{behind the pages.}

Fly away with us and WHAT'S UP?!

2012-01-27T11:44:00.010-05:00

HAPPY FRIDAY, everyone!

If simjply just being Friday wasn't enough, today I get to share with you what is probably our most FUN line from BasicGrey's CHA-W releases - WHAT'S UP?

From feltie clouds to flair to little toothpick flags this line just begs to be used. Add in the gorgeous color palette and some vintage maps and you can't go wrong!

You’ll go balloonistic (don't you love that word?!) for our newest line – What’s Up! Something is surely in the air with this billowy group of nostalgic, whimsical prints featuring a parade of hot air balloons, a banner-filled skyline, and jet planes zipping across the horizon. This fanciful and free-wheeling collection of lilac purple, sunrise turquoise, Parisian pink, and a chic pop of poppy red is your ticket to take off on an around-the-world adventure. You’ll be consumed by that floating-at-the-festival feeling as your creativity balloons out of control.

And here are a couple of pages I created with this line. Have I even mentioned how this line is so up my alley. Vintage images with a modern twist. It's what I aspire to be. Aspire being the word with emphasis here!

Fly High

(Note my little monkey and his missing tooth at the end of the past summer. He's growing up too fast, I swear.)

Stay tuned to the BasicGrey blog for the full reveal of What’s Up on Sunday, January 29th– the first day of the Winter 2011 Craft and Hobby Show.

So I know you want a chance to win What’s Up before you can buy it. Just leave a comment HERE letting us know what you think about our newest collection and we’ll select THREE lucky commenters at random to receive a What’s Up Tcollection pack! Comment must be posted by 11:59p MST.

Have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you again on Sunday!!

xo,

PB&J, anyone?

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hello!! Happy Thursday to you!

Today I get to share with you what was probably my favorite collection of our entire CHA-W release. And looking at it, I bet you never guessed that this collection not only spoke to me, it screamed! I LOVE the summery, fun, bold colors of this line. So how about some PB&J?! Anyone? ;)

(Can I say right here that I NEED that bike?! And the new alpha stickers? Swoon! Sorry - back to the regularly scheduled blurbs....)

Jam-packed with a hearty helping of heartfelt style, PB&J is the perfect blend of classic comfort and down-home design. As you prepare your creative spread using this signature collection, your options are limitless. Maybe a mixture of banana yellow and strawberry-preserves red is a personal favorite, or perhaps you’re a fan of trimming away those crusts . . . No matter how you slice it, your sweet treat is sure to impress as you create paper projects and preserve your memories.

Here are a couple of samples I did using this fabulous new line:

Hilton Head Island

(I think this is one of my two favorite layouts I did for the entire show!)

You Three

Don't forget to stay tuned to the BasicGrey Blog (and here, too!) for the full reveal of PBJ on Sunday, January 29th– the first day of the Winter 2011 Craft and Hobby Show. We’ll also be bringing you peeks of the final our our four lines debuting this week.

And finally (you knew this was coming, didn't you?!) we always want to give you a chance to win it before you can buy it so hop on over to the BG blog and leave a comment letting us know what you think about this newest collection and we’ll select THREE lucky commenters at random to receive a PBJ collection pack! Please note: comment must be posted by January 26, 2012 at 11:59p MST. That's TONIGHT! :)

Have a wonderful day!

xo,

Introducing BasicGrey's PLUMERIA....

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

As promised here is the second of the four new lines BasicGrey will be debuting at the Craft & Hobby Association trade show this weekend in Anaheim! This one is a modern vintage - is that a term? (I'm claiming it as one. I mean, really. Look at those buttons!) - line that had me at the gorgeous herringbone and honeycomb patterns + the deep purple. Talk about a gorgeous line for the Spring, right?!

Breathe in the deep hues and experience the calming effects of delicate florals, striking geometric shapes, and watercolor-style prints in our blooming Plumeria collection. An assortment of dusky lavender, dramatic midnight purple, mossy green and a thrilling pop of orange cascade through this line of long-stemmed imagination. Take time to stop and smell not only the roses, but all of the natural wonders found in this classically intriguing line.

Mama & Baby

photo by Shelby Valadez

You at 8

Stay tuned to the BasicGrey blog (and here too :)) for the full reveal of Plumeria on Sunday, January 29th– the first day of the Winter 2011 Craft and Hobby Show. We’ll also be bringing you peeks of the TWO additional lines were debuting this week.

And once again, we can't show you a BRAND NEW LINE without giving you a chance to win some of your very own so hop on over to the BasicGrey blog and leave a comment letting us know what you think about our newest collection and we’ll select THREE lucky commenters at random to receive a Plumeria collection pack! Comment must be posted by January 26, 2012 at 11:59p MST.

Have a wonderful day!
xoxo,

And she's BACK....& with a SNEAK PEEK!

2012-01-24T09:54:00.011-05:00

Yes, She's ALIVE!! And yes, it's been a long time since December 13th!

Thank you to those who have written and inquired so sweetly as to my whereabouts and if I'm okay. Totally okay though the end of December got crazy with sick kiddos and the holidays and then all of January has been packed with CHA-W (the Craft & Hobby Association Winter trade show) preparation, travel, class development and truly I haven't been up for air since...

well...since December 13th!

I hope you can forgive me when I come back to say I'm here to introduce to you KONNICHIWA!! (And a good afternoon to you all! :)) This is the first of BasicGrey's brand new lines debuting this weekend at CHA-W! I know I say it a lot, but this one has to be one of my all-time favorites even if it's not overly boy-ish for this mom of boys. But the colors had me at "Hello!" Seriously! They make me swoon - and just check out some of the brand new embellishments we're releasing with this line:

Just picture it! Delicate clouds of white lotus fill the sky. Outdoor street markets are alive with dangling lanterns and vivacious colors. Original, angled rooftops and architecture line the streets … You must be in Japan! Welcome. Or, more appropriately, “Konnichiwa!” Fill your mind with wonderment and the beautiful spirit that is found in this unique collection of mesmerizing fuchsia, cherry blossom pink, bonsai-tree green and soft sky blue.

Here are a couple of examples I did using this gorgeous new line. A special thank you to Emilie Ahern and Shelby Valadez for letting me scrap their gorgeous daughters! I'm so grateful!

Rylee at Two

photo by Shelby Valadez

Sisters & Friends

photo by Emilie Ahern

Be sure to stay tuned to the BasicGrey blog for the full reveal of Konnichiwa on Sunday, January 29th – the first day of the Winter 2011 Craft and Hobby Show.

We’ll also be bringing you peeks of the THREE additional lines were debuting this week.

And of course I can't introduce a brand new collection to you without giving you a chance to win some of your own! So click on over the the BasicGrey Blog and leave a comment letting us know what you think about our newest collection and we’ll select THREE lucky commenters at random to receive a Konnichiwa collection pack! Comment must be posted by January 26, 2012 at 11:59p MST. Awesome right?!!

Still not good enough?! Well how about this - registration for MONCTON's CROP & CREATE is now OPEN!! I'm so beyond excited to be a part of these events and I promise you, you won't want to miss them. Please check out this LINK to learn more and get registered for classes! Hurry though - it's selling fast fast fast! :D

Now do you forgive me?!

xoxo,

On the 13th Day of December...

2011-12-13T08:37:00.011-05:00

...I have a bit more of my December Daily to share.

I'm not quite 100% caught up so those of you that are - HUSH! ;) I still have day 11 - which for some reason I forgot to take photos for so I'll need to be creative - and day 12 but I'm still farther than I got last year so I'm looking at that as an achievement in itself!

So without further ado, here's Day 7 and Day 8.

Day 7 talks about Pearl Harbor. It was the 70th anniversary of the attack on this day. I didn't initially remember until I saw the flags at half mast. And then I couldn't believe I had forgotten.

Day 8 is about my love of the holiday lights and how I get so much joy just sitting there watching them. I've done this since I was a wee little girl - I used to lay UNDER our tree watching the colored lights twinkle.

Supplies: Jillibean Soup, October Afternoon PP; Jillibean diecuts and stickers; BasicGrey alpha stickers; twine

Besides capturing my holiday memories in one cute little place, perhaps my favorite thing about my December Daily is that I am using pretty much ALL the holiday papers/embellishments, etc. that I've been hoarding for YEARS! (Just in time for me to collect more. Shhhhh! Don't tell Santa my dirty little secret!)

Here are a few details shots from days 7 & 8:

Day 9 talks about how cold it's been getting here in Kentucky, but without the snow we had last year. We're making due with visits from Jack Frost - like the one pictured. That greeted me on my car as I was out to start the morning errands. :P

Day 10 shows how much time I spend on Pinterest because I forced (nicely of course!) the boys to pose with some candy canes like a photo I loved that I saw there. Check out this link - you'll want to do that too! I think they're sweet though and once again our tree makes it's appearance. (I told you Christmas begins and ends with that tree around here!)

Supplies: Jillibean Soup & October Afternoon PP; BasicGrey stitched brads, pearls; Jillibean diecuts, twine, pin and alpha stickers; October Afternoon small alpha stickers.

And a detail shot from days 9 & 10:

And that's it for today :) Last night was Boy Scout Court of Honor so I'm looking forward to getting caught up!

Have a happy Tuesday!

xoxo,

On the 12th day of December...

2011-12-12T09:00:00.007-05:00

...I want to share with you something fun that has been going on at Scrapbook & Cards Today's website. Besides having major giveaways on their blog, they have been featuring a designer everyday for the month of December - some of *my favorites* like Kimber McGray & Melissa Phillips (card queens extraordinaire), Kelly Purkey, Sheri Reguly, Lisa Dickinson and MORE...and there are MORE to come.

My fun thing is that for today the honor goes to me! I love the ladies over at this magazine and love the quality of the things they do so I always jump at the chance to do things with them when they ask. For today's post I got to share a few things made with BasicGrey's NORDIC HOLIDAY line...and I even broke out my Notch & Die tool. Lookout, people! ;)

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I don't know about you, but as the holiday season approaches, I often find myself zapped of not only energy but inspiration and creative fortitude as well! Thank goodness inspiration is all around just waiting to be absorbed. Now there is just no excuse to not be creating in some shape or form. I have long been a fan of the super talented Robyn Werlich and the design of this layout was flipped around and tweaked from one of her gorgeous pages I saw online. The color scheme is one I've been wanting to try since seeing so many amazing projects on Pinterest.com. Grey seems to be the new black and I couldn't wait to try the gorgeous neutral with the brighter colors of BasicGrey's Nordic Holiday papers. And the cute kid? Well he's mine. I created him a while back too. (Can we say he's recycled? See, I'm environmental!) What I ended up with is a page I loved that didn't send me into fits to design or create. How great is that? It's a true Christmas miracle!

Supplies: Bazzill Cardstock; BasicGrey PP, 3-D stickers, alpha stickers, diecut, glazed brad; Uni-ball pen; Fiskars punches

Instructions:

1. Trim a 12"x10.5" piece of red paper and adhere across grey cardstock base 1" from the top of the page.
2. Trim a 12"x3.25" piece of green tree patterned paper and adhere across page 2" down from the top.
3. Trim a 1"x3.75" strip of pink patterned paper and adhere vertically along the left edge of the layout directly under the green tree strip.
4. Trim a .75"x3.75" strip of striped paper and adhere vertically to the right of the pink strip.
5. Trim a 3"x3.75" block of red poinsettia paper and adhere vertically along the right edge of the layout directly under the green tree strip.
6. Trim a 2"x3.75" strip of white paper. Add journaling as desired then adhere vertically to the left of the red poinsettia block.
7. Trim a 12"x1.75" strip of grey paper. Adhere across the page flush with the bottom edge of the vertical strips.
8. Trim a 1/4"x7" strip of grey cardstock and adhere vertically along the right edge of the layout between the green and grey strip. Trim a 1/4"x8" strip of red striped paper and adhere vertically along the left edge of the grey strip.
9. Draw a dashed line with a white pen around the perimeter of the the layout as shown.
10. Adhere 5"x7" photo to 5 3/8"x7 3/8" green cardstock photo mat. Adhere matted photo to the page in the empty section of red paper.
11. Mat 4"x3" photo onto 4.25"x3.25" block of white paper then adhere to the right of the focal photo within the green strip.
12. Adhere "merry christmas" diecut in upper right corner of layout.
13. Punch four 1" circles from white paper. Trim in half and adhere five half circles along the top of the focal photo. Add three half circles under the grey strip at the right of the page.
14. Add title within grey strip at the right of the page as shown. Embellish with cut-out poinsettia leaves.
15. Add ornament stickers tied with string to the grey strip to the left of the title.
16. Cut a 2" ring of green cardstock and add to the left of the focal photo. Embellish with white snowflake diecut.

And just so you don't feel guilty scrapbooking when you should be wrapping presents or other assorted holiday happenings, after you're done with your layout whip up a few gift tags or gift card holders from the scraps - so easy when you already have your supplies out!

Supplies: Bazzill cardstock, BasicGrey paper, Sizzix embossing templates, jute, Ranger stickles, Uni-ball pen, ribbon, BasicGrey Notch and Die Tool

Gift Tags:

1. Trim grey cardstock to 2.5"x5. Round corners.

2. Trim a 1.5"x5" strip of white paper. Emboss and adhere down the center of the tag.

3. Trim two 1/8"x5" strips of red striped paper and adhere vertically down each side of the white strip.

4. Wrap bottom of tag with jute and tie in a bow.

5. Trim poinsettias out of paper scraps and adhere with dimensional adhesive.

6. Add red dots to the poinsettias with Stickles if desired.

7. Punch hole in the top of the tag and tie with ribbon.

Gift Card Holder:

1. Trim piece of grey cardstock to 3.75"x5.75". Fold at the .5" and the 3 1/8" marks. Fold into a tri-fold card.

2. Place gift card inside card and mark the upper corners with pencil. Notch paper with craft knife or Notch & Die tool.

3. Fold 1/2" tab over the front flap. Mark the center of the 1/2" flap onto the front flap. Notch a semi circle with a craft knife or Notch & Die Tool to create the tab to hold the card shut.

4. Trim a 3.75"x1.5" strip of white paper. Emboss and adhere across the front flap just above the notched tab.

5. Trim a 3.75"x.5" strip of red striped paper. Adhere just up from the bottom of the white strip.

6. Wrap flap in white jute. Tie in bow.

7. Trim poinsettias out of paper scraps and adhere.

8. Add red dots to the poinsettias with Stickles if desired.

9. Just add gift card!

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I hope your weekend was spectacular and here's to the start of another great week! Happy Monday!

xoxo,

On the 10th day of December...

2011-12-10T09:00:00.013-05:00

I want to share with you one of my new favorite websites - Easy Canvas Prints!

As a photographer wanna-be of the highest degree, I am a sucker for good photo printing and I love it even more when that photo is printed on canvas. Since I love giving my photos as gifts I have tried several different websites especially at the holidays but the the quality at Easy Canvas Prints is just truly superior. Their shipping is fast and reasonable - if not free depending on the specials they have at the time, their packaging is very secure and the canvases are gorgeous. But for me it is the customer service that really put them over the top. They address any questions or concerns quickly and professionally and they are incredibly friendly all at the same time.

I ordered the below canvas of the boys (finally a canvas for ME!) and it came in a week including shipping. How's that for service?

Easy Canvas Prints offers great options like choosing frame depth, wrapping of the image, mirror wrap or solid color wrap. And I don't know if you can tell well from this photo, but mine has a solid color wrap (black) on the sides so it looks like it's already in a frame from the side. I love having choices.

Now I have a reason for YOU to love Easy Canvas Prints as well! They have generously offered my awesome readers a gift code for $10 off a canvas of your choice! Simply go HERE and enter the code: 063455896433

Happy Printing and have a wonderful weekend! I'll be back Monday with another special post and perhaps a bit more of my December daily! I can't wait to share it with you!

Before I go, the winner of my Nordic Holiday giveaway is MARGIE!!

Congrats, Margie!! Please contact me at kelly(dot)goree(at)gmail(dot)com to claim your prize!!!

xoxo,

On the 9th Day of December...it's the HERO ARTS BLOG HOP

2011-12-09T10:00:00.027-05:00

Hi there!

Are you ready?! I have something super-special for you today. And I'm so excited I can't stand it! Welcome,everyone, to the the 2012 Hero Arts Catalog Blog Hop!

I always love it when I can promote my favorite companies especially when I can combine them with my love for BasicGrey and today I get to do just that! The awesome folks at Hero Arts generously sent me a few of their 2012 Catalog releases and they are gorgeous!

For the below layout, you *might* be able to tell that I tried to channel my inner Stephanie Dagan (*tried* being the operative word!). I've always been a huge fan of both hers and Susan Weinroth's and the way they are able to include so much eye candy within a clean and linear style. I'm not sure I got there, but it's so much fun to play around with a different style every now and then. :)

The CL570 This is Big clear stamps ended up being just perfect for this layout about my son making his first Honor Roll! As I'm still a bit too nervous to stamp directly onto a project, I first stamped onto my chosen papers before I then punched or cut out the design. For "Whoo Hoo" I stamped with clear Versamark ink, then embossed it with white Zing! When I was done, it was just a tad *too* white for the page's creamy colors so I took some brown chalk ink and rubbed it over it just a bit to tone it down. The other stamps in this set that I used are the "This is BIG", "WOW" and "You can do it!" What a great collection, right?!

Supplies: Hero Arts Stamps CL570 THIS IS BIG; BasicGrey OXFORD papers, Element stickers, alpha stickers, glazed brads; chipboard elements; American Crafts ZING! Embossing Powder and ink; Versamark ink.

Here's a few close-ups of these amazing stamps....

I'd love it if you'd leave a comment telling me what you love about Hero Stamps, BasicGrey, stamping or all of the above! By leaving a comment, you will be entered for a chance to win one of five prize packs that include brand new 2012 Catalog stamps that will be chosen from ALL of the blog hop comments received by midnight PST on Monday, December 12, and will be announced on the Hero Arts blog shortly thereafter. So that means MANY chances to get your name in!

So hop on over to the next blog in our chain - BASICGREY!! (I know, you're shocked, right?!)

Remember, if you find a link in our hop that just doesn't work, you can always hop back to the Hero Arts Blog for a list of direct links to all the blogs in the hop.

OH! And just a couple more things I have to share:

BasicGrey has loved teaming up with Hero Arts who produces beautiful, high-quality cling rubber, wood and clear acrylic stamps with BasicGrey's collections. As an added treat for one week only, all available BasicGrey Hero Arts stamps are 20% off MSRP at basicgrey.com! Click here to see everything available! (PS, click Buy Online to filter only those available).

And my Nordic Holiday giveaway is still open in the post below! Just click here after leaving your comment for Hero Arts! (So many chances to win, why you'd think it must be CHRISTMAS! :D)

Happy Thursday!

Enjoy your day!
xoxo,

On the 8th Day of December...

2011-12-08T15:33:00.009-05:00

WINNER:

Congrats, Margie!! Please contact me at kelly(dot)goree(at)gmail(dot)com to claim your prize!!!

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....I'd love to share with you something that I hope will make your life easier!

I mean, PEOPLE! It's DECEMBER!! Gasp! If you've been in denial like I usually (ok, still) am, you're just starting to realized that with the hustle and bustle of the holidays that there's just not enough hours in the day to get all that you need to done. Right?!

So I'm here here to help!These super easy holiday cards are so quick that it will knock one more "to do" off your list in no time. These cards are no more than a few strips of paper wrapped in twine for instant hand-crafted cuteness that be sure to please anyone on your holiday card list.

I actually used our gorgeous BasicGrey JOVIAL line for these cards, but they can easily be adapted to our latest Nordic Holiday or anything else you might choose.

Here's what you'll need to get started:

Cardstock, twine/jute, glazed brads, 3 patterns of paper, snowflake diecuts, a scallop border punch, a printer and a corner rounder - if you choose.

That's really it!

So let's make some cards:

(Finished card 5"x5")

1. Trim cardstock into 5"x10" strips. Run them through printer to add your desired sentiment a 1/2" from the bottom of the strip.

2. Fold cards in half and round the bottom two corners.

3. Trim a 5"x4" block of one patterned paper and adhere across the top of each card.

4. Trim a 5"x1/4" strip of the same patterned paper and adhere just under the sentiment of each card.

5. Trim a 5"x1" strip of yuor second patterned paper (we prefer a vertical stripe here for contrast but it's up to you!) and adhere across each card 1 1/2" from the bottom.

6. Trim 5"x1/4" strips of the third paper using a scallop border punch. Adhere across each card directly under the strip from step 5.

7. Adhere a snowflake diecut (here we used our awesome Sizzix/BasicGrey template) to the horizontal strip of each card approximately 1" from the right side.

8. Wrap twine around each card and tie in a bow right over the snowflake diecut.

9. Secure snowflake with a glazed brad (or any brad/button) and you're done!

Now you can go mark one more thing off your holiday chore list! And with all that free time you have, don't forget to still check out BasicGrey's countdow n to Christmas on their website (www.basicgrey.com). There are tons of great freebies and recipes and more as our little gift to you!

But you didn't think that was it, did you? Of course not! I can't let you try and make some cards without some PAPER...and some stickers as well! No way! So here's the drill:

Please leave your name and what you still have "to do" on your holiday list in the comments and you can be entered to win a NORDIC HOLIDAY collection pack of BasicGrey for your very own! This giveaway will end without any further notice so get your name in now! Please only one entry per person!

Have a wonderful day! I'll be back tomorrow with a special surprise!

xoxo,

On the 5th & 6th Day of December....

2011-12-06T23:04:00.014-05:00

I just want to pop on quickly to show a few more pages of my December Daily that some of you have asked for (I'm still caught up - It's a true Christmas miracle!) and to announce the winner of my giveaway below.

I'll be back soon with yet another giveaway and then I have something really special on Friday for you! I promise you won't want to miss that one!

So now for the new DD pages:

Day 2 brought the first visit from our "legendary" Christmas Squirrel! The boys look forward to it every year (as do we :)). I included the actual story in the little Maya Road pocket that you can see below.

Day 3 was a low-key day. Knowing we wouldn't have many of them this month, we took full advantage and had a family lazy day complete with Wii Monopoly and some homemade cookies.

Supplies: Bazzill CS; Jillibean PP, diecuts, stickers; Maya Road envie; BasicGrey number and alpha stickers

Day 5 was spent outside hanging up holiday lights. While it doesn't look like tons it did take a while and I was thrilled to get it done before the rains came (now it's been raining the past 2 days - ick!)

And then Day 5 I got to spend lunch with one of my dear friends, Shannon. We try to do those lunches fairly regularly but it had been ages since the last one. I owe her for posing for a photo...and Shan, if you're reading this, I'm still bitter about Santa not being in it with us! :P

Supplies: Bazzill CS; Jillibean PP, diecuts, stickers; BasicGrey number and alpha stickers

Today was St. Nicholas Day. The shoes were left out and filled and even the page is finished!

Supplies: Bazzill CS; Jillibean PP, diecuts, stickers; BasicGrey PP, number and alpha stickers

And finally, we have a WINNER of the Scrapbook & Cards Today's winter issue and PageMaps calendar!

Congrats, Grace! Email me at kelly(dot)goree(at)gmail(dot)com to claim your prize!

I hope you're off to a great week!

xoxo,

On the 3rd & 4th day of December...

2011-12-04T20:03:00.008-05:00

I want to share with you....

....the cover and first day of my December daily. Believe it or not (even *I* can hardly believe it!) I'm actually caught up to today (Day 4), but wasn't able to photo the finished pages due to icky rainy weather and the fact that it now gets dark at noon. :P

I must admit I am completely enamored with this little album. I have had such fun borrowing little tidbits and techniques that I've been dying to try as well as mixing a hodge-podge of different materials and manufacturers all in one little cute 6"x8" package.

Like what you might ask? Well to start, the sweet little tree on my cover. I totally swiped that from my uber-talented friend Summer Fullerton and her winter cover of Scrapbook & Cards Today. I have such an abundance of sweet little stitched brads from BasicGrey and what better way to use them? I might have actually squealed when I finished with it. It just makes me happy. And check out those old school Making Memories grommets. Those puppies have been in my stash for 5 years or more? More....and then some I'm sure, but they were just perfect here. (I always knew I'd find just the right project for them!) They fit easily into the corrugated cardboard I cut for the front and back cover. I had used a 6x6" album last year and it ended up being just a bit smaller than I'd have liked. I think this 6"x8" size is going to be a favorite.

Supplies: BasicGrey Brads, green alphas; Doodlebug alphas; Jillibean diecuts and paper; Heidi Swapp star; Making Memories grommets; twine

Then for the intro I used some easy Jillibean diecuts and a take on a fab sketch by my friend Becky Fleck at PageMaps. I'm planning on using quite a few of Beck's sketches on this project because a) they rock and b) they keep me from having to think too hard when I'm busy this season. It's the perfect combination. I also loved how Kendra McCracken included a little blurb about why do a December Daily album in hers, so I modified the wording just a bit and included it in mine as well.

Supplies: Jillibean Soup (all but); October Afternoon (snowflake paper).

And then day 1. For us Christmas begins and ends (quite literally) with our tree. This first spread is dedicated to that. I loved the shot of the tree that showed all the bokeh in the lights so I made it a full page image and then just inserted photos of my boys decorating it. It was that easy. The other page just reminds me of how tiny my guys still are even though it seems like they're growing by the second. It makes me want to smile and cry all at the same time.

Supplies: BasicGrey PP (tree/stripe), number sticker; Jillibean pp and diecuts; Heidi Swapp star

I'm feeling very accomplished right now. This AND outdoor holiday lights knocked out in a 48 hour period! ;) I am going to try my best to keep up with it as it's just one little something I'm doing for ME this holiday season.

So tell me - are you doing a DD? Want to link me to yours?! If you're not doing a DD, is there something else you're doing just for you? I think everyone deserves to treat themselves nicely and not just everyone else especially during the craziness of the holidays!

Hope your weekend was magical! And remember! I still have a giveaway open in the post below. Don't miss it as I'll probably close it up tomorrow!

xoxo,

On the 2nd Day of December....

2011-12-02T06:30:00.002-05:00

WINNER!

Congrats, Grace! Email me at kelly(dot)goree(at)gmail(dot)com to claim your prize!

...I want to give to you.....

Not only the brand new WINTER issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today that is being released just TODAY (as if that wasn't amazing enough!), but also....

...this amazing 2012 Scrapbook & Cards Today + Page Maps inspirational sketch calendar!!

I know, right?! I'm so thrilled to be a part of both of these amazing publications and I am MORE thrilled to be sharing them with you! Just check out that amazing cover Summer Fullerton did for the winter issue. I'm in love with it (and plan on doing one of those brad trees myself on a project this holiday (hello, December Daily?!) and that's just the cover! Seriously - the issue is THAT amazing!

Then there's that 2012 calendar. What better way to keep you organized than with inspirational sketches and layouts all year long? It's spectacular and has tons of new features not one of which is step out photography for great techniques that you're going to want to try!

And yes! I want to give one of each to one of you!! Falalaaaaa!
Please leave your name and one of your favorite things about the holidays (or the mag or calendar) and you'll be entered to win! Please only one entry per person! I'm not sure when I'm going to close this contest so get in now!

p.s. Scrapbook & Cards Today is having a 12 days of Christmas inspiration going on at their website now featuring some awesome designers if I do say so myself ;) so you won't want to miss that OR BasicGrey's 25 Days of Christmas on their site! Both are going to get you so ready for the holidays!

Have a wonderful day!

xoxo,

On the 1st day of December...

2011-12-01T18:59:00.011-05:00

....I want to give to you....

my heartfelt thanks for sticking with me during 2011! I know I've been a sporadic blogger but I truly appreciate all those that still come around and have interest in me, my family and my scrappy endeavors :) You guys are truly the best and I can't tell you that enough. As a sign of my thanks and in the spirit of giving, I have a few things I want to share with you.

First up - BasicGrey is hosting a 25 days of Christmas on their website.

Each day when you visit, you can click on the advent calendar image below selecting the day and there will be a special surprise for you! How fun is that?

Even more fun is this FREE desktop calendar wall paper also from BasicGrey. Get one of your very own by clicking here. Mine is already up and getting me in the holiday spirit every time I look at it!

I'll be back tomorrow with even more - starting with Scrapbook & Cards Today's WINTER ISSUE! Trust me, it's GORGEOUS...and it doesn't stop there!

Here's to a wonderful December!
xoxo,

Meet me at the KISSING BOOTH!

2011-11-11T12:01:00.004-05:00

HELLO, everyone!!

First let me start by saying Happy 11.11.11 (how cool is that?!), but even more importantly - HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY!! As the daughter, granddaughter, niece or wife of men who have bravely and honorably served our country in several branches of the armed forces, I can't say thank you enough for your selfless sacrifice and dedication to our freedom. God bless you all.

And in *my* mind what better way to honor those service men we love than with kisses?! That's right - BasicGrey is so excited to announce the launch of its brand new line dedicated to love, kisses and all things mushy!! Let me introduce you to KISSING BOOTH!

********************************************************************

Hey you love birds – get a (crafting) room! We normally don’t kiss and tell, but we had to spill the beans about our adorable Kissing Booth collection. Step right up and get a big ol’ smooch of petal-perfect pinks and love-me-tender reds mixed with some sinfully sweet chocolate. Whether you go for a peck or a full-on snogfest (yes, we're Harry Potter fans at BasicGrey ;)), we think Kissing Booth is the perfectly lovely way to craft whatever or whomever you are passionate about. Sensational style, opulent color, and precious, sav

ory patterns … all sealed with a kiss.

(Just look how tiny my little man was in these photos! *sob*)

I'm so excited about this line. Not only am I a true romantic at heart and lover of all things girlie and pink (what else would a girl in a houseful of boys be?!), but I am truly in LOVE with all the new products and new ways of packaging things we've done in Kissing Booth. Here, let me show you...

First, we have the gorgeous papers. As always there are 18

sheets of double-sided patterned papers, but rather than have only one color of solid on the back sides, there are now two. So there are two solid reds, two solid browns and so on. LOVE that! Oh...and those ledger papers? *dying*

Check out our new ALPHA STICKERS! Oh my gosh! I've been begging for what seems like forever to get multiple fonts on one alpha sheet and now it's HERE!! Check out those tiny pink letter tabs! The best part? It comes WITH the collection pack. It's almost like a bonus!

Then there's the mini envies! They come in both transparent vellum and cardstock and are so stinkin' cute with their mini buttons and string I can't stand it!

So now we come to what I think is my FAVORITE new product - the layered trims. Holy cuteness. I used one on my layout below and I love them. They are such a great easy accent. And for a girl who doesn't sew, what's better than having it already done for you?!

Check out the new way we're doing chipboard! It's been a while since we've released new chipboard alphas, but we are again - and this time with chip sticker shapes! So you get two sheets of each in one package! Brilliant! I'm telling you - I LOVE this release!

And my littlest not so little anymore...oy. I'm not ready for his infatuations. Of all my guys, he's the biggest ladies man. He told his brother and dad last week that he has quote "24 girlfriends and they're all HOT!" Help me. Seriously!

Finally here are a couple of cards using Kissing Booth. The one on the left was adapted from an adorable one I fell in love with on Pinterest (I've professed my adoration of this site many times).

One last thing before I go - I want to announce the winner of the Kelly Purkey SketchPad giveaway! Congratulations CHAR!!! (Sorry this is a bit late!) Please contact me at kelly(dot)goree(at)gmail(dot)com to claim your prize!

Have a wonderful day and please - thank a vet today.

xoxo,

Friday Giveaway!

2011-11-04T07:52:00.008-04:00

HAPPY FRIDAY, everyone!!!

I have to say it's been quite the busy week so I'm so excited for a couple of days of rest....that is until Sunday night when my oldest plays in his 5th FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. Then I'll be going crazy - GOOOOOO COLTS!

I told you yesterday that I'd have a fun giveaway today and what could be more fun than a sketch class? I know I know! A sketch class from my friend KELLY PURKEY! Trust me, you're going to love it! First, here are the deets:

Sketchpad is a brand-new class from Kelly Purkey, spinning off from her series of successful Sketchbook classes. Sketchpad is a downloadable, self-paced class featuring 12 original sketches, 35 exclusive layouts from Kelly + and her talented contributors, 35 MORE sketches made from those layouts, and 12 amazing cards based on the sketches from the talented, Kristina Werner... all in a full-color 75 page PDF. Visit Kelly's blog for more details on the class and how to purchase.

Here's a peek at the project I did for her class to give you a very small taste of what is included:

(and yes, more HALLOWEEN! But this time I'm ahead of the game -they're THIS year's photos! ;))

KP has generously agreed to let me give away a spot in her class to one of my lucky readers! So here's what you have to do:

Simply leave a comment (one per person, please) between now and Sunday night November 6th at 11:59 pm Eastern telling me what you love about sketches and what this class would do for you and you'll be entered to win! Winner announced Monday!

And a little freebie for you today, too! BasicGrey has put up their free desktop calendar for November - it's adorable! Get yours HERE!

Have a fantastic weekend!

xo,

A Tiny Sampler & a Tutorial of Sorts

2011-11-03T09:13:00.011-04:00

Hi, everyone!

First, I want to thank you so much for your wonderful birthday wishes. I feel so blessed to have so many good friends both in person and online who made the day so special for me. I love you all :)

Next, I wanted to share something really fun with you. Most of you know that BasicGrey has been doing fabric for quite a while now, but fewer of you might know that we are now doing NOTIONS!! Yep - vintage buttons and fabric/felt flowers and all kinds of wonderful goodies. My head just swims with it all!

One of my favorite items we have debuted are these adorable samplers. They come in several sizes and styles, but this one has to be my favorite. It's called the Small Rook Sampler and is an 8"x10" size. It's absolutely perfect for a little splash of color somewhere - for me that somewhere is my scraproom! AND since I am so not a seamstress (hellloooo - I FAKE stitch on all my layouts and projects!), I decided to do an all paper sampler rather than using fabric. I really loved how it came out, especially these sweet little flower details!

Supplies: BasicGrey Small Rook Sampler, Picadilly and Out of Print papers, Stitched & Glazed Brads

Other: Uni-ball & Pentel Pens, Fiskars scallop scissors, Fiskars Scallop circle & heart punch.

Here's a close up of the flowers to let you really see how cute and in a minute how EASY they are to make!

So before we get any further, I have to first 'fess up -I saw these adorable little flowers in fabric from my friend Kimber and decided they would look adorable in paper as well. I followed the simple tutorial she linked me to on Pinterest and these were the results.

1. Punch one circle base to hold the flower (size depends on the size you're making the flower. Here it was 1.5" and the scallop circles were 2") and eight scalloped circles.

2. Fold the scalloped circles into quarters.

3. Adhere four folded quarter circles around the base circle with scallops at the edge as shown.

4. Add more adhesive to this layer and add the remaining four folded circles on top of the first layer, off-set slightly for variety.

5. Punch hole in center of flower once layers are all added.

6. Add brad to center to secure the petals.

7. Gently separate the petal layers to add dimension to your flower and there you have it! Just right for embellishing your project!

Have a wonderful day! I'll be back tomorrow with yet another giveaway! (YAY!)

xoxo,

It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS.....

2011-11-02T11:38:00.005-04:00

I know! I know! We just finished Halloween (which I promise to post about soon!) and I'm skipping entire months here by saying this...but Christmas is FAST approaching (excuse me while I go stick my head in the sand in denial). To help me get into the spirit (and pull my head back up), the wonderful people at Silhouette America were kind enough to send me their beautiful Limited Edition Advent calendar to play with.

I have to say, I LOVE advent calendars but have never owned one. I've been on the hunt for many years to find just "the" one. Now I have it. I absolutely adore this wonderful white shadow box frame and its deep cubbies. It's couldn't be more perfect for my decor AND it's large enough to stash all kinds of goodies and surprises!

The download card that comes with the calendar gives you the option of either boxes or drawers to fill your calendar spaces. And since I can never make a decision (hence the reason I never had a calendar before!) so I chose to do BOTH and mixed up both the drawers and adorable boxes for my own custom look. All the papers and embellishments here are from BasicGrey's JOVIAL line - perhaps my favorite holiday line ever and on sale now at basicgrey.com (at little enabling there) - with just a little hint of some cardstock and BASICS paper.

Supplies: BasicGrey's Jovial - patterned paper, stitched brads, glazed brads, alpha stickers (micro & mini), die-cut pieces, rub-ons, Small Details; BasicGrey Basics Paper; BasicGrey Origins, Basics and Studio Calico exclusive alphas

Other: BoBunny cardstock, Fiskars punches, McGill punches

I'm already on the hunt for wonderful things to fill it and I'm not quite sure I can wait until the holidays to hang it up!

I absolutely love the way it turned out! You can make one too AND right now Silhouette is offering this limited edition advent calendar for $29.99 (regular price is $39.99!!) now through November 11th. Just click THIS LINK and enter promo code BASIC to receive the discount.

And finally for the winner of the Bazzill goodies giveaway:

Congratulations to JENNIFER COWAN!! Please email me at kelly(dot)goree(at)gmail(dot)com to claim your prize!

Have a wonderful day! I'm off to celebrate my birthday (but not getting older! ;))

xo,

A Happy Bazzill Halloween!!

2011-10-31T08:15:00.000-04:00

Hi all and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

I have to tell you - Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! I love the colors, the fall air, the pumpkins, the costumes, everything. And it makes sense that it would be my favorite holiday to scrapbook about, too! Unfortunately I haven't had much of a chance do that lately since it's been a couple of years since BasicGrey's Eerie line (hint hint!) so I was really excited when Bazzill asked if they could send their new Spooky & Kooky line for me to play around with... and in true Bazzill fashion to GIVE AWAY!

I really loved the pure colors and fun, quirky designs in this line and quickly created a few layouts with it. By far my favorite product though were these fantastic stitched pleated borders! I fell in love with them. They are amazing and add so much texture to the page.

This is my silly middlest and his pumpkin last year. He was so excited to carve his own completely for the first time (if you couldn't tell)!

Supplies: Bazzill Basics PP, cardstock, stickers, buttons; BasicGrey glazed brads and brads; Doodlebug alpha stickers; Uni-ball pen; Fiskars border punch; EK Success circle cutter

And the youngest with his pumpkin. He's a traditionalist (if you couldn't tell)! ;)

Supplies: Bazzill Basics PP, cardstock, stickers, buttons; BasicGrey glazed brads; Doodlebug alpha stickers; Uni-ball pen; Pentel pen; Fiskars border punch & star punch; Jillibean Soup twine (based on a sketch by Becky Fleck @ Pagemaps)

And I couldn't leave out the oldest. Note the "cool" sports themed pumpkin. No kiddie stuff for this boy :P

Supplies: Bazzill Basics PP, cardstock, stickers, buttons; BasicGrey glazed brads, brads, alpha stickers; Pink Paislee number stickers; Pentel pen; Fiskars circle & star punch

So now here's what this all means for YOU! The folks at Bazzill are very kind and generous and have sent one extra of everything to giveaway. Check it out! So cool, right?! So here's what you have to do to get entered to win these goodies of your very own: Simply leave a comment here before midnight (eastern) tonight letting me know of your Halloween plans and you're golden! I'll choose a winner on my birthday (I just had to throw that in there - Nov. 2nd).

Oh....you thought I was done? Oh nooooo! There is more than ONE opportunity to win! Yep, no tricks here, just TREATS! Just hop on over to the SCRAPBOOK & CARDS TODAY's blog by clicking HERE and enter to win on their post there!

Have fun and Happy Halloween! Stay safe!
xoxo,

Sharing is Caring...CONTEST CLOSED (winner announced)

2011-10-13T23:01:00.024-04:00

...and because I love all of you, I have so much I want to share with you today that you won't want to miss out on!!

First up - Look what goes on sale TODAY!!! Wheee!!

I'm so excited to to have been asked back to be a part of Scrapbook & Cards Today + PageMaps' new 2012 calendar! I loved last year's version and being a part of their stellar line up and believe me when I say this one is even better...AND it has a real cutie on the cover that I happen to know pretty well! ;) Once again the calendar will offer 13 months of inspiration, tips, tricks and techniques.

But brand new for 2012 they have included additional technique photos each month to get you trying some new things. There are also bonus PageMaps, CardMaps, photo tips and more. And the best part, it's only $9.95! A fabulous gift to yourself

and an even more fabulous holiday gift for your papercrafting friends! Visit Scrapbook & Cards Today's website at www.scrapbookandcards.com and be sure to order yours today!

And then there's this:

Crop & Create Markham - January 13/14

Get ready! Registration for classes for Crop & Create Markham, ON goes live today and registration for the event will open Monday, Octob

er 17th at 7:00 p.m! We have Becky Fleck, Vicki Boutin, me, Sarah Hodgkinson and Angela Urbano combining forces for this one-of-a-kind education event! Of course, there will be surprises in store ~ some small and one really big ;) Attendees will have 11 amazing classes to choose from, 2 on-site stores to shop in, a fun 2 hour make n' take session for everyone, dessert buffets each night, a gourmet sandwich lunch, coffee/tea Saturday morning and a really good goody bag to enjoy! There are only 132 spaces (trust me, this is NOT a lot!) so don't miss out!

Let's see...what else is there?

Mmmmm. How about a giveaway! I love doing posts with giveaways! Not only am I thrilled that I to get to join them in their class as a guest designer, but I have a spot to giveaway to my friends' Jennifer McGuire and Kristina Werner's amazing HOLIDAY CARD BOOT CAMP!! Oh yes! What generous girls and you definitely don't want to miss this!! Get your holiday cards done and out of the way in early NOVEMBER! Won't you feel so accomplished?! Registration is already open so here are the deets:

Have you taken a peek at your calendar recently? The holidays are just around the corner! We're here to help you check hand crafted holiday cards off your to-do list!

Join Jennifer McGuire, Kristina Werner and 12 of their most talented friends as they walk you through how to create your own 2011 holiday card in Holiday Card Boot Camp. Whether you're hoping to create a card that includes photos, a newsletter, a gift card or more - you're sure to be inspired. This class includes easy to mass-produce cards, 16 videos, card sketches, and stamping and cardmaking techniques.

Holiday Card Boot Camp runs November 7-21, but all content will always be available after signing up! This fabulous class is only $29 and includes many prizes, along with discount codes to favorite online stores.

For more class information or to register, click here.

To win a spot of your very own, simply leave a comment here te

lling me what you'd do with all your free time this holiday season knowing your cards were already taken care of! ;) I'll leave the contest open

over the weekend and will announce the winner sometime on Monday so be sure to get your entry in now! Please only one comment per person.

And please - go ahead and register to make sure you get in on this amazing deal. If you win my spot, Jennifer and Kristina will gladly refund your money or let you pass the class on to a friend! So there's nothing to loose!

Have a wonderful Friday!

xoxo,

And the WINNER OF THE HOLIDAY CARD BOOT CAMP giveaway is:

(And this girl REAAAALLLLLY needs to buy a lotto ticket TODAY!)

KRISTIN HAYNE!

Stamping A to Z

2011-10-12T20:48:00.019-04:00

October?

Really?

Really.

Sheesh. From now until the end of the year, everything is going to be on fast forward, isn't it? Yikes!

So sorry I've been MIA, but I've been trying to enjoy as much of this incredible autumn weather as possible. I hope you don't blame me! But before my poor old blog starts to develop cobwebs, I figured I better post an update and what could be better than a stamping tutorial?! (And a winner, too - announced at the end of this post!)

I had the honor to be asked to contribute to Two Peas in a Bucket's Stamping A to Z event for the month of October. I am *so* not a huge stamper, but I've been loving it more and more lately thanks in large part to our affiliation with Hero Arts their gorgeous stamps based on our BasicGrey designs.

Supplies: BasicGrey Life of the Party patterned papers, stamps, transparency; Wander alpha stickers

Other: American Crafts Zing Embossing powder, Versamark ink, Bazzill cardstock & buttons, Jillibean Soup twine, Fiskars punches.

For this layout, I used BasicGrey's Life of the Party papers & rubber cling background stamps. The stamping is on the tickets that are to the left of the photo as well as the little ticket "parts" that are used as accents.

In these close ups, you can really see the fun I had with the details on this page especially that embossing. Have I mentioned I loveeeee embossing especially with all the fun colors of Zing! that there is and how beautifully and crisply the BG/Hero stamps...well...STAMP!

Tickets patterns and shapes have been a huge trend in scrapbooking for the past six months or so and I can't get enough of them. A handful of tickets is so fun but even MORE fun when you can customize them and make them your own. And that's exactly what I did for this layout of Turner's 9th birthday. And here's how I did it:

This is what you'll need to get started: a clear embossing pad/ink, embossing powders, a favorite stamp, a heat gun and some cardstock. (This is a FANTASTIC way to use up your scrap bits and pieces!) P.S. Please ignore the totally wrecked BG cutting mat. I use mine daily and it is much loved...and very old ;)

Ink up your stamp with the clear embossing ink.

Stamp onto smooth cardstock (or the backside of textured cardstock). Be sure to press nice and firmly all the way around. (I didn't do this as well as I should in my hurry to take these photos and you'll see that in the next image - oops!)

While your image is still wet....

....sprinkle desired color of embossing powder over your design making sure to cover it completely.

Heat your design from underneath until the powder melts forming a smooth image. I heat from underneath to keep my image from "burning" - those heat guns get crazy HOT!

Once your design has cooled, cut scraps into ticket shapes. I used a variety of sizes, but for this particular one, the measurements are 1.5"x3".

Using a small circle punch (or even a hole punch), snip off the corners of the rectangle to make it look like a ticket. Experiment and play around to give each one a unique look.

And there you have it! Ta-da!!

I hope you'll try making some of your own. If you do, please link me up. I'd love to see them!
And finally the winner of the BasicGrey PICADILLY and the Fall issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today...Come on down, KRISTIN HAYNE!!! Congratulations, girl, and please email me at kelly(dot)goree(at)gmail(dot)com to claim your prize!

Have a great week!
xoxo,

Welcome Fall + a Giveaway! (NOW CLOSED)

2011-09-23T08:15:00.006-04:00

****************GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU.********************

Psst...I have an announcement:

Fall is my favorite time of the year!

I know it's not earth-shattering, but just have to shout out about how I adore the crisp air, the fresh apples & pumpkins, HALLOWEEN, cozy sweaters, hot apple cider, my birthday ;) and all the other wonderful things that autumn brings. It's enough to make me positively giddy on the first day of fall! Picture me twirling ala Mary Tyler Moore in the falling leaves here. (ohgoodgriefIcompletelydatedmyselfdidntIsigh)

Another thing making me hugely giddy this first day of fall? The Fall 2011 issue of Scrapbook & Cards Today! How I love this magazine and the people who put it out each quarter. It's truly one of the most beautiful scrapbooking magazine's out there and I love being a part of it when they let me. It's so full of gorgeous work and I always find something I love and want to try instantly (this month it's the 3T's article and especially Sheri Reguly's tip on making your own layered cork paperclip - it's genius, seriously!) But the best part ever about this magazine is that besides being a print magazine, it's also available online for FREE download. Yes, you read the right - FREE!! Just click HERE!

This issue I had the honor of submitting a cover option and was so thrilled when they decided to use it for their Fall cover.

Isn't that little girl precious?! I loved having a chance to work on a girlie page and I am thrilled with the setting they put my page in for their photography. So fall-ish!

One of my favorite things about this page is the fun leaves I clustered around the journaling frame. The texture and dimension they created really helped to set off that sweet photo. And guess where I found out how to make those leaves? Yep. Pinterest!! Oh, Pinterest, how I love thee! If you remember, I told you a couple of posts ago about all the eye-popping, jaw dropping inspiration there is there. This amazing tutorial was incredible and very easy to follow.

It taught me how to take these gorgeous BasicGrey papers and turn them into these beautiful leaves:

The Picadilly line was just perfect for autumn leaves - not only in the gorgeous colors and patterns, but check out the distressed edges and how they make those leaves just pop!

I had such fun making the leaves that I wanted to use them on another project (or two or twenty!) but I settled with starting on this one. This "welcome fall" card is perfect for the first day of fall and welcoming in our most colorful of seasons. I used the same principles I used on the layout above but this time clustered the leaves around the card sentiment rather than the journaling frames. I printed "welcome" a sheet of aqua paper and then used it to covered an oval from the Out of Print chipboard. The alpha stickers completed the title and by simply tucking the leaves behind the oval, this cute card was created in a snap.

Source List: BasicGrey Picadilly Prairie Grass, Eat at Joes, Fresh Baked Bread, Farm Fresh Eggs; Element Stickers; BasicGrey Color Me Silly alphabet stickers

Other: Fiskars scallop border punch, Zig pen, Bazzill cardstock, twine, Cursive Standard font.

So to get fall off to a wonderful start, how about a little giveaway? I'll send some BasicGrey Picadilly as well as a hard copy of Scrapbook & Cards Today's fall issue to a random commenter who leaves a comment telling me about *your* favorite part about fall!

Happy Friday, everyone! (We might just make it to the apple orchard today. The kids are off school so it should make for an interesting day! ;))

xoxo,

Back To School OXFORD Winner!

2011-09-21T09:26:00.003-04:00

Hi, all!

So sorry this is a bit later than I wanted it to be - I had crazy fun things like SCRAPFEST in between (will blog about that soon) that kept me hopping. But I don't want to keep you waiting any longer so here's the winner of my BasicGrey OXFORD giveaway:

HUGE Congratulations to you! Please email me at kelly(dot)goree(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll get your prize out to you!

Happy Wednesday, all!
xoxo

Never Forget.

2011-09-11T12:14:00.001-04:00

‎"America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining." ~ George W Bush 9/11/01

For the husband who told his wife I love you one last time before his plane went down in a field, for the wife who stopped in the stairs to call her husband to say I will love you forever, for the mothers & fathers who kissed their kids goodbye the morning they died, for the policemen who rushed in with the firemen to help get others out only to die themselves, for the soldiers who fought back & lost their lives. today, tomorrow, ten years from now, we will remember.

God bless us one and all!

xoxo,

Finding Inspiration

2011-09-08T12:22:00.005-04:00

Several years ago I was asked by Scrapbook News & Review to answer the question I got asked most often which was (and still is): Where do you find your inspiration?

It’s such a good question and my answers are just as true today as they were when I was first asked, so I wanted to take today to share them with you in case you missed it the first time around. I’ve updated the examples just a bit but most of this text was taken directly from this article: HERE.

“Where do you find your Inspiration?”

This is such a loaded question because for me there is no one answer or one place but rather I find inspiration all around me. Here are a few of my favorite ways to get inspired to create and I hope that they inspire you as well.

1. PHOTOS

My absolute primary inspiration comes from the photos I take. Whether it's an important event, an everyday moment or formal portraits, photos just speak to me. I most often let my photos dictate how I am going to scrapbook with them be it by color, subject, theme, whatever. I scrap only those photos that speak to me and inspire me. I don't feel the need any more to scrapbook every single picture that I take. I look for the ones that will tell the story I want to tell and tell it the best!

I know many of you were probably *very* familiar with the Silly Bandz crazy of the past year. These crazy little bands were our *jelly shoes* or friendship bracelets and they. were. every.where. My kids were no exception and my littlest wore his constantly. I snapped this photo at our local ice cream shop where the light from the window was fabulous. I knew immediately that it would be the perfect photo to document the fad.

However, there are times when the photos just simply aren't enough, so then I search for….

2. COLOR

I love color! LOVE! Color makes me insanely happy so the more color the better as far as I'm concerned. Color has a way of conveying mood just as much as words (if not more so) so I am constantly looking for new or unique combinations. I find them often in nature, in magazines, in fashion or just about anywhere. I'm a huge fan of Pantone's website (www.pantone.com) as a tool to create your own interesting color combos. If you're the type that likes to have colors pre-selected for you, my friend Janet also has a website,www.colorcombosgalore.ning.com , completely dedicated to just that. It is a sure bet to get your creative juices flowing.

This color combination below was based off the flowers I brought to my father’s gravesite on the 10^thanniversary of his death. I fell in love with the rich autumn palette and worked up a color scheme to scrapbook these very precious photos.

This layout was originally done for a BasicGrey sketch using one of Becky Fleck’s sketches which leads me to the next topic. Sometimes even wonderful photos and the perfect color combination aren't always enough because then the question becomes “How do I mix them together??!” For that, I often turn to…

3. SKETCHES

First, my own.

There was a time when I never used a sketch, much less sketched myself. I would gather up all the paper that I thought I would want to use for a project, pull all the coordinating embellishments and then push paper around for hour while I was making up my mind in how I wanted to go. I found that process took TONS of time and as I started working full-time as a scrapbooker, I needed to find a way to move faster! Enter the sketch! Rather than spending hours moving paper around, I would use a notebook and jot down all the things I hoped to accomplish with my scrapbook page - things like the story I wanted to tell, an element I wanted to use, and even how I thought I might like to lay out my design. I used the paper as a stream-of-conscience way to get everything down and I found I could eliminate ideas much quicker that way.

This sketch was from when BasicGrey’s new Lauderdale line came out for Winter CHA. I jotted down in my little notebook some things the line reminded me of and perhaps some things I wanted to consider using on my layout. The result was not only this sketch but this final design!

And Other People's…

But believe me I don't like re-inventing the wheel. If someone else has done a sketch that I love and it will work for the photos I have, I'm not above using it! There are several sketch sites I like to frequent but two of my favorites are www.pagemaps.com and www.gotsketch.com. Both Becky (of Page Maps) and Valerie (of Got Sketch) are incredible sketch artists and their designs are versatile and timeless.

Here is an example of how I interpreted one of Becky's sketches from Page Maps.

4. PRODUCT

Another favorite place to get inspiration is from scrapbooking product itself! Find an element or a design, a manufacturer or a product you love and start building your design around that! Since I happen to work for a manufacturer, I have to use this one a lot! (It's a good thing it's a favorite, eh?!) I have my “go to” items when it comes to scrapbooking and one of them is element stickers. BasicGrey’s element stickers come with every complete collection pack and they are by far my favorite cheap embellishment. I will often cut them apart, layer them up and build my entire design around it. I did that in both of the layouts below where I clustered the element stickers as my embellishments and then the layout just flowed.

Another vast area of inspiration comes in the form of…

5. The MEDIA

By far one of my favorite places to get inspiration whether it is in magazines (both scrapbook and non-scrapbook related), on websites or on personal blogs. In fact, the media is how I first started feeding my love of scrapbooking. Every morning I'd log on to one of my favorite scrapbooking websites and I'd sit for an hour browsing and praising all the beautiful projects that caught my eye. And as I was looking, I'd pick up a technique here or an inspirational color scheme there. I'd bookmark projects I thought I might want to try and I never tired of all the inspiration I was getting. I still do that to this day, especially when I feel I'm in a creative funk or just need some eye candy.

A couple of my favorite sites beyond the ones I've already mentioned are Two Peas in a Bucket and Scrapbook.com. And even better, both of them have wonderful shops so that once you're inspired, you can go shopping for exactly what you need!

I also keep an inspiration journal both in a file folder on my computer and an actual binder where I've pulled pages from magazines that I want to have at close reach. It's a fantastic resource when you just can't seem to get things going on your own.

And with the introduction of www.pinterest.com, there is a never ending source of pretty images AND tutorials. I could get lost in that site for hours if I let myself!

But sometimes even that's not enough! So when all else fails, I often turn to….

6. MY OWN PREVIOUS LAYOUTS

That's right! I'm not above lifting myself and taking something that I loved and was successful in creating before and do it again! If the photos work for a design, give it another shot! Perhaps rotate it or flip it, but I bet you'll find that even if you stick to the exact same design, it'll still look brand new with new papers and embellishments.

But when I had to do another layout quickly using an entirely different line, I went back to the same basic layout design, but flipped it horizontally. I think you'll agree that the look is the same, yet entirely different with minimal time invested!

I sincerely hope some of these ideas have inspired YOU and make you want to get creating yourself! And remember - my OXFORD giveaway is still open as well a couple of posts below! Get in on that one, too! :)

Happy Thursday and Happy Scrappin'!

Creating with BasicGrey + Hero Arts

2011-09-07T09:05:00.002-04:00

You know. I'll be the first to admit, I'm pretty darn lucky to have the job I do. I get to spend the day creating with BasicGrey, the best paper manufacturer around. But as with any job, some days are luckier or better than others - like the other day when I received a wonderful box of goodies from Hero Arts! And inside? Inside were the incredibly beautiful stamps that coordinate with my two favorite BG lines from CHA-Summer, Picadilly & Little Black Dress.

Now I'll also be the first to admit that I don't stamp much. And when I do, it's usually at the encouragement of Jennifer McGuire, stamping queen extraordinaire. But these stamps were so awesome (AND I had also just purchased a huge amount of Zing! embossing powder I was dying to try out) that I had to put them to work right away. Here's just a bit of what I created:

First with Picadilly:

Can you believe how teeny tiny my Carson was here? I think this was back in 2007 when he wasn't quite 4.

Admittedly this layout doesn't have tons of stamping, but it added just the right amount of detail to the top of the envelope with the red lacy pattern. The stamp consists of rows of patterns, so I simply masked off what I didn't want to use and stamped with the rest. I also got a lot of inspiration for this layout from the talented Stephanie Dagan. I loveeeeee her clean but full-of-eye-candy style and tried to incorporate some of her wonderful elements onto this page.

Check out the gorgeous stitched brads in this line. And those wooden buttons? They have me over the moon. I think I've used every single one I've received and have begged for more already! The colors in this line just scream happy summer!

Supplies: BasicGrey Picadilly patterned papers, stitched brads, brads, wooden buttons, chip sticker shapes, Hero Arts Stamps.

Other: Bazzill cardstock, My Mind's Eye twine, Quikutz Silhouette, Fiskars border punch, Zig pen, Versamark ink.

And then Little Black Dress:

This layout is actually over on the BasicGrey blog as Monday's inspiration sketch layout! Did you know we're doing sketches there EVERY Monday?! After visiting here, you'll definitely want to hop on over there. Prizes just may be involved. :))

Wow. If Carson was little in the first layout, get a look at this! My sweet (now 8-year-old) back when he was only 9months. Oh those cheeks and teeny baby parts! (swoon)

Here I used my stamps to create the tags under the title. The first floral tag was created with the background stamp I embossed. Then I punched a circle from it and mounted it on chipboard. It was super easy but looks so cool. And I think the chip sticker shapes from this line might be some of my all-time favorites. There are plenty of florals, leaves, vines, labels and more. Yum!

Supplies: BasicGrey Little Black Dress papers, chip sticker shapes, Olio rub-ons, Basics alpha sticker, Hello Luscious alpha stickers, Hero Arts Stamps.

Other: Ranger Embossing powder, Versamark ink, Technique Tuesday chipboard circles, My Mind's Eye twine, Jenni Bowlin artisan label (template).

And believe me, there's more. I loved these stamps so much, I have a couple more layouts and several cards to share over the next couple of weeks. Maybe I need to look into getting more Zing! ;) Now remember, these items will be shipping the beginning of October so put them on your wish-list now!

Have a great Wednesday! Remember - my OXFORD giveaway is still open in the post below! Be sure to put your name in there for a chance to win!

xoxo,

{behind the pages.}

Fly away with us and WHAT'S UP?!

PB&J, anyone?

Introducing BasicGrey's PLUMERIA....

And she's BACK....& with a SNEAK PEEK!

On the 13th Day of December...

On the 12th day of December...

On the 10th day of December...

On the 9th Day of December...it's the HERO ARTS BLOG HOP

On the 8th Day of December...

On the 5th & 6th Day of December....

On the 3rd & 4th day of December...

On the 2nd Day of December....

On the 1st day of December...

Meet me at the KISSING BOOTH!

Friday Giveaway!

A Tiny Sampler & a Tutorial of Sorts

It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS.....

A Happy *Bazzill* Halloween!!

Sharing is Caring...CONTEST CLOSED (winner announced)

Stamping A to Z

Welcome Fall + a Giveaway! (NOW CLOSED)

Back To School OXFORD Winner!

Never Forget.

Finding Inspiration

Creating with BasicGrey + Hero Arts

A Happy Bazzill Halloween!!