BAM! A blog post, a layout to share, and a GIVEAWAY

Hello friends!

Oh my.  I have never been so busy in my life!  Student teaching full time, classes at night and on many of my Saturdays, and sweet girls to raise and a husband to adore.  ...  suffice it to say I am busy.  Happily so, I must say.

One of the things that has gone by the wayside is to share projects made with the Portfolio Kit that Danielle and I put together.  It has a lot of Pink Paislee products, with a few homemade goodies tossed in too.  As I've mentioned, I love this line, and it is a perfect addition to my stash.  It basically goes with everything!

This is a layout I came up with the Portfolio Kit, documenting our recent visit to the pumpkin patch last weekend:

The background was cut from one of my favorite files from the Silhouette store.  I then trimmed bits of the 6x6 pad to layer under neath it creating a fun collage of chevron arrows in a great fall palette.

I am a bit obsessed with the hello stamp in the stamp set, and I'm not a stamper.  I had to emboss it again with white zig powder (just like I did with the card I made HERE).  

The leaves were also created with my Cameo.  They were trimmed with a print but it felt a bit busy, and I wanted my title to stand out.  So I turned them over to reveal the white.  I love this much more!

The title became a happy accident.  

I have a Pinterest board called FONTS.  I like to find free fonts to save for later.  I was searching through it today and found the Cafe Rojo font, which I used for this layout.  

The accident happened when I trimmed it out.  I don't always have my cutting mat figured out when it comes to placing it in the right place, so it cut the title much higher than I had planned.  As I peeled it off, though, I loved the effect of the print at the top of the title, so didn't cut another.  It adds some fun color, I think.  

Dani and I still have a couple of kits left.  Check out images of it on my blog here, and also check out Dani's post here.  I've done a terrible job sharing what a fun kit this is, so I hope you will check out the kit contents and some cards that Dani came up with too.  

If you have purchased this kit and are looking for more ideas, I have them linked with the "portfolio kit" label at the end of my post.

And with that, I also have a little giveaway!

As you know, I was on the Studio Calico Design Team for 5 years.  I think there are only two current team members who have more tenure than I do.  That means I have been around for a lot of kits.  That also means I have been around for a lot of stamps.  

Except for rare exceptions, I've never been a big stamper.  Unlike many subscribers, stamps were never the reason I liked the kits.  So, as time has gone by, I have collected many stamps, and many of them still remain unused.

I am trying to clean up my space, and that means taking a look at my stamp stash.  I don't think I am allowed to sell these.  I know there are "for sale or trade" boards all over and even some occasionally sold by people on Ebay, so I know the demand can be high for some of the designs and I feel guilty having them all here.

SO.  I thought I'd give some away!

Disclaimer:

I *have* given away stamps before.  

I *do* covet some of them and plan to keep them for myself.

I *may* not have the stamp you love.  5 years and 2 kids is a lot of time and little hands that could have misplaced a stamp.

Some of them *may* have been used a time or two, and have the Stazon stain to prove it.  

The rules:

In the comment section, list up to 3 stamps you'd like to have.  I never memorize the stamp name, so please let me know what main kit it was part of so I'll know where to look.

I will draw TWO names on Saturday.  We will then work together to sort out what you'd love to have and what I have available.

Sound good?

I've given you two chances to win, but if you want a third chance, I will be giving away a stamp (or trying to, anyway, if I have the one you are looking for) to one person who purchases a Portfolio kit this week.  Simply enter the word STAMP in the comment section to seller when you purchase your kit by Saturday.  I'm not sure how many kits are left, so you might want to be swift if you are considering the kit and would like an extra stamp as well.  

ETA:  I have most stamps from all kits, main kits and add-ons.  You don't have to list main kit only stamps.  :)

How does that sound?

I hope you have a great week!  I am in dreamland, teaching Science to my 4/5 blend class at school.  We've been crafting, making communities from styrofoam and suffering from devastating Earthquakes, creating and erupting volcanoes, studying Crater Lake, and this week it's all about fun experiments with Rocks as part of an Earth Science unit.  I am having so much FUN.  You can be creative in so many ways.  This is definitely the profession for me.  I love touching little lives this way.   

Davinie