Studio Calico

August Kits at Studio Calico: Young at Heart

| cristina

Hello and happy August! As has been my tradition since January, I made a couple of hybrid pages using the digital releases from Studio Calico for the Young at Heart August kits. They are both 8.5″x11″. From what I’ve seen of the kits, this is going to be a good month!

To make this page, I used these digital products:

The background was made repeating one of the journal cards from this set, and the hearts are cut out from another of the cards. I recolored the labels to match.

I stamped the title using an old 6×8 alpha stamp called Oliver, and since the colors turned out to be brighter than I expected (I blame it on the matte photo paper, which is awesome for printing, less awesome for stamping), I added some vellum to the bottom of the page to tone it down. I love the result!

To make this page, I used these digital products:

I fell in love with the design and colors of this greeting card by Jasmine Jones, so I used it as my background, combined with one of the 12×12 digital papers and a printable word strip.

I hope you have a great start of the week and month!

Kill My Studio Calico Kit: February – Savannah

| cristina

Hello and welcome back for another month of Kill My Studio Calico Kit! This is the 8th installment of this series, and in total I have made a whopping (103) layouts. Yay me!
This month I got the Studio Calico scrapbook main kit, Savannah ($34.99 -but I bought it on sale for $17, stamp excluded).

Notes:  at first glance I didn’t love the kit papers as much as other ones, because of the softer colors; my favorite is the floral black and white paper that is on the back of the red gingham one. I love the puffy alpha stickers, the enamel dots, and the stickers.

Kill my Studio Calico kit is a monthly series I started on my blog to hold myself accountable and use up my kits. You can subscribe to the Studio Calico Scrapbook kit here.

Status: killed!
I made 9 layouts (3 12″x12″, 2 8.5″x11″) and a mini book, for a total of $17, or $1.7/page (counting the album as a single page). I supplemented the kit with some embellishments from the Project Life and Planner kits, plus some items from my stash (stamps, washi tape, white cardstock, and the odd embellishment). Here’s a roundup of all the pages I made:

And here is what I have left:


Leftovers: I am hoarding the last piece of the floral paper that I love. 🙂 I didn’t use the pink cardstock – I have a hard time with that color for a background.

And here is what I made with the kit. This month, I used a bit more stuff from my stash than I normally do. Here’s a roundup of all the projects I made:

And here they are, one by one.

On this page, in addition to the kit I used some of the new washi tape I just bought (see more below :)), and some puffy stickers from Crate Paper.

The sewing of the paper ended up being a bit wonky, but I went with it.

This page is to document my latest obsession: washi tapes! These are all tapes I purchased recently from Amazon, and I laid them out to see what they looked like (you can see them here). Since they looked so pretty all together, I decided to make a page about this obsession of mine. 🙂 Here are the links to the washi tapes I bought in case you are interested. 🙂 I also used some more of the puffy stickers by Crate Paper, along with some past stamps from the Project Life kits.

This one is probably my favorite photo ever of my mom and me, and I paired it with my favorite paper from this kit. I also used some embellishments from the Savannah Documenter kit here.

The sticker sheet included in the kit goes a long way! I used it to build a frame for my photo on this page.

I also made a mini book in traveler’s notebook format using the papers from this kit.
See more pages from this album, including a video walk through, here.

The houses are an old stamp (from the Daily Grind add on) – they were just perfect for these photos.

The washi tape is from the Savannah planner kit (love!), the stamps are from the Annette add on, and the embellishments are from the Finch add on.

This is my favorite page made with the Savannah kit. I chose a few snapshots representing a few things we did this month, turned them black&white, and paired them with my favorite paper of this kit. The “making” title came about because I was trying to spell out words with the leftover alpha letters, and this worked. 🙂 The heart stickers are from the Savannah Project Life kit, while the cork embellishments are from my stash.

And that’s it for this month. If you have any questions, please leave a comment and let me know!

You can subscribe to the Studio Calico Scrapbook kit here.

Planner Bootcamp

| cristina

Have you seen the newest class from Studio Calico? It’s a Planner Bootcamp taught by Marcy Penner!
And…. all Hello Forever planners are heavily discounted this week for Studio Calico’s 9th birthday celebrations!

Planner Bootcamp is bursting with inspiration from Marcy and other contributors, who can’t wait to share how they use their calendars to keep themselves on track. You’ll learn things like:
  • Tips for time management
  • Ideas for dealing with unfinished tasks
  • Tricks for using stamp brushes to make your own stickers
  • How to map out things like chores and meal planning
  • Ideas for using the class stamp set in your planner
  • … And more!
Plus, you’ll have full access to videos, digital files, challenges, and more. Check out the class in the shop to find out everything you need to know!
Students will also receive an exclusive 4” x 6” stamp set* from Hello Forever that will ship for FREE, no matter where you are. You won’t want to miss out! Enroll in Planner Bootcamp today, and let Marcy help you get your planner in shape.

See you in class!

Traveler’s Notebook Documentation – How to Get Started

| cristina

It’s been a while since I posted about the new form of documentation I have become obsessed with over the past four months. 🙂 Seriously, I am so in love with traveler’s notebooks!
When I was starting out, I searched the internet for suggestions and tips on what supplies to get to get started, but didn’t really find all the information in one place. So now that I’ve been at this form of documentation for over four month, I thought I’d post a recap of my tried and true supplies, so if you’re also looking to get started you’ll see what worked for me.

I use a weekly format for daily documentation, and a monthly format to have all events at a glance (trips, dinners out, doctor’s appointments, birthdays, etc.).

My Favorite Supplies
Notebook Inserts and Cover
I use weekly and monthly inserts by Midori, and a Webster’s Pages notebook cover.

You can fit four notebook inserts in the Webster’s Pages notebook cover. The inserts come either dated or undated. I started in March with the undated weekly memo format, which I used happily for 15 weeks. I called this “horizontal” because the days are in horizontal blocks.

Then, I recently switched to the dated diary weekly insert, which is vertical. (I couldn’t find the 2016 version online at my usual shopping places, so I am linking you up to the undated version instead).

I am only 3 weeks into using the vertical format so I cannot pick a favorite between the horizontal and vertical formats yet… I love the horizontal very much, but I am warming up to the vertical format. Stay posted for a comparison once I’ve used the vertical insert more. 🙂
One thing I did enjoy and I miss in the dated version is stamping the days in the undated insert.

Pens
I mostly use Hi-Tec C pens for journaling (I love the fine tip!), but Le Pen pens also work great, even though they are a bit thicker.

Stamps
Gotta have stamps!! I mostly use stamps by Studio Calico and Sakuralala – I love that they are made especially for planners/traveler’s notebooks so will fit perfectly the small daily boxes. I love using stamps to tell my story!

Ink
I use pigment ink exclusively (I love dye ink in general but it will bleed to the back page). I use either VersaCraft or Color Theory inks. I love that both kinds come in bright colors.

Washi Tape
I love using washi tape as a starting point to pick the color scheme for the spread! In a few short months, I have amassed quite the collection, and I am showing no signs of stopping! 🙂
My favorite places to shop are Amazon (check out my latest buy) and Sakuralala, but I also occasionally shop on Etsy.

Embellishments
I occasionally add stickers to my spreads, almost exclusively from the Studio Calico planner kits. OK, and now here are two examples of my documentation in traveler’s notebooks.

Weekly Documentation

The journaling here was done with a gray Le Pen.
In this weekly memo format I typically journal my daily documentation on the left, and use the right side to add photos and/or general observations about the week. In this particular week we were traveling so I added a lot more photos than I normally do (1-2).
The washi tape and the chipboard embellishment are from the Finch add on. I also used several phrases from the Summer Vacation stamp set, as well as the  Urban Summer stamp. The “hot” and “humid” weather stamps are from the Patch planner add on kit.

Month at-a-glance

I used a  Hi-Tec C pen for the journaling. The “love this life” stamp is from the  from the Finch add on kit, and the “slow down” is from the Annette add on kit. Other stamps used: Urban Summer; Let’s Chill; Summer Vacation.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post! Are you a traveler’s notebook fan or a newbie? Either way, I’d love to hear from you!

Traveler’s Notebook Mini Album

| cristina

Hello there! I have a fun new mini album to share today – made in a traveler’s notebook! It’s no secret that traveler’s notebooks are my latest obsession, so when one of the class in the Mini Book Library at Studio Calico was about TNs, I jumped right in! (Enrollment for the bundle is closed right now but will open up for the August class, in a few weeks.

{cover stamps: Annette add on, Mega date stamp, Let’s Chill stamp; charm from Scout Planner kit}

This ended up being a pretty big notebook, so I only took a few pictures of my favorite pages, and you can check out this video to see a complete walkthrough of the album.
I used stamps and washi from Sakuralala, several supplies from Studio Calico, and alpha stamps by Elle’s Studio and Kelly Purkey. I linked most supplies below, at the bottom of this post.

{{{note… this is my very first video, so please be kind! :)}}}

Here are some of my favorite spreads.

(alpha stamp by Kelly Purkey). papers from the Savannah Scrapbook kit

(alpha stamp by Elle’s Studio Other stamps from Stephanie’s mini book kit)

 

(washi tape from Scout documenter kit; alpha Fukuro stamp; stamps from Annette add on and Let’s Chill)

(Aki stamp set)

(Stamps: Urban Summer stamp and Daily Grind)

(gold circle from Scout documenter kit)

I had so much fun putting this album together! And I have everything documented just a few weeks after my trips!

Supplies from Studio Calico:
Pool Party Documenter kit
Pool Party Planner kit
Savannah Scrapbook kit
Scout Planner kit
Scout Documenter kit
Stephanie’s mini book kit
Annette add on
Mega date stamp (currently in preorder)
Let’s Chill stamp
Urban Summer stamp
Stamp from Daily Grind (April 2013 add on, sold out)
Webster’s Pages traveler’s notebook cover
Washi tape from Finch add on
Neon Zing embossing powder
Tim Holtz distress inks

Supplies from Sakuralala:
Aki stamp set (365 collection)
Fukuro stamp set (365 collection)
Shoukei 019 new leaf washi

Note: I am on Studio Calico and Sakuralala’s creative teams but I purchased all the items linked here myself. If you use the affiliate links in this post, I’ll happily get a small commission, buy more supplies and share more projects on my blog. 🙂

Studio Calico July Kits: Pool Party

| cristina

Hello hello! As is now a recurring monthly tradition, I made a page using some of the new digital products that are in the store at Studio Calico. The July kits (Pool Party) go for sale at 3 PM EST today, but here you can see a peek at a few things.

For this 8.5″x11″ hybrid page, I used a digital background paper from the Pool Party papers, and overlaid a digital stamp. The embellishments are all from my stash, and I also used an old Studio Calico stamp to add a pineapple.

I added some splatters of gold mist too.

Happy July!

Design School

| cristina

I’m so excited about the latest class at Studio Calico: Design School by Catherine Davis. Catherine has always such a unique way to use product, and comes up with absolutely striking designs. I can’t wait to learn more about her creative process!

Here’s some more info about the class:

DESIGN SCHOOL

School is back in session! Join Catherine Davis, Director of Product & Design here at Studio Calico, to explore the art of creating scrapbook layouts that “wow.” In this class, Catherine reveals tips and tricks for structuring your page designs, creating movement on your page, using typography as a design element, and more. You’ll learn everything you need to know to make confident design choices and stay inspired to create gorgeous layouts!
While supplies last, Design School students will receive a free workbook to hold class inspiration. Each lesson has its own section with room for lesson notes, page ideas and sketches – use it to record what you learn in class and you’ll have a great reference tool. This workbook is sized to fit in a Traveler’s Notebook, and will ship for free, no matter where you are! 

You can enroll here – I’ll see you in class!

Studio Calico June 2016 Kits: Scout – Documenter kit – week 15

| cristina

For this spread, I used the Scout Documenter kit, the Mockingbird add on, and the Extrovert stamp. I also added some digital stamps directly to my photos.

We were in New York for half of the week and the majority of the photos are from that stay. 🙂

Here are some detail shots.

On this card and throughout the spread, I adhered the vellum letters from Mockingbird on white cardstock so they would show up better. I use staples to adhere the rubber pieces.

The “let’s go out” stamp is from the Extrovert stamp by One Little Bird.

Here you can see the digital stamps I added to the photo.

More digital stamps, and my favorite card from the Mockingbird add on. I love how you get doubles of the cards in the add on, so you can use both front and back if you want.

That glitter tape + rubber embellishments from the Mockingbird add on were a favorite of mine!

The Scout reveal is at 3 PM EST today, but subscribers can shop early (starting at noon EST).
You can subscribe to the Documenter kit here.

You can also check out how I used this kit on its own and with some of the add ons this month in these other posts:
Main Documenter kit – Project Life week 14
Main Documenter kit + add ons – Project Life insert
Main Documenter kit + add ons – scrapbook page
And also check out the cards I made here.

Studio Calico June 2016 Kits: Scout – Scrapbook Page

| cristina

I also made an 8.5″x11″ scrapbook page using the Scout Documenter kit and add ons. I love how it turned out!

I used the Scout Documenter kit and add on (Mockingbird), as well as the bug cards, 4×6 paper pad, the extrovert stamp and the craft dies.

The only item I used that isn’t from the Scout release is the script die “I love you mom”.

I am in love with this pattern with the squares (my favorite this month!) and was going to hoard it, but then I decided it was worth using on this page about my mom. 🙂

There you have it – a scrapbook page made with Documenter products.

The Scout reveal is at 3 PM EST today, but subscribers can shop early (starting at noon EST).
You can subscribe to the Documenter kit here.

You can also check out how I used this kit on its own and with some of the add ons this month in these other posts:
Main Documenter kit – Project Life week 14
Main Documenter kit + add ons – Project Life insert
Main Documenter kit + add ons – Project Life week 15
And also check out the cards I made here.

Studio Calico June 2016 Kits: Scout – Documenter kit *main kit only*

| cristina

I am so in love with this month’s Documenter kit! It’s one of my favorites ever!
I made three Project Life spreads with the main kit and the add on products.

This is the first project I made with this month’s kits and I am so in love with the colors! It’s made with the Scout Documenter main kit only. Here is a look at the left page:

And here is the right page:

And here are some detail shots.

Here you can get a closer look at the washi tape (I love it!) which I used to cover up a part of the card, and layered some alpha stickers on top. The circle with 2016 is a plastic transparent piece. I also used the stamp included in the main kit.

Here are some more images stamped with the set – the stamp set is designed by One Little Bird and it’s only of my favorite stamps ever for Project Life!

The kit also comes with washi strips and chipboard stars – you can see both here.

Also included in the kit is a set of adorable bubble-shaped sticky notes – I used them here to create a design matching one of the journaling cards included in the kit.

This is one of my favorite journaling cards this month! The “fave” is stamped with the stamp set.

I hope you enjoyed this project! It’s really a fabulous kit this month!
You can also check out how I used this kit with some of the add ons this month in these other posts:
Main Documenter kit + add ons – Project Life insert
Main Documenter kit + add ons – Project Life week 15
Main Documenter kit + add ons – scrapbook page
And also check out the cards I made here.

The Scout reveal is at 3 PM EST today, but subscribers can shop early (starting at noon EST).
You can subscribe to the Documenter kit here.