Studio Calico

Behind the Scenes Labels

Good afternoon! It's Kelly checking in from SC Headquarters in Bowling Green and looking out the window at the beautiful Foster Farm.  It's been fun for me to get a peek at even more Behind the Scenes stuff today and I wanted to share one of my favorite finds with you.

You all know that you get pretty lables on your bags each month that have been designed by Stephen.  But seeing the stack of labels, I realized that unless you're buying every single add-on and more each month, you miss out on seeing a few.  Here's one that only a few of you have gotten a peek at...

And one of my favorites I'd never seen before...

Who else looks forward to seeing the new label designs each month? I know I do.  I guess this month you'll just have to place a big big big order to get to see them all!

Sunday Sketch

Happy Reveal Day everyone!  Hope that you're all having fun shopping the fantastic April kits.  I've got a new Sunday Sketch for you this week and I hope it inspires you.  This was one of my favorite layouts of Emily's from her Into the Woods gallery in March...

When I went to make my layout, I dug back into my leftovers from the Into the Woods kit as well!
Supplies: Kit - Into the Woods, Mist - Mister Huey's Applejack, Pen - American Crafts Precision Pen

Emily really inspires me to be more artsy with my layouts, but I'm just not as talented with a paintbrush as she is.  So instead, I took the placement of the rectangle photos and used a little misting + masking.  I punched out the big hearts and laid them down on my page, then misted over top.  Once they were dry, I added in smaller hearts.  Each of those hearts is placed where the rectangles were on Emily's page.

Knowing where to place the photo was easy, I replaced the beach image from her page with a 4x6 photo on mine.  I also kept my title close to that image like she did and added handwritten journaling.  Thanks for the fun inspiration, Em!

Let's see what you come up with!  Just leave a link to your layout using the sketch on this post by Monday, April 4 and we'll draw two winners for SC gift cards.  For more fun with sketches, be sure to check out my new Sketchbook 3 class starting in April!

Behind the Scenes

 
Good Wednesday morning, everyone!  I've got a fun Behind the Scenes post to share with you today.  Take a peek at the awesome new Studio Calico Design Team shirts made with collaboration from my dear friend, Amy Tan...

I got to sport mine while at CKC Louisville this weekend...

And here is SC's teeniest employee to tell you more about the new shirts...

Food Challenge

Supplies: Patterned paper - State Fair Step Right Up, Stickers - State Fair Chipboard, Tags - State Fair Die Cut Tags, Pen - American Crafts .03

Happy Valentines Day to all my SC friends!  While all you happy couples out there are celebrating together, I thought I'd take this opportunity to honor the love of my life... delicious food.  Those of you who know me, know that I take this relationship very seriously.  And believe me, food has loved me back by clinging to my thighs.  Ahhh sweet romance.

My Muffuletta layout was made document my blissful experience with a sandwich down in New Orleans.  I had posted on Facebook that I was in NOLA and asked for suggestions on where to eat.  Studio Calico member Barb Novak left me a note to try out Central Grocery's Muffuletta and it made quite an impact.  Thanks, Barb!

So this week I'm challenging you to create a layout about food or cooking or recipes or anything gastronomy related!  Post your layout and link here by next Monday, February 21 for a chance to win a SC gift card.  I can't wait to see all your eye candy!

Kelly's Challenge

Hi everyone, it's me KP here with your weekly challenge!  I know it's been a bit since we've started fresh with a new year but this week I'm challenging you to go back to 2010.  I want you to scrap with a kit from 2010 - and only a kit from 2010.  That means no other products beside adhesive, scissors, and punches. 

So pull out those old brown bags!  If you're like me you leave everything in the bag stacked (ahem) neatly together so you can always pull them out again later.  Well, now's the time to break into that pile and whip something up!

Supplies: Kit - Napa Valley

I had this photo of my friend Amy and when I was thinking about scrapping it I thought of how perfect the colors would go with the November Napa Valley kit (which is still available in the shop).  So I searched for that bag (and since I'm so organized it only took me a quick second.  Right, right.)  I had lots of scraps of paper to use and tons of product left over, I could have made a few more layouts using the kit.

So take us down memory lane and share one more layout made with a kit from 2010!  Don't forget to share which kit you used and hopefully you'll inspire more people to pull out those older kits too.  Post your comment by Monday, January 31st for a chance to win a SC gift card.  Have fun!

Geralyn - Guest DT

I think there's no argument in saying that January's Guest Designer, Geralyn, really knocked it out of the ballpark with her gallery.  Her layouts were fun, whimsical, and made me want to use my kit over and over.  Now let's take a minute to get to know more about her!
When did you start scrapbooking? I started scrapbooking in high school - specifically, at the end of 2007. I bought a scrapbooking kit at a grocery store and made a scrapbook as a birthday gift for a friend. From there, I became addicted to this hobby and began searching online (which is how I found out about SC!) and reading issues of Creating Keepsakes and Scrapbooks Etc.

Where do you find your inspiration? I find my inspiration pretty much everywhere. Sometimes a certain color combination will catch my eye, or a specific scrapbooking product, advertisement, or magazine layout. I like to visit design and fashion blogs as well...those often spark an idea.

What's your favorite thing about this hobby? I love the creative process of scrapbooking. It's so nice to have this creative outlet where I can play with paper and glue. I love pairing up different patterns together, playing with new products, and turning ideas I have into creations on paper. I also love that I can document my thoughts and memories through scrapbooking; it will be so interesting to look at my albums years from now.

What do you like to focus on when you scrapbook (photos, design, journaling, etc)? I tend to focus on the photos and the design of the layout when I'm scrapbooking. That's the most fun for me. I like to leave the journaling last.

Besides scrapbooking, what other things do you like to do in your spare time? I work part-time and I'm a full-time student, so unfortunately, my spare time is pretty limited. Other than scrapbooking, I love to take photos and watch TV shows - both Asian and American ones. I like to read as well, although I haven't picked up a good book in a while.

What are five fun facts about you...
1) I love to travel. I've been to over 15 countries and there are so many places I'd love to visit and re-vist in the future.

2) I used to dislike my name when I was younger because everyone always mispronounced it. I've gotten used to it though, and once in a while I get compliments about how unique my name is :)

3) I took French from 4th grade up until 12th grade. I really enjoyed learning it, but since I stopped a few years ago, my ability to speak and comprehend it is very limited. I loved reading Le Petit Prince in French though - I thought it was a beautiful book.

4) I started teaching myself basic html coding and making graphics at the end of elementary school, just for fun. It's crazy to think that I've been playing around with Photoshop for so many years and that I've tried my hand at making several websites since such a young age, but it has definitely been fun.

5) I am so much more comfortable in flats, flip flops and sneakers than I am in heels. I love cute flats!

Geralyn also share with us one of her favorite photos of herself... how cool is this:

Thanks for being a wonderful member of the Studio Calico community and a fabulous guest designer, Geralyn!  We always love seeing you share your amazing work.

Kelly's Tutorial

Good morning!  It's Kelly here with your Tuesday Tutorial.  I created this layout for the Napa Valley gallery and wanted to share more about making paper accents.

Flowers, circles, pinwheels, bursts, whatever you'd like to call them... they're fun to make!  I used them as accents on that layout but also came up with an idea to create a banner out of them too.

It's an easy little decoration to help ring in the New Year.  I started by cutting strips of Jet Set paper into 1.5x12 strips. 

Punch one edge with a border punch.

Start to fold your paper accordian style.  I've found that the smaller the folds, the easier it is to adhere the flower together.

Once they're all folded, glue the two ends of the strip together so it forms a circle.  I also punched a circle out of scrap paper, added a glue dot in the center, and adhered it to the back of my flower.  This helps it keep it's shape and lay flat.

Once they were all assembled, I used the clock rub-ons on white cardstock and punched them out with a circle punch.  These got adhered to the centers of each flower.

I stamped my numbers with the Natalee stamp set then cut them out and adhered them to the centers of the clocks.  I turned the flowers into ribbons by adding some strips of Show Your Work paper.

I hope you can see how easy it is to create your own flowers.  They could be used as embellishments on your pages or banners, and if you're looking to do something for the holidays they'd make cute ornaments for the tree or toppers for your gifts!

Sunday Sketch

Happy Sunday y'all! This is Stephanie here with this week's Sunday Sketch. I'm so happy to be playing along with the awesome challenge this week.

This sketch is based off of Kelly Purkey's fantastic SF layout from the Napa Valley gallery.
I know this layout has been bookmarked by many, many people. I've also had my eye on it for quite a while... I was so excited to have the opportunity to lift it this week. I was inspired by every single element of this layout, and though I lifted many of the elements literally, I did change a few things. The first thing I did was interpret Kelly's sketch into a 12x12 layout.

I really like the way that Kelly used index prints on her layout. I did not have enough photos of my layout topic to do this,though... so I did one large photo and three smaller prints next to it.


Supplies: Patterned Paper- Anthology Compilation; Stickers - Home Front Alpha Stickers, Elementary Label Stickers, KI Memories Days of Week Stickers; Mist- Mister Huey's Calico White; Embellishments - Notions, Maya Road Kraft Doilies, Martha Stewart Die Cut Doilies, JBS Red Buttons, SC Veneer Stars; Pen - AC precision pen (.03)

I mimicked Kelly's fabulous star embellishment clusters by using SC Notions, veneer stars (enhanced with white Mister Huey), doilies, and buttons.  I loved the way that Kelly's journaling outlined her patterned paper block, as a design element. I decided to put my journaling in the same place. I feel that it finishes off the layout perfectly.  Thanks so much for the inspiration, Kelly!

Include your link to this thread by Saturday for a chance to win one of two $5 Studio Calico gift cards.  Good luck!

Sunday Sketch

Hi everyone, it's Kelly Purkey here with your Sunday Sketch...

The sketch is based on the adorable layout Baby Toupee from Jen Jockish's November gallery using Napa Valley, Mendocino, and Monterey.  I love all the little details on her page, especially the great circles...

For my page, I also pulled out my Napa Valley kit...
Supplies: Napa Valley kit, Buttons - PaperTrey Ink, Stapler - Tiny Attacher, Punch - Fiskars Postage Stamp

I loved her title and photo placement so I kept them in the same spot on my layout.  I replaced the colorful cirlces with postage stamp accents punched with white cardstock and the Fiskars Postage Stamp punch.  I added in some color using the SC exclusive paper, Ascot.  You can create your own unqiue accents with any punches or even stamps.

So now it's your turn to play with the sketch!  Include your link to this thread by Saturday for a chance to win one of two $5 Studio Calico gift cards.  Good luck and have fun!

Elementary Fabrips

Hi all! It's Lisa here, bringing you a new product spotlight. Fabrips are one of my favorite Studio Calico products, so I'm excited to be here with two layouts featuring ways to use them.

Fabrips are one of those products you can't truly appreciate until you try them.  When we used them in a make & take at CHA this summer, it was so so fun to watch people's faces light up as they realized how fun it was to rip them into strips! Once you got a strip, the possibilities are endless.  You can fold them, pleat them, bunch them or twist them. And if you decide you don't like it, you can straighten them back out. Since they're fabric based, they won't show the creases - but on the flip side, they're adhesive backed so they WILL hold their shape once you have them just so. They're also thin enough that you can punch them, layer them, stitch through them or staple them with no problem. Kelly and I both used the Fabrips that match the new Elementary Line, but Studio Calico has also made them to coordinate with Home Front, Documentary & Anthology, and you may have gotten them in some older SC kits. These have been a favorite around SC for a long time!

Kelly Purkey made these beautiful flower accents using the Elementary Fabrips. She simply cut circles from the sheet of fabrips, and then cut them into a spiral and twisted them into flowers.  Each rosette is finished off with a button and leaves made using a heart punch. Beautiful! You'll also noticed that she added two fabrips as a border under her photo.

Supplies: Patterned paper - Elementary Penmanship, Elementary Harper's Ruler; Fabrips - Elementary; Stickers - Homefront; Punches - Fiskars In Stitches, heart; Other - buttons, gems

While you can do just about anything with Fabrips - I opted to do nothing. I love using little bits and strips of paper on my pages, and for this one, I just substituted some of those strips with Fabrips. The Fabrips come pre-notched to tear at certain widths, but you can still tear them to any width that you'd like.  I mixed narrow strips with wider ones, and added some tiny strips around my veneer pieces. They're an awesome way to add a little texture to your page, even if you aren't into techniques.

Supplies : Patterned paper - Elementary Atmosphere, Elementary, Documentary Window Seat, fabrips - Elementary; Stickers - Elementary; veneer frames; Chipboard - Maya Road, Sugar Woods add-on (8/10); Mist - Mr Huey Dark Calico, Lunch Tray, School House, Apple Jack & Atmopshere; Brads - Basic Grey, My Mind's Eye; Tape - Basic Grey, Footpath add-on (8/10); Punches - Fiskars Notebook

I'd love to hear your favorite way to use Fabrips! I'm always for looking for new techniques to try.  And if you have any questions on working with this fabulous product, please leave a comment - I'd love to help you out.