Studio Calico

product spotlight

We've shared a lot of layouts with our new Atlantic line, so today we wanted to put the spotlight on how these products can be used in cards and Project Life.

Robyn Werlich - happy travels card : 

Supplies: Patterned Paper - Studio Calico Atlantic Plymouth; Brads - Studio Calico Atlantic Epoxy Brads; Star Stickers - Studio Calico Atlantic Star Stickers; Other: Silhouette Cameo, Foam Tab Circles,  Transparent Watercolor Papers, Water Brush Medium, white cardstock, paper clip

Leena Loh - Project Life spread : 

(Supplies: Atlantic Collection - Patterned Paper - Atlantic City, Nantucket, Scarborough, New Haven, Rockport, South Hampton, Cape Cod, Gold Kraft, Vellum; Fabric - Fabric Bows; Wood veneer - Burnished Circle, Tiny Hearts; Stickers - Cork Circle, Cork Arrow and Chevron, Glittered Star, Star; Die-cut -  Vellum Die Cut Shapes, Punch - Mini Anchor, Alphas - Rockabye, Sunrise; Others - 4x3 and 4x6 Grids Cards, Current Stamps, Planetarium Digital Printable Labels)

What projects have you used Atlantic for? We'd love to hear!

weekly challenge | April Foster and Lisa Truesdell

Hey everyone! This is Lisa Truesdell, and April Foster and I are here with this week's challenge. We're keeping it simple this week - we want you to break out your punches! Even with my Silhouette around, I've still kept most of my basic punches. They're a great way to add a little something extra to any project you're working on.

(Supplies - Lyra add-on; Martha Stewart glue pen; Foam dots; Precision Pen; Glue Glider Pro; square punches)

April gave her square punches a workout on this page - first she punched squares from strips of patterned paper, and then she went back and filled them with words, photos and contrasting paper. She popped the inner squares up on popdots to add some dimension. I love how the squares aren't perfectly lined up on her layout!

(Supplies -Studio Calico Atlantic 6x6 paper pad, cork circles, cork arrows, sequins, 12x12 sticker sheet, glittered stars, star stickers, printables & printable labels; 4x6 More Grid Cards; Planetarium Project Life kit; Darling Dear calendar pockets; punches - Fiskars (circles, star, arrow);other - tiny attacher, washi tape, star clip, date stamps, tags and enamel dots)

I don't always remember to grab my punches when I work on Project Life - but they really are a great fit. Punched paper doesn't add any bulk to the pockets, and it's a fun way to add accents to the empty space on your journaling cards or photos. I stuck with my three favorite shapes - circles, arrows and stars - and repeated them throughout my week.

We can't wait to see how you'll use punches!! Make a project for this challenge, then share it in the Studio Calico gallery. Leave us a link to your project by May 27th in the comments here to be entered to win a $5 GC to the Studio Calico Shop.

Day by Day | Amanda Caves

Hello everyone!  Amanda here to share some prompts for your Project Life cards. These are great to prepare ahead of time and just grab and fill in some journaling and/or a photo as the weeks progress.  I've made some samples to show you, but also have created a list of examples for you to reference when you need some filler ideas.

Prompts:
Song of the Week
Quote of the Week
Highlight of the Week
Highs and Lows
To Do List
Goals
Accomplishments
This Week We Learned....
This Week I (We) Read....
Favorite Snack(s)
Dinners This Week
Favorite Outfit this Week


This prompt can be used for all sorts of lists.  Top Ten Songs, Weekly Top Ten, Top Ten TV Shows, Top Ten Books, Top Ten Pictures, etc.


If you've checked out my Project Life layouts, you know how much I love tiny envelopes and bags.  Tiny envelope plus tiny paper clip equals incredible cuteness.  You can use this prompt to record prayers and thoughts on your mind for the week or the day.  Envelopes are a great way to include journaling that you can reflect on later, but that aren't so apparent to everyone perusing your album.

Who doesn't love a good quote? Particularly from little minds that don't always hear or repeat things the way they were originally communicated?  My son Wilder says hilarious things pretty much every day.  I love to capture this time with him as I know all too well how quickly this stage will pass.


And music.  I love music. Don't we all?  I think this card would be great to incorporate your favorite song of the week or even your playlist of the week.

(supplies---journal cards: Studio Calico Planetarium Project Life Kit, Neverland Project Life Kit, and Halley's Comet Add-on; alphas: Studio Calico Orion Add-On; Veneer: Studio Calico Halley's Comet Add-On;  twine:  Studio Calico Orion Add-On; cork embellishments:  Studio Calico Orion Add-On, Mists: Mr. Huey Opaque White and Mr. Huey Ocean; envelope: Studio Calico Abroad)

The next time you have an empty pocket in your PL spread, I hope these ideas help!

-Amanda Caves

weekly challenge | Anna-Maria Wolniak & Natalia Bun

Hi ladies! Anna-Maria and Natalia here to give you a new challenge for your layout and PL spread. I love quotes and it's always been a huge part of my layouts and PL spread. I love it most when I randomly stumble on a quote, something that's exactly what I needed to hear. When that happens, I always remember to screen grab them on my iPhone to use for my next spread or layout.  So for this challenge, we want you to find a quote that you recently found or one that's been on your mind, something that you really feel and definitely worth scrapping about :)

Anna-Maria used this quote for her layout. "Decide that you want it more then you are afraid of it".

(supplies: patterned paper: 'Planetarium' Scrapbook Main Kit, alphabets: 'Orion' and 'Lyra' Scrapbook add-ons, wooden veneers: 'Big Dipper' Scrapbook add-on andAtlantic Burnished Circle from 'Halley's Comet' PL add-on, printables: Planetarium Digital Printable #1 GS, Planetarium Digital Printable #2 MP, Planetarium Digital Printable Fancy Labels, other: Watercolor Transparent Papers, Mister Huey's Shell and Mister Huey's Seafoam both from Atlantic Collection)

I made a Project Life spread and printed out the quote in 4x6" card. I found this quote on Tumblr recently and I thought it's perfect. Life is indeed a balance of the good and bad.

(supplies: patterned paper - Atlantic 12x12 Vellum, South Hampton, Plymouth, New Haven; Bow - Atlantic Fabric Bows; Atlantic Cork Circles Stickers & Arrows; Atlantic Star Stickers; Atlantic Vellum Die Cut Shapes; Thickers - Atlantic Sunrise)

Make a project for this challenge, then share it in the Studio Calico gallery. Leave us a link to your project by May 13th in the comments here to be entered to win a $5 GC to the Studio Calico Shop.

Thank you!

Natalia & Anna-Maria

NSD at SC | 2013 | PL team challenge 3

See through elements add a bit of fun to any project - whether it's a pocket you can peek through in a Project Life album, a window in the front of a card, or an overlay or sheet of vellum mixed into the layers of a layout to give it more interest. For this challenge, add something transparent to your next creation!

Leena Loh | To make my window card for my PL spread, I cut out a piece of 8 1/4" x 6" pattern paper from Fancy Pants Trend Setter paper from the Big Dipper kit. I then cut a window in the center of that paper leaving about an inch of border all around the 4 edges. Then, I inserted this window card into Becky Higgins 6" x 12" protector, trimmed off the protector top to fit the window card. Next, I machine sewed a U-shape around the inside window card on the protector itself, leaving the top open. I poured in the Atlantic Sequin from my Halley's Comet kit, punched some papers and added into the see through window, together with a few pieces of wood chips from Freckled Fawn (from Big Dipper kit) to make them into confetti. I sewed the top to seal the window card. I machine sewed again across the protector of the see through window card randomly and added Heidi Swapp Clear Pop Letters on top of the protector. 

Julie Campbell | I love the new Atlantic printables & wanted to try them out for this challenge.  I imported the images into my Silhouette software & used the circle tool to cut out a window for my card.  The card base is actually made from an office transparency & it gives the illusion that the "love" die cut is floating in the center of my card.  I added patterned paper to the inside to create a space for writing a message to the recipient.

Celine Navarro | Hey everyone and HAPPY NSD! Let's talk "transparencies" here! Our challenge now is that you use anything see through! For my layout, I glued and then sewed a piece of glitter & star lace curtain that I bought at my favorite Fabric store - look how cool it looks! You can actually see through the fabric and peek at the gorgeous Studio Calico Sundrifter paper. I also used a Studio Calico Sundrifter vellum paper to create a fun and see through pocket near my photo. Whether it is fabric or vellum, you can easily find see-through supplies to create unique and colorful layouts!

To be entered to win a prize from the fabulous Studio Calico prize stash, leave a comment here with a link to your new layout, card or PL spread/cards in the Studio Calico gallery by May 13th. We can't wait to see what you make!

NSD at SC | 2013 | PL team challenge 1

Our Creative Teams have fallen in love with the Studio Calico digital stamps, printables and templates as a way to stretch their kits even futher. For this challenge, they want you to try a digital element or two on your next project. And to make it even easier, we've even got a free printable for you right here.

Catherine Davis | I used the Planetarium Spring Snaps Digital Layout Template in the 6x12 size to make an insert for my album. Love how inserts can really focus on a specific event or theme. For the back of my template, I used the heart and text elements from the template again to anchor my journaling and added a strip of patterned paper.

Shanna Noel | It was natural for me to sign up for the digital challenge. I love all the ways you can use digital elements in your pages, but brushes are my favorite. I love taking an element on your page (for me it was the salmon color in the paper clip) and matching it to the brush you want to use. I simply added a brush from the Planetarium kits to the photo to tie the colors all together a bit, plus can you really have too much of that adorable stamp? No, I didn't think so either!! :) I can't wait to see what you guys do with this challenge, I am always so inspired by you!

Deb Duty | I created this layout with the soft blues and yellow found in the Planetarium kits. The arrow that says "the little things" is from the printables that are available to go with the kits this month. It was the perfect addition to the cluster of elements near the photo of my son as a tiny baby many years ago! 

Lucy Abrams | I love using digital products, and I love to alter them too. For my card, I used the Cross Pattern and Cut Out People stamps from the Project Life Digital set, and a sentiment from the Paislee Press Digital set. First, I altered the Cross Pattern brush to pink, then stamped it repeatedly to create a fun patterned paper background. Then I added a row of Cut Out People, and finally, the cute sentiment. After printing, I added some stitching and a cork arrow sticker to give the card a bit more dimension and texture.

To be entered to win a prize from the fabulous Studio Calico prize stash, leave a comment here with a link to your new layout, card or PL spread/cards in the Studio Calico gallery by May 13th. We can't wait to see what you make!

NSD at SC | 2013 | card team challenge 2

We've all been there. A zillion pieces of patterned paper in your stash, and none have the color scheme or design that you're looking for. Or maybe you have some new stamps you can't wait to get inky - or you just want to try something new. We're challenging you to stamp your own patterned paper!

Stephanie Washburn | I LOVE using stamps to create my own backgrounds! On this one, I picked this tiny ampersand stamp (from Snippets Miss You So Much stamp set) and stamped it in different color inks to create a fun pattern. Then, I blended some distress ink across the card front to create a more rustic look. I finished it off with the sentiment, "you're awesome" stamped in gold ink! Stamping your own background is a great way to create flat, easy to mail cards!


Laura Kurz | So I have been meaning to do these pages for the last four months. Ha. I decided to use my square punch to punch out people's pictures from Christmas cards (if the pictures were bigger than the punch, I just punched it more than once). I have four whole pages of photo inserts! These are coin collector pages that I use in my Project Life album.

I used the hot air balloon stamp to create the background for two of the squares. I typed my title/journaling in red to give it a holiday-esque feel. 

Suzy Plantamura | Stamped backgrounds are perfect for a Project Life album - they bring in a lot of color and interest without bulking up the cards too much!

On the week card, I stamped the word “week” from the Amy Tan stamp set in the May PL kit all over a 4x6 piece of light blue paper; stamping it each time on a piece of scratch paper and then on this paper so the ink is lighter; for a few of the words, I stamped my background first so the ink is darker and those words stand out more. I then added a piece of yellow paper along the bottom and stamped the word “week” in a yellow just a bit darker than the paper. To finish, I stamped the word “week” in red ink on coral paper and cut the numbers out (draw or print on the back side backwards and cut out) and attached them to the front of card. I think that the repetition of the word “week” adds to the theme of this being a weekly introduction card.

For the “confetti” card, I stamped the two borders in one color several times and then stamped over them in a second color so they are just above the first.

To make the card with circles, I stamped the blue ink on a piece of scratch paper first and then stamped; sometimes I would try to leave more ink on the circle so there were different variations of the color; I stamped the words “you are loved” on top of the circles in the same color so it is subtle; then I stamped a yellow circle stamp on a yellow circle and stamped the same words in black and layered it over the background.

Sasha Farina | Using the circle stamp in Big Dipper, I randomly stamped the circle with versamark and embossed them in white before adding the mist. I spray the mist onto my kraft skeet and very lightly put my white cardstock facedown, making sure some parts stay white for the marbled effect. It's a gamble every time, but I love how no two pieces can ever be the same using this technique. Once I'm happy with the background, I gave the embossed parts a good wipe with some tissue.

To be entered to win a prize from the fabulous Studio Calico prize stash, leave a comment here with a link to your new layout, card or PL spread/cards in the Studio Calico gallery by May 13th. We can't wait to see what you make!

NSD at SC | 2013 | SB team challenge 3

Count it out. Add some stats. Measure the distance, or the passing of time. Note their age. So many of us have unused number stickers hanging out in our leter packs, and we want you to put them to work!

Catherine Davis | For this challenge, I knew I wanted to do a countdown of sorts centered around my husband and I. (Majorly lacking "us" in my layouts!) Using my Cameo, I cut out numbers in a variety of sizes. Some are glued on the page flat, some are popped up with foam dots. I used little slips of paper to add a little note with each number and how they could be applied towards our story. I also had fun playing with misting here, using star embellishments as a mask.

Marcy Penner | I love using numbers as titles and large design elements on my page.  I had originally intended to include a very large number, but it got shrunk down as my page moved on and I decided I wanted it in the polaroid frame. Try using a single number as a title, numbers representing quantities, ages, and representing significant moments.

Amanda Caves |The numbers challenge was the perfect opportunity to document favorites from our recent trip to Walt Disney World. I originally planned on ten favorites, but just could not narrow it down to only 10.

Jenn Picard | Numbers are always a fun element to add to a project and when I saw this challenge I knew it was the perfect opportunity to make a very special card. My youngest daughter will be celebrating her birthday in just a few short days and what 6 year old girl wouldn’t want a sparkly number to mark the occasion? I die cut the number 6 then created a banner for it to hang on using some pattern paper and 2 of the super cute Amy Tan ribbon paper clips (I just removed the clips and used the fabric). I attached it to a PL Journaling card from the Halley’s Comet Add on, and then I couldn’t resist using the Studio Calico Roller Date Stamp to mark this special event. To finish it off I reached into my stash of letters and found these ones from Simple Stories SNAP line were the perfect match. Finally for once I would be scrambling last minute to make her a birthday card :)

Anna-Maria Wolniak | Numbers are very spectacular, always. The graphic for of the numbers are always perfect, they look great everywhere: as a pattern, as a title, multiplicate with stamps, masks, texture... If you've never tried, this is the best time to do so.

To be entered to win a prize from the fabulous Studio Calico prize stash, leave a comment here with a link to your new layout, card or PL spread/cards in the Studio Calico gallery by May 13th. We can't wait to see what you make!

NSD at SC | 2013 | SB team challenge 1

That's right - we're challenging you to get a little bit artsy. Break out those watercolors. Stitch on some fabric. Dabble in paint and mist. We want to see you give mixed media a try!

Anna-Maria Wolniak | When we decided to create such challenge on NSD I almost started to fly!!! I mean - watercolors?! - this is "my" world! I adooore watercolors, watercolors effect, watercolor transparent papers, watercolors...  in all of the kinds. I create this page with thought that I should use as much watrcolors as possible and stick with simplicity of the other embellishments.

Tina Aszmus | I've been a lover of watercolor for quite some time but very rarely would apply this medium to layouts. I'm not sure what kept me from doing so because there are a ton of background possiblities. Swipping water color directly on rubber stamps and applying them with stencils are my favorites ways to use this medium right now. I simply taped down the chevron stencil using washi tape (it's low tack and didn't rip my paper) to a sheet of water color paper, and swiped the yellow color using the water brush. Easy peasy. :) 

Robyn Werlich | One of my favorite products from Studio Calico is the 'Here & There' V Pattern Mask! Love it! So, for these cards, I laid the mask on my card front and used watercolors to color in the chevron design. I did the color a bit heavier and lighter in areas to add some depth and variance in the color. I love how they turned out. I added a stamped banner image and saying (from the 'Snippets Miss You So Much stamp set) and popped it up on pop-dots. If your reluctant or nervous about trying some of the more advanced 'artsy' techniques...watercolors and masks are a great place to start! Happy NSD!!

Allison Waken | Project Life is a fun place to play with techniques since I can try a new one on each card! Here’s some mixed media ideas I incorporated into this spread.

Week 14 Card: I placed thickers on a blank 4x6 grid card and painted over with watercolor on a small brush - super easy and fun!  

Excellence Card: To create the ombre effect I loaded up the water color paint and applied it several times to the bottom of the card slowly blending it up with more water. As I got to the top all that was on my brush was water. Once it dried completely I printed over it with my quote!

Love Lives Here Card: I painted a base of gesso over a printed PL card. Once the gesso was semi-dry I applied some water color on top of that. Once dry I layered it up with a cut file!

To be entered to win a prize from the fabulous Studio Calico prize stash, leave a comment here with a link to your new layout, card or PL spread/cards in the Studio Calico gallery by May 13th. We can't wait to see what you make!

 

NSD at SC | 2013 | PL team challenge 2

Pockets and envelopes are a good product to have in your stash - they can hide journaling, hold confetti, give you a place to hide a gift card - and more! We'd love to see how you use pockets and envelopes on your projects.

Nicole Reaves | I like to use small paper (and sometimes transparent) baggies in my Project Life spreads, especially when I want to include journaling that I don't want everyone to read. I think it adds some fun texture and interest to my pages, whether it is embellished or not. The spread I did here for the challenge is an insert from a long-weekend that my kids spent with my in-laws, their first 'trip' away from us. I'm so happy my mother-in-law took a ton of photos of their adventures and shared them with us! Instead of using a bag from my stash, I cut up some Sundrifter vellum and sewed a pocket to insert in one of the 3x4 slots of this Design G page protector. For now, I've slipped a large white tag in the pocket. The next time I see my mother-in-law, I'm going to ask her to write about her weekend with the kids on the tag and slip it inside the pocket.

Maggie Holmes | Using bags and envelopes is such a fun way to add a little more dimension to a project. My favorite thing to "tuck in" or put inside a glassine bag is sequins! I love how they look in there and think it adds a nice little surprise to anything!

Dana Fleckenstein | While creating with the May kit, I used one of SC's butterfly masks to trace the shape on the back of a pretty patterned paper from the North Star card kit add-on. I then used the this as my guideline to hand-cut the shape from the paper. To finish the card, I stamped a sentiment on cardstock and slid it into one of the cute polka dotted envelopes from the Planetarium card kit.

Maggie Holmes | Cards are a fun way to use glassine bags! It creates a little element of surprise and you can hide your message inside so that the card becomes interactive!

Lisa Truesdell | I think we've all been in a position of wanting to record certain thoughts on a page without them beind front and center. For this page, I wanted to jot down some thoughts about how much we love our current ball team, but part of that reflection included some past struggles with teams. Hiding the journaling lets me focus on this amazing team of boys and their coaches.

I had a little extra room at the bottom of my glassine bag and was going to just trim it down and stitch it shut when I decided it would make an awesome place for some confetti.

To be entered to win a prize from the fabulous Studio Calico prize stash, leave a comment here with a link to your new layout, card or PL spread/cards in the Studio Calico gallery by May 13th. We can't wait to see what you make!