Artbooking Made Easy: All-Star Scrapbooking

I love how we Crafters don't waste anything! I have this drawer and a Ziploc bag full of paper scraps and negative pieces from other projects! You never know when they will come in handy! Head to my Shop and get your very own Artbooking Cartridge today! Get Crafty, My Friends!

New Heights Abound

By the way the adorable little girl in this cute project is the daughter of one of my amazing upline, Mandy Leahy! I love this cute layout! I especially love the balloons with the Sparkle Gems! This is so cute and not as hard as it might seem to do. Don't let these fancier projects make you nervous! Give it a try, you might find that they are far simpler to do then they would seem! Head to my Shop and pick up all your sparkly gems for your project today!

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Artbooking Made Easy: Artbooking My Life

Keep it simple. Or keep it snazzy with bling, pop and more! Picture My Life is the perfect Scrapbook, cardmaking, whatever project happy medium! I have seen some truly amazing things done with these cards. I figured that they were really for those who wanted to keep scrapbooking simple and it is! No question about it, its made for even the newest of scrapbooking newbies. Yet, when I went to Convention back in June, I saw examples of various uses of our Picture My Life cards. Some projects showed exactly like what Monica shows in this video, extra embellished PML cards in a layout. I also saw them make cards, tags, used on standard scrapbook layouts and more. They come in all sorts of different sets that correspond to our paper packs!

Grab your very own PML sets, by heading to my Shop and ordering today! Remember: Get Crafty!

Project Inspiration: Hip Pics Album

Super cute and so easy to do! What a great quick and easy gift idea, that will hit home when you give to your loved one. Its such a great idea for Mother's Day! I know that giving photos like that really means so much to our Mothers & Fathers and is truly a gift that comes from the heart. I hope this gives you some super great project ideas that can be so easily turned into memorable gifts! Remember: Get Crafty!

Check out this month's Stamp of the Month! You can add it to your collection for only $5 when you spend $50 or more this month. What a steal, as its regular price is $17.95! You can also buy it for its regular price. Don't miss out on this awesome deal!

Floating Your Fancy

This is such a cute idea! I think I have to do a class! Who wants to come join me for a Floating Technique Class? I love the ideas that these videos give me, I swear there isn't enough time in a year to do all of these great projects!

Want to make your own Floating Window? Head to my Shop and pick you your supplies today! Remember: Get Crafty!

I absolutely love this month's Stamp of the Month! You can purchase this set for just $5 when you spend $50 or more. You can also purchase the set alone for $17.95. Its such a great deal and you don't want to miss it. Hurry because after the 31st of August, it will no longer be available!

Artbooking Made Easy: Capturing Snapshots

I love using my cut-outs and negative spaces as templates for unique looks for backgrounds. This mini album is super cute and I love how they talk about the technique of getting that graduated look with the background colors! You could have so much fun with this idea and use it for whatever strikes your fancy! I love how one idea or technique can spawn so many other great ideas. I hope you feel inspired today! Get Crafty!

Check out my Shop and order something fun today!

I absolutely love this month's Stamp of the Month! You can purchase this set for just $5 when you spend $50 or more. You can also purchase the set alone for $17.95. Its such a great deal and you don't want to miss it. Hurry because after the 31st of August, it will no longer be available!

Shhhh...It's Top Secret

 

This particular project I worked on while I worked on the 'Daddy Files' mini album. So I used the same Top Secret keys from the Artbooking cartridge. I honestly haven't played as much with my Artbooking cartridge until recently and have found how much I absolutely love it! Even if you just want one of these little images to add some pop to a scrapbook layout or to a card. Or really whatever floats your boat, you can! Its easy to resize an image to fit a particular project. Its easy to layer up the images, like I did with the star medal. I just cut out the same sized image in both red and yellow, then cut the star out and placed it on top of the red ribbon.

I love how this card turned out! Its not a traditional shaped card, which I loved. I think the file folder look is awesome and then matching up images that would work with it was fun. I made sure to give it a grungy, old feel by sponging the edges in Cocoa and Chocolate Ink, as well as going lightly across the base inside and out. Simple and yet, super cute. If you haven't bought your Artbooking cartridge, you really should! Great for any crafter!

Head to my Shop and place an order today!

Remember: Get Crafty!

Project Inspiration: Tools for Tasteful Pages

Tools. I have secret: I'm still very much a newbie, especially when it comes to some of these new tools. I have never used our piercing tool and mat. I love the look, but it kind of intimidates me. Intimidated or not, I have plans to add this fun tool to my Craft Room in the near future. Something I've learned since I started almost a year ago as a CTMH Consultant is to take things one step at a time and allow yourself to make mistakes, to learn. I have made some pretty darn ugly projects, but then I've learned a thing or two and have made some very beautiful projects. But if I hadn't made mistakes learning how to use new tools or techniques, then I wouldn't have learned anything and I would have kept making the same plain (and might I add boring) layouts & cards. You have to risk some and invest some in order to keep developing. Don't let some of these tools scare you. Try it, it may not be your favorite technique, but if you ever run into someone who doesn't know how and could use some support, then you'll be able to. Its one of the fun things about crafting.

I hope you got some great ideas from her super cute project and maybe have found a new technique you'd like to learn! Go for it! The sky is the limit and don't be afraid to mess up, even flaws can be beautiful! So go, Get Crafty!


Stop by my Shop and place an order today!

August's Stamp of the Month and it can be yours for only $5 when you spend $50 or more. Or you can buy the stamp set for $17.95. Either way, grab it while you can, because it won't be available after August 31st.

Military Themed Card

My Husband has been in the Army Reserves for the last 12 years and I served for 8 years as well. So you could say we are very much a Military family and we also live on a military base for my Hubby's civilian job. I am constantly hanging out and associating with our soldier's families. Something I've noticed over the last year of being a Consultant for Close To My Heart, is that its difficult to find stamps and embellishments that are Military oriented.

So I was super excited when we offered the My Hero stamp set (Retired) in the Hostess Rewards in our Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book. I use it a lot for cards for some of my best customers out here! I'm so glad to have it, so here is an example of one of my favorite cards I put together. I know its super simple, but sometimes simple is really good. I used Colonial White CS for the base and some Slate CS, plus some great target themed paper. I used some Slate Ink for the clouds and Black Ink for the plane.

Like I said I kept it simple and it was quick to put together. I have this goal for this year's Veteran's Day. I'm going to give out as many cards to Veterans as I can. We handed out a few last year, which my kids loved, but to see the look on these brave men's faces was heartwarming.

Well I hope you've enjoyed checking out this great card! Need to stock up on crafting supplies? Head to my Shop and place an order today!

August's Stamp of the Month is super cute! It can be yours for just $5 when you spend $50 or more. Or you can get it for its regular price of $17.95. Grab this great set while you can because after the 31st of August it will be gone!

 

Artbooking Made Easy: Nursery Rhymes

Love, love the tips! I'd say I'm still a Newbie at a lot of this and I love when they share the 'How-to' in their videos. I love learning new techniques and of course new ideas. Have any of you used your Artbooking cartridge? I'd love to see some of your projects! Send me photos of your projects to pixiestedding@hotmail.com and in a week or so, I'll share some of the cute projects!

I love being crafty and showcasing my projects (even if they didn't turn out that great!) Remember: Get Crafty!

Checkout my Shop and order some fabulous new products today!

Here is August's Stamp of the Month and it can be yours for $5 when you spend $50 or more. If you just want the stamp set, you can order it for $17.95. Don't miss out on this super cute set, before its too late! Available till midnight August 31st.

The Wedding Getaway

Good Morning Friends! So this card is one of  my favorites, but aside from ink, paper and watercolor pencils, all the super gorgeous stamps are all retired CTMH sets I bought ten years ago when my Mom was selling CTMH. I love these stamps. I bought them for my wedding, which didn't actually occur until two years later and was very simple, seeing as we gave our folks a weeks notice. I don't actually use these very often, I've gotten spoiled with our Acrylic Stamps, so blocks are a little bit harder to use.

I had a good customer ask for a wedding card and I thought that these were perfect. It seems so totally elaborate, but its actually so simply done. I used Daisy White CS for the card base and the envelope. Colonial White CS for the car and the cute flower at the top, then a strip of Twilight CS (Retired). I used Black Ink for all the stamped images and then just had fun coloring in the images with our Watercolor Pencils. Making sure to give a little 3-D element with 3-D Tape. It looks gorgeous but has to be one of the easiest cards I've done.

I hope this inspires so fabulously creative projects! What do you envision when you think of making a wedding card? I'd love to hear your answers! Remember: Get Crafty!

Head over to my Shop and order some of our new and fabulous products!

 

Check out August's Stamp of the Month! Isn't it super cute! I love Halloween and this would be great for some party invites! This could be yours for only $5 when you spend $50 (which is so easy, if you are anything like me!) or you can snag it for its retail price of $17.95. However you get, do it soon, because this cute set is only available until the 31st of August! Don't miss out!

Artbooking Made Easy: Fab Frames

What fun! I can see so many cute ways to utilize this My Creations Pennant Frame! You can make it as elaborate or as simple of a design as you want. The Artbooking cartridge will make it simple and yet give it far from simple look! I hope this video, as with all the videos I share, gives you ideas and ways to make these projects your own. If you want to order a Pennant Frame, go to my Shop and order one today! Remember: Get Crafty!

Here is August's Stamp of the Month and it can be yours for $5 when you spend $50 or more. If you just want the stamp set, you can order it for $17.95. Don't miss out on this super cute set, before its too late! Available till midnight August 31st.

The Daddy Files

Hey Everyone! I hope you are all having a great day and enjoying what's left of summer! I can hardly believe that school starts in just over a week for us here. I will have two kids in school and my Hubby & I are headed back to school ourselves. I'm feeling a little unprepared for this big change for us, but totally excited at the same time!

Well I know that this is kind of off for the timing, especially since Father's Day was back in June. I had to wait to share this awesome mini album I made using the Artbooking Cartridge for a customer until she had given it to her honey! Now when I started this little project adventure, I had never made a mini album and so I was pretty nervous. (See even I get nervous sometimes, especially when working on something for a customer!) But it turned out to be pretty easy to do.

I used most of the images on the Top Secret key from the cartridge and just sized each of the pages so that they matched. Sized the cute images to work with the size mini album and then I went to work cutting. Of course gluing too! I was pleased with the turn out! I obviously could have gone with more embellishments but I decided that if my customer wanted more to it, then she could add what she felt it needed to complete the gift. I liked the simplicity especially since it was meant to look like top secret files! I think in the end the hardest part was punching holes in all those pages for the cute Baker's Twine I used to hold it all together. I actually broke the hole punch my hubby bought for me and I had to go pick up a crafting one, so it could handle all the layers.

I hope this gives you fun ideas of great gifts and projects that are so simple to do! Don't forget Get Crafty!

Want to add the Artbooking Cartridge to your collection? Head to my Shop and snag one today!

Items Used

Artbooking Cartridge

Cashmere Cardstock

Outdoor Denim Cardstock

Slate Cardstock

Olive Cardstock

Buttercup Cardstock

Crystal Blue Cardstock

Black Cardstock

Some various decorated cardstock

Chocolate Ink

Cocoa Ink

August's Stamp of the Month is this super cute 'Owl'oween set! I absolutely adore this set! Spend $50 or more and get this set for only $5, or order it at its regular price of $17.95. Remember not to let this cute set pass you by, because starting September 1st it will no longer be available

Project Inspiration: Party Favor Favorites

What fabulous ideas! Who wouldn't be super stoked to go to a party when you're invite includes a popcorn in such a cute container? I'd be there in a heart beat! (By the way, I love Kristine! She's a hoot and kept us all rolling with laughter at Convention! She really is a kid trapped in an adult body, LOL) Now don't be afraid to use your adhesive of choice for your projects! I have found that somethings work better for some projects, while others just don't cut it. In fact, I recently discovered some older scrapbook layouts, that are literally having things fall off due to my choice in adhesive. Which means more work for me! I love our Bonding Memories Glue! I have found nothing and I do mean nothing like it out there.

I actually have a story to tell. So, I happened to have run out of my Bonding Memories Glue (BMG from here on out) and so what is a Crafty Girl to do? I ran to the closest craft store, which is about 45mins one way from where I live and bought a glue that seemed similar to what I had become use to since I became a CTMH Consultant. I bought and hurried home so I could keep working on Christmas projects. Yeah, so my quick solution turned into kind of an embarrassing mess. It actually warped my Cardstock and made my Christmas cards curl in or sometimes even out. My thought was these look ugly, but what could I do, I wouldn't get more BMG in time for my Craft Boutique. So, I make sure I order at least one BMG with every order. That way there is less of a chance of running out!

So, there is my rather random, but incredibly insightful story about adhesive! I hope you enjoyed this fun video and now have fabulous ideas brewing for your next party! So remember to have fun and Get Crafty!

Need some supplies? Head over to my Shop and order today!

The Superhero in All of Us

What parent would ever want to hear the words, "I'm lonely," from their 5 year old son and know that he really understands what that means? It breaks your heart, but I'm sure by now you all have heard the story of sweet Danny Nickerson and how the only thing he asked to be given for his 6th birthday was a box of cards. This sweet boy was diagnosed in October 2013 with   Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a type of very aggressive and difficult to treat brain tumor at the base of his brain. Because of this horrible disease and all the treatments the poor little guy has to go through, they had to pull him out of kindergarten.

A request was put out over Facebook, asking for people to send birthday cards in time for his 6th birthday on the 25th of July. I don't think they had any idea about the way Danny's story would touch the lives of so many and the outpouring of love that would occur. I'm not even sure what the total was in the end (for all I know cards & packages are still trickling in ;) ) but I do know at one point it was estimated to be about 15,000 cards and over 900 packages arrived. Danny's family had to come pick up his deliveries each day and required a Uhaul truck and several vehicles to bring it all home. I was so glad to see and hear that so many people could care about one small boy who only wanted to be less lonely for his birthday!

As an avid card maker and finding Danny's story so incredibly touch (especially since my oldest turned 6 back in May), I began to plan a card to send to Danny. I had just recently purchased a super cute Superhero stamp set that CTMH used to sell, Super Powers and thought it was the perfect set to use on this one Superhero's birthday card. I used classic Superhero colors and even some from a rather unconventional paper pack. I used our new ShinHan markers to color in the the super cute images and used some 3-D tape to had some dimension on my gate card. I even made a matching envelope and stamped it with more Superhero images! I absolutely love how it turned out! I hope it made Danny's day to receive this card, because it sure made mine to make it! If you want to learn more about Danny and follow is story, checkout Daniel's Journey.

Items Used

Outdoor Denim Cardstock

Cranberry Cardstock

Honey Cardstock

Colonial White Cardstock

2 different shades of lighter blue Cardstock

Jubilee paper pack (Retired)

Black Ink

Lagoon Ink

3-D Tape

ShinHan Markers: Peacock Green, Barely Beige, Carmine, Marigold, Cerulean Blue

Looking to restock or add to your Scrapbooking supplies, then checkout my Shop and order today! Don't forget Get Crafty!

  

August's Stamp of the Month is this super cute 'Owl'oween set! I absolutely adore this set and can't wait to add it to my collection! Spend $50 or more and get this set for only $5, or order it at its regular price of $17.95. Remember not to let this cute set pass you by, because starting September 1st it will no longer be available.

Artbooking Made Easy: Love Is In the Air

 

I realize that this video was made just in time for Valentine's Day, but here we are in August and I'm finally sharing it with all of you. I think that this such a cute layout idea and is inspiring for layouts any time of year. I find I do tend to gravitate toward themes that coordinate with the seasons/holidays, but I also love to mix things up and try new layouts no matter the season. Don't be afraid to make a more romantic or even a Valentine's themed layout in August or whenever you feel the desire to do so. I hope this video has given you some fun new ideas to work with and if you find you are missing supplies or even finally want to purchase your own Artbooking Cartridge, check out my Shop and put in your order today!

 

This month's Stamp of the Month is this super cute Circus Alphabet set. You can add it to your collection for Only $5 when you spend $50 or more. Or you can purchase it for full price of $17.95 during the month of July.

Artbooking Made Easy: Togetherness

So I totally love how they show you exactly what pages all of the items you'll be cutting out for these projects are found. It makes it so easy to follow along and find exactly what they are working with. I love that they show how to do things like the flowers (which they make seem soooo easy, of course doing it their way probably is) and teach those old & new to the techniques how to do it! So if you haven't had an opportunity to play with the Artbooking Cartridge, you are missing out! Now I haven't gotten to play with too many 'outside' cartridges, but I love variety that ours offers and the ease in which you can combine layout pieces to work for YOUR projects! It is well worth the money you spend, not to mention getting 700 images in one place, 3 D-sized stamp sets that coordinate and the 3 sheets of Dimensional Elements that also coordinate. What a deal and only $99! (I'll let you in on a secret, if you host a party and you can get your party to reach $250 or more, then you can use the Hostess' 50% off on a Cricut Cartridge of your choice!) So, head on over to my Shop and buy your Artbooking Cartridge today. Or contact me about hosting an Online or in your home party today! Remember Friends to Get Crafty!

Base & Bling Style

I know this is a little old, but the ideas are NOT! So many fun ideas and ways to use the Base & Bling! What a great project for your preteen or teenage daughters or granddaughters, but still just as much fun for women of all ages! Contact me today if you're interested in hosting a Base & Bling Dessert Bar Party!

Want your own Base & Bling? Head over to my Shop and order today! Have a fabulous day and Get Crafty!