My Creations Memory Game

I have a confession to make.  I am in love with chipboard.  And CTMH has created a few new ways for me to express this chipboard love.  One is the "My Creations Memory Game" found on page 131 of the new Fall/Winter Idea Book.  This sturdy little chipboard box comes complete with 24-3"x3" chipboard squares.  There are so many ways to use this: as a memory game, as a collection of photos, as a scavenger hunt for the car.  The 24 days also made me think of Advent...imagine filling it with 24 days of Christmas activity ideas!  I covered mine with the new Elemental paper.  Here's a photo including the chipboard squares that fit nicely inside:

Let me know if you'd like to join me for a workshop creating this fun chipboard box.  Chipboard!

Art Philosophy Cricut® Collection

Close To My Heart read my mind and then went beyond anything I could imagine. They've added the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection to their repertoire of essentials in papercrafting. This amazing cartridge comes with 700 images and pairs with our clear acrylix stamps and chipboard die-cuts, a first in the industry! Simply plug the cartridge into your Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter machine and you can start creating everything from tags and borders, lace and 3-D flowers. Oh, and it can cut shaped cards and gift boxes, too. It's really phenomenal!

The Cricul Art Philosophy Collection will be available August 1st for $99. Here's what you get:

• Cricut Art Philosophy Collection cartridge
• instruction booklet
• three My Acrylix Stamp Sets that coordinate with the cartridge
• three sets of Dimensional Elements that also coordinate

Want to get the cartridge at a discount? Place an order of $150 or more and CTMH now offers you Hostess Rewards. Just add a few other items and earn $25 in rewards. Or, host a show with at least $250 in sales and you'll get the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection cartridge half off and earn $40 in rewards! Or, do what I do! Become a consultant and purchase it at a discount.

I'd love to talk with you more about the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection. Better yet, stop by for a demonstration and to play with it yourself!

Check out this video from CTMH to see what it's all about:

Gifts from Talented Scrapbooking Sistahs

You saw the Sticky Notepads and Paper Purses I made for my Let's Get Fancy teammates as gifts at CTMH's Convention.  I just had to share the amazing creations I received.  This first one, a gorgeous photo album from my roommate, Laura Petruso, is a frame made with the Zippiddee paper pack (no longer available) perfect for Disney photos.

Other team members were so creative with their gifts.  They made jewelry, mini albums, notebook holders, tags, candy purses, framed artwork, coasters, frames, cards and even a "prescription" for creator's block!  My upline, Melissa Laverty, who also doubles as a ThirtyOne consultant, gave me the beautiful lunch bag.  Each item was thoughtful and I treasure these gifts for the time and love that went into them.  Now, don't you want to join our team?!!!



Kraft Card Album

While in Anaheim for Convention, we had an evening crop on our last night.  My friends, also known as the Let's Get Fancy team, gathered around a couple of round tables and opened our bag filled with CTMH goodies and instructions to make this awesome album, made from...6" x 6" Kraft Die-Cut Cards, available in the new Idea Book.  At only $6.95 for 10 cards and envelopes, these cards are a multi-purpose steal!  I used three cards and attached them at the die-cut overlay to create this accordian album.

The shapes are cut with our new Cricut cartridge, the Philosophy Art Collection.  So awesome!  And I completely fell in love with Decor Journaling Spots.  Each pocket has a coordinating tag with string.  You could journal in them or put a hidden photo inside.  These are a favorite new product of mine!  And, the adorable stamp set is not in the new Autumn/Winter Idea Book but it's been rumored that it will be for sale.  If you're a Disney fan, make sure you order one of these!

I'm considering doing this as a workshop, either Disney themed or any theme you want.  Let me know if you're interested.  It would also make a great Girls' Night Out activity!

Supplies Used:

Kraft Die-Cut Cards and Envelopes, Z1474

Dreams Stamp Set, D1500

Color-Ready Alphabets Cork, Z1450

Decor Journaling Spots, Z1461

Olive Mini-Medley Accents Collection, Z1489

Cranberry Cardstock, 1272

Elements Level 2 Paper Pack, X7141B

Cocoa Ink, X5642



Oh, and here's a photo of my scrapbooking sistah, Jill Perla, after inking the edges of the cards.  I think she had more ink on her fingers than on her project.  The sign of a true stamper!!!



Sticky Notepads

Okay, I'm not exactly sure how many notepads one person needs or can make.  With that being said, I found these on a favorite blog: Angie Juda's Chic'n Scratch: http://www.chicnscratch.typepad.com/.  She uses something called a bind-it-all to put the o-rings on them.  Thankfully her awesome demo also shows how to do it with a Crop-a-dile.  Don't have a Crop-a-dile?  You need to get one, they're amazing at punching holes and setting eyelets.  And, mine is hot pink so that's an added bonus for me!

I've been talking about gift giving at Convention and I made one of these for each of my 11 team members, personalized with their initial in Sweet Leaf ink and then clear embossed to make their initial pop.  I used CTMH's Miracle paper and Kraft cardstock.  I love the details of the paper piercer on the scallop punch.  It really adds some pizazz, don't ya think?  I hope they enjoy using them as much as I enjoyed making them! 

Then, I put each one in a plastic sleeve and added a personal note.  I'm so excited to spend four days with these awesome women!  I'll add details about the supplies I used when I get back from Anaheim.  I'm leaving at 4:45 tomorrow morning to make my flight out of Reagan National.  Yawn...better hit the hay!

Paper Purses

Gift giving for roommates and teammates is kind of a tradition at Close To My Heart Convention.  This year, I wanted to make something special for my awesomely fun roommate and for my amazingly generous upline.  I found this unique "Stationary Box Pocketbook" on Amy Celona's blog: http://www.ustamp4fun.com/.  While these make great card carriers, I plan to fill them with some snacks for those busy Convention days.  Since these purses require two-sided cardstock, I had to purchase the main paper from a local supply store.  I'm sincerely hoping CTMH has an announcement about two-sided, patterned cardstock for us next week!

Bliss: Before

A year and a half ago, a friend (who I'd recently reconnected with from high school!), invited me to a Close To My Heart gathering.  I loved the amazing products and signed up as a Consultant within a month.  I'm fortunate enough that she and I still get to scrapbook together at least once a month.  At the end of June, we decided to create some layouts for our wedding photos that never made it into albums.  Since we'd both been married over 10 years, it was about time!  CTMH's Bliss paper pack was definitely the way to go.  Check out what we came up with:

Magic: Now You See It

Magic: Showtime

Magic: Spellbound

Won't these look amazing with photos?  While I'm good at creating the layouts, I'm not so good about putting photos on them right away.  Maybe that will be my new "School Year's Resolution!"  Once I add photos, some more My Stickease and Villa Irresistibles, I'll post my Bliss: After shots!

CTMH Products Used:

Bliss Level 2 Paper Packet, X7132A

Bliss Level 2 My Stickease Assortment, X7132C

Grey Flannel Cardstock, 5573

Grey Flannel Ink, Z2124

Chocolate Ink, Z2111

Magic, 9034

Trellis Stamp Set, D1451

Friendship Alphabet Large, E1016

Old World Alphabet, E1017

Mayberry Workshop

Last month, I got together with a few of my favorite CTMH "workshop girls" to lead them in a Level 2 Workshop with the adorable Mayberry paper.  In a Level 2 Workshop, we use coordinating My Stickease to complete two layouts quickly (well, quickly for us).  My workshops tend to focus on the fun and friendship as much as the creative scrapbooking! 

One of my favorite things about CTMH's My Stickease is that they have layout suggestions on the back.  The layouts are based on our how-to books, Magic, Imagine and Cherish.  Each book is full of professionally designed patterns, simple cutting guides and easy-to-follow instructions.  At only $21.95 each ($29.95 for Magic) they are the first product I made sure I bought!

Magic: Performance

Magic: Shuffled Deck

I added Canvas Badge Buttons to add dimension to the pages.  These amazing buttons can be stamped directly on the canvas and are adhesive backed...brilliant!

CTMH Supplies Used:

Mayberry Level 2 Paper Packet, X7136B

Mayberry Level 2 My Sickease Assortment, X7136C

Magic, 9034

Canvas Badge Buttons, Z1397

Smoothie Ink, Z2196

Cocoa Ink, Z2114

My Acrylix Heartfelt Treasures Stamp Set, C1456

My Acrylix One of a Kind Stamp Set, D1410

Nifty Notepads

This winter and spring I had the privelege of being in a bible study with about 20 wonderful women from church.  I learned so much from them and was sad when our group met for the last time in June.  While many of us will resume our study in September, our large group split into two smaller groups.  So, I wanted to give a small gift of love and appreciation to these friends.  I decided to create a little notepad, kind of a "Blessings Journal" that the women could use to record anything from blessings to prayer lists to grocery lists.  Below you'll see the the front of the notepad and then it opened up.

I purchased 8"x5" notepads from Staples and had them cut them in half for me (Staples gets lots of my business these days!).  I used the following Close To My Heart products to create the folded notepads:

• Blush Cardstock, X5640
• White Daisy Cardstock, 1385
• Pear Cardstock, X5764
• Hollyhock Ink, Z2128
• Pear Ink, Z2197
• Sophia Level 2 Paper Packet, X7131B
•  Buttons, Pink Assortment, Z1370
• Colonial White Waxy Flax, Z1081
• 3-D Foam Tape, Z1151
• 2" Scallop Circle Punch, Z1392
• 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Z1311
• My Acrylix April Stamp of the Month: Blessed, D1455

When I finished these notepads, I was so happy with the results that I decided to make a special treat for the gals attending my monthly workshop.  Below is a notepad perfect as a summer hostess gift.  Hmmm...just might have to take this one to a friend hosting a Fourth of July party!

CTMH supplies used:

• Pacifica Cardstock, X5759
• Sunny Yellow Cardstock, 1225
• White Daisy Cardstock, 1385
• Cranberry Ink, Z2116
• Sunny Yellow Ink, Z2152
• Fanfare Level 2 Paper Packet, X7138B
• Blue Assortment Buttons, Z1371
• Sunflower Waxy Flax (no longer available)
• My Acrylix Just Be You, B1341
• My Acrylix Stamp of the Month July: American Celebration, D1458

As you can see, I used the large star from this month's stamp of the month set, American Celebration.  Ask me how you can get this $22.95 set discounted or even for FREE!

Thanks to my amazing upline, Melissa Laverty: http://www.fancymelissa.blogspot.com/ who gave me a similar notepad last year for this idea!  If you're not familiar with fancyMelissa's awesome blog, you need to be!

Card Swappin' Creativity

I love receiving cards.  Any card expressing thanks, congratulations, friendship or well wishes is wonderful  When I get a handmade card, I always appreciate the extra effort and creativity that went into making it.  So, getting ideas from the CTMH card swap is always exciting.  Below are four cards that I made to swap.  I made 30-35 cards to swap.  I tend to create thank you cards, birthday or friendship cards because I know they will be used.

CTMH supplies used:

• Kraft Cardstock, Z1375
• Miracle Level 2 Paper Packet, X7133B
• Colonial White Cards and Envelopes, X1410
• Buttons in Basic Assortment, Z1358
• Buttons in Blue Assortment, Z1371
• Olive Ink, Z2137
• My Acrylix Thank You, D1361
• Twill Ribbon, Z1099

CTMH supplies used:

• Fanfare Level 2 Paper Packet, X7138B
• White Cards and Envelopes, X254
• Cranberry Grosgrain, Z1103
• Stars Dimensional Elements, Z1312
• Waxy Flax in Sunflower (no longer available)
• Pivot Point Stapler, Z1009
• 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Z1311
• Outdoor Denim Ink, Z2140
• My Acrylix Thank You, D1361

CTMH supplies used:

• Lagoon Cardstock, X5762
• Pear Cardstock, X5764
• Sunny Yellow Cardstock, 1225
• White Daisy Cardstock, 1385
• White Cards and Envelopes, X254
• Lagoon Ink, Z2195
• Sunny Yellow Ink, Z2152
•  1 1/4" Circle Punch, Z1311
• 2" Scallop Circle Punch, Z1392
• Sparkles, Blue & Green Assortment, Z1327
• Bity Sparkles, Z1263
• My Acrylix Royal Birth, D1441
• My Acrylix Spot On Backgrounds, D1280

CTMH supplies used:

• Sweet Leaf Cardstock, X5639
• Black Cardstock, X1412
• Wings Level 2 Paper Packet, X7135B
• Black Ink, Z2105
• Craft Heater, Z555
• VersaMark Ink Pad, Z891
• Embossing Powders in Gold, Z668
• My Acrylix Find Your Style, D1452

Let me know if you're interested in a card workshop featuring any of the above cards.  I'd also be happy to help you design one of your own!