MAGGIE HOLMES Photography and Scrapbooking Blog

Studio Calico October Kits > Layouts

I really love the whole vibe and color palette that the Antiquary kits have this month. And I especially felt like the different kits mixed very well together!

Here is my main kit only layout... I used the Thankful cut designs by Shanno Noel to create the large title banner.

Used my Silhouette Cameo on this one as well to cut out the large black star. And I absolutely love that cute number set in the Rome add on kit.

Also used the Silhouette again on the next three to cut out the large star outline, the large arrow and the large leaves.

I incorporated some pinks and some of the cute florals in the next two.

And my final layout which I went a bit more simple on but love how it turned out. I used a piece of old
book paper to anchor everything and then just added my layers on top of that. 

Close up photos of each page along with links to the kits and shop items I used are in my Studio Calico gallery. 

Studio Calico October Kits > Project Life

Sharing the Project Life pages I made with the October Studio Calico kits today!

This month was a little different for me on the Project Life side of things... The photos I had were calling to be on their own instead of on a big pocket page with lots of other photos/stories. So I decided not to fight it and just go with what I felt for these photos.

These photos I especially felt needed to be on their own because it was an awesome accomplishment for Tyler and his basketball team and I wanted this story to really stand on its own instead of getting lost on a page with lots of other things going on.

Then on the next two I was not feeling the large page again with a mix of photos so I decided to keep going with the idea of one photo per page and then I had fun with being creative and filling up all the rest of the pockets. If you want to try this out in your PL album it definitely helps to use the smaller pocket pages like the ones above or the trading card size pages like the ones below. I think the regular 12x12 pages felt a little large to just have one small photo on. These ones are the perfect size to have fun and play with the pretty/creative side of things while focusing on one photo/story.

I know it's not your traditional Project Life type of scrapbooking but sometimes I feel like certain photos/stories need to stand alone and get their own little spotlight. This is the perfect way to do it right within your PL album!

Detail shots and links to all the products I used are here in my gallery.

 

Studio Calico October Kits > Cards

Loving the Antiquary kits at Studio Calico! The card kit has a great stamp set and lots of pretty patterned papers that work well for a variety of different cards! I also used some of the Project Life cards to make my cards this month!

Another favorite is the stamp set from the Athens add on kit. That large leaf stamp is so pretty and I also loved the large flower as well!

As you can see I was able to make a LOT of cards with the kits this month and truly I could have made even more!! Some kits just flow like that for me and the possibilities seem endless!!

I also snuck in some of those awesome plastic stars that I had leftover from last month's Licorice kit. I can't get enough of those!!

Individual pictures of all the cards and details about which kits I used for each are in my gallery at Studio Calico!

Birthday Party Decor & Chalk Art

My family members know that I LOVE to decorate for birthday parties and that I get super excited about making things special for the birthday boy/girl! I can't remember a birthday that I didn't go all out for and I have made a lot of custom cakes for my kids over the years! As they have gotten older, they don't request certain themes or characters anymore so I have transitioned over to doing cute cupcakes and a fun display!

I am really enjoying the large entry way we have in this home and my big chalkboard that I made a few months back. I wrote the greeting on the chalkboard and was super nervous because it was my first time doing my own chalk art but I ended up loving the chance to create something all my own!

  

I created the banner with different colors of tissue paper and had to include gold of course since it continues to be my current and favorite design/fashion obsession!

  

The cake plates, vintage cameras and globes all came from my collection and I simply moved them in from other parts of our home. Best part about this type of decorating is that it is free because you are simply moving things around and using what you already have!!

 

 

Three different cupcakes with different colors of icing including some that were gluten and dairy free finished off the display. The birthday boy got the giant cupcake with a simple tiny banner I made from washi tape, glitter ribbon and a cork letter sticker!

Kids are definitely the happiest when surrounded by people that love them and giant cupcakes of course!

How I love his sweet smile! Now, that's what I call Birthday Party Success!!

>> Free Birthday Chalk Art Sign Digital Download <<

And because I want to share some of the birthday love with all of you, I converted the birthday chalk art sign into a digital download that you can have for free! All you have to do is click on the image below to pull it up at full size and then you can save it to your computer. It is sized at 8x10 so that you can print it out and put it in a frame. You could also print it larger or smaller if you like as well!

Enjoy!!

Organizing and GOLD Love!

My love for organizing and GOLD continue on and I recently combined the two with some fun products from All Ready Memories.

I am ALWAYS on the search for containers that do double duty. I want them to get my things organized but I also want them to be cute!! When both of those worlds collide I am a happy crafter!!

No doubt I am all smiles right now because All Ready Memories sent me some awesome wooden containers that are literally a blank canvas >> all ready for you to customize in any cute way that your heart desires (or you can leave them as is too)!

Here is where the GOLD enters in for me because I have a mad passion for gold and can't get enough! I always have a few cans of gold spray paint on hand, which made this project super quick and easy! A few coats of paint made them all fresh and pretty and I was good to go!

What I love the most is that the wood grain still shows through the paint so you get this natural wood effect but in gold!

This washi tape box holds all of my fave washi tapes so I can keep them right on my desk where I can reach them!

The storage boxes are the perfect size for holding your Project Life cards. I put the ones from my new Flea Market collection in there and again I love that they are easy to get to! You could also keep small embellishments, photos, etc in the boxes.

>> All Ready Memories Discount << 

The sweet folks at All Ready Memories are offering my readers 15% off the washi tape box and the washi wheel! Use the code MAGGIE to receive your discount. The code is good for the entire month of October!

ENJOY!!

P.S. My favorite gold spray paint is the Rust-Oleum Brand in Metallic Gold. It covers well and is the perfect gold in my opinion!

 

Photography Workshops >> Open for Registration

Many of you have been emailing and asking when I would be teaching my online photography workshops again and I have kept quiet about it for a while because I had something a little different in the works that I think you all will LOVE!!

Both of my photography workshops are NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION.... however, you will find that the format and pricing are slightly different. In an effort to simplify a little bit and make more time for family and my other projects (like my product line) I decided to convert the classes into SELF-PACED workshops.

What does this mean for you as a student?

>> You still receive ALL of the same class materials which are jam packed with information, examples, tips and tricks etc. For a detailed description of each class, visit my website here.

>> There will not be a private message board like before, BUT, you will still have assignments throughout the class with lots of tips and information about what to look for when reviewing your images after doing the assignments. I definitely still strongly recommend doing the assignments and I also encourage you to have a friend or family member help you review your images and give constructive criticism.

>> There has been a HUGE price decrease due to the fact that the message board aspect no longer exists. This is a BIG PLUS for all of you because the classes have each been reduced by $150.00!!!

>> If you purchase the PHOTOGRAPHY BUNDLE, which is both classes, you receive an additional $50.00 off, taking your total savings from the previous class prices to $350.00!! 

I am super excited about this because the new format and huge price decrease makes the classes so affordable! I love that I still get to offer SO much information at such a lower price! I am excited to have students again and to be teaching again, even though I won't have the personal individual interaction with you. It is still so fulfilling to be able to offer the classes to all of you that have been asking, just in a slightly different way!!

OH, and I forgot to mention that I have updated the lessons with LOTS of new images and examples!!

Please let me know if you have any questions about the classes or the new format!! Happy learning!!