Book + White Mister Huey + Zig Embossing Pen

***just a quick note: no sure how long it will last, but WHITE Zing and the ZIG EMBOSSING PEN (less than $3!) are still available...usually they fly right out the door during Reveal, so grab them while you can!!

enjoy your weekend :)

coming to terms...a revelation.

2011-05-27T10:55:00.004-04:00

the best laid plans...right??

we had plans that we made quite a few years ago...when Allie was done with elementary school, we'd sell this house and move.

something newer.
something better.
something bigger.

and then, we realized last year that with all that has happened in our area with the housing market..that just wasn't going to be possible.

i'd be lying if i said that initially i wasn't bummed. that was kind of our mantra for several years: 'we won't be here forever...we'll fix it when we are ready to sell...'.

you get the idea.

until we talked with a friend who is a realtor in our area after a soccer game last week, and Mike and i kind of looked at each other and admitted (with no words) to ourselves that we are going to be here for awhile.

by the time everything sorts out market-wise, Allie will probably be heading to college...is that when we would choose to move to a bigger house?? spend the $$ we have saved for that...or invest it in her??

no brainer.
she wins every day of the week and twice on Sunday. :)
we don't want to be stressing about house stuff when she is heading off to her future...we'll be stressed enough about her growing up, lol.

so there it was.
a revelation.
we accepted that it's time to make this house our home once again...and it started with me impulsively going out to buy a gallon of paint. the BEST grey ever. Granite Grey by Glidden, seen here on my kitchen wall. :) does it match my countertop?
nope.
but thats easily fixed.
and i am reminded how easily a $30 gallon of paint can completely transform a room.
bonus of having a small home?
there was enough left over to do the bathroom as well, lol...so Allie and i did that when she got home from school.

i've recently gotten addicted to the time suck that is Pinterest...and this is one of the very first things i added to my board:
coming to terms.
a revelation about what matters.

at least to us.
:)

my heart is racing.

2011-05-18T09:36:00.002-04:00

from this picture i snapped outside yesterday.
(in the rain, no less)

from the thought that 12 years ago, i was a brand new mama...100% sure that i was going to goof the whole thing up.

weeeelllllll...i HAVE goofed up here and there, but not nearly as bad as i thought i would.

we have had our struggles.

at 3, it was about bedtime.

at 5 it was about flip flops during winter.

at 7 it was about losing a tooth.

at 8, choosing your friends wisely.

at 9, horribly loud nail polish.

at 10, back to flip flops.

at 11, revisiting choosing friends.

and now at 12...well, we're only one day into that lol.

the funny thing is, it's cyclical, right?? it all comes back around.

and through it all, we are BOTH reminded that we are actually doing one heck of a job at this mother/daughter thing...we seem to have found our groove.

she opted out of a 'party', in favor of a 'fancy' dinner out with us and her best friend.

i picked up a few corsages for them to wear to the restaurant (i couldn't help doing SOMETHING cheesy).

we came back home for a cupcake.

opened some presents and called it a night.

it was very low-key.

but SHE loved it.

perfect. :)

she and i 'click' in lots of ways.

we had a crawl into bed/watch tv together session the other night. she likes to sit with me and do crafty things while i'm scrapbooking (she is way excited about the Smash stuff we ordered from 2peas, lol. says it was 'made for her'...planning on documenting her crazy summer). she likes to go shopping together, even if we don't buy a thing. she looks over at me during her soccer games, i think for encouragement.

we kind of have this unspoken connection.

sometimes all i have to do is nod just a wee bit from across the room, and she breathes a little easier when something is tough.

she is my heart.

and man...is it ever racing.

peachy keen kitty.

2011-05-17T08:46:00.005-04:00

sharing my latest layout from the Garden at 2peas... copyright 2peasinabucket. supplies: OA ledger paper + AC Peachy Keen tag + Webster's Pages thread doily + Crate Paper button + Webster's Pages button + Hambly rub-on + Bella Blvd. paper + Bella Blvd. Chipboard pennants + Bella Blvd. orange alpha stickers + Aqua Divine Twine + Studio Calico Mister Huey in White, Orchard, Bonny Blue, Barnwood and Lemonade

i snapped this photo of Lola plopping herself right in front of my computer monitor recently...she just likes to hang out with me, what can i say lol? when i saw the chipboard pennants from Bella Blvd that spelled out her name (ok, ok...it was intended to be used to say 'loyal') i decided to us them as my starting point. i am in love with the creamy yellow of this ledger paper...and had the orange/grey/yellow cardstock scraps laying around, so i used 2 different circle punches to make those for a border. the paper with the pawprints needed a little something, so i painted a few of the open circles with my Mister Hueys.

i snatched up the Webster's Pages thread doilies on a whim, because they remind me of something i'd find at a old shop or a flea market...i just trimmed the inside and outside of the blue one to make a circle insted of using the whole piece. great way to stretch your supplies AND your bucks!!
now i'm off to pick up a few things for this girl, who happens to be turning 12 today...

have a great day!!

fun + EASY mini album :)

2011-05-09T20:49:00.005-04:00

just sharing my latest project for the 2Peas Garden...they are doing a 'Connecting with Creativity' feature, and this is the mini album i came up with. i've done a couple of pages using photos my daughter has sent me via text message, so i thought this would be a fun way to keep them all together. copyright 2Peasinabucket. Supplies: Doodlebug Mini Album + Collage Press Alphabet Stickers + American Crafts Camera sticker + Studio Calico Mister Hueys + Studio Calico Veneer Hearts & Stars + Crate Paper Chipboard Frame + Lawn Fawn Stamps + Jenni Bowlin Ink & Paints + American Crafts chipboard alphabet + Hambly banner rub-ons + American Crafts Metal Pin + Websters Pages Embroidered Doilie + Tim Holtz canvas measuring tape

(the album can be seen in it's entirety HERE...please check it out!)

i started out with this great 6x6 Doodlebug mini album...i opted for muted tones since the photos i printed were spruced up with the Instagram app on my phone, and the effects i usually apply there are muted. Instagram is AWESOME. and...it's FREE!! it allows you to take pics with your phone and 'pretty them' a bit with cool filters. you can follow people's photo streams and just have fun. when i want to print one of my Instagram pics, i just send the photo to myself in an email from my phone and print it right at home. i choose the 3.5x5" sizing (on 4x6" paper), and it prints out the size that you see here...with a white border around it. i trim to about 4x4.5 and it kind of looks like an old Polaroid that way...fun!

i'd been holding onto that AC camera sticker for a couple of months, waiting for the right project...this was it. :)

the SC Veneer shapes take Mister Huey like a charm...and i nestled one small heart inside the larger one...me + Allie. (cheesy, right lol?) i LOVE the veneer hearts, and they've done a great job replacing the old Heidi Swapp chipboard hearts as a staple for my projects. BUT...buy them when you see them!! once they're gone, they're gone...no more plans to make more. :(

i snuck a little 'mini page' in between these photos, and added a banner sticker + the Lawn Fawn stamps...they were a perfect fit. i kept the layout of this album EASY...i wanted to focus on the pics (since they melt my heart when she sends them), and so i just added the same thing to each page. used the SC Star Veneer as a mask, spritzed on the background with one color of Mister Huey, then grabbed a paintbrush and 'painted' with a different color inside where i had masked.

here is another 'mini page'...made with leftovers from other projects.

i think the thing that still gets me is that she takes the time to text me and hit send while she's away...because it let's me know that she is thinking of me. as a mama, that warms the heart a bit, doesn't it? i actually choked up a bit a few weeks ago...when this one came through: she had gone to her girlfiend's to get ready for the big spring dance, and i was at work...she let Mike take a few pics of her before he dropped her at her friend's, and i would have been happy with that. but after she got all dolled up, she had her friend take this pic with her phone and she sent it to me. i literally gasped. not only is she 100% beautiful, she asked her friends to wait an extra minute before they left so she could get this photo taken...BY A WINDOW for 'better light', lol. man, i love her.

i finished the last page with more leftover bits...i am in LOVE with the Webster's Pages fabric/crocheted doilies, and the rest of the pieces kind of fell together.

so, just a reminder...that just because the quality of a cell phone/text pic may not be professional caliber, that really isn't what's important, is it? these types of photos are a sign of our times...and a great, EASY way to capture moments we may not initially have thought about.

enjoy your week!!

Happy Scrapping to my fellow peeps!!

2011-05-07T18:14:00.002-04:00

how fun is this?! all of us from Studio Calico 'posed' for NSD in our creative spaces...too funny lol. lots of challenges/virtual Make & Takes/chats happening HERE this weekend...make sure to check it out!!

then...2Peas is making offers that are hard to refuse!!

FREE GIFT with purchase.

FREE SHIPPING (orders of $30 or more...use code: NSD511)

ADDITIONAL 10% OFF SALE/CLEARANCE products!!

sounds like a perfect reason to shop, right?!

off to scrap...enjoy the festivities!!

spreading some (much needed) sunshine...

2011-04-30T17:48:00.002-04:00

with my most recent addition to the Garden at 2peas... copyright 2peasinabucket. Supplies: Echo Park Playground Collection+ American Crafts grey Thickers + Doodlebug Brads + Fiskars Fingertip Craft Knife + Bumpy Road Border Punch + JBS Chewing Gum Paint + Collage Press Hometown Summer Collection

dug out these old photos from a playground visit looooooooooong ago...we used to visit there so much, i could probably have told you when a new scratch ended up on the slide, lol. those days are gone, but i still love the pics...in fact, i bet if we wandered down there again, she'd hop right on the slide like she was still 7. :)

that Fiskars Fngertip Knife is the best i've used...it fits just right in your hand and made hand-cutting the centers out of those 'polaroids' on the Echo Park paper a breeze. i chose the Bumpy Road Border Punch since it looked like the blue scallop that was already on that paper.

just a head's up...TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE $30/FREE SHIPPING DEAL AT 2PEAS!!! they don't offer this very often...and it is the perfect reason to stock up in time for National Scrapbook Day next week!! sooooo many new products available...i know i keep adding things to my cart as well. }:)

side note: thanks to everyone for their kind thoughts/prayers for the family of our dear friends who suffered a tragic loss this week. to say it has been rough would be an understatement...Mike has lost one of his closest friends, and we are all trying to find comfort in knowing what an impact Martin had on us. it was just a week ago today that we gathered for an impromptu bbq & shared lots of laughs...words can't express how much he will be missed. i just wanted to say how much i appreciate people reaching out to me with words of comfort...i'm blessed to have you.

xo

Lawn Party...Studio Calico May.

2011-04-28T00:05:00.002-04:00

sigh.
mad love for this one...wow.
i'll just jump right in...

i made this one entirely with the Pink Lemonade add-on...and it is my favorite page that i've made in a loooooooooong time. might have something to do with the pic of me & my BFF, Jenn...love her. i just kept adding pieces and stopped when i ran out lol. also used one of the Girls Paperie Artisan Pins here...snapped the pin right off and used it like a brad/button. Pink Lemonade add-on + Classic Calico Mister Huey + Lemonade Mister Huey + White Mister Huey + Malted Milk Paint + Modern Garland Border Punch + Girls Paperie Artisan Pins

this next one i kind of did the same way. started out with the pic. then cut a square of paper the same size. the cut a triangle of it and made an 'envelope'. WHY? who knows, lol. but i like it. :)
this is a nickname we have for Allie...our 'Girl Sunshine'.

i used my Zig Emboss pen to add some Mustard Zing to the panes of the chipboard window, and found a new way to use my Mister Hueys...take the lid off and use them like watercolor paint!! thats how i colored the frame of the window. ;)

Mister Huey White + Mister Huey Piglet + Mustard Zing + Zig Emboss Pen + Girls Paperie Artisan Pins + Paper Lanterns add-on + Chewing Gum Paint + Brush Set

next, we all chose a member layout to lift...and i chose Diane Payne!! here is her layout...loved the simplicity and banner...

and here is my version.

Lawn Party kit + Artisan Pins + Apricot Zing + Leaf Zing + Chinese Knot Punch + Butterfly punch + Lemon Drop Paint

hope you have a great weekend!!

Studio Calico reminder...May Reveal Day + Shopping!!

2011-04-27T10:11:00.005-04:00

good morning all...just a quick reminder that this amazing kit, Lawn Party...is available tonight at midnight EST!! shop items?? you bet. including my beloved 'bubbles' background stamp...remember, it looks AMAZING with Zing Embossing Powders (especially White)!!

can't forget about these guys...Countryside and State Fair available too, either individually or as a Collection Pack!!

just a quick note about what i found making it's way onto my pages this month:

White Mister Huey...looks great against the grey cardstock, of which i am now in LOVE.

Classic Mister Huey...toned down some white cardstock perfectly for me.

Girls Paperie Tin/Metal Pins...I. LOVE. THESE. i didn't get the add-on that they were in, but knew they were right up my alley. (you only get 6 in the add-on, so it worked out better for me!) i have used them both as a 'pin' and more like a 'brad/button' by snapping off the pin, lol...you'll see ;) just a great, vintage-y enameled look to these...and it works out to $0.50 per pin. share with a friend if you like, but i'd have a hard time not keeping them to myself!!

Pink Lemonade add-on...my FAVORITE!! loved every piece of the Girls Paperie that was included, and the October Afternoon 5&Dime Ephemera packet is AWESOME. Hambly rub-ons, amazing. made my favorite layout in a loooooong time with this one.

Paper Lanterns add-on...more happiness with the Girls Paperie chip alpha AND the Crate 12x12 chipboard. at firt glance, i didn't think i had much use for that particular Crate chipboard, but ended up LOVING it.

Lemonade Mister Huey...changed the naked chipboard ampersand from the Pink Lemonade add-on to the perfect shade of yellow.

Mustard Zing...great with the stamps, even better adding some spice to the Crate chipboard window ;)

Piglet Mister Huey...same as above. discovered a NEW way to use my Mister Huey's this month...don't you love when that happens?!

7-piece Paint Brush Set...see above. :)

Crate Portrait 12x12 Chipboard...Portrait is my fave collection from CHA. enough said?

Apricot Zing...looks great with that number border stamp in the Main ;)

Leaf Zing...likewise.

Zig Embossing Pen...provided the ability to use my Zing Powders in fun ways this month.

Tiny Attacher...love. and now that i learned a way to make it reach even farther?? WOW!

Basic Grey File/Distressing Set...go-to product for sanding my chipboard edges & paper :)

VersaMark Ink

Malted Milk + Lemon Drops + Chewing Gum Paint...to edge my photos, of course!!

HAPPY SHOPPING!!
(remember, all add-ons + shop items ship FREE with your Main Kit!)

d'egg'orating.

2011-04-24T15:36:00.002-04:00

happy easter to everyone...thought maybe i'd share my latest addition to the 2peas Garden in honor of today. copyright 2peas. supplies: Pebbles 'Happy Go Lucky' papers + 'Happy Go Lucky' Buttons + Studio Calico Veneer Hearts + American Crafts 'Love' Tags + Crate Paper border & label stickers + Sassafras Alphabet Stickers + House of 3 Ephemera + Bubbles Border Punch + Notebook Border Punch + Jenni Bowlin Chicken Feed Paint + Slice Handwritten Cartridge + Studio Calico Hot Dog Mister Huey

it's hard when your girl grows up...no more basket filled with goodies from the $1 spot. and since she doesn't eat candy, it's tough to think of things to stuff in there that she'll actually use, you know? things that won't get tossed aside in a few short days? so we have switched over to gift cards...and we'll have a day together this week while she's on Spring Break, so she can shop her heart out. :)

one thing that she still loves to do though is decorate eggs. again, she doesn't eat them, lol...but we still make 2 dozen to give to Grandma & Grandpa Vene + make some egg salad for Grandma T. so i snapped a few pics last year and saved them until now.

i really like the Pebbles 'Happy Go Lucky' line...lots of good, basic prints that can be mixed with anything. and call me crazy, but i had fun sewing the title to this page!! after cutting it with my Slice (with the Handwritten cartridge), i took my time and got up close and personal with my sewing machine. :)

hope your Easter was happy...enjoy the rest of the week!!

Studio Calico May peeks...Lawn Party.

2011-04-18T14:14:00.003-04:00

winner of my blog hop prize is posted at the bottom!! i. love. the May kit. sorry...had to get that off my chest! here's what i have... discovered a new way to use my Piglet Mister Huey's on that chipboard frame there...combined with Mustard Zing, it's twice as nice :)

more Mister Huey love...the one above uses only add-on #2, 'Pink Lemonade'. and it helped me make one of my favorite layouts in a LOOOOOONG time.

this sneak here features the fab number border in the Main Kit + Apricot and Leaf Zing Powders. plus a cute pic of me from Easter long ago, lol...

and now...MY WINNER!!

Karin said...My fave part of my home is our living room where we spend the most time with our family and friends. I love the gray walls and am always changing things up to make the room cozy and comfortable. :-) April 14, 2011 11:44 AM

Karin, please email me your address: brains32192ATaolDOTcom

enjoy your week!

Studio Calico Blog Hop...Countryside + State Fair now in the Shop.

2011-04-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

to celebrate the 2 new releases landing in the Shop at Studio Calico, we're having a blog hop!! TONS of new layouts from our team...including this one from me: i have rediscovered my love for my Slice recently...and i wanted to do something kind of playful/different. so i grabbed some of my fave papers from both Countryside and State Fair + my Basic Designs card that came with the Slice and started cutting random flowers.

i spritzed some white cardstock with Orchard Mister Huey before loading it into my old typewriter...i knew where i wanted the photo to be, so i just left that space open while typing. used up a few old brads from past kits that i'd been hoarding/saving (hahaha), and added some of the cloud rubs as an afterthought. made the title with the red alpha rubs + yellow Addy Stickers (subbing the veneer heart for the 'O' in home)...and called it a day! even though the flowers are kind of randomly arranged in a 'linear' way, it feels different than my normal layout...and i reaaaallllly like how it turned out! :)

now...on to the deets.

just leave a comment here telling me what your favorite part about your 'home' is to you...and i'll draw a name to win the Orchard Mister Huey AND the red alpha rubs!!

then, hop on over to Nic Samuels' blog & continue on for more chances to win!!

and in the meantime, you could always shop for your fave pieces of Countryside & State Fair PLUS the new Mister Hueys, ALL the rub-ons AND the new wood veneer shapes!!

love when she 'gets it'.

2011-04-13T08:36:00.002-04:00

new layout from me up in the 2peas Garden yesterday... copyright 2peasinabucket. supplies: 7Gypsies numero tickets + 7Gypsies Calendar tickets + 7Gypsies Camden tags + 7Gypsies 'Life' tissue paper + Basic Grey border stickers + Sassafras Starters paper + Classic White Mister Huey + American Crafts woodgrain alpha + JBS Lemon Drop Paint + Crate Paper buttons + Cherry Divine Twine + 7Gypsies Family Tag Kit + Bazzill Lagoon Cardstock + Large Scallop Border Punch

i fell in love with lots of pieces from 7Gypsies new release and they kind of all came together here on this page...those Camden tags especially. the fact that they are all 'collage-y'when you tear open the package = SWEET. the text that is printed on the 'Life' collage tissue is a reprint from paper they made YEARS ago, that i still love but can't find anymore...anyone else wish they would do a reprint on it?! it took the Classic White Mister Huey beautifully...and behaved well in my border punch too. :) i've been a fan of Basic Grey's 12x12 border/sticker sheets for awhile now, so i LOVE that they made several in 6x12...the photos are from our trip to D.C. last July, coupled with some words that i wanted to get down on paper after catching her really thinking about the meaning of something she saw there.

heading to Phoenix early in the a.m. tomorrow...but you'll definitely want to check back here, so don't forget ;)

mama shock + emotions = retail therapy.

2011-04-09T12:57:00.005-04:00

i know, i know...this isn't the first time i've confessed to being an emotional mama. (and it won't be the last lol) to set the scene, she had her 'Spring Fling' dance last night at school...i think she was more excited about getting together with the girls before to get ready, but she had been talking about it all week. i had been talking about it during work yesterday, and a few sweet coworkers made it a priority to get me out early so i could try to rush home and see her before they went. darn rush hour traffic. i didn't make it home in time, and while Mike snapped a few pics of her...i'll honest, i was bummed. but i knew she was having a ball, so it was all good. i settled in for the evening, got something to eat and hunkered down at my desk to work on a few assignments, etc. then my phone dinged...with this text: my god. A. where did my baby girl go? B. how sweet was it of her to ask a friend to snap a pic so she could text it to me...so that i was able to see how amazingly beautiful she looked?? i'm sure those girls were wired with excitement, yet she thought enough to pause for a moment and include me so i could share this moment with her. needless to say, this mama got choked up. verklempt. overwhelmed. i'm so stinking proud of this young lady that i can hardly stand it. it may not seem like a big deal, but if you have a 'tween you sometimes wonder if you are getting through to them lol...this simple act proved that we definitely are. so what was i to do?? friday night, all wound up with 98687312 emotions flying around my brain...i decided to shop, lol. in case you missed it, 2peas has just about TRIPLED their site/store...adding Stamping AND Cardmaking sections to better serve their customers. people asked, they listened!! i'm excited to be part of all of the action there...but WOW. when they expanded the site, i had NO IDEA how many new/different products that meant they'd be expanding to!! here are a few faves... 6x6 or 8x8 paper pads.

i know that for lots of peeps, these have been a staple in their stash for ages...initially geared toward cardmakers, the cool thing about them is that the scale on the pattern is smaller. what i think is cool about them is that you can get samples of entire collections for a reasonable price...and for someone like me who rarely uses an entire sheet of 12x12 paper, this size seems like it will be fun. My Minds Eye 6x6 Pads

Echo Park 6x6 Pads

October Afternoon 8x8 pads

i fell in love with these Vintage Label Stamps from Jenni Bowlin...total deal for $4. pair them with my Zing Powders and i can make labels in any color i want.

this is another awesome addition to the shop...Divine Twine. you just can't have enough of a staple item like this. i'm often drawn to ribbon, but find it hard to us on my projects...this stuff though? i use it on almost EVERY PAGE. and when you do the math, it comes out to like, $0.06 PER YARD!!! i know i won't have a hard time getting my monies worth out of this grey color...come to mama, lol.

it's been awhile since i made a mini album, and i've got the itch. LOVE that this new one from October Aftenoon's 5&10 Line has patterned papers included in it. again, a way for me to get a sample of the entire line without buying huge sheets of paper that i know i won't use up.

eager to turn my retail therapy spree into a creative therapy spree lol...love that this hobby enables me to do so!

have a great weekend :)

June 1968 + Crate Paper 'Portrait' love.

2011-04-04T10:26:00.003-04:00

it's funny, but some paper lines you're just drawn to. my friend Dav mentioned that as soon as she saw Crate Paper's new 'Portrait' line, she thought of me. and that i would LOVE it. and she was right. ;) she knows me so well. so here is my latest layout that went live in the Garden Girl Gallery today at 2peas:

copyright @2peas. Supplies: Crate Paper Portrait Line + Barnwood Mister Huey + Hearts Veneer Shapes + Chinese Knot Edger Punch + Yellow Cosmo Chipboard Alphabet + Double Scallop Edger Punch + Lemonade Mister Huey + .03 & .05 Black Pens

i loved the cake sticker...that's how this whole layout started. the photo of my mama & dad is a fave, and i love how their story began. dad worked at Ford Motor, but played in a band on the weekends for fun with his buds. mama and her friends go (by chance) to see them play, he dedicates a song to her (without even ever speaking a word to her) and they marry 11 months later. they enjoy being newlyweds for 4 years before i come along, 2 years after that my brother is added, and the rest is history. :)

all because of one song.

just like this layout started with that cake sticker, lol. i spritzed it with some Lemonade Mister Huey and then added some detail with my .03 black pen...journaling with the .05 pen. i've rediscovered the Chinese Knot punch, and have plans to try something else with it soon. :) hope you have a great week!

Studio Calico Special SALE!!!

2011-04-01T00:01:00.000-04:00

just a quick post to fill you in on a special going on at Studio Calico...it JUST went live at midnight, and if you purchase now...it SHIPS FREE WITH YOUR APRIL KIT!! wanna know what it is?! ALL DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTS ARE NOW 50% OFF!! including my FAVE paper...the staple in my stash...the B side of Window Seat, as seen in this layout using Documentary: add to the papers a great alphabet + cool label stickers.

BUY IT NOW...once it's gone, it's GOOOOOOOOOONE!!!

***don't forget, the ZING Embossing Powders were restocked...including the WHITE!!

sneaky girl...what's not to love about that?

2011-03-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

had a new page go up at the 2peas Garden this week...this month's theme was 'Winter'. supplies: MME Polka Dot paper (grey) + MME Stripe paper + Echo Park Polka Dot paper (red) + Crate Paper Crossword Paper + Crate Paper Accent Cuts Paper + Sassafras Paper (blue border) + Crate Paper Chipboard (title) + Little Yellow Bicycle Die-Cut Tissue Paper Sticker Trim + Sassafras Alphabet Sticker (teal) + MME label sticker (camera) + American Crafts MixTape (pink)

i decided to veer away from the 'typical snow products' and instead use some colorful goods that remind me that Spring is indeed around the corner lol...despite the freezing temps outside right now.

in a continuation of owning up to my love for strips of paper, i figured i'd just roll with it. paper is probably my favorite supply, so why not use it...right?! i fell in love with the die-cut tissue paper border stickers...i only used the small blue one at the top here, as i'm hoarding the rest for future use :P

have a great day!!

Singin' in the Rain at Studio Calico with the April kit.

2011-03-28T00:09:00.003-04:00

nothing but blue skies from this kit...it's GORGEOUS. and...i have come to terms with loving strips of paper lined up against one another, lol. it's just what i like i guess! here are my layouts for this month... this girl cracks me up with her fashion texts while i'm out of town...makes me happy that she thinks to keep me posted on what she's up to :) the herringbone 4x6 stamp in the Tap Dance add-on was a bit much for me...until i used my Zig Embossing Pen to only ink ONE STRIP AT A TIME...then i had a fun border to use! i made the little mini banner inside the chipboard frame from the remnants i had on the 3rd page in this post...love when that happens!

Barnwood Mister Huey + Notebook Border Punch + Zig Embossing Pen + Powder Zing + Mustard Zing + 3-in-1 Butterfly Punch + Royal Butterfly Punch + JBS Cough Syrup Paint

taking Allie's advice from a previous topic and owning up to a fear...i don't have many, but bridges are one of the few. it's awful. i grip the steering wheel in the '10 and 2' position and hold my breath without even knowing that i'm doing it. crazy, right??

i LOOOOOOOOOVE this piece of grey polka dot paper from the Happy Refrain add-on...like, so much that i picked up an extra piece. that NEVER happens. again, my love for strips of paper + border stickers shows through lol.

i used one of the Veneer Stars from my stash as a mask for the tag...spritzed it with some Pickle Mister Huey after typing out the mantra that runs through my brain while i'm driving across those darned bridges. also reaaaaaaaaalllly love how that kraft-colored alphabet from the Tap Dance add-on looks on kraft cardstock :)

Star Veneer (used as a mask) + Pickle Mister Huey + Tap Dance add-on + Happy Refrain add-on

just a random snapshot of quiet moments spent on Sundays at our house...can i once again profess my love for the Instagram app?? and strips of paper? ;)

April Main Kit + Clover Mister Huey + Epiphany Button Tool + Button Refills + Apricot Zing + Powder Zing + Mustard Zing + White Zing + Zig Embossing Pen + Bracket Border Punch

all in all, another WOW kit...brought to you by SC :)

enjoy!!

Sunday Reveal Days @Studio Calico = the best.

2011-03-27T10:14:00.002-04:00

because i know i can take part in the fun/madness/mayhem by chatting with our members...when Reveal happens on a weekday, i'm sometimes at work and miss out on that. definitely one of my favorite aspects of being on this team is the comraderie that has developed with so many people on the boards...i consider myself fortunate to have forged many relationships with good people there. what's left to say?? the Main is amazing. the add-ons ALL have something i love in them. the Shop is FULL of restocks (available NOW...like the Cloud Punches, Bumpy Road Punch and Large Circle Border Punch...which April mentioned will NOT be restocked, so grab that one NOW!), and the new items (INCLUDING THE ZIG EMBOSSING PEN FROM MY VIDEO!!!) will release at midnight. here is a list + PHOTOS of new shop items...love that our members take the time each month to seek out photos once the Shop List is posted. see??? we are ALL enabling each other, lol!! note about the Zing: many of my favorite colors have sold out, but April is checking with American Crafts to see if she can get a restock before SC ships your kits out...she is hopeful that will happen and will post to the Message Board tomorrow when she hears from them. good basics that belong in your stash still exist though...

Charcoal (a good grey...NOT black)

Butter (soft, subtle creamy yellow)

Blush (beautiful soft pink, and goes well with the April kit)

Denim (true navy...summer is coming and i LOVE navy! it is very similar to the JBS Spice Tin Ink)

Chestnut (awesome, rich brown)

all of these item may be purchased now, and will ship with your kit AT NO EXTRA COST...so if you need/want a few of them, it's worth your while to shop for those now and give yourself one less thing to worry about at Reveal. :)

see you in the Chat Room!!

Studio Calico + Zing Embossing Powder Tutorial

2011-03-25T09:17:00.000-04:00

my first video tutorial...please pardon the occasional shaky hand of my videographer, Allie :)

i'd been begging to have the Zing Embossing Powders in the Shop ever since i discovered what an AMAZING job it does with the White...FINALLY, a great white stamped image!!

THEY HAVE BEEN RESTOCKED!!!
so make sure you check back to grab your favorite colors!!