6x6 Fun

After visiting the family beach house last summer, I decided to send the family a Close To My Heart My Creations Display Album embellished and a handful of 6x6 pages scrapped with pictures from our visit. I thought that it would be great to add some pages to that album each summer as we enjoy our visits there. So above is pictured some 6x6 pages I did from our recent trip to the Hamptons to be included in the display album.

I will be offering a workshop to help you complete a display ablum of your own. Here is the info:

My Creations Display Album Workshop

Date: Tuesday, August 10th

Time: 5:00p-7:00p

Price per person: $20

****includes My Creations Display Album with (12) 6x6 page protectors, paper and cardstock from the Passages paper pack (enough to create (6) 6x6 pages, craft buttons, ribbon, brads, and other embellishments

RSVP by August 1st to ensure timely delivery of all materials and to hold your spot. Please note spots will not be saves in the class until payment is received. You can contact me at valentino.danielle@yahoo.com if you are interested in joining us.

This album can be an awesome gift for anyone: family, friends, clients, etc....don't miss out on this great workshop!

Autumn/Winter Sneak Peaks

As many of you already know, I had the pleasure of attending The Close To My Heart Annual Convention at the Gaylord National. WOW! is all I can say. One of the many benefits consultants get for attending convention is getting to see all of the new product and great changes being made to better all we have to offer. Starting September 1st you all will be able to order from our new Autumn/Winter catalog. There are great NEW products that I know you are all going to just love.

Today, I want to introduce the new how-to book called Magic. I just got mine and it is awesome! It gives some incredible layouts (as always) and ideas on making your pages more interactive. Also showing above is a swatch of one of the new paper packs called Mistletoe.
Please keep checking in for you never know when I'll post some more sneak peaks at what is NEW in our upcoming catalog. I will also be posting workshop dates soon so stay tuned!

Altered Candy Box

This one is for Ryan! While visiting at the family beach house last week, I was inspired to recreate this adorable candy box. Little Ryan recently celebrated a special occasion and for party favors (given that Ryan LOVES to fish) guests were given a little candy box filled with chocolate. The box was labeled "Ryan's Tackle Box". So, of course, being a crafter, I ran with the idea. This is a simple form of the box I made to be filled with homemade cookies. The materials used were:

• candy boxes with top window (found in the baking aisle at your local craft store)
• Passages paper from Close To My Heart
• Fish and Fishing pole stamps from "World's Best Dad" My Acrylix stamp set from CTMH
• Craft twine (for handle)
• Cocoa ink from CTMH

Fun With paper Folds

So I have been taking the passed couple of days to experiment with paper folds. There are so many super cute things you can add to your creations. Pictured here is a card I made using CTMH's Passages paper pack. I added a waterfall fold to the front to hold a cute little tag. This card will be shared with my family in NY. We just returned from a wonderful visit to their beach house and wanted to say "thank you" for the memories.

Start with a 3x3 square of your favorite paper (This is one of many great reasons why CTMH's B&T Duos are awesome. Because there is texture and pattern on both sides, you'll get an alternating affect when folding.)

Fold the paper side to side and then bottom to top. Turn the folded square so the point with open edges is at the top. Begin folding down each individual layer ending about 1/4" from the first layer. Do not fold the last layer! That is it...you are done.

Paper Bouquet Holder

Another fun paper fold! Pictured here on my page created using CTMH's Passages, is the paper bouquet holder. I added some silk and paper flowers attaching them to the paper with brads. This was super easy to make

Keepsake Envelopes As Embellishments

What an awesome addition to any scrapbook layout or card. So here is a card I made recently using CTMH's Cherry O paper pack. On the front is a sweet little "keepsake envelope" that can be used to decorate your card cover or can make your card interactive by allowing you to tuck a little note inside. I got this idea from Susan Cobb who has How-To books for cardmaking/paper crafts. Her directions are super easy to follow and help you to create the most beautiful paper embellishments.

So Excited!

Hi, all....ok, so I got to experience the Close to My Heart annual convention this past week. All I can say is WOW! So many great ideas and thoughts running through my head right now. No words can accurately explain the amazing atmosphere I just got to experience. A big "Congratulations" to my director, Fancy Melissa, for an excellent job instructing at extravaganza AND for being appointed a seat on the CTMH Advisory Board. GO, MELISSA!!!!!

Ok, so now for some sneak peaks at what is to come with CTMH:

Our Catalog, starting in 2011, will now be dispersed twice a year. So instead of three catalogs a year, you'll be getting 2. They will have more pages stuffed with ideas, paper packs, stamps, and other paper crafting materials.

Studio J has added 10 additional patterns giving over 376,000 possibilites to studio scrapbooking. CTMH will now offer memberships for Studio J which means more perks for members such as 50% off pages, free shipping, and free memory protectors...AND party hostesses will now be able to sell Studio J layouts as part of their party and receive credit towards their parties.

When you host a party, starting September 2010, you will now be able to get $40 in FREE products AND 1 item for 50% off with a sale total of $250.....so start looking at your calendar now for dates you would be interested in hosting a girl's night out. This is an awesome opportunity for you to get those new paper packs for free or one of those "luxury items" you have been looking at for %50 off.

As always, CTMH offers NEW products with their catalogs. You are going to love the new additions come September. CTMH is launching some new colors, and beautiful ones at that, new embellishment choices, new My Creations product, new cardmaking product, new albums, as always...new paper packs, and so much more.

As for the paper packs, I know many of you want to know what is new....well you'll have to wait and see but for now, I can leave you with a little hint....."peacock".....that's all I got for now.

So stay tuned for more info and don't forget to open your newsletters for my upcoming workshops...................................

Enjoy!

Happy July!

Hello, everyone and Happy July. Can you believe another month has gone by? I would like to take this time to introduce our new Stamp of the Month. This is a cute one and can be used to add sweetness to any of your artwork....ask me how you can get this stamp set discounted or even for FREE!