Cara

My site is moving....

2009-02-05T21:19:10-05:00

Hi All! I have moved most of the content to my new site but some of the archives are still here. Check us out! Can't wait to see you. Hugs, Cara

Still have a few Clearance Boxes Left

2009-01-17T18:07:34-05:00

Remember I told you about the clearance boxes? Here was the post: December is my last kit offering for subscribers and that means I have some inventory to move or else I will have "some 'splainin' to do" when my husband notices how much I have in my scrapbook room! I have decided to package stuff up ...and first come first serve. So here is how it works...I am using the flat rate shipping boxes and will stuff it full of paper, ribbons and class kits that are filling the shelves in my scrapbook room. The boxes will sell for $30 each and the shipping is 9.90 Email me and I will send you a paypal request and you can pay with credit card or paypal. Each box will include two packages of paper from Cordinations and a pack of Dream Street Paper! These were the two staples of my classes and I have several packs of each. I will add some ribbons as well as a class pack or two...as much as I can fit in the flat rate (11-7/8" x 3-3/8" x 13-5/8") box! Hugs, Cara

send me an email if you want to order a goodie box! cara@caramiller.com

Yes, I am home! Cruises are still my favorite vacation ever!

2009-01-17T18:01:58-05:00

I know I am slow to update all of you and I have so much to tell you! I went on a vacation but needed a vacation to recover! I am actually creating a layout featuring this adventure and if you are in any of my Croptopia U classes this year you will see this up close and personal. Here is the short version...in words only. The trip was an extravaganza featuring a cast of 16 characters...no really 16 family and friends on a week long Carnival cruise. But as always...getting there was half the fun! Ten of us left frosty Massachusetts on January 1st heading for Virginia to gather more cruisers. We piled into a huge rental van that was to become our home away from home for the next few days. The first leg of the trip was 10 hours...without delays or traffic ...we were prepared! Laptops, aircards, movies, cardgames, coloring books, an absurb collection of Ipods! You see the passengers on this section of the Grand road trip were my twenty someting children, their friends, my 76 year old mom and my husband and me! We could have survived for days on the provisions we had! A couple of GPS glitches but we arrived excited and happy at my sister's in Virginia and piled out. Now we numbered 13. After a night of sleeping on numerous airbeds and couches and late night chats and giggles, we loaded up and started the caravan. We added another vehicle and continued on the long leg of the trip. We were heading to Miami to meet up with 3 more members of this crazy group. On paper, the 15 hours seemed to fit into our idealic arrival just as the sun was rising over peaceful Miami Beach. Things always seem simpler from your couch! We arrived far earlier ...hitting no traffic or delays on Route 95 (unheard of!!) no glitches, no problems...blazing fast trip brought our little caravan into crazy South Beach Miami at 4:00 am (no one told the crazies that were getting ready for the Orange Bowl AND football playoffs the next day that it was 4 in the morning!) The streets were full of colorful characters. We decided to wake up the 3 other guests that were joining us and crash in their hotel room til it was calm and daylight! If this was the only stumbling block on this adventure woohoo! The cruise was wonderful and the weather amazing. Days were spent laying on the deck or visiting beaches and soaking up enough sun to last us through our long New England winter. It was absolutely the best trip ever (I say that everytime) I snuggled into bed the last night smiling and content although a little sad to have to "debark" early in the morning to start our return road trip.

Oh if I only knew what was to come... I will keep this simple...I woke at 5 am sicker than a dog, horribly nauseous and spent the morning looking into the ship's toilet. Ya, you get the picture. I had no idea how I was to get off the ship. My family started to gather...I am the tour coordinator after all! Somehow with a bucket in my hand, a small towel over my mouth we headed for the exit. Do not really remember customs or luggage getting into the van. I slept most of the way to Virginia stopping to explore rest areas along the way. It was not pretty and I hope that I am not on a surveilance camera somewhere! So there you have the colorful details of my departure and I have been slow to recover this week. I am not sure what I ate but so far I am only eating toast, jello and soups! I did figure out how to go on vacation and not gain any weight!

So eventhough the end was pretty bad, the trip was awesome and spending the week with my now grown kids and their friends was absolutely the best ever. We hung out together, played together, sang and even had drinks with umbrellas in them together! So much fun. This weekend was set aside to finalize Croptopia U classes. We are kicking off the 2009 series in Mystic CT next month. I have also been putting a series of Cricut classes together from basic plug in and cut all the way to cutting the fonts on your computer. Sooo many ideas and great projects. Love this toy! Well there you have it...that is where I have been and what I have been up to... tmi? I hope not! Hugs, Cara

Bon Voyage Friends

2009-01-03T17:46:00-05:00

I am on my way to Florida for our family vacation. I am goiing to really try to be on vaction and not check my email. It is really a challenge but I am planning to lay on the sun, hang out on the deck and enjoy my family. I am blessed to have my husband and all my now grown children and their friends along with my mom and my sister and nephew...16 of us! heading on a wonderful weeklong Caribbean cruise! hugs to you all and talk to you in a week. Cara

Happy New Year 2009

2008-12-31T22:30:21-05:00

I just know that 2009 is going to be amazing! I have so many wonderful things to be thankful for! My family is so awesome and I am truly blessed. My year will begin with our family cruise! We are leavin in the morning gathering family members as we travel from Massachusetts to Florida to board Carnival Triumph and head for the Caribbean! How much better can it get? I am so excited! And when I return all tanned and rested I start right away kicking off the education projects featuring the Whisper and Croptopia U! My classes and focus for 2009 ...all about the memories and getting pages into albums. It is all about you! Happy New Year!! Blessings and hugs to you all. Cara

Oh where oh where has your kit club gone?

2008-12-19T19:50:59-05:00

I know some of you have stopped by looking for my kit club. You read about us in Scrapbooks etc and you thought ...huh ...sounds like an interesting club. Maybe I should check it out. Well here you are and it doesn't look like any club you have ever seen. Where is the shopping cart? How much does it cost? Do I sign up month by month or what?

Nope, none of that here. I am different than any other club you have ever seen. Here is a spot to stop by and find some fun tricks, some ideas and tips and projects. No subscription, no money, no commitment...just poke around and see what you might find.

I will be teaching some great Back to Basics scrapbook classes called Croptopia U at Croptopia Getaways in several great locations in 2009 and my classes will be appearing on Big Picture Scrapbooking in early 2009 too. But in the meantime, you can find some weekly downloads and hints and helpful ideas here in the blog. You can sign up and will receive email notices when I post here. Check out the posts over the next few weeks and see what you think. This is the best kind of club...the free kind!

TAGS!!! What is my tag saying?

2008-12-14T09:23:36-05:00

As you probably know, my kit club focused on board books and wordbooks. I know many of you have taken classes with me or made a book using the tricks and tips in my monthly Are You Board kit club. But as I told you a few weeks ago, my Croptopia U educational events are helping you get your photos into your albums. I heard many of you struggle with that. So today I wanted to talk about some of the fun techniques that we learned to use in boardbooks or wordbooks and show you how to use them on your layouts too! The layouts that you work on can have some of the features that you loved from Are You Board.

TAGS Remember how easy it was to journal on a tag? Small space, not so scary! Especially if you add lines to write on! Download Journaling Tags print out on 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock (where do you get that? Here is one of my favorites! Office Supply Store )

Cut these tags out and they are ready to journal and add to your layouts. Remember part of the fun of tag journaling is that you can add ALL the details that you want to remember but do not necessarily want everyone to read. You know ... all the juicy, sappy or silly, embarrassing details about the memory!

So print out the tags, cut them out. Be sure to use your chalk inks on the edges of these tags. Want to print on the cardstock you are using in your layout or even the patterned paper? Sure! Just cut the 12x12 to 8 1/2 x11 and feed through your printer! And just where should I put them? They can simply be added to the layout as you would a journaling section or an added embellishment. But if it is a tag you would like to keep hidden...but you still want to access it while your pages are in the top loaded page protectors... use your photo mat as a pocket, leave the top of the mat unattached and your tag will slide right in behind the photo. Tie a longer ribbon to the top of the tag and let it run straight up to the top of the layout. I will be adding more tricks to hide your tags this week. Be sure to check back often. Tags are the best!

Thinking about Croptopia U but not sure?

2008-12-10T13:07:14-05:00

So you have heard all about it, it sounds like fun but you are not sure what you are doing in 2009? I know it is hard to plan that far in advance. Maybe you are thinking you might want to come to Croptopia U but you are not sure if you can do the whole weekend or even the full day... You can attend Croptopia U ...only the class and then head out for lunch on your own. At least you will reserve your place in class and if your schedule frees up so that you can join us for the weekend, even better. I wanted you to know that it is not an all or nothing event. Please be sure to ask if you have any questions. Make sure you look at the free weekly downloads and print out the idea sheets. HUgs, Cara

Great news! A special Croptopia U event in Mystic Connecticut

2008-12-06T15:09:09-05:00

The day passes are all sold out for Croptopia Getaways Mystic Event but a special day event just for Croptopia U students has been added! I know...I am so excited! It will be special just Croptopia U students. Join me on Saturday morning at 9am for our Croptopia U 3 hour workshop and then stay until Midnight to crop to your hearts content! Finish your workshop projects, work on your albums or anything you wish! You will have full access to the Croptopia Getaways resources including the Vendor Marketplace and Creation Station. Lunch and Dinner will be included as well as a designated cropping space in the Education Room (separate from the main cropping room) and a Croptopia U goodie bag. As a bonus, I will be available to you throughout the day. (this is a special package designed to accommodate our Croptopia U students who are looking for additional cropping time.) To register Click Here!

Specials have their own section!

2008-12-02T22:05:57-05:00

I am offering free download ideas that can be added to your Whisper...what?! You don't have one yet?!! Better find the Croptopia U coming to your neighborhood. Each week during the Reindeer Round Up I will be posting a free project sheet to print out. I have added instructions to help you put together in a similar format as my Whisper so you can see how easy it is to bring along. Look in the topics on the left, scroll down to the specials section and you will be able to find them all there. Register for Croptopia Getaways and Croptopia U and you will be entered in a drawing for free weekend package as well as free tuition! Hugs, Cara