Mega-Post

So I go back to work on Monday after having a year off.
It's quite a daunting prospect for so many reasons. Obviously the most important one being the change it's going to make to my family, but somewhere down on the list is the change it's going to make to my crafting ability and time. I say this as a way of explaining what may or may not happen to my blogging over the next few months. Basically..... I don't know.

I do know I will continue to scrap and craft. For a start I still have my Design Team commitments and I will continue to do these to the best of my ability. And I'm sure I will continue to scrap for myself as well. But it will just remain as to what amount of time I can dedicate to this. Certainly not (nearly) everyday as the case is at the moment. And I do have a back-log of projects that I can share with you over the coming weeks. Starting today.......

Grab a coffee and relax because this is going to be a mega-post (my way of making up for knowing I may be MIA for the next little bit. Apart from starting work on Monday I'm also moving house this weekend. I'm surrounded by boxes as we speak!)

I thought it was about time I showed you all those layouts I made with my first Studio Calico kit (June's Partly Sunny, and the add-on kit of which I can't remember it's name). I've already shared two of them, which you can check out here and here. But there's a few more :-)

I might not write a whole lot between pictures as otherwise this would get ridiculously long. But let me just say that on all these layouts I've used the kit products and nothing else. They are all a mixture of the main kit and the add-on I got. By the way, the main kit is still available to purchase in case you're interested!

I particularly loved the K&Co alphas and fabric embellishments that came in the add-on and I've used them on nearly all of my layouts I think!

I've had those Jenni Bowlin vintage buttons on my 'must buy' list for a while, so imagine how chuffed I was that I got both the white and the green buttons in the kit!

You'll also notice a lot of the photos I've used on all these layouts look the same too. That's because they're all from the same day at the park, snapping photos on the i-phone with the Hipstamatic app.

And did I mention the washi tape and how much I love it?!! A lot! And the add-on kit came with two rolls. That was another reason I needed the add-on (even though it cost more than the main kit!)

I had to think of something spectacular to do with that Buzz and Bloom chipboard piece. It's actually 12x12" so I cut it down a bit, and I'm really happy with how this layout turned out.

This lovely American Craft's Botanique paper has a really nice glittery finish on it so I wanted to showcase it on this layout. I like how it's all nice muted tones.

Wow. I thought I had only done 5 or 6 layouts from the kit. In doing this I realise I've done 8!! And I've still got enough left overs to do at least another two and easily another 4, although I would have to add some more cardstock and ration out my alphas. But I've got one piece of paper that's still intact and lots and lots of scraps and embellishments.

Anyway, I hope this will tide you over until I get back to regular blogging and crafting again. However, I don't think you'll notice any difference until at least September because I'm organised enough to have all the August stuff sorted out :-)

Alright ... I've got to get back to packing!

These are a few of my favourite things

So now that I've got my Studio Calico kit in my hands, you think I'd be crafting up a storm hey?
Well I am!

Although I must admit, most of my energy has been focused on some other crafty adventures. There's something exciting brewing for next week I tell you - and you won't want to miss out!

But in the meantime, here is the layout that I created that very first night I got my kit. It packs a punch in the colour department doesn't it? And it's actually another perfect example for my Jolly June Challenge (not that that's what I was thinking).

I've used some of my favourite techniques here. You may have noticed them time after time in my layouts. And that's misting and masking, and most especially sewing. Lately I can't seem to finish a layout without pulling out the sewing machine. Of course, it surely helps having a brand-spanking new machine with lots of lovely features :-)

And I've also used some of my favourite products from the kit (and add-on) such as those Making Memories metal flowers, the washi tape, and the Buzz and Bloom clouds. Not to mention the Studio Calico stamp, the K&Co alphas and the Basic Grey kraft border stickers. And then there's the yummy papers, the Jenni Bowlin buttons and the October Afternoon label stickers.

Hhhmmmm, did I just mention every single thing on this page?

How about drawing your attention to the cute photo of my daughter lying in the grass?

:-)