sneaky girl...what's not to love about that?

had a new page go up at the 2peas Garden this week...this month's theme was 'Winter'. supplies: MME Polka Dot paper (grey) + MME Stripe paper + Echo Park Polka Dot paper (red) + Crate Paper Crossword Paper + Crate Paper Accent Cuts Paper + Sassafras Paper (blue border) + Crate Paper Chipboard (title) + Little Yellow Bicycle Die-Cut Tissue Paper Sticker Trim + Sassafras Alphabet Sticker (teal) + MME label sticker (camera) + American Crafts MixTape (pink)

i decided to veer away from the 'typical snow products' and instead use some colorful goods that remind me that Spring is indeed around the corner lol...despite the freezing temps outside right now.

in a continuation of owning up to my love for strips of paper, i figured i'd just roll with it. paper is probably my favorite supply, so why not use it...right?! i fell in love with the die-cut tissue paper border stickers...i only used the small blue one at the top here, as i'm hoarding the rest for future use :P

have a great day!!

:)

Singin' in the Rain at Studio Calico with the April kit.

nothing but blue skies from this kit...it's GORGEOUS. and...i have come to terms with loving strips of paper lined up against one another, lol. it's just what i like i guess! here are my layouts for this month... this girl cracks me up with her fashion texts while i'm out of town...makes me happy that she thinks to keep me posted on what she's up to :) the herringbone 4x6 stamp in the Tap Dance add-on was a bit much for me...until i used my Zig Embossing Pen to only ink ONE STRIP AT A TIME...then i had a fun border to use! i made the little mini banner inside the chipboard frame from the remnants i had on the 3rd page in this post...love when that happens!

Barnwood Mister Huey + Notebook Border Punch + Zig Embossing Pen + Powder Zing + Mustard Zing + 3-in-1 Butterfly Punch + Royal Butterfly Punch + JBS Cough Syrup Paint

taking Allie's advice from a previous topic and owning up to a fear...i don't have many, but bridges are one of the few. it's awful. i grip the steering wheel in the '10 and 2' position and hold my breath without even knowing that i'm doing it. crazy, right??

i LOOOOOOOOOVE this piece of grey polka dot paper from the Happy Refrain add-on...like, so much that i picked up an extra piece. that NEVER happens. again, my love for strips of paper + border stickers shows through lol.

i used one of the Veneer Stars from my stash as a mask for the tag...spritzed it with some Pickle Mister Huey after typing out the mantra that runs through my brain while i'm driving across those darned bridges. also reaaaaaaaaalllly love how that kraft-colored alphabet from the Tap Dance add-on looks on kraft cardstock :)

Star Veneer (used as a mask) + Pickle Mister Huey + Tap Dance add-on + Happy Refrain add-on

just a random snapshot of quiet moments spent on Sundays at our house...can i once again profess my love for the Instagram app?? and strips of paper? ;)

April Main Kit + Clover Mister Huey + Epiphany Button Tool + Button Refills + Apricot Zing + Powder Zing + Mustard Zing + White Zing + Zig Embossing Pen + Bracket Border Punch

all in all, another WOW kit...brought to you by SC :)

enjoy!!

Sunday Reveal Days @Studio Calico = the best.

because i know i can take part in the fun/madness/mayhem by chatting with our members...when Reveal happens on a weekday, i'm sometimes at work and miss out on that. definitely one of my favorite aspects of being on this team is the comraderie that has developed with so many people on the boards...i consider myself fortunate to have forged many relationships with good people there. what's left to say?? the Main is amazing. the add-ons ALL have something i love in them. the Shop is FULL of restocks (available NOW...like the Cloud Punches, Bumpy Road Punch and Large Circle Border Punch...which April mentioned will NOT be restocked, so grab that one NOW!), and the new items (INCLUDING THE ZIG EMBOSSING PEN FROM MY VIDEO!!!) will release at midnight. here is a list + PHOTOS of new shop items...love that our members take the time each month to seek out photos once the Shop List is posted. see??? we are ALL enabling each other, lol!! note about the Zing: many of my favorite colors have sold out, but April is checking with American Crafts to see if she can get a restock before SC ships your kits out...she is hopeful that will happen and will post to the Message Board tomorrow when she hears from them. good basics that belong in your stash still exist though...

• Charcoal (a good grey...NOT black)


• Butter (soft, subtle creamy yellow)


• Blush (beautiful soft pink, and goes well with the April kit)


• Denim (true navy...summer is coming and i LOVE navy! it is very similar to the JBS Spice Tin Ink)


• Chestnut (awesome, rich brown)

all of these item may be purchased now, and will ship with your kit AT NO EXTRA COST...so if you need/want a few of them, it's worth your while to shop for those now and give yourself one less thing to worry about at Reveal. :)

see you in the Chat Room!!

Studio Calico + Zing Embossing Powder Tutorial

my first video tutorial...please pardon the occasional shaky hand of my videographer, Allie :)

i'd been begging to have the Zing Embossing Powders in the Shop ever since i discovered what an AMAZING job it does with the White...FINALLY, a great white stamped image!!

THEY HAVE BEEN RESTOCKED!!!
so make sure you check back to grab your favorite colors!!

some days are tough.

i'm hosting the Studio Calico blog challenge this week...time to use some of those rub-ons!! supplies: State Fair Tags + State Fair Stickers + SC Chipboard Letters + Cloud Rub-ons + Red Alpha Rub-Ons + Veneer Hearts + State Fair Tickets Please Paper + State Fair Step Right Up paper + Double Scallop Border Punch

this page didn't start out like this at all, lol...i accidentally printed index size photos of Allie instead of some wallets, but i figured 'what the heck'! so i cut them out, painted around the edges and grouped them together like one larger photo. i used two of the die-cut tags to kind of 'point' to the photos...then added some of the grey cloud rub-ons to kind of tie in with the 'tough days' theme. (note about the rub-ons: SC has told us that no more of the new rub-on releases will be made...so if you were on the fence, grab them while you can!)

here's a fun trick: i LOVE when 'errors' turn out ok! i had intially cut the yellow side of the Tickets Please paper with this scalloped border punch...then trimmed it down, etc. eventually deciding it didn't 'work' how i initially planned, lol. there were a few of these cut bits laying in the 'discard pile' of my desk and they caught my eye. VOILA! an idea hatched, lol!

start with the Double Embossed Scallop Border Punch + Scissors + Paper of choice.

cut yourself a border.

trim that border.

start cutting on either side of the 'point' of the scallop...if you feel the need to be super-precise, use your trimmer, lol.

now cut on the other side of the 'point' of the scallop.

banner flag #1!

now just repeat...until you get enough pieces to span your page!!

how easy is THAT?!

and it allows you to make a fun banner in ANY paper/cardstock you like. you can make them as tall or as short as you prefer as well...just adjust how much of the original paper you trim away!!

so there you have it.

2 different 'errors' that played out well on this page.

once i added the journaling about my 'tween girl, i was done.

and when she snuck up to see what i was doing and read my notes, we hugged it out.

suddenly that tough day turned just a bit brighter.
:)

Singin' in the Rain Sneaks.

sneaking in with some snippets of Singin' in the Rain, Studio Calico's April kit...i also picked up the Tap Dance add-on. :) Zing Embossing Powders: Mustard, White, Apricot, Powder + Clover Mister Huey

Pickle Mister Huey

Barnwood Mister Huey + MS 3 in 1 Butterfly Punch + Royal Butterfly Punch

Bracket Border Punch + Clover Mister Huey + Epiphany Button Maker

have a wonderful week!!

into: tags+tickets+text.

i guess everyone goes through 'phases'...spurts where you keep reaching for the same things over and over. but some things are just 'classics'...to me anyway, lol. i have ALWAYS loved tags, tickets and anything with text/numbers on it. who knows why...i think it's because they aren't 'themed', and i feel like maybe i get lots of use out of them?

case in point: i took ONE photo inside the convention center at CHA this past January...and this is it. i didn't lug my camera around because we had lots to get done and it's heavy. but for some reason, this display at the 7Gypsies booth gave me cause to whip out my phone and snap a pic. I LOVE THESE!!

so how handy for everyone who loves tags+tickets+text that they landed at 2Peas?!

7Gypsies Numero Tickets

me=sucker for anything with numbers on it. i usually try to find ways/reasons to use the numbers in my sticker stash as well.

7Gypsies Calendar Tickets

months of the year?! perfect...now i'm hoping they make days of the week!

7Gypsies Gabriel paper

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this sheet of paper...like, bought 5 sheets of it kind of love.

7Gypsies Life Collage Tissue Paper

and how AWESOME is it that they brought back one of my all-time faves, the Life Collage paper as TISSUE PAPER?! and you get like 4 sheets of HUGE 20x30" tissue paper per pack...tons of options now, and i'm eager to punch it out, mist on it and sew it down!

sorry.
back to tags.

:P

7Gypsies Camden Tags

i really like how these tags take so many neat + colorful elements and bring them together.

7Gypsies Family Tag Kit

7Gypsies always makes me want to add more things that are red to my stash...like these.
7Gypsies Affirmations Tag kit

and here we have a happy little pack of all of these fave elements...

and while i was initially drawn to the Fancy Pants 'It's the Little Things' line because of the contrast of the black with the softer colors (some way gorgeous papers in this one), look what i found:

Fancy Pants Little Things Journal Tags

i'm serious people.
i can't be the only one, right?!

whirlwind.

that's the best way i can think of to describe the last week.



started off working 3 in a row, so i wouldn't use personal time for my travels to Louisville. now, while that may not sound like a big deal, it is lol...i haven't spent 3 twelve-hour days on my feet at the hospital in a LONG time. add to that some unexpected losses/news about a family member plus a dear friend and i was kind of wiped. but it all worked out.

i left Thursday morning for my solo road trip south to Kentucky...and can honestly say i just enjoyed myself. the quiet, the stopping every so often to grab a snack, the lovely grey weather lol...i enjoyed it. BUT, i was tiiiiiiiiiiiired. as soon as i arrived i jumped in to help Lorie & Greg put together the SC booth for the show, and before i knew it, it was time to meet up with KP & April for dinner.

naturally Lorie, KP & i chatted the night away...so this is what i looked like after 5 nights of 5 hours of sleep:

woooooooooow. nice bags under the eyes, Nik lol.

but i was ready.
alert.
perky even?
NERVOUS.
off to teach my first class for Creating Keepsakes!

i almost fell over, and i'm not even kidding. this is what i walked into...a classroom that could potentially seat 96 people, a projector i had no idea how to use coupled with a laptop equipped with PowerPoint presentions for the 5 different classes i was teaching, a microphone on a stand and a bundle of nerves the likes of which i've NEVER felt lol.

all these boxes?? filled with different kits for the 10 total classes i was teaching. whoa.

i can't give enough credit to the CK Events Team...they were so attentive + appreciative that i felt my nerve returning. Louisville was the first venue of the year, so bugs had to be worked out with some classes etc...but the attendants in my classes couldn't have been better about going with the flow. HUGE THANKS TO ALL WHO SAT IN ON MY CLASSES!!! i owned up to being really nervous from the beginning, and they welcomed me with open arms and smiles...thank you, ladies.

it's kind of difficult at first to teach classes that you didn't develop, as is the case with these. but after a time or two, you find your footing and make changes as necessary...and the end result is that you have some laughs with ladies who are there to enjoy the very same hobby that you love. win/win in my book. :)
across the aisle from SC's booth (where i would stop for a visit when i had a break between classes) was an Archiver's booth. the SC Crew got to know them pretty well and Deanne (the manager) invited us to the Louisville store Saturday night...we stopped for dinner and then found our way to her store. such a sweet, sweet gal...and i CANNOT stress how impressed i was with her staff's knowledge. at my local Archiver's, it's hit or miss if you catch someone who knows their product/tools...so if you live in the Louisville area, these ladies are THE BOMB.

while i was away, Mike + Allie were in a soccer tourney...she did lots of this:

don't you love her goalie jersey in that sassy shade of turquoise??

and i missed them lots.
feels good to be home.
:)

2peas + SC + new Crate= win/win.

morning all!!


while i sit here comtemplating my plan of attack for the day, i happened upon this deal over at
2peas:

WHA??

you KNOW you want to pick up the new releases from Studio Calico, Countryside & State Fair...the rub-ons and stickers alone make me giddy!!

so to see a deal where you can get a FREE SC stamp set (while supplies last) as well?!

win/win.
side note: i couldn't help dropping some of the new Cosmo Cricket goods in my shopping basket...like the Social Club Ready, Set Chip that was in the SC Shop this past week but flew out the door: or LOTS of the 'Twig' line from Little Yellow Bicycle...really like quite a few of these! the mini banners here are self-adhesive AND already attached with string!fun journaling strips...these would last for so many pages! and i think my favorite item...these neat chipboard buttons that look like tree stumps!
last but not least...THE NEW CRATE PAPER LINES ARE IN!!!

and i am scooping up as much of them as possible...LOOK at these border stickers. MADE FOR ME, lol!! one from each line please. Potrait was my favorite release from CHA...sigh.

and can't get enough of these vintage type buttons...WOW.



off to begin a massive scrapathon...enjoy your weekend!

2 years of Lola.

hey everyone.
just home from the hospital with Mike...minor surgery for his poor knee (left this time, the right was already fixed!). we chuckled on the way in at 4AM (at least we got a first round start this time, right?) that while baseball paid for his college education, his joints are now paying for yeeeeeears of baseball lol. all is well, we're home and i'm trying to keep busy doing 'quiet things' while he enjoys the temporary benefits of mild post-op pain killers...so i thought i'd share my latest layout that went live in the 2Peas Garden yesterday: {Copyright2peasinabucket.com} supplies: AC Hardcover Thickers (my new fave) + AC MixTape + Sassafras Paper Crush papers + Studio Calico Sunshine Mister Huey + AC Love Tags + My Minds Eye label stickers + BG Small Details

this month marks two years since Allie volunteered at the local Animal Protective League...and while i knew that we would get talked into bringing a kitty home, i never imagined i'd get so attached to her. honestly, i am NOT a big 'pet person'...but she is so dang lovable that i fell hard for her, lol. this photo was from one random day when i was lying down due to the sickies, playing around on my phone, and she came up and just rested with me...so i snapped her pic. love that dang cat, lol.

on a side note: the ZING Embossing Powders have been restocked at Studio Calico...in time to ship with your March kit if you purchase them now!! these are next to impossible to find online now, and i know how hard they are working to keep up with the demand for these...so i'm happy there is another chance for those who missed out on Reveal Night. go grab them so you can have fun playing around when your new box arrives!!

enjoy your week!