Friday, January 31, 2014

Exciting News!!!

You have been waiting for years to be able to do this…. and Starting SATURDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2014 you will be able to.

What is it?

You can now add a single catalog to your order when using my website! 


View idea book
Buy Catalog Now

Just click the Buy Now button on the blog link or search Item Number WC1141 while you are shopping to have a catalog added to your order. 

The catalog price is only $3.95.

You can view the online version or order a copy of your very own.

I have already mailed out a catalog to customers that have placed an order during this past year – if you did not receive a catalog during this mail out and would like one the link will be live tomorrow.

This means no more waiting for me to put the catalog in the mail to you.  You will have your very own catalog right in the box with your order if you choose.

To go along with these changes:

I will no longer be mailing catalogs directly to customers.

CTMH is able to mail a catalog to you cheaper than I am able to so it makes more sense to have you order your own copy from my website.

I will still have catalogs on hand for CROP NIGHTS and Vendor Fairs but it is getting too expensive for me to mail them out.

The Spring / Summer 2014 Catalog is LIVE tomorrow.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Idea Book Spring 2014

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Saturday, January 25, 2014

It was a busy week

What a busy week this past week was but I finished everything on my list.  Want to see? 
Well it started out just goofing off making cards and ended with a completed job.  All of the cards that my Aunt needed made are done and ready to go into the mail on Monday.
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Nothing like some help from CTMH and the card confidence books.
  Wishes came in very handy.
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As you can see from the above photo.  The card confidence books are very easy to use for making cards in this case or scrapbook layouts.  I was having fun making one of the workshop sets of 6 x 6 cards.  Take a good look at the photos because you will see that the book is just a spring board for creativity.
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This is where I stopped one night for a rest.  I had the colors picked out for the set and the papers cut but my fingers needed a break.
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Anytime I am making multiple cuts for multiple cards I employ the baggie system.  Each card has one bag and all of the cuts for that card go into that bag.  This makes it very easy when you are getting ready for a crop or retreat and just want to get a little organized before leaving the house.
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A couple of items that I love to use on cards and layouts is sparkles and thread.  Both are very cheap and add just that something extra that is not found on a store bought card or layout.  It is so easy to make a project yours.
Here are the cards that I created using the Wishes templates.
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This one was the first of the batch that I made and it made me giddy with happiness.  So pretty.   I made two of each card so I have one set for myself.  Smile
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On the card being sent to my Aunt I did not connect the frame stitching to the lines stitching.  I also wish I had heat embossed the sentiment but only thought of that AFTER I was finished making both copies of cards.   I would have taken a photo of the “perfect” card but it is already packaged for the mail.
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I had to sleep on this card because I love the simple elegance but did not think I had a place to put the sentiment.  I ran out of bed the next morning because my first thought was tone on tone heat embossing!  LOVE IT because it does not shout but whispers that you are thinking of that person.
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This one gave me just a hint of trouble.  I heat embossed the sentiment and tried to color the bird softly on my samples.  The colors just were not working for me so I just left the image as it came.  Once I put the card together after I finished overthinking it – I loved the whole look of it.
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This is my least favorite but only because I think the flower heads need to be a bit bigger.  But these were the only flower heads I had left in the set so I made it work.   I think the longer I look at it the more it will grow on me.
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This card made me giggle..  I was working right along and listening to a book on the iPod and it was only after I finished putting the whole card together that I realized I forgot to heat emboss the sentiment!  Opps!
Want to know a secret?
All of these cards are made with the Halloween paper pack Mischief (retired)  I just flipped the papers over for a whole new look!
Smile
Now on to the rest of the cards that I made for my Aunt.  As you recall she asked for Birthday and Thinking of You cards and what a challenge it was for me.  She needed kids, boys, girls and adults for her assortment of cards.  I was pulling out all of my card confidence books, old magazines, past workshops anything to get my brain going.  This set of cards really made me happy!
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This is the only card that was made with non-CTMH papers.  I had to buy some grey and pinks for a hospital project and had some left over and thought what the heck.  I added some CTMH cardstock, embellies and sentiment and look how it turned out.
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This card is from a pattern that CTMH used as a constant campaign many moons ago.  I just kept the instructions with the stamp set.  Sometimes I like to pull it out and play with new papers.  On the original card the lines are dry embossed and sanded  but I love to sew on paper so I added my touch to this card. 
For the next group of cards I pulled out my Victory Workshop on the Go kit.  I still had some papers and the instruction guide.  I was poking around the guide and found “bonus cards” SCORE!  Great “guy” papers that I could mold into what I needed. I love when a plan come together!
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This is another card that I took the original artwork and reconstructed it to make it my own.  I also cut the sentiment stamp so that I could make it fit into the space that I needed.  Do not worry … the stamp still works perfect it is just no longer connected together.
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Screams BOY!
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Do not mind me – just digging around in my stash to find CTMH products from different workshops that go so well together.   There is that deconstructed stamp again.
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This card is the only card of the bunch that looks the closest to the original artwork.  I sure had fun playing around with it but found that sometimes the original just looks good.
It is time to clear the decks and get started on making layouts again for Kaela and her 9th grade album. She has been so patient. Smile But I think I am in trouble if I am going to finish high school before she graduates….

Friday, January 24, 2014

Emboss - Emboss - Emboss

By now you should be getting your Spring / Summer catalogs in the mail. 

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This catalog goes live February 1!

While you are waiting for the first of the month and  making  wish your list - I thought I would let you know what the February special is?

Embossing is Boss!

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When you place an order for 2 cardstock packs, you receive your choice of one embossing folder FREE! 

What do I have to do to qualify for a free embossing folder?
Simply purchase any combination of 2 color cardstock packs, including single color or combo packs, and you can choose 1 folder FREE when prompted.

Are there any cardstocks that do not count toward the qualifying purchase?
Paper Fundamentals, White Daisy, Colonial White, and Kraft cardstock packs do not count toward a qualifying purchase.

Product Item Numbers:
Z1924  Dot
Z1925  Chevron
Z1926  Quatrefoil
Z1927  Damask
Z1960  Stripe

If you do not receive your catalog by Feb 1st and would like one please send me a quick email jperry@myscraproom.net and I will be happy to mail one to you. 

Crop Night:

Feb 8, 2014

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Beautiful Papers!

I think I have a really good reason to come to Crop Night Feb 8, 2014…. I have all but one paper pack on hand and ready for you to see, touch, smell before you buy!

The paper packs that I will have for your viewing pleasure are:

Skylark Paper Packet

Item Number: X7177B

Ivy Lane Paper Packet

Item Number: X7178B

 

Ariana Paper Packet

Item Number: X7179B

 

Balloon Ride Paper Packet

Item Number: X7180B

 

Timberline Paper Packet

Item Number: X7182B

 

I do not have:

Jubilee Paper Packet

Item Number: X7181B

Because I ran out of money for my January budget.  Smile

If you think these papers are gorgeous in the catalog you should see them in person.  I think this is going to be another catalog rotation that I do not want to cut the paper because it is just too darn pretty.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Artbooking Made Easy: Love, Love, Love

If you are looking for idea’s for using your re-inkers keep watching.  Kristine will show two new techniques for using our fabulous re-inkers.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Paper Cutter

It is that time again.  If you are a scrapper for any length of time then every once in a while you have to replace your tools.  It is that time for me.

For years (like since before I was a CTMH Consultant) I have been using this kind of trimmer:

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I loved my EK tools Rotary Paper Trimmer but it is getting harder to find replacement parts for it. So I started doing some research on the CTMH (Fiskars) trimmer.

In the way past when I had my first Fiskars trimmer it hurt my fingers to cut paper because the blade handle was just too small and the cutting base was narrow. 

I was at a unit meeting recently and was able to get my hands on the CTMH Fiskars Trimmer.

Surecut™ Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer

Item Number: Z1783

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Widest base on the market, wire cut-line indicator, lightweight, swing-out arm for cuts over 15". Fiskars®.

I think I am in love! I now have one and let me tell you it is worth the money.  Fiskars has made the changes that I needed.

The Cutting Base is 6 inches

The Grid is very visible and easy to read

The Wire  Cut Line is spot on perfect for straight cuts

It cuts STRAIGHT!  No more slight off cut lines that make you think you are going crazy.

The blade housing is easy to grab and get a handle on.

No Slip feet on the bottom

If you are in the market for a new paper trimmer you may want to come over and take a peek at mine before you purchase.

You will be in love too!

I Just Got CRAZY

Flight Of The Arrows

Item Number: D1578
Remember a couple of days ago when I was using this stamp set to make this card?
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Well this card is scrap lifted right out the New CTMH Spring / Summer 2014 Catalog (Active Feb 1, 2014) on page 96.  There is another card on the same page of the catalog that uses the same stamp that I wanted to make. 
It was a little more challenging.
I love the arrows but on the card they use 3 different colors for the arrows and the stamp is 2x6.  I know you can use a masking technique to get the same effect but I get ink everywhere just stamping like a normal personal – add masking take to the deal and I might have to re-paint the walls!
So I did something RADICAL!  I cut the stamp set!
I took 2 rows of the arrows and separated them from the rest of the arrows. The other 3/4 of the stamp is still in pristine condition.
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With the smaller 1/4 section of the stamp I was able to create the look I wanted without getting ink everywhere. 
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I will tell you my daughter thought I lost my mind.  It did not hurt has bad as I thought it would.  Smile  Since I was careful with the cutting this stamp is still very useable! 
It makes me happy!

Personal Hallmark

My Mom lives in a tiny East Texas town where getting to the closest Walmart is 30 minutes away so for years I have been making her cards and sending them out to her.  She has been teasing me for just as many years that I am her personal hallmark store and hey I can not argue with my mother!

So to keep track of the people that I am a “personal hallmark” for I have been using just thumb tacks in the wall and gift bags.  It has worked for a while but I wanted something more finished.

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So I found a coat rack that works perfectly….

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I think next week I may run over to Hobby Lobby and get some canvas bags that are about this size and stamp the names on them.  Still considering that option.

I love when a plan comes together.

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Gone Fishing?

Good morning or is it afternoon? It is daylight outside so it is something. Smile
I was on the phone with Mom this morning and enjoying a nice cup of coffee when she gave me the idea of making some outdoors kind of cards for the fishermen out where she lives.  So I pulled out my “camping” stamps and started taking a peek at what I have.
Then an idea struck using a card I did yesterday.
So I quickly got off the phone (sorry Mom) and started playing. After I inked up all of the panels I looked at my hands and started laughing.  One of the Unit Names in CTMH is “Inky Fingers” 
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This was after washing my hands three times with comet powder!  I think I still might be mistaken for a team member of Inky Fingers.  Smile  so I am a messy stamper. 
Ready for the finished product?
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I used various “tree” stamps that I have and one new stamp from the Spring / Summer Catalog. 

Catch You Later

Item Number: D1580
I like how they turned out if I do say so myself.

Crafter’s Block

Day before yesterday I was having some serious crafters block.  I have been working my little fingers to the bone and loving every minute of it to get this card order for my Aunt finished (half way there).
After each card is done I must clean my work area.  I like to have a clean slate when I start working on the next project but after I cleaned up my mess this time my mind went blank on what to make next. 
So I started to look about my room and saw a huge Paper Crafts book that I bought a couple of years ago before I really started making cards.  I thought that if I bought this book I would just be able to make what ever card was in there with no problems at all. Never mind building skill level – who needs that.  I found out that I was not ready to work out of that book back then.  What would happen this time when I pulled that book down?
Magic!
The CTMH card confidence books have given me the training I needed to be able to look at a card and have the skills needed to make it with little instruction needed.
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Talk about having confidence! 
I was able to finally look at the Paper Crafts Best of Card Creations book and “see” the patterns in my head to re-create most cards in the book.
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So what did I create?
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And  I have a list of 5 more cards I want to play with.
I think my Crafters Block is gone!

Back In Time

Just before the release of a new catalog I always take a good hard look at my scraproom and the items that are about the retire or have been retired for a while. Some of the items I know I still want to use or just can not part ways with but I have some items that I have no problem sending off to a new home for new people to play with.   I box up all of those items and send them to a Children’s Hospital that has a scrapbooking program but that does have a scrapbooking budget.

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital

Child Life Department

505 Parnassus Ave

L181 Box 0210

San Francisco, CA 94143-0210

They are in need of:
  • Stickers
  • Paper (8x8 and 12 x 12)
  • Scissors (all kinds)
  • Pens (fine and thick tips
  • Adhesives
We all have supplies that we bought then once we are home wondered why we purchased them.  Then they sit on a shelf collecting dust.  I send any full sheet or half sheet of pattern papers, any cardstock that is retired, stickers, stamps, inks that are retired and so forth. 
I use the boxes that our CTMH orders come in because they are already the right shape for sending 12 x 12 papers and small enough that the shipping cost does not break the bank.  While I was packing up the 3rd box of this cycle I found in a little hiding spot that had a  paper sampler ring that has about 5 catalogs worth of 6 x 6 paper samples on!  I completely forgot that I had this ring full of paper. 
Since I have been on a card making binge I thought that I would try my hand at card making with a small selection paper.  I found the (3) 6 x 6 sheets of paper for Moon Doggie (way retired)  and remembered a card on Pinterest that struck my fancy.
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The original artist is “Creative Itch” .  The pin had a bad link so I can not go to the blog to find the artist name but her card is cute.  My card is pretty much the same design just with CTMH papers and stamps.
I am still thinking about if I want to send this ring of papers in the box to go to the children's hospital.  I am loving the idea of making just a couple of cards each out of a BUNCH of retired papers.
So check you stash – is there any supplies that you would like to send to the hospital?  What about found, forgotten items that you want to play with again. 
Give it a try.