Picture My Life #jrlcreativechallenge

SO this is my life! 

Busy, crazy, messy, yes...organized, not so much!  I have only a few things organized to my liking, and one of the things that helps make my life just THAT much easier is the Close to My Heart Picture My Life Scrapbooking system.  Here is my week 7 (that carries RIGHT over into week 8, lol) layout from my Project Life album...

I used the Heartstrings Picture My Life cards JUST the way I like them--plain and simple!  Of course when I have the time, I DO love to spruce them up with embellies and stamped images...and of course some SPARKLE, but for the most part, these cards have saved my scrapbooking bootie this year!  I am all caught up with my pics in 2015!  Can you even believe it?  I KNOW, RIGHT?!

So for the #jrlcreativechallenge on the Close to My Heart Facebook Page, this is my entry.  THIS is how I like to use my Picture My Life Kit cards...plain and simple.  And....DONE!  :)

Today is the very last day of February, so it's you last chance to grab and album at half price (which I use for my PML albums!) and the stamp of the month for just $5!  Here are the links for you!

Buy one get one half off ends today!

A Happy Hello says goodbye today!

Finally Friday!

Another week behind us, and another washi creation to share!

This one is the Celebrate Card that I cut from the Artfully Sent Cartridge...along with a matching envelope liner!

See yesterday's blog post to learn how you can tell where to place your washi by using the Cricut Design Space virtual GO mats.  It shows you right where the Explore will cut!

Now, I didn NOT cut the actual envelope for this one...I used the size A2 Value Pack Cards and Envelopes from Close to My Heart.  The liner fits them PERFECTLY when cut at the size below!  :)  As an added bonus, when you use a liner, it protects your card embellishments from the mail sorter.  Gotta LOVE that!
 

Available for just one more day!

BOGO 50% OFF offer is available for just one more day!

Washi Thursday? ;)

I have lots more fun with washi to show you, so let's go!

Yesterday, I used the washi covered letters I cut from the Celebrate Pocket card on the Artfully Sent Cartridge.  Today I'm going to show you the Pocket!  :)  This is what it looked like before assembly...

And here it is after adding a piece of black CS behind the letters!

I didn't want to add anything else just yet...I do have a plan for it, and will show you next week!  I also added a strip of Washi along the top edge of the opening so that anything I slide down inside the sleeve will go in smoothly without getting hung up on the edge of the black CS.

That's it for today!  I have ONE more to show you tomorrow...and it includes an envelope!  :)

Washi Wednesday Meets #jrlcreativechallenge

I am so excited to share this washi project today...It has been on my brain's backburner FOREVER, but I finally got motivated and actually made it with the latest #jrlcreativechallenge -- getting creative with WASHI!

Washi is a super thin tape, so it doesn't add much bulk to your paper.  That means it will ALSO run through your Cricut machine stuck to CS!  :)

My first step was to design my cuts in Cricut Design Space so I could see exactly where on my paper to put the washi tape.  I used the following images from the Close to My Heart Artfully Sent Cartridge: the Celebrate Card (M10113C) sized at a 5 inch height, Pocket Card (M100F7D) sized at a 6 inch height, and Envelope #11 (MEF85D) sized at an 8.65 inch height.

After you save your design, click the GO button to view your mats.  This will show you exactly where to place your washi on a piece of CS.  In this case, I decided to go all out and washi the whole 9 x 12 CS!  :)

Here's a quick tip--go slowly when unrolling washi!  It is super-thin, so likes to come off before you are fully ready for it to rip sometimes.  Luckily, it is also easy to piece back together--bet you can't tell very easily where I had to!  ;)

I used my Non-Stick Micro Tip Scissors to trim the washi.

Next, place your CS on the cricut mat and cut away!

Another use for washi!  Holds your CS to your mat!  ;)

I decided to use just the letters for my first project.  I placed them roughly in the same places as they were on the cutting mat to align the washi lines...the black CS really made the colors POP!

A few silver sequins as embellishments, and I was done!  :)

Be sure to come back tomorrow to see what I did with the rest of the washi cuts!  :)

Here is a list of all the CTMH washi I used...

Honey Triangles
Silver Geometric
Ruby Chevron
Topiary Striped
Lagoon Hearts (cut in half lengthwise)
Sunset Chevron (cut in half lengthwise)

Stamp of the Month--last week to get yours!

Only a few more days for BOGO 50% OFF! 

Makeover Monday for My Creative Time!

I LOVE looking forward to Mondays, and Makeover Mondays are always something to look forward to!  :)

On Friday I shared this little PML card I made for my 2015 album...

 and I knew just how to spruce it up for my post today, and for the challenge Emma is having over at My Creative Time this month.  I used her amazing dies to create the perfect embellishments!  Here is the color inspiration...

Creative Challenge

Now, check out my PML card makeover!

LOVE the silver sequins.

You guessed it--it's been a pretty snowy winter near Chi-town!  :)

LOVE Emma's stitched flat-bottom clouds!

I used the MCT snowflake and stitched cloud dies, Close to My Heart Hopscotch PML cards, and an image from the Stamp of the Month shown below for the "sun."  The snowflakes are cut on a pattern from the Wanderful Paper Packet.

HUGE thanks to Emma for posting her challenges on the side of her blog now--SO easy to find!!!  :)

A Happy Hello!

BOGO Half-Off!

Picture My Life Hopscotch Edition

Hi again!  Two blog posts in a row is pretty darn good for me these days, lol.  I have been playing with the Close to My Heart pocket-style scrapbooking program called Picture My Life this year and enjoying it A LOT!  One of my favorite things about using it is how FAST I can get my pictures into pages.  It is just like having my own easy button for scrapbooking!

Here is a great example featuring the Hopscotch PML cards and the February Stamp of the Month, A Happy Hello...

Now, the image I used for the sun is actually part of a floral set...but isn't it perfect?  The cards are for a layout with lots of pics from the snowy weather lately.

Add a simple cloud shape cut from the Cricut Artiste Cartridge, and you have an even cuter...and still quite easy, creation!  :)

Tune in Monday to see how I took one of these cards up a notch with some embellishments...you won't want to miss it!  :)

Picture My Life Hopscotch Kit

A Happy Hello

PML Throwback to January!

Alrighty then, let's get this show on the road again...I still have to post up my PL or PML album weeks two and three for 2015 before it gets ANY later into February, lol.  This throwback is brought to you by frigid temps that have returned to our area, but lo and behold we have school this time!  WHAT??? 

Back to the pages!  I am absolutely LOVEing this pocket-style memory keeping, and I learned a couple of tricks along the way to share...

Week 2

OK, check this out...more "cheater journaling" coming right at ya!  Screenshots from your phone are SUCH lifesavers at a time like this when you have, well, not so much time!  It was recordbreaking cold around these parts, so I documented it by taking a simple screenshot on my iPhone.  LOVE this easy way to tell a story!  I used the Close to My Heart Chalk It Up Picture My Life Kit and Paper Packet for these layouts...

ALSO!  Another little fun addition to my pages are the screenshots I take of inspiring words that I find.  See the two I used in this one?

Week 3

Soooo, let's say you have a few more pics to put on your page than pockets.  This happens a lot to me and now I can easily roll with it...now that I am printing on my Canon Selphy!  I use an app on my iPhone to create a 4 x 6 photo collage with more than one pic!  I used it here to add four different views of my daughter's car after she was rear ended in January.  (She is totally fine, thank goodness, and we are so blessed to not have to total the car as a bonus.)

4 pics in 1!

Love, love, love my Selphy, and let me tell you, I am all caught up printing pics through this week, so it has been totally worth the small investment!  :)

Buy one Get one Half OFF!

A Happy Hello!

Cricut Mat Tip for Tuesday!

Hey there, my friends!  Just a quick tip to share with you today, but it is a goodie! 

I recently went a little wild bending my Cricut mat to remove some CS cuts quickly, and the unthinkable happened...it cracked! 

It was rather cool in my basement craft cave, so I can't say it was any fault of the mat.  I was in a bit of a time crunch, and in shock to say the least, so I did what any good crafter would do--grabbed my packing tape!  ;)

I placed my paper on the mat as usual (to cover the stickiness), flipped it over, and placed the packing tape carefully over the crack and around to the other side without covering the sticky surface or the paper.  I made sure it was firmly against the side of the mat to be sure to fit through the guides on my Explore. 

And it WORKED!!!  I was absolutely thrilled! 

Just wanted to share this in case you guys run into the same problem sometime!  :)

BOGO 50% OFF in February!

Stamp of the Month for February! 

Valentine Mailbox Card from SVGCuts with the Heartstrings Paper Packet

I did it!!!  I actually uploaded an SVG with Cricut Design Space and successfully cut it out using my Cricut Explore.  :)  You have NO idea how excited I was to finally have a chance...or maybe, my crafty friends, you DO!  ;)

It was a super special card that I was sending to my kiddo in college, so I HAD to make this one good.  I am amazed at how easy it was...

After I uploaded all of the images that were included in the file, I just needed to refer to the sizing guide that came with it, resize each of the images, and choose my paper!  I wanted to use the adorable arrows on the B&T in the Heartstrings Paper Packet...

The Cranberry CS shows up a bit orange here, but it isn't...

I accented the patterns with the Lagoon, Whisper, Cranberry, White Daisy, and a light pink CS.  A few Red Enamel Hearts fit nicely to replace some of the paper hearts on the envelopes.  I also dug out some puffy hearts that totally remind me of the stickers I had as a kid in the 80's....oh, um, did I say that?  ;)

Do you recognize that darling White Marquee Enamel Heart?  Retired products are so awesome and so not...

This style card is called a Box Card.  I am totally hooked on them now.  They fold up to fit in an envelope, can you believe it?

This particular one came with the envelope cut in the file I purchased from SVGCuts.  I added a leftover cutout to decorate it...

THIS was SUCH a fun project to make!  I hope it puts a smile on my sweet girl's face!  What are you making for your sweeties?

Stamp of the Month!

BOGO HALF OFF in February only!

My Life in Pictures Project

SO, I have been keeping a weekly picture album of my year in the Project Life (PL) or Picture My Life (PML) style of memory keeping.  This method uses pocket pages instead of a true 12 x 12 scrapbook page which is a new thing for me.  It is definitely working, and I want to share a bit with you about how I organize my pocket cards for this project. 

But FIRST, check out this darling pocket card I stamped--simple, yet fun!

I could have chosen pretty much any color to use for this, but decided on Black so it would go with several different occasions.  Instead of re-inking my image from Glitter Glam, I just kept on stamping it on down the page...

I used a glitter pen to add some sparkle afterwards.  OF COURSE!  :)

Back to the organization...I use the Medium Organizer from Close to My Heart to store my cards.  I love how you can rearrange the dividers to fit the different sizes...

I just add the ones I create myself to another section.  They fit perfectly!  

BOGO half off!

A Happy Hello!