We've done it again!!!!

Well, we've done it again...it's National Stamping Month once again this year and Close To My Heart has created another fantastic DOUBLE stamp set this year!

If you've arrived here from Lisa's Stamp Happy Blog, then you are on the right track!

Doesn't this example from our team at Close To My Heart remind you of the Project Life pages...try this technique using our Horizontal and Vertical Photo Storage Pages for a fun alternative to telling your story!

When you place a minumum $35.00 order from our CTMH catalogs, from August 15th - September 30th you can purchase this stamp set for only $5.00!!!

I've used Goldrush ink to stamp this solid butterfly and as you can see, all of the background strips have been stamped with this fantastic set!

I've simply layered my butterfly stamped images and used my trusty sewing machine to attach them to my layout...this stamp set is AWESOME!!!

I used the polka dot stamp to stamp the backside of the butterfly...and this 'hello life' circle makes the perfect title...they don't always need to be HUGE to be the perfect choice :)

Now here's the final layout, my Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge circle, cut in the 'layer' mode framed these photos beautifully...this will be a perfect 'page 2' for my daughters' Sweet Sixteen birthday layouts...stay tuned for more artwork from me with this great set, but in the meantime, head on over to Jody's Cre8n' Memories Blog to see what greatness she's created with this set!!!

I have a confession to make...

Ok, so yesterday I was out delivering a scrapbook order into Chilliwack for one of my customers and after talking with her...I decided to stop into Classics (the local scrapbook store there)...now if you've already read my previous post from early this morning, you'll have read that I haven't bought any more paper recently...not so true anymore!


I kept it at a reasonable total...not going to confess that, but I will tell you that I got 27 sheets of double-sided patterned paper, an alphabet sheet from Thickers in sunny yellow! a ribbon embellishment pack, some sort of fiber'y sand coloured dust stuff...? and some of those 12x12 cardstock sticker sheets that co-ordinate with the patterned papers...that's all I can remember right now because I was really quick in putting it all safely away in my stash containers...


Now I have to say that I created a layout right away with some of it later on last evening so that part is good news, because usually I like to purchase paper and let it sit and nicely 'age' for months on end...not so this time baby!

Now a couple general points of interest on this layout are firstly...that I crossed this bridge! and secondly, that I wanted to try to incorporate a collage image instead of same size photos...

I am a fan of the Scrapbooks Etc. webpage and on it you have sketches, much like the ones on Let's Scrap...but they also have loads of tips and tricks as well as loads of collage templates! So I opened up my Photoshop, dragged and dropped and trimmed and Voila! a collage to resize to 8"X10" and sent it off to Costco.ca to print...I could have gotten the same look with trimming my own photos, but then I'd had to have resized most of them to smaller image sizes and on this collage template you can easily zoom in or out on an image...I admit that Photoshop is a bit of a learning curve and I am in no ways any kind of expert...far from it...but I did manage to get this one done in an hour or so...

I've used a couple of the BoBunny Et Cetera sheet I just bought for the background and some more of the patterned Simple Stories Destination paper and card stock stickers for the ticket border, compass, flourish and tabs.

These tags and camera die-cuts were from the Making Memories Passport collection that I have hanging around...

Super cute certificate that they give you once you've gotten all your stamps at the different check points throughout the park...including the Bridge, Cliffwalk, Tree-top Adventure and Historic spots...

I am loving Close To My Hearts new cork alphabets...think I'll need to add another package to my shopping cart for my next order...I had this die-cut sheet in my Making Memories Passport stash as well and I inked it up considerably...along with all the other paper on this layout!

I wanted to add some journalling but as per usual, I don't always like to see it front and centre...so I dug into my journalling tag bin...yes I need an entire bin to store them all...and found this one :)

I mentioned in my previous post that I have been buying the co-ordinating 12x12 card stock embellishment sheets to some of the paper collections I've gotten recently...it sure does make short work on putting the finishing touches on some of these layouts...

It's hard to see in this photo of the photos in my layout, but at the Capilano Suspension Bridge park, they have an area where they teach us a thing or two! Here I've photographed the tags that are wrapped around these insanely huge and OLD trees...the top one is not really readable but it says: Douglas Fir...205FT tall...20FT circumference...1300 YEARS OLD! and the lower photo says: W.Hemlock...165FT tall...9FT circumference...300 YEARS OLD!

August Challenge at Let's Scrap

Hello! I wanted to share my layout that I used in the August sketch challenge over at Let's Scrap.

I used photos from a school field trip my daughter went on many years ago...four years ago actually!

The class went to Fort Langley to visit the Fort Langley National Historic Site of Canada...a little about this place: Fort Langley is the exact location where, a century and a half ago, a huge fur trade organization called the Hudson's Bay Company established a small post to trade with the First Nations of the West Coast. The enterprise grew, evolved, and influenced history, leading to the creation of the colony of British Columbia!

This sketch challenge is going on for the entire month of August, click on over to the Let's Scrap site to find out what prize is up for grabs...here's the sketch:

I used some patterned script paper from Paper Reverie, that was in my stash, to cut all of these different flowers out using my *new 'Art Philosophy' Cricut cartridge from Close To My Heart...let me just say that I'm lovin' it!

This title block is on CTMH's new journalling spots, you get 12 folded envelope/pouches with a co-ordinating tag inside...on this one I attached the layout title to the envelope and stamped onto the tag so I can add my journalling...the word 'History' was inked in Cocoa onto our *new cork alphabet stickers! lovin' them too!

Here's my take on this Becky Fleck sketch:

I didn't take a close up of the alphabet border stamping but I've used CTMH's new stamp set 'Vintage Type'...might be lovin' this one too!

I decided to use the back of the tag to add yet another photo of this event.

Thanks for stopping by!

Close To My Heart has shipped their Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book's and I wanted to give you a sneak peek at the first Workshop Projects that I will be featuring when our Workshops start up again in September! This paper collection is called 'Typeset' and I am loving the look of this first layout!

There are so many new things to tell you about with CTMH so I'll just start giving you bits and pieces...you'll notice the corrugated shapes for one...they are included in this Workshop On The Go kit.

The MAJOR change is the Level 2 paper packs...they have changed all their patterned paper or background & textures paper or B&T duos we call it at CTMH... to a heavier cardstock-weight! 

Which I am actually really thrilled about! The second major change to the Level 2 paper packs is that they are including 6 - 12"x12" B&T Duos (2 each of 3 doubled-sided designs) and 6 - 12"x12" Cardstock Sheets...for $10.95... so for those of you regular Level 2 purchasers, you'll have noticed that they have 6 instead of 12 sheets of B&T duos and 6 instead of 10 Cardstock sheets...you'll also notice that the price has gone from $14.95 down to 10.95...

I am actually happy with those changes as I know I will actually use up ALL my paper packs! Right now as I prepare for all the new products coming my way...I am trying to use up my CTMH stash...some paper packs I still have from 4-6 sheets of B&T duos papers left! Which isn't always a good thing when you are like me and want to play with something new!

Here's the second layout:

and these are the optional* projects that you can complete with this Workshop kit

Note: optional* projects will often require additional products, in this case you will need to add: 

1 – Dark Neutral Cardstock Shade Pack (X5912)

1 – Wooden Designer Buttons (Z1387)

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