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Thursday, October 31, 2013

Quick and Simple

I love embellishments - and it usually shows in my layouts.  I love mixing patterned papers and embellishments to create a unique look whenever I sit down to scrapbook.  But those layouts can take hours - or even days - to complete.  I keep moving the bits and pieces trying to get the perfect look.  And as my husband often reminds me, it is about the pictures, not the embellishments.

So I decided to try something simple with this week's Studio Calico sketch challenge.  I started with the card sketch.
I pulled out three sheets of patterned paper, a sheet of typed phrases from the Antiquary kits, some gold star rub-ons from Printshop, some Pink Paislee Color Wash Alphas, and a scrap of blush POW paper.  And I set a timer for 45 minutes.  Here's what I came up with.


And I have to admit that it is one of my recent favorites.  So maybe I don't always need all those embellishments (even if they are lots of fun to play with)>

Thanks for looking.  I hope you have a terrific Thursday!

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Gratitude Documented

Shanna Noel introduced me to the Gratitude Documented project.  Each day in November you document something you are thankful for - big or little.  Since I'm struggling to find the positive in life lately, it seemed like the perfect project for me.  So this weekend I spent some time pulling together a kit.  (I have way too much pulled but editing to this point was tough enough)

I chose a Basic Grey Capture album for my project.  I want a feminine feel for my project.  And the decorative binding, dividers and pages are a perfect start.  I love the variety of pages and page protectors you get in a Capture album.


The dividers and pages provided a starting point for my album, but this sheet of patterned paper from Printshop served as my true inspiration piece as I picked the rest of my supplies.  I love the colors and soft feel to this paper - definitely feminine without being fussy.


Next I dug through my 6x6 paper to pull some sheets that might work.  And I might have a 6x6 pad from Printshop on its way here for this project too.


 
Next I pulled some Project Life style cards - most of them are from Studio Calico kits.


Then came my favorite part of any project - embellishments!  I started with washi tape and glitter tape because I thought it would be easy to choose. 


Then two of my favorites - wood veneer and enamel dot style embellishments.  Here's what I picked.




Next came stickers - I picked both dimensional stickers and traditional stickers and labels.  I also tried to mix different manufacturers and lines to get an eclectic look.


Then came tags, bags, envelopes and folders


And then there were some miscellaneous elements I just loved for this project - like the wood card from Studio Calico and the metal leaves from Freckled Fawn.  


And no project is complete without diecuts and transparent elements.  I picked a pack from Basic Grey's Mint Julep collection, Dear Lizzy Fifth and Frolic Chipboard and some chalkboard pieces from Studio Calico's Thataway collection.


And finally alphas - I tried for a variety of sizes, fonts and textures.


And if that wasn't enough, I know I'll be digging into my stash for inks, sequins and other bits and pieces - I'm just not good at limiting myself when it comes to supplies.  

I'm excited to get started with this project.  I think its going to be a fun project to put together and really good for my outlook on life.  Now, what to do with that album cover?  

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Monday, October 21, 2013

Five Easy Cards

For Studio Calico stamp sale list go here.

More often than not, making cards just frustrates me.  I struggle with the scale and am rarely happy with my end results.  So no one was more surprised than me when I took on the five World Card Making challenges at Studio Calico.  And I had a good time with the challenges - they really helped me focus on specific elements and put together some quick and easy cards. Here's what I came up with.

The first challenge was to use this mood board.

Here's what I came up with.


The second challenge was to incorporate an ombre element.  I used some awesome pink and green ombre washi from Pinkfresh Studio and Amy Tangerine chipboard for this simple card.


The third challenge was to use your scraps.  I used a couple paper scraps, the end of a piece of trim, some Freckled Fawn leaves and a few sequins for this quick thank you card.


The next challenge was to use five of something.  I added five pieces of wood veneer from the Licorice add-on for this fun Halloween card.  I loved adding aqua, a non-traditional color to the mix.


The last challenge was a sketch challenge.  There were several choices, but I chose this one
for this quick card using a Glitz 6x6 card, a strip of washi from the Container Store, some wood veneer and a Fancy Pants tag.


These were so fun and easy I might just be inspired to make some more cards some day soon.  Thanks for looking.  I hope you have a marvelous Monday!


Sunday, October 20, 2013

To Purge Or Not To Purge

List of Stamps Updated on October 21, 2013

I see lots of threads and blog posts about purging supplies and cleaning out supplies.  But I love all my scrapping goodies and love being surrounded by lots of beautiful supplies.  So I am one of the world's worst purgers.  I just keep adding more to my stash.

I'm blessed to have a room to call mostly my own for my scrapping and a husband willing to invest in lots of storage and organizing pieces.  He even built me a custom desk with lots of storage.  But even so, once in a while I'm forced to take a look at my space and think about what I don't use.  After all, I have to make room for new things, right?

I've been thinking about my space and organization for a couple of weeks.  And I really couldn't bring myself to part with much of anything.I still wanted it all.  There was only one thing I didn't use much that I thought I might be willing to part with - stamps.

I've been subscribing to Studio Calico for more than a year, for a while got both the scrapbook and project life kits, and often get the add-ons.  That's a lot of stamps - and I almost never stamp.  I don't do it enough to feel proficient.  In fact, I rarely think about using my stamps.  So I went through all my stamps and pulled out my favorites.  The rest have to go.

I few have gone to friends who expressed an interest and a few more have gone to people who have contacted me directly.  But the rest are up for sale.  If you're interested, the list of stamps available with prices (which do not include postage) is below.


Antiquary – Live Creatively $5

Antiquary Add On 1 – Amsterdam – Navy Pier Numbers $10

Antiquary Add On 2 – Vienna – Lovely $5

Antiquary Add On 3 – Rome - $7

Antiquary PL Add On – Dublin – Check One $10



Double Scoop – Add On 2 – Licorice – Magic $5

Double Scoop – Add On 3 – Waffle Cone – Star Light $7



Marks and Co. - Add On 1 – Bronte – Play $7

Marks and Col. - Add On 3 – Salinger – Yum $10

Marks and Co. - PL Add On - Steinbeck – Loved $7



Valley High – Amy Tan Love $7

Valley High – Add On 2 – Jennifer – Adventure Begins $10

Valley High Card Kit – Hello $10

Valley High Project Life Kit – Happy Mail $10

Valley High Project Life Addon – Ate This $5



Roundabout – Add On 3 – Savannah Shore – This Makes Me $5

Roundabout Project Life – Lets Be Adventurous $5



Planetarium SB Kit – Amy Tan – This $5

Planetarium Add On 1 – Orion – Life Is Pretty Amazing $5

Planetarium Add On 3 – Lyra – Believe In Yourself $7

Planetarium PL – Amy Tan Numbers $7

Planetarium PL Add On – Haileys Comet $7



Spencer - Project Life – Hello Forever Stamp $7



Neverland – Scrapbook – Loving This $5

Neverland – Tink Add On – Amy Tan Roller Stamp (out of package) $5

Neverland – Project Life – perfect day $7



Front Row Scrapbook Kit – skyline(not in original packaging) $5

Front Row – Matinee Add on – Lets Go On An Adventure $7

Front Row Project Life – Newsflash $10



Block Party – Scrapbook – Right Here Right Now $7

Block Party – Add On 3 – Pioneer Drive - New Year $10

Block Party – Project Life – Week In Review $10



34th Street – Scrapbook Kit – OKAY $5

34th Street – Murray Hill Add On $7

Sock Hop – scrapbook kit – true story (not in original packaging) $5

Sock Hop – Poodle Skirt Add On – Find Joy (not in original packaging) $7





Roller Rink – Crack the Whip Add On- Everything Will Be Ok (not

in original packaging) $7



Central High – Road Show Add On – rubber chevron background stamp

(not in original packaging) $7

Central High – The Register Add On – feather (not in original packaging) $7



Summer of 69 – scrapbook kit – labels (not in original packaging) $7

Summer of 69 – Drive In Add On – triangles/hello (not in original packaging) $7

Summer of 69 – Six String – Alpha (not in original packaging) $10



Glee Club – Scrapbook Kit – Oh Snap $5



Mind The Gap – Scrapbook Kit – interlocking circles $7



Inked Class Kit $15




Others

SC Birthday Stamp with cupcake, Its a Party, confetti – I think this

was a gift for subscribers around their fourth anniversay?

(not in original packaging) $7

SC Woodgrain Circle – copyright 2011 (not in original packaging) $5

SC This Is Where I want to Be/Circles/Anchor/Me+You (not in original packaging)

(I think this is from a kit but haven't been able to figure out which one) $7

In most cases the stamps have never been used.  If they have been used its only once or twice.  I'd love to see them go to good homes where they will be loved and used.  And, if you are interested, please let me know quickly - before my hoarder tendencies get the best of me and they go back into my desk.  

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend!





Saturday, October 12, 2013

Chic Tags Color Challenge

I love color challenges, but I have a hard time with them.  Those layouts seem to take me a long time to do.  But I love the way they can push me to mix colors differently or use colors that are outside my comfort zone.  And once in a while, I find one that really speaks to me. 

I loved the color challenge at Chic Tags this month. 


 And I had tons of paper and other bits in my stash that worked perfectly.  My challenge was editing my choices.  I ended up with a fun layout using a picture of my daughter and niece.


And I found lots of pieces from Chic Tags that worked perfectly.

 

It was fun to mix different tags to build my layers.   Thanks for looking at my layout.  Hope you have a super Saturday!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Trick Or Treat

Halloween collections are the one place where I have some self-control  Its just not a holiday that I get very excited about.  So I generally add just a few themed pieces to my stash and rely on other items to create my Halloween layouts.  And all the wonderful chalkboard themed items (which I love) are perfect for creating that Halloween feel. 

This layout used papers from Studio Calico, Amy Tangerine and My Mind's Eye.  I added the My Mind's Eye chalkboard frames, the Pebbles Halloween stickers (also a chalkboard themed project and a few pieces of wood veneer colored with a mix of spray inks) for a simple layout that didn't require a big investment in themed  products.


Thanks for looking.  Have a terrific Tuesday!

 

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Pinkfresh Studios

It's no secret - I love embellishments.  So I was excited to find Pinkfresh Studio.  They have lots of fun embellishments - washi tape, enamel shapes, resin shapes, and project life style cards that are fun and unique.  Friday I received a bright pink package in the mail filled with goodies from a recent blog giveaway.  They are so much fun!

I thought I'd give you a peek too . . . . .


I can't wait to play with all these goodies - hopefully this afternoon.

Have a smashing Sunday!