PageMaps University FREE Trial CLASS

Good morning, everyone!

I'm not sure if you've heard yet, but my awesome friend Becky Fleck, owner of the incredible sketch site PageMaps, has decided to do some online classes! Now trust me when I say, if you know anything about Becky at all, you know she doesn't do ANYTHING half-way! These classes are going to be AMAZING with step by step .pdfs, fully-detailed slide show and MORE!

And just so you KNOW what you're really getting, Becky has decided to launch a FREE (yep, totally FREE) mini class just for YOU!!!

And here is where you can get it:

PAGEMAPS U FREEBIE MINI CLASS

For this class PageMaps U will provide EVERYTHING that will be provided in a full-sized regular class, the only thing different will be the number of projects provided. The quality is 100% the same!

The projects being taught are below! 

"This is How I Roll" by Kelly Goree

And "Hey, Friend" by Becky Fleck

I promise you are going to love this amazing new format and keep coming back for more! If you love Becky, love her sketches, and love the work of many of the industry's talented designers,  this is totally a no-brainer!!

I hope to see you in the self-paced classroom soon!! And remember the first FULL class registration starts OCTOBER 1st!!

Have a wonderful Monday and please come back and share your reviews!

xoxo,

k.

Welcome to the AC 2013-2014 Design Team Blog Hop!!

BLOG HOP WINNER: JULIE COUTANT! Congratulations!

Please email me at Kelly(dot)Goree(at)Gmail(dot)Com

Thank you all so much for your comments and random facts! I loved them all! 

Hello and welcome to the American Crafts 2013-2014 Design Team Blog Hop! You should have arrived from the blog of the talented Elizabeth Gardner! If you just happened by my blog for a visit, YAY! and HELLO!! I hope you might take a moment start at the beginning of the hop for all the eye candy and prizes offered along the way! It'll be worth your while, I promise! 

The purpose of this hop is to get to know each of our brand new team members on a more personal and up-close level so each of us are sharing a layout about themselves! I know, right?! That's not something we scrapbookers do very often and I would imagine it's probably my first about Me page in 3 or so  years! 

I picked the super-fun Amy Tangerine Cut & Paste line to document a few of my favorite things. Its bold colors just spoke to me! I especially loved the die-cut shapes and these amazing vellum pockets! Holy cow! It was the perfect place to jot down a few notes and keep them safe. 

A Lister (366029) - Cut & Paste, Section 1 (366033) - Cut & Paste, Cross My Heart (35388) - Cut & Paste, Ticket to Ride (35039) - Cut & Paste, On the Edge (366043) - Cut & Paste, Mother Always Says Paper (35388) - Cut & Paste, Rotary Phrase Stamp (366080), Bits Die Cut Shapes (366068) - Cut & Paste, Stitched Vellum Pockets (366071) - Cut & Paste,  AC This to That Adhesive, AC Border punches, AC White & Yellow cardstock (white +tropicals); AC charcoal pigment ink; AC pen.

And a few detail shots so you can see the fun embellishments for this line:

Do you see that day of the week strip up there? That's the tear strip (bar code strip) from the hot pink grid piece of paper! I thought it was so cute and just had to use it! I love using all parts of my papers! Nothing goes to waste with me. I love paper too much!

And those polka dots? I die. Such happiness right there, folks. It's only outdone by that sweet yellow/grey stripe. LOVE it!

Now before I send you off to the blog of the amazing Angie Gutshall, let me first ask you one question. What good is a BLOG HOP without PRIZES?!!! Of course I have a little prize pack to offer you of some AC goodness! Simply comment here by Sunday night at midnight EST with a little random fact about YOU and you could be entered to win a smattering of goodies from my stash! 

Here is the complete listing and order of all the Blog Hop participants for your use! I hope you'll visit us all!

Becki Adams

Meghan Andrew

Jill Cornell

Lilith Eeckels

Katie Ehmann

Paige Evans

Davinie Fiero

Madeline Fox

Elizabeth Gardner

Kelly Goree *******

Angie Gutshall

Ashley Horton

Corrie Jones

Heather Leopard

Gina Lideros

Patricia Roebuck

Erin Stewart

Diana Waite

Allison Waken

Janna Werner

American Crafts

Have a wonderful day!
xo, 
k

This, That and the Other. (Alternately Titled: How in the HECK is it September 5th?!)

Seriously. 
How is it possible that the month of August flew right past without me even realizing it was gone? I know, I know - it was the end of summer and back to school and so much more. But still...you'd have thought I would have managed something. But sadly you'd have been wrong! I'll say it again - I'll try and be better! 

So let's get back in the swing of things here! I have tons of new information to share - super exciting stuff is happening - and I hope you'll stick around and follow along!

First up is PAGEMAPS news! My dear friend Becky has completely redesigned her site and it is AH-MAY-ZING!! Read below to see what she has to say about it....

Hey my fellow sketch fans, have you been over to PageMaps lately? It's the beginning of the month and we all know what that means—new sketches (and card sketches, too)! But this month there's even more. A fresh, new look and loads of wonderful changes have taken place behind the scenes over the past month, and we can't wait for you to check them out. From "click to enlarge" artwork to the new PageMaps U education program, I invite you to stop by PageMaps and check them out!http://www.pagemaps.com/

This was my layout for this month's newsletter which you can download for yourself here: PageMaps September newsletter

On a small side note - Can you believe my boy is old enough to get braces? It really changes his look! You can't tell but he's sporting yellow and navy bracket bands - school colors, of course - so he's got it going on ;) Braces have come a long way since I had them when I was his age. I really loved the look of the BasicGrey Clippings paper at the bottom. I wanted something that "felt" like braces without being too literal. I think that stitching did the trick!

Supplies: Teresa Collins, BasicGrey, My Mind's Eye, Scenic Route PP; BasicGrey alpha stickers; My Mind's Eye phrase stickers; American Crafts Thickers; PageMaps for Spellbinders die; Fiskars star punches Marvy Uchida circle punches; Basic Grey enamel dots; Pentel & Sharpie pens/markers; Xyron adhesive.

And now a couple things from my amazing friends at Scrapbook & Cards Today:

Just CHECK OUT THIS COVER (yes, I'm yelling!) of their upcoming Fall issue! Isn't it amazing? I'm in love with those reds and browns. And if you think the cover is spectacular, just wait until you see all that is included inside - especially the 8-page ADDITION!! Yes, that's right. EVEN MORE to love. And did I mention this magazine is free? Oh, yeah, baby - FREE! It will be available in stores and for download September 20th! (That's like only 2 weeks away!)

And then there's this.

It's the new 2014 Scrapbook & Cards Today/PageMaps annual calendar! I didn't think it could get any better than it has been, but darn if it hasn't! New for 2014 is the planner format with plenty of room for recording those moments you don't want to forget. I promise this will be your constant companion and it is going to be just chock FULL of fabulous inspiration! It will be available for pre-order at the Scrapbook & Cards website starting OCTOBER 20th!

I think that's going to do it for me for today, but I still have so much I'm dying to share. This week also will feature my first post as a new AC design team member - it'll be BLOG HOP TIME! - as well as my monthly (a bit late ;)) Old New Borrowed Cool! I hope you'll check back often!

xo, 

k.

OLD NEW BORROWED COOL: The AUGUST Edition

Hi there and HAPPY AUGUST! (Can you believe it?!)

Today is my monthly post over at the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog! It's a fun back to school album I'm going to share with you below but I hope you'll also pop over and out all the other amazing posts on the blog this week - especially Laura Vegas' organizational tips for School projects! It's seriously brilliant! 

***************************************
Thanks so much for stopping by today and checking out this month’s edition of OLD NEW BORROWED COOL!! Where I’m from, the month of August means wrapping up summer and (already) the start of school! Seriously! We’ve been in full shopping mode for everything from shoes to supplies to clothes in full anticipation of the big day (August 7th, August 7th, August 7th!)! I’m in heaven! I adore school, school supplies and even the smell of crayons! Yes, I’m *that* girl! And if I’m telling the full truth, I’ll have to admit that my collection of school-related scrapbooking papers is utterly ridiculous...and second only to my absurd collection of holiday papers! I can’t pass up a tablet or script paper even if I already have twenty in my stash.

But probably the biggest reason that I’m so pre-occupied with school is that my oldest is making the transition to high school. HIGH SCHOOL! I know many of you remember him when he was just a tiny boy, so I’m sure this shocks you just as much as me! The thing is that he’s still just in 8th grade. Our school district has moved 8th graders in the high school because of middle school overcrowding and so it’s just a very strange situation all around. What DO you call an 8th grader in high school?! So with all those thoughts running through my head I decided that I wanted to make him an 8th grade album – an album for those memories that aren’t a complete part of the freshman to senior part of high school, a smash album if you will where he can record his own memories and thoughts of what it was like his 8th grade year.

Now before I share with you this project, please let me once again recap the premise for this blog series. Each month I'll bring you a new post that incorporates something OLD from my stash, omething NEW that I might have just picked up and something BORROWED from wherever I can get it to create something COOL to share with you! It's just that easy.

I wasn’t kidding when I said that my stash was out of control!! Just LOOK at all those gorgeous school papers!

And a closer look at this fun album! Don’t you love the pockets for memorabilia? I am hoping this will be perfect for my son to stash mementos.

This month’s final selections were:

OLD: How about everything here? Okay, not quite, but let’s start with that SEI album and the stack of School-themed papers from just about every manufacturer there is including KI Memories, Stampin’ Up, Crate Paper, and WRMK!

NEW: The beautiful new Smarty Pants line from Simple Stories and the fun die-cut Polaroid frames from BasicGrey!

BORROWED: The words and experiences of my son. I want this album to be a complete document of his 8th grade year and as much a part of him as it is of me.

COOL: This fantastic school-year smash album ready for the first day of school!

Supply List: Crate Paper, WRMK and Simple Stories PP; SEI Album; Simple Stories stickers; BasicGrey wood frame, chipboard, alpha stickers, die cuts; American Crafts Thicker number sticker; PageMaps for Spellbinders die; various washi.
I had such fun doing this cover and playing around with all the details like his name on the report card. I am hoping that he likes it too and will be willing to work with me in getting it completed! (He’s at camp right now so this will be a surprise when he gets back!)

For the first spread I wanted to do a first day of school photo that we could slip into one of those cute BasicGrey frames. I wanted to keep is simple, but still fun. This walking a line between Mama’s style and a teenager’s style is HARD!!

This second spread contains a fun pocket to hold ephemera! I’m thinking everything from class schedules to locker combos to ticket stubs. The rest of the album contains blank pages of lined paper, graph paper and more for him to collect his own memories!

So now as always, it’s challenge time. Make something you’ve always wanted to make. Use up papers you’ve been hoarding for years! Create something for someone you love! And when you’re done, I want to see it!

Tonight I'll be sitting in the auditorium for parents' 8th grade orientation at the high school. I'm so not ready! Here's to a wonderful August!
xoxo,

HAPPY CHA WEEK!!!

Hi, all!!

I know I kept you pretty hopping last week with the pre-CHA festivities and now it's FINALLY HERE! It's CHA week in Vegas and I have just a few more projects that I wanted to share with you that will be featured in booths there.

First up is a bit more of BasicGrey's 25th & Pine. I adore how this line goes together and those large numbers? OMG TO DIE FOR! I have two packages already and I'm hoarding them big time!

This is my littlest drummer boy last Christmas Eve. He's always counting down until Santa comes!

This line is so fun to layer. I kept adding more and more and finally I had to make myself stop! 

Next up is a little BasicGrey RSVP! I can't get over the gorgeous colors of this line and how happy it makes me. Part of that might be the precious photos of my Turner when he was one, too - how can I resist that face?

These frames are new from BG and they have several options through the Capture program. These just happen to coordinate with the RSVP line. I totally love them - AND they have designs on the back as well so they are fantastic in albums.

And one more for BasicGrey using the Persimmon line. I ADORE the colors of this line and truly can't get enough of it. It is perfect for pretty much ANY fall photo! And those feathers? Seriously? I die. I adore them!

To change it up just a bit let me show you some of Simple Stories' SN@P! Everyday Life line. Could it BE any cuter (said in my best Chandler Bing voice). The black is just the perfect punch for this! I developed this little 6x8 album and it will be sold as a kit with everything included - how awesome is that?

And a few of the spread shots. The large white spaces are for YOUR photos!

 

That's it from me today! I hope you have a FANTASTIC CHA week!
xoxo,
k.

Somebody Pinch Me!

Allison Waken from Phoenix, AZ

Angie Gutshall from James Creek, PA
Ashley Horton from Spanish Fort, AL
Becki Adams from Blackfoot, ID
Corrie Jones from Dallas, GA
Davinie Fiero from Redmond, OR
Diana Waite from Gilbert, AZ
Elizabeth Gardner from Lexington, KY
Erin Stewart from El Paso, TX
Gina Lideros from Elk Grove, CA
Heather Leopard from Cypress, TX
Janna Werner from Oldenburg, Germany
Jill Cornell from Windsor Heights, IA
Katie Ehmann from Bloomfield Hills, MI
Kelly Goree from Shelbyville, KY
Lilith Eeckels from Bertogne, Belgium
Madeline Fox from River Ridge, KA
Meghann Andrew from Katy, TX
Paige Evans from Grafenwoehr, Germany
Patricia Roebuck from Mandelville, LA

I'm so excited to be included among these amazing ladies and getting to work with American Crafts and their incredible products this next year! Thank you to American Crafts for this opportunity and I can't wait to get started!

xoxo,

k

Let's CELEBRATE!! Introducing BasicGrey's RSVP

Hello, All!

Happy Thursday! I don't know about you, but summer has been a bit crazy for me between kids' camps and dr. appts and so much more so I'm totally ready to take a bit of a breather and CELEBRATE!

And of course I have the perfect line to show you to document that! Introducing BasicGrey's RSVP! Can I tell you that when I first saw the colors for this line, I gasped!?! So much gorgeousness and perfect for girls OR boys! That totally made my mama of boys heart happy! Check it out...

Celebrate any occasion with this playful mix of party colors and patterns. Buttercream yellow, mint-frosting green, and paint-the-town red. With RSVP, you can have your cake and craft it, too.

Did you see those polka dot prints? Not one, not two but THREE different ones?! Swoon!

Here's my littlest man on his first birthday in this sample below. I chose a few more of the masculine colors - reds, aquas and such, but I certainly wasn't afraid to add a pop of pink! I gotta get it in when I can, people!

And now these embellishments! Could they be any cuter?

* Acetate Alpha: Nothing like a little word play to liven up a party, especially when the letters used have adorable scalloped edges, festive colors, and transparent surfaces.
* Die Cut Numbers: Take personalized party decor from zero to hero using these numbers, which are just right for displaying the birthday girl or boy’s age. Don’t forget to add them to scrapbook pages to document the fun.
* Die Cuts & Transparencies

* Mini Snippets: A stack of 3×4 designs perfect for your layouts, cards and Capture albums. Also available are the 4×6 Snippets.
* Stitched Vellum Shapes: Add a little va-va-voom using these pre-stitched layered vellum accents.
* Mixed Brads: A veritable birthday buffet, this bundle includes epoxy brads, metal flair and pre-made pinwheels.

* Chipboard: Same great chipboard shapes, but in new “waterfall” packaging, which makes each amazing piece visible at a glance.
* Toothpick Flags: For a quick party pick-me-up, adhere these pennants to your paper projects, or pierce them in cupcakes for a perfect finishing touch. Now in new packaging so all 12 flags are in plain view.
* Wood Veneer Cards: These 3 x 4″ printed cards are thin enough to slide into page protectors and chic enough to add that special touch to any handmade birthday greeting.

* Vellum Tape Stickers and Shapes
* Waterfall Pack: These are the perfect grab-and-go item. They include die cuts, Snippets, mini Snippets, 2 alpha sticker sheets and 2 label sticker sheets.
* Garland: Double sided paper garland stitched together and die cut. Each package includes 2 sheets.

and last but not least our stickers: alphabet, title and element stickers. 

Here's one more sample using a more girlie palette and featuring the photos of my sweet friend Moon Ko's daughter, Katie. I think Katie was 5 here and she just turned 10! How time flies!

I hope you enjoyed this peek. For more visit the BasicGrey blog!

xoxo, 

k