What’s All the Fanfare About?

JULY Classes and Events
Morning Fanfare Layout Class
Saturday July 9, 10:00 am
Cost: $15 or FREE for Learn & Earn Members

Sneak out the house for a little “YOU TIME” this Saturday morning.  Attend this class and learn how to add an additional 6 photos with our Pocket Pages. You can use this for those special times that you always have more pictures than usual. It would be great for 4th of July pics, birthday, general summer and more. You will choose what title to stamp with our fabulous Pennant Alphabet. We will also use a rubber brayer.

RSVP HERE NOW. I only have 7 spots left.
Tuesday July 19th Fanfare Workshop
6:30 -9:00 pm

                (Must order from my website by July 11, to ensure delivery and guarantee your spot.)

You can’t resist this adorable and versatile workshop. The stamp set is one of my favorites in the Spring/Summer Idea Book. Click on the kit image below to see a larger view. I just adore the ice cream cone and cupcakes.

Place you order now. It will be delivered to your door and you will bring it with you the night of the class. You will also need to bring a 12×12 paper trimmer, adhesive tape and glue dots. You will leave with 2 fully embellished layouts.

Studio J Class Monday,July 18 (5:30-7:00 pm)

Picture YOUR birthday, summer, or parade photos in this layout.  Come and learn how to re-create this layout step by step.  Bring your laptop with at least 5 photos uploaded.  We will also play with the new stitching feature that was JUST added.
Cost: $10 or $5 for SJ members and anyone who has purchased a 5 pk.


Where did June Go?

Okay, so if you want to know why I haven’t been posting as much, here goes…

The first weekend we had a birthday party for Sofie and the fun never stopped!

Right after school ended we sent Savana off to UW-Whitewater for a fantastic week at choir camp. She loved it and earned a scholarship award for next year.  She was chosen out of about 70 kids in her Treble Chorale for her hard work and contribution.  I am so proud of her.

She was also in a show choir where they danced and sang a couple songs from Wicked. It was so fun to watch!

While she was doing that Scott left for Wyoming to complete his last Annual Training in the Army National Guard.  It was a long 2 1/2 weeks! I do not know how single mothers do it!  Especially with a special needs child.  She is like Jeckle and Hyde when he leaves. So, KUDOS to you single mothers!! 

I also helped out at Vacation Bible School and that was a blast. Sofie loved the music. We are still humming the songs. They are SO catchy!

So straight from there, it was tournament time. We spent the whole weekend going back and forth from Whitford Park. It was very exciting to watch and they came in 2nd place.

Then it was on to the 3 Day Craft SALE! We had such a a great time meeting new people and the weather was exceptionally cool, so it worked in our favor.

 During the sale I was asked to do a fundraiser event at Rivermoor Country Club.  It was a lot of fun and Savana worked it with me. We set up a table for kids to come over and play.  Once I showed them how to use two colors on a stamp they were hooked!

It was there that I fell in love with Willow House.  If you clicked the link, then you know what happened next! I am so excited to merge my 2 businesses together and add this new product line to the cottage.  There will be much more to come on this new venture!
Then it was a week of softball and Scott finally came home on Thursday. What a relief!
The perfect end to a crazy month was a visit to the hospital to meet my new niece, Amelia who was born on June 29th.  She is such a doll and has so much hair.

What is it about a man holding a tiny baby that just melts your heart?

Thanks for reading and I hope to be back soon with some more interesting topics than my crazy life.

Have a great 4th of July!

Sarita

July Stamp of the Month- American Celebration- Fourth of July Decorations

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month blog hop.  If you have come here from Paige’s blog then you are on the right track.  This month is absolutely my favorite.  Not only is it fun to use, but the possibilities are endless.  You are guaranteed to find a plothera of ideas with almost 70 consultants participating.

This month I am featuring artwork done by one of best friends and team members, Trudy Hendrickson.   This is only part of it and I will post more pictures later. Right now I am ready to spend a fabulous 4 days with my family. It is so nice to be back together after he was gone in Wyoming for his Army National Guard training for 2 1/2 weeks.  This 4th of July is extra special since we have a reason to celebrate.  This was his last Annual Training because he is retiring with his 20 years at the end of summer. YAY!

Napkin ring made with cranberry, Pacifica and a red sparkle. It is very simple but so eye catching for any tablescape.
BUT! check this out. This girl is wicked sic!

All of the details are simply stunning. You have to click on it to see it larger. I just love the little firecrackers with the waxy flax.  Of course everything is double sided and there is a ton of dimension with foam tape.

But wait! there’s more!
This slider card invitation is fabulous.  Here it is open.
Now hop on over to Teresa’s blog to see what she has cooked up with this awesome set! I hope you all have a fantastic 4th of July with your family and friends.  Hold them close and savor the moments while you celebrate the greatest nation on earth!
Blessings-
Sarita

Creativity With Trees and Things

This is what I love about my customers! They teach me all the time. 2 of my really good long time friends stopped by my sale and also wanted to order a stamp from the new catalog. They were all excited about the possibilities. Honestly, I hadn’t even really “seen” it in the Idea Book. Check this out. It has 26 stamps with so many little details.  I love the lantern, the tire swing and the loopy string that could be interpreted as a lot of things. What do you think it is?

Watch this stamp in action on our latest video from the creative team at corp.

So Joanne and Kathy!  This one is for you! It was great seeing you.  Oh and thanks.  Guess who is adding this to her stash?  It happens every time! LOL!

Scrapbookers Have Big Hearts

You helped CTMH raise 80K from our Hope for Japan Campaign and you can do it again for the victims of recent severe weather.

SEVERE FLOODING, TORNADOES, AND STORMS HAVE AFFECTED

the lives of thousands across the United States, but together we can make a difference.  During the month of June, purchase the You & Me scrapbooking kit for only $15 (a retail value of $34.95), and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross Spring 2011.  Floods and Tornadoes relief operations. With the You & Me kit,

At only $15, this kit is more than 50% off the retail price.

You’ll win by getting the kit at a phenomenal price, and those in the weather-devastated regions will benefit from your charitable contribution. Together we can make a difference; together we are STRONGER!

Click here to get your kit or be sure to add item # CC1012B to your monthly club order.

If you are local and order by the 15th you can attend my You & Me Workshop on Wednesday June 29th. We will complete 2 embellished layouts and you will be able to use my inks and other tools. Total cost with tax and shipping is $17.

Details like these are easily achieved with the included irresistable chipboard. When you ink it the resist shows through to reveal a design. Isn’t it fun?

Click here to order yours with me now!
You are going to LOVE this kit!
Blessings-
Sarita

40th Birthday Gifty- 40 BLOWS!

Updated August 2015 to include instructions.
  I hope that helps the hundreds of you who have pinned this already.
Thanks for that by the way! It is so fun to share!
 I found this cute project and tutorial on www.sistersstuff.blogspot.com
So, naturally, if 30 sucks then 40 BLOWS!

This was so fun to make for my best friend since sophmore year in high school, Nichole.  I was giggling the whole time, plus it had been a long time since I had a Blow Pop!  So, that was fun in itself.
We had such a great time helping Nichole (wearing blue) celebrate and the gift was a hit. I did have to tease her a little bit.  After all, I had to buy 3 bags of Blow Pops to make her little gifty.  I suppose when I turn 40 {not for another 6 glorious months} wink* I will get it right back.

What I used:

  • CTMH June Stamp of the Month-Jubilation
  • CTMH Polka Dot Alpha
  • CTMH You Rock Paper
  • Pear Cardstock
  • Watermelon ink to dye the bamboo skewer for the sign.
  • Cardboard box (shoe box would work)
  • Floral Foam
  • 3 Bags of Blow Pops
  • Paper shred filler
  • Bamboo Skewer

Instructions:

  1. Decorate a cardboard box with scrapbook papers, cardstock and anything festive.  Make it fun, bright and bold.
  2. Fill box with rectangle floral foam. You may want to glue it down. I was able to squeeze mine right in.
  3. Then I stuck the blow pops into the foam.
  4. To cover up the foam I used paper shred. Same thing you would use for a gift basket.
  5. Create a sign. I used my Cricut and Alphabet Stamps.
  6. Make 2 slits to slide your skewer through.
  7. Color a bamboo skewer with permanent marker or ink.  I used ink.
  8. Slide the sign over it and plant it in the craft foam too.

Make it your own! Capture your recipients personality, favorite colors and styles to make it really personal. On a side note, since I have made this I thought how cute it would look in the shape of a 3 tier cake.  If you try that, please let me know in the comments. I would love to see it!

Until Next Time-

Enjoy!

Sarita


My New Blog Header with Studio J and 5 More Digital Scrapbooking Ideas

What the heck is a JPEG? It’s okay if you don’t know. That’s why I am here. To show you that scary antonyms are just that. So, let’s dissect! JPG stands for “Joint Photographic Experts Group” WHAT??
EEEK! Okay, this is better.

JPG- An image file type ending in the extension “.jpg” or “.jpeg” that is a typical format for photos.  So, it is just a simple photo file.

So, now the question is why do you care? This month you can create a project layout in Studio J and receive the JPG to do what you may. You get unlimited choices of paper designs, embellishments and layouts at no charge to you.  All you do is upload your photos, drag and drop them into photo wells and it can be as simple as that!  You will get 2 files- One in high resolution for printing and one in low resolution for sharing online.

 

 

This is what I did with Studio J.  Does this look familiar? It’s my new blog header. 
(If you want to know exactly how I did it, drop me an email.
I don’t want to bore you otherwise *wink.)

 

Used: Paper Kit-Silhouette, Pattern- Photo Booth ( members only) Changed colors to Lagoon and Pear.
5 More Things You Can Do!
1.  Show off your work by email or post on Facebook or other social networking site.
2.  Print and put in an album on your own OR have it delivered right to your home through the Studio J Shopping Cart.

 

3.  Use it on an About Me page to tell your customers why they want to do business with you. Share your story.

 

4.  Use it for a special invite- bday, anniversary, retirement etc…- Can be done through a third party- Walgreens, Snapfish etc…
5. Same thing for a special occasion card- birth announcement, holiday card.
Can you just imagine all the possibilities? I am sure you can.
(Please feel free to leave a comment and tell me all about it!)

I LOVE that you can choose what to write, add your favorite quote, song lyric, whatever makes you, YOU! You have a ton of creative freedom and it can be done in a few simple steps. Create your FREE account here.

After you are satisfied with your project,
  • Click Purchase Project
  • Approve layout- zoom in and inspect embellishment placement, edges etc..
  • When you are in shopping cart it will look like you are being charged for a print, but click on the pull down menu and it will read JPG only.
  • You will see a zero now to show no charge. (YAY!!)
  • Once you click submit you will get an email in your inbox with a link to download your file.
I would LOVE it if you would upload your photo to my Like Page on Facebook. I am so excited to see what you have made.
Blessings-
Sarita

 

 

Jubilation- Stamp of the Month Blog Hop- Summer Layout

June Stamp of the Month Blog Hop is Full of Jubilation
with Close to my Heart

What can’t you do with this set of 24 stamps?  Card maker or scrapbooker? You will love the sentiments and the images on June’s Stamp of the Month- Jubilation.  There are so many cute and unique sayings.  I am in the mood for SUMMER so that is what I went with.  Keep hopping to see what everyone else created. This is going to be fun with over 50 people participating.

Summer Layout With Mayberry

The sun stamp was perfect for some simple embellishments.  I used Mayberry paper, Token Alphabet and Kraft cardstock.

I also used the stamp set on 2 cards I created.
Used Level 2 My Stickease and Eclectic Alphabet Irresistables and the Card Chatter- Birthday Set
D 1457 Jubilation Stamp Set

 

I hope you enjoyed yourself and got an idea or two.  Now, hop on over to Wendy’s blog to see what fun thing she came up with.

Operation Write Home Blog Hop

I created a simple card for the Operation Write Home Blog Hop. Near and dear to my heart. My husband and I would have really appreciated something like this program when he was deployed 5 years ago. I am really excited to start my own group here for card making.

All products used are from Close to my Heart.
Card pattern- Wishes Card Confidence Program
Level 2 Fanfare Paper Pack– cut out stars
Level 1 Kit Fanfare- stickers
Z1377 Kraft Color-Ready Border
Stamp Set- June Stamp of the Month- Jubilation D1457
Thanks for coming. Would love for you to become a follower
Now hop over to AMBER’S BLOG to see her card.
Have a blessed weekend!
Sarita

Studio J – Fixing Your Mistakes A.K.A Embellishing

It was literally the 11th hour of Studio J Boot Camp and I needed to place my order. I wasn’t completely finished with my layout, but it did have the photos and a few embellishments.  So, I pushed the purchase button and took my chances.  As I have told plenty of you about classic scrapbooking, some of my best work has come as a result of fixing a mistake.  I was relieved to know that was the case in digital scrapbooking as well.
Here is the result.  This could have been enough for any scrapbook. A cute little girl enjoying life. Done.  After I got it back, naturally I started looking at the Mayberry My Stickease that would compliment it.  So, I had to add a few more pieces that would complete my layout.  The best part is that I still have a whole sheet of stickers to play with on cards and other projects.
I highlighted my original boo boos with arrows to show you. You may have to click on the layout to see it enlarged.  So, really no one would have seen my mistakes but me….hmmm… I digress.

Quick fix with a border sticker from Mayberry My Stickease. I also covered up my little mistake with the flower by layering another sticker flower.   Isn’t that great that they match perfectly?
Added a journaling box, pennant stickers, flowers and some ribbon and a kite.
So, the lesson learned here is that it can be fun to embellish it after the fact.  Matter of fact, I am having so much fun with the My Stickease included with the kit in Studio J, that I am incorporating more of them into my classic scrapbooking.  So, don’t be afraid to try it. If you haven’t set up your free account yet, what are you waiting for?  You can do it now at my website, http://blessedscrapper.myctmh.com/ Let me know what you think. If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask!