Newsprint Rub-Ons from CTMH

Find out what makes CTMH Newsprint rub-ons so easy to apply and fun to use. Plus, you'll discover why the booklet makes it super-easy to use just the letters you need. Get ready to be inspired by the beautiful artwork! Features a step-by-step tutorial.

52 Weeks of Wonder

Stamping to Add Glitz and Glam!

"Almost every girl I know loves something that sparkles and shines to brighten up life every once in a while. Adding a little bling here or a little glitz there just makes my heart happy. Glitz Glitter Gel can take an ordinary piece of art and turn it into something eye catching. I believe every piece of artwork deserves to be a little fun, sassy, and easy. One of the things I enjoy about using Glitz Glitter Gel is how simple and versatile it is to work with. The narrow tip on the bottle allows ease in the creation of small dots or lines that accent any stamp design.

~ add one drop of Colonial White Re-Inker with one drop re-inker color of your choice to a craft jar
~ then add a dime size dollop of Glitz Glitter Gel to the concoction
~ mix everything together until uniform (the stylus does double duty as a great mixing spoon and applicator)
~ add more color a little at a time until the perfect shade emerges

~ apply the colored Glitz Glitter Gel to the stamped polka-dot pattern in a random fashion using the larger end of the stylus

Sparkle, dazzle, or bling any way you put it, Glitz Glitter Gel is a great way to add shimmer to art projects and smile to someone’s day."
Jeanette Lynton

Isn't that cupcake wrapper adorable?  Jeanette has more gorgeous artwork throughout her blog post today.  Stop by and take a peek.

LeaderShare with CTMH

Love it when CTMH has a regional event right in my own backyard!  A LeaderShare day was held back in April at the KOP Convention center, and Carol and I had the chance to attend.  Carol is one of my team members and an awesome paper crafter.  We attended CTMH's Annual Convention in DC together last year and jumped at the chance for a day of scrapping and networking, but most of all, hanging with a bunch of fellow CTMH consultants.  We even made Jeanette Lynton's blog!  Carol and I are pictured below; check out my lime jacket and Carol is in white, right next to me. Who could have guessed wearing my TSC "Cheer Mom" jacket (chilly temps in the banquet room) would grab the attention of the photographer ;) 



And to top off the day, I went home with two "krafty kritters", one lime and one royal blue. Our fabulous host, Kathy Markloff, presented each attendee with a gift bag full of chocolates and an adorable stuffed gorilla. I snatched a royal blue one as I choose my seat, then Kathy was gracious enough to give me a second bag once she heard her "krafty kritters" were the exact colors of my daughters' all-star cheer squad. Kristen and Caitlyn were thrilled and I'm sure the kritters will be attending all future cheer competitions. Thanks Kathy!


Please jump over to Jeanette's blog to see a ton of consultant artwork donated for the Operation Smile silent auction. I've never seen such extraordinary artwork and generosity. Our group raised an amazing $3,000 for Operation Smile, which translates into more than twelve surgeries for needy children. What an incredible day!

Studio J®: Focus on the Photos

Learn tips and tricks that will make your beautiful photos the highlight of all your Studio J® layouts!

Studio J®: Personalize Your Layouts

Studio J has options galore for personalizing your scrapbook layouts! Change the color of your photos; swap the cardstock and patterned B&T paper in your layout; embellish with buttons, ribbons, and metals; and distress the surface or edges of your paper using a range of tools and colors. You'll love the way Studio J offers you incredible artistic freedom with the click of a mouse!

Studio J®: Photo Editing Tool

Edit your photos right in Studio J, including adjusting brightness; changing color balance and saturation; removing red-eye, blemishes, and wrinkles; and whitening teeth. Find out how easy it is in Studio J, CTMH's online scrapbook design software!

52 Weeks of Wonder

Stamp Stitching Guide

"I have often talked about my father and what an inspiration he has been in my life. He was a pattern maker by trade and could create the most spectacular things from wood. It really was his example that motivated me to start designing patterns for scrapbook layouts and cards—the patterns that ultimately became our entire library of how-to books!

Although stamps are not considered patterns, they can be used as such with the simple addition of a piercing tool, needle and thread. The technique is ideally suited to thin, line stamps—just stamp in a light color (I like Bamboo), and then use the stamped image as a stitching guide. Ta-da! An easy stamped pattern.

Stamp your image using Bamboo ink or using the color of ink you are going to stitch with. A fun tip: create the perfect color of embroidery floss by carefully coloring white or neutral floss using an Exclusive Inks Marker.

Determine how far apart you want the stitches to be, I like somewhere between 3/8” and 1/4” apart. I have found that most of the time it isn’t discernible to the eye if your stitches are slightly larger and smaller, however if you’re a stickler for precision and want very evenly placed holes, pull out a ruler and lay it next to the image that will be stitched. Then, use a piercing tool and mat, pre-hole the artwork prior to stitching.

Start your stitching without knotting the thread but by taping down the end on the back side of your project. This helps reduce the bulkiness of the thread.

Stitch along your pre-holed guidelines. A skip stitch run one way and then back the other direction will help the embroidery floss stay flat and look neat on the back of the project (however, a backstitch may also be used)."
Jeanette Lynton

I LOVE the look of hand-stitching on layouts and cards!  It's well worth the time it takes for that extra WOW it gives any project.  I'm off to scrap lift Jeannette's card shown above.  I have that gorgeous flourish in my stamp collection and never thought to hand-stitch the pattern.