July SOTM, Live Out Loud

I'm really excited to participate in my first CTMH Stamp of the Month blog hop.  This stamp set is the perfect time to jump in, it's just so cute and versatile! And, for only $5, you can't beat the price!

Live Out Loud is the featured set this month on the blog hop.  Thanks for visiting from Judy's blog.

I made this first card for a friend's daughter who is really nervous about going to middle school next year.  She's a great athlete, student and sweet friend and I wanted her to know she will really SOAR next year at school!  As a bonus, she also loves butterflies so this Dotty for You paper pack was adorable.  A couple of Honey colored buttons (from the Mini-Medley Accents Collection) and some Paradise Bakers Twine dressed the card up nicely.

I think I'll give the next card to the Rector of our church who is answering a call to leave and serve another church in need.  With his dedication to helping the poor and serving others, this card is masculine enough for him and the sentiment is perfect!  I love the Cruisin' Paper with the black and white twine, Bottle Caps and black brads.

I had a lot of fun with this final card.  I've been meaning to use CTMH's Adhesive Springs since I bought them for Easter cards (which never got made).  So, I thought the sentiment, Live Out Loud, was screaming to be sprung off the card!  The bottom left photo shows the spring and the bottom right shows another technique I used, covering a clear button.  I cut out a superhero from the Superhero Paper Pack and used a little Liquid Glass to adhere him to the underside of the button.  That, with a couple of Comic Badge Buttons, a distressed Milepost Shape and the zip strip from one of the Superhero papers made this card super quick and simple.

What other sentiments stand out to you from the Live Out Loud stamp set?

Now, hop on over to Julia Hammond's blog, You Can Create CTMH, to see what awesome artwork she's created!

Great American Scrapbook Convention

Last Friday, I spent the day at the Great American Scrapbook Convention in Chantilly, VA.  The moment I walked in and saw the nearly 100 vendor booths, I knew two things.  1) I was going to see a lot of cool scrapbooking stuff and 2) I was going to need a Xanax!  All of that creative energy is awesome, but it's overwhelming, too.  I immediately want to reproduce everything I see and then I start to feel stressed about how precious little creative time I have.

But, then I started with my classes.  And that feeling of calming zen came over me, which happens when I'm engaged in creating something I really enjoy.  I took three classes, one by Susan Frase and two in the afternoon by Kimber McGray.  Oh my goodness, that Kimber McGray has some fabulous ideas and her spunk and wit reminds me of FancyMelissa.  So, of course, I adored her!

Here is my favorite card made during the Get Interactive! class I took with Kimber:

See that little telephone circle?  It's a penny slide!  Using two pennies and a little square of foam tape, the circle slides along the kraft tag.  Super cute, huh?  I'll show you a few more cards and a gorgeous acrylic project I made at the Great American Scrapbooking Convention in the next couple of weeks.  I can't wait to see how the ideas and techniques I learned will work and look on my favorite paper...Close To My Heart's, of course!


If you want more information on Kimber McGray and her great card ideas, check out her blog, Whirlwind.

Love me some Studio J!

I created this Easter layout from CTMH's Lucy paper pack, using Studio J digital scrapbooking.  I always love CTMH paper, but Lucy was a little feminine for most of my photos.  Having two boys, I rarely get to use my favorite color, pink, in my layouts.  That's what I love about Studio J though.  You can change the color of any of their patterned or cardstock paper.  And, using Studio J is as simple as click and drag.

Talk with me today about how you can "catch up" on your scrapbooking with Studio J!  Or, go to my website and play with it for FREE: http://michellejonesva.ctmh.com/CTMH/Content.aspx?id=%2fen%2fsitecore%2fcontent%2fOBA%2fProducts%2fStudio_J.aspx

Happy Father's Day

We spent Father's Day down at Lake Anna with my parents.  It was a great couple of days.  We boated, rode the "tube", and the boys fished a lot with my dad.  As an only child, my dad is thrilled to have two little grandsons who love to fish and do outdoor activities, just like him.  Here's a Father's Day card I made at Melissa Laverty's house (http://fancymelissa.com/) a few days before:

Isn't it just too cute?  Melissa cut out the bow ties using the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge banner feature and melding them together with her Gypsy.  The paper pack is Victory and works perfectly with this masculine card.  It's too precious!

And, I can't help but share these pics of my boys and their "big" catches.  The top photo is my dad with my youngest son holding his first bass!  The bottom photo is my dad helping my older son take off a tiny blue gill.  Those blue gill would hit the second the worm was dropped in the water.  My dad could barely keep up with taking the fish off the hook and rebaiting the worms.  Needless to say, it was his perfect Father's Day!

Free Stamps? Seriously?

Yes!  Free stamps!  This month, CTMH is offering a FREE stamp set when you buy two.  Purchase any two stamp sets (sizes A, B, C, D, or E) at full retail price and receive a third stamp set of your choice FREE (of equal or lesser value)—a savings of up to $29.95!

Currently, my list for this month has nine stamp sets on it, including: Kick Back (D1511) and Love Clusters (C1484).  What's on your list this month?

Visit my website and place an order this month under "3 for 2 Stamps" by June 15th and start creating with your new stamp sets!

    

Notes: Stamp sets available for FREE include A, B, C, D, and E-size sets only. Customizable (K), Workshops on the Go™, Cricut^® collection, and Stamp of the Month are not available as free sets.

Stamp sets that count toward the qualifying purchase include full-priced A, B, C, D, and E sets only. Stamps that do not count toward a qualifying purchase include customizable (K), Workshops on the Go™, Cricut^® collection, and Stamp of the Month sets (both discounted and full-priced).

Summer Fun

School's out for the summer!

My kindergarten and second grade boys have mixed feelings about the end of this school year.  They both had absolutely incredible teachers who we are all going to miss, but who doesn't love summer days spent at the pool and playing outside?

Here's a photo of Joshua (7) and Alex (6) on our way to school Friday.  They look quite sweet and subdued, right?

Now, check out these sweaty smiles in the below two photos of them with good friends later that night:

I had to enlarge that first evening photo for two reasons.  First, it's the cutest photo...all of the kids are smiling and looking at the camera.  Second, check out that awesome SUMMER FUN banner that my good friend, Betsy Henry created.  And, she created it all without sewing! Pinking shears and Stitch Witch did the trick.  Thanks for a great family night celebrating the end of the school year, Betsy!

I hope you have lots of summer plans with good friends, too.  Let the summer fun begin!