Monday, January 31, 2011

Make New Friends and Use the Old (and Giveaway Day 4!)

Good evening, and welcome to the Stamp of the Month blog hop.  For those of you waiting patiently for my final daily prize giveaway, it's here too!  If you've arrived here from Traci Godbee's blog, you're in the right place.  When you're done here, you can hop along to Teri Baxter's The Midnight Artist.

This month, I wanted to show you that just because we buy new goodies doesn't mean that we have to abandon the things we already have.  I combined our versatile stamp of the month, Friendship, with a discontinued paper from (I believe) the Perfect Day paper packet.



I chose the Tulip colored piece of patterned paper to fit the 40th Anniversary theme, and used one of the stamps to give my layout an elegant feel by stamping in black on white cardstock, creating an additional patterned paper.  My layout is from the Magic layout pattern sketch book.  I enhanced my Tulip patterned paper by adding Glitz to the dots printed on the paper, and I stamped my title using Tulip ink and the Old World Alphabet stamps.  Finally, I added a few simple embellishments using brads and a photo turn (on my journaling block) from the Mini-Medley Accents Tulip Collection.

Now, for the giveaway!  Today's prize consists of a couple of "lovey" stamp sets from CTMH, a pink ribbon assortment, more of the "Be Mine" ribbon from American Crafts, and 3 packs of colored chipboard accents form Heidi Swapp. 


Rules for entry are easy and as follows:

  • You must be a follower
  • Just leave a comment to enter (limit one entry per person, and make sure I have a way to contact you) 
  • Entries must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 4th.
There's still time to enter for the other days' prizes as well!  Just visit my older posts to enter.  Now, it's time to hop along to The Midnight Artist!  Enjoy the rest of the hop.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Giveaway Day 3 & CTMH New Product Blog Hop

Good Morning!  I'm posting today's entry early so I can link up to a Linky Party blog hop.  First up, the layout I created for the blog hop - who says pink is just for girls?
My poor son was forced to endure some odd hand-me-downs as a third child after two girls.  However, he absolutely loved that bright pink Trix yogurt when he was younger, so I chose to play it up with the new Sweetheart papers from Close To My Heart (available February1).  I used black for my page bases to tone down the "girly" factor.  I also added accents from the new Sweetheart Level 2 Assortment of epoxy stickers, which are all black with white polka dots.

Here's the entire list of products I used in this layout:
  • X7134B Sweetheart Paper Packet (NEW)
  • Z1386 Sweetheart Level 2 Assortment (NEW)
  • Z1393 Black Mini-Medley Accents Collection (NEW)
  • Z1370 Pink Assortment Buttons (NEW)
  • Z1261 Lots of Dots Irresistibles alphabet
  • E1009 Building Block Alphabet stamp set
  • D1348 Priceless Love stamp set
  • Z282 Black Hemp
  • Z1096 Neutral Assortment embroidery floss (white)
  • Z2193 Cotton Candy stamp pad
  • Z2102 Baby Pink Stamp Pad (sponged on journaling paper)
  • Z2105 Black stamp pad
  • date stamp (office supply), notebook edge punch (SU)
Now, for the giveaway and rules!  Today, I'm adding a little twist.  One commenter will win, PLUS if they tell me who referred them to my blog that person will also win!  Each person will win the Around the Block stamp set, and a paper pack or kit based on what they tell me in their comment.  Here's an image of the stamp set :
Now, here are the rules:
  • One entry per person, and please be sure I have a way to contact you.
  • You must be a follower.
  • In your comment, tell me who referred you (if applicable); if you are mainly a scrapbooker, cardmaker, or other paper crafter; and what themes or subjects you work with most.
  • Entries must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, February 2nd.

Giveaway Day 2 (and a card share)

Good morning!  I've been in a Valentine mood, so today I decided to share a quick card I made using Make The Cut software and some SVG files from Lettering Delights with my Cricut.  As it turns out, today's prize is also Cricut-related... read on!

I made this cute easel card using Basic Grey's Urban Prairie papers and cardstock scraps from my stash.  The border punch was from Stampin' Up and the glittery Twinkle Brads and "bitty" size black brads (on the frog's eyes) are from Close To My Heart.  The pink glitter cardstock is by American Crafts (available at www.cutterscreek.com).

The super cute frog and the sentiment are both from the Frogs and Kisses SVG set at Lettering Delights.  They have a ton of other "love" sets, including printables, and they're all on sale right now.  In fact, they even have a free Monster Love set ($15 value) on their site through February 14th, so be sure to pop over and check them out!

Now, for today's prize!  I am giving away a Nursery Rhymes Cricut cartridge as well as a $10 gift certificate to Lettering Delights!  (Don't have Make The Cut or SCAL?  No worries, they have a ton of fonts and printable graphics also.)  The Nursery Rhymes cartridge has a great font on it - it's really the reason I broke down and bought myself the cartridge too!   Here's a shot of the main images included:

Rules for entry are easy and as follows:
  • You must be a follower
  • Just leave a comment to enter (limit one entry per person, and make sure I have a way to contact you) 
  • Entries must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, February 1st
Thanks for stopping by and good luck!


Friday, January 28, 2011

Bonus Post - Love On Sale!

Look what just appeared in my inbox from Lettering Delights!  Be sure to head on over and check out this awesome sale - I know I'll be shopping today...








Lettering Graphics Printables Bundles

All Love On Sale! Save 40%
Whole Lotta Love Super Bundle

Cupid shot his arrow and we’ve been struck! With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we’ve got a lot of love to share:
  • We’re in the mood for love and what better way to spread it than with a love-themed sale? All Valentine’s and love-themed products are now 40% (even new SVGs).
  • Bundled together like a great big hug, the Whole Lotta Love Super Bundle features the best of what’s new. It includes two alphabets, 6 graphics sets, and a paper pack. Perfectly coordinated, mix and match the images for endless romantic fun! Just $19 for the bundle.
  • 12 new SVG sets to make your Valentines complete! Not just for cards and parties, you’ll fall in love with treat cones, mailboxes and goodie bags. Bonus? They’re all 40% off!
  • Share the love with a fun new freebie! Get it for yourself and be sure to tell you friends. From our hearts to yours, the Monster Love Freebie is yours through Valentine’s Day.
Keep your eyes open for more Valentine projects and gifts you can make with LD. Our next two newsletters will be jam-packed with heartfelt creations for the big day, coming soon!



12 new SVG sets

Share the Love!

©2011 Inspire Graphics, Inc. - PO Box 935 - Pleasant Grove, UT 84062

Let the Giveaways Begin! (And a Layout Share)

Good morning all!  I've had a productive few days around the house clearing out some outgrown kids' clothes and scheduling the hubby to take our giant paper weight at the electronics recycling drop-off.  And my scrap room looks fabulous again!  (Next on my agenda: going through my own clothes and cleaning out the pantry!)

So, for those of us stuck at home and unable to attend CHA, I thought I'd have some giveaways to make us happy.  Be sure to check back daily through Monday for a new prize every day!  I assembled a fun little assortment of goodies for the first prize.

I'm including a D-sized stamp set from Close To My Heart (Amore), 3 bird silhouette stickers from Heidi Swapp, about 2 yards of "Be Mine" ribbon from American Crafts, a set of 3 ribbon slides from CTMH, and a mini album from CTMH.  Rules for entry are easy and as follows:
  • You must be a follower
  • Just leave a comment to enter (limit one entry per person, and make sure I have a way to contact you) 
  • Entries must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on Monday, January 31
OK, on to the layout I wanted to share.  Now that I have a clean scraproom again, I was able to finish a cute layout yesterday afternoon. I have to admit, I started this layout a couple of weeks ago.  Something about it just didn't feel right the way it was, so yesterday afternoon, I wound up peeling a bunch of circles off of my layout and replacing them with different colored circles.  I like the way it looks now MUCH better.

If you think there's something missing you're right.  I have no journaling, other than a date, on this layout.  It is my opinion that some pictures just don't require words - I think these are pretty self-explanatory, lol.  Also, a quick tip on the big butterfly - to get the multiple colors in one step, just ink up your stamp with the lighter color then "roll" the edges of the stamp through the darker stamp pad.  Easy peasy! 

I have to say, I'm really loving this Wings kit!  And for some reason, it just felt right to use butterflies with pictures of bubbles... it's probably just me...  OK, supplies used for this layout are as follows (all supplies are from Close To My Heart unless otherwise specified):
  • "Magic" pattern book (Juggling Act, pg 110)
  • Wings Paper Pack (See below to read how to save on several new products when you buy the Wings Workshop Kit.)
  • Bohemian Alphabet stamp set (title)
  • Exclusive Inks stamp pads in Sweet Leaf, Juniper, Vineyard Berry, Black, and Twilight
  • Save the Date stamp set (date in circle)
  • Just Be You stamp set ("spirograph" looking thing in Sweet Leaf circles)
  • Find Your Style, January stamp of the month set (butterfly)
  • Opaques Pearl Adhesive Gems
  • Sparkles Blue & Green Assortment
  • Foam Adhesive Tape
  • Cricut cartridges - Opposites Attract for title and George and Basic Shapes for the circles
  • I-Top brad maker from Imaginisce
A quick reminder - you have only a few more days to take advantage of the January preview specials (ends 1/31).  Here's the gist: purchase the Wings Workshop Kit at a discounted price of $29.95, and get great discounts on several stamp sets.  Plus, get your stamp of the month set free with a smaller than usual purchase this month.  You can view the complete brochure here for all the details.  If you any questions, just drop me a line through my website & I'll get back to you ASAP!

Don't forget to enter for today's prize, and check back for additional giveaways in daily posts through Monday!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

My Word for 2011...

STREAMLINE

Last year, I tried "organize", which didn't really seem to get the job done.  We have a problem with clutter, and I am just as guilty as everyone else in this house.  The problem is, that for me it causes depression (which means I overeat and gain weight, which makes me depressed...), slows me down, and makes me lose my focus.  I swear, I have NO energy anymore.  Plus, it just plain makes me mad!  I am determined to conquer the clutter this year, streamlining our household, change the way I do things, whatever it all entails.  I want to be in a happy place again, and this will help me do it!

I was actually inspired by an article I saw inline at the grocery store.  A woman last year blogged about her attempt to remove 500 pounds of clutter from her home in one year, and she managed to succeed!  I'm currently trying to find a home for a non-working TV, which would probably get me a good chunk of the way there, lol, but I'm not setting a specific number goal.  This is like weight-loss for me -- I'll do better if I keep working on it until I feel better about it and I don't know where that is yet.  I do hope to track some progress, and even share it here, but success is not about a number for me.  And I'm starting with that 50 pound behemoth in my living room -- as soon as I'm done here, I'm off to find a place with electronics collection going on soon, then I'll assign my hubby a honey-do task to get it there!  Because if I have to take it myself, I will be a very unhappy camper.

To this end, I will be blogging "light" for a couple of weeks while I tackle a couple of timely projects around here.  Besides the TV, I'm currently cleaning my craft room, hoping to keep things more organized this time around and actually get some stuff used up!  This week, I hope to tackle the pile of outgrown kids clothes and my closet for the consignment store and/or Goodwill again.  I actually just made two trips to Goodwill last month, but it really wasn't much in the way of size, and I need to make a habit of getting things there more regularly!  So at least until the craft stuff is in a usable condition, you probably won't be seeing any posts of new projects.  Hopefully I'll be back crafting by the end of the week!

But take heart!  I do have plenty of giveaways planned, starting this Thursday.  I can't afford a trip to CHA right now, and I know most of the rest of you can't go either for one reason or another.  So to make us all feel better, I'm giving stuff away!  And as an added benefit to ME, I'm getting a few more things out of my house.  I'm sure my hubby will be happy!

Monday, January 24, 2011

2011 Color of the Year

Did you know that Pantone announces a Color of the Year every year?  That's right, the people who are the first AND last word in color have given us what promises to be the most popular color in home and fashion this year.  And we all know how paper crafting follows these trends, right?  So, this year's color is RGB 203-101-134:



I know, that is quite a bright shade of pink!  But you can be sure to find similar shades in many scrapbook lines this year, and boy do they look great.  As an example, let me give you a little sneak peek of some products from Close To My Heart that will be available beginning February 1.


Announcing Sweetheart!  Actually darker than it seems here because of the specific papers used, this paper pack features the colors Baby Pink, Black, Cotton Candy, and Tulip.  Coordinating MyStickease includes loving sentiments and titles, along with hearts, flowers, brackets, and more.  The Sweetheart Workshop Kit contains the paper pack, a sweet exclusive stamp set, a Sweetheart assortment of 32 epoxy stickers in black with white polka dots, and a workshop guide, all at the discounted price of $29.95.


Presenting Sophia!  Named for Close To My Heart founder Jeanette Lynton's new granddaughter, these papers are full of fun flowers, stripes, dots, and phrases.  Featured colors are Blush, Goldrush, Hollyhock, and Pear.  (Hollyhock happens to be one of my favorite CTMH colors; it's the "perfect pink"!)  Coordinating MyStickease contain flowers, borders, and flourishes, and a great title piece.  The Sophia Workshop Kit contains the paper pack, the exclusive Sophia stamp set, a pink button assortment, Colonial White Waxy Flax, and a workshop guide, all for the discounted price of $29.95.


Return to Mayberry!  These pretty paper designs hearken back to a simpler time, including a quilted looking pattern and a slightly aged feel.  Coordinating MyStickease images include a cruiser bike, clouds, a kite, pennants, fruit & more, plus possible titles of Life is beautiful and Life's little Moments.  The Mayberry Workshop Kit includes a paper pack, an exclusive Mayberry stamp set, a package of canvas badge buttons, and a workshop guide, all for the discounted price of $29.95.

Other new products full of pink charm are the Sophia Journaling Spots, Pink Assortment Brads, and Pink Collection Ribbon (featuring the most beautiful flower ribbon EVER).  Be watching as February 1st approaches for more previews of Sweetheart, plus see the prettiest ribbon in the Pink Collection for the first time!

The online catalog is not available until February 1st, so if you NEED to see it sooner be sure to contact me to get your own copy!  While we wait, think PINK, and don't forget about the great January special promotion including the new Wings Workshop Kit.  You can view January's Inspiration brochure here and check it out for yourself.  Ready to order?  Be sure to visit my website for the fastest service, or email me for more information.  Need to see more ideas using January's new products?  You can see my earlier blog posts here and here.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Scrap'n Tote Sale This Weekend!

"Customer Appreciation" Sale This Weekend! 
Pink Scrap'n tote  
PINK & GREEN SCRAP'N TOTE
20% Off Jan 21-23 

Scrap'n Tote, in both Green and PInk, will be on sale this weekend for 20% off. 

The sale runs Friday through Sunday, Jan. 21st - 23rd  Use Coupon Code: THANKYOU

Scrap'n Easel will "not" be included in this sale.

Head on over to check out the sale!  While you're there, be sure to enter the "Spring Is In The Air" Cricut Imagine Giveaway!

If the shoe fits... (a few more details)

Just dropping in to give you a few more details on the layout I posted on Wednesday.  Hop on over to the Cutters Creek blog for the post that links you right to products in the Cutters Creek store!

Here's a reminder shot of the entire layout:





And here's a closeup of the title/journaling area:




And  the top of the page:




My two favorite things on this layout are the Steampunk papers (I find something new to love every time I use them!) and the Title font.  If you love the font too, be sure to come back the end of next week and watch for some blog candy!  I have an extra Nursery Rhymes cartridge I'll be giving away, along with some other goodies, for those of us who are unable to attend CHA.  I have to say, I didn't think I needed this cartridge, but the font alone tipped the scales for me during the recent Michael's clearance!  And I was able to get an extra one, since I was sure someone would look at this and kick themselves for not buying it.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Cricut Circle Weekly Challenge #16 - If the shoe fits...

This week on the Circle blog is a sketch challenge.  The requirements include using at least 2 cuts from any Cricut cartridge, stamping, and buttons along with the sketch.  The challenge is open to Cricut Circle members only.  Here's the sketch:





I don't normally create single-page layouts, but I thought this one would be good for a little "about me" page with pics of my new shoes.



I'll have full details on Friday, both here & on the Cutters Creek blog, but for now here are a few little tidbits:
My title is cut from the font on Nursery Rhymes, welded together on my Gypsy; and my gears are from the Robotz cartridge.  I stamped on my Sorbet cardstock using D1412 Noted Backgrounds, and designs on my gear cuts using D1257 Make It Count and D1330 Connections, using Chocolate ink.  I included Sorbet buttons with my cardstock gears, stamped gears, brass gears & brads, and I-rock crystals.  Here's a closeup:




*All stamps & ink are from Close To My Heart.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Steampunk Shadowbox

This is my project for the Cutters Creek Design Team blog today.  For full details and some closeups,  head over there and check it out!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Cricut Circle Magazine Challenge - Thrift Store Finds!

I just love this month's Circle Magazine challenge!  It's all about upcycling a thrift store find, and I love a good thrift store.  Here are the rules:

"We are taking the challenge from Lisa’s Design Star Feature for our contest this month!
Find something from the thrift store to repurpose with your imagination and your Cricut Machine. Please use at least four Cricut cuts in your design."  Contest is open only to Circle members.

It may surprise some people to know that my favorite thrift store finds are usually clothes.  I find many brand-name goodies for the kids, and even items for myself.  After all, why spend full price on black pants for work?  Or jeans to wear around the house?  And I can't believe that so far, none of the entries for this contest are using clothing!  So, I found this Old Navy jean jacket that looks like it's never been worn...
You probably can't read that Goodwill price tag, but I paid a whopping $4.99 for this jacket.  So, with my handy Cricut Imagine, I got to work on a design for the back.

In order to decorate the jacket, I pulled out a sheet of Cut Color Wear from PrintOnIt.  I chose my font from the Nifty Fifties cartridge for a retro look, and colored the letters pink using the Imagine.  Following the directions in the package, I ironed the pieces on to the back of my jacket.  Then I blinged up the letters using my I-rock and clear crystals.

For the front pocket, I used OkieLadybug's Cricut Head file to cut my pieces.  (The file uses shapes from George to make this cute bug head - thanks Okie!) I sized it all down in order to fit on my pocket.  First, I had to print and cut a green square on the Imagine.  Then I used the file on my Gypsy to cute the green pieces in the square, and the white pieces in a blank area of the Cut Color Wear.  I added I-rock clear crytals to his eyes, and green crystals to the ends of his antennae.

I'm thinking I still want to add something in the center of the back, but I'm waiting for the next new Circle cartridge, since there are lots of good scrappy images on it!  For now, I like it the way it is.

New Product Announcement from Scrap'n Tote

I received an exciting email from the makers of Scrap'n Tote yesterday.  They are introducing a new product that I personally can't wait to get my hands on!  Here are a few details - to see more, just click the picture to be taken to their website.




Disclaimer: I am an affiliate for Scrap'n Tote, but product opinions are my own.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Cricut Circle Weekly Challenge #15

I actually had time to complete this week's Circle Challenge!  Here are the rules:
"Brrrr! Winter is in full swing over many parts of the country . . . but even if it is warm where you are, you can use Winter-inspired elements to fuel your creative juices on your next Cricut project. We challenge you to incorporate white paint, metal, and a snowflake cut on your project this week.
Project must be newly created for this challenge and must include atleast 2 different cuts from any Cricut cartridge to qualify. This challenge is open to Cricut Circle Members only."


My two Cricut cuts are both from the Graphically Speaking cartridge.  I cut the regular snowflake at 3" from American Crafts glitter cardstock (this is currently my favorite "bling" product).  Then I cut the blackout snowflake at 3.25" from Grey Wool cardstock (all CS in this card is from Close To My Heart).  I changed the size in order to give a little more definition between the layers.  My Twilight CS panel was embossed using a Cuttlebug snowflake embossing folder.  Then, I painted a layer of white paint on the bottom of a shallow tray, and laid my embossed panel in it face down into the paint.

My sentiment stamp is from Unity Stamp Company, my stamping ink (in Twilight) is from Close To My Heart, and my metal washer-type eyelet is from Stampin' Up.

Creative Space Linky Party

Need some ideas for organizing your creative space?  Bella B is hosting a linky party with plenty of ideas for you - or share your space with her.  I posted my space about a year ago, and it hasn't changed much, other than being messier, so rather than repost the entire thing, I'll just post the first picture, and you can go visit my original post here if you're interested.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Balloon Craze Layout With Make The Cut

UPDATE: the Balloon Craze SVGs are no longer free.  Select files are free for a limited time on Lettering Delights, so if you see something priced $0 make sure you "buy" it and download it ASAP!  Balloon Craze is now $5, which IMHO is still a good deal - there are 15 super cute images included in the set!
____________________________________________________________________________________

Well, THAT took longer than planned!  I was honestly hoping to have this layout done by Thursday but I had a small technical issue and an almost 6-year-old who refused to let me work for more than 10 minutes at a time.  Add in some errands that I will only do while he's in school, and my perfectionist nature, and this has dragged into a 4 day affair!  But oh was it worth the wait.  Here's the "outside" of the finished layout:
The entire layout was completed using the Splendor paper packet and additional cardstock from Close To My Heart, and uses the One-Way Mirror pattern from their Magic scrapbook sketch pattern book.  All of the designs were cut using the (currently free) Balloon Craze SVGs from Lettering Delights and Make The Cut software, and the title was cut using some True Type fonts and Make The Cut.  I also added some Glam Rocks using my I-rock tool from Imaginisce.

Here are some detail shots of my layout, followed by a little tutorial for cutting detailed images like this in smaller sizes.

This is the right page of my layout, opened up.  I had more pictures than would fit in a normal layout, so I made it interactive using CTMH's Flip Flaps 12" Assortment.  On the base layout, I cut my pictures 4" tall and created a 2x11 journaling area above them.  Then I cut a 6x12 piece of cardstock and duplicated the papers from the base layout on both sides.  I decided the position of my remaining photos and trimmed them to size.  The entire thing is then placed in a 6x12 Flip Flap, and the Flip Flap is then adhered in place on the outside of the Memory Protector holding the base layout.

You can really make your cuts "pop" with a couple of simple things.  After cutting your different colors, use coordinating ink and a sponge dauber to edge all of your pieces; this gives them a little extra dimension.  Add a little bling or shine to details, like my added Glam Rocks here, or some Stickles, rhinestones, etc.  Finally, pop up an entire assembled design like this balloon, or just a portion of a design.

Don't limit yourself to the entire design in an SVG file.  I made this pennant border using a portion of one of the balloon files.  I deleted all the other pieces from my virtual mat in MTC, then using the remaining pieces I made copies, mirrored images, and welded the base pieces together to create the entire border.

Create a more lifelike scene using the appearance of perspective.  I repeated the balloon imagery on the right page in a smaller size to give these balloons the appearance of being farther away.  You can skip the details like inking edges on smaller images because you don't see those things when you're farther away.

Smaller images with details like this can be a challenge to assemble, but I have a method I use to speed things up a little and make it considerably easier to assemble.

There is a great feature in MTC where you can change the color of the pieces you are going to cut.  Make sure you click the item, then right-click and choose Change Color/Texture > Select Color.  Then pick a color - I like to choose colors close to the actual paper colors I will be cutting.  Since I was cutting 3 images, I made three rows of pieces, keeping the pieces with the image they came from.  (Except the black & White, simply because I didn't have room to put the extra color on the same line, and those are easy pieces to tell which design they come from.)  Next I move the pieces around within the row, so that each color lines up in a single column.  (Note: I moved the light blue pieces up because I had a smaller scrap I needed to use.)  Finally, I got out my mat and put my paper on it following the colors on my virtual mat.

That means load the mat into the Expression once, and cut once.  WAY easy!
After cutting, I leave the pieces on the mat and just remove the "outside" cardstock scraps.  The pieces don't get lost because they're stuck on the mat.  I just peel them off one at a time to assemble the images.

I hope this helps you speed up your assembly of paper piecings!  Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

New (and FREE) SVGs at Lettering Delights!

For all you Cricut users out there with either Make The Cut or SCAL software:

Check out these cute hot air balloon and related SVG files!  And as of this posting, they are currently FREE on the Lettering Delights website!  Just hop on over, add them to your cart, create an account and they're yours free.  Easy downloads, easy installs.  I can't wait to use these, and I'm off right now to find the pictures that are perfect for these images...

Magic with Make The Cut

Well, I've been sick for about the last 30 hours or so.  And of course hubby went back to work today, so the kids were being very annoying, considering I really just wanted to sleep and they really just wanted to talk very loudly 2 inches from my face.  I have this trick I use when I get annoyed by the kids - I scrapbook pictures from when they were younger and sweeter!  So today I managed to finish a layout with these pictures from 2006, just after my oldest turned 5.  Back before she became a screamer who smarts off to me.  It helps to remember those days sometimes, lol.


I love the way this layout turned out, and thanks to the patterns in the Magic book and my handy Make The Cut software, getting the pieces cut was fabulously easy.  Magic is a pattern book for 2-page layouts from Close To My Heart.  My favorite part of this book is that there are tips & instructions for movable pages.  I opted not to use any on this page, but I can easily add some hidden journaling behind my focal point photo using the instructions in the book.  The partial circle and scalloped border are even included on a CD included with the book - every shaped piece in every pattern in the book are on the CD.  They come as PDF files to print that you can then cut, but I made it even easier on myself!  Using Make The Cut software for my Cricut Expression, I imported the PDF files for these two pieces into MTC and saved them on a single virtual mat (since they are cut from the same paper).  This literally took less than 5 minutes!  Plus, since I saved the file off, I can just pull it up next time I want to use this same design.  To import a PDF in MTC, just click on File > Import > Vector PDF File.  Then you choose your file and voila!  Some of the larger pieces need to be straightened once in MTC - this is because they were designed to be printed on 8.5x11 paper, so they're at an angle.

Now, on to the details of the supplies I used.  I took advantage of the special offers in the Inspirations brochure this month, and ordered the Wings Workshop Kit.  Once the kit is ordered, all of the stamp sets in the brochure can be ordered at a nice discount.  Plus, ordering any 4 items from the brochure in addition to the kit means the stamp of the month set is free!  So most items on this layout are from the new brochure.  In addition to the kit, I used the following items:
 To see the areas where I used the foam tape, here are a couple of close-ups.  Just popping up an element here and there really adds to the design.

I'm linking up to the party at http://www.fabulouslyartsy.com/2011/01/inspirations-blog-hop.html  - If you want to see more Inspiring ideas from this month's special brochure, hop on over and check out some of the other entries as well!

    Saturday, January 1, 2011

    January Inspirations

    Close To My Heart Independent ConsultantJanuary 2011
    In This Issue
    Stamp of the Month Blog Hop
    January Inspirations

    Blog Hop!
    Do you need some "inspiration" for using the January stamp of the month set?  Head over to my blog, and hop through some of the 50+ ideas for using this beautiful stamp set!


    Quick Links

    Join My Mailing List
    Dear Friend,

    Welcome to 2011!  I hope the new year holds wonderful things in store for all of us!  I can already say that it's true where Close To My Heart is concerned.  There are some big changes coming this year, most of all the switch to only two catalogs per year. 

    This will actually make it easier for those of us who need to budget, as we'll now have 6 months to spread out our spending, and 8 great new lines to choose from in each catalog.  The next catalog is not "live" until February, so read on below  how CTMH is giving us a sneak peek and awesome savings during January!

    Sincerely,

    Lori Brown
    Close To My Heart Independent Consultant
    815-478-5119

    January Inspirations
    Special Offers and Big Savings During January!

    SNEAK A PEEK AT GREAT SPRING/SUMMER 2011 IDEA BOOK products-including amazing deals on new stamp sets and the January Stamp of the Month when you buy the new Wings Workshops on the Go™ kit!

    All of our Workshops on the Go kits come with paper, accessories, and an exclusive stamp set designed specifically for the workshop projects.
    A new workshop kit is available each month
    at a discount off of the full retail value.

    During the month of January, when you purchase a Wings
    Workshops on the Go kit, you can get:
    · The stamp sets featured in the Inspirations Brochure at a deep discount
    · The January Stamp of the Month set at a substantial discount or even FREE!

    Find out all the details about these spectacular savings by checking out our Inspirations brochure!

    Celebrate National Papercrafting Month in January with a new My Creations® banner project. The instructions are included with the Wings Workshops on the Go™ kit in January only!


    About Your Close To My Heart Independent Consultant
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    Close To My Heart Independent Consultant
    25340 Shannon Dr
    Manhattan, Illinois 60442
    815-478-5119

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