Hello from Sunny California!!!

    Hello from California! I hope this finds you all doing well and enjoying the start of your week! It has been awhile since I’ve posted on here! Sorry about that! As most of you know it has been a crazy busy June so far! We tried to put finishing touches on the office/craft room before I left on my extended vacation, had visitors staying at our house the second weekend of June, and I had to drop our dog off in Southern Wisconsin before I flew out to Reno, NV on Monday, June 16^th! On top of all that, I also had to finish up some thank you cards for my sister’s baby shower, a group of cards for the convention swap, and wrap up any orders that I received before I left! So yeah…..my absence on here has not been without haste!

     Ian flew into Reno on Saturday. We went into downtown Reno Saturday afternoon, and had dinner with Ian’s parents. Then yesterday we spent the day traveling around and eating at a couple places surrounding Lake Tahoe! It was a gorgeous day to be on the lake! We also went to the Ehrman Mansion to try and get in on the tour. We were late by a couple minutes, but that’s okay! We walked around the property and hung out on the pier instead! Today we are driving 8 hours down to San Simeon, CA to tour the Hearst Castle! I cannot wait to see this architectural masterpiece! We are touring part of it this afternoon, and another part of it tomorrow morning! The house itself is over 60,000 sq ft! I cannot wait to get all kinds of pictures!

     The office/craft room is so close to being done! It took us a little longer than we thought to finish the baseboard trim and hanging the shelving tracks in the closet. Our original baseboard order was calculated short by 1 board (the guy that helped us forgot the closet measurements when he put the order in), so we had to wait for that to come in. Then the closet, we found out, was not even at all. One side was 26” in width while the other side was only 25”. Plus the studs were spaced really goofy in the closet, too! A couple studs were 22-23” apart where the rest were 18-19” apart. So that made it a little difficult to space the hanging tracks just right!

     I will share a couple of our pictures of the office so far just to show you how far we did get! We still have my desk to finish setting up, the island to put together, and then just decorating and organizing! So that will be fun to do when I get back from this trip! Here’s a few sneaks at what we have been doing (sorry these pictures are not the best quality..... they are from our cell phones):

Here's what the flooring looked like when we finished it! The trim is not up in this picture, though.

My cabinets that are above my desk. The cabinets and doors are all from IKEA! The door color is a Juniper-like color that matches the closet!

Ian's side of the office! His side is pretty much set up! We only have a couple little things left to finalize (lights and computer components). Again, these cabinets, doors, desk, and drawers are all from IKEA.

This is what the closet system looks like! It's a heavy duty hanging track system from Menards. There are short shelves on each short wall and then a long shelf down the middle/back wall. These shelves are hung to support 150 lbs of weight/bracket. Woohoo! Medical books and scrapbooks now can sit comfortably!

   

    I finished putting my convention swap cards in clear bags last night with my business card and some technique tips. I am pretty pleased with how they turned out considering I did not have much time to throw them together! I have 3 designs: one is exactly like the cards I made for my sister’s thank yous except I used different stamps, the second and third designs are similar, but with two different color combinations. I made 40 cards for the swap and 35 cards for my sister! My understanding is that consultants swap their greeting cards to get ideas from other consultants on product usage, design, and workshop possibilities! I am hoping mine are well received! Here are some pictures of all the cards I worked on before heading out here:

This was the template for the "thank you" cards I made my sister! I used the same design for 10 of my swap cards, but did not stamp the stars and instead of the thanks stamp I used a Congratulations stamp from CTMH.

Happy Birthday card using Skylark paper, Washi tape, CTMH re-inkers, and water! I made 15 of this style and 15 of the same design but with the Ivy Lane color combination! For quick cards, I thought I did pretty good!

     There are only 2 days left until convention starts! I cannot wait to see all the new products, the amazing artwork, and meet some talented ladies! I will try and keep you all updated on my adventures while I’m out here! So far the sneaks and product talks that I’ve received so far are extremely exciting! I cannot share anything yet, but trust me…..you won’t be disappointed! :)

     I will be posting upcoming Preview Party dates and workshops over the next couple days under the “Event Calendars” tab! So check that out and mark your calendars so you can see sneaks of the new products releasing on August 1^st! Until then, I hope you all have a wonderful week, and

Here’s to life, love, and creativity!

Retiring Items List & Project Posting

   Hello, Paper Lovers! I officially leave for California in 4 days !!! Yikes! I still have a ton of stuff to do before I go, but I'm getting super excited! There has already been a lot of CTMH Convention buzz, and I cannot wait to see what they have in store for us! It's going to be a blast! I will be posting pictures on Instagram and updating a little bit on here while I'm at Convention, so make sure and get in on the buzz June 26-28th!

   This morning, though, CTMH released their annual "Spring/Summer Retiring Items List"! It's a decent sized list this year because of the new Idea Book format, 250 new products coming out, and new colors being debuted in August! I wanted to make sure you all had a chance to peruse the list now so you can plan your orders for the next month and a half! You have until July 31st to stock up on these "Retiring Items". However, all of the items on the list are considered "While Supplies Last", and will sell out quickly! So start planning, and let me know when you're ready to get your orders in! My next big order will be going in while I'm at Convention (toward the end of June)! Otherwise, you can order online 24/7 at your convenience! :)

   If you would like to see the list, you can download it in PDF format today!

Close to My Heart's: Spring/Summer 2014 Retiring Items List

   I suspect that CTMH will be grouping all the retiring items on the shopping site soon! They did this last year, and it worked really well with selecting the items you want to snatch up before they're gone! I will keep you posted when these items are grouped and updated in my shop!

   I also wanted to share a few recent projects with you today! I held a two-part Mini Album workshop recently, and wanted to share the project with you! The first part of the workshop was at the end of May, and we decorated and embellished the outside of CTMH's 8x8 Kraft Binder! Here's what my example looked like:

 

   Then yesterday, I held Part II of the workshop to make the mini album within the binder! It took a little longer than I anticipated, but everyone loved the project and had a great time creating yesterday! We decorated the inside covers, 12 pages, a couple tag-like pages, and an envelope for pictures or memorabilia! Here's what my example pages looked like:

   I love how this summer mini album turned out! I used Skylark, Jubilee, Claire (retired), and Elemental (retired) papers! The colors were perfect for summer! If you have any questions on this project, let me know! I would love to share!

   I also had my "Wine & Art with Heart Club" in Des Moines, IA at the end of May! We made a summer mini album as well, but we used CTMH's 6x6 Accordion Album from their My Creations line! It was a blast, and all the ladies loved it! Here is what the 6x6 Summer Accordion Album looked like:

Front Cover

Front side of Accordion Album

Back Cover of album

Back side of Accordion Album with covers showing

   For the Accordion Summer Album, I used Jubilee, Ariana, and Claire (retired) papers! If you have any questions about this project, please let me know! I would love to help you re-create this fun album!

   I loved creating these projects for my workshop groups this last month! They both definitely got me in the mood for summer, and I cannot wait to start filling them with my summer travel pictures! :) I hope you all enjoyed viewing my projects! I will be posting upcoming workshop dates very soon! So stay tuned for those! I hope you all are having a wonderful Thursday! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Quick Updates

   Hey crafty friends! Hope you all are having a wonderful week so far! I have been busy finishing up painting and putting in the flooring of our office space/craft room! I cannot wait to post pictures of our finished project! We are picking up the cabinets and shelving units this week for installation, and (hopefully) we'll be finishing installing the shelving in the closet this week as well! It has taken longer than we anticipated, but a lot of that was finding the time to get the big stuff out of the way (clearing, packing, cleaning, painting....it takes awhile....). I cannot wait to get all the finishing touches put in the room so I can start organizing and playing in my new space! :)

   Today, though, I have some quick updates to share with you! There is so much happening this month with CTMH and convention coming up that I wanted to make sure you all stayed in the loop! First, let's talk about retiring items and unavailable items:

• Unavailable/Backordered items: 
• Z1797 My Creations Bracket Frame is currently backordered, but is anticipated to ship by the end of next week.
• Canvas D-ring and Post bound albums are still unavailable due to quality control issues and manufacturing delays. 
• Retired/Sold out items:
• 2014 Spring/Summer Idea Books are no longer available through corporate. However, you can still receive a copy from me (your consultant)!
• My Legacy Faux Leather Albums: Dark Cranberry and Black are completely sold out
• Work-in-Progress Album is completely sold out
• Exclusive Inks: Honey Marker set sold out
• A full set of retiring items will be released in the next month with the anticipation and release of the new Idea Book. I will keep you posted when the list becomes available! :)

   I also have a new giveaway for you all to check out on Jeanette Lynton's blog (the CTMH founder and CEO)! You can win a WOTG Scrapbooking kit just by commenting on one of Jeanette's social media sites (make sure to comment on her blog, on Facebook, or on YouTube before June 30th to be eligible). Watch the video below and follow the links to be entered into the contest! Good luck!

   Did you also see that I pre-ordered the Annual Inspriations Idea Book this week? I should have a bunch of copies on my doorstep by July 10th, and I cannot wait to start handing them out to my Idea Book mailing list guests at the Preview Party! I will have dates of the Preview Parties posted soon on the blog! I'm still working out my schedule for the rest of the summer to try and find the best available dates! I hope you all are enjoying the gorgeous weather we're having this week! Let me know if there is anything I can assist you with this week. Otherwise, until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

It's June...It's June...It's JUNE !!!

    **Sorry that this is a little late being posted today, and that I missed publishing the end of May's post yesterday! I have been out of town doing a workshop, and was unable to get completely caught up last week before leaving! Thank you for your understanding during this busy time of year!**

   Can you tell I'm excited about it being June 1st??? I only have 2 weeks until I leave for Reno/Tahoe/Susanville/Anaheim! It's going to be an amazing trip just to see these places where I've never been, but also, in the middle of my trip, I will be attending Close to My Heart's Annual Convention at Disneyland!

    This is my very first CTMH Convention, and I am bubbling with excitement! I cannot wait to see all the creative projects taught by amazing consultants, learn fun new workshops that I can share with all of you, and of course see and play with all the new products set to release August 1st in CTMH's brand new Annual Idea Book!!! That's right.....I said Annual Idea Book! If you haven't heard me talk about it yet, here are the key details of our new Idea Book & Catalog program:

• Annual Idea Book will release August 1, 2014 and stay active for an entire year!
• Size: 8 1/2" x 11" with 192 pages packed with 250 brand new products, tools, and creative artwork!
• Stamp sets will continue to be shown at 100% actual size!
• You will see an entire year's worth of stamp-of-the-month promotions so you can can your orders accordingly!!
• New price of only $6 (for anyone not on my catalog mailing list!!)

    CTMH will also be releasing 2 supplemental Idea Books during the time the Annual Idea Book is active! These supplemental Idea Book are called Seasonal Expressions, and will be amazing complements to the main Annual Book! Here are some details on the Seasonal Expressions Idea Books:

• Seasonal Expressions #1: Fall/Winter Idea Book will debut December 2014
• Seasonal Expressions #2: Spring/Summer Idea Book will debut April 2015
• Size: 8 1/2" x 11" with 40 pages of all new products, tools, and creative artwork highlighting current seasons, trends, holidays, and occasions!
• Only $1 per book (for anyone not on my catalog mailing list!!)

    While in California, I will not have a lot of time to update my blog or Facebook page, but I am going to try and keep you all in the loop as much as I can! If you don't already, follow me on Instagram, @KMcQuistan, or click the link in the left sidebar! That way you can at least get sneak peeks at projects I'm working on, events I'm attending, and possibly even some sneaks at the new Idea Book! :)

   So now that I've nerded out for the last 5 minutes of your life.....here's what you need to know about my workshops and classes in June:

1. I will officially be "out of the office" from June 16-30th. This does not mean that you cannot contact me during this time! It just means that all orders will have to be shipped directly to you during this time period!
2. Candid Captures will not be hosting "Scrap Your Stash" or "Crafting with Cricut" classes during the month of June. Summer is a busy time for everyone, and I simply won't be home enough to be able to have these events this month.
3. Workshop Wednesday: Part II of the Binder Mini Album will still be held June 11th from 12-2pm and again from 6-8pm. See all the details under Event Calendars.
4. June's LOTM kit will continue to be a promotion all month long! So make sure and check out the details of that below! 

     Now for the inside steals and deals for the month of June! Here's what you've been waiting for:

June SOTM: Kaboom

    This adorable new stamp set is perfect for all those summer pages and projects! There are 16 stamp images on this set, and all of them are perfect for adding fun details to any project! Check out the images below to see for yourself:

    You can get this awesome stamp set for $17.95 or, during this month only, you can get this set for $5 with any qualifying purchase of $50 or more! So make sure and get yours this month! You do not want to miss out on this cute and versatile stamp set!

June's Paper Pack-of-the-Month: Jubilee

   This month I will be featuring the Jubilee paper pack on my projects, layouts, and designs! This paper pack is perfect for summer! The fun colors, the vintage country style design, and the cute county fair/state fair theme is perfect for recording all those wonderful summer memories! Check out the papers and some featured projects using this fun paper pack:

Jubilee Level 2 layout using the Jubilee Complements and Assortment set

Jubilee Level 2 layout using the Jubilee Complements and Assortment set

Jubilee Level 3 artwork display using the Jubilee Complements, Jubilee Assortment, Fancy Fair stamp set, and Made from Scratch stamp set

     The Jubilee paper pack will also be used for the Monthly Layout kit! This is a little different than what I was doing before! I am going to continue with the new idea that I switched to last month using the Timberline paper pack! Instead of showing just one LOTM during June, I will be showing how you can get 3 awesome layouts using just one Jubilee paper pack, minimal additional cardstock, our awesome Cricut Cartridges, and some select stamp sets! You even get to see 2-3 card ideas using scraps from the paper pack! 

    Would you like to make the featured, awesome layouts for yourself using this fun paper pack??? It's super easy to get everything you need! All you have to do is purchase the Jubilee Paper Pack or Jubilee WOTG from Candid Captures during the month of June. Then you will receive the all the cutting and assembly instructions for all 3 layouts and cards for FREE! It's a fantastic deal (less than $10 for the Jubilee paper pack), and a great way to kick start your scrapbooking pages!

    If you want to use the same stamped images, die-cuts, and embellishments, a complete list of supplies is available upon request (that way you can purchase everything you need in one order)! If you have any questions about my new special monthly offer, contact me and I would love to help you out! I will be posting pictures of the Jubilee's Monthly Layout Kit later this week! I have not had a chance to put the finishing touches on the layouts yet since I have been busy with a couple workshops last week, and being out of town for 3 days! So I'm very sorry for the delay, but the information and pictures will be up before I leave for CA!

FREE Rediscover Printable:

    A new month also means that CTMH has released a new Rediscover download! This month the theme is "Rediscover Fun", and the FREE download features a cute, printable popsicle invitation! I cannot wait to print these out to use for our next summer BBQ get together! Check it out:

New Promotion for June: Celebrating 30 years!!

   In honor of CTMH's 30-year anniversary in the stamping and scrapbooking industry, when you place a qualifying order of $50 or more during the month of June, you can add your choice of 1 of our 6 newest bundle collections for only $30! Each collection has an original retail value of at least $50 (some even as high as $65)!! These collections feature everything from gift bags, ribbons, and washi tape to alphabet stickers and home decor! Take advantage of these discounted product bundles today, and snag your own collection for just $30! Here are all the bundles you have to choose from this month:

Five Fab Product Collections Still Available!!!

   You still have a chance to order these awesome new product bundles from CTMH featuring some of our most popular products at a discount! These bundles are the perfect way to stock up on your favorite products, get a package deal for a gift, or as a great starter set for a beginner papercrafter! You have until July 31st to stock up on these amazing supplies, so get ordering today before this deal slips away! 

   Whew....I think that's everything! June is definitely an exciting month! If you have any questions or would like more information on any of the specials, events, or other details that I highlighted today, please contact me, and I will gladly help you! :) I hope you all are enjoying your weekend! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!