Back to School baby!

What better time of year to do a 12 page workshop for back to school, than September!  Using Scholastic, a bunch of goodies from the new idea book, inspiration from the new idea book and Pinterest, I came up with 12 pages of back to school goodness.  I'll share a few of my favorites now!

First, my absolute favorite of the group...inspired by the Studio J layout on page 43 of the new idea book.  Next, I have to confess to an unhealthy obsession with the notebook paper, the first step is admitting I have a problem, right?!? ;)  I used my Plantin Cricut cartridge to cut the apples.  And the Everyday Paper Dolls Cricut cartridge to cut the school bus.  Then the Token alphabet stamp set for the word "school" and the background on those letters (to make it look more like the notebook paper...remember above stated addiction to notebook paper).  And last, the A Typeface alphabet set for the remainder of letters.  Oh, and don't forget the paper clip.  I found a red one that I thought looked good with the new ruby cardstock that the apples were cut from.

The next favorite in the group...inspired by a sketch I found on Pinterest from the H2H challenges group.  You can find many more awesome sketches and challenges for cards and pages alike on their blog at www.heart2heartchallenges.blogspot.com .  I used stars in place of snowflakes for the obvious reason.  And I wanted to have a layout that wasn't 100% school related, for the odds and ends pictures during the year.  My son received a couple of awards last year while in kindergarten, and I'm thinking pics from those award ceremonies will be perfect for these pages.  Now, I must confess to yet another obsession that has blossomed since the unveiling of the new idea book...the rolodex card and notebook 'cards' that can be created with the new Artiste Cricut cartridge.  Too Stinking Cute for words!!!   That is where the little rolodex card came from on the right page.  The tag stamp on the left page came from the Vintage Type stamp set (a new favorite stamp set because of the tag, pennants and super cute letters).  The star stamps and sayings are from the Reach for the Stars stamp set.

I needed a layout that would have a big enough spot to hold his class picture, thus the LARGE 8 x 10 photo space on the left.  I found a layout in the Make if From Your Heart book (pg 30 & 31) and altered the dimensions of the left photo well, and thus altered the right page dimensions as well to line up correctly...darn OCD!  I used the Chalk Shapes for the ribbon as well as both the Artiste and Art Philosophy Cricut cartridges to create the ruby base of the ribbon, and the brackets.  Oh, and the important Chalk Marker to write on the Chalk Shape.  I LOVE the new canvas letters, and think they look beautimous on this layout.  The alphabet stamped on the 1/2 in strip across both pages came from Vintage Type stamp set.  And I topped off the layout with a few stickease and antiqued copper brads.

Can't wait to add pictures to all 12 pages!  I'm currently 27 layouts behind on my 2 layouts per week goal...this will knock it down to 21 in no time at all!  Booyah!!

Until next time...happy scrapping and paper crafting!

Back in the saddle!

So an entire summer managed to escape from me, with just a single blog post.  Not sure how that happened...might have something to do with having 2 young boys and a hubby with a new job!  At any rate, I had a fabulous summer, and am hoping to pick up the home business pace a bit with both boys in school this year!  Zach is just half day in Kindergarten, while Lucas is full day in First Grade.  We survived the first week of school, and a routine is beginning to emerge, however, the 3 day weekend threw it off a bit, so there's more hope for next week (if soccer practice doesn't kill me first)!!

For August's workshops I completed the Avonlea Card Workshop on the Go kit.  I couldn't leave it at that, so I made good use of the scraps and created a few extra cards, and a 2 page layout (using the new Make it from your Heart sketch book).  Here is what the layout looks like:

I figure the extra cards and extra layout made it an even more affordable kit to purchase.

I also made a menu for my refrigerator.  I fell in love with the cover of the Make it from your Heart book.  And figured out how they created the background, and turned it into my menu.  I also fell in love with a color scheme from another layout in the MIFYH book, and combined the two for this:

Sweet leaf, chocoate, desert sand and colonial white cardstock.  I used my favorite Liquid Glass to attach magnets to the back of some bottle caps I found at Craft Warehouse (yes, I know....gasp, contraband).  A little faux stitching, and some menu items and voila!  I attached it straight to the fridge, but one of my gals suggested putting it in a page protector and trimming off the left edge to keep it fresh.  And I suggested placing it in a shadow box, putting a 12x12 metal sheet behind it and hanging it on the wall.  Whatever floats your boat...

I've just finished up the 12 page Scholastic workshop for my September workshop.  I'll be back to share that soon, hopefully!

Father's Day cards

I found the best inspiration for a card for the hubby and father in law just in the nick of time...like the day before!  I follow another CTMH consultant's blog, and she had used the Superhero paper pack, and created an awesome, yet pretty simple card.  You can check out Paige's card here, on her blog at http://paigespaperparadise.blogspot.com/2012/06/ctmh-super-dad-card-for-fathers-day-at.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PaigesPaperParadise+%28Paige%27s+Paper+Paradise%29 .  While watching the movie Wall Street with the hubby I set about making it even simpler, and adapting to stamp sets and supplies which I already had on hand.  The guys loved their cards...here is my version.

Thanks Paige for the inspiration!

Now onto preparing next month's workshops...if only I had a mind to make up this process would be oh so much easier!!

Studio J

After getting re-hooked on Studio J back in February with the BOGO free with the 5-packs, and after my dad passed away, I decided it was time to create some more digital pages.  I went back several years and found some of my favorite digital pictures of my dad, and created a layout to hang up in my scrap room. 

And since I'm a Studio J member, I get free shipping if I order at least 4 layouts at a time.  So why not create a few Easter pages too!  I didn't have a gazillion Easter pics this year since the boys are getting quicker about the hunting of eggs, and we didn't get to do any of the big public egg hunts since Lucas had a soccer game the Saturday morning that all of the hunts are done.  So it worked out well that I was able to fit all my pics onto 3 layouts!

I used one of the paper packs exclusive to Studio J, it's called Hippity Hop.  Easter is the one time of the year that I can get away with lots of pink on my BOY pages! ;) 

That's 4 more layouts added to my collection in a matter of about 2 hours time on the computer.  I'm at 45 layouts for the year so far, well on my way to my goal of 104!  I think I can, I think I can!

Footloose 10 page workshop

Remembered that I never got around to posting pictures of the Footloose 10 page workshop I created using Tresa Black's workshop guide.  I wanted a beach-ier version than hers, so I used the Seaside wooden shapes, wooden badge buttons, wooden buttons, the Footloose WOTG stamp set, and Just Chillin stamp set.  I had a terrific response for the workshop this month, and I am thrilled that my ladies enjoyed them as much as I did!

Next up is a Smash Book, mostly CTMH style!  I'm excited that I found a way to scrapbook the 'everyday' photos in a quicker, easier, more cost effective style!  It will be a To Go Kit workshop for July.  Happy scrapping!

My kindergarten graduate!

Have been so busy that I forgot to post a pic of my big kindergarten graduate!  He received an award for Scholar of the Year in his kindergarten class, as well as perfect attendance!  And he completed 25 miles on the track this school year.  He's set his sights high for 100 miles next year as a big ol' first grader!  Oh, and I also had to include his chesire cat smile for his 1st place finish in his school's chess tournament in the K-1 level.  Love my little smarty pants! : )

Preschool graduation

It's official, no more kids to do the preschool thing with anymore...sniff, sniff!  My baby boy will be 5 in July, and I have absolutely no idea how the time has flown by so quickly!!!! 

They put on quite the show for the parents and grandparents at the graduation ceremony today.  And I almost cried while watching the video of the past year.  He's come a long way since starting his first and only year of preschool in September.  And he cannot wait to become a big ol' kindergartner this fall.

My handsome Zach attack...

And tomorrow brings kindergarten graduation for my big man....someone needs to find a way to slow time down!  I don't care about the fountain of youth...just more time to enjoy my lil men before they're too big to chill with mom!

Victory 10 page workshop!!

I know you're not supposed to blow your own horn, but I am in LOVE with these pages, and cannot wait to load them up with pictures!  I used the 10 page workshop guide that I purchased from Tresa Black, www.fabulouslyartsy.com and decided to put a boy twist on it.  Since I'd already used Superhero for the explosion boxes, I picked Victory, even though I wasn't crazy about the camo in it (my camo hating hubby has rubbed off on me there!).

I picked the Tough tags, durables square studs, antiqued copper brads, and bulk wooden buttons to make the pages extra handsome.  I also added some (gasp) contraband twine.  And then I searched thru the boy stamp stash, and found Boys at Play, Just for Boys, and Flyin' High.  I meant to look earlier today, but I'm pretty sure all three are retired, which isn't the best move on my part as far as encouraging sales/orders go, but we all know that's not my forte anyway!!

Hope you like them, since they're up to bat for June's workshops!

It's funny how a new paper pack makes the design so different each time!  I'm sure it's because I have lots of boy pics to scrapbook, but I LOVE this version, whereas I LIKE the Stella version! : )  Next up, the version she intended to be used with the workshop guide...FOOTLOOSE!

Heavy heart

It is with a truly heavy heart that I tell you all of my father's passing this past Friday.  Just one short week before Mother's Day, and I find myself parentless at only 38 years young.  Mother's day has been bitersweet for the past 12 years, since my mother passed away, but now both Mother's day AND Father's day will be this way.  Those who know me well know that I love any excuse to have a party and celebrate, but it's so hard to celebrate with my boys, and no longer able to celebrate with either parent more than just in spirit.  I made some Mother's day cards for the consignment shop, but have avoided making any more.  And I'm supposed to be making some for Father's day, but don't know if I can find the courage to do it just yet.  Time does heal, but I'm not sure it will be soon enough for this Father's day.  We'll see...

I did manage to feel a crafty urge last night, and after inspiration from fellow consultants on a Facebook Eye Candy group, I made a post it note holder for the boys' teachers.  I used up a bit of my Magic Moments stash, my April SOTM (You Are), and of course, my CTMH AP Cricut cartridge.  And this is what I came up with, for Teacher Appreciation week.  It's not much, but hopefully just enough to say Thank you.  (Speaking of which, I'll need to be coming up with a bunch of thank you cards because of the enormous generosity of my friends and family during this difficult time).

10 Things About Me

I read on someone's blog, or on Facebook somewhere, that we tend to focus our scrapbooking efforts on our children, our family, and events in our life, rather than telling a story about ourselves.  I decided that I needed to be able to scrapbook something about me that would be fun, many years from now to look back at, and that my kids could look back and likely laugh at as well.  So I came up with the idea of an album called '10 Things About Me'.  And not only did I have a stamp set to facilitate this glorious idea, Tresa Black at www.fabulouslyartsy.com designed a GORGEOUS 10 page workshop.  She set up a mini kit for fellow consultants to purchase, and of course, I did!  And I am sooooo glad I did.  In a few short hours 10 pages can be cranked out, embellishments and all, thanks to her amazing design skills, and her hard work to produce a guide to go along with that.  She did her guide with the Footloose paper, which is right up there among my favorites in this idea book.  I used Stella for my workshop.  It's great because it's 10 pages from just one paper pack (plus extra cardstock for mats and page bases), and with  a few coordinating embellishments you've got either one album completed, or you can break up the pages and still have several photos knocked out.  With the Stella pack, you could do the same theme as me, or 10 things I love about you (girl centered), or My 10 favorite things about 'x' (ie spring, a certain year in school, a certain place, or a vacation), or I have a friend wanting to use it for a baby album for her friend.  The Stella paper is very versatile that way.

While I was originally going to offer this workshop in May, it will be postponed a month, due to my father being in Intensive Care, and not knowing how long this will last.  Had I been able to finish with the beach version (Footloose) and the boy version (Victory), I may have tried to pull off a workshop this month, but alas, I am the queen of procrastination, so it's in a holding pattern like everything else in my life right now.  Sorry ladies, it will be worth the wait though, I promise!

I have already posted the teaser front page of the album on Facebook, but for the few of you that are not on Facebook, I will share it and a few more now!  Enjoy, and as I get them finished up, I'll post pics from the other versions as well!

The front page, and the back page...or it could be side by side in the album.

I added the Paradise Assortment of baker's twine, antiqued copper brads, the mocha assortment of pearls and many Paradise Paper flowers.

I hope you like them!  It was fun to put together some girly pages...love using flowers and pearls every now and again! : )

Cards

Between this soccer mom gig, and allowing myself to read for pleasure again, I have been neglecting my scrap room, unless something has absolutely had to get done...like prepping for workshops and making mother's day cards to take to the consignment shop.  I also had the hubby's birthday, so I used more of the Superhero paper I adore and came up with this...

Used the 'medal' centerpiece from a party favor again, and then one of the fun new sayings for the sentiment inside.  It says 'With age comes wisdom...you're one of the WISEST people I know'.  Good thing I know his sense of humor, and that he'll get a good chuckle, but I couldn't resist!  Love the Just A Number stamp set, it's right in line with my personality, and had I been that clever, I could have written those sayings myself! : )

Zach was invited to a preschool buddy's birthday party, and since it's an opportunity to introduce my business to a group of relative newcomers, I made a card.  I used up some of my stash, and created another new background with random stamping.  I LOVE the dragons, and thought it would work well for a preschooler.  I also fell in love with Susie Rostad's baby card (susierostad.blogspot.com), and used the 'layout' for this card.

I'm almost finished with the 2nd book in the Hunger Games series, Catching Fire, and I told my hubby not to buy me the 3rd one until he's finished with the 2nd one.  So that means I'll have at least one good week of creating ahead of me, before I shut down life to read another book!  Now I know why I continue to keep reading for pleasure on the back burner! : )

Workshop night tonight...EXPLOSION boxes!!

Superhero pages

As you all know, I LOVE zumba!  And my zumba buddies are having a Superhero Zumbathon for Autism, since April is Autism Awareness month.  You're probably wondering what zumba and autism have to do with superhero scrapbook pages.  Well, they are also having a silent auction to raise money for the Boise Autism Moms group.  So I combined my love of scrapbooking and zumba to hopefully benefit a great cause.  All of the zumba peeps are dressing up as superheroes for the event, so I figured a superhero layout would be a great item to donate.  Hopefully some scrapbookers come to the event, and hopefully one will find the layout irresistible! : )

I belong to a group on Facebook that is for CTMH consultants.  It is full of amazingly talented consultants, who share their fabulous creations with the rest of us who are looking to be inspired.  Kim Ferguson Donahoo created an amazing layout using the CTMH Roxie paper pack, but as you may know, it's girlie...and I have 2 boys...but the layout was AMAZING!  I decided to give it a go with my Superhero papers.  I'm very pleased with the way that it turned out!

And, we attended a superhero birthday party this past weekend, so I used part of his birthday invitation and the medallion from a party favor on the pages as well.  Thanks to Jeny Marshall for creating these lovely embellishments, that I was able to put to good use!  As Bob the Builder always says 'reduce, reuse, recycle'...and I did!

Easter banner

I love making banners, but I'm cheap when it comes to buying the chipboard sort.  So I created one entirely from cardstock, and Lucy papers.  I used the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge to cut the shapes...am still wondering how I ever managed to live without my Cricut!  I also used the My Peeps stamp set, paradise baker's twine, creme brulee flowers, antiqued copper brads, and some of the discontinued chocolate mini medley assortment.  I wish I had ink distressed in chocolate instead of lagoon...but such is life, and I don't have time to redo it!  I couldn't get a great picture of it in one frame.  So here are a few different pics of it!

Hope that everyone has a very Happy Easter!

April Newsletter

Crop: Sunday, April 15th, 10am-5pm here at my home. FREE!! Just bring your supplies and your current project! For those of you that didn’t quite get the recipe cards finished, you could bring them along and have the actual cards to look at rather than a picture. Makes assembly oh so much easier!

Card Workshop: Friday, April 20th, 6:30pm. Make 10 cards using the beautiful papers of Stella, and the new 3 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch die cut cards from CTMH. I used 5 of the A size stamps, which you can also add to your workshop if you see one you can’t live without! Cost is $25, includes a full Stella paper pack with several leftovers, a pack of 10 cards, some crème brulee paper flowers, a few different colors of the Paradise assortment of Baker’s twine, the gorgeous chocolate striped ribbon, and antiqued copper brads. If you want to add the stamps, each stamp is $6.95, and they are Adore (A1123), Bravo (A1122), Thanks (A1125), Quick Cards Butterfly (A1120), and Quick Cards Shell (A1128).

 

Project Workshop: Monday, April 23rd, 6:30pm. Make an EXPLOSION box from either Superhero or Lucy papers, or one of each! : ) The box explodes when you take the lid off, revealing up to 20 pictures on the inside layers. Very fun! It’s perfect for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day...for your desk at work...or just because! Cost is $20, includes a full paper pack of Superhero or Lucy, coordinating colors of baker’s twine (fast becoming one of my favorite embellishments), clips (for the Superhero option), and paper flowers (for the Lucy option). The rub ons for either paper pack would make a great embellishment as well, let me know if you’d like to add this option to your workshop, Superhero rub ons (X7152C) $4.95, Lucy rub ons (X7149C) $4.95. You can choose to purchase a full thing of baker’s twine, Neutral (Z1701) $4.95 or Paradise (Z1702) $4.95, if you want leftovers to take home and use with your leftover paper.

To Go Kit of the month: Mini School Album. Cost is $7.50 for the first, and $5 for ea additional. Includes 10 page tag mini album using the Typeset paper, black button brads, a few milepost shapes, and a Cricut paper doll for the front cover. You can choose boy or girl, and I have a few sports themes available. I can stamp the grade on the front cover, or leave it blank. Just let me know what customization you desire for the front cover! I will cut everything for you, you will just have to assemble, and instructions with pictures will be provided.

 

Registration Deadline: Thursday, April 5th. I will be placing my order Friday morning, so let me know what you’re interested in by Thursday evening please!  PS...I've added a date, Monday, April 16th 6:30pm for the cards and/or explosion boxes.  I have a few gals coming, so let me know if this date works better for any of you!

More pictures of my workshops are available on my blog below.

 

And a reminder that I can make the card workshop and/or project workshop into a to go kit for you as well, if the dates don’t work. And if you feel like you need a little extra help, we can see if another date works. 

 

Thanks again for all of your support, this is shaping up to be another great month!  Love all of you ladies!!  Have a Happy Easter!

Lucy explosion box

I finally got the girl version of the explosion box completed.  I love how it turned out...just wish I had a ton of cute little girl pics to put on it!  But as my friend pointed out, there isn't any reason why I can't use pics of me and my boys...I'll turn it into a Mother's Day gift to myself!

I used the Lucy paper pack, the Paradise baker's twine, Creme brulee paper flowers,and the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge for the cute flowers on the lid and in the inside of the box.  These boxes hold up to 20 pics on the inside, and you could also add 4 pics to the outside of the box.  They are fun and easy to make!  Now I'm trying to decide which paper to grace the next box with! ; )

The box fully exploded.

The box before it explodes.

It's official!

My friend, Leslie, is co-owner of a consignment shop in Nampa...Revamp Consignments, and they have asked me to start making and selling cards in their shop!  I took out some Easter cards and a few birthday cards, both masculine and feminine earlier today.  What a cute shop they have!  I hope this turns into something wonderful for both of us! ; )  Time will tell!!

I made the Easter cards with the My Peeps stamp set, and pretty much copied the one in the Spring/Summer Idea Book...my favorite stamp set in this book, so I know you're shocked that I took the opportunity to use it again!

For the birthday cards, I was inspired by a flower and sketch from a fellow consultant, Melissa McDaniel, you can see her beautiful card at melissamcdaniel-scraps.blogspot.com.  For the masculine version I was inspired by another consultant, Susie Rostad, you can see her amazing card at susierostad.blogspot.com.  I was on the lookout for some paper for both, and stumbled upon a paper stack that I bought at least 5 years ago, and mind you, thought I couldn't live without!  It was perfect for these cards.  The cardstock is CTMH smokey plum and smoothie for the feminine birthday cards, dutch blue and kraft for the masculine cards.  Instead of using milepost shapes on the masculine cards I decided to use the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge to make the shapes.  The flowers on the feminine cards are also cut from the Art Philosophy Cartridge...another favorite of mine (that pretty much lives in my Cricut)!  I used the Card Chatter-Birthday stamp set for the sentiments on all the birthday cards.  The inside of the smokey plum birthday card says 'and many, many more'.  The inside of the smoothie card says 'but not your age'.  The inside of the masculine cards all say 'and many, many more'.  I was able to whip up a batch in no time at all, and use up some of my stash.  I really like how they turned out, even though I feel like a traitor for not using all CTMH stuff (like I normally do)!!!!

If you like the cards, or are into consignment stores, you should go check it out.  Revamp, 1016 12th Ave S, Nampa, ID.  They are closed Sun and Monday, open Tue-Sat 10-5.  Any questions, let me know!

School Mini album

I had such great success this month with the Easter milk carton to go kit that I have decided to try a to go kit only option again this month.  I had a lady request a tag mini album through my Etsy shop, and a large quantity of them.  So I'm killing 2 birds with one stone, and made this album as her sample album, and as the model for the to go kit for April. 

For $7.50 you too can create this beauty!  The front can be customized to grade level, girl, boy and I can even add a few sports to personalize it.  Let me know if you're interested no later than Thursday, April 5th.  First kit will be $7.50, and each additional kit will be reduced to $5!  I will do the few bits of stamping for you, and include detailed instructions.

I used the Typeset paper pack, a few milepost shapes, the Blue Ribbon stamp set, and black button brads.  It is 10 tags total, cut with the fabulous Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.  For the little man on the front I did also use the Everyday Paper Dolls Cricut cartridge...fast becoming one of my favorite cartridges.

Enjoy!

Recipe Stand

My friend and fellow consultant, Jeny, stumbled upon an idea for a project workshop for me.  She saw these gorgeous stands at Paper Cottage.  They are handmade by a local Treasure Valley man, and are only $15.  One of the employees had made recipe cards for one stand and a mini album for another.  I decided to do the recipe cards.  The only bad thing about all of this, the page protectors hold a 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 card.  My CTMH programmed brain works well in 6x6 and 12x12 coordinates.  But after much brain cramping, this is what I came up with.  I used the Florentine paper pack, cocoa ribbon, the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge, the Everyday Paper Dolls Cricut cartridge, the Recipe Box stamp set, creme brulee paper flowers (bulk), the glitz buttons (bulk) from the bohemian assortment, sparkles (bulk), and antiqued copper brads (bulk).

I decided not to decorate the stand itself, and would let the girls decide if they want it decorated to suit their kitchen style.

The front of cards 1 thru 4.

The back of cards 1 thru 4.

The front of cards 5 thru 8.

The back of cards 5 thru 8.

The front of cards 9 & 10.

And last but not least, the back of cards 9 & 10.

Any questions, let me know ladies! ; )

The Easter kits are done!

I spent a fair amount of time yesterday & into the late evening prepping the to go kits for the Easter Milk cartons.  I really love how they turned out, and I hope all of my gals love them too.  I totally craft lifted the idea from a fellow consultant who is AMAZING!  You can check out more of her super cool stuff at www.lisascreativecorner.blogspot.com .  I sprayed the boxes for the gals, and now I'm regretting that decision, I have a huge sore spot on my right index finger...that was a LOT of spraying...but I know they'll appreciate it!

Here's what the milk cartons and their holder look like...

I think that my favorite stamp set in this new idea book was the My Peeps stamp set, even though I personally can't stand to eat peeps, they are ADORABLE!!

And the easter eggs were just too much fun to color with markers!  I know, I'm still a kid at heart...

Can't wait to fill them with goodies for the boys on Easter morning!!  In the meantime, they'll make eggscellent (pun was totally intended there, sorry, couldn't help myself) Easter decorations! ; )