MAGGIE HOLMES Photography and Scrapbooking Blog

NEW Blog & Website!!

I am super excited to share with you my all NEW website and blog! 

Maggie Holmes Design has been in need of a fresh updated look and I couldn't be happier with the new site!!

From now on I will be blogging at my new blog: www.maggieholmesdesign.com/blog. I hope you will move over with me (and be sure to adjust your feed subscriptions) so that you can continue to follow along with me and my amazing design team! We are working harder than ever to bring you inspiration and creative ideas on a weekly basis!!

>> MAGGIE HOLMES NEW BLOG <<

A big thanks goes out to Life Made Lovely for making the design and development process super easy and also quick!! I asked her to create a fresh clean look that incorporated some of the design elements from my product line and what she created is exactly what I had in mind!!

Have a Lovely Day and I will see you over at the NEW BLOG!!

xoxoxoxo

Technique >> Paint Splattering

Kim is always wowing me with her artsy techniques! I love that she is continually playing with paints and other mediums to give elements on her page a super artsy and painterly look!! Today she is showing us how to use the technique of paint splattering. I remember doing this as a child and thought it was so much fun and I often use this technique on my layouts as well but most of the time I use mists. I'm definitely going to be trying this out as well!! Thanks for sharing another great technique with us Kim!!

Hi there everyone, I usually love using lots of bright vivid colors but for this layout I kept things pretty neutral by using some of the light colored papers in the Styleboard collection and some pretty cool splattered butterflies.  

I layered the patterned papers along the bottom of my page. I think they are all so pretty and I wanted to show just a little of each of them.  I also added a few of the label stickers for a more layered look.  The butterflies were cut using my silhouette and then splattered using a little black gouache mixed with water. I lay the butterflies out on a paper towel and holding the brush from different heights I just flick the brush and paint on them.  Sometimes I squeeze the brush to get more circular splatter.  It's such a fun process...sometimes I want to splatter everything!

Have a great week everyone! 

>> Supplies Used <<

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Tuesday!

xoxoxoxo

DIY Cute Custom Envelopes

Amanda has such a darling and yet oh so simple project for us today!! In this tutorial she shows us how to make cute custom envelopes that are lined with patterned paper!! I just love how quick and easy this is to do.... but at the same time it adds such a bold and darling impact!! I know that little personal touches like this go a long way when sending happy mail to the people we love and care about!!

Hi friends, Happy Thursday! It's always fun opening envelopes with patterned paper inside so today I thought it would be fun to make our own using the Styleboard paper collection.

STEP 1: Using one of your envelopes, cut off the front and side flaps to create your template.

STEP 2: Trace the envelope template onto your patterned paper. To make the paper fit inside your envelope you will need to trace it twice.... once at normal size and then again about 1/2 inch to an inch below the first tracing. The second outline will make a smaller shape, allowing the patterned paper to fit inside your envelope. You can see my pencil mark below showing the first outline which is the size of the envelope. The smaller tracing is the one you will want to cut out.

Step 3: After your paper is cut out and you have created your envelope shape, add adhesive to the back and insert it into your plain envelope.

I just love how the patterned paper transforms the envelopes!! How fun would they be for birthday invites and sending happy mail to your friends?

>> Supplies Used <<

InLinkz.com

Happy Thursday!!

xoxoxoxo

Art Journaling with Stephanie

Hi there!! I have seen peeks into Stephanie's art journal on her blog before and I am excited that she is sharing more of her process for art journaling here today!! I love the idea of having a book or mini album where you can just play and create whenever you want with no rules or contstraints or themes to stick to!! It's also a fun place to try out new techniques and ideas without worrying about messing up a full scrapbook page!!

 

Have you ever created an art journal?  I know, I know.... It sounds kind of intimidating, right?  But it's not!  Really!  I promise!  It's kind of like creating mini layouts.  It's fun, creative and there are no rules or expectations!

 

I began working on an art journal at the beginning of this year and I love it.  I have more of a "scrapbook" take on my art journal, but like I mentioned, you can seriously make it whatever you want!  Sometimes I just want to create...not an entire page, but something small and fast and fun.  That's where my art journal comes into play.  I use my watercolors, mists and paints; but sometimes I just use paper!  I believe the art is in creating, not necessarily in always making a pretty painted mess!  Today, I wanted to share a few pages of my journal using the Styleboard collection.

 

 

I'm using a canvas binder with pages that are roughly 7 inches by 8.25 inches.  I've long used the paper that was included in my album, so I typically begin my process by trimming down a few pieces of white card stock to fit into my book.  The white card stock acts as my canvas for paints, colors, thickers and paper. 

 

Often times, I use my art journal as a place to record some thoughts and feelings....kind of like a diary or writing journal.  As you can see on the left side of my journal below, I started with the prompt "today" and then wrote about what and how I was feeling today.  Starting with some type of prompt really helps me write more and get my thoughts out rather than just including a sentence or two.

 

I started the right side of the page by painting a light wash of a peach-y color onto my background.  Over top of my paint, I added a photo of my daughter that I printed on a paint swatch, as well as a Styleboard transparency.  I love the ombre look of the photo and the way the hearts line either side of my picture.  The photo and transparency are sewn onto my background and can be flipped up to reveal some hidden journaling about my daughter and her current sweet age of five. 

 

 

I continued that same theme on the back side of the page above, and included a photo of myself taken on my 37th birthday, as well as some hidden journaling about turning another year older.  I love adding hidden journaling in my book.  It's a great way to include personal thoughts without feeling like it is really out in the open for everyone to see. 

 

 

 

The page to the right is a little smaller than the other pages of my book and creates almost a peek-a-boo effect!  Here I've included a photo from a recent beach trip with some pretty papers and embellishments. 

 

 

On the back of the smaller page, I've added a die cut card from the Styleboard journaling card set.

The right side page includes some misting, a transparency and a photo.  I love how you can see the mist and photo through the transparency!

 

 

These last two pages are, again, really simple.  I've used these two pages to write some encouraging words to myself about dreaming big and making things happen!

 

 

 

 

And that's a look at my art journal!  Are you ready to start yours yet?  I promise you won't be disappointed!!

 

>> Supplies Used <<

 

InLinkz.com 

 

Happy Wednesday!!

 

xoxoxoxo

 

Adventure >> Scrapbook Layout

It's no question that Kim is the master at designing and cutting gorgeous leaves and florals for her projects! I don't know about you but I just can't get enough of them! This time she has also cut a bunch of them from patterned paper for a different look and I absolutely LOVE it!! I also adore the fact that she is not afraid to use pinks on her boy layouts!! 

 

Hi everyone! It's Kim here to share a fun layout with you today! I'm jumping full speed ahead into the upcoming season by creating this page full of pretty leaves.  I cut them from some of the Styleboard collection papers and some from plain card stock.  I love leaves and flowers and it's the one thing I cannot build a page without using.  These were some that I drew onto the patterned paper and cut myself. What I love about paper cutting is you can make any kind of shapes that you want.  

 

 

Some of the leaves were painted with some gelatos very lightly.  I painted the ends a little darker for a more ombre effect.  

 

The alphas were embossed using some gold embossing powder. At first I thought that the letters would melt but as long as you don't hold the heat gun too closely the powder will melt perfectly. They are really sparkly and pretty and I couldn't seem to capture the look in this photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you all ready for fall?  It's my absolute favorite season for all sort of reasons but particularly because of the changing colors of the season.  

Have a great week!

 

>> Supplies Used <<

 

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Thursday!

 

xoxoxo

Love Story Mini Album

You know I am a sucker for mini albums and this one by Jessy definitely does not disappoint!! WOW is what I found myself saying as I looked through each of the pages of her album!! I also love that she used a formula and repetition for each page to make the creation of her mini album very easy to create! I also love how she used the overlays and chipboard frames! It really pulls the whole thing together in such a cohesive way!!

 

Hello again! It has been a while I last created a mini album & thought it's high time to create one! These anniversary photos were taken 2 years ago and I'm so glad that I finally printed them to create something with!! I present to you..... 'Our Love Record' mini album!! 

This mini is very simple to create. I used a few products from the Styleboard + a tiny bit from the Flea Market collection. On each page you will see a photo overlay, frames, chipboard, ephemera, stickers and vellum shapes. I used them repeatedly on each page to create a cohesive look. The various size of papers, photos and embellishments of this album is what I love most. Once you are done, just gather all the pages together, punch a hole in the top middle and bind it with a metal ring. 

 

 

 

I didn't want to journal on each page, so I decided to add one journal card in the middle of the album and wrote a short simple story. 

 

For this page and also the next page, I stuck the stickers onto a photo overlay and then added a piece of paper at the back of the overlay as a 'background paper'.

 

I hope you enjoyed my mini album and I hope it inspires you to create one for yourself today! Have a lovely day! Xoxo Jessy

>> Supplies Used <<

 

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Tuesday!!

 

xoxoxoxo

30 Days of Me Class >> Last Chance to Register!!

Hi there and happy Friday!! How excited are you that it is the weekend!! I know I am!!

I wanted to give you a heads up that registration is closing soon for my 30 Days of Me Class at Studio Calico! The last day to sign up is this Sunday!! 

Class starts on Monday and I can't wait to share everything I have been creating with you!! It can definitely be hard and might feel out of the ordinary to make an entire album about YOU.... but I am here to tell you that you won't regret it and you will have lots of fun during the process as well!

During the 30 Days of Me class I will talk about WHY I feel it is so important to document YOU and not just your family and the things going on around you.... If you aren't already, it is past time to include YOU in the stories you document and this will help you get started!

Here are a few sneak peeks at some of the pages in my album...

You might notice from the images above that this is NOT an album full of selfies! So if you are uncomfortable being the subject in your pictures, that is definitely OK!! Even though we are covering a whole bunch of topics about YOU, it is suggested & encouraged to photograph those things in a variety of ways!

If you aren't already signed up, I hope you will join me!

>> Registration and Class Details <<

You can find all of the details about the class and register here on the 30 Days of Me Class Page.

You can also see the fun intro VIDEO that I created for this class here.

I can't wait to get started.... I will "see" you all in class on Monday!!

Happy Weekend!

xoxoxoxo 

Stephanie's Process >> Start to Finish

Hi there! Stephanie has a beautiful layout for us today and she is also sharing her process of how she went about creating it from start to finish. I don't know about you, but I love to see and hear how other crafters/scrapbookers work. Do you start with the photos, the story, or the products you want to use? I am like Stephanie in that I always start with the photos. They guide everything from the papers and colors I select, to the story and journaling that I will tell. I simply can't do it any other way! After you read about her process, let us know in the comments how you approach creating a page! We would love to hear!

 

I always start a layout or project with my photos printed.  I've tried to start by building a page without  my photos, but I've found that I use the photo to guide my paper layers and embellishment choices.  

 

 

If the colors are softer and more neutral, I usually gravitate towards the softer, more subtle patterned papers.  For this layout, I wanted to play off of the calming nature of the photo and decided to use the woodgrain paper and light green striped paper as layers for my page.  The colors are soft and neutral and helped bring out the colors from my photo.

 

To add a bold statement to my page, I used the die cut ampersand from the Styleboard journaling card set and backed it with the "love this" text patterned paper.   It gives my page a "pop" without being too distracting from my photo and layers. 

 

 

A cluster of embellishments alongside the die cut card and some handwritten journaling were the finishing touches to my layout!

 

 

So...do your photos help design your page or do you start with your paper layers first?

 

>> Supplies Used <<

 

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Tuesday!

xoxoxoxo

Open Book Collection Giveaway Winner

Hello! First of all I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to each of you for sharing in my excitement over the new collection! I have enjoyed reading all of your comments and I sincerely appreciate all of the sweet words and support you have shared with me! I wouldn't be creating products without all of you out there buying them to use in your scrapbooks and other crafting projects... so I truly mean it when I say that your comments and support mean the world to me!!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.... really!!

I wish I could hug each of you in person,  but hope that you can feel my expressions of love and gratitude through my words!!

..............................................................

The winner of the Open Book Collection giveaway is....

Laura Turcotte said...

What is there NOT to love about this collection?? Seriously, this collection is over the top amazing!!

Congrats!! Please email me using the contact link at the top of my blog with your address and info to claim your prize!!

I will continue to share lots more projects and layouts using the new Open Book products and will give you a heads up when I see things becoming available in the stores!!

Happy Monday!!

xoxoxoxo

New Maggie Holmes Product Release >> Open Book!!

Introducing OPEN BOOK...

I have been giddy with excitement over this new collection and have been bursting at the seams to share it with all of you!! 

OPEN BOOK was inspired by and designed around my love for storytelling. As scrapbookers and memory keepers, that is what we are all about and I wanted to bring you a collection full of elements that will help you tell the story of your life in a beautiful way! As you capture and record your most treasured stories and memories, you will create an OPEN BOOK for your family and future generations to enjoy in the years to come!

 

This collection definitely stays true to my signature style but we changed some things up as well to make it fresh and new! You will find a more rich and saturated color palette with lots of black and white and the introduction of black and gold (which I am currently obsessed with). It is full of vintage finds, sweet colorful icons and pretty feminine touches as well. We've also added some fabulous new icons and unique new embellishments.

For example, I can't get enough of this new buildable flowers pack. It comes with so many gorgeous leaves and florals! The possibilities are endless.

What I love the most are all of the details >> gold foil accents, lots of embossing, shimmering glitter and pretty hand painted phrases. I hope you will enjoy telling your stories using these new products as much as I do!!

You are going to LOVE the embossed gold foil pieces in the ephemera pack!

And the vellum pack is stealing my heart as well. Mixing and layering things from the two sets together is my favorite!

I am thrilled with how these layered tags turned out.... ruffled and sewn crepe paper.... swoon!

One of the most popular "Maggie" embellishments has definitely been my fabric bows so we decided to bring them back in a new sparkly glitter version!!

You also asked for more craft dies and another embossing folder and I think you are going to LOVE these new sets!! The embossing folder creates the most detailed and beautiful floral pattern. You just have to see it in real life to get the full effect!

Here's a peek at the new rub ons, gold glitter phrase thickers, chipboard, frames and embossed gold foil stickers.

I just started creating with this collection and I am truly LOVING it! I don't know how it is possible but I love each new line more than the last. I am finding the products in this collection so easy to mix and match and am loving layering all of the pretty things together. All of these layouts were created using just a fraction of the products as I am still waiting on some of them to come in. I can't wait to keep going with the full collection but this shows you just how much you can do with these packs of ephemera, flowers, chipboard and vellum!!

You can see one of the gold and vellum specialty papers on this page and the black with gold foil polka dots!!! I die over both of them and you can expect to see me using them a LOT!!!

How fun is this mint green bullseye paper? Such a great build page to use as a background! 

You can see a bunch of the patterned papers on this layout. I love all of the contrast that the black & white patterns add to some of the softer ones. And I am obsessed with that green, yellow and pink floral!!

There's LOTS more to see in detail that I haven't shown here >> including all of the patterned paper, gold printed vellum specialty papers, doilies, stickers, ribbon tags, standouts, clips and a banner kit!!

To see EVERYTHING from the new OPEN BOOK collection, visit the Crate Paper blog today!! They are sharing the full images of each product so you can really look closely at what each one offers!!

>> GIVEAWAY <<

But before you go, I do have a GIVEAWAY!! I am giving away the new OPEN BOOK collection to one lucky winner!  To enter, leave a comment here on this blog post and I will be back to draw the winner at random on Monday August, 25th. Good luck!

ALSO >> My design team is sharing some fun images of the collection as well and each of them are doing a GIVEAWAY too!! This means that you will have 5 chances to win today!! To join in on the blog hop and enter their giveaways, visit each of their blogs, linked below.

Jessy

Amanda

Kim

Stephanie

Thanks for stopping by to see my new collection OPEN BOOK today!! Remember to enter the giveaways and then head over to the Crate Paper blog to see all of the products in detail!!

It's definitely a Happy Wednesday!!

xoxoxoxo

Going Bold with Black & White

Jessy has a bold layout for us today with lots of black and white! Just like her, I am loving the look of black and white more and more each day!! I love how her choice of background papers allow all of the light and bright colors to really pop! It's such a great use of contrast!!

These days, I really love these colors: black & white! In fact, I'm beginning to notice that I am slowly drawn to black and white more & more each time. Haha! 

I absolutely adore the black & white patterned papers that Maggie designed for her collections. Particularly, I really love the black & white diagonal stripe from the Flea Market collection and of course the famous black & white polka dots from the Styleboard collection. 

I wanted to create mostly black & white for my layout with a hint of pastel colors. So I chose to adhere half of the diagonal b&w stripe patterned paper onto a white cardstock. Then, I layered the rest of the patterned paper on top of each other. In between the papers, I added a chipboard frame, doily, vellum and some stickers. 

To give a personal touch to my layout, I painted those flowers with gelatos & cut them out. It was pretty fun & easy to paint. Give it a try the next time you create your layout!  Thank you for stopping by today! Xoxo Jessy

>> Supplies Used <<

InLinkz.com

Happy Tuesday!

xoxoxo

Using Up Your Scraps!!

I'm loving Stephanie's post today because she has a nice solution for using up your scraps! I find that I do this all the time too because I tend to save longer strips of leftover papers (as opposed to little pieces). Then it makes it super easy to grab all of those and make a fun background like she is showing us here! You can take this same concept and create lots of different looks with it!

 

Hi there!  Stephanie back with you today!

Do you find yourself hanging on to pretty scraps?  I don't really consider myself very much of a hoarder, but I do have a little problem throwing out scraps of beautiful papers.  Anything smaller than  two-inches square usually gets tossed, but strips of paper???  I just can't do it!!  Ha!

 

When I sat down to create this page, I had my photo and a stack of scraps.  The scraps were various sizes, so I trimmed a few down to 1-2 inches by 5-6 inches and then layered the strips down the center of my white background.  As you can see, I tried to vary between the bold, colorful papers and the softer, neutral papers.  The bold and neutrals compliment each other so well and I love to mix them amongst each other.

 

After I was happy with the placement of the papers, I gently adhered them to my background using a little adhesive right in the middle of each strip.  I didn't want them to be adhered flat to my page, so I quickly ran each strip through my sewing machine.  This adds a fun bit of texture, and also allows me to bend up my edges a little to add more depth to my page. 

 

 

I had a small photo of my son and myself that I wanted to use on this page, but it kind of got lost on the busy background of papers.  To help draw your attention to the photo, and to make it stand out more, I clipped a gold glittered frame around the photo and added in a white die cut next to it, gently overlapping the frame. 

 

 

I finished the page with simple embellishments and some journaling about the photo!  So easy, so pretty and the perfect way to use up those scraps!

 

 

>> Supplies Used <<

 

InLinkz.com

  

 

Happy Thursday!

 

xoxoxoxo

Design Team Inspiration

Not only does my design team share tons of ideas, tutorials and inspiration here on my blog, but they all post to their own blogs regularly too! These are super talented ladies my friends and they are constantly inspiring me with the things they create!! I love to follow each of them to see what they are working on and suggest following them yourself if you don't already!

Recently Jessy shared a darling layout using the flea market tag sale paper to create a unique and layered background! She tells you exactly how to do it on her blog here!

Kim knocked it out of the park using the Sandlot Studio Calico kit this month! I am dying over how she painted the backs of these clear alphas to add so many pops of fun color! 

Stephanie just got back from Spain where she taught at the L'Atelier Scrap Workshop! She used lots of Styleboard products in her class including the 6x6 paper pad and also the Flea Market clipboard style mini album. I just love everything this girl makes!

I am still gushing over what my design team did for me on my birthday! They are truly the sweetest ladies ever and made me feel so so special! In case you missed it, they each sent me handmade gifts and then also surprised me with a birthday blog hop on my actual birthday! I woke up to find the kindest messages and happy images from each of them, showcasing the things they had made! I posted some pictures of what they did on instagram and you can also see each of their posts and their inspiring projects/gifts here: Amanda, Kim, Stephanie, Jessy.

Amanda made the most darling cupcake toppers using my bow die cut and cork paper. I don't think I will ever tire of seeing these cute bows!!

Thanks for continuing to inspire us ladies!!

Happy Friday!

xoxoxox 

Using Chalkboard Paint in Scrapbooking

Chalkboard paint is a hot trend right now and it is a medium that I am definitely loving! You can find inspiration for chalkboard paint DIY projects all over pinterest these days and it is a fun thing to incorporate into your home decor! When Amercian Crafts came out with their own line of chalkboard paint I was super excited to try it in my scrapbooking projects too! Jessy has a darling layout to share with us today using the black chalkbaord paint and shows us just how versatile this medium is!

Lately, I have really enjoyed looking at chalkboard craft and that sparked an idea I wanted to create with the American Crafts Chalkboard Paint. 

Here is the layout that I'll be sharing a simple step-by-step today! 

First, use a wet wipe and dip into the gesso. Spread it all around the patterned paper.

Once the gesso is dried, used a new wet wipe and spread the chalkboard paint evenly by forming a square frame in the middle.

Next, sew all around the square frame. I sewed twice for mine.

After that, trim 1.5" of the patterned paper and adhere it onto a white cardstock. I have also decided to use the white and gold glitter tape to enhance the edges. All I did was to adhere the tapes under the patterned paper. 

I used some white mist and splattered the edges. It looked awesome on the chalkboard paint.

After all that, I used the polka dot black & white patterned paper to just paste it in the middle of the painted chalkboard paint. Be sure you trim it a little smaller so you can see the paint and the white thread. 

I absolutely love the gold rub-ons and decided to use them on the layout as well. QUICK TIP >> Be sure to cut the words/images before you rub it onto the layout. You will avoid the rest of the images getting "rub" onto the layout by accident that way. And of course it is easier for you to plan your placement too!

Here is the completed layout again. I added a silhouette die-cut flower, vellum & chipboard shapes to complete my layout. 

Here are some close-ups: 

Once again, thank you for letting me share with you today! Hope you enjoyed today's simple step-by-step! Happy Scrapping :) Xoxo Jessy

>> Supplies Used <<

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Thursday!

xoxoxoxo

More Changes >> A Sad Goodbye

I have been dreading writing this blog post for quite a while but knew that the day would eventually come and can't avoid it any longer. As sad as it is to write this, I am leaving my positions at Studio Calico. I have been working with SC since December 2008, which definitely makes this a hard goodbye! In this post I am sharing a glimpse into my journey with the company and also why it is time to say goodbye.

When I was first asked by April to guest design for Studio Calico, I was excited at the opportunity to work with their kits and create a few layouts. Little did I know what that first collaboration would turn into! Soon after that, I was asked to become a permanent member of their design team and I also accepted the position as kit & product photographer. I began the very detailed and important role of setting up and photographing the kits each month for the website, in addition to photographing new products for the shop. Not only did it allow my love for the kits and Studio Calico brand to grow, but it also allowed me to get to know the owners and employees of the company on a much more personal level. We have become quite close over the years and have spent many fun times not only working together, but having fun at events and tradeshows as well!! To say that I have felt like an integral part of the SC family (even though I work from home) is an understatement. They have been super generous, kind and supportive all along the way and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity I have had to work with them for so many years.

This is what my studio space has looked like for many days out of each month the past 5 1/2 years. My husband, children and I have all become accustomed to seeing this type of a "pretty" mess as I set up and photograph each of the kits. My kids come in and out all throughout the process and know to step around the set up so they don't bump it all and move anything out of place!

  

And here is the final image that you can see me setting up in the shot above! Taking all of the products each month and turning them into pretty photos can definitely be challenging but also very fun and rewarding as a photographer as well!

In addition to photographing the kits each month, I have enjoyed working with the supplies as part of the design team. After I take all of the pictures, I get to gather up the kits and create with all of the pretty things. Some months it is definitely hard to wait, because I want to just dive right in before I take the photos! It's hard to choose favorite layouts because I have literally made hundreds in my time with Studio Calico, so instead I picked a few at random to share with you and SC is sharing a few different ones on their blog too!

With the addition of our 6th baby coming soon, I have had this nagging feeling that I needed to step away from some of my work responsibilities and free up more time to be a mom. I know how fleeting those first few days, months and even years of a child's life pass by and I want to be able to cherish every single moment! Don't ge me wrong, I feel like I have been super blessed to work from home all these years so that I could enjoy time with all of my children and get things done while they nap etc., but 6 kids is a lot and I know that I will be even more busy than ever with my duties and responsibilities as a mother. There are only so many hours in a day and with the momentum and growth that my own brand is experiencing, something had to give. 

So it is with sadness that I make the announcement that I will not be designing or working as kit photographer for Studio Calico any longer. It will definitely be an emotional transition but I am also excited about the future and what lies ahead. I know that every time soemthing ends, something amazing begins and I can only move forward with a positive outlook on the future. I am beyond excited for lots of snuggling with this new baby come December and I am also thrilled about where the Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper brand is headed. In addition, it is likely that you will still see Studio Calico and I collaborating occasionally and continuing to cross-promote as we both want nothing but success for each other.

Over the years I have taught many online classes in the Studio Calico classroom (including 2 rounds of  Happy Little Moments and 25 Days) and have enjoyed getting to know the students on a closer level through those workshops. Teaching is always a favorite of mine and I love the chance to inspire others while also pushing myself to grow and try new things as well! I have taught the December Daily class at SC the past two years and am sad that I won't be able to teach it this year. I will definitely be taking lots of photos and documenting the season, as always, but I will also be recovering and enjoying time with my family and new baby. My December Daily album will have to wait until January (or later) and I will look forward to seeing all of your creations for inspiration!!

I had fun looking back through all of the classes I have taught at SC and put together a collage of my favorite snippits from some of the workshops!

>> 30 Days of Me Class <<

As I announced earlier this week, I do have a class coming up next month at Studio Calico and I am super excited to be with you all for that.... so the goodbye isn't totally goodbye yet!!!! We will celebrate the future and new beginnings together as we share our time in the classroom and create our 30 Days of Me mini albums! 

>> GIVEAWAY <<

And finally..... because I wanted this announcement to be one of celebration and happiness in looking forward to what lies ahead, we have prepared some amazing giveaways for you all! I am offering a giveaway for a spot in my online Photography 101 Workshop on the Studio Calico blog today! I'm also offering a 25% discount code for both of my photography workshops because I want all of you to win!! 

Studio Calico is giving away a 3 Month Subscription to the kit of your choice here on my blog!To enter to win the Studio Calico giveaway, leave a comment here on this blog post and I will draw a winner at random! The giveaways are both open through Friday August 8th at 11:59pm EST.

To enter to win the Photography 101 Workshop giveaway, go to the Studio Calico blog and enter there. Also be sure to read the post over there to get the 25% discount code!

I want to publicly thank Studio Calico for many many wonderful years together and I also want to thank all of you for supporting me along the way as well. I can't tell you how much your gallery comments and message board comments have meant to me as you have shown me your love and encouragement all of this time! Please continue to say hello as I would love to keep in touch with all of you, whether on the SC boards, on instagram or here on my blog!

Happy Bittersweet Wednesday & Good Luck on the Giveaways!

xoxoxoxo

Winner of Maggie Holmes Paper Pack Giveaway

The winner of the Maggie Holmes Paper Pack giveaway is....

Lindsay weiser said...

Saw it and almost bought it! I am going to buy it next time I go in though bc my 6 year old daughter Keri's stealing my Maggie Holmes papers!

Congrats Lindsay! Please email me using the "contact" link at the top of my blog with your mailing info asap to claim your prize! Prizes must be claimed within 14 days of announcement or a new winner will be drawn. 

To see the original post with more details on the Maggie Holmes Michael's Hot Buy Paper Pack, click here.

Live Out Loud >> Scrapbook Page

Hi there! Kim is with us today sharing a scrapbook layout with another gorgeous watercolor effect! I love how she hand cut the title from the background cardstock and then placed her watercolored paper behind it. The ombre effect that she created there is just beautiful as well! She has such an artistic approach to her scrapbooking and I am always inspired by it! She makes me want to keep pushing myself to play with different things like gelatos and watercolors and try new techniques!!

 

I always have to find some way of infusing more color into my projects, if it isn't using gelatos or watercolors it's hand drawn and colored illustrations. For this project I decided to cut a title onto the page.  I happened to have an old scrap sheet that I painted with watercolors and I just loved how it looked behind the letters.  Most times I paint pages and little cards and keep them in my stash for later. It's fun to just play with watercolors or gelatos just to get a feel for them on scrap sheets of paper!  They always get used on collages or future projects plus I get plenty of practice! 

 

 

For the rest of the layout I used a selection of cards and papers to layer along with my photo.  I pulled out some of the flowers from the Styleboard collection ephemera pack and some craft store petals to complete the look. I just love the simple layered look along with flower petals. It makes it very feminine and light. 

 

 

For one of the cards I used a flower die-cut and adhered glitter to the card underneath it for a fun sparkly effect!

 

 

>> Supplies Used <<

 

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Crafting!

 

xoxoxoxo

Michael's Hot Buy Paper Pack

Guess what? I have a new product in Michael's Stores right now and it is a "hot buy" item, which means it can be found for as little as $5! Who doesn't love a good deal right?

 

This pack of papers feautres the "best of" from all of my collections including my most recent line, Styleboard!! They are sized at 8.5 x 11"  which is not available anywhere else and works great for scrapbooking and crafting! The paper in the pack is a heavier weight cardstock, common to double-sided scrapbook paper. 

The pack retails for $19.99, but because it is what they call a "hot buy" item, it drops to $5 regularly, so keep your eyes out for it and snag some up when it drops in price!

>> GIVEAWAY <<

Not only did I want to give you a heads up on this Michael's Hot Buy, but I have a pack to GIVE AWAY here on my blog as well!! To enter to win the Maggie Holmes Paper Pack at Michael's, leave a comment here on this post. I will be back later in the week to draw a winner at random. Good luck!

Happy Monday!!

xoxoxoxo

#OOTD Scrapbook Layout

Jessy has a gorgeous and super fun scrapbook layout to share with us today! The theme of her page is based on the popular instagram hashtag #ootd, which stands for "outfit of the day" in case you aren't familiar with it. I think it is such a clever and fun idea to create a page around this and definitely want to do it soon!! She has also used some amazing cut files including some of Kim's designs and continues to wow me with her beautiful design style!!

I always enjoy cutting files with my Silhouette Cameo. And once again, I decided to use my faithful cutting machine to create my layout. This time around, I got my inspiration from the family outfit - floral theme!

I absolutely love this diagonal frame that I bought in the Silhouette store. The original size is 4"x6" but I enlarged it to 8"x5.75" so I could use it on my layout. The sweet collection (black & white polka dot) patterned paper is absolutely fitting for this layout as it matched the floral themed outfit we were wearing. 

The diagonal frame reminded me of those ribbon pin boards. And that's how I got the idea to slot the photos in between the cuts to give a fun twist to my layout. 

Let's talk about this beautiful die cut flower. It is designed by my very artistic fellow teammate, Kim Stewart and is available at iheartstudio. I decided to use this flower die cut partly because of the family OOTD floral theme. The florals in our outfits inspired me to add this flower cut onto the layout.

That gold glittered frame & flair button added a classy look to it as well. I hope that you enjoyed my layout today! Have fun creating! Xoxo Jessy

>> Supplies Used <<

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Tuesday!

xoxoxo

Baby Love Scrapbook Layout

One thing I am always taken by is how Kim creates such visually interesting and dimensional layouts. And yet when I looked more closely at this one, her embellishments are really kept to a minimum. It shows that if you take the time to use a technique on your background before you get started, you don't need to add a lot of extra fluff to the page. I also love how the free-flowing pattern of her background contrasts with the clean lines and straight arrangement of the frames across the center of the page.

Hi there everyone!  Kim here to share a layout with you today.   I’m a huge lover of using cut outs, die cuts and lots of pretty colors and I attempt to use these things in most of my layouts. For this one I hand drew a little pattern along the top and bottom of my page, cut it out and then used a watercolor page underneath to show through.  I love how you never know what it will look like and I’m often surprised by the outcome.  It’s one of my favorite techniques to use these days. 

Once I adhere the colored page to the back of the cut page, I finished with a few chipboard frames and fun embellishments.  I didn’t want to do too much more to the page because of the cut outs. I also keep lots of my cut out page scraps and painted pages to use later on other projects. Have a great week!

>> Supplies Used <<

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Thursday!

xoxoxo

Tips for Using Rub Ons in Scrapbooking

I have to admit that sometimes I have a hard time using rub-ons in my scrapbooking layouts because I tend to leave them until the end and then I can't find a spot for them where they don't just fade away into the background. But Stephanie has a great solution for us today and I just LOVE her tip for painting an area of the background paper first so that the rub-ons will stand out!! I can't wait to try this!

I am so in love with the Styleboard gold rub-ons.  They have the perfect amount of shimmer and add such a beautiful pop to projects!  I love to add them to gift bags, and even photos, but my favorite is adding them in clusters on layouts.  Today I thought it would be fun to share my process for adding rub-ons.

If I'm using a patterned background, I like to paint a thin coat of white acrylic paint over my page.  This helps makes the rub-ons visible, rather than blending into the background.  For this layout, I decided to create a vertical band down the center of my page, so I quickly painted a coat of white paint over my patterned paper.  I didn't want to cover the background completely, so I painted a thin coat, allowing some of the black dots to show through.

My next step was to cut out the rub-ons.  I've found that cutting the individual rub-ons out ensures that you will get a clean, crisp image.  It also allows you to move them around and angle them in various directions.

My photos are going to go in the middle of my page, so I decided to add a few clusters of the rub-ons along the top and bottom of the band of paint that I painted on in the beginning.  Applying rub-ons is as easy as just rubbing the craft stick along the front side of the rub-on.  Easy peasy!

I also pulled out a few of the Styleboard stickers and included them around the rub-ons.  I overlapped a few of the stickers to give my page a messy, clustered feel.  As you can see, I didn't stick the stickers completely flat on my background.  I gently bent up the edges to add some texture and dimension.

And here is a look at my finished page!  

I added my photos onto the middle section of my band of paint.  Each photo is backed with pretty paper layers and doilies.  I continued the scattered look of embellishments by including a few alongside both sides of my photos.  I love the movement and flow of the page!

The shine of the gold rub-ons and embellishments is just so pretty!  If you haven't tried the rub-ons yet, I highly recommend them!  But warning....grab several packs!  They are quite addictive!!  

>> Supplies Used <<

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Thursday!

x0x0x0

DIY Prize Ribbon Tutorial

One of the most popular items from the Styleboard collection is the craft die set shown below and I absolutely love seeing all of the cute paper bows everyone is making with it! But I also love when people take something like this and put it to use in a different and creative way! Jessy does just that today in her tutorial for making prize ribbons! The result is so darling and I can't wait to try it out myself!! Just think of all the possibilities and different combinations you can make!

Hello again! I absolutely adore the prize ribbon designs that are found in Styleboard collection. It gives a very fun look to the collection. I thought it would be fun to create my own version of prize ribbon using the Styleboard die set - yes, with the bow die set!

This is a wafer die that you can use over & over and works with most die cutting platforms.

Here is the cute little prize ribbon that we are making today.

The picture below shows you how I arranged my plates and papers that I rolled onto my Big Shot die cut machine.  For the prize ribbon, we are using the base of the bow. You'll need 4 pieces to assemble. 

TIP: To secure the die onto the patterned paper, I used washi tape. Here I cut two papers at one go. Just be sure you roll it a couple of times before you remove the plates.  

TIP: The papers will get stuck onto the die. What you have to do is to use a piercing tool / needle to gently poke thru the little hole to release the papers.

Next, apply adhesive in the middle of the piece.

Fold each end inward to form a bow. 

Here is what it will look like. 

Next, snip a 'v' at each end with a precision scissors. 

Here is what you will get. 

To form the prize ribbon, you'll need to arrange a 't' with the first two bows. Then, you overlap by crossing the third & the fourth pieces on each other. 

This is the completed prize ribbon. I added the alphabet sticker 'K' (my daughter’s initial) in the middle and cut 3 pieces of paper ribbons and added them at the bottom of the rosette. 

Here is a look of my completed layout. 

I really like the First Prize patterned paper. All I did was just to layer photo, patterned papers and some chipboard & vellum shapes. And just like that, you are done!

Once again, thank you for letting me share with you today! Happy crafting!  Xoxo Jessy

>> Supplies Used <<

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Tuesday!

xoxoxoxo

 

Building a Background & Customizing Your Embellishments

Hi there! Today I want to share with you some tips for creating a background and also for customizing your embellishments! Both of these are very often part of my process when I scrapbook so I thought it would be fun to break it down for you!

I was initially inspired by this page from Stephanie and love how she used such a large piece of the bird paper from my Styleboard collection. This is a favorite paper of mine and I love how using it in a big way really allows it to shine!

<< Building a Background >> 

There are lots of different ways you can go about building a background and I will continue to share some different formulas with you in the future. For this one you will choose a few papers that you want to incorporate and a neutral cardstock to build upon. Adhere your largest piece at the top and then layer some smaller strips of paper at the bottom. 

For this page I chose to use one large piece of paper and then kept the other pieces as smaller strips so that the main paper would be able to take center stage. Finally I added half of a large white doily on top of the bird paper to balance the white from the bottom portion of the page. I used the "I love you" paper as one small strip at the very bottom because I wanted it to stand out as it is the title of my page.

<< Customizing Your Embellishments >>

When I start to embellish my scrapbook pages (after I build my background and then add my photo(s), I often like to alter or customize the pieces that I use. Sometimes I do it because I need to change or cover up some of the colors that don't match my page. And other times I do it because I like things to be more dimensional and layered.

The heart that is printed on this chipboard typewriter piece is cute, but it was too red for my page and clashed with my daughter's dress in the photo, so I needed to alter it. I picked out a gold chipboard heart and a vellum heart and adhered them over the red one. Then I stitched it all in place to add a finishing touch.

The flowers below matched my page just fine but I wanted to add some dimension to them, so I added a gold resin flower on top of the blue one and I added the gold sequin leaves behind the yellow one. I like how they make the paper flowers really come to life and the sparkle of the gold adds some bling as well!

And finally I created this custom butterfly embellishment by layering a vellum circle, a vellum butterfly and a sequin butterfly. When I use butterflies I always bend them up in the center and adhere them with a staple or some machine stitching. This adds some dimension and allows the butterflies to come to life instead of adhering them flat to the page.

I just love how creative you can be with all the different pieces from the vellum, chipboard and ephemera packs from my Styleboard collection! They can be layered together in so many fun ways and you can customize your embellishments to fit your own unique style or the mood/color scheme of your project! I hope you have as much fun as I do creating with this collection!

>> Supplies Used <<

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Monday!

xoxoxo

Penny Arcade Reveal

Hard to believe that the Penny Arcade Reveal was a week ago already, but time sure flies when it's summer! It is blazing hot here and we have been busy trying to come up with activities to beat the heat! I'm not surprised that most of the add on kits are already sold out because they were awesome, but I still wanted to share my full layouts here for you!

The following two layouts were made with the main kit only, which is still available! The custom papers designed by Ashley Goldberg are soooo cool! The line up of embellishments is amazing as well >> I am loving the transparency diamonds by Kal Barteski, the yellow & white fringed crepe paper, the tiny spool of pink twine and those metal cut out shapes! 

The next two layouts were made using the add on kits, which I LOVED but are already sold out. If you were quick enough to score any of them, here is some inspiration for ya!

I loved so many of the papers in the Skeeball add on! I couldn't choose just one or two so I decided to cut out a bunch of strips and I layered them together to create this pretty and textured background for my page.

 The large wood veneer star and mask in the Fortune Teller add on jumped right out at me so I wanted to feature it in this layout. I used the large star as is and just layered some stickers in the middle of it. Then I used the mask to trace the star shapes onto my background with black pen and finished them by painting the insides with gold mist. I love the imperfect watercolor effect!

I used the Penny Arcade card kit for the following two cards. I'm loving this map paper in the 6x6 miniature version! I also loved these cloud stamps from the stamp set! I used the Color Theory Ink pads in Sunny Day and Blush Crush. QUICK TIP >> I created the yellow cloud by stamping the large solid cloud stamp onto the stamp backer paper, which has this grey stripe pattern printed on it. That's how I got the stripe texture on there! 

On this card I used the same technique as I did above with the strips of paper >> cutting strips of my favorite patterns and then layering them onto the background for a textured look.

The next two cards use the Pinball card kit which drew me right in with the wide aqua ribbon, those buttons and the silver doily and labels!!

As always, you can check out my gallery on Studio Calico to see my monthly projects and all of the supplies I used for each one.

If you missed out on getting some of the add on kits before they sold out, you may want to consider becoming a subscriber because subscribers get to purchase all of the kits 12 hours before the reveal to everyone else. It definitely gives you a heads up to get some of those add ons that always seem to sell out fast!!

Happy Reveal!

xoxoxo

 

Always >> New Scrapbook Layout from Kim Stewart!

I have a gorgeous layout to share with you today from Kim! She is my scrapbooking idol when it comes to creating these beautiful layered pages with her papercutting and watercolor techniques! I just love how rich and vibrant this page is and how well she uses color!! I also love how she added the patterned paper background to this page because it really sets off the white and creates such a nice clean border for her artwork!

Hi everyone!  I wanted to share a layout that combines both my love of papercutting and my love of scrapbooking and watercolors.  I find that I have lots of  painted scrap pages in my stash and I love to use those as colorful backdrops to my layouts.  For this page I hand cut a line of flowers and leaves down a 12 x 12 page and then layered my cut over a page that I painted with watercolors and gelatos. I wanted to create and ombre look with some pretty green colors.  

I kept the rest of the page pretty simple and layered a few sticker labels and cork embellishments along with my photo.  With a little manipulation I'm sure a larger cut out could be made in the silhouette software.  I just love the punch of color from using watercolors and gelatos. The outcome is always so different and so fun!

>> Supplies <<

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Thursday!

xoxoxo

Creating Embellishments Using Tape

If you are like me, then you have a whole bunch of tapes in your crafting stash by now! I know that I have been collecting washi tapes of every color and pattern for quite a few years now! During the design process for my Styleboard Collection we talked about doing washi tapes but I wanted to do something a little bit different. So instead we designed a kraft tape with gold foil on it and a packing tape material with a white lace pattern. I LOVE how they turned out and it's a fun way to add some tapes of different materials to what you already have!

Jessy has an awesome tutorial for us today! She is showing us how to use the tapes in a creative way to make your own embellishments! It is surprising how simple it is and yet it has a unique and interesting impact! I love it when I learn how to use things I have in a new and different way!

Hey creative ladies! It's great to be back to share with you a simple tutorial I created for my layout. Decorative tapes are still very popular among scrapbookers, cardmakers & crafters. I am so happy to see that Maggie has included tapes into her Styleboard collection too! I'm going to show you how to create your own embellishments by using the tapes.

What you'll need >> Maggie Holmes Decorative Tapes, Craft Circle Punches, Vellum, Scissors

First, all you have to do is to paste the tapes horizontally onto a piece of vellum as shown below.

Next, turn your circle punch around so that you can get a clearer picture of where to align the punch. Here I used a 1 1/8" circle punch. 

I decided to use a bigger circle punch (1 1/2") as well. 

Here are the punched circles. You may use your scissors to trim any rough edges so you can have a perfect looking circle. 

Here's a completed layout with all the punched circles. Pretty isn't it? Absolutely adore the gold foil polkadot kraft paper too! It matched pretty well with the tapes. 

I wanted to give a little dimension to this paper tag. So I layered the standout sticker onto a vellum shape & pasted it on the tag.

I hope you've enjoyed today's tutorial & thank you for stopping by! Have a lovely day! Xoxo Jessy

>> Supplies <<

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Thursday!

xoxoxo

Penny Arcade Sneaks

I've got some sneaks for you today of the upcoming Studio Calico kits!

I used the main kit only on the following two layouts. It is really a great mix of things that could be used for either boy or girl layouts! Lots of possibilities!!

This next one uses the Fortune Teller add on, which is a must-buy if you have boys and if you like the looks of this large wood veneer star! It is awesome!! 

And finally this one uses the Skeeball add on kit, which is definitely my most favorite kit this month! There's so much to love about this one - the papers, the star rub-ons and of course the wood veneer piece that you can see in my layout! And there's even more!!

Both of the card kits are great this month as well. Here is a peek at one of my cards. I will share all four after reveal!

If you aren't already a subscriber and you want to make sure you get first dibs on the kits, sign up now by subscribing to one or all of the main kits (scrapbook, card or project life)! Remember that subscribers get to purchase 12 hours early before the regular reveal!

I will be back at reveal to share my full layouts and cards along with tips about the techniques I used!

Happy Sneaks!

xoxoxox

Watercolor Background Tutorial

 Hi there! I have a pretty layout from Stephanie to share with you today! This paper with the watercolor birds is one of my very favorites from the Styleboard Collection so it is always a pleasure to see how other people are using it on their scrapbook pages! In the steps below, Stephanie teaches us how to create a soft and subtle watercolor background and then she takes us step by step through her page building process! I love to see how other creative people work and it gives us a glimpse into how she takes her page from start to finish!

Watercolors can add the perfect pop of color to any project!  I love using them sparingly on my background to create a soft and dreamy effect.  Layering pretty papers and embellishments on top just help to compliment them and bring out their beauty!  Today, I'll be sharing how this delicate layout came together!

I started my background by painting a few strokes of pale pink watercolors along the middle of my white card stock.  Then I layered a piece of the Vintage Charm patterned paper from the Styleboard collection along the top portion of my page. The soft pale pink color is so pretty and it coordinated so well with my watercolors.  

Next, I added a few layers in the middle of my page to build a base for my photo.  I made sure to overlap the watercolors and edge of the patterned paper.

I attached a piece of paper roughly the size of my photo to the back of it and then sewed around three edges to create a pocket with a side opening.  I added a few embellishment stickers, tags and paper layers around my photo for more depth and color.

I wrote my journaling onto a Styleboard photo overlay and adhered a small sticker tab to the outside edge to allow the reader to pull it out of the pocket.

Here's a look at the journaling piece tucked in behind the photo.

And here's a look at my finished page.  The watercolors are subtle, but they add the perfect little touch to the page. 

>> Supplies <<

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Tuesday!

xoxoxo

Design Team Inspiration

Hi there! Today I wanted to share some inspiring projects from some of my design team members! I love to check out each of their blogs and every time I do, I find myself wanting to start creating right away!! I have truly been inspired by each of these ladies for such a long time and it is truly a thrill to have them designing for the Maggie Holmes brand! They are each so amazing at what they do and I just can't help but give them shout outs whenever possible!!

Jessy created a fabulous boy themed page using the Styleboard collection! I know that my product lines are very girly in general but I do try to incorporate lots of papers and embellishments that could be used for masculine pages as well since I do have three boys! It's super inspiring to me to see others using it in this way as well! (You can see another boy themed page that I created here.)

Kim rocked one of my favorite patterned papers from the Styleboard collection in this scrapbook page that she shared on her blog. This black and white polka dot paper is so versatile and I love seeing how everyone is using it! In case you didn't know, we put this same pattern onto a 12x12 album which is available here! 

I hope that you are enjoying their monthly projects using the Maggie Holmes products as much as I am! If you ever have any ideas or requests of things you would like to see from us, be sure to let me know! We are here to inspire and help you in your creative journey!!

Happy Wednesday!

xoxoxo

Tutorial for Using Gelatos on a Scrapbook Page

Hi there! I have a gorgeous layout to share with you today along with a tutorial for using gelatos! I have been super inspired by Kim and her use of gelatos lately! I have almost bought them so many times but wasn't sure if I wanted another "tool" to use in my scrapbooking. But now that I am seeing the beautiful ways she incorporates them into her pages, I am definitely convinced that I "need" them right away!! She makes it look so effortless! I am hoping that with a little bit of practice I can make something as lovely as this!!

I wanted to share I project I made using gelatos today.  Gelatos are just plain fun! That's the best way to describe them and once you start using them they will become a staple on a lot of your projects!  Sometimes I have to tell myself not to use them because I've been using them so much. 

 

 

This was a simple project where I used a few different colors.  It helps if you pick your papers or embellishments first if you want to work in this ombre fashion.  I picked four colors and white and then pulled out the different ephemera, chipboard pieces and badges in the same colors and laid them out the way I wanted them to look across the page.  

 

Before I colored with the gelatos I used some gel medium and a few different stencils along the middle. Using a spatula I spread a thin layer of the gel medium over parts of the stencils. I used a polka dot stencil, an alpha stencil and a striped stencil but you can you any type that you have! You're left with a little subtle added texture that will show up once you continue on and color with the gelatos!

 

 

Then I took my page and colored down the middle using about an inch or two of each color (with the gelatos).  After you've colored on the paper then get a wet paintbrush and paint down each strip until you've dissolved and blended the color.  It takes a little practice to get the blending just right.  I like to paint sort of wildly to get a few splatters in certain areas.

 

 

Once this was dry then I adhered my pieces across the painted area, layering in some areas and letting the paint peep through in others.  

 

 

I always enjoy just a little painterly look to my projects. This gives you that look without being over the top.  There are so many possibilities with gelatos! I know that you'll love them!

 

>> Supplies <<

 

InLinkz.com

 

 

Happy Thursday!

 

xoxoxox

Scrapbooking with Pops of Color!

How fitting that this layout by Jessy is called Love This and the first thing I want to say when I see it is "I LOVE this!!!!" I especially love how she used the Collectible paper (yellow stripes) from the Flea Market collection for the background. It works perfectly with the Styleboard collection and it really makes the whole thing pop!! There's just something about yellow that makes everything else really come to life!! Don't be afraid to mix in a bright strong color like this yellow with some softer colors. It works perfectly because the pop of yellow is a great contrast to the whites and other neutrals in the layout!

Hello lovely people! I'm so excited to share with you this layout I created. I really wanted to scrap this seriously cute photo of my baby girl. So I used the photo as an inspiration for this layout.

First, I chose the patterned papers & cut them with the square+heart cut file. Once I was done cutting and positioning the cuts, I sewed them down with yellow thread so that it would give a little contrast on a white cardstock. I added droplets of gold mists too. Once the mist was dried, I trimmed the edges of the white card stock & layered a yellow striped patterned paper at the back of the cardstock. Just to give a fun look to the layout. Finally, I sewed the 'love this' banner, added little details and embellished the corner of the photos with frame, chipboard shapes & vellum shapes.

I love that the chipboard banner is not too thick and it's so easy to sew across with the sewing machine. Just be sure that you keep the speed a little slower so that it will stitch well. 

I didn't want to leave the rest of the hearts empty so I filled them in with adhesive pearls and also with glitters. They look pretty, don't they?  Thank you so much for letting me share with you today! Xoxo Jessy

>> Supplies <<

InLinkz.com

Happy Thursday!

xoxoxox

Creating with Cork!!

Stephanie says she is loving the cork sheets from the Styleboard collection and so am I.....which is why I am so thrilled that she created two projects for us today using cork! It adds such a warm tone to anything you create and I also love the texture it adds too!! Now we can all stop hoarding it and put it to good use following this inspiration from Stephanie!

I've been hoarding my cork paper from the Styleboard collection for a while now.  It's so pretty and lovely and I've been waiting for the right project to come to mind so I could put it to use.  When I think about cork, I usually think about message boards or inspiration boards.  So with those two thoughts in mind, I went to work creating and put together two fun projects to share with you today!!

I started both projects by trimming down my cork paper to squares.  The easiest way I've found to do this is to use a ruler and pen to mark my cutting point and then use scissors to trim down the cork.  Once my squares were trimmed, I decided to add a few geometrical patterns/shapes to the pieces that I wanted to use on my layout.  The pops of white are pretty subtle, but I love how they break up the brown from the cork.  After my squares dried (which only takes a few minutes), I began adding my photos, paper layers and embellishments!

I used a 2x2 grid pattern for my layout and built each little cork square individually, using three cork pieces for photos and one for my journaling. 

Simple wooden clothespins and a few coordinating embellishments finished my page.

I typed my journaling on a piece of white card stock and layered a photo overlay on top to bring your eye to the words. Using my leftover cork pieces, I decided to create a small message board for my desk.  I confess that I'm a list-lover, so making a pretty place just for my lists is like the icing on my cake.

I used a small square frame that I've had for quite some time.  It was originally black, so I grabbed my gold spray paint and gave it a nice fresh coat.  I liked the way the white matte looked with with gold frame, so I kept it as it was and just added in some cork paper in place of a photo.  I used a Styleboard Sticky Pad to list my "to-do's" and attached it to my cork with a metal stud.  I love that I can change or add things as I need to.  And I also love that it's small enough for my desk!  

>> Supplies <<

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Tuesday!

xoxoxoxo

Design Team Projects using Styleboard

Hi there! The design team gals are at it again.... always inspiring me with the projects they create!! 

In case you didn't see them I wanted to point you in the right direction for some beautiful eye candy and inspiration!!

Amanda has created the most darling gift card holders and coordinating recycled containers to package them up in!! Her eye for taking ordinary things that most of us would throw away and making them cute is just beyond my comprehension!

You can see the full post and DIY for this recycled gift card holder here on Amanda's blog.

Next up >> Stephanie has a new challenge on her blog if you would like to play along! She was inspired by my post about creating layouts with lots of embellishments and I LOVE her finished page!

To see the full layout and her tips for creating it, visit Stephanie's blog here. 

Thanks for the inspiration Stephanie & Amanda!!

xoxoxoxoxo

Tutorial >> Using Studs with a Silhouette Cut Design

I have a fabulous layout and tutorial to share with you from Jessy today!! She is consistently amazing me with her inspiring use of the Silhouette Cameo and how she creates these amazing custom backgrounds for her scrapbook pages! She is showing us how to incorporate the triangle metal studs from the Styleboard Collection into the cut design! I LOVE the results!!

Good morning creative people! Today I would like to share with you a step-by-step on how I created my layout. 

  

I found this fun cut in the Silhouette online store. What I did was to remove some points in the Silhouette studio because I wanted to also incorporate the triangle studs into my design and needed to leave room for them. After cutting the design onto a white card stock, I layered the back with a piece of patterned paper. Then, I sewed at the edges - all around the card stock. Next, I adhered another white cardstock (sewn at the edges as well) and created a little lift by using foam dots. 

Here is the close up of the cardstocks that are adhered together.

 TIP: To apply these studs onto a layout is pretty easy. I bent the spikes using my thumbnail. Of course, you can use a plier to bend them. Next, I applied a foam dot in the middle.

Don't you just love the studs placed all over the cuts? That's the whole intention; I wanted them to be part of the design. As you can observe, I pasted some of the hexagon cuts too so that the layout won't look too busy.

 After positioning my photo, I begun to embellish the layout with lots of fun ephemera & vellum shapes. 

Ta daa.... here is the completed layout! All I did was to cluster a bunch of ephemera & vellum shapes together so that they matched with the colours of the studs and the photo as well.

 And a couple more close ups of the details:

 

I hope you like the simple step-by-step tutorial for using the studs with a Silhouette cut design. Thank you for stopping by! Have a lovely day!  Xoxo Jessy

>> Supplies <<

InLinkz.com

Happy Thursday!

xoxoxo

Hello Hello Reveal

This month's Studio Calico lineup is a good one! I am loving the mix of colors in the main kit! Yellow, pink and aqua is always a winning combo for me! And I also can't get enough of the wood branch cuts! They are real wood cuts at the perfect thickness and the possibilities are endless!

The following two layouts were made using the main kit (pictured above) only.

 Digital Quick Tip >> For this layout I created a custom background by opening the journaling card from the Hello Hello Printables by Celine Navarro and then printing it at a full 8.5 x 11 size. I simply opened the file into Preview and then increased the size in the print window until it filled up the entire paper. Then I built my layout right on top of it. I have never done this before but love how it turned out and plan to do it again in the future!

My printer didn't bleed the image all the way to some of the edges so I decided to cut some strips of old book paper and wrapped them around all 4 edges of the page. Then I stitched them in place with my sewing machine. 

The other kit I am especially loving this month is the Bonjour Add On kit. I LOVE the butterfly die cuts on kraft and the glitter phrase stickers from Heidi Swapp!

I used the Bonjour kit along with the other add on kits on the next two layouts.

On this layout I cut a strip of my 12x12 cork paper from the Syleboard collection and adhered it to the top edge of my page. Then I added a strip of book paper and pink vellum before machine stitching it all in place.

The card kits are amazing as well and I created 2 cards using the main card kit only and then 2 using the add on. I LOVE the flag banner stamp from the Ciao add on and used it on this card. I stamped it on white cardstock and then cut off the stick part so that I could wrap it around the star pin and use that as my stick instead! 

The main card kit has a small 6x6 version of the doily paper from my Styleboard collection! I just love anything in miniature size so I had to use it on a card!!

You can see the other two cards I created here in my Studio Calico gallery.

Happy Reveal!

xoxoxo

Happy Little Moments Scrapbook Layout

Hi there! I have a darling layout to share with you today created by Stephanie. She has such an ability to use lots of white and neutrals in a way that draws you right in! I LOVE how the greens in her photo really pop against the background in her layout! I also love how she created the textural background with the ruffled crepe paper, glitter tape and ribbon! It's simply gorgeous!

Hi there!  Stephanie back with you today to share a fun way to add texture and depth to your backgrounds.  If you have followed along with me over the last year or so, you probably know that I love a white blank canvas as my starting point.  There's just something about starting from scratch and then layering on beautiful colors and papers to create a pretty page.  Layering with materials other than paper can add a pop to your page, and that's what this today's layout is all about!

 One of my new favorite new hobbies is sewing crepe paper (think party store crepe paper) to make ruffles.  It really is so easy to do and it creates the most beautiful ruffles!!  I use them for gift wrapping and decorations, and occasionally will add them to a page or mini album.  

For this layout, I started with two strands of ruffled white crepe paper, some gold glitter tape and pretty pink ribbon.  I layered them on my white card stock to act as the background for my photo and paper layers.  The ribbon and crepe paper add so much depth and texture to this page and it really makes the photo pop from the background!  As you can see above, I folded and crimped the gold glitter tape a little to give it more dimension, rather than placing it flat on my page.

 

 My paper layers are kept simple with the Styleboard "I love you" script paper and a small "happy little moments" card.  When choosing my layers, I kept in mind the colors of my background layers and tried to play off of those, being sure to add in some pink and gold.    

I typed my journaling up on a piece of printer paper and then trimmed the lines out so I could add them around my page.

This butterfly tag was the perfect finish to my page!  It has that perfect pop of gold to help accent the rest of the gold on my page!!

Thanks so much for joining me today!!  I hope this layout has inspired you to start with a white background and add beautiful pops of colors and fun layers!!

Scrapbooking >> Using Cut Files

Ok guys, I am LOVING the way that Jessy uses her Silhouette and cut files! She has such a great eye for using these large cut files and incorporating them into her backgrounds! Lots of times when I use cut files, I cut smaller pieces and then I use them as a sort of embellishment on my page. Jessy has opened my eyes to going BIG with the cut files and using them in a bold way!

She has a darling layout on her blog that uses this heart cut file from the Silhouette store along with some of my Flea Market & Styleboard products. Here's a sneak peek at the page >>

Be sure to check out Jessy's blog to see the full layout and to get the steps and supplies she used to create it!

Thanks for the inspiration Jessy!!

 

Studio Calico >> Hello Hello Sneak Peeks

I'm loving the June kits at Studio Calico! There are lots of things that I can't get enough of... like gold doilies, butterfly die cuts, glitter stickers and so much more!!

Here are some of my sneak peeks of the projects I created for this month's design team reveal...

Don't be fooled by the fact that I did all girly projects this month! There are plenty of things to create boy or masculine themed pages and cards. It's just that I gravitated toward the pinks and the girly stuff so I went with the inspiration and that's what I created!!

If you aren't already a subscriber and you want to make sure you get first dibs on the kits, sign up now by subscribing to one or all of the main kits (scrapbook, card or project life)! Remember that subscribers get to purchase 12 hours early before the regular reveal!

I will be back at reveal to share my full layouts and cards along with tips about the techniques I used!

Happy Sneaks!

xoxoxox

Tips for Using lots of Embellishments!

Hi there! I have a layout to share with you today along with some tips for using lots of embellishments!

This layout uses my latest collection of products, Styleboard, and is packed full of my favorite embellishments from the line!

This layout is definitely a little bit more busy than you may be used to seeing from me but I love how it turned out. Sometimes as I start gathering things I want to use for a scrapbook page, I wind up with too many things on my desk! Do you ever do that too? But then I always struggle with wanting to use it all because it's all so cute and I can't decide what to leave out!

On this layout I decided to just go for it because I wanted to use all of my favorite things from the new collection and I couldn't help myself! Here's a few tips for making it work when you have lots of embellihsments and you don't want to leave any of it out! 

1 >> Remember Contrast - it's important to think about contrast when you start adding things onto your page. If you don't have contrast between the embellishments and the background, they will get lost really easily. For example, you can see that the cork doily really pops against the pink/white background and the white flower also contrasts against the colored papers as well. If I had used a blue or pink flower, it just wouldn't have worked as well.

2 >> Cluster Embellishments Together - the best way to keep a heavily embellished page from getting too crazy is to cluster your embellishments together instead of scattering them all around the page. Here you can see that I clustered many of my things to the right of the photo and they are all touching and layered together. Visually this brings the eye to that section of the page and makes it feel like one area of interest instead of each of those things feeling separate. 

3 >> Use a Good Sized Photo - if you are going to use lots of embellishments, it's best to use a photo that isn't too small. If I had used a wallet sized photo here, it would have been lost and the focus would be drawn away from Emily. By keeping the photo to at least 4x6 or larger, you will help balance everything out.

I hope you enjoyed my tips for using lots of embellishments on your scrapbook pages! If you follow these three simple steps, you can go ahead and pull out a bunch of your favorite things and have fun layering all of the cuteness on there!

>> Supplies <<

InLinkz.com

 

Happy Friday!!

xoxoxox

Delightful Scrapbooking Layout

Today I have a darling layout to share with you created by Kim!! Kim is one of those scrapbookers that inspires me with every single thing she creates! So many times I find myself in awe over her creative brilliance and she does things that I would never think of! Thank you Kim for inspiring us with this fabulous scrapbook page and for always making me want to try new techniques!!

I love pulling together some of the older collections and the Flea market collection was one of my favorites!  This layout began with the stitched heart in the middle showcasing some of the gorgeous papers.  Then I just went from there layering all sorts of cute hearts.  Some I cut by hand others I cut from a template.  I love using hearts on my layouts because there are so many fun things you can do with them!

I LOVE how kim added the gold label maker stickers to separate labels and then stitched around them! Her attention to the little details when she scrapbooks is simply awesome!!

>> Supplies << 

InLinkz.com

Mixing Collections > Scrapbooking Layout

Hi there! Today I have a layout for you that shows you just how easily you can mix the Maggie Holmes collections! Many of my favorite colors are seen throughout all of the product lines, which makes combining them really easy!! You will also find that you can add some of the tones from the newer collections in with the older ones like I did here by adding in the peaches from Styleboard to the Flea Market papers.

If you are like me, then you have a tendency to hang onto (or hoard) some of your older favorite products! But then it really is a shame to not use them once all of the newer stuff comes out! And that's precisely why I made an effort to design my collections so that you could mix and match them together!

Here I created the base of my page with papers from Flea Market. I did a colorblocking technique where I cut different pieces of some of my favorites and then adhered them on the background next to each other. I honestly created the page base quite a long time ago and then set it aside to work on another project. I sort of forgot about it until recently so I decided to pull it out and finish it off!

This is where the newer products come in. Now that I have all of the Styleboard products in hand, I wanted to play with them on this page and see just how well the two collections worked together! I love the result and hope that you will also give it a try!

I have been wanting to try my bow craft die with the cork paper from this line for a while and I am thrilled with how well it worked! The die cut right through the cork so easily!! TIP >> I added a thin adhesive paper backing to the cork before running it through the die cut machine. The cork can be a little fragile so I definitely suggest this step if you are going to cut it or manipulate it like you have to do when you put the bow together! I left the backing on the pieces and then assembled the bow and I like how the backing adds the perfect amount of stability I was looking for!!

One of my favorite products from the Styleboard collection are the prize ribbon standouts! I especially love customizing them by adding different things to the centers. Here I added a cork seal and then Emily's initial with the gold & kraft typewriter style alphabet.

I would love to see your layouts where you mix and match my collections so if you have any posted you can link them here in the comments! Or you can always tag your posts on instagram with the #maggieholmes tag and tag me as well @maggiehdesign. Also, I have a Pinterest board where I pin others' projects using my product lines and I would love to include yours if you link me to them!

>> Supplies <<

InLinkz.com

Adorable Scrapbooking Layout

I'm super excited to share with you our first official design team blog post!! The gals have already received their boxes of supplies and are busy making lots of beautiful projects to inspire you with!! Be sure to subscribe to the blog feed (by clicking the "subscribe" link on the right so that you don't miss any of their fabulous work!! 

Today Stephanie has an ADORABLE layout to share with us! I LOVE her use of the large doily in the background and then all of the layering behind the photos! I am also loving the typed journaling in the form of a list! Thanks for the inspiration Stephanie!!

Hi there everyone!!  Stephanie here with you today and I am so thrilled to be a part of Maggie's Design Team.  Maggie's product lines are some of my very favorite and I often find myself gravitating back to her beautiful papers and lovely embellishments!  Being on this team is truly an amazing opportunity and I could not be more excited to be able to share my work with all of you, her wonderful fans!

One of the things that I love most about Maggie's collections with Crate Paper are the gorgeous embellishments, stickers, tags and vellum pieces.  I love to layer them on each other and create a dynamic effect around my photos and journaling.  The layout that I'll be sharing with you today does just that!  Let's take a look!

I started this page with a large doily, the "Love This" journaling card and my two photos.  I knew I wanted the doily to be the base of my page and I wanted to create some type of grid on my page, but wasn't exactly sure of the placement quite yet.  When I have an idea in mind, I usually like to start by layering my photos and journaling onto a few paper layers or tags.  This gives my photos a good base and lets me move them around my page individually while giving me a good visual of the end presentation.

After trying out a few different placements, I decided to layer my photos on the left side of my page with my journaling on the right side.  Since my photos were already attached to the paper layers, all I had to do was adhere them down!

To balance out the height of my photos with the journaling card, I added a few paper layers and tags underneath my journaling and layered the "Adorable" sticker on top to act as my title.   A grid design doesn't necessarily have to be proportional!  Adding in embellishments in your "blank space" can create a fun, playful look to your page.

I added a few simple embellishment clusters around my photos and journaling card to add a little pop of color and dimension.  As you can see, I mixed in a few neutral colors with the bolder colors to create a balanced and cohesive look.

To finish the page, I sewed around the edge of my background to create a simple, framed effect!  

I hope you enjoyed this sweet layout!  Thanks so much for joining me today and for letting me share my work with you all!!

<< Supplies >> 

 

InLinkz.com

Meet Kim Stewart!!

Last but most definitely not least in the lineup is the fabulous Kim Stewart! She seriously wows me every single time she posts a layout or even a sneek peak at something she is working on! I always want to see more and I am always amazed at the beauty of the intricate details on her scrapbook pages! Every time I see something she has created, I am inspired and have that urge to go create something myself!! I love that!!

How long have you been scrapbooking/crafting? I've been scrapping since 2004 when my son was born. Just a little at first but I became a lot more serious about my art, scrapbooking and blogging in 2010!

What do you love most about scrapbooking/crafting? I love art and scrapbooking because it's the most natural thing to me. I'm constantly thinking of design, color and composition. This hobby gives me an outlet for dressing up memories in the prettiest of packages!

What inspires you? I'm inspired by so many things, colors and forms! I love nature because of all the beautiful compositions the trees and flowers create, the curves of the leaves and the colors you see throughout the day! I'm inspired by art as well and I get totally lost in museums and pinterest!

5 random facts about you that will help us to get to know you better:

I majored in architecture in college. I wanted to be an architect or landscape designer.

I like to paint every day if I can.

I love horseback riding but don't get to do it as much as I would like.

I love writing, mostly poetry.

I love flowers and my favorite is the peony. They don't grow where I live but I dream of the day when I can order them by the bunch!!

>> Follow Kim <<

Kim's Blog

Kim's Instagram

Kim's Pinterest

Be sure to hop on over to Kim's blog because she is doing a GIVEAWAY of some of the Maggie Holmes Styleboard products!! Also remember that you can enter to win on all of our blogs until Monday when the winners will be drawn at random!!

Meet Amanda Rydell!!

I am super excited for you to meet Amanda Rydell today!! I had the pleasure of meeting her for lunch earlier this year and we became instant friends! Not only is she super talented at what she does but she has a heart of pure gold! Amanda is a genius when it comes to crafting and pretty packaging and I am constantly inspired by her ability to make cute things! She is going to be providing lots of fun ideas and projects for us here on the blog that are on the crafty side of things and I can't wait to see what she does!!

How long have you been scrapbooking/crafting? I can't think of a moment in my life I haven't been making a big crafty mess. I knew I loved all things crafty when I traded my first Lisa Frank sticker.

What do you love most about scrapbooking/crafting? I have found over the years that crafting is not only for my own personal love of pretty paper but can be created and shared with others to brighten their day.

What inspires you? I am inspired daily by color!

5 random facts about you that will help us to get to know you better:

I use my hot glue gun on a daily basis and I might even be known to carry one in my purse along with a pair of scissors!

This summer I dream of finally completing the inside renovation of my vintage camper, and driving it across America to craft parties everywhere.

I still use the same sewing machine I bought with my Jr. High babysitting money.

I have two yorkie dogs. Most days they are also covered in glitter!

Righ now I have a fetish for pastel paint and amazing thrift store finds.

>> Follow Amanda <<

Amanda's Blog

Amanda's Instagram

Amanda's Pinterest

Amanda is also doing a GIVEAWAY of some of the Maggie Holmes Styleboard products on her blog today!! Be sure to click over there and enter for a chance to win!!

Meet Jessy Christopher!!

Today I would love to introduce you to Jessy Christopher! This sweet lady caught my eye through Instagram and I was immediately blown away by her talent! She inspires me with the way she combines products and how she manages to put so many cute things on one page without it looking overdone. Her perfectly balanced clusters of embellishments draw me in every single time!

How long have you been scrapbooking/crafting? I have been scrapping since end of 2007. I started off with digital and hybrid scrapbooking and finally ventured into paper scrapbooking in the early part of 2008.

What do you love most about scrapbooking/crafting? What I love the most about scrapbooking is the freedom to express myself creatively. It helps me preserve all the memoreis that I want to remember for a long time to come.

What inspires you? As far as what inspires me creatively... fashion, weather, photos, things around in the house and lots more! Basically, I get inspiration from lots of places!

5 random facts about you that will help us to get to know you better:

I don't drink coffee.

I have a thing for British accent.

I love Japan.

I married my husband whom I have known since I was 7 years old.

I am of mixed parentage of Chinese, Indonesian & Dutch.

>> Follow Jessy <<

Jessy's Blog

Jessy's Instagram

Jessy's Pinterest

Jessy is doing a GIVEAWAY of some of the Maggie Holmes Styleboard products on her blog today! Be sure to head on over there for a chance to win!!

Meet Stephanie Bryan!!

As part of my BIG design team announcement yesterday, I will be sharing a post about each of the gals this week so that you can get to know them better and see a peek into their fabulous work! 

Today I would like to introduce you to Stephanie Bryan!! I feel like I have been following her work forever so it was surprising to me when I realized just how recently she got into scrapbooking! I love her fresh feminine style and the way she uses white so brilliantly. She is also a master at mini albums and I LOVE to see each new one that she creates!!

How long have you been scrapbooking/crafting? I began memory keeping through Project Life in 2011 after the birth of my son. I found myself surrounded by an enormous amount of pohtos and memorabilia, but I was ata  loss as to what to do with all of them. In the beginnin of 2013, I fell in love with traditional scrapbooking after taking a class at Studio Calico. I also have a soft spot for mini books and small journals.

What do you love most about scrapbooking/crafting? I love how scrapbooking preserves our memories and documents the amazing moments, as well as those everyday memories. I also love the creative side of scrapbooking and the ability to freely express my thoughts, feelings, wants and needs. This incredible hobby lets my heart and soul shine on a piece of paper and that's pretty awesome.

What inspires you? I am so inspired by the world around me! I can find inspiration just about anywhere! I also love finding inspiration through instagram and pinterest, as well as the amazing scrapbook galleries.

5 random facts about you that will help us to get to know you better:

I received my Masters of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology and worked as a Speech Therapist up until I had my sweet kiddos.

I was in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

I never really liked the color pink until I started scrapbooking. Now it's my favorite!

I love "based on a true story" movies.

I'm a sucker for books, art supplies and anything vintage.

>> Follow Stephanie <<

Stephanie's Blog

Stephanie's Instagram

Stephanie's Pinterest

Also, Stephanie is doing a GIVEAWAY of some of the Maggie Holmes Styleboard products on her blog today! Be sure to click over and enter for a chance to win!!!

Maggie's Pinterest Picks

PAPER > Adorable Today by Jessy Christopher via Studio Calico

PHOTO > Baby on Colorful Quilt via Cortney Heimerl

LOVING > Vintage Plates via Style Me Pretty

HOME > Peach painted table from Fjeldborg via FrenchyFancy

Happy Monday Friends!!

Hope you enjoy this week's Pinterest Picks!

xoxoxo

 

Mixed Media Class at Studio Calico

Have you signed up for the Mixed Media class at Studio Calico yet? There are only a few days left to register so do it now if you haven't yet! The sneaks I have seen are AMAZING! I mean, all you have to do is follow Celine and/or Anna-Maria to know that this class is going to be full of awesome artsy techniques! 

I personally can't wait to learn how to use the Neocolor II crayons. I have been wanting to play with them for a while now so this comes at the perfect time for me!! I'm heading over to place my order now so that I get the colors I want before they all sell out!

 

Here's the link to the class page if you want to see more sneak peeks or read what exactly is included in the class! I can't wait to learn all of their tips and tricks for working with mixed media!!

Happy Thursday Friends!

xoxoxo

Mini Book Workshop

Remember when I mentioned the Mini Book Mini Workshops at Studio Calico? Well mine is coming right up and I am super excited! I will be teaching my class in May and you will be able to sign up soon!!

I also wanted to give you a heads up that I will be using the Excalibur Add On kit for my mini album (along with some other things mixed in as well). I helped pick out all of the products for the kit and also helped design the exclusives that are in there! I may be biased but it is my most FAVE Studio Calico kit in a long time! Could be the fact that it's a mix of all things I LOVE! haha!

Here's another sneak peek at the kit and there is still LOTS more.... It really is PACKED full of yummy things!! I mean how amazing is this gold washi??

I will be using the supplies in the kit to teach you how to make a DIY mini album. It's going to be eclectic and chunky and full of texture, just like I like it!!

If you aren't already a subscriber at Studio Calico and you want to make sure you get first dibs on the Excalibur kit, sign up now by subscribing to one or all of the main kits (scrapbook, card or project life)! Remember that subscribers get to purchase 12 hours early before the regular reveal!

You aren't going to want to miss this kit, especially if you are planning to take my mini album class!!

I will share some sneaks of the class and my album as it gets closer and I will also let you know as soon as my workshop is open for registration!

Happy Friday!

xoxoxox

Studio Calico >> Camelot Sneaks

Here it is sneak time at Studio Calico again! I am dying over this month's mood board! I just can't ever get enough of these pinks and yellows!!

This one uses the main kit only. I have to say that this month's combo of papers has been my fave in a while and I'm especially loving some of the backs as well! It always makes it easy to create when the papers speak to you, ya know?

And this one uses the main kit only as well.... The gold rub-ons are divine!!

I still can't get enough of GOLD (I know, surprise surprise) so you know I fell in love with these gold glitter stickers by Heidi Swapp instantly! And yes, you can use gold & glitter on boy layouts!!

These next two cards use the Camelot card kit. All of my fave papers from the main kit but in tiny versions! Who doesn't LOVE that?

Also if you love buttons like I do, then you are definitely going to want this card kit. The custom package of buttons is amazing!! The most perfect springy mix of colors and designs!! I want 10 of them!!

If you aren't already a subscriber and you want to make sure you get first dibs on the kits, sign up now by subscribing to one or all of the main kits (scrapbook, card or project life)! Remember that subscribers get to purchase 12 hours early before the regular reveal!

I will be back at reveal to share my full layouts and cards along with tips about the techniques I used!

Happy Sneaks!

xoxoxox