Studio Calico November - Napa Valley

I'm anxious to share what I created for the DT gallery at Studio Calico this month.  Anxious because after I do so, I can get back to my kit, where I have more projects in the works.  October was such a crazy month and I can't wait to share what else I've been up to, but let's talk 12x12's and 8.5x11's, shall we?

This is the first layout I made this month.  And check it out...  except for the base paper, there's not patterned paper here.  Just photos and some embellies.  That great big journaling spot came from the Marjolaine chip pieces in the shop. 

I really liked how the photos and the brown butterflies popped off the page.  I'm not a bling person, but I had fun with the MM bling strip too (it's part of that ribbon package in the Sonoma add-on).  The base paper , corrugated alphas, and the flowers are from the Mendocino add-on. 

This next one isn't full of amazing technique, but they are photos I wanted to remember and a story I wanted to tell, so I'm happy to have done so.

I had my neice and nephew for the day, and there was a point when I was sitting in my house, listening to them play outside, and thought about how lucky I am to live where we do.  We have a couple of acres outside of town, and the kids were all over the place, exploring.  In fact, we had this tree in our pasture that had these odd pieces of fruit that never ripened.  We didn't know what they were.  There are several non-native trees planted here so we figured it was something that was having a hard time in our climate.  Maybe a plum?  Turns out....  we have a great big walnut tree.  This year it had a zillion walnuts on it for the first time ( last year, I think there were 3) and it became an expedition for the kids to pick them all and sort them out.  So fun.

Anyway, my girls are lucky to have cousins who live so close.  They are thick as thieves.  They like to fight over who is friends with whom, but in the end, they are there for each other and I think it's so cool.  It's also cool that Kael, who's the youngest by a few months, is a tank.  I feel so much better knowing we have a moose of a boy to protect all these blondies when they grow up.

I did have fun with the banner stamp (from the Sonoma add-on) and put it on it's side as a fun detail on this layout.  I was hoping it would even match up with the zig zag punch, but no luck.  That said, they look good together! 

This is my favorite layout of the month.  It has that lagoon cardstock that I covet, as well as the SC patterned paper.  Seriously.  GET MORE.  I adore both sides.  It is great for fall layouts, it is great for summer layouts (for my friends down under).  That bike print on grey is heavenly.  That yellow with the polkadots.  ack!  Love it all.  Ordered more. 

If you click that link, you'll see the opposing sides to this paper.  The yellow polkadot in my layout is the B side to the bike paper, and the stripes are the B side of that reddish paper.  YUM

I just adore this photo of Morgan.  It was taken right after she lost her teeth on a fun fall day in our backyard.  Speaking of which, I'm almost finished with the layout about that backyard adventure AND I'm about finished with my layout about the dental adventure we had, so be patient.  I know you are waiting on pins and needles for the story of her mouth.  ha!

P.S.  That super cool technique with the maple leafs is slated for a blog date in November.  I'll be sure to link you when it's up so you can see how I did that.

Have a great day!  Let me know if you have any questions about anything I did here.

Davinie