Make It Monday!

   I fly out to Salt Lake City tomorrow afternoon for the CTMH Convention! I am SOOO very excited for this! We get to tour the home office this year, I am participating in the Layout Contest, and we get to see the brand new Annual Inspirations Idea Book and all the new products early! Eeeeek! This is my absolute favorite time of year! 

   Before I go, though, I want to close out the month with a bang and show you the last layout using the No Worries Workshop Your Way kit! I really really loved playing with this kit, and have a TON of papers left over still after creating 4 layouts and a few cards! I will definitely be using up all my scraps from this collection and making more artwork soon!

   This layout was inspired by a sketch in the Magic How-to Book (currently on the retiring list...so get a copy for yourself NOW) pages 54-55! 

   I used the Palm tree paper (front and back) and the whitewashed woodgrain paper to create this layout. I then embellished it was die-cuts and stickers from the matching Complements pack. The very thin stripe pieces on both pages is actually part of the negative print leftover on the sticker carrier sheet! I just fussy cut it, cut them down, and used them as banners to complete the look.

   This section of the layout is my favorite, though! The date stamp and this "Relax!" sentiment came from the No Worries-Scrapbooking stamp set in the Seasonal Expressions II Idea Book. I stamped the date stamp using Slate ink, but for the Relax stamp I used a fun blending technique so that it would match some of the other Complements from this collection (see below).

   I used Glacier, Sweet Leaf, and Cashmere inks to create this effect on the stamp with Sponge Daubers! I added the Cashmere first on just the top. Then I added the Glacier along the bottom, and last I blended them using Sweet Leaf in the middle. I love how this turned out, and it matches the stickers pretty good I think! 
   I then added some doodle lines around the stamped area to give it a set apart look from the page, and TA-DA.....done! This layout didn't take long at all to complete, and I love the simple yet elegant look of it!

   I hope you get to try this stamping technique for yourself on your next project! I would love to see how it turns out for you! Enjoy the rest of your week, and I'll be excited to share all the new stuff I learned at Convetion once I'm back! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Make It Monday!

   Welcome back to another Make It Monday project! Today I want to show you my take on Layout #3 from the No Worries Workshop Your Way kit!

   I modified the cutting guides for this layout a little bit so that I could stretch my collection a little further. I used White Daisy cardstock for the bases and wallpapered them using the patterned papers cut down to size. Like the other two layouts, I used foam tape behind some of my die-cuts and stickers from the complements pack to give added dimension.

   I also added a Pocket Plus Design #1 (Horizontal 4x6 photos) Page Protector as suggested as an optional add-on to this layout! This picture shows the Pocket Plus over the right page.

   This picture shows the Pocket Plus over the left page. I love using these to add extra photos to my layout without having to make another two page spread! It's a great way to complete pages faster and easier. Plus it saves you time, too, and we all could use more of that, right??

   I have one more layout to show you this month as part of this featured paper pack! I think you're going to love it! Check back next week to see me wrap up this collection, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Make It Monday!

   Happy Monday to you! I kicked off my June with a ton of graduation parties already, but now I am down in Janesville, WI for a workshop that I am teaching tonight! I can't wait to show off these fun cards we are making using the No Worries paper pack!

   I also wanted to share a quick project with you all today! It's my second layout from the No Worries Workshop Your Way kit, and I LOVE it! These papers just make me swoon, and these pictures do not do them justice!

   I didn't modify this one at all! I love the layout as is and stuck to the cutting guides as suggested, too! For the embellishments I added foam tape behind the heart circle sticker on the upper left page, and the one on the lower right page. I also added some foam tape behind the "Together" circle sticker as well to make it pop more. I use a baby powder applicator to take the sticky off the stickers before adding foam tape, but corn starch also works, too!

   Thanks for stopping in and checking out another fun project this month! I hope you can make time to get crafty soon, and maybe even play with this kit! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Throwback Thursday!

   Last month I didn't get a chance to post as many projects as I wanted to share with you all! So today I am going to throw it back to show you an awesome layout I scraplifted from the very talented Karen Pederson using last month's exclusive paper pack: Live Beautifully!

   If you remember, last month was National Scrapbooking Month, and CTMH really outdid themselves with the release of this exclusive collection! Karen Pederson was very generous to share her workshop with all of the CTMH consultants, so I took her workshop and decided to make it my own using my favorite papers from this kit!

   The colors in my photo do not do this layout justice! It's so beautiful with the Seaglass tones, gold foil accents, and black glitter hearts. I love how this turned out!

   Some of the hearts came from the You & Me Complements (which is now sold out), but the other couple I punched out of Black Glitter paper with a couple heart punches I had on hand! I also decided to wait on titling this layout until I pick out my pictures, but the little section between the hearts on the right page is reserved for titling/journaling.

   Did you get your hands on this paper pack last month?? How about the Cut Above Kit?? I really had fun scrapping some photos from the parents' wedding 11 years ago using those layouts!

   Well I hope you're having a great week, and I hope you enjoyed checking out some more artwork from me! Have a great weekend, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Make It Monday!

   It's June already and I can hardly believe it! Summer is starting to peek at us and CTMH Convention is only 3 weeks away! Woohoo! I have a ton to do before then, but I wanted to share a fun layout with you today featuring this month's paper pack, No Worries!

   I followed the instructions for the first layout in the No Worries Workshop Your Way, but modified the cutting guides a little bit. I used White Daisy cardstock as my bases and only cut 1 palm tree paper to make the "middles". Everything else is the same! I also added foam tape behind the whitewashed starfish and the "Better" circle sticker. I like the different dimensions and added details that this gives to a finished layout!

   I love this collection so much and cannot wait to put some fun beach photos on it! Is this collection speaking summer fun to you? What photos are you hoping to scrap using this kit? Let me know! I would love to hear from you! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Make It Monday!!

   I'm sorry it has been so long since I have updated or posted. Time really has flown by already this year, and I found it hard to keep up with my blog with everything else my family had going on. I am hoping I can get back to posting regularly for you, though! I miss showing you all the fun things I have going on!

   Today I want to bring back my "Make It Monday" posts for you to show off some artwork and fun things that I have been creating lately! Today's artwork is from the new Seasonal Expressions II Idea Book! This book just went live May 1st. So you can see it online now or you can contact me to get a copy for yourself! 

   I love the collections in this idea book, and I think you'll love them too after seeing all the cute ways you can use them! The first collection I am featuring this month is called "Little Dreamer", and it is perfect for birthday celebrations, little girl pages, and summer fun projects!

   I started using this collection for my niece's 2nd birthday party pictures. The colors in this collection matched her outfit perfectly, and I thought it was the perfect bright and cheery patterns to show off her cute little personality in these photos!

   I stamped the banners portion on top using the "Way to Go" stamp set in Glacier, Thistle, Canary, and Whisper inks. The journaling card came from the retired "Beautiful You" Picture My Life set, and I used a mix of embellishments to finalize the look: White & Gold ribbon from the Little Dreamer collection, the Little Dreamer Complements, My Girl Complements, and the Gold foil dots came from the alphabet sticker sheet out of the retired January campaign: Welcome Home Wreath. 

   All of my pictures are 4x6 photos so I didn't have to do any trimming or re-sizing. The purple strip on top of my photos is the zip strip from the paper I used! I love that CTMH gives us extra border pieces to use with each paper in the collection! 

   This is the layout we are making at my in-home workshops this month! If you want to host one to make this layout yourself, contact me today! I would love to come show off the new products for you and your crafty friends! 

   I hope you have a great week! Enjoy the sunshine, and I hope you are able to get some crafty time in! Until next time:

Here's to live, love, and creativity!

   

Make It Monday

   Welcome back to Make It Monday! Have you been getting crafty for the holidays this month? Are you crafting for you or for others? I typically do more crafting for others this time of year, but I am hoping to squeeze in some time for my projects soon!

   Today I want to share another layout with you, but this one is for Christmas pictures! I used the Workshops Your Way: City Sidewalks Kit to complete this layout. However, I modified the original layout and sketch to make it my own. This is layout #2 from the WYW kit:

   Now here is my take on this sketch:

   I took the original sketch and rotated it outward (the bottom of the sketch now became the sides). I don't typically use a lot of 2x2 or 3x3 sized pictures so I also modified the picture sizes on my layout to use 4x6 and 3x4 pictures instead!

   Instead of the stripe paper I used the darker trees side, but kept all the other papers and colors the same. I moved the title to the bottom to accommodate my pictures better, too, and dovetailed all the pieces under the title piece. I added the glitter die-cut pieces from the City Sidewalks Complements pack, but still thought it needed something. So I decided to add some stamping! I used the Cozy Christmas stamp and Thin Cut Bundle to die-cut the trees and stamp them for my pages. I used Willow and Lagoon inks for the trees, Chocolate ink for the bases, and Cranberry ink for the stars. Then I layered and adhered them to my pages. I think they added the perfect touch, and were super easy to do!

   What do you think of my modified layout? What's your favorite way to modify sketches given to you in the Workshop kits? Let me know if you have any questions about this project or about the products used! Remember, this WYW kit and coordinating embellishments and stamp sets retire at the end of this month! So make sure and gets yours before it's too late! I hope you have a very Merry Christmas, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Make It Monday!

   Welcome back to Make It Monday! Sorry I have been MIA the last month with my blog posts. It has been very busy with traveling, craft fairs, and the holidays! I am slowly getting caught up, but wanted to share some holiday and winter projects with you before the holidays sneak by us!

   Today I want to share a layout I made using the Oh Deer paper pack by Close to My Heart. This layout was inspired by a Scrapbook Generations sketch that I made into a 2 page layout and modified! Here's what I came up with:

   I also offered the first page of this layout as a make-n-take at my Fall Retreat this past September/October! I used 1 full page of the branches and acorns paper, but cut it down to span the two pages. I then edged that paper with the matching zip strip from that sheet of paper. I used Sea Glass and Cocoa cardstock to mat my photos on the left-hand side and to edge my photos on top and bottom as seen on the right-hand page.

   All the pictures used were 4x6 so I didn't have to cut anything down! I also used Sea Glass glitter paper and the Snowflakes Thin Cuts (now sold out) to embellish the layout. For the title I used the Winter Thin Cut and a Cricut die-cut title from the new Flower Market Cartridge by CTMH. I like how the two different fonts work together even though they are from completely different products!

   On the left-hand side I stamped the journaling lines using the Capture This stamp set and Desert Sand ink. I then stamped the pine branches from the Perfectly Pine stamp set in Bamboo ink. On a separate scrap piece of White Daisy cardstock I stamped the pine cones in Cocoa and Desert Sand inks, and fussy cut them out to layer them over the stamped pine branches. I also added the berry branches in Ruby ink behind the pine cones. This was an extra fussy cut I had from the September stamp-of-the-month (now retired).

   I really like how quick and easy this layout came together, and the pictures of me and my niece from a couple years ago fit perfectly with the colors! If you have any questions about this layout or the products used, please let me know! The Oh Deer paper, Thin Cuts, and Perfectly Pine stamp set will all be retiring at the end of this month! So make sure and get yours before they sell out or before they retire! Until next time,

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Make It Monday!

   Happy Monday to you! I hope you are enjoying this new blog series I started this month! I love sharing my projects with you all, and hope that you are feeling inspired to get crafty yourself!

   Today's project is a two page layout using the new Swan Lake Workshops Your Way collection from the Holiday Expressions Idea Book!

   As soon as I started playing with the Swan Lake papers, I knew I wanted to scrap these photos of the hubby and I from 2010!!! Yep...only 6 years ago...no biggie.

   For this layout, I used the main pattern paper (swans on one side and floral background on the other) as accent pieces. Then I used the zip strip from that same paper under my photos, and finally embellished the whole layout using stamped images! That's right....only stamped images on this one! I used the With You stamp set from the Holiday Expressions Idea Book, and the Capture This stamp set from the Annual Inspirations Idea Book. I also used the September stamp-of-the-month, Blessed Beyond Measure, to add a few more Fall touches as well.

   The title was stamped directly on my project using Peacock ink and the new Marker Alphabet stamp set, and I love how it turned out spanning both pages as a centered title!

   Also, the other thing I love about this layout is the fact that I have room for 11 photos on these two pages! Yep I said 11! Can you find them all? Let me give you a hint:

   FLIP FLAPS!!! I love Flip Flaps and really cannot use them enough! I really didn't want to make another layout using my leftover photos from this one out-ing. So I used a 4"x12" Flip Flap (now retired) to add extra pictures to the left side of my layout. Since I cut my pictures down to 4x4 photos on this side, I technically could have 9 photos on this 1 page! Instead of a photo, though, I decided to put some memorabilia in a photo well spot, and, if you look at the pictures, you'll notice the pumpkin stickers are the ones on our shirts from that day at the Pumpkin Patch!

   What do you think? I still need to journal on this layout about our day at the pumpkin patch, but I love how fast this came together with very little product from my Swan Lake kit!

   Let me know if you have any questions about this fun Fall layout, and hopefully you can scrap some Fall pictures for your albums this week, too! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Back from hiatus!!

   Hi, everyone! I'm so sorry I've been on hiatus this year. Time flies really fast when you have a little one around, and trying to find my new normal has been a huge part of this year's learning curve!

   I'm loving being a mom, though, but miss posting fun projects for you all! So I'm back to blogging and sharing my fun creations with you, and am hoping that this will help me get more crafty time in each month as well!

   To start back in the blogging world, I want to start a new post series I'm calling "Make It Monday"! On most Mondays, I am hoping to share with you a project that I have made recently, and to give you tips on how you can re-create it for yourself!

   Let's kick this fun series off today by sharing a fun Halloween layout I made using CTMH's new collection, Jeepers Creepers, from the new Holiday Expressions Idea Book.

   I really wanted to scrap the pictures we took from our little guy's 1st Halloween last year. So I got out my new Jeepers Creepers Workshops Your Way Kit and got started! I used only 1 sheet of the main Jeepers Creepers paper (eyes on one side and cute monsters on the other), and the coordinating zip strip for that paper. I then added the Jeepers Creepers washi tapes, a journal card from the PML paper, and some die-cuts to complete the look.

   The title die-cuts came from a few cartridges. I used the font from the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge to make the "baby's" die-cut, and the "halloween" die-cut was cut from the new CTMH cartridge Flower Market. These two title pieces were then "colored" with the new CTMH Shimmer Brush to add a little extra shine and glitter to these fun die-cuts.

   For the ghosts, I used the Create-a-Critter 2 cartridge which has a pirate ghost image on it. I then cut the pirate hat off so that I just had these cute ghosts left. I ink distressed the edges in Desert Sand, and added foam tape to pop them off the page. The larger ghost was stamped to complete my title using Black ink and two new CTMH alphabet sets: Marker Alphabet and Bistro Script.

   The mini stars were punched out using an EK Success star border punch and the new CTMH color Tangerine, and the banners on the right side of the layout were made using Slate cardstock and the new CTMH Adventure Fundamentals collection to get the Pansy dots paper. I added a couple mini staples to these to add some more dimension on this side of the layout.

   That's it! It was a simple and quick layout for Halloween, but I love how all the little elements came together. All of my pictures are ~4x6 (I say approx. because they are printed from my Canon Selphy printer and not true 4x6 prints), and I still have a majority of my Jeepers Creepers Workshop kit to play with!

   You can click on any of the links in this post to find the products I used to complete this layout, but if you have any questions or comments, please let me know! I would love to help you re-create this for yourself!

   I hope you have time this week to get crafty yourself! Enjoy your week, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Happy National Stamping Month!

   Holy cats....a month just flew by and I am exhausted! haha This little one is definitely the hardest "job" I've ever had, and has come with its challenges. However, I am loving my new role as a mom, and am absolutely in awe of this little person that stole my heart!

   With a new month, though, comes new steals, deals, and exciting news from CTMH! My newsletter went out last night, but here's the link for anyone that wants to catch up on all the details for this month:

Candid Correspondence: September Newsletter

 
   I am hoping to post some artwork this month and start to get back in the swing of things again! Thank you for being patient with me as I figure out my new normal each day! :) Have a wonderful rest of your week, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Artwork Spotlight: Blossom Layout #3

   It's the last weekend of June and I have one more Blossom layout to share with you today! Today's layout is a one-page spread that was also a promotional kit for anyone that hosted a CTMH party with me last month! The hosts received this kit and all the pre-cut supplies needed to put this fun layout together when I gave them their hostess gift bags!

   I used a sketch from "Scrapbook Generations: One-page Sketches" book Volume 2. I love these inspirational sketches! They always get my creative juices flowing so much faster when I start creating (especially if I haven't created in awhile).

   For this page I used Kraft cardstock as my base. Then I cut a piece of Blossom paper for the main strips in the background. I even used the super cute, striped zip-strip from the top of my paper! I used my Cricut Explore to weld and cut the notebook edge border from the Artbooking cartridge out of Sweet Leaf cardstock. I also cut a piece of Sunset cardstock as the other background strip.

   I edge distressed my larger background strips for added texture, and then used up more of my Blossom complements to embellish the rest of the page. The word flags come from the Carnival and Boardwalk washi tape sets, but I backed them with White Daisy cardstock to make them pop a little more off the page.

   I also tried a fancy stamping technique for this page. I did a type of reverse shadow stamping to make my images pop against the Kraft background. The title came from the "Documenting Moments" stamp set out of the Seasonal Expressions II Idea Book.

   I stamped it in Lagoon pigment ink first, and set it aside to dry. Then I stamped over top of the image with White Daisy pigment ink. I off-set this second stamp to allow the Lagoon to "peek" out as a shadow, and I love how it turned out! It's so easy to do techniques like this with clear, acrylic stamps!

   I used the same reverse shadow technique with the arrow stamp in the bottom left corner. This image is from the "One-Way Borders" stamp set in the Annual Inspirations Idea Book. I stamped one direction in Sweet Leaf pigment ink, and the other direction in Sunset pigment ink. I let those dry, and went back over them with White Daisy pigment ink. I love how the color shows through, and the images stand alone!

   Many of the products that I used to complete this layout are retiring at the end of the summer! You do not want to miss out on your favorite paper collections, stamps, and embellishments! So make sure and shop the retiring products selection on my Online Shopping site! Many items are going fast, and are not guaranteed to be in stock through August! Shop early and shop fast to get the items you want! 

   It's also the final days to order the Blossom pack, or the Blossom WOTG, with the Blossom Complements from me this month! When you do you will automatically receive instructions to complete the exclusive layout you see below for FREE!! What are you waiting for?? Get your free layout instructions today and place your order!

   Have a great start to your week, everyone, and I can't wait to share more projects with you in July when I'll be featuring the Brushed paper collection! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Artwork Spotlight: Blossom Layout

   Welcome to another artwork post for June! It's Sunday and I have another Blossom layout to share with you all today! 

   This month I am featuring the Blossom paper pack in my projects, workshops, and classes. So today I want to share with you a layout that I created using the Blossom paper pack, Blossom Complements, Carnival Washi tape, and the Adventure Fundamentals paper pack. 

   I used a sketch from the "Make It From Your Heart Vol 2" Pattern 5 to come up with this layout, and I just love it! Once I decide what pictures to use on this layout I will add a title above the photo on the left side, and journaling in the blue box on the right side. The faux stitching around the edges was made using a gray alcohol marker, and the circle embellishments are cork circles from the Pathfinding assortment.

   This picture doesn't do the colors justice, but I mounted some of the photos on slate cardstock, and the photo on the left is also mounted on Honey chevron fundamentals paper! 

   Don't forget, when you purchase the Blossom pack, or the Blossom WOTG, with the Blossom Complements from me this month, you will automatically receive instructions to complete the exclusive layout you see below for FREE!! What are you waiting for?? Get your free layout instructions today and place your order!

   I hope you're having a great weekend and enjoyed seeing another Blossom layout this week! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Artwork Spotlight: Blossom Layout

   Sorry I haven't had a chance to post Artwork these last couple weeks! I have had back -to-back baby showers the last couple weekends, and my weekend posts got put off because of this! I hope everyone is having a great start to their week, though! Enjoy this first artwork post for June!  

   Hey, everyone! It's the first artwork post for June which means that I have a Blossom paper project to share with you today!

   This month I am featuring the Blossom paper pack in my projects, workshops, and classes. So today I want to share with you a layout that I created using the Blossom paper pack, Blossom Complements, Flaxen thick twine, the Artbooking Cricut cartridge, and the "Documenting Moments" and "Snapshot Memories" stamp sets!

   I used the sketch from the "Make It From Your Heart Vol 2" how-to book (page 15). I wanted a little more masculine feel to the layout, so I used the greens and blues from the Blossom paper pack. I then paired it with Kraft and Honey cardstocks.

   For embellishments, I stamped the washi tape images from the "Snapshot Memories" stamp set in Lagoon (sorry I just realized one of my washi strips is falling off on the right side...oops). Then I used Honey triangle washi tape, and retired wooden shapes as well! The title I cut out twice from the Sunset pattern paper in the pack. I then layered them for a shadow effect. The flags and arrow border are from the Blossom Complements set!

   I loved how this layout turned out! I can't wait to put some fun pictures on here to complete the look! If you have any questions on products used, please let me know! Otherwise you can shop for everything you need to complete this project on my Online Shop!

  Also, when you purchase the Blossom pack, or the Blossom WOTG, with the Blossom Complements from me this month, you will automatically receive instructions to complete the exclusive layout you see below for FREE!! What are you waiting for?? Get your free layout instructions today and place your order!

   Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

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!

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!

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! 

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!

Artwork Spotlight: Seaside Layouts

   Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all are enjoying the last Monday of April so far! I can't believe May is around the corner! Where does the time go??

   Today I would like to share some recent projects that I have been working on! I was able to get away to a scrappers retreat last weekend, and I worked on a lot of layouts! I am a slow crafter, but was pleased with myself for getting 12 pages done in 3 days! I started a couple other layouts before packing up, and made a couple cards, too! So pretty productive weekend for me!

   Because this month I am featuring the Seaside paper pack and embellishments in my workshops and classes, I decided to use up the rest of my Seaside kit and make some more layouts! I was able to make 5 two-page spreads with my WOTG, complements, and assortment! Here's what I completed:

I scraplifted this layout directly from Dana Kessler of "Scraptabulous Designs"! She inspires me in so many ways, and I love her creative and eye catching layouts!

I created this layout using a couple of the Seaside PML cards and some of my scrap pieces of Seaside paper and complements! I scraplifted the idea from Pinterest, but do not know the original designer.

I got the idea for this layout using the How-to Book "Reflections" by CTMH. I used pattern 2d and 10c in the book to help me plan my project! I also used a couple pieces from the Wildwood Assortment pack to embellish this page!

This is the Alternate layout that you can get instructions for when you purchase the Seaside WOTG kit! I wanted to include more pictures and embellishments on mine, so I spruced it up a bit to my liking!

Lastly, this is the layout I taught at my Cricut classes this month! I used Artbooking for all the Cricut cuts, and distressed in Desert Sand ink! When I took this picture, though, not everything was glued down yet. Oh well...you get the idea! I even came up with a "new" stamping technique for this layout! Check out the instructions below:

   To get the same look on the title as I did on the Cricut layout this is what you'll need to do:

1.) Pick out a light or medium tone color for the title. I used Sorbet for this stamp image.
2.) Now pick out a neutral complement to "weather" the main ink down. I used Desert Sand for this title.
3.) Ink your stamp in your base or main color completely.
4.) Now dust or sparingly add your neutral over top of your main color.
5.) Stamp on your scrap piece of paper or project, fussy cut (if desired), and adhere.

   I call this technique weathering an image. Sorbet was too bright and light of a color for the theme of this page. So I distressed it or "weathered" it to make it fit the rest of the motif! It tones it down more than the "rock n roll" technique, but yet you see both colors when it's stamped! It reminds me of weathered wood, so that's where I came up with the name! Not sure if it's a new technique or not, but I'm going to say it is! ;)

   I love this paper! It's so summery and beachy! Definitely gets me in the mood for some summer fun! You still have time to order your Seaside paper pack this month to play along with me and get inspired, too! Just let me know if you need help placing your order! Have a great rest of your week, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!

Artwork Spotlight: Hopscotch Layout

   Hey everyone! I hope you're all enjoying the nicer weather we're having this weekend! I am definitely looking forward to the "thaw", and I hope it sticks around!

   Today I wanted to throw a spotlight on this month's paper-pack-of-the-month: Hopscotch! I love the fun, Spring-like colors that this paper pack sports! Plus the patterns are really fun and versatile as well!

   My favorite way to get the most out of the CTMH paper packs is to get the scrapbooking Workshop-on-the-Go when it's available! These amazing kits come with the full paper pack, an exclusive stamp set, embellishments, and a guide with templates and directions on how to complete two sets of layouts!

   The Hopscotch WOTG is the perfect deal to get started creating with this paper pack! Check out the kit's contents:

   The main layout in this kit features die-cuts from the Artbooking Cricut cartridge and stamped images from the exclusive stamp set. The directions tell you exactly how to cut the paper, what sizes you need, and how to alter the layout if you do not own the Artbooking cartridge yet! It's really easy to follow, and takes all the guess work out of creating beautiful layouts! Here's my version of this WOTG layout:

   On the back of the workshop guide there are instructions for how to make an additional two-page layout using one of CTMH's "How-to" publications!

   Plus, while the Idea Book is available, there are instructions, directions, and helpful tips-n-tricks to complete the additional layout on my Online CTMH Site!!! You can download the cutting guide, see the supplies needed, and so much more! It's really an awesome perk that CTMH does for all their customers! Here's my version of the additional WOTG layout:

   Even after completing both layouts, I still have a ton of Hopscotch paper scraps left over! I love that all CTMH's WOTG kits come with enough supplies to complete the projects and then some! Plus the price of the kit is a great savings, too! You can save 11-12% on all the supplies by ordering them as part of the WOTG instead of separately!

   Have you had a chance to play with the Hopscotch WOTG?? I would love to see your creations! So feel free to share!

   If you still need to get your hands on this awesome paper pack, visit my Online Store today to place your Hopscotch order! Remember this is the last month that this amazing kit is available! So get it while you still can!

   I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at my Hopscotch layouts this month! Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!