Studio Calico

Weekly Challenge

If you know my scrapbooking style, you know that I love working with photo enlargements (and with small photos too!)

I love taking a really special picture and making it even more special by enlarging it for a scrapbooking page. I have all of my photos and enlargements printed at scrapbookpictures.com – they do a great job with processing and the prices are very reasonable (an 8.5x11 photo is $1.49). They can print your photos at about any size you want.

I have two ways that I scrapbook with photo enlargements (specifically those I have printed at 8x5x11).

This is an example of the first “technique,” where I almost use the photo as the background paper and then add on the products. On this layout, the area where I have the title and journaling is actually covering up an “imperfection” in the photo (a really ugly shoe basket I forgot to remove before we took the picture!) Supplies: Alphabet sticker – Anthology; Label Sticker – State Fair and Countryside; Woodgrain Butterfly Rub Ons - Countryside

Here is another page where I covered up part of the photo enlargement:
Supplies: Into the Woods Kit

The other “technique” I use with 8.5x11 photo enlargements is to keep the photo solo as one page and then have my title, journaling, etc. all on a second page. Here is an example of that:
Supplies: Singin’ in the Rain Kit

I really love the way the enlargements look when in the album as well, it’s just such a great way to break up the entire album.

This week I'm going to challenge you to use a photo enlargement on a layout!  Post a link your page here by Monday, August 8th for your chance to win a SC GC.

Laura's Favorite Kit

My favorite kit also happens to be one of my first as a member of the Studio Calico Design Team – Granny’s Cupboard.

 

And it’s my favorite because of one little piece – that beautiful piece of chipboard from Buzz and Bloom!

Well, OK, I also love how neutral this kit is with the pops of color in the patterned paper and embellishments!

But, it’s because of that piece of chipboard that I created my all-time favorite layout.


I used the chipboard to highlight a lot of the different elements of the kit – from the patterned paper to the buttons, the doily stamp, and the alphabet stickers. It was also the perfect size for my index prints.

I also loved how the rest of the Design Team used this kit, especially this layout from April.

If I could have one kit repeat, this one would definitely be it!

Laura's Tutorial

I have gotten this question a few times over the last few months, so I decided it was time for a tutorial.

The question I get asked is what kind of typewriter I use to type on to labels and other products. And I don’t have a typewriter (although I think my mom still has my old word processor in storage somewhere!) All I use is the font Courier New, my computer, and printer!

First, I type whatever I want to print on the label in my word processing program.

I then print out this page (usually on a piece of scrap paper).

Then I place my label over the typewritten word(s) (not pressing too hard to permanently adhere it to the paper). I usually hold the paper up to a light to judge where to place the label/sticker (so I can see the words through the sticker).

Next, I put the paper back through my printer.

Then, carefully, I pull the label back off the paper. Be careful because some stickers are on glossier paper than others and it might take the printed words a bit to dry. If you accidentally peel off a little of the paper with the label, don’t worry – you can always put some more adhesive on the back of the label.

And voila! You have your typewritten label made with just a computer and printer!

Sunday Sketch

Hey everyone...Nicole H. here, with my twist on this week's Sketch!!

Sketches are hard sometimes... I tend to take them too literally and overthink them, I think. :) For my take on this one, I was drawn to all of the bits and pieces Laura used on the left side of her page...but I placed mine around the 'orbit' that I cut out of one of the papers from the June kit. I also kept her framed base page, as well as the stitching around the outside. Supplies: Paper Moon Kit, Star Dust Add-on

Link up your layout here by Monday, June 13th for your chance to win two SC GCs!

Laura's Challenge

Hi everyone! This layout from May’s Lawn Party Kit was one of my favorites in a long time (thanks so much to Gracie for the inspiration!) I love using a grid on layouts, I find it’s such a good, simple way to organize lots of fun little elements.

For this page, I used the grid paper on the back of October Afternoon’s Rock Candy paper to create my grid, and then used lots of goodies from the rest of the kit (the Studio Calico exclusive number stamp, the American Crafts Doll Thickers, the 5 & Dime Label Stickers from October Afternoon, and the Spring Fever patterned paper from Fancy Pants) to add elements to the grid. I then finished off the layout with a strip of the October Afternoon Wax Bottles patterned paper.
Supplies: Patterned Paper - October Afternoon Rock Candy, Fancy Pants Spring Fever; Label Stickers - October Afternoon; Number Stamp - Studio Calico; Alphabet stickers - American Crafts.

Need some other ideas for how to use a grid on your page? Here are some other layouts I used grids on: C, Little Bird, and Busy Morning.

Your challenge this week is to make a layout using any kind of grid… post your layout by May 30 for your chance to win an SC gift card. Can’t wait to see what you create!

Sunday Sketch

Hi everyone! Sasha here with a fabulous sketch based on Laura's stunning layout from her Lawn Party gallery.

 

I took the sketch and made a card out of it. I love using sketches when making cards, because, for some reason, I find cards are harder. Why? I have no idea. I absolutely love the grids and imitated that by stitching some twine onto the cardstock. 
Supplies: Cardstock; More Calico, More Vanilla, Mists; Mister Huey Piglet, Mister Huey Clover, Mister Huey BlueGrass, Mister Huey Lemonade, Mister Huey Orchard; Sticker; Label Stickers- Countryside; Stamp; Just a note - Lawn Party kit - Studio Calico; Twine; The Twinery; Brads; American Crafts.

I then punched some butterflies out of white cardstock and gave them a taste of various Mister Huey.

Such happy colors! Have you got yours yet? They're available in the shop! Be sure to post a link of your take on the sketch to this post by May 29 for a chance to win one of two $5 Studio Calico gift cards. Good luck and have fun!

NSD : stamp challenge

One of my favorite ways to use Studio Calico stamps is to create a background for my pages, and turn cardstock into patterned paper!

To create this page, I taped off the four edges of the gray paper (from May's Kit - Lawn Party), and then stamped the typed image (also from Lawn Party) on to the page with gray ink. I cut out the heart using patterned paper and then sewed around the edges of the stamping. I'm including a picture of this layout in my album so you can see how it all works together!

This is one of my favorite ways to use stamps, what is your favorite way to use stamps? Show me how and you could win a great National Scrapbook Day prize package! Link your page in the comments of this post by Friday May 13th for a chance to win a My Mind's Eye Lush 2 prize package!

Sunday Sketch

This week's sketch is based on the awesomeness that is Laura Kurz. I'm always amazed at how simple, yet powerful her layouts are. She can tell a story beautifully with one large photo and a few simple words. I'm greatly inspired by this type of documenting, especially after the birth of my son.

The simplicity is so effective here. One great photo surrounded by little bits of journaling...vit's perfection and a great sketch to follow.


I worked this sketch by using a smaller photo which I'm more comfortable using. Before adhering anything, I used the Mister Huey's Warm Calico to add a random splatter to the page. I grounded the photo by adding a tag from the State Fair die cut pack and added journaling by cutting up the orange Studio Calico phases rub on. Finished it off with some washi tape and a few other small details.

Hope you have as much fun with this sketch as I did. Post your layout to the gallery and link it to this post by Monday, May 2 for your chance to win a $5 Studio Calico gift card.

Sunday Sketch

I had so much fun with this Sunday Sketch and hope you will too! I don’t work off of sketches often, but this made me realize I should use them more!

The sketch is based on this awesome layout by Tina from the Singin’ in the Rain Gallery:

I took the sketch pretty literally, just not using as many squares as Tina. I loved the opportunity to use so many of my favorite SC supplies in a not-so-big space.
Supplies: Cardstock (Bazzill), Elementary Star Woodgrain Rub Ons (Studio Calico), State Fair Wood Veneer Alphabet (Studio Calico), Countryside Woodgrain Butterfly Rub Ons (Studio Calico), Countryside Blue Labels (Studio Calico), State Fair Yellow Labels (Studio Calico), Woodgrain Fabrips (Studio Calico)

My page is going to serve as the last page of the “Summer 2010” portion of my son Charlie’s scrapbook, so I didn’t feel like I needed journaling since I journaled on most of my layouts that were about that summer. I kept my title simple and typewritten (“summer snapshots”).

I think this sketch is so versatile – you can use it as an introductory or closing page for a specific scrapbook or you could use it to highlight a few pictures from one particular event.

Now is your chance to show how you can use it! Post a comment with a link to your layout by April 24 based on the sketch and two winners will each win a $5 gift certificate to Studio Calico.

Laura's Insider Tips

I think one of the things I hear most about my layouts is how I do a lot with a little. So at the end of each month, I usually have a lot left over from each kit. And I keep a lot of it! Studio Calico is my main source of scrapbooking supplies, so when there's something in a kit that I love (but don't use or don't use all of), I know I'll use it on a future layout.
Supplies: March Main Kit, Sunny Clearing Add On Kit, Kraft Heart Seals

The Studio Calico kit - exclusive stamps are great to use over and over again (hello February's alphabet stamp! That will probably make an appearance on every layout I do in 2011), but I hold on to a lot more than the stamps. I loved the Daisy Calendar KI Memories paper in the March kit and I didn't use it on any of my three layouts last month. I couldn't wait to use one of the days of the week on a layout and decided to keep it simple (big surprise, right) with this layout. See? Even the smallest scrap can be used again on a layout! This tag would be easy to use as just one simple part of a more complex layout or as the only accent (like on my page).

I adhered the KI Memories paper to my tag and then ran it through the printer for the journaling and date. I adhered my little heart sticker and there you go!

Hang on to those supplies... you never know in what surprising ways you'll be able to use them!