Studio Calico

wholesale spotlight

Here's a peek at how our Creative Team has been using our Atlantic and Snippets  lines :

Susan Weinroth - Right Now : 

Anna-Maria Wolniak - Summer Loading : 

Joy Taylor - Me Oh My! : 

Bright Idea | Celeste Vermeend

Sometimes when I am lacking inspiration I can find my mojo in unusual places. Occasionally it is magazines etc - but I also like perusing the card designers here at Studio Calico. The detail and also the simplicity of a card can jog my inspiration. Take this lovely card from Joy Taylor (also a fellow Aussie!) from her May card kit gallery:

I was instantly drawn to the sweet layered love heart combined with the more masculine map paper. So I began from there.

I started by layering a star and adding a button to the centre in a similar way to Joy's heart.

I also added the map paper just like Joy in a layer along the bottom and the layout continued to flow from there. A layout is on a much larger scale to that of a card - so obviously I have added a lot more detail including stamping and extra stars and patterned paper. So although the finished layout doesn't really resemble Joy's original card - it was the initial inspiration that got my creativity flowing:

 

Products:

Orion addon kit , Lyra addon kit Planetarium scrapbook kit Big Dipper addon kit

-Celeste Vermeend

wholesale spotlight

Here's a peek at how our Creative Team has been using our Here+There, Snippets and Sundrifter lines :

Deb Duty - happy place : 

Lucy Abrams - Hello : 

Julie Campbell - way to go : 

Joy Taylor - Hello : 

 

Sunday Sketch

We know that our members love sketches, so this week we are offering you TWO...one for cards and one for layouts!! The card sketch is from Joy Taylor's Spencer's gallery:



And the layout sketch is from Shanna Noel's Spencer's gallery:



We invited member Tina (adogslife13) to choose one of these to use as a starting point this week, and she couldn't choose just one!! She wowed us with both of the projects she submitted!!

Supplies: (layout) Patterned Paper:  Crate Paper, Twine:  American Crafts, Stickers:  Crate Paper, American Crafts, Chipboard:  Crate Paper, Buttons:  Crate Paper, Clothes Pins:  American Crafts, Crate Paper, Deli Paper:  WebRestaurant.com, Die Cut Machine:  Silhouette Cameo, Adhesive:  Tombow (tape runner), Scrapbook Adhesives (foam tape), Mini Stapler:  Tom Holtz

(card) Patterned Paper:  Studio Calico, Die Cuts:  Studio Calico, Stickers:  American Crafts, Filter:  Fancy Pants Designs, Washi Tape:  Etsy, Sewing Machine;  Brother, Thread:  Coates & Clark, Adhesive:  Tombow (tape runner), Scrapbook Adhesives (foam tape)

We asked Tina to share her thoughts on using these sketches...here's what she had to say:

Layout Sketch: 

I really loved the 'split' page look; using 2 patterned papers to make the background.  I used this idea, but shrunk down the 'split' page look and created 2 strips of patterned paper to place behind my photo.

 I love any sketch with a banner.  Banners have been around for awhile but I never get tired of creating layouts with them.  They are definitely one of my go-to design techniques. You know what they say, 'Go Big or Go Home', so I went BIG with my banner.  I layered several cut banner pieces and chipboard elements for my banner, and 'hung' them to  a piece of twine with mini close-pins.  I seriously think I could put mini close-pins and paper clips on every project.  LOVE THEM!

 I also changed the location of the title, and moved mine to the bottom of my page.  I'm not sure if you can see this from the photo, but I wanted to expand on the fun theme of squirrels and nuts, so using a squirrel shape, I repeated the design with my Silhouette software and cut out a squirrel background from deli paper.  It's a great way to tone done a busy background, and super fun at the same time. 

 

Card Sketch:

I LOVE Joy's card and how she combined such fabulous shapes and design elements. I actually stayed fairly close to the sketch, layering all sorts of SC goodies, creating my sentiment.

 Instead of a large circle in the background, I brought the circular element forward and layered my sentiment on it.  I layered several die cuts to create my sentiment and popped the sentiment off the card.  In place of the paper strip, I used 2 strips of washi tape and stitched them in place.  Quick and Easy!

Lots of ideas and neat elements on Tina's projects! She has a way of using layers and pieces together that always catches my eye, I simply adore her work...thank you so much for joining us this week, Tina!! You can see more inspiration from her in her SC Gallery, and on her blog.

How will YOU use this sketch? Whether it's a layout, a card or something else, link us up to your project by April 22nd 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)

weekly challenge

From Gillian : I don't frequently put a lot of shiny or blingy things on my pages.  It's not that I'm not a fan of shiny and blingy things...I just don't often think to do it.  So when I saw that the Studio Calico shop had started carrying the Silhouette Double-Sided Adhesive paper and the WOW! Super Fine Glitter, I thought it would be fun to challenge myself to play a little.  And can I just say?  I'm such a fan.  For this page, I wanted to use the glitter to add some sparkle to my "sun rays" that are warming my critters so nicely.  

I traced the ray designs from the Spencer's Card Kit Digital Stamps using my Silhouette program, enlarged them, and then cut the ray design out of the special adhesive paper.  I adhered the paper to my page by removing one side of the protective layer.  Then once it was stuck down, I removed the other side of protective layer, exposing the adhesive.  Then I just went to town, dumping the WOW! glitter over the exposed areas of adhesive and shaking off the excess.  It worked like a charm and was so easy.  I love how the super-fine glitter adds sparkle without the chunky texture of standard glitter.  And the white glitter was still translucent, so the pretty honeycomb pattern of the background vellum could still show through.  The whole glitter effect may be subtle to see in the main image, but it's more apparent in the detail shot.  And certainly in person, it's crazy sparkly.  I dig it.

Supplies Used: Spencer's Scrapbook Kit, Front Porch Blend Add-On, Daily Grind Add-On, Silhouette Double-Sided Adhesive, WOW! Iridescent Glitter, White, Spencer's Card Kit Digital Stamps, Spencer's Quote Digital Template, Staz-On Ink Pad, Jet Black, Silhouette Cameo Machine, Precision Pen 01, Black

From Joy : If you are like me, I love to make most of my projects shine, I have a healthy yet obessive addiction to bling and like to add it to almost anything I create.  I find that sometimes you have space on your creation that is a space that needs a little something and sometimes the products that you are creating with are just a little big for that area..so that is why reaching for something smaller like sequins as you see on my project helps fill the void and well makes it shine.  Having a little shiny aspect to a project always makes me smile.

Supplies Used : 

Spencer's Project Life Kit, Daily Grind, Onyx Black Versafine Ink Pad, Foam Circle Tabs

Make a project for this challenge, then share it in the Studio Calico gallery. Leave us a link to your project by April 8th in the comments here to be entered to win a $5 GC to the Studio Calico Shop.

-Gillian Nelson & Joy Taylor

product spotlight

Here's a peek at how our Creative Team has been using our Here+There, Snippets and Sundrifter lines : 

Nicole Reaves - By the Numbers : 

Joy Taylor - Hello :

Geralyn Sy - February Project Life

Deb Duty - Utah Vacation minibook

Suzy Plantamura - Learning to Love Myself

Leena Loh - Project Life Week 7

Julie Campbell - Happy Birthday

workspace wednesday

Hello there everyone!

Welcome to my little space in our little cottage...

A few years ago, Darryl, my wonderful partner, allowed me to take ownership of one of the bedrooms we have in our cottage and set up a craft space.  Darryl has been slowly building all the furniture in my room and I cannot tell you how well made it is, he is so talented and has the patience of a saint LOL.


This first photo that you see is where I sit to craft, this is a large table that is able to house a wood stamp storage, that has a tired system and allows me to view all those wonderful stamps.  Darryl built this storage system to not just house the wood block stamps, but also has draws that pull out to house my Mr Huey's Mists, Distress Stains, Ink pads (my most used ones), Zing Embossing Powders, Perfect Pearls, H2O's, Crackle Paint, Stickles, Liquid Pearls and so much more.  It really is a fab little storage centre and I love how everything is at hands reach. 

I also have my Copics, pencils off to me on the left and to the right is my Making Memories Carrousel...

Here is a few close up photos of the pull out draws and my Copic storage unit..





Off to the left of the table where I sit to craft, I have a hook that I have a heat gun on and I also found these Crop Bags that Studio Calico stocks, this I find is a fabulous way to store my latest Kits that I am currently working with and also the latest products that arrive from Studio Calico.




Also off to the left of me when crafting is a card stock storage centre.  Darryl, was able to build this so that one side was all uncut card stock and to the other side I am able to store my scraps of card stock, I also house any pattern paper down the side in Cropper Hopper's and have my main Embossing Powders that I work with.



On top of the card stock storage centre, I have 3 boxes that house all my clear and cling stamps, and yes I do own a lot of stamps LOL, I am slowly moving some of these stamps into my new storage centre, this one that you see below.



I can see that if I ever fill this stamp storage, then I am in trouble and really have a problem LOL, there is so much room for this to grow more stamps..the above photo shows how I store my stamps (thanks to Jennifer McGuire for the wonderful tip).

Moving past the card stock storage centre, I have what I call a cutting station, as you can just see I have my Cuttlebug sitting on top of this shelving, the shelving underneath, houses punches, dies, embossing folders, buttons and a few odd little bits and pieces.



To the left of the cutting station, I have my Original Silhouette Machine and Printer.



Keep going left and we now come to more bench space with a huge embellishment centre that has a lot of product in it..



Underneath the embellishment centre, I have a ink storage centre, here houses my Distress Inks, Jenni Bowlin Inks, Hero Arts Inks and a few odd stamp pads, each of these pull out to house more ink in the back.



Moving to the left again, we now find an island that Darryl built, this houses a lot of product in the draws, everything from paper pads, twine, pan pastels, glue, flowers, embellishment, washi tape and the list goes on.



Here is a close up of a couple of those draws.





This last shot if you are still hanging in there with me, is where I blend using Distress Inks, it is also another spot for someone to come on over to craft, not that it ever happens :)



So there is a look into where I craft and spend my spare time creating...I love the fact that I can come and go and shut the door if I have to when it is really messy...

Thank you for looking at my crafty space.
-Joy Taylor

darling dear

With our CHA releases coming to the shop soon, we wanted to share a bit more Darling Dear inspiration from our Creative Team.


patterned paper - Darling Dear Wayne, Hepburn vellum, 6x6 paper pad ; chipboard - Darling Dear Printed Chipboard Speech Bubbles  ; veneer - Darling Dear Triangles and Diamonds wood veneer ; gems - Darling Dear Opaque Brights ; alpha - Darling Dear Navy 6x7 alpha stickers ; stamp - Calico V.3 roller date stamp ; ink - Versafine Onyx Black

(Supplies - Patterned Papers : Darling Dear - Sinatra & Gable ; Stickers : Hearts & Arrows, Vellum Shapes ; Tiny Alpha - Charcoal : Tiny attacher)

(supplies : darling dear badges, darling dear crawford, darling dear hepburn, darling dear garland)

patterned paper - Darling Dear Crawford, Sinatra, Flynn, Taylor; veneer - Darling Dear Wood Veneer Alphabet; gems - Darling Dear Opaque Gems - White

(Supplies - Patterned Papers : Darling Dear - Wayne, Gable ; Tiny Alpha - Charcoal ; Stickers - Hearts & Arrows ; Chipboard - Hearts ; Gems - Greys & Whites )