top 10 of 2010

a fun tradition...to share my favorite layouts for the year, and a quick explanation of why.



#1: tech savvy. supplies: Metropolitan Kit + Classic White Mister Huey + JBS Lemon Drops Ink



this was my favorite December kit ever...teal + yellow + charcoal grey? love. but i love the layout because it shows Allie where she is right now...a texting fool, caught somewhere between 11 and 12. :)



#2: {strength}


supplies: Who's Who kit + Classic Calico Mister Huey


the photo/words of my mama + Allie = 100% true.



#3: love it. supplies: Napa Valley kit + KI Memories chipboard alpha

this picture sums up our lives for a total of 6 months a year...rain + outdoor soccer season just seem to go hand in hand, lol. add to the mix my FAVORITE alphabet of probably the entire year, and into my faves it went.

#4: just be still.
supplies: Back 40 kit + Harper's Ruler stamp

a gorgeous photo of my sweet girl, colors to die for and a stamp made from an old ruler i found at a flea market.

#5: a good thing.
supplies: Summer Camp kit + Square Asterisk punch

a neat photo, ledger paper pre-cut in an 8x8 pad of happiness and grey + teal. :)

#6: i stop in my tracks.
supplies: Donut Chain punch + Bracket Border Punch

another photo that gives me heart palpitations...my god, she looks so grown up here.

#7: just being me.
supplies: JBS yellow butterfly rub-on + JBS journaling cards + JBS chipboard buttons

a fun photo that Allie snapped...i don't often do layouts with my photo on them, but this one makes me happy!

#8: in 1962.

supplies: Documentary papers & stickers

i LOVE finding/using old photos...this one of my mama is priceless. add to that my go-to graph paper from the Documentary line and it's a slam dunk.

#9: first days mini album.

supplies: Elementary line + Doily Stamp Set + Documentary FabRips

just a quick and easy album i threw together with snapshots from Allie's first days of school...K-5th grade. you can see the rest of the album here.

#10: go home yankee.

supplies: K&Co Photo Frames + SC Doily rub-ons

a photo of my Dad during his time in the Army and the story he used to tell about landing in Germany at the age of 19...glad i journaled this one.

so that's it.
i hope you take the time to look back at what you've created this year!

Who's Who...January at Studio Calico.

hey everyone!!

the January kit + add-ons just went live at Studio Calico...look what they've put together! what an EASY kit to work with...right up my alley. great colors, awesome mix of product...LOVE IT!!

i think this first layout may be my fave i've done in a loooooooooong time. it came together so fast...and the tidbits seem to fit together perfectly. it's about my mama + Allie, and how they find strength in each other. i knew i wanted to use one of the tall trees in the SC exclusive paper alone, so i chose one that had a branch attached...i don't know, it made sense at the time, lol.

i spritzed the base with some Classic Calico Mister Huey...which looks great against this cardstock. the tag at the bottom was from the packaging from the ribbon/crepe paper, the tag at the top was a flap from one of the KI envelopes and everything on this page is from the Main Kit!

supplies: Main Kit (Who's Who) + Classic Calico Mister Huey + Tiny Attacher

this next one was fun because i knew when i saw the bookshelf stamp in the Main Kit that i wanted to document some of my faves from recent reads...but how to add pics?? by using index prints, that's how! i've always wanted to try them on a page, and it worked out here i think. used a full sheet of the other gorgeous SC exclusive paper...spritzed it with Dark Calico Mister Huey, stamped with Tumbled Glass Ink and used my Slice to cut the 'me' for the title. lots of elements from Buster Brown here (that divine striped paper and die-cut stickers), plus a Bloomer from the Dear Abby add-on.

supplies: SC Exclusive Paper + Dark Calico Mister Huey + Tumbled Glass Ink + Bumpy Road Border Punch + Slice (for title) + Buster Brown add-on + Dear Abby add-on.

this last one cracks me up.

my daughter LOVES to bake.

yet she doesn't eat sweets, lol!

still...she fancies herself the next 'Cake Boss', and i snapped a few pics of her latest creation.

i was at a loss with those canvas spiral things in the Main Kit...so i chopped them up into letters, spritzed with Sunshine Mister Huey and called it a day. loved the die-cut paper with the alphabet border in Dear Abby, so i 'adjusted' it to use for my title. (also used another flap from a KI envelope at the bottom as well as a few pieces of the Sass border stickers from Betty Crocker)

supplies: Buster Brown + Betty Crocker + Dear Abby + Sunshine Mister Huey + Schoolhouse Mister Huey + Large Cloud Punch + XL Cloud Punch + Tiny Attacher.


all in all, an amazing kit...grab one while they're hot!!

it may not be the Taj Mahal...

but it's my space.

it's kind of where i retreat to when the urge to play with paper hits...and when the weather is like it is here in Ohio right now, that urge happens a bit more frequently. :) above is my desk. now, if i'm being honest...it really does stay this clean/neat 90% of the time. CRAZY, RIGHT?! the only exception is when i'm working on the latest Studio Calico kit, and the contents of said kit are laying around. as soon as i'm done though, clean-up commences...clutter to me is distracting. if you are the kind of person who can happily sift through mounds of product and still feel creative...i actually kind of envy you, lol. my brain just doesn't work that way!

to the right of the window in the above photo is an Ikea Expedit 4x4 storage unit...housing my cardstock/patterned paper/albums/old locker baskets with the rest of my embellishments. i routinely purge supplies as i am looking through these baskets for who knows what, lol...i am EXTREMELY honest about what i think i may use in the future. again, it works for me to not be mushy about giving away product i know in my heart won't be put to good use. not everyone can do that...i get it! but my daughter loves just about anything i weed out, as do some ladies at work who are just starting out with this hobby. :)


this 3-tiered thingy that i scored at the Pottery Barn Outlet this summer serves it's purpose quite well. random items that used to clutter up my desk area are within reach, visible and begging to be used. :)

my mama picked up this wire holder thingy online...again, at Pottery Barn...thinking i could figure out something to use it for. she was right. :)

i *think* it was originally purposed for napkin-holding maybe?

i use it to keep my most used stamps handy...i got tired of reaching for the Days of the Week, Natalee alphabet , Addy alphabet and Doilies sets from my big stamp binder. this is WAY more convenient...and they are getting so much more use this way!!

oh, sweet border punches...how i adore thee.

and since relocating you to the top drawer of the storage cart that the 3-tiered thingy sits on, you are ever so much handier. the rest of my 'basic' punches (circles/squares/etc) are in the next drawer down...except for the Large Cloud and XL Cloud punches that keep finding their way onto my pages.

this special little tub of punches are my fave 'shaped' punches...funny, they are all Martha Stewart punches, aren't they!? i got tired of digging through the drawer for these, so out they came.

last but not least, is this fun metal tool carrier i picked up at an antique show for $5...the chippy red paint is my favorite part. it weighs a ton, and keeps my Mister Huey mists close at hand...although, i fear i may need to expand my mist storage soon. ;)

so there you have it.

a brief peek into my space...

like i said, it may not be grand...but it's mine.

and i'm happy in here.

:)

blue christmas.

my apologies...this isn't your 'typical' Happy Holidays kind of post, but i think i needed to be honest. photo of me + my Dad...Christmas morning, 1974.

i know this is supposed to be a happy time.

filled with cheer, laughter and good tidings.

hmmm...my heart didn't feel it this year.
tomorrow morning, presents will be opened...Allie will beam with excitement (as she should)...i will choke up just watching her, knowing how over the moon she is...and it will mark 16 years since my Dad passed away.

i can't nail down a reason why, but this year, this season has been...hard.

and while i've tried to just go about and do what you are 'supposed' to do this time of year, it hasn't really worked.

so i decided to sit down and write out my feelings about it...thinking maybe it will help a bit. i figure maybe if i just say out loud that i miss him more today than i have on any other Christmas, it will allow me to move on and enjoy what's left of the holiday season.

maybe??

i see him everywhere this time of year...in his favorite 1970s-era plastic light-up tree that hangs in my kitchen...

in his favorite blue tinsel + mirror ornament that he used to hang on our tree every year, which he would remind us was a testment to how cool things were in the 'disco era', lol...

even in the cut rock candy that was his favorite...he would go through 2 bags of it every year. and for some reason, my mama buys a bag each year...and never mentions it. i usually find it, like this one, tucked away in my kitchen...it always goes uneaten, and after the holidays i throw it away. but it's here.

and so is he.

in my heart, and my words.

miss you, Dad...but i'm doing my best.

the Who's Who...of January kits at Studio Calico.

just a super fast post to share my sneaks with Studio Calico's January kit...Who's Who. the image above shows 99% of the amazing SC Exclusive papers for January's Main Kit...i say only 99%, because the rest can be seen in a few moments when you scroll down. :)

this one above uses the Main Kit only...and MAN, is it a doozie.

adding in some elements of add-on #2, Buster Brown...

*sigh*. here is one of the SC papers in it's entirety...man, they know how to make a girl want to sit down and make something! WHY didn't i get more of this paper?! also love how the Tumbled Glass Distress Ink works with this kit...how fun is that bookshelf stamp?

here is a different view of the first layout...did i not profess my love for the Basic Grey Small Details?!?! (i shall buy them for every line they make from now on, i think...for this girl who is afraid of bulk/dimension on her pages, these are PERFECT. they add just a weeeeeeee bit, without gong overboard) you can also see the Classic Calico Mister Huey here...kraft-colored-spray-mist-perfection.

also this month, i put my Tiny Attacher to good use...we have rekindled our initial romance, as seen in these sneaks. :)

and if your loved ones are stumped about how to make you smile on Christmas morning...you do know about Studio Calico's Gift Cards, right?! just email the address above and they will hook your family up with the perfect gift...for YOU!!

speaking of which...there has been quite a bit of sharing and kindness floating about the SC Message Boards lately, and while many may suggest it's the holiday spirit, etc...i know from experience that the spirit of comraderie happens there 365 days a year. it makes me smile to see people anonymously reaching out to each other...and if you haven't checked things out over there yet, now is as good a time as any.

we love making new friends...so please stop by and jump right in!

you'll wonder why you hadn't done it sooner.

guaranteed.

:)

happenings.

what's been happening lately + a bit of enabling.

yesterday, we trekked all around the Wilcox Tree Farm out in LaGrange...and ended up cutting down this beauty for our Christmas tree. (naturally, it was the first one we all agreed on...but we HAD to traipse around the entire gajillion acre farm in the snow and cold just to make sure we didn't pass up a better one...did i mention i could only find one of my boots, so i was traipsing in clogs??) so i'm hoping to plop her into the stand and get her decorated today. i'm on call all weekend at work, so that eliminates any plans outside a one-hour radius...mental note: also have to take Allie to the mall to find the requisite white shirt + black skirt/pants for her holiday concert Monday night.

got an email notice about a sale that could potentially interest those of you who, like myself, are OBSESSED with the KI Memories Calendar papers and can't find them locally...2peas is having their FINAL FREE SHIPPING PROMOTION of 2010. it is running now until MIDNIGHT CST 12/12/10...and all you have to do is buy $25 worth of goods and enter the shipping code: HOLIDAY. here's a photo of my fave sheets of the calendar line:

notice.

the one in the middle??

the AWESOME grey + white polka dots??

that one is called SNOW.

(the pic online didn't really show the lovely grey...that's why i wanted to share this pic!)

i may or may not have bought 5 sheets of it.

i'll stress again:

double sided, die cut, STITCHED graph/ledger paper..for $0.99??

done deal.

while i was wandering about, i noticed this lovely paper from American Crafts. now, i am not typically a huge fan of Valentine/Love themed products, but 2 sheets of this fell into my cart. that teal is gorgeous, and against the white?? whoa. i'm a sucker for tags...as mentioned in this post. so these jumped into my shopping cart as well.

and i had been regretting not picking up these metal flower brads...but good things come to those who wait. they happen to be on sale now, so into the basket they went.

now.

i want to mention something i discovered recently.

WeRMemoryKeepers doesn't always twist my pickle...but they have been offering stitched cardstock with the last few lines they have released, and i find myself picking them up. so today, i threw this one into my basket. i'll be honest...i love to sew on my pages, but i know myself well enough to admit that i will NEVER take the time to stitch a fancy border like this, lol. and for $0.99?? i'll never have to. :)

i'm still stuck in the midst of my organizational kick...will it ever end??

probably not.

on another note...i'm off to work on the January Studio Calico kit.

and other than a quick jaunt to the mall, i'm hoping to stay inside this weekend.

crossing my fingers for that.

:)

a few Ornaments + a Winner!!

in case you haven't heard, Creating Keepsakes is celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas with giveaways on their BLOG...make sure to enter every day...you can enter until the 12th of December!!

for my post, i decided to whip up a few ornaments with a few old photos i had extras of and bits of stuff laying around my desk: For this one, i misted the background paper a bit with Mister Huey Schoolhouse and left the frame as packaged...love how the wood looks. punched a few border strips with the Double Scallop Border + Bracket Border Punches from some bright paper, placed them along the right side and added a few rub-ons + a leftover Crate Paper sticker. these tissue paper flowers from Studio Calico are perfect for these projects, because they won't get smooshed, lol.

for the Star, i first 'white-washed' the frame with some Mister Huey Classic White...rubbing most of the in off with a paper towel while it was still wet. this gives the veneer more of a 'stained' effect...still letting the grain show through. i punched lots of little circles from papers leftover from the SC Metropolitan kit (still available...with two exclusive papers from Sassafras!) and adhered them to a scrap of cardstock in a kind of general star pattern...occasionally holding the frame over it to see how far i needed to go. once it was large enough, i peeled off the backing on the frame and stuck it to the base of punched paper...trimming the excess away. (just before that, i added some yellow twine around 3 sides of the frame for fun) one sparkly loop of ribbon later,and this one was ready to hang!!

for this last one, i got crazy. :P

i wanted to see if i could EMBOSS on the wood without it catching on fire/warping/etc.

i am happy to say that it worked like a charm! i grabbed my favorite Doily Stamp Set + VersaMark + Zing Embossing Powder in Leaf and got down to business. to make the teal border, i adhered some of the American Crafts Mix Tape (from the SC Metropolitan Kit) to some white cardstock and punched it with the Bracket Border Punch. added a few clouds, made with my Large + Extra Large Cloud Punches and called it a day.

they may not seem like 'traditional' Christmas ornaments...but they will fit perfectly not only on my tree this year, but the best part is i can hang them in my scrap room after that.

so.

don't miss out on your chance to win one of TWELVE sets of these frames that Studio Calico was kind enough to donate...you get TWO SHEETS in EACH PACKAGE, and they are begging to be inked, painted, cut up, misted, covered in rub-ons, embossed on, wrapped with ribbon/twine, covered with paper...YOU NAME IT!!

bet you thought i forgot about the winner of my Stamping & Ink Issue Giveaway ;)

the winner is:

Rhonda V.

My favorite stamp is this vintagey Santa Claus that I bought last year to use for the 12 Tags p Christmas. :) I haven't started on this year's tags yet!!! Thanks for the fun giveaway!!!

December 04, 2010 10:30PM

Rhonda, please send me an email with your address, so that I can pass it along to the team at CK...they'll ship it right out!! (my email is brains32192ATaolDOTcom)

now off to soothe one sick girl who stayed home from school today...enjoy your week!!

calling all stamp lovers...and those who like a chance at winning something for free!!

{ETA: of course the giveaway is open to anyone who comments...you don't have to be a member of Studio Calico!!}


happy Saturday everyone!!

i know that probably the majority of peeps who read my blog are Studio Calico members...which means that i KNOW you have tons of way awesome stamps in your stash. (how does everyone NOT own the doilies set yet...or even the Days of the Week set?? TOTALLY UNIQUE!!)

and i also know that maybe that means you could be looking for new ideas on what to do with them, right?!

enter, CK's newest Special Issue: i already have a copy of this and have to say...stamp afficionado that i am, there are some GREAT tips in here that i can't wait to try!!

i'm giving a copy away.
the catch?
leave a comment...telling me about your favorite stamp in your stash.
i'll pick a winner at random Monday evening...
but you MUST tell me about your favorite to be entered.
(no fair to just post your name!)

check back Tuesday morning for the winner...
and maybe one more chance to win something else.
;)