CTMH Artbooking: Today is a Good Day

This layout was a great opportunity to capture the beautiful day we spent celebrating Mothers Day!  It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed exploring the shops of Gruene, Texas, topped with a fabulous meal at the Grist Mill, yummm!

 

The Album Retreat version of this layout used floral stamps to random-stamp behind the chevron overlay.  I’m not much of a floral print kinda gal, so I switched it up and grabbed a different stamp set to play with…opted for the arrows!

 

Notice the Bronze Shimmer Trim…it adds just the right pop to give all these neutral colors a little zing!

Disclaimer:  The kids are all drinking Root Beer!  <smile>
 

Stamp Set: C1561 One-WayBorders

Cardstock colors:  Desert Sand, Colonial White, Honey,
                                       Goldrush and Outdoor Denim
B&T Patterned Papers:  Sarita (Outdoor Denim dots)

Tips/Techniques:

·  Randomly stamp the base cardstock to create unique patterns

·  Use Cricut® Craft Room to adhere letters together and size them smaller for a longer title

·  Use the negative pieces of the overlay to create a border on the journaling tag

·  Combine multiple overlays cut into pieces for added dimension

·  Layer different colors of cardstock under the overlay to add detail to the background

·  Sponge over cork shapes to color them

·  Use 3-D foam tape to make photos stand out

 

Cricut Artbooking

Bronze Shimmer Trim

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CTMH Artbooking: On This Day

I love how this layout has a border on 3 sides, giving it a full spread look!  I rarely think to do this myself (partly because it ends up using 2 full sheets of paper more and I tend to be more economical), but it really makes a difference, so I’m going to have to start using this approach a little more regularly!!

We’ve used several pieces from the My Crush Best Day Ever assortment to add pops of color and different “papers” to the layout without breaking out with another paper pack!  This allows for different patterns, color and even journaling spots on your layouts!!
 

 

I decided to use this layout to capture some of our “through the years” photos of John and me…man we look young in some of those!

Stamp Sets: D1559 Geometric Backgrounds and B1431

                          Reel Life

Cardstock colors:  Sky, White Daisy, Whisper, Kraft, Pear,
                                       Smoothie and Lagoon
B&T Patterned Papers:  My Crush Best Day Ever
                                                   assortment

Tips/Techniques:
- Use pieces of the My Crush Best Day Ever assortment to
   accent pages and for additional
   journaling spot options
- Use smaller-sized borders as accents
- Scallop Shimmer trim with scallop punch

Scallop Border Punch

Cricut Artbooking

Best Day Ever Assortment

Bronze Shimmer Trim

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CTMH Artbooking: Hello, Hello, Hello

The title for this layout, 3 Hellos, made my think of my 3 little ones!  Okay, maybe they’re not so little now…but you know they’re always babies in our eyes!  So I grabbed some of my favorite pics of my 3 when they were little ones!  So stinkin’ cute!!

Notice the lagoon washi tape is in several spots.  Sometimes it’s just placed straight down, other locations it’s placed on a scrap of white cardstock so it’ll “pop” and we’ve even folded it in half lengthwise to loop through the heart image like a piece of ribbon!

 

Stamp Sets: C1561 One-Way Borders, D1559 Geometric Backgrounds, D1555 All the Details and D1572 My Life (from Cricut Artbooking Collection)

Cardstock colors:  Kraft, White Daisy, Ruby, Lagoon and Whisper

B&T Patterned Papers:  Sarita (Outdoor Denim dots) and Sparkle & Shine (Stripes/Dots)

 

Tips/Techniques:

- Create unique journaling spots using Cricut® cuts

- Cut same title or shape in multiple sizes to create visual

   interest

- Scale down borders to use as accents

- Match stamp sets with Cricut® cuts for perfect cut-and-

   stamp combinations

- Create your own washi tape with stamped backgrounds on

   trimmed cardstock

- Layer background stamps, Cricut® shapes, popped stamp

   sentiments, and washi tape to create trendy layered focal

   points

 

Cricut Artbooking

Lagoon Houndstooth Washi Tape

Aqua Dots

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CTMH Artbooking: Looking for Adventure

Isn’t this why we join the military?  Looking for Adventure!!  The colors in this layout worked perfectly to capture some of my military career!  Front and center is my favorite photo…our family at the retirement ceremony!!

I used some of our small 2x2 flip flaps to incorporate some extra photos I didn’t want left out…and to capture all my “variety” of uniforms.

Notice the sky polka dot paper, with the Best Day Ever journaling block, the lagoon “distressed” paper and the chevron paper in the upper right corner…these are all pieces from the My Crush Best Day Ever assortment!  I LOVE that the My Crush assortments are all sized perfectly to fit within the Flip Flaps Small Assortment!  Gives you so many possibilities to work with!!  Not just within your Crush books…but also as parts of layouts, on cards and any papercrafting project!!

Stamp Sets: D1572 My Life (from Cricut Artbooking

                          Collection) and D1559 Geometric Backgrounds

Cardstock colors:  Outdoor Denim, Bamboo, Lagoon,
                                       Juniper, Desert Sand & White Daisy
B&T Patterned Papers:  ProPlayer (Hexagons)

Tips/Techniques:

·  Reduce the size of photo mats to create journaling spots

·  Offset layered Cricut®-cut borders for a pop of dimension

·  Use Cricut® Craft Room to stretch shapes for a custom fit

·  Use pieces of the My CrushTM Best Day Ever assortment for additional variety

·  Create embellishment clusters by mixing small items, especially leftovers from other projects

Cricut Artbooking

Small Flip Flap Asst

Best Day Ever Assortment

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CTMH Artbooking: Real Life Story

Another of our CTMH Fall Album Retreat Layouts, using the Cricut Artbooking cartridge, cardstock and some of our Sparkle N Shine, Frosted and Sarita papers (an odd mix, but turned out nicely!).  Notice the mini-album base pages on the layout, great as elements for journaling or photo mats!

With the Album Retreat Layouts, I wanted to make sure I used some of them to scrapbook me…which rarely happens!  99% of my scrapbooking is to capture the story of my children’s lives, so I wanted to use this opportunity to tell some of my stories…some that my children have never heard and this layout allowed me to capture several of those “little known facts” about Mom:

1.  When I was about 10 years old, living in Anchorage, Alaska, I went camping with a girlfriends family and caught a 23-pound King Salmon!

2. I ran the inaugural San Antonio Rock N Roll Marathon…scratched that one off my bucket list!

3. I’m “officially” a high school drop-out, despite getting my diploma, and earning a Bachelors and Masters degree!

So much more to all of those stories, but don’t want to bore y'all with the details, lol!

Stamp Sets: B1431 Reel Life and D1555 All the Details

Cardstock colors: Whisper, Smoothie, Ruby, White Daisy,
                                       and Black
B&T Patterned Papers:  Sarita (Outdoor Denim dots),
                                                   Sparkle & Shine (Stripes/Dots)
                                                   and Frosted (Grey Snowflake)

Tips/Techniques:

·  Use a base page of a mini album for journaling on a 12" x 12" layout

·   Add in simple circle shapes to give layout variety in flow and form

·   Look at photo mats from various themes and use them throughout projects; many photo mats, overlays, and elements live on a theme-specific key, but are basic and can be used on anything

·  Repeat the same shapes in different papers and sizes to create a cohesive look

·  Use Cricut® Craft Room to create mats in sizes that fall between measurements in real dial size

·  Use a stamp to create your own background & texture paper

·  Create a cluster using different elements, paper, fibers, and embellishments

·   Cut one overlay in half and use a piece on each page 

Cricut Artbooking

Slate Twist Ties

Lagoon Houndstooth Washi Tape

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CTMH Artbooking: Capture the Details

This is the Cover Page for our Album Retreat album!  Not all of my pages from the Album Retreat stayed in my album, as some were used for the kids' books…but now that I have an album for myself started, I’m determined to make time to capture some of my personal stories…not really for me…but so my kids can know a little more about their Mom!

Stamp Sets: B1432 Love This and D1555 All the Details

Cardstock colors:  Whisper, Colonial White, Gypsy,
                                       Lagoon and Black
B&T Patterned Papers:  Laughing Lola (Colored Paisleys)

Tips/Techniques:

·         Mix pre-designed title cuts to create a unique title
·         Layer solid and outline borders together
·         Add doily shape for beautiful detail in one simple step
·         Enlarge a standard photo mat to create a base to the
          page as done with the bracket shape
·         Cut two brackets and layer for more interest, and save
          the two unused cuts for another project or use in a
          workshop
·         Use the "Hide Contour" feature of Cricut® Craft Room
          online design software to create the back piece of the
          banner On pieces like the arrow and the striped border,
          cut the same shape out of two different colors to create
          a pop of color



Cricut Artbooking

Slate Twist Ties

Lagoon Houndstooth Washi Tape

Aqua Dots

      

  

CTMH Cloud 9 - Cricut Craftroom

There's still time to get the fabulous Close to My Heart Cloud 9 card making kit for ONLY $15!! This kit contains $46 in products; however, when you order $35 in products you can get this exclusive kit for only $15!  Which also makes you eligible to purchase the January Stamp of the Month: Cross Stitch Wishes for ONLY $5!!!

Here are the 5 patterns you create with the Cloud 9 kit!  You have supplies to make 2 of each of these patterns, PLUS plenty of embellishments left to make even more cards!!  The kit comes with precut shapes, you just add the ink and adhesive and you're set to go!!

The stamp set is a Cricut Artiste compatible set, which means you can cut even more shapes and continue making cards!!  I created a cricut craft room file so I could create 4 of each card design using ONLY 1 piece of card stock!!

Then I stamped all those extra shapes and created an additional 36 cards for my stash using Laughing Lola and Sarita papers!  The Teal Shimmer Trim and Gold Polka Washi Tape (NEW for our Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book) match perfectly with these carryover papers!!  I grabbed some leftover square durables from my stash to finish off once I ran out of the triangle durables that came in the kit!

And seriously, that mustache stamp…add some neutral papers to the mix and you have some fabulous masculine cards…fun for everyone!!

Cricut Artiste Collection

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CTMH & Cricut Mats

I’ve mentioned how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our new CTMH Cricut Artbooking cartridge!  All those overlays, photo mats, titles and images to create a cohesive layout or mini-album without a lot of thought or effort!!!

Well, one thing I’ve discovered…the more you use your Cricut, the quicker your mats stop sticking, and boy, can that expense add up!! 

Fortunately, there is a super, cost-effective way to recondition your Cricut mats so you can use them over and over again even after they lose their sticky!!

I’ve created a quick video to show you how I do it!!

Bonding Memories Glue

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CTMH Flip Flap Scrapbooking

For those who have never played with our Flip Flaps, I made a quick video to show you how absolutely easy they are to use on your pages!!

If you haven't already seen my completed Flip Flap Album, check out this video!

4x6 Flip Flaps

Small Flip Flap Asst

6x6 Flip Flaps

12" Flip Flap Asst

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