IHP June DT Challenge: Studio Calico Journal Kit

This month the i {heart} papers Design Team is showcasing these very cool 4x8” Journal Kits by Studio Calico. We also have a very special Guest Designer joining us this month: Michele Gross!

Not being a journaler (is that a word? my spell-check seems to think not), this was initially a very daunting challenge for me. I had already made a gratitude journal that I never used (shame on me).

And then I realized that since I am going on an amazing cruise of the Black Sea with my sister this summer, it would be great to have someplace to jot down notes along the way to help me remember it better, tuck away a few keepsakes, and maybe eventually add some photos.

I started by coating the front cover with white pigment ink and then embossing it with clear embossing powder. I cut a strip of paper from the Take Note 6x6 pad, also by Studio Calico. The colors and design seemed to reflect the feel of Turkey, which is where our trip begins.

The stamps I used for the whole project are from the Technique Tuesday set called R & R. How perfect, right? I stamped them with Memento Rich Cocoa ink and colored the image with Copic markers. And I finally got to use my Bind-It-All!

Inside the front cover, I adhered another piece of paper from that Take Note pad to write down the details of the trip.
I didn’t think about covering the board before I put the thing together, so I just cut a piece of cardstock a little short of the binding. Lesson learned.

All of the inside pages are stamped with another stamp from the R & R set.
I figured I can circle one of the phrases on each page depending on where we are when I am writing. I love how the pages are printed with a grid to make writing easier!

To keep track of little mementos, I bound a few envelopes into the book.
I snipped off a corner of the flap so it wouldn’t get caught in the binding.

Time will tell whether I actually use this very cute journal, given my track record, but I will try.

I hope you’re as excited as I am to see how the rest of the Design Team used this product. If you make one, please share with the rest of us by using the keyword “ihp0612” when you upload it to the SCS or PCP galleries.

Now let’s go check these out:

• Michele Gross, June's Guest Designer
• Carolyn (that’s me)
• Deb
• Gretchen
• Loretta
• Lori
• Lynn
• Tracy
• Kate

Happy cruising – I mean blog-hopping!

Happy Father’s Day!

Here are a few cards for all the dads, granddads, stepdads, and especially the NEW dads out there! Don’t have time to provide many details right now – overslept and I need to get moving.

Uses Technique Tuesday’s Swanky Sentiments stamp set.

Bottom border uses Mint Motif’s Beyond Borders, Too. Greeting and texture plate from PTI.

Stamps and texture plate from PTI.

Have a great day, all!

Look, Ma -- no coloring!

Not a bit! And no bling, and no ribbon! But I did use the same simple layout and the same dies as the last card I posted. And more supplies from i {heart} papers.
I just love that Floral Ovals die from Spellbinders. Apparently lots of others do too, because Kate keeps selling out of it! This time I used one of the Large Ovals dies to cut it into a frame. Then I used one of the Small Ovals dies to cut a hole in the rose cardstock layer (hint: temporarily adhere the frame to the layer, place the smaller die inside, and run the whole thing through the Big Shot for perfect placement!).

I lightly traced the oval cutout onto the white base card for easy placement of the stamped image. These stamps are from On the Line, by Gourmet Rubber Stamps. (hint: erase the pencil marks after the ink is dry, and before you assemble the card – don’t ask.) I paper-pieced the little baby clothes with papers from the Basic Grey Konnichiwa 6x6 pad. The rose layer is then attached to the base with foam dots.

Hope you like the card, and that you find the hints helpful. Someone should learn from my mistakes, since I seem not to!

May the bluebird of happiness…

OK, I need someone old like me to help me remember which show from long ago had a shtick that started with this. Was it Laugh-In? I think Johnny Carson used it, too.Anyhow, this is just a pretty birthday card made with some of my favorite goodies from i {heart} papers, some old, some new. You can tell I’ve been in the mood for coloring lately.

What I used:
Stamps: Bird on Dogwood Branch (Stampavie); Everything Happy (Stampendous)
Ink: Memento black, Copic markers 
Paper: Everyday Moments (Teresa Collins)
Other: Ovals, and Floral Ovals dies (Spellbinders) – seems to be out of stock. If you ask nicely, maybe Kate can get more in.

Have a wonderful weekend, and may the bluebird of happiness…well, do whatever it’s supposed to do.