Spring Summer 2013 Last Chance

Spring/Summer 2013 Projects

CMTH Country Born Stamp Set

CTMH Country Born Stamp Set

SOTM 2012 Autumn/Winter

The projects using the Country Born Stamp Set was so much fun.  Reminded me of my days with Watercoloring classes.  I applied the knowledge anyway.  This stamp set is still available while supplies last so get yours now.  I utilized all CTMH Card Stock and embellishments, the Rosewood medley accents noted in second picture are just beautiful...Hope you enjoy.

The SOTM card featured is from 2012 and stamp set is no longer available it was one time only.  Hope to see it back one day.  Truly beautiful.  I used the NEW CTMH alcohol based markers to color this gem but the rest of the products were from a Card Stock pack I had on hand that went perfect with this card I featured.  

Dotty for You Paper Packet

Last time I was on here, I posted about the amazing deal with the Dotty for You Paper Packet.  I still use this and the colors would be great for Halloween and Thanksgiving.  It was a one time special but I think you might like the samples I have posted here.

 The card designs here utilize the CTMH Flutter By Stamp Set, I believe it still maybe available from the Spring/Summer 2013 Catalog, but hurry only while supplies last and also includes the Dotty For YOU paper packet(One time ONLY), CTMH chocolate card stock, Paper Studio 5 x 7 kraft cards and envelopes, and I utilized the CTMH scallop and circle punch for the sentiment.

The Dotty for You Paper Packet for the scrapbook layout, scallop and circle punch, I also used the square punch from Stampin Up to achieve the zig zag edge on the layout, I used markers to color the self stick alphabet(retired) and then used 1st generation stamping in another color in Sunset on the letters as well.  The corner rounder was another tool utilized.

This is our second grandbaby, her second birthday is coming up in October and she is pictured with her Papa here.  Just Lovely!!!! So that dates this layout but wanted to share.

National Stamping Month 2013

How about this amazing deal folks.  www.ldj.ctmh.com for an order with Close to My Heart.  The stamp set special of the Month for National Stamping Month is a huge savings.  3-D size Stamp Sets for the price of $10.00 with the order of $50 or more, you also get the Stamp of the Month for $5 and both are a huge savings and great products.  Check out the website for tutorials, information and ideas.

Halloween

I haven't been on here in ages.  OMG..I can't believe I have had as many views as blog spot has posted.  I guess I need to get busy and get a few things caught up.

I am still a CTMH consultant and having so much fun.  I have finally converted from a hobby enthusiast with CTMH to a teacher of CTMH.  I have been giving classes since April of this year and it has been so much fun and have gained a few customers for classes.  I have the classes in my home with small groups and I have promoted the CTMH line as well as Ideas I come up with by MY Design.  I will post a few of past classes as I have time.

Here is picture of a small and fun project I just cooked up, using some Paper Studio paper along with a Retired Halloween Stamp set from CTMH.  It's appropriate I suppose to begin thinking about Halloween since products in the hobby industry have been out now for well over 2 months.  I can't believe we promote so early.

Simple Hershey Snack Bars, a 3" x 3 1/2" cut paper, scallop punch and circle punch by CTMH and a stamped image from the Merry Monsters Stamp Set (retired). Some twine and ribbon to finish it off.  Simple and the price to make is close to 25 cents.  Only 30 more to make. Wow, what a cute idea, simple and not much time involved.  Be on the look out for more pics to come.

Dotty for YOU Paper Packet & Monthly Specials CTMH

Celebrate National Scrapbooking Month in May by mixing and matching to your heart’s content with our new Dotty for You paper packet! The trendy patterns on the front of the papers coordinate perfectly with the dots on the reverse side, giving you lots of options for crafting colorful layouts, cards, and other projects. Dotty for You includes 24 specially designed, coordinating B&T Duos^® sheets (2 each of 12 patterns) and an artwork idea insert to get your creative juices flowing.

There are three ways to get this exclusive Dotty for You paper packet, valued at $19.95:

• Place an order of $35 or more in products from the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book between April 17 and May 31, and add the Dotty for You paper packet for just $5*.
• Host a Gathering with a sales total of $400 or more (excluding tax, shipping/handling, and Operation Smile^®donations) between April 17 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.
• Join Close To My Heart as a new Consultant between April 1 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.

Celebrate National Scrapbooking Month in May with the oh-so-cute Dotty for You paper packet.

NEW STamp of the Month for April

Each month you can enjoy a new D-size stamp set, available for one month only, for just $5—that’s over 70% off retail! When you place an order of $50 or more in Close To My Heart products, you qualify for this special Stamp of the Month pricing.

Here are a few creations with the Dotty For You Paper Packet.  So much fun!!!

CTMH Card Word Puzzle Stamp Set C1494

These were so much fun and so easy to create.  Using 4-1/4 x 5-1/2 cards with black and yellow cardstock scraps.  I created these wonderful cards.  I did use a Stampin Up punch out and CTMH ribbon for embellishments.  SO EASY!!!

Preserving Photos of Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow Part 1

Preservation of Photos yesterday, today and tomorrow has many avenues.  Photographs provide a graphic portrayal of our families history, but if we neglect and do not preserve our photographs, some of our history will fade away along with those images. 


The avenues that are out there range from good old traditional scrap-booking, storing photos on our computers or hard drives, digital photo frames and online book bound scrapbooks. I have to admit that scrap-booking has been more of a challenge for me spite the unlimited the avenues available to each of us to choose for storage.  Why?  Well today we have digital storage that is enormous instead of a roll of 35mm film that has to be developed and printed. We take hundreds of pictures that if not downloaded, categorized, edited, backed up, filed appropriately  and stored in a safe place we fall behind and accessing those memories is a task only TIME can heal. How many can agree with me here?


For our family the old fashion scrapbook is a treasure and stored in a safe and accessible place so we can take them out and view history and memories when we have family gatherings.  I also have to admit I still have shoe boxes full prior to the digital age of photos that are still left to be scrap-booked.  However it is my mission in my empty nest days to scrapbook my families memories and then to properly store these treasures so if a tragedy or natural disaster should hit we have back ups for all our families photos, history and memories.  I have been scrap-booking for almost a quarter of century...25 years that is a long time and have to also admit I don't have it all done.  My years of scrap-booking has had its own seasons of plenty and want.  During the days of my children's younger years 35mm photos were the only means of taking photos and preserving our families history and memories.  Then came along digital and in the year 2000 our life changed in the way we took pictures and stored them.  In 2001 my digital library was huge.  I have a natural love of photography and the new digital age gave me unlimited and free photo takes which resulted an overwhelming digital library that has continued to today.  TIME... is needed in everyones life to go through these enormous libraries and sort, catalog, file in folders and of course label and date each one.  Then on to the truth, most of us don't have that much time in today's world.  I still fall behind but here are a few tips to get you started on a road of organized photo history.


1. Begin today.
2. Start with your most recent photos and work to the older photos as time allows.
3. Download to computer and label the folders individually.  If this is all the time you have then get this part done first and be sure to label the file with date and event.  
4. As time allows even if its 30 minutes to an hour one dreary afternoon.  Begin to dissect each file folder, I know there are the blurry photos, they really need to be discarded first.  You only have 120 photos or more of the "Blue Bonnet" takes. So you have now reduced it to 110 takes of the same shoot.  If you have 20 shots of the same pose you need to place them in order of best to worst shot and discard duplicates of those.  One by one you have gradually reduced hopefully your batch of photos taken and they are now in order of Best to OK.  
5. Next would be to upload the BEST photos to your nearest  photo printing business.  Most offer free storage and of course as time allow you can always go back and create a bound photo scrapbook, print pictures for your own scrap-booking days or even utilize these photo printing businesses to share your albums with family members without the use of the post office. By uploading your edited album, you have also created one back up for those precious memories should the hard drive crash or natural disaster occur at home. Remember to not store all your treasures in one basket either.  Select 2-3 reliable printing companies in order to avoid the loss of memories due to unfortunate disasters in the business world.  
6. From here TIME is another factor.  Sharing, displaying and working with your photos is the next step to decide on.  From here they are organized on the computer and one back up has been created.  HOWEVER, will they ever be viewed from here?  How many of us have memories of our camping trip that we actually access the file from our computer to share with others?  In my family, if the photos have not been printed and placed in a temporary archival photo album later to be scraped, or a bound scrapbook created on line they will remain on my computer and not viewed because well most of my family members are not going to stand around my computer to view our pictures. There are other options available and each person needs to decide how they will utilize technology or TIME to store and create a way of sharing those memories with others around them.  
7.  As you complete and edit each file folder on your computer, uploaded to a reliable source then the next step is to yet again back up your photos and for my families history I have learned the hard way.  Its best to choose a couple of methods.  Flash drives are larger and larger these days and can store quiet a bit.  I use these but I also use a external hard drive that is kept in a fire proof box when not in use.  A specific hard drive for only photo archival is the choice I have made.  There is always a chance of failure with any of our technology today so it is worth the time and effort to have at least 3 places for your stored treasures.  


In this Part 1 series you have EDITED, LABELED and FILED your photos from your camera on to one source your computer.  You have created an online source of BACK UP for later use in scrap-booking and sharing your memories and have BACKED UP to at least 2 other sources.  These steps are very important to your families history and memories.  Your now set to move on to the next step that will be covered in Part 2 of this series.  Don't put this part off or the unexpected will hit, technology does have its fall back and some of us have learned the hard way and lost a great deal of treasured memories to this technology. Your now set to move on to the next step that will be covered in Part 2 of this series.  Downloading, edited, labeling, filing, and backing up is the way of todays photo memories IT IS A  MUST!!!