I'm baaaaack!!!

Hey everyone!!  I'm back after a great few weeks of holiday time with the family!    We spent the Christmas break visiting with family and friends, skating at the rinks (both indoor & outdoor), and generally just being lazy.   It was great but I was a little happy to have the kids go off to school again this morning :-)

So to get back in the swing of things this morning - I have a brand new project for Let's Get Sketchy.   We revealed our newest sketch this morning and here is my take on it:

And the sketch:

Materials Used:

CTMH paper:  Dotty for You (retired)

CTMH stamp set: Winter Joy (retired)

CTMH enamel dots "Aqua Dots"

CTMH cardstock: black, white daisy

Wood embellies - unknown manufacturers

Alpha stickers - Making Memories & Dollar Store

Don't forget you have all month to play along & link up for a great prize or a chance to be featured.
Come visit us over at Let's Get Sketchy and check out all the great inspiration the design team has cooked up for you!

Have a great week!   Welcome back :-)

Dreams Come True

Hey all - crazy times around here - birthday parties, hockey wind-ups, taxes, a new lake lot . . . busy busy!!    But I DO have a brand new layout to share with you today that I absolutely ADORE!!  

Our song this week at Scrap it with a Song is "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland.  

And here is my layout:

My page design for this one came from this Page Maps sketch.

Love how all the elements came together on this page!

Materials Used:
CTMH Patterned Paper: Dakota & Dotty for You (retired) & Lucy (retired)
CTMH Garden Wood Shapes
CTMH Black Pearl Flourishes
CTMH Black Mini Medley Accents (ON SALE while supplies last for just $1.50!!)
CTMH Stamp Set - Stitched Together
Alpha:  Fancy Pants Rub-Ons
Ink: CTMH Black
Cardstock: CTMH Black, Colonial White
Other notes: my banner shapes were just freehand cut and the scalloped edge is a Stampin' Up! Punch.  Journal lines just drawn with a ruler & a marker :-)

I do hope you'll be inspired to come play along at Scrap it with a Song - this month all of our songs are about colour!!   And I also hope you'll be inspired to give mixing different paper collections a try like I did on this layout!     I'd love to see how you 'mix it up' - - if you do, be sure to leave me a link in the comments below so I can come check out your creations!   Song inspired layouts can be linked up at SIWAS for a chance to be our May Guest Designer!  

A Rare Moment of Sibling Harmony

Canadian Scrapbooker magazine hosts a sketchy challenge each month.   This one is actually from November - I just haven't had a chance to post it until now.

I see now looking at the picture that my squares are not straight!  Might have to fix that, lol!!

Here is the sketch:

Materials Used on my layout:
CTMH cardstock: grey flannel, black
CTMH patterned paper:  Dotty for You (retired)
CTMH Glamour Glitter Alphabet
CTMH Licorice Opaques
CTMH Garden Wooden Shapes
CTMH Posh Journal Spots
squares cut with CTMH Artiste Cricut cartridge

Have a great weekend!

Rumour Has It

For the month of January at Scrap it with a Song - we are reviewing some of our favourite songs from the past year.  Up on the playlist this week is "Rumour Has It" from Adele!

Here is my layout:

My sketch is the January 1st sketch from the STUCK SKETCHES blog.
I'm also linking up to the Scrapfit "Negative Punches" challenge and the Frosted Designs Recipe challenge (stickers, rubons, stamping, punches).   

Materials Used:

CTMH Paper Collection: Dotty for You (retired)

AC Thicker Alphas

Making Memories Tiny Alphas

Chic Tags Flair Button

CTMH Neutral Bakers Twine

CTMH Gingham Ribbon (black designer collection)

CTMH RubOn scroll

CTMH Comments stamp set (journalling lines)

CTMH Cardstock: Kraft & Black 

Hope you'll play along - you have until January 31st to visit Scrap it with a Song and share with us your "Rumour Has It"-inspired creation!   See you there.

It's Your Day

** I'm doing a little one question survey of my blog readers - - check my post HERE to respond!  Thanks for your help!!**

I have some new artwork to share with you and all the details about an exciting new CTMH special celebrating National Stamping Month that starts today!

All of my artwork today features a great new stamp set "It's Your Day".   This stamp set is available for just $5 from August 15th to September 30th!   Keep reading to find out how you can get yours!

This clean & simple card (my favourite style!!) is based on a great sketch from the new Make it from Your Heart Volume 1 book from CTMH:

And check out the scrapbook pages I created, also using this stamp set:

Most of you are surely familiar with this style of scrapbooking.  I first tried it after reading/seeing Stacy Julian's ideas on "Photo Album Scrapbooking" and, of course, this style has gone viral with the popularity of Becky Higgin's "Project Life".     Well -- including these types of pages in your regular scrapbook albums are a great way to include many photos on one page - whether it be to capture everyday moments and memories like I did here, or to include multiple photos from one event such as vacations or birthdays/Christmases.  I often pick my favourite photos from an event to create a few traditional layouts and then add the rest of the photos from the same event into the album using these great CTMH photo storage pages.     (These pages are also great for using up your small scraps of cardstock & patterned paper and all those leftover alphabet stickers that we all have!) 

The "It's Your Day" stamp set I have used in my layouts and card above have some great phrases and images that are super versatile for scrapbooking your everyday life, but can also be used for cute cards too!

Here is the great double stamp set, which includes over 50 individual stamps:

Every CTMH order of $35 or more received between August 15th and September 30th will qualify to receive this great double stamp set for just $5.  Orders can be placed ONLINE or directly to me via EMAIL.   

Want even more artwork ideas using this great stamp set?  Check out the quick video CTMH has put together with even more ideas that will have you inspired to capture your everyday life on your next layout:

Happy Girl - with CTMH Stella & Dotty for You

We have a bonus challenge for you this week at Let's Get Sketchy!  July brings us one extra Monday on the calendar - so for a little something different, our recipe challenge this week is:
- White Background
- One Bright Colour
- Flowers

Here is my take on it:

Sketch is Release #1 from Sketchers

Love how this turned out.   This is a 'vintage' photo of yours truly - - about age two :-)   I combined strips of paper from the Stella and Dotty for You paper packs from CTMH which both feature that gorgeous Lagoon colour.  The background stamp and flower stamp both from the retired CTMH set "Circle Around".  Twine is CTMH Paradise Assortment Bakers Twine, Flowers are CTMH Just Blooms Paradise Assortment, buttons are from my stash.  Alphas are the Colour Ready Lots of Dots Irresistibles from CTMH sponged with Lagoon ink.

Hope you'll join us this week at Let's Get Sketchy for this fun challenge!  Would love to see your creations!  

Delight - a 2 Page Dotty for You Layout

One of my family's favourite things to do in the summer is play golf.  It is something all four of us enjoy & is something we can all do together, which is great.

I created this 2 page layout to capture some golf memories from last summer using the "Love Potion" design from the CTMH scrapbook program book MAGIC.

Materials Used:

CTMH patterned paper: Dotty for You collection (retired)

CTMH cardstock: Colonial White

CTMH Rub-Ons: Primavera (retired)

CTMH Ink (for distressing): Cocoa

Bakers Twine from the Twinery

Hope you are having a great week! Thanks for visiting!

Cutie - New Sketch & CTMH's Dotty for You

We have a brand new sketch for you at Let's Get Sketchy!

I sometimes find working with circle elements a challenge - but this one came together pretty easily.  I thought the CTMH Dotty for You pack was perfect for my layout!

And here is the sketch:

Materials Used:
CTMH Dotty for You paper pack (retired)
CTMH Keepsake Felt Alphabet
CTMH Paradise Flowers
CTMH Paradise Bakers Twine
CTMH Cardstock & Ink - Grey Wool
CTMH Brads - Colonial White from Basic Assortment Brads
Circles cut with CTMH Art Philosophy Cartridge

Hope you are inspired to get scrappy!! If you create a page using the sketch - be sure to link up with us at the Let's Get Sketchy blog - we'd love to see your work!

Have a great week!

A Plethora of Dotty for You Layouts!

Several layouts to share today (I'm playing catch-up so you get several layouts in 1 post!).  The CTMH Dotty for You kit comes with a fantastic sheet of example artwork including four great layouts.  I loved all four & recreated each of them with my own photos & titles, etc.

Gorgeous, right?!?!  Just a few days left to get a hold of your own pack of Dotty for You paper from CTMH! It is available until May 31st (or while supplies last - whatever comes first).  Just $5 for 24 sheets of this fantastic paper with every $35 order on my website.

Lemons!!

Encouraging your kids to eat lemons is always a great photo opportunity! 

I created this layout for the Fabulous Friday challenge over at Frosted Designs.  The challenge - a recipe -  to use 4 out of 8 listed elements on your layout.  The elements I used were: glitter, ribbon, stickers, and a brad.

The layout design was inspired by a page I saw in the CTMH Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book.

Materials Used:

CTMH patterned paper - Dotty for You (available until May 31, 2012)

CTMH cardstock - cocoa, desert sand, colonial white

CTMH stamp set - Typeset

CTMH stamp set - Love Life

CTMH ink - cocoa

Glitter Alphas - AC Thickers

Brad - CTMH Colonial White Designer Brads

Flower sticker & lemon sticker - American Crafts

Chipboard Tag - from my stash

A Card for Mothers Day

A while back I 'pinned' a gorgeous card from Jeanette Lynton's blog, created by the CTMH art department.  Looking at it, I thought it was the perfect card design for Mothers' Day.  I changed the card up to use more of my Dotty for You paper and changed the sentiment. 

And here is the result:

I know my Mom and Mother-in-Law are going to love their cards :-)  In hindsight, I wish I would have cut the flowers a teeny bit smaller and the stem a teeny bit larger, but - - needed to get these in the mail today - - so I'm embracing the imperfection!

Materials Used:
CTMH Patterned Paper - Dotty for You (available only until May 31st, 2012)
CTMH stamp set - Say it in Style
CTMH Green/Blue Sparkles
Flowers and Stem cut with the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge
CTMH cardstock: White Daisy, Grey Wool
CTMH ink: Lagoon

Great Beginnings with Dotty for You

Happy Monday!  Hope everyone had a chance to scrap this past weekend to celebrate National Scrapbooking Day.  I got to play a little & added 5 new pages to the books - I'm at 99 layouts for 2012 so far!  That's pretty good, I think!!  I've never kept track before, but it seems like a lot :-)

We have a great new sketch for you to play with this week at Let's Get Sketchy.  I once again dug into my CTMH paper pack "Dotty for You" - loving the versatility of this collection!

The pictures here were taken several years ago when my daughter was just learning to skate (you can see my hubby with his hands behind her ready to catch her every time she fell!).  We were visiting Regina at Christmas time and my hubby took her out to the rink that he skated on when he was growing up.  Kinda cool, don't you think?  And little did we know at the time that this was just the beginning for her - - she plays hockey now (going into her 5th year) and is now a great little skater!!

And here is the sketch:

Materials Used:

CTMH patterned paper - Dotty for You (available only until May 31, 2012)

CTMH cardstock - black

CTMH bakers twine - neutral assortment

Journal block - Jenny Bowlin

Alpha stickers - AC Thickers

Need some inspiration to get you started this week?  Stop by Let's Get Sketchy! We'd love to have you play along!

Spring . . . Here at Last!

We have a new song up on our spring-themed playlist this week at Scrap it With a Song.  The selection is "Spring Fever" by Elvis Presley!  Have to love the classic Elvis tunes!

I pulled out CTMH's special Dotty for You pack for this layout - available only until the end of May!
Layout design was inspired by the April sketch over at Canadian Scrapbooker.

Materials Used:
CTMH patterned paper - Dotty for You
AC stickers & Thickers
Circle cut with CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge
CTMH cardstock: colonial white & sweet leaf

Hope you will join us at Scrap it With a Song this month - - would love to see how our spring-themed songs inspire you!

CTMH National Scrapbooking Month Special Starts Now!

DOTTY FOR YOU

CTMH is celebrating National Scrapbooking Month with a very special promotion! You won't want to miss this gorgeous pack of patterned papers - designed exclusively for this promotion.

Get your Dotty for You pack in one of THREE simple ways:
1) When you purchase a minimum of $35 in products from the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book, you may add the Dotty for You paper packet, valued at $19.95, for just $5. (Get additional Dotty for You paper packs for every additional $35 spent!)

2) Host a traditional or online gathering with sales totalling $400 or more and get it for FREE!

3) Join my Close to My Heart Creative Canadians team of 'consultants' anytime between April 1st and May 31st and receive a FREE Dotty for You paper pack in your New Consultant Kit.

What is included in the Dotty for You paper packet?
The Dotty for You paper packet, created specifically for National Scrapbooking Month in May, includes 24 specially designed, coordinating B&T Duos® sheets (2 each of 12 patterns) and an artwork idea insert. It has a retail value of $19.95. Featured CTMH colors in the pack are: creme brulee, grey wool, lagoon, smoothie, sunset & sweet leaf.

Offer is available from April 17th to May 31st (while supplies last)!
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And, don't forget. . . if your order totals $50 or more you will also qualify to receive this month's Stamp of the Month "YOU ARE" for just $5 (retail value $17.95!).

Take advantage of the Dotty for You special by SHOPPING ONLINE or by sending me an EMAIL!