Fun with Flowers

I have had a fun time this week using the bright and flowery Sophia paper pack from CTMH.  It is funny how inspiration hits you and this week it seemed that each project led me to the next project.    

First I made this 3-D "R" for my daughter's room.  I found this cute "R" at Hobby Lobby several months ago and have been wanting to embellish it using the Sophia papers.  I love the fluffy flowers and although you can't really see it I added some "bling" to give it a little sparkle.   

 Next I saw this sketch on this weeks Heart to Heart Challenge.  Makes sure to go to the link and check out all the other awesome artwork inspired by this sketch. 

 I liked those flowers from the "R" so much I thought one would make a nice anchor for those 3 stripes. 

 The flower is a nice 3-D embellishment, but not too bulky that it can't be flattened and mailed in a card.  I used this tutorial by Fancy Melissa to create this flower.  The tutorial is for a carnation.  I decided to just use the first layer of the carnation and add a button for the center.   

After creating that card, I then had the idea to make the stripes stems of flowers and flip the card.  At first I was going to use the "fluffy" flower, but that was a little too much so I create simple circle and button flowers.  The hand stitching really helped to finish this card.   

I am always happy when inspiration hits and like how my cards and "R" turned out.  It was a good day for crafting!  

~Amy

Last Chance....

To make room for new paper packs, Close to My Heart will be retiring 8 paper packs at the end of July.  Don't miss out on purchasing these gorgeous papers!  Simply click on the names to browse and shop for the papers you like.  Hurry you have until Sunday, July 31st before these papers will no longer be available.  

  Magnifique

 Mistletoe

 Miracle

 Olivia

 Sweetheart

 Hooligans

 Bliss

 Wings

In addition to getting these beautiful papers, don't miss out on July's MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK deal.  Spend $50.00 or more and chose one of the below items for only $1.00. 

Make sure to check back August 1st as Close to My Heart unveils it's 2011 Fall/Winter Idea Book.  Lots of great new products to check out!

~Amy

I May Have a Problem!

I have a confession to make....I am totally addicted to Close to My Heart's online scrapbooking site, Studio J.  It is so quick and easy and it is mess free.  I love that whenever I have a creative urge, I can simply sit down at the computer and create a simple layout within minutes.  Don't get me wrong, I still love traditional "hands on" scrapbooking, but sometimes when you just have the need to scrap and not a lot of time this is perfect.  

I just ordered a few layouts and thought I would share my favorite one I created from pictures taken several years ago.  I love these pictures of my daughter out playing in the dirt with her cute little strawberry hat and have had these photos printed out ready to go on a layout for a long time, but just have never gotten around to it.  I always had an excuse; the layout wasn't right for the pictures, it didn't have the right colors or there were just too many other important pages to put together instead of this one.   This layout only took me about 45 minutes to create on Studio J.  I am so glad to have this page now and will happily remember this happy time for years to come.     

 I really think Studio J has made me a more confident scrapper.  I have always been nervous to add embellishments or stamp directly on the layout and/or pictures and have always avoided it and just made simple layouts with not a lot of pizazz.  Now, not so much.  Thanks to Studio J, I can play around with my embellishments without fear of ruining my pictures, thus making it easier to do when actually working with paper and photos.   Check out the cute "stickease" flowers I made with ribbon stems.  I think they add the perfect finishing touch to this layout. 

Studio J has really taken my scrapbooking to the next level.  Not only have I made many more layouts than I ever would traditionally, but I have become better at combining colors and patterns, as well as clustering and layering embellishments.  I just can't stop creating with Studio J! 

Tip of the Day:  Don't be afraid to try something new.  I was a little leery about trying online scrapbooking, because I love creating with my hands and didn't think the quality of the printed page would be equal to paper pages.  I was wrong.  They blend wonderfully and just are so easy to create.  I am helplessly hooked!

Please feel free to create a free account and try Studio J for yourself.  Simply click here to get started. 

~Amy

It Doesn't Get Much Better!

Last week Close to My Heart had it Annual Convention and unveiled it's new products for their Fall/Winter Idea Book.  I did not attend, but I have been chomping at the bit to get the new Idea Book.  I have been able to see the new products online and can't wait to get my hands on them. 

One product I am super excited about is the CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy Package, which includes an exclusive Cricut Cartridge with more then 700 images including fonts, coordinating shapes and 3-D elements (flowers, gift boxes/envelopes), plus 3 D-size stamp sets and 3- 9 x 12 inch chipboard dimensional elements.  Check out the video below for more info. 

I can't believe that two of my favorite paper crafting companies have teamed up to provide an awesome package that compliment each other so well.  I can't wait to try it out.  This cricut package will be available for purchase August 1st. Simple visit my website to see and order all the new products, or click on the link on the right hand side of my blog.  New products will not be available until August 1st.  Mark you calendars and check back then.   Happy Shopping!

~Amy

P.S.  The CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy would make a great gift for YOU.  Book mark my website (mnmscrapbooking.myctmh.com) and share it with your husbands, family etc.  What an easy way for them to shop and buy you something truly awesome. 

You are my....Inspiration

I am really literal when it comes to inspiration.  I am a huge "scrap lifter" and a lot of my creations are copies of some form of direct artwork.  I like to keep a journal/scrapbook (nothing pretty) of ideas and sketches I come across.  I steal from magazines, blogs, card stores etc.    Tip of the Day:  Keep a journal of ideas you can flip through, when you need inspiration.  Cut out pictures from magazines, sketch ideas for cards and layouts, draw ideas for embellishment clusters etc.  Don't rely on your memory to help you when you lack ideas.  Flip through your idea journal and you will be inspired instantly. 

This weeks Heart 2 Heart Challenge is to create something and share your inspiration for it.  For this card, I was inspired by the cover of Scrapbooks Etc., July/August Edition.  Can you guess what the inspiration was?  

You guessed it the cute paper pieced sunshine on the layout. 

~Amy

Make the Most of Your Paper Pack

"Scrappy Creations" club, don't let your paper pack go to waste!  Use ever last bit of your paper by completing one or more of these projects in addition to those created at club.  You may obtain written instructions tomorrow at class, and make sure to stamp any images you may want to take home with you, so you can finish your projects at home. 

This is an additional layout from Fanfare's Workshop on the Go.  

 Simple Cupcake card.

 More cupcakes.  Notice the how the words flow around the scallop cut circle.  My Acrylix stamps are flexible and can be manipulated to be straight or curved. 

 A few very simple, but summery ice cream cards. 

 Blow out those candles!

The optional cards are very simple and can be embelished with ribbon, buttons and brads.  The paper patterns can be changed and mixed so you can create your own look and use whatever paper you have left.

Enjoy and don't let your paper sit unused!

~Amy

Let's Get Scrappy!

"Scrappy Creations" Monthly Card and Scrapbooking Class

Thursday, July 14 at 7PM

Bring your pre-purchased Close to My Heart "Fanfare" Paper pack to create these cute projects below.  You should be able to create the layout and/or several cards during the class. 

* I will post additional projects you can make with the remaining paper in your paper pack.  Come back after the holiday to see more projects or better yet follow my page so you don't miss out on any good ideas. 

On the scrapbook layout, we will learn how to create simple embellishment clusters to add pizazz to your pages.

 We will also use CTMH's Scallop Circle punch to create this cute scalloped boarder. 

 Make these festive cards for birthdays or any occasion worth celebrating. 

 We will use "Fanfare's Workshop on the Go" stamp set using the same design to create these very similar but different cards.  Learn a simple "masking" technique to create the blue scalloped edge and add the "party" title to the card. 

 Look at the cute detail the scalloped circle punch adds to this balloon card. 

 Cute use of the stamp set, scallop punch and buttons. 

Everyone is welcome to attend.  Whether you just want to make a handful of cards, the layout, or both, it will be a fun night to get "scrappy." 

Simply go to my website to order your "Fanfare" paper pack.  Go to the "shop online" link and then enter item number X7138B in the "find item" area to order.  Make sure you leave a comment or send me an email so I know you are coming and can plan for extra embellishments.  ***Make sure you place your order ASAP so you get your paper in time.  Order no later than July 5. *** 

Buttons and embroidery floss for your embellishments will be available for purchase at the gathering for the great price of $1.00. 

Hope to see you there!

~Amy 

Only a Few More Days......

Like a bargain?  Me too!   Create a scrapbook layout with Close to My Heart's Studio J and receive a FREE JPG of your layout that can be then be printed out at Costco or shared on the web.  Simply go to my website (mnmscrapbooking.myctmh.com), Click on Studio J Online Scrapbooking, then Create an Account to log in.  You are ready to begin.  Start a new project, upload your photos to your secure account and start playing.  What are you waiting for!  Give it a try...there is no obligation to buy and it is a super fun way to scrap.   There is no mess to clean up, nothing for the kids to get into and it is fast and easy.  MAKE SURE YOU ORDER YOUR FREE JPG BY THURSDAY, JUNE 30, BEFORE THIS FREEBIE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.  Please don't hesitate to call or email me if you have questions, my contact info is on my website.

 Check out what I made with my freebie.  Click on the image for a larger view.  I just love how simple Studio J is and how perfect these online pages fit right in with my classic "handcrafted" layouts.

Why not, this page also qualifies for this weeks Heart 2 Heart Color Challenge. 

CTMH Sarsaparilla Pages work perfect for this challenge.  I love how the Barn Red and Bamboo papers add to the "Cowboy" feel of the pages and the "Twilight" in the plaid just gives it that extra punch of color.  Check out how I changed the B&T paper to Bamboo to make it blend better in the layout.  Studio J is awesome in that way!

~Amy

P.S.  Make sure you check out my other Studio J projects.  Click on the posts Labeled "Studio J" for my ideas and examples.  You can find the labels on the right hand side of this blog. 

Better Late.....

With a broken camera last week and only the use of a disposable camera (with two little ones, it's hard to go even a day without a camera) I am a little late sharing my Father's Day projects.  But wanted to share just the same.  Better late then never....right? 

Anyway, we had a fun time decorating these cute plastic pencil/pen holders for our Papa and Grandpa.  Notice the background paper is random stamped with the kids finger prints, then transformed into bugs by adding antennae and legs.  Loved using the bright colors of CTMH Exclusive Summer Inks to make these colorful bugs.

Tip of the Day:  Children's finger/hand/foot prints make perfect stamps for background and texture papers or even embellishments for scrapbook layouts.  Check out this cute turkey  I added to a calendar layout.  The kids grow so fast, hands included, and it just makes me happy to look back and remember their sweet little hands.  I think their Grandpa's will like to look at these little finger prints as the years go by too.  Stay tuned for more "hand" made art throughout the year. 

Here is another smaller pencil/pen holder I made for my husband.  No creative art from the kids, the rolled up paper in the container are colored and decorated notes from them, just pictures of them for Joel to display at work.      

The plastic pencil/pen holders were purchased at Michael's for $12.99 or less when using their coupons.  These were easy and fun projects to make.  All Dads were happy to receive them yesterday. 

~Amy 

Wedding Cards Take 2

I may have gone a little overboard with Heart 2 Heart's Wedding Challenge, but after creating my first card with the remains of my CTMH Miracle paper, I still had a few scraps and I guess I felt inspired. I actually like how these cards turned out better than my original and first post.
I used the Sophia Workshop on the Go Stamp Set and the ever so "weddingey" Mocha Opaque Pearls to add some shine.

Simple but nice, 6 x3 inch card. Would be perfect for a gift card or money.

Small 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch card. Gotta love that punch of Smoothie.

Which card is your favorite?
~Amy