Blogging my projects: Studio Calico's Daydream Believer

Hi there!  Busy weekend in these parts.  I had an all day workshop for school on Saturday.  Can I tell how how validating it is to be in this program?  I was in class all day and came home energized, not exhausted.  It's so great to actually FEEL like I'm doing the right thing.

My wish for you is to feel the same, no matter what it is you are doing.

Studio Calico's Daydream Believer went on sale on Friday, and I hope you had a chance to peek at it or pick up an add-on if that's your inclination.  I got all of them.  I loved that there was new CHAW12 product in this kit, and I don't have an LSS, so letting April choose what I'll be working with is perfectly fine by me.  I have enough going on, and no scrapbook store.  It makes sense to do one-stop shopping, because as a working mom, my free time is precious.

Check out the kit:

My Projects:

First I wanted to share my main kit only project for the month.  We were in a really big time crunch for sneaks, so I created a card.  I'm fortunate in that cards are easy for me to create, so this didn't take a lot of time, which was good.  

This main kit is full of new and delicious products, with custom pieces as well as new CHAW12 product from Dear Lizzy and Pebbles.  The main kit is still available, so I encourage you to check it out here.  That butterfly is from an Etsy shop.  Isn't it sweet?  I also adore the SC woodgrain with the hearts.  Such a great shade of brown too.

This next one was obviously in honor of the New Year.  I was trying to get a photo of the kiddlets in those fancy New Years party hats I made, and the result was a glimpse at their personalities that I just adore so much I had to use them all on a layout.  

I stamped with the alpha in Stepping Stone, #4, and I also took advantage of the fabulousness that is my Cameo, and created the title with it.  I am in love with the thing.  I know there are tons of die cut machines out there, but this seriously is the most user friendly thing I have ever purchased.  I can utilize any shape I want, make it any size simply by dragging out the corner, and click and drag to move it anywhere I want it to be printed on my paper.  SO easy to use.  I think the font I used for this title was "this and that" from the Silhouette store.  

Some extra fun on this layout?  Stamping with JBS ink and using my Cropadile to add a confetti effect.  Super easy.

This next one was my favorite layout of the month.  A lot of products from the main kit, that Dear Lizzy polkadot being the definite favorite.  THAT is my favorite shade of brown.  Oh my, love it and the gray undertones.

Obviously with Morgan's birthday being last week I had to do something birthday related.  I haven't had a chance to edit and share tutu and handmade leg warmer photos yet, or the roller rink party either, but I did get a photo of her that day to use in a layout to summarize her special day.

This layout was actually inspired by this pin:

Nana-luluLiving

Can you see where I was starting from?  

Last up is a bit of home decor.  I really need to do this to share here more often:

Yes, that's my living room!  That's my sideboard.  I adore this piece but someday there will be a true fireplace there.  

This garland was easy to create and I'll be back with a bit more on that.  Know that none of it was done on the Cameo though.  I hand cut or used a punch.

And that's it!  Those are my projects for the month.  Before I go I did want to share a couple of shop items that I just ordered Friday morning and am excited to have in my crafting arsenal:

Knock Outs:

InLinkz.com

I have heard of these but they only very recently appeared in the SC shop to pick up.  My Fiskars mini scallop punch has finally reached it's end, so I've been on the hunt for a new scallop.  The starter punch set comes with something akin to the Apron Lace, which is also fine, so during one of my multiple checkouts on Friday (oh yes, I do it too), I picked this up as well.  That and the tiny attacher, because it's about time, and the MME and new SC stamp sets that will work great in my Project Life and Project 12 album, which I need to get around to sharing with y'all too.  Oh my.

Have a great day!  Back to the books.  Davinie

Kit product and store stuff used:

InLinkz.com

Wordless Wednesday - Be.

Pinned.

Just trying to keep things in perspective.  In the online world, it's easy to get distracted.  

Happy Wednesday.  Davinie

Stretch your kit winner and some Sunday Studio Calico sneaks

And the giveaway (or givewaway, if that's what I type, lol) goes to:  

Hi all!  WOWee, exciting weekend at my house.  Miss Morgan turned 8 and it turned into quite the extravaganza.  Yesterday she had a roller skating party with friends, and I can't wait to share the details of her party.  I asked a friend to make her a roller skating tutu, and then another friend generously volunteered to make her the coolest pair of leg warmers I've seen, we partied hard, and now our house looks like Christmas Day, covered from one end to the next with birthday party loot.  This morning she's already made a pot with her new pottery wheel, and right now she's working on a poster for her room  "Girl's Rock!" and all that.

Anyway, I need to choose a winner for the Stretch your Kit class taught by Amy Tan for Studio Calico.  That winner is:

 Allison said...

It's sunny and 70F the only emergency is whether or not to bring a sweater along ;) Stay safe!

2:34 PM

Congratulations Allison!  Amy will put on a great class and I'm sure you'll get a lot out of it!
Friends, there's still time to register if you think it would help you.  I'm sure it'll be full of inspiration!  You have until the end of the month.  Class starts February 1.  Check it out here.

On to sneaks:


I have a few Studio Calico sneaks to share today too.  I'm busy plugging away.  LOOOOVE the Neopolitan goodies from American Crafts/ Dear Lizzie.  She hit it out of the ballpark on that one.  This new CHAW12 product will be in the kits this month.  I had a lot of fun with the new prints that were in the main.  You can see that here:

The color on that polkadot is beyond delicious.  Be sure to add the MORE paper add-on to your cart this month if you are shopping away.  So fabulous.

I'm a mixer so there are bits from other kits in this photo, but the base polka, and the floral and pink at the top (with the numbers) is all Neopolitan from the main kit.  The mistable trim is too.  The aqua polkadot and the garland are from add-on 2, Lady Lane, and the card is from #4, Stepping Stone.

I put my Silhouette to work (LOVE that thing), and used the stamp set from Stepping Stone (another declaration of mad love for that).

The blue polkadot is a background stamp from add-on 1, Clarksville.  I think this is my favorite background stamp because it's a polkadot and really can be used on every layout.  I also like that I just have a nibble of it showing here.  I don't want to have to see the whole 4x6 stamp set.  Another reason I love it?  I needed a blue color for this layout, so I created it myself by stamping on cardstock and trimming it out.  So with that said, I'd definitely recommend Jenni Bowlin Speckled Egg ink as the one shop item to add to your kit purchase. It's a great blue for this kit.  

This last one was made with the main kit only.  Compared to the first sneak I shared, isn't it amazing how versatile this kit is?!  I just love it all.  And that heart woodgrain?  The SC paper?  LOVE.

Don't forget, lots of exclusives in that main kit as well as the new Dear Lizzie products.  This is a good one.

Have a great day!  Davinie

A givewaway - Stretch your Kit!

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          

REGISTRATION ENDS: JANUARY 31, 2012                                           

PRICE: $30.00

Check out Stretch your Kit in the Studio Calico Classroom section of the shop.

Want a chance to win a spot in the class?  Just leave me a comment on this post.  Maybe tell me a bit about your weather.  Experiencing anything inclimate?  A State of Emergency is being declared all around me but we are still okay in Redmond.  It's super super windy though.  But after being short on snow all year, our local ski hill Mt Bachelor had to close today because they got more than 24 inches yesterday and it was wreaking havok.  yikes!  

I'm going to draw a name tomorrow night.  That would be Friday, January 20, the day I became a mother.  Yep, Morgan is turning 8.  I am in a state of emergency about that.  I can't hardly believe it.

have a great day!  Davinie

ETA:  When you are finished here, be sure to check out the CHAW12 sneaks from Studio Calico!

Stamps
Abroad
Take Note
Calico Volume 2

YUM.  That is all.  

Project 12 January

Oh yes.  It's Project 12 January.  In January!  Finally!  I know you have been anxious for the details of the new way of doing Project 12.

Project 12 has always been about capturing the moments of our everyday life, to use the less than perfect photos that capture our stories, and to tell those stories in our journaling.  One of my favorite thing about the sketches Becky Fleck has created for this challenge was the great big journaling box.  I’m addicted to that large space and love using a large journaling block on most two page layouts I create.

Life has a way of changing, and with the new challenge in this new year, it was time to make that change.  

The first one is a change to the 15^th of the month instead of the first.  That’s doable.  That change is easy enough to adhere to.  The new challenge itself is easy as well.

Scrapbook your life.  Whether you take 1 photo, 100 photos, or no photos, get it down on paper.  But this year, let’s include our memorabilia as well.  Let’s declutter our world of those things we save but don’t have a place for, tickets and receipts and programs and race running bibs, and lets incorporate them into our work.

Taking a photo a day has always been an overwhelming task for me to take on.  There are 365 days in a year (366 this time).  I could never do it.  But I do like the concept of Project Life, developed by Becky Higgins to incorporate your daily life in page protectors and journaling cards.  I’ve taken on that challenge for 2012.  I like the idea.  I also think it’ll be fun to involve my husband and my kids and have them tell their story with their own words.

But I still think an album like this has a place for art on a larger canvas.  So I think it’s perfectly fine to mix the two.  I also don’t think it’s necessary to do something to document every single day.  That’s too much pressure.  My life isn't always that exciting!  

For 2012 we don’t have a new sketch to work from every month.  Becky has created sketches for this challenge the last two years, and SCT has done a great job capturing all of them in one place on the website.  You can see them all here.

For my layout this month, which incorporates memorabilia and random photos from the first week in January, I chose to work with the August 2010 sketch:

Another twist on the challenge is to utilize a colour palette.  Revealed on the 15^th every month at SCT, this works great with the new challenge.  You can check out the the color suite for January here.  (and now that I'm on my blog in Oregon and out of Canada, I can type color instead of colour.  heeee).  So with the sketch I chose and the January color suite in mind, this is what I came up with:

As you can see, I included receipts, coupons, my racing bib from a 5k I did that weekend, and even a snippet of a letter I got in the mail regarding Orientation for grad school.  All of these are elements that will be fun to look back on down the road, as part of my history.  There will be a time when loading your Starbucks card for $20 will barely cover the cost of a latte.  J

You’ll also notice more random photos, like the one of my husband’s suitcase.  This is part of the new challenge to myself to document even more of the everyday than I usually do.  By the way, did you see how we mark our luggage?  I have a fabrip wrapped around the handle. It's been there a few years now.  Love it.  

TIP:  See the “splatter marks" on my layout?   If you are like me and want more control on where the mist splatters, especially when your photos are already adhered, try this:  dip a pencil eraser into a bottle of mist or stamp it on an ink pad, and stamp the splatter onto your page.   I also used the end of a Basic Grey file.  There are a lot of tools in your stash that would double as a quick and easy stamp.  Try it! 

One last thing.  I LOVE the large journaling cards.  Have I mentioned that?  I love them so much that I asked Marcy to create some Project 12 projects for me, and she has.  And they are gorgeous.  And I think you should get some.  Check them out:

Number badges and 2.88x8 journaling cards here here, and here.  The one I used on this layout was a prototype but the rest will be here, LIVE, asap.  Fun times.  Cut them in half and they look pretty on your Project Life pages too.  See?  Multi-functional. :)

The new Project 12 challenge is to document more of your every day on a layout.  Because some days we take more photos than the last, you can choose your own sketch among all the fun sketches that Becky has created for this challenge.  Utilize the colour suite as an additional challenge for yourself, and enter that monthly challenge for a subscription to the magazine, the best and most inspiring craft publication available, if I do say so myself. 

The Project 12 challenge is supposed to be easy to incorporate into your life and your albums.  I have to have some easy in my life, lol.  I wanted to be able to share an inspiration piece each month when I list the new challenge, and I love that I can do that with this new format.  The jumping around that you had to do in the previous challenge on the SCT blog was always something I didn't care for but we couldn't find a way to work around it if I was to live through the month like the rest of you.  

The amount of time you choose to document is up to you.  For this layout, I chose a week in our life.  Maybe next month it’ll be just a few days, or maybe 10 of them.  The point is to grab a piece of time in your life and get it down on paper for future generations to get a glimpse of your life, one layout a month.

I hope you will be inspired and play along!  Link me up too.  And then come back to see what others are doing, just like you used to do.  I'm going to do better about commenting too.  I used to be good at that.....

Thank you so much for supporting this challenge!  It has meant so much to me, knowing you do.  I've had emails directing me to various talk around the web about this challenge, and I hope that you are happy knowing it is still going strong.  

Have a great day!  Davinie

I {heart} Project 12 - November and December in January

I'm here!  Project 12 is here!  If you've visited the SCT blog, you've seen that changes are in store for 2012, with a different series taking that 1st of the month spot.  That is fine by me!  

I wanted to wait until I was scheduled to share my November and December layouts on the SCT blog before I posted them here.  I know you have been emailing, posting, asking questions.  Project 12 IS still here.  You can still win prizes for November and December.

Project 12 in 2012 is a wee bit different.  This isn't a bad thing!  I am going to be posting about the new challenge on the 15th, so I hope you'll check back, look at the new twist, and play along if it works for you.

In the meantime, this is what I came up with the November sketch.  I don't mind telling you this sketch was a doozy, and to have it during the holidays made it even more difficult to work with.  That said, I really like how my layout turned out, so the challenge was good.  This was the sketch:

Bam!  This is what I came up with:

You can still see the basic idea of the layout, but I definitely ran with my own version.  

The title is long for this month, so I layered the alphas a bit to fit it all in over my journaling block.

I had these fun fall themed embellishments, so I clustered a few things, used some stitching, and added small photos around.  Just about everything comes from Studio Calico kits, but in particular, I was still playing with County Fair, which had the best color palette (still loving the leaves from the Handmade kit).  

I had fun with the edges.  I used stamps from previous Studio Calico kits, and I also used tags and bits of paper before stitching it all down.  Tragically, I canNOT find my Fiskars mini scallop border punch.  It's like losing a child!  But I found a backup that worked just fine (although I really need my baby back, baby back).

The large doilies?  Yep, my Cameo.  I adore that thing.

Normally this would be late for sharing November, but early for sharing December.  That said, I have my December layout to share with you today as well!  bonus!

**Please note**  Those playing along in 2011, please link your December layouts to this post for the December prize.  

Check out the December sketch:

Becky went easy on us for the end of the year, and my layout came together really quickly:

I used Brooklyn Flea this time.  I thought this color palette was perfect for Christmas type photos. 

I liked the embellishments Becky used with her sketch, so recreated my own with a circle and snowflake punch.  They created large shapes, so the layout really didn't need much else besides strips of paper and a few Crate Paper brads.

See that photo of Payton in that box?  It's a horse costume.  We converted a cardboard box into a horse, she painted it, even the face, trimmed it's hair, and starred in Humpty Dumpty in her Kindergarten class nursery rhyme play.  She was....  all the kings horses.  Her part lasted all of 20 seconds but she was so cute.  She was also a stage hand for a few other numbers.  I see performing in her future!

As I mentioned, I will be back on the 15th to reveal the new twist to Project 12.  Project 12 started as a way to document the every day, without the pressure of 365 photos, and it still remains.  I've also taken on Project Life this year, which was Becky Higgin's updated concept on memory keeping, and on the 15th, I'm going to share how you can combine the two, or still continue Project 12 on it's own, without the pressure of daily record keeping.

Have a great day!  Davinie