More Every Which Way & Some April Peeks

The sun is finally shining after a cold, gloomy week and it's supposed to be nice for several days. My kids are home today (the school has no water due to a water line break) so I fully intend to send them outside for the afternoon. The arguing has been unbearable this morning.
On to happier things!
I wanted to share how I package the kits. I wanted them to look like something you would have purchased from a dry goods store a hundred years ago ... hence the brown paper and twine. But why not make use of the packaging? I've used twine on several layouts but I wanted to try playing with the paper bag.
They are a bit flimsy, so this layout is attached to a cardstock base to make it a bit more sturdy. Folded over, stitched and spritzed with Sea Monkey Vibez.

I'm into hand-stitching with floss these days. The Cosmo Cricket chipboard letters are sanded and covered with a layer of Rock Candy Distress Stickles.

Pretty Primas available in the store.

Supplies:

paper bag from kit packaging

ribbon, Prima flower (blue), Prima Pebble, Studio Calico rub-on and paper letters, Cosmo Cricket chipboard letters, Sea Monkey Vibez all from Main kit

Sudio Calico label sticker from the Are We There Yet? add-on

Cosmo Cricket letter stickers from the Pretty Bits add-on

Prima flowers (Scribe Belle Artes & Blush Zazi) from the store

Embroidery floss, thread and Distress Stickles from my stash

I've also been whipping up some layouts with the April kit. This one uses the Salad Bar add-on (see the twine?).

And the Main kit ... Sunday Brunch.

Hope everyone's day is sunny too :)

ETA ... I doubt very much that my paper bags or twine would be considered acid free. They may be. I just don't know. A lot of my projects are for fun and I have no illusions about them becoming family heirlooms. For any layouts I want to stand the test of time, I make sure I use only scrapbooking product produced by a scrapbooking manufacturer.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Have you had the chance to visit the challenge blog These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things yet?
Up The Street is sponsoring the current challenge (due April 13th) of your Favorite TV Show.
Head on over to see what their design team has come up with. Lots of really great ideas :)

Kit Winner!!!

Good morning all!
I am beyond flattered that over 200 people took the time to make comments. I suppose a free kit is a powerful incentive, but still ... it made me happy :)

So without further adieu .... the winner of the Up The Street kit is ....

#185 .... Ronnie .... who said ....
"This kit is awesome! I have so many ideas on how I would use it, would love the chance to win it! Thank you!"

Congratulations Ronnie! Please e-mail me at upthestreet@isp.ca with your address and I'll get your kit right out to you.

If you've left a comment on the Cosmo Cricket blog, remember to check back there for the second winner.

Just a reminder if you're planning to place an order ....

Half-price shipping is available until the end of March :)

More Entries!

Wow! I'm blown away at the number of wonderful comments left today. Thank you so much for all of your kind words and compliments. Good for the ego ;)
And as the last few items arrived today for the April kit, I couldn't help but sneak up to play this evening. Such bright, colourful papers and embellishments ... it almost feels like summer. Well ... it would if it wasn't dipping below the freezing mark again tonight. Brrrr.

I thought I'd better get caught up with posting the entries I've received for the April contest. If you've sent something to me and haven't seen it posted yet, please let me know.

Heather Robertson ... soft and pretty and girlie ... I love that the large sections of patterned paper are matted in white ...
Gina Johnson ... you really can't go wrong with Sassafras when it comes to a fun playground layout ...

Krysle Thomas ... seriously cool photos ...

Lisa Wilkinson ... I'm in a bit of a hand-stitching run myself ... it's nice to do something different every once in awhile ...

Juliann Marchant ... reeeeaaallly cute ... and lots of Cosmo Cricket :)

... love the detail on the tree ...

So that's where we are with contest entries. I'm hoping that maybe some of our new visitors from today may take a stab at the contest too.

The Giveaway runs until Sunday at midnight. Be sure to comment on the previous post to be entered into the drawing :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Welcome!

If you've found your way here from the Cosmo Cricket blog, you are probably already aware that Up The Street's March kit features lots of Cosmo Cricket goodies.



I love Cosmo Cricket products and hoard them like nobody's business. The new releases are definately some of my favorites. While I have Joyride (with a splash of Nutmeg) in the March kit, you will find lots of Garden Variety when the April kit is revealed.
A little background on Up The Street ...
I've been wanting to start a kit club for the last few years. It was love at first sight when I first discovered the whole concept and was lucky enough to serve as a design team member for a few clubs. Until now, I haven't felt like I had the time to commit to creating the kits I love so much. With our youngest boy starting school in the fall, I will be opening a store in Strathroy, Ontario. I knew I wanted to have something a little different from the typical scrapbook store so I will also have old fashioned candy and upcycled crafts and furniture. And while I've found the perfect retail space, it won't be available until late summer. I'm so anxious to get in and get going, but I think it's probably for the best because I have the coming months to concentrate on developing my kit club's style and finding the perfect design team.
I am currently looking for guest designers to feature for the next few months and have listed a call here.
Also on the books for this month is a layout contest. I shouldn't really say "contest" because I don't pick my favorite as the winner. It's a random draw done on April 15th with the April kit as the prize.
At present, Up The Street doesn't offer subscriptions and probably won't unless there are requests. Although I have been purchasing kits for years, I have only ever subscribed to two kit clubs. I just think that every dollar counts these days and that, as a customer, I would hate to be obligated to purchase a kit that didn't speak to me. In fact, every decision I've made concerning these kits have been made as someone who loves to buy kits rather than someone selling them. My favorite kits have always been those that have different manufacturers with a good selection of embellishments, as well as something unique. In the March kit, I handmade the tags, hunted through antique stores for buttons and found trim and fabric that you wouldn't find in an ordinary scrapbook store.
In order to be entered into a drawing for your choice of one of Up The Street's main kits (February, March or April's which will be released on the 15th), please leave a comment on this post before Sunday, March 28th at 12:00pm midnight EST. I will do the drawing and announce the winner on Monday morning (March 29th). For a second change to win a March kit, featuring Cosmo Cricket's Joyride, leave a comment on Cosmo Cricket's blog too!
Thanks so much for dropping by. Please have a look around, visit the store, look through the gallery and drop back on April 15th for the reveal of the April kit :)

Ahem ....

I know that April 15th seems like a long ways off, but I have a lot of the product for the April kits so I decided to put up a few sneak peeks on the right hand side of the blog. You can also visit the website to see previews of what is coming for next month ... brand new Sassafras, Cosmo Cricket, Jillibean Soup, Maya Road and some other fun goodies. These kits are bright and colourful and seem to match the mood that is in the air once the weather starts to warm up.
I can't wait to start playing!
Oh ... and check back tomorrow for some fun news ;)

First Entries

Good Morning All!

I've already started receiving entries for this month's layout contest.

Rebecca VanDyke's take on the sketch ...

Julie Walton using both the sketch and colour palette as her inspiration ...

And Ruby Marchand ... winner of the March kit using the March kit and the sketch for her layout ...

Thanks ladies! Looking forward to seeing more entries from everyone!

More Projects

I've just been puttering around with the March kit this weekend. Trying some new things, scrapping an old photo. Pretty much just playing.
This photo is my brother and I from back in the day. I want to say 1981, but I may be wrong.
Lots of Cosmo Cricket Joyride on this.

The chipboard letters and circles are from the 1st add-on kit.

And a wee yo-yo made from the chenile fabric in the main kit.

For this little card, I used one of the card bases from the 1st add-on. The cream coloured paper is actually from the rub-ons packaging. I cut one of the rub-ons in 3 pieces to get the most out of it. The little frame was cut from one of the Studio Calico stickers in the 1st add-on.

I don't know how many of you follow Kristina Werner's blog, but she always has great tips of new things to try on cards. Recently, she cut a window in the front of her card and stamped a sentiment on vellum, which she then placed in the window.

I decided to just stamp right on the inside of the card using a stamp from the Hero Arts Essential Messages set. I don't heat emboss overly much, so I could have been a lot neater with the embossing powder. Oh well ... next time :)

Another thing I've been wanting to try lately is making a fabric cuff. I love this chenile so much. It's just so fuzzy and nice to touch that I thought it would make a pretty cuff.

Please disregard my dry, white arm and hand. Mama needs some moisturizer and a bit of sun!

Rather than using a button and having to make a button-hole, I used a hook and eye and sewed on one of the gorgeous Prima flowers from the store.

A Few Cards ...

... to share.
I love how Jennifer used the u-turn symbol as a "u" or in this case, a "you". That Cosmo Cricket paper just begs to be cut up into the little shapes. Jennifer's second card makes use of her embossing machine to add texture to her front. The thin border of patterned paper behind the embossed paper ties into the green doily rub-on.

The adhesive backed Studio Calico rip strip makes quick work of duplicating a pleated ribbon.

My cards aren't as elaborate as Jennifer's.

A strip of patterned paper, a rub-on along the bottom, a thin piece of rip strip between and a chipboard piece are all I added.

And just a quick trim around the edge of the rub-on.

I love the wide trim but it can be overpowering on a small project. I punched old book paper and misted it with Shimmerz.

Sea Monkey on the lower layer, Before Dawn on the middle.

Flickr Group

Good morning all!
I wanted to have a place for everyone to share the projects they create with the Up The Street kits so I've created a Flickr group.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/upthestreet/
If you don't already have a Flickr account, it's free to join and extremely easy to work in. If you have any problems or questions uploading, let me know and I can help walk you through it.
upthestreet@isp.ca

Remember to breathe

You really can't even tell how pretty the fabric from the Every Which Way kit is from a photo. I wanted to do something different with it ... something I've never done on a layout. As the swatch that comes in the kit measures 9x12, it's large enough to completely cover an 8.5x11 piece of cardstock or thin cardboard. I used double-sided tape and found that it worked quite well. I had a piece from a vintage doily hanging around that I hand-sewed around the edges ... just enough to hold it in place. The Studio Calico paper is spritzed with the Before Dawn Vibez (add-on #2) to provide a backdrop for the title and main embellishment. The Studio Calico journaling card is matted on white cardstock and attached with foam adhesive. I also covered the flower and leaves with a layer of Rock Candy Distress Stickles.

I wondered whether my embellishments would stick directly to the fabric because it is so textured, but the Prima Pebble stuck right on and the buttons held nicely with liquid glue.

Oh ... and the title is something I have to tell myself when I find myself getting upset or anxious about something. For whatever reason, I start holding my breath which only aggitates me further. I know. Kinda silly :)

I also used a Studio Calico rip strip and sticker from the 1st add-on.

Pretty Doggone Content

Molly loves to go for card rides. What dog doesn't? She likes to sit inthe front, lean back against the back of the seat and fall asleep. She's a little strange.I ended up using bits from both add-ons for this layout. I misted my background patterned paper with the Before Dawn Vibez and it makes the white cardstock look so crisp.
The Cosmo Cricket dog-riding-in-the-car chipboard was perfect. But my favorite part is the "C" in "content". It has a little dog on it. How perfect is that?

Having a Ball

Another bright, sunny day here. March Break is just flying along.
I wanted to thank everyone who has already contacted me about being a guest designer. There are just so many talented scrappers out there and I'm loving the mix of styles I'm seeing. My "short list" is quickly becoming a "long list". I don't know how I'm ever going to choose just a few of you.
On to this month's guest designer ....
This is another of Jennifer's layouts. I just love how the colour pops on the black background. What does it say about me that at first i thought they were photos of bowls of candy. Hmmm.
Jennifer used the main kit and the chipboard from the 1st add-on.

Supplies not included in the kits are the cardstock and chipboard letters.

Happy Campers

I've scrapped these photos before, but the layout I did is now hanging in my mom's kitchen so I needed to do them again for me. I love the Cosmo Cricket woodgrain patterned papers. This teal is one of my favorite colours ever.I folded over a strip of the fabric included in the kit and just quickly did a running stitch along the raw edges. I gathered it until it was the length I wanted and used double-sided tape to adhere it to my page. I also threw a staple at either end to make sure it wouldn't go anywhere. After I added the Rip Strip (from add-on #1), I roughly hand stitched with embroidery floss along the length of it.

I also ran a file across the tops of the chipboard letters to distress them. I use a Basic Grey file and almost always sand the edges of my photos. It's a little more subtle than constantly matting them but still gives a nice effect. The most time consuming part of this layout was the stitching around the edges of the yellow patterned paper. I don't use this technique very often (because it takes so much time) but I always love the end result.

One of my favorite surprises from this kit, was the Studio Calico patterned paper. I had never really planned to cut it up to use as individual letters because I also love the pattern on the back, but I have gotten so many letters out of that one sheet. They are such a neutral colour that they would seem to go with just about anything. I've been popping them up on adhesive foam pieces so that they weren't so "flat". If I had one complaint about the Cosmo Cricket chipboard letters, it would be that you only get two of each letter. I tend to do longer titles so this helps to stretch out the chipboard letters by using them for one word while using the cut paper letters for another. The little tree is cut from one of the Studio Calico journaling cards. It looked a bit heavy with the whole card behind the title and I thought it would be more of a subtle effect to have the just the tree peeking out.

I typically like to have lots of dimension on my layout. Adhesive foam, distressing and fabric all add that little "something" that I enjoy. It's difficult to see from the photos, but another way I achieved a little more depth on this layout is by curving up the edges of the photos slightly and only applying adhesive to the centres before adding to my background. By angling them, they look as if they're only tucked in there temporarily. Many people might think this looks messy or unfinished. Fortunately, I don't :)

Everything used on this layout was from the main kit, with the exception of the Rip Strip from the 1st add-on and some embroidery floss from my stash.

Guest Designers Call

Up The Street is looking for guest designers available over the coming months.
I'm not asking for any specific submissions ... just a link to your blog and any online galleries you maintain.
Should you be chosen to guest for a month, you will be sent a main kit (value $34.50 CAD) to create with.
You will also receive a generous discount on any add-ons or other supplies from the store that are shipped with your kit.
Requirements for that month will be: at least 3 layouts plus one card, as well as a tip or technique that can be posted on the blog.
Please send your links and a few lines about yourself to upthestreet@isp.ca.
Applicants from Canada and the US are welcome at this time.

5 Weeks

I'm so glad that Jennifer Roach agreed to design with the March kit.
With such a beautiful photo from Julie Johnson Vine Images Inc. to start with, I don't think she could have gone wrong.
For the scalloped fabric strip: draw or trace scalloped shaped onto strip of cardstock, adhere to fabric and cut out ... leaving paper backing on strip for stability.
Jennifer also pulled apart layers of flowers to give flowers of different sizes. The leftover layers can be used on another project with a button center or a Prima pebble.

The scalloped rub-on was applied directly to the photo.

Jennifer used simple crepe paper streamers (found in the dollar store) pleated and tucked behind pattern paper to provide a visual break between different patterns and to soften the feel of the layout.

In addition to the main kit supplies, Jennifer used Studio Calico label stickers from the 1st add-on, Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type letter stickers from the 2nd add-on and Making Memories mini number stickers from her own supplies.