CTMH SOTM Blog Hop

Hello again! This month is a Piece Of Cake - Really - that's its name! You should be coming from Laurie Newton's blog, if not just keep jumping and it will come back around and you be able to see all the blogs.

I had a card swap so I made 8 of these cards. Cocoa cardstock for the base, Juniper cardstock, Colonial cardstock and a piece of B&T from the Veranda Level 2 Paper Kit (backside) are the main pieces.

The image I stamped with black Stazon ink and colored the tops with Creme Brulee marker. I took Create-A-Shade paint and gently brushed over the tops to give them a "glazed" look.

I used Juniper ribbon to make the photo corners. I covered the dish part of the stamp with Liquid glass to give it a high shine. A sparkle dots the "i".

Now head over to Sarita Schraeder's blog to see more!

Eisen Retreat

Just launched a new blog for Eisen Retreat - join us for a weekend of fun, freebies and plenty of time for scrapbooking! Spa Day Saturday, all food and drinks included!

See Details at my website - http://eisen-retreat.blogspot.com

CTMH Product Highlight Blog Hop

We're starting something new! On the 15th of every month, a few of us consultants have decided to pick a product and do a whole blog dedicated to that product!

This month it's the Imagine Book!

You should be coming from CINDY LEEK'S site. if not, that's ok, read to the bottom, click the next site and it will wrap back around so you won't miss anything.

The Imagine Book is all about scrapbooking and layouts. Tons of ideas and recipes for making lots of pages. I did the layout found on page 78 and it's called Safe & Secure.

I did the lettering on my Cricut as well as the snowflakes. The paper is Jingle Paper Kit. I just wanted to use the Creme Brulee on a Christmas layout. I'm debating changing the big journaling white panel (printed off my ink jet printer) with white tags instead. I've done a lot of classes for layouts, rarely do I get the photos on the page. That's a New Year's resolution - finish pages!!! If you have a better idea about the journaling please leave me a post!

I put the tiny letters thru my Xyron machine (it turns anything into a sticker!)

I used our glue eraser to get the excess off the edges of the letters.

You can see a lot of glue around the "m" here's before and after shots.

Love the little Xyron for tiny letters!
Thanks for looking.
Now go to BARBARA'S site to see her great layout!

WHAT SNOW STORM???

I just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to the ladies in the Sheboygan area! Thank you for attending my Cricut Class last night. Yes, I drove an hour in the snow storm to get to them, but I was very tickled with the amount of calls and emails letting me know that they were all still coming!

It took 15 minutes longer to get there than normal and a 1/2 hour longer to get home, but I had no problems and it was like a small adventure in the snow. I've never driven the car I have in this weather so I really tested it. NO close calls or near misses, just plugged in a good CD and enjoyed the ride!

My husband & I had his and her snow plows a few years back and we did subcontracting for a large company so I'm not afraid of the white stuff, in fact it's my version of snowboarding/snowmobiling but with a comfy chair and seat belt!!

Calling Hobby Lobby today to setup the Advanced classes for next month!

Thanks again ladies!

A little Discount on Software!

Recieved this email this week and thought I would pass it along!


You're getting this mesage because you selected to be informed when MTC comes out with updates. If you no longer wish to get these updates hit the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email.

Don't forget we still have a 15% off coupon code: YOU-TTTH-TUBE only good on the ScrappyDew.com Make the Cut software purchase. Spread the Word.

Update is Free just download program or trial and Install over top of old program. No need to uninstall and reinstall.

http://www.scrappydew.com/make-the-cut/ and you can download the trial.

In this version:

Shadow Layer: Improvement

Timeout Error Fix
The new setting is in "Help" >> "Advanced" >> "Slow down data rate"

Selections are Dashed
When you edit-select something, the shape will now be dashed. This makes it much easier to see when on top of other shapes.

Warning Margins
These margins are set to the exact same width and height as the margins on Design Studio. These margins are kinda like a "danger area", where if you place a shape inside of it or overlap a shape inside of it, it might not cut the part of the shape. You can still place shapes there -- and they may cut -- so, it's just a guide that Design Studio had, so it may be important.

Rotate with your mouse!
It's about time, right? Click on a shape so it's edit-selected (Red outline), then move you mouse to the upper left hand corner of the shape. Click and hold your mouse and move in a circle.

Move Magic Selections
Magic select a few pieces, then just click on any one of them and move the mouse.

Scale Magic Selections
Another great feature! Magic select a bunch of shapes. Hit "Ctrl+E" or "Edit>>Shape Magic>>Scale" and set a new bounding width/height.

Shape/Layer Lock
You can lock a shape, or group of shapes now! This is great if you don't want your mouse moving something it shouldn't. Plus when you click on something underneath the locked layer, it brings the buried shape to the top so you can move it. You won't have to Shift+Tab so much.

Gallery Fixed!
To everyone who couldn't download from the gallery, you should be able to now. If you still can't, please make sure Make The Cut! isn't blocked by your firewall.

Upload Window updated
Added a check box that makes sure you know that you can't upload copyrighted material.


More info on what has changed http://make-the-cut.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=443&page=1#Item_0

Source of this message was extracted from the Make-the-cut.com website

Giving Back at the Office!

I'm a REALTOR for a large company in town (SHOREWEST) and I like to treat the secretaries well that work in our office. So this year me and Patti at the office went around and collected money for gifts for our two ladies. I made each one of these personal signs for their house and we had enough left over to give each of them $100 in gift cards to the local Chamber.

Let me know what you think. These were 18 x 8 - ish in size. This one we took a picture of it at the office because I wrapped them and forgot to take a photo! Oh, This is another Cricut project that I cut the vinyl on my toy!

Blog Changes & Freebie!

I just rearranged my blog, took out some extras and added a few new things. I added some of my favorite blog sites - you should check them out. Some of the ladies actually have Cricut files for the Cricut or the gypsy that you can download and use. Some files are designed to be used with SCAL or MTC - if you don't know what those files are for - you need to check out the other websites I added - these are software sites for cutting with the CRICUT WITHOUT CARTRIDGES! What a thought!!! I just purchased MTC and I'm loving it!

I also, listed an organizing site and a booking keeping site for keeping your New Years Resolutions - I know that's in my goals.

So check it out and let me know what your favorite sites are or if there is additional self help places to add. I'll be giving away a stamp set from my Stuff for Sale site - you get to choose the stamp set - so leave a comment to win! I'll be picking a winner on Friday January 8th!

Rock'n Birthday Card

Another project I did during the holidays - A young man turned 13 just before Christmas and I made this card for him. He wanted itunes??? (I know it's downloading music - just never done it since they outlawed it on the internet - and I know that's the legal way of getting music, but never done it). So I found this card in one of our card books (or maybe in the catty for this stamp - see if you can find it!) Anyways, I needed a card in 2 hours and this is what I came up with. The stripe paper is from an OLD paper pack, back in the day when you could buy a whole pack of B&T in color with lots of different patterns.

I stamped the guitar and then took Sunflower Marker and highlighted the swirls inside and around the guitar. I also free hand some lines behind the words YOU ROCK with the marker laid on it's side.

The left side is done with a stamp, the words were printed out on my inkjet and layered on Topary and Dutch Blue cardstock. I believe the ink was also Dutch Blue and I stamped it right onto the lined paper with the music notes. The stamp set is You Rock and there is a new paper pack that is just released this month called You Rock too!

An Oldy but Goodie

Some of you CTMH Consultants maybe seen this card before. I was searching thru my huge files of photos and cards this Christmas for a card to make that had something fun on it but not too hard since I sent these out the week of Christmas - talk about waiting til the last minute! So this is not an orginal idea of mine.

If you haven't seen this technique, it's done with velum paper. I took our Apen Christmas paper and covered the card with the snowflake B&T paper. I stamped the polar bear on white cardstock with Stazon ink (this works the best when using any markers so that the outline doesn't start to run) I then colored in the the scarf, his ice skates and a little pink in his cheeks with out markers. I then cut a small piece of velum paper (about 1/2 the height of the card - watch how tall your polar bear is!) and stamped the polar bear on this with the Stazon ink and used our colored pencils to color in the scarf, ice skates and cheeks - this doesn't show up really well, but it does give a hint of color on the ice. Then I fliped the velum over and glued it to the bottom of the card - making sure his reflection is going the rigt direction. I glued the velum down first then glued my cardstock polar bear above the velum lining up the feet - with a little gap or space above the velum.

Last year Walmart put all the Martha Stewart Christmas glitter at 1/2 price and I thought what the heck and bought a 6 pack of white, a 3 pack of each red, green and blues (each having 3 bottles of different shades of color or with silver and gold). The 6 pack of white had 6 different textures of white - chunky like rocks, fine glitter, little circles and one was like flakes. So I took the flakes and a darker blue and mixed them in a craft jar until the white was mostly blueish. It comes with a glue tube so I drew a line down the center and sprinkled it on and then took my finger and pushed the glitter into the glue so that it would stay on.

24 cards later and I'm done with one more project - why only 24? I only had time for close family and friends - I'm planning on doing more and sending them out throughout the year. My New Year's resolution! Hope you liked this! I'm thinking of starting my Christmas cards now for this year!

Stamp Of The Month Blog Hop!

Happy New Year!

If you are hopp'in on the blog hop you just came from Cindy Leek's site. Keep going and it will loop around if you are just starting here.

January's stamp set is called True Friends - and I have a few of them! In fact, this set made me think of one I don't see enough - Ann! She'll get this card! I started with our Colonial White base card and added Creme Brulee cardstock for the top and the stripe paper is from our NEW Creative Basics paper kit called Veranda - love the colors and patterns! I stamped the frame twice, once in green and cut out around the outer edge, and a second one, I cut out the center and put it on foam squares to life it off the card. I used Creme Brulee Marker to fill in the hearts and sponged the edge of the inside piece. The ribbon is not in the new catty - oops, not sure if it's discontinued! But I think it's from our Christmas Round Set.

I felt the bottom was too plain so I used a Martha Stewart Edge punch to cut out two rows and I layered them so that the Colonial White cardstock peeks over and under the Creme Brulee cardstock.

Inside I put a little stripe on top and on the bottom for the stripe paper and I used Daisy White ink for the frame and did the same as the cover minus the foam squares.

Hope you like it! Now head over to the next blog which is Sylvia Jacquot's blog - enjoy!

Gift Card for a Friend

I received an email from a good friend asking if I could make some gift cards - they have a travel business and so I got all excited to try it. Of course the perfect stamp set I don't have, but she's into stamping and scrapbooking so I called her with idea. Several times I asked "do you have Summer 2008 catalog?", "What about the Winter 2008?" and it was fun because she had everyone I wanted her to look at for different papers and layout ideas! Nothing like having someone on the same page as you!
This is what we came up with. It's out of the 2008 Summer Catty - All I did was copy the layout and print out A Gift of Travel from my inkjet printer onto Colonial White Cardstock. I even stitched around the top of the card like the sample in the book!The bottom of the card needs something, but I don't have a lot of travel stamps to make it work better - they were happy with them just as they were. I ended up having three done for them in one night. Met Linda for lunch and gave them to her. There's also Indian Corn Blue ric rac ribbon between the two sections. I put Bamboo cardstock mats in the inside and I created a mat for his business card for the inside on the left out of Chocolate. Too bad this paper is now discontinued - Route 66, the map is a great page. The other paper that we had was Vintage Travel and that's discontinued too - bummer. Going to need to figure out a new layout for future cards! Thanks for looking.

THINK SPRING!!!

Guess who has the new SPRING Catalogs at her house! Every time a catty comes out I feel like I'm gonna go broke. I try to pase myself, but it never works. Gotta have half the book! Let's make a list and see if I can get it before the end of the year! The stamps of the months are great, you're gonna love them! I'm already doing a project for January!

The new papers are great too - I'm saying great too much....I'll sneak a peak here and there for you when I can - sorry the camera is full - but check back soon!

I'll be mailing cattys in a few weeks! Maybe in time for Christmas - something to read between Christmas dinner and dessert!

Stamp Of The Month Blog Hop!

Once again we are bouncing with the new Stamp of the Month! Hopefully you just came from Cindy Leek's blog. If not, keep going and you'll loop around.

I loved this stamp set when I saw it but froze when it was time to make something with it! I incorporated several stamp sets to create this fun card. Hope you like it!

Using a Coluzzle File Folder template, I cut out a card in the shape of a file folder. I created the Checklist from Checklist Stamp Set. I still need to come up with more things to add to my lists. The Event list was made by Journaling Jots Stamp Set. The coffee stain complients of Coffee Stain Stamp Set. The file folder label and words are from Confidential Stamp Set.

The Today: card and the binder clips are from the Stamp of the Month as well as the date hash marks on the Today: card. I stamped the binder clips on the inside too.

Here inside is a picture of my baby and her first School Photo! The date stamp and numbers under her photo is from the Stamp of the Month as well as the 3 ring border. The lines are from Journaling Jots. I thought this would be a great way to send photos to the family.

The letters are The Works Alphabet Stamp Set. You can't tell by the photos, but I sponged chocolate ink around all the cards and the edges of the file folder giving it a distressed look. I also bent up the corners of the folder and the pealed back the label on the tab a little to distress it. I creased the corners and sponged in the folds to help age it.

I tried to make it like a busy file folder - let me know if it worked. Also, what to list on the front cards? Any suggestions?

Now jump on over to Shelia Bennett's blog to see what she created with this stamp set!

The Eisen Family Est. 1989

The ceiling fan/light and window across the room is showing up beautifully in my artwork, hope you can see beyond that. This is what I did last week for a craft fair. I cut out my last name Eisen in a dark brown wall vinyl and put it on a picture frame that I removed the back of. I then took gold vinyl and did THE EISEN FAMILY EST. 1989 and put that on top. We glued the glass to the frame so that it won't move. I love the fact that my wall color comes thru the class.

I wasn't sure about brown on gold, but it turned out great (hubby suggested the colors). The colors in the frame really go good too!

Planning on selling some of these for Christmas gifts this year!

Stamps for sale

I've created a blog for all the discounted items I wanted to sell. Currently I have about 56 stamps to sell that were stamp of the month stamps that you can't get anymore. Selling for 1/2 price. Plus a few other items too.

Check out my blog at: http://mestamp24sale.blogspot.com.

Thanks for reading.

I've also got a link you can click on to the right (little further down the page) ---->