Studio Calico

Sunday Sketch

This week, we invited SC member Lea (username Lea Lawson) to share her take on one of our sketches. Her work with cards is always stunningly detailed, and we were happy to have her with us this week!

First up is our layout sketch, based on Jen Jockisch's "The Good Life" page :

This week's card sketch is based on Amber Kemp-Gerstel's 'Hey' card:

Lea opted for the card sketch, but we love her added details!

Supply List: Studio Calico "Atlantic" 6x6 paper pad, Studio Calico "Sundrifter" 6x6 paper pad
Studio Calico "Atlantic" glittered stars, fabric bows, sequins, Studio Calico "Sundrifter" vellum frames, diecuts and 12x12 stickers, Studio Calico wood veneer stars
Studio Calico "Atlantic" digital printables #2
Other- cardstock, gold photo corner/tab, white sequins, sentiment stamp, ink

I typically start with a card sketch as my base, and then add from there. I
am a lover of layers & clusters & eclectic things here & there, so I will
typically stray from the sketch when it comes to embellishing. As you can see
here, my card did start out from the basic design of the sketch & then I took
my own artistic ventures. :)

Lea, thank you so much for sharing your project with us! If you'd like to see more of Lea's work, please visit her Studio Calico gallery or her blog.

Now it's your turn! Make a project with using one of this week's sketches as a starting point, then share it in the Studio Calico gallery. Leave us a link to your project by June 3rd in the comments here to be entered to win a $5 GC to the Studio Calico Shop.

weekly challenge

This week, Jen Jockisch and I are challenging you to add a little gold glitz to your projects.  It seems that gold metallics are coming back into trend lately, even in the scrapbooking world.  From sequins and glitter to embossing powder and mist…there's lots of ways to incorporate gold embellishments and details.  

Jen added some glitz to her card simply by embossing her stamped image with some Gold Zing! embossing powder.

(supplies:  Planetarium Card Kit; ink- Versamark; embossing powder- Gold Zing!; heat tool- Zap Heat Gun)

I used little gold accents on my layout - teeny gold star sequins, gold alpha stickers, and a gold paper clip.  I love how the little touches of gold add just the right amount of glitz.

(supplies:  Planetarium Scrapbook Kit and Project Life Kit; Lyra Add On Kit)

We'd love to see how you add a little gold glitz to your project!  To play along, upload your creation to the  Studio Calico gallery. Leave us a link to your project by May 6th in the comments here to be entered to win a $5 GC to the Studio Calico Shop

Atlantic is here

Set sail with Atlantic! Our mid-release has hit the Studio Calico shelves a bit earlier than expected and you can find everything but the wood handled stamps in the store NOW! If you want one stop shopping, check out the Atlantic bundle - you can pick up most of the line with one "add to cart" click. 

Once you're doing shopping (we'll wait!), we have some inspiration for you. We've fallen even more in love with Atlantic after seeing our Creative Team work with it, and we think you will too!

Nicole Samuels used the sequins underneath a diecut word for an eye catching title - isn't the effect brilliant?

Atlantic's soft colors work beautifully on this sweet page from Kelly Noel - we love how she used one of the fabric bows as a flag!

Lisa Truesdell started with the Rockport paper as a background, and then pulled together lots of different star embellishments (stickers, glittered chipboard & veneer) to finish off her carefree vacation layout.

Gillian Nelson combined the Atlantic printed vellum with patterned paper waves into an awesome custom accent. Check out how she added her title with the Rockabye Thickers right along the ways - it adds so much energy to her layout! 

Our gold foil kraft paper lets Jen Jockisch's photo shine on her gorgeous layered layout. She pulled the pinks and yellows from the line for a perfectly sunkissed page, and the tiny navy anchors punched with our new mini punch accent it so well.

Kinsey Wilson knew Atlantic would be a perfect way to capture a roadtrip. The cork circles make perfect accents for a Project Life spread - they add so much texture with but fit perfectly in the pockets. Using a collection to complete a PL week is a great way to add a lot of details like Kinsey has here - while still keeping your spread looking cohesive

Lisa Spanger went to work and created three gorgeous cards using Atlantic - the stamp sets from our upcoming Planetarium Card Kit release were perfect for adding sentiments.

Now that you've seen Atlantic in action, what's your favorite piece?? We'd love to hear!!

Pop off the Page sneaks

Last year's Pop Off the Page class was one of our most popular, and we are thrilled to have Jen Jockisch back in the classroom and teaching a sequel!

The bonus class kit of layering essentials is still available and will ship free no matter where you are. Here's a peek of the B-sides of the exclusive journaling cards : 

Excitement is building as we count down to May 1st and the start of class, and today we want to give you a little peek of what Jen and her contributors have in store for you!

from Jen : 

from Debee Campos : 

From Stephanie Dagan : 

From Marcy Penner : 

from Sasha Farina : 

from Shanna Noel : 

from Jill Sprott : 

From Lilith Eeckels :

Registration for Pop Off the Page ends on April 30th - we hope to see you in the classroom!

Pop Off the Page with Jen Jockisch

Feeling a little flat? Join layering expert Jen Jockisch for this sequel to last year’s popular class and learn how to layer your paper and embellishments to add detail, dimension and visual interest to any project. We’ll be kicking off the class with a refresher PDF to discuss ideas shared in the first class, and will follow that up with four PDFs discussing even more concepts in layering. In the end, you’ll have access to 5 PDFs filled with 28 new projects, 2 videos (one from Jen and one from Celine) and oodles of Pop Off The Page tips and tricks. For more information about the syllabus and to register for this class, please click here. 

Jen is joined by a talented group of contributors - they have a diverse range of styles, but they all know how to rock the layers. Becky Novacek, Celine Navarro, Dawn McVey, Debee Campos, Emily Branch, Jill Sprott, Kim Stewart, Lilith Eeckels, Lisa Spangler, Marcy Penner, Patricia Roebuck, Sasha Farina, Shanna Noel, Stephanie Bryan and Stephanie Dagan will each be sharing a project and their own personal layering tips.

While supplies last, students will receive an embellishment kit of layering essentials, including an exclusive stamp set. This kit will ship free to you, no matter where you are!

The class also comes with exclusive downloads - printables from In A Creative Bubble and Blinks of Life and die cut files in .svg, .png and .studio from Kinsey Wilson.

Registration for Pop Off the Page closes on April 30th, and class begins May 1st. We hope to see you in the classroom!

sunday sketch

Happy Sunday! We're back with two new sketches. The first is a card from Jen Jockisch's Neverland gallery - this tall skinny card has a simple graphic design. 

For the layout sketch, we have a classic grid design from Susan's Weinroth's gallery. 

This week, we asked SC user Stepahnie Bryan to make a project based on one of the sketches - she choose to take on Susan's design for her layout. 

Supplies used : SC Sundrifter 6x6 paper pad, SC Sundrifter Die Cut Cardstock Shapes, SC wood veneer stars, SC wood veneer heart, SC Front Row labels, Dear Lizzy 5th & Frolic Die Cut Shapes & Stickers, Dear Lizzy Lucky Charm sticker, Martha Stewart fabric flower, Ali Edwards Hello Heart Boxes, Zing Opaque White embossing powder, Watercolors, Sewing machine

Stephanie says : 

I am a grid girl so I loved loved loved this sketch.  As soon as I saw the sketch I knew exactly what picture of my daughter I wanted to use and the color combo I was going for.  The Studio Calico Sundrifter collection was perfect for the lightness of my photo.  I wanted to add some pops of yellow to the page so I cut down a piece of yellow star transparency I had in my stash and also painted (with watercolors) a piece of card stock I had embossed with a flower image.  I added the yellow ribbon at the end to soften it up a little.  I used my Silhouette to cut the title and the Ali Edwards "Love You" box and then added little embellishments here and there to finish my page.  Thank you so much SC for inviting me to play along.  This was an awesome challenge!

Stephanie's layout has a beautiful dreamy feel thanks to the soft colors and gorgeous photo - a perfect example that grid designs don't need to feel too graphic. Thanks for sharing your work with us, Stephanie! If you want to see more from Stephanie, stop by her SC gallery or her blog, or check her out on Instagram.

How will YOU use these sketches? Whether it's a layout, a card or something else, post it in the Studio Calico gallery and  link us up to your project by March 11th for a chance to win a $5 gift card to the Studio Calico shop. 

 

weekly challenge

Hi everyone! Today Ali and I have a simple challenge for you. We challenge you to embellish or journal onto your photo. Pretty easy, huh? I know sometimes it's difficult to overlap papers or photos for fear that you'll detract from that item, but a lot of times it's a great way to really bring home your point and to make the most of the space you have.

Ali did this in a lot of different ways on this Project Life spread, she really maximized the space available by not being afraid to cover portions of her photos.

Ali's Supply List: Front Row Project Life Kit, Silhouette Cameo, Tiny Attacher

Jen used a title directly on a photo to emphasize the emotion and draw your eye to the focal point, the photo.

Jen's supply list: Front Row Scrapbook Kit, Matinee Scrapbook Kit, Big Screen Scrapbook Kit, Front Row Love Phrases cut files, Silhouette Cameo, Staz-On ink, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, Martha Stewart Glue Pen, Elmer's Gold Leafing pen

We can't wait to see what you do with this challenge! Create a new project, then share it in the Studio Calico gallery. Leave us a link to your project by February 18th the comments here to be entered to win a $5 GC to the Studio Calico Shop.

Sunday Sketch

This week's sketch comes from Jen Jockisch's 34th Street Gallery - and is based on her layout titled "Chicago."



We were excited to see how Toni (supertoni) interpreted the sketch to make her layout, and love how it turned out!

Here is what Toni had to say about using this sketch:

I simply adore Jen's original layout! I knew right away what photos I wanted to use with this sketch and could not wait to begin. I love how Jen's layout has a graphic quality and the large font really draw you into the focal subject-her gorgeous photos. She is such a talented designer and this particular sketch is super simple to follow and can be mixed up to fit anyone's needs. For my layout, I used her graphic block concept as a block of 5 images (one being a journaling block, ) instead of using 4 photos like Jen did. For my background paper, I chose one of my favorites from Studio Calico Wonderland Collection: Tree Farm. I love this dark woodgrain paper and it is so perfect for holiday photos! Because my background paper was a 12 x 12 inch square I wanted to mix up the photo block with a rectangular shape, and 5 images worked perfectly to achieve that. I just adhered all of my photos and journaling block to a white piece of cardstock. Additionally, I ran the title along the bottom portion of the photo block (on top of my American Crafts silver glitter tape,) oh how I love this product. I also had an absolute blast doing some different stamping on this layout. I used the wood veneer snowflakes as a stamp using white ink. This was so delightful and something I will be recreating in the future with my kiddos. (Tip: The veneer work really great as a stamp if you first apply adhesive to one side and stick that to your hand. Then just dip into ink and put on paper, super simple, and a fun project.) I love how Jen's sketch really allowed the photos and journaling about my children to really take center stage. This was such a great day and this layout is one that I will display throughout the Christmas Season. Thanks Jen for the great idea!!!

We love all of the ideas you shared with us Toni...this turned out great, and we thank you for sharing your work with us!

Please check out Toni's gallery and blog for more inspiration!

How will YOU use this sketch?  Whether it's a layout, a card or something else, link us up to your project by December 24th for a chance to win a $5 gift card to the Studio Calico shop. (Please remember, your project must be loaded into our gallery to qualify...and your comment has to link back to it in the SC Gallery)

black friday

Happy Black Friday, everyone! We've got some rocking deals for you today. Check out the "Black Friday" tab in the shop for two new stamp sets - available JUST for Black Friday. You'll also find past kit stamps there, and you can use the coupon codes above for great deals on Classic Calico!

About those Black Friday stamp sets.... we wanted to show you just what the Noah Outline and 2013 New Years sets look like in action!

(gift wrap by Kinsey Wilson :  patterned paper - American Crafts POW (gold); stamps - Studio Calico (Noah Outline and 2013 New Years); ink - gold metallic Staz On; other- vellum, wrapping paper, star sequins)

(tags by Kinsey Wilson : patterned paper - Studio Calico (Darling Dear 6 x 6 pad); stamps - Studio Calico (Noah Outline and 2013 New Years); ink - gold metallic Staz On, onyx black Versafine; mist- Mister Huey's (silver); frame die cut- Studio Calico (Wonderland); chipboard camera sticker- Studio Calico (Darling Dear); other- tiny attacher, craft knife, vellum)

(read card by Jen Jockisch :  Stamps - Noah Outline and 2013 New Years; Cardstock - American Crafts; Journaling Card - Wonderland Journal Cards; Alphas - Calico V. 3 Sotheby's Thickers - Ledger; Stamps - Noah Outline 6x8 Stamp Set, New Year 4x6 Sta mp Set; Ink - Staz-On Timber Brown,  Hero Arts Shadow Ink - Pool; Tape - American Crafts Glitter Tape; Die - Cuts - Crate Paper, Binder Clip - American Crafts; Tag - misc.; misc. colored pencils; Tools - We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper)

(pumpkins by Lisa Truesdell : Stamps - Noah Outline and 2013 New Years; patterned paper - Studio Calico Darling Dear Temple & Wayne, Studio Calico Take Note, My Mind's Eye, Pebbles; chipboard - Studio Calico Darling Dear printed chipboard speech bubbles; badge - Studio Calico Darling Dear badges; veneer - Studio Calico Darling Dear wood veneer; journaling card - Studio Calico Darling Dear journaling cards; star sequin and diecut - Studio Calico Yearbook Ephmera pack; alphabet - Studio Calico Darling Dear navy tiny alphabet; mist - Mister Huey's Audrey)

(happy new year card by Maile Belles : Stamps - Noah Outline and 2013 New Years; Gems - Darling Dear Opaque Gems Whites ; Ink - Hero Arts Pink Neon, Orange Neon, Yellow Neon ; Other - White Cardstock)

(made with love by Tina Aszmus : Today Handbook, Handbook 6x8 insert, More Kraft cardstock, grey tags, pro glider glue gun, Basic Gray die cuts/transparencies, Basic Grey woven tabs, Mister Huey Opaque White, Versamark Onyx, White Prima chalk ink, Noah outline stamp, New Years stamp set)

(hi new year card by Robyn Werlich : Noah Outline Alphabet Stamps, New Years Stamp Set, Ladybug Chalk Ink, Vintage Pink Chalk Ink, Coltfoot Stemens Chalk Ink, Moss Lawn Chalk Ink, Teal Damask Chalk Ink, Farmers Jeans Chalk Ink)

Happy shopping!!

from start to finish with jen jockisch

Hi everyone! Today I wanted to walk you through my process for creating a layout. I honestly keep it quite simple, my entire philosophy centers around making quick decisions (NO second guessing myself!) and going with what feels right. Click here to download this start to finish tutorial as a PDF.

(supplies : Sock Hop and addons; More Vanilla; Sock Hop Printable labels & journaling cards; Tiny Attacher)

I love a layered cardstock look, whether it be cream on cream or white on kraft or any variation thereof. I typically begin by creating my layered cardstock background and then placing my photo on the page. I then just kind of look at the photo - the colors, the theme (if any) and see if there’s any particular direction I want to go in. If not, I usually just start by grabbing some patterned paper that I like and see what I can do with it.

When working with a kit like I was with this page, I lay my patterned papers out on the table and choose from those. Once I’ve chosen a few papers to start with, I like to get the main base of the page laid out and then embellish from that point. For this page, the main base was the grid at the top. Past that basic design structure, everything is embellishment.  (I never adhere anything until the end so I can always make changes if needed.)

Next, I happen to see nearby the pink chevron that I had hand cut from some paper for a previous layout. I really like it, so I decide to see if I can incorporate it somehow. The same with the ‘hi’ printable tab. I lay them down in the general area I think I want them in and move on.

Now I decide to place some patterned paper in a horizontal line beneath my grid to add some different directional movement and a bit of contrast. I choose two papers and laid them down - I first punch the edge of one just to add a decorative border. I think little touches like that can add a ton of visual interest to a page.

Looking at the page, I decide I need something to counter balance the photo and add some visual weight to the bottom right corner. I embellish this section with some elements that aren’t super overpowering but definitely draw your eye. I also decide to add another arrow embellishment opposite my pink chevron just to add some more movement and because I think you can never have enough fun stuff to look at. Even if it doesn’t seem to work in a traditional way, I like it.

Now it’s on to the title work. I lay down the ‘princess’ portion and happen to notice that the N can do double duty if I place it directly underneath the chevron point - it also becomes a monogram that I can draw attention to with a thinly punched circle. Once I’ve decided on placement, I machine stitch this section down so that it can have some lift and dimension at the top. Now I add the ‘cowgirl’ portion of the title, but looking at this I really think it needs some kind of red or orange color in that area to help define the ‘cowgirl’ as well as balance out the red patterned paper on the right side, so I add a printed label. I also realize that the grey arrow that points up needs to have something above it, because otherwise it is directing your eye up with nothing to look at. I simply add a stamped word and some more cream cardstock to get a bit more depth.

I could be done at this point, but I happened to see the chipboard leaves and decide I like it, so what the heck, I’ll add it. Now I’ll call it done.

So that’s my basic process. The most important aspect of it, for me, is to have fun with it! If I second guess every decision and placement and color choice it’s completely stressful, so I try to just let go and have fun with it and do what feels right.