CTMH Perpetual Calendar: June

Yep, I totally forgot what month I was on!  Sorry about that, I am horribly side-tracked these days.  It was a good thing this month came together so easily with a Picture My Life pocket scrapbooking card and a couple of retired puffy stickers.  No sidetracking here!  ;)

Flamingos for a Fabulous Graduation Day!

It's time for a fun little graduation card...this one happens to be a gift card holder turned money holder...

It just so happens that I used several "disappearing" products that Close to My Heart just announced would be retiring at the end of July...or whenever they sell out!  It is rather ironic, because I made the card days before they shared the list with consultants.

I used a Picture My Life Black Overlay on the front of this gift card holder that I cut from the Cricut Artiste Cartridge.  Both are favorites of mine that will soon disappear.  The Tickled Pink My Acrylix and Thin Cuts (back in stock around June 10th) make the CUTEST little flamingos! 

Mine was stamped in Cotton Candy and Pixie Exclusive Ink and then I added a sparkly black glitter paper cap cut with my Lawn Fawn steel dies.

That Pink Shimmer Trim will unfortunately not be returning, and neither will the Clear Sparkles I added to the Calypso Sequins...

 Here is a view of the inside of the card--you can add a gift card OR even cold, hard cash!

I can't wait to see my niece to give this card to her this weekend!  :)

Fundamentally Happy Times Layout

On Fridays I just can't help but sing the praises of the Close to My Heart Fundamental Papers and coordinating products.  THIS Friday I also threw in a bit of Happy Times!

It has been a crazy week, so sorry for the lack of commentary!  Here are the Close to My Heart products I used for this simple and sweet layout:

Paper Fundamentals Adventure Assortment
La Vie En Rose Paper Packet 
Picture My Life Overlay Black 
Happy Times My Acrylix Stamp Set
Life in Pictures (April 2016 Stamp of the Month) retired
Black and Grey Glitter Paper
3D Foam Tape
Red Enamel Hearts
Black Exclusive Ink Pad 

Have a SUPER weekend!

 

CTMH Perpetual Calendar: March

I promise not to string these calendar pages out much longer, lol, but since it is March now, here you go!

I kept it clean and simple for this one--and wanted to incorporate a St. Patty's Day theme.  This golden "choose happy" is actually a Beautiful You Picture My Life card trimmed down to fit my calendar square!  I double matted the inspirational message with Sweet Leaf and Topiary CS. Golden Sequins add a bit more sparkle to the pot!  ;)

How ironic that I didn't use a single STAMP on this creation!  Close to My Heart has so many wonderful papercrafting  products besides stamps!

BUT!!!  If stamps are your thing--THIS is the month to get them!  Stampaganza is back with an amazing buy 2 get 1 FREE (no limit!) sale!!!

There are a TON of details I listed HERE for the sale--including the new Close to My Heart Stamp Retirement policy information, so check it out before you make your list!

White Pines Blog Hop Featuring the 12 Days of Christmas!

Welcome back for another blog hop!

My 12 Days of Christmas theme really evolved over the course of laying out just this one page, so let me show you how that happened...I started with my favorite theme--GOLD (5 golden rings) and the White Pines Picture My Life cards!  ;)

These gold Picture My Life Pocket Scrapbooking overlays have taken over my scrapbooking lately...they are so much fun!

Do you have just a few pics from an event that you still want to capture?  DO IT!  These pocket cards make it very doable...even if the pics aren't the BEST quality like mine...I didn't want to lose the memory though.

My partridge in a pear tree is a cute little bird found in the White Pines Complements...
...and the pear is found on the Harvest Wreath My Acrylix stamp set. I had so few pics of my girl for this layout that I had to take up space--and this just happened to fit quite well!  I used some patterned paper from the coordinating White Pines Paper Packet for the card too...

The barren winter tree and the little tag below are cut from the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge.

Oh my goodness, this was quite the development...I never dreamed I would be turning NOEL into NO teeth!  ;)

One simple way to add more pics to your layouts is to use Flip Flaps.  I adore these versatile page elements that attach with a strong adhesive directly to your page protector.  They are JUST as thick and sturdy as our CTMH page protectors too!  They come in all sorts of sizes--I used the 3 x 4 inch pocket to add this fun and interactive detail to my layout.  :)

If you are a pocket scrapper, you HAVE to get this awesome Dated My Acrylix Set!

These fantastic journaling cards can be used all on their own or blinged up with almost no extra time...

Another strange but fun Christmas song!  ;)

Next up on this short but sweet Christmas hop is my friend, Kelly!  Keep hopping from one blog to the next by clicking the links, or just refer to this list!

ME! (you are here!)

Kelly:  http://papercraftingwithkellyjanes.com/2015/12/12/white-pines-blog-hop

Becca:  http://becca-expressions.blogspot.com/2015/12/twelve-days-of-christmas-blog-hops-with.html

Stephanie:  http://www.thegypsychic.com/2015/12/12-days-of-christmas-blog-hop.html

Amy:  http://clearlystamping.blogspot.com/2015/12/blog-hops-with-heart-white-pines-with.html

Candlelight Garden

Special Planner Bundle pricing this month!

Planners Gonna Plan: The NEW Close to My Heart Everyday Life Planner System is Coming!

Are you a planner?  I am.  Here are some exciting details about the NEW Close to My Heart Everyday Life Planner System coming soon...straight from Monica!!!  :)

Makeover Monday with Typed Note and Mini Calendar

Yes!  It is time for another one of my favorite days to post--Makeover Monday!

This week, I have a real treat for you.  I used the April Stamp of the Month, Typed Note, AND the size M Mini Calendar stamp to makeover one of the Picture My Life pocket cards.

Before...

This card is found in the Chalk it Up Picture My Life Kit.

...and after!

Isn't it a great little way to document the dates in your scrapbook?  I used White Daisy and Slate CS to stamp the images in Black ink, then trimmed them out.  SUPER easy!

I used this as a little make and take at my crop this weekend, and they loved it!  I have a few more to show you later.   :)

Pick up this adorable set in April before the month is over!  :)

Pick up the stamp of the month for just $5 on my website with qualifying purchase!  :)

Pi

Throwback Thursday Picture My Life Photo Tip!

Hey everyone!  I finished up my 12 x 12 layouts for Spring Break that I was working on, but I had lots of random leftover pics.  What do you do with those leftovers that don't quite fit into your pages, but you can't bring yourself to toss them?  I FINALLY found the perfect solution!  :)

Picture My Life!!!!  The pocket style pages made for this system also referred to as Project Life, are just perfect to toss those extra pics in at the end of your 12 x 12 album!  It takes just a few minutes to tuck them in along with some pre-made PML cards.  :)  Here are a few that I added to the end of mine...

The journaling cards are just perfect for my kiddos to write their own special memories to add to the album.  I can add some anecdotes, dates, names, etc. without taking much time as well. 

I hope you like my solution, and hope you find it useful!  I used some cards from the retired Picture My Life Surf's Up Kit and retired Heartstrings Kit.  You can see all the available Picture My Life cards and pages on my website right HERE.

http://mimimyselfandi.ctmh.com/retail/product.aspx?sku=S1504

Picture My Life on Monday

This is going to be a hard week for me personally, so I just want to ask for a few prayers from my friends.  I am fine, but a very dear little friend of mine is not...so my work world is going to be turned upside down for a while.  Thanks for understanding, and for allowing me to ask for the prayers!

I still have lots of sneak peeks of new product ahead, so I hope to be able to get them all shared.  :)

First I need to catch up, and also remind you that some of the Seasonal Expressions 1 products will be disappearing when March ends.  These Hopscotch Picture My Life cards are my FAVORITE thing that is going...

I used a couple of them in my week four layout.  

Yes, my nativity IS still up!  Oh boy...

These are a few more of my versatile favorites in the set...

In case you aren't familiar, here is another look at the Picture My Life system of scrapbooking with the Babycakes Kit...

It really makes keeping up with your family pictures and memories fun and easy!

Now is a great time to try it out if you are interested!  I have a Mystery Hostess Gathering on my website for you to earn free products!  Read all about it HERE...

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!

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!

Week One 2015 Wrap Up Goals Vs. Reality #jrlcreativechallenge

Hi everyone!  I wanted to be making this post over a week ago, but as far as best laid plans go, mine aren't really cooperating.  I had some MAJOR goals for 2015 in the scrapbooking department.  They kind of got derailed by a non-functional (but BRAND NEW by the way) Canon Selphy printer.  I cannot at the moment give it a glowing recommendation, but I do hope to have another one in my hands soooooooooon so I can catch up yet again.

I DID decide to show you the layout I finally got put together without the actual pics I had planned, however.  Do you hear me, Canon, I will NOT be deterred!  As far as my scrapbooking resolution goes, gettin' 'er done is the name of the game and I intend to!  Just in time for the #jrlcreativechallenge HERE is my layout.  ;)  I added the Shine ON card in the upper left until I can get the right pics...

I have just three pics printed for 2015...because they each ended up with a white stripe down the middle...ugh.  I didn't want to waste any more paper or ink, so I stopped at three.  I can show you the PML cards I used for the layout though!  The first one uses a great little stamp for you bling lovers like me!  It is found in the Glitter Glam My Acrylix, and I stamped it onto the PML card from the Chalk It Up Picture My Life A la Carte Cards...

See more of this stamp set HERE on the Close to My Heart Blog! 

You are NOT dreaming!  You can now purchase JUST the 122 PML cards for $14.95 without the page protectors!  That way you are free to choose the style of page pockets you want to use (IF any at all!) You can also still purchase them as a kit for $24.95 as well to make it super simple and quick, or to just try all of the styles out.

Used my glitter pen to add the sparkle!

This awesome shiny gold foil star is in the National Papercrafting Kit, Year Noted.

SO, my saga continues as far as my weekly goals go this year, but I am determined to make this work!  Stay tuned, and NEVER let ANYONE (or thing) dull your sparkle!  :)

This little bit of sparkle mojo happened across my screen recently and helped me in my current mess, so I wanted to share it in case it helps you out whatever your "mess" might be!