Studio Calico Burst Mask - Part 1

Hello, Jennifer here!

I hope you've had a wonderful Christmas and 2013 is bringing you lots of happiness and crafting time!!

I've been having some fabulous fun playing with the Studio Calico Burst Mask! I've got several projects and ideas to show you, and first up are are two layouts.

Magical Moments Layout

For this first layout, about my daughter at a Christmas parade, I used the mask in the simplest way - to fill the whole page. I began by spraying the back of the mask with removeable adhesive, to stop the mask moving as I misted, and I stuck it onto a piece of white cardstock.

I protected my surface with newspaper, and then spritzed all over the mask with Mr Huey's Honor Society Mist. To get an even coverage you need to move your hand quickly from left to right (or from right to left if you're left handed) as you are spraying.

Once the blue mist had dried a little, I carefully pulled the mask off. Remember not to leave the mask on too long if you've used adhesive on it, as it will end up getting stuck forever! About 5 minutes after misting should be okay. I then left the mist to dry completely for about an hour.

Once the blue mist was dry, I unscrewed the lids of Mister Huey's Calico White and Pretty Pink Mists, held the 'straws' over the layout, and tapped the lids with my finger to sprinkle drops of mist all over the page.

Once it was completely dry I trimmed the a little off each side, and mounted it onto some mauve cardstock. 

Then I just had to add my photo and embellish the layout!

I used: My Mind's Eye All is Bright stickers from the Collection pack 

MME Rhinestones and 6x6 Paper (for the journaling)

Studio Calico Wonderland Wood Veneer Snowflakes

Hey Day Aqua Thickers

Glitz Teeny Alpha 'Yours Truly' Stickers

and a few Hero Arts Clear Gemstones!

Little Angel Layout

For my next layout, I used the mask in a few different ways...

To start this layout, about my son when he was first born, I first misted a starburst in the top left corner. I covered the parts of the mask where I didn't want the mist to seep through. It's worth testing this on a spare piece of paper to check you get the size/shape you want. Once I had done my "test" piece I cleaned the mask and placed it on the piece of Sugar Cookie cardstock (I covered up the other holes too after taking this photo) 

And then sprayed it a couple of times in the middle with Honor Society Mist. I pulled the mask off while the mist was still wet, and used the 'straw' of the Calico White Mist to flick streaks from the middle of the starbust out to the edges  - make sure you clean the 'straw' before you put it back in the bottle!!

Next I created an a mat for the journalling, by blocking off all of the mask except one section of the 'burst'.

 And then I sprayed this with My Huey Letter Jacket Mist. 

A little word of warning if you do have a go at this technique - spray quite lightly.

On my first attempt I sprayed on way too much mist and it seeped below the mask and ended up looking like this!!

Not the look I was going for! 

On my next attempt I was much more sparing with the mist and it came out much better.

I used another section on the burst as a template to cut out a piece of Studio Calico Hey Day 6x6 paper.

Which I placed below the red misted section

And added a piece of My Mind's Eye All is Bright Decorative Tape above the red section.

I checked where my photo was going to go, and added some detail to the top right corner, by covering up most of the Starburst Mask, leaving just a small arrow shape to point down at my photo.

I misted the "arrow" with Warm Calico Mist, and then outlined with a black pen so it was extra defined, and topped with a little sticker.

I then just off the layout, adding some droplets of White Calico Mist, and using the same stickers and alphas as the last layout, plus some All is Bright Decorative Brads. The cherub image was especially apt for the layout.

Hopefully this post has given you a few ideas for using the mask. I've used lots of ways all on one layout but you could use just one of the techniques.

I'll be back soon with some more ways to use the mask! 

Jennifer x

Shop for Studio Calico Mask Now

See more of Jennifer's crafting on her blog: Jennifer's Jumbles

Lisa-Jane - Inspired By Winter

Thanks for joining us for the next post in our "Inspired By Winter" series.

If you missed the previous ones you can catch up on those here and here. This week I'd like you to "meet" Design Team member Lisa-Jane.

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Hello, I'm Lisa-Jane and I'm really pleased to be spending another term on the S J Crafts Design Team!  I have a wonderful husband and I'm a full time Mum to Bella and Louis.  As well as being a total paper-craft addict, I'm also studying Creative Writing part time with the Open University.   

I've always loved cutting and sticking and collecting and telling stories so scrapbooking is the perfect creative outlet for me.  My sister-in-law first introduced me to scrapbooking about 6 years ago but after seeing magazine layouts and the price of basic cardstock, I was too intimated to do any thing more than collect bits and pieces.  A couple of years later, I met someone by chance who was an avid scrapbooker and she tipped my husband off about a local retreat as a Christmas present.  I was exhausted after some rather intensive classes but absolutely hooked!  In the last 3 years I have taken over the house with my papers and embellishments and adhesives!  I think my husband rues the day he surprised me with that ticket!

• What was your last crafty purchase?  Back last week I bought the new Echo Park Photo Freedom kit for a friend who was wanting to start scrapping.  I'm trying to get lots more friends into it so we can get together more often!  I also treated myself to this gorgeous Glitz washi tape - washi tape is my new love!

• Who is your favourite Craft Manufacturer?  - and why? My top three are definitely October Afternoon, My Mind's Eye and Echo Park.  October Afternoon have such great interesting designs in really funky colours which are great for children.  I love the versatility of My Mind's Eye with their classic designs and the ability to mix their collections together and they have such beautiful coordinating embellishments.  The winner for me though has to be Echo Park.  Their collections in the last couple of years have been fabulous with stunning papers at a cost effective price in some gorgeous colourways - what's not to love!

• What is your favourite technique? At the moment I'm really working on my layering technique.  I always ink my edges and sometimes I distress them a bit too.  I love the look of heavily laden pages with lots of little bits and pieces peeking out.  I'll let you into a secret though... using lots of stash on my pages means I can shop for more, right?!

For my "Inspired by Winter" project I created this layout with lots of layers and little sneaks just peeking out.

When I think of Winter I think of cold mornings with pretty patterns of sparkly frosts.  I used doilies to recreate the delicate patterns that the frost leaves on the windows and I used winter colours of white, grey and ice blue, with a hint of sunny yellow.  I sprayed through a doiley with Mister Huey mist and added more Winter sparkle with some white gems and some snowflake patterned vellum to make a little envelope to hide my journalling.
  
My supplies also included: MME Lost and Found 2 6" x 6" pad, stickers from Lost and Found 3 (these two MME collections work so well together), Studio Calico wonderland stickers and Glitz Cashmere Dame washi tape.   

 The Open University year traditionally runs from October to April so the Winter months for me are often spent studying.  Although this photo was taken at my graduation many summers ago, it represents years of being tucked up in the warm with a text book and a highlighter pen. 

With that in mind, I'd better get back to some studying.  

Bye for now

Lisa-Jane xx

Don't forget to stop by Lisa-Jane's blog at Inside My Head

UK Scrappers Blog Hop!

Hello and welcome! 

Today we are excited to be participating in the UK Scrappers Blog Hop. If you are following the hop you should have arrived here from Sir Stampalot!!  To be in with a chance of winning the UKS Blog Hop prizes you will need to comment on this post (and on all the blogs in the hop) and remember to mention your UKS user name in your comment. Finally be sure to reply in the UKS thread on the forum when you have completed the hop.

After your visit here hop on to That's Crafty and if you lose your way or you want to start at the beginning of the hop you can find the complete list here!

We are also offering 20% off all orders placed via our online shop with the code UKSBLOGHOP entered during checkout.  The code is valid right up until 11pm on Thursday 5th July.

Our project for you today is a fairly quick layout - it took me just over an hour (excluding drying time!) to complete! We'd love you to have a go too!!

"Summer Days" Layout

This is the kit of supplies that I gathered together:

2 x patterned papers - Try to pick one bold and and one more subtle pattern. My patterned papers are from Echo Park So Happy Together

1 x bazzill cardstock (12 x 12) (for your background) and 1 scrap of cardstock - (I didn't use the green on this layout in the end so just ignore that in the pic!)

A sheet of journalling cards (mine is "jot it down" by Echo Park)

Selection of Stickers - I picked out the alphas and stickers from Echo Park's Hello Summer and So Happy Together. I love how these two collections work so well together.

Stamp Set - My stamps are from My Minds Eye, Miss Caroline. You will need a stamp for the background and this set also has a "date" and "place" stamp but you can leave these out if you don't have them.

Paint Dabber - I used Jenni Bowlin in speckled egg. 

Pink Gems - Mine are by Hero Arts. 

Washi Tape
Photograph- 1 x 6" x 4" Portrait

So, onto making the layout:

Choose your back ground cardstock (I used a sheet of kraft bazzill) and cut 2 panels from the patterned paper and scrap cardstock (or you could use another pattern instead of cardstock if you prefer). The sizes were approx 13cm x 17cm and 12cm x 16.5cm but if you are using a different size photo just adjust the sizes appropriately. 
Choose and cut out a journalling card from the 12 x 12 sheet.

Mat your photograph onto a piece of patterned paper (a more subtle pattern works better) and adhere to the other 2 panels. Don't put adhesive on the edges of the paper so you can slightly lift the corners to give some texture and also if you want to tuck anything under later.  

Position on your background cardstock (but don't stick it down just yet) and lightly mark with a pencil where your photo mat will be and then put it safely to one side whilst you apply the paint in the next step!

Stamp your background stamp using the paint dabber to apply paint to the stamp (instead of ink) and then take the lid off the bottle and dip a paintbrush into the paint and gently flick onto the cardstock. You might want to practice this on scrap card if you've not created paint splatters like this before!
Use you pencil marks to help you get the paint where you want it to show!

Once the paint is dry adhere your photo mat to the background and add a title. I used the "Summer" sticker and the small blue alphas so I could raise it with foam pads.

Choose a border sticker and tuck this under the bottom edge of the photo mat with a strip of washi tape to soften the edges a little. I tore the tape but you can cut it if you prefer a neater edge.

Apply paint to the date and place stamp and stamp onto journalling card. If you don't have stamps for this, handwrite them onto the card or you could journal onto the card instead.

Cut small strips of patterned paper and layer up on the top edge with a small piece of tape and add a punched butterfly (or a small embellishment). I used my Martha Stewart punch.

Add the journal card tucking it under the photo mat and tuck a small piece of border sticker and washi tape under the card.

Add few more stickers, raising some up on foam pads and scatter punched butterflies and gemstones to finish.

I hope you've enjoyed our step by step instructions and if you do make a layout using them do let us know if the comments so we can come and see!

So, if you're following the blog hop, your next stop is That's Crafty

That's for stopping by!

New Stock Update!!

Lots of lovely new goodies have been arriving recently so I thought I'd give you all a quick update!!

NEW from American Crafts the beautiful Dear Lizzy Neapolitan Collection can be found here!

We have the very popular jar and camera stamp and the roller date stamp arrived and promptly sold out, but more are coming soon!  

                       

Do take a look at the co ordinating new Thickers Alphabets and the 6 x 6 pad too! 





NEW from ECHO PARK is not one but two new collections:

Paradise Beach and Sweet Days

  

Both collections are gorgeous and full of bright, fresh colours! The kits are in stock here!!

Just arrived this week .....

SMASH!! 

  

Keep an eye on the website for the Smash Folio Journals coming soon!! 

Along with more Smash Accessories!

 

I'm lovin' the pink one ..... or maybe the orange!!

 I love the way that Smash will work on scrapbook layouts as well as in the Smash folios the range was originally designed for. The tapes, journal pads and so many of the accessories can be used on 12 x 12 layouts too!

Some gorgeous Petaloo flowers are now in stock, different colours available!

    

Ranger have released a limited edition Spring distress ink pad set.

3 distress ink pads in brand new colours! 

These are flying off the shelves so if you want one grab it quick!!

Last but not least, there is Teresa Collins Sweet Afternoon, Echo Park's Hello Summer, My Minds Eye Nostalgia and On The Sunny Side and Prima Fairy Belle

We have the 6" x 6" pads for all these, which are perfect for card making!

        

Why not grab a cuppa (or ice cold drink!!) and browse all the new goodies here!

Jenni Bowlin Hexagon Love!

Every now and then a new trend hits the scrapbooking world ... one of the latest seems to be hexagons!! So today I would like to hand over to DT member, Louise to share her fab ideas with hexagons!
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Hexagons seem to be everywhere in scrapbooking at the moment so I was pleased when Sarah sent me these lovely Jenni Bowlin vintage journaling tags, Identify, Numbers and Memo stickers.

         

      

To go with the hexagon based stickers I cut out, by hand, lots of hexagons from papers from my Dilly Dally 6" x 6" pad. My journaling is on the Jenni Bowlin vintage tag which you can just see peeping out from under the photo.

So that I could get the placement of the hexagons exactly where I wanted them I first mounted the stickers onto card. This also made it easy to draw around them onto the patterned papers.

Stanley Age 6 - hence the number 6 stickers.

Some of the stickers are specifically for journaling or recording on, you can see in the above photo that I put words on these ones using Glitz white alphas.

Wondering how these hexagons would look on cards I used the same papers and some of the Jenni Bowlin stickers to make up a couple of cards.

Firstly, a card for him...

....and this one for her, using paper scraps from MME's lost and found two collection . The Jenni Bowlin identify sticker that you can just about see under the best wishes flag actually had "Place" written on it so I turned it upside down and placed the flag over the word.

I really enjoyed working with these stickers and as the sticker sheets are so generous I was able to use them on several different layouts and projects.

You can see more hexagons on this layout and also on this mini book!!

Thanks for stopping by!