Monday, January 30, 2012

AMY TANGERINE + me

HEY THERE!!

I have something fun to share and it involves the amazing Amy Tangerine! I have been a huge fan of Amy Tan's for quite a while - as much for her darling t-shirts as scrapbook pages - and it was such a fun honor to be asked to join her for this brand new class at Studio Calico. Here are the details:

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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.

For Stretch Your Kit, 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.

Sounds amazing, right?! Here is just a small sneak at one of the pages I did for this class. This class actually uses January's kit though you don't have to use that kit to play along. However should you want to, the kit is still available for purchase HERE!

Now hurry over and sign up TODAY!! Registration ends tomorrow and classes start FEBRUARY 1st! (WHA?! February already?)

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Click here for more information and to sign up for this amazing, unique class. Don't forget that subscribers receive 10% off all classes and Rewards Members save 25%.

Happy Monday and here's to an amazing February! :D

xo,
kg

Friday, January 27, 2012

Fly away with us and WHAT'S UP?!

HAPPY FRIDAY, everyone!

If simjply just being Friday wasn't enough, today I get to share with you what is probably our most FUN line from BasicGrey's CHA-W releases - WHAT'S UP?
From feltie clouds to flair to little toothpick flags this line just begs to be used. Add in the gorgeous color palette and some vintage maps and you can't go wrong!
You’ll go balloonistic (don't you love that word?!) for our newest line – What’s Up! Something is surely in the air with this billowy group of nostalgic, whimsical prints featuring a parade of hot air balloons, a banner-filled skyline, and jet planes zipping across the horizon. This fanciful and free-wheeling collection of lilac purple, sunrise turquoise, Parisian pink, and a chic pop of poppy red is your ticket to take off on an around-the-world adventure. You’ll be consumed by that floating-at-the-festival feeling as your creativity balloons out of control.


And here are a couple of pages I created with this line. Have I even mentioned how this line is so up my alley. Vintage images with a modern twist. It's what I aspire to be. Aspire being the word with emphasis here!

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Fly High
(Note my little monkey and his missing tooth at the end of the past summer. He's growing up too fast, I swear.)

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Stay tuned to the BasicGrey blog for the full reveal of What’s Up on Sunday, January 29th– the first day of the Winter 2011 Craft and Hobby Show.

So I know you want a chance to win What’s Up before you can buy it. Just leave a comment HERE letting us know what you think about our newest collection and we’ll select THREE lucky commenters at random to receive a What’s Up Tcollection pack! Comment must be posted by 11:59p MST.

Have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you again on Sunday!!

xo,

kg

Thursday, January 26, 2012

PB&J, anyone?

Hello!! Happy Thursday to you!

Today I get to share with you what was probably my favorite collection of our entire CHA-W release. And looking at it, I bet you never guessed that this collection not only spoke to me, it screamed! I LOVE the summery, fun, bold colors of this line. So how about some PB&J?! Anyone? ;)
(Can I say right here that I NEED that bike?! And the new alpha stickers? Swoon! Sorry - back to the regularly scheduled blurbs....)

Jam-packed with a hearty helping of heartfelt style, PB&J is the perfect blend of classic comfort and down-home design. As you prepare your creative spread using this signature collection, your options are limitless. Maybe a mixture of banana yellow and strawberry-preserves red is a personal favorite, or perhaps you’re a fan of trimming away those crusts . . . No matter how you slice it, your sweet treat is sure to impress as you create paper projects and preserve your memories.


Here are a couple of samples I did using this fabulous new line:

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Hilton Head Island
(I think this is one of my two favorite layouts I did for the entire show!)

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You Three

Don't forget to stay tuned to the BasicGrey Blog (and here, too!) for the full reveal of PBJ on Sunday, January 29th– the first day of the Winter 2011 Craft and Hobby Show. We’ll also be bringing you peeks of the final our our four lines debuting this week.

And finally (you knew this was coming, didn't you?!) we always want to give you a chance to win it before you can buy it so hop on over to the BG blog and leave a comment letting us know what you think about this newest collection and we’ll select THREE lucky commenters at random to receive a PBJ collection pack! Please note: comment must be posted by January 26, 2012 at 11:59p MST. That's TONIGHT! :)

Have a wonderful day!

xo,

kg

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Introducing BasicGrey's PLUMERIA....

As promised here is the second of the four new lines BasicGrey will be debuting at the Craft & Hobby Association trade show this weekend in Anaheim! This one is a modern vintage - is that a term? (I'm claiming it as one. I mean, really. Look at those buttons!) - line that had me at the gorgeous herringbone and honeycomb patterns + the deep purple. Talk about a gorgeous line for the Spring, right?!
Breathe in the deep hues and experience the calming effects of delicate florals, striking geometric shapes, and watercolor-style prints in our blooming Plumeria collection. An assortment of dusky lavender, dramatic midnight purple, mossy green and a thrilling pop of orange cascade through this line of long-stemmed imagination. Take time to stop and smell not only the roses, but all of the natural wonders found in this classically intriguing line.



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Mama & Baby
photo by Shelby Valadez

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You at 8

Stay tuned to the BasicGrey blog (and here too :)) for the full reveal of Plumeria on Sunday, January 29th– the first day of the Winter 2011 Craft and Hobby Show. We’ll also be bringing you peeks of the TWO additional lines were debuting this week.

And once again, we can't show you a BRAND NEW LINE without giving you a chance to win some of your very own so hop on over to the BasicGrey blog and leave a comment letting us know what you think about our newest collection and we’ll select THREE lucky commenters at random to receive a Plumeria collection pack! Comment must be posted by January 26, 2012 at 11:59p MST.

Have a wonderful day!
xoxo,

kg

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

And she's BACK....& with a SNEAK PEEK!

Yes, She's ALIVE!! And yes, it's been a long time since December 13th!

Thank you to those who have written and inquired so sweetly as to my whereabouts and if I'm okay. Totally okay though the end of December got crazy with sick kiddos and the holidays and then all of January has been packed with CHA-W (the Craft & Hobby Association Winter trade show) preparation, travel, class development and truly I haven't been up for air since...
well...since December 13th!

I hope you can forgive me when I come back to say I'm here to introduce to you KONNICHIWA!! (And a good afternoon to you all! :)) This is the first of BasicGrey's brand new lines debuting this weekend at CHA-W! I know I say it a lot, but this one has to be one of my all-time favorites even if it's not overly boy-ish for this mom of boys. But the colors had me at "Hello!" Seriously! They make me swoon - and just check out some of the brand new embellishments we're releasing with this line:
Just picture it! Delicate clouds of white lotus fill the sky. Outdoor street markets are alive with dangling lanterns and vivacious colors. Original, angled rooftops and architecture line the streets … You must be in Japan! Welcome. Or, more appropriately, “Konnichiwa!” Fill your mind with wonderment and the beautiful spirit that is found in this unique collection of mesmerizing fuchsia, cherry blossom pink, bonsai-tree green and soft sky blue.


Here are a couple of examples I did using this gorgeous new line. A special thank you to Emilie Ahern and Shelby Valadez for letting me scrap their gorgeous daughters! I'm so grateful!

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Rylee at Two
photo by Shelby Valadez

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Sisters & Friends
photo by Emilie Ahern

Be sure to stay tuned to the BasicGrey blog for the full reveal of Konnichiwa on Sunday, January 29th – the first day of the Winter 2011 Craft and Hobby Show.
We’ll also be bringing you peeks of the THREE additional lines were debuting this week.

And of course I can't introduce a brand new collection to you without giving you a chance to win some of your own! So click on over the the BasicGrey Blog and leave a comment letting us know what you think about our newest collection and we’ll select THREE lucky commenters at random to receive a Konnichiwa collection pack! Comment must be posted by January 26, 2012 at 11:59p MST. Awesome right?!!

Still not good enough?! Well how about this - registration for MONCTON's CROP & CREATE is now OPEN!! I'm so beyond excited to be a part of these events and I promise you, you won't want to miss them. Please check out this LINK to learn more and get registered for classes! Hurry though - it's selling fast fast fast! :D
Now do you forgive me?!
xoxo,
kg

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

On the 13th Day of December...

...I have a bit more of my December Daily to share.

I'm not quite 100% caught up so those of you that are - HUSH! ;) I still have day 11 - which for some reason I forgot to take photos for so I'll need to be creative - and day 12 but I'm still farther than I got last year so I'm looking at that as an achievement in itself!

So without further ado, here's Day 7 and Day 8.
Day 7 talks about Pearl Harbor. It was the 70th anniversary of the attack on this day. I didn't initially remember until I saw the flags at half mast. And then I couldn't believe I had forgotten.

Day 8 is about my love of the holiday lights and how I get so much joy just sitting there watching them. I've done this since I was a wee little girl - I used to lay UNDER our tree watching the colored lights twinkle.Photobucket
Supplies: Jillibean Soup, October Afternoon PP; Jillibean diecuts and stickers; BasicGrey alpha stickers; twine

Besides capturing my holiday memories in one cute little place, perhaps my favorite thing about my December Daily is that I am using pretty much ALL the holiday papers/embellishments, etc. that I've been hoarding for YEARS! (Just in time for me to collect more. Shhhhh! Don't tell Santa my dirty little secret!)

Here are a few details shots from days 7 & 8:

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Day 9 talks about how cold it's been getting here in Kentucky, but without the snow we had last year. We're making due with visits from Jack Frost - like the one pictured. That greeted me on my car as I was out to start the morning errands. :P

Day 10 shows how much time I spend on Pinterest because I forced (nicely of course!) the boys to pose with some candy canes like a photo I loved that I saw there. Check out this link - you'll want to do that too! I think they're sweet though and once again our tree makes it's appearance. (I told you Christmas begins and ends with that tree around here!)
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Supplies: Jillibean Soup & October Afternoon PP; BasicGrey stitched brads, pearls; Jillibean diecuts, twine, pin and alpha stickers; October Afternoon small alpha stickers.

And a detail shot from days 9 & 10:
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And that's it for today :) Last night was Boy Scout Court of Honor so I'm looking forward to getting caught up!

Have a happy Tuesday!
xoxo,
kg

Monday, December 12, 2011

On the 12th day of December...

...I want to share with you something fun that has been going on at Scrapbook & Cards Today's website. Besides having major giveaways on their blog, they have been featuring a designer everyday for the month of December - some of *my favorites* like Kimber McGray & Melissa Phillips (card queens extraordinaire), Kelly Purkey, Sheri Reguly, Lisa Dickinson and MORE...and there are MORE to come.

My fun thing is that for today the honor goes to me! I love the ladies over at this magazine and love the quality of the things they do so I always jump at the chance to do things with them when they ask. For today's post I got to share a few things made with BasicGrey's NORDIC HOLIDAY line...and I even broke out my Notch & Die tool. Lookout, people! ;)

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I don't know about you, but as the holiday season approaches, I often find myself zapped of not only energy but inspiration and creative fortitude as well! Thank goodness inspiration is all around just waiting to be absorbed. Now there is just no excuse to not be creating in some shape or form. I have long been a fan of the super talented Robyn Werlich and the design of this layout was flipped around and tweaked from one of her gorgeous pages I saw online. The color scheme is one I've been wanting to try since seeing so many amazing projects on Pinterest.com. Grey seems to be the new black and I couldn't wait to try the gorgeous neutral with the brighter colors of BasicGrey's Nordic Holiday papers. And the cute kid? Well he's mine. I created him a while back too. (Can we say he's recycled? See, I'm environmental!) What I ended up with is a page I loved that didn't send me into fits to design or create. How great is that? It's a true Christmas miracle!

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Supplies: Bazzill Cardstock; BasicGrey PP, 3-D stickers, alpha stickers, diecut, glazed brad; Uni-ball pen; Fiskars punches

Instructions:

1. Trim a 12"x10.5" piece of red paper and adhere across grey cardstock base 1" from the top of the page.
2. Trim a 12"x3.25" piece of green tree patterned paper and adhere across page 2" down from the top.
3. Trim a 1"x3.75" strip of pink patterned paper and adhere vertically along the left edge of the layout directly under the green tree strip.
4. Trim a .75"x3.75" strip of striped paper and adhere vertically to the right of the pink strip.
5. Trim a 3"x3.75" block of red poinsettia paper and adhere vertically along the right edge of the layout directly under the green tree strip.
6. Trim a 2"x3.75" strip of white paper. Add journaling as desired then adhere vertically to the left of the red poinsettia block.
7. Trim a 12"x1.75" strip of grey paper. Adhere across the page flush with the bottom edge of the vertical strips.
8. Trim a 1/4"x7" strip of grey cardstock and adhere vertically along the right edge of the layout between the green and grey strip. Trim a 1/4"x8" strip of red striped paper and adhere vertically along the left edge of the grey strip.
9. Draw a dashed line with a white pen around the perimeter of the the layout as shown.
10. Adhere 5"x7" photo to 5 3/8"x7 3/8" green cardstock photo mat. Adhere matted photo to the page in the empty section of red paper.
11. Mat 4"x3" photo onto 4.25"x3.25" block of white paper then adhere to the right of the focal photo within the green strip.
12. Adhere "merry christmas" diecut in upper right corner of layout.
13. Punch four 1" circles from white paper. Trim in half and adhere five half circles along the top of the focal photo. Add three half circles under the grey strip at the right of the page.
14. Add title within grey strip at the right of the page as shown. Embellish with cut-out poinsettia leaves.
15. Add ornament stickers tied with string to the grey strip to the left of the title.
16. Cut a 2" ring of green cardstock and add to the left of the focal photo. Embellish with white snowflake diecut.


And just so you don't feel guilty scrapbooking when you should be wrapping presents or other assorted holiday happenings, after you're done with your layout whip up a few gift tags or gift card holders from the scraps - so easy when you already have your supplies out!

PhotobucketSupplies: Bazzill cardstock, BasicGrey paper, Sizzix embossing templates, jute, Ranger stickles, Uni-ball pen, ribbon, BasicGrey Notch and Die Tool

Gift Tags:

1. Trim grey cardstock to 2.5"x5. Round corners.
2. Trim a 1.5"x5" strip of white paper. Emboss and adhere down the center of the tag.
3. Trim two 1/8"x5" strips of red striped paper and adhere vertically down each side of the white strip.
4. Wrap bottom of tag with jute and tie in a bow.
5. Trim poinsettias out of paper scraps and adhere with dimensional adhesive.
6. Add red dots to the poinsettias with Stickles if desired.
7. Punch hole in the top of the tag and tie with ribbon.

Gift Card Holder:

1. Trim piece of grey cardstock to 3.75"x5.75". Fold at the .5" and the 3 1/8" marks. Fold into a tri-fold card.
2. Place gift card inside card and mark the upper corners with pencil. Notch paper with craft knife or Notch & Die tool.
3. Fold 1/2" tab over the front flap. Mark the center of the 1/2" flap onto the front flap. Notch a semi circle with a craft knife or Notch & Die Tool to create the tab to hold the card shut.
4. Trim a 3.75"x1.5" strip of white paper. Emboss and adhere across the front flap just above the notched tab.
5. Trim a 3.75"x.5" strip of red striped paper. Adhere just up from the bottom of the white strip.
6. Wrap flap in white jute. Tie in bow.
7. Trim poinsettias out of paper scraps and adhere.
8. Add red dots to the poinsettias with Stickles if desired.
9. Just add gift card!

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I hope your weekend was spectacular and here's to the start of another great week! Happy Monday!
xoxo,
kg