Studio Calico...take a trip to Napa Valley.

well, not exactly lol...but the November kit, complete with an exclusive ALPHABET STAMP SET, begs to find it's way into your home. i mean come on, LOOK at these colors!!

here are my pages for the DT Gallery this month, with a wee bit of explanation behind each. i have been holding onto these photos of Allie's first 'dissection experiment' since last July...she was pretty excited at the concept of it initially, even if the photos may show some hesitation, lol.

i printed them out wallet size and just started punching borders fom bits left on my desk. the first word in the title is actually the 'design' stamp from the Mendocino add-on...i worked around a bit to adapt it. (more to come on that idea at a later date) i know after the punch frenzy that has been going on at SC, several of my faves will not be restocked...but you can still find the Bumpy Road and Bracket border punches to add to your stash! (i'd get them while you can...i use them constantly! this one here, about Memphis Kiddie Park in Cleveland, just makes me realize how much i love the Main Kit...everything here is from the Main. the SC Paper this month is AMAZING...look at that yellow polka dot and the stripe paper just next to it! how there is still SC Paper available, i do not know...even i ordered extra this time and i never do, because i tend to just use bits. i stamped the subtitle onto cardstock and used Mustard Zing embossing powder to get that gorgeous yellow...cut them out and then sewed over them to make sure they didn't wander, lol. my trusty Crown Border punch added a bit of focus toward the photo from the edge of the polka dot paper, good old Bumpy Road again on the edge of my journaling and i used the negative from one of the Crate Paper border stickers on top of that.

now.

the graph/grid stamp from the Santa Cruz add-on rocked my world. it will be used again. and again. and while the add-on is sold out, stay tuned to the shop in a few months for when they add extras of that graph stamp.

i played around with that Basic Grey paper and just started cutting out the 'red lines'...having no idea what i would do with it. then Allie walked by my desk and mentioned that it reminded her of the Metro station maps in D.C., and there you go, lol. initially i wanted to title this one 'on the grid', but didn't have the right letters...but hey, i'm adaptable right?!

side note: i am OBSESSED with this KI Memories Alphabet...as in, i totally just bought TWO of them so i won't run out, lol! such a fun font, LOVE the subtle graph pattern AND a great sturdy chipboard. if you missed out on the Santa Cruz add-on...this is the element i'd say you would miss the most, other than the stamp of course, lol.

i have a hard time with bulk/dimension on my pages...i love when others add elements but it just doesn't always work for me. go ahead and laugh, but it took alot for me to add the halves of the corrugated arrows here lol...but cutting them in half not only stretched their value, it appeased my sense of compromise. :P oh, and i added just a wee bit of Calico White Mr. Huey to them for kicks.

this last one makes me laugh for some reason. maybe it's because the photo sums up what our lives as a soccer family feels like some times...cold weather, rain in your face and mud that i STILL can't get out of her backpack since last year! whatever the reason, i do really like how it turned out. i used the days of the week strip from one of the Crate papers as well as the stickers from the Monterey add-on to denote the 6 days a week she has something soccer-related to do...crossing out Tuesday on both, since that is the one 'free' day we have every week. punched a circle out of the right side of the border and also punched one of the Sass cards (added a dash of Classic Calico Mr. Huey to it first) from the Main to fit inside it...plopping it on top of one of those corrugated stars. Bubbles border punch, you will be missed as well in the SC Shop...but i will continue showing you the love!!

all in all, i LOVED this kit...it has awesome colors/tones that are perfect for just about anything you can think of. as you can see, i haven't used it for one 'fall/autumn' layout...not that you couldn't, i just ran out of time.

hope you have a great weekend!!

exciting stuff happening...check it out!

today is the much anticipated (via not-so-discreet hinting by a few of us at SC, lol) Reveal Day for the Napa Valley kit!! honestly, if you aren't a subscriber yet...i can't think of a better reason to join up. LOOK at that marvelous alphabet stamp set included in this month's Main Kit...how many other kit sites pack a Main Kit with a stamp set THAT awesome?! and to top it off, they've even offered a NUMBERS SET to match in the shop...WOW!

reason #2 to stop by the Shop today...

that's right. like you weren't already chomping at the bit about the NEW PUNCHES in the shop...now you have an extra incentive to buy one, let alone that it ships for NO ADDITIONAL COST with the rest of your goods you pick up there!

(i have to admit some bias towards the Square Asterisk, Round Lattice Set and Clouds) i mean come on, people...LOOK at that numbers stamp set.

and the Crate Restoration brads?!

and the new stamps being added today...Harper's Rule (it's awesome, even if i'm biased lol), the BUTTERFLY SET that matches the Classic and Royal Butterfly Punches (two more ways to use that $2 code...those butterfly punches are only $9.99 to begin with!!) AND the Smile Bracket?

heaven.

shop away, my friends.

and come over to chat a bit once you're finished.

:)

guesting for Cocoa Daisy.

i have to admit.

while i was WAY flattered and excited to be asked by Christine over at Cocoa Daisy to be their November guest, i was pretty much freaked out as well, lol. this is my first time as a Guest anwhere...what if i flub it up?!

but i forged ahead and dove right into the goods when they arrived...here's what i came up with:

i'll share the layouts here after their new kit is available for sale on the 28th...heck that's only a few day away!!

now we're off to enjoy this gorgeous day, playing our final outdoor soccer game of the season. indoor began yesterday...and it's as crazed and manic as i remember from last year!

:)

young love + Apple Jack Mr. Huey.

good morning everyone...just sharing my layout for the Studio Calico blog, featuring Apple Jack Mr. Huey mist!! i love this old photo of Mike when he was about 5 years old...about 11 years before i met him, but even now (22 years later) he still has this sneaky grin.

i used my Slice to cut the camera and title...the camera is from the Travel International cartridge and the word 'love' in the title is from the Just Chillin' Teen cartridge...two of my all-time faves for both great usable fonts AND neat images. i added one of the grey Clock rub-ons to the inside of the camera, used one of the Elementary journaling cards with an 'M' stamped on it using the Natalee alphabet and added a label sticker from the Elementary sheet for a pinch of color.

here you can see Mr. Huey in his Apple Jack finest. :) i used an old Heidi Swapp heart mask on the B side of a scrap of Window Seat paper and then stitched around the image with my machine to define the border a bit. cut out one of the journaling spots from the Library paper...and used the A side of the Atmosphere paper with my Slice for the title.

i think this would be a great, non-imtimidating intro to using mist on your layouts...start small and before you know it, you'll be HOOKED! also, if you aren't sure what to do with those die-cut papers, try using them as the base for your page, like i did here...just cut it down to whatever size you need and build right on top of it, leaving just the edge to be seen.

have a beautiful day!

Napa Valley sneaks.

good MORNING everyone!

man, it is EARLY. well, it's almost 8am here, but it feels earlier since i've only gotten a few hours of sleep. late night with lots of friends at Cedar Point for Halloweekends and early rise for a soccer game out of town today = my fatigue. not complaining at all though, as we are soaking up every second of autumn while we can.

sharing what i have so far for the Studio Calico November kit, Napa Valley...i am in love with every bit of what landed on my desk upon ripping this box open. here are a few sneaks!

seriously. the Graph stamp in the Santa Cruz add-on has me reeling. it is a GREAT size for a background stamp...and i am in love. this add-on is amazing...those KI letters, the graph stamp, the vibrant colors...WOW! this next one is using only the Main kit...well, and some Zing embossing powders, a few border punches and my trusty vintage typewriter. :) these colors are DIVINE.

using almost exclusively the Monterey add-on here...oh my. oh, and i may have 'embellished' a stamp from the set in the Mendcino add-on.

there are so many rich colors floating about this kit, that i find myself using bits and strips aLOT...this kit is going to stretch FAR!!

now, off to get dressed and head out for another freezing day of soccer in a faraway land.

crossing my fingers for dry fields.

;)

too much.

i just keep staring at this blank page...waiting for something scrappy to spark as far as writing. but then i realize, i guess i'm the most 'me' when i speak from my heart.

it's been a rough couple of days.

Mike's mom has been admitted to her local hospital, 1500 miles away, and is deteriorating rapidly. she has a few chronic conditions that we have known about...but they have appeared to have been managed thus far. his dad travels aLOT for work, but it hasn't been a problem.

until now.

she was MIA for 5 days.
Mike finally convinced the local sheriff to check on her, and the found her on her bedroom floor...responsive, but confused.
she was refusing to be admitted to the hospital.

ugh.

finally his Dad convinced her to go, and it turns out several of her systems are in crisis.

she had surgery to remove a blockage in her intestine.
which is now leaking into her abdomen.
so she is septic.
and they can't keep her pressure stable.
hell, they aren't even able to stablize her enough to ge a CT to figure out the actual problem.

she was re-intubated last night and transferred to the ICU.

Mike's Dad is not exactly dealing with it well...but they are the kind of folks who shun help, if that makes sense.

so Mike has been fielding calls left and right from his family, and this morning, he broke down.

he is a strong man...but everyone has their breaking point, and he hit his today.
this is the man i look to for everything.
a laugh.
a hug.
a good strong shoulder when i need to just cry it out.

and when he falls apart, it's just too much.

so today, it was my turn.
to be the one to make him smile.
to offer him a hug.
to provide that strong shoulder he needed to lean on while he cried it out.

and to take Allie aside and explain to her that Dad needs us now more than ever...he needs His Girls (as he calls us) to be supportive and kind. and to remind him that it's ok to fall apart.

because if he does, we can put him back together.
and in the meantime, we just have to keep Grandma H in our thoughts.

save $$, check out something new + take a chance at winning something awesome!

first off, let me tell you about a little 24-hour opportunity...that's right...one last chance to add to your SC box before it ships out to you. been sitting on the fence about Still Life? here's a reason to hop off and purchase! worried you may not be able to find all of that fun Crate Paper School Spirit line locally? throw Drafting Table in your cart! agree with me that the colors in En Plein Air are divine? snatch one up before they disappear! (and they will disappear...quickly!) just click on the image above to see what you need to add to your box before it ships!!


in other news...guess which amazing scrapbooking site has a new blog?!

that's right...change it in your favorites column!

and to kick off the new blog, look what you can win...

so head on over (after you pick up those add-ons before they're gone!), and check out all of the new details.

have a great day!