April 2013 Studio Calico kit - Spencer's

Another month, another "what I did with my Studio Calico kit from the time it arrived at my door until the next month's kit arrived" post.  This month, I purchased the main kit and SC patterned paper.  I loved the corkboard paper and I also love vellum and wanted extra of that.

This first layout is some pictures of when my husband and I were staying in Florence, Italy for a little vacation. One day we took the train to Sienna for lunch at a Slow Food approved restaurant. (Slow Food is an organization all about authentic, traditional food.) My husband ate tripe and spaghetti with wild boar sauce!  The snail is the symbol of the Slow Food organization and I was able to cut it out with my Silhouette.

This card I made for no reason other than I thought it wood be a cute way to use that little BasicGrey smily face.  Clean and simple!

This layout uses almost a whole sheet of the vellum I am so happy that I bought extra of.  I trimmed it down a bit and then backed it with a gray piece of cardstock.  I thought it was the perfect base for a guy page.

This layout I made for a NSD challenge at Studio Calico.  The challenge was to use a number on the page.  We had just seen our nephew, Paul for the first time in two years and he has changed so much!  I   thought using his age in the title was perfect for a layout about him.

This layout was made for the Week #2 challenge for the POP II class at Studio Calico.  See more about the class and the technique I used here.  

I also made my niece a birthday card with some of the leftover stars that I had from the "Paul @ 15" layout.  (Happy birthday, Olivia!)  Sorry about the bad picture, but I had to get it in the mail before I was able to take a better one. 

That's it for this month - a pretty good month I have to say!  I'm not doing so well this month making projects with the kit - only one so far.  How are you doing with Planetarium?

Have a good week everyone!

Pop Off the Page II

I was really excited when a second Pop Off the Page class was announced at Studio Calico.  I really enjoyed the first class and I knew that the second would be just as good.  I really enjoy participating in the weekly challenges.
The first challenge from Jen was this:

 For this week, we're going to start small. I want you to lift one of the layouts in the first PDF. You can choose to lift the entire page, or just a small technique or detail - it's entirely up to you!

I lifted a part of Lilleth's layout by using the heart die cut (that I really didn't like until I saw her page) and backed it with a different paper.  I still have to add the journaling to this page.  

You can see here that I cut out a few hexagons from the paper and adhered them with pop dots for some dimension.

The week #2 challenge was this:

Hi girls!! This week is all about mixed media. I can't wait to see your mixed media projects! 

I don't really 'do' mixed media, but I do have one little trick.  I actually learned this from a problem I was having  - I had used multi medium on a project and I wanted to use spray mist on top of it, but it just pooled.  I posed the question on Studio Calico and someone suggested that I mix the multi medium and the spray mist together first.  That solved my problem!

For this layout, I took multi medium, mixed it with Mr. Huey and then pressed some bubble wrap into that mixture and put it on my page.  I love the texture and messiness it adds!

Here's a close up of my technique:

Are you in class with me?  Are you enjoying it so far?

Have a good week everyone!

Mother's Day cards

I was able to make all of the Mother's Day cards that I needed this year.  I love making cards to use up scraps and this first one is a perfect example.  The different patterned papers on this were actually from one piece of paper making coordinating easy!  I used this card that I had pinned on Pinterest as my inspiration.

This next card I made as part of my scrappy resolution 2013 for April.  See this post for more information about my resolution.  

This card I made using a sketch from Studio Calico as part of their National Scrapbook Day challenges.  I used the 12" X 12" washi paper from the Crate Maggie Holmes collection.  I love the idea of the washi paper - there is only so much washi of one pattern you can use.  This gives you 12 inches each of  I think 19 different patterns.  Perfect!

Did you create cards for Mother's Day this year?  I'd love to see them if you did!

Have a great week everyone!

Scrappy Resolution 2013 - April

Another month, another post about my 2013 scrappy resolution!  At the beginning of the year, I decided that every month I would make at least one project from a prior year's Studio Calico kit from that same month.  It has been really fun pulling out three years of kits each month and finding a few products to use.

I was able to finish up the scraps of a couple of pieces of patterned paper with this card.  I made four of the same card - sometimes I think it is just as fast to make four of the same card as it is to make one!

I used some old Thickers on these next two projects although the rest of the products are from current kits.  I also used some October Afternoon labels, which seem to multiply in my stash!

I also made a Mother's Day card using patterned paper and embellishments from the April 2010 kit, but completely spaced on taking a photo of it today. (Updated to add card!)

If you made a scrappy resolution this year, I'd love to know how you are doing!

Have a great week everyone!

March 2013 Studio Calico kit - Neverland

Another month, another "what I did with my Studio Calico kit from the time it arrived at my door until the next month's kit arrived" post.

I got just the main kit this month, but picked up a few products from Two Peas that were in some of the add-ons.  I liked the kit, but didn't feel that the kit included enough embellishments.  There was a mask and a mini Mr. Huey in the kit, which is a fun idea (OCCASIONALLY), but I think it made the kit seem a little light.  Anyways.

The first layout is a photo of my husband's cousins daughter.  She was a flower girl at her uncle's wedding in France last month that I was lucky enough to be able to go to.

I started with the kit but then I decided I wanted to add some gold to the layout and it went a whole different direction.  I love using gold POW glitter paper in my Silhouette. 

The next layout is of my husband just after the wedding.  He was a groomsman and during the ceremony he and the five other groomsmen had to take turns holding crowns over the heads of the bride and groom.  It was not an easy task and this picture shows how glad he was that it was finally over!

I had picked up some Maggie Holmes line from Crate Paper and used some of that along with some washi from a previous kit.  I mixed some Mr. Huey with a bit of water and "painted" part of the background and then I went in and added some splatters.

"Shine" is a layout of my niece at the wedding.  Again, I started with the kit and then went a whole different direction, using more Maggie Holmes line and other bits from my stash.

The next layout is a really fun one.  There's a story behind the title that I typed out and is in the little Alison Kreft mini bags.  Basically, the story goes - Craig and I spent a day in New York City with my mom and dad and they both ordered meatloaf for lunch.  Out of all of the fabulous food that NYC has to offer, they ordered something they eat at home regularly!  This was way back in 1997 and the story has been told and re-told numerous times and my husband pretty much can't talk to my mom without mentioning meatloaf.

The photos aren't great and they aren't even at the restaurant where we had lunch that day (they are from that trip though.)  The photos really seemed to convey the feel of the story though.

So, how many projects did you get done with Neverland?

Have a great week everyone!

Shine

I love Crate Paper products and buy most of their entire collections and use them a lot.  I had decided to pass on getting the Maggie Holmes collection that was released at CHA this January though.  Then I went to my LSS and saw it in person - LOVE!!!  The product that sold me was the stitched fabric frames.  So adorable.  Since I had to have those, I had to buy matching papers and some stickers.  After I got home, I decided I really needed duplicates of some of the papers and added them to my cart at Two Peas.  I have used bits of the collection on my last three layouts!

I'm also excited about a second Pop Off the Page class being taught by Jen Jockish at Studio Calico.  I loved the first class and signed up for the second right away!  I created this layout in the spirit of that class.  

I started with a Maggie Holmes patterned patterned paper and stitched fabric frame.  The rub-ons and "E" are from the March Studio Calico kit.  Everything else was bits and pieces from a previous kit or from my stash.  I'm in love with gold POW glitter paper right now and used it for my title and some punched butterflies.

The photo is of my niece from France who I saw last month when I went to my husband's cousins wedding in Nice.  I love how happy and beautiful she looks in the photo and thought "Shine" was an appropriate title.

Have a great week everyone!

  

Lather, Rinse, Repeat

My sister and I were discussing project life one day - she does it, I do not - and it gave me an idea for a scrapbook layout.  I told her that I couldn't do project life because my weeks and days are basically the same for a good part of the year.  I'm a tax accountant, so I work long hours January through May.  (I specialize in non-profits, so my big deadline is May 15th - not April 15th.)  I wake up, commute to Boston, work 10, 11, or 12 hours, commute home, go to bed and do the same thing the next day.  At some point this year, I started waking up when the alarm rings at 5:20 and the thought "lather, rinse, repeat" went through my head.  Now it is my first thought every morning, so I thought it was a fitting title for this page.

I used the February Studio Calico kit, Front Row, with a few other items from my stash.  I thought the Days of the week washi tape from October Afternoon was very fitting.  The repeated the stamp from the kit across the bottom of the page represents Boston.

Have a great week, everyone!  Mine will be pretty much the same - lather, rinse, repeat!!