Spring has arrived with this Veranda Layout Class!

Thought I'd post some pics of the Layout Class I'm having tonight using a couple new papers that coordinate with the Veranda paper collection (X7119b). I have also included a full pkg of Pink Paislee's cardstock alphabets (Whimsies-Pumpkin), a CTMH clear overlay and numerous Just Blooms, Spring Blossoms and butterfly's, Bitty Brads and ribbon, all by Close to my Heart.

I have been playing with my new* Tim Holtz Alterations dies by Sizzix! and have found another thing to love in these dies...with this layout we are using 'Hardware Findings'. Of course a layout won't be complete unless you add the odd border punch as well and voila!

The second Layout for this evening is a single page...photo still to be taken...I'll tack it on later...hope to use up the scraps from the two projects for a couple cards...we'll see what else I get accomplished today first though!

Thanks for stopping by...

Finding Grace...

Well here's choice number two for April's Workshop on the Go program.
This 'Grace' paper collection is from the Autumn/Winter 2009 catalog. I love that this paper can go either Spring or Fall. I have done both and they are all great compliments to the season.
In this layout I've cut out some flower, butterflies and swirl embellishments using paper from the Grace paper pack using my handy dandy tool the Big Shot...sorry, not a CTMH's product, but if they start selling diecut machines or dies...I'll be the first to let you know!
I have also used the My Acrylix 'Remember This' stamp set (B1308) and the Basic Craft Buttons (Z1206) 100pkg.
Colours are Cocoa, Twilight and Goldrush.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Well, even though the official date of my birth was on the 25th of March...we've been celebrating for quite a few days...still cleaning up after the festivities today!

My fabulous husband and close friends were the master minds behind a surprise bash in honour of my birth forty years ago! Argh...hard to beleive, I don't feel that old:(

It was a wonderful surprise at a beautiful old heritage hall in Clayburn Village just down the road from our home and it was full of all of my family and friends! Just a fantastic evening and one I'll remember for years I'm sure.

I am starting to wind down from all the special attention, and jumping right back into a Layout Class this week, still room if anyone is interested, and my two Hostess Clubs the following two weeks. Top that off with the arrival (soon I hope!) of CTMH's newest Summer 2010 Idea Book...can't wait to get my hands of that!

In the meantime, I was the Guest Designer for Memory Workshop's April Kit and have been plugging away on some Layouts with the fabulous Basic Grey 'Origins' product that is included in this month's kit. To learn more about Sandra's Monthly Kits at the Memory Workshop click here.....scroll down for a few sneak peeks of the layouts I did...I'll post some more soon.

Thanks for stopping by, Happy Scrapping

a Caboodle of fun paper...

Just playing around with CTMH's 'Caboodle' paper line. It works quite well with beachy and summertime pics. I have used the Workshop guide to start with this layout but I went off on my own and started playing with border punches, butterfly punches by Martha Stewart and flowers by Sizzix...I really am having a blast with all my die-cuts and punches these days...

Now in typical Kristine fashion, I have had these 'Irresistables Lots of Dots' alphabet stickers from Close to my Heart for months and have just now taken them for a ride!!! I think I'm in love...2 alphabet sheets for 5.75...great value and you can color them with ink, chalk, markers, watercolors, etc.

TFL and happy scrappy days to you!

You Rock!

Here's the Bonus layout for this month's WOTG Club kit. I followed the cutting guide, page 68 in the Cherish Book, and the colours worked perfectly with our trip last year to Disney World. I decided to use the space on the left hand side of the right page, to house all the maps and schedules from our trip there from 2001 and the trip we took in 2009. I am scrapping both trips together in one album. I am actually mixing the photos up in the layouts as well...so we can see how different the kids look when they are riding the same rides and standing next to some of the same characters that they did 8 years ago!!!

Here's a little sneak peek of a single layout that I had a lot of fun creating...

Off to bed now, Matthew has a 9AM hockey game and then another one at 2PM! Hockey is almost over...ready to head into baseball for the next 6 months, and start all over again!

Spring Break

Well Spring is almost here in beautiful British Columbia and my family, well kids, are enjoying a couple weeks with no school and at least 5 days with no extra-curricular obligations!

I'm afraid to say that I have been having many down-time days and have been feeling quite unproductive in the Scrap-room! Hopefully I will find myself holed up there tomorrow and actually get some things done...fingers crossed.

Time to do some planning, see you tomorrow!

Here's a preview of the 'You Rock' Workshop kit for March. This is the main LO featured in the WOTG brochure and I really enjoyed working on this one! It was a great change using some bright and bold colours for a change and I love the distressed/sanded look this paper has right outta the bag! I decided to use my son's Track and Field Meet photos from last year because honestly, they were already printed out in his 'to be scrapped' School Photos pile...no other reason...just so happens to have colours that work fantastically. I hope to add a few more pics with some additional layouts tomorrow.

In addition to the 'You Rock' paper pack (X7122B), I also used Mini-Medley Accents Outdoor Denim Collection (Z1277), Bitty Sparkles (Z1263) and Clear Acrylic 'Top Coats' Rockin' overlays (Z1272). The 'Just Be You' My Acrylix stamp set that come with this WOTG kit (G1006) is really great, it includes the star images, spirograph image, three different phrases, music notes and a row of dotted lines. Really cute and one I'll use again...Thanks for looking!

Openning Ceremonies!

WOW!!! The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremonies were fabulous! We headed over to friends, popped the bottle of champagne at precisely 6:00PM and enjoyed the following 4 hours....what a show! We have been hanging out all day watching events; Speed skating and Ski jumps...I'm still in my jammies(rebel) and folding the odd basket of laundry between events:)

I have been playing with CTMH's 'Topstitch' paper collection and will post some more photos tomorrow in addition to working with the 'Veranda' paper...hopefully put a couple more posts up in the next day or two with some maps...take care and...GO CANADA GO!!

Topstitch'in layouts

This paper collection is one of four new ones in this newest Spring 2010 catalog release. I really do like this paper line, even if it wouldn't have personally been my first choice. The Heavenly Blue and Chocolate brown colours work fantastically together with the splash of Baby Pink and Colonial White to add balance. I decided to do journalling strips instead of a solid cardstock block, just to divide it up and not overpower the right hand side with a lighter color. To balance the layout out I stamped the 'Joyful' phrase from the 'State of Mind' stamp set on the Colonial White cardstock to counter balance the journalling. I colored the title with Heavenly Blue ink(Z2126) and then stamped the Joyful phrase all over the letters I chose. I don't completely love the title, I like the concept of coloring and stamping the title, but I feel like I need to have a larger title...so that might change...I will probably stamp and cut out some letters from the 'Posterboard' Alphabet Stamp on some of the Topstitch patterned paper...we'll see,

This is the layout design for this month's WOTG Club. We are using the 'Topstitch' paper collection (X7120B) as well as some of the *New* Dimensional Elements-Hearts-Z1278, Soft Suede pinwheels-Z1270 and the Exclusive 'Love Is In The Air' stamp set that comes with this Workshop. I decided to jazz it up a bit from the original design featured in the brochure this month by adding some embroidering in brown floss, a hand made flower embelishment using some of the paper in this collection, the My Arylix 'State Of Mind' stamp for the 'Joyful' quote and I also added the Hodge Podge Color Ready Alphabet Stickers which I colored and stamped on. We will also be using the Big Shot by Sizzix, 'Hearts and Brackets' die, to cut and then emboss for the brown heart on the right hand page of this layout.

Here is the handmade flower embellishment and hand embroidered swirls.

Here we have colored the Dimensional Element heart shape and stamped the flower/pinwheel designed embellishment in 'Baby Pink' -Z2102 -ink

This is a close-up of the bonus layout, using a template in the Reflections Book, page 62. I have also used stamps in the My Acrylix ' Togetherness', 'Comments' and 'Authentic' stamp sets.

I really like the way this layout turned out with the new Soft Suede Pinwheels with hand embroidered details(that you don't have to do!) and the illusion of machine stitiching with the new 'Togetherness' Stamp set!

I hope the ladies in Club enjoy working on these layouts as much as I did in re-creating them.

Spring Cleaning Fever!

Well, I just returned from another fabulous weekend away at the Ultimate Scrapbooking retreat at the Loon Lake Lodge in the beautiful UBC Forestry site in Maple Ridge, British Columbia ! I try to attend this Retreat in January, April and October...those are my favorite times and this was no exception. While I was too busy scrappin' to take too many pictures, that and it was rather overcast and drizzly. I was really just too busy socializing and scrappin' and getting a 60 minute massage! rough, I know, but someone has got to do it!
Anyway back to Spring Cleaning...after returning from retreats I often like to sort through my supplies, return paper, punches and tools etc. to their rightful places so I can get busy in my workshop...this week is no exception. This evening I started sorting through my sticker sheets, chipboard and rub-ons...separated them into piles and resorted it all into one open top basket from Michael's. I was able to recapture three different plastic bins that I had all of that shoved into and get it organized into one basket...very impressed with myself. Tomorrow I will tackle my journalling supplies and ribbons...

January's 'Veranda' Workshop on the Go!

Wow! Ok, I LOVE this paper line by Close to my Heart...something about the
green and yellow is making me happy this month.

I decided to use my daughter and her pal in this layout and celebrate the friendship
they have...it really is a 'Special Bond'.

I have used CTMH's Veranda WOTG kit (Z1007) and added their Just Blooms Spring Blossoms (Z1266) and Mini-Medley Antique Copper Collection as well.

This featured Exclusive to WOTG kits stamp set, Follow your Heart, is a real keeper.
I love how you can create your own flowers, in whatever ink colour you'd like
and whatever petal design you'd like...

Here is the 'bonus' layout for the WOTG kit. I used CTMH's map 'Small Packages' which can be found in the Imagine Scrapbooking Inspiration Book (9030). I think that this layout is my favorite so far...might have something to do with the beautiful photo of my niece that I took...

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Tuesday!

Happy New Year!

I hope the New Year brings much happiness for everyone...How are those New Year's Resolutions holding up for all of you? I make a Resolution every year to not bother because I really do not like to disappoint myself! tee hee...

One goal that I have given myself though is to try to continue creating and developing my business as an Independent Consultant with Close To My Heart. I have really enjoyed the creative outlet I find in working with all their new products. The past seven months have just flown by for me since I started working for CTMH and
I look forward to 2010 and all it has in store for me!

For a start, I've been creating some cards for a Card Workshop that I held yesterday at a local Hall. Seventeen 'Newbie' Crafters and Card makers were braving the unknown with four different cards that I designed for them and were real troopers in the 2 hours I had them! All cards completed and they looked fantastic...I have to say though that the Valentine's Day inspired one is my favorite, with the Vintage looking one taking up a close second.

This is for sure my favorite so far...for starters, I'm using the flourish in the Exclusive stamp set included in the 'Felicity Collection' this month only! I LOVE IT ! Wait till you see the birds...there's also a full alphabet included with the set...not to mention the patterned and New* Die cut paper included in this Felicity Collection...another post and I'll show you everything or stop in at my CTMH website...I used an envelope and blank card this time in Colonial White, bulk 50's, item#X1410, chocolate ink for the flourish, chocolate cardstock and the embossed card, heart and die cut hearts I'm afraid to say are all Stampin' Up! shhh...don't tell anyone. ;) I have to say that I love all things Close To My Heart, but I really wish they'd jump on the punches and die cutting wagon that Stampin' Up is on...I will continue to use all things, by all Manufacturers because I love all things creative and crafty, not to mention re-usable. Punches and Die Cutting/Embossing and Digital Cutting equipment like the Cuttlebug, Cricut, Sizzix, and Slice are all aids for us Paper Crafters and we should be encouraged to play and invest in them as they in turn encourage your 'Creative Self'...well that's my excuse anyway ;)

This 'Vintage looking card was created with some odds and sods of patterned paper I had in my workshop, but I did find some really old lace trim...like it has to be at least
20 years in my possession...I'm not fooling...
I punched the butterfly from one of Martha Stewarts' punches, embossed the brown cardstock with a Damask Cuttlebug embossing folder, dollar store ribbon, old crochet thread from the Thrift Store, the greeting was punched from a Marvy Uchida oval scallop punch (pink) and last but not least the stamped greeting is from CTMH's Spring 2010 Idea Book,
item#C1389 'So Sweet' My Acrylix stamp set!

Again, using some random bits of patterned paper and a pre-made blank card in White Daisy (available in bulk, 50 cards and envelopes, item#X254)which I embossed with another Cuttlebug folder called Swiss Dots, 5/8" White Daisy Organdy ribbon(bulk 25yards item#z100), Hollyhock Ric Rac Collection ribbon (item#Z1052), Spring Blossom Brad Asst.(item#Z1213) and lastly My Acrylix 'Fringed Phrases' item#C1366 stamp set which is nice and small and very versatile!

This 'Thank You' card is a total 'Scrap-Lift' !!! shhhh....no really, it's ok as long as I tell you I 'lifted' it out of Stampin' Up's 2009-2010 catalog and I used Sizzix dies for the branch and thank you words (die also includes an 's' so you can spell 'thanks' too). I really like this little 2.5x2.5" die because it just has the letters for 'Thank You' with an 's' too...no fussing with multiple dies to spell a phrase, great for card making, very efficient.

Phew....lots of info here...sorry about that, just wanted to tell you about the fun I've been having Card Making over the past few days and nights, 'kit'ing up these cards for my class! Glad to do it, glad to have it behind me! Onto some good old fashioned Scrapbooking now...

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Craftin'

Let it Snow?

Here's the Layout I'd like to feature for next month's Club. I am using the 'Aspen' (X7103B) paper pack from CTMH, the Dimensional Elements Simple-lowercase alphabet(Z1048), Dimensional Elements-Flurry(Z1225),Prisma Glitter (Z134), White Daisy Sassy Strands(Z400) and the Winter Craft Buttons(Z1284).

Here's a Bonus layout I've done using some of the products I've already listed. For this project I dipped into the Creme Brulee Ribbon Rounds Collection (Z1131) and I used my Fiskars border punches and my colored staples.

I hope to get busy with some more projects to use up this Aspen paper pack, thanks for stopping by.

'Jingle' all the way...

I was feeling like a busy little Elf this month with all this fantastic Christmas/Winter paper from Close To My Heart called 'Jingle' ! I couldn't decide which LO to have this month's Club work on so we have been doing them all.

This LO below is featured in the 'Reflections' Scrapbook Program (item#9031) Book:Title Topper-Heading and on page 11 of the Autumn/Winter 2009 Catalog.

I used the Jingle paper pack, Holiday Trinkets (D1366) Stamp Set, Liquid Glass (Z679), Dimensional Elements-Flurry(Z1225), Dimensional Elements-lowercase Simple Alphabets(Z1048)

and the blue bracket is from the Heartfelt Die-cuts (Z1210)

This LO is featured in the 'Reflections' Scrapbook Program (item#9031) Book:Front and Center-In the Middle and on page 8 of the Autumn/Winter 2009 Catalog.

I used the Jingle paper pack, Holiday Trinkets (D1366) Stamp Set,

the Chocolate Alphabet Small (D1296), Liquid Glass (Z679),

Twinkle Brads Jolly Asst.(Z1220) and some Olive cardstock paper.

This is the Workshops on the Go featured two page layout in the brochure.

The 'Jingle' WOTG kit (G1002) includes the 'Jingle' paper pack,

Twinkle Brads Jolly Asst.(Z1220) and the exclusive My Acrylix® Somethin’ Special stamp set which is only available through the WOTG kit purchase. It is a great little set because

it works for Scrapbook LO's and Cards. I also used the Cranberry Ribbon Rounds (Z1209)

and the blue bracket is from the Heartfelt Die-cuts (Z1210)

Thanks for looking and Happy Scrappin'

Happy November!

Well it has been a while, sorry, we have been very busy here with Halloween Parties,

BC Crop for Kids fundraising and the FLU...

The BC Crop for Kids event was held in Abbotsford at the Ramada and was a great success. Although the final numbers aren't in yet, it was a packed house! I personally attended 5 classes, with some fabulous instructors. Cari Locken, Debby Visser, Tia Bennett and Sonja McLean are some of my favorite teachers. Check out their Blogs and you will see for yourself how inspiring they all are. Here is some of my required tools for scrappin'...

Halloween was great! Although I only have two kids still dressing up...at that they pieced together costumes themselves and went out with friends..last year, I fear was the last time I got great photos of them in their costumes.

I did however get some great pictures of the decorations for the Halloween Party my daughter Marissa hosted for some of her school friends...oh to be 13 again...

While I'm not planning on posting any photos of the Flu! I should run up and give my son some TLC and Tylenol! Take Care and thanks for stopping by.

Getting Twitterpated!

Well as interesting as that sounds ;)...I have to say that working with CTMH's new 'Twitterpated' paper line has been fun! My first Workshop Club met on Wednesday and everyone had a great time. I love seeing how everyone has put together their very own WOTG layout. My sample is a guide and remember you are the artists behind each of these layouts, it's the photos and embellishing you do that make it your own...

Cheryl was the lucky winner of the draw prize this week.

Remember to bring your Scrapbooking and Card Making creations every week to get your name entered into that evenings draw. Our goal is to continue working with our paper packs and

embellishments once you get home...keep the creative juices flowing and win some free stuff!!

Getting Twitterpated...

Had a chance to quickly cut and stamp these cards one hour before my second group of CTMH ladies arrived Wednesday evening. I finished them all off the next day and aren't they cute! The Workshop on the Go kit for October is using the new Twitterpated paper pack. The two page layout from the last post and these 6 cards (two each of the three different designs) are what I have made so far. I have used some liquid glass to help embellish each of the cards...drops in the centre of the leaves, creating a polka dot pattern on the Colonial White cardstock and giving the look of texture on the back of the Hedgehog. Sometimes taking the time to add a little detail is what really finishes off a project or adds that extra zing to something that would otherwise look plain. Taking advantage of the Exclusive Stamp Set included in each WOTG kit is a great way to continue with the theme and have all your work coordinate. Something I have come to appreciate in CTMH's Faster.Simpler.Easier. approach to Scrapbooking and Cardmaking. Thanks for looking and stay tuned for some more layouts with this great Twitterpated paper pack.

Welcome Back!

A warm Welcome Back to my CTMH ladies! We had our first Club night last night and everyone was hard at work...it did take longer than I'm sure some of them would have liked, but it is always great to have that opportunity to chat and socialize with our Scrapbooking Sisters :) I'm excited to see how the year is going to unfold and am glad to have met some new Scrappin' sisters in the process.

Welcome Back to school for my children too! Yippee!!! I'm not sure who is happier...Olivia (grade 10)has changed to a High School closer to us, Marissa (grade 8) is glad to finally have some of her friends in her class at her Fine Arts School and Matthew (grade 6)has started Middle School and the Hockey Academy. As much as they usually dread the end of summer, I'm quite sure they are enjoying the new teachers and classmates.

Here's a sneek peek of the October Layout for the WOTG Club, we are using the Twitterpatted paper and embellishments...thanks for looking.