May 2013 Studio Calico kit - Planetarium

Well, I don't know where the month has gone, but it is way past time for another "what I did with the month's Studio Calico kit from the time the kit arrived until the next month's kit arrived."  So here it is!

This first one is my favorite of the month.  The photos are from a cruise that my hubby and I went on several years ago.  

The page just didn't seem complete until I added the hemp twine across the top.  I think it looks a bit like a fisherman's net - perfect for an ocean page!

This next page documents our New Year's Eve tradition.  We always make Cioppino (a seafood stew) for our dinner.  Sometimes it is the two of us and sometimes we have a party, but we always serve Cioppino!

This next page just documents a Saturday we spent together recently.  I told my hubby that we could do whatever he wanted to do for the whole day.  We ended up going to a concert, going out for lunch, and then going to a movie.  My hubby loves to be out and about!

My last page has a lot of gold, glitter, and sequins!  We went to see the musical "Rock of Ages" when we were in London last month.  Towards the end of the production, there was gold confetti being thrown into the audience.  Of course, I had to pick some up to save for a scrapbook page!  The next day, we went back to take a few pictures of the front of the theatre since we couldn't take any pictures the night before.

I decided to play up the gold and cut my title out of gold POW glitter paper, used the gold and craft paper from Studio Calico, gold sequins and I punched out some more confetti out of the POW glitter paper.  Not my "normal" style (which I'm not sure what that is), but I think it turned out fun!

How many projects were you able to make with Studio Calico's May kit?

Have a good week everyone!

January 2013 Studio Calico kit - Block Party

I've enjoyed putting all of the layouts that I create from the current month's Studio Calico kit all in one post, so I'll continue this monthly feature in 2013.  I only post the layouts that I create from the time I get the kit until the next kit arrives at my door.  This challenges me to get as much done with the kit before I put it away.  I created four layouts and one card with the January kit.

This layout is probably my favorite of the month.  I love the photo of my kitty snoozing in the sun!

I did a lot of hand-stitching on this layout which was time consuming, but a lot of fun.

For this layout, I decided to try using circles.  I had cropped with Jennifer Larson in December and she said she loved using circles on her layout. I never really do, but was inspired to try.  I did some hand-stitching on this layout also.

This patterned paper was bright and fun - I thought it would be perfect for a birthday card.  I cut a circle out of the front of the card with my Silhouette.  The word "birthday" is layered over the empty space.  The word "happy" is actually on the inside of the card.

The last layout "Best Vacation Story Ever" was picked up by Scrapbook Trends to be published in the July 2013 issue, so I can't share it here yet!  

I was pretty pleased getting these five projects done with this kit.  It has been a few months since I got this much done.

How did you do with January's Studio Calico kit?

Have a great week everyone!

Cat Nap

Once in a while, a question will pop up on a scrapbooking message board asking if people create projects specifically to fit a particular call or if they just submit what they have already created.  It usually seems like it is looked upon negatively if you create pages specifically for calls - like somehow it is not as meaningful or something.

I do both - if I happen to have a layout that I have already created that fits the call, I'll submit it.  But lots of times, I'll read the call and it will spark an idea and I'll create a page specifically for that call - and I'm not afraid to admit it!  Some of my most favorite layouts have been created specifically for calls!

The latest call for Scrapbook Trends totally inspired this page.  The call reads:  

Real Life: I Love My Pet - Our pets become members of the family so create a layout to detail your pet's place in your home. Does he/she have a special place to sleep or eat? Any funny quirks? Get them down on paper!

The call made me think of my silly cat Sumner and how he loves sleeping in a sunny spot on the chaise lounge in our dining room.  He will keep moving closer to the edge to follow the sun as it moves and more than once has fallen off of the edge!

I used mostly the January Studio Calico kit on this page, but just a couple of bits from older kits such as the wood veneer "S."  Studio Calico recently stopped giving store credits for getting published in Scrapbook Trends using their kits, and I'll admit that it is kind of freeing!  Even though my main purpose  for getting published was never the SC credit, it was nice.  But now that it isn't an option, I have been finding myself digging through other supplies for something to add a perfect touch.

I put the journaling on a hidden journaling card - I loved the little Pebbles envelope that was included in the kit! 

I love this page to bits even though I created it specially for a call! (Wish me luck!)  So what do you think - is there anything wrong with creating a layout specifically for a call?  What do you usually do?  I'd love to know!

Have a great week everyone!

Crate Paper "On Trend" Collection

Way back in August, I won the Crate Color Challenge (yay!)  You can see my layout here.  As the winner of the challenge, I got to choose a Crate collection as my prize.  Since I pretty much had almost every other collection, I chose one that was just being released "On Trend."   I had to wait for a while to get my prize as it was still being manufactured at the time that I chose it.

The package finally came last week and I couldn't wait to open it - it was much heavier than I expected!  Crate was so generous!  Not only did I get the collection pack, but they also sent a sheet of chipboard stickers, 3 packs of Thickers, a sheet of mini alphas, tape stickers, vellum garlands, brads and buttons, and a 6" X 6" paper pad.  WOO HOO!!  What a haul!

I wanted to create something with all my goodies and knew that this picture of me that my husband took last weekend would be perfect.  I had gone to my salon to have an "up-do" for a wedding that we went to.  I loved the way my hair turned out and the picture turned out really good, too!

I'm taking the "Cut It Out" class from Studio Calico this month and I used the POW glitter paper and the vellum from the class.  The tissue paper came in a package that I ordered from Etsy and I used it as part of the matting to add some texture.

Have a great week everyone!

Kitty Love

I am having so much fun working with the July 2012 Studio Calico kit, Elmwood Park.  I finished my sixth layout with it last night and I have at least one more in the planning stages.  I have so much of the kit left - it looks like I haven't even started playing with it!  I bought one add-on this month - Monkey Bars and I bought more SC paper.

This is one of my favorites that I have created so far.  I cut out the letters for the title from the BasicGrey paper.  The 'o' didn't match the other letters at all, so I cut out a heart from another paper.  

I love the exclusive denim thickers that came with this kit.  I honestly wouldn't have thought I'd like them much, but I have used them on three layouts so far.

The Studio Calico wood veneer birds that came with the kit are so adorable!  I couldn't resist putting a few of them on a cat page.

The August kit arrives at my door on Tuesday, so my next post will be my monthly installment of "what I got done with my SC kit before the next month's kit arrived at my door."  It's going to be a big one this month!

Have a great week everyone!

Laurie's Pond

Laurie's Pond was a pond on my great uncle Laurie's property.  I don't remember much about it except that we swam there occasionally and there was a little cabin there.  I don't have any pictures of my family there except these two pictures of my mom and dad that were probably taken in the late 1960s.  They aren't great photos, but sometimes we don't have perfect photos for a topic that we want to create a layout about.

The denim colored paper in the July Studio Calico kit made me think of pulling these photos out.  The wood veneer birds were perfect, too.  I used the Silhouette for the cattails behind the photo matt.  I used passport Mr. Huey for the misting.

I asked my mom for help with the journaling.  I love seeing what story or memory she comes up with.  Thanks mom!

Have a great week everyone!  

Random Fact Series #2 - I took shorthand in high school

I had the idea to start a "random fact series" of scrapbook layouts about myself quite a while ago.  I finally got a start on the project with Random Fact #1 - I don't ski.  You can see it here.  Actually, you can't see it because it is out for publication (woot!), but you can read about it.  

An topic for Random Fact #2 has been floating around in my head for a bit, but I hadn't come up with any ideas for a page.  Then my July 2012 Studio Calico kit came with this fun paper by October Afternoon.

How perfect!  

I don't actually have any photos of me that would have anything to do with me taking shorthand, so I used one of the few photos that I have of me in a classroom.  I was caught sleeping!  Judging by my hair in the photo, I was probably a junior or senior.  And just to date me - that is a GUESS watch on my wrist!

There were a lot of fun items in the kit to pull from the colors in the October Afternoon paper - it was really fun to create!

Have a great week everyone!

June 2012 Studio Calico - So Cal

I only got two layouts done with June's Studio Calico kit, So Cal.  (I've been averaging about 4-6 this year.)  It is partly that I was away on vacation for a week and partly because I just wasn't feeling the kit - even though I really love the looks of it!  Oh, well, it happens!

The first layout I created was pictures of me, my husband, and my nephew being silly while spending a few days on the Cape.  I though the MME "White Wash" paper was perfect for the background and then just went with the colors from the photos from there.  

I used Mr. Huey to color the American Crafts Thickers and the color was way too bright at first (I think I used sunshine  - possibly orchard?)  I put a layer of Mr. Huey in white over that and the color came out perfectly.

The next layout is of me and my cat, Elliott.  He likes to lay on my chest, peering into my face when I am trying to nap.  I thought this would be a good photo to use as a 12" X12" that is so popular right now.  I printed the photo on American Crafts vanilla cardstock as I didn't have photo paper that large.  

I kept the embellishments pretty simple for this one, using my Silhouette to cut out a few hearts, and coloring the American Crafts Thickers for the title with Mr.  Huey again.

This layout was featured in the Studio Calico So Cal Member Picks video.  It was so fun to see my layout there!  You can see it here along with other great layouts created from So Cal.

That's it for June's Studio Calico kit.  I have July sitting on my desk and already have a few ideas for this one so I hope I have more to share next month.

Have a great week everyone!

Happy 43rd Birthday!

I had to bring my husband to the airport today for a flight to San Francisco for a week and then on to Tokyo for a week.  I'm really sad that I won't see him for 15 days!  I'm not used to the fact that he has to travel for work now.  We got to spend some quality time together this week though, going out for dinner for his birthday on Wednesday and then cooking a nice meal together on Saturday night and watching a movie (although a bad movie!.)  I thought I'd share the card that I made for his birthday.

I made the card with the April Studio Calico kit, City of Lights (with the exception of the yellow dotted paper.)  The three different colored washi tapes that were in the kit went together perfectly and then the ad card from the kit just happened to have the same colors.  This card is really liftable - please feel free to borrow it!  Just grab three coordinating washi tapes and find some scraps of paper to make into pleated folded flowers.  I think I'm going to lift it myself and make a card for my niece who has a birthday coming up!

Have a great week everyone!