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Love Your Lettering Class with Jasmine Jones

Lettering is SO in right now! I see it all over Pinterest and in beautiful art prints for sale on Etsy, and I have been dying to learn the secrets on how to do. So, I was thrilled when I saw that  Studio Calico is offering this Love Your Lettering class with Jasmine Jones!
Sign up now to learn all of the secrets behind hand lettering. Whether it's on invitations or business cards, art prints or posters, the hand-lettered look has been popping up everywhere. It's a trend we can't help but love, and resident hand-lettering pro, Jasmine Nora Jones, is ready to show you all the secrets behind this art-form. Look at all the fun that's planned for this class:

  • 5 video lessons (plus introduction and conclusion videos) that introduce you to the ins and outs of the art of lettering. 
  • PDF lessons to use as a reference for what you've learned.
  • A printable practice sheets to use as you practice your lettering. 
  • Access to a class message board and gallery, where you can share and learn with your teacher and fellow students.
  • Weekly challenges to inspire you to use what you've learned.
Hurry up! Class registration closes April 30th at 11:59pm EST.

Studio Calico Reveal of Carolina Moon

I love reveal day, don't you?? Your surrounded by so much fun and inspiring work that you stalk your mailbox until your box arrives (well, at least I do!) Carolina Moon is going to have you pacing if you're not already a pacer, and if you are-you may not start pacing earlier!! Adorable product, cool patterns, fun goodies, fantastic stamps--this kit's got it all! Make sure to snag yours as soon as kits are live in the shop on the 28th!
I just adore badges---I'm not sure why, but I do. So the badge from the main card kit is front and center in this card.
Some pretty watercoloring and stamping provide a colorful bit of fun to the the card and set off that badge that I love in a pretty way.
The cork DAD from the main card kit is such a great addition to your Father's day card. Simple texture and just enough dimension make it perfect.
I added the DAD to an embossed card base above some masking tape to play off the handyman feel of the cork….just a little love was stamped on the label.
Totally adored this stamp and numbers die. I wanted to play with texture of a die cut where the die wasn't removed, but you could still see image, so I used it as a background for the card base.
A playful pop of color with some watercoloring creates a festive confetti-look to this celebratory birthday card!
Aaahhh paper planes…you either hate them or you used to make them! I adore the little stamp from the Cityscape add-on and had to make it take center stage.
Again, just a teeny pop of color to this card makes those little planes take off with fun messages to someone far away!

Full Reveal of Odyssey kits

Hey there friends! I am happy to be contributing to the Odyssey card kit reveal this month with two fun and fresh cards. So, here we go!
The first card features only the main kit. This month's kit comes with a fun plastic word, which I loved!! I decided to make it front and center in my card.
To create the background, I added dye ink to an acetate sheet, spritzed it with water, and then "kissed" it to the cardstock background. I stapled the sentiment to the card, added some patterned paper strips and patterned paper, and affixed the letter stickers to spell, "friend"
For my next card, I used the add on washi strips! I am super excited that Studio Calico is offering add-on embellishments for the card kits in coordinating patterns.
I adhered the washi strips to cardstock, and then punched out starburst shapes, and affixed them to an embossed base. Little strips of the adorable dotted patterned paper frame the fun little shapes.

Like what you see? Make sure to make it over to Studio Calico to purchase your favorite kits. Kits go on presage to subscribers at midnite  in March 28th, and noon to non-subscribers. Grab them quick!

Matching Card & Envelope with the Studio Calico's Far Far Away kit

Hey there friends! Valentines Day may be referred to as the holiday created by greeting card companies to some, but I've always loved it because I feel its a preview to all the lovely spring colors and trends, plus there's an abundance of swirls, flourishes and pretty details in all things Valentine's-related. 

I'm sharing a card does all that, and uses Studio's Calico newest kit, Far Far Away--full of all sorts of pretty bits and baubles. This month's kit is packed with all the best little embellishments, patterned paper, and even color media, and I had so much fun making this lovely card and matching envelope.
I absolutely loved and couldn't wait to try the Neocolor crayon. The salmon color was perfect for this fun Valentine's card. I simply rubbed it on the card and envelope base, and then piped my brush in water and blended it into the paper--it glides so easily on the paper. I then repeatedly stamped the Love you like sentiment from the Valentine's Day stamp set, sometimes not re-inking the stamp. I then embossed the hearts to the card and envelope, adding the perfect amount of "romance," and helping tie the envelope to the card.
I adore the veneer horse included in the main kit, and I really liked how the sentiment worked with it. I stamped the sentiment on some cardstock and trimmed a little pennant banner to place over the horse. To play up the horse, I punched a heart from the paper pad as well as a little golden doily and affixed  it with some thread. The adorable little scalloped trim adds some soft texture to this card. 

There are so many fun elements in this month's kit--you're going to love playing with them and making all sorts of fun cards. What's your favorite item in the kit that inspires your card making?

Christmas Cards with Park Ave Card kit

Hello there! I love the Christmas season. All the festive trimmings, the decor of sparkly ornaments and lush ribbons, people in the spirit of giving, Hallmark movies and even the snowy bluster of the season, but maybe that's because I don't live in an area with snow. 

In the spirit of the season I created a trendy and  simple Christmas card and matching envelope with Studio Calico's Park Ave card kit. The card was so easy to make that you could easily replicate them for mass Christmas card making. All you'll need is the kit, cardstock, Studio Calico Christmas tree veneers and tinsel glitter (plus your favorite ink color combination).
First I stamped a cityscape with the stamp set included in the card kit, alternating ink colors. I then trimmed the sentiment masking tape to create a festive sentiment strip of the same scale. I added a bit of gold trim and affixed a sentiment banner with foam tape to the card.
To give the city scape a festive holiday feel, I added some veneer Christmas trees and a light dusting of tinsel glitter on the rooftops of the buildings.
To create the matching envelope, I stamped the buildings on both edges of the envelope, leaving room to write the address, and added a few wood veneer trees. If you mail the envelopes rather than hand-delivering, you may want to not affix the veneers, but with a little extra postage and some strong adhesive you can mail the envelopes with the cute trees.
I think these cards would be fun to make and send, even personalizing them by switching up the ink colors used for the buildings. How would you add your own touch to your Christmas cards to make each one unique?

Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking Special Thanks Blog Hop

Welcome to the farewell Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking Special Thanks Blog Hop. You've probably just arrived from Jeanne Jachna's blog.

I never thought this day would come, that the day to say goodbye to such an endearing and beloved magazine and family would ever be a reality. For so many women, this magazine  has made such an impact on our lives. We found confidence in it's pages, beauty in it's design and love in the friendships that were fostered through it. 

My journey with Paper Crafts & Scrapbooking magazine started in 2004 shortly after the magazine began. At the time I was in college, and my mom found it and thought I'd like to read it, so she bought me a subscription. I had always had an interest in crafting, sewing and paper, and I soon  loved reading the magazine on the shuttle ride to school, collecting issues for inspiration. Some of the biggest names in the industry found their start on the pages of Paper Crafts magazine. And, one day I too would find my own creations on these pages as well.

Fast forward five years later to being a newlywed on summer break from school. My husband encouraged me to take up a hobby to fill my summers off from teaching, so I began scrapping our wedding album. As I made some simple layouts that were characteristic of that time, I remembered all the cool cards and paper-crafted projects I used to look at in a magazine that I had been subscribing to since 2004. So, I decided to visit PC's website, and took a look at their submission calls. New to submitting, I had no idea what I was doing. I crafted a few cards with brads, decorative edge scissors, patterned paper and some simple stamps that I had laying around in a craft drawer, took some pictures and sent them in. 

I wasn't too surprised that they weren't picked up, but the submission bug had just hit me. A few days later, I checked their site again and saw a new call for a special Card Creations issue, which has a lot more general card categories. I printed the call out, took it to my local scrapbook store, and perused the aisles. After purchasing some a lot of crafting goodies, I went home, crafted and submitted. 

A few days later I received an email from the magazine. From someone important. Someone special. Everyone's favorite puffy heart editor, the beautiful Susan Opel. I couldn't believe it! I had to read the email three times before I grasped that two of my very own cards were going to be in the magazine!! I was still in bed at the time reading this, and my squealing woke up Mr. Emily (as Susan calls my husband), and he too was excited for me!

That was the beginning of my love affair with paper crafting. From then on I was crafting every day, and even on weekends. I was pouring over issues, reading blogs, following the latest trends and reading manufacturers sites. Paper Crafts magazine gave me such joy. I loved coming home every day from work and being creative, I loved the challenge of trying to use my tools in a new way, crafting with unusual materials, using new stamp techniques, but most of all--the friendship between Susan and I, and I and other crafters. 

You see, Paper Crafts Magazine wasn't just some paper magazine with pictures of pretty projects and advertisements, while--yes, the projects were phenomenal and clever, the columns were inspiring and trend-setting, it was the people at Paper Crafts that made it so special. Paper Crafts Magazine was a staple of all that women love; friendships, fun and beauty. Paper Crafts Magazine brought people together, from all over the country and even, the world. Paper Crafts Magazine created a sense of belonging for people like me who loved to make beautiful crafts and share that love with others.

After a while of submitting and meeting new online friends, I began to hear about this tradeshow called CHA. I didn't know much about it, but from what I had heard it sounded amazing. Meeting up with other crafters, being given a chance to see the newest product before it hits stores, and hanging out with my crafting friends on a fun-filled weekend in So. Cal--sign me up!! IT. DIDN'T. DISSAPOINT.

Not only did I love seeing the product, the amazing projects and being in the thick of all things crafty, I got to meet the Paper Crafts family….a group of women that I felt I knew already. We laughed, shared funny stories and enjoyed each other's company….trips to CHA with my paper-crafting friends were some of the happiest times in my life. Had it not been for Paper Crafts Magazine, I may have never met these women; what a sad thought indeed. 

Paper Crafts Magazine, this hop is for you. This hop is to recognize how many lives you have touched, how many women found acceptance in your hobby, how many crafters found inspiration in your pages, and how many friendships were created and still last because of this magazine we call Paper Crafts. Even though the magazine is coming to an end, it's not the end of something more important--the bonds of friendship that were forged around tables of crafters, eating, laughing and sharing in life. Love. And Paper.

Paper Crafts Magazine. This hop is for you. We love you…Forever.

In honor of the beautiful people who make Paper Crafts Magazine the incredible community it is: Jennifer, Kerri, Stacey, Susan, Holly and Matt, I made a card because you are all my favorites! The editorial content and design of the magazine shows your love and attention to this beloved magazine. You are all gems!

It just seems fitting to make a card with gold, because Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking is the gold standard of paper crafting. 

And, now for the hard part--now for the final goodbye. I'm crying as I type this. I feel such a sense of loss as I come to the realization that Paper Crafts Magazine is closing its publication doors. 
No more supply lists saved on my computer. 
No more printing out acceptance forms. 
No more mailing boxes of cards. 
No more issues to look forward to reading. 
No more blog challenges, blog hops and publication calls, 
No more fun meet and greets at the Paper Crafts and Scrapbooking CHA booth….

it's all come to an end. Please know, that I have grown so much as a crafter because of you all, and I have developed a life-long love of paper crafting because. My prayers and thoughts will be with you as you embark on you embark on new paths, and say goodbye to one another. I can't even imagine what you're experiencing.

With all my puffy heart love….goodbye Paper Crafts Magazine. 

Your next stop on the Goodbye Hop is Anja Bytyqi. Thanks for stopping by!

Full Reveal of Park Ave Card kit

Hey there friends!! Today's the full reveal of the kits from Studio Calico. If you're a subscriber, the kits and add on's are available on the 27th in an exclusive pre-sale, which you're definitely going to want to do this month. For non-subscribers kits are available to purchase now, so don't delay!!

My first two cards showcase what you can do with the main kit this month. I love that the main kit isn't "holiday heavy," you can still make a variety of cards, but if you need some holiday cards, its totally possible to use the main kit--very vesatile!
I was really liking the black and white floral paper this month, as well as the patterned paper included in the main kit's paper pad. The pinks, yellows and aquas create such a fun contrast with the black and white flowers and text. 
The lovely kraft paper with gold glitter is back in the main kit, but it's even better this time----it's large envelopes that you could use to place cards in or trim to add as a decorative touch to card. And, that calligraphy in the sentiment---ohhh how I love calligraphy!
Oh my goodness the stamp set included in the main kit is so fantabulous!! I loved it, and wanted to try something fun with it. The patterns had a retro feel to them, so I wanted to play with that design. I stamped a block of patterns and used watercolors to give the patterns some pizazz.

Add some drops of water, and while the water is still wet add dabs of watercolor with varying intensities of pigment on the brush and watch it "spread"--it adds a certain amount of colorful flair to the design.
 This card features an add on stamp set; Happy Something. This set has a font-focused feel to it that makes it look like the words are hand-written, making it super low key and trendy.
I stamped the words around in the card base in a circle to create a "frame." Then, I stamped a few birthday motifs, watercolored them and added a vellum panel to give a little dimension.
This next card features the cutest die ever which I am sure you're going to be using ALL THE TIME!! I die cut envelopes from the Dots and Stripes paper pad, and then stamped a playful sentiment with a stamp from the main kit 
I filled the envelopes with fun little goodies like sequined butterflies and wood grain chipboard stars.
My last card features another mini add on Heart Valentine stamp set. These cute little add on sets are nice on the wallet and perfect for your card-making needs! I was really attracted to the ombre dot image.
I stamped the ombre in the center and alternated the image on the sides and then layered a negative envelope die cut from paper found in the Dots and Stripes paper pad.  I added a bit of embossed velum, some string and a playful sentiment spelled our with stickers from the main set.

Serioulsy, this kit and the add on's are going to zip on outta here this release! Make sure to get your products soon, something tells me they won't last long! 
 
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