Today's the day! It's BasicGrey's 2011 Summer Release!

Today's the day! Are you ready?! I'm so excited to do this!
But let me warn you now...this is going to be a looooong & photo heavy post so sit down with your coffee (or in my case a McD's diet coke) and get comfy and let me introduce BasicGrey's CHA-Summer 2011 release:
Old-world whimsy and tradition. Classic country freshness. Bold, independent bohemian. Elegance and grace. BasicGrey's CHA-S 2011 release captures four distinct and evocative styles with patterns and colors designed to pique your creativity and illuminate your projects.

First up is Indie Bloom. The swish of a skirt, the sound of heels on mosaic tiles, the addictive rhythms playing somewhere close - you're experiencing the devil-may-care style of Indie Bloom from BasicGrey. Go barefoot on an unexpected and delightful journey in juicy guava, pomegranate ruby, flamingo pink, natural ivory and sharp black.

INDIE BLOOM:


*Tutu Sweet*

photo by Ursula Page

I adore this line. The bold colors just speak to me and having that black to contrast all the brights is just heaven! You might notice on here a new product in our Felt Flowers! Aren't they cute?! And they only come in colors to coordinate with this line (for now :)). There's also the new Metal Flowers (orange) that are actually to go with Picadilly but as you can see, they're pretty versatile! Love them! They just stick on with a pop dot so there is no puncturing your page.
And I know I don't have to comment on just how adorable those wee ballerinas are, but I will. The one right in the middle is my friend Ursula's daughter, Harper. They're so precious! (Man, I need a girl!)

*Perfect Piggies*


photo by Shelby Valadez
based on a sketch by Becky Fleck

This is my friend Shelby's little cutie, Anna! And I'm with her, I adore a little girl in piggy tales! So sweet. And I love how this line as so many different color sets! It can be so versatile. In the first layout it was puples/pinks with a splash of orange. This one is a warm red infused with aquas and pinks. So yummy! And those petals? How cute are they?! I have to admit I didn't understand them at first, but now I can't seem to get enough. And so I look for ways and places to use them! (Hey, a girl in a house of all boys has to do what she has to do!) I also have to give a shout out to our Olio rub-ons. Our full color rub-ons go on like butter, are opaque AND have such stinkin' cute designs. They're truly one of my favorite embellishments.

Now on to our holiday line for this year. Get cozy with Nordic Holiday! With lovingly-knit sweaters, warm-baked gingerbread, snowflake kisses on pink cheeks, and traditions that stretch back before days you remember, you've got a lift ticket to ride into the holiday season...Nordic style! Wrap yourself up in all the snowy whites, icicle blues, holiday greens, and merry reds and revel in warm fuzzy holiday memories.

NORDIC HOLIDAY:


*From, Carson*

This year was the first year my youngest decided he wanted to send out his own Christmas cards. He painstakingly filled them out and signed each one "from, Carson." I adore that he wanted to do this and loved documenting it with these gorgeous papers. The Pop 3-D stickers from this line are wonderful (you'll see I used it in both pages) and they have just enough sparkle for the holidays. And did you know that the chipboard shapes for this line are going to have a little sparkle as well?! Yum!

*Happy St. Nick Day*


Again here you see more of the Pops, our awesome 3-D stickers as well as Pieces (holding the title) and the gorgeous stitched brads for this line. I have to admit, I usually don't like scrapbooking the holidays, but this line made it alot of fun! I mean, really - just LOOK at that little Swiss chalet! My boys were thrilled with their wooden shoes from Holland and all the goodies St. Nick brought them so I'm thinking this is going to be a new annual tradition for us. Love when that happens! :)

These two lines we just reviewed - Indie Bloom & Nordic Holiday - will be the two lines that will ship first in our staggered program. They'll both be available in AUGUST!

Now for the two lines that will ship in OCTOBER and perhaps my favorite two lines from this release - Little Black Dress and Picadilly.

Throw on your Little Black Dress from BasicGrey, and descend the marble staircase in classic white pearls, satin gloves, lace trimmings and all the finery. This collection is a smashing symphony of jaw-dropping lace, shattering-the-rules damask, and menswear plaids in bright white, smooth grey, rich blacks, apricot and creams.

Little Black Dress:


*Simply Beautiful*

photos by Stacy Beard
I don't know if you realize how much I love our Pieces. They (and our element stickers) are always my favorite cheap embellishment from any line. They're just so darn versatile. Here I used Pieces, some Pops and the Olio Rub-ons. The colors in this line are just divine. Since they're all neutrals, there's almost no way to go wrong - projects just come together beautifully! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this line! And I'm super excited about a new embellishment we're releasing with this collection - they're paper pom flowers and they're just too cute!

*Us*


photos by Stacy Beard
based on a sketch by Becky Fleck
This layout might be my favorite. Not only were the photo subjects just precious and so in love (thanks, Stace!), but the patterns just go together so easily that it makes everything look good. Here I used quite a bit of our Chip Sticker shapes and Olio rub-ons (have I mentioned how much I love those?! ;)) but also another new product in those white rose buttons! Aren't they gorgeous?! They actually come with an assortment of vintage looking buttons and are so cute. I simply punched a hole through my layout then used a wire to thread it onto the back rather than sewing because we all know I just don't sew!

A hot cup o' chicken soup, warm buttermilk biscuits, and cherry pie with a mound of fresh whipped cream on a glistening white countertop: you're experiencing Picadilly by BasicGrey. A symphony of sweet American coziness and down-home country-fresh flavors in lemonade yellow, cherry red, cornflower blue and new grass green.

PICADILLY:


*Homegrown*

based on a sketch by Becky Fleck
Oh my boys. My silly, stinky boys - they are perfect for this line and all the summer fun they get into. More of my favorite Petals on this project along with a new product, Yo-Yos! Do you see that fabric rosette with the button in the middle of the flower? That's a yo-yo! They're really fun and I think you can do just about anything with them! And before I head on to the next layout, isn't the color palette for this collection just divine?! I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE the colors, especially the cornflower blue and corn yellow. (I'm addicted to yellow lately - it's a sickness, really!)

*Apple of her Eye*


This is my gorgeous best friend and my sweet Lydian Jane. These two are two of the most important people in the world to me. I love them so and was so excited to see them on Father's Day when I took these sweet photos. The large tree is actually one of our Element stickers for this line. I know, right?! It's awesome and I love that it has a variety of apple patterns that work so cute with it. The red polka dot strip is also an element sticker and you'll see a few glazed brads thrown in. This whole line just reminds me of my grandmother in all the best ways and I can't get enough of it! OH! And I keep coming back to this post to edit things I forgot (I'm THAT excited!) but wait til you see the new wooden buttons with this line! Seriously - they are divine! My gram would totally approve!

And finally...last but not least...MY BABY! The 2012 edition of the BasicGrey calendar! I say this every year, but this year's is by FAR my favorite! :)

This calendar will ship in August as well so you'll have plenty of time to make one for yourself or give as gifts for this holiday! I promise you won't be disappointed!

There is so much more that I couldn't even touch on here, but to see all the full releases, go to BasicGrey and click on "Scrapbook" then "Collections" and then be prepared to loose a few hours staring in amazement ;)

Have a wonderful holiday weekend (Happy Canada Day today to my dear Canadian friends and Happy Independence Day on Monday to all my US folks) and stay safe, everyone!

OH! And P.S! Today is my 5th Anniversary of blogging (seriously!?!) and almost my 500th post! Stay tuned in a day or so for a giveaway blow-out celebration!
xoxo,
k.

Ethan goes to D.C.

Last week my oldest, Ethan, got to take the trip of a lifetime! He was honored to have been invited to attend a leadership conference in Washington, D.C. and we were so excited to have him go.

He spent the week in D.C. learning about leadership, visiting all kinds of historic places from Gettysburg to the Museum of Natural History to the White House. He was in his element and his Daddy & I were so jealous as we hadn't been to D.C. since we were his age.

We sent him with only two requests:
1- have a FANTASTIC time and learn a lot and
2 - TAKE PICTURES! I especially requested that he get pictures of himself at these monuments - thus the selfies that would make Kelly Purkey proud! ;)
Here's a little bit of Washington through Ethan's eyes....

1. E and his roommates. 2. Gettysburg battlefield 3. Supreme Court 4. The White House 5. The Capitol 6. The Capitol Rotunda 7. E at the Washington Monument 8. The Washington Monument from the WWII Memorial 9. WWII Memorial 10. Stars at the WWII Memorial (1 star = 100 people killed) 11. WWII Memorial w/ the Lincoln Memorial in the background 12. E at the WWII Memorial (can you tell that was his favorite?) 13. Washington Monument from Arlington 13. The Eternal Flame 14. Tomb of the Unknown with Marine Guard 14. E at Arlington 15. Iwo Jima Memorial 16. and the coolest photo of all? That helicopter? It's Marine One. It had the President on board and it flew over Ethan while on a dinner cruise on the Potomac. Ethan said it had 2 escort choppers as well! How neat, right?!


He really had the best time and the staff and program were first rate. I can't say enough good things about it. I'm so proud of my guy and all he's accomplished!And next time? Next time *I* want to go on that trip!

Stay tuned tomorrow for BasicGrey's NEW CHA-SUMMER RELEASES!!! Are you excited?! I know I am! Trust me when I say they're GORGEOUS!


xoxo,
k.

Happy 4th Anniversary, Studio Calico!

Happy 4th Anniversary to my dear friends at Studio Calico!! I can't even believe it's been four years already and I'm almost positive can't either! I'm sure it was just yesterday that I met up with April & Shannon for a little GLO (that's girls LUNCH out) at CPK. April had some exciting things she was considering and she wanted to bounce it off the two of us. And *that* began my introduction to all things Studio Calico. I had no doubt even then that it would be something amazing.

So I'm thrilled to say that I've been a Studio Calico girl from the very beginning, right down to being on the original design team. It's my little claim to fame! As a special reward (for me :)) April has asked me and a couple of other past design team members back this month to help them celebrate this amazing birthday! Here is the kit for July that we got to work with:


Pack your bags for a new adventure with July's kit, Mind the Gap! Mind the Gap goes on sale June 28th, 12:00 am EST. Remember, subscribers may order add-ons 12 hours early (June 27th, 12:00 pm EST.)

Isn't it amazing? LOVE this kit. LOVE!

And here's even more fun news direct from the SC newsletter:
Our Fourth Anniversary continues on our blog! We've got four of our past Design Team members back for some fun. Kelly Goree, Caroline Ikeji, Jenn Olson, and Joy Madison will share some new projects using our July kit, Mind the Gap. Be sure to check out their four challenges (and four chances to win!) on July 3rd.

I hope you'll check in with them this month to get in on all the festivities, deals and prizes as well as the challenges! In the meantime, here are the pages I created with Mind the Gap

(As a little hint, this is my layout for my challenge....and it's based off a Becky Fleck sketch who is fabulous for sparking creativity! Now who wants to guess what my challenge is? :))



Thanks again, April & Greg, for letting me be a part of something amazing! Love you guys!

xoxo,
k.

Scrapbook & Cards Today - Summer Issue

I know I don't have to say (yet again!) how much I love Scrapbook & Cards Today magazine or the amazing people that work for it....I don't have to, but I'm gonna!

I LOVE THIS MAGAZINE and the amazing people that work for it!

I'm so proud to be a part of quite a few of their issues and each time I get one, I think it's better than the last - it's THAT good. Truly. The best part (for you...AND me) is that it is absol-stinkin-lutely FREE! FREE. FREE. FREEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can't get any better than that! To download YOUR free copy of the Summer issue, simply click HERE!

Here are my layouts from this issue:

Source List: My Mind’s Eye patterned paper, diecuts, twine; Heidi Swapp (Advantus) chipboard alpha, chipboard stars, acrylic paint; Uni-ball pen (white); Pentel pen (black); Century Schoolbook font for journaling (dafont.com); Adhesives by 3L.


Source List: My Mind’s Eye patterned paper, diecuts, stickers; BasicGrey chipboard alphas, alpha stickers; Uni-ball pen (white); Pentel pen (black); Mom’s Typewriter font for journaling (dafont.com); Adhesives by 3L.


Source List: American Crafts Patterned paper, chipboard pieces, metal-rimmed tag, stickers, ink; My Mind’s Eye twine; Bazzill cardstock; Uniball pen (white); Pentel pen (black); Hero Arts stamp; Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L; Times New Roman font (there); Cursive Standard font (dafont.com – “friend”); Mom’s Typewriter font (dafont.com – journaling); Quikutz Silhouette (title).

Thank you for allowing me to share, BUT....if you want to see anymore, hurry yourself to THIS LINK and get to downloading! You won't be sorry, I promise!

Have a wonderful Monday!
xoxo,
k.

This & That...and a WINNER (or two!)

Today I have to give a little shout out to my friends at Studio Calico. I absolutely love this site and kit club and think April and her crew are one (ok, a few :)) in a million. I've been honored to have a small something to do with this group of people since it's beginning FOUR YEARS AGO (what?!) and am happy to be back this month to help them celebrate their anniversary. Four years is a huge accomplishment in this industry and it couldn't happen for better folks than my fellow Kentuckians April & Greg.

Here's a little sneak with what I've done with their July kit, Mind the Gap. (Such yummy colors - perfect for summer. That yellow? Scrumptious!)




(Check out my old school paper piecing here ;))

And since we're talking scrappy related things, I can't leave this out. Here's a little something from BasicGrey:

Yes, it's true we won't be at CHA Summer as we're taking a little "stay-cation" but we have FOUR new lines that will debut JULY 1st!! Yes, you read that right - JULY 1st! That's just a few days away and a couple of weeks before the Summer Show actually starts! Stay tuned for views and samples from these awesome lines!

And now for the winner of the SUMMER CARD CAMP 2011 class spot -

CONGRATULATIONS to LAB1! Please contact me at kelly(dot)goree(at)gmail(dot)com as soon as possible so I can get you registered and ready to go! I hope you have a wonderful time at class and I'll see you there come Monday!

While I'm announcing winners I still haven't heard from my winner of the Oxford goodies! Calling Momma Seigfreid - please, please contact me by Monday morning or I'm afraid I'll have to draw for another winner!

Have a fantastic weekend, all!
xoxo,
k.

Summer Card Camp GIVEAWAY!!!

Man, I need to get better with my dates and blogging. I know, I know - you don't even need to say it! Here's my attempt to make it up to you. Are you ready?!



As many of you know, there are few ladies as talented at card making as my sweet friends Jennifer McGuire & Kristina Werner. These ladies are seriously amazing and what's even MORE amazing is that they are teaming up to bring you their latest online course: SUMMER CARD CAMP: Focus on Color!

And guess what? As one of their contributing designers, I get to give away a spot to this class! Simply comment on this post with what you'd love to learn from Jen, Kristina or any of the guests and you could be one of the students in this amazing class come Monday!

Please enter by midnight (Eastern) Friday night and I'll announce the winner Saturday! :) And don't worry - if you win my spot and you're already registered, you'll of course get a full refund or you can share it with a friend)! You don't want to miss this!

Happy Thursday!
xoxo,
k.

And the new BasicGrey goes to....

So sorry it took me so long to post the winner. I actually chose on Friday, but I had a birthday party for my middlest, Father's Day, a visit from my best friend from NJ, and an oldest who left for Washington, D.C. I think it's safe to say I just came up for air!

But without further ado, HUGE congratulations go to:

MOMMA SEIGFRIED! Email me with your addy at kelly(dot)goree(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll get your prize right out to you!
Stay tuned for yet another giveaway tomorrow - this time for SUMMER CARD CAMP with Jennifer McGuire and Kristina Werner!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!
xoxo,
k.

Who wants some FREE stuff?! - GIVEAWAY CLOSED

CONTEST/GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!

I feel the need to celebrate summer in a small way and the ending of school - so what better than to give away some BASICGREY Oxford!? It's a brand new line just now shipping to retailers so get yours here while you can!

Just leave your name and what you love about summer in the comment section (one entry per person, please) by Thursday, June 16th at 11:59pm Eastern and you could be the lucky random winner of the goodies above! I'll post the winning name on Friday!

Have a great day!
xo,
k.

Summer Card Camp 2011 - NOW REGISTERING!

As many of you know, there are few ladies as talented at card making as my sweet friends Jennifer McGuire & Kristina Werner. These ladies are seriously amazing and what's even MORE amazing is that they are teaming up to bring you their latest online course: SUMMER CARD CAMP: Focus on Color!


Here's a brief description of what all you'll get with this class (hang on to your hats!):

EACH WEEK:
• 3 card ideas and a technique video from Jennifer
• 3 card ideas and a sketch-based video from Kristina
• 6 card ideas from favorite guests
• additional color combination and sketch ideas.

DAILY PDF'S
• a PDF each day in your email inbox starting on the 27th (But you will be able to download the PDFs from the Downloads section of the Summer Card Camp 2011 private blog. So no worries – if you are out of town, you can go back and view the class at any time.)

PRIVATE ONLINE COMMUNITY to share your ideas & creations!

CHANCES TO WIN PRIZES from such amazing companies like:
• Studio Calico
• Hero Arts
• Simon Says Stamp
• My Favorite Things
• Lawn Fawn
• Papertrey Ink
• Ranger / Tim Holtz
• Ellen Hutson
and more.

So in TOTAL YOU WILL GET:
• 48 card ideas
• 8 videos
• 28 color combos
• and have access to a private blog.

Whew!! Are you excited yet?! I know *I* am and I'm even more excited because I get to be one of the guest designers working with these girls! So fun!

Here's a video to talk to you a bit more about the class & how it will work:


Don't forget to register NOW! I'll be posting a bit later in the month to give a spot away for this clas, but don't let that stop you from registering now. If you win my spot, you'll of course get a full refund from Jen & Kristina (or you can share it with a friend)! You don't want to miss this!

Have a great Wednesday!
xoxo,
k.

Watch out Middle School

...here comes my boy!


Ethan - first day of kindergarten & the last day of 5th grade

Please indulge me just a bit as I share this proud mama moment with you. Friday marked a huge milestone for my oldest - he graduated from 5th grade and elementary school. It was an emotional day for all of us - for me because my baby is growing up way too fast and for him because half his class will be going to a different school and it was their last day all together. I expected the girls and mamas to cry, but completely wasn't prepared for seeing all our big guys sharing their tears. It was almost more than I could take.

And so next up is middle school. I'm completely in shock that he's about to do something that for some crazy reason still doesn't seem that far way from when *I* did it. sigh. We're so proud of our bright, handsome young man. He made A/B Honor Roll, got his promotion certificate and a Distinguished medal in Math, Proficient medals in Science and Reading. He's got an incredibly busy summer that starts with football camp - TOMORROW!

Congratulations, Ethan! Have a wonderful summer break. We love & are incredibly proud of you!

xoxo,
mama

(E & a few of his football buddies. Over here boys - the camera's over here! ;))

Registration is NOW OPEN for Saskatoon!

It's here, it's here! Registration for Scrapbook & Cards Today's Crop & Create in Saskatoon is NOW OPEN! I'm so excited to be a part of this event along side my friends Becky Fleck, Kimber McGray and Vicki Boutin! It's truly going to be an extraordinary event and we so look forward to seeing you there! For registration or FAQ's, check out the website HERE.

There are so many amazing classes that are going to be offered as part of this event and I'm super excited about mine. Here's a brief description of what I'm be teaching and I hope it gets you as pumped up as I am!

Class 1: Paper Mix-Ology!

Are you that scrapbooker who collects sheet after sheet of beautiful patterned paper but has no idea how to mix them together on your scrapbook pages? Are you too afraid to cut into that gorgeous sheet of paper for fear that you won’t be able to “make it work?” Does the idea of using even more than one sheet of patterned paper at a time completely freeze your scissors in mid-cut?! Well, fear not—this class is just for you! Join our patterned paper expert, Kelly Goree, as she takes the mystique and mystery out of using those papers once and for all. In this class you’ll create two double-page layouts that will teach you the fundamentals that will have you mixing up patterned papers as easy as 1-2-3!

Teacher: Kelly Goree
Duration: 2 hrs.
Friday: 8:00 – 10:00 pm
Sponsors: Pink Paislee, Studio Calico

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Class 2: The Designer’s Dozen

We all hunt for those cherished tried-and-true recipes that not only make our lives easier but make us look like we’re Martha Stewart to boot! It’s those favourite go-to basics that save us time and stress in the kitchen and it’s no different when it comes to our scrapbook pages! Join Kelly Goree for a fabulous "scrapbooking baker's dozen!" Well known for her bold use of color, pattern and design, Kelly will teach you how to take your layouts from delicious to extra-yummy with twelve basic design tips! In this class you’ll learn about techniques such as the “rule of thirds” and “focal photos” while you create three fantastic layouts guaranteed to be a hit with those you love!

Teacher: Kelly Goree
Duration: 2 hrs.
Saturday: 2:30 – 4:30 pm
Sponsors: Bazzill, American Crafts, BasicGrey
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Have a fantastic weekend!
xo,
k.

3 Scrappy Boys

Hi, all!!

Happy JUNE 1st! (Seriously? already?!)It's flying by altogether too fast for me. Case in point, early this year, I received an email from Heather at 3 Scrappy Boys asking if I might do a guest designing spot for her sometime in the summer. And all of a sudden it was Summer! And well, HELLO - with a name like 3 Scrappy Boys, it wasn't like she even had to ask!

She generously sent me the June kit, Trio, a few weeks ago and I have completely fallen in love with the bright colors in it. It was so up my alley - especially since I've been such a sucker for YELLOW lately! It makes me HAPPY as you can tell here in this first layout I did with the kit. (Stay tuned a bit later this month for a couple more as well as a little giveaway, perhaps!)


Source list: Bella Boulevard PP and chipboard pieces, Cosmo Cricket PP, Maya Road chipboard word. Other: Studio Calico Mist, Bazzill cs, brown twine



I'm off to awards day (or WEEK at my house!) for Turner & 2nd grade! I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

xoxo,
k.

BasicGrey is Debuting at the QUILT MARKET!

I just had to share this good news because the goodies that are coming along with this launch (and shipping in AUGUST) are just too yummy for words!

********************************************
Guess what? We have news for you! BasicGrey is excited to announce our debut at this year's Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, Utah May 13th-15th. You know BasicGrey for always having fashion forward and cutting edge designs in the scrapbook world, but we are now ready to bring our unique designs and eclectic creations to new heights and to new markets. Heirloom buttons, fabric flowers, samplers and gift card monsters--Oh My!

We would love to introduce you to all of our new products so please visit us at the Quilt Market in booth #1024. Keep your eyes open because today, May 13th, all new products will be visible online. We hope you enjoy our new, eclectic mix of products as much as we do!
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Now how's that for some good news on Friday the 13th?!
Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo,
k.

Stop the Presses!! It's NEW BasicGrey!

Stop the presses and get ready to be schooled! Introducing Oxford and Out of Print, the two newest collections from BasicGrey shipping in June, 2011!

The word is out… or rather IN this season. You’ll look decidedly smart using our new Oxford and Out of Print Collections. Curl up with one of these new, sure to become crafting classics, filled with all the write stuff. No matter how you use it, these two new lines spell F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S.

And what’s a collection without some new editions… err… additions? Look up “amazing” in the dictionary and you’ll find these new creations:
I’m tongue-tied trying to describe our new Bow Ties. These paper and fabric, smartly-assembled bows can substitute for a flower, border a title, and add that perfect lasting impression on your next layout.
Try a whimsical selection from our circulation of Yo-Yos. Let these pinwheel fabric creations round out the look of your next project. Reference “adorable” and “stunning” for these new embellishments.
A nod to the masters, our fine-spun Lace Stickers have been added to the cannon of classic style. With delicate doilyinspired precision, these intricate embroidered self-adhesive stickers add just the right timeless touch.
We’ve also cataloged tons of new designs into your treasured favorites: stickers (Chip, Elements, Title, etc), stamps, buttons & brads, rub-ons, Bloomers, Pops, Ribbon Doilies, Petals, Pieces, plus much more.
Spread the word – we think these new collections are your next soon to be bestsellers!

Sure to be a first-edition favorite, Out of Print will have you on the edge of your seat and wanting more.

Layout by Greta Hammond & Kelly Goree (photos by Stacy Beard).
Supplies: BasicGrey OUT OF PRINT


Hey smarty! Oxford has been nominated as BG's next valedictorian and will elevate the IQ and enrich any crafting experience with it's tweedy old-English design and style.

Layout by Kelly Goree
Supplies: BasicGrey OXFORD

Happy NSD!

Hello and Happy National Scrapbook Day (and DERBY DAY to all my local friends)! I have some SUPER THRILLING news to share with you guys that I've been exploding to tell you about. Most of you know how much I adore my dear friends at Scrapbook & Cards Today. Catherine & Becky are two of the best people I know and I am always thrilled when they ask me to work with them on a project - any kind of project. So you can just imagine how blown away I was when they asked to include me on this - Hold on to your [Derby] hats, folks!:

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Scrapbook & Cards Today is thrilled to announce the launch of "Crop & Create" - a series of spectacular events to be held in various Provinces all across Canada! Designed with the papercrafter in mind, these events will combine fun and educational classes from some of the industry's top teachers, with loads of cropping time, make n' takes, and a host of fabulous prizes! Sound like fun? Then we hope you will join us for a weekend full of classes, camaraderie, creativity, and cropping! Oh, and the best part? We've heard there may be CHOCOLATE!

The first “Crop & Create” event will be held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on September 30th – October 1st and we are thrilled to have Becky Fleck, Kelly Goree, Kimber McGray and Vicki Boutin joining us! They are so excited to share new classes, full of product and techniques, with you. Mark your calendars as registration opens on June 3rd! For more information about "Crop & Create" and additional dates please visit our website HERE! We hope to see you at one of our events!
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I hope you'll be able to join us in at least one of these amazing events and I'm so looking forward to Saskatoon this fall!

Oh! And before I go - I've heard through the grapevine that BasicGrey will be making their announcement of their TWO new releases on Monday! Whooo hooo! Stay tuned for that as well!
Have a wonderful day and Happy Creating!
xoxo,
k.

Psst....

A little birdie told me there might something new coming from BasicGrey soon (like in the next week or so). You might want to be watching! Just sayin'!



Happy Monday!
xo,
k.

Stamping with Nichol at Two Peas

Yep. I said it - STAMPING!

Can you believe it? I'm finally starting to stamp more and more thanks to talented (and persuasive) friends like Jen McGuire and Nichol Magouirk. These girls rock stamping like nobody's business. Seriously.

So I have to admit I chuckled a little bit to myself when Nichol asked if I'd contribute a layout to her awesome stamping class over at Two Peas in a Bucket. I mean really. We all know that stamping is not something I'm particularly skilled at, but I'm always up to a challenge and so I went for it!

Nichol's class this month (she has a different stamping class EACH month all for FREE - so amazing) is about border stamps. Since I'm not normally a stamper, I tend to do things a bit differently. So I used *my* border stamps by Hero Arts to create my embellishments for this page rather than make a traditional border. The large branch stamp you see here is actually a 12" stamp that I repeated several times and cut at different lengths to create the look I was going for. And that, my friends, is my biggest stamping tip:

I'm too scared to stamp directly on my layout most times so I stamp, then color and cut out to use how I see fit. This way I can arrange them just like any other embellishment. That takes the fear out of it for me AND reminds me of exactly how many times I can use a stamp over and over again (for FREE :)).

So there you have it!

And this was the result:

Source List: BoBunny (Ad Lib) paper; Bazzill cardstock; Hero Arts Stamps; American Crafts Thickers, embossing powder, ink; BasicGrey alpha stickers and stitched brad. This layout was also based on an old sketch by Becky Fleck that I adore and have used over and over in one form or another! :)

And a little detail shot:


I hope you hop over and play along with Nichol this month (and the rest of the year, too)! You'll be so glad you did!

I hope your weekend has been wonderful!
xoxo,
k.

Studio Calico LAWN PARTY Reveal!!!

YAY!!
Studio Calico's LAWN PARTY was revealed last night! I hope you got in on it and that all the beautiful goodies will be coming to your doorstep soon!
Here's the reveal of the layout that I did with this month's main kit. I've been playing along with Kelly Purkey's Sketchbook 3 class this past month and this layout was based on one of her fab sketches.

I loved being able to fit so many photos on one page. It was a perfect way to showcase my photo a day from April last year. And that number stamp?? It's an SC exclusive and it alone sold me on this kit! I heart it so much. I used a light grey ink and clear embossed it along the side. But then I wanted to highlight the "4" for the month of April so I stamped it again on the dotted paper and embossed it with American Craft's white ZING powder (that stuff is awesome!). Then I simply cut it out and added it over the original 4. It was super easy and a really fun technique.

OH! And speaking of the fab Ms. KP, can you find her on this layout? It's like finding the hidden Mickey, but she's there, I swear! ;)

Thanks again to April for letting me play along and if you weren't up for last night's reveal, hop over to Studio Calico now and grab you up a kit!

Have a great day!
xo,
k.

Studio Calico MAY Sneak

Hi, all!

I am so excited to share a bit with you today. My dear friend April at Studio Calico was kind enough to send me one of her awesome May kits, LAWN PARTY, to play around with for a couple of reasons:
1. April rocks & is extremely generous! ;)
and
2. There is a BASICGREY exclusive in this main kit! Can you find a bit of it in this sneak picture??!

I'm sooooo beyond excited about this I can't stand it. BasicGrey created a special release of one of our favorite alpha stickers in a special gorgeous aqua color just to coordinate with this kit! (cue clapping hands!)

I'm telling you - you're going to NEED this kit! Not only for the BG exclusive but for the fab SC exclusive papers AND that stamp you also see in the sneak! Truly! Set your clocks TONIGHT to get in on this asap!

I'll be back tomorrow with the full reveal!

Have a great day!
k.

GIVEAWAY: Sketchbook 3 with Kelly Purkey

****Thank you for playing. The contest is now CLOSED!*********

And the WINNER IS: KIM!!!

Congrats, Kim! Email me at kelly(dot)goree(at)gmail(dot)com to claim your prize!!
Thanks to all who left a comment and remember it's still not too late to sign up. Sketch #2 goes live TOMORROW! :)

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I know I'm running behind for this, but such is the way life (especially mine!) seems to go sometimes! I do have to tell you though how completely thrilled I am to be joining my friend Kelly Purkey in her latest online class - Sketchbook 3. Those of you that know me know just how much I adore sketches and KP's are fantastic!

So let me give away a spot to this class! It started today with me up at bat right off (that's a KP reference for you there ;)) but it's a go-at-your-own pace kinda class so you won't be behind I promise! Sign up here and I'll do a drawing sometime tomorrow afternoon for the lucky winner!

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Here are the full deets for you along with a peek at my layout (look at me, Jen McGuire - I'm STAMPING!):



Join Kelly Purkey and friends for Sketchbook 3! This is a self-paced four week class filled with fresh sketches, easy instructions, beautiful examples, and lots of fun. From April 4th to April 29th a PDF will be delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. By the end of the class, you'll have a complete sketchbook of 12 original sketches, 38 layouts, and an additional 38 sketches based on those creative pages. All of the examples are brand new layouts, exclusive to this class... you won't see them anywhere else. The best part is that you will be receiving an example layout from Kelly for each of the sketches, along with two (or more) example layouts from a very talented contributor. Each PDF for Sketchbook 3 will also include a card designed by the amazing Jennifer McGuire based on the daily sketch.
The class will also include a private message board for questions and sharing ideas on the Studio Calico website. Visit Kelly's blog for more information and to see the full list of contributors.
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Have a wonderful evening!

xoxo,
k.