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!

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!

   

December Newsletter!

   Welcome to the holiday season! I'm sorry I haven't been able to post much on my blog these days! I will be getting back at it again in 2016 once things settle down again (well at least settle a little more than these last couple months)!

   My monthly newsletter is now available and full of fun promotions and new products! If you haven't already received yours, you can view it by clicking on the link below!

Click here to see Candid Correspondence: December Newsletter

  
   I hope you all are doing well and enjoying the start of your holiday season! If I don't see or talk to you before then, have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday! 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!

July is here!

   July is officially here!! I hope you all are having a great 4th of July weekend! I have been busy busy busy getting our house back in order this weekend with my mom and hubby! My mom came up to help us now that our basement project is practically complete. We still have a few little things to do, but we were able to tackle a lot off our list this weekend!

   It's also the last month of my pregnancy! Yikes! It went so fast!! I can't believe it! I'm still feeling great and doing well. I haven't had that inevitable "sick of being pregnant" feeling yet, but I'm sure it's right around the corner!

   Well July is packed with all kinds of fun and exciting things from CTMH, and I don't want you to miss any of it! Check out my July newsletter, if you haven't already, to get all the news, steals, and deals! Just click on the link below to see the whole newsletter, and let me know if you have any questions or need help getting your hands on some CTMH goodies this month!

Candid Correspondence: July Newsletter

 
   CTMH Convention starts this week, too! So make sure and follow my Instagram, Facebook, and blog to get exclusive announcements on new products coming your way soon! I can't wait to see what CTMH has in store for us this fall! 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!

June's Steals & Deals

   Summer is right around the corner! June is here, and it's going to be an amazing month! Since today is the first day of the month, I have my monthly newsletter to share with you! Click on the link below to access my newsletter, but make sure and subscribe so you never miss an "issue"!

Candid Correspondence: June Newsletter

   
   I hope this has all of you excited for June! Let me know if you need anything or would like to place an order this month! Have a great start to your week, and 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 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!

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 Cards

   Happy last day of April! Today is the last day to take advantage of April's steals and deals!! Including the awesome and popular grab bags! I loved all of mine that I received, and hope that you got a chance to get your hands on one as well!

   Today, though, I wanted to share some recent cards that I made! These were all made using the Seaside paper pack and current stamp sets! You can order the Seaside paper pack for yourself if you would like to scraplift any of these projects to play along with me! Here's some of my creations from this month:

This card was a make-n-take at the recent retreat weekend I attended! My downline, Ellie Lundstrom, created this card to share with us, and I was so excited to be able to re-create it with her! The stamped images all come from the April SOTM, though, which is only available until midnight tonight!

This is one of the cards we made at my workshop at the beginning of the month! We used the Seaside paper, the "Have a Happy Day" stamp set (D1616), the "Distressed Backgrounds" stamp set (D1544), and the newest Operation Smile stamp set from the SE 2 Idea Book, "Happy Everything" (D1653).

This is another one of the cards we made at my workshop this month. We used the same paper and "Have a Happy Day" stamp set from the Annual Inspirations Idea Book.

This was the last card we made at my workshop this month! We used the same papers and stamp set as before, but I also added some Slate Diagonal ribbon to the card, too! These were so fun to make with my ladies this month!

   Let me know if you have any questions about these projects! Otherwise, I hope you're having a great week, and enjoying this weather! Don't forget today is the last day to take advantage of April's deals! So make sure and get your order in for all your favorite goodies!

   I will see you back here tomorrow for the announcement of May's specials! 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 Cards

   Happy Friday, everyone, and Happy First Day of Spring!!! Woohoo!! Winter is officially over, and I'm ready for sunshine and nice weather!

    I have had a busy week of prepping projects, finishing taxes, and finalizing our remodeling plans for the basement! It's been a lot of fun, but definitely chaotic around here!

   It helps that I can "get away" to my craft room for a little bit throughout the week to de-stress and work on upcoming workshops, though! There's just something about playing with paper that is so therapeutic!

   Today I want to share a couple of cards I made using the Hopscotch paper pack! You only have 11 more days to get your hands on this paper pack before it's gone forever! Here are my cards using this super fun paper collection:

I scraplifted the idea for this card from the Seasonal Expressions I idea book pg 22. I substituted some of the paper choices, and then used the November SOTM: "It's the Little Things" and the "Love This Story" hostess rewards stamp set, Smoothie Striped Washi Tape, and Tan Sparkles to embellish it.

This was a quick and simple card I put together using scraps from the paper pack, the Junebug puffies (also retiring), Pixie Extra thick twine, and the "Happy to Be Friends" stamp set.

   All the supplies you need to make these cards and more are on my Online Shop now! Don't forget that some of the collections and embellishments from the Seasonal Expressions I idea book will be gone in less than 2 weeks! Make sure and get your favorites before it's too late! Until next time:

Here's to life, love, and creativity!