Need a {fun} challenge?

Brae’s blog is one that I follow, and love the cards that she makes! And she has posted a great little challenge for us! She looked at something a new way, and made something creative from it!

With that little bit of info, can you guess what she looked at differently to make this card?

Well, click the image to go to her blog, and take a look and see if you were right! Plus find out what her challenge actually is! AND . . . if you participate, then you just might win a set of 5 handmade cards!! (and who doesn’t like prizes, let alone hand made cards?!?!?!?!)

I will be participating with this challenge too, and I can’t wait! It is such a good idea!

Win a Silhouette?

If you check out my sidebar, you will see that I have linked up some fab fab fab sites that are doing a Silhouette giveaway!! You should totally check them out!! (although, honestly, I do hope that it is me that wins!)

DRS Blog Hop!

Well, I had something for you, and as I was getting ready to resize it, and package it up for you, my internal, big, hard drive, with EVERYTHING on it, my kits, my photos, my commercial use stuff, and a TON of other stuff, stopped working. completely.

I am in disbelief right now. I cannot believe this is happening. again. This week.

So, this is what it looks like before shadows are added!
quick page

I really like how it turned out.

Soooo, if you want to leave a comment, I can specifically email you when I am able to get it uploaded. or, you can check back later!

I am soooo sorry!!

This month we are celebrating our 1st birthday at Digiridooscraps. To mark the occassion, our fabulous Design Team have created this gorgeous Collab kit, Sophisticake!

You can grab a copy of the full kit FREE with any purchase during the month of June, 2010!!

And as an extra bonus, you can follow along on our Blog train and pick up some fabulous QP’s and Clusters, created with this gorgeous kit!!

As we are co-ordinating this across quite a few different time zones, please be patient if all of the stops are not yet posted. In case you’ve lost your way, or need to skip back, here are all of the stops on the train:-

Stop 1 – Anna
Stop 2 – Vicki – Dana’s Footprint Designs
Stop 3 – Katie
Stop 4 – Tine
Stop 5 – Bree
Stop 6 – Elin
Stop 7 – Chantel
Stop 8 – Linnie
Stop 9 – Zeb

Check out this Blog Candy!!

I wish it was mine (well, kind of, but then I would have to give it away!) So, instead, I wish to be the winner! I know what I would choose!

Blog Candy

Find out how to win it by visiting Michelle’s site here. But, you can’t win it, I have to!! tehehehe!

On a side note, I will be posting some pages that I have done the last few weeks here in a bit! I got 3 pages done in one Speed Scrap, and I was pretty happy with myself and how they turned out! I LOVE speed scraps!! hehehehe!

Boxes and cards and candy, oh my!

So, I am REALLY loving this paper pack, and the colors!! I have made more with it than anything else! (well, unless you count the 50 card workshop that I did with the Jingle pack!) These browns and reds and pinks and greens work so well together, it is just awesome! (and that’s what CTMH is all about, making things simple!)

So, there is this challenge blog, called JUGS (tehehe) It’s Just Us Girls, and they post a sketch/challenge each week for everyone to contribute to, or use to get their mojo back. They have some pretty awesome stuff! And they are having a DT call (see vocab lesson below!). Well, of course I want to apply, that means I get to craft stuff more!! So, they had a sketch for us to use to make our cards, and we were to make a card and a 3-D object. And let me tell you, there are some pretty cool entries in this so far! (I haven’t checked today, but there are likely more!) And, if you know me, I *have* to be different a bit . . . so . . . of course I am! I took the shapes that they had in their sketch, and used different shapes, and a different size card than most people make. Then I made a CAS 3-D box. But, what if it’s too plain? I thought. So, what do I do? Make another that is exactly like it! LOL (they will be perfect little teacher thank you boxes, since they are cute and small and involve chocolate!) So, then I think, well, I have to do something else too . . . so, I made another box. Both boxes are created completely by me, from the seeing of similar boxes online in various places, to creating the pre template to the template, to the final carrying out of the project. And, this may sound like I am tooting my own horn, but I LOVE how they turned out!!

{the card for the JUGS challenge is on the left in the photo below}
{the card on the right is for the Unscripted challenge}

Earlier in the week, I finished a box, that probably should have been sent out already to my contest winner on my FB fan page, but it hasn’t been sent yet (getting it in the mail tonight/tomorrow, I promise!!) so I took some much better photos of it too! And that cute little envelope? I made that too! So, all of the boxes you see here are my own templates, my own designs, and CTMH papers! (as are all the ribbons, and stamps, and buttons & brads)

I hope you like them all!

Oh! I forgot the vocab lesson!! Apparently, there is a difference between the digi scrapping world and the paper world. If you are a digi scrapper, and you create pages for a site or designer, you are on a CT (Creative team). If you are a designer, and you join a site/store, you are then on the site/store’s DT (design team), meaning you are making the papers and elements for the individual kits. If you are in the paper world, and you create pages/cards/projects, you are on a DT (design team).

My creativeness

Well, I had a box I needed to make for a prize that needs to be sent out, and was feeling overall generally creative! Apparently I didn’t get enough creativeness in yesterday! LOL

So, I made a really cute box for Heidi, since she was my winner, (had the cards made on Saturday) and made a cute card from the Unscripted Sketches Challenge # 54 and it also fits into the Heart 2 Heart technique challenge!

They are both made with the Close To My Heart papers and cardstock, chocolate brown and the Creative Basics papers, and the “A Little Buzz” stamp set.

I tried a couple of new techniques with the card. I used a grunging method, using the edges of scissors to rough it up. And I used my piercing tool to put the holes in the papers. I found that I can easily color my paper flowers this weekend, without using a spritz/spray method. I held my green ‘flower’ on the inkpad directly with my paper piercing tool, and then used my blending pen to put the color onto the flower itself.

It was fun! I hope you enjoyed seeing them! I am sure there will be many more crafty and creative things coming!!

Michelle

Mum’s the word!

Ssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

heheheh! Well, not really, you can tell any and everyone! 🙂 Some of us girls on Caryn’s CT got together to put a little freebie train together for you. It isn’t huge, and compared to NSD, probably pretty small . . . but, we had fun putting it together! There are some awesome papers and photo mask and other little elements in here for you!! I know you will love it!!

preview
{click here for download}

You can find the other parts on the other girls’ blogs. Keep in mind, they might be up at different times, as we are spread across the world!

Marianne:

Susan:

Sarah:

Beth:
~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

And, speaking of mums, did you know that I have a brag book party happening on Saturday? We are going to be making some really cute books, perfect for photos to give to mums or grandmas! Would you like to come and make a book? It’s only $7 for materials! Just let me know, and I’ll gladly sign you up!! (you can add your photos later, you don’t have to bring them to the workshop!)

Studio J!

{Click image for larger view}

Do you have your calendar handy? How about a red pen? No? Well, I’ll wait a minute while you grab one. Got them? I hope so because this is a RED LETTER DAY…as in Letter “J.” Studio J that is!

I am here to announce (horns and trumpets please) the customer release date of Close To My Heart‘s AMAZING new digital scrapbooking program, Studio J. The layout you see here (click on it to view larger) was made by little old me during our consultant testing period. Trust me, you’re going to LOVE this! Our tagline is: Real life. Real scrapbooks. Real time.

You are going to want to carefully read this whole post. It will be worth every juicy little tidbit!

To answer a few commonly asked questions:

Q: Well, get on with it Michelle! When is the release date?
A: TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2010. 8 AM MDT.  (Hey!  That’s Today!!) Just go to my website (http://craftymichelle.myctmh.com) and there will be a tab added that day for Studio J. Click there and you can begin playing…for FREE! You pay NOTHING unless you order some layouts. Putting them together is TOTALLY FREE! I love free! In the meantime, if you haven’t watched the Studio J introductory video yet, click here to do it!

Q: I LOVE traditional scrapbooking. Will Studio J take away from that?
A: Absolutely NOT! There is room for both in your life. I am living proof. I love them both for totally different reasons. I love the artistic feel of hands on paper and embellishments. I love the speed and ease and professional look of Studio J. Plus, you can always order Studio layouts and then add a few ‘lumpy bumpies’ of your own once they come if you have a serious need to do the tactile thing.

Q: I am not a traditional kind of scrapbooker. I have been scrapbooking digitally for years. Is Studio J something that I will like?
A: No doubt about it! As you know, I am an avid digital scrapbooker, so I know my schtuff! This is by far the best way out there, without having to purchase a program and all the other schtuffs! (paper, buttons, ribbon, glue, etc.)

Q: So seriously, how much does it cost?
A: There is NO COST to use the program. You have no software or hardware to purchase or download. Unless you make a layout (defined as a two page 12 x 12 layout) and decide to purchase it, there is absolutely no cost. Once you decide to purchase, each 2 page layout is introductory priced at $12.95. That is WAY below the industry average! And, if you purchase 5-9 two-page layouts at a time, CTMH will throw in 5 free page protectors. 10 or more and you get FREE SHIPPING, as well as a package of 5 page protectors for every 5 layouts in the order. Cool beans! Once ordered, Close To My Heart prints your layouts on high quality photo paper (I wish you could see the quality of my photographed layouts above in person) and sends them to you.

Q: What if I make a layout and want to save it and purchase it with a group of layouts at a later date?
A: No worries, girlfriend! That is actually the smart way to do it anyway. CTMH will save your projects for 90 days. And, every time you make a purchase your 90 days start over. So, say you make several layouts and then purchase them on day 80. Your 90 day clock starts over. They are saved again. Totally awesome! On top of all of that, CTMH even emails you periodically to remind you where your project clock is.

Q: In a nutshell, how does this “Studio J” thing work?
A: In a nutshell, these are the steps to creating an amazing 2 page layout:

  • upload some of your favorite photos
  • choose from one of the 54 awesome kits (including most of your faves from our Idea Books plus some that are exclusive to Studio J).
  • choose a layout pattern. There are MANY to choose from. They are like the patterns you’ll find in our wonderful “how to” books like Cherish, Imagine, Reflections. The possibilities are endless because all the patterns you can choose from can be rotated 3 ways and flip flopped.
  • now personalize! You get to drop your photos in, add text, choose cardstock and background and texture papers from the kit, add accessories (just about every accessory item you can imagine!), distressing, titling, MyStickease, and so much more.
  • save and/or buy your layout(s).

Q: If I’m not the techiest of techies, or even techie at all, will I be able to do this?
A: YES! This program is great for techies and non-techies alike. The program is VERY intuitive. I only had to refer to the user’s guide/help document one time while I was creating my layouts.

I am SOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED about this program. I know you are going to love it.

If you have any questions, I am MORE than happy to answer them. Email me at craftymichelle@myctmh.com. If you have lots of friends who love digital, you might even want to consider signing up to be a Close To My Heart Consultant with your own website so that you can make money (cha-ching) while they fall in love with Studio J! You can do that right now while you are waiting for Tuesday. Just click HERE, then on “Your Opportunities” and then follow the prompts. You can become a Close To My Heart Consultant for as little as $99!

Events & Facebook “likes”

I made a page for my CTMH on Facebook today! Come check it out! I’m having a contest, when I hit 25 “likes”, I will have a random drawing for a set of 5 cards with a cute purse to hold them in! It will be perfect to use as a little gift for a friend or teacher! So, come on, you know you want to ‘like’ me!!

I also added a bunch of events to that page, and they will be so fun! I’ve also included info on how to have a Mail Box party! Perfect for those friends that are too far away to come to my workshops, but really want to make the stuff we are making! Check out the facebook page for more information!

There will be a BINGO held the end of June, this will be so much fun! Bingo, free prizes, plus projects too! What could be better??

Come on over and take a look, you know you want to!