I'm generally a bit slack about finishing off the birthday spreads, but I'm all over this one considering Bethany's birthday was only a month ago!
Over the weekend I managed to pull this PL spread together really quickly thanks to two things...
1. I was eager to get stuck into the Studio Calico Wink Wink Project Life kit which landed on my doorstep, especially since I've had the coordinating Scrapbook kit in my hands for a while ;-)
and 2. Because I also had the Kellie Stamps GOSH! digital stamp set to play with and the sentiments and drawings were just perfect for this occasion.
So I added some of the sentiments straight onto the photos before I printed them off, and I also made up a simple title/journaling card with them as well. Nothing too fancy, no great digital techniques here from me, but I think that's the point right? You don't have to be a pro at Photoshop to create some quick and easy personalised cards with a digital stamp set.
This PL spread will sit opposite the layout I did earlier in the month as part of my stint as a Studio Calico Contributor for October. Because I've used the same kits and 'accessories' like the super-awesome Jack Number Stamp Set on both pages it works together cohesively to make a double page. Winning!!!
Wow, I'm feeling so happy to back contributing to Studio Calico again this month after a little hiatus from my favourite kit club. And even more happy when I found I genuinely love so many of the products in the Scrapbook Kit, Add-On Kit and Embellishment Kit that I was sent to work with. The whole Wink Wink reveal has just gone live and you really must go over and check it out, but perhaps you would like the Trophy Husband to share his thoughts on the products first?!!
Now that's out of the way, let me show you what I've managed to make so far and tell you what I've been loving.
I always start off with my Main-Kit-Only layout because it's nice and easy to do with the fully packed kit and because after that it just becomes too tempting not to combine them all together and go wild ;-) So I went a bit hybrid and whipped up this simplistic but dimensional layout.
The little bits and pieces that finish off a page are always my favourite (shiny gold puffy asterix anyone?!) but before we get to that point it's the big focal points that steal the show. I think everyone on the Creative Team has fallen in love with the yellow fold-out paper. It's a 12x12" piece but I figure I'll get a lot more mileage out of it all cut up... so that's what I did!
My second layout documents Bethany's recent 9th birthday. Given it was only 2 weeks ago I'm feeling pretty darn proud of myself for having gotten it in an album already ;-)
I started off mainly using the Main Kit too, but like I said, it got too
tempting not to add in just a couple of other touches from the Add On Kit called LOL.
But my big fun bit of play time came when I got to run a couple of the new stamp sets through their paces and managed to get them both on this page together. In fact it was the Beginning and End stamp that inspired the subject choice as I thought the 'beginning of 9' vibe could replace the journaling (I know ... shock!) as the photo pretty much speaks for itself. Let's be honest, these cake cutting photos all look fairly same same after a while don't they? So it's just the date that I need to make clear so I can figure out what birthday it was in the future.
And what better way than to make the date big and bold and smack it right in the middle of the page?! I'm deeply in love with the new Jack number stamp, the size and font are perfect!
I didn't intend for my third layout to be a double-pager. I completely finished the right hand side as my layout and left the journaling until last. I had planned to add a couple of lines underneath my title and call it done. I'm not sure why it didn't click earlier that I was going to have wwaaaaayyyy too much to say on the topic of breastfeeding but it's obvious that I do. LOL!! So I ended up writing out everything I wanted to say (for now) and printing it on another piece and then tried to match up embellishments so that it seemed like a cohesive double layout.
That might help explain why there's two "happy's" as well. The little blue stickers on the pineapple tag spelling out happy above the glittery blue ones was my original title. When I decided to go ahead and add another glittery 'happy' on my second page to draw them together I couldn't peel these ones off without ripping the tag slightly. So the two happy's were there to stay!
The double layout was created exclusively with products from the Add On Kit LOL, the Embellishment Kit BRB and a couple of printable journaling cards.
My fourth and final layout (for the reveal anyway) came about when I decided I really needed to test out a couple of the new dies that are being released. The new set of Emoji dies are super cute and the progression of shock, grimace and cool-as-a-cucumber faces actually suited my layout subject perfectly. As you can tell by my lengthy journaling once again, I needed to unleash a few thoughts on my recent job hunting adventure and those emoji faces really help tell the story.
The assortment of arrows in the top left corner of my layout are another set of dies and I know these are going to come in handy a lot, especially when I do things like my Bible Journaling. I'm always tucking in arrows there, pointing to verses and whatnot.
Anyway, that's it from me right at this second. The reveal is live and there's plenty more fabulous new products hitting the shop as well. I've got a couple of tutorials going up on the Studio Calico blog this month too. The first one is up already and shares my hints and tips for using that Block Wallah stamp that comes in the kits. But watch out for another one coming soon too.
It's always a good day to get an email from Studio Calico - especially when they're asking me if I would like to contribute to the upcoming October scrapbook kits! I obviously agreed right there on the spot without a second thought ;-) The kits are called "Wink Wink" and they're quite exciting. Cutting edge designs and a bold colour scheme, and products you've never seen before. But enough chatting, let's get on with the sneaks shall we?!
The first layout I created is with the Main Kit only and I went a bit hybrid with it. The bright yellow fold-out paper (not sure if it's got a special name!) is a favourite for sure. So many possibilities.
There's also a matching yellow patterned paper with these cute origami boats all over it and it became a feature on this second layout I made. I also put a couple of the Add On stamp sets to good use here. The bold number stamps, and the Beginning and End one are both available at the Reveal on the 1st.
There's also metal dies available, including another version of the popular Emoji dies. So fun right?!
