TGI...go to sleep!!

I am currently listening to my toddler jumping up and down in his crib yelling "mom, mom, mom". He's always been so good about bedtime until his second birthday. I really shouldn't complain because this only happens a handful a times a month. I should be so lucky. He just seems to pick the nights when I have several things I need to scratch off my to do list before I hit the sack. #workfromhomemomproblems.

It's good. I'm just venting to whoever will listen. I know some of you moms feel me on this.

SO. Here are some of my February Studio Calico sneaks. I'm loving the kit overall. I'm in this weird "block everything in the center of the page" moment in my scrabooking.

I can't seem to leave a wood veneer anything off a page. : )

sidenote.....the boy is finally settling down. *sigh

Ok, I'd love to know. Those who have a bonified winter. I'm talking snow, dark, COLD. What do you do to beat the winter blahs? Do you treat yourself to anything special? Or just full on embrace all that winter throws at you?

I'm just curious as to what others might do. I keep it half and half. I'm ok with winter. We're not best friends but we're cordial. There are some days that just get to me though. On the plus side, we are gaining daylight! I noticed it today a little after 4pm. L O V E  THAT.

Happy Weekend! XOT

Thankful + full.

I'm nursing a bit of a belly ache this morning. I ate more than my share of side dishes + pumpkin pie. Thanksgiving was quiet for us this year which was actually quite welcome for us. Enjoying each other, watching football, cooking, even snuck in a little creative time....it was really a great day. So many things to be grateful for, things that need to be acknowledge throughout the year rather than just a day. Something I need to remind myself of daily, especially when I think things couldn't get any worse because they certainly can. Or when I think I need more than what I have or what I can afford. I have to remember that we have a home to keep us warm and safe, food in our stomachs to keep us nourished, vehicles that get us from here to there and most importantly, each other. Yes, all that sappy stuff you say you're thankful for when it's holidays, right? Some other things I'm thankful for.

Having a creative outlet whether it's scrapbooking, photography, screen printing, or designing. I'm thankful that I can make time for those things. I wouldn't be complete if I couldn't be creative in one form or another.

Companies that truly offer free shipping to Alaska. THANK YOU for not charging me an arm and a leg. (Amazon.com, Fab.com, Myhabit.com)

I'm thankful that I have laugh lines. Yep, wrinkles. Why? Because it's a constant reminder that I have laughed more in my lifetime than frowned. Wrinkles are inevitable, no matter how much cream I slather on my face. If I'm going to have them, they better be signs of a good life.

I can now say that I fit my old, pre-baby jeans. That feeling Miranda had when she pulled out her skinny jeans and was able to zip them up....I get that feeling now.

Other silly things include the invention of the DVR + Demand. I wouldn't be able to watch any of my shows.  Greek yogurt, loose fitting shirts that cover the right amount of butt when wearing skinny jeans, fingerless mittens, Macbook Pro, Instagram, 50 Shades, Washi tape + Twine, quiet time alone, inappropriate conversations, my camera, eskimo kisses, dancing to yo gabba, that first cup of coffee in then morning, + cyber monday.

Whew. I could go on but I need to get the day started. Before I sign off, I wanted to show a quick layout I did for my Handbook album. It's a 6x8 layout, the first layout I've done in this size and I'm really feeling it. Nice to take a break from the usual 8 1/2 x11. I used stamps from 2 sets of rubber stamps that will only be available TODAY at Studio Calico.

 (supplies: Noah outline stamp, New Year stamp, white chalk ink, Today Handbook)

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Now it's time for the mad rush, right? Oy. XOT

Here we go..

Some layouts I created for the Studio Calico CHA booth. I had the pleasure of work with the new Classic Calico and Wonderland collection. I mentioned this before but Classic Calico is always my favorite line to work with. I usually start out with a neutral piece of paper and go from there. The neutrals and patterns in this collection call to me. Wonderland is fun too. It was a bit strange trying to scrap last years Christmas photos but I think I managed ok.

And a couple of layouts for Paislee Press, Up & Away (loooove this digital kit) and Weekender (Liz's cameras are so fun to work with).

Who says boy layouts can't include doily's? Not me. :) xot

girl loves friday

After deleting my entry several times, I think it's best to just bid you all a happy friday. My brain is completely fried after a long week and I am worn out. I will be very happy to be able to catch up on some sleep this weekend. Maybe even sneak a nap in if I'm lucky. :) Before I take off to plant my butt on the couch + watch Jersey Shore (don't judge me), I wanted to steer you over to the Studio Calico blog to check out a quickie Project Life tutorial. These handmade cards are about the only thing I have slotted in my page protectors and I'm glad I made a big batch before the new year started.

Ok lovelies, I'm out. xot

Items used in tutorial: Mists, Clay + White + Atmosphere Ampersand Mask Journal Spots More Gray More Kraft Asterisks

Stretch Your Kit winner!

Kelly Submitted on 2012/01/17 at 9:17 pm i open my kit the very second it is in my hands. thanks, tina, for the chance to win.

Please email me at lifelovepaper@gmail.com by Friday Kelly!

Thanks for playing along...it was interesting to read whether you dive right into your kits once they arrive or you let them hang out. For me, it just depends on what kind of mood I'm in at the time. These past few months, I've been anxious to create so I tear into mine asap, especially when I get them right before the weekend. Here's a a sneak from Stepping Stone... This one is my favorite add on for February. The yellow, the sparkle and those stamps...oh those stamps. They just made my top 5 all time favorite SC stamp.

New Dare should be up shortly. Can you believe who's joining us again. After 5 years, Meghan's back in full force. Make sure you stop by the blog and give her a warm welcome. (sidenote: seeing that photo of me makes me think one thing. Damn I'm pale. guess I should look into getting some self tanner.)

xot

Stretch Your Kit Giveaway

Hey guys! I've got a cool giveaway this Tuesday morning....or afternoon for most of you. :)Studio Calico's second class of 2012 is from the amazing Amy Tan. Man, does she have such a unique style. This class will surely give you the inspiration you need to use your Studio Calico kits to the max!

First, post your comment here for your chance to win a spot in her class. I want to know if you dive straight into your kits when they show up at your doorstep or if they sit around, begging to be opened.

Second, PLEASE come back on Thursday morning, February 19th to see if you were chosen. If I don't hear back from you within 24 hours, I will choose another winner.

Are you ready to jumpstart the way you look at supplies? Tired of letting your kits pile up month after month without touching them? Ready to pull out the tools you have on hand and put them to use? Amy Tan is here to help show you how to see the Studio Calico Main kits in new ways and get those supplies onto your pages. She’s ready to share tips and tricks on making your kit supplies stretch to create beautiful page after page.

Known for her playful and innovative pages, Amy is the perfect teacher to help you stretch your kits. She’ll walk you through ideas for breaking open those brown paper bags and seeing your kits in a fun new way. Amy and Studio Calico kits... what a great combination!

Amy is joined by creative powerhouses Kelly Goree, Celine Navarro, and Jen Jockisch who will all share inspiration for using ONLY the Studio Calico Main kit. You’ll see their process for getting started on a layout, selecting which supplies to pull from the kits, and tips for using their favorite tools and techniques.

START DATE: FEBRUARY 1, 2012

REGISTRATION ENDS: JANUARY 31, 2012

PRICE: $30.00

Good Luck! XOT

make it work

I bit the bullet and purchased a Cameo a few weeks ago and I have to admit I was regretful at first. It sat on my counter top for a good week before I even plugged it in. I thought to myself, "did I just buy this because everyone's talking about it?" I read tons of reviews on this. How awesome it was. How much you could do with it. I already own a Slice which I never use. Why do I NEED this? So here I was with SC's January kit staring at me. What to do, what to do. I finally took all the styrofoam bits out of it, skimmed the instruction manual and purchased a few dies through their online store. We (me, Jeff and Tyler) gathered around after inserting a 12x12 sheet of patterned paper. (The Denim Crate paper in the Ring Toss add on to be exact.) Tyler was startled by the noise at first but we all ooo'd and aahh'd watching it cut. Pretty cool seeing this machine at work. And then it's done. Being impatient and not realizing just how sticky the blue mat was, I forcefully pulled up the paper only to rip one my of cuts. Ooops. Newbie mistake. So I gingerly unstuck the rest of my die cuts, laid them all out and stared at them admiringly. I take back any regretful feelings I had before. This machine is really really cool and it will change the way I use a kit for sure. I will no longer put aside papers I never thought twice about before. (like said Denim paper) Is it worth the money? My honest answer..yes, it is. (this coming from a girl who fears big purchases and is a bit on the thrifty side) It's built really well and more importantly, it cuts like butter. I'm able to utilize a full sheet of 12x12 paper now or maybe just a smidgen of it. My only complaint is the tackiness of the blue mat and what it does to the rest of my paper. But again, that's a very minor complaint.  Overall, I give it 5 stars. The online shop makes it that much cooler. I think I may have Cameo'd on almost all of my layouts. I will be getting some great use out of my new machine.

Ready for the giveaway I talked about?
I've got one free spot for the first ever Studio Calico class!

Class starts January 1st! Post your comment here and I'll choose a winner on Friday!
xot

make it work

Confession: Baker's Twine is not an easy embellishment for me to work into my scrapbook layouts. Doesn't mean I don't like it. I use it in my packaging and gift wrapping but when it comes to scrapbooking, I'm always at a loss. I adore the twine that came with the Snow Cone add on and I had to make it work. Here's how I did it. First, ***tape down your letter onto some scrap cardstock. Straight lines work best but I'm sure if you're careful and determined enough, you can manage a curvy letter. :) Snip pieces of twine and place onto your taped letter as shown above. You want your twine to extend beyond your taped letter. Get your sharp scissors out (Honey Bees work great for this) and snip out your letter. Fun, right?

xot.

Ha...did you think I forgot about choosing a winner for Maggie's class?? Fooled ya.

NANCY - This is my first attempt at a Dec Daily!! Need all the help I can get. Can’t wait to see your full reveal!

Nancy, please email me at lifelovepaper@gmail.com by Tuesday at the latest to claim your winnings. The Studio Calico blog is giving away another spot so be sure to comment there for another chance.

**The ProGlide Tape Runner is great for this. It's nice and tacky. I wouldn't recommend any other plain tape runner for this. You can also use that redline tape as well...will probably be better if you are creating O's and S's.

make it work.

 There's always that one item in a kit that I like but don't know how to use. Sometimes I dismiss it, most times I make it work for me. Deconstructing embellishments is something I enjoy, especially flowers. It's easy to to snip a few petals and make something completely different. Another technique I'm loving is the effortless ink drops. Just unscrew the cap from your Mister Huey, tap off excess ink and fling onto paper.  Again, I'm making it work. Atmosphere was a hard color to work with....I don't do well with darker shades. Now, it's made it into my go to Misters that I keep in my faves box. Here are the other layouts I did with rest of November kit + ad ons. Cutterbees where my workhorse this month. I don't know what I'd do without them.

xot.

ps. If you'd like to pin my layouts individually, please visit my Studio Calico gallery. :)

 

layouts/project/digi

Did you snag the add ons you wanted? I heard through the grapevine that #4 sold out in a blink of an eye. I didn't get a chance to complete my mini...sometimes I think being overwhelmed with inspiration sort of kills it for me. But my creativity revamps after the reveal. I love seeing what the other ladies did with their kits. We also had a special assignment of pulling an idea from the Studio Calico Pinterest board which was really fun. Another form of pin to action. :) Here are my layouts:

Love the scripty font of the AC thickers in the Greenhouse add on. My "main kit" only layout. It was a refreshing change to use only the main. This Sass/SC exclusive paper is so pretty. And the arrow stamp is by far my favorite. Of course I say that now. :)I adore this photo of Tyler and I'm glad I finally scrapped it.

Another paper love.

And then there was my Pinterest inspo project. Did you catch that when checking out the dt gallery? Here is my original Pinterest inspiration pin from the SC inspo board.

I wanted to do something other than a layout + I needed some artwork for my work/play room. Here's my interpretation:

And then there was a digi. Here's my layout for Photobooth.

Bedtime for this tired mama. xot.

#girllovesfall

Fall is such a short season here. Maybe that's why I appreciate every cool, crisp day and why I find it so inspiring. The changing leaves initiates change in myself and my home. I especially want to redecorate with rich tones. I had my heart set on this Missoni blanket that sold out in a millisecond. I'll just have to find those colors elsewhere because I am not crazy enough to bid on it via Ebay. I'm astonished that there is an influx of Missoni on Ebay. Is that where all the merchandise went? Pisses me off. I want to bake everything pumpkin. I found my next pin to action recipe that I had planned on making tonight but found I was out of butter. Travesty I tell you...that I'm out of butter. I'm never out of butter. I want to craft pretty things. Things I've never desired to craft before. I actually made somewhat of a banner. I plan on making a few more of these and clustering them together to make a chandelier. I can't promise that will actually happen but my intentions are good. I used these notions and the perfect paper to accompany a fall project...Studio Calico's Autumn Press. Add a couple of punches, some thread and a needle and voila. Fall banner. I want to tuck in and watch movie after movie. Jeff and I use to do this pre-Tyler. We're lucky to get 1 movie in and I'm ok with that. I want to wear sweaters and boots. Wait...I want to wear those all year round. It's just more acceptable now. I want to photograph every client in the woods. Aahhh...the amazing fall bokeh is to die for.

So yeah..I'm really into fall right now. Happy Friday!!! xot.

*blog template by the fabulous Pugly Pixel. *digital elements by the equally fabulous Paislee Press.

Boardwalk Giveaway.

for reals.another giveaway. this time it's for the current kit, Boardwalk.

 

My favorite part of this kit is the stamp. I love the vintage look . I also mixed in some other Studio Calico items from Statefair and the new Hero Arts stamp set, Silhouettes. A few other products I used...

This is a great adhesive tool and I'm so happy it's now available in the shop.

And then this little guy who can't seem to stay out from underneath my desk or my Grandmother's vintage aprons I had folded neatly on a chair. Boy, does he love to unfold a stack of laundry.

Here are the details. Please read carefully! I will choose a random winner on Sunday night and post it here on Monday. Please, please, please be sure to come back to see if you have been chosen. If I do not hear back from the winner by Wednesday, I will choose another person. Sound good? Leave me a comment on this blog post....tell me what one scrap item you cannot create without. Thanks and good luck! xot.

JULY SC PREVIEW.

Yes, the Zing bandwagon. I fought it for awhile. It reminded too much of my "emboss everything" days as a rubberstamper. I have inhaled a fair amount of fumes that come off the powder after heating it with a gun. I love watching that moment where the tiny particulars all melt together to form one big blob of embossed goodness. I'm finding it cool again. xot.

Versamark Zap Zing: Black Opaque Zing: Leaf

***

listening: Kesha mix on Pandora. I'm really feeling pop music lately which is really out of the norm for me. eating: Emerald cocoa roasted almonds. Love these little gems. drinking: water. wearing: nothing special. jeans, black top, black flats. feeling: neutral. weather: dark and gloomy but the rain is needed. needing: shoes.  feeling these. enjoying: the photo Jeff just sent me of the little dude. wondering: what a G6 is. I feel old.

NSD is in full effect at Studio Calico. Join us this weekend for challenges, chats and tons of special give aways. Above is a little preview of my challenge. FYI, get out your paints. :)

The Dares should be up shortly with a cool prompt for your creating pleasure. Here's mine:

Happy Wednesday! xot

PS...can you all do me a favor when you post a comment? I noticed a lot of you don't include your own blog and I like to visit after reading your lovely comment. Thank you!

last minute sneaks.

May kits go live tonight! This month was so fun. I kid you not...the above 3 layouts were created in one day. This is why I love Studio Calico so much. It makes creating layouts so convenient and fun. The first image is from the main kit, Lawn Party. The second was made from the Clear Skies add on and the third is from Paper Lanterns.

Other items used that you may want to add to your cart tonight: AC pen in black. I stock up on these. Mister Huey in Warm Calico. I'm just about out of this awesome shade of gray. AC tape runner. I prefer the strips.

xot.

Blog Hop

DocumentarycollectionBlogHop1 
In celebration of Studio Calico's new line, Documentary, each dt member is giving away the entire collection on their blogs.
To enter, hop to each blog, and leave a comment. Then hop back to the Studio Calico blog for another chance to win.
I want to know what your simple summer joy is right this very moment.
Today it was the sweet smell of nectarines I have on my kitchen counter.
I had the pleasure of working with Documentary over the long weekend.
My personal faves?
I'm a fan of the stickers, FabRips and the Polaroid rub-ons. You can find the entire line at Two Peas.

12wks024 
Next stop?
My sweet friend, Waleska Neris.
Don't forget to the Studio Calico blog as well.