Farwell August

    Another month of the summer is on its way out! Many of you have already returned to school, but some of the schools in my area go back this week! I cannot even fathom that it's already that time of year! Whew...it goes fast!

    Today I want to share a monthly wrap up with you all as we say goodbye to August! First up are a couple cards that I made for my mom and dad's birthdays this month! These were super fun to make, and really easy to execute! Check it out:

I tore this paper out of the new My Crush "In the Pink" book! I then cut it down to size, and used it as my card background. I stamped the frame from the "Have a Happy Day" stamp set in Glacier ink. The 'Happy Birthday' sentiment came from the "Belated Birthday" stamp set.

I added Liquid Glass to the edges of the largest flower to make it "pop"

The inside of my mom's card

For my dad's card I used the back of the same My Crush book paper, a scrap piece from the "Paper Fundamentals: Basics" pack, the new "Slate Diagonal Striped" ribbon, the new "Black Arrows" washi tape, and the new "Topiary Striped" washi tape. The burst image came from one of the "Artiste Cricut Collection" stamp sets, and was stamped in Olive ink. The birthday sentiment came from the "You Mean the World to Me" stamp set.

On the inside of my dad's card I wanted the phrase to stand out a little more. So I first stamped the phrase in Olive. Then I re-stamped the phrase in Black and a little off set. This image came from the "Belated Birthday" stamp set.

    A couple weekends ago, I hosted another "Scrap Your Stash" event at my house! It's a super busy time of year so I didn't have many that could come, but a friend of mine came and we had a girls day getting projects done!

    I worked on my upcoming "Christmas Card Buffet" workshop for September, and Terry worked on layouts! We had a wonderful lunch (thanks again, Terry), good conversation, and fun creative time! I cannot wait to do it again soon (and hopefully with more of you ladies in attendance)!

    I hope you all can join me for the next Scrap Your Stash event in October called Croptoberfest! I will be posting more details on this upcoming event later in September, but save-the-date now for October 25th! Trust me...you don't want to miss this fun all day fall crop!

    Also, since it's the end of the month! You all have less than 24 hours to take advantage of August's awesome steals and deals! Here's a refresher for those of you that might have missed it:

August SOTM: What a Hoot

   August's SOTM is called What a Hoot! and it features super cute owls and phrases perfect for this fall's events! This month only you can get this amazing stamp set for only $5 with a qualifying purchase! This is too cute to pass up, so get yours today!

A fun card that I made during Barbra Otten's card workshop!

Another cute card using the SOTM, more of the same My Crush paper, and Chalk It Up papers!

Picture Perfection Promotion

    I love this next promotion! During the month of August, when you purchase any one of the 13 available "Picture My Life" Scrapbooking programs for $24.95, you are automatically eligible to add your choice of any 1 of the 8 qualifying Memory Protector 10-packs for only $3 ! This is such an awesome deal! You can get 122 double-sided cards (in 3"x4" and 4"x6" sizes), 1 matching designer cover sheet, and 20 Memory Protectors for only $27.95!!!

    Ladies, now is the time to stock up on these awesome kits! Check out the 5 new Picture My Life Scrapbooking programs in the Annual Inspirations book, or choose from any of the 8 existing PML programs. You're sure to find something that's perfect for you! Contact me today to get started with Picture My Life! 

Pick any one of these 10 packs for only $3 this month!

    Here are a couple PML projects that I did this month for my engagement pictures (hey...it's only been two years....that's a new record for me!!):

A 12x12 picture that I cut apart and put into a pocket page protector! I then cut the adhesive off a new 3x4 flip flap, put the 3x4 sparkler picture in it, and popped that section of the photo up with foam tape. Then I cut the title out of a 4x6 card from the "For Always" collection, glued it to the negative space of my photo, and added a couple black flourishes on top of the page protector! I love the simplicity and clean lines of this layout! 

Two more PML pages complete using the "For Always" collection! I love how fast and easy these came together! I added just a little extra embellishing with some Chalk It Up Assortment hearts!

The fourth PML layout page of my engagement pictures using more "For Always" cards and Chalk It Up Assortment hearts. In total it took me less than an hour to complete all 4 pages! :) I love quick projects!

    The last couple reminders I have for you all today are a couple reminders from my events calendar! If you have not seen my fall promotion for "Pick Your Party", definitely check it out now! It's an amazing deal, and a great way to stock up on all these new products!

Pick Your Party Promotion from Candid Captures

     I have the perfect solution for you this fall! It's called "Pick Your Party", and it's a special promotion that Candid Captures is offering during the months of August-October only! Here are the details you need to know to take advantage of this amazing new special:

• Host a workshop sometime during the months of August-October
• Choose the style of workshop you would like to have: Online or In-home (can be at your house or mine!)
• Choose the type of workshop you would like to have: Scrapbooking/Memory Keeping, Cardmaking, or Home Decor

Here are the amazing benefits of being a host at one of my workshops:

• When you host a workshop during the months of August-October, you automatically qualify for a NEW paper collection of your choice with matching complements!
• The night of your workshop you get to choose a surprise grab bag containing new products!
• You will make a FREE project the night of your workshop!
• You will receive the new Annual Inspirations Idea Book for FREE!
• The chance to receive exclusive stamp sets only available to hosts
• The chance to receive FREE and DISCOUNTED Close to My Heart products of your choice with CTMH's exclusive hostess rewards program!
• AND so much more!!!

  So don't delay! My calendar will fill up fast for these next 3 months, but I want to make sure I see you on it! Get a hold of me to start scheduling your workshop today!

September's Workshop Wednesday: Christmas Card Buffet!!!

    My Annual Christmas Card workshop is back, but with a fun and exciting new twist! This year you get to create as many Christmas cards (and other fall cards) as you can in 2 hours for only $12!!! That's right! You get to choose which cards you work on, and you get to work at your own pace! 

 

    There will be 25 different cards to choose from, and you have the full 2 hours to get as many of them done as you can! This awesome new workshop will be held September 10th from 12-2pm and again from 6-8pm at my house in Hastings, MN! The cost is only $12, and you will walk away with beautiful, finished Christmas cards! 

    I am suggesting that each attendee bring their own "Basic Workshop Kit" with them since I have limited supplies. A list of the "Basic Workshop Kit" can be found on my blog (under the Event Calendars tab) and on my Facebook page (or you can contact me with questions)! 

    Please RSVP by September 3rd for this awesome new workshop, and I cannot wait to see you all there!

Featured Paper Pack-of-the-Month: Chalk It Up

    Lastly, I want to show you all the projects I did using the featured paper pack-of-the-month, "Chalk It Up"! I love this paper pack! The colors are fantastic, and the designs are super fun to play with! Plus it's perfect for back-to-school time! Here are my projects from this month using this awesome new paper pack:

WOTG Chalk It Up Scrapbooking Kit Layout #1 using the Cricut Artbooking Cartridge

WOTG Chalk It Up Scrapbooking Kit Layout #2. I altered this layout for larger pictures on the left-hand side. I used the Reflections How-to book to pick a different layout design to go along with the right-hand side.

This is one of the 2 page layouts that we made at Convention this year! I love the simplicity and colors of this layout. We used "Chalk It Up" and "Wanderful" papers, and the following stamp sets: "Happy Birds", "Have a Happy Day", and "Here We Go".

The FREE make-n-take project I had at the Annual Inspirations Preview Party. This fun little project is a gift card holder which was perfect for back-to-school gifts!

The next few pictures are glimpses of the Chalk It Up Picture My Life Mini Album that we made at Convention, too! I showed this off in a previous post, but wanted to show it off again since I was featuring this paper pack this month!

We used 4x6 PML cards, black cardstock, the Chalk it Up Assortment pack, and some stamping from the "Here We Go" stamp set!

Here's the Cricut shaped card I did for a card swap at my July Consultant Camp meeting. I used the WOTG Brushed Scrapbooking Kit stamp set for the title piece, Chalk it Up, Wanderful, and lots of new embellishments!

Here is the inside of the Cricut shaped card. The middle section folds up into a gift card holder, too! It was super easy to put together and decorate, and I love how it turned out!

    You still have time to get your hands on the "Chalk it Up" paper pack before school officially starts! If you have any questions on my projects or would like more information, please let me know! Otherwise, have a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend, and I will see you tomorrow for a peek at what September has in store for us all! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Party Time

    Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful week this week! The dog days of summer are officially upon us up here in Minnesota, and just in time for the Minnesota State Fair! Ian and I are planning on going to the fair this year, and I'm super excited!

    I love fairs! Maybe it has something to do with the great memories I have of being in 4H when I was younger! I really love looking at all the exhibits, watching the cattle judging (it's the best), and of course eating all the amazing (and oh so healthy) food! I'm hoping that we can go while it's still cool this week, but we'll see how the weather holds up for us!

    Today I wanted to show you a little project I did a couple weeks ago! My cousin, Kim, is getting married in October and I am in the wedding! So two weekends ago was when we (my sister, the matron of honor, and I) threw her a bridal shower and bachelorette party in Southern Wisconsin! It was a ton of fun, and I think the party turned out really cute! I didn't have a lot of time to plan everything, but I always do better when I'm under pressure any way! Besides, I don't have time to change my mind or my decor when I only have a couple days to get it all together!

    I ended up ordering the Bridal Shower invitations online through "Wedding Paper Divas" because I was not home enough in July to make them myself. We knew we were going to have a brunch style shower, and WPD had the perfect chalkboard themed invite! I added the details and played with some shading, and TA-DAH!!!.....completed invites!

    I sent the shower invites out with a Save-the-Date notice for the Bachelorette Party. I wanted to make these a little more personal, but also needed to finalize some details before the actual invitations were sent. These turned out super cute, too! I ordered the formal side of the Bachelorette Invitations through Snapfish, and then printed them at Walmart here in town!

The save-the-date information for the Bachelorette party.

The formal invitation for the Bachelorette party.

    I then cut out a lingerie die-cut on my Cricut and embossed it to look like lace. I printed some more detailed information from my computer and pasted that to the back of the lingerie, and sent those out to the ladies invited to the Bachelorette! They turned out super cute, too!

    Then last week I needed to start finalizing details and come up with party decor! I love planning parties, but this was definitely last minute for me! I decided to use the chalkboard theme to match the shower invitations, and then I added pops of color using Kim's wedding colors (teal and burnt orange)! It was really fun to put together, and I got to play in my new craft room on my new island! Woohoo!

    First, I wanted to come up with a centerpiece for each table. I saw a chalkboard technique on Pinterest using wine bottles, and thought I would try it! I had a lot of old wine that we were given a couple years ago (and forgot about), and I had chalkboard paint left over from other projects! So I soaked the bottles, removed the labels, sanded, primed, and painted them to make chalkboard wine bottles!

    I then used CTMH's Chalk Marker to write the word love on each bottle! I wrapped the neck in lace and teal ribbon, and then used leftover curly ting from my wedding (2 years ago) in each bottle! I then die-cut some paper hearts from some faux vintage book paper to place around each bottle on the tables.

    I also used the same painting technique on some Ikea square vases and wrote "happily ever after" (one word on each vase). Then I put some curly ting and some faux fall branches (also left over from my wedding) in each one for the entry table. We had chalkboard name tags and journal cards from the Picture My Life: For Always collection on the table, too! Everyone that attended could leave a note for the bride, and then we put the cards and pictures in a small album for her!

    The next thing I made were burlap banners for the food and gift tables! These were messy little guys to make, but super easy and really cute when they were done! I had a roll of landscape burlap from Menards that I had used at Kim's baby shower last year. I cut triangle banners from this, sewed them together with my mini-craft sewing machine, and then added lace, ribbon, and paper flowers to the ends! They really added a rustic country theme to the simple decor I had going! It was really pretty!

    Here's a couple pictures of our food table set up for brunch:

Muffins, cheesecake bars, fruit and veggie pizzas, mini donuts, and mini quiches

Fresh fruit and yogurt bar, homemade granola, coffee cake, and mini bagels with cream cheese

    I found some ideas for games on Pinterest, and then made them my own to match the decor! The first game we played was a matching game using quotes from romantic movies! The ladies worked on it while they enjoyed their brunch! Then I gave prizes to the top two highest scores!

    Then we played another game where the ladies had less than a minute to study the bride. Then the future bride went into the next room, and the ladies were given a questionaire about what the bride was wearing! It was a ton of fun, and everyone did really well! I gave prizes to the top three highest scores for that game since we had a tie!

   The prize bags were super cute! I used burlap bags, the same lace that I used on the wine bottles, and some vellum flowers that I had in my stash! I used Liquid Glass to glue the ends of the lace to the bag, and used a brad to secure the flower to the front! Then I used pre-printed tags from "My Mind's Eye Chalk Collection" and tied those to the top of the bag!

    Each prize bag was filled with a nail file, my favorite color of nail polish from "Sinful Colors" called "Nirvana" (very pretty for fall), a fall mini-mason jar candle from Bath & Body Works, a chocolate candy bar, mini hand sanitizer from Bath & Body works (also a new fall collection scent), and mini hand lotion! Each bag was less than $10/bag! I love party planning!

    We had a great time, and the Bachelorette later that night was a huge hit as well! We had a mini wine and hors d'oeuvres bar, hung out in the hotel room for cocktails, and went to The Melting Pot for dinner! It was the perfect night out with the girls! :)

    So that's what I was busy doing at the beginning of this month! I hope you enjoyed looking at all my party planning efforts! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Tuesday Tidbit: Pigment vs Dye Inks

    Good morning, paper lovers! Welcome back to Tuesday Tidbit! Today I wanted to share a video that I think is super helpful when it comes to deciding when to use pigment or dye based inks!

    I think everyone that starts stamping runs across the issue of pigment versus dye inks, and I want to help make it a little clearer for those that have had questions or would like a quick refresher!

    Remember pigment = paint so it's going to be thicker, takes longer to dry (but can be heat set to speed it up), and the color is the "true" shade because the color sits on top of your project.

    In comparison, dye ink = dye! Pretty easy to remember, right? These inks dry fast, will soak into the project to "dye" the image in place, and are water soluble so can be mixed with water to soften the color or create a fun artsy technique! So if you stamp an image in blue dye ink on yellow paper, the image will show up more of a green color when dry!

    Both of these inks are super useful when stamping projects, but knowing the differences can help you determine the "look" of your finished project! Check out the video to see what I mean:

   

    I hope you enjoyed this helpful video! If you have any questions, though, please do not hesitate to ask! Have a great Tuesday, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Tuesday Tidbit: Picture My Life Storage

   I'm so sorry that last week's Tuesday Tidbit was never published! I thought I had this post all set up to go automatically while I was busy last week, but apparently something happened and it never posted! So I'm sorry you missed last week! 

    Then yesterday I had all intentions of getting this posted, but was traveling back to MN from being in Southern Wisconsin for the weekend! I'm back, though, with this week's Tuesday Tidbit for you! Enjoy!

    Woohoo! Tuesday Tidbit time (on a Wednesday)! This week I am SOO excited to bring you an organizing tip (or two) for your Picture My Life kits!

    I was struggling with my PML cards and getting them organized in a way that I could grab-n-go! The first thing I tried was an idea I saw from another consultant! I LOVE LOVE LOVE our medium organizers! These handy, stackable storage containers fit the PML cards perfectly! I removed one of the dividing tabs to open up a space for 4x6 cards. Then I filed my 3x4 cards toward the front. When I only had one kit this was difficult because the cards would fall and slide around when I was transporting them, but it was still a handy system!

    Then I ordered a couple more PML kits (who wouldn't??? They're amazing!). That helped fill out my 3x4 space of the organizer, but my 4x6 cards were still falling and sliding around. So then I got to thinking.....how can I create a system that is "filed away" so I know where each kit starts and ends, but also make it travel friendly so that my cards do not bend and jumble. I think I came up with an awesome solution!

As you can see the new Designer Creations bags, our punches, and our embellishment assortment packs (lower right compartment) also fit well in the medium organizer!

    Have you seen the new journaling boxes in the "My Creations" section of the Idea Book? These super cute boxes are made to fit cards, notecards, and PML kits easily, but also allow you to customize the outside and decorate it to your taste! 

   I bought a couple of these journaling boxes and put my PML cards from my "For Always" kit into one! I loved that ALL 122 cards fit in the box with room to spare! Plus, the box has a handy stair step insert that fits into the bottom and makes it easier to see both sizes of cards at one time!

     I left one of the dividers from the medium organizer out to create a space slightly bigger than 4x6. I then tried putting the whole journaling box in that spot! KAPOW!! It fits perfectly! So then I put my other kits in journaling boxes and started stacking those in my organizer! 

    I can fit 12 journaling boxes in 1 medium organizer! That's all but 1 of CTMH's PML kits! Amaze-sauce! It's super easy to transport, and I can pull whichever kit I want to use out without having to rummage through my whole stack! It's fantastic! Plus now I can decorate the outside of each box to match the kit inside, and I am going to label the top of each box with the kit name! So exciting!!!

Medium organizer with 5 journaling boxes full of 5 different PML kits! Plus I can still fit other 3x4 cards, punches, and embellishments in my organizer!

    I'm super excited for this new organizing system for all my PML kits! Are you ready to start organizing yours? Visit my online shop today to get all the supplies you need for under $30!

    Plus make sure you pick up your favorite PML kit because this month you can get a PML kit and any additional pack of 10 Memory Protectors for only $27.95!!!

    Let me know if you have any questions or need help getting your hands on these awesome products! Enjoy the rest of your week, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Anniversary Giveaway!!!!

Today is my 1 year anniversary with CTMH! Time flies when you're having fun! However, I couldn't have done it without all of you!

So to say "thank you" I am going to give away an exclusive CTMH goodie bag to one lucky person that likes my Facebook page and comments on the giveaway post!

You have until Saturday, August 16th, to get commenting...so tag your friends, family, and crafting buddies so that everyone can try and win!

Picture Printing Deals

    Happy Saturday, everyone! I wanted to leave a quick note today about some picture printing deals going on right now! I know I have some summer pictures that need to be printed! So hopefully this will help you, too!

Studio J!!

    Of course Studio J! Don't forget that you can print multitudes of sizes in Studio J on one 12x12 sheet! They make it so easy with the Photo Express Collections, too! I love it! Studio J uses a silver halide printing process which means that your photos are guaranteed to last for over 100 years without fading, and the colors are beautiful! Plus who can beat less than $3.50/page (especially for all those specialty sizes like 2x2 and 3x4)!!!! So log on to Studio J today and start organizing those pictures for printing!

2 whole pages full of 3x4 prints! It was super easy and really fast to drag and drop the photos onto the page!

Mix-n-Match of sizes on 2 pages! Here are pictures in 5x7, 4x6, 4x4, 2x2, and 2x3! Love the variety, and again super easy to drag and drop!

Shutterfly

    Today Shutterfly announced another FREE prints coupon!You can get 101 FREE 4x6 prints through Shutterfly if you order by August 10th (tomorrow)! So start organizing those photos, and claim your FREE prints today using the code SUMMER101!!

Snapfish

    The last amazing deal of the day comes from Snapfish! Some of you may have seen me talk about this deal before, but the deal is still on and you still have time to take advantage of this amazing offer! You can get FREE prints for a whole year if you order through Snapfish's new mobile app (for Android and OS devices only)! Enjoy 100 FREE 4" x 6" prints in the Snapfish App every month for the next 12 months, when you log in to the app from your phone or tablet by 8/12. No code needed.

    That's right! Download the app, order photos (even from social media sites), and you automatically get 100 FREE 4x6 photos each month for FREE! Here's how I organize my FREE photos:

1. Log in to my Snapfish Account on my computer
2. Upload photos I would like to print
3. Make new folder for each month (July Free Prints, Aug Free Prints, etc)
4. Add exactly 100 photos to each month's folder
5. When it's time to order, log on to the app on my iPad, get photos from the Snapfish website,  open relevant month's folder, create photos, order 100 prints, and the discount is automatically taken off for me!
6. Super easy and super awesome!

    I think that's it for today! I hope you all get a chance to take advantage of these amazing deals this weekend! If you have any questions, please let me know! Otherwise, have an awesome weekend, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!