Upcoming workshop!

You can create 4 fully-embellished, double layouts in just a few hours and this month we're working with the You Rock paper pack and matching stamp set and embellishements. You can see another of the layouts on the front page of my website at marji.myctmh.com. I've had so much fun working with this set and I already know what event I'm going to highlight on these pages! Click this link to view the flyer and let me know right away if you want to join this workshop. There are only 3 spots open for it!

Sweet Home Workshop

We always have such a great time at these workshops! Thanks, Gals, for another awesome evening! This time our palette was the Sweet Home collection. I have my designs below and can tell you that all of them came from the Imagine book by Jeanette Lynton! I love putting these together! It’s like making a big puzzle to use the paper and leave very few scraps!

I know the pictures on these are all the same. As you can see, I have 3 girls – hence, three extra albums besides my own that I update regularly. I have a son, too, but now that he’s in college (okay, that’s a whole ‘nuther topic!) I only add to his album events in which he’s involved. No school pictures for him this year!


This first layout was probably the hardest to cut, requiring a lot of turning, but the rewarding effect was lots of paper layers! That looks so cool on a layout! Because this is an Imagine pattern ("Serenade" from page 36) I can't really give all the cutting instructions - copyrights, you know! But I can tell you how we embellished it. Down on the bottom left corrner with added a gathered ribbon. I've used this before and it's really easy but it has a great effect! Use the ribbon (from the Buttercup collection) that has the cream thread running through it. Your going to pull the thread and push the ribbon along it about and inch and then tie a knot in the thread. Then, from the other side of the ribbon, begin the same way: holding the thread tight, push the ribbon along the thread until it reaches the length you want. We started with a 13-inch ribbon and ended up with about 5 inches in our gathering. Once you've gathered it just as you want it, tie a knot in the untied end. Then spread the gathers evenly over the thread. At that point, you'll just adhere the ungathered edges (I had about a half-inch on either side) to the back of the red, 4 x 12 inch print (the design paper at the far left of my double layout.) My other embellishments were the "Top Coat Frame Ups" and the Swirly ribbon, from the Buttercup ribbon round collection, tied in a bow. We also used one of the crocheted flowers from the White Daisy Mini Accents up by the title.

My second layout will be the one for my own album. It's hard to say which of the first two I like better, but I lean more toward this one. I really like the way the paper flows together - especially the stripe up at the top. I think if I had it to do again, I would continue the yellow ribbon onto the second page. I may even add it! The layout is from the Cherish book. It's the "Dreamy Look" on pg. 52. This time we used a thinner ribbon and added some ribbon slides and a little tag and flower brad also from the White Daisy mini accents. We also used the "Top Coats" again. The white flowers framing my twins in the horizontal focal photo is what I mean by "Top Coats." They are printed transparent overlays. I love using them, and even, actually cut one in the square picture that the ribbon cuts across.

I used the "Top Coats" and the ribbon slides again in this layout. I like how the buttercup polka dot ribbon looks with the blue polka dot paper. Besides another picture for the bottom left corner, though, I think this layout needs something. I think I may experiment with some monochromatic stamped images on the blue cardstock, especially between the two pictures on the right side. This design is from Imagine, pg. 78, called "Safe and Secure."

This last layout is actually covered in the workshop brochure. I'm bummed that the journal card slipped out of its pocket as I took the pic because the red print behind it makes such a nice frame.

Again, i used the "Top Coats," but this time I had to do a little wiggling. See the overlays are all 4 x 6, but the picture of my red head was 5 x 5 (I cut down a 5 x 7). But it was a simple fix. I just cut out the parts of the overlay that I wanted to use! Easy-peasy! This is another layout that I'll add some stamping to, especially the plain white piece in the center. Think I'll layer that with stamped images and cut images, maybe even on some 3D foam squares to give an extra dimension of layering?

In all, we started at about 5:15 and finished right about 7:30. Pretty good for 3 full, embellished doubles! Next month, we're working with the You're a Star paper pack on March 28 (Sunday) at 5PM. I have 3 seats open for that one, so let me know if you want one! Deadline is March 15.

Precious Easter Double Layouts

Lisa has us ready for spring with this double! She used the Life Delights paper pack along with the Stickease. She also used the "Silver Screen" design from Cherish by Jeanette Lynton.

If you've never used this book, oh, you just MUST try it! It gives actual blueprints of how you are going to cut your cardstock and B&Ts (background and texture, or design paper). It labels each cut and then diagrams where each piece goes as well as explains it in step-by-step fashion. Along with the cutting "blueprints" and layout diagrams, Cherish also offers embellishment details and techniques with the full-color sample designs for each pattern. This book, with it's sister-book Imagine, is a must have and this baby is just stinkin' cute!

Using Stamps in a Layout

Brandy has taken a cute layout and stamped the tar out of it to make a gorgeous one! The accent paper isn't Close to My Heart, but any background and texture (B&T) would make this layout work. She used a 5 1/2 x 7 1/2 matte of brown cardstock for the photo and an inked up Desert Sand textured cardstock, cut just a quarter inch larger, to create a double matte. The design sheet looks to be cut at about 7 x 12 and is inked in the same way as the Desert Sand cardstock. Her title bar is Colonial White textured cardstock cut about 2 inches wide with a brown 1/2 inch ribbon on the bottom (embellished with a basic accent) and a Desert Sand textured cardstock border on the top.

You can see better on this second picture just how elaborate her enhancements are. She added a heart from the Soul Mates stamp set stamped in Cranberry tucked under her name, which she stamped in the Cocoa ink, matching her cardstock and ribbon, on Desert Sand textured cardstock. She used the large Chocolate alphabet for her name and the small one for the Colonial White textured cardstock card at the bottom of the page. Did you notice that she added sewing lines on her title card?

She also used the swirls from the Playful Flourishes stamp set in Colonial White on the same Cocoa cardstock for additional accents and added the words from the same set also in Colonial White directly on the Cranberry cardstock that makes up the base of her layout. Her final accent, stamped in Cranberry on Colonial White textured Cardstock is from the Shop 'til You Drop Stamp Set.

Envelope Album using Veranda

This is a super-easy project that I did with some folks at a Retirement Center. First I prepped it by attaching 4 envelopes to each other. The first two I attached on the flap with one flap perfectly overlapping the other. Once they were attached by the flap, I stuck down both flaps to the INSIDE of the envelope. Once those two were done, I just attached two others (one to either side) also by the flaps so that the whole set of four folded up like an accordion.

The first picture shows the cover of the album. I'm not sure what pictures I'll use in it, so I haven't created the title yet. I used background and texture paper (B&T) from the "Veranda" pack to decorate my envelopes. My cover is the one that folds up to show the front side of the envelope - where you would write the address. The floral sheet measures 4 3/8 x 5 11/16. I know those are crazy measurements. It might be just easier to adhere a 5 x 6 rectangle and trim it to the envelope. The brown paper measured 5 x 4 before it was torn. The gold paper is the back of the floral (don't you love 2-sided paper!) and it measures 4 x 2 1/2. I edged both the floral and the gold in gold ink, but it works just as well to be edged in Creme Brulee' ink. Three buttons finish off my cover, but the decorative pewter brads are awesome with this palette.

This is the INSIDE of the accordion, with the diagonal pocket being the inside of the cover, but it doesn't really matter how the pages are organized, so long as the pocket pages fall where the envelope openings fall.

The first envelope opening has been cut along the diagonal to form a triangle. Make sure you cut the TOP of the pocket! I covered that with the back side of the gold diamond paper and just trimmed it to match the rest of the envelope lines. I distressed the envelope with Cocoa ink and added a garden green card (4 x 5), also distressed in Cocoa ink, to the pocket. I figure I can add a small picture to the triangle and another one to the card inside.

The second page is simply another floral sheet to serve as a matte, measureing 4 3/8 x 5 11/16, also distressed with Cocoa ink. The third page I used floral again with a tiny circular chunk cut out of one side. This sheet measures 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 and I edged the showing envelope on all sides in Creme Brulee' ink. A Cocoa card measuring 4 x 5 is tucked into the envelope.

The final sheet on this page starts with the gold diamond piece at the top, measuring 2 1/2 x 4 3/8, and distressed in Cocoa ink. Under that is the backside of the same paper measuring 3 x 4 3/8. At the bottom is a strip of garden green cardstock measuring 1/2 x 4 3/8 that is also sponged with Cocoa ink. I intend to put just one picture on this but I could put two cropped ones.

This last picture shows the "back" of the album. The cover is the far-right piece. The one next to it, like the inside of the front cover, is cut along the diagonal of the envelope. Again, make sure you cut the TOP of the envelope. I used a full sheet of the gold diamond (4 3/8 x 5 11/16) with the gold on the inside and only put adhesive in an "L" shape along the bottom and left side of the gold side of the paper. Once that was attached, I put a little more adhesive on the brown side of the rectangle and pulled the corner down to make another pocket. I didn't do any ink distressing here, but added a green tag measuring 3 x 5. It's easy to cut a simple tag shape. Just put the outside corners together and trim across them both at the same time. It makes a mirror-cut without making a fold mark.

The next page is just a gold diamond paper measuring 4 1/4 x 5 1/2. I distressed it with both Cocoa and Garden Green ink. The final page is exactly like one on the inside. The floral again measures 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 and has a curved chunk cut out of it. I didn't mention it above, but add adhesive on only a horseshoe around the paper, leaving the cut side open for the pocket. Again, I inked up the showing sides of the envelope in Creme Brulee' and added a Cocoa card measuring 4 x 5.

Let me know if you make one of these! They are super simple and I'd love to see your take on it!

This is an awesome project that Linda shared with us! She made it for her son's baseball team. It's really easy using 3 full sheets of cardstock. Using one cardstock, you'll fold it down the middle from one corner to the other. Unfold it and fold it in half from top to bottom and then again from side to side. Do the same folding in exactly the same way to two other sheets (3 in all) of matching cardstock. To adhere the sheets together, you'll lay the sheets so that the unfolded squares (without the diagonal folds) are the sides of a diamond (with the 12 x 12 sheet on point). The top and bottom of the diamond have a diagonal fold through them. Overlay the left square of the right side sheet with the right square of the center sheet and adhere them together. Do the same on the other side of the center sheet, overlaying the right square of the left side sheet with the left square of the center sheet and adhere them together. At this point, you should be able to collapse the diagonal fold into the centers making a square book.

The front and back covers of the book are decorated chipboard - giving more stability to the project than plain cardstock. The chip board should be 6 1/2 inches square to be about 1/4 inch larger (all the way around) than the cardstock book. If you want to cover it with paper, you can use a 7 1/2 inch square. It is better to use regular paper with this or our Background and Texture (B&T) paper as cardstock will be too bulky. You'll want to cut the corners so they will lay flat and while this can be done a number of ways, if you do it right, you won't have to add any extra paper to the back of your cover. The trick is to measure a one-inch square on the backside of the paper at every corner. Then adhere your chipboard directly into the center of your paper. The 1-inch squares should be corner-to-corner with the chipboard. Now fold the corner of the paper across the corner of the cardstock, making the diagonal fold directly across the 1-inch square you've drawn on the back of the paper. Do that on all corners, using a little adhesive to hold it in place. At that point you can fold the sides of the paper around the chipboard and adhere it onto the back. The sides of the paper should meet or almost meet at the corners of the chipboard. Once you've covered the front chipboard, do the same to the one you will use on the back of the book, making both a front and back cover. You can get your bearings on how it all fits together with the close-up picture to the right. Notice that the back chipboard, covered in striped paper, peeks out from behind the book (black cardstock and baseball paper).

Having covered the front and back cover, it's merely a case of gluing the cardstock book to each. With the book folded, center the front on the backside of your front cover (the 6 1/2 inch square chipboard you just covered) and adhere it firmly into place. Do the same to the back cover and your ready to decorate. Use coordinating B&Ts that measure 5 1/2 square on the unfolded square pieces, and 5 inch squares cut diagonally in half for the folded pieces. I've even cut my square pictures in half, diagonally, to post on those pages and they looked really cute! Don't forget embellishments and journaling - even journaling pockets! Finish it off with some ribbon and decorations on the back and front covers!

Candy Land Layouts

With the inspiration from "Ava-opoly," seen in a former post, Carmela hit another homerun with her take on Candy Land.

Using bright primary colors, she was able to load a HUGE amount of photos on this double-page using silhouette and close-cropping techniques.


The pages take a walk through the first year of her sweet son's life and use the same "paths" and details that the real Candy Land game board have. I just love this idea!

Valentine Cards!

I made these cards for a workshop that I did at a retirement center, so I made sure they were REALLY easy to put together. I used paper from the "That's Amore'" paper pack and used my Cricut to make the cut-outs and accents.

On this card, I cut out the sentiment with my Cricut, but I lined the back of it with double sided tape. Then I just rubbed Prisma Glitter across the sticky cut-out. A note here, if you've never used Prisma Glitter: it is not a glitter that needs to be poured. You can really save it if you just dab your finger into the bottle and spread it across a tacky surface. I used to use it with the Write and Rub pen, but my pen wouldn't always work correctly. I would love to find a stamping ink that would stamp wet, but dry tacky. Wouldn't that be a great look!

On this card, I used the Hollyhock ribbon and Desert Sand paper to finish off the card.

This card took the "All My Love" set for the sentiment, but I used the "Love Language" set to apply the pattern on the card under the sentiment. The pattern is in Blush ink and the sentiment is in Hollyhock. The flourish is again a cut out from the Cricut, but the Dimensional Elements set called "Fresh Shapes" would work really well with this card!

The more I look at this card, the more I'm sure that I'm just not finished with it! I think I need a cute sentiment in Chocolate in that open space on the pink print!

This last card utilizes the back side of the chocolate print paper. The back of it has the same print, but in a monochrome scheme. I distressed the sentiment card with some scraping using Blush ink and the sentiment, from the "All My Love" set, was stamped in Cranberry.

Valentine Card!

This is an awesome card and I'm so grateful that Cynthia Smith shared it with me! The front is embossed in both black and red using the Soul Mates Word Puzzle. The band on the inside is also from that set. I'm not sure where the other images came from although they look familiar. She also added the scripture Matthew 6:21 to the card. I LOVE adding scripture cards! Anyway, I thought maybe you could use some inspiration as you work on your Valentines!

Caboodle Workshop

We had such fun on both Friday night and Monday night! Thanks gals! Here are the layouts for the Caboodle Workshop "On the Go". I'm so pleased with the way these pages turned out!
These first two have the title "So Egg-cited!" written across the top, but it just doesn't pop! I have since sponged the edges in Crystal Blue and am very pleased with the result. On the ribbon, I sort-of cheated. I cut 13 inches of ribbon and then tied a 3" piece in a knot around the long piece. It only looks like the long piece is tied together. On the other side of the page, I created that effect by putting only a little adhesive sporadically across the ribbon. I used my finger and a pencil to create the loops and only stuck those small parts of the ribbon down. I have to admit, though, that what is shown here isn't quite the final result. I added a 4th picture on the right hand page, and, also on that page, I moved the ribbon effect to the other side and aligned it with the ribbon from the left side of the page. Now it looks like the ribbon goes all the way across to the right hand page.

This layout is directly from the Imagine book. I loved the effect of the torn paper, but I'm told I need a paper tearing tool! These pages have LOTS of layers, but it was fun to make. The ribbons on each corner are gathered along the center thread to make the effect. In my final product, I added a picture under the ribbon on the left-hand page. Also, I found a new trick. At Yorkphoto.com, I was able to make a 4 x 6 collage of 4 photos. Those are what I used in the little squares at the top of the page. I'm told that many photo editing software programs can do that, but I'm still in the dark ages there!

This layout was just plain FUN. I got inspiration from some scrapbooking magazines and from websites, and ended up putting elements from several different layouts together. I started with a "frame" made up of unequal parts of green and yellow cardstock with rounded corners. Rounding only the "outside" edges makes the layout spread across the whole page. I furthered this look by using the strip paper as the first matte across both pages - also with rounded corners on the "outside" edges. You can see I only officially matted a couple of pictures, and yes, I've added the one that has the green bow on it. The little arrows throughout the layouts are from a stamp set made especially for this workshop. They should be available for purchase in a few months. Also throughout the pages, I used the new tiny tabs - LOVE THOSE! - Sweet Leaf Ribbon Rounds, and "Booksmart" Dimensional Elements. As a final couple of accents on this page, I added some pull-able journaling slips. I used some of the scrap that I had left over from the stripe and turned it to the back side that keeps the print only with a different color scheme. I also free-handed an arrow using my personal trimmer and randomly stamped it with the small images on the included stamp set.

There really is a 4th layout with these, but I'm not finding my picture of it. Once my camera battery has charged, I'll load it up in a separate post.