2016 Spring Retreat

Join us for another fantastic weekend getaway in Canmore, Alberta! Scrapbook and papercraft to your hearts' content for 3 glorious days! We'll be staying at the Best Western Pocaterra - a fantastic location with great amenities and service! 

The dates are Friday, April 29th to Sunday, May 1st, 2016

Registration is $235 (based on double occupancy, $345 for single occupancy) and includes: 
- TIME FOR YOU!!- a fantastic goody bag
- prizes
- access to 'tool table' (including punches, Cricut, Big Shot, Cuttlebug) (Note: use of the Cricut will require your own cutting mat OR a $2 fee for use of our mats for the weekend). 
- deluxe continental breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday mornings
- catered lunches on Saturday and Sunday
- coffee, tea and water
- some snacks & soft drinks
- standard guest room 
- access to hotel amenities including pool, waterslide and hot tub
- high speed internet access
- unlimited access to our fantastic, well-lit crop space (4pm Friday to 4pm Sunday)
- consultants from Close to My Heart & Creative Memories on site for assistance.   We will also carry a small inventory of product for your shopping convenience.

$100 deposit required to register - you will be contacted for payment once your registration is confirmed. Remaining balance is due on March 29th.

Cancellations & refunds available until March 29th.

TO REGISTER: Email me csironside@shaw.ca on Saturday February 20th at 9pm (emails before this time will be disregarded).

IMPORTANT NOTES: 
Registrations (and waiting list) will be taken in the order that emails are received. Note: Maximum of FOUR registrants per email. Please indicate in your email who you'd like to room with (if anyone).

Single occupancy means ONE person in the room - - if you are planning on bringing family/non-scrapbookers, they must book an additional room directly with the hotel.   Please email me with any questions!

Canmore Spring Retreat - Spots remaining!

Join me for another fantastic weekend getaway in Canmore, Alberta! Scrapbook and papercraft to your hearts' content for 3 glorious days! We'll be staying at the Best Western Pocaterra - a fantastic location with great amenities and service! 

The dates are Friday, April 24th to Sunday, April 26th, 2015.

Registration is $235 (based on double occupancy, $335 for single occupancy) and includes: 

- a fantastic goody bag
- prizes
- access to 'tool table' (including punches, Cricut, Big Shot, Cuttlebug) (Note: use of the Cricut will require your own cutting mat OR a $2 fee for use of our mats for the weekend). 
- deluxe continental breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday mornings
- catered lunches on Saturday and Sunday
- coffee, tea and water
- some snacks & soft drinks
- standard guest room 
- access to hotel amenities including pool, waterslide and hot tub
- high speed internet access
- unlimited access to our fantastic, well-lit crop space 
- consultants from Close to My Heart on site for assistance.   We will also carry a small inventory of product for your shopping convenience.


Only a few spots remaining - EMAIL me to register ASAP!!

Retreat News!

A quick shout out to all of my local peeps - I just posted all the details of my upcoming weekend retreat in beautiful Canmore, Alberta.  

FALL RETREAT

Just a few spots remaining!   Hope to see you there!

Thank You!

Thanks to our 40 friends who joined Noreen & I on Saturday for our full day crop!! We had so much fun and love that you all came to spend your day with us! I took today off to rest, lol! Next crop is happening on February 23rd and registration is FULL!! If you haven't signed up but are interested in attending - be sure to send me an EMAIL to be added to our waiting list (cancellations do happen!). See you all again soon! xoxo

CHAOS!!

Lots of craziness happening around here this week!!    I am hosting my semi-annual weekend retreat this coming weekend in Canmore, Alberta and the madness has begun!!    Normally I do most of my prep the weekend before I leave - - but this time around I was travelling with my daughter's hockey team to an out-of-town tournament instead of prepping.    So much fun!!  Here are the happy gold medalists:

While we were away - I managed to slip on some ice, sprain my ankle & end up with this:

So . . . my retreat prep is not happening at the pace I'd like and now with just a couple days to go - I am in panic mode!  This is what my scrap room looks like today - - Cricut humming along, stuff everywhere, half packed containers . . .

If I pull this off by Friday it will be a miracle :-)  Wish me luck!!!    

As much as I'm not enjoying all this prep & packing with my immobile foot - I am VERY MUCH looking forward to the retreat itself!     I plan to prop my foot up & do some scrappin'!!!       To the 40+ ladies joining me in Canmore -- I'll see you soon!

Easy Christmas Cards with CTMH Rub-Ons

I'm not sure about all of you, but I send out a TON of Christmas cards -- always handmade, of course!   So when it comes to my holiday cardmaking - - I am always looking for ways to make a lot of cards in a short amount of time.     I was able to do exactly that recently by playing with the new CTMH Pear & Partridge Rub-ons!      Absolutely love the quality of these rub-ons - - I found they were so much easier to use than a lot of other brands of rub-ons I've tried in the past.   Also love that the colours of the rub-ons are so vibrant!!

Here are my ten cards:

Card #1 (5"x7") - Inspired by this card by Aaron Brown

Card #2 (5"x7")

Card #3 (5"x7")

Card #4 (6"x6") - inspired by this card by Allisa Chilton

Card #5 (5"x7")

Card #6 (6"x6")

Card #7 (6"x6")

Card #8 (6"x6") - inspired by this card by Aaron Brown

Card #9 (5"x7")

Card #10 (6"x6")

Love how these turned out!!   I also used some of the remaining rub-ons in the package to decorate my ten envelopes for that added 'special touch'!

Hope you like these as much as I do!!  I'll be offering this set of cards as a class at my home in Calgary in December and will also be offering these as a card kit for those of you unable to attend the class.

Class -  Sunday December 9th @ 7:30pm
10 cards as shown above and envelopes - $27.50
RSVP by EMAIL by Saturday November 10th

Card Kit - 10 cards and envelopes as shown above, pre cut & pre stamped with diagrams of the finished cards (you add the rub-ons & assemble the cards) for $30 plus mailing costs to you (if applicable - if you are local to me - we can arrange a pickup).  Order by EMAIL by Saturday November 10th - kits will be mailed out to you on or before Monday December 3rd.

Pear & Partridge Christmas Cardmaking Workshop Kit

CTMH has designed a really great 'workshop kit' for the upcoming holiday season.

I recently had a chance to work on my kit and in just a few hours - had 15 great holiday cards ready to go!

The cutting guide and instructions allow you to make 5 each of these three beautiful designs:

The Pear & Partridge Cardmaking Workshop Kit is just $29.95 and contains:
1 - Pear & Partridge Workshop Stamp Set (available exclusively in this workshop kit!)
2 sheets of Pear & Partridge patterned paper
4 sheets of cardstock (Colonial White, 2 Cocoa, Cranberry)
15 colonial white cards & envelopes (cards are 4.25" x 5.5" finished size)
1 package red glitter gems (108 pieces) (available exclusively in this workshop kit!)
1 roll tan twill ribbon (5 yards) (available exclusively in this workshop kit!)
1 colour instructional workshop guide

Other items used in creating these cards:
Cranberry ink
Cocoa ink
Olive ink
Foam Tape

With the easy-to-follow guide - you'll have no problem making these cards on your own at home.  Or if you are local - join me at my Pear & Partridge Christmas Card workshop in December & we can create them together!   Order your kit TODAY & your Christmas cards for this year will be ready to mail in no time!!  (Details on my upcoming holiday classes - COMING SOON!!!)

Advent Calendar

Look what I did last night!  Such a fun project.  

The Advent Calendar is a brand new kit in the CTMH Fall/Winter Idea Book.   I love how easy this was!  It is a little more time intensive than some projects, (after the Cricut had cut out all my little boxes to fill the CTMH Cubby, it took me about 3 hours to complete the stamping and assembly) but so worth the extra time!   I'm also impressed with how sturdy this is!   The Cubby is really solid and well constructed - - this should last us several years of use!   My kids are quite impressed that 'mom made this' and can't wait until its' time to use it!

Materials Used:
-  CTMH Advent Calendar Kit (includes: full colour instruction guide, 1 My Creations Cubby Box, 1kit-exlcusive Advent Calendar stamp set, 15 sheets of cardstock (3 each of 5 different kit-exclusive colours), 1 package of Bitty Sparkles, 2 sheets of matching Chipboard Frames)
-  Boxes are cut with CTMH Artiste Cricut cartridge
-  Ink for stamping:  Brochure recommends Black Staz-On, I used CTMH Archival Black
-  Ribbon:  CTMH Black Striped Grosgrain (I thought the ribbon added a nice touch to decorate the outside of the box, but it is completely optional to the project).
-  Adhesive to assemble the boxes & adhere your chipboard frames:  Liquid Glass

Be sure to order yours in plenty of time to complete before the Christmas countdown begins in December!

For my local peeps (Calgary & area) - if there is enough interest, I will offer this as a class in November.   Send me an EMAIL if you would be interested in attending!

Weekend Retreat in Canmore Alberta!

Hey scrappy folks!

Registration began on Saturday for my upcoming weekend retreat in Canmore (Nov 30 - Dec 2, 2012)  . . . and the emails were flying fast & furious for our regulars to get their names in!     But lucky for you  - - we have SEVEN spots left!!     Interested in joining us?!?!  Be sure to check out my EVENTS BLOG for all the details & then get your registration email in to me before these spots are gone!

Hope to see you there!

Five Fabulous Finds

Happy Friday!!
My big crop is tomorrow!  Can't wait to see you there Calgary peeps!!  Going to be a great day!

It has been a few weeks since I posted a Friday Fab Five - - I have some great picks for you this week!!

1)  PicMonkey - - I'm in love with this FREE photo editing site!! Seriously great!  I was so upset when Google discontinued Picnik!  But am so happy to have now found an even better replacement.  Love it!  Try it - I promise you'll love it too!

2 & 3)  That time of year to start thinking of Mothers & Fathers Day gifts - - found 2 great DIY ideas on Pinterest that I wanted to share with you.  A super cute mini album for Mom (you could also do a similar altered journal) and an adorable wall hanging for Dad (scroll down the page a bit after you click the link to see this one).  Check them out!

4)  Love this idea for a layout - the title is "Time Flies" and it features pics of a loved one over several years!  Gorgeous!

5)  I have been dreaming for a while of doing a gallery wall somewhere in my home to display my favourite photos.  Saw one on Pinterest today that I ADORE!   Again - when you click on the link you'll have to scroll down a bit - look for the dining room photo gallery! LOVE LOVE LOVE! 

So that's it for today & my Five Fabulous Finds!  Hope you've enjoyed!  Have a great weekend.

You Light up my Life with Stella

It's pretty quiet here on the blog this week!  I have a large crop coming up this Saturday so I've been busy prepping for that.  Can't wait to spend the day with a bunch of my Calgary crafty peeps!!  My co-hosts and I have fun make & takes planned, lots of yummy food, and some great prizes!  I'll try & remember to take pictures - I always get so busy when I'm there that my camera always seems to stay in the bag. 

So while I busily pack my cropping gear - I have a layout for you to enjoy :-)  This gorgeous page design is from the CTMH Stella Workshop Kit.  The kit includes a full colour artwork guide that features this layout.  I love how well the Stella papers look with our pool photos from vacation. 

Materials Used:

CTMH Stella Workshop Kit (all stamps, paper, accessories, etc. used are included in the kit!)

Die cutting done with CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge

Thanks for visiting today.  Check back again tomorrow - - I'll have a new layout for Scrap it With a Song.



Sweet Surprises Cards

The CTMH Sweet Surprises are seriously the CUTEST cards!!  I've had several customers fall in love with this great kit - - they are so great for crafting WITH your kids or grandkids or other little ones in your life or to make yourself & give to anyone with a sweet tooth!   The kit itself would even be a great gift for young or beginner crafters!  I actually did a class this past weekend with a great group of girls (and some of the moms too!) to make these cards.  The cards are so easy to make - the girls were thrilled that they could put these together 'all by themselves'!   And how fun is it to give away little candy treats!! Love it!

Each kit makes a total of 10 cards, 2 each of the following 5 designs:

There are matching images & sentiments on the inside of each card as well.   The cards read:
"Wishing You . . . A Sweet Birthday"
"Sending You . . . Just a Little Sunshine"
"Thank You . . . With a Cherry on Top"
"Just for You . . . On this Special Day"
"Knowing You . . . Just Makes me Smile"

Each kit contains everything you need for all 10 cards including ribbon, treat cups, stickers, chipboard, bases, and envelopes.   The kit sells for just $19.95!  You add the candy of your choice!! (I will mention that in a few of the examples I put together above - I tried using Easter Eggs - - I don't recommend that!  They were too big!   For my kids' class yesterday we used Jellybelly jellybeans and Skittles - both of which were the perfect size!)

CTMH put together a little video to show you just how quick & easy these are:


Want a kit for yourself?  You'll find it on my website HERE.

Playing Catch-Up

Hey all!!  Today's post is a catch-up post on a whole bunch of things.   I've been really sick all week & have been barely able to lift my head off my pillow.  After a visit to the hospital yesterday - I found out that I have pneumonia (just a few weeks after my daughter recovered from the same thing!).  After starting antibiotics, I'm feeling marginally better today and able to be on the computer a bit - so I wanted to do a quick post on a bunch of things. 

1)  If you'd like to take part in my Creative Club Rewards program this month - - orders will be due on MONDAY (I'm extending the deadline from the 10th).  Read the details of my REWARDS PROGRAM & KIT CLUB by following the links.

2)  I recently announced that CTMH is retiring their How-To books for scrapbooking & cardmaking.  We were told this week that inventory of the books is running low & will not be re-stocked - - so NOW is the time to put your order in if you have any of these books on your wishlist!  Anyone who has scrapped with me knows I much I love these books -- I highly recommend them if you sometimes feel 'stuck' when planning your pages (or cards!).   Send me an email or shop online to get yours before they are gone!

3)  I have a fun class for kids coming up!  I still have space for a few more  - - check out the details & let me know ASAP if your child (age 7-10) would like to attend! 

4)  Don't forget about the amazing sign-up special happening this month!   I want to WELCOME all the ladies who have already taken advantage of the deal & joined my Creative Canadians team in March!  There is still lots of time for YOU to join too!  Read all the details of how you can get $400 in CTMH products for just $99 on my blog post HERE.

Thanks everyone!! I hope to be back on my feet in a few days & will hopefully have some new artwork for you soon! 

Back from Retreat!!

Hey everyone! Just a quick post today to say that I am back from my scrapbooking retreat this past weekend in Canmore, Alberta!  40 fabulous ladies joined me & my co-hosts for a great weekend in the mountains.  We had so much fun!  Saw lots of AMAZING projects that everyone was working on - - so much crafty talent in one room!

This was the scene at about midnight on Friday night:

Let me tell you, it doesn't take long for each person to completely cover their 6 foot table!!  Look at all that scrappy STUFF!!!   WOW!

A little peek at what kept me busy last week as I prepped everything for retreat . . . our theme this weekend was "The Oscars".  These are the little treat bags I left for everyone to find when they awoke on Saturday morning:

I cut these cute little bags using the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge.  The stamps are also from CTMH - I used the 'Be Yourself' set (retired) for the image and the sentiment is from 'Take a Picture'. 

Thanks to everyone in attendance this weekend!  You are such a fabulous group.  New attendees always comment to us how friendly, welcoming & easy going everyone is!  We love that!   

Keep posted on our future all day crops and weekend retreats on my EVENTS PAGE or send me an email at csironside@shaw.ca to be added to my 'Events Notification' emails! 

Happy Monday!