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New Layouts and a New Canon Lens

The end of the month is always a busy time for me. I find myself playing catch-up with scrapbook assignments, friends, appointments, bills, and more. There are never enough days in a month to finish everything. I put together a big ol' to do list this afternoon to help me keep my thoughts and priorities organized. It can be stressful thinking about it all at once..by putting it on paper, I allow my mind some space to think and focus on other things. I'm also more productive when I have lists. As a mom, it's really easy to forget things. I'm often too busy chasing the little guy to remember that the water bill is due next week. I need reminding to take out the garbage too...laugh. Thank goodness for pen and paper.

These last couple of evenings, I've been working on two new layouts for Prima. I'm trying my hand at new color combinations. Now that "gray" is the new "neutral" for 2008, I've been working with it more. I actually like it's subtlety and softness. It's not as saturated as black and it goes well with warm colors like orange and yellow..it also does well paired with pink and purple and turquoise. It's an easy color to work with and it's fresh and new. I look forward to seeing what other scrapbookers do with this color come next Fall:

Aren't the leaves on these flowers adorable? They're from Autumn Leave's "Manhattan" line. I combined them with some gorgeous prima flowers, but first I sanded them with a nail file and distressed them with Charcoal Ranger Distress Ink. They're stickers, so they're easy to use.

I combined two butterfly stickers to create the butterfly image on this layout. It gives the butterfly texture and depth. The large butterfly is from the "Manhattan" line and the small one is from K & Company. One word of advice when playing with butterflies on your projects, combine them with swirly rub-ons or stamps. Create a path for your two-wing friend. All of us have swirl stamps that need an excuse to be used..this is a great way to use those stamps. Add rhinestones to those swirls or tiny flowers. Anything pretty will due for a free spirited butterfly.

Isn't this picture great? It's Eric and his mom holding the same pose while having their photo taken together by Eric's dad. I think it's darling. I can't believe that Eric was this age so many years ago. I've had this photo sitting on my desk for a month. I've been waiting for the right time to scrap it..finally, I found a moment to do it and my heart was open to the process. It came together nicely.

More Prima flower goodness. These one's have a "sheen" to them, so they're slightly reflective. It's a new texture for me and one I'm starting to really like. They look better in person.

Gold lace border stickers. This was a new find for me at the local scrapbook show that took place in Woodbury last Saturday. I'm just starting to include more metallic in my layouts. You can find metallic stickers just about anywhere.

Another butterfly from K & Company. I hid this one behind a Prima chipboard frame that I cut in half. I backed the opening with distressed ivory color cardstock. I added rhinestones to the top of the frame and drew a line alongside the rhinestones with black color pen.

The Canon 50mm 1.2 L lens arrived today at my front door. I purchased it last week..finally. I've been thinking about this purchase seriously for the last few months. It was a big investment and one I didn't take lightly. I've been going back and forth on the purchase for quite some time. I wanted to be sure it was the lens for me..well, guess what, it is. They say once you go "L" glass, you never go back. Laugh. I'm really enjoying the lens and this was the first photo I took with it (above). I really like the depth of field you get with this lens. It's amazing. Totally impressed and feeling good about the purchase. Glad I did it. Note: I didn't edit this photo with photoshop. It's straight out of the camera. Now, the photo below was edited with photoshop, but I still captured it with my new lens:

Have a great day everyone! More later...

Studio Calico Layouts for April

We had to create one layouts using just the "basic kit" content, no add-ons. For me, this was tough cause I'm used to having lots of various embellishments in front of of me when I'm creating a layout. When I say lots,  I mean 25+ easy. Laugh. I ended up doing a lot of doodling to bring in some extra detail on this layout. If you find yourself limited by supply (which I'm sure none of you are limited on supplies), take out your pens and markers to add detail that wouldn't otherwise be there. One of the things to think about when you're doodling is figuring out exactly what kind of doodling you want to do on your layout. I usually find inspiration by referring to the preexisting pattern on the layout itself. Maybe it's a curvy line or an image from the pattern paper used on the layout. The pattern paper here (Sassafrass) already has a lot of doodling on it. I simple extended that style of doodling by drawing spirals, circles and dots. Note the dots and the double outlines of the clouds..I carried that over into the chipboard circles. These little details make a big impact and unite the various elements on the layout.

Note that I kept the chosen pen/marker colors similar to those on the pattern paper and embellishments. This keeps the doodling from looking too distracting, which can often happen when doodling on layout. You don't want it to steal away attention from the focal point, your picture'(s).

I actually took out my color pencil collection for this layout. It's been sitting in my cabinet for ages because I haven't had a reason to use them in a long time. I have a preference as to what brand and type of color pencil I like to use. I usually buy the more spendy ones at the local art store. The materials provide better color coverage and are of a higher quality. Of course, you don't need fancy color pencils to color on your layouts..laugh. I used to do a ton of color pencil drawings back in the day, which would explain why I have a preference. When using color pencils, it's all about coverage (pressure comes in at the end). You want to layer on color for dark areas and layer less on light areas. When you're done layering, you can use a clear (or a lighter color within the same color family) color pencil called a "blender" to smooth out the application of color or to create "blending" between two colors. When you do this, you must apply pressure. This forces the pigment into the paper and gives you that smooth, even look. You shouldn't see any obvious pencil marks/lines (unless of course, you're working on textured cardstock like what you see below).

Note the little gold rub-on birdies. They were part of a Jenny Bowlin rub-on border design, but I didn't need a long border of birds. I used the birds individually instead.

This is my favorite layout of mine from this month's kit. Ethan actually took the yogurt I had sitting on my kitchen table and started walking with it around the house. He couldn't resist eating it! He made quite the mess while traveling between three rooms with yogart in hand. I put him in the bathtub after this sneaky adventure he had with mom's yogurt. I also caught a few snapshots. They turned out hilarious! Can't wait to show him these when he gets older.

Building flowers. I think we sometimes don't know what to do with stickers, especially the small ones. I love SEI's "Dill Blossom" epoxy stickers. Perfect for creating a mini bouquet of flowers. The stickers in this collection were on the small side. Often, when I find myself facing this "size" of sticker, I'll use them as details for "bigger" stickers, die-cuts, pattern paper shapes, etc. I may even doodle an image around them like I did here with the flower stems. Little stickers don't have to be used alone.

More doodling here..notice the "circle" doodles..I carried that pattern over from the pattern paper..circles, circles, and more circles.

Just for fun, cause I found some more cool places online yesterday..how about wall decals? I love these things, the only downside though is that they tend to be expensive. I haven't put a single one on any of my walls yet, but these websites and images had me tempted..especially these birds (don't they look like trouble makers?):

You want to read more on wall decals and find a huge resource of links to various wall decal vendors? Check out the "Simply Stated" (from Real Simple Magazine) home and organizing blog HERE. A new favorite blog that can't be missed.

Have a great Friday everybody. Tonight, Ethan goes to grandma's and mom is going out with family for dinner. I also hope to do a little bit more scrapbooking tonight for Prima. Till tomorrow, take care.

A Few Things

There is something to be said about true talent and this gal has my heart when it comes to digital layouts and design. Her name is Amy Hutchinson (find her "Sips & Scraps" blog HERE). Not only does she create gorgeous digital layouts, she also sells digital designs via her website titled "Ha!". You can also find more of her digital creations at "{we are} storytellers" (you'll see other fabulous digital designers there also). Now that I'm dabbling in digital a little bit, I plan on picking up a few of her kits. I think they're stunning and I love how her images have a sense of realism. They're also packed with some of the coolest digital embellishments I've ever seen..one of my favorite kits from her & Emily Merritt is "Truly Modly Deeply". This is definitely on my "must-have" list. The birds alone make me giddy with excitement. I also like the pattern paper in this collection and plan on printing them out on cardstock via my printer. Below are a few samples of Amy's work:

I'm inspired by Amy's layouts. As you know, I have a flair for layering, but this girl takes it up a notch (it seems a lot of digital scrappers have the layering technique perfected). I just love her stuff.

I think it's very easy to overlook digital layouts and not necessarily think of them as a resource for creating ol'fashion cut and paste layouts. I'm realizing that digital offers a whole new realm of design. Digital scrapbookers can do more with what they have because they're not limited by quantity. If they want to duplicate an embellishment and use it ten times on a layout, they can without issue. They also have greater flexibility to create "personal touches". It's as simple as changing the size of something or painting something a different color. Because of the multitude of options available to digital scrapbookers, digital layouts offer something extra; a technical view of the scrapbook layout without boundaries. There's no pressure when testing new ideas..if you don't like the way something turns out, all you have to do is erase it with the press of a button. Lot's of new scrapbook ideas are a result of this up and coming technology...Digital layouts offer a fresh perspective on scrapbooking and can be the perfect resource for inspiration if you're lacking ideas. Next time you hang out at two peas or any other site that has a digital scrapbook gallery, take a minute to check out the digital layouts and print up a few that catch your attention. They may be just what you need to get back on board.

I know I've not been very productive this week. Actually, I have, but I can't show the Studio Calico layouts I've created till tomorrow. If you want to see them earlier, you can view them tonight at 11:00 pm Central time via the Calico. Tonight is the premier of April's kit and they'll be giving away a ton of RAKS tonight to celebrate the event. Free stuff and let me tell you, they've been very generous and have put together some wonderful RAKS. Stop on by and see what it's all about at Studio Calico starting early this evening.

I'm on assignment to finish two more layouts for Prima. I just put together a "big kit" to create both layouts. I spent all night last night choosing products and supplies. It's true, I'll spend three hours gathering product and supplies to make a few layouts..I know, who in their right mind would do such a thing. Well, I do. Laugh. I'm a perfectionist. If things aren't coordinated and organized, I can't create..here's a pic of my desk and a few piles after last night's gathering:

Scrapbooking is on the schedule for this evening and so is hanging out at Studio Calico. We'll see what I can manage to get done...the picture above is of Eric and his mom when he was around Ethan's age. It's amazing. Time goes by fast.

A few new places...

While sitting here with a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup candies, I've spent the last hour looking at new modern, fresh blogs and online stores. I figure I've spent plenty of time looking at scrapbooking related sites that it was time to do something a little different this evening. You have to know, that I can't go a day without perusing the net for at least an hour. It's my connection to the outside world. It's partly a get-a-way and escape for a few minutes kind of therapy for me. Most of my days are spent "at home" with the little one. You'll either find me cleaning, cooking, changing diapers, more cleaning, possibly running errands, or watching re-runs of "Barney" or "The Wiggles". This is an every day routine for me. Outside Adult interaction is minimal and "baby talk" is the predominate language of choice in our household. So, I often look to the world wide web to provide me with an outside view of the world. It serves to remind me that the world is still revolving on it's axis and that there are still people outside my house doing things that are interesting and worth knowing about. Tonight, during my hour long journey of the world wide web, I came across some new places that captured my interest.

I can't say I cook on a regular basis (I'm actually not a very good cook), but I love this apron. The graphic fabric is bold and the shape of the apron is very modern and clean. Believe it or not, I like modern style decor. Minimalism. Less is more. Can this possibly be true coming from a gal that likes to load her layouts with lot's of stuff? It's true. Funny how that works. Though, I'm not entirely into the "all white" thing. I like color. Color plays a big role in my life and it impacts how I see the world and environment around me. I need it to feel "happy". I'm sure many of you can relate. The world would be awfully boring without a little color.

The above items can be found at an online eclectic gift shop called "Violet". Check it out HERE.

This is an actual wall decal from "Design Public". If you like modern decor and art, you'll like this place. Find them HERE.

Is this not the cutest house you've ever seen? This is from an Etsy shop called "Gypsy and Twink". I'm tempted to pick up one of their handmade items. They're work really inspires me and gets me thinking about new color combinations and imagery. I especially like the way they combine patterns. Very much my style. Find them HERE.

Another Etsy store I found called "Micah and Me Stationary". Their designs are fresh and even a little whimsical. You can find them HERE.

"UPPERCASE". What a fantastic name for an online boutique. They sell unusual paper goods and an assortment of other goodies. Find them HERE. The Sukie Alphabet hankies are worth the visit.

I have quite a few kinds of "Laura Foster Nicholson's" ribbon. It's a "woven" ribbon and is available in a variety of themes. They're great for borders and as accent ribbon for mini albums. Find the ribbon HERE.

Another print shop at Etsy called "Sugarloop". The colors are subtle and the images are simple. Birds and Trees. Find them HERE.

I also found a few blogs I've added to my favorite's listing. Looking for inspiration or the latest design trend? Visit these places below and be sure to check out all their links while you're there. You can't miss the links, they blink and they're big:  Bloesem, Design Sponge, Decor 8, & Oh Joy.

One last place I highly recommend if you enjoy hopping around in Etsy is "Poppytalk Handmade". Same selling concept as Etsy and just as "cool". They promote the sales of handmade goods. I have this inkling that the  place is on it's way up in popularity. You'll find a lot of the same artists as those on Etsy. The style of the two sites is very similar.

Now that I finished quarter bag of mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, I'm off to scrap for the evening. I have some assignments needing completion. More tomorrow. Good Night. 

Animal Planet

Circus animals. Wild animals. Birds. Owls. What will be next? They're all over the place in the scrapbook industry right now. Sassafras Lass uses them on everything they manufacturer.   Maya Road has chipboard albums in the shape of birds, cats, and dogs.  Making Memories just released this new line last week (photos above). It's called "Animal Crackers". There is a boy and girl rendition of this line. Of course, I'm partial to the boy rendition because I have a son. They've brought us more animals; Alligators, zebras, lions, and giraffes. I think the zebra is adorable. So, what's with all the animals? If you think about it, environmental awareness is growing. We're feeling a greater connection to the natural world and we're changing our lifestyle to suit the needs of mother nature. Companies are responding to this by producing product that reflects this change. We see a lot of natural images on things, including trees, clouds, birds, flowers, and scenic images. These types of images have value and attraction. It's no wonder I like these things. I'm really enjoying all the natural elements I've been seeing on paper, stickers, chipboard, etc. I especially love the animals. So, when I saw this line today, I had to have a few pieces to take home with me. Rumor has it that the "squirrel" will be in style come Fall. Not sure if I believe this prediction, but it's humorous none the less. Something to ponder before next CHA.

I did some online drifting last night. I went from one blog to the next in search of something new and inspiring. I'm always looking for colorful blogs with cool projects and ideas. I found this blog by Bari J. Her creations are gorgeous. I would love to have one of her purses. She'll custom make one for you..you can pick from a variety of fabrics and purse styles. I spent a great deal of time at her blog. She has a lot of interesting links and stories. She also hangs out with some very talented quilters and crafters, which I totally love. I used to be a quilter back in the day. I would love to see her put out a paper line..bet it would be darn cute. She has a great eye for pattern and color.

I hope all of you had a Happy Easter yesterday. We had snow here in Minnesota for Easter. No surprise. It's was a blistering 40 degrees. Laugh. We stayed warm in my mom's place and spent the day with family. I cut the evening short by going to bed early. I've been super tired..then again, when am I not? Laugh. We had a great holiday and ate lots of food. Ethan did really well with all the people and noise. It was low key..no egg hunt or big Easter baskets. We'll do that next year.

Have a great day everybody! More later.. 

Moving along

I've made almost a full recovery. Feeling semi-normal. A little tired, but that's to be expected after dealing with the flu for four days. I have a ton to catch up on. There's a strange thing that happens when we find ourselves ill and unable to leave our homes. The world continues to push along and people go on about their lives as usual. When we're sick, we pay no attention to the outside world. I found myself staring at six inches of snow this morning. Where did it all come from? I'd been hearing about it on the news, but I didn't think I'd see so much of it in my backyard. Man, was I out of the loop. Going to have to adjust and get back into the groove of things. Just finishing up some design work for Studio Calico's April kit. I managed to get two layouts done in a day in half. I plan on finishing the last one tonight. Here are a few sneak peeks from the creations:

Looks like I'm not the only one being sneaky..what's that little guy up to?

Studio Calico's April kit showcases March 28th, 11:00pm Central Time. The add-ons usually go quick, so it's worth staying up if you like having extra embellishments to work with on your layouts. If you're interested in finding out more about the contents of next month's kit, you can always check out their message board. You'll find a few hints and guesses there from the online community. 

Today, me and Ethan spent almost the entire day outside the house. I desperately needed the fresh air after being contained in my house for the last few days. Even though it was still snowing this afternoon, the air was warm enough for us to do a little outside shopping. Brought Ethan over to one of Woodbury's outside malls. We did lots of looking. We got back home after two and Ethan took a long nap. When he got up, we headed over to my folk's place for a few hours. By the time we got back home, Ethan was tired and ready for bed. Now I plan on relaxing and scrapbooking for the evening. Can hardly wait. I love nights like this. Overall, it's been a great day. It's good to be back to "normal".

Feeling Blue

A quick update because I haven't posted in a few days. I have the flu and I'm not feeling so well right now. Trying to catch as much sleep as I can while taking care of Ethan. Right now, the little guy is taking his afternoon nap, which means I should be taking mine also. Laugh. So, I'm going to end it here and keep this post short..I will leave you with a few pics of some items I picked up yesterday morning at Patina. I'm really enjoying the vivid bright colors and multi-cultural items I've been seeing lately at various retail venues. Patina had a whole slew of these kinds of products and the displays were gorgeous. It made me want to redecorate my home and incorporate more color in my life and my scrapbooking.

This larger journal is made up of colorful pages with hints of gold. I plan on using some of these pages in my scrapbooking. I love the designs.

This is the perfect journal to be converted to a mini scrapbook album. It's on my list of things to do in the near future. The stamped impressions on this album are amazing. I could see this sort of embossing becoming popular in the scrapbook industry..we see it a little bit right now with embossed chipboard and the whole "dry embossing" technique that has been in existence since the very beginning of papercrafting. I definitely would like to see more of it on product. I really like the texture and feel of dry embossing and stamping.

Not sure I'll ever use these purses, but I was drawn to the sequins and the flowers. So pretty. I brought them home with me and put them on display in my craft room. Think of how you could recreate flowers like these on your layouts/projects. You wouldn't necessarily have to use sequins either..you could easily focus on the circular shape of the sequins and duplicate that shape with paper circles. I get a lot of my inspiration from non-scrapbook related items.

I'll post an update over the weekend. My warm rice sock awaits me and I'm going to bed. Laugh. I don't usually say this at 2:15pm in the afternoon. Have a great weekend everyone.

All Systems Go

This layout was the result of last night's crop. I think I may have gotten a tad bit carried away with this one. Laugh. How much stuff can I fit on a layout? That was last night's challenge. I suppose you could say I was too busy talking and didn't bother looking at the layout while I made It. Actually, I'm all about "the stuff". Many of you know this if you're a regular reader of my blog. I spend about an hour or two picking out product to complete a single layout. I try to use as much of it as possible and if I don't, I feel guilty. I want to take advantage of what I have in my scrapbook collection..I'm sure many of you have felt this way at one point or another. You look at all your product and think to yourself, "I should really use what I have in my collection. I did pay money for it and I don't want to waste it." I also tend to fall in love with multiple products at the same time. More than likely, all of it will end up on a single layout. In truth, I'm ok with these habits. My eclectic, playful style wouldn't exist without them. The layers, textures, patterns, colors, and other design elements would go missing if I didn't bring a large assortment of product to the table. For me, It's a natural part of the process of creating a layout or any other project. I like having options. Lot's of them. If at some point you find yourself lacking creative inspiration, try pulling out piles of product. Study them. Combine them for fun. Try on new techniques and ideas. After all, you paid for the stuff, so why not spend some time looking at it? That's half the fun of scrapbooking. The product alone is enough to get all of us back in the scrapbooken' groove.

There was no plan when I put together this flower. It just sort of happened. That's how most of layouts are created..lot's of experimentation and no planning. I added the brown "Fancy Pants" circular journal rub-on first. I placed a brown "Love Elsie" epoxy sticker in the center. The ring in the middle was the result of a small "Autumn Leaves" sticker I cut apart and turned into a circle with an open center. I placed the ring on top of the epoxy sticker. I then cut up a "KI Memories" circular frame to fit as shown(it's the piece with the yellow dots on it). I grabbed a "Studio Cafe" green felt flower to use as the outside piece. I cut out the center of the felt flower to create the petal border above. I stretched the petal border around the circular frame and glued it into place. Lastly, I added "Jenny Bowlin" little star rub-ons to the petals. It's true, some rub-ons work on felt. I found this out for myself last night. Love those buttery Jenny Bowlin rub-ons. They're super easy to use.

Luv me some birds. Especially this sweet guy from October Afternoon. He's just about to jump off that label. I backed the label with green-blue felt.

Those little blue epoxy raindrop eyelets are new from "Cloud 9". They're available in a variety of colors. I used them to accent the scallop border on this layout. I added rhinestones to the center of some of the eyelets. I can't seem to create a layout these days without a rhinestone or two. :)

Another little birdie. This is brad from Crate Paper's new "Blue Hill" line. I would of never thought to combine it with this flower mix, but it blends really well and adds a playful element to the page.

If you've noticed the photos in this layout, you would find Ethan playing on our couch and accidentally falling. Luckily, we had a big pillow below to safe guard his fall. Being one and exploring the world can lead to unexpected things. Mom quickly ran to him after this incident. He was fine and believe it or not, got back up onto the couch to do it all over again. He's my climbing monkey.

Midnight

It's late into the evening. Normally, I wouldn't dare stay up this late because Ethan would be requiring my services at 6:00am. Tonight, Ethan is at grandma's house for the evening and this "mom" gets to sleep in tomorrow....a good night's rest. Makes me euphoric just thinking about it. A night of uninterrupted sleep and fuzzy, warm blankets. Can't wait...

First, I have the two layouts to share with you. The product is Crate Paper and the line is "Static". Not sure when they'll be releasing the new product lines that were showcased at CHA, but I'll attempt to find out and post the dates here once I know.

The pictures in these layouts are of my younger brother. He's a kind, caring guy with a big heart. He's also a melanoma survivor. He's one of the strongest people I know and his perspective on life is very similar to mine. He's been through a lot in the last couple of years. His cancer remains in remission, but it could go systemic anytime. I look up to him and often find myself relying on his feedback and support. He's very aware of perils of cancer and it's impact on people's lives. Through his entire cancer experience, he has remained hopeful and positive. He focuses on today and only today. In the grand scheme of things, that's really all we have. So, if I'm having a bad day or needing a boost, he's right there for me. Always.

Today, Ethan and I went over to the local scrapbook store, "The Scrapbook Shop", to check out some of their new product. I haven't been over there in a while. It was great to see the place, as it was bursting at the seams with new product from Fiskars. Lot's of new Heidi Grace pattern paper, rub-ons, stickers, etc. I couldn't leave the place without a few items..let me admit right now that I have a very difficult time leaving any scrapbook store without a small something or other. After CHA, it's even more difficult to not buy new product because so much of it is new and fresh looking. My scrapbooking benefits from new purchases also. It starts looking a bit dull if I don't bring something new to it once in a while. I think playing with new product inspires us to think differently and to try new things. A means of refreshing our creativity and style.  Today, I found myself feeling energetic about scrapbooking after leaving the store. It was a much needed boost. I saw a lot of birds (they're still going strong), trees, houses, flowers, and other "natural" elements. The environment is playing a huge role in design these days..here's a small sampling of what came home with me:

I spent the evening scrapbooking at the local Archivers. I finished up a layout and will post it tomorrow. I had a wonderful time and met a couple of ladies that were super friendly and easy to talk to. We shared stories and laughed. We also had much in common..one of the ladies was a young cancer survivor. I'm learning that the world is very small and that my story is not unique. We bonded right away. Hopefully, we'll have opportunity to scrapbook together once again in the near future. We had a lot of fun..and we shed a few tears together as we shared our stories. This life is full of surprises, many of them positive, even in the midst of adversity. I've been meeting a lot of amazing people on this journey, but that's another story for a different day. Retiring for the evening. More later.

I realize I haven't posted "personal layouts" lately. I'll admit, I'm in over my head in design work and motherhood. I'm frantically trying to catch up with life as it passes me by at the speed of light. I appreciate all of you for continuing to visit my blog during this busy time. Usually, I'm able to provide you guys at least one or two personal layouts a week along with a few tips and ideas. That just hasn't happened this week. I'll admit, I've been taking a lot of naps. Laugh. I've also been staying up really late because I've been scrapbooking almost every night. I'll have two layouts using Crate Paper product posted for you tomorrow evening or Sunday morning. My next round of layouts will be for Studio Calico, but I won't be able to share those till the end of the month..I will certainly have some sneak peeks for you within a week. After that, it's on to Prima layouts..so, as you can tell, I'm climbing a steep hill right now. Laugh. Did I mention that I'm also getting ready to teach classes? I won't go there just yet..but, it's in the works.

As you may already know, I'm a Photoshop action addict. Last night, I picked up Itty Bitty's new 2008 "Sweet Set". I played around with them for a few minutes tonight. These are just quick photos I put together, so they're not fabulous by any means. I posted them strictly for fun and to give you an idea of what the actions do for "everyday photos".

 

Gosh, I love jeans on little kids. They're so cute!

If you haven't seen Studio Calico's sneak peek from last night, go check it out. Next month's kit is bursting with spring color; peaches, browns, light blues, light olive greens, and cream. I've seen the contents and I'm thoroughly in love with it (as usual). It's on the front page (you have to get past the pictures of last month's kit to see the sneaks, so be prepared for a slight delay) of the site. Find it here.

I'm off to bed to get some shut eye for the evening. Tomorrow starts bright and early at 6:00am. I'll update further tomorrow with those layouts I mentioned in the beginning of the post.