Studio Calico Fun

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that I just arrived home from Camp Calico (a retreat for the Creative Team at Studio Calico.)  I hope I can write a post soon on all of our adventures.  :)  I had SUCH an awesome time & loved every minute that I got to spend with this amazing group.  (The photo above is at the Studio Calico office with Celine Navarro.)

But, for now, I wanted to share a couple of cards that I've made recently using some of the Studio Calico wholesale collections:

I was so excited to arrive home to find a box of Atlantic goodies (the newest SC mid-release collection.)  The colors and patterns are even more amazing in person.

One of my favorite embellishments are the vellum die cuts.  They can be used for a million different things & I love their transparency.

To turn these circles into birthday balloons, I simply stapled on some white twine.  Easy peasy!

These coral Thickers come in one of my favorite shades right now.  I needed a little contrast though & used a navy Copic marker to alter the #2.

(You can find the entire Atlantic collection at Studio Calico & at Two Peas.)

The SC Handbook inserts come in the coolest patterns & I love the tabs on the sides.  I had a few extras & decided to cut one down to create a card.

The chipboard arrows are really fun.  I used some flair & stamped a sentiment to finish it off.

I hope I never run out of these wood veneer stars.  They're just so perfect for adding a little somethin' somethin'.

Thanks for taking a peek!

My Weekend Recap

This has been a long (but good) weekend.

To start off, my husband earned his Master's degree & had graduation ceremonies & celebrations.  It's been a labor of love & I feel like we've all earned this degree together as a family.  ;)

 Saturday was also NSD (National Scrapbooking Day) & I had a blast coming up with a special layout for the occasion!

 My boys are finishing up their school year & I wanted to make a page that could hold their report cards.  (Their school just prints their reports on standard paper, so I inserted them into these Maya Road envelopes.)

I "traced" a chipboard star with a paper piercer from Amy Tangerine's stencil embroidery kit & then used floss from the same kit to hand stitch the shape in place.  For additional stars, I used one of Basic Grey's orange fuzzy rub-ons, a copper BG star & a wood veneer star from Studio Calico.

The "notes" tab is from Chic Tags.  I love how they're made to just clip over a page or element.

All of the supplies can be found here.

These chipboard glasses are part of Basic Grey's Hipster collection.  I added a layer of vellum to give it a little added fun.

The ampersand is a rub-on by Amy Tangerine/American Crafts.  These chipboard arrows from Studio Calico are a fun way to direct the eye around the page.

Two Peas is celebrating in a big way with fun challenges, freebies & giveaways.  The challenges are open all week, so make sure to check it all out here.

Studio Calico has some awesome challenges too (along with a $100 grand prize gift card!)  So... whether you like to make cards, Project Life layouts or traditional scrapbooking pages, make sure to click here to find out more!

Here is a card I made for the Project Life Team Challenge #3: Go Transparent

I love the new Atlantic printables & wanted to try them out for this challenge.  I imported the images into my Silhouette software & used the circle tool to cut out a window for my card.

The card base is actually made from an office transparency & it gives the illusion that the "love" die cut is floating in the center of my card.  I added patterned paper to the inside to create a space for writing a message to the recipient.

Thanks for taking a peek at my projects!  I hope you'll join in on one of the challenges.  :)  Good luck!

Trendy Trios: Ombré

On the 1st of every month, I launch a new class in my card making series, Trendy Trios at Two Peas.

This month, I'm focussing on the ombre trend & different ways you can achieve that.

Make sure to click here to watch the video tutorial!

Here are a few peeks of the projects I'll be demonstrating:

In other news... have you checked out Two Peas' new digital store?!?

I've also got a fun blog post on the Paper Crafts Connection blog.  Make sure to check it out for your chance to win an adorable stamp set!

Studio Calico May Kits {Planetarium} Reveal

Have you checked out the new Studio Calico kits this month?

Here's a peek at the Planetarium Card Kit:

I had a lot of fun with the kits this month.  But, who am I kidding?  I have a blast every month!  :)  Here are some of the cards I created.  You can find more information about each card, along with supply links in my SC gallery.

I made this camera card using one of the digital kits offered this month.  

If you have a Silhouette, it's easy to import it into the software & trace the shapes, converting the digital stamps into cut files.

The stamps in the Card Kit are SO awesome! I particularly love this xoxo stamp. It comes with a second stamp that creates the shadow effect.

School is coming to an end for the year & I thought this would be a great card to have on hand! I used a Project Life card as the starting point. I love how the rich color in the star washi tape just pops off the card.

To make the star cut-out, I stamped the star from the Card Kit Add-on & cut it out with a craft knife.

The tiny star sequins are easily attached by stitching them on with a needle & thread.I love this sweet printable from this month's digital release! I layered it onto a Project Life card for a pop of color.

The eyelet trim from the Card Kit Add-on can be easily customized. I changed it to a pretty mint color by spritzing it with Mister Huey's mist.

The wood veneer sheet from Add-on 1 works perfectly in the Silhouette! I just set my blade to a '10' & it cut my heart shapes out like butter!

The "Happy Together" banner is a transparency from the Project Life kit this month.

This "Love You to the Stars" card from the Project Life kit completely inspired this project. I created a cut file with my Silhouette with "heart halves" & folded the cuts over to reveal the patterned paper on the reverse side. I added some machine stitching to hold it all in place.

I also love, love, love the stamps in this month's Project Life kit! I repeatedly stamped the 'holding hands' couple on the bottom of my card using Hero Art's Pale Tomato ink. Aren't the hearts in the couple's center clever?!?

The Atlantic wood veneer circles are really fun! I painted one of the circles to coordinate with the mint alphas.

This sentiment from the North Star (Card Kit Add-on) is so fun! I decided to cut the words apart to allow me to space them out a little more.

The hexagon paper is from the Scrapbook Add-on 3 (Lyra.) I added a brad from SB Add-on 1 (Orion) to the center of the camera image for a fun little accent.

The wood veneer strip on the side is also from Orion.When I saw the stamp set from the Project Life Add-on, I immediately knew I had to make this card!

I downloaded the pregnancy test image from Silhouette Studio & used the + & - stamps to customize it. I created the grey "+" background using the border stamp from the set & then topped it with a strip of vellum to soften it. 

I used one of the larger stamp images from the Card Kit to create a tone-on-tone background.

I stamped part of my sentiment a second time using a gold ink pad & used my Elmer's gold paint pen to create a border.

Hero Art's Pale Tomato & Navy inks match perfectly with so many of the kits this month!

The Atlantic sequins pack is really fun!  I especially love the ones with a woodgrain print.  I layered two sheets of vellum together & stitched around it to make a pocket.  I filled it with some of the sequins & then sewed the final side closed to create a shaker card.

 I used the Project Life stamp add-on along with the Printable Labels this month for the sentiment. 

I REALLY loved the Orion Scrapbooking kit (Add-on 1.) The colors and fun embellishments make it so easy to create a stack of projects!

I cut the large letters from patterned paper & layered them onto the fun shipping tag included in the kit. The ombre twine is one of my favorite embellishments this season!

I stamped the scalloped border several times in a row & then added dashed lines below with my journaling pen to mimic those found in the paper.

Thanks for taking a peek at my projects!  Make sure to run over to the shop to snatch a kit if you haven't done so yet!  :)

Studio Calico May Kit Sneaks {Planetarium}

The May kit reveal is just around the corner!  (You can find the countdown clock on my sidebar.)

Here are just a few sneak peeks from my gallery this month:

The kits this month are SO awesome & I especially love the stamps!  If you are thinking about getting the kits, you might want to pop a couple of ink pads in your cart.  The Hero Arts Pale Tomato & Navy ink pads coordinate really well & I found myself reaching for them over & over.

Make sure to check back on April 27th for a full reveal!

Two Peas Gardeners' Digest - April

Welcome to the April edition of the Gardeners' Digest, a monthly blog hop from the Garden Girls of Two Peas in a Bucket.

Make sure to start your hop at the Two Peas blog & then follow the links to see what inspiration is in store!

Make sure to check out my latest Trendy Trios series on May 1st!  April's trendy theme was the color gold & next month's theme features color too... with a fun twist.

Did you know that Two Peas releases a new video each & every day?

I've started watching a video or two while on the treadmill & I can't believe how much more enjoyable exercising has become!  I finished two videos, looked down & realized I had clocked over two miles.  I call it the Two Peas Fitness Plan.  ;)  Distraction is not just for children, my friends!  It works wonders on adults too.

 

OK... so I know this section is for FIVE products, but I just couldn't narrow my faves down from six.  Just consider this a bonus.  ;)

#1. Daily Details stamp set by Elle's Studio

Perfect for adding that special touch to your Project Life album!

#2. Kate & Co. collection from My Mind's Eye

Seriously.  I don't know if you could find a more beautiful floral.  The "B" side is super fun too.  Love the navy stripes!

#3. Luxe Rub-ons by Pink Paislee

I love rub-ons & these are so trendy and cool!  The small shapes would make the perfect accent.

#4. Pink Lemonade Lawn Trimmings by Lawn Fawn

I just got this fun trim in my hot little hands & it has quickly become a favorite!  The ombre effect of the multicolored strand is just drool-worthy!

#5. She Art Printed Words Coffee Filter Sheets by Christy Tomlinson

I love text added to paper crafted projects & these filter sheets are such a unique new product!  I can't wait to try them out!

#6. White Washi Tape by Freckled Fawn

I have washi tape in every color & pattern... but I don't have anything like this!  I think the idea of white washi is just brilliant.  This roll is in my shopping cart & I can't wait to try it out.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today!  Make sure to hop over to the next stop, which is...

Jen Kinkade