Only 5 more days left, and then it will be my birthday! I am having fun sharing all of these wonderful tools and products with you! I am in love with all of them!!

Remember, I will be having a sale on my birthday, where EVERY order gets something free! So make sure you call or email me to place an order!

So, today we are going to talk about the My Creations items in the book. I showed you the journal the other day, it really is awesome! And today I am going to show you the cube. I am also going to show you some ideas that some of the other consultants have created with them! (they really are wonderful!)

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This little cube is made of blank chipboard, and comes ready for you to stamp on, distress, or add paper and other elements to!

Wendy made this adorable box with the Sophia paper pack.

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Jen made this wonderful tissue box cover with Mayberry papers!

{Image linked to Jen’s Blog}

And you can see more made by other consultants and customers too, at Big Red Scraps Gallery!

~Michelle

You will see color on the edges of most of the cards and layouts that I share with you on my blog. I get those effects by using CTMH’s texture tools. They are wonderful little tools! You can get the ink coverage and not get your fingers inky!

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You can get different effects from each of them. The white sponge gives a nice solid/soft coloring. The sea foam sponge offers a softer edge, or a dimpled look, depending on how you use it. The stipple brush gives little dots all around, you can get a nice grunge from that one. And the ‘net’ one gives another option for some grungy looking edges!

This is a MUST have in your scrapping toolbox!

~Michelle

Today is all about stickers! Or, rather, Stickease! Every paper pack in the idea book comes with a matching Stickease sticker assortment that matches perfectly!

These are the Fanfare Stickease stickers. What’s nice about the Stickease is that they are thick, like cardstock, not thin like normal stickers that you used when you were a kid! You get two sheets (as seen here) with each Stickease package.

They are perfect to add that little touch to a scrapbook page, or make cute cards with! You should try some today!

~Michelle

While I like to be crafty, sometimes I just can’t come up with an idea on my own. That is where Jeanette’s books come in so very handy! Not only do they have the ‘sketch’, but they also have the cutting measurements, and multiple cards/pages of each design, made with different papers. Sometimes a card might not set off ‘hey, that’s perfect’ bells in one paper, but are perfect in another! Or just spark that ‘hey, this paper would work’ thought!

Jeannette has 5 different books available, check them out! (and if you want to try them on for size first, let me know, and I can get you a sample from any of the books!

Scrapbooking Books:

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Bring magic to your scrapbook layouts using clever interactive techniques. You’ll add hands-on excitment and dramatically increase your photo and journaling space using pop-ups, pull-outs, slides, cascades, and more! Magic™ also includes 35 gorgeous 12″ x 12″ layout patterns that can be used on their own or with the interactive techniques. (DVD included.)

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You’ll love the newly updated Reflections™ program which features 100 12″ × 12″ scrapbook pages. Each layout pattern comes complete with a shaded blueprint, detailed assembly instructions, companion layout guides, photo options, and creative techniques sure to make your memories come to life.

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Create your own 12″ × 12″ designer layouts with Jeanette Lynton’s second volume of incredible scrapbooking patterns. Packed with 50 all new, two-page patterns, complete cutting diagrams, and assembly instructions, plus inspiring techniques, Imagine™ is every scrapbooker’s best friend. Check out the first volume, Cherish™, the book that elevated passion for scrapbooking. Both gorgeous, hardback books feature full-color photos and are coffee-table worthy! (Cherish sold separately.)

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This beautiful new hardbound book is similar to the Reflections programs with blueprints, step-by-step instructions, and photo suggestions, but it’s really in a league all of its own. It is a stand-alone publication that will look simply fabulous on a bookshelf or coffee table. It features 50 12″ × 12″ two-page scrapbook concepts as well as in-depth instructions for unique art techniques, accessory suggestions for every concept, detailed cutting diagrams, step-by-step assembly instructions, a thumbnail index, and all the artwork recipes.

Card Making Books

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Bulk cardmaking, trendy circle cards, and all new patterns make Jeanette Lynton’s latest hardbound, how-to cardmaking book a must-have for your creative library. The three bulk card “workshops” help you make 8, 12, or 16 cards in a jiffy while getting the most out of your papers and your time. The beautiful full-color artwork and creative tips and techniques offer hours of inspiration and fresh ideas.

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Create beautiful handmade cards with confidence using the numerous patterns in our exquisite hardbound Originals™ program. With exact dimensions, fold placement guides, blueprints, and step-by-step instructions, every aspiring cardmaker or crafting pro will love Originals. Feast on the gorgeous, full-color artwork sprinkled throughout the pages and then make cards of your own, simply and easily, with Originals!

I know you will enjoy these books as much as I do!

~Michelle

I’m a little late in the day, sorry about that!

Today’s countdown item is one that helps others. It is the Hope for Japan set. I had a chance to use this set this weekend, and it is fabulous!!

This set is only $5, and all of the proceeds from it go to the Red Cross to help relief efforts in Japan. They are still being hit by large earthquakes. My heart aches for them.

You can find the set >here<. ~Michelle

So, I have some cards that I had a blast making! They were so fun, and frustrating at the same time! Here, take a look!

Aren’t they adorable? They are made from toilet paper tubes, create a shade pearl paint, white cardstock, ink (of course), pieces of flip flaps, book covers, and the string from one of the pajama sets that KC received at Christmas!

I have to say, too, that these cards were inspired by this card made by Betsy Veldman:

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Isn’t it adorable??

I wanted to use the part that I cut out, so I covered the ‘back’ side of the little tag with some kraft book cover that my kids decided they didn’t want to use for their textbooks, so that a little note could be written. The butterfly and flowers are on one set, that is a retired set. However, the woodgrain stamp is a new stamp! It comes in a set of 4 different background type stamps. It’s wonderful!!

But, I think they turned out fantastic!! I hope the ladies that are getting them will like them a lot!!

These little cards qualify for the following challenges:

Heart 2 Heart Challenge, so I am linking up there! Their challenge this week is to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

4 Crafty Chicks. They have an inspiration photo this week, it’s full of purple flowers. So, the purple in the butterfly and the flowers in the background both pull from the photo!

I hope you are having a fantastic Monday! This is the first day back to school for the kids, so lets hope they had a good day too!

~Michelle

So, today, lets get stuck! We carry a number of different glues, and they are all fantastic!!

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Liquid Glass
This stuff is a wonder, I am telling you! It is perfect for adhering things like buttons, paper, cardstock, ‘slick’ things (glass baubles), and more! Not only that, but you can use it to cover things, and give them a shine! Want more shine? Add some glitter to your liquid glass! I’ve used liquid glass on almost everything!

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Tombow
This is a great paper glue! You can use it on cards, and on layouts too, as it is a photo safe glue. It applies super easy, and is small and fits right in your hand. It’s eco friendly too, as it has refills, with minimal plastic!

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Glue Dots
These are great for small things, that you want to pop up just a tiny little bit! Perfect for the middle of a little flower! These are super sticky, and work wonderfully!

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Foam tape
This is perfect for making things pop off your card or layout! Want to make a shaker card, this is what you use! Want to hide some journaling? This would be what you would use to make sure there is enough room on your layout for the journaling tag! Foam tape allows you to have many different layers on your cards and layouts, and is perfectly photo safe!

~Michelle

So, I like to have paper with me at all times, so I can jot down ideas for cards or pages, things I need to do, people I need to call, and all those daily sorts of things! Usually I have slips of paper, and those get lost amongst the receipts that are in the bottom of my purse. Does that happen to you?

Well, I got one of these journals, and I LOVE it!! The papers are not lined, so you can do all sorts of drawing or doodling in it, as well as writing any lists or letters or whatnot. The really great thing about it, is that it has a little ‘page protector’ on the front! So you can make a little mini card/layout to go on the front! So you can show your creativity, or the season, or the month, or even just the week! 🙂

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I highly suggest them to any and everyone!!

~Michelle

Are you having fun with these different days? I’m having a blast!

So, today I am showing you two of my favorite embellishments! I love both of these! They add just the smallest hint of bling, but they add so very much to a card or page!

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{click image to order from my website}

Both the sparkles and the pearls have adhesive on the back, so you don’t even have to worry about having to glue them down! And they are both under $3 a package! (and you get a LOT in each package!)

~Michelle

So, I’m sure that you have seen everywhere those little flowers that you curl up, right? Ever wanted to make them, but weren’t quite sure how? Well, why not let a stamp set help you? CTMH has come up with this great little set that gives you a stamp to use to make them!!

{click image to order from my website}

Now, I could go and tell you how to use this set, but CTMH just released a video showing you how to do it! So I am going to let them show you! (oh, and those scissors? They seriously rock!)

~Michelle