Close to My Heart

Library Auction Scrapbook pages – Introduction

Hi Everyone,

Our local library is located in our school and serves as both a community and a school library.  Every year that I’ve lived here, they’ve held a silent auction to raise money for the library.  In the past I’ve participated by donated a decorated tree (won an unexpected prize for that) and homemade cards.  Some of the items donated have included homemade canned goods, craft items, gift certificates for local businesses, quilts and a variety of knick knacks.  I have felt nudged to do something, so this fall when CTMH put the Spellbound papers on sale I decided to do a scrapbook.  Our school’s colors are Orange and Black, so this seemed like a great fit.

Now that you know the history, here is a look at some of the pages.  Many of these pages were created from the workshops for the current papers.  I would do my sample pages, but on the day of the workshop when we would walk through cutting all the pages, I would use Spellbound papers and cut for this scrapbook.  I’ve enjoyed this project so much, I’ve started another one with the retired Scholastic papers for personal use.  There are a few pages that are unique to each book, and the Scholastic layouts aren’t all finished.  I just cut 3 more layouts at the Huntington Workshop this week.   (And yes, I will post the Huntington Layouts soon.)

The covers are very similar and are actually  the “negative” cuts from another layout.  They were cut using the Artbooking Cartridge.

Cover SchCoverI rotated the “calendar” counterclockwise and provided capital  & lowercase letters so the students name can be listed in the rectangle on the left.  On the words-lettersSpellbound pages, the  white cs represents where a photo would go.  The instructions that will go with the book will explain that.  As I am good with photo editing, I left a spot for an odd size (4.5 x 6.5) photo to go on the crème brulee mat.  Here’s a peak at the letters and words that I am including with the scrapbook “kit.”

I’ve also included some extra “journaling” pages incase they need more or make a mistake.

Now you’ll see the “Calendar” page that I paired with the “first day” page.  We have many students that ride the bus, so I included many spaces for photos.

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By matting my “calendar” frame on white daisy it helped it pop.  I haven’t done this page from the scholastic papers yet, but I’m thinking I’ll stamp school images in the squares.  Maybe even sneak in a photo or two.

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These two layouts are from the same Make It From Your Heart Layout, but with the different colors and the use of Kraft paper as a background, I think it’s hard to see it right away.  I added hand drawn lines around all the different pieces on the scholastic layouts.  Gives it a hand stitched feel.  Love the durable studs!

More pages to come.  Happy Crafting!

 

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Artbooking: Cross Cartridge Collaboration Video

Well,  I finished a great 25 page album for our local library silent auction.  I used the retired Spellbound papers, as our school’s colors are Orange & Black.  It’s has taken a great deal of my time, and I want to do it justice when I talk about the different details on this blog.  So, while I am editing the photos and getting them ready for you to see, I thought I would give you another installation of the Close To My Heart’s Artbooking series.   I used this cartridge quiet a bit in the library auction item, so it ties all together!

Happy Crafting!

Artbooking Challenge Part 2 & a teaser

Hi Everyone.

I have 6 more pages for you to look at today.   These are the last ones from the cropping weekend I hosted in October.  As a reminder, I gifted everyone a full pack of paper, we had several Artbooking Cartridges available to borrow, and I challenged them to create a layout using one of the artbooking buttons (or combine a couple).  Many of these gals are cricut users, but more for the one off cuts.  The artbooking cartridge is all scaled for them so they can pick the size if the finished product they want to create and all the embellishments and “accessories” items will be scaled to that number.

So first up is Erica.  She is a CTMH consultant in a community 20 miles north and she did this layout for one of her gathering projects.

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I love the fresh look of these pages.  Erica said she used the “ugly” paper from a constant campaign pack, but I don’t see the ugly.  Do you?

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JB leftNext I want to show you Jan’s Layouts.  She used the same tree layout from Artbooking, but broke it up differently.  She also paired it with a different right hand page.  I love the book pattern paper and knowing Jan, it’s one of the 10 things she loves!

LH leftLH rightOur last pages are from  Lorna.  She struggled with this challenge and did a bit of stewing, but in the end create these great pages!

 

So three more layouts from the Artbooking cartridge.  I just love the versatility of it and the ease of having your embellishments/accents come together so quickly and without having to guess at what size would work!

Huntington Workshop is tomorrow and I hope to get some photos of that beautiful paper pack up along with the rest of the Sarita workshop layouts!

Happy Crafting!

 

Artbooking Challenge Part1

Hi Everyone,

I’m back and ready to show off some of the work I’ve been doing, but more exciting some of the work my crafting gals have been doing!
At our weekend retreat I normally do a couple of different projects.  This time the scrapbooking project was to use the new CTMH Cricut Artbooking cartridge and create a layout (or card if they are exclusive card makers).  I’m still working on editing all the photos, but as I’ve been so busy  and haven’t posted anything, I thought I would give you a few to look at now. PW left PW right

 

 

 

 

Pat W used the Dotty of You paper and created this great layout to showcase her granddaughter (who is so photogenic) eating ice cream.  She didn’t have the photos with her for the weekend, but I can easily see how well this layout is going to look once she adds them.

Next we have Joanne

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She didn’t use mats for where her photos are to go, but you can see the 2 “film strip” pieces work well with the photo mats she choose.  I have each of the crafters a paper pack that included some bling.  Joanne used the black tulle like a ribbon around a package.   Love the little “bugs!”

The next crafter doesn’t own a 12″ cricut yet, so she had to think outside the box to come up with this lovely layout.

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Marybeth did a great job with picking colors to work with her photos!  Love the stand of trees too.  Some were shadowed behind the others.
I bet you’re looking forward to seeing the next batch of pages that were done.  Love the artbooking cartridge with it’s versatility, but also with it’s ease to create beautiful layouts (and cards) quickly!

Happy Crafting.

 

Sarita Workshop sneak peak

Even though the Sarita workshop was last Thursday, I’m still working on finishing the layouts.  I don’t consider a layout done until it is album ready.  This means, titled, journaled and blinged!  On this last layout, I didn’t even have all the papers attached at the time of the workshop.

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I’m not finished with this page yet, but I’m definitely making progress.  If I could just get someone else to come in and cook, clean, do laundry and do the truck dispatch and the bookwork, I could craft almost as much as I want to!

My crafting weekend, that I host, starts Friday, so I’ve been busy doing preparations for that.   By the time I do sit down at my craft table, either my hubby needs to discuss plans for a new grain bin with me, or our children need some Momma time.  I know those days of the kids wanting to spend time with me are number, so I try and remind myself to embrace it!page3cornerbling

I cut the title using the Art Philosophy cartridge and welded the letters on the gypsy.  I could have cut a “shadow” of the letters, but  instead I pop dotted them.  I really like that look and might add some twine around some of the letters.  Here’s a close up of the one corner of “bling” I did get finished.  I cut apart the swirls so I could have more of a cascade effect.

Back to the last of my cooking for the weekend, then I will sit down and make my lists of what I need to pack in the cooler at the last minute, write my grocery lists and make sure I have everything I need for the projects.

Happy Crafting!