Artbooking Made Easy: Sugar & Spice

February Special: Free Embossing Folders!

You can not imagine how excited that I was to see beautiful new embossing folders in the Spring/ Summer 2014 Idea book. Of all my cardmaking tools I think my embossing folders are my absolute favourite. Even my four year old can't get enough of running plain cardstock through my cuttlebug and retrieving his masterpiece from the other side. I have been a big fan of embossing for quite some time. My first attempts were with those brass stencils with the awkward looking images. I did not like the result that I could get with them, though admittedly it may have been user error. Next I ventured to the Fiskars Scrapboss. I loved this thing.  My 12x12 layouts had never looked so clever. I scooped up every available stencil I could find. I ebayed and 50% off couponed until I had them all. Then, without notice, there were no more. To this day I love my Scrapboss but you can only use the same patterns so many times. A few years ago my sister-in-law bought me a cuttlebug for Christmas. I was not sure what I would do with it as I already had a cricut that I loved. It sat on my shelf for over a year before I truly unlocked its potential. Embossing!!!!! I live less that five minutes away from Ecstasy Crafts (you've likely seen their ads in your scrapbook magazines, on the shopping network and online). They have the most incredible collection of embossing folders. The only draw back is that some of them get pretty pricey. I was so excited to open my online office and see that the February special was FREE embossing folders. That's right...they are FREE!

How amazing is that.  I am stocking up on my cardstock this month so I can take advantage of this deal. If you would like to order visit http://mygrandmasteacups.ctmh.com and click shop. If you are interested in earning free products and big discounts contact me and we can have a really fun online party where your friends can stay safely at home and off the icy roads and you won't need to clean you house! 

How are you going to decide which folder you want for FREE?

I want them all! That my friends is why I am a Close To My Heart Independent Consultant. I get to have it all and call it work! Let me know if you are interested in learning about the benefits of becoming a Close To My Heart Independent Consultant. It is an incredible company and amazing discounts on all the things you love.

Project Inspiration: Tools for Tasteful Pages

I'm Having A Party, and You're All Invited!

You know you are spending allot of time with your 4 year old when your blog titles start to be quotes from Yo Gabba Gabba songs.

I am so excited that the new Close To My Heart Catalogue is launching February 1st! The new vintage and floral products are exactly my style. That being said, the outgoing 2013 Fall /Winter Catalogue had some beautiful stamp sets and papers that I am going to miss.

The Frosted Workshop on The Go layout was one of my favourites from this catalogue.  We had so much fun assembling this beautiful layout (minus the snowflake tiny piece picking issues).

The Frosted Card making workshop was a real favourite around here. I had to hold several sessions to get everyone in.

Did you have a chance to work with the gorgeous Huntington collection.  This line was geared to fall but I think it has a vintage flair that can be used for many projects year round.

Oh, and what about the new Cricut Artbooking Cartridge. I admit I was not immediately won over by this cartridge but once I started to watch all the inspiring videos put out by Close To My Heart, I was hooked.








Watch the videos here:
Artbooking: Love is in the Air
Artbooking: Mini-Book Inspiration
Artbooking: Celebration Albums
Artbooking: Elegant Layouts
Artbooking:Wintertime Layouts
Artbooking: Friendship Layouts

There were so many amazing products that came out in this catalogue I am having a hard time picking just a few. What was your favourite stamp or paper from the 2013 Fall/Winter Catalogue? There are only a few days left to pick up the last few goodies on your wishlist. Come join my FB Say So Long To Winter Party!
FB Party and remember to grab the super cute kit for:

If you are interested in hosting a facebook party of your own and earning free and discounted products there is still time to take advantage of the Hostess Bundles.

See you at the party! Bring pictures of all your creations from the 2013 Fall/Winter Catalogue.

My Close To My Heart Spring/Summer 2014 Party Goodies Arrived Today!

Oh my it feels like Christmas again. My order with all the fun new stamps and papers from the new idea book came today. It was so much fun opening package after package of pretty papers, kits and stamps.  I can not wait for the Open House. We are going to have so much fun! The new project life kit was really interesting. The cards in it are beautiful and the page protectors are the same incredible quality as our regular page protectors. I could definitely see why so many people got into project life. It looks like and incredibly speedy way to create beautiful memory albums.

 Now I am inspired to clean out my stamp collection and get rid of all the old stamps that I am not using. Who knows this could lead to a complete destash.

I am trying to run with the idea that if I let things go then it will allow room for better things. Not just new stamps but in other areas of my life as well.

I am going to go start playing with all the goodies. I hope you can join me for the Idea Book launch party either at my house or on FB.

Happy Crafting!

My Christmas Gift List: Spirit Lockets

You may have noticed that I am a bit of a YouTube fan. My husband used the word addict, but TomAto..tomatO right? While I was surfing through some videos a few weeks ago I am came across these really cute lockets. I loved the idea of being able to personalize a locket with meaningful charms for people near and dear to your heart. I have to say that I was rather skeptical about how much these mini masterpieces would cost. After talking to Wendy for awhile I summoned my courage to ask that oh so deflating question..."How Much?" To my absolute delight they were not nearly in the range that I expected her to tell me. Definitely in range for gift giving. I am so very excited to introduce you to my friend Wendy who is a representative for Spirit Lockets.







I'm Wendy, these are my twin boys that are 12. They are my life!
I am a stay at home mom.

I started selling Spirit lockets a few months ago, I loved the whole concept of personalizing your own Spirit Locket.

I hope you love them as much as I do.

 Enjoy looking at the photos of the personalized lockets and the video about the quality of the lockets and charms .
Visit:
http://www.spiritlockets.com/#wendybirman

My Christmas Gift List: Candle Creations by Carrie

Nothing beats a personalized gift for that hard to buy for someone. Last year I decided to give glass etching a whirl and decided Christmas was the perfect time to try something new. Well, I was wrong. I made so many flubs on my gifts that I could have paid to have them professionally done three times over. Though I love to dabble in many types of arts and crafts, I have firmly decided that glass etching was a one time event. When I am in need of some personalized glassware for a gift Carrie is on my call list. Her beautiful designs will make you glad that this is one DIY job that you wont have to do yourself.

My name is Carrie Thompson and my business is called Candle Creations by Carrie.

I am the proud mother of a 22 month old boy named Nicholas and stepmom to Tristan who is 10.

I create personalized candles and etched glass items for all occasions. I also have a line of generic items that are ready for purchase as is. I have been making candles since September 2012 and love it!

My website is www.candlecreationsbycarrie.com or you can visit my Facebook page www.facebook.com/candlecreationsbycarrie.

My Christmas Gift List: Close To My Heart

Ok, I know its a little bit self serving to present Close to My Heart on the list but I really am buying allot of my Christmas gifts from here. Close To My Heart is introducing so many fabulous new items that I know would be perfect gifts this Christmas.

 I just purchased my first My Legacy Album and it arrived yesterday. It was packaged so beautifully it looked like it was destined to be a gift. The albums look like they cost a fortune but they actually cost less than what you would pay at a local big box store. The great thing about these albums is that they expand to hold a whopping 60 pages. Of course if you actually put that many layouts in it you would hardly be able to lift it off your coffee table. Imagine this under the tree for Mom or Dad or filled with your layouts to present to your grown children.

Have you noticed all the ladies talking about project life? Well Close To My Heart has launched a new product to compliment that style of memory keeping. If you have someone on your list that loves to scrapbook but has been feeling to busy lately to have the time this is an excellent gift idea. There are several themes to choose from so you can find the one that suits their personality exactly.

Close To My Heart Offers an astounding array of acrylic stamps to suit every occasion. From elegant to  whimsical you will find just the perfect stamp set for the stamper on your list. I recently found out that you never know who is going to fall in love with stamping. Choose your stamp set and one or two exclusive shades of ink and you have an incredible gift for less than $25. This is one product that is on the top of my daughter's wish list.

 Every crafter loves to be inspired. Close To My Heart has an amazing collection of "how to" books that will set the scrapbooker on your Christmas Lists imagination on fire. From cards, Scrapbook Layouts and even Interactive Design these amazing books give you the hands on instructions to create beautiful pieces of art. I have all of the collection and I refer to them constantly. The beautiful full colour photos and wide assortment of designs never leaves me strapped for fresh ideas.





Visit http://www.mygrandmasteacups.ctmh.com to peruse the current catalogue. Remember there is still time to take part in the special Holidays from the Heart campaign and earn free products with every $100 purchase.

Visit My Website to See the Holidays From The Heart Mini

Helen Mary Callaghan

Helen Mary Callaghan passed away on Saturday. That's not exactly surprising as we will all be there at some point. The beauty of the story is the 93 years prior to Saturday. In those 93 very full years she was a wife to her husband for 60 years until his passing. She had 8 children. One that she took care of until she had to leave her home a few months ago. 10 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and a whole community that she was revered in. She was a teacher, she was a musician, she was an avid card play (hmmm) and used to laugh at peoples faces when at over 90 she told them that she was not available to have tea because her group "the Happy Hookers" were getting together (knitters). I never knew what to expect from her. She had such a gentle way of telling you that you were an idiot that sometimes it was a few days until you figured out that you had been told off. I remember when I first joined the CWL. At 90 Helen was a very active president. She still attended conventions and regular meetings and was always on top of our church community. She even pushed me into being the secretary for a few years before I was let off the hook. She was one of those people that just inspire you by their presence. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to be a honour guard for Helen today. I know she would have been smiling gently at me, telling me not to let the wax from the candle drip onto the carpet. Helen Mary Callaghan.....I feel so blessed to have known you.

Beginniner"s Guide to Scrapbooking- Lesson #2 Paper

There are so many choices when you start to look at paper for your scrapbook and cardmaking projects. It is important to investigate the product a bit to be certain that the paper you purchase is appropriate for the task at hand.  You want to look for papers that are archival safe (do not contain acid or lignin that will fade your photos). There are many lovely papers with any design you could possibly be interested in.  Avoid the pitfall of rushing out and buying all the pretty designs.  First it is important to build your basic supply of paper.  This is much the same way that we started acquiring our tools.(Basic Toolkit)  Choose products that will give you the biggest bang for your buck.  White cardstock is where you should begin.  By having a blank canvas of white cardstock to build upon you can create your own designer paper, cards and layouts with minimal supplies.  You may be doubting me at this point so I am including a  videos to illustrate what can be achieved with white cardstock.

In this simple video from Scrapbooks.com you see how easy it is to achieve a lovely layout with minimal supplies. The design paper that they use could easily be replaced with hand stamped background paper that you create using your stamps, ink and colour pencils or markers. 

As you are ready to add to your "stash" try to purchase other complimentary colours of cardstock. Having a coordinating palette of cardstock will enable you to create endless designs that will look lovely together.

When you feel that you have a good selection of cardstock it is time to expand into premade design paper. Many people think that buying paper in a stack is a cost saving way to gain a large variety of papers...cheap. In fact you may end up buying allot of designs that you are never going to use.  Stacks are full of coordinating papers but often there are designs that are left over once you have used up your favourites that just don't suit any project you are working on. In this case it would have been more prudent to purchase the design paper that you really liked and only what you need. The quality of paper you get in a stack is also very often lacking. If you do decide on purchasing a stack, look for an open sample of that pad and check out the weight of the paper.  It is very disheartening to arrive home with a lovely paper that is too thin to work with.

A good way to build your paper supply is to find a buddy.  By purchasing cardstock or design paper with a friend you can "split" the colours and therefore the cost.  This will allow you to acquire smaller amounts of each colour.

Make sure that you protect your investment by storing your paper in appropriate sized storage boxes or shelves. Your paper needs room to lie flat but not so much room as to allow it to jostle around and get dog eared. Also be aware of the humidity in your storage area. Like any other paper product, scrapbook paper needs to be kept in a cool dry place.

Enjoy building your stash and take time to explore the different weight and textures and huge variety of colour. Now get out there and get your paper! Make sure you post your creations to our fb fan page http://www.facebook.com/mygrandmasteacups

Beginners Guide To Paper Crafting Lesson #1 What to take to a Class, Workshop or Crop

Once you get the scrapbook bug you never really look back. You take it for granted that everyone knows what you mean when you say you are "cropping" or "distressing" something. We don't expect terms like "bling" and "bone Folder" are mysterious or misunderstood but to a new crafter this new lingo and vast array of products, tools and techniques can be a bit foreboding. If you are an experienced papercrafter this post is not for you.  This post is for all my lovely friends out there that have boxes and SD cards brimming with photos that they promised themselves they would put into albums someday.  Ok Ladies, someday starts today. Many people would say to go gather your pictures and decide on an album. Forget that.  You know what photos are hiding in there and having the album already purchased is just going to add more pressure to the situation. I think that you should begin where every other recipe begins.  Assemble your utensils....or in this case....the tools.

Step #1 Your Basic Tool Kit

• Pencil and White Eraser

• Ruler: You are going to want to get one that is metal so that the edge stays true even after hours of abuse with sharp edged blades and pointed pencils.

• Scissors: any fine tips scissor is a good place to start.  If you have to purchase a pair you will want to invest in a pair that does not stick.  I personally have two pairs of CutterBee scissors and a pair from Close To My Heart.  Look for terms like non-stick micro scissors. I love both styles and they have lasted several years of extensive use.  Make sure you keep the cover as these babies are sharp!

• Adhesive: There are many types of adhesive available.  Match your glue to your project.  If I am working on a card that I know won't be kept much past its initial presentation (Hello Kids Cards) then I often work with plain old white school glue.  It does not cost much, it has no offensive odour and its pretty easy to work with.  If your are working with Scrapbooks or Cards that need to be kept in archival quality then you will need to invest in glue specifically for scrapbooks.  Look for terms life Acid and Lignen Free or Archival Safe on the packaging.  Tape Runners are a must have for scrapbooking and cardmaking (basically they are very thin double sided glue on thin strips wound like tape in a plastic dispenser). You can purchase these very inexpensively at your local Dollar Tree, Walmart or big box store. Double sided sticky tape can also be purchased there and you will want to throw 2-3 rolls of it into your pack. Don't get lured into glue dots or foam squares yet. You are just starting out, no need to get crazy.

• Pen: find a fine tip black pen that does not bleed.  You don't have to spend a fortune on a a top of the line pen. Just experiment and find one that suits your style of writing.  Ink that dries quickly is a bonus as you don't want to be waiting around for it to dry while you could be creating.

• Bone Folder: Often this is not included in a beginners tool kit but I think it should be.  A bone folder can be anything from a deluxe ergonomically designed, beautifully decorated plastic tool to a popsicle stick...sticky free of course.  Start the habit of using a bone folder right from the beginning and you will always be pleased with the professional look of your cards and layouts.  It seems like something as simple as the crease on a card could not be important but I assure you it makes all the difference in your final result.

• Black and Brown Ink: this is where you start.  Invest in good ink like Memento and save yourself the frustration of dealing with cheap ink that does not give you a crisp image.  Starting with the basics of black and brown opens the world to endless possibilities using supplies you likely have in your supply drawer. Images can be coloured with pencil crayons, watercolour paint, markers or even Sharpies or Bic's if you have them. Resist the urge to splurge on your favourite shades of pink and lilac. They just won't get the use and you will be frustrated by being limited. Once you have all your basic supplies then you can gradually add to your colour palette.

• Plastic Storage Box: again this is a personal addition to the start up tool roster but there is nothing more frustrating than spending 2-3 hours on  a layout only to find that you have crinkled it on the way home from a crop or threw the contents of your purse on it when rummaging for a pen or paper to write down the important phone number.  Make it then place it flat in a 12x12 paper storage box. You can get them at most craft stores for about $5. Make sure to use those 40% off coupons.

Thats it. You are ready to sign up for a workshop or class right now.

As you become more familiar with working with paper crafts you will want to expand your kit to include a paper trimmer, craft knife and other goodies. For now keep it simple.  Master the basic tools before you get caught up in all the fancy gadgets that glitter from the store shelves. Set a budget up front for how much you can invest each month in your hobby and divide it between consumable products (paper, adhesive, ink) and tools. Stick to your budget as many of us have gone astray in our love of all things crafty.  A good way to budget is to become a member of a crop group or kit club where you receive supplies every month at a set price (usually $15-30). These gatherings also allow you to try new tools without having to make the commitment of buying them and realizing you are not going to use them.

Try to find a group to crop with. Your knowledge in scrapbooking and cardmaking grows exponentially when you are in a room of creative types. Ask questions! crafters love to share.  Give it a try! Like anything else it takes practice to create masterpieces. The fun is in the journey.

http://mygrandmasteacups.ctmh.com

Clearly the Best! (02)

Studio J® Custom Photo Wells

Its time to start thinking about homemade Christmas Cards

Once the kids are all settled in school I will start buckling down on my pre-Christmas planning. I always think that I still have lots of time to get things done and inevitably end up running around at the last minute trying to make something or pick something up. Not this year my friends. I am going to get organized. This will be the first time in 13 years that I have not had a wee one home every day. I am going to make my lists and check them twice. I have already purchased the Frosted card making workshop from Close to My Heart and I can't wait to get to started. The kit is absolutely lovely and jam packed with everything I will need. I will post some pictures when the cards are done. I have to run now though. Today is meet the teacher in my son's jk room. He is so excited he hardly slept last night. Check out this great video from Close to My Heart and let it inspire you to get a jumpstart on your Christmas To-Do.