Saturday, December 9, 2017

CTMH Whimsy Fundamentals Layouts for the Joyful Stars Blog Hop December 2017

Welcome to my entry for the Joyful Stars December 2017 Blog Hop.  If you have arrived here from my friend Betty's blog, you are on the right track.

Before I get to my project, I just want to share a little something with everyone.
Last weekend, I joined about 150 of my CTMH sisters in King of Prussia, PA, for a Seasonal Expressions Launch day celebration.  It was a fabulous little getaway, and we got to see all of the new and exciting things CTMH has in store for us.  Most importantly though, this event is a celebration of all of the friendships that CTMH has afforded me.  I am so blessed!  Several of the Joyful Stars Blog Hoppers were in attendance and we got to take a photo together.
So, now that you have indulged me in my little story time, onto the project!   Another thing that happened at the event was that I was part of a big team meeting, and I created and shared a big project.  The project was made out of our CTMH Whimsy Paper pack and Whimsy Complements.  It has several Flip Flaps, another favorite of mine. It starts as two pages, and each page, left and right, opens up.  I have also gone on to add more Flip Flaps, and have added some Whimsy Ribbons, although, those are not included in these photos.






I hope you liked the layouts!  Now please hop along to Debi's blog to see what creative goodness she has in store for you today.

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Beary Christmas Flip Flap Layout

Did you happen to get your hands on the Beary Christmas Paper and Complements from CTMH?  Unfortunately, the Complements have now sold out.  Still, I wanted to share a big Flip Flap layout that I created for my customers.  I hope you find some inspiration in my design. 

Here is the front of my layout when it is all closed up.
Some up close detail featuring a wreath cut from the CTMH Flower Market Cricut cartridge.
Here is the first of the inside pages.  Aren't the little woodland animals so cute?
And here is a view of the Flip Flaps all opened up.
Now, onto the next inside page. Lots more going on here too!
And here is a look at the two Flip Flaps opened up.
The close up details make this layout so much fun!
Be sure to dig out your Beary Christmas and start creating! 
 

Thursday, November 9, 2017

CTMH Silver & Gold Projects for the Joyful Stars Blog Hop November 2017


Welcome to GIRLplusPAPER and my entry for the Joyful Stars Blog Hop for November 2017.  If you have arrived here from the very talented Michelle's blog, you are on the right track!

I am sharing several projects made with the gorgeous CTMH Silver & Gold paper suite.  They were all designed by a guest designer, Beth Recksiek.  Beth is not only a member of my CTMH downline, but she is also my mom.  Seeing as she does not blog, she gave me full permission to share away with my readers.  (Although, I had a tiny bit of input on design when it came to the cards.)

First up is the stunning layout.

The layout was made with CTMH Silver & Gold paper, Silver & Gold Complements, Silver & Gold Picture My Life Cards and the Silver & Gold Cardmaking Stamps and Thin Cuts.  Silver Foil Paper is used throughout the entire layout, and really brings such an amazing layer of elegance. In the photos below, you will be able to see the stunning details up close.

The bows were made with cuts from the CTMH Flower Market Cricut Cartridge.  They were cut out of the Silver Foil Paper.  Isn't the detail just outstanding?  That Foil paper cuts like butter.  The ornaments themselves were cut out of coordinating Silver & Gold Picture My Life Cards.  They are shadowed by Silver Foil paper as well, for added dimension.
Next up are the beautiful cards.  The first one is a simple 4" square card made on a Cranberry base.  The sparkly gold "joy" is actually a piece out of the Silver & Gold Complement package.  It is embellished with a little poinsettia flower cut out of the CTMH Flower Market Cricut Cartridge.
The next card features a striking gold striped cardstock out of the Silver & Gold paper pack.  It features this beautiful image stamped with the CTMH First Noel stamp set.  I love how the ornament was stamped with the Nativity Scene so that it becomes the centerpiece of this card.  It has such a clean, yet elegant look to it.
And the last card shows off the true versatility of the Silver & Gold paper pack - its ability to coordinate with just about any color of CTMH cardstock.  Here, it is paired with our beautiful new Bashful cardstock, which is also CTMH's color of the year.  The base was made with Gold Foil Paper, layered with a piece of Bashful cardstock, and followed up with a Picture My Life Card.  Its gold glittery embellishment comes straight out of the Silver & Gold Complement package, and it is finished off with our gorgeous Bashful Pearls.
Thank you for stopping by to visit my blog along the hop.  I hope that you have enjoyed the beautiful artwork that Beth shared with us!  

Please hop along to visit my friend, Krista, at Kristas Crafty Corner, to see what she has in store for you!

SALE ALERT - CTMH Fundamentals

Save 40% on bundles of Fundamental crafting products, or 30% on individual items During November, save on crafting essentials like paper, ribbon, die cuts and stickers during our Just for FUN sale! Save 40% on bundles of coordinating Fundamentals products, or save 30% on individual items! Check out the items below: * Offer available November 1–30, 2017 while supplies last. Shipping and handling assessed on retail value.


Adventure Fundamentals Bundle


$36.85 $22.11

Whimsy Fundamentals Bundle



$36.85 $22.11


Enchantment Fundamentals Bundle




$36.85 $22.11

Basics Fundamentals Bundle



$37.85 $22.71


Monday, October 9, 2017

CTMH Cats & Bats for the Joyful Stars Blog Hop

Welcome to the Joyful Stars Blog Hop for October 2017.  If you have arrived here from the very talented Michelle Loncar's blog, you are on the right path.  If you get lost and need to start at the beginning, you can always jump back over to the beginning of the hop at the Joyful Creations blog.
Have you seen new Cats & Bats suite from CTMH's Holiday Expressions Catalog yet?  Well, I would like to share with you a layout that I made for my display board that features Cats & Bats.  I use display boards to show my customers some examples of artwork that is made with a given paper suite. 

For this Cats & Bats layout, I started with two base pages of Willow cardstock

I then built my layout with patterned cardstock from the Cats & Bats paper pack, and I embellished the layout with Cats & Bats Complements.  The Complements feature cardstock stickers, glittery chipboard accents and 3D buttons.
In these next couple of close ups, I hope you can see the Cats & Bats Dots as well as the Black Shimmer Trim accents too.
I should also mention that I needed one more pop of color to suit my taste, so I added some Pansy Cardstock photo mats.  The pop of Pansy was not a CTMH suggested color, but was all my crazy idea!



Thanks for stopping by to visit me on the Joyful Stars Blog Hop for October 2017.  Now, please hop along to visit my sweet friend Krista, at Krista's Crafty Corner.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

CTMH Cats & Bats Party Card

Who says that CTMH's Cats & Bats paper suite has to be used strictly for Halloween themed projects?  Not this girl!!!
I mean, I love Halloween as much as the next girl, but, I want to show you the versatility of this Cats & Bats paper pack.  Here is a card that I made using a few of my CTMH favs at the moment.


Let's run down a list of supplies that I used to make this card, shall we?

Don't you just love the bold polka dot and striped papers of the CTMH Cats & Bats paper pack?  The fun, heart and polka dotted streamers were all part of the Cats & Bats Complements.  The little enamel dots came from the Cats & Bats Dots embellishments.  The word party was stamped and cut from the My Acrylix Cats & Bats Cardmaking Stamp Set with Thin Cuts.  I used a ShinHan marker to give it the green color.  And lastly, that beautiful scalloped border...it was cut from our Silver Foil Paper using our Thin Cuts Scalloped Border.  The foil cuts like a dream with that Scalloped Border, which is actually two pieces.  It should be called Borders, because, there is a second solid border that I cut and layered out of green patterned paper underneath the gorgeous Silver Foil.
So, what do you think?  Is the CTMH Cats & Bats paper suite just for Halloween?

Monday, September 18, 2017

CTMH Market Thankful for You Easel

Hi there!  I am here with a quick project idea that can easily be used for a hostess gift this autumn.  I had purchased several of these chalkboard easels last year at Target during the holiday season.  I have kept them on one of my supply shelves for too long now, so I decided to pull them out for a little class at my "Falling For You" crop this weekend. 
I used a flower and leaves cut out of my very dear CTMH Flower Market Cricut cartridge.  I think the flowers are actually poppies, but I could be wrong lol!  I love the fall colors.  I do think the best part of this project is the Gold Foil Paper sayings and leaves that were cut out of my CTMH Thin Cuts.  The close up below highlights how beautiful these golden accents are.  The foil paper also comes in silver, and cuts like butter with the Thin Cuts.

So, be sure to keep an eye out for frames and easels this holiday season!  And if you are a hoarder like me, dust off what you have and make a quick and easy gift with your CTMH products!

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

CTMH You Are Here France Layout for the Joyful Stars Blog Hop

Welcome to GIRLplusPAPER and my entry for the August 2017 Joyful Stars blog hop.  If you have arrived here by way of Betty's blog, you are on the right track.

Today, I would like to show you another project that I created with the help of the brand new CTMH You Are Here Cricut cartridge, as well as CTMH's Flower Market cartridge.  I decided to print out some photos of my oldest daughter, Katie and I, at EPCOT's France.  We visited during the Flower and Garden show, and we were there to support my younger daughter during her FBLA competition.  While Bella was at one of her programs, we had a little time to explore the French pavillion on our own.  Anyway, I thought the You Are Here cut of the Eiffel Tower and the Girls Getaway sentiment were the perfect for match for my photos.  The layout wasn't really complete for me until it was embellished with lots of flowers from the Flower Market cartridge.



The layout bases are made from White Daisy cardstock, the floral paper is from the Adventure Fundamental Paper Packet and the blue patterned cardstock at the bottom is from the Whimsy Fundamental Paper Packet. You may also notice big photo mats of Bashful cardstock, as well as smaller mats of Raspberry cardstock.  These pieces were given to us as part of a layout kit at CTMH Convention that I did not make because I might have been too busy socializing!

You might also notice the gorgeous Bashful Glitter Paper that I used for the word "Getaway" and the little crown.  It is beautiful!  And CTMH now offers Bashful Pearls, so of course I had to make them the center of my flowers and spread some out around the layout.

Feel free to pin my photos on Pinterest, and become a follower of my blog so that you don't miss a single project.

Next up on the hop is our very own talented NJStampingQueen, Marie.  Thanks for stopping by!



Monday, August 7, 2017

You are Here CTMH Cricut Cartridge for the Scattered Hearts Blog Hop

Welcome to the Scattered Hearts You Are Here CTMH Cricut Cartridge Blog Hop!


  If you have arrived here from Heather's blog, you are on the right track.  

I just returned from a quick day trip down the shore.  Yep, that is what we call it here in NJ, down the shore.  It is actually south of where I live so I guess it is kind of accurate.  Both of my oldest girls had off from their jobs at the resort for the first time all summer, so I packed the four of them up and headed to Sandy Hook.  There was quite a rip current that day, but the weather was perfect for playing on the beach and swimming if you didn't mind working a little!  

I wanted to create a layout that featured the adorable seashore themed cuts out of our brand spanking new CTMH You Are Here Cricut cartridge, and of course, I wanted it to work for scrapbooking my own trip with the four kiddos.  The seashells, sand castle, waves and frames were the perfect shapes for our beach trip.  We don't have many palm trees or tropical flowers here on our beaches!!!
Oh, and that adorable little banner saying, "EAT. BEACH. SLEEP. REPEAT." just worked out perfectly too, and is also a cut from You are Here.





Although the photo of my layout in the entirety appears to have a black color for the frames and page outline, it is actually Sapphire cardstock.  It is an awful, rainy day here, and photographing is quite difficult.  I will try to update the photo asap!  The closer up photos are more true to color.

Here is a list of the supplies that I used.








I love how easily the CTMH Gold Glitter Paper cuts on my Cricut Explore machine.  I do keep one blade that is designated for cutting only glitter paper.  

Thank you for stopping by to visit me on the Scattered Hearts CTMH Cricut Cartridge Blog Hop.  I hope that you are leaving here inspired!  Please hop along to the fabulous Tina Sutton at Miss Gingerdots to see what she has created for you!

Thursday, July 20, 2017

My Story - Close To My Heart Convention 2017 Salt Lake City

CTMH Convention 2017 was held in Salt Lake City, Utah.  It was a fabulous event, and I want to share some of my personal photos and experiences with you.  I hope that you take a few minutes to share in my journey.  Maybe you will even decide that you would like to join my team and attend CTMH Convention 2018 at the 5 Star Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas.  I will post the link at the end of my post :)
   
Here I am with my friend Jill.  We flew together along with our good friend, Denise, who decided to sleep during much of our flights to SLC.  That's why she isn't in our selfie!
I had never seen the Rocky Mountains, and I was so very excited the girls let me have the window seat on our flight from Denver to SLC.
Although we were exhausted, we decided to explore Temple Square for a while after having dinner together.
On Wednesday, I attended CTMH Leadership day and got to learn from all of our very informative speakers including Brian Hollman.
On Wednesday evening, following leadership day, we had our Scattered Hearts Team meeting and party.  I was so happy to share the convention experience with Veronica, a member of my GIRLplusPAPERhearts Team as well as a friend of mine.  We originally met while attending a scrapbooking crop together.
Thursday was the first day of convention.  Although I was exhausted, I was so ready to take everything in.  We were given the new 2017 CTMH Annual Inspirations Idea Book, new products and a trip to the CTMH Home Office.
After enjoying a yummy boxed lunch, Veronica and I boarded a coach bus to the CTMH Home Office.  I can't imagine what it would be like to work at such a beautiful location.
Of course, I had to stop to have a picture taken with the mountains in the background!  Thank you Veronica for taking such a great picture of me.
Inside the CTMH Home Office, there were literally hundreds of pieces of artwork for us to enjoy.  My blog post would be miles long if I were to post them all!  Isn't this Create piece just gorgeous?
How about this 17 foot long mobile?  It was hand made and greets those that enter the CTMH foyer.  It was very impressive!
Under the mobile was this round display of CTMH goodness.  It was full of more beautiful artwork.
The grand staircase with custom wallpaper were the perfect spot for Veronica and I to have our picture taken together.
The CTMH Mission Statement turned into artwork.
As we traveled upstairs, we arrived first at the art studio.  I love the motto on the wall.  Did you notice that open desk?  I would love to get to work there.  I wonder if CTMH would ever consider hiring me lol!
I mean, who wouldn't want to work here?
Next stop on our tour!
Although we toured Jeanette Lynton's personal office, I wanted to respect her privacy and so I won't be posting those photos.  Off of her office was a dream of a crafting area.  It is part of Jeanette's suite. 
We really did feel welcome, and not just because of the lovely artwork on the door!
Here is the conference room.  I loved the soothing gray walls, but I adored the artwork there.  Later in the convention, I had the pleasure of spending some time with one of the artists, but that will be another blog post soon!
During the next few days of our convention, we had many guest speakers.  They were all wonderful.  One of the highlights for me was learning that Stacy Julian would be partnering with CTMH on a new line of scrapbooking products next year.  I loved hearing Stacy speak about her family.  Her children, with their triumphs and struggles reminded me so much of my own four kiddos back at home in NJ.  And I got to meet Stacy!  #StacyJulian 
On Friday evening, I was a presenter at the Creativity Showcase.  It was an amazing experience.  I spent the evening with the beautiful Alex Gaud, my teammate, and got to meet hundreds of my fellow consultants. The highlight of my evening was when I got a few moments to meet with Jeanette Lynton and her family.  It was completely unexpected and I was truly humbled.
I promise to do a full post on this CTMH No Worries layout very soon!
You might have already seen my blog post on this one page No Worries Layout.
On Saturday evening we celebrated the end of convention with a very special awards banquet.  Here I am posing with my very sweet roommate, Kelly. 
We had an absolute blast together.

Sticky Girl!  I had found her before the banquet, but my photos are out of order.  I couldn't find #stickyboy this year :(
Delicious salad.

Yummy dessert!
We each received an exclusive CTMH Convention 2017 Stamp Set.  Who tells your story?
Looking pretty!
Our dessert was on the table before dinner...this photo isn't out of order lol!
Here are some more selfies with my friends...
My amazing upline Barb!
Marcia!
Sock monkey!
Jamie, did you know I kidnapped sock monkey for a quick photo?
Faye!
Rebecca!
Avis, our new Operation Smile queen!
Katy, our retiring Operation Smile queen!
Maria, we just share so many of the same values that I just adore her!
Finally, a photo with my dear friend, Denise.  She loves me so much that she takes me all around the country with her, lets me sleep in her room when I don't have one the first night, she shares a mutual love of Café Rio, shares my secrets and she just gets me!  She is one of the biggest blessings that CTMH has gifted me with.
Here is a photo of me with my long distance friend, Liz Johnson.  At the moment we snapped this photo, we were up on stage singing and dancing with rock star Alex Boye.  Liz is a constant source of inspiration for me, and I was thrilled to meet her.  She is a genuine gem!
Kelly and I partied the night away, but got up early to experience the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  We decided to dress nicely, and we were seated down in the front center of the amphitheater that holds 30,000 if I remember correctly.  I do believe the ushers might have mistaken us for part of the church community.  We seemed to be sitting amongst the church families.  It wasn't until the performance was underway that we started realizing where we were sitting.  Yikes!  It was amazing though!!
And because we needed to push our exhausted selves even further, we went on a walking garden tour throughout Temple Square on a 100 degree day.
When we got back to our hotel room, Kelly booked us on one last adventure.  A private tour to the Great Salt Lake.  This was a natural wonder that I really, really wanted to experience.  I am so glad we went...even if we needed to walk across that black carpet of brine flies along the shoreline.  You see, they feed on the stinky, dead brine shrimp that are under them on the shoreline. 
We were lucky time wise that afternoon.  We ran into more of our team at the Great Salt Lake.  Here we are with our friend Tonya!  (I stole this photo from her!)

The next morning, I woke up way to early, caught a shuttle to the airport and stumbled upon my CTMH sisters, Briana and Dana.  We passed our time at the airport together.  Briana and I boarded our first flight to Denver together, and spent our layover in Denver together.  We chatted the hours away.  It was an absolute pleasure!

My trip was a whirlwind, but I loved and lived every moment to the fullest.  I can't wait until next year's convention so I can make even more memories!

If I have inspired you to join me on this amazing Close To My Heart journey, click this link and join the GIRLplusPAPERhearts Team!