kinseywilson

daydream believer

it's that time again! actually the kit has been up for a few days now so i'm running a little behind...my gallery was bare bones this month with good reason...cha! i ended up doing 7 layouts, a card, and 3 tags total for cha (combo of studio calico and october afternoon projects) and boy do i have the stitching blisters to prove it! my fingers are so sore and there were several fleeting moments where i seriously contemplated giving the sewing machine monster another chance- but i quickly snapped out of it and kept plugging away. 

anyhoo, back to daydream believer...i got all 4 add ons this month because well...i couldn't choose and the add ons made me do it. dang it. :) each one of them had stuff that i couldn't say no to...this was a good month.

so here's my first layout, made using the main kit only:

i used the jenni bowlin blue ribbon punch on this one to make the pinked circles and i love how it turned out! here's a close up...

the other 2 layouts i did were made using a combo of all of the kits from february...

this one is straight in real life, i swear it...for some reason my photoshop image straightening skills were not up to par, ha! i created the background using the infamous alpha set from the 4th add on, i used my huge acrylic block and lined up the alphabet as straight as i could get it without adding to my collection of grey hairs and then used old road chalk ink to stamp onto grey cardstock. it's kind of hard to see here but that bottom orange paper is punched using the jenni bowlin tickets please punch...i'll be using that one a lot i can already tell ;)

and i totally surprised myself with how much i loved the zig zag rhinestone borders...initially, i didn't think i'd end up using them so it's always neat when that happens. i think that's what i love most about kits- the unexpected product usage :) fun!

last but not least- 'a new smile'...i think this one was my favorite out of my gallery. anytime i use an xacto it means that there was serious business going on, hahaha! i used the chevron pattern as a template to cut sections out and then backed them with different papers. i also used the ampersand mask + custard mr. huey.

i used dear lizzy sequin trim to add some razzle to the envelope and also colored in the stamped letters with colored pencils...i just had fun making this one. 

so that's all for my dt gallery this month...i'll be back soon with my cha layouts!

xo, kins

happy little moments class with maggie holmes

i'm so excited to be contributing to maggie's class because ummm hello?! it's maggie holmes! i absolutely love her style and this kit is *so* her...this is going to be such a fun class and i cannot wait! kits are available for purchase in limited quantities or you can purchase the class only- check out the links below for both options!

ONLINE CLASS INFO & PURCHASE

HAPPY LITTLE MOMENTS KIT PURCHASE

february sc sneaks + stretch your kit class winner!

i'm hoping that i can squeeze at least one more layout into my gallery this month but we'll see how it goes with it being crazypants cha time, ha! i bought all 4 of the add ons this month but between you and me- number 4 is my favorite...it's the stamps. 2 complete alpha stamp sets in one add on and the font is perfection. 

anyways, here's my first sneak using the main kit only + this jenni bowlin punch + mister huey's classic calico + dark rust chalk ink...

sneak numero dos...i used little bits from each kit + clear zing + old road chalk ink + this jenni bowlin punch + versamark

and last but not least, another layout using bits from each kit and even though you can't see it in this sneaky little photo...i also used custard mister huey's + the ampersand mask

a few other items i grabbed this month- more grey, more kraft, more color (i needed to replenish my cardstock, ha) and of course, more sc pp because it's always awesome and i have an irrational fear of not having enough sheets to spare. seriously. it worries me.

so now that you've seen a few tiny sneaks, let's giveaway a class shall we?! (sidenote: i spent all day yesterday operating under the illusion that it was tuesday when in fact, it was wednesday yesterday which makes today thursday- it's all very complex and confusing so we'll call it a wash and do the drawing right now, ha!) 

the winner is...comment number 28 which belongs to...April W aka scrapperforever! congrats april! i'll be in touch with you in a few! 

thanks so much for stopping by today and for entering the drawing...if you're interested in signing up for the stretch your kit class with the one and only amy tan just go here!

see y'all soon! xo, kins

ps. i just got an iphone and i'm totally overwhelmed and completely in over my head with what apps are download worthy so tell me, what apps are your favs? so far i have hipstamatic- love it! couldn't figure out how to caption pics in instagr.am so that was a fail for me- any help there would also be much obliged ;) 

oh and just for laughs- check this creeper out...

another giveaway + winners

so so so excited about this class! the only thing more exciting is that i get to give away a spot to one lucky winner! here is some info about the latest studio calico online class...

 

Are you ready to jumpstart the way you look at supplies?  Tired of letting your kits pile up month after month without touching them?  Ready to pull out the tools you have on hand and put them to use? Amy Tan is here to help show you how to see the Studio Calico Main kits in new ways and get those supplies onto your pages.  She’s ready to share tips and tricks on making your kit supplies stretch to create beautiful page after page.

Known for her playful and innovative pages, Amy is the perfect teacher to help you stretch your kits.  She’ll walk you through ideas for breaking open those brown paper bags and seeing your kits in a fun new way.  Amy and Studio Calico kits... what a great combination!

Amy is joined by creative powerhouses Kelly Goree, Celine Navarro, and Jen Jockisch who will all share inspiration for using ONLY the Studio Calico Main kit.  You’ll see their process for getting started on a layout, selecting which supplies to pull from the kits, and tips for using their favorite tools and techniques.

START DATE: FEBRUARY 1, 2012          

REGISTRATION ENDS: JANUARY 31, 2012                                           

PRICE: $30.00

 

to be entered in this drawing- just leave a comment with your 

studio calico USERNAME

and i'll be choosing a winner wednesday! good luck!

***********************************

and now for the stamp winners! my lovely assistant drew comments (that was a lot of printing and cutting i tell ya!) and congrats go to...

BRENDA SMITH- CIRCLES STAMP

DIANA A.- MAP STAMP

LAN- CHEVRON STAMP

thanks so much everyone for playing!

xo, kins

give it away. give it away. give it away now.

as the post title indicates, i have a few coveted & exclusive studio calico background stamps to give away...3 stamps to be precise :) 

the first is the chevron background from the knickers add on...

the second is the circles background from the perennial add on...

and last but not least- the map background from sea glass...

all 3 of these are about 4 x 6 inches and they're the vinyl cling style which i love so if you'd like a chance to win just leave a comment with which one you'd like! easy right?!

good luck! i'll pick and post winners on saturday :)

xo, kins

woodgrain + spinner rack

i love how it turned out...i think i'd love it more if it was totally woodgrain and who knows, my neuroses may flare up and i might have to just bite the bullet and figure it out but for now- i'm exhausted. i took pics throughout the process and as usual i ended up doing certain things a few different ways so i'll just share what worked best and most efficiently for me :)

i ended up covering the whole top tray except the trim because well- i'm not sure why...it just felt right at the time. and since that process was overrated (read- i wanted to gouge my eyeballs out with an xacto knife) i regrouped and opted to leave the trim, the base and the insides of the bottom 3 trays original black. 

so if you're a glutton for tedious but cute storage here's how i did it...

technically, i thought about it for a few hours and when my confidence wasn't wavering, i decided to start by covering the divider panels. i cut strips of contact paper (about 5 x 14 inches) doesn't have to be perfect or straight because the excess will be tucked and trimmed. then cut little notches in the middle of one of the long sides...this makes 'wrapping' easier.

i peeled the backing off and laid the strip face down on my mat (in the middle of the living room floor- you need lots of space to spread out. and caffeine. or narcotics. just sayin'.) center the divider as shown above- centered on the notch cut out.

adhere half of the strip to one side of the divider- flatten any bubbles out and crease the bottom edge as shown.

then trim the excess around the curved edge so that there's about a 1/2 inch of contact paper remaining.

cut fringe around the rounded edge and fold each flap over to create a clean edge.

fold the other half of the contact paper strip to cover the other side of the divider and then use scissors to trim the excess all the way around.

it should look something like this. for the top rack that i completely covered, i cut strips of contact paper to completely cover the bracket pieces on the bottom (where the black is showing) and then used an xacto knife to make the holes visible again. for all the other shelves, i used my knife to cut the woodgrain flap on the bracket piece off.

i busted out the compass for inside of the top tray y'all...nerd alert :) i outlined circles using the compass and then cut it out with scissors & my knife and then adhered it to the inside of the top tier. also, i used the little scraper thing that comes with pampered chef stones to flatten the bubbles out, worked like a charm!

for the outside edges of the trays, i cut 1 1/2 inch strips of contact paper and wrapped it around and then cut fringe/ flaps and folded them down around the edge for a clean look.

here's the finished top tray...i didn't take pics of the bottom trays empty because it's basically the same thing but with no woodgrain in the bottom :)

i'm thinking about making some cute word labels with my silhouette and a different 'finish' of contact paper- i have a mahogany woodgrain that would be fun but for now, i have bigger fish to fry. namely- sc feb kit, cha, and crate! i better get on it...

have a great weekend friends! hugs, kins

studio calico || county fair

the stamps this month...sigh...i love them. every. single. one.

here's what i ordered this month:

InLinkz.com

my first layout was made using the main kit: county fair, only...i used the exclusive wood veneer alpha to stamp the title/journaling with versamark and then i heat embossed it, so fun!

supplies used: county fair, more color, mister hueys white, brown sugar zing, versamark, mister hueys shine, more color, 1/2 inch circle punch, piercer

keep austin weird- i used the stamp from ring toss a lot on this one and i cut little sections out of it using a craft knife and then backed each section with scraps of the starburst paper from kesi'art (love that paper so so much!)...

supplies used: shooting gallery, ring toss, more vanilla, brown sugar zing, versamark, 1/2 inch circle punch, craft knife, glue pen, piercer

baking day- i had so much fun playing on this one. i used the numbers stamp from the main kit and aligned it so that the numbers of the date were just above the photos and then cut those numbers out using a craft knife...i also used 8 different chalk inks on one project which is a record for me :)

supplies used: sc pp, photo booth, shooting gallery, ring toss, county fair, craft knife, glue glider, piercer, chalk inks in: teal damask, cold ice, olive vine, english ivy, old road, blue jay, garden grass, farmers jeans

2012- this one is all about personal things i want to work on this year and honestly, the list could've gone on and on, ha! i used my trusty silhouette for the numbers on this one and it came together really quickly for me...i'm so used to layouts taking me 6 to 8 hours so when one comes along that only takes 2 i feel like i've done something wrong...so weird feeling. good. but weird.

supplies used: sc pp, photo booth, shooting gallery, ring toss, county fair, more kraft, more color, craft knife, piercer

and last but not least...a CARD! i know. i surprised myself with that one :) it took longer than the 2012 layout, ha! seriously. 

supplies used: photo booth, more white, tiny attacher, tiny staples, zip dry, piercer, chalk inks: moss lawn, coltfoot stemens, rusty keys, blue jay, black coal

the design team knocked it out of the park this month so you should definitely go check out their awesome work as well!

the next time you hear from me it'll be 2012...hooray for a new year and all kinds of possibilities...hope it's a happy and safe one for you and your family!

xo, kins

new storage

shanna posted a pic of her new storage idea on the sc boards a few days ago and i loved it so much that i couldn't stop talking about it so sam picked one up for me and i have new storage that i absolutely love!

shanna painted hers and added washi tape and i LOVE it...i plan on painting mine eventually but i can't decide on a color and i really needed a new system to wrangle all my frequently used stuff...so mine is still plain black metal and i'm fine with that for now.

i got it from a hardware store called harbor freight that i had never heard of until i read shanna's post, but i'm so glad i know of them now! go here to see if you have one near you or you can order it online here :)

hope you all had the happiest of holidays! xo, kins