December Mystery Hostess Party!

Join my online Mystery Hostess Party and have the opportunity to win at least $25 in free products! Here are some great reasons why you should order in December:

1. When you place an order for $35, you can add the Whooo's Your Valentine kit for $10.


2. You get a free glue pen when you place a $50 order on my website (can combine this special offer with the Valentine kit!).

3. There are still MANY great deals on the While Supplies Last section of my website!

4. Many of the CTMH papers and embellishments will be retiring on 2/1. 

To take part in the online party, just visit my website and click "Join" next to "Lori's Mystery Hostess Party!". Place your order (it will be shipped directly to you), and I will select a winner on January 2! Check back to see if you won!

Click here to shop now!

Make It with Markers

I'm (im)patiently waiting for an order to arrive with my first new alcohol ink markers. I can hardly wait to play with these beauties! This video shows how to use the markers to achieve a beautiful shaded look on stamped images.

Studio J Saturday - Victory Layout

My baby graduated from high school this year. It sounds so cliched, but where did the years go? When I had three little ones under the age of 5, it seemed like they would always be small. Then I turned around, and they are all grown up into wonderful adults. My grandma used to tell me, "The days are long, but the years are short" (about child rearing). She was right! I'm so proud to be the mom of this handsome, thoughtful young man! 

FIRST STEPS

1. Select Victory kit.
2. Select Harmony pattern.
3. Select kit mix 6.

PUTTING THE LAYOUT TOGETHER

1. Turn off toggle accents.
2. Rotate right page 180 degrees.
3. Change Desert Sand cardstock to Topiary B&T paper.
4. Change Bamboo cardstock to Outdoor Denim.
5. Change fleur de lis B&T to Colonial White cardstock.
6. Change plaid B&T to Bamboo by clicking on the plaid B&T and then choose Bamboo from the box. Change color intensity to 25% ("%" drop-down box).
7. Hide small Outdoor Denim box on left page by adding journaling box over top of entire upper plaid B&T and photo well. Fill with plaid B&T, change color to Bamboo, intensity to 25%. Send backward until photo and photo mat appear.
8. Add 1/16" Bamboo photo mats to two small photos.
9. Add two journaling boxes to left page for title. Add title (fonts used are Cobbler and Inkling), background: none.
10. Delete journaling box on right page.
11. Drop in photos.

FINISHING TOUCHES

1. On left page, add the following My Stickease accents:
• Winged shield (Medium Accents, 150%); place on top of Colonial White circle in lower right.
• Limited Edition accent (Large Accents, 62%); crop and rotate so only the sunbursts show. Place in upper left.
• Chocolate and Outdoor Denim border (Borders, 100%); layer it over sunbursts.
• Bamboo star (Small Accents, 200%); cluster with other accents.
• Number 2 (Alphabet, 38%); place inside star.
2. On left page, place Grey Wool Bigger Brad (Embellishments>Metals, 100%) on cluster border.
3. Place three Grey Wool Medium Brads (Embellishments>Metals, 100%) to left of title.
4. Add Colonial White Back Stitch (Embellishments>Stitching, 150%) to Outdoor Denim strip. Crop as needed.
5. On right page for journaling area, add a journaling box (background paper: New England Ivy); delete "Add journaling" by highlighting the text and hitting the space bar. Add My Stickease Today tag (Tags, 140%); crop off striped border and rotate 90 degrees. Layer it over journaling box. Add another journaling box and type in journaling (background paper: none, font used; Elementary).
6. On right page, for pleated ribbon, add one Grey Wool Ribbon Tab (Embellishments>Ribbons, 100%); rotate 90 degrees. Copy and paste so the two tabs overlap slightly. Copy and paste the two tabs. Overlap tabs slightly. repeat until pleated border is complete.
7. Add Colonial White Back Stitch (Embellishments>Stitching, 150%) to top of pleated ribbon.
8. On right page, add My Stickease images as follows:
• Add "U" circle (Quotes, 70%), place on top of Colonial White circle.
• Add Honey star (Medium Accents, 150%), place in upper right corner.
• Add the words border (Borders, 70%) and crop to show "Full of Life" (or word of your choice); layer on top of star.
• Add two Grey Wool flourishes (Large Accents, 100%). Place one with cluster, and send to back (right-click). Place second by journaling and send to back.
• Add Outdoor Denim flourish (Large Accent, 58%); place by journaling. Rotate and send backward as needed.

National Stamping Month: It's Your Day!

To celebrate National Stamping Month in September, we are bringing back our popular double stamp set promotion! You can get the exclusive, new My Acrylix^® It’s Your Day double stamp set for just $5 when you place a minimum order of $35 in full retail products from August 15 through September 30, 2012. You’ll love this double set—two D-size sets in one envelope—which includes nearly 50 trendy images that makes it easy to capture the everyday moments in your life. The set will be especially great for Project Life scrapbooking. The double set has a retail value of $35.90, which drastically increases the value of your qualifying purchase! Have twice the fun stamping during National Stamping Month with our new, exclusive It’s Your Day double stamp set! You can place your order starting August 15 (9:00 a.m. MDT) through September 30, 2012. 

We're sharing ideas on how to use the stamp set on this blog hop. You will find over 40 blogs full of great ideas and creative inspiration! If you are arriving from Wendy Kessler's blog, you are on the right path. The link to the next blog will be at the end of this post. Be sure to hop all the way around to see all the ideas! I created a 2-page layout using the new Clementine papers and a layout from Make It from Your Heart. Love them! 

  
Be sure to hop on over to Elizabeth Mindemann's blog to see her creations!  

Studio J Saturday - Magic Moments Layout

On this layout, I varied from the directions and changed some of the cardstock to go better with my photos. Be sure to make your layout your own! You can make a layout for $6.95 with no membership required. Click here to access Studio J.

FIRST STEPS

1. Select Magic Moments kit.
2. Select Powerful Trio pattern.
3. Select kit mix 2.

PUTTING THE LAYOUT TOGETHER

1. Turn off toggle accents.
2. Change top and bottom border B&T papers to cardstock. Change cardstock color to Outdoor Denim.
3. Change Colonial White cardstock to dotted swiss B&T. Change dotted swiss B&T color to Honey. (I changed mine to Sky.)
4. Change Cocoa cardstock to Colonial White.
5. Change polka-dot B&T to cardstock. Change cardstock color to Juniper. (I changed mine to Smoothie.)
6. Change Hollyhock cardstock to Desert Sand. (I changed mine to Cocoa.)
7. Delete the title well and journaling well.
8. Add journaling box that spans the lower right page (background paper: Topiary. Font used is Elementary.)
9. Drop in photos.

FINISHING TOUCHES

1. To create green striped ribbon: Add one journaling box to top of the left page, stretching across top of page and resizing (background paper: Topiary). Set font size to 22, color to Colonial White, fill journaling box with forward slashes. Copy and paste onto the right page. Add journaling boxes as needed with background paper of Outdoor Denim to cover excess "ribbon" with no slashes.
2. Add two Topiary Flat Knot ribbons (Embellishments>Ribbons, 100%), stacking one on top of the other, rotating one 180 degrees. Place on Topiary striped ribbon.
3. Add My Stickease images as follows, resizing as needed. Right-click to bring forward or send backward as needed.
• On left page, add Honey circle accent (Medium Accent, 100%) right next to large photo, sending to back to create a Honey scallop. Repeat to make border on left side of photo. Repeat process to create scallop border on right page below journaling box.
• Add small tag (Tags, 100%) below each photo on right page.
4. Add Colonial White Running Stitch to top and bottom of Outdoor Denim cardstock (Embellishments>Stitching, 100%).
5. Add journaling box to left page along left side; rotate 90 degrees left (background paper: none. Font used is Corner Shop.).
6. Add journaling box to each My Stickease tag on right page (background paper: none). 
7. Add journaling.

Make It from Your Heart

This new publication from Close To My Heart is one of my favorite new products. It has all the main layouts for the Workshops on the Go for this Idea Book and the next one, 12 card patterns, and a first page and last page layout as well!

New Products for Autumn/Winter!

I am so excited to be participating in the blog hop featuring new products from the Autumn/Winter 2012 Idea Book! There are so many amazing new things to share. I know you'll get tons of creative inspiration! The hop is easy: just look for the links toward the bottom of each post to the next blog. It is a circular hop, so you can start anywhere! If you get lost along the way (or if a link doesn't take you where it should), you can click here for a list of all the participating blogs. There are more than 50 consultants participating, so get ready to be inspired. If you arrived here from Deanne Jacobs' blog, you're on the right path! You'll find the link to the next blog at the end of my post.

I am focusing on a few new things in the Idea Book: the Avonlea papers, the August Stamp of the Month, Baroque Borders, and the fabulous new Artiste Cricut Cartridge Collection. It just gets easier and easier to create really amazing, beautiful cards, scrapbook pages, and especially papercrafting items!

Closer images of the cards:

I also made the following scrapbook page, which we will be making at my FREE workshop to kick off the new Idea Book (August 18). I used a layout from the new Make It from Your Heart how-to book. The handsome young man is not included. :) 

Ready to keep hopping? You'll visit Sheila Bennett's blog next to see her beautiful artwork. Happy hopping!

Taking a picture with my heart

I had the great privilege of hearing Stacy Julian speak at the Close To My Heart convention in July. She spoke from her heart about why we scrapbook. One thing I took away was that sometimes we need to put down the camera and take a picture with the heart. 


When my daughter got married in June, I did just that - put my camera down for most of the day and just took pictures with my heart. Thankfully, we also had fantastic photographers who captured every moment of that special day, including this one. 


I was helping Kristin get into her wedding dress. In this picture - one of my favorites - I just put on the add-a-pearl necklace that had been mine and to which my mom added pearls for several years. Kristin wore the necklace along with my mom's full pearl necklace. It was such a special moment - I had just said to her, "You're a BRIDE!" It was a gloriously happy day, although I'll admit to quite a few (happy) tears. 


I'll be scrapbooking the wedding photos over time, and you can be sure that I'll be adding thoughtful journaling to tell the story of what the mother of the bride was feeling on that day. Thanks, Stacy Julian, for your inspiration and encouragement!

Studio J Saturday - The Best Day Layout (Lucky)

I really enjoyed making this layout about a wonderful day in Chicago with my husband and daughter, one week before my daughter got married. The best part about this layout? It's now available as an Express Collection layout! All you have to do is drop in the photos and change the title and journaling. Super easy! If you want to change more than the title and journaling, though, you can follow the instructions below to create your own layout.

FIRST STEPS:

1. Select Lucky kit.
2. Select Portrait Collection pattern.
3. Select kit mix 5.

PUTTING THE LAYOUT TOGETHER

1. Turn off toggle accents.
2. Change Colonial White cardstock to White Daisy.
3. Change circles B&T to Grey Flannel.
4. Change argyle B&T to any cardstock. Change cardstock color to Sky.
5. Add photo mat to bottom photo on left page (click on photo, 1/4", Grey Flannel).
6. On left page, add journaling box over top of large photo, sizing to create a photo mat. Delete "Add journaling," color Grey Flannel, send to back.
7. On left page, add journaling box to upper left corner (background paper: Outdoor Denim), crop and size to fit. 
8. On right page, add journaling box to lower right (background paper: Outdoor Denim), crop and size to fit. Add White Daisy journaling (date); center vertically and right-align.
9. On right page, change journaling well to photo well by clicking on it, then click on "Convert to photo well" button.
10. Add journaling box to right page for journaling. Change background to none.
11. Drop in photos.

FINISHING TOUCHES

1. Add a journaling box over top of the small Outdoor Denim boxes on both pages (background paper: none). Set font to Cobbler, color White Daisy, font size 113. Type an uppercase "O." 
2. Add the following My Stickease images, rotating and resizing as desired. Right-click to bring layers forward or send backward as needed.
• Add Outdoor Denim border (Borders, 100%) to each page and place across layout.
• Add Sunset circle star (Small Accents, 100%) and place inside "O."
• Add Sunset circle (Small Accents). Crop in half, scale to 85%. Copy and paste scallop below Outdoor Denim border.
3. On left page, in existing title area, type "the" in Sunset color. Add two journaling boxes (background paper: none). Type a different word in each box in desired font, size, and color (fonts used are Cobbler and Fountain Pen). Arrange as desired.
4. Create My Stickease cluster on left page by adding the following and placing as desired:
• Arrow (100%) and large star (85%) (Medium Accents)
• Creme Brulee and Sunset small stars (Small Accents, 100%)
5. Add one Sunset Back Stitch (Embellishments>Stitching, 100%) to each page. Crop, rotate, and place near target accent. Copy and paste second stitch line, staggering slightly.
6. Add journaling (font used is Elementary). 

Studio J Saturday - Lucy Layout - Shopping for the Dress

This is another layout that I was able to make using the free 5-pack I received as part of my Convention registration. I was so happy to document shopping for my daughter's wedding dress! You can make the same layout by following the directions listed below. Studio J layouts no longer require a membership to get the great pricing ($6.95 per layout) and free JPGs! There is a minimum of 4 layouts per each order, so create away! You can access Studio J here.  

Kit: Lucy
Pattern: Stars Above
Photos: 1 vertical, 1 horizontal, 4 square
Colors: Sweet Leaf, Blush, Grey Wool, Creme Brulee, Colonial White
Techniques: 

• Deleting unneeded photo wells
• Using text boxes to cover up portions of the pattern
• Cropping My Stickease borders to make ribbon streamers

FIRST STEPS

1. Select Lucy kit.
2. Select Stars Above pattern.
3. Select kit mix 4.

PUTTING THE LAYOUT TOGETHER

1. Turn off toggle accents. (Located under embellishments tab.)
2. Change Colonial White cardstock to Grey Flannel.
3. Change Blush cardstock to words B&T paper.
4. On right page, delete bottom-left photo well.
5. On left page, delete two photo wells, second and third from left at top. Delete title box. Delete journaling box.
6. Add journaling box by dragging the box from the menu to the desired spot on the left page to cover Sweet Leaf honeycomb B&T and the Grey Flannel that was behind the journaling box (to cover the shadowing). Delete "Add journaling" by highlighting both words and hitting the space bar. Fill with Grey Flannel.
7. Add journaling box to left page where two photo wells were; fill the box with Sweet Leaf honeycomb B&T; delete "Add journaling" with a space. Send to back (right-click) so that it stays behind photo wells.
8. On right page, add journaling box to cover B&Ts and corresponding area, including photo well for ease of matching pattern. Delete "Add journaling." Fill with Sweet Leaf honeycomb B&T. Send to back so photo well shows.
9. Create grey border strip by adding one journaling box to the bottom of the page. Delete "Add journaling," fill with Grey Wool, crop and place at top of words B&T papers. Click on the grey strip, click on copy, then paste to use for the second page.
10. Drop in photos into available wells. Zoom in or out as needed.

FINISHING TOUCHES

1. Add the following My Stickease images to each page, rotating and resizing as desired. Right-click to bring layers forward or send backward as needed.
• 2 flag pennants (Borders, 88%) for the left page and one for the right
• You Are Darling tag (Quotes, 135% - I used a different tag and covered it with a journaling box, changing the paper to "None" so I could use a different title.)
• 2 pink lace ribbon borders (Borders, 100%) for the left page and one for the right
2. On left page, create button/ribbon accents as follows:
• Add Colonial White 1/2" buttons (Embellishments>Buttons, 100%) and Grey Wool thread (Embellishments>Buttons)
• Add 2 more pink lace ribbon borders. Crop, rotate, and place below button as streamers. Send to back as needed.
3. On right page, create button/ribbon accents as above, using 5/8" button and two 1/2" buttons with Grey Wool thread.
4. Add Colonial White Medium Brads (Embellishments>Metals, 100%) to all banners.
5. Add Grey Wool Running Stitches (Embellishments>Stitching) to edge of Grey Flannel cardstock.
6. To create journaling boxes, add five text boxes on right page, cropping as desired. Send backward by right-clicking to tuck them behind the photo well. Distress text box edges using Direct with Grey Wool. Add Grey Wool Back Stitch (35%) to edge of journaling boxes. Add journaling using Elemental font (or font of your choice). 

Why I love being a consultant

I recently got to spend several glorious days in Dallas at the annual Close To My Heart convention. It was three full days of new product reveals, business sessions, creative sessions, and FUN, plus a Leadership Day with additional business training. My favorite part was connecting with other consultants who I had previously only met virtually on the consultant chat boards. I love this company for so many reasons, but the relationships I have built over the years are the #1 reason why I continue as a consultant. 


Close To My Heart offers many fantastic training events such as Convention and Regional events, plus terrific online training. Because of the excellent virtual community established by the company, I have relationships in place with other consultants and then get to enjoy meeting them face-to-face! I love the support of other consultants, my team, and the corporate staff. This is an organization like no other - we have great products and love to share them with others, but at the end of the day, it's about relationships. Isn't that why we scrapbook? To preserve the memories of the relationships! Now to scrapbook the 100+ photos taken at Convention ...

Join my team in August

How many businesses can you start for just $49? That's the amazing price for a New Consultant Kit with Close To My Heart. To see the contents of the kit, visit the Join My Team tab. To make it even a better deal, in August you will receive this gorgeous bag in addition to the creative and business supplies in the New Consultant Kit (retail value - $50). I received one at the annual CTMH Convention a couple of weeks ago in Dallas, and I can tell you - the bag is beautifully constructed and will be a huge asset to your business. It is roomy enough for a 12x12 album and can be used as a backpack or a shoulder bag. Sign up on my website August 1 or contact me for more information.

Why you should order your New Consultant Kit today...

• Get 22% discount on all of your CTMH products, every day!
• Free Online Business Address (website)
• Free monthly newsletter sent to your customers
• Earn Select Product Credit
• Order trendy new products before they are released to customers
• Free online business, creative, and personal development classes through the Training Academy
• Weekly Start With The Heart e-mails for the first six weeks
• Access to Consultant-only bulletin boards, including artwork, templates, swaps, business, gathering, and more
• Have the opportunity to attend the annual Convention, 3 days filled with business-building ideas, inspiration, and FUN!
• Earn up to $125 in free products in your first 90 days with the Straight to the Top Program
• Be your own hostess and earn hostess rewards as well as generous commissions
• Attend team training meetings
• Gain access to predesigned workshops and tons of wonderful project ideas
• Much more!

Be an Artiste!

When I was expecting my second child, I could not imagine how I could love another child as much as my first. Miraculously, the heart expands to make room for another love. I didn't think I would love another Cricut cartridge as much as Art Philosophy, but - oh, my! - there is room in my heart for another. Artiste is as special and as unique as my second-born, and I don't know what I would do without either. 


Artiste focuses on 3-D items and has a lovely alphabet and some really unique features. Like Art Philosophy, the Artiste Cricut Collection comes with a cartridge, 3 D-size stamp sets, and 3 sheets of coordinating Dimensional Elements, including a mini album. Some things I love about Artiste: mini purses, gift boxes, mini albums, cards, cards, and more cards! That's just the tip of the iceberg. You can view all the images here. This is a must-have cartridge, and I'd love to make it easy for you to enjoy it.


Pre-order Artiste from me by August 1, and the shipping is on me ($7.95 savings!). This offer is only available by pre-order (free shipping not available on orders through my website). The offer expires August 1. Contact me to place your order now!

Going, going, (get them before they're) gone

One of the big announcements at the recent CTMH Convention was the retirement of 24 colors. The stock of retired colors (cardstock, inks, markers) are going fast, so you will want to get the colors you need before they are gone. Take a peek below to see if there are some you need. After August 1, these colors will no longer be available. Many of the reinkers are already gone, so act fast if you want these colors! Remember, too, that many of the current paper packets retire on August 1. You can order these on my website. When you order online, your order ($75 or more) can qualify you to earn a paper packet and coordinating Stickease free!

• July 21–25 - Mayberry Paper Packet (X7136B) and Mayberry My Stickease^®Assortment (X7136C)$17.90
• July 26–29 - Sophia Paper Packet (X7131B) and Sophia My Stickease^®Assortment (X7131C)$17.90
• July 30–31 - Believe Paper Packet (X7145B) and Holiday Pockets (Z1486) OR Wonderland Paper Packet (X7146B) and Wonderland My Stickease^® Assortment (X7146C)$14.90 

Also retiring are several paper packets and their coordinating accessories. Be sure to get them before they're going, going -- gone!