Scrappers familiar with Studio Calico know that each month they will see several fun kits combining the latest scrapbooking products with unique finds from a variety of sources, all the while staying true to the basics. Included in many of those kits are exclusive and unique stamps. We are excited to have stamping guru Jennifer McGuire share with you how she used the stamps from the Studio Calico Handmade kits. You will walk away with several techniques to add to your stamping arsenal.
Ready to put these techniques to practice?
Studio Calico Giveaways
Studio Calico has given us 2 prize packages to share with BPC readers. 2 lucky winners will be sent three of the kits from the Studio Calico Handmade Kit Collection.
Lily Bee design is our featured partner and I am going to share an awesome design tip using their projects as illustrations.
We are all in love with punched shapes and other small bits of product that add color and style to our projects. I LOVE double sided patterned paper that has large scale patterns on one side and small scale patterns on the other side. Lily Bee does this in many of their collections and it makes the paper so versatile and easy to use.
When you are working with tiny add-ons (such as punches) it works to have small scaled patterns. Well... let me show you what I mean. These are close-ups of the punched shapes shown in layouts below, see how nicely the small scaled papers work?
Now some ideas for placing these colorful add-ons.
Bring me Joy by Cindy Liebel illustrates how you can layer tiny shapes in a grid. Love the mix of colors.
Laughter by Linda Barber uses a grid design also, but uses a mixture of shapes to create this sophisticated layout.
Kim Arnold creates a splash of color with her vertical sprinkling line of heart shapes on this Happiness layout.
Next is Bowties a layout created by Virginia Tillery. This layout incorporates another punched shape grid and uses the same circle shape while varying the paper and adding dimensional adhesive to some circles to add interest and of course dimension.
Their you have it- when adding shapes to your layouts consider these lessons learned from Lily Bee.
Hi everyone! My name is Lynn Ghahary and I am thrilled to be the guest blogger today here at BPC. Summertime means vacation time in the Ghahary household. My family and I take an annual vacation to Ocean City, NJ every summer and it truly is one of the highlights of our year. Every year I tell myself I am going to create a mini album to document our trip and every year it somehow doesn't happen. By the time we return home I am too tired and overrun with laundry to even think about creating, and then the summer seems to fly by before I even have the chance to download my photos from my camera. Well this year I am prepared! I created this "Travel Log" using the Daily Junque collection by Pink Paislee to bring with us on our trip so I can document our vacation memories on the go and in the moment.
This mini album was so easy to create yet it really packs a punch as it is filled with lots of pages for journaling, adhering photos, and places to save memorabilia. To begin I simply cut down two pieces of chipboard for my front and back covers to approximately 5" wide by 6 3/4" tall and rounded all four edges. I punched two holes and used binder rings from my local office supply store to hold everything together. If you didn't want to use binder rings you could certainly use ribbon or twine as an alternative. I wanted to be able to move around the pages of my album easily so I chose to use the binder rings. I used the Wooden Alphabet from the Daily Junque collection spritzed with some navy Glimmer Mist to spell the word "LOG" on my cover and stamped the word "TRAVEL" with red ink above it. You'll also notice I added a large glass tile to the cover backed with a punched circle of map themed patterned paper. I loved the idea of adding dimension to the cover and this glass tile gave the illusion of a globe - perfect for my travel theme. If you can't find something similar at your local craft supply store you can use Glossy Accents to add that glazed, dimensional look to your punched piece as well.
The inside pages of my mini album were created using a combination of patterned papers cut to size and lots and lots of Ephemera pieces from the Daily Junque collection. Here are the inside pages of the album:
I included two different types of envelopes in my mini album for gathering and saving memorabilia. The first is a small glassine envelope that is included in the Ephermera pack. I thought this glassine envelope would be great for holding a favorite shell collected from the beach or some other small keepsake. I simply punched two small holes in the envelope and added some twine (also from the Daily Junque collection) to tie it closed and keep my mementos safely tucked inside.
I also created a library card pocket using my Silhouette die cut machine. This pocket is the perfect spot to hold onto tickets, postcards, or other such memorabilia. If you don't have a Silhouette there are lots of free templates that can be found on the internet to create a similar pocket like this one here. And for those larger pieces of memorabilia (e.g., maps, pamphlets, etc) don't be afraid to punch holes directly in them and include these pieces in your mini album as well!
Well there you have it - a mini album all set to go with you on your next vacation. And of course the Daily Junque papers are so versatile that this album can be used for any type of trip or adventure you may find yourself embarking on this summer. Now ... if I could only find an easy solution for the piles of laundry that will greet me upon our return. ;)
Pink Paislee is giving away a complete set of Daily Junque to one lucky BPC member. Leave a comment below sharing your summer travel plans to be entered to win. Giveaway closes Friday, June 17 at 9:00am PST
Enjoy your summer and thanks for stopping by the BPC blog!
Examining and learning from professional designers allows us to improve our design skills. Since we are featuring product and projects from American Crafts I have been perusing their products and blog and have a handful of tips for working with patterns based on their layout samples.
Try these tips next time you work with multiple patterns
Tip 1. combine small scale patterns that coordinate
Home by in house designer, Ann-Marie Morris using Pebbles newest line, Floral lane. (see end of post for chance to win)
"Inspired by the ambiance of a neighborhood floral shop, Floral Lane features flower arrangements, newsprint and jewel embellishments; as well as sweet phrases and a soft color palette. It’s bloomin’ cute."
Weather man by Shannon Zickel
Tip 2. use one large scale pattern with one color as the background, add pops of color with other patterns
Lomo by Susan Weinroth
Pug by Melanie Louette
Tip 3. keep the patterns all the same size and shape
What I Love Most about YOU by Melanie Louette
41 by Cindy Tobey
layouts from American Crafts contributing design team
Giveaway from American Crafts
Make sure you take a peek at the Craft Room video featuring the Floral Lane collection, where Ann-Marie talks about all of the individual pieces found within the collection and gives unique ideas on how to use the paper and embellishments.
We’d love to give away a Floral Lane prize pack to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment on the American Crafts and/or Pebbles Facebook page (your chances will double if you do both) telling us that BPC sent you there. Leave your comment by June 1 at midnight. We’ll announce the winner on Thursday, June 2.
This month's featured partner is American Crafts!! Today they are sharing a few projects featuring new product.
Hi BPC readers! My name is Ann-Marie Morris, and I’m one of the designers at American Crafts. Today, I’m thrilled to give you a peek at American Crafts’ new summer line, Margarita, as well as a look at our new safari-themed Thickers.
Margarita is a bright, colorful and pattern-heavy summer line with a subtle Latin flair. The collection features the unforgettable parts of paradise vacations—tropical flowers, beach umbrellas and fruity drinks. ¡Olé!
Here are a few of the patterned papers and embellishments you’ll see throughout the line:
And here are a couple of projects I made to showcase this fun collection:
I also wanted to give you a quick peek at the new selection of Printed Chipboard Safari Thickers from American Crafts. Check ‘em out:
Cheer with a cheetah print:
Delight with a zebra print:
Sunset with a houndstooth print:
and Roller Rink with a polka dot print
So, what do you think? Leave a comment and let us know!
-Ann-Marie
P.S. If you’re interested in seeing more of the Margarita line up close and personal or looking for fun ideas on how to use the pieces in this collection, make sure to check out this American Crafts’ Craft Room video.
Many of you may be familiar already with Unity. They have a cool story about how they started, read an excerpt from their site below.
"The vision of Unity started with Christian and Angela Magnuson. In 2005 they purchased a woodworking company that provided wood mounts to the stamping industry. They worked into the wee hours of the night providing for their family of six and consistently dreamt of a brighter future. Visions, dreams and ideas started to become reality in November of 2007. They were given the opportunity to start moving forward to create Unity Stamp Company. With a business plan in hand and no former experience in the stamping industry, they jumped in feet first. Learning as they moved forward and having faith that what was necessary in launching their company would become available as they needed it."
What a great background story. Today they have over 20,000 images and partner with over 10 different companies to bring you a wealth of designs.
We have some fun shares planned for this month. Meanwhile check out their blog, or their products, or their You Tube channel to get to know them better.
card shown above created by Beate Johns using these stamps by Donna Downey
