Cards for Scrapbook 101

Hello! Well, it's almost time again for Scrapbook 101 and since I actually have the cards ready AND have taken pictures of them, I thought I'd share.

I usually don't do cute, but I just love this Thanksgiving stamp from Close To My Heart. I stamped it with Archival Black ink and then colored it with the CTMH markers.

Here's my variation of a card I found on a blog hop through Pam Klassen's blog: http://p-inks.blogspot.com/2011/10/dreamin-paper-trails-hop.html.  I just love the Dreamin' paper and that bicycle!  Once again -- stamped with Archive Black and colored with CTMH markers.  The little bracketed shape is cut with the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge (available exclusively from CTMH).

This little card is made with Believe paper and the Holiday Magic stamp set (which was the CTMH Stamp of the Month for October.) The tree is popped up on foam tape to give a little dimension -- and of course there are a red sparkles.

My final card was inspired by a card designed by Laurel Seabrook. I really had to search her blog to find it, but here's the link: http://want2scrap.blogspot.com/2008/10/dreaming-of-pink-christmas.html. 

I used the CTMH stamp set, Holiday Wishes.  It is so pretty and only available until the end of November.  Check the end of this post for details on how to get it.  (Hint - It's a really good deal!)  One of the joys of this stamp set is that the images are also on the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge -- so no fussy cutting and all the lines are straight! Of course this card is sparkled up with Bitty Sparkles. 

If you're interested in making these cards -- they are the project I'll be presenting this week at Scrapbook 101, Wednesday, November 16, from 7:00 - 9:30.  If you need details or directions, drop me an email at montanabaitshop@hotmail.com.

As promised above, here's the scoop on the the Holiday Wishes stamp set. When you place a minimum order of $25 in My Acrylix® stamp sets in November, you can purchase a new D-size Holiday Wishes stamp set for only $5! That’s significant savings off the full retail value of $17.95. And here’s a bonus: many of the images in the set coordinate with our Cricut® Art Philosophy cartridge for added cutting and stamping fun! Offer valid November 1 (9:00 am MDT)–November 30 (11:59 pm MST).

Contact me if you'd like to place an order -- or you can order online by selecting the shopping cart icon from this site.  I just love this stamp set and I know you'll enjoy it too.

Happy Stampin!







Mark Your Calendars!! Our Annual Christmas Card Workshop is Coming Soon!!

Shelley, Sally, Anne, and Terri have been putting their heads together to plan this year’s Christmas card workshop.  It’s coming up soon and here are the details:

• Saturday, October 29
• 1:00 – 5:00
• Rancho Cordova
• $20 for 8 beautiful cards (and envelopes)
• Deadline to register and pay is October 15

If you’ve seen the Close To My Heart 2011 Autumn/Winter Idea Book, you know we have some beautiful new holiday papers and tons of cool new Christmas stamps.  Are you dying to try them out? We have been having so much fun designing new cards and we can’t wait to show you.

All you need to bring are your basic tools and plenty of adhesive.  We’ll provide the materials, stamps, inks, and any unusual tools that might be needed. 

Please join us for a day of fun and creative expression.  Be sure to ask your friends too.  It’s a great way to spend an afternoon – and walk out with 8 great cards!

Space is limited, so don’t forget to RSVP as soon as possible by sending me an email at montanabaitshop@hotmail.com.

Here's a 2-page layout I made last week.  The paper is Wonderland, from the newest Close to My Heart Idea Book. These are pictures from Joey's last day of snowboarding last year.

I had lots of fun with these embellishments.  The chipboard pieces are Irresistibles - the designs are a resist that appears when you sponge ink on the surface.  The snowflakes are Top Coats Icing Overlays - transparencies that coordinate with Wonderland.

Scrapbooking 101 on Wednesday 9/21/2011

Greetings!

Once again, it's almost the third Wednesday of the month and time for Scrapbooking 101 to meet.  Since I actually finished my cards a little earlier than usual, I thought I'd post them here.

We will be meeting at the Round Table Pizza at Madison and Hazel in Fair Oaks.  It's in the southwest corner of the Raleys shopping center.  We'll meet from 7:00 - 9:30, but come early for pizza, pasta and/or salad to support this local business that provides us with a room for free.

You'll have your choice between Sally's scrapbook pages or my cards this month.  The cost is $5 and we'll bring all the stamps, inks, etc. that you need.  You should bring adhesive and basic tools.  If you are going to be making cards, some fine tipped tweezers would come in handy, if you have them.

Here are the cards!

Let me know what you think!

Almost Last Chance!

I have been neglecting my blog lately. There's been so much going on -- getting ready for multiple scrapbooking events this fall, thinking up fundraisers for our holiday party at work, getting ready for a craft sale in November, and joining some friends for an informal Cricut club -- so we can learn more about working our "bugs".

I'll post pictures soon, but before it's too late, I wanted to remind you about the current Close To My Heart campaigns because one is about to end.  CTMH came up with two fabulous specials -- one runs August 1-31 and the other runs August 15-September 30.  So, for two more days, you can use a single order to qualify for both.  This is such a good deal!

Beginning on August 1, CTMH modified the Stamp of the Month program.  Now, you can purchase the Stamp of the Month for the retail price of $17.95 or when you place an order for $50 or more, you'll receive the Stamp of the Month for just $5.

To celebrate the new program, CTMH is sweetening the deal with their Extra! Extra! program.  From August 1-31, when you purchase the Stamp of the Month for $5, you'll also receive an additional stamp set for free -- it's called A Typeface and you can see it in the second photo below.

Read on for the second great deal!





In celebration of National Stamping Month, CTMH has designed a beautiful double stamp set called Pair-a-Phrase.  This is  two D-sized stamp sets in a single envelope and it can also be yours free.  Just place an order of $75 or more from August 15 through September 30 and it's all yours.

As I  mentioned, you have just a couple of days left to take advantage of both specials with a single purchase.  For example, you could purchase our beautiful new Cricut cartridge, Art Philosophy, for just $99.  Add $5 for the Stamp of the Month and here's what you'll receive:

• Art Philosophy  includes Cartridge (700 images!), 3 stamp sets , 3 sheets of Dimensional Elements chipboard
• August Stamp of the Month (Wicked stamp set)
• Extra! Extra! bonus (Typeface stamp set)
• National Stamping Month bonus (Pair-a-Phrase  double stamp set)

That's 6 stamp sets plus a bunch of other stuff for just $104 (plus tax, shipping & handling). Who can resist? Just click on the shopping cart to shop online, or contact me by phone or email to place an order. 

What's New in the Close To My Heart Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book & Catalog?

There's so much to share, I know I can't fit it all in tonight, but here are some highlights:

• EIGHT new paper packs --- and our patterned paper is now cardstock weight with different patterns on each side
• EIGHT new Workshops on the Go -- and the stamp sets have been bumped up from a B-size stamp set to a C-size stamp set
• Over 40 new stamp sets and the prices have DROPPED! Our D-size stamp sets have gone from $22.95 to just $17.95 and all other sizes have been reduced a similar amount.  Our A-size stamp sets are only $6.95!
• All stamp sets are now shown at 100% in the catalog
• New cardstock shade packs contain 4 sheets each of three harmonious colors (reds, pinks, blues, greens . . .  you name it!)
• Two new My Creations items -- the Card Box (a perfect fit for standard cards or 4x6 photos) and the Memory Game Box (so cute, it comes loaded with 24 chipboard cards)
• New ribbons, new embellishments, new Dimensional Elements, new 6x6 albums, new rub-ons, new, new, new . . . . just too many things to name
• But the biggest news of all has got to be the exclusive Close To My Heart Cricut cartridge. The Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge contains 700 images (fonts, shapes, boxes, 3-D flowers, cards, tags), so it would be fabulous all by itself.  But here's the frosting on the cake -- The Art Philosophy also comes with THREE coordinating stamp sets that fit the Cricut images AND THREE sheets of Dimensional Elements -- that fit the stamps AND the Cricut images.  AND there are lots of other stamps and Dimensional Elements in the catalog that match the Cricut images.  You will have so much fun with this!

Okay, I really have to go to bed now, but I couldn't wait to share that.  If you are dying for a sneak peak, check out the online catalog. (Click on the Shop With Me icon, which will take you to my CTMH website.  Choose Products, then the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book.)

I also have real, paper catalogs that you can read in bed and on the bus and while you're waiting for the doctor, so let me know if you'd like one.

Happy Scrappin'

Weekend Crafting

Once a month I teach a crafts class at Merrill Gardens.  There are typically 5 or 6 ladies who come to make door decorations or whatever else I think up.  Since we only have an hour or two, we concentrate on things that are not too complicated. We talk and laugh over our mistakes and get to know one another.  I really like it because it stretches me to do something other than scrapbooking and cardmaking, and the ladies are so delightful.  As I told them today, sometimes I wake up on Saturday morning and moan about having to get up and get moving right away, but when I'm with them, I thoroughly enjoy myself. They give me much more than I give them.

Today we  painted birdhouses.

Convention Countdown

Okay, there's a big mess on my dining room table --- if you know me, you'll just laugh.  But this mess is different.  It's not unpaid bills, recently emptied pizza boxes, or the latest stack of magazines.  I'm heading for the annual Close To My Heart Convention next week so it's cards.......



CTMH holds a convention for the consultants every year -- I've gone twice before and it's a hoot!  It's a three-day bombardment of scrapbooking, stamping, cardmaking, picture snapping, laughing, screaming, cheering, and dancing. It's crazy, but you just have to imagine what it's like when a ballroom full of women are squealing with delight over new colors, new stamps and ... oh yeah ... Sticky Boy!  It makes me laugh just to think about it. 

Okay, besides the screaming, the best thing about convention is the huge dose of inspiration.  There are walls of artwork created by other consultants --- you can spend hours pouring over it, inch by inch --- and then there are card swaps.  For three full days, every where you go, you hear, "Are you swapping? Are you swapping?" and we all whip out our ziplock bags filled with cards and start trading.

This year, I'm trying to make at least 100 cards.  I think I have enough pieces cut out for that many -- now I just have to get them stamped and put together. It's always a panic, trying to think of something new and original to do that will be "swap-worthy".  My friends, Sally, Anne and Terri, and I have been sending pictures back and forth -- and our first swaps will be with each other.  I think we each push each other forward to be just a bit more creative -- add another layer, try something new.

And that brings me to what's really the best thing about convention.I've made such great friends through scrapbooking and I'll be sharing next week with some of the best. I am looking forward to that more than anything!

Beginning

I don't know how long ago I originally set up this blog.  I just know it was so long ago that when Stella told me she was checking it out every so often to see if I was posting, I had to ask her for the name.  Thanks, Stella.  Since you were looking, and since your blog was so interesting, I couldn't get this off my mind. Here is the beginning at last.

So, I view this as an adventure -- perhaps a small one, but who knows (remember Julie and Julia?) It also feels kind of risky -- I may not literally be shaking in my boots, but I'm feeling a few butterflies. How bad could it be?  I guess if I'm too boring, you'll just stop reading.

Stick with me for a little while though.  If nothing else, I'll post some pretty pictures soon.