CTMH Love Birds meets Basic Grey's Max and Whiskers

Do you ever have one of those cards that you REALLY like the way it turned out and want to recreate it using completely different papers, stamp sets, and embellies?  Well I do and I sat down today to re-create it using the SUPER CUTE papers from Max and Whiskers by Basic Grey.

Because I kept the sketch and the placement of the embellies the same as my other card, this card took me NO time at all to put together.  I just LOVE it when that happens!  Without further ado......

As you can tell from the picture, I used Clear Detail Embossing Powder with Versa Mark over the image stamped in Cocoa.  I just like the subtle dimension that using the embossing powder gives the image.  Another thing I did to create dimension was to stamp the birdies on Creme Brulee CS, cut them out and pop dot them to the cage.

Supplies used: 

Paper: Basic Grey Max and Whiskers, CTMH Cocoa CS, Colonial White CS and Sunset CS 

Stamp Set: CTMH Love Birds

Inks: Cocoa for distressing and stamping, Sunset marker for coloring in.

Embellishments: Lagoon Ribbon and Brads from the Mini Medley, and  Just Blooms Spring Blossom

My card base came from the CTMH 50 Cards and Envelopes for just $14.95 (awesome deal!)

Thanks SO much for stopping by today!!

I hope that this has inspired you to re-create some of YOUR favorite cards from the past!!  Don't forget that if you want to see any of the images up close all you have to do is click on it and it SUPER SIZES it for you for FREE!!  lol

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!!

Jen

I forgot how much I LOVE Basic Grey paper!

Happy Monday All!!!  A few weeks ago I was over at Archiver's checking out all the fun new papers and embellishments that are out right now.  I don't remember the last time I bought anything other than CTMH products to "play" with.  So when I saw these SUPER cute papers from Basic Grey, I just HAD to have them!

 I don't know about you all.......BUT sometimes a card will take ME a few days to complete.  You know......choosing the paper......deciding on just the right embellishments........picking out the perfect stamp set that speaks to you and the paper that you choose........THEN finding a sketch to follow.  Once I have all that down, I start playing.  There are times that I cut, then re-cut a different color of CS or a different pattern of paper.....adhere paper then immediately take it off, trying to reposition it and NOT to tear the paper below!  lol  I have had to walk away from a card and go back to it the next day with a fresh outlook........

BUT this card took me NO time at all to create!  That is not saying that I did not have to stamp and color the image 2 times or change out one patterned paper for another........take time to find JUST the right button size and color.  It just took LESS time doing all of that than normal.

The bear is stamped in Cocoa then stamped again in VersaMark and embossed with Clear Detail Embossing Powder.  I stamped him on Watercolor Paper that I purchased from Hobby Lobby a while back.  I then used my Blending Pen and CTMH markers to color him in and found that the blending pen worked a bit better using the watercolor paper versus cardstock.  The cardstock started to break down when I used the blending pen where the watercolor paper is meant for just that.....getting it wet.  Clear as mud??  LOL

Supplies Used: CTMH (unless noted)

Paper: Basic Grey Pyrus 6x6 paper pad, Colonial White CS, Cocoa CS and Watercolor Paper

Stamp Set: Beary Busy

Inks: VersaMark, Cocoa Ink (distressing and stamping) and Autumn Terracotta, Goldrush, Twilight, Garden Green Markers

Embellishments: Cocoa Buttons, White Hemp, Clear Detail Embossing Powder

Tools: Wishes Card Program, Heat Gun

Thanks SO much for stopping by!!

I hope that this has inspired you to break out of your paper rut and try something new!  

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!!

Jen

SUPER CUTE Gingerbread Man and Snowman Boxes!

Happy Thursday All!!  One more day till the weekend!!  WOOT WOOT  Yes, I have finished my first cup of coffee for the day and starting on my 2nd.......lol  Life would not be as much fun if my morning coffee was taken away from me.

I, like many of you, am always on the hunt for fun paper projects and techniques.  Well, Vicki W. posted this SUPER CUTE snowman box that she found Lisa Young's blog.  After seeing Vicki's snowman, I hopped on over the the blog that she found her inspiration and found a few MORE SUPER CUTE boxes!  Lisa created a Gingerbread Man, Santa, Penguin, Reindeer and a Snowman made from punches and the Fancy Favor Box die cut.

So, after seeing Lisa's and Vicki's boxes, I decided to scraplift and make the 2 that I had the supplies for!  As soon as my SU!  order comes, I will be making one of those super cute Penguin's too.  But for now, here are my Snowman and my Gingerbread Man.......

For my snowman nose, I cut apart a paper flower and sponged it with Sunset Ink.  I adhered it with a pop dot in the round end of the nose for dimension.

The gingerbread man uses Brown Bag CS and is inked with Chocolate Ink.  I think it gives a great contrast and makes it look like the Gingerbread Man was cooked just right with nicely browned edges.

If you do not have the Fancy Favor Box die from SU!, Vicki W. as SO VERY KINDLY posted dimensions to create the box without having to purchase the die.  The box is super easy to put together.....I know, I created 10 snowmen and 10 gingerbread men!

The directions for each of these little guys can be found in the links above on Lisa's blog.

Supplies used:
Paper: White Daisy CS, Brown Bag CS, Baby Pink CS, Colonial White CS, Black CS and Cranberry CS
Inks: Chocolate, Baby Pink, Black and Cranberry.  Black Marker was used for smile and White Gel Pen used for eyes.
Enbellishments: Cranberry Ribbon, Colonial White Ric Rac, Outdoor Denim Ribbon, Colonial White Bigger Brads, Cranberry Buttons, Big Pinks Just Blooms and White Hemp.
Tools: 1/2 in. punch, 1 inch punch, Circle Nestabilities

Thanks SO much for stopping by!!

I hope that this has inspired you to make a few of these super cute boxes!  I plan on putting some candy in bags to put inside the boxes and giving them to my son's teachers and the office staff at the school.

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!!

Jen

Covered Notebooks Using Mistletoe

Hello My Fellow Scrappers, Stampers and Paper Crafters!!  I hope that you all have had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a safe productive Black Friday!  Although my family and I do not celebrate the holidays, we did have a nice day off together.  We just hung out, went to go see "Unstoppable" and ate homemade Chicken and Noodles with Mashed Potatoes.  YUMMM!!  I am NOT a shopper, so Black Friday is the LAST day of the year that you will find me at ANY store.  LOL

So, instead of spending the day shopping, I spent my day trying to catch up with a few items that I need to make before the craft fair that my friend Val and I are a vendor at.  We are just going to have a few handmade items such as decorated nugget tins, gift card holders, the snowmen tic-tac holders, covered notebooks, and some yummy food that Val is making.

I thought I would share with you a few of the covered notebooks that I have made.  I dug out some of our older paper packs like "Aspen", "Jingle", and "Just Chillin'" to decorate my other notebooks.  For these, I of course used "Mistletoe".

If you LOVE these little covered pads, you can find them at Papertrey Ink .  All other accessories, inks and papers can be found on my website www.lovinscrappin.myctmh.com !

Supplies Used: 

Paper: "Mistletoe" Level 2 Paper Pack

Stamps: All the Best (Mistletoe WOTG), A Sip

Inks: Cocoa, New England Ivy, Cranberry

Embellishments: Red Sparkles, Clear Sparkles, "Mistletoe" Level 2 Assortment, Cranberry Ribbon, Colonial White Ribbon, Pearl Opaques,

Tools: Stardust Pen (non ctmh) Notepads from Papertrey Ink

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit!

I hope that this has inspired you to check out these super cute Notepads and whip yourselves up a few.  

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!

Jen

Gift Card Holder Inspired by Tresa Black......

Happy Tuesday!!  I wanted to share with you all the SUPER CUTE gift card holder that Tresa Black made on one of her live you stream shows a few weeks back.  I LOVED everything about it, so used the same stamp set "A Timber" as she did to create the dimensional tree.

This is a GREAT project for ANY occasion!  I am patiently waiting for CTMH's Spring/Summer Idea Book to come out so I can make a few more of these using the brand spanking new products!

Until then.....I have pulled out a couple of retired paper packs to create my holder.  If you LOVE the papers, you might be able to find them on ebay......  The stamp set is current and available as are the sparkles that I used on each tree.

If you would like the dimensions and to watch a how-to video, check out Tresa's blog!

Supplies used: 

Paper: "Aspen" and "Just Chillin' "

Stamps: A Timber

Inks: Outdoor Denim, Lagoon and Vineyard Berry

Embellishments: Creme Brulee Ribbon and Sparkles

Tools: Soft Set Eyelet Tool, SU! Border Punch, Martha Stewart Border Punch, 1 1/4 SU! Circle Punch, Trimmer with Scoring Blade

Thanks for stopping by!!

I hope that this has inspired you to make a few of these for any occasion!

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!

Jen

16 Card Mistletoe Workshop

Back in September, I attended a craft fair as a vendor to showcase Close to my Heart products.  Well, we had a pretty good crowd in the morning, but in the afternoon the Huskers had a football game that was not only televised BUT was also playing at home.  That meant that everyone started heading either home or to Lincoln around noon.

The reason I am telling you all this is because I had brought with me the supplies to put together 16 cards using a cutting guide that came with the Everyday Celebration Card Kit that was a special about a year or more ago.  So, I cut and assembled all 16 cards that day and finished them 2 weeks ago at a crop that I attended.

I just LOVED the way they turned out!  The photos really do not do them justice as in person they sparkle.  Again, if you would like to see it up close and personal, just click on the picture!

The card above uses the Star Dust Glitter Pen for the steam coming up from the cup.  I used Cocoa Ink 2nd generation and then the glitter pen over the top of it.

If you click on the card above to view it larger, you will see there are bitty Pearl Opaques dotted on the tree.  Kind of hard to see the little details from these photos.

The card above uses the November Stamp of the Month "A Little Thanks".  I am LOVING this set!!  

The ornaments are from the Mistletoe Workshop on the Go Kit on page 25 of the Autumn/Winter 2010 Idea Book.  The stamp set is only available for purchase with the WOTG kit until January 31st 2011.

Supplies used: All CTMH and available!

Paper: Mistletoe Level 2 Paper Pack

Stamps: A Timber, Jingle Borders, A Sip, Stamp set from Mistletoe WOTG Kit, A Little Thanks (November Stamp of the Month)

Inks: New England Ivy, Cranberry and Cocoa

Embellishments: Colonial White Ribbon Collection, Cranberry Ribbon Collection, Bitty Sparkles, Sparkles, Pearl Opaques, Pink/Red Sparkles

Tools: Star Dust Glitter Pen, Pop Dots and Glue Dots

Thanks SO much for stopping by!!'

I hope that this has inspired you in one way or another.  Maybe it will inspire you to get your Christmas cards done if you have not already.  Maybe it will inspire you to get out your Sparkles and Pearl Opaques and USE them!  LOL  OR Maybe it will inspire you to get out your stamps and just play......

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!!

Jen

Buttons on Side Bar Have Changed...... NEW LINKS ADDED

I wanted to let you all know that I have made a few changes to the icons on my side bar.  A few of you have let me know that you were not sure where to go to find my website to do a little shopping with me.  SO, I have changed all of my side bar photos to link directly to various parts of my website.

The Autumn/Winter 2010 Idea Book links directly to shop on my site.  If you would like to see the actual Idea Book, you can go to the Products section of my website and it will direct you to all current Idea Books.

The Studio J will direct you to the Studio J site, via my website.  Give it a try for FREE......like what you create?  You have the choice of purchasing the Layouts in several different ways.  Check it out to find out how COOL Studio J is!  

The How To Books  will link you directly to purchase the books.  Cherish, Imagine, Reflections and Magic are AWESOME books that show you step by step how to create timeless Layouts for your scrapbook pages!  Magic goes a step further by showing you how to create INTERACTIVE pages in addition to traditional pages.

The Wishes book will link you to purchase that book.  If you are a card maker then I HIGHLY recommend either Wishes OR Originals Card Programs.  Wishes is a great book for multi-card cutting dimensions.  It has 3 in all.  Originals has classic card sketches and ideas that are perfect for any occasion.

The PH. D.  Certified Badge will direct you to more info on joining my team "Creativity in Motion".  If you LOVE the products as I do, then you might want to consider becoming a consultant for Close to my Heart!!  I signed up 4 1/2 years ago and LOVE the opportunities that I have had with this business.  Close to my Heart is truly an AMAZING company and I am PROUD to be a part of it, even if it is a small part! 

LASTLY....the  Book a Party with ME directs you to the same pages as the Badge.  If you would like to host a Home Party or a Book Party, contact me to find out more details.  My home parties are SO much fun!  You have the choice for you and your guests to create a card OR a scrapbook page.  I have fun games and great prizes too.  The best part is you can host at YOUR house or MINE!  

I hope that this has helped those of you who would like to shop with me, party with me or join my team!  

Thanks SO much for stopping by!  

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!

jen

3 Ring Binder Mini Album using Mistletoe

I found the instructions to create this Mini Album on Tresa Black's Blog, then followed all 5 you tube videos to make the interactive pages including instructions on how to make the super cool "ruffled ribbon".  This is the link to her first video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuk-h8NUzuY

I was SO excited to find that I still had my 3 Ring Binder that I purchased when they first became available through Close to my Heart!!  I knew that it was a cool mini album, just did not realize the potential that it had!  Thanks to Tresa for seeing the potential and MORE, I have a super cute gift!

Thanks SO much Tresa for your videos and the detailed instructions to make this!  I LOVE the way it turned out and can't wait to make more!  


If you want to see any of these photos closer, all you need to do is click on it and you will have a LARGE and DETAILED view of each page.......

                                                                        Front Cover

Up close of the trees.....

Front Inside and Page 1

Pages 2 and 3

Page 2 insert......

Pages 4 and 5

Page 5 insert....

Pages 6 (insert) and 7

Pages 8 and 9

Pages 10 and 11

Page 11 Flip Flap (please excuse the ribbon showing through...)

Page 12 and back inside.....

Back Cover

  If you would also like to make one of these, check out  Tresa's videos on her Youtube account!  I can see this made into SO many different events....baby shower/new baby, brag book, vacation book, graduation book, and yes of course, Christmas book.......

Supplies used: 

Paper: Mistletoe Level 2 Paper Pack (I used 1/2 pack for this album)

Stamps: A Timber and Snow Flurries

Inks: Cocoa, New England Ivy, Cranberry

Embellishments: Mistletoe Level 2 Assortment, Sparkles, Colonial White Ric Rac, Colonial White Ribbon and Cranberry Ribbon

Tools: Soft Set Eyelet Tool, Sandpaper, Sponges, Scoring Blade or stylus.

Thanks SO much for stopping by!!

Hope this has inspired you to get out your supplies, or purchase the needed ones and create one of these albums for yourself or a friend!!  

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!!

jen

Cute little tic-tac holder......

A couple of years ago I came across the directions for this cute little tic-tac holder.  A CTMH consultant had posted hers using this darling snowman with his belly punched out to see the inside of the tic-tacs.  Each year around this time, I get out the current "winter" papers and re-make it.  This year I discovered that I could use a SU! 3/4 inch punch instead of cutting it out by hand.

To make this you will need the following:

1) 3 x 4 1/2 CS
1) 3 x 4 1/2 Patterned Paper
1) 1 3/4 x 2 3/4 CS (image front)
Score at 2 and 2 1/2
Ribbon is adhered between the CS and the Patterned Paper.

Supplies used: 

Paper: Mistletoe, Magnifique, Cranberry CS, Sky CS, Colonial White CS and White Daisy CS

Stamp Set: Snow Friends

Inks: Sky, Cranberry, Black and coordinating CTMH markers

Embellishments: Colonial White Ribbon, White Daisy Ribbon, Glue Pen and Prisma Glitter

Tools: Corner Rounder and SU! 3/4 inch punch

Thanks SO much for stopping by!!

Hope this inspires you to make a few of these for your friends and family!  What a fun way to tell a friend they have bad breath!  LOL

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!!

jen

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge, Heart 2 Heart,Papercraft Star and Color Me Monday

It has been a while since I have played with any of the sketch challenges lately.  So, I sat down this afternoon and checked out the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge and Color Me Monday on Jeanette Lynton's blog.  Heart 2 Heart Challenges and Papercraft Star are also holding challenges and my card fit in to BOTH of those as well.  Heart 2 Heart Challenges is having an embossing challenge while Papercraft Star is accepting Thank You submissions.  So what the heck?  I entered this little owl in the 3 that I could!

I REALLY liked the sketch and loved the colors that Jeanette picked for this week.  I have yet to get out all of the NEW colors that were introduced in the Autumn/Winter 2010 Idea Book and thought it would be fun to play with them.

If you would like to play along with the sketch challenge, click on the Mojo Monday banner on my sideline.  The colors for the Color Me Monday were Gypsy, Pear, Lagoon and Cotton Candy.  I ended up using just the Pear and Lagoon on my card, so may end up playing a bit more with the other colors in the challenge.

Supplies used:
Paper: ALL CARDSTOCK Lagoon, Pear, Black and White Daisy (no wonder it is so heavy!)
Stamps: Say it in Style, Hot Diggity
Inks: Black, Pear and Lagoon
Embellishments: Lagoon Sparkles (blue and green sparkles assortment) Black Ribbon, Lagoon Mini Medley Accents and Black Hemp.
Tools: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder and Nestabilities, 3/4 Circle SU! Punch

Thanks for stopping by!!

Hope this has inspired you to play along with some of the challenges out there!  It is a lot of fun and helps stretch your creativity a bit!

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!

Jen

Product Highlight: Foundry Flourishes

I have to be honest with you, I was not a huge fan of the metal embellishments that CTMH has come out with in the past.  I LOVED all the ideas in the Idea Books that the art dept. created to showcase the embellishments.  BUT when it came time for ME to use them in my art, I just could not get creative enough.  

But there is something different and super cool about these Foundry Flourishes in the Autumn/Winter 2010 Idea Book.  I love the flowers with the leaves and the frame that comes with it can be used as an accent on a scrapbook page, card or a paper project.  

Here is a card that I had actually created for our last unit meeting.  I volunteered to come up with projects using the stamp set In the Month of November.  This card was created to showcase the stamps in the set.  

I think that a lot of times, the embellishments in the Idea Books get overlooked.  This is one embellishment that should NOT be overlooked!  They are SO reasonable too.  You get a package for only $4.95.  You get 13 pieces for that price too!  Make sure that you check out the Autumn/Winter 2010 Idea Book online.  You will find them featured with the Olivia paper pack and also on page 92.  

Supplies used: 

Paper: Olivia Level 2 Paper Pack ($12.95)

Stamp Set: In the Month of November ($22.95)

Inks Used: Cocoa and Barn Red ($5.25 each)

Embellishments: Natural Hemp ($2.25) Cocoa Grosgrain Ribbon (bulk $6.95) Foundry Flourishes ($4.95) Mocha Opaques ($2.95)

Tools used: Sandpaper ($3.50), Originals Card Program ($21.95)

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Hope this has inspired you to head to the back of the Idea Book and check out all the AWESOME embellishments that Close to my Heart makes to match PERFECTLY with your papers, inks and stamps!!

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!

jen

October Group Pages Using Hooligans

Hey ALL!  I wanted to share the pages that we created this month using the Hooligans paper pack.  I was pretty thrilled with the way these turned out!  I just need to add journaling, somehow, somewhere,  and they will be complete.

The first 2 pages came from the Hooligans Workshop on the Go Kit brochure.  The 2nd set of pages came from the optional 2 pages that CTMH chose to go along with the WOTG kit.  The final pages were created by little 'ol me using the Magic Scrapbook Program.  LOVE it!!

The letters for the word MUSEUM are all Monogram Dimensional Elements.  Each letter comes in a pack of 9 different styles of the same letter and is only $3.95.  At convention this last summer, CTMH had all of the art from the Autumn/Winter Idea Book and the Magic Book on display.  On a few of the LO's they showed heat embossing on the Dimensional Elements Shapes and Letters.  So, I gave it a try with Black Embossing Powder on these letters and I LOVED the way they turned out!

Supplies Used:

Hooligans Workshop on the Go Kit $29.95

Hooligans My Stickease $4.95

Hooligans Level 2 Assortment (felt monsters) $4.95

Black Ink (for distressing and stamping) $5.25

Sunset Ink $5.25

Pear Ink $5.25

Gypsy Ink $5.25

Lagoon Ink $5.25

If you would like to create the above pages, contact me to find out how!  If you would like to join one of my monthly groups, either in person OR remote, contact me!  Group is a GREAT way to get 6 pages done each month and not spend a lot of time doing so!

Thanks for stopping by!

I hope that I have inspired you to get out those Hooligans papers and have some fun!!

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!

Jen

STUDIO J.....Have you played with it yet?????

When Studio J was announced to consultants last year, I LOVED the idea of it and could not wait to be able to create pages right on my computer from ANY WHERE I had access to internet.  Especially when we were told that there would be exclusive papers and LO's that could ONLY be found on Studio J!

Well, since then I have joined the Studio J membership program and have been playing away with the awesome features and super cool LO's that are available.  With the membership when you purchase your LO's you are given jpeg files of each of your LO's.  With these I am going to be able to share my pages online!  PLUS I have downloaded a Studio J app to my iTouch so I can have the pages with me at all times to share with my friends and family!

NOW this won't replace my traditional scrapbooking/stamping and cardmaking.  BUT it will certainly supplement it.  NOT to mention that I will be able to create albums for my parents and in-laws at the SAME time!  Once I have created one 2 page LO, I can have multiples printed!  How cool is that?

With the Studio J membership I will save on the cost of each LO (50%), save on shipping (FREE one shipment per month) AND get FREE page protectors with my order!  CTMH really has made this affordable for everyone and I am SO excited to share it with you all!

Here are a few pages that I have created with my membership so far........Click on the picture to make it larger if you want to see more detail.

I have to tell you that my daughter Rachael (in the all black dress) created the above pages!  She just had her homecoming dance this last weekend and as she was showing me her pics from that night I thought about Studio J.  So, I asked if she would be interested in creating some pages using her homecoming photos and she of course said YES!  With just a bit of direction from me walking her through the process, Rachael chose her own paper, colors, and pictures.  Her favorite part of all was the black distressing on the edges of the Twilight paper.  All in all it took her less than 30 minutes to create these pages once her pictures downloaded to the server.

The above 3 pages were from a visit to the Lincoln zoo with my cousins.  This was a treat as I don't see these cousins but every 4-5 years, if we are lucky.  I LOVED the way they turned out!

Last but not least.....this was our first time eating Falafel sandwiches.  My nephew loves them and wanted the kids and I to try them too.  I LOVED them, the kids.....not so much!  I have been dying to go back and take my hubby to give it a try too.

Thanks SO much for stopping by!!  

I hope that this has inspired you to give Studio J a try!  It is FREE to sign up and create your account!  You can even create pages at no cost!  If you would like to purchase the pages that you create, you can purchase them with or without a membership.  Details are on the Studio J button on my sideline.  Check it out!!  Any questions?  Feel free to contact me!  

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!!

Jen

MORE pics taken with my macro lens........

Each time I go outside right now is like a mini adventure.  I now take my camera with me when I take my sweet Sadie out to potty.  I am looking at spiders and their webs in a whole different light......I am looking at flowers and mushrooms and bees in a way that I have never seen them before.

In my mini adventures the past couple of days, I have discovered SO many cool things!  Who knew a green tomato could be SO interesting......especially when it has rain drops still on it from the downpour this morning.

I am thinking maybe I need to start a photography blog......hhhmmm  until I completely figure it out, I will post both of my passions on this one.  I hope you enjoy getting a peek at the little things in my yard!  Tell me what you think......  I have entered one of my photos into an online outdoor photo contest.  Not holding my breath, but I figured nothing ventured, nothing gained!

A mushroom in the front yard.

See the bee in mid flight?  Totally by accident!

A green tomato that is maybe 1 inch in diameter.

A spider eating his breakfast yesterday morning.

Look closely at the dragonfly in the mulch........

Yeah, I think that I am going to go ahead and start a 2nd blog to feature my pics.  Will let you all know when it is up and running and where to find it!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  

I hope that this has inspired you to look at your outside world a bit differently too!

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!

jen