{crafty} Toolbox digital layouts

I signed up for Studio Calico's Toolbox class this month, and I am so glad I did! The first week we went digital with Shanna Noel; using digital elements ranging from papers to brushes to templates for both digital and hybrid pages. I have dabbled a bit in hybrid pages before but I have learned some great new techniques and how to use product in new and different ways.

My first page is a simple digital layout using a chevron template, made by Catherine Davis, that was provided in the class.

My second layout is a hybrid page using several different brushes available from the class and previous Studio Calico releases. I stamped all the circles in black and then went back and randomly clipped color and digital papers. Once those were completed I stamped several other brushes in white over the top of a few of the circles and added the brush strokes and title. I printed my base page out twice so I could cut out a few circles and pop them up on the page for dimension and then added other embellishments, mainly keeping with the circle theme. 

My last page is another all digital page, although I am tempted to add some bits and pieces once I have it printed. I created a template of multiple sizes and layers of triangles and then went back and added my papers and photo using clipping masks just as I did with the last two layouts. I chose a few patterned papers for this layout but did not care for the color. With a quick fill layer of color I was able to customize my digital paper to suit my layout. There are several ways to adjust color for this but my preferred method when I want a tone on tone pattern is to create a new layer, use the bucket tool to fill it with your choice of color and then change the blending mode from Normal to Color. It's that easy! 

Next week in the class starts the mixed media portion with Celine Navarro and I could not be more excited! I hope I have as much time to play as I did with the digital portion this week. 

Thanks for looking!

{crafty} layout share & some news!

Well I sure am a bit late to the party here, but I do have some exciting news to share! I have been asked to join the Craft Warehouse DT! I am such a fan of the Craft Warehouse stores and couldn't be more excited to join them for my first official design team spot! If you haven't had the chance to visit one of these stores in the Pacific Northwest, you sure are missing out. They always carry the latest products and are packed full of inspiration at every aisle. It is definitely one of my favorite places to shop.

Keeping up with all news fun and good I can now share my FIRST and SECOND ever published layouts!

The first was briefly shared and featured at Studio Calico until I received the publication notice and had to have it removed. It was published in the July issue of Scrapbook Trends, which sadly was the first digital only publication for Northridge. I would have loved to get my hands on a print issue of this!

This one is in the current August issue of ST. I have shared it on my blog, again briefly, before I had to remove it. I created the word art in Silhouette Studio and printed it on white woodgrain cardstock, then stitched it to the printed paper to create the base for my page.

The last layout I have to share is my most recent page. I created this during the Studio Calico Inked class using several techniques that were demonstrated. For the background stamping I chose a smaller background stamp and colored it in with three different Tim Holtz Distress Markers, spritzed it with water and then stamped making sure to mask off the areas of the paper I did not want to ink. After I finished stamping I sewed along the edges of the chevron pattern to give it a more finished look.

Thanks for looking!

{crafty} Work Space

The last month has been a complete whirlwind of activity and to-do's to mark off my list. On top of shop orders, gifts to make, creating a 30 minute slideshow for little man's Pre-K graduation and other school activities I also decided it was a great time to PURGE. And that task was not isolated to my craft room, but rather the whole house. And while I was at it, why not do a little painting as well? My house has been a semi-disaster the last few weeks while all this was going on and now everything is finally pulling together and becoming less chaotic. Thankfully just in time, as my inlaws are on their way up from California to visit for two weeks and will be here tomorrow afternoon!

The master bedroom and bathroom are getting little makeovers, going from builder beige to Granite Grey. I LOVE the color we picked out and cannot wait to do a little decorating once I am completely finished painting. I may just have to post some before and after shots. 

The last few days I have been focusing on organizing my craft space. One thing I have learned about myself in the last few years is that if I cannot SEE my supplies I will most definitely forget about them and they will go unused. Aside from my paper all of my supplies are now completely visible on a shelf or in clear containers. I may even go wild and label them ;-)

Next time I take pictures I will do my best not to do it in the evening! These colors are not very accurate.

Several of my organizational pieces have been here since we first built my desk space when we moved in. Primarily the mason jars, magazine racks and hanging cups. I have been moving around the plastic buckets to be more practical and created tiered shelves for my paints and mists from spare pieces of wood in the garage. 

My tower of shelves holds my recent Studio Calico kits and current projects. On top is a tiered file organizer to hold the most recent kit. 

Now that all this organizing is done and life is slowing down just a bit, I am hoping to actually create something in my space! I have a few incomplete layouts that are in need of being finished, a brand new Dylusions art journal begging for paint and ink, and the gorgeous Studio Calico Atlantic collection to inspire something lovely!

{crafty} SMBiG Blog Hop with Paislee Press!

 This month the Social [Media] Butterflies are featuring digital designs from Liz Tamanaha of Paislee Press! If you haven't checked out her shop you should go take a look! She has so many gorgeous digital collections and templates to choose from.

You should have arrived here from Kristin's blog, if not head on over to Liz's blog to start the hop from the beginning!

I had trouble choosing what collection to use but ultimately I decided to go with the For the Record collection and mixed in a little of the Happy as a Lark elements. For my layout I created a digital base with a few of the papers, embellishments and digital stamps then printed it out to use as the background for my layout. I printed some of the other digital papers and elements to cut out and use on my page to add dimension and then finished it off with some Mister Huey and enamel dots!

This layout is out for publication, I will the pictures back as soon as the issue comes out!

Hop Order:
Shay
Ellie
Jen
Malika
Kristin T
YOU ARE HERE --- Amanda
Katie --- NEXT UP
Trisha
Kristin D
Suz
Jenny
Corinne
Ruth
Social Media Butterflies

Thank you so much for looking today! Be sure to keep hopping along and comment along the way to be entered to win a $25 gift certificate for Paislee Press! One winner will be announced on the Social Media Butterflies home page on Monday June 3rd!

{crafty} Chic Tags WINNERS!

Thank you to everyone that hopped along with us on Monday! We all hope you enjoyed the freebies and giveaways and walked away inspired! 

Speaking of giveaways, the winners are now posted over at the Social Media Butterflies home page! If you happened to miss the hop, head on over there to check it out from the beginning!

If you haven't had the chance to pick up the Road Trip collection from Chic Tags that we featured in our hop now would be a great time! Starting tomorrow Chic Tags is having a sale, so watch out for details!