Layering and white space....

I'm loving the new trend of layering and pops of color on white - it's just so clean and spring-like! I made both of these layouts using my March Studio Calico kit which I finally broke into after I was finished doing all of the dt work that I had due all at once! On both of these layouts, I used a piece/pieces that I diecut using my Silhouette Cameo from a plain piece of white cardstock. On the top layout, I simply layered the diecut chevron piece on top of a white piece of cardstock that I first misted using Bonny Blue Mister Huey. I machine stitched my piece in place then I just started layering! I fussy cut the large diamond borders and even used a glassine baggie that actually contained some embellishments from the kit. The photo is one of my sister and me one Christmas morning having a tea party with our new toys.

The bottom layout was for a challenge on the Studio Calico blog to make a layout using a photo of food. This was an easy challenge as I have at least 100 photos of food - I always take a picture of our food at restaurants for some weird reason - it just looks so scrumptious!! I took two of the chevron diecut pieces and layered some patterned paper underneath them. I then started the layering again until I was happy with the design!

FYI - the diecut pieces were all from one design that I bought from the Silhouette store - that was such a great deal - 3 designs for the price of one!!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Last post for GCD Studios.....

My year as design team member with GCD Studios is over and this is the last DT work that I will be posting. It's been a really fun adventure working with the products and the fabulous, sweet girls associated with GCD Studios!! We were lucky enough to get the papers from the new 2012 CHA lines the GCD Studios came out with, and may I say that they are the best they've ever designed!! And I love the new thickness of the papers - they are a dream to cut on the Silhouette also! I was chosen to create with the Country Charm line, and I'm so happy that I got to use these designs as they remind me of the fabric that I love to use for quilting!

I saw a fabulous quilt design on Pinterest and thought it would be perfect for the paper. The design is called Bullseye and was really quite easy to make. I simply cut several 7 inch circles and 3 inch circles from the paper, divided the circles into 8 pieces of "pie", cut them up and then started piecing them together. I sewed the seams after I attached the pieced circles to my base page. I then made a few folded flowers and the layout came together nicely!!

We also got to choose any other line we wanted to design a layout with and I chose Splendor.

This is one of my most favorite lines as the colors are my favorite to use in scrapping - aquas and yellows with the added bonus of woodgrain....be still my heart!!!! I also had another twist for the layout - I had to use something on my layout that was from my home that wasn't scrapbook related! That kind of threw my for a loop, and I was searching the kitchen for something to use, I saw the cellophane tipped toothpicks and thought they would be cool to use to make little flags for my layout!!

I just cut some strips of matching papers, folded them over the ends of the toothpicks, and then cut the notches in the ends. I also used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the ampersand and the title - like I said - it cuts on the Cameo like a dream! One of the cool features of this line is the page of journal spots that were so fun to cut up and layer all over my layout for my journaling!

Thank you so much GCD Studios and Heidi S for the fun times I had this year on the team!! I know the new team is going to have a blast designing with the new lines!!

Hugs!! Valerie Bishop

American Crafts GDT work reveal.....

I had lots of fun creating with the Dear Lizzy Neapolitan line!!  The colors are so dreamy and pretty and all of the cute embellies that go with it are so much fun to use!! You can check at the American Crafts blogpost here !

March 12, 2012 - Spring has Sprung early this year!!

I can't believe that it's been in the 80's for the past 2 weeks, and March 12, 2012 of this year was a like a beautiful spring day!! I made a 2-page layout that documented all the spring-like happenings going on that day for the Take 12 Challenge at Ella Publishing! Even the dog enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his belly! It's hard to believe that last year at this time we were having a snowstorm!! I'll take the warmth any day of the year!

I used some of the products from my March 2012 Studio Calico to make this, plus I added some of the new products that I recently purchased (And some Prairie Hill by Pink Paislee - which I won the whole line during CHA goings on!!) and some things from the new My Minds Eye line. 

Don't forget to set your calendar for next month's Take 12 on the 12th so that you can enter our monthly drawing on the Ella Publishing blog! We are giving away some awesome prizes. It doesn't matter if you haven't started this year - join in next month - we'd love to see what you've created!! You can link it up here!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Here are some sneaks peaks......

of some things I've designed for my GDT work for American Crafts!!

I will post the full reveal on the March 21st when they will be featured on the American Crafts blog!

And don't forget about the Take 12 Challenge

This month's Take Twelve sponsor is Persnickety Prints! Link your Take Twelve efforts on this post before Sunday night at midnight ET and you'll be eligible to receive a $50 gift certificate. $50! To Persnickety Prints! If you aren't familiar with the services Persnickety Prints offers, you're in for a treat. Their know-how, printing methods, value, and reputation for customer service are stellar. May the luck of the Irish be with you.... and see you back here in a week for the March Take Twelve roundup!
Thanks for stopping by!!

Just so thrilled to announce.....

that I was chosen to be a part of the Front Porch Design Team for The Little Blue House kit club and storefront which is located in Texas. The kits can be ordered online here . The kits are a unique mix of  products that will not only appeal to scrapbookers, but artists that like to alter and create!!

Check out the blog and see all the fun happenings that are going on....you never know when there will be a giveaway!! Thanks for stopping by!!

Whew! Finally over the epidemic.....

A week and a half later and we are finally over the stomach virus epidemic that hit here at our house! It was a particularly vicious virus that took a while to recover from - I didn't even have the strength to blog!! But we've ALL had it and are all now over it!! I'm uploading a couple of layouts that I made right before we all got sick - just a some 'just for fun' layouts that I made with some scrapbook lines that have just been laying around being neglected because of all the new stuff I keep getting that I just "need" to have!! LOL

This is one of the few layouts that I've made that is 8 1/2x11. I love 12x12, but every once in a while I like to shake things up! I used some Simple Stories patterned paper and one of my favorite Martha Stewart doily punches - I think it kind of looks like sandollars!

This is my son Jonathan and his fiancee in a photo they had professionally taken. More Simple Stories paper and punches.

I hope to get in the swing of things and start creating! I have a whole line of American Crafts goodies to play with - and I'm ready to jump right in!! Thanks for stopping by!! :)
Valerie