Monday, February 29, 2016

Kit Subscriber Tips & February "Darling" Kit

Hi, there! Holly, here, from Painted Ladies Journal with my first February "Darling" Kit layout to share with you. And they are still in the shop.

If you are a kit subscriber, I have a few tips to share that work for me. 
TIP 1: When I get my new kit, I look through the cards and "loosely" group together the cards I want to use for each layout I will do. I think this helps to make sure I use them all. So, for my first February kit layout you can see I picked those watercolor cards and then coordinated colors with the other card selections.


Those stamps this month are just fabulous. Did you pick up the extra one? I love the brush font and versatile everyday sentiments. Get it here

TIP 2: It is great to use up that kit now vs. picking and choosing from all your kits you may have hoarded. Kits are designed for the current months, but you can use them for that month from last year, if you work like me. So, all those "left overs" from past kits should now be divided up into your regular supply organization. You will more likely see it and use it.

I adore that sprinkle of sequins. I started with 4-5 and couldn't stop added them. I like to use a fine point glue applicator, like Scotch makes or Glossy Accents to adhere them.


TIP 3: Get out your stamping tools and a some white cardstock. I tend to stamp on cardstock and cut it out so that I don't mess up my one-of-a-kind kit cards. Unless you are going for a messy look...which is fun, too. Regardless, the point is, stamp a bunch of stuff now with your supplies out and you can use them with all your layouts using this kit.

I had a lot of filler cards in this layout. I like to add dimension to break it up a bit and give it more interest. I added the wood veneer tag with a few pop dots to that "plus" pattern card. I had some chevron wood veneers and letters to highlight that purple patterned card.
See the label on that top photo? I did exactly what I say I don't typically do, and stamped on the cut-apart! Rebel. The alpha stamp in this kit is very cute and designed to easily line up the letters so you can space them nicely and keep them in a straight line. They are great! 

To summarize my subscriber tips:
1. Group cards together for each layout (but not set in stone)
2. Keep using your kit now (don't hoard them). 
3. Stamp a bunch of items at the same time on cardstock to use for all your kit layouts.

Go out and "kill those kits"!

Thank you!
(Hop over to my blog post for an extra supply list)
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Below are a few affiliate links to help you find some products that I used.
Of coarse the kits themselves are linked at the top of the post (the shop link).



Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive (great for small/skinny items)


Glossy Accents is another great product to use for adhering small items. It is also fun to use on top of products to add a little gloss to a die cut or stamped image, for example.

Ranger Ink - Glossy Accents - Clear Dimensional Embellishment - 2 ounces

Tombow are my favorite tape runners
Tombow - Mono Adhesive Dots Roller - Permanent - Refillable
Tonic Spring-Cut Detail Scissors. These are great and they are purple! I have two pairs.




Alphabet and Numbers Wood Veneers (I used to spell FUN in my layout)

VersaMagic Chalk Ink (it stamps much lighter than this)


My Go To Black Ink

Staz On Ink Pads - Jet Black
My Miny Attacher is used almost always. Love it.
Advantus - Tim Holtz - Idea-ology - Tiny Attacher with 100 Tiny Staples
Sharpie Pens are archival safe. This set is great for journaling and planners.

Here are some Heidi Swapp Acetate Words. I couldn't find the set with the word "Together" that I used, but these are similar and very fun. "Today" is in the same peach color that worked so well with these cards.
Heidi Swapp - Hello Today Collection - Memory Planner - Clear Words
Today's photos were printed by Persnickety Prints (can't recommend them enough, and I'm not an affiliate for them) but I do print a lot at home, too, using this printer and paper



Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Our One Year Blog-iversary!!

Luly and I (Holly) started this blog one year ago! I'm so proud of us for keeping it up! We are so thankful for all the love and support. We are just so thrilled! To celebrate our one year "blog-iversary" we decided to update our look. We have a new profile picture and cover photos. What do you think??



We are also hosting some giveaways over the next few weeks! So make sure you are following us on your favorite social media spots. 

We're just figuring out Google+ and getting back into Twitter. Follow us and we'll be sure to follow you back. We love making new connections with fellow crafters and bloggers.


Okay, here's the first Giveaway!! I have a a set of 50 unique 3x4's from the Project Life Prismatic Core Kit. 
Sign up for our email list (to the right hand side of blog) and then comment on this blog post that you did so for a chance to win this one! Ends Sunday, Feb 28, 2016 7:00PM CST.

Holly & Luly


Monday, February 22, 2016

Boo Boo's and Prayers, November Take 10 Kit inspiration

I am loving the 4x4 layouts lately. Have you noticed? Check back here and here for more 4x4 inspiration. I have also been going through my older photos to catch up on my Project Life album. I am really liking this system. I did a post last year on my process. Although it has changed a little bit, the general idea is the same, and I'm really enjoying it. I plan on doing an in-depth post soon to share my secrets for my stress-free Project Life process. Be sure to follow me on Facebook to see that soon.

Becky Higgins Photo Pocket Pages - Design I
Do you still have your November Take 10 Kits? I do because I also got the Days of December Kit at the same time and was way too excited to prep for December Daily. So, I dug that out to put together a 2-sided insert for today's inspiration. And if you didn't get this kit, they are both still available: glam bag and the pocket kit!! I adore this kit.

I used a tip from an Amy Tan class with that layered washi. I did a review on that class here and here is a link to the Travel Scrapbooking with Amy Tan class. I added the date with those cute alpha stickers (Seven Paper Elliot Alphas ) on one of the cut-apart labels from this kit.

There's another cut-apart with an arrow wood veneer from my stash and some left over enamel dots from a previous Take 10 Kit.

I used the stamp from the November Kit for my journaling. I love this stamp and foresee using it a lot in my Project Life layouts. For these 4x4 layouts, I cut down a 4x6 Take 10 Kit card. Those are two Seven Paper Elliot Die Cuts.

And here is the backside of that insert. Again, I cut down a 4x6 card for my 4x4 pocket.

I used those left over scraps from the 4x6 card that I cut down, along with another cut-apart flag and some alphas from the kit.(Seven Paper Elliot Alphas ) And a little word chipboard sticker "six" for the date. (Seven Paper Elliot Phrase Stickers)

I cut out a few of the triangles and used my Pop Dots to highlight some random pieces of this card. Love this design with the dotted triangles.

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Some links above are affiliate links, and I have a few more product I used linked below. Using my links earns our blog a small amount of money and the price is no higher for you. Thanks for your support!

I got another Pixma back in December and love it for printing photos. The white is only $63 right now!! It also comes in black.

I use these 4x6 photo papers in my Pixma so I don't have to cut anything down. So easy, and they look great. 400 sheets for $25!












Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Using Up the January Take 10 Kit

I have a 12x12 layout and an insert to share with you, using up the last of my January Take 10 Kit.

I created this insert from some March 2015 photos. How do I have such details for the journaling, you ask? Because I created this layout in the Project Life app last March right after it happened. I like to spend some time every week or two mocking up layouts and getting the journalling recorded. Recently I saved all my layouts to Dropbox by date. Makes it easy to refer back to and then delete when the layout is physically done. 

I had discovered the instaWeather app and tried it out on this photo. I journaled about the pictures of my son on the "Do what makes your soul happy" filler card. I thought it was a good fit.

This photo worked perfectly behind the wood veneer frame. I cut an "xo" from a card from the kit to make a little embellishment.

was excited to have some recent donut photos to use with this kit! 


What do you do when you don't have any photos from a field trip to the theater? Photos weren't allowed. Internet to the rescue. I found a picture and used it for personal use only to include in the layout about the field trip. I added the name of the play on top of the photo, too.

Hope you have been having fun with your January kits, like me!

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Monday, February 8, 2016

Donuts and Smiles

I happened upon this 4x4 layout when I was doing some layout planning in the Project Life app. In my mind, I owned this page protector style in my collection. Well, I did not! And I love it for 4x4's! So I tracked it down, and now I own it.
I used a Heidi Swapp clear word over the middle photo in the bottom row to break up my series of giggly daughter photos.
I also added a sprinkling of enamel dots.

I used the stamp set from the kit to make that cute pair of heart-shaped donuts. If you did not get the January kit, that donut stamp set is still available over in the designer's shop. www.mystylestamps.com

I'm a little bit smitten with the exclusive donut veneers! 

This was a very fun layout to make with the January Take 10 Kits. I highly recommend the subscription to these kits.
Holly | www.paintedladiesjournal.com
Below are affiliate links to items I’ve used in this layout. Happy Shopping!
Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher – every scrapbooker needs one
Black StazOn that was used in this layout:
This is not the same Heidi Swapp Clear Word set I have, but close. Looks cute!
I print my photos at home! I love my Canon Pixma.
Dear Lizzy Serendipity Enamel Dots
Becky Higgins Design K Page Protectors