For my fellow yarn lovers ...

52 Weeks of Wonder

A Stylus is Always in Style!

"Pull out your stylus because we are about to take a journey into dry embossing and there is no better place to start than Close To My Heart’s white core cardstock. Perfect for cards, photo mats or scrapbook layouts, our cardstock is sturdy enough to hold any texture you want to press into it.

The One of a Kind Friend card above has a more subtle embossed texture and was achieved by drawing lines with the stylus then simply sponging over the top of the lines with the same color ink as the cardstock. The ink helps bring out the embossed pattern. Also, you can add a little depth to your project by turning stamped pieces over and using the larger end of the stylus in a circular motion to achieve a “puffed” look. The chair’s cushions really “puff” out, like a real overstuffed chair! This technique works great for flower petals, clouds and Santa’s beard, too.

On the layout, stamping, embossing, sanding and inking were used in combination to create some great interest on the base page."

Jeanette Lynton

Jeanette's blog has a few tips to make dry embossing with a stylus faster, simpler and easier.  Go dig out your stylus and re-visit this cool technique! 

Studio J®: Step-by-Step Basics

Great video from CTMH's corporate office covering the basics of Studio J.  I have not explored digital scrapbooking, as of yet.  But tonight, I'm jumping out of my comfort zone, setting up a FREE Studio J account and will be spending some time checking out all the digital possibilities.

I'll never give up traditional scrapbooking ... I'm a very tactile person and love the feel of paper!  But I have a ton of photos to scrap and can see the benefit of cranking-out digital layouts to supplement my existing albums.  I'll report back on my Studio J test-drive and give honest feedback on my first attempt at digital layouts.

Happy Easter

Jesus Will Be With You Day After Day After Day by Tom Holladay

The angel spoke to the women: "There is nothing to fear here. I know you're looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said …. " Matthew 28:5-6 (MSG)

[Jesus said,] "I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20 (MSG)

Easter is a celebration of Jesus conquering even death in order to give us freedom. He wants you to join him in heaven.

How do you do that? You accept the gift that he's given you, the gift of forgiveness and life. You can do that right now. You can talk to him and tell him, "I accept your gift of forgiveness and I accept your gift of life. I want to live the life that you made me to live. Thank you, Jesus, for loving me."

This is a very simple prayer, but it changes everything. When you say I accept the fact that Jesus' blood was given so I could be forgiven, it changes everything about your life, everything about who you are and everything about your eternity.

With you in mind, I want to pray, "Jesus, we celebrate you and who you are. We celebrate your love for us. We thank you for Easter and the reminder that no matter how discouraging our week was this last week, there is good news in the future for us."

"No matter what other people say about us, you say that you love us. And no matter what has happened in our lives, you will accept us as we come to you. Thank you for the gift of your love. Thank you for the promise of your freedom. In your name we pray, Amen.”

Carrie Underwood & Vince Gill - How Great Thou Art

Showstopping performance by Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill slaying "How Great Thou Art" live at the 2011 ACM Girl's Night Out Show. The performance was emotional, uplifting and absolutely gorgeous. Even if you are not particularly religious, it is an incredibly powerful piece of music!

52 Weeks of Wonder

Random Stamping

"Random stamping is truly a classic favorite way to use stamps. The technique can turn any plain cardstock into a work of art with verve, flair, and whatever color combination you desire. You can mix and match stamps from different sets to boost a trendy look and convey your theme perfectly.

And here's the secret to perfect random stamping: try to work in clusters of three and create some visual triangles with your stamped images. This will give balance and variety. You'll also want to rotate your stamp images if you're repeating the same image—like a flower, for example—so that the result looks more organic and natural rather than automated or mechanical. You'll also want to stamp right off the edges of your base paper as you randomize, so that some images are partial (life doesn't color within the lines, and your stamping should imitate life!) If, once you've finished stamping your "triangles," you perceive that anything is off balance or you have any odd spaces, you can always fill them in with smaller stamped images later."

Jeanette Lynton

Jeanette has a gorgeous mini album in the full post over on her blog, plus some hints to help discover your "inner random stamping diva".  Check it out for yourself.

Just One More Row

Found this cool creation from Twilight Kallisti at Crafting Chaos and thought my fellow fknitters would appreciate and enjoy her work of art.

"Just One More Row is made entirely with recycled materials. Essentially it is a Bucky fourth generation skeleton covered in knitting from recycled sweaters.  The skeleton is 5′6″ and is anatomically correct.  Pearl, the skeleton, is knitting a DNA scarf. The scarf is unfinished and the yarn is coming from her tailbone."

CTMH's National Scrapbooking Month Promotion

You'll be exclaiming “Ooh!” and “Ahhh!” as you watch the National Scrapbooking Month video, which features the classy You & Me kit. See how the elements of the kit work together to create two beautiful layouts.

You & Me Scrapbooking Kit Includes:

1 – My Acrylix® You & Me Stamp Set (D-size)

1 – 12" × 12" Colonial White Cardstock

6 – 12" × 12" B&T Duos® Papers (New! Cardstock-weight)

1 – 6" × 9" You & Me Irresistibles™ Chipboard

Die-Cut Sheet

1 Yard – Chocolate Stripe Ribbon

1 Package – Opaques Mocha Adhesive Gems

1 – Instruction Guide

Featured Colors: Chocolate, Crème Brulee, Olive, Smoothie

When you place a minimum order of $50 in CTMH products* in May, you can get the exclusive You & Me scrapbooking kit for the discount price of just $15—that’s more than half off the retail value! You’ll create two fully embellished two-page layouts using the new cardstock-weight B&T Duos® papers, D-size stamp set, accessories, and instructions. You can also purchase the kit at full retail for $34.95 with no minimum purchase required.

OR, join CTMH during May and you will receive one You & Me scrapbooking kit FREE, plus receive 50% off the New Consultant Kit, making it just $64.50!

* Shipping/handling and tax apply to purchased kits but not free kits. Offer valid May 1–31, 2011 only. Products or memberships purchased on a Studio J® website, even if Studio J is entered via a MyCTMH® site, do not count toward a qualifying order. While supplies last.

On This Day Inspiration & Tutorial

Get inspired by artwork featuring the My Acrylix® On This Day stamp set in this short, fun video. You’ll love the paper piecing technique that really makes the stamped images stand out!

Click here to place an order for the products featured in the tutorial.

52 Weeks of Wonder

Go ahead, be selective!

"Spring has sprung and here are some great artwork ideas to help you hop into the season. Have you ever reached for a stamp set and realized you don’t have exactly what you are looking for? You want part of a phrase on a stamp or the elements aren’t quite the right size for your needs? One way to adjust for this is by masking off part of an image but cutting out masks can often be time consuming. An easier way around this dilemma is only applying ink to a portion of the image that you want stamped—a quick technique known as selective inking. My Acrylix clear stamps make this easy because you can see exactly where the ink is going.



Take a closer look at the great Easter wall hanging above. The background flowers were the perfect touch to bring in the season. And I love the floral image in the stamp set A Hop (A1112) but felt the flower was a little large and would be distracting for the background—easy to selectively add a different image!

The small flower in Beautiful Butterflies (B1373) was the perfect size, but the wisps seemed like they might clutter the look of the project.Using a combination of the two was the perfect mix.

We stampers are choosy folks—and it's easy to be selective when you have a great variety of versatile stamp sets you can mix and match and ink to create the perfect artwork for any season, any time. Happy spring!"

 

Jeanette Lynton

I LOVE the "Happy Spring" card at the top of this post!  Although I don't own the exact stamp sets used on the card, I've pulled images from my sets that will help me lift the overall design.  Jeanette has a way of bringing colors and pattern paper together that I just can't see myself.  Guess I'll  be making some cards tomorrow.

Spiritual Journaling

Start the Spiritual Habit of Journaling by Rick Warren
“The Lord gave me this answer, ‘Write down clearly…what I reveal to you…’” Habakkuk 2:2 (TEV)

Let's review. If I want to hear God speak to me, the first thing I do is I want it. I say, ‘God, I want you to speak to me. Hearing from you is not just nice, it is a necessity!’

And then I withdraw and get alone and get quiet: “Be still and know that I am God.”

And then I wait quietly, patiently, and expectantly on God. I ask a specific question, I look into his Word and then when I see God’s answer, I write it down. Habakkuk said, “The Lord gave me this answer, ‘Write down clearly…what I reveal to you…’” (Habakkuk 2:2 TEV)

Writing down what God reveals to us is the spiritual habit of journaling. This is not the same as keeping a diary. A diary is, ‘Dear diary, this is what I did today.’ A journal is, ‘This is what I learned today.’ So it's not about what you did, it's about what you are learning, what you are praying, and what God is saying to you.

David took the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and he meditated on them day and night. He wrote his prayers down and that is how we got the Psalms. And, as you read the Psalms, you’ll see that David includes just about every emotion known to the human race: envy, jealousy, lust, greed.

Why? Because he's honest. He's not writing what he thinks he should write; he's writing what he honestly feels. We should be honest, too, when we talk to God about our problems.

Here are some suggestions for journaling:

Requests and Answers -- On each page, make two columns. In one column write down what you say to God: ‘God, I need this. I'm worried about that,’ and so forth. In the second column, write down the answers that God gives you.

What I learned today -- Another way to do it is to take a page and write, ‘Here is what I learned yesterday about life or about God.’ This will help you focus your thoughts and help you remember what God said.

The Bible says, “Write these things down for the future so that people who are not yet born will praise the Lord.” (Psalm 102:18 NCV)

SketchSupport.com

Found the greatest website and I had to share. I've been hearing all kinds of great things about Allison Davis and her "sketch" books, so I started poking around the web. Seems a pair of sisters, and a pair of sisters (daughters of one of the first set of sisters) opened a scrap store together, Scrapbook Generation.

Allison Davis is one of the daughter sisters at Scrapbook Generation and works with customers, designs monthly kit clubs and sketches, creates store displays, and writes posts for her blog. She is the creative force behind the new Sketch Support website, which she envisioned, designed, and brought to life.

The Sketch Support blog has a ton of 1 and 2 page sketches, plus card sketches. There's also a link for all Allison's design books, "Sketches for Scrapbooking". I'm not enabling ... just sharing ;)

Soul Surfer Trailer

Soul Surfer opens today!

"Soul Surfer is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton. Bethany lost her left arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith.

Bethany was born to surf. A natural talent who took to the waves at a young age, she was leading an idyllic life on Kauai, participating in national surf competitions with her best friend Alana, when everything changed. On Halloween morning, a 14-foot tiger shark came out of nowhere and seemed to shatter all her dreams.

Soul Surfer reveals Bethany's fight to recover from her ordeal and how she grappled with the question of her future. Strengthened by the love of her parents, Tom and Cheri, and supported by her youth group leader Sara, Bethany refuses to give in or give up, and begins a bold return to the water."

Watch the Soul Surfer Trailer

Springin' Up Flowers by CTMH

Add blooming dimension to your cards and layouts with these 3-D flowers created using our My Acrylix® Spring Up stamp set. Don't you love these video tutorials by CTMH!

52 Weeks of Wonder

Beautiful Brayering

"Ever get stuck in a crafting rut? If you do, it's time to dig deep into your craft stash and play with an overlooked tool you may not have used in a while. Today's spotlight shines on the trusty (hopefully not dusty!) brayer. Brayers are made in a variety of materials but my favorite is the rubber brayer because it easily applies ink evenly and beautifully to craft projects. This week, roll up your sleeves and roll out the brayer as we explore a great way to create some fun subtle backgrounds.

It's easy to combine the use of stamp sets with brayering because you can add color to any project, layering stamp design on top of stamp design in a quick, random way. The brayer puts hearty coats of ink on any project for fabulous color depth. With each roll, the color becomes a lighter generation of the ink color until the paper is filled with a unique, layered creation." Jeanette Lynton

Check out Jeanette's blog for more instructions and tips on how to use a brayer. Then dig out that trusty tool to create some stunning artwork of your own!

Studio J Promo

Add delightful details to your beautiful Studio J® layouts. Self-adhesive clear Sparkles and Opaques Pearl adhesive gems make it easy to get your shine on, and now you can get these adorable accessories FREE! Throughout April, Studio J members get one free package each of clear Sparkles and Opaques Pearl gems, a retail value of $5.90, for every 10 custom-printed layouts purchased in a single order. It's another way CTMH makes scrapbooking faster, simpler, easier—and more sparkly! Go to my website to start creating today!

Lovin' Level 1 Special

My Reflections® Level 1 scrapbooking kits are great for beginners to seasoned pros. The preprinted pages make preserving your fondest memories a breeze. Get a FREE* Level 1 kit of your choice when you order $100 or more on my MyCTMH® website April 1–30, 2011 (limit of one free kit per qualifying order). Now’s the time to let everyone know you’re Lovin’ Level 1!

*Shipping/handling apply. Offer valid April 1–30, 2011. Free Level 1 kit available while supplies last.

Click here to start shopping now and choose your favorite FREE Level 1 kit. And be sure to check out the AMAZING deals in the “while supplies last” section. But hurry because they are only available while supplies last and they will go quickly.

Blessed: CTMH"s April SOTM

Want to join an exclusive club? Every month CTMH offers you an exclusive My Acrylix® D-size stamp set FREE or at a large discount. The stamp set is available to qualifying customers for that month only. It’s our way of saying thank you, and your way of getting fantastic deals on our amazing stamps!

"Blessed" features gorgeous layering images ... a full coverage background image matched with a detailed outline stamp image. They're perfect for Spring crafts and the sentiment is a card makers staple. Contact me to get a fabulous deal on your very own April Stamp of the Month: Blessed.