Hugs & Kisses

I really love how this card came together.  With CTMH all you have to do is grab your paper pack and start cutting.  All of the papers match perfectly.  So no more trying to find the right shade of red or pink to go with your pattern paper.  All of my embellishments match perfectly!

Supplies used are all CTMH:
Paper: Heart Strings; White Daisy CS, Sorbet CS
Stamps: Doodled Designs & XOXO
Inks: Lagoon, Cranberry
Embellishment:  Aqua Dots & Pixie Thick Twine
Other:  Chevron punch

Heartstrings Card

Here is a fun card I made using the new Heartstrings Paper Pack from the CTMH Seasonal Expressions.  Building up my stash of cards and created a bunch of fun cards using new paper!  ‪#‎jrlcreativechallenge‬

What are you creating today?

Supplies used are all CTMH:
Paper:  Heart Strings; White Daisy CS
Stamps:  Your the Bomb
Inks:  Lagoon, Whisper, Black, Sorbet
Embellishment:  Silver Sequins
Other:  Pixie thick twine

You Mean the World to Me

I have been on a roll making cards left and right.  I think this weekend I will try to create some layouts.

 

Here is another fun card that I made using the new CTMH Heartstrings Paper.  I really love how the lagoon CS brings out the pink and red of my B&T paper.

 

My goal this year is to send/give cards 'just because' to hopefully brighten someone's day and let them know that I am thinking of them.  Soon this card will go to a new home. 

 

Supplies used are all CTMH:
Paper: Heart Strings; White Daisy CS
Stamps:  You Mean the World to Me, Doodled Designs
Inks: Lagoon, Whisper, Black,
Other:  Clear sparkles - I used one of my Shin Shan markers to make it pink
Staples

Cupcake

This fun card was created using CTMH Heartstrings paper and the December SOTM.  I love having a stash of cards on hand for that special someone.  I will be posting severeal cards featuring CTMH Heartstrings paper for Valentine inspiration, stay tuned for more!  Create some beautiful cards for those special someone's in your lifte.  Give a card to someone unsuspecting and put a smile on their face.  This card was given to my friend Buffy for here birthday.  She loved it!

 


























 



Supplies used are all CTMH:
Paper: Heart Strings; White Daisy CS, Lagoon CS
Stamps:  December SOTM
Inks: Sorbet, Black, Lagoon
Embellishment:  Teal Shimmer Trim
Other:  Shin Shan markers

Picture My Life - Seaside Mini Album

When I got CTMH's Seaside Picture My Life (PML) - al a carte I was amazed at how many cards I got. 

You get:

44 – 4" × 6" Cards (2 each of 22 designs)
78 – 3" × 4" Cards (3 each of 26 designs) for the low price of $14.95. 

I created several PML layouts of my Califorian Vacation this past summer.  It was super easy and fast to put my layouts together in a snap.  Vacation photos preserved and ready to show off to my family and friends.

Now what do I do with all of the extra PML cards?

Why not create a fun mini album? 

I created this mini album using up my extra PML cards, scraps from my Seaside paper pack, and extra photos that I didn't use on my layouts.  I always take a ton of photos and print a ton as well.  So what better way to use up all of your 'extras' - mini album.

 

To bind my PML cards I used a 3 1/2 X 1" piece of Colonial White CS and scored in half. 

 

I put 2 of those together with my ATG glue gun. Then you just add your cards. I built my book by adding my CS pieces and cards as I went. Some people do the long strip and score and fan fold it back and forth. I thought the indivdual pieces was easier. I hope this makes since. I will try to post a picture to help explain later.

 

Here are some very basic visual photos I took at my desk to show how I did the binding.  Sometimes it is easier to show you with pictures vs. writing them out.  Remember I just made up a sample at my desk with scraps of paper.

 

I hope this helps explain the binding. 

 



It really didn't take a lot of time to throw this mini album together.  So use up your stash and create a fun mini album to share with your family.  This will make a great Mother's Day, Father's Day, Anniversary gift, birthday gift, you name it! 

 

I really love using the CTMH mini stapler to add demension to my layouts, cards, and now my mini albums.   

Another fun and easy way to add some fun to your projects is shimmer trim.  We have a variety of colors.  If you don't find the color you need just use your shin shan marker and color our white shimmer trim and create whatever color you want!

On the right side, above, my daughter took this fun photo of Steve and I walking on the beach.  I really love how this photo is from the back.  We had a great day at Carmel Beach.  I sure do miss going to the beach!

 

Using the 'zip strip' from the top of my paper, added some aqua dots, and now I have a fun emmbellishment for my picture.  I used some 3D tape to add demension to my embellishments as well.   

I even used the smaller PML cards as journaling spots or even for smaller photos.  This added some fun demension to my mini album and helped to use those extra cards.

Now I need to go through and do my journaling and write down some of our favorite memories.

Nothing but smiles on all of our faces.  We had such a good time in California.  I can't wait to do our next vacation.  Where to go?  Hopefully somewhere with a beach. 

I hope my mini album inspired you to create something fun using your PML cards.  You can even create the same type of mini album using your extra B&T paper and some card stock paper as well.


Till next time my crafty friends,

Lori

National Paper Crafting Month - January 2015

It's National Paper Crafting Month! Each January Close To My Heart features a fantastic exclusive special and this one is amazing in both content and value!

 For only $5 on a $50 purchase, you'll receive Year>>Noted, a beautiful kit containing exclusively designed papers, stamp set, and foil stickers! For just $5 more, you can add the My Creations Mini Book to the kit. This sweet little book contains 10 page protectors will make up a darling little photo album highlighting events of your year.

 

Contact me if you have any questions or need help ordering your exclusive kit.  I will be posting photos of my creations using this kit soon.

 

Your crafting buddy,

Lori

Hollywood Tour - CTMH Chalk It Up

Hello everyone!  Welcome to the new year!  I hope everyone had a great New Years.  I am really looking forward to 2015. 

I haven't made any resolutions, but I am continuing forward with getting healthy and fit.  I did loose about 25+ lbs and want to loose another 15+ by June.  Got to get motivated and get back up on the horse! lol

I also want to focus on having a positive attitude and being around positive people.  I am too old for the drama!

A fellow CTMH sister has words she tries to focus on each year.  So I am adopting this into my 2015 year to make myself a better person.  I am even going to use her words - 'Simplify' and 'Grateful'. 

One of the many things I am 'Grateful' to have in my life is my very own craft room.  I can easilly spend hours in there working on my layouts and cards.

Here is a layout that I created for our Hollywood Tour we took.  We rode around in a convertible van and got to see everything to include: the Hollywood sign, Hollywood Hills, Paramount Studios, Rodeo Drive - Beverly Hills, Melrose Avenue, Sunset Strip, Chinese Theatre, Walk of Fame, Dolby Theatre and several stars homes like Ellen, Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, Lucy, etc.  We really got to see a lot on our 2.5 trip.  At the end I had sunburned knees from sitting in the convertible van.  Not a good tan line!

Even though CTMH's Chalk It Up paper is more school themed I was able to utilize the star B&T paper to do a fun layout.  I also incorporated 4X6 flip flaps on both sides of my layout.  To add demension I wraped some flaxen twine around my flip flaps.

All products used to create this layout is Close to my Heart:

Chalk It Up Paper pack
Chalk It Up Assortment
Flaxen Twine
Black Striped Twill - I used my shin shan marked to color the middle in with lagoon
Teal Shimmer Trim
White Enamel Stars - I used my shin shan markers to color them lagoon and sorbet
4X6 Flip Flaps

Please contact me if you have any questions. I will be glad to answer them. 

Till next time

Happy Scrapbooking!

 

Your Creative Coach,

Lori