Style Avenue Studios

Embellishments: 4 Tricks for Using Washi Tape

2013-06-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Washi Tape Tips

Hello Friends!

I am writing today to share some washi tape tricks. Washi tape is a thin, slightly translucent paper tape. It is great for embellishing cards and scrapbook pages. Here are a few ways I use washi tape:

1. Embellish your embellishments: I added washi tape to this wooden butterfly from CTMH. I used liquid glass to secure it. (Blogpost on Liquid Glass)

2. Create your own craft pins by using head pins with the ball tip. You can purchase head pins at beads stores or any craft store that selling beading supplies. I love the ball tip head pins over the flat heads for creating craft pins because they look more finished. Fold over some washi tape and cut into banner shape, pennant shape or leave squared off. I like to make a bunch while I am doing it and I don't cut the shapes until I am ready to use it. That way I can tailor it to my page.

3. Place strips of washi tape over cardstock, lining up any patterns. Then use decorative punches to cut shapes out of the washi cover cardstock.

4. Use colored or plain metal paper clips and fold some washi tape up creating a flag. Again you can cut them into various banner or pennant shapes.

Thanks for reading! Please Pin It, Share and Tweet!

Digital Scrapbooking: Grandma's Album

2013-06-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

I have never done digital scrapbooking, because I am addicted to paper, stamps, embellishments...the works! However, I wanted to give digital a try. So here is my first experience with digital scrapbooking. I used the Studio J program offered through Close to My Heart. I wanted to approach this as a consumer really give you a true product review. I know you may think I am biased but Studio J is truly amazing.

I did some research comparing Studio J and a competitor. Here are the main points:

Studio J gives you:

A two page layout for $6.95
3 jpegs per layout, a small one for the web (as pictured below) and one large jpeg per page to use for printing again later.
Shipping for $5.95 for a box of upto 50 layouts
Offers a 5 pack for $39.95 which includes 5 layouts and shipping included (perfect for a gift or for you to stock up on layouts)
Many digital options including layouts already designed and ready to just place the pictures and print, paper packs with embellishments, and a way to build from your pages from scratch.
Customizable! Titles, color choices, journaling...etc!
The paper and printing is 100+ year archival printing process.
Plus, videos and tips to help you get the most from the program.

From the research I did I found that Shutterfly offers:

A one page layout for $6.99, shipping not included
Very limited paper options
No customization.
Not sure about their printing process.

So I am truly amazed at what Studio J offers! I suggest you give it a try. You can create your first layout without even creating an account and at no cost! Only when you are ready to hit print will you need to create an account so you can save your projects.

If you have any questions please let me know!! Check out the layouts I created for a scrapbook for my mom. It was her Mother's Day present.

Why Scrapbook Sketches?

2013-06-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sketchy Mondays

Vivien Hughston, Sketches and Scrapbooking 2009

Hello Friends,

There are a few reasons why I started this blog. The main reason is to share with you my passion for scrapbooking. My other reasons include: to teach, to expose you to my favorite scrapbooking company (Close To My Heart), to expand my knowledge, and to help keep up with my scrapping.

This post falls under two categories. To teach you, and in turn, teach myself. I was searching pinterest looking for scrapbook sketches. This one pin caught my eye because it was hand drawn. I clicked it and it took me the following article. I was looking for something for you to use and wound up educating myself.

Why Sketches?

Sketches will aid in the creative process
They will speed up the process
One sketch can help create many layouts

Because of this article I will now sketch out all the layouts I complete, before and after. This will be a great asset to me when I am trying to complete a layout quickly. Also, I will post the sketch of my layout for you to use as well!

Please read the following article and comment below about what you learned. Are you going to start using sketches this way?

http://www.examiner.com/article/sketches-and-scrapbooking

Cards: Gratitude Gift Set

2013-05-31T08:33:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

Here is a really quick and easy gift for someone, or for you to keep. People love handmade cards, so what's better than a set of handmade Thank You cards.

I used the second generation stamping technique. What that means is this: I stamped the first branch with full color straight from the ink pad, then WITHOUT re-inking I stamped it again. This gives the illusion of depth. Next, I stamped a thank you sentiment. Mine was the gratitude stamp from the same stamp set.

For an extra finishing touch you can draw a frame around the edges of the card.

There you have it! A totally easy, but beautiful card. Make 5 cards and 5 envelopes and give them as a small gift. Anyone would be lucky to receive it!

Please leave me a comment below! Did you learn a new stamping technique? How did you like the look?

May Specials

In honor of National Scrapbooking Month, you can get a special paper packet for only $10 when you spend $35 in May (valued at $19.95). This paper packet includes 12 cardstock sheets as well as 12 B&T Duos. The colors are vibrant and the each of the cardstock sheets have a unique glossy resist pattern that will add texture and make your artwork pop!

Get the Stamp of the Month set for just $5 when you place an order of $50 or more.

Therefore, with these two promotions you can get both the Dream Pop Paper Packet and the Stamp of the Month with a final order of $55! Check out my Fan Page for more artwork and projects you can complete using the paper pack and the Pinwheel stamp set!

Thanks for reading! Please Pin It, Share and Tweet!

Tips: 4 Tricks to Using Liquid Glass

2013-05-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!
I apologize up front for the quality of the photos. I had to take the pics with my phone because my computer was infected with a virus this weekend (Boo Hoo)! Therefore, I have no photoshop either. With that said I am here today to show you a few tricks with one of my favorite crafting tools, Liquid Glass. If you are not sure what Liquid Glass is, well let me tell you it is a must have! It can be used for a very strong adhesive and to give a clear embossed look to just about anything, but there's more!!

Here are my other tips and techniques:

1. Make your own crafting pins

Purchase head pins with the balls, instead of just the flat head and add your own beads. You can get head pins from a bead store or any craft store selling jewelry making supplies. Use liquid glass to glue the beads and let dry for at least a 2 hours (prefer to let them sit a day). If you can make a bunch in advance and then you have them for when you need them! In the image below I used glass pearls and a clear AB glass bead, all about size 4mm.

2. Use Liquid glass to enhance any patterned paper

a. Choose your patterned paper. Decide what parts of the pattern you want to enhance and lightly squeeze the liquid glass onto the paper, making sure not to add bubbles (do not shake the bottle).

b. You can take this one step further by adding glitter to the liquid glass while still wet. I like the micro fine glitter, especially if you are enhancing a small pattern. However, any glitter will work.

3. Give stamped images more pizazz by adding the liquid glass. It will look like a clear raised image. It also gives the ink color a deeper, richer hue. Wait to cut out the image until after the liquid glass is dry, otherwise it warp if you cut it out first.

4. Use it as a glue for washi tape, baker's twine,and embellishments.

Washi tape is wonderful, but it isn't super sticky. I applied washi tape to this butterfly and used the liquid glass on the back to secure it.

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you found this informative. Do you have a favorite product that you can't craft without? Please leave a comment and let me know what you love!

Get the Stamp of the Month set for just $5 when you place an order of $50 or more.

Do you have a favorite product that you can't craft without? Please leave a comment and let me know what you love!

Thanks for reading!

Layout: All about Me

2013-05-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

I have been trying to grow as a scrapbooker, stamper, and overall crafter. I have been checking out pinterest and researching new products and trends. One of those trends is the 8 1/2 x 11 layout. Another, is what I have named the clustering or free form style. So I decided I wanted to challenge myself.

Not only challenge myself once but in 3 ways:

1. Scrap an 8 1/2 x 11" page

2. Use the clustering style

3. Start a scrapbook strictly about me.

I am almost always behind the camera and telling others' stories. I want to leave something to my children so they can learn more about me as a person. Also, by pushing myself with my scrapping style I am learning more about myself too!

So with all that said here is my multi-challenge attempt: the cover page to my scrapbook "It's All About Me."

I used kraft cardstock for the base and used the Dream Pop paper pack (the CTMH May Constant Campaign) for the additional papers. You can see in the above and below pictures the grey chevron paper. That one of the cardstocks from Dream Pop, it is a clear embossed (or tone-on-tone) chevron pattern. All the cardstocks are amazing! Also above in this photo I used the polka dot fabric from the For Always Textiles pack. I wrapped it around a piece of cardstock and secured all edges using liquid glass.

I wanted to try a compilation of fonts, stickers and stamps to create my title. I added a frame cut from the Art Philosophy Cartridge and embellished with butterflies and black crystal also from CTMH.

There you have it! I hope you like the end result as much as I do.

What have you done lately to challenge yourself? Whether it is craft related or not. Please leave your comments below. I would love to hear!

May Specials

Get the Stamp of the Month set for just $5 when you place an order of $50 or more.

Thanks for reading! Please Pin It, Share and Tweet!

Project Series: Mini Album Part 3

2013-05-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Travel Mini Album

Stamping and Embellishment Tips

Hello Friends,

Back for another installment of my Travel Mini Album! The purpose of this post is to show you a project I created and at the same time use it to teach various techniques and highlight Close To My Heart products. Please take these techniques and apply them to any project, card, or layout of your choice!

This is part 3 of a 6 part series:

Part 1: Front & Back Cover
Part 2: Pages 2 & 3
Part 3: Pages 4 & 5
Part 4: Pages 6 & 7
Part 5: Pages 8 & 9
Part 6: Pages 10 & 11

Page 4

On page 4 of the Mini Album I wanted cover it with paper. I used a kraft paper color and embossed it used my cuttlebug machine and metal plate embossing folder for a masculine look. I stamped the black cardstock with a subtle grid pattern using black ink. It adds texture rather than a bold stamped look. I rounded the corners and inked the edges of the cream colored cardstock for a journaling block. Finally, I added some embellishments including a corrugated bracket that I lightly inked with black to bring out the texture.

On page 5 of the Mini Album I covered this page in two coordinating papers and separated them with baker’s twine. I used CTMH Liquid Glass adhesive to secure it. It is a wonderful adhesive, just be sure to give it plenty of time to dry! I stamped the journal block with the lined stamp from the April 2012 Stamp of the Month and added some more embellishments to finish the page.

May Specials

Get the Stamp of the Month set for just $5 when you place an order of $50 or more.

Thanks for reading! Please Pin It, Share and Tweet!

Tools: Evernote for Crafters

2013-04-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

This is my second post about Evernote. I am having a love affair with this App! It is wonderful for business, family life, and my hobbies. However, this post is strictly about the many ways I have made Evernote work for me in (and out of) my craftroom.

What have I got?

Keep inventory of your inks and markers, or anything else. I have a list of the markers and inks that I have in my stash so I can access it on the go. I also have a list of my Cricut cartridges. I also keep track the CTMH inventory I have for sale.

It's a great resource when inspiration hits and you are away from your craftroom.

Keep a to-do list of all the project ideas you want to do. Not all my projects are scrapbook related, but they are craft related. So I have a separate folder for my 3D projects, cards, or home decor ideas.
Pages you wanna scrap. You can jot down any idea for a title of a page or a kind of page you want to scrapbook. If you keep them all in the same place then you won't have to wonder where you wrote it down.
Journaling, quotes, and stories that you know you will otherwise forget. My children's moments are fleeting and there are so many things I want to add to their books. Since, I can access this on my phone I can quickly type in the story or the cute thing they just said.
Wish List. If you are anything like me the list is long and extensive. So keep it here and you have it on the go for those last minute shopping trips!
Log ideas for blogging topics (if you blog). Inspiration can hit anywhere, this way I can keep track of my ideas in the same location no matter where I am.

Excellent for info you want to clip from the web that isn't a picture (Pinterest):

Tips and Techniques. Sometimes you find tips and techniques that are videos or more written word than images. You can clip the URL or the whole page to Evernote for future access. You can also forward an email using your Evernote email address.
Keep a list of all products you learn about that you wanna try. I keep this separate from my wish list, because it can be a type of something rather than a specific item. It can also be more detailed with notes, rather than a list of "must haves".

What can you add to this list? Of course I focused only on the uses for crafting and not all the other uses for business and home, which are endless.

My original post, Tools: Secret to Digitally Organize Your Stamps. will show you another great feature and might inspire you to use Evernote in a new way.

Please Share, Tweet, and Pin It!
Your comments are always welcome! Please let me know if this has inspired you or if you can add a new item to the list. I would love to know if I am missing an opportunity!

April Specials

You can get this stamp set for only $5 ($17.95 value) with a qualifying purchase of $50.

Shop with me here ===> Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

Thanks for reading!

Cards: Baby Announcement

2013-04-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

Today I am sharing my daughter's birth announcement. I just had to make her announcements! Although, with a toddler too, I needed them to be fairly easy to assemble. So I added the banner, her name and birth info straight onto the photo using Photoshop Elements. This saved a lot of time instead of stamping every single one.

I wanted to add a cluster to the top right and I did that by adding three elements. I cut out the frame using the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge and stamped on it using the Frame Flair Stamp Set. Next I made the heart using a silver cardstock and a heart shaped punch and drew stitches around the edge to give it definition. I stamped the "I made this" accent and cut it out using micro tip scissors. I had to use that stamp! It was just so perfect...I made the announcement and the baby!!!

When I was ready to assemble I glued the photo to the black photo mat, folded the frame piece off center so that there is more on the back side, and glued the rest of the embellishments on top. I also added a staple to the edge of the frame to finish it off.

Since I used a black mat, I added a brief mention of the happy parents and older brother on the rest of the frame on the backside.

And there you have it, a relatively simple but lovely handmade baby announcement. You can easily use this sketch for a multiple of purposes. It would make a great Thank You card from a Bride and Groom, an invitation, Save the Date, and so on.

Please share, tweet, and Pin It!

Have you ever made announcements or invitations? Did this inspire you to do so? I would love to hear all of your comments, so please use the comment box below!

April Special

You can get this stamp set for only $5 (17.95 value) with a qualifying purchase of $50.

Shop with me here ===>Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

Thanks for reading!

Cards: Have a Blast Birthday

2013-04-24T08:40:00.001-07:00

I made this card for one of my best girlfriend's birthday. She is a fun and free spirit so I enjoyed making a playful card for her. However, I love this card because it could really be a fun card for a woman, man or child. All you would need to do is adjust the front statement to say "Birthday" or "3rd" instead of "30th".

I used the Just Because Cricut Cartridge for the card shape and the rocket ship. I then found a frame cut that I liked, stamped "HOPE YOUR", "IS A", and "2012" with Tiny Typewriter stamp set.

I inked the Close To My Heart chipboard stars with Sunny Yellow ink and then added clear stickles to make them shine. I did some pen work on the rocket ship, white dots, and black outlines in the window to give it a finished look.

Hope this inspired you to make a fun card even for an adult!!

Please share, tweet, and Pin it! Also all your comments are welcome. Please let me know how this card inspired you.

April Special

Get this stamp set for only $5 ($17.95 value) with a qualifying purchase of $50.

Shop with me here ==> Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

Thanks for reading!

Have a wonderful day!

Project Series: Mini Album Part 2

2013-04-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this post is to show you a project I created and at the same time use it to teach various techniques and highlight Close To My Heart products. Please take these techniques and apply them to any project, card, or layout of your choice!

This is part 2 of a 6 part series:

Part 1: Front & Back Cover
Part 2: Pages 2 & 3
Part 3: Pages 4 & 5
Part 4: Pages 6 & 7
Part 5: Pages 8 & 9
Part 6: Pages 10 & 11

Page 2

On this page I wanted to show another way to cover the chipboard without inking it completely. I used the script stamp from our universal backgrounds stamp set. It works perfect with the Typeset paper pack and many others. It is also great to make your own pattern paper. The stamp is 3x3 inches so you have to line it up and stamp it a few times. Our stamps are clear and they are made to line up perfectly. In addition, our blocks are clear making it so easy to line it up exactly where you need it!

Tip:
I knew that I was going to cover the center of the page with another piece of paper, therefore, I made sure the edges were perfect lined up but the center didn’t have to match. In fact there is a whole gap in the center of my page that I didn’t stamp, but since it is covered, no one is the wiser!

The stamp makes it looks like I have a special background paper! I inked the edges of my cardstock and attached it to my page. For the journaling spot, I used our April 2012 Stamp of the Month. I used the lined stamp that can also be used for backgrounds or to give a detail to cardstock. For this project I used it to make journaling lines. I finished the page off with some embellishments and a personal sentiment from me.

Page 3

For the third page I wanted to cover the entire page with paper. I chose my papers and attached the black typeset print and the orange cardstock. I trimmed the black typeset print with my CTMH micro scissors and finished it with finishing files for a smooth edge. I then added the black cardstock strip and used a black pen and ruler to draw some subtle lines for future journaling. For embellishments I added a chipboard dimensional that I inked with Bamboo ink and then stamped “Our Vacation” on top.

I hope you enjoyed this post in the mini-album series. Did you learn a new technique? I would love to hear your comments! Please share, tweet and Pin It.

Like what you see? Shop with me here=> Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

Thanks for reading!

Tools: Secret to Digitally Organize your Stamps

2013-04-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Do you get bogged down searching for tools and products when you are scrapbooking?
I have tons of stamps! I was so frustrated wasting time searching my stash for the perfect stamp or stamps until I realized I have the perfect solution -- Evernote.

I have been using Evernote, a program linking your computer and devices, for so many things. It store notes, images, to-do lists, etc. I use it for recipes, business stuff, household stuff and now my stamps.

One of Evernote's highlights is that it makes photographs a searchable document. This means that it can read words within the image, whether handwritten or typed. So, this gave me the idea that I could take a picture of each one of my sets of stamps, upload it to Evernote and add some tags. Now whenever I need a specific sentiment or image I can search for that term and find my options.

Example:
Say while making a card or scrapbook layout I wanted a butterfly and the word Love. Since, I have added all my stamps to Evernote I can search for those two words. Evernote will quickly scan all of my stamps looking for the word Love and also include any that I have tagged with "love". Then I will do the same for butterfly. It will find only the stamps I have tagged with "butterfly". Now I have a selection of stamps that fits my needs for this project. Because I was thorough when tagging, I know that I haven't missed anything like I easily could when physically searching through my stash. Since I am looking at images of the stamps, I can quickly choose which one I want. I have the name and number so I can go find it easily.

Here are the steps you can follow to upload your images to Evernote. You can do this for ANY image.

Easy Steps:

Take a picture of your stamp set(s) with your smart phone or camera. If you do it with your smart phone you can upload it instantly without transfering it to your computer.
Login into Evernote, create a folder named Stamps, and create a new note for each stamp set.
Give it a name, preferably the stamp name or something descriptive. I use the Close To My Heart stamp name and product number.
Add tags. Tags are keywords you use to search. Be thorough!! The more tags you use the better your search results will be. Remember the example above.
Rinse and Repeat (Haha, just had to use it).

Now you will have a digital library of all your stamps and can just type in what you are looking for instead of having to physically search through all of your stamps.

How else can you use Evernote for your crafting needs? Please leave a comment!

Please share, tweet, and Pin It!

The April Stamp of the Month is only $5 with a $50 purchase.

Works with the Artiste Cricut Cartridge

Shop with me here===>Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

Thanks for joining me!

Cards: Hot Air Balloon Congrats

2013-04-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

I have a beautiful, simple Congrats card. I love this one because it can be used for any reason. You can even make the sentiment something else. I used this one for my friend's baby shower. She is having twin girls so I used two hot air balloons and two clouds. I used white, black and lavender because that was her shower theme.

I made this 5x7 card with white cardstock. I cut the gray cardstock at 4 3/4" x 6 3/4". From the Universal Background stamp set I used the script stamp and grey wool ink pad to create a subtle patterned paper. Next, I cut the hot air balloons, clouds and banner all from the Artiste Cricut cartridge. The hot air balloons were cut at 2 3/4" as per the April stamp of the month set. The clouds and the banner were cut at 1". I stamped the balloons using the Gypsy ink pad and then colored in the flag and the basket with Sunny Yellow using a blending pen.

*A blending pen picks up the ink and allows you to paint it onto your stamped image. It is not for detailed drawing or lots of coloring, but it is absolutely great for small areas!

Stamping TIP:

Stamping with clear stamps is so easy and versatile. This tip will show you why! I didn't have a "congrats" stamp that fit perfectly in my banner. Instead I used individual letter stamps to create one. I placed each letter on the banner face down, the same way I would stamp. I adjusted them to make sure the word fit within the given space. Once I had them lined up I took my clear block and placed it over the stamps to adhere them to the block. Now I have a "congrats" stamp that fits my banner perfectly!

I attached everything to the card base, drew lines around all 4 edges of the gray background, applied foam tape to one balloon and one cloud giving them dimension and then added silver Stickles to the clouds. Voila! A beautiful congrats card that can be used for any occasion.

Supplies:

April Stamp of The Month

Artiste Cricut Cartridge

Silver Stickles

Tiny Typewriter Alphabet Stamp Set

Universal Background Stamp Set

Gypsy, Grey Wool, Sunny Yellow ink pads

April Stamp of The Month

This set is only $5 ($17.95 value) with a $50 purchase.

Shop with me here ===>Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

Thanks for reading! Please share, tweet, and pin this post if you enjoyed it. Just hover your icon over the image and a Pin It button will appear. Also, all comments are welcomed with open arms!

How To Make a Diaper Cake

2013-04-08T09:54:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends!

My best friend is having twins! I just attended her baby shower and decided to make her a diaper cake. She is going to need all the diapers she can get. So I decided to write a post about how I put it together. You can make a diaper cake with any size diapers you want. I used newborn diapers for this cake.

Supplies:

67 Newborn Diapers

Rubber Bands

Glue Dots

Ribbon (2" and 1/2")

Hot glue and glue gun

Cricut and Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge

Cardstock

Pearl Sewing Pins

How To Steps:

1. Start by rolling up the diapers and rubber band them together. The top tier has 7, middle has 20, and the bottom has 40 diapers.

2. Cut your ribbon to fit the circumference of the tier plus 2". Place two glue dots on the backside of ribbon and fold it over to create a simple hem.

3. Once you have created your hem add two more glue dots and wrap your ribbon around the middle of the tier. Repeat this step for all three (or more) tiers and if you add additional ribbons.

4. Cut 3D paper flowers with the Cricut and the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge. I cut 3 flower styles in multiple sizes (2 1/2", 3", 4", and 5"). I also cut them in two colors of lavender cardstock.

5. Ink the edges of the lighter lavender cardstock to give it more definition. Then curl them using a quilling tool and hot glue for a stronger hold.

6. Attach them to the diaper cake using pearl sewing pins. This adds a beautiful touch to the flowers and makes them easy to remove from the cake.

Here is another view of the cake.

April Stamp of The Month

You can get this awesome stamp set for only $5 ($17.95 value) with a $50 purchase.

Shop with me here ===> Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

Thanks so much for reading! Please comment and let me know what you think of the project!

Photo Inspiration

2013-04-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs some inspiration, especially those of us who describes ourselves as creative! The creative process is a fickle one. Recently, I found someone that gives me that extra push and a new way to look at things when I need it -- Lain Ehmann from www.Layoutaday.com.

A recent video tip she posted talks about looking at pictures in a whole new way. Instead of scrapbooking the obvious event, Easter or Birthday, we should look at our pictures for another story to tell. This can really open up uses for all those pictures you have already printed and decided not to use for your original purpose. I take multiple pictures in order to make sure I get those couple perfect ones to use on my page. However, I am then at a lost for what to do with all those printed pics that didn't make the cut. Well this is the perfect solution!!

This is a photo I took this Easter that I just love!! It is a picture of my son opening an Easter egg during his egg hunt in my mom's backyard. The obvious story is about Easter. This is actually his first egg hunt, since he just turned 2. However, a story I saw as I was looking at it deeper was a reminder of my childhood. My grandmother, my mom's mom, had a great backyard. My brother and I loved to play back there. She had a lemon tree that created a "cave" of sorts. It was the perfect empty space, like a fort, for my brother and I to escape. Seeing this photo reminded me of that backyard. Now, my mother has a backyard with a similar area which means my son has an area at his grandmother's similar to the one I had at mine. This will make a great story to scrap that my children may have never known about. I will also be a great story to add to as time passes and I get more pictures of my children playing in their grandparent's backyard.

Check back to see the my finished page!

Have you looked at your pictures for a deeper story? I would love to hear about what you found and if this inspired you to change the way you scrapbook. Did it give you a new way to see your photos?Please leave me comments and let me know!

April Stamp Of The Month

This awesome stamp set is only $5 ($17.95 value) with a $50 purchase.

Shop with me here ===> Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

Thanks so much for reading!!

Vital Organization: Cricut Cartridges

2013-04-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Are you getting swamped (in a great and wonderful way) with all your awesome Cricut Cartridges? I know I am! I decided I needed a way to quickly scan the cartridges I own. I created a laminated fan of the cricut cartridges and organized them in groups of fonts and shapes. I use it to get a sense of the kind of cuts each cartridge has, creative inspiration when I am stumped, and to make decisions about fonts.

To do this I photocopied the back of each of my cartridges, cut them out and placed them in the two groups. Some cartridges have both font and shapes but I based it on what was predominant. Once organized I placed them back to back and laminated them using my Your Story Laminating Machine. Then, I placed a sticker labeling them with a letter and number. Font cartridges are labeled F1, F2, F3, etc. Shape Cartridges are labeled S1, S2, etc. Next, I hole punched them in the upper left corner and attached them with a binder ring.

Next, I organized the cartridges, overlays and booklets. I used a sharpie to label the cartridges and placed them into two containers. Next, I attached a sticker to the booklets using the assigned code. I separated the booklets and overlays in a photo box. I have one photo box for each group.

You can adjust this strategy to how you search your cartridges. Maybe you have more seasonal ones or like to search by style. Also there is nothing stopping you from creating more than two groups.

Please feel free to comment, add suggestions, or tell me how you organize your cartridges! I would love to hear it!

April Stamp Of The Month

The April Stamp Set coordinates with our Artiste Cartridge.

You can get this stamp set for only $5 ($17.95 value) with a purchase of $50.

Shop with me here

Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

Thanks for reading!!

Cards: Twins Baby Shower

2013-04-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

Did you know that April is National Card and Letter writing month? I didn't until yesterday. However, this adds greatly to my 30 day blogging challenge in which I am participating this month. Every Thursday this month I will showcase a new card design. Then maybe it will inspire you and me to send some snail mail! I know I love receiving mail, don't you?

So let's dig into this one! Since I wrote about my son's baby book yesterday, I thought this one would fit the theme perfectly. A friend of mine recently had twins (one boy, one girl), and I made this card for her baby shower. Here's how I did it:

Today I used the CTMH (Close To My Heart) Art Philosophy cartridge. I can't say enough good things about this cartridge. If you have a cricut, I say it is a must have! I know you think I am biased, being a consultant, but I had to have this cartridge before becoming a consultant. I chose the card design with the brackets as negative space and cut it out at 4 1/2". Next, I stamped the "TWINS" with white ink. Then, I used a "congratulations" stamp and stamped it repeatedly on the brown cardstock using versamark ink. Versamark is a watermark ink and is used to give a subtle background image or for embossing. I used it here to create my own pattern paper. Once I was done stamping I added my embellishments. The hearts are chipboard cut outs. To the hearts I attached pink and green cardstock, drew stitches with a white gel pen around the edges, and glued them above the "I" in twins. I backed the card with blue and lavender cardstock to show through the brackets. Finally, I covered the inside of the card with white cardstock on the top and bottom to give it a more finished look and give me a place to write my well wishes.

It's a pretty simple, but lovely card. I hope I have inspired you to create a handmade card to send off to someone this month. Join me next Thursday for another one!

Products used:

Art Philosophy Cartridge

Urban Alphabet Stamp Set

Card Word Puzzle Stamp Set

Dimensional Hearts

Glue Pen

VersaMark Ink

White Gel Pen

Cardstock

April Stamp Of The Month

Get this awesome set for only $5 ($17.95 value) with a qualifying $50 purchase.

Shop with me here ===> Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

All your comments are welcome!

Thanks so much for reading!

Scrapbook Layout: Cereal Killer

2013-04-03T08:31:00.001-07:00

Hello Friends!

I have to start my layout series with one of my favorite layouts ever! It's not because it is the prettiest, perfectly embellished or was some momentous occasion. It's because of the story and my creative nature! This is a layout from my son's baby book. Yes, it's completely uncoventional, but it makes his book special, just like him. He was 5 months old and this was his first time trying solid food, well... rice cereal. I had so many great photos that told the story without words. I wanted to show the story with the images. So I started at the top left and flowed around the page and onto the following page.

I used the arrows as page embellishments, but mostly to direct the view in the order of events. Once I had my plan of how I wanted to lay them out the title struck me! Since it was like a stop-motion movie the play on words "Cereal" vs "Serial" seemed appropiate. I had the perfect stamp set with a film strip and used that to create a border element. I limited the amount of added embellishments because I wanted the pictures to take center stage. Plus, it would have made it too busy.

I needed to work through the fact that our wall was red at the time and gave the Cereal Killer title a little more gore than I wanted for a baby book. So I created the embellishments to match the boppy seat he was sitting in. Also I added used white and black to create drama.

I hope you enjoyed this layout. My reason for sharing this one in particular is to encourage you to step out your comfort zone when designing our layouts. If I had a belief about what a baby book should include, or has always included then I would not have this gem!

What have you done lately where you stepped out of the box or your comfort zone? Please comment below and share your layouts on my Facebook Fan page: www.facebook.com/EmilyCTMH

The products I used and the Cricut cuts:

-Art Philosophy Cartridge: Journaling block: <Rctngle8> 3", Layer <Rctngle8> 3"

-Making the Grade Cartridge: "Cereal Killer" letters at 1"

-Ribbons & Rosettes Cartridge: Brackets at 2 1/2"

-Going Places Cartridge: Arrows at 1 1/2"

-Take a Picture Stamp Set C1440

-Teal, Black, and White Cardstock

-Black journaling pen for the pen work on the arrows and journaling

April Stamp Of The Month

Look for a week long series this month using this stamp set. I hope it will give you some ideas for projects, cards and layouts of your own! I am just loving the hot air balloon right now, so trendy!

Only available in April!

This stamp set will be yours for only $5 ($17.95 value) with a purchase of $50.

Like what you see? Shop with me here====> Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

Click here for a GIVEAWAY!!
~*~*~*a Rafflecopter giveaway *~*~*~

Thanks for stopping by!! Have a great Wednesday!

Scrapbooking Tips: How to Start a Baby Book

2013-04-02T08:24:00.003-07:00

How to Start a Baby Book

One of the most exciting moments of my life was the birth of my first child. I knew that I wanted to create his baby book from scratch. I wanted to make sure it was chock full of his special moments, firsts and to document every adorable smile and event. However, those first few months are full of sleepless nights, cuddles and poopy diapers. How am I ever going to get a chance to start his baby book and complete it the way I want?

My solution: complete one (title) page for every month. So when he hit 1 month we took his picture, many pictures and repeated this every month thereafter. When he was 2 months I created the title page for his 1^st month and displayed it in a scrapbook frame in the room we spend most of our time. I journaled a few things I wanted to remember and left it up for his entire 2^nd month. This way I was experiencing his 2^nd month and looking back on his 1^st. Plus, I felt that getting at least one page done was a true accomplishment. I did this all the way up to his 6^th month when life started to get away from me. However, by the time that he reached 1 year old I have at least 6 pages completed of those months that are just a blur to me now. Now, I can go back and fill in pages based on pictures I have taken and what I want to remember.

Moral of the story: Some is better than none!

Oh and dont forget about my GIVEAWAY!!

Click on the link below and enter for 2 Awesome Prizes:

Newsprint Alpha Rub-ons and Quick cards Butterfly stamp.

*~*~*~ a Rafflecopter giveaway ~*~*~*

April Stamp Of The Month

This stamp set can be yours for only $5 ($17.95 value) with a qualifying purchase of $50.

Like what you see shop with me here ===> Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

Thanks for reading! Happy Tuesday!

April Fool's Day...Scrap It?

2013-04-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

Does anyone else hate April Fool's Day as much as I do? Do you love it? What's your reason for either?

For me, I tend to be really gullible. I will tell myself that today I can't trust anything I hear or see, but over and over again my trusting nature gets the better of me. The perfect example of this was a joke my parents played on me my freshman year of high school. I came home after school and told them I wouldn't believe a thing they told me until tomorrow morning. I thought this would scare them off, but I was wrong. Instead, they sat me down and told me that my Mom was being transferred to Japan next year and that everyday after school I would need to come home and take Japanese lessons. I would finish high school in Japan and have to leave all my friends behind. I burst out crying! I have never seen my mom keep such a straight face in her life...and I believed every word. She immediately started to apologize and tell me it was a joke. Its been almost 20 years since, and I hate April Fool's to this day! I know they were not being malicious in anyway!! They didn't even think it would work because of my earlier statement. What's the point to this story? Well it goes back to my title.

April Fool's Day...Scrap It? To me this can be taken in two ways. One option is just to scrap it as a holiday and just get rid of it altogether! I am gullible and unfortunately this holiday was made to take advantage of me! LOL.

However, as a scrapbooker I take the other approach and look at this as an opportunity. Life is a collection of moments, memories, and relationships, the stuff of which we love to keep records. So I say to you...Scrap It! Make a page or pages dedicated to April Fool's Day, whether you love it or hate it. Make a page of all the pranks you have played. Make a page of all the pranks played on you. Tell a story, make a list, get creative with it!

What would I Scrap?

I told you the above story because it would be the perfect story to tell so my children and their children can learn more about me and my life.
My son's due date was April 3 and due to my hatred of April Fool's Day I was hoping with all the fibers of my being that he would not be born April 1st. Luckily he was born in March!! This would be a great little journal I could add to a page with a photo of me while pregnant.

So hopefully I have inspired you to get to work scrapping your April Fool's Day memories!

Please leave me a comment about one of your memories, a link to the page you created or anything else you want to comment about!!

April Stamp Of The Month

This stamp set is available for only $5 ($17.95 value) with a purchase of $50!

Don't forget about my GIVEAWAY!!

Click the link below and you can choose how many enteries you want!!

*~*~*~a Rafflecopter giveaway~*~*~*

Shop with me here====> Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

Thanks for stoping by! Happy Monday!

Giveaway!!

2013-03-28T23:21:00.001-07:00

Giveaway

Hello friends!

It is time for my first giveaway! I have two great prizes for one lucky winner: Newsprint rub-ons and Quick Cards Butterfly stamp.

The Newsprint rub-ons include lowercase letters, numbers and punctuation. I did a demo of my daughter's nickname and added a pearl on the "i" for added embellishment. The quick cards Butterfly is such a great stamp for a thank you card, thinking of you card, or a just because. It also makes a great addition to any scrapbook page, especially about Love. In my next blog post I will show you some great techniques to take this stamp to the next level.

To win these just follow the directions below. It is up to you how many entries you get!

This one way to thank you for following my blog!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spring Project: Gift Box

2013-03-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

This week I participated in a Designer Challenge by My Creative Time. The challenge was to create something spring related using one of their die cuts. I will also highlight base and shade stamping technique and how to make the 3D paper flowers. I created something that can be used as a gift box or for Spring decor. Here is my project. I think it came out so cute!

I used the Milk Carton and the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge from Close To My Heart. The stitched doily die and the tag from the Chunky Jar Accessories from My Creative Time.

I cut the yellow flower at 3 3/4", the blue flowers at 3" and the leaves were stamped using the March Stamp of the Month from CTMH.

To make the 3D flowers insert the flower cut into the slot of the large end of the quilling tool. Then roll the tool counter clockwise and as you roll keep the paper tight.

Once you get to the end it should look like this. Place glue or a glue dot in the center of the base flower. Then pinch up the sides and you will have the perfect 3D paper flower. To decorate the flowers you can insert a gem brad or a pearl embellishment.

I wanted to add some leaves to the flowers so I used the March SOTM. This technique is called Base and Shade stamping. First you want to stamp the base image in a lighter color and then stamp the detail image with darker color. I used Sweet Leaf for the base and Garden Green for the detail stamp. Next I cut them out using micro scissors.

I added flowers, leaves, a wooden butterfly and the tag to the stitched doily. I stamped Celebrate on the tag, attached it using a foundry pin and stuck the pin into the foam tape I used to attach one of the blue flowers. I cut a strip of green polka dot paper at 2 1/4" and wrapped it around the milk carton. It isn't long enough to cover the entire carton but the doily covers it perfectly!

Thanks for reading!

www.styleavenuestudios.com

Like what you see? Shop with me here=> Emily's Close To My Heart Shop

Remember you can get the March Stamp of the Month for only $5 with a qualifying order of $50.

My 5 Favorite Products: Spring Summer 2013 Idea Book

2013-03-15T09:13:00.001-07:00

Hello Fellow Crafters!
As some of you may know I am a Close To My Heart Independent Consultant. I love this company and most importantly I love their products. Consistently my customers ask me what my favorite products are so I decided to post my list. Our Idea Books are published twice a year, Spring/Summer covering February through July and Fall/Winter covering August through January.

Here is the first post in the series My 5 Favorite Products from our Spring/Summer 2013 Idea Book. I limited myself to 5, even though it is really difficult to do so, because I needed to draw the line somewhere! Or the list would be, "One of each, Please!" The Spring/Summer 2013 Idea Book is full of fabulous products, but here are the ones I am really smitten with:

Chantilly Paper Packet X7163B $9.95
Irresistibles Frames Z1843 $3.95
Large Container Z1834 $22.95
Textiles (both Chantilly and For Always) Z1819, Z1820 $8.95
Frame Flair Stamp Set D1546 $17.95

I just had my second child, a baby girl named Evelyn. I plan on using the Chantilly paper, textiles and the Frame Flair stamps in her baby book. I am so excited to get started!

Chantilly Paper Packet

I am not wild about pink. I am not much of a girly girl. I am not wild about florals and stuff like that. However, I am pretty amazed at how I was drawn to this paper pack! I just love it! I love that there is a mixture of yellows, blues, and greens among all the pink. I love the birds and the paisleys. So I can't imagine a better use than my daughter's baby book.

Irrestitable Frames

The best part about these frames is that you can ink them up with whatever color ink you want! You can see here in the picture I used the outside frame and inked it in Sunset and then I used the center for an embellishment by using a complementary color, Twilight, to the Chantilly paper pack. I also added a fabric button and a wood swirl embellishment. I will use these both on a page later on. The frames come with three different embossed patterns (Herringbone, angled stripe, and a polka dot) as well as square and rounded shapes.The embossed pattern resists color, therefore, the pattern will appear white while the rest of the frame will take on the color of ink. They are versatile, inexpensive and can interest to any page!

Large Container

The Large container was such a pleasant surprise for me. It is so much bigger than I expected. It can hold up to 40 CTMH stamp sets or you can use it for a mixture of things. Use one side for stamp sets and the other for tools and products. It will be so useful for me to take to my gatherings and crops!

Textiles: Chantilly and For Always

The textiles are just so cool! I love the black and white because of its versatility and the Chantilly because it matches my favorite paper pack. I plan on using these for cards and for interesting effects on my scrapbook pages. Look for future projects incorporating the fabric! These are something I highly recommend trying out!

Frame Flair Stamp Set

There are so many amazing stamp sets to choose from. However, I chose this one because every time I opened the Idea Book I would say, "That is so pretty!" Since I was drawn to it over and over again I just had to have it. I plan on using these in a variety of ways: Baby Book, gift tags, and as an embellishment on my baby announcements. The best part of this stamp set is that all four images can be cut out using our Art Philosophy Cartridge and be embellished with a variety of stamped sentiments or images.

What are your favorite items so far and what are you planning to make with them? Please comment and let me know!

If you are interested in any of these products or would like to check out our Idea Book for other amazing products click HERE to visit my website!

Thanks for reading!! Please leave a comment about your favorite new or old CTMH product!
Have a great day! Happy Crafting

Emily

Project Series: Mini Album

2013-03-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

Project Series

Mini Album

Demonstrating Techniques Using CTMH Products and Stamps

The purpose of this post is to show you a project I created and at the same time use it to teach various techniques and highlight Close To My Heart products.

This is part 1 of a 6 part series:

Part 1: Front and Back Cover
Part 2: Pages 2 & 3
Part 3: Pages 4 & 5
Part 4: Pages 6 & 7
Part 5: Pages 8 & 9
Part 6: Pages 10 & 11

This is a mini-album I made for my son Wyatt. He is 23 months old, but he is already a world traveler. My husband and I love to travel and we want to pass on that love to our children. Wyatt has already gone on one trip to North Carolina at 13 months old and another trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, when he was 18 months. So my concept for this mini-album is a travel log. I will detail the dates and the location of the trips along with his favorite things about the vacations. It is not meant to be a photo album, but more of a journal of all the places we have been. Some day he can look back at a lifetime of memories in one single album. It can also serve as something for Show and Tell at school one day.

This mini-album is a chipboard album from Close To My Heart (CTMH). It is called the All-Sorts album (discontinued) because each page, except the front and back cover, are all different designs. Since this is a travel log, I wanted to use the postage stamp design as my front cover. Remember this is your album, so rearrange the pages as you see fit! Our Artiste Cricut cartridge can cut out album pages.

Front Cover

For this album I used the CTMH paper pack Typeset (discontinued). On the front cover I attached the lined paper from the pack using our glue pen and then inked around the edges with a sponge and the Cocoa ink pad. Next I planned the title (my son’s initials are WOW) and I used the Token Alphabet stamp set to stamp out his initials using the coordinating color Indian Corn Blue. I used his first passport photo and framed it with another sticker frame. Then I finished embellishing my page by drawing lines around the paper framing the postage stamp design.

** Trick: Keep the holes that you punch out of the albums pages and ink them with a coordinating color. I used two that I inked in blue for a simple embellishment to my page.

Back Cover

I wanted a more simple design on the back cover, plus I thought this would be a great place to write a personal note to my son when the album is complete. I used a border element from the paper packet along the top edge and used left over coordinating paper to cover the page. I inked all the edges of the paper to give each piece more depth. Next, I used a “handmade by” stamp in the bottom corner and stamped MOM using our typeset stamp set.

Please check out the rest of the blogs about this mini-album series for more awesome techniques to use on your next project!

Shop with me HERE!

Organization Tip: Embossing Folders

2013-03-02T18:09:00.000-08:00

As a self proclaimed hoarder of all things craft related (tools, paper, ribbon, Cricut cartridges and so on) my craft room can get a little chaotic! So I am dedicating a few posts to organization. Here are a few strategies I have implemented and hope you find useful. You are welcome to adapt them to fit your style. If you do, please leave a comment on how it was adapted!

This strategy is for my embossing folders. I created a fan of embossing samples because I thought it would be easier to flip through than to look at all of the individual folders.

I decided to use kraft paper thinking that embossing it will be more visable than on white cardstock. Plus, since I have this hanging up in my craft room and I am always handling it, the kraft paper is less likely to look dingy after awhile. I cut a 8 1/2"x 11" page in quarters and then embossed each quarter with a different embossing folder. I hole punched them in the upper left corner and connected them with a binder ring. Then I organized them on the binder ring by dots, lines, swirls and such. You can take it a step further by adding a numbered tag to each one and then adding the same numbered tag to the embossing folder. I am planning to take that next step as my stash is continually growing.

I hope this tip was helpful! Please comment and let me know. I would love to hear about how you organize your embossing folders.

Visit me at my other sites:
http://emily.ctmh.com
www.facebook.com/EmilyCTMH

Style Avenue Studios

Embellishments: 4 Tricks for Using Washi Tape

Washi Tape Tips

Digital Scrapbooking: Grandma's Album

Why Scrapbook Sketches?

Sketchy Mondays

Cards: Gratitude Gift Set

Tips: 4 Tricks to Using Liquid Glass

Layout: All about Me

Project Series: Mini Album Part 3

Travel Mini Album

Stamping and Embellishment Tips

Tools: Evernote for Crafters

Cards: Baby Announcement

Cards: Have a Blast Birthday

Project Series: Mini Album Part 2

Tools: Secret to Digitally Organize your Stamps

Cards: Hot Air Balloon Congrats

How To Make a Diaper Cake

Photo Inspiration

Vital Organization: Cricut Cartridges

Cards: Twins Baby Shower

Scrapbook Layout: Cereal Killer

Scrapbooking Tips: How to Start a Baby Book

April Fool's Day...Scrap It?

Giveaway!!

*Giveaway*

Spring Project: Gift Box

My 5 Favorite Products: Spring Summer 2013 Idea Book

Project Series: Mini Album

Project Series

Mini Album

Demonstrating Techniques Using CTMH Products and Stamps

Organization Tip: Embossing Folders

Giveaway