April Recap

    I cannot believe I am staring at the last day of April already! I think 2014 is shaping up to be the fastest moving year yet! It's unbelievable how the time is going by! I hope you all had a wonderful month, though! I was still pretty busy this month, but was able to be home a little bit more to start getting some Spring projects done around here! Hopefully May will prove to be just as productive and exciting! 

    Before we can start talking May, though, we need to finish talking about April! I had a blast playing with paper in April. I was able to use a lot of products, so I had a hard time trying to pick only 5 of my top products this month! I grouped a few hand-in-hand products to fit them all in! :)

Here are my top 5 picks for April and why I chose them:

5.) Stitch Guide and Foam Mat

• I love these tools by CTMH! I use them frequently, but had a blast using the stich guide, especially, in different ways this month! The stitch guide is made of a hard acrylic base with a grid pattern printed on it and holes through the acrylic to put stitched shapes and patterns on any of your projects! The foam mat goes under your project to protect your work surface when using the piercing tool. The foam mat spans the length of the stitch guide to make it much easier to continue a pattern across your entire project! I just love all the fun things you can do! I like making faux stitching by using a pencil to fill in the dots and a marker to connect them to look like stitches!

CTMH Stitch Guide (Z1852)

CTMH Foam Mat (Z1859)

Here is a picture of some faux stitching that I did on an Ariana layout recently. The holes were made using a pencil and the stitch guide, and I used a Slate Alcohol marker to connect the lines in a stitch-like pattern.

4.) Ariana Complements 

•  It's no surprise that I am crushing on the Ariana Complements given how much I enjoyed the paper pack and workshop this month (see below for more details on this)! I have used almost all of these delightful goodies this month! These very durable, chipboard elements added texture, color, and dimension to my projects, and I could not get enough of them! You can see these cute elements all over my projects this month, and I'm looking forward to using the rest with my scraps and extras to make a few more!

3.) Balloon Talk Stamp set

• This month's stamp-of-the-month had me swooning with ideas ever since I saw it in February! I love that there are so many stamps included on this set (24 total to be exact)!! I also love that there are different sizes to each of these phrases, sayings, and words! The font is really fun and cute, too! I just love it! I was inspired by a team member's card project to make some cute "Thank You" tags using this set! I also want to use more of these on my next layout design to add an element of fun to the whole project! 

2.) Base & Bling necklace and style sheets

•  I had a blast playing with the Base & Bling necklace line at my Workshop Wednesday this month! My Base & Bling Buffet was a ton of fun, and I was pleased with the two necklaces I made using the pendants, charms, and rhinestones! Plus it was so easy and fast to do! I think I made two necklaces in less than 3 minutes! Of course the longest part was trying to pick out which design I wanted on my pendant! 
• I also really love the Base & Bling Style sheets that are in this collection line. These cute little stickers are perfect not only for these necklaces, but also on cards, tags, layouts, and other fun projects! You get so many little stickers for such a great price, so it's definitely worth stocking up for future projects and embellishments!

1.) Ariana WOTG Kit and Paper Pack

• I absolutely love the Ariana WOTG Scrapbooking Kit! The stamp set is so cute and fun, and the Ariana embellishments that come in the kit are some of my go-to elements for any project! I am going to need to get more of the Ariana bows because they're just too cute! I also used the Black and Grey Epoxy Bubbles a lot to add a really nice finishing touch on many of my current projects. The sketches in the workshop were my favorites, too! I love all the layers and different paper styles coming together on one layout! I had a blast using all of this fantastic product, and hope that all of you get a chance to play with it as well!  

    There it is; my top product picks for April! Did you get to use any of these amazing products this month? Are there any products you would add to the list? I hope you all get a chance to play with these amazing items soon! If you are needing any of these products for yourself, make sure and visit my CTMH Online Shop to get your hands on these goodies today!

    You also do not want to miss out on all the amazing specials and promotions that April has going on right now, too! These promotions and specials end at midnight tonight, so be sure to take advantage while you still can! Here's a reminder of all these great deals for you:

April SOTM: Balloon Talk 

 

    Get this cute and versatile stamp set for only $5 with a qualifying purchase of $50 or more this month! These images are perfect for adding little details and phrases to any project! I have loved playing with this set all month (hence why it made my top 5 list this month as well)!!

April Layout-of-the-Month:Ariana

    The April LOTM features the Ariana Paper Pack! If you purchase the Ariana paper pack, or the Ariana WOTG Scrapbooking kit, you will receive all the die-cuts, stamped images, and assembly instructions needed to complete this LOTM for FREE! However, this offer is only good in the month of April, so take advantage of this amazing deal today by placing your Ariana paper order with Candid Captures! 

End of Scrapbusters April Challenge

• This month the hubby and I have been getting ready to remodel our office space! So I wanted to have a fun challenge for everyone to play along with me as I went through my stash! This month we have been digging through our stash to complete challenges and projects that use up our old forgotten goodies! Thank you to everyone that participated this month and played along with me all month long! I hope you all had fun and were able to use up some of that old stash that you dug up! Those of you that participated will be contacted this next week concerning your prize for being a "Stashbuster"! I am hoping to post pictures of my new office space once we finish putting it all back together and put all of the stuff where it belongs (might be a while yet!!) ;)

 

End of April Promo: Consultant Sign-up

 

    With the end of April quickly already upon us so is the amazing new Consultant sign-up promotion! I wish I could take advantage of this fantastic deal! For only $99 you get the brand new Consultant kit featuring the complete Skylark product line, exclusive products that are only available to consultants, and a CTMH Cricut Collection of your choice! That's over $400 worth of product for only $99!!! It's such a great deal! Now is the perfect time to join up even if you are only wanting the products for your hobby! You can get a great deal, 6 months of obligation free consultant discounts and exclusive products, and sneak peeks of new, never been released products! 

    I recently posted a FAQs section on my blog for anyone that is looking for a few more answers about signing up as a consultant! Contact me today with any other questions you have about signing up for this awesome deal or get started by signing up today and start taking advantage of your discounts now!

Rediscover Creativity FREE download

    Last, but not least, is the FREE Rediscover download from CTMH! This month the theme focused on "creativity", and this fun alphabet download is perfect for adding simple monograms and a steampunk vibe to any project! Get your download today before midnight on my CTMH Online Shop!

 

     That is the wrap up for April, everyone! If you have any questions or need anything, please let me know! I hope you all have a great rest of the week, and stay tuned tomorrow for May's specials and promotions reveal! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Rediscover Event: Minneapolis

   Yesterday I attended my very first CTMH event since becoming a consultant last fall! CTMH Corporate has been traveling to different parts of the US and Canada to hold regional events called "Rediscover" these last few months, and I was able to go to the one they held in Bloomington last night!

    I cannot even explain how excited I was to attend this event! I love this company, the products, and the team that I'm on. So I was excited to learn about more of the changes coming up, CTMH Convention this summer, and much more! Believe me.....it did not disappoint! What an amazing company!

    Monica Wihongi was our corporate representative, and she was fantastic! She shared so much with us (both personal and business), and was so approachable and sincere! It was really refreshing! 

Monica Wihongi-Vice President of Training, Events, and Consultant Services

    We talked about some of the changes that CTMH is making this year (new Idea Books this Fall!!!), retiring products, and new products! Plus we had a creative session where we had some hands-on experience with some awesome new products (more on this later)! Here are a couple things I can share with you from last night's presentation:

New Albums: 

     The new albums are being shipped as we speak! I was able to view and handle the D-ring albums last night at the event, and they are really nice! The fabric is beautiful and adds such a wonderful finishing touch! The D-ring albums should be available for order in the next 2 weeks, and the post bound albums should be available for order by the end of May! One of the reasons there is still a delay is that once corporate receives the albums they do a quality control check, manufacturing check, and overall "standards" check to make sure that the products we are buying are absolutely Close to My Heart quality products!

CTMH's Slate Circles D-ring album

CTMH's Cocoa Damask D-ring album

    The albums we have in the Idea Book now are officially retiring and are available while supplies last. The Black Faux Leather Album (Z1345) is officially sold out and so is the Work-in Progress Chocolate Album (Z1348). Currently we still have Faux Leather Albums in the following colors: Dark Chocolate (Z1342), Hollyhock (Z1344), Outdoor Denim (Z1346), and Dark Cranberry (Z1343). The main reason for retiring these albums is that we have more than a year worth of inventory in our warehouse of these albums. They have not been selling, and the quality has not been performing like CTMH would like. In order to continue to give you and me (our awesome customers) quality products, we needed to change the albums and release a better, higher quality album! So that is what's happening now! It's super exciting! I liked our Faux Leather Albums, but these newer albums are definitely a better quality album and very sturdy! I cannot wait to get my hands on one! 

Markers: 

 

    We are also in the process of retiring our Exclusive Inks: Alcohol Markers. The main reason for this change is the quality control of the markers. We have had manufacturing issues getting the markers to be the quality of marker that CTMH would stand behind as a core product. I love alcohol markers, but ours have not performed in quite the same way as we were hoping. So in order to better serve you and I, CTMH is going to be using a third party provider for our markers in the new Idea Book (releasing August 2014)! This was a hard choice because we no longer can "brand" the markers as ours, but, as Monica said, branding is not everything; making sure that CTMH customers get a quality product for their money is most important!
    

Creative Session:

    I absolutely LOVED our creative session last night! It gave me some amazing ideas for upcoming Workshop Wednesdays, and for new product use in the future! We were able to make a Base & Bling necklace of our choice (using the buffet style like I had at my Workshop at the beginning of the month!!), and we received an entire Hip Pics album kit to make a super cute summer album! 

  
    It's hard to tell from this picture (and I cannot show you the new product quite yet), but we received the following products during our creative session:

-Hip Pics Album
-True to Life stamp set
-Hello Summer stamp set (set to release in the Annual Idea Book 2014-2015)
-Pre-cut papers (including a new B&T paper called "Seaside" also releasing in the Annual Idea Book)
-Flamingo Dots
-Gold Polka Dot Washi Tape
-Best Day Assortment pack (from the My Crush Albums line)
-Base & Bling chain, pendant, charms, fashion sticker, and glass cover!

    It was SOO much fun, and I loved these cute and easy projects! May's Workshop Wednesday, on the 7th, is going to be utilizing this Hip Pics Album idea for our creative project! So stay tuned for some sneak peeks and additional details! 

    Did I mention that I attended this Regional Event for only $30!?!?! I received over $80 worth of products during the creative session, and that's without winning anything! They were also giving away exclusive stamp sets and one page exclusive layouts! I didn't win any of these, but it was so fun to be there and just participate in it all! :) Would you like to find out how you can attend one of these amazing events with me? Ask me how before the end of the month! 

Here's a picture of Monica and I in front of the Rediscover banner at the end of the night! She was so sweet and gave me the biggest hug like we had been friends forever! Such an amazing experience!

    I hope you all are having an amazing week, and I am looking forward to seeing those of you attending the "Scrap Your Stash" crop tomorrow! Enjoy this beautiful day, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Happy Belated Easter!!

    Good evening, peeps! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend! I am LOVING this warm weather and plentiful sunshine! Spring is officially here, and I couldn't be happier! 

    I am finally back home after traveling every weekend for the last two months! Of course this doesn't mean I'm without busy work! My in-laws are visiting this week, Scrap Your Stash is coming up this Saturday, and I have a CTMH regional event up in Minneapolis on Thursday night! I'm not complaining, though! I love staying busy and planning events (if you couldn't tell)!!!

   I have so much to share with you today, though! I feel bad that I have to combine it all in one posting, but I promise to share just as much eye candy as I do nitty gritty details! ;)

   Did you see my Facebook posting today on photo printing specials? If not, you need to check out these amazing deals on my Facebook page! Now is the perfect time to print those cute Easter pictures for practically nothing! Shipping and Handling runs around $5.90 for a 3-5 day shipping time, but even with that the prints are only $0.07 each! It's a great deal!

   I have been making some time to play recently so that I could share some fun and amazing projects with you all! I was at an all weekend crop a couple weeks ago, and I was able to wrap up some details on a few projects last week, too! So I was pretty pleased with how much I was able to get done in a short amount of time! Plus I FINALLY have time to post the April LOTM! It has only taken me 3 weeks to get it to you! I'm so sorry about that, everyone! One of these days I'm going to be ahead of the game! So without further ado, here are some of my recent projects for April:

APRIL LOTM:

April LOTM featuring CTMH's Ariana Paper Pack, Artbooking Cricut Cartridge, and Ariana Dimensional Elements

Here's a close up of page 1 of the April LOTM

Here's a close up of page 2 of the April LOTM. When you purchase the Ariana paper pack or Ariana WOTG kit, you can receive the assembly instructions, die-cuts, and stamped images to complete the LOTM for yourself! Order yours today!

 

 Workshop Wednesday: Base & Bling Buffet

Here are two of the examples I made for the Base & Bling Buffet that was held on April 2nd! Everyone was able to choose their chain, pendant, charms, and background piece to create a unique and cute necklace! Everyone also made a gift envelope from the Ariana paper pack to display their projects on or to give as gifts (Mother's Day is now done!!)

WOTG: Ariana Scrapbooking Kit

I modified this main layout just a little bit to accommodate larger picture sizes and die-cut frames! I love how it turned out, and love the look of the layered pieces throughout the background!

Close up view of the details on page 1 of the WOTG layout

Close-up view of the details on page 2 of the WOTG layout! I love those Ariana bows that come in the Complements pack! Too stinkin' cute!

Additional layout made using leftover papers from the Ariana WOTG kit! I wanted to make a more masculine layout using these papers to show the versatility!

Close-up of page 1 shows some stamping and the Ariana Dimensional Elements that I used

Close up of page 2 show some stitching and stamping that I did in the corner to add some extra texture and detail overall

Wabasha Crop Make-in-Take Layout:

This was a make-in-take that I did at the all weekend crop a couple weeks ago! I wanted to create a layout that incorporated lots of pictures and simple details! The "pleated" paper border was inspired by the Ariana artwork shown on page 30 of the Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book.

This close up shot shows some simple and easy stamping and embellishments to create amazing details on the page 1

This close up shot shows the faux "pleated" border made from Ariana paper and more of the cute embellishments

More projects using the Ariana Paper Pack:

I used some Ariana scraps and a border punch to decorate this handmade envelope

Here is the inside liner of the handmade envelope I made to fit this card I had in my stash! The green from the Ariana papers complemented the Pemberley blues perfectly!

These cute tags were made using the April SOTM: Balloon Talk and Ariana paper strips from my scrap pile

Here is another color combination I tried on some tags with the Ariana paper scraps

 

   With the end of April quickly approaching so is the amazing new Consultant sign-up promotion! I wish I could take advantage of this fantastic deal! For only $99 you get the brand new Consultant kit featuring the complete Skylark product line, exclusive products that are only available to consultants, and a CTMH Cricut Collection of your choice! That's over $400 worth of product for only $99!!! It's such a great deal! Now is the perfect time to join up even if you are only wanting the products for your hobby! You can get a great deal, 6 months of obligation free consultant discounts and exclusive products, and sneak peeks of new, never been released products! Contact me today with any questions you have about signing up for this awesome deal or sign up today and start taking advantage of your discounts now!

 

    Well paper crafters, I better get to bed! I hope you enjoyed looking at all the fun projects I have been working on these last couple weeks! If you have any questions on products used, please let me know! Otherwise, have a wonderful rest of your week, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Who You Gonna Call???

   Stashbusters!! I couldn't help myself! The song has been stuck in my head ever since I started working on this April Challenge! That's right....I have a brand new contest for you all this month! So without further ado.....

   The hubby and I are getting ready to remodel our office/craft room at our house this Spring (if Spring ever shows its face). This has forced me to go through all my stuff and dig through some of my old scrapbooking supplies! Do you ever go through your supplies and forget about all the pretty papers you "saved" or all the fun embellishments you forgot you had on hand? Well now's the time to dig deep into that stash and use up those old supplies! Introducing Candid Captures' first ever "Stashbusters" challenge!

     During the month of April, we will be digging deep into your stash to pull out those old, forgotten supplies to create some awesome projects! This is a fun challenge to get us all thinking outside the box and using up those old supplies that are taking up space! You can earn tickets toward prizes by signing up to participate, completing the time minimums each week, emailing me with pictures of your progress, and getting creative! If you want to participate, you must RSVP to me by April 6th at the latest! You can divide your time up over the week or work all in one sitting. These projects are for you, so create what you love: cards, home décor, scrapbook pages, or something else all together! Just have fun! This is supposed to get us creating all month long with the supplies we have! 

    A complete list of the challenges and prizes will be emailed to everyone on my mailing list because it would be too long to include all the details on here! If you are not on my mailing list but would like to participate, contact me with your name and email address, and I will send you my Stashbusters Challenge email right away! There will be prizes for everyone that participates, but you need to sign up ahead of time in order to qualify! So come play along with me and become a "Stashbuster"!

   
    A new month also means new announcements of CTMH specials and promotions! Make sure and read all the way through this post, though......there's a HUGE announcement toward the end of this post! So be patient and scroll on, my friends!

    Let's start with the April SOTM: Balloon Talk! I love the look of this set! There's so many possibilities on how to use all these cute phrases and word bubbles! There are 24 total images on this stamp set, so it's one of the bigger SOTM sets that we've had in a long time! I'm looking forward to getting this stamp set in my hands ASAP! You can add this adorable stamp set to your stash for $17.95 (retail) or for only $5 with a qualifying purchase of $50 or more! Check out the cute images and some of the CTMH artwork using this set:

   
    The next special I have to share with you today is April's Paper Pack-of-the-month (POTM)! This month I am featuring Ariana in all of my workshops, layouts, and crops! I love this paper pack! The colors are stunning, and the designs are simple but elegant! I highly recommend the Workshop-on-the-Go (WOTG) Scrapbooking kit for Ariana, too! The sketches, stamp set, fabric bows, and epoxy bubbles that come in the kit are so much fun to play with! Check out some of the beautiful artwork you can make with this POTM:

Ariana Paper Pack

    This also means that the brand new LOTM will feature the Ariana paper pack as well! I have to apologize, though. I have been running around the country nonstop these last few months (let's see....Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa, Florida, Las Vegas, Wisconsin....) and, try as I might, I have been falling behind quickly! I have a couple finishing touches to put on the April LOTM before I take pictures and post them, but I am going to try my absolute hardest to get you some pictures before the weekend! Again, I am so sorry that I am postponing yet another reveal! One of these days I'm going to be home long enough to catch up on all my projects! Thank you so much for your patience! You all are awesome!

WOTG: Ariana Scrapbooking Kit : The layouts from this kit are going to be featured alongside the LOTM because I love them and cannot get enough of the layered patterns that these sketches provide!

    For those of you that have not heard of my LOTM deal yet, here is the full scoop! If you purchase the Ariana paper pack or Ariana WOTG kit during the month of April you will receive all the die-cuts, stamped images, and assembly instructions needed to complete the April LOTM for FREE! However, this offer is only good during the month of April, so take advantage of this amazing deal today by placing your Ariana paper order with me on my online shopping site! 

    Each month the layout is different, and each month I feature new die-cuts and stamped images on the layout so that each one is unique! If you participate each month to receive the LOTM for yourself, you'll end up with a year's worth of layouts automatically without having to do all the work! It's that easy! :) Plus, if you missed a LOTM that you would still like to make, you can purchase the diecuts, stamped images, and assembly instructions directly from me whenever you would like! Contact me for details and to find out the pricing of any past kits!

    Another awesome thing to check out this month is the new Rediscover download from CTMH! This month's theme is "Rediscover Creativity", and the FREE download this month features a fun and trendy Steampunk Alphabet set! I cannot wait to print these out and use them on some fun boy layouts for my nephews! Check it out:

    You can download this FREE, printable alphabet on my online shopping site, Candid Captures Shop! Make sure you get yours downloaded and saved before it expires at the end of the month, though!
 

You have now made it to...... The HUGE Announcement!

  

 

    That's right! During the month of April, if you sign up as a CTMH Consultant and purchase the New Consultant Kit for only $99, you will get to choose a CTMH Cricut Collection of your choice for FREE! That's over $400 in CTMH product deeply discounted to over 75% off! You will receive everything you see in the picture and more!

    Plus, if you hit your "Straight to the Top" sales goal in the first 3 months, you will automatically receive a refund of your New Consultant Kit! That's over $400 in CTMH product for FREE just for sharing your passion and hobby with your friends and family! 

 
    It's the perfect time to join whether you are pursuing a new business adventure or wanting to expand your crafting realm! CTMH is an amazing company to be a part of, and I feel so blessed to be able to share my passion with all of you each day! CTMH has been around for 30 years, and continues to be on-trend and an industry leader in all that they do! 

   Some of my other favorite things about being a consultant: The discounts on products, the exclusive items, and of course being one of the first ones to receive all the new goodies before they are released! The sales goals are completely manageable for a hobbyist looking to add to their collection each quarter or someone who wants to run a small business from their home! Plus did I mention the incentives? Huge trips around the world, amazing and inspiring conventions, regional meetings, team events and crops, and of course product product product! Whatever it may be, CTMH is a wonderful fit! So get in on this amazing deal and join my team this month.....you won't regret it! Contact me to get started and to pick out your FREE Cricut Collection today!

Here is a larger picture of the Consultant Kit! Not all of the items are viewable, but there is so much here! It's a wonderful kit full of all the essentials!

Here is a complete list of all the items you will receive in the kit! If you have any questions on something, let me know!

Choose one of these collections for FREE after purchasing the Consultant Kit:

 

    Each Cricut Collection comes with 3 of its own chipboard embellishments, 3coordinating stamp sets for that set, and the Cricut Cartridge with over 700 images on each one! That's over 2100 images TOTAL when you combine the 3 Cricut Collections together!

Artbooking Cricut Collection

Artiste Cricut Collection

Art Philosophy Cricut Collection