Big Picture Classes Pajama Party Project!

You may or may not know that Big Picture Classes hosted another online "Pajama Party" on September 26th. The past two Pajama Parties have had featured projects from Close To My Heart (one of which was the "Just Because" container that I keep drawing my challenges out of), however, this month, the featured project was sponsored by Studio Calico. The project uses a kit called "Project Life", which you can STILL purchase at a SUBSTANTIAL discount HERE by using the code SeptemberPJParty at checkout (Only $10 plus shipping until October10th). I highly recommend it, though you can be the judge once you've seen the project!

I began, of course, by ordering the kit. It comes in an adorable, magnetic-closure box. Here is what is inside:

LOTS of journaling cards in 4" x 6" and 3" x 4" sizes, alphabet stickers, a small acrylic stamp set, and more. Now, here's the fun part - what we did with it! There were three pages to the online project. Here is the first page:

The project is "a look back on 2013", with an "empty" spot for a Fall 2013 pic (mine has already been filled on page 3). Two things of note: 1) The tan border around the edge is just the table I took the photo on - it is not part of the page. 2) Evidently, "Project Life" is designed to go inside special photo pocket pages, which I did not have. Therefore, I just adhered all of the pieces to a 12" x 12" piece of white cardstock. Now I can just slip the pages into my regular Memory Protectors.


The great thing about this project is that they give you a "prep" worksheet which gives you all of the writing prompts and photo suggestions that you will need to complete the project. Once those prompts were filled out and the photos printed, the project was a cinch! (I'll give the links for the worksheet and the project instructions at the end of this post.) Here's page 2:

It's funny because I didn't have a few of the photos I needed to complete the project, so I made my family take part in a few impromptu photo sessions! One of them was the "breakfast from Dunkin's" pic, and the other was the "foot" pic (middle row, far right). This was one of the suggested photos from the prep sheet, so we went out to the backyard and took it - and I LOVE it! How adorable! I recommend everyone taking this pic whether they complete this project or not! And...page 3:

This is the "winter/spring/summer/fall" layout. I added a few of my own embellishments, like some bling I had lying around waiting to be used, and a couple of alphabet stamp sets in order to stamp "Holiday 2012" on the heart card. Everything else came from the kit. It was a breeze to put together, and I just LOVE the way it came out.
As promised, here are the links for the worksheets:


Prep Worksheets: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwyFxaosgJeYbHZBa2MtUnFHdkU/edit?usp=sharing
Project Instructions: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwyFxaosgJeYNkhGT0E3d0xiT2M/edit?usp=sharing

I hope you get your "Project Life" Kit for only $10, as I did. And I hope you have as much fun putting it together!

Just Because - Challenge 7

Well, I actually managed to get this posted on Wednesday - yea! It's almost over, but it is still Wednesday! Ha! The challenge I drew from my "Just Because" Kraft Container was this today: "Journal on this topic: Do you know the reason you were given your name? If so, write about that and put it on a layout with a self-portrait." Well, I had to call up my mom and ask her how I got my name. I knew the part about being French, but I had no idea I was originally going to be "Monique"! (Evidently, my dad did not like that name at all.) Isn't it funny the everyday things we take for granted - things as simple as our names. Do you know how you got your name? If you don't, you should find out, if you can! And if you do know it, or when you find out, at least write it down, if not create a layout about it. Someday, your kids and their kids will thank you for it!

Here's the layout I created using a pattern right out of Close To My Heart's "Make It from Your Heart - Volume 1" and the "For Always" paper pack - my favorite! The title was cut from the "Artbooking" Cricut cartridge, using Cricut Craft Room to "weld" the letters together:

I encourage you to do a similar layout for your scrapbooks!

Just Because Challenge #3

Today’s marks the third project in my “Just Because Challenge” series. These challenges came from an online Pajama Party on May 30^th. Did you realize that the next online Pajama Party, hosted by Big Picture Scrapbooking and featuring a Cricut® “Artbooking” project from Close To My Heart, is TONIGHT at 9pm EST?! Be sure to click THIS LINK to register if you did not participate in the last one!

I am really enjoying these challenges because they’ve got me doing things that I wouldn’t ordinarily do. Take the next slip I pulled from my “Just Because” container: “Use the photo pocket pages to create a layout – Add photos in some spaces and a decorative title/journaling into the other spaces.” I wasn’t even sure I had any Memory Protectors® Photo Storage Pages (their official name)! Ends up I did – they hold six 6” x 4” photos. Ends up I also had just the photos to put in it!

Right after the kids got out of school for the summer, we traveled down to Myrtle Beach, SC, to visit with my parents. While there, my parents had a visitor to their bird feeder – a raccoon! So right away, I decided I wanted to use the “woodsy” colors of Chocolate and Sweet Leaf, and some left-over paper I had from the “Cherry-O” Creative Basics Paper Pack (who remembers that one?!).

The arrows I cut & stamped are from CTMH’s BRAND NEW “Artbooking” Cricut Collection – available TOMORROW on my website! Click on any “SHOP WITH ME” link on the right side of this page!

I can’t believe how quickly that “page” came together! I just might have to do pages like that more often. If you’re wondering, CTMH also sells Photo Storage Pages with six vertical pockets. This is really fun – I can’t wait for the next challenge! See you all at the Pajama Party tonight!

Just Because

Today’s post begins a series that I’m calling my “Just Because Challenges”. The reason for this is that when I created the My Creations Kraft Container during the online Pajama Party on May 30^th, I used the sentiment “just because” on the front (mainly because I didn’t have the stamp set that they were using!). During the Pajama Party, they gave us a PDF file that had 3 pages worth of idea prompts on it to print, cut out, and put inside the Kraft Container. Then, when you’re in a slump or at a loss for a creative idea, just pick a prompt out of the container – and do it!

So, I decided to take the challenge and post my results. The very first slip of paper I pulled out read, “Create a page of WHY you are a CTMH Consultant!” Wow. Already this was going to be interesting for me because I do all of my scrapbooking with Studio J online – creating a page with paper and printed photos is something I haven’t done in a long time. I guess that is the point of these prompts! Therefore, after thinking about my “why”, the first thing I did was break open CTMH’s “Make It from Your Heart – Volume 1”. I found just what I was looking for on page 29 – the “In Focus” layout pattern. Since I was only doing a one-page layout, I used the left side of the pattern. Then I pulled out my “For Always” paper pack because I knew my photos had some bright colors in them, and “For Always” is all black & white.

From that point on, it was just a matter of following the diagram in the book! It came together really quickly. I embellished with some white paint brushed onto the edges of the page, some Opaques Pearls, and the corner of a frame from the “Life’s Framework” stamp set stamped in White Daisy. I really like how it came out! And I just love the photo of me and my upline, Linda, from last year’s Convention – it was such a blast! Here’s my finished page:

Journaling: “I originally joined the Close To My Heart family because I couldn’t find inks to match the colors of my papers. I had been to a CTMH party, and knew that their papers and inks all coordinated, so I bit the bullet and ordered a ton of inks. The consultant that I ordered them from suggested that I become a consultant to get the discount, if I was going to be ordering a lot. So, being that I was now at home with my 1-year-old son, I did it - I signed up. Three months later, I went to my first Convention in Salt Lake City. It’s been 11 years and 5 Conventions later, and I still love it. I am a CTMH consultant for the products (and discount!), the artistic outlet, the friends I’ve made, the excitement I feel when introducing new products and artwork and teaching new techniques, and Convention! It is just so much FUN, I wish I could go every year!”

That was fun! I can’t wait to choose my next challenge! If you’d like to join in the fun, here’s where you can find the Creative Prompts file: CREATIVE PROMPTS

Studio J Homework?!

In two short weeks, I will be on my way to Dallas, Texas for Close To My Heart's annual Convention. I can't wait!! I'm going to have SO many things to show & tell - it's always such a blast! This year, however, Convention-goers received an email with a Studio J 5-pack code in it, in order to complete five layouts before heading to Dallas. I must admit - this was the most fun I've ever had doing homework! The instructions for each layout included tips & techniques that wouldn't be found in Studio J's regular "help" menu. Things like dragging a new text box onto your layout, then filling it with a color or patterned paper in order to cover up a pattern or paper that is already there...I never would have thought of that! I learned so many cool tricks while doing this assignment - thank you, Close To My Heart! Here are the layouts I completed for my homework:

 (You would not believe how those "cupcakes" above were created! How fun!)

I was so excited to get these photos scrapbooked - and all in one afternoon! Fantastic! I can't wait to get my hands on the final printed copies - we have to wait until Convention to get those.

You can try Studio J out for free any time you'd like! Just go to StudioJ from my website and start playing (you will have to create a free account first)! I have fallen in love with this program, and I'm sure you will, too! Give it a try & learn something new!

Have Your Heard?

I don't know if you realize it or not, but this month is a "Stampaganza" with Close To My Heart! This is a fantastic opportunity to stock up on your favorite stamp sets! Here's the deal - for every two My Acrylix stamp sets (sizes A-E) you purchase at full retail price, you'll receive a third stamp set - of your choice - FREE (of equal or lesser value)! That's a savings of up to $29.95 per set!! CTMH My Acrylix stamps are the best on the market - clearly! (See what I did there with the "clear" reference...)

To get you as excited about this fabulous promotion as I am, here are a few of my favorite stamp sets from the current Idea Book. First up - "Card Word Puzzle":

This is a great stamp set because it not only has gorgeous floral & butterfly images, but also just about any word a crafter will ever need in order to make cards. Here is a beautiful card I made for my mother's birthday with this set:

So pretty. Next, "Eclectic Edges":

I just created a fun card with this gorgeous border set that I will be swapping at Convention in Dallas next month...here it is:

And so easy! Here's a set that I just love for masculine cards - it's called "Blue Ribbon":

Six of the images in this set coordinate with cuts from the "Art Philosophy" Cricut cartridge. Here is one of the cards I created with this set:

Ooo - love it! And lastly, but certainly not least, is "Hooray Bouquet". I love this set because all of the flowers in it coordinate with cuts from the "Art Philosophy" Cricut cartridge, which makes the stamps so quick & easy to use and layer - no scissors involved! Check out how fun & fresh this stamp set makes this scrapbook layout:

Yea! I hope you take advantage of this month's Stampaganza to get your own favorite stamp sets! This special is only good through June, so don't miss out! You can order online anytime on my website at funforyou.ctmh.com. Happy Stamping!