So Cal again

This layout by Ginny inspired me to take out my So Cal kit again and use my last Heidi Swapp banner in my title. I googled "quote discover" and came up with this:

I really loved all the alphas in this kit, so I liked getting all them on one layout. I was out of the letter L in the graph thickers, so I turned a number 1 upside down. I also added the Yearbook promo card that came in the box. I misted the ampersand with one tiny spray of Clay and then lots of Shine Mister Huey's. I've noticed it warps your paper, but maybe that's because you use more of shine than of the other mists?

When I had my So Cal kit out I kept going and made one more. I pieced together all the bits I had left at the bottom of the paper. I still thought something was missing, so I took the Elmwood Park graph stamp and stamped a random background behind the photos.

So did you get what you wanted at reveal this month? I got add-ons 1 and 3 and some aqua ink and ZING.

/Magdalena

My summer vacation mini album

My summer vacation mini album, a set on Flickr.

I made this mini album for my mom with photos of a 4 day cruise we took in the summer of 2010. I used mostly the SC kit Elmwood Park, with bits and pieces from other kits.

/Magdalena

Finding my style

I'm sure most scrapbookers start out by scraplifting and following sketches. Then begins the struggle to find your own style. I don't think my style is such that when someone sees one of my layouts in a gallery they immediately think it's mine. Some people are so easy to spot! Sometimes I think I would love to be like that. On a day when your mojo is missing it must be easier to have go-to, a starting point. For me it's always a blank to start out. And sometimes I think I don't want to find my style, because I like making very different layouts and I would be bored doing the same thing.

Sometimes I make a layout and I think, YES! This is really me! Like this one I made last night:

And sometimes I look through someones gallery and think, hm, I should try to make something in that style. And then I start out and before I'm even done, I know I will end up not liking it. I will stick it in an album, and then 6 months from now I will throw it away to make room for a layout I like better.  (Cheaper than buying new albums, right?)

On Saturday I did just that. I found Michelle Clements gallery and was inspired to make something similar. I stitched on the L-borders and added the flowers in the corner, and then thought YUK! I hate this. I needed more white space that I had initially intended and some handwritten journaling. I also added the buttons and arrows. So this time I managed to save it from the trash.

/Magdalena

Lifting

I know lifting has been discussed at the SC forum. Is it okay to post your lifts in the gallery? How close to the original should the layout be to be considered a lift? It seemed most thought it fair to post a lift as long as it comes with a credit to the original designer. I always try to give credit even if I'm far off the original, or I just used an idea rather than the whole design.

I also think it's hard to do a lift that keeps enough of the original but still has some of me in it. I usually either stray way off or make a complete case. It's hard to find that middle ground!

One of the LOAW's at the SC challenge board this month is to make a lift of a project that's been sitting in your faves for a while. I've made two lifts, that went the "case way" this time. This one is of Melissa Mann's "My little beggar".

And this one's from Laura Kurz's "Love my little boy".

And how much do I love my iPhone for taking such amazing pictures? All the awesome photo editing apps to go with it? I love so many of my layouts now since I got my iPhone. Both of these pictures are taken and edited in CP pro.

/Magdalena

Elmwood Park

So it finally arrived! I'm really noticing a difference since becoming a Rewards member. The kit turns up 2-3 days earlier than before. I really wanted add-ons 2 and 4 this month, but I missed out on #2 even though I was on time both for pre-sale and reveal. Crazy! So instead I've purchased some of the products in other places. I laso caved in on add-on 1 since it was still around, and I needed to fill up my cart for free shipping.

I usually start out working with one of the add-ons. If I need to I add things from the other kits as well. This month I started out with add-on 4.

The second layout I've made is lift of a Melissa Mann layout from her SC guest DT gallery. I made for July's LOAW challenge #1.

/Magdalena

Sad

Today is a sad day for me. Yesterday's Sneaks e-mail from Studio Calico informed me that two of my very favorite DT members are leaving. Laura and Vee. They are both such a huge inspiration to me. I visited both their blogs to see what they had to say about it and was shocked to find that they have been asked to leave.

I would think diversity is the most important thing in a DT. Making sure there's someone to each style and taste. To me Laura and Vee are the cream of the crop of their respective styles and replacing them is impossible. I'd hate to see the DT merging into the same style. Last year at this time it was Sasha leaving. Another favorite of mine. I really feel that the DT members who's style I admire are dissapearing from the team.

Please visit Laura's blog and read her lovely words!

Winners!!!

First of all I want to thank everyone for their sweet comments. It gave me so much joy to read everything you wrote. I wish I had a bag for every person! I am really glad that I came up with this idea to celebrate my SC birthday. And just like Niki Estes wrote I've decided to do this every year for my SC birthday. It really has been so much fun! And now two ladies have Friday the 13th as their lucky day.

Bag #1 winner is Crystal Yocum

Bag #2 winner is Laci J

Congrats ladies! You can contact me through both my 2peas page and Studio Calico page. See links at right!

/Magdalena

All that remains

A little late to the party, I recently realized cards are an excellent way of kitkilling. As you may have noticed I had nothing from the Handmade kit in the giveaway, and this is why:

That is all that remains. Look at those few slivers of patterned paper. Did you ever see at deader kit? Haha! Out of the last bits of Handmade I made eight cards of varying size, depending on how big the pieces of papers were. Here are some of them:

Materials: SC Handmade kit plus Tatting add-on, Mister Huey's in Opaque White, Inky Black and Pony, ZING in Opaque White, Versamark and Versafine Black ink pads, Summer Stamp School stamp set, SC Louvre add-on stamp set, Ultimate Gel Pen Pastel White, large doily punch, vellum

/Magdalena

Birthday giveaways

I've put together two packs of goodies, one for each blogpost below. All you need to do is write a comment and tell me which bag you want and why. Giveaway open to everyone!

Bag #1 has items from Paper Moon through Brooklyn Flea
Bag #2 has items from County Fair through 35 mm

I will draw a winner on Friday July 13th. Good luck!

Bag #1 contains:

Paper Moon:
Red & Blue Smash Stickies (EK Success) 
2 Folder Smash  Pockets (EK Success)
Mind the Gap:
Cow Mini Stamp (Studio Calico) - partly used
8 Campy Trails Fabric Brads (American Crafts)
Boardwalk:
Circle Frame Stamp (Studio Calico) - used
Zig Zag Border Stamp (Studio Calico)- used
4x3 School Stamp Set (Studio Calico)- partly used
Lime Twist Spring Twine (My Mind's Eye)
Happy Go Lucky Together Twine (My Mind's Eye)
Days of Week Washi - Green (Cute Tape)
Glee Club:
Field Guide:
10 Butterfly Mini Chipboard (Maya Road)
Tiny Alpha (Prima)  - different color than was in the kit
Handmade:
BONUS:
Kraft Star sticker sheet (Studio Calico)
Addy alpha sticker sheet in pink (Studio Calico)
Farmhouse 3D stickers (Crate Paper)

Bag #2 contains:

Brooklyn Flea:
Write In SMASH Stickies (EK Success)
County Fair:
Black Woodgrain Washi Tape (American Crafts)
Milkcaps Half Rounds (Pretty Little Studio)
Sasparilla Buttons (October Afternoon)
Daydream Believer:
Mini Frame Stamp (Studio Calico + Hero Arts) - used
Yellow Candy Bag (Pebbles)
Story Hour:
Glitter Ribbon - 1 yard (American Crafts)
Goldenrod 1 yard Seam binding (Hug Snug)
Dick and Jane Vintage Gift Tag (repurposed antiques)
City of Lights:
Bicycle Stamp (Studio Calico + Hero Arts) - unopened
Mini Stamp "love you more" (Studio Calico + Hero Arts) - used
Divider SMASH Tabs (EK Success)
Miss Caroline "Hello" Die Cut Wood (My Mind's Eye)
35 mm:
Black and White Japanese Tape (Freckled Fawn)
Blacks with White Numbers Washi Tape #624 (Love My Tape)
BONUS:
Dear Lizzy rubons (American Crafts)
Vintage Instaframes (Heidi Swapp)

/Magdalena

Six more

So today I continue with the second part of my first year of Studio Calico kits.

Brooklyn Flea

This is a layout I made recently for the SC 5th birthday challenge to use a mirror image. I didn't work much with Brooklyn Flea when it arrived because I got preoccupied with my December Daily. I have now made 11 layouts and a mini with it. I got the Shiny Bright add-on and extra add-on PP. I loved all the primary colors of the kit. Just my type of mix!

County Fair

For the first time I actually got 3 add-ons, because they where SO amazing! The stamps, the alphas and Kesi'Art. Yum! I got Ring Toss, Shooting Gallery and Photo Booth. I made 15 layouts and another first: a card. Because one of January's LOAW challenges was to admit something you made for publication, I admitted a few projects, and the card got picked up! It was really hard picking a favorite layout for this month because I love all of them, but the stamping made me pick this one.

Daydream Believer

This was the month with a bit of madness after pre-sale since the kits went on sale 5 minutes early and a lot of people missed out. I had made a promise to myself to get NO add-ons this month, and all I got was extra add-on PP. For the third time! I think this was the time I learned getting a full add-on is better. Working with the main only plus 16 papers is hard. Not doing that again! I really regretted not getting the Clarksville add-on with the Pebbles kraft alphas, the Dear Lizzy frills paper and that wonderful punchinella background stamp. I've made 8 layouts using Daydream believer. I didn't love the girlyness of the kit at the sneaks, but it was much nicer in person. Still not one of my faves though.

Story Hour

This is my all-time favorite kit ever! I loved every little bit of it. The papers, all the little tags and vintage notebook papers, Kesi'Art, the stamps. The chevron border stamp from Illustrated is my most used kit stamp. I still keep it out. I got 3 add-ons again, Illustrated, Encyclopedia and Atlas. Again I could have picked all the layouts as my favorite this month. I took KP's sketch class this month which also really helped with the creating.

City of Lights

This was a kit that surprised me. I didn't like the main alot but the add-ons were fantastic. I made 13 awesome layouts with it. KP's sketch class helped me out again. I got another 3 add-ons (Sorbonne, Louvre and Montmarte) and realized that is a bit too much product for me. After getting 3 addons for 3 out of 4 months my stash was filling up and that stresses me out.

35 mm

I limited myself to 2 addons, Holga and Leica. I really loved this kit. Into my top 5 of the year! I've made 4 cards, 1 mini (using the Heidi Swapp memory file) but only 7 layouts.

Looking forwards to another year of Studio Calico awesomeness!

/Magdalena

My first birthday!

June is my Studio Calico birthday month. I just turned one! I am now a Rewards customer, which is awesome. I am really so, so happy I found Studio Calico. I love the forums and all the nice and talented people on there. I love the DT, both their artwork and how present they are on the forums. And most of all I love what the kits have done to my own scrapping. They really push my creativity. I also love the monthly circle of events from clues, sneaks, shopping, reveal to finally recieving THE BOX. I've thought of which part of it I enjoy the most, and decided on the reveal. Reveal time is 6 AM for me, and it's a ritual to browse the newly updated DT gallery with my morning cup of tea. It even surprised me a little that recieving the goodies is not on top of my list. Probably because I know what's in it, and the DT gallery is always such an amazing variety of surprises. Every month!

I'd like to share my favorite layout and a few comments on my year of Studio Calico kits. I will do 6 of them today, and 6 of them later in the week as not to overwhelm you.

Paper Moon

I got the Ray gun add-on. Kit killed after 13 layouts. My favorite part was the yellow Pebbles candy dot buttons. It was hard to pick a fave layout since my style has changed a lot since. This one is the most me! I really feel that I would have made so much more of this fantastic kit if I had recieved it later.

Mind the Gap

I got the Flat add-on. Kit recently killed after 15 layouts. Both misting and stamping were completely new to me when I started subbing. And here I used both. See what I said about pushing my creativity? Thank you SC!

Boardwalk

I got the Boogie Board and Sandcastle add-ons. This is the kit that has suited me the least. It was too tu-toned for me. It was completely blue/green all across. My favorite products from the kit is the above PP and the Basic Grey brads in the Main.

Glee Club

This kit was so me it's as if I picked it out myself. I loved it! And the amazing Amy Tan was guest DT. I got the Debate Team add-on and add-on PP. I missed out on Thespians, which still bothers me. But I got some of the product in it elsewhere, plus I just found the stamp for sale at the lovely Caz Hancock's blog. Yay! I have made 17 layouts with this kit, and it's nowhere near killed. That extra add-on PP... I should have learned not to order that again. Getting the full add-on kit is much easier to work with than just paper.

Field Guide

Another amazing kit, that still remains one of my favorites. I got the Meadow Lark and Almanac add-ons. Almanac had no PP but the Amy Tangerine mini book. Loved it! I have so much awesomeness left in this kit, I should really go back and work with it. I've made 10 layouts and part of the mini and when buying 2 add-ons that really isn't enough!

Handmade

Just a few weeks ago I made Layout of the week at the SC blog with a layout from this kit. Myself I like the above layout better. Those exclusive limegreen letterstickers are my fave part of the kit. Although there was SOOOO much amazing product in Handmade. The exclusive Amy Tangerine leaves and really all the alphas. I got the Tatting add-on. I've made 11 layouts and it's hanging on by a thread. There's probably enough product left to make a few cards. This is another kit that's still in my Top 5 of the year. And it's still available!

Okay! That was my first six kits. Come back for more tomorrow!

/Magdalena