And the Winner is....

I'm so sorry for the delay in posting this, but I've had some serious deadlines looming and I've been busy slaving away! I just wanted to pop in quickly to let WALDENBUNCH know she was the winner of the seat in Sherry Steveson's latest class "Lemons: Making Sweet Pages from Sour Photos". Whooooo hooooo!! Huge congrats to you and enjoy your class! Please email me at kelly.goree@gmail.com and I'll get you in touch with Sherry! Class starts WEDNESDAY! :)

Happy Monday, all!
xoxo,
k.

I'm ready for some FOOTBALLLLLLLLLLL!

Ethan's season opener for his Jr. Tackle team is today! He's so excited he can hardly stand it and I have to say, I am, too! I LOVE football season and watching him work so hard at something he loves so much! It does this mama good :) Hope you're having a great day this any given Sunday!

(Ethan is one of our running backs...these pictures were taken a week ago at our first scrimmage. He's #4 in these pics, though his regular number is 14)

xoxo,
k.

When Life Gives You Lemons....

...you make amazing scrapbook pages like my sweet (and sassy!) friend, Sherry Steveson! Sherry is the author of two books with F+W Publishing, When Life Gives You Lemons: Turning Sour Photos Into Sweet Scrapbook Layouts, and her latest, The Scrapbook Embellishment Handbook. She is also the instructor of the class "Lemons: Making Sweet Pages from Sour Photos" at Debbie Hodge's site "Get It Scrapped!" where she shares some of the ideas and techniques found in her book. The fantastic news is that she is giving away a spot in her class to one of my fantastic blog readers! (Thanks, Sherry!!)

Just leave a comment here telling me all about your "lemony-est" photo and you'll be entered to win! I will take comments until 11:59 pm Sunday night (9/13) and will draw a winner Monday morning. Sherry's class starts that following Wednesday, September 16th!

Have a blessed day.
I will never forget.

xoxo,
k.

Scrapbook Deals4U.com

Hello!!

Happy Labor Day, all! I hope you're taking some time for yourselves and enjoying the long weekend! We've managed to do that a bit around here with a day on the river yesterday and some ball park time today. Here's hoping the rain holds off enough today to get outside and enjoy this last day of summer!

In the meantime, I had something I wanted to share with you. This month I had the honor of being the guest designer at Scrapbook Deals 4U.com this month! I was completely honored when Martha asked me to contribute and I have to say when I got my Delight Kit in the mail, I was also completely floored. I couldn't believe all the amazing things that came in it and the color combination was perfect for a mom of all boys! In fact, I used up just about every. single. scrap of paper to make these projects I'm about to share with you. No joke!

As I mentioned, these colors just seemed perfect for summer and boys, so I had an abundance of pictures I couldn't wait to use. These are some of my favorites from this summer. They are of my middle son, Turner, blowing some bubbles. I chose the "B" side of some of the Fancy Pants papers to create a really subtle tone-on tone design and pulled out my trusty circle cutter for a "bubble-like" effect. And the buttons! Oh how I loved these pearl-finished buttons!


Supplies: Fancy Pants PP, Creative Imaginations PP, Bazzill CS, BasicGrey Chipboard alphas, Colorbox (Clearsnap) chalk ink, Zig pen, buttons

For this next project I completely lifted a piece by the amazing Stephanie Dagan. Stephanie is a French designer who's use of color has me constantly in awe. I've had several of her layouts marked as inspiration for quite some time and have been dying to try my hand at combining colors the way she does. This Delight kit couldn't have been better for that so here is my lift of Stephanie's "Enjoy Water" layout. (You can see more of her work here.) I created a library pocket for this library themed layout out of green cardstock and used it to hold my journaling.



Supplies: Fancy Pants PP, Creative Imaginations PP, Bazzill CS, Colorbox (Clearsnap) chalk ink, Zig pen, Uniball pen (white), buttons

I love how the patterns in this line go so well together. It really made working with it so easy! I took the scrap strips from the first two layouts and made the background for this one! This was my baby's first day riding the bus to Kindy. He was so excited and was waiting for it much longer than he actually needed to!

Supplies: Fancy Pants PP, Creative Imaginations PP, Bazzill CS, WorldWin Carstock (yellow), Doodlebug alpha stickers, Making Memories tiny alpha, Colorbox (Clearsnap) chalk ink, Zig pen, cord, KI Memories Softies

And because I couldn't stand to not use any of this paper, I made three cards with what I had left! The first one uses that adorable "Hoo Loves You" card and yummy orange satin ribbon. I tied a big orange button to the bow with cording and added the green leaves cut from the green paper as an extra embellishment. The sentiment "i do!" is on the inside.


I've used this particular card design over and over again because it's such an easy one to do and I love the look. I used a circle punch to hold my sentiment and then cut out some of the flowers from the floral paper to use as accents. The dotted paper just makes me happy!


And here's my final card using one of those fantastic paper flowers and some layered buttons! I love layering buttons for flower centers. For this one I secured it with the cording again and used a glue dot to adhere it to my card. The mini alphas were the perfect size for my sentiment.


Have a wonderful (non) Labor Day!

xoxo,
k.

BasicGrey's September Newsletter

...is now available for your viewing pleasure! Just click here: BasicGrey Newsletter to read all about it!

This fall issue is jam-packed with tons of eye candy that I hope will inspire you. The introduction features a look at one of our newest products, Doilies, our laser-cut lace cardstock. I created this layout (below) to show how fun they can be used as a layout base (and to show off that sweet picture of my baby)!

I also want to mention that the fun technique for those butterflies came from Jennifer McGuire's "Thinking Inking" class over at TwoPeas! She's absolutely amazing and the class is incredible! Please check it out Here!


Supplies: BasicGrey Doilies, Indian Summer Patterned paper, Chipboard alphabets, Bling It Rhinestone Dots
Other: vellum, Martha Stewart butterfly punch, Ranger Ink

A huge thank you goes out to Brianne Nevill, Nikki Hobbs and Marla Kress for participating in this month's sketch column. This was one of my first sketches that I've ever done and you ladies completely rocked it! I really appreciate your hard work! Here's the sketch for those of you that want to give it a try yourself! As always we love having you submit our sketches to our gallery for possible inclusion - just make sure to put "September Sketch" in the title!

Have a wonderful and relaxing Labor Day weekend!

xoxo,
k.

Patterned Paper - Part 2!

Hi, everyone!!

Today is Part Two of my self-proclaimed "Patterned Paper" Week over at Scrapbook & Cards Today's blog. I hope you're having a fantastic time playing along!

One of the questions I seem to get asked most frequently is how I use so many different patterns/papers on a project and how I go about choosing the ones I'm going to use. I thought today would be the perfect opportunity to share some of my favorite tips on mixing multiple paper patterns and give you a little insight into how I do my own personal paper selecting! So here we go:

1. LIMIT yourself!

One of the easiest ways to use multiple patterned papers is to stay within a manufacturer's given paper line or "range". This lets you know that the papers are already designed to coordinate and "go together". This takes a good portion of the guess work out of it for you. How great is that?!

2. CONTRAST is key!

When you are wanting to put several patterns together, contrast in your colors is a necessity. Colors that are too similar or of the same intensity don't show up very well when put together. Mix it up and be bold!

3. VARIETY is the spice of life!

To really get the most out of your patterned paper, I have found that it is essential to vary the size and shape of the patterns I'm using. For instance, I'll use a stripe with a small dot, then add in a large floral. When the patterns are different sizes and styles, they will stand out when used together whereas several prints of the same type (ie: all florals) can have a tendency to blend together.

4. USE in moderation!

A lot of patterns out there can be overwhelming! Don't be afraid to use a BOLD pattern, just use it in moderation. Take a strip or a small square or a circle of that pattern rather than using the whole thing!

5. FRAME it in!

This is by far one of my favorite tricks for managing lots of patterns - reign those patterns in with a "frame". Use some dark or light cardstock around your layout design to frame in or contain your patterns! You can see I used this trick in both of the examples I've shared this week! (I told you it was my favorite!)

So let's put these tips to practical use and let me show you step by step how I used each one in my layout, "Home."

First, I limited myself to one paper line. For this layout, I choose BasicGrey's Indian Summer line for its rich, intense hues and lots of bold patterns.



After looking through all the papers that I had to choose from, I started grouping them according to some of my favorite patterns and what I thought might work well together. I was looking for the right mix of contrast between light and dark, and size of patterns.



The next thing I wanted to do was start to vary the different types of patterns I was using. I wanted to see if I could mix some floral designs, stripes and more. Notice that while I was looking at two different florals, the scale of the pattern is so different that they still work well together.



I still wasn't completely satisfied with the patterns I had pulled as I was looking for a little bit more "quirky" color palette, so I introduced the yellow and orange and really played around with it a bit. While those colors could have been overwhelming to my final design, I took them in bits and pieces and created a fun color-blocked background that was....wait for it....contained by both a light and dark frame! You're shocked, I know!



So there you have it! I hope this encourages you to try your own color combos and to really play up the patterns! I can't wait to see what you create! Here is my own page after her my final selection of patterned papers:


supplies: patterned papers, alphabet stickers, felties, doilie, BasicGrey; cardstock, Bazzill; tool, Fiskars scissors; pen, Zig.

Have a great Wednesday!
xoxo,
k.

Scrapbook & Cards Today's Blog

Hi, all!

Happy Monday! I don't know about you, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things after being gone this weekend and I'm moving sooooooooooo slowly!

I wanted to take a quick minute to pop on to let you know I am doing a guest blogger stint this week at the Scrapbook & Cards Today blog. My focus will be on one of my all-time favorite things - PATTERNED PAPER! Today's post is a patterned paper challenge that will be followed followed up on Wednesday with some tips and tricks for mixing and matching several patterns at once. I hope you'll stop by and join us!

Have a wonderful day!

xoxo,
k.

So...an update of sorts!

So school did start back (like oh 2 weeks ago!) and while that might make some believe that I now have all the time in the world, that apparently isn't so. Suddenly we're thrust into a world of homework, practices, games and lots of other craziness and it only shows signs of getting worse! We haven't yet gotten into the routine of managing it all, but we're working on it!

As crazy as it's been, a few really fun things have been happening! Beyond all the back-to-school stuff, I have been traveling quite a bit teaching at various events. During my trip to New Jersey this weekend for the Scrapbook Expo, I finally got to meet one of my long-time friends, Melissa, and her adorable (and precocious!) daughter, Rachel! It was such a joy to finally meet in person after all this time! There were also several wonderful women that came just to take my classes and they really made the trip a great one - Jing-Jing and crew, Christine, Doreen, Beth! But I have an especially huge hug for Lynn. Thank you so much for not only spending one day with me, but TWO! You are such a sweet and wonderful person and I am so glad to call you a friend! (And as I'm typing this, I'm still sitting in the Charlotte airport enjoying my 4 hour layover and anxiously waiting to get home to my guys!)

AND at his scrimmage against another county this week, Ethan will be playing the position of quarterback! It's been his dream since he started playing and while he loves being a running back/defensive tackle, he can't seem to get the grin off his face, he's soooo excited!I'm excited for him and just a tad bit proud! :)

Last but not least, my little man celebrated his 6th birthday yesterday. It's unreal to me that he's six! When did that happen??! ("On my birthday", he'd tell me! ;)) Since I was going to be out of town on the actual day, we celebrated it in style last Sunday. We headed out to Kart Kountry for go-karts, video games, miniature golf, batting cages, bumper boats and more! Now *that's* a party! I think it's safe to say a good time was had by all! (And he's totally milked his birthday for the entire week!) Here are a few photos of our day and my happy BIG boy!













Lots of things are coming this week that I hope to share with you including a guest blogger stint at Scrapbook & Cards Today, an appearance at TwoPeas for Miss KP's Super Sketches, and as a guest designer at Scrapbook Deals4U.com.

Have a wonderful week!
xoxo,
k.

Back 2 School!

I've got back to school on the brain as the boys all start on THURSDAY! Can it really be that the summer is almost over? It seems like it just started! Add to it that my baby will be a big kindergartner this year and gone all. day. and it's just about sent me over the edge. Case in point: we had a back to school bash tonight at their elementary as well as back to school shopping and Turner's first swim lesson. Only two got accomplished. Guess what was left out? Yep. Mama of the Year forgot the school bash! Oy! But I am calling first thing in the morning to see if there is any way between now and the beginning of school that C can at least meet his new Kindy teacher. I feel terrible!

But speaking of Back2School - I wanted to share this with you all. It's a little mini album I did for the latest issue of Scrapbooks Etc. I love this Maya Road chipboard album and thought it made the perfect way to document the first day of school!

I hope you enjoy it and Happy End of Summer to all!






Supplies: Maya Road Chipboard Album, KI Memories Softies & Lace Cardstock, Prima PP, Uniball Signo pen (white), Pentel pen (black), Offray ribbon, Bazzill CS, Doodlebug alpha stickers, Colorbox (Clearsnap) chalk ink, BasicGrey chipboard
xoxo,
k.

Archiver's Scrapfest

After seeing a post on her blog, my friend Kelly reminded me that I hadn't yet done my post about Archiver's Scrapfest coming up quickly Sept. 18-20th! For those of you that don't know about this humongous event, it is hosted by Archiver's at the Mall of America in Minnesota. They bring in all kinds of leading manufacturers in the scrapbook industry and do three intense (for those of you that have been, you know I'm not lying ;)) days of classes, make-n-takes, giveaways and more! You truly get the best of the best when you attend.



This year I had the pleasure of designing the classes that BasicGrey is offering to the attendee's. The first is an Everyday Card Set featuring JuneBug and our new Pops (these are so fun and the cards featured along with Kelly's precious "Evan" layout in the Archiver's Promo!) and the other is a Layout Class creating 3 single-page layouts that features Lemonade and our new Doilies and Woolies! While I'm a bit tied up this fall going to Scrapbook Expos and a couple of LSS's, I won't be teaching these classes, but if you go, you will get the amazing Layle Koncar giving you all she's got to make these classes some of your favorites ever!

We hope to see many of you there!

xoxo,
k.

Meet My Baby...

You might think it's weird that I'm talking about this item as "my baby", but trust me, it is! I even think each kit comes with a little of my blood, sweat and tears as an added bonus! (ha!) Meet our 2010 calendar!! While I have a hand in all our card kits, this is the one product that is truly mine from the cover to all the embellishments and every page in between. My baby. Now don't get me wrong, the amazing designers at BG totally take it apart and make it into the cool kit with dated pages and goodies and all (like I could do that part if I tried!), but those monthly pages are all from me to you.

And as we were very blessed with the success of our 2009 version, I worked extra hard to make sure the 2010 calendar was even better! I am so very proud of it and excited to say that this year we ordered twice the volume we did last year and are offering it much earlier. What that means is that hopefully stores won't run out of them as quickly as they did last year and that every one who wants one should be able to get one in plenty of time to make them as gifts (should they want to give them away! ;))



Here is the catalog image of the Calendar, then I want to share a few interior images with you - with and without a photo. I hope you love it as much as I do and I can't wait to see your finished versions! And I promise - as soon as I have one of these in my hot little hands, I'll be doing a giveaway here for someone to win it!

This is April's Page...


And September's...without photo....


And with one...


Have a fantastic hump day!
xoxo,
k.