Today's the last day to grab the Picture My Life special.  Yesterday I showed you some pages and today I've got a card for you made from the Balloon Ride program.

It's so easy to just pile the Picture My Life cards on top of each and create something beautiful!

Thanks for stopping in today!

Pin It

50 Photos, 16 Picture My Life Cards, 4 Page Protectors....

....and 1 hour = 8 pages scrapped!

I have been wanting to finish off my 2012 album, but I had a pile of Christmas photos to scrap.  If you are anything like me, you take a lot of photos.  There's the food, the presents, the people opening the presents, the families, the tree, the decorations.  You know what I mean.

So I took out the Picture My Life™ Pear & Partridge Scrapbooking Program. I do a lot of work with Picture My Life cards beyond the pages, but I haven't shown you any pages done with any of the programs.  I have to tell you that I loved doing these pages.  It was quick, easy, and it got my album completed!  Let me show you the pages and tell you a couple of things I learned as I did made these pages.

(Forgive the less than perfect photos...it's hard to take photos of pages in protectors!)

I don't always have my pictures printed in 4" x 6" size rather choosing true digital.  If you intend to pocket scrapbook, you'll want to have your photos printed in 4" x 6".  However, you can cut true digital down to fit in the smaller pockets, too.  For the photos that were true digital, I simply mounted them on 4" x 6" cards.

What a great way to show off the different foods and decorations of the holidays!

On the bottom right, you will notice that I cut a photo in half to fit in two small pockets.

I wanted to fit all those family photos on one page, so I ended up putting two wallet sized photos in a 4" x 6 pocket on the top left.

When I was done with the Christmas photos, I still had the back side of one page to finish before I put it in my album.  I had some random photos of 2012 that I like that had not been scrapped, so I put those photos in there.  I used a couple of cards from the For Always program.

During the month of August, when you purchase any of the 13 available Picture My Life™ scrapbooking programs featured in the 2014–2015 Annual Inspirations idea book at their full retail price of $24.95, you are eligible to add your choice of 1 of 8 qualifying Memory Protectors™ 10-packs for just $3! Each Picture My Life scrapbooking program already includes a coordinating 10-pack of Memory Protectors, so when you add your additional 10-pack for only $3 you will be well on your way to your own picture-perfect pocket scrapbooking adventure!

There are 13 Picture My Life programs to choose from, and each one of them includes:

44 – 4" × 6" Cards (2 each of 22 designs)
78 – 3" × 4" Cards (3 each of 26 designs)
1 – 12" × 12" Designed Cover Sheet
10 – 12" × 12" Memory Protectors™(various designs)

That's a tremendous value, don't you think?  Thanks so much for stopping in today!!

Pin It

Announcing My Fall Crop!!

Pin It

Chanel

You have seen this layout before, but the technique is definitely worth repeating. To me, this is what really makes the Close To My Heart embossing folders the top of the line!

I used the Dot folder to make 12" x 4" sides for this layout.  Let me show you a close up, and then I will tell you how to do this.

I want you to know that our embossing folders are not just for card making and projects!  When you open up the 5" x 7" folder you will notice that it has a slit on the fold.

Put your piece of paper into the folder up to the top.  You will have a 5" piece outside of the folder.  Run it through your embossing machine.

Now slide your paper through that slit at the top of the folder.  Simply line it up with the pattern in the folder and emboss.  Now you've got a 12" length embossed with no fuss!

I truly hope you've enjoyed this series on embossing folders.  Come back tomorrow for an announcement about a Fall Paper Crafting Crop, and then I will be starting a new series on Saturday.  We're going to learn all about a cute mini stamp set that can be yours FREE in September!

Pin It

Have a Happy Day

As I create for my blog posts, I am just finding so much that can be done with our Embossing Folders!  I hope you are enjoying seeing the many, many ways that you can use them.

Today, I've inked my folder to create this card.

I went into my stash of retired colors to make this card.  I love how soothing all of these colors are together.

Let me tell you how I created my patterned paper.  I simply opened my folder and felt for the flat side.  I took my pigment ink (so easy because they are little 1" pads) and rubbed it all over the flat side of the folder.  Using pigment ink is a good choice because it stays wet for a little bit and allows you time to get you paper in the folder and run it through your embossing machine.  Those of you that know pigment ink are probably very worried about the ink on your folder.  Don't worry because it's really easy to clean off!  When you are done, simply spritz your folder with our spray cleaner.  Wipe it dry with a paper towel, and the spritz again.  This time clean it with our awesome double scrubber.  It works like a toothbrush and gets all the ink out of the crevices.  When you wipe it dry with your paper towel, it will be perfectly clean!  This is how my papers looked after taking them out of the Stripe and Dot embossing folders:

I have one more dry embossing technique to show you tomorrow, and then I will be moving on to a new series on Saturday that will go through the first week of September.  If you like my series on different ways to use Close To My Heart product, be sure to follow me on Bloglovin' or follow my blog by e-mail.

Thanks for stopping in today and have a most blessed day!

Pin It

Oh So Happy

Today's embossing technique is quite easy, but really packs a punch!  

I have used the Stripe Embossing Folder to distress the background for this card.  All you need is a sanding block to create this look.  Because our cardstock has a solid white core, it's easy to achieve this look.  I do have a few tips for you when doing this.  

• Sand lightly so as to stay on the embossing.  If you have to go over it a few times, that is much better than a hard sand that goes in between the embossing.
• You will notice a lot of dust when you sand.  You will want to have some scrap paper to protect your surface.  I don't recommend either the versamat or the craft mat for a sanding mat.  You risk sanding the plastic of those mats and ruining the surface.
• As you are sanding, wipe the dust with a paper towel.  When you are completely done, go over your sanded area one more time to make sure all the dust is gone.  

Don't you think that stamp is perfect for a distressed background?  It is the stamp from the Brushed Workshop on the Go, and it has distressing in the stamp.  I LOVE it!

I have a couple more days of embossing techniques to share, so be sure to keep tuning in!  I also invite you to subscribe to my newsletter on the left sidebar.  You will get news on classes, crops, and specials!

Pin It

Your Own Kind of Wonderful

Are you enjoying my dry embossing series?  I love our embossing folders and could go on for weeks showing you examples!  I grabbed the sketch at Sweet Sunday to create this card.  Today I wanted to show you how to double emboss using the Chevron and Dot folders.

We have five new colors, but I think Glacier is my favorite.  It's so soft and warm.  This is really a very easy technique!  

Simply cut a piece of 5" x 7" white daisy paper and emboss it with the chevron folder.  Follow by lightly sponging to bring out the embossing.  After you have sponged emboss the paper again using the dot folder.  

I told you it was easy!!

This is the Your Own Kind of Wonderful stamp set.  I sponged some seam binding with glacier ink to finish my card.  Simple yet very pretty!

I am also going to enter this in the Frosted Designs challenge (chevrons).

Thank you so much for stopping by!  I hope that your day is most blessed!

Pin It

Merry Days

Today I want to show you dry embossed chipboard.  Our Dimensional Elements are that nice finishing touch that add a little something extra.  I used the sketch from Clean and Simple to create this card.

I embossed one of the frames from the Framework Dimensional Elements. ( Depending on your machine, you may have to adjust your plate because chipboard is thicker.)  After it was embossed, I sponged it lightly with Glacier ink.  This is Snowhaven paper, and the stamp from the Snowhaven cardmaking workshop.

Along with Clean and Simple, I am going to enter this into the Hiding in My Craft Room holiday challenge.

Thank you for stopping in today!

Pin It

Love much. Laugh Often. Live Well.

I am back for my second day of Embossing Folders.  Today I want to show you partial embossing.

I've used the damask folder for this card.  Do you notice that there is no embossing where I've done my stamping?  Let me show and tell you how I've done that.  Let's go from left to right in the photos.

Do you see that I have put my paper partially in the folder?  In order to get it straight, I used my versamat and washi tape to measure across, and then I ran it through my embossing machine.  That leaves my paper partially embossed as shown in the second picture.  I calculated how much room I would need for my sentiment, and then I flipped the paper around and repeated the first step.  Pretty easy, right?!

With that pretty embossing, all I needed to do was add a butterfly (cut from Artiste) and a little ribbon.  I thought a charm my be a cute embellishment, and this bow is from the Craft Queen Base & Bling set.

Thanks so much for stopping in today!  May your day be most blessed!

Pin It

Halloween Mini

Thanks for stopping in!

Pin It

Embossing Folder Series

Today starts my series on the Close To My Heart Embossing Folders.  I think you are going to love the patterns and depth of embossing.  I have some fun ideas to share with you throughout the next week so be sure to tune in!

My first card uses straight-forward dry embossing:

  

White on white is such an elegant look, but I wanted to add a touch of whimsy with the patterns and the wood.  I used the chevron folder for the background and the dots folder for the strip.  Here is an up-close view of the embossing.  I love it!

There are a few things I really love about our folders:

• They are 5 x 7 so embossing is edge to edge on your paper.  
• They have a slit through the fold of the folder so that you can emboss a 12" strip without interruption.
• The embossing is deep and pronounced making it easy to sand or sponge.

Each embossing folder is $8.95, and here are the patterns that we carry:

Thank you so much for stopping by today!  I hope you are looking forward to a fun and blessed weekend!

Pin It

Note Card

Have you been enjoying the examples using Shinahan Touch Twin markers?  Today is my last day of this series, but don't worry!  You will see me use them often in the future!

One of my favorite stamp sets is the Classic Doily.  You can cut out parts of it to create your image, and that's what I've done today.  After stamping with black pigment ink, I used four markers:

Golden Yellow

Leaf Green

Carmine

Turquoise Blue

Once again, I want to share the color chart of all the markers that we carry.  Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions!

I used Damask Embossing Folder for the background in this card, and that is the introduction to my next series starting on Friday.  I will be sharing artwork using some of the fun folders we carry!

Thank you so much for stopping in to visit me!!

Pin It

Fabulous Fall

Are you enjoying the posts this week on the Shinhan Touch Twin markers?  I sure am enjoying creating with them!  Today I have some fall leaves and acorns for you.

This is the Fall Harvest stamp set, and the images are perfect for coloring.  I stamped the leaves and acorns with cocoa pigment ink and then heat set them so they would be ready for coloring.

Let me explain how I colored the leaves:

1. I colored the whole leaf with Pastel Green
2. I shaded liberally with Golden Yellow
3. I shaded the leaf near the veins with Marigold
4. I colored the whole leaf with Golden Yellow again to blend the colors

The acorns were super easy!

1. I colored the base of the acorn with Pastel Peach
2. I shaded the base with Barely Beige
3. I colored the cap of the acorn with Clay

In order to match my acorns, I did something kind of fun.  I colored the banner with a Pastel Peach marker, and then I stamped my sentiment.  It is so fun to add a little coloring here and there to a project.

Thanks so much for stopping in, and may you be very blessed today!

Pin It

Thanks So Much

I sure am having fun working with the Shinhan Touch Twin markers!  There are just so many things that you can do with them, and today I have two different techniques to show you.

I never have enough thank you cards in the house so I made a batch of 3x3 cards.  I have to tell you that these were so easy!  I used washi tape and shimmer trim for the background, added some loops of Waxy Flax from my stash, and complete the card with a flower.  Let me show you the flowers up close so that you can see what I did with them.

I stamped this fun flower with black archival ink.  I colored each flower with two inks, and this is how you achieve the look I was able to get with my flowers. (Read to the end, and I will list the colors for you.)

1. Use the lighter ink first and color the whole flower.
2. Use the darker ink to create shading where desired.
3. Color the whole flower again with the lighter ink to blend all the color together.

Really, it's very easy, and how you learn is just to try it for yourself!  Every flower, every image that you color may look different because of the pressure you use in coloring or where you shade.  That is the thing I love about the Touch Twin markers!

I wanted the centers to match, so I colored the Gold Bling Gems with the same alcohol markers.  

How fun is that?

• Pink Flower - Tender Pink and Peony Purple
• Yellow Flower - Golden Yellow and Marigold
• Purple Flower - Peony Purple and Lavender

I hope that you are enjoying learning more about Twin Touch markers this week!  Thanks for stopping in and may your day be especially blessed!

Pin It

When Life Gets Stormy

In continuing on with techniques using Shinhan Touch Twin Markers,  I wanted to show you a way to add even more vibrancy to the beautiful palette of colors.

This is the Rainy Day stamp set...so CUTE!  I stamped the boots with black archival ink, and then heat set them to dry the ink.  I used only two colors for the boots - Tender Pink and Leaf Green.  I shaded each pair a little by adding extra layers of color.  The alcohol ink in the Touch Twin markers dries quickly, so once I cut them out, I covered them with Liquid Glass.  After all, aren't rain boots supposed to be glossy?

Thanks for stopping in today, and be sure to drop by tomorrow for some coloring/blending techniques!

Pin It

Everything is Better With a Friend

I thought it would be wonderful to spend the next week telling you all about our new Shinhan Touch Twin Markers.  These markers are made with an alcohol-based ink formula which means you can color and blend easily.   Let me show you a card I made showing simple coloring.

First of all, I stamped the image with black archival ink.  

(This stamp set is called Better With a Friend and is available to hostesses only for just $10.00.  It has three of these adorable girlfriends and two great sentiments.)  

NOTE:  It's very important that you use either archival ink or pigment ink as they won't bleed when coloring with alcohol ink.  

I used six different colors for this card:

YR26 Pastel Peach - flesh

Y222 Golden Yellow - hair

B68 Turquoise Blue - scarf, purse

RP198 Tender Pink - dress

R140 Light Orange - shopping bags

P282 Peony Purple - shopping bags

This was straight-forward coloring with the fine tip end.  I wanted to start the week with simple coloring so that you can see how beautiful the ink is without doing anything else!  

TIP:  I find it much easier to color images by outlining the inside edge of the image and then filling in. If you have a small area (like the purse strap), simply dot the fine tip on that area.  Because it's alcohol ink, it blends together beautifully!  

We carry 24 Shinhan Touch Twin Markers along with one colorless blending marker.  

I am excited about the cost - just $5.95 each!  Here are the colors for you to see, and you can find them on page 180 of your Annual Inspirations Idea Book.

Something I am even more excited about is that you can earn these markers as Hostess Rewards!  

Hostess stamps, free markers, free paper, free ink, free stamps, free product, potential half-price items....a Close To My Heart hostess is so lucky!!!

Be sure to tune in all week as I show you other great images and techniques!

Pin It

Happy Birthday

I love looking through our paper packets and finding a non-traditional use for them.  That's what I did today.  I used Chalk It Up (what could be perceived as school paper) to make this clean and simple card.

The pattern of the arrows in the two different papers is really fun, and I thought they worked very nicely with the patterns in the flowers.  Don't you love the fresh sorbet and lagoon colors?  

The flowers are from the Pretty Petals stamp set, and they can be cut with the Art Philosophy.

I feel like a challenge or two, so I am going to enter this into the following:

Keep it Simple - Arrows

Little Red Wagon - Birthday

Color Throwdown - Color Challenge

Pin It

Lifetime of Happiness

I was out on my deck doing devotions this morning, and I was so thankful for flowers.  They just add so much happiness wherever they are.  I used the Mojo Monday sketch to add some "happy" to this card.

The rich colors I've used are chocolate, glacier, and honey.  That beautiful stamp set is called Lifetime of Happiness, and it is filled with lovely flowers and foliage.

To achieve the embossed background on the glacier paper, I used the Floral Embossing Folder.  Perfect match for this set!  I added a little bling and the card was done.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you are finding yourself most blessed!

Pin It

Cultivating Creativity Scrapbook Club

I am so excited to announce my Cultivating Creativity Scrapbook Club starting in September.  I decided after all these years of teaching club that I needed to have a name and so Cultivating Creativity was born!  Let me show you September's pages using Chalk It Up and then I will tell you all about it.

September 2014 – May 2015

Are you short on time but would like to get some pages done every month?  Why not try my monthly Cultivating Creativity Scrapbooking Club?  This is a wonderful opportunity to meet other scrappers and to have a fun evening out!  Each month we create two 2-page layouts.  Whether you buy the kit long distance or come to my home, everything is pre-cut and ready for you to put together. We will complete all the techniques and stamping at the beginning of the class, and then you are free to complete your pages at your own pace.

Every month, you have the opportunity to choose your kit!   Whether you choose the basic kit or order the largest available, your pages will be beautiful! 

• You will place your order for your kit one month in advance.
• Ordering your kit one month in advance allows you the freedom to get exactly what you want each month without being committed to one type of kit.
• The kit you order will count towards a Stamp of the Month purchase or Monthly Special (before tax and shipping).
• My pages will always be Kit #4 using not only the Workshop on the Go stamp set, but other stamps that match the paper packet.  This will give you the opportunity to try a lot of different product!

So now that you've seen September's pages and what is included in each kit.

Kit #1 - $14.90 (plus shipping and tax)

Kit #2 - $19.85 (plus shipping and tax)

Kit #3 - $26.80 (plus shipping and tax)

Kit #4 - $34.90 (plus shipping and tax)

**The value of this kit is $47.55**

Cultivating Creativity is a Hostess Rewards Club!

When you commit to the full nine months (September 2014 – May 2015), during one of the months you will receive the hostess rewards for your club night.  This is true if you are a long distance member, too!  As a Hostess, you automatically start you at $25 in Hostess Rewards as my way of saying thank you for the commitment. 

·         You will receive additional hostess rewards and potential half-price items based on the orders from your club nights and any outside orders you bring.  As little as $100 in extra orders will give you $40 in Hostess Rewards and one half-price item!  I help you out by posting an Online Gathering on my website so that your friends can easily order to support your hostess month.

You will need a basic supply kit every month.  

If you need anything else, I will let you know in the monthly reminder that I send.

 Micro-tip scissors

Tape runner

Glue dots

3-d foam tape

Clear ruler

Photos (optional – I will provide the dimensions in the monthly reminder)

Cultivating Creativity Scrapbook Club will be on the last two Mondays and Tuesdays of each month.* Choose the night you would like, and you will stay on that night each month.  

MONTH	PAPER	CCSC #1	CCSC #2	CCSC #3	CCSC #4
September	Chalk it Up	9/22	9/23	9/29	9/30
October	Scaredy Cat	10/20	10/21	10/27	10/28
November	Pathfinding	11/17	11/18	11/24	11/25
December	Yuletide Carol	12/8	12/9	12/15	12/16
January	Snowhaven	1/19	1/20	1/26	1/27
February		2/16	2/17	2/23	2/24
March		3/23	3/24	3/30	3/31
April		4/20	4/21	4/27	4/28
May		5/11	5/12	5/18	5/19

*NOTE:  December and May classes will be held one week early due to the holidays.

Openings remaining:

• CCSC #1 - 2 openings
• CCSC #2 - 1 opening
• CCSC #3 - FULL
• CCSC #4 - 1 opening

Are you long distance?  No problem!

I will invoice you for the kit of your choice and ship it to you with full directions. Additional charges for long distance kits:

• If you would like the stamping completed on your layout, there is an additional $3.00 charge.
• Shipping is based on the kit you buy as well as your zip code so that you are charged actual shipping cost.

If you are long distance, you may purchase your kit choice here.  Once I see what your kit choice is, I will send you another invoice to pay for direct shipping to you.

Kit Options (cost includes CTMH tax & shipping) Don't forget to add the select the stamping fee if you would like your layouts stamped!

Kit #1 $17.23 USD Kit #2 $22.96 USD Kit #3 $30.99 USD Kit #4 $40.36 USD Stamping $3.00 USD

NOTICE TO CONSULTANTS

I will not be creating cutting guides at this time for my kits.  My suggestion for fellow consultants is that you purchase Kit #1.  You will still be receiving pre-cut pieces, directions, and a photo.  You would then be able to add your own embellishments and stamping.

Pin It