Bluegrass Farm Reveal

it's time for studio calico reveal of bluegrass farm! presales has started for subscribers and all kits will be on sale for everyone tonight at midnight EST/ 11pm CST. i'm excited to share my projects made with studio calico main scrapbook kit, bessie (add on 1), clover (add on 2) and pip (add on 3). 

my favourite kit this month is pip (add on 3). it's an embellishment kit and its filled with exclusive items like stitchable wood veneers, gold foil badges, puffy heart stickers by twine & ink and more... 

i made 5 layouts these month! to see detail shots and what products i used, you can click on each of the layouts.

up & up

(main kit only)

another beautiful cut file designed by paige evans this month!  

I hand cut the patterned paper petals and used them to cover the top left and bottom right of the page. you could also create a die file with the petals and cut them with the silhouette cameo. I left the rest of the petals empty to leave some white space for the photo and title. love the tone on tone effect of the cut file on the white background. i also used the foam tabs to create a slightly dimensional effect.

his vs hers

(main kit only)

when i saw the stamp set in the main kit, i thought of using the semi circle stamp to create a background filled with colorful scallop banner. i choose to work with my colour theory inks in deja blue, yes peas, sunny day, orange country and well red. to create a ombre effect, i stamped the image 2 or 3 times before re-coloring the stamp. to add more interest to the stamped banner, i punched little hearts and stars from the patterned papers and added some ink splatters with mister huey mist in navy, mistletoe, double yellow and mary mary. i also love the labels designed by hello forever to help me include my journaling.

yummy

(main kit, bessie, clover, pip)

i love all the patterned papers from the main kit so to display all of them, i made this simple layout by cutting strips of the papers and arranging them around my photo. Love the stitchable wood veneer, wooden tag which I used for my title and the slim washi tape by amy tangerine. i finished the page by adding some ink splatters with mister huey mist in gold, mary mary, navy, skyscraper and mistletoe .

counting stars

(main kit, bessie, clover, pip)

this noteworthy sights paper from bessie (add on 1) is one of my favourite this month. to start this layout, i used mister huey mist in mary mary, double yellow, seafoam and skyscraper to create ink splatters to highlight the circular design of this paper. I placed the photo in the middle and had fun arranging all the embellishments around it.

my faves

(main kit, bessie, clover, pip)

the inspiration for this layout is this dotted heart from the card kit digital stamp set. i used it to create a cut file and cut it with my silhouette cameo to create a mask. using the mask, i painted gesso on the black polka dot paper from clover (add on 2). to add some color, i used gelatos to fill up some of the circles. once my background is ready, i finished the layout by adding my photo, embellishments and added my title with a white crayon to create a chalkboard effect.

i hope you enjoyed my reveal of bluegrass farm! remember subscribers can start shopping now, for the rest of the public, reveal will go live at midnight EST/ 11pm CST tonight and the links to bluegrass farm will not work till then.

thanks for dropping by!!!

Studio Calico April Shopping Picks!

studio calico bundling for subscribers has started! this month, i really wanted some of the shop items, so i added all the items i want in my cart and was patiently waiting for 12am EST to checkout! i'm glad i manage to get them all! here's a look at what i got this month!

1 | color theory sequins - these are essentials for me! i usually add a few of these lovely sequins to finish off my project! these come in 13 yummy colors! the one i picked this month is mint hint!

2 | color theory buttons - i love purple so i couldn't resist adding these into my cart! there are 8 different colors you can choose from!

3 | color theory ink labels - i love my color theory inks and want to get these to label them.

4 | essential gold chipboard stars - i love stars and love them more when they sparkle! 

to get myself ready for the mixed media class, i also added these into my cart...

5 | gel medium - i've seen wilna used this in her art class and 2 peas videos, but i haven't tried them yet. celine and ania maria will be using them in the new class too, so i bought a tub.

6 | neocolor II - these come in so many colours, i cannot decide which ones to get, so i bought the gold one first since its always the first to go out of stock :P

7 | sweet nothings stencil by teresa collins - these stencils are so pretty, i just got to get them! i think they will be awesome to use with gesso, mist, paint or modelling paste.

8 | mister huey's watercolors set - i been wanting to get these since it was revealed during cha. barbara made a swatch for this, you can see it here.

that's all i got so far... i hope you manage to get what you plan too! happy shopping and see you at reveal!

Bluegrass Farm Sneaks

hello again! i'm back to share some sneaks for studio calico april kits - bluegrass farm! 

subscriber's reveal is in less than 24 hours! as usual, i had lots of fun playing with the kits. i had the privilege to work with the scrapbook kit and 3 add ons - bessie, clover and pip. my favourite add on this month has to be add on 3 - pip! its filled with so much goodies, especially the stitchable wood veneers! this month,  i manage to come up with 5 layouts! :)

this is a main kit only layout. used the beautiful cut file by paige evans here.... 

this is a main kit only layout. i used the stamp in the kit with color theory inks to create a background for this layout. i use to only stamp with black ink but the color theory inks have totally changed that! i love how brilliant the colors are and i love how nicely the stamped images are turning out, even for an amateur stamper (if there is such a word) like me!

i used the scrapbook kit and all 3 add ons - bessie, clover and pip in this layout. some of my favourite pieces are used here - stitchable wood veneer, gold flair, cork leaves, wooden piece which i used for my title.

i used the scrapbook kit and 3 add ons - bessie, clover and pip in this layout.  lots of ink splatters and embellishment in this layout! yay for add on 3 - pip! :)

in anticipation of studio calico's latest class - mixed media, i played with some gesso, gelatos and crayons and made this layout. i used the main scrapbook kit and all 3 add ons here as well...

subscribers reveal will be on 27th at noon EST/ 11am CST and for the rest of the public, it will go live on 27th at midnight EST/ 11pm CST.

i hope you enjoyed my sneaks and do drop by later for the reveal!

Stitched at Studio Calico

Hello! i hope the week has been good for you so far. i'm here to share with you my favourite upcoming class at studio calico - stitched! 

this class will be conducted by talented and sweet paige evans where she will be going through 24 stitching techniques - both hand and machine stitching, that we will be able to add into our projects. if you haven't seen her amazing work, you can drop by her gallery here. i love adding stitching to my layouts and project life cards so i am terribly excited to start this class!

when you sign up for this class, you will receive a bonus class kit and shipping is free no matter where you are! the last i checked on studio calico website, its still available but stock is running really low. i ordered mine and i can't wait for it to arrive!

if you haven't gotten the cuppa scrapbook kit, blue note scrapbook kit or cuppa project life kit, you can purchase it at half price when you purchase both the kit and stitched class together! remember to enter the code stitched50 during checkout.

here are also some of the digital files you will have access to once you sign up. 

i am most excited about this stitching template! love the stitched sequins! :)

printables from hello forever...

pretty cut files you can use with you silhouette cameo! i think i will try drawing the designs out with my sketch pens too. if you do not have a silhouette cameo, you can also print out these files (in .png format) and use them as stitching templates. 

i do not have a sewing machine so i have only tried hand stitching and i love the added texture and interest it brings to my layouts and project life cards. you can click on each image to see details of the projects. 

i used digital files by paislee press as a sewing template in these layouts.

added some stitching with the heart (using amy tangerine stitching template) and the sun rays...

stitching on project life card...

although i don't have a sewing machine, i love the effect it gives so i tried creating something similar with hand stitching here.

i hope you enjoyed these stitching projects i shared and if you would like to add stitching to your projects too, you can get more details of the class and sign up here. hope to see you there!

thanks for dropping by!

Studio Calico Blog Hop

it's monday! hope you had a great weekend and is all ready to start a new brand week!  today some of the sc girls and myself are up for a blog hop to share studio calico's current subscription promotion and our top 5 must haves! it's my first blog hop so i'm excited to be part of it. you should have arrived here from nicole's blog! welcome!

Lisa Truesdell

Natalie Elphinstone

Marcy Penner

Kelly Noel

Suzy Plantamura

Melanie Louette

Nicole Reaves

Lilin Fang <-- you are here!

Maggie Massey

Jenn Picard

Geralyn Sy

Stephanie Baxter

Anna-Maria Wolniak

Nicole Samuels

Dana Fleckenstein

Céline Navarro

Stephanie Washburn

Leena Loh

i have been scrapping for about 2 years and playing with studio calico kits is my favourite way to scrap. my first studio calico kit is roller pink from october 2012 which means i have been a subscriber with sc for almost 1.5 years! studio calico puts together beautiful papers and embellishments that coordinate so well. this saves me a lot of time selecting products to work with since i can just create my projects with whatever is available in the kit. and i love the exclusive papers, embellishment and beautiful stamps that i cannot get from anywhere else. i also like the idea of a happy mail coming my way every month! the thought that i will have new products to play with next month also kinda reduces my tendency to hoard and encourages me to scrap more! :P

If you would like to subscribe to one of studio calico's kits, you will be happy to know that studio calico is currently having an awesome promotion! start a new subscription with march's office hours kit and receive a gift card free!!! here are the details...

    

here are the layouts i created with march's office hours kit... to find out more details about these layouts, you can click here.

also here are my top 5 faves from the studio calico shop to help you with your gift card :))

1. color theory ink - yellow - i have been stamping with black until i tried these inks! it's difficult for me to choose a favourite color here, but its amazing how brilliant this yellow looks even on white paper. click here to see all 12 colors.

2. color theory sequins - 24 karat - just like the enamel dots, sequins are a must! my favourite are these gold sequins. there are lots of colors available too but gold is an absolute must! click here to see the entire range.

3. color theory enamel dots - red - i have a craze for enamel dots. i use them in almost all my projects! my favourite are the red dots. click here to see all the colors!

4. bamboo paint brush - i have been using this brush for all my painting ever since i got them. love the soft bristles and how smooth it is to paint with this brush.

5. medium glassine bags - these glassine bags are great for layering on layouts or are perfect as envelopes for cards or small gifts.

 thanks for dropping by and your next stop is to visit maggie!

Elle's Studio March Inspiration Gallery

hello again! elle's studio march kit and inspiration gallery is now live! i hope you are looking forward to this month's kit because it's once again filled with lots of elle's studio signature cards and labels. 

here's a look at the exclusive kit for march!

not forgetting the coordinating cut files...

these kits are going for $9.99 from now until the end of today (after 12.01 am on the 11th, it will retail for $11.99)! so grab yours from the shop now!

ok, now to share my gallery for march. this month, i had fun creating 2 layouts and a card with everyday moments, love me more! collections and the march kit! 

Dapper

love the pops of colours from everyday moments collection so i made this layout displaying all the colourful labels and bits and pieces. i am still not very confident with adding my handwriting (i secretly wish i have a more artistic handwriting) on my layouts so i love how these beautiful labels make it easier for me to add my journaling.

this is the good life

 another favourite picture of ethan and his daddy chilling out during the weekend. love the spring colours from the march kit so i pair it with everyday moments collection to create this boyish layout. used this beautiful dual patterned grey paper from 2014 collection as my background paper. i don't celebrate st patrick's day here in singapore so although that's the theme for this month's kit, i love that it's versatile and can be used for my daily layouts and projects too! 

i think you are perfect

i'm still loving the sweetest of love me more collection so I created this card using a simple grid design. i also decided to be brave and drew a border to frame the squares. it's not perfect  but i love the way it looks. to match the card, i created a coordinated envelope by adhering a piece of patterned paper to a regular envelope.

to see more pictures of my layouts and card as well as the list of products used, visit my gallery here... do check out projects by the rest of the talented design team too!

in case you didn't know, elle's studio turns 7 this month! so if you make a purchase (over $5) in march, you will be getting this exclusive gift of birthday cards and wood veneer! and free shipping!!!! 

for orders of $50 or more, shipping to a USA address, you will enjoy free shipping with the coupon code: 50freeship. 

for orders of $75 or more, shipping to canada or international, you will enjoy free shipping with the coupon code: 75freeship.

click here to go to the store and start shopping...

happy shopping and thanks for dropping by!

Elle's Studio Birthday and March Sneaks

hello everyone! i hope the week has been wonderful for you. 

this month elle's studio is turning 7!!! 

to celebrate, here's what's in store for you! with any purchase (over $5) in march, you will be getting this exclusive gift of birthday cards and wood veneer! and free shipping!!!! as an international customer, i love free shipping. paper weighs a ton so i would take this opportunity to do some stocking up on my elle's studio supplies! click here to go to the store and start shopping...

i would also like to share my sneaks for march inspiration gallery which 

will be going live on 10th March, together with the release of the exclusive march kit.

here's what i made this month...

with the march exclusive kit, everyday moments and 2014 collection...

with everyday moments collection...

here's the last one using love me more collection...

thanks for dropping by!

A Closer Look - Silhouette Sketch Pens

hello! i'm back to share how i used silhouette sketch pens in 2 of my layouts with this month's kit - office hours.

i used the gold pen from the metallic pack here.

i used the black pen from the glitter pack here.

here we go...

first, i opened the cut file by paige evans in silhouette studio. 

to get the silhouette cameo to start sketching, i made sure i had the following cut settings:

1. select silhouette sketch pen under media

2. ensure that speed is set as 10 and thickness is set as 18

3. select sketch pen under blade adjustment

next remember to change your blade to a sketch pen before you start. 

after about 10 mins of drawing on white cardstock, i had this beautiful background paper.

a good range of silhouette sketch pens can be found in the studio calico shop and if you would like to use your own pens for sketching, you can do so with a silhouette pen holder. 

i hope this simple tutorial will help you start your first sketch. thanks for dropping by!