More Retreating News

That brown stuff you see spread all over Maria's legs is chocolate - yes, chocolate, with little mint sprigs sticking out of it. No wonder she was smiling like crazy in the pic I posted yesterday.

Brandy's legs were covered with Milk and Honey. I had the peppermint treatment. Yes, little green sprigs grew out of my legs too, but without the chocolate. Ashley had some sort of fancy treatment, but I don't think it was a food group. Still looked odd though.

So when we all got together, we not only looked good, we felt good, and the whole car smelled good all the way back to the hotel! What a way to begin the weekend. Yes, we will do that again. In fact, I'd love to include that, for whomever might wish to join the fun, at every retreat!

Retreating News

I know this is peculiar, but a half dozen of us took a break on Friday night (Yeah, that's right, a break at a retreat - go figure!) before we even got started on the retreating. We went down to a great place in Addison, off of Beltline Road, called "Hawaiian Nail Bar" and had a great time chatting and bonding and getting SASSY NAILS!


Oh, but there was a LOT more that went on at our excursion!

We got massages in our chairs while our toes soaked in a warm pool filled with oranges, rose petals and some other type of thing that looked very botanical - but then what do I know? They offer free mixed drinks, both regular and virgin versions and Friday night, they had football on. I thought it was funny that they had on a pre-season game when the place was filled (about 30 chairs in all) with laughing, relaxing females, but then I realized that most of the staff were male. No wonder all the females around us were laughing!

I do have more on this subject, like why Maria is smiling so big - no, it wasn't somthing in her drink! You'll have to tune back in tomorrow to find out and it is well worth the visit.

As for the next retreat and those following, we're just gonna hafta make this "Bar" a regular attraction! Our visit sure started our weekend off right!

What a RETREAT!

This was as much a reunion as a retreat! We had gals coming from all over the country - Yes, I'm serious; Maria came in from San Jose! We also had Rhonda up from Victoria, Lisa in from the Hill Country and Alissa all the way from the tip of south Texas.

This was our room on Sunday morning. We had a great group of gals with us this weekend AND all our STUFF! But the hotel staff (Hilton Garden Inn in Addison) was SO GOOD to us and we had an amazing time!

Couldn't resist doing this picture! (Carmela's idea!) But it was inspired by Miranda when she poked her head out from under the table just as I clicked the picture at the top.

My next retreat is November 12-14 and many of the seats are already spoken for. We always have a great time and the price is terrifice! Contact me for fees and more information.

New STUFF!

I just got a box-full of CTMH products; it's like Christmas! I can't wait to use them all and as these are all brand new products, and the books are "LIVE" until September 1, I'll give you a few tasty tidbits of the goodies I got!

1st and favorite! There is a NEW Scrapbooking Program book from Jeannette Lynton. Let's just say, the designs match the name of the book perfectly ~ Magic! Just wait 'til you see it!

I have to say, this Idea Book is way up there with my all-time favorites! I LOVE every single paper set in this book and I SELDOM can say that! I plan to start up on the 2 fall sets tomorrow at my retreat, working up the Workshops on the Go so I can have them to show off. The other two sets are called Mistletoe and Magnifique and I confess, I'm saving the best for last this time!!!

This book has new Albums, tricks, embellishments, AND COLORS! Really you simply MUST see it! Contact me if you'd like to find out how you can get a book of your own! As of September 1, you can view it at my website (marji.myctmh.com). You can view the summer book there right now if you've never seen Close to My Heart before!

I'm off to retreat!

Unforgettable Layout

Don't the off-set pictures on a page draw your eye to them? And it is all about setting up the pictures! In this case, Linda Swisher silhouetted the pictures of her girls. That means she cut closely around them. I know . . . you probably already knew that, but just in case! She then matted the pics onto Ocean cardstock (or at least it looks like ocean) which seems to be matted on a slightly larger rectangle of blush, and finally matted again on more Ocean - this last piece trimmed with deckle trimmer, maybe? I like the effect! The letters were done on her Cricut with some stickease accents and the stripe on the right hand page wass also done with cardstock and stickease. GREAT PAGES! By the way, the Unforgettable sets are all retiring and are on sale at my website, marji.myctmh.com.

Emporium Layout

I love the way Emporium papers can enhance a variety of photos. I thought of them as fairly formal, but they look great with these blue jean pics! Linda Swisher shared these. She used her Cricut for the lettering, but Emporium paper and stickease to build the pages. Simple and elegant!

Way Easy, Way Fast!!!

These cute pages were made by Kim Gilmore using some Christmas base pages, which were the pre-curser to our Level 1 Kits. We carry them in all the different paper kit designs. They are so simple to use. Each one includes 4 ready-made layouts, 2 extra coordinating cardstocks, 2 extra matching design sheets, and 2 sheets of matching stickease.

Using these ready made layouts are so simple. Just crop your pictures and stick them down; it can't be easier! Kim used some retired base pages that were along the same lines, but were packaged according to color instead of a design set. They didn't include extra matching paper, cardstocks, or stickease, but were so popular that the company started making designs just like them using the different paper pack. I'm SO glad they did!

In fact, almost 6 years ago, when I started with Close to My Heart, I made up a BIG portion of my daughter's scrapbook using these base pages and the Level 1 kits. I created 112 pages in just 9 days - not 216 hours, but 9 actual calendar days when I had to grocery shop, teach my kids, do laundry, and everything else in a normal routine.

When Close to My Heart says that it makes scrapbooking faster and easier, they aren't kidding!!!

By the way, many of the Level 1 kits are on sale at my website, marji.myctmh.com. Have you checked them out?

OMIGOSH! What a SALE!

Today starting at 10 AM, you can purchase paper packs, stickease, and Level 1 Kits at more than half off! Visit the shopping link at my website, marji.myctmh.com, to see what is on sale and make your order. It will be shipped directly to you! You don't want to miss this opportunity!

Stardust Birthday Card #4

This last card is on a 6 x 8 folded base with a 4 x 6 Starry B&T paper over the top. The matting for the right side card is 3 1/2 x 1 1/2 of the Green B&T. The bottom matting is 4 x 2 of the same paper. I edged the bottom mat in Moonstruck first. The bottom sentiment card is 3 x 1 1/2 and distressed in Topiary. I adhered it 1/4 inch from the left side of the mat and centered from top to bottom.

The side sentiment is also distressed in Topiary and measures 3 1/2 x 1 1/2. The 3 squares at the top are all 1 1/2 inches and edged in Topiary, too.

I inked up a Dimensional Element (flower) in Moonstruck and topped it with an Orange button. I added another larger Orange button with a knotted ribbon and a large Outdoor Denim button to complete the collection.

As a final embellishment, I added "Glitz" in dots to some of the sentiment cards as well as the candles and the confetti.

Stardust Card #3

This card seemed a little plain to me, but in looking at it now, I've changed my mind. I can't think of anything to add that wouldn't detract from it. The star B&T covers the card measuring 6 x 4 1/2. The accent piece is the part I tore off for the previous posting, but this time I used the back side. I inked it all the way around and stamped it with a "Make a wish......" stamp before adhering it. I also made it a "pocket" so I could insert my 1 x 2 1/2 inch "You're a star" card. I stamped it in Moonstruck, but distressed it in Topiary. The large sentiment is on a coluzzle cut card. I stamped it first, like last time, with the back-side of the stamp in Crystal Blue and then the front of the stamp in Moonstruck. Once it was stamped, I lined up the coluzzle to follow the stamping and then made a fairly straight cut connecting the two curves. I roughed up the edges with the edge distresser and inked it in Moonstruck before I adhered it to the card. And I made it stand up by using the new 3d foam tape along the sides.

Stardust Birthday Card #2

With this card, we started with a 6 x 4 1/2 inch base and a piece of the Green B&T of the same measurement to cover it. I used a 3 1/5 x 6 piece of starry B&T and tore it in half from corner to corner for an accent piece. After adhering it all, I inked up all the edges in Moonstruck. The Star Spangled Blue Mat Card measures 5 x 2 1/4 and is sanded all along all the edges. The Sentiment card on top is roughed up with the edge distresser and inked up with Moonstruck. It measures 4 1/2 x 1 3/4. The sentiment can be any large stamp and I started by stamping the backside of the stamp in a light ink (Crystal Blue) first, before stamping the right side in Moonstruck. I love the effect this technique gives! The "Happy Birthday" stamp card measures 1 1/2 x 3 1/2 and is inked in Topiary ink. To finish it off, I added a bow, but to make it easy, I didn't adhere it, I just poked the ribbon through two holes in the top of the card before tying the bow.

Birthday Cards

Some great folks and I made a set of birthday the other afternoon at a local retirement center. They were pretty easy on the fingers - nothing really tiny or difficult to work with - but they did take a while to finish.

Once we stamped the sentiments (and I used every birthday sentiment I owned!) we distressed both of the sentiment cards with Topiary or Moonstruck ink. The base of this card was a 10 1/2 x 4 card, folded at 6 inches. This left an inch and a half of the inside of the card exposed by the card cover. The celebrate sentiment card is 1 1/2 x 4 and fits exactly over the exposed area.

The card shown has the rest of the cover stamped using Heavenly Blue and Crystal Blue on the Shining Star stamps, but when I made it with the residents, I used some of the Topiary B&T paper from the Stardust set. I also sanded a 3 1/2 x 3 piece of Star Spangled Blue cardstock to use as an accent piece under the square sentiment. I also edge-distressed and inked the square sentiment before applying it to the cover. I added some Glitz and buttons and "bound" the card with some Star Spangled Banner organdy. The ribbon went through both sides of the card and I created a new fold on the front cover.

Oh Me, Oh My!

Wow time has just flown by! I was so proud that I had postings prepared for all the days of my trip earlier this month and even beyond it, but I got back and just let it all go. Can't blame it on kid activities or anything else! I've just taken a break from work in general, but having realized it, I have every intention of getting things back together and keeping up with mecreating!

To start, I have a double layout from Alissa using the Caboodle pack. Aside from the pinwheel, her embellishments are all part of the stickease that comes with the pack. I especially like the way she set up a journaling section.

I'm not sure how she made the pinwheel, but I've made one before. Mine started as a 3 inch square of 2-sided B&T that is part of this kit. Two-sided paper is definitely the best for this project! I turned my square back-side up and measured in 1/2 inch on all 4 sides. I then drew a light line using a ruler to make a 2-inch drawn square in the direct center of the 3-inch square. Using the square inside the square, I cut a straight cut from the corner of the paper to the corner of the drawn square and another straight cut in the middle of the side to the middle of the drawn square (exactly perpindicular, 1 1/2 inches from the corner cut. I completed the cut by cuttin each side from the center to the corner. It doesn't really matter which side of the center you cut to the corner, but you will need to be consistent on each side. If you cut left from the center to the corner, do it the very same way on each side. When you're done, you should have a notch that looks a little like this: \_ cut out of each side of your square, leaving the 2-inch square intact on the inside. Turn your pinwheel front-side up and put a bit of mono-adhesive in the direct center of it. Take the 4 cut corners and meet them in the middle of the square. Place a glue dot or Liquid Glass on top of the 4 corners and attach a button or other embellishment into the center of the pinwheel. Once the embellishment is firmly attached, adhere the 2-inch square to your project.

Miracle Layout

This layout was made with the National Scrap-booking Month package "Miracle." I love getting the specials that Close to My Heart puts out because they often debut special new accents or paper ideas. This one had a special set of our Irrisistables - and they are! The frame in this picture is one. I added the color. (The full brochure suggested that since these colors are muted tones I could add a bold feature color to it to make things pop so I added Moonstruck.) When I inked the color onto the chipboard frame, the design popped out in white. It "resists" the ink, hence the name. The round piece on the ribbon at the top is from the same set, and just for kicks, might I add that the frame is around my sweet red head who has a 4-year-old on her shoulders.

They made a special set of "Irrisistibles" for this set which is where I got the frame. I used a large circle on the left side and a small one on the bow on the right side. I also used garden green on the leaves and the ribbon was also included in the kit along with the stickease! Always take advantage of the limited edition kits - they are always SO GREAT!

Retreat Cherry-O Layout by Carmela

Carmela had a cool take wither her layout, using the same pieces that everyone else got. I love the way the creative ladies at the retreats use the plans with their own ingenuity!

Carmela didn't use the cherry stamp set that was made for this page. I know, it looks like it, but it isn't - this is the ingenius part!!! She cut out some little leaf shapes by hand then crumpled them like we crumpled the base page and sanded it just a little to give the effect of veins. Close up, it looks like she just drew the stems in a dark brown color before adding the leaves with a green button at the top of them. Some lighter green thread fills the eyes of the button. She added red buttons for the cherries at the ends of the stems and filled the eyes with red thread or floss.

Her layout, like Cindy's, is totally different from mine - a further testimony of her creativity. I also like how she used black and white photos on this. I have just never done that. I need to. I know it needs to be the right type of pictures - an appropriate event. I need to find one!

Retreat Cherry-O Layout by Susan

Susan followed the design plan and added her title by the Cricut and her journaling by hand. While I'm mentioning journaling, by the way, may I suggest journaling once in a while in your own handwriting. Susan's is gorgeous, but even if you think your hand-writing is awful - even if it actually IS awful - your handwriting is something your kids and loved ones are accostomed to. It is familiar and just the sight of it can draw sweet memories in their minds. As your kids get older, (when your scrapbooks for them will be even greater appreciated) the sight of your handwriting will not be repulsive, but welcomed. Seriously! And don't even get me started about cropping yourself out of pictures. I'm just saying!

Retreat Cherry-o Layout by Cindy

This was Cindy's take on the workshop layout. While Linda followed the basic design and just danced a little creativity with the embellishment, Cindy is . . . well, more of a free spirit! (I can say that - she's also a best buddy!) To do this workshop, I cut all the pieces. Cindy added to it with some extra cardstock pieces and adjusted it all so much that the design is TRULY all her own.

I like the way she added the oval picture. It gives continuity with the circles of flower petals and the layout really gives space for her many pictures, making it perfect for this event.

Retreat Cherry-O Layout by Linda

Linda made this layout based on my sample (which I posted a couple of weeks ago for a Heart 2 Heart challenge. You can see it by searching for Cherry-o or H2H or challenge.)

Anyway, Linda extended the flower design, using a few "petals" folded in over the blue side and a few folded in over the red side. Alternating these, she created the bottom flower on the left hand page.

Also, a note, this beach activity was for a club, so Linda covered part of the title when the picture was clicked to avoid identification. The pictures were cute and appropriate, but I doubt these gals had any intention of going on the web, so for their own anonymity, I blurred the pictures a bit. Still I liked what Linda did with the layout and couldn't resist showing it off.

Cherry-o Workshop Layout #4

My FAVORITE of all of the layouts!!! I can't give out all the instructions for this one, but never fear! This is the layout that is included in the full color brochure that comes with the Cherry-o workshop! And it is just plum FULL of techniques and extras!!!

The stamp set that comes with the workshop has some great images including the little checker-board down at the lower right of the page. This looks really cool as you're looking and actually resembles a zigzag stitch. Also, the "Sweet" in the "Sweet Smile" sentiment stamp fits perfectly in the little photo tag embellishment in the Tulip Mini-Medley.
In addition to the other embellishments (shown on the flyer HERE) I added the new Cherry-o Opaques. They add a little textured bling to the pages and the two little beaded cherries on this page are examples. I had some workshop gals worried that they had to place each little bead to make the image, but it isn't necessary. They are actually on transparency film that is already covered with adhesive. One more detail here is the large button. The chocolate waxy flax was just too thin (to me) for the large button so I doubled it and tied it in a square knot along the other side.

More of the cute stamps are shown on this side of the layout along with another cool technique. The blue border is the back side of the striped B&T. The scalloped border is created with the Close to My Heart corner rounder. You slip off the corner guide (yes, it just slips right off) and, looking at the opening on the bottom of the corner rounder you line up the edge of the page with the outside metal edges of the corner guide and press. That should make one smooth cut into the edge of the paper. Repeat it, but line it up so that the near cut you just made overlaps the cut you are about to make. As you continue, you'll see the design appear. Trim any rough edges with your scissors.

"Second Generation" stamping was another technique suggested in this layout, but if I had it to do all over again, I would probably do it with the full ink. It is just a little too light to see clearly. Another change I made when I taught this layout (although it doesn't show here) is that we made this little art card a 2 1/2 x 2 1/2. That little change gave enough room for my workshop gals to add all of the leftover brads they had instead of just the 3 that are called for in the brochure.

Also, when you put buttons on a layout, use glue dots or Liquid Glass. Our Mono Adhesive is awesome, but it isn't enough to hold buttons onto the layout consistently.
I love how they go together. I'm thinking seriously of using a 5 x 7 photo for the center and cutting it in half. I really like to do this because it connects the two pages together.

Cherry-o Workshop Layout #3

This layout is going to be perfect for the Easter pictures I have from this spring! The Sweet Leaf card stock acts as a base for these pages and the striped B&T, cut to 8 x 12 is the bottom section of this page. I plan to crop some regular pictures just a little smaller than the typical 4 x 6 in order to fit 4 evenly across the bottom section of this page. The top part will be the Title area and I'll add another small picture on the right, under the photo clip. (By the way, the photo clip comes with this workshop set in the mini-medley pack and I've tied a little knot of Chocolate Waxy Flax around the thinnest part of the clip.) On the left side, I added 2 of the Cherry-o Opaques to bring a little bling in.

I actually used parts of both of the striped paper for these layouts, and the second page requires a 6 x 12 piece cut "with" the stripe to match the direction on the first page. That piece goes against the right side of the page and has a chocolate 1/2-inch strip bordering it. About 2 inches up from the lower edge, I adhered a 4 x 4 chocolate mat for a small picture. I plan to put a full 4 x 6 photo near the top right of the page and will probably go ahead and mat it in chocolate.

About 1/2 inch from the left side, I have a 3 x 12 inch chocolate piece that I might use as a journal section, but more than likely will put a thin picture near the bottom of the card. A 1 x 3 inch strip of the stripe goes 1/2 down from the top of the chocolate card as an accent. In keeping with the accent on the other page, a photo clip adorns the top left corner of the card, again with a knot of Chocolate Waxy Flax at the thinnest spot. I also stamped the sentiment from the matching stamp set along the side of the card in Tulip ink.

As a final accent, I added a partial circle of brads in the bottom right corner, with a designer brad in the center. I did something like this on the other page, but the picture cuts it off. In any case, it doesn't show up as well because it happens to fall on the polka dot stripe of the B&T. I didn't add that step to my workshop and instead added more "cherries" to the 4th layout - but you have to wait until Thursday to see that one!