Winter Thoughts Mini Accordion Album

This is a 6" x 6" accordion style album, basically with 8 pages including the cover and backcover.

Some pages background were made from Art Philosophy die cut collection.

I also used the CTMH new [big] snowflake overlay to embellish the cover with a shiny rhinestones-filled brad. Love these.

Simple color scheme and accents.

Blue and chocolate, way to go!

new videos about scrapbooking...Stay tuned!

Today I'd like to share a video where my friend Stacey is showing some creative ideas of how to add more interest to Studio J layouts.

Hope you enjoy it!

Planning the Holiday Projects - Tags(CTMH)

Here's a video to give you an idea on getting ready for the busiest time of the year!

Planning earlier to create gift tags in "bulk" can get you inspired even months before the holidays and may be a great time saver too.

new products - ideas - inspirations...from Art Philosophy

New CRICUT cartridge from CTMH Art Philosophy...with 700 images to combine and create, there are tons of projects possibilities!

If you already RSVP to come to the New Idea Book Open House I'll have in August, you'll see some freshly made samples featuring Art Philosophy shapes...coming alive!

Happy cutting and creating,

Back from LA 2011 CTMH Convention

The Close To My Heart 2011 Annual Convention - LA, California.

It has been so much fun and a weekend filled with new ideas and inspiration...

Can't wait to get hands-on to the new My Creations items, new papers and embellishments!

White Dream in July

I'd like to share today one cute gift I received from Terri ( our Christian Paper Artist Group ) who made and sent this beautiful vintage match box, in last December.

She used everything white in a rich combination of whites which gave the project an amazingly pretty effect of textures.

Loved how she used different materials and fibers. So classy and sweet.

Inside of the box there are lots of little treats and vintage goodies that made my day when it arrived to me. So thoughtful gift for a scrapbooker, from a very talented mixed media artist.

:)

Again, the wonderful feeling of a white Christmas in July.

Sharing with you - :),

Passion for butterflies - one card

It has been since when I was a teenager...that I discovered how I was (and still am) fascinated about butterflies and everything about this amazing creature.

Now, more than ever, as scrapbooker and paper crafter myself, this passion has been even deeper. Just love the nature sense of it that overcomes beyond its visual beauty.

I've been collecting recently some butterfly stamps and crafty things to work with.

The card above is one I made a couple weeks ago, with a friend, during one of our Bible Study sessions.

Everything is possible when you believe. This has been my "motto". So in here it is combined with the dream of butterflies.

Supplies for the card:

paper, pearl, ink pad - CTMH; punch - Martha Stewar; stamp - Verve.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mini Album Sampler - "Express Yourself"

Hi all!

Mini Albums became one of my favorite things in the paper crafting world just before I realized it. It is always a great creative outcome to me, no matter how simple or how "big" it can be.

So, I'm sharing today a mini album. It was a class project I had weeks ago.

It's really simple but still humble patterns and fine textures with small shapes(in this case, butterflies).

Basic techniques like distressing and layering were up to this album and it is definitely a quick project anyone would like to make as gift or something to personalize.

Supplies:

papers, kraft border(Wings from CTMH), raw "milk chocolate" album (BasicGrey), punch(EK for Jolee's), pearls, ribbon, stamps and inks(CTMH), adhesive(Tombow).

Enjoy and happy crafting!

Hooligans from CTMH. Color fun!

Hi there:

I have to say that my eyes for colors changed to a wider and sharper "it is about..." concept since I started to scrapbook and now I know, as scrapbooker instructor myself, how amazing can be when it comes to speak about the combination, a well seen coordination of colors and color shades per se.

Here is a layout I made featuring some of the colors I do no use often. But I really liked its result as can be seen above.

The paper collection is Hooligans from Close To My Heart, you can click HERE to find more about it. It's all about the cute monsters and bright colors!

Supplies:

papers, "stickease", black hemp, metal accessories, buttons(from Close To My Heart CTMH), journaling pen(ZIG memory system), plaid ribbon(Offray).

Have a colorful day!

April is here! Sharing a new project...

Hello Spring...

Here is the new display board I finished this past weekend at store so to promote my upcoming classes for Scrapbook and Design & U program with EK Success. Besides the Christmas Card going beyond the old Holiday Red, I also added the 12" x 12" layout I made for the Wedding Event days before, using colors that "escape" from the traditional B&W: bright pink and juniper green plus silver. The embellishments are purposely put to remind the viewer about nature and in this case, Spring. So butterflies and flowers have a great presence in the layout.

During the making of the layout many "scrappy" people stopped by to share their thoughts about this layout and I noticed most of them were so very pleased with the colors. I'm glad to be able to bring some new ideas to them and to refresh old ones they already have.

:)

Supplies: Papers(My Minds Eyes, Recollection, DCWV), stickers(Recollection, Making Memories, K&Company), flowers, butterflies, gems and pearls(Recollection), Punch(MS, EK Success), ink(Colorbok, Tsukineko), ribbon(Offray), adhesive (Provo, Tombow), diecut(K&Company).

So take a look at the details of this project and feel free to share your thoughts too!

Have a great Spring!

gift giving: a scrapbook layout for Laura

Hi everyone:

At this time I'd like to share this two pages layout I made recently as a gift for Susan, one of the brazilian mommies I met last year. The layout title "bebe Laura" (bebe=baby)which is the name of her baby girl born in February.

I wanted to use a subtle combo of colors for this layout. And I liked the outcome of it.

The right page of the layout has few matted spots where features messages from four of the mommies of the Mamaes Brasil group. I found this such a wonderful way to spread the love and welcome the arrival of a new baby.

This layout has no predetermined blocks for photos so this means there are many ways to size and to hold the pictures. It could be a big 5"x 7" or 6"x 6", few traditional 4"x 6" or multiple 3"x 3". Or anything in between.

Supplies:

papers: CTMH; flowers: Prima, CTMH; brads:CTMH; stamp and ink:CTMH; kraft border: CTMH; Liquid Glass (CTMH); ribbon(misc.).

Sending sunshines,

Aula de Scrapbook - "Mamaes Brasil" group

Today I'm sharing the project that was designed to be taught last week in a group setting of Bay area's brazilian mommies I met back in last December.

This 6" x 6" accordion style mini album is fun and easy to make - the student can get it done within 1:30 to 2 hours and the kit each person receives allows lots of leftover supplies to take home(brads, stickers, metal embellishments, ribbons, etc) so to work with other projects as desired.

The best of all is they can go home with a finished project - ready to use

Supplies: all materials from CTMH

................

Below are some of the class notes I had (traslated in Brazilian Portuguese):

Observacoes:

1. Os papeis estampados ou “patterned papers”( B&T= background and texture) sao de estilo dupla face que te permite variar cores mantendo o mesmo padrao de design. Voce pode copiar o meu modelo ou trocar de cor, se preferir.

2. Os tipos de cola que usei neste projeto sao: glue dots(para “metal “tag”), glue tape(tipo runner – para papeis em geral), sticky ou tacky tape( cola forte para fita de tecido”ribbon”). Para as fotos, voce podera usar cola tipo tab, square ou tape, desde que seja “ acid-free” ou “archival-free”. Veja sempre a embalagem antes de comprar.

3. Recomendo o uso de perfurador ou “paper piercer” para colocar os brads, assim evita "amassar" o papel. Eu prefiro usar paper piercer pois este tambem ajuda a abrir e fechar os hastes dos brads.

4. E’ mais facil montar a pagina com todas as partes e depois aderir a folha do album. Assim evita extra manuseios que podem “judiar” do album.