Studio Calico

PNG and SVG Cut Tutorial

Goodmorning SC'ers! Here's a quick video tutorial on using the .png and .svg cut files that are now available at the Studio Calico Digital shop. 

 

Using Studio Calico's Cut Files (.png and .svg files) from Tina Aszmus on Vimeo.

tutorial

If you love stamping, mists, and rainbows…I've got a fun tutorial to share with you today!  I used this same technique on my "Happy Day" layout from the Summer of '69 gallery, using the awesome chevron stamp from the Five and Dime add on.  It's very easy to do and who doesn't love pretty colors?  If you take the time to gather your supplies and get everything ready before you start, it's pretty fast too.  Let's get started!

1.  Gather your supplies:  stamp (large background stamps work well), Versamark ink pad, white embossing powder, white card stock, foam brush, and a rainbow of Mister Huey's mist colors, heat gun, water in a small bowl, some aluminum foil to use as a "tray" (or something else to hold the mist drops).


2.  Using the Versamark ink pad, stamp the image onto the white card stock. (I'm making a card in this tutorial, so I'll just be stamping my 4x6 background stamp once.  For my layout I stamped repeatedly to get a larger background.)  I've used clear embossing powder for this technique also, but really white works the best and gives a crisper resist image on white card stock.  Sprinkle the white embossing powder onto the stamped image, shake off the excess gently, and heat emboss.  You'll end up with a white on white image that's hard to see.  But that will soon change! 



3.  I like to make a little tray out of some aluminum foil to hold my mist drops.  If you fold up the edges it keeps everything contained and you get to toss it afterwards…less mess!  Open up the mist bottles and drop a few drops of each color onto the foil as shown.  You don't need much for a smaller project like a card.

4.  Now comes the fun part!  Dip your foam brush in the water to moisten it and then dip it into the first color you want to use (RED!).  Now just brush it across the stamped image.  I decided to make my rainbow go diagonally across the card, so I painted on the mist in that direction.  You want to let the color fade as you move to the next mist color in your line up, so maybe grab a little more water on your brush and swipe it across the red on your image again towards the bottom edge.  Rinse your brush and repeat with the orange, then the yellow, then green, etc until you have all the colors done.  You can go back and add a little more water in places that end up too vivid or add mist to the places that are too washed out.  Just work quickly so that it stays wet and remember to wash off your brush in between colors. 

5.  After you have all the colors finished, take a paper towel and carefully (with the towel wrapped around your index finger) wipe the mist off of the embossed image.  Rotate the towel often so that you have a clean area to wipe with.  The embossing powder will act as a resist and the mist will come off when rubbed.  Now your embossed image should show up beautifully!

6.  Trim your card stock to the desired size and embellish.  You'll notice that the colors do fade a bit as they dry.

(Supplies:  white card stock; Versamark ink pad; Zing! white embossing powder; Zap heat gun, Studio Calico Mister Huey's mists: Overdue, Sunset, Sherbet  Taxi, Pickle, Bluegrass, and Bonney Blue; Heyday Sunburst Background Stamp; Heyday Sentiments Stamp; More Vellum; Black Stazon; Acrylic Block; Studio Calico Veneer Stars)

And that's it!  I hope you'll give this technique a try and share your creations in the member gallery. Have a great day!

tutorial

Hey everyone! Kinsey here with a tutorial on how to construct your own Instagram mini album. I created another version of this project a few months ago using different page protectors and have gotten loads of requests for a tutorial on it so here goes!

In the interest of not having a mile long post, I condensed all the photos into one block. If you click on the image it’ll expand for you. Keep in mind, you can customize any part of the album to suit your preferences but I’ll be using the measurements from my version of it. Ok, so let’s do this!

(click on the image to make it larger)

1. First things first, wrangle all your supplies.

Materials// Chipboard. Various page protectors & fillers: 4 x 4 pockets (WRMK 12 x 12 page with 9 pockets), 2.5 x 3.5 pockets (regular 8.5 x 11 baseball card page), glassine bags. 2 pronged metal fasteners. Heyday: fabrips, 6 x 6 paper pad, mistable stickers, thickers, stamps, veneers. Hero Arts ink pads. Tape adhesive. Hole punch. Ruler. Craft knife.

2. Using a craft knife and a sturdy ruler or straight edge, cut page protectors to size. Make sure that you cut outside of the pocket seam to keep each divided section intact. Also, leave the hole strip (for the binding) attached to the protectors- you will need this to add your pages to the album and enable the pages to flip once they’re in the book. From the baseball pages, I cut 3 pockets across and from the WRMK pages, I cut 2 pockets across (see photo #2 above). I lucked out because they ended up being the same width, hooray!

3. Dress up the ugly page protector bindings with cute Heyday patterned papers. Cut enough 2 x 4 inch strips of patterned paper for all of your insert pages. Using a bone folder, fold each strip in half lengthwise (or hotdog style as Brianna says, ha!).  In order for your pages to flip once they are in the book, adhere the binding strips so that the edges of the paper are just inside the seam of the protector. Trim any excess binding paper from the top or bottom edges to clean them up. If you are adding pockets, bags or envelopes, the process is the same but if they don’t flip or bend easily, you may want to use a fabrip instead of paper for the binding strip (it will be more flexible).

4. This is what the bindings of the page protectors and insert pages should look like when they’re done.

5. Punch holes in the pages. Using the unpronged piece of the metal fastener (it has 2 holes in the ends) and a pencil, center the metal piece on the binding, trace the holes, and punch.

6. Cut the covers and binding piece. I save all the chipboard sheets that come with my kits because they make awesome book covers…Cut 2 pieces to measure 9.5 x 4.5 inches and 1 binding piece to measure 1 x 4.5 inches. Cut 2 pieces of fabrip to measure 3.25 x 4.5. Peel the backing from one of the cut fabrip pieces and lay it on your work surface face down. Center the 1 inch chipboard strip on the fabrip and then add the cover pieces on either side of it so it looks like photo #6 above. Peel the backing from the other fabrip piece and apply it in the same way so that the inside and outside of the covers match.

7. The inside and outside of your covers should look similar to this.

8. Punch holes in the cover for the metal fastener. Lay out the cover so that you are looking at the inside of your book. On the right side of the binding piece, use one of your hole punched filler pages as a template to trace the holes onto the cover and then punch.

9. Put your pages in and lock it down. Thread the 2 pronged piece through the holes in the back cover, put in the pages in whatever order you prefer (I did mine glassine bag, baseball card pockets, and then 4 x 4 pockets), and then add the flat metal piece with holes in it and fold the prongs down and slide the locks over each prong to hold everything in place.

10. The ‘bones’ of the book are done! I usually fill my books about halfway with pages because I like to use bulky embellishments so they can fatten up pretty quickly. Filling it halfway gives me some wiggle room and if it looks puny, I can always add more pages to it.

So now that we’ve finished the basic construction, I couldn’t just leave it blank and empty…so here’s the same album all dressed up…

(click on the image to make it bigger)

For the cover I was inspired by Waleska’s 5^th Anniversary layout that was featured here on the SC blog. I cut the ‘ombre waves’ apart, layered them on the cover, and then stitched them into place. I also added some stamping on the right edge using the states stamps.

On the inside cover, I left it blank because I liked how the wavy stitches look against the raw chipboard.

For all of the filler pages, I kept it pretty simple. I stuck with the aqua and neutral color combo which made everything come together so easily.  As you can see, I used some dimensional embellishments in this one and I’m not sure if you can see it in the photos but all the ‘chunky’ items are on the outside of the protector- not on the pages. I’ve found that adding big stuff to little pockets = puckering and wonkiness so by adding it to the outsides, everything behaves much better.

Thanks so much for hanging out with me today! As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!

mist + veneer tutorial

Hi everyone! I’m here today to share a fun new way to use your wood veneer…as little masks when you’re misting!

I wanted to use the cute little wood veneer people for my card, so I started by using some temporary adhesive and lining up a couple of the large wood veneer people across the patterned paper.

Then I misted with Boss Lady Mister Huey and after it dried, I took off the wood veneer. I actually misted a bit too close to the paper so it bled a little. To remedy that, I used my favorite Uniball Signo white pen to outline the people and they looked as good as new.

I always have some scraps lying around my work area, so I finished off this simple card with some stamping, Take Note scraps, and twine. Super easy right? :)

(Supplies: Boss Lady Mister Huey, Continental patterned paper, Take Note 6x6 pad, Cherry Red Divine Twine, Uniball Signo white pen, Hey Day Sentiments stamp set, Hey Y’all stamp set, Versafine Onyx Black inkpad)

I hope you give this a try and have fun playing with your mists and wood veneer!

Hello everyone!

Here's a video I made to show you how to make fun and textured background using your Silhouette and gesso!

All you'll need is patterned paper, white cardstock to use in your Cameo, gesso and Mr Huey!

Now watch the video and let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

 

tutorial

Hi there, Studio Calico fans!  Dawn McVey here to share a bit with you using Studio Calico's new border stamps.  Of course these stamps are ideal for adding the perfect stamped border to your layout or card, but they’re also great for stamping your own background patterns.  Not only do they make quick work of the task because of their size, but they also give you the flexibility of stamping the pattern for your project in any color you need!


As you can see here, I used the large numbers border stamp from the Please Note stamp set (part of the new Take Note line) to create a really fun background pattern. These numbers make the perfect addition to a birthday card (which I’ll show you in a bit!) or a birthday themed layout.  I simply stamped the pattern over and over using one color of ink, covering the entire surface of the card stock.


Next is a pattern I stamped using 3 different colors of pink and red inks and the airmail stamp from the Calico Borders stamp set (part of the new Classic Calico Vol 2 line).

Keep in mind that after you stamp these fun patterns, you can use them as backgrounds on your projects or you could die cut them to create your own patterned shapes!


This pattern uses the abc stamp, also from the Calico Borders set.  This time, I stamped the pattern in 4 different inks.  I love how just by changing up your ink color(s), you could totally change the look of these patterns to make them work for whatever project you need.


On this last pattern (also from Calico Borders), I stamped the butterflies with Versamark ink and then heat embossed them with Zing embossing powder in Chestnut.  That embossing made it super easy to color (and stay inside the lines!) the butterflies with Copic markers.


Here’s a little birthday card I put together using the numbers background pattern.


For an added bit of detail on the background, I spritzed on some Mister Huey’s Calico Shine spray and then added some splatters of Mister Huey’s spray in Custard.


For the focal point, I stamped the ‘date’ image from the new Hey Y’All stamp set (Take Note collection) and trimmed off the right side.  I also stamped the “HEY” from the same set, by only inking up part of the “Hey Y’All” sentiment.  I then used that same trick with the birthday sentiment, by only inking the “happy birthday” from the long “happy birthday to you” border stamp.  

A couple of new woodgrain butterfly stickers were added (with foam adhesive) and were layered on a doily die cut (Doily Details Die from Papertrey Ink) as well as a punched out circle of patterned paper from the Take Note collection.

I hope I’ve encouraged you to pull out those border stamps and put them to work creating background patterns!  And perhaps you’ve got a few new stamps to add to your wish list now too!  *wink*

Hope you have a great day!

Tina's Tutorial

Hey Guys! Tina here with a quick tutorial using the brand spanking new Studio Calico stamps from their recent release of the Take Note line.

I was immediatly drawn to the speech bubble stamp and found that a repetive pattern would make a great statement to this layout. I gathered my supplies, which included my black Staz On ink pad, an acrylic mounting block, my Honey Bee scissors & the ProArts Glue Gun. I also printed off some wallet sized photos as well as a collage of some Instagrams which you can do easisly in Picnik. 


Start by stamping the speech bubble on several different patterned papers & cut out. I also wanted to use some of the other stamps in these sets like the PRINT & Approval.

Next, I stamped the image over several smaller sized photos & cut those out. (please excuse my unkept acrylic block...it's in dire need of a cleaning)

To assemple the layout, I knew I wanted some of the images to pop off the page so I adhered them with foam tabs. I left a blank spot at the bottom right corner to work in my title. This is where you can make these stamps work for you. I often cut up wording because they don't always fit & I'm not not going to use an image I love just because of that. The quote was very fitting for me right now & I wanted to emphasize the word BELIEVED. I used the Amy Tan thickers from the Handmade kit for the title & worked the stamp around the word by cutting "she".


I added a few speckles of Atmosphere mist at the bottom to finish it off. 

Thanks for joining me today! Hope this inspires you to think outside the box with your stamps as far as using photographs and cutting up phrases. 

 

Vee's Tutorial

Hello there SC'ers, It's Vee here with a quick tutorial for you today, that I hope you will enjoy. It has become a favorite technique of mine as of late. I love embossing onto acrylic overlays, it is super easy and I am going to show you how to add these glossy accents to your projects!


Gather your supplies, embossing powder(s), watermark stamp pad, overlay, stamp(s), heating tool and scissors. If you do not have clear overlays, you can use the protective sheets that come with your acrylic stamps or rubons. 


Select the stamp(s) you would like to use on your project,stamp the image onto the overlay using a watermark ink pad. Make sure you press firmly but not to hard (do not want the image to slide) in order to get a clear image.  Sprinkle embossing powder over the stamped image.  Shake the extra powder back into the jar. If you have extra powder on around your image you can turn over the overlay and pluck the back so the extra embossing powder will drop off.  I usually do this step over my trash can.


To seal the embossing powder use a heating tool to melt the embossing powder. Hold the tool about five- six inches above the image moving the tool back and forth to avoid burning the acrylic and powder.  Heat the image for about 10-12 seconds or until you see the image raise up and becomes shiny. Let the image cool for a few seconds then cut out your stamped image and adhere it to your project.  I LOVE the added texture of this technique! This to That glue dot adhesive is a great way to adhere this clear embellishment, I like to add it to portions of the image that is opaque so it doesn't show once adhered to the project.

Supplies:  Classic Calico Folio; VersaMark Stamp Pad; Zing-mustard; Zing-aqua;  This to That Glue Dot Adhesive; Mister Huey's Ink-Pickle; StazOn Ink-jetblack;American Crafts Pro Pen; Kraft Star Stickers;JBS Ink

I love this embossing technique because it is a fun way to add texture without embossing directly to the project and possibly making a mistake. Have fun and have a great year!!
xo

Tina's Tutorial

Hi guys! It's Tina, and I've got a quick tutorial for ya. Just a simple approach to creating some of your own personal fillers and journaling cards for your 2012 Project Life. I made several batches using neutral colors so they will be easy to incorporate with my other PL paper items and everyday ephemera.

I first gathered my supplies which included my favorite Mister Huey's, Clay, Calico White and Atmosphere. I used More Gray and More Kraft and several patterned papers from the Classic Calico Collection. I also gathered some stamps and a few embellishments.

I created some simple backgrounds using different stencils, like my favorite SC Ampersand along with the Misters.

After drying, I cut them down to size according to my own PL page protectors. I did a little stamping and added a few stickers. Now I have my own personal journaling cards ready to use!

Thanks for hanging with me today!

Jen's Tutorial

Hi guys! It's Jen here with a super quick and easy tutorial on creating the flower I used on my 1 Year layout from this months Brooklyn Flea Gallery. 

I love to use large embellishments on my page, and this is an easy way to create your own. The fun part is that you can use whatever paper you want and embellish it any way you want for endless possibilities. 

To begin, you'll need to cut about 6 or 7 strips of 12x12 paper, more or less depending on how large you want your flower to be. I like to have varying widths, so I cut my strips anywhere from 1/4 inch to 1 inch wide. 

Next, you'll take each strip and fold the ends in to the center so that they overlap a tiny bit. Do not crease the ends, just just gently fold. Then staple or adhere it in the center. I like to staple with my Tiny Attacher just because it's a little quicker. 

Now I just layer one by one. I start by layering 2 at a right angle, staple those together. Then you just add them as you go, layering them at different intervals. Staple each one a few times just to be sure it's sturdy. Once you get to the last few strips it can be a little difficult to staple, just work with it and you'll get it. 

Finally, I punch a circle and place 2 stacked American Crafts foam adhesive circles underneath and then place in the center of my flower. I then adhere the entire piece to the page with more foam adhesive.
Supplies: Memoir Collection Linen Paper, Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher, American Crafts Foam Adhesive, American Crafts Slick Writer, Brooklyn Flea Kit, Snow Cone Kit, More Kraft Kit, More Vanilla Kit

Hope you guys enjoyed this tutorial!