Friday, May 27, 2011

My Paper Moon projects

Good evening!  The kit is live and add-ons are up for grabs at Studio Calico.  I got Star Dust and Countdown.

Product is in the shop too, and the hype this month is for SMASH.  Finally Smash has reached the store!  A ltitle tip on the Folios....  I loved the pink cover the best at CHA, but it was not my favorite when I opened it up.  I think blue is pretty too, but the Black and Red folio books were my favorite.  I need a few, one to rip up, the other to use as an inspiration book, but I was just inspired to get a third to take on our travel adventures this summer.  Perfect!  Smash is perfect for memorabilia and random notes, which is perfect for ticket stubs and receipts and thoughts on the go.  Can't wait!

This is what I came up with for this month's kit:



This one was the first layout I created this month and my favorite of the group too.  They got hula hoops at preschool and Payton was determined to get some good hip action.  It's been great because she's been able to see how her hard work can pay off as she's really improved in a short while.  I'm so proud of her! 





I used my new favorite tool on this layout too.  It's the circle everywhere punch from Fiskars.  I've certainly heard of this tool before, and had to try it out.  I LOVE it.  I love that you can punch in the middle of the layout, and that you can be strategic and punch exactly where you want to punch.  Heaven.  I only have the square and circle punches, but we also got a scallop in the shop, and that one is coming home to mama next.

Also?  GET the MORE SC add-on!  That green bubble paper is fabulous.  Both sides.  You will love it. 

Morgan is in school all day and really busy these days.  She's also not a huge fan of the camera anymore.  I've noticed that I'm creating more and more Payton layouts, so when an opportunity comes up to document my eldest, I grab the camera for sure.  Last weekend she went on her very first campout, with her Girl Scout troup.  They have a wekeend campout coming up in a couple of weeks, so her leaders had a "practice" campout at one of their homes to give the girls an idea what to expect and help alleviate any fears.  Morgan had such a good time.  She didn't miss me at all.  :(  It's hard to be too sad about that when this means I've done a good job raising an independent, responsible, confident girl.  It makes a mama proud.  And it hurts too.  My baby really is going away.  ::sigh::

Anyway....  here's a layout I came up with about that:




I trimmed out a star and used lemonade mist to create a mask.  A campout needed a stamp too so I used the moon stamp from the main kit.  That's Schoolhouse red for the chipboard alphas. 

This next one showcases how fabulous that square everywhere punch is.  I created a grid using kraft cardstock and a punch.  The square comes with the starter set and was a lot of fun to work with:




I layered paper above and under the grid and stitched some of it down. 

This layout makes me smile.  Payton's preschool teacher had been going on and on about her self portrait for weeks before I actually saw it at the Spring tea.  I did concur.  It was the best on the wall.  :)  She even drew the pet rat on her shoulder (may Marshmallow rest in peace).  Super cute.  Such a good artist. 

I loved the prompts given by the smash in the kit, which is what inspired this next layout.







We are so ready for summer to get here!  It's taking forever!  It's almost June and shorts and even capris haven't been on my radar.

The banner was made with the #3, Countdown, and was inpsired by the Girl's Paperie paper in add-on 1, Star Dust with the banners all over it, (the reverse side to this plaid on this layout).

Lastly, there's that card again with my flag picks:

























As I mentioned before, I REALLY wanted to do a mini with #3 and will have that to share soon.  I also think this kit will be great for 4th of July photos with all that blue, so will be saving it to use in the next couple of months (as if I file away my kits anyway, lol.  I have kit bits everywhere!  :)  ).


If it's a kit or add-on you are after, I wish you the best of luck snatching it up!  I'm so fortunate to have been with SC since the beginning.  It would hurt my crafty little heart to have missed out on any of this scrappy goodness, and of course, if you love October Afternoon and EK Success Smash, you will not be disappointed!

Have a great day!  Davinie

Thursday, May 26, 2011

A long weekend ahead and last minute sneaks

We had several options for Memorial weekend including a few camping trips, but the weather forecast helped make the decision easy, and we've decided to stay home instead.  I got gung ho to do some painting  in my main living area, but it has somehow turned into a complete overhaul which involves drywall and sledge hammers, so I'm here amongst the muck to post some last minute Studio Calico sneaks before it's too late and Steve's either shorted out a power outlet or I'm up to my elbows in grey paint.  heeee. 

I purchased two add-ons this month, Star Dust and Countdown.

I purchased Start Dust because I loved the Maya Road kraft doilies, the chicken wire stamp, and I'm a sucker for all that Girl's Paperie goodness.  It's also one of the girliest add-ons this month, which compliments the main kit well. 

I purchased Countdown #1 for the film strip stamp, and because I REALLY wanted to make a mini out of the Jillibean file folders.  I know how I want to bind them and everything, but the mini didn't make it to reveal time, so it'll be something I share at a later date.  I have been wanting to do more mini books lately, my kids just love them, so was on the look out for an add-on that would allow me to do so, and #3 is it.  I can't wait to use the film strip stamp with it!

Another thing I loved about Countdown, #3, was actually the Pink Paislee borders.  There are a ton of them, more than one of each style, and I had a lot of fun cutting them up and using them here and there on my projects this month.  You'll be able to go a long way with your pages if you take advantage of this add-on and these border stickers. 

If I were you I would go for the More SC option again this month too.  KP did it again and made another set of papers I needed.  I adore the bubble paper with that green. Love.  Had to have more.  It was hard not to use it on every layout, so I'm glad I had more than once piece. 

Shop items in the way of ink this month would definitely be the JBS Spice Tin.  You really need a blue.  I tried using Soap Powder which is a nice blue (and would actually be a nice fit for the future.....), but a bit subtle for the look I was going for with Paper Moon.  A blue ink is going to be perfect for this kit. 

One reason I didn't use my film strip stamp is because I canNOT find my Black Stazon, and I was out of time to order something to ship in time for sneaks.  I have no idea where it went, but I have two ink pads, so if small girls are hiding them somewhere, oh my, let's just hope they aren't, because black Stazon will NOT be good anywhere outside my scrapbook room.  So Stazon is currently in my cart.  Where on earth can it be?  Am I revealing too much about the current state of my craft area?  Maaaaybe.  ;)

The circles background stamp is in the shop, as is the super cute bee, two cute stamps that are a fun addition to the stamp collection if you didn't purchase that add-on in previous months.  That bee is super super cute. 

Also new to the shop in the morning will be new Sew Easy heads.  Get them!  I have the banners and pennants coming to me.  I tried them out at CHA and they were a lot of fun so I can't wait to add them to my collection.  Remember, you need the mat if you want to use this tool.  It's a thick foam which you need to get the heads to pierce all the way through your paper.

This is random, but there was a discussion on unfiled layouts on the Studio Calico boards the other day, and I had an aha moment when Keshet mentioned having a scrapbook as a holding area for her layouts before she puts them into their permanent album.  For pete's sake!  I have this huge pile of layouts waiting to be filed, which becomes more intimidating each day as I pile more and more on the stack, so this idea, which is so simple, is really going to help me!  So....  American Crafts page protectors are in my cart.  I have a few unopened albums already, which makes my pile of layouts even more pathetic, but I do need more protectors to get this ball rolling. 

ANYWAY.....  enough rambling, how about a couple more sneaks:











































This card was just on the SC blog as part of a tutorial I did on making flags:






































and just so you don't have to dig back through my posts, here are my other two sneaks I previously posted:
































I used my new favorite favorite punch set on these last two sneaks.  It's the Fiskars Everywhere punch.   Oh my.  I have the square and the circle punch, and will soon have the scalloped circle too.  I am In LOVE with this punch.  To be able to punch a shape out of the middle of a 12x12 is like a dream come true, lol.  PLUS it has a guide on it, so you can punch EXACTLY where you want to punch.  Heaven, I tell you.  I'll be able to share more about it at reveal, but suffice it to say I think this is a must have.  It should be in the punch section on Friday morning, so be sure to check it out.  YUM. 

And that's it! 

Wishing you could chat on the SC boards from your Iphone.....

Davinie

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Layouts to Card and Cards to Layouts

On National Scrapbook Day I created a cards for the Scrapbook and Cards Today blog based on a layout I had created for their 2011 Calendar.

As a reminder, this is the calendar page:

































Lots of Studio Calico products here.  Some Crate Paper too.  Also?  The cutest Miss September on the planet! Ack!  She doesn't look like that anymore.  boo.

This is the card I made based on my layout (which was inspired by a Becky Fleck sketch):

































You can find instructions for this card on that blog post here.

The following week I hosted the blog and there I did the reverse, first creating a card, and then using the design AND the supplies to create a layout.

This is the card I came up with initially:
































I used a lot of my favorite products on this card....  paper from Crate Paper, Studio Calico labels, Sassafras alphas, fabric, my favorite Fiskars punch. And buttons!  Gotta love some buttons.  ::sigh::
























Supplies:
Crate Paper patterned paper
American Crafts patterned paper / thickers
Sassafras sticker alphas
October Afternoon buttons
Studio Calico tag
Karen Foster floss
fabric

Instructions on recreating that card are here.

I thought it would be fun to use those same supplies to create a layout, so with the leftover bits, I came up with this:

























































Does anyone else have a child like this one?  She has a really hard time accepting responsibility for her actions, and likes to play the victim big time.  A martyr, that one.  If she hurts Morgan on accident and Morgan cries, she'll immediately have a fit and say "now you are making me feeel baaaadddd!" which is so crazy because at the moment, she hurt someone and that person needs some attention.  

She says that statement all the time and I admit to sometimes telling her, "maybe you are SUPPOSED to feel bad when you do something like that".  For pete's sake, she isn't an innocent little lamb, the victim of abuse.  She's headstrong and independent and taking advantage of us, that one.  But I love her to bits.  I'm just scared of what lies ahead in the teen years, lol.

I followed the same design as my card for my layout, with the strip of ruched ribbon, the arrangement of my different patterned papers, but instead of the title at the bottom, I put my journaling there.  I also used a Studio Calico tag instead of a label sticker.

This layout came together really fast because the design was already mapped out.

I challenge you to do the same when you are stumped.  Create a card first.

Have a great day and thanks for taking a peek!!  Off to let Payton out of the closet.  ;)

Davinie

P.S.  Only a few more days to meet the Project 12 deadline for May!  :)

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Sunday Random + Studio Calico sneaks

I'm sorry.  I'm distracted.  Blessed be....  Mama got an Iphone.  Steve cut out a tiny picture of a phone and put it in my Mother's Day card, lol, and then a few days ago, it came in the mail.

I can't seem to put the thing down.  I'm going to have to either separate myself or get some sort of Domestic Intervention.  Really, the only time I don't have it is when Morgan is busy playing with it.  She likes Pictureka, but she also spends a lot of time with the Angry Birds.  If they'd just call it "onery pigs" I'd feel a lot less guilt about letting her play with it though.  Just sayin'.  I also prefer the free Rio version because they are usually saving birds or messing with the monkeys in that version and not trying to kill something.  Anyway....

Another love is the Instagram app.  Check out my week in Instagram pics:



Yes, amazing isn't it.  A self portrait.  I hope you were sitting down when you saw that.

























Movie night.  Dad was away and it was the weekend, so the girls and I rented Ramona and Beezus (or is it Beezus and Ramona????).  They liked it.  They also like popsicles.  DelMonte fruit popsicles are an almost nightly dessert after dinner.  Payton often takes hers with her into the bathtub.  She prevers Grape while Morgan loves cherry or strawberry.  FYI.  :)


























I love this one, except for the fact that Morgan looks almost tween in this pic.  NO.  Stop that!  We got a spring day and both girls wanted to jump on the trampoline in swim suits with the sprinkler underneath.  It was a great idea....  but it was only 60 degrees outside.  What is it with little kids and their core body temperatures?  Crazy, I tell you.

All of the above photos used the Early Bird wash.  So far, that's my favorite one.

Another app I love?  PINTEREST.  Holy Hannah.  While I do prefer pinning on my desktop over my phone, you can easily get very very lost in the WWW if you get on that app.  Oh my.  Very inspiring.  I've got my living room and kitchen renovated in my mind already.  Lovely ideas for the craft area too, and for some reason, I could explode and land softly on all the pillow ideas I save.  And food.  And crafts.  Oh my, it doesn't stop.

Anyway....

When I haven't been playing with my phone I have actually been spending time in the garden.  Another unbelieveable sentence I just posted there.  So far I have some spring goodies like peas, lettuce, carrots, radishes, and Payton planted some flowers.  There's also pumpkin starts inside.  I'm not an educated gardener, AND it's cold zone gardening here with frosts this time of year, but I'm learning.  I saw this great post on Sherelle's blog recently that I actually printed out.  It's a great reference if gardening is something you are interested in (she has a great blog for gardening/baking ideas too).  She doesn't remind you to wear sunscreen, though.  So unless you want a sunburn from your elbow to your wrist, be sure to lather up before baring down to a t-shirt with your garden gloves.  I'm just sayin'......

I've also been scrapbooking!  Hallelujah!  I've had some fun with some new punches we'll be getting in the shop and have been enjoying my girls and their story this month.  Last night I rented "No Strings Attached" with Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman while I was crafting away, and it was pretty good.  I've also been listening to a lot of Adele.  I'm a bit obsessed with her lately, actually.  Scrapbooking means Studio Calico June kit sneaks!  Check them out:




















I still have time to button up more projects so I'll have more to share before reveal.  This was another great month for SC exclusive papers, though.  Make sure you add the more Studio Calico add-on to your list.  You can see the green bubbles above.

I'm working on a mini album as well but I don't know if I'll get it finished in time for the slideshow gallery at Reveal.  But that's the reason I bought #3 so be sure to check out that one!

Have a great Sunday!

Davinie

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Crate Love - Spring rose vase

I had the pleasure of posting a sweet project for a giveaway on the Crate blog over the weekend, and wanted to take the opportunity to share it here as well.  I just love it!

Inspired by the garden gate chipboard piece in the chipboard accents from the Neighborhood Collection, I wanted to make a spring/summer décor piece.






 
I white washed the wood vase with gesso and then covered it with a strip using the Picnic Pattern, a bit of Block Party, and the delicious felt trim from the same Collection (the Emma's Shoppe trims, especially that pink, would have been pretty too). I topped it with the white gate, and then wrapped it in twine and added an Eclectic Button to top it off.

The flowers were made using the rolled flower technique as well as some buttons.





You need one circle punched from a 3 inch circle punch, and a green circle punched from a 1.5 inch circle punch I used the Festive pattern from the Snow Day line for my “leaves”)

To start, I threaded two button on floral wire.





After that, roll a rose flower from the large punched circle. If you need a reminder on creating these flowers, check out my tutorial here:

http://davinie.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-to-make-paper-roses.html


Thread the rose onto the floral wire below the two buttons, add a large third button behind that, and finish with your smaller circle “leaf”. What you have is a rose for you bouquet.







Fill in the vase with several flowers, and finish it with finely trimmed strips from the Block Party print, and you have a beautiful vase to treasure.




 
I made a vase using this same wood container (which I picked up from Michael's for $1) on this post.  I can't believe it's been 3 years since I did it the first time!  It was fun to revamp the idea with new product. 

Have a great day!  Davinie

Saturday, May 07, 2011

Happy National Scrapbook Day!!

Happy National Scrapbook Day!  Happy Scrapbook Day to my International friends as well!  There is a lot of fun and challenges and prizes galore all over the WWW and I want to make sure you know right where to go.  I mentioned a couple of things on my last post too. 

I want to make sure you head to the Crate Paper blog and leave a comment for a chance at a gift basket.  While there you will see this super sweet vase I made which includes a tutorial to recreate it: 


I have created a bouquet in this type of vase before and had a lot of fun doing something different with it.  (You can check out my original project here). 

As I mentioned in my last post, Studio Calico is having a great big huge NSD Celebration with tons of challenges, prizes, and inspiration. 

I created a make n take for this celebration, a card which you can create for Mother's Day, should you be a last minute girl like myself:


(Supplies:  Studio Calico Countryside / State Fair patterned paper, sticker alphas, chipboard alphas, label sticker). 

There's also that stitching challenge which can be found here.

I hope you have fun checking out the blog and all the fun in store!

Another place I want you to check out today is Scrapbook and Cards.  There's a very very cool giveaway on this post

For NSD I created a card with instructions.  This is what I came up with, inspired by the 2011 calendar put out by Scrapbook and Cards, specifically, Miss September.  Here's the layout:



And here's my card:


I hope you will check out the blog post for today, and peek at what the other designers came up with as well. 

Speaking of Scrapbook and Cards, in addition to providing inspiration today, we have a big announcement to make, of particular interest to my Canadian friends:



Isn't that wonderful?  Maybe you'll see me at a crop someday!  I don't think I've ever been to Canada!  I'm so excited to see these types of events come up.  We don't get much in Oregon.

I hope you have a wonderful wonderful day!  Davinie

Friday, May 06, 2011

Five on Friday - NSD prequel

Tomorrow is National Scrapbook Day and I have several things to share, so I thought I'd start a day early and split up what would be a long blog post as part of my Friday "every once in a while" fives.

1.  Studio Calico wants to be YOUR NSD destination.  We have challenges, chats, make n takes, and inspiration galore.  The post of events has gone live, so be sure to check the Studio Calico blog for what's happening this weekend.  Kimberly and I have a stitching challenge and I also have a make n take to inspire you (especially if you still need something for Mother's Day). 

2.  TwoPeas wants you to shop shop shop this weekend and has a lot of fun deals going on:
     Free Gift with Purchase
     Offers over $25 will receive a free 6x6 paper pad (ooh.  Maybe they'll be on of the new Crate Paper lines).
     Free shipping for orders over $30.  Use code NSD511 at checkout.
     An extra 10% off sale and clearance items.

If nothing else, stock up on basics like kraft cardstock and adhesive.  I had to race to Walmart the other day because I was OUT of glue dots.  Out out out.

3.  Crate Paper is having a great big giveaway tomorrow, and I am so honored to have created a really fun project for it.  Here's a peek:


(Featuring the Neighborhood line)

It's going to be a sweet prize and my project includes a tutorial so I hope you'll check it out.

4.  I will have something fun to share from Scrapbook and Cards tomorrow as well.  Some fun things are in the future for my Canadian friends so I can't wait to share! 

5.  That's it for scrappity!  Tomorrow morning I'm running in a 5k that supports a sweet little girl in her battle against leukemia, and then tomorrow afternoon I'm headed to town to take Morgan to a slumber party and take Payton to Red Robin and then to the movies for a mama / daughter date.  The plan is to see Rio.  Dad is working and will be home Sunday morning. 

Not much crafting will be had, but I'll be blogging! 

Have a great night and a wonderful weekend!  As I said, be sure to check back here for NSD fun!  Davinie

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Project 12 April in May

Must it be May already?  For pete's sake.
Let's talk about March.  Steve had a birthday in March.  Payton had a birthday in March.  Our furbaby Cooper had his birthday in March (he turned 10). 
Payton can now stop asking me why daddy is taller than me, but I am older than him.  In March we became the same age again.  :)

In March Becky provided us with a fun sketch.  Here's a reminder:



And this is what I came up with this month:



I used the May kit from Studio Calico, Lawn Party.  Very convenient, as it has been out on my desk all month. 























When I first got my kit this month, I trimmed out all the doilies from one piece of the SC paper (you can get more in the patterned paper add-on here - it's the B side to the chicken wire paper above).  When it came time to put my Project 12 layout together, I had a couple of spare doilies lying about, and they worked perfectly in this design. 

The chicken wire worked great for a March / Spring layout which also included chickens, wouldn't you agree!?  The 5 cent ticket also had double meaning, as March brought Payton's 5th birthday as well.  I love when embellies can work like that on a project. 























I used the same journaling block technique I snagged from ShellyJ a couple of months ago.  Love her.  This was another month where the journaling was random and worked better blocked off.

My title was misted with Applejack to stand out more.  That is my favorite Mister Huey green, that Applejack. 


Here are some fun layouts linked on my blog this month.  I love how you've interpreted this fun sketch:

















I love this one from the Paisley Petals blog.  I am really digging that Cosmo Cricket.  I need to get more of that line.  I adore the banner across the top and am really inspired by how she did the top left block, and trimmed the clouds rather than letting them hang over.  That just really inspires me. 

I highlighted this next one on the SCT blog for this month, but had to share it here too so I can have it as a reference.   I LOOOOVE this one from Agata

I am a huge fan of stitchery and clean lines, so this one speaks to me like nobody's business.  LOVE the yellow threads.  I also really like the punched flowers for the border.  Such a smart idea.  I also love that you can see her LIFE on this layout.  A new couch in March?  Love that.  It's something that needs to be documented.  The kids are going to refer to memories down the road based on the couch they were sitting on or the house they were living in.  These things need to be in your layouts!  :)

The winner on my blog for the March prize is:  Megan A.   Megan, be sure to send an email to ideas@scrapbookandcards.com and note that you are the winner for the March sketch.  Congratulations! 

Now that March is over, April is over, and now it is May, it's time for that April recap.  Check out the April sketch:



This will be a fun one.  With Easter and other fun family events this month, I have a lot of photos to play with.  I can't wait. 

You have until May 28 to leave a comment on my blog or the SCT blog with your layouts if you'd like to play for a prize.  Do that!  I want to be able to leave a comment, and I know other P12 participants would love to check you out.

Have a great month!  Davinie