Take a Peek at Postmarked 02 - My Newest Class from Big Picture Classes!

I'm excited to share a peek into Postmarked 02, my latest online class in the Postmarked series from Big Picture Classes!

BPC is an amazing online source for creative education.  You'll find classes on card making, scrapbooking, photography, DIY, and more!  The site is a membership, meaning - you pay a small fee each month & have access to the full library of classes.

For a short time, you can take my class FOR FREE!  Find out more below.

I really think you're going to love what's in store for Postmarked 02!

In this class, I'll show you how to make a customized stationery set that's full of color!  Learn how to revitalize supplies you have on hand with a dye bath and create beautiful cards that have been dip dyed.

The class comes with free templates to make handmade envelopes & a stationery box.  These sets are just gorgeous and make perfect gifts!  The templates come in both pdf & .studio files for the Silhouette Cameo.

I'll also show you techniques for creating monogrammed cards through dry embossing & hand embroidery.

One of my favorite things about this class is that you can use whatever supplies you have on hand!  It's a great way to revitalize your stash & create projects that fit your own unique style.

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So, are you ready to check out Postmarked 02?  For a limited time, you can take my class & any class at BPC FOR FREE!

Use the code: BPCJULIE to get a free one month trial membership to the site.

*Free month trial promotion ends August 22^nd, 2015 at 11:59 pm EST. First month free offer valid only on new memberships and is not valid for current or previous members. Click the “Start Your Free Trial” button and follow the steps to begin your free trial.  Enter promo code in promo box and continue checkout process. Not valid on previous purchases. Must enter promo code at checkout. Refunds will not be issued for misused or non-entered codes. 

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I hope to see you in class!

I'm a teacher with Big Picture Classes!

I'm so excited to be able to share a little secret that I've been keeping! I'm one of the newest teachers at Big Picture Classes!

Have you seen the new Big Picture Classes website yet?  It just launched this weekend and it's amazing!  If you're not familiar with BPC, it's an online learning platform for all things crafty.  You'll find classes on scrapbooking, cardmaking, DIY crafts & much more!

With the new platform, you can sign up to become a member for only $9.99 a month & you'll have unlimited access to all of the classes on the site.  New classes will be added to the site all throughout the year, so it's a really great resource.  You can even try out a free trial risk free.

I'm teaching a series called Postmarked.  It's a card making class with a focus on getting your cards in the mail.  Each month, I'll be sharing new cardmaking techniques, challenges, and ideas to help keep us inspired. In the first class, we’ll even be making a card organizer to hold everything we need to take our cards from idea to postmarked!

In this first class, you'll find 4 video tutorials, PDFs, and free downloads to help you complete your card organizer.  I'll also show you some fun & simple watercolor techniques that anyone can do so that you can start sending out happy mail!

At BPC, you'll also find a community page where you can connect with other students.  There's a group called Postmarked Pals where you can share ideas on creating handmade cards, stationery, and happy mail of all kinds. You might even find a new pen-pal!  I hope you check it out.

If you'd like to start making handmade cards of your own to send to your family & friends, I'd love for you to join me in this class series.  You can find out more about Postmarked here.  Hope to see you in class!

October Studio Calico Kit Projects

 This month's kits are full of cozy prints & unique embellishments - perfect for fall!

Here are a couple of cards that I made using the Underground Card Kit.  The feather/arrow dies are my fave!

 I want to wallpaper my craft room in this floral print!  This is another card made with just the main kit. The kit comes with a full set of gold glittered tag pockets... which just so happen to fit gift cards perfectly!

 I also made a couple of projects using these fun add-on stamp sets:

 

The Tea Time set is so adorable!  I love all of the different buildable images... especially the tea bag & separate tea solid stamp.

 I love it when a stamp set can be used for more than its original purpose.  I made this Disney inspired card using the Halloween stamp set along with the Underground card kit.

 

Thanks for taking a peek at my projects for this month.  You can find all of the newly released kits here and the gallery is packed with inspiration!

My First Class With Craftsy Is Live!

I'm so excited to share a little secret that I've been keeping for awhile!  I am a new instructor for Craftsy, one of the fastest growing educational sites and crafting communities on the web. 

Craftsy provides such a great way to learn.  All of their classes are taught by video - which is especially great if you are a visual learner like I am.

I had such an amazing time creating classes with this company.  Everything that they do is top-notch & all of the people I worked with were wonderful.  They produce classes for a large variety of crafts (knitting, sewing, photography, cake decorating, etc.) and I'm excited that they have started expanding to include paper crafting classes.

My first class is called Classic Christmas Cards & the lessons are free with the purchase of the correlating kit.  (The class is 25% off right now!)

Here's a short video explaining a little more about the class:

I would love for you to join me!  You can find all of the details about the class here.

Studio Calico's Sandlot is Here!

We just got back from sunny Florida & I think I still have vacation brain.  (By the way, can I tell you how challenging it is to get my teenager to smile?  Sigh...)  I'm a couple of days behind, but I wanted to share the new August kits with you from Studio Calico!

 

Take a peek at Sandlot:

 

  Card Kit

Project Life® Kit

Scrapbook Kit

If you're like me & enjoy cute, whimsical stamps... you're going to LOVE the Sandlot card kit.  The bubblegum machine is the perfect size for a card front, but it's large enough to use on scrapbooking layouts or party decor & still stand on its own.

The kit comes with both bright & vibrant patterned paper/embellishments as well as soft & pastel.  

I really love the school themed patterns mixed in the kit.  The great thing is, if you don't have school-aged kids, the patterns are neutral enough to be used in many other ways.  (The card above uses the pencil patterned paper.)

If you like more of a romantic, elegant style then the Squints add-on is for you!  It comes with a beautiful, layerable stamp set & sentiments that coordinate with wood veneer pieces.

 I made this bouquet by stamping several flowers & adding them to a cone that I made with a square of vellum.

For those of you who have kids getting ready to start school (Ours start next week!  Crazy!) you'll definitely want to check out the Teacher's Pet stamp/die set.

 I make a lot of school themed cards.  They're perfect for sneaking into lunch boxes & backpacks... but they also are handy for schmoozing teachers.  ;)  (I'm not going to lie.  When you have a house filled with boys, especially a little mischievous one, it's always good to have a card on hand.  Those teachers need all of the encouragement they can get!)

Here are a couple of my other favorites from this month:

These Kraft Daily Envelopes stole my heart.  They're 3x4" & perfect for Project Life®.  I think they'd also make great focal points on cards & are the perfect size to hold gift cards.  I ordered two sets.  I couldn't help myself.

 Another thing that I'm REALLY excited about are these Color Theory acrylic paints.  I recently shared a video on how to create a stained glass effect with stamps on the Studio Calico blog & I can't wait to have all of these colors to work with!

 Thanks for stopping by!  You can find all of the new releases here & a gallery FILLED with ideas from the creative team here.

Studio Calico's May Kits Are Here!

Yay! It's reveal night & all of the Studio Calico {Camelot} May kits are up for grabs!

I have several projects to share with you using the card kits.

Introducing the Camelot Card Kit:

As I mentioned earlier, this kit comes with an exclusive stamp set designed by the company 1Canoe2. These stamps are buildable, meaning each layer can be stamped separately... allowing you to add various colors & height to the design. 

It's kind of hard to tell from the photo above, but the paper in the kit is both bright & soft at the same time. It's a very happy spring-like palette.

Here's a wedding card that I made for my new sister-in-law for her bridal shower:

 This stamp set is also perfect for birthdays.  And, if you're like me, you always need birthday cards!  By varying the colors, this stamp set can be used for any age, from preschoolers to grandparents.  How cute would it be to add just the right number of candles to a little one's cake?!?

 This is the Morgan card kit add-on:

Both the main card kit & the add-on have some scrumptious buttons included, so I decided to pair them together to make this birthday balloon cluster.

Don't forget to check out all of the new goodies in the digital shop!  I used the cardstock set & some stamp brushes to make this background... and it's SO easy!

 One of my favorite digi files this month is the Frames cut file by Paige.  I filled each of the frames with some of my left over buttons & paper bows that I made with the new Bow craft die. It might officially be my favorite die right now.  :)

 The Morgan kit has some great basic stamps!  These are the kinds of sets that you can get tons of mileage out of.  The circles can be used as flowers, balloons, berries, snowmen... you name it!  - and the sentiments are perfect for those most needed card themes.

Did you see that the kit also comes with coordinating circle dies???

 Did you notice the super wide aqua ribbon in the Morgan kit?  I twisted & rolled it to make this cabbage rose gift box topper.  And the cute tag?  It's made with some of Suzy's new Doodle digital stamps.  I used the card digital set to cut the leaves out using my Silhouette.

The 1Canoe2 stamp set from the Camelot card kit is also great for creating borders.  You can see one of my "cake layers" used on the tag above.

Thanks for taking a peek at my projects for this month!  Happy shopping! :)

The New Kits Are Here! Take a Peek at Bluegrass Farm + Free Cut Files

If you're a Studio Calico subscriber, the April {Bluegrass Farm} kits are now available!

It's no secret the the Bluegrass Farm card kit is one of my favorite of all time.  Here are some projects I made using the kits:

I talked about using letterpress inks with my stamps in this post & the card above is an example of that.  I love the gorgeous, bold colors & the blendable shades that you can achieve with this type of ink.  A little ink goes a long way & I had a little leftover green after stamping the stems.  Instead of wasting the ink, I decided to roll it out (with a brayer) onto a scrap piece of cardstock.  It ended up coming in really handy!

I used the new Wonky Diamond craft die with the inked cardstock to make the berry basket above. 

For the card above, I used the same stamps but with the new Color Theory ink pads.   If you can snag the new Fruit Punch craft dies, I think you'll really love them.  They coordinate perfectly with the stamp set in the card kit & make layered cards so easy!

I cut strips of the woodgrain patterned paper from the card kit to make a crate for the fruit to sit in.

I designed some free cut files that you can use with your Silhouette for these next cards.  If you don't have a Silhouette, I included PDF files so that you can print them out & create your own pattern to hand-cut.

You can download the Grand Champion & Baby Clothes files here.

The tiny clothespins in the card above are from the Clarabelle card kit add-on.  They're just the perfect size for hanging these baby goodies on the line!

There are so many great new digital projects in the shop right now!  I used this cut file set by In a Creative Bubble for the card above along with the Wonky Hearts die to create the felt heart center.  (The Wonky Hearts die coordinates with the Clarabelle stamp set.)

  

There's also a really cool stamp set/craft die combo called Buttercup that was designed by JJ Bolton.  I used it on several of my projects.  It comes with cool frames, paint splatters, stars... need I say more?

  Here's a card I made using the set:

 And finally, here is another project I made using a letterpress inked background.  The blue panel started out as plain white cardstock.  I love how rich the color became!  I heat embossed my images & sentiment over the top of it & then added some hand stitching.

If you would like specific links to the products I used on each card above, you can find my Studio Calico gallery here.

I hope you are able to snag some kits this month!  I know you're going to love them!