Artwork Spotlight: Jackson Layout

   It's the last day of National Scrapbooking Month! Didn't this month go fast?? To finish off the month, I want to share with you one last layout I made using the Jackson paper pack! I used a sketch from a "Scrapbook Generations" sketches book, and then modified it to use up my Jackson Complements and make a two-page spread!

   I also used some retired CTMH washi tape (Lagoon Houndstooth, Slate Polka-dot, and Woodgrain), the "Feathers" stamp set, and the Brave enamel shapes for this layout!

   This layout was perfect for using up all my little pieces of scrap papers and zip strips! All the strips seem to appear to span underneath each photo space, but in reality I used small scraps on either side of the main photo space! It stretched my papers out a little further, and created a fun pattern when cut at different sizes and lengths!

   That's it! That's the last of my projects for National Scrapbooking Month! I hope you enjoyed getting peeks all month long of the Jackson projects I was working on! Don't forget to take advantage of May's specials by midnight tonight, though! You don't want to miss out on the Exclusive NSM paper pack, Taste of Summer, the matching stamp set, the super cute May SOTM, or my May special for the mystery hostess drawing!  Get all these goodies and more by shopping my Online Site or placing an order with me directly!

**Don't miss out on these specials this month! It's a great month for awesome steals and deals!!!**

 

   I'll see you back here tomorrow for some new monthly specials and deals for June! Enjoy the rest of your long weekend, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

CTMH Updates and Free Prints!!!

   Hey everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! We didn't go anywhere because Ian had to work the weekend, but we had surprise guests stop in and stay with us on Sunday! It was really nice to see some old college friends and catch up a little bit!

   I do not have a Tuesday Tidbit for you today! Instead I wanted to let you know about some CTMH updates and photo print specials going on this week!

UNAVAILABLE ITEMS:

   First I have a couple updates on current products that are unavailable at the moment. If you are looking to order these products soon, let me know and I will put you on a list to update you as soon as they are available again. Here are some currently backordered products:

1.) Jackson Complements are on backorder until the end of May/beginning of June

2.) CTMH Rolling Tote is on backorder under mid-July sometime. There has been a huge demand for this awesome organizer, and if you are still looking to get your hands on one, let me know! I will put you on my waiting list!

 

LAST CHANCE ITEMS:

   Also keep in mind that there are only 5 days left to order your Exclusive Taste of Summer paper pack and stamp set! This new collection is only available during the month of May, and is selling very quickly! It sounds like quantities are limited this last week for ordering. So if you want this collection for yourself, I would suggest ordering sooner rather than later to ensure you can get your own!

Exclusive Taste of Summer Paper Pack

Exclusive Taste of Summer stamp set

   You only have 5 days left in the month to take advantage of my Mystery Hostess drawing, too! When you place an order with me this month, you can earn tickets into the mystery hostess drawing! It's really simple, and you get to choose your CTMH freebies if you're the winner!

   Want to earn extra tickets into the drawing??? Then take advantage of these special items when ordering:

Place a $50 order = 1 Ticket

Place a $100 order = 2 Tickets

Purchase the Jackson Paper Pack = 2 Tickets

Purchase the Jackson WOTG = 4 Tickets

Purchase the May SOTM: Just Sayin' = 1 Ticket

Purchase the Taste of Summer Exclusive Paper Pack = 2 Tickets

Purchase the Taste of Summer Exclusive Stamp Set = 3 Tickets

Place an order totaling $150 or more and you automatically receive hostess rewards of your choice, and a special gift from me (valued at $20)!!!!

   I love showing my appreciation for all of you, my customers, and I am so excited to be sharing this very special deal with you!! If you have any questions or need help planning your order, please let me know! Otherwise, have fun shopping and celebrating National Scrapbooking Month! 

 

 

FREE/DISCOUNTED PHOTO PRINTS:

   This week you have the opportunity to take advantage of some amazing photo offers, too! You don't want to miss out on these steals, and now's the time to start printing those photos you took of your Memorial Day festivities! Here's the deals for the week:

Snapfish.com: There are two amazing deals going on right now! You can get 99 photos for only 99 cents if you order by midnight tonight! You can use the code PENNYMAY on as many different orders as you want (remember S&H and tax are added, though)!

   You can also get a FREE 8x8 canvas print when you order $39 or more on the Snapfish site! This deal also ends tonight at midnight, though! So make sure and get your prints and photo gifts ordered this afternoon!

Shutterfly.com: This site is offering 101 free photo prints when you use the code MEMORIALDAY at checkout! I have heard it is cheaper to order 99 prints because S&H is cheaper, but you can decide for yourself when you order! You have under midnight tomorrow, May 27th, to get your free prints ordered, though! So don't delay!

 

CTMH Creative Challenge:

   On Friday, CTMH posted the next weekely creative challenge early (since Monday was a holiday)! They wanted to give everyone a little extra time over the weekend to plan their projects, and they also included an awesome giveaway! Here's all the details for this week's Creative Challenge if you missed it:

   Jeanette’s next creative challenge is for you to get creative with the My Crush His and Her line from the Seasonal Expressions II Idea Book! This is the official announcement, so pay attention: your challenge is to create artwork using the papers you tear from one or both of the My Crush For Her and For Him books.
We know it’s a few days early, but no one ever complained about a little extra time to make a masterpiece, did they?

   The deadline is midnight on May 31, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with—so hop to it! The winner will receive TWO My Crush For Her books with which to make even more great artwork.
We’re just so excited to see the artwork you make with the papers from these books. The challenge is on!

   To get you pumped for this unique challenge, we’re also giving away 20 For Her books to 10 winners with this announcement. That means 10 lucky souls will get two books apiece with which to make the finest layouts and cards out there. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on the CTMH blog post telling us about your favorite way to use the For Him and For Her books: as mini books, on cards, or on scrapbook pages. We’ll announce the winners of the giveaway on Tuesday, May 26th, right here on the CTMH blog. THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED AND WINNERS ANNOUNCED ON THE CTMH BLOG!


   That's it, friends! That's all the information you need to know this week! I will be sending out the June newsletter later this week as well! So keep on the look out for that! I hope you all are enjoying this short week! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Artwork Spotlight: Jackson Layout

   Happy Memorial Day weekend to you all! I hope you're enjoying some family time and relaxation this weekend while remembering those that served and protected our country. I have a lot of service members in my family, and am thankful every day for the sacrifices they all made for our freedoms. I take it for granted all the amazing things I get to do each day because of the freedoms we are allowed in this country. It really can be humbling when you think about it. 

  On a completely different note...I cannot get enough of the Jackson paper pack this month (if you can't tell by now!!). The colors are so much fun, and the patterns are swoon worthy as well! With that said, I have another Jackson layout to share with you all today!

Layout featuring the Jackson paper pack and "The Authentic Life" stamp set from the SE II Idea Book!

   I had a ton of fun creating this layout! It was really easy because I simply scraplifted it from the Seasonal Expressions II Idea Book (page 22). You can get the "recipe" to make this layout for yourself on my Online Business site and in the "Make It From the Heart: Vol 1" How-to book!

   When you're on my online site, you can find recipes for all the projects from the idea books by clicking on Idea Books > Recipes (link under each individual Idea Book).

   The only difference on my layout is that I didn't sew the Barn Red X's on my pages. Instead I used the lower case x from the Artfully Sent alphabet stamp, and stamped the faux stitches in Barn Red on my layout.

   If you have any questions about this layout or the products I used, please let me know! Otherwise I hope you are having an awesome weekend! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Tuesday Tidbit: Swipe Hype Stamping

   Hey everyone! Welcome back to another Tuesday Tidbit! Today I want to revisit a fun stamping technique that will add texture and movement to any of your crafty projects! A fellow consultant on my team recently used this technique on her layout with an alphabet stamp set. I loved the look she got when she combined it with the Jackson paper collection, and decided it would be a great tip to share with you all this week!

   This technique is called "swiping", and I love using this technique to show direction or to just add extra dimension to some stamps! Here's a video by CTMH showing exactly how this technique works, and what it looks like on some awesome projects:

   I hope you all enjoyed seeing this technique up close! What will you use this technique on? Do you have some fun ideas in mind for your next project? I know I'll be revisiting this technique on my next projects! I just love the overall look!

   Don't forget you still have a little over a week to take advantage of my mystery hostess drawing this month! Just place an order with me or on my Online Shopping site, and you can be entered into the drawing for FREE hostess rewards of your choice!

  
   You can get all the information and specifics of this awesome monthly deal on my Steals & Deals page, but if you have any questions, please let me know! I would love to help you get your CTMH goodies this month!

   I hope you all are having a great start to your week, and are feeling more inspired after today's Tidbit! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Artwork Spotlight: Jackson Layout

   It's another Sunday Funday day featuring the Jackson Paper Pack! Today I want to share with you one of my favorite layouts using this paper! This layout was designed by a fellow team member and consultant, Dana Kessler! I loved her design so much I had to scraplift it immediately!

Jackson layout designed by Dana Kessler of Scraptabulous Designs

   This layout is a perfect addition to the WOTG layouts I shared earlier this month! I will be adding more of our "up North" trip pictures to this once I print them all!

   To complete this layout I used the Jackson paper pack, matching Complements, and the Brave Enamel Shapes all from the Seasonal Expressions II Idea Book! I free handed the paper triangle shapes from scrap papers, and cut the arrow shapes for the sides using Cricut Craft Room and the Artbooking Cricut Cartridge. I didn't do any stamping on this particular layout, but love the look of all the layered Complements as embellishments.

   The Jackson paper pack is the May paper pack-of-the-month on my blog and in my workshops! If you want to play along and get this amazing collection for yourself, order yours on my Online Site today! I will have lots of additional artwork and tips to share with you as the month goes on! So you don't want to miss out!

   I hope you are getting some crafting time in during this National Scrapbooking Month! Have a wonderful week, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity! 

Tuesday Tidbit: Crafter's Block

   Hey, everyone!! I hope all of the moms out there had a wonderful weekend being celebrated and cherished! You deserve it each and every day, but I hope your weekend was exceptionally special!

   I was able to spend my weekend with my mom doing some scrapbooking at my house here in MN. It was an awesome weekend, and we had a great time getting some paper therapy in every day! The time always goes too fast, though, when she's here!

   It's time for another Tuesday Tidbit already, and I have a quick tip to help any of you that have experienced Crafter's Block. You know what I mean, right?? You finally have time to get some crafting done, you start to get out some supplies, and.....blank.....you can't figure out where to start or you're just not feeling too creative all the sudden! Trust me...this happens to us all!

   So what do you do? Well one of my favorite things to do to get those creative juices flowing is to
"scraplift" a favorite project. This could be something you saw on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or even in an old magazine.  Wherever you find inspiration....that's where you start!

Pinterest is a great source to scraplift your favorite artists, and get creative ideas flowing! This is my CTMH Scrapbook Layouts board from my Pinterest page! I love all the amazing ideas I can find here!

   Sketches work great for this, too! Pick a sketch you like (even if it's one you have already used before), and just start "scraplifting" the idea(s). Pretty soon you'll find that you're modifying, making it your own, and starting to feel that creative mojo again!

   Some of my favorite books to grab for sketches are the CTMH How-to guides! These books are jam packed with sketches and ideas to get your projects going!

There are four How-to books for creating scrapbook layouts.

There are two How-to books for creating cards!

   It's a great way to jump start your creative time, and a fun way to start getting projects done! I hope you enjoyed this week's Tidbit, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Artwork Spotlight: Jackson Cards

   Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I hope you're having a wonderful weekend celebrating you and all you do!

   For today's Sunday Funday I want to share with you some cards I made using the Jackson paper pack and newly released stamp sets from the Seasonal Expressions II Idea Book!

   This first card was made at my Seasonal Expressions II Preview Party in March as a FREE make-n-take! I used the Jackson papers and the "Finding the Words" stamp set, and accented the card using the new Oceanside sequins and Flaxen thick twine. I love the colors on this card! The sentiment was stamped in Cocoa and Barn Red inks.

   The second card I'm sharing today is one that was made at last week's Workshop Wednesday! This card also featured the Jackson papers and "Finding the Words" stamp set. However, this time I decided to edge distress the glacier cardstock to give it a little added texture!

   The third card today was also made at last week's Workshop! This card featured the Jackson paper with the new "Dizzy Circles" stamp set! I embellished the card using Glacier thick twice and a brown marker (for the stitched edges). The circles were stamped in Juniper and Barn Red inks.

   The last card I'm sharing today was one of the cards from last week's Workshop as well, but this card featured the awesome May SOTM: Just Sayin'! I love this stamp set! It's so versatile and fun, and the possibilities with this set are completely endless! I can't wait to play with it some more!

   I also used the new "Treats of Friendship" stamp set for this card! The images were stamped using Archival Black ink on the patterned Jackson papers. The background is stamped in Flaxen ink, and the sentiment in Barn Red and Black inks! I was inspired to create this card by a fellow consultant, Brenda Rose, who used the coffee stamp set on the patterned papers for her card on her blog. I loved the look, and knew I had to try it!

   There you have it! Some fun artwork to get you inspired this week! You can always play along with my Jackson projects this month by getting your hands on this amazing collection for yourself! Just hop over to my Online Shopping Site to get all the goodies you need today! Don't forget orders placed this month can qualify for the mystery hostess drawing at the end of the month to win FREE CTMH goodies of your choice! You can get all the details about this special under the Steals & Deals tab!

   Thanks for checking out my cards this week! I hope you're having a wonderful weekend, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Tuesday Tidbit: Making Ephemera

   Happy Cinco de Mayo to you all! I hope you are enjoying the start of this beautiful Spring month! The weather has been gorgeous up here in Minnesota, but we could use some rain really soon!

   Anyone get a start on their projects this past weekend to celebrate National Scrapbooking Month? I was traveling back from New Orleans this weekend so I didn't get a chance to play yet, but hopefully later today!

   I have a fun Tuesday Tidbit for you today! Today I want to share with you an easy and effective way to use stickers as embellishments on your layouts. I love all the super cute stickers that are on the market! Especially the sticker complements that CTMH has with each of their paper packs. Unfortunately, though, once you stick one down they are difficult to move, change, or layer afterward!

   I want to share with you something that I do when I want to use up some of my complementing stickers! I turn all my stickers into ephemera to make it easier to position them on my project and make it easier to decide how to use them as embellishments! Here's how I make sticker ephemera:

1.) Gather Supplies: Sticker sheets, baby powder, splat mat, and baby wipes!

All the supplies you need for this quick tip!

2.) Pour a small amount of baby powder on your splat mat, and use your finger to apply the baby powder to the back of your stickers.

It can be messy, but it's so fast and easy to do!

3.) Make sure the back of the sticker is completely covered in baby powder so that the sticker loses its "stick" completely.

4.) Do this to all the stickers in the complements set. Then store them in a baggie or their original packaging until you're ready to use them!

All of these Blossom stickers have baby powder on the back. They still have a little tack to them, but just enough to keep them stored on these sheets until I'm ready to use them!

5.) When you're ready to add the ephemera to your project, layer them and place them where you want them. Then add adhesive (I use the CTMH glue pen) or foam tape to the back of the ephemera piece and adhere!

   I do this to all my complement stickers when I receive them with my paper packs! It makes it much easier to project plan and embellish without the commitment of leaving them super sticky! Plus it doesn't take long, and cleans up super easy, too!

Here's my stack of Wanderful ephemera made after unsticking all the stickers from the sheets! It's all ready for layering and embellishing without the hassle of a permanent stick!

   With really sticky stickers, sometimes they will still have a little "stick" to them even after the baby powder is applied. I put these back on the sticker sheets to keep them in place and prevent them from sticking to each other later. You could also use wax paper to help the ephemera from sticking to each other, too!

    That's it! I hope you enjoyed today's Tuesday Tidbit and found it helpful for embellishing your next project! If you have any questions, please let me know! Otherwise, have a great day, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Artwork Spotlight: Jackson Layouts

   Good Morning, everyone! I hope you are all enjoying your Sunday so far! I have some artwork to share with you today to help kick start May's National Scrapbooking celebrations!

   I absolutely fell in love with the Jackson collection in the Seasonal Expressions II Idea Book! The colors, patterns, and amazing images were all a must have for me when I first saw it! I quickly started playing with the Jackson papers, and have already used up my entire WOTG pack, complements, and assortment! Oops!! Guess I might need to get more!! ;)

   Today I want to share with you the two layouts that are demonstrated in the WOTG instructions and kit. These two layouts were super easy and fun to put together, and I cannot wait to put some of my pictures from last year's North Shore trip on these pages! Here are my versions of the WOTG layouts:

This is the main layout featured in the WOTG kit! This layout was made using the Artbooking Cricut cartridge in addition to the Jackson WOTG kit! If you don't have this cartridge yet, that's okay, too! CTMH provides alternate instructions for completing the layout without the Cricut cuts! You can access these instructions on my Online Site under "Workshops On The Go"! I paperclipped my title die-cut to my page so that I can add it later after I add my photos!

This is the alternate layout that you can make using your leftover papers from the WOTG kit! The cutting instructions for this layout can also be found on my Online Site as well! I love the ombre effect stamping that these WOTG layouts taught on a couple of the pieces! It's such a neat technique, and definitely worth checking out!

   The Jackson paper pack is the May paper pack-of-the-month on my blog and in my workshops! If you want to play along and get this amazing collection for yourself, order yours on my Online Site today! I will have lots of additional artwork and tips to share with you as the month goes on! So you don't want to miss out! I hope you enjoyed checking out these layouts from the Jackson WOTG! Have a wonderful first week of May, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Happy May Day!!

   It's already the first day of May! Goodness where is the time going! I'm loving this nice weather we're having this week, though!

   Did you know that today kick starts National Scrapbooking Month?? Yep, and CTMH is celebrating with some amazing steals and deals for you this month!

   I also have an exclusive deal for you to take advantage of during this month of celebration! How does FREE CTMH product sound?

   You can get all the details and information in my monthly newsletter today! You can check it out by clicking the link below:

Candid Correspondence: May Newsletter

What do you think? Pretty awesome month, right?? You can start shopping and taking advantage of these deals now on my Online Site! I also hope that you'll join me May 16th for my "Scrap Your Stash" all day crop! I will have special prizes and projects available to continue the celebrations for National Scrapbooking Month! 

   Have a great start to your month, everyone, and I hope you have a great weekend as well! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!