Everything ABC Blog Hop - 'C'

Welcome to the Everything ABC's Blog Hop!

For this hop we will be featuring the letter 'C'. This may be the name of a paper, a stamp set or an embellishment. Whatever the crafter has chosen as their 'C'element will be featured in their post. If you have just hopped onto my blog, please start at the beginning at Linda's blog ~ Scrappy Therapy.

 

 

If you came from Stephanie's Blog then you're on the right track! For my project I chose to focus on the My Crush Books. Crush books are very similar to Smash books and can be used for just about anything -- journls, inspiration books, planner, etc. CTMH has two versions available: Modville, and Bluebird.

 

Every year I say I should do a book only about me. And, at the end of every year I realize I never make one. Not this year though. I decided to use this fantasic little book to document my life, right now.

I started out by decorating the front with a tag from the My Crush Best Day Ever Assortment and a little bling with the Sparkle Black Flourishes.  I love that the My Crush Books have these great companion assortments. It makes decorating and recording your memories so much easier. And the best part is that each of the assortments coordinate beautifully with both books!

The inside pages come colored and decorated already. They work well just as they are or you can add your own flair to them. This sytesm can truly be anything you want it to be! The inside of my book is still a work in progress but I have a few pages to share. The first page documents my 2014 goals.

The next couple of pages focus on my first race of 2014. I used our fun Washi tape to add my bib (and my son's) to the page. I like that the washi tape is removable so if I ever decide I want to remove it I just peel it off and know my items won't get damaged.

I also used the assortment to help me document the fun things my son told me before the race. The things kids say!

I look forward to sharing the project with you throughout the year. Your next stop on our Everything ABC'S blog Hop is Shalana. Thanks for stopping by!

~Michelle

Here is the complete lineup in case you get lost along the way :)
1. Linda Norman - Scrappy Therapy
2. Lauren Moore- CTMH Craftings
3. Catherine Nowak - CatScrapbooking
4. Jenny Gilbert Jen's Creative Classroom
5. Stephanie Feist-Quilted Scrapper
6. Michelle Battitori - that's me!
7. Shalana Glass - Scrappin with Shalana
8. Wendy Kessler

P.S. If you would like to purchase any of the supplies to make your own "All About Me" Album please visit my website HERE.

New Product Blog Hop - An Interactive Scrapbook Page

If you are looking for inspiration to use the wonderful, brand new CTMH products then you've come to the right place! Join me and other CTMH consultants as we share our creations with new product from the Close to My Heart Spring/Summer idea book & catalog.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of being a vendor at the Xi Delta Gamma Scholarship Fun Charity Crop. These crops are always a lot of fun and the people there are fantastic!

As a vendor I get to show CTMH's fantastic products and have the opportunity to create a $5 kit for attendees. With it being the "love" month I decided to create a fun, interactive scrapbook page using the new Ivy Lane paper pack and 4" x 6" Flip Flaps! I showed them, with the help of the Magic How-To Program, that if you make a small cut into your Memory Protector, you can easily add our flip-flaps to add extra photos on your pages!

The title "You+Me" is from the Artbooking Cricut Cartridge but the attendees who purchased the kit had the opportunity to change it using one of the many other Artbooking titles available. We finished off our layout by adding paper flowers and Flamingo Dots to our page protector to help keep the flip-flaps closed.

If you are interested in learning how to make this project I will be happy to send the instructions to you. Simply place an order (any product) on my website through Feb 28 and I will email  a copy to you ASAP!

Supplies Used (all CTMH unless otherwise specified):
Paper: Ivy Lane (X7178B), Olive Cardstock (1245), Blush Cardstock (X5640), Colonial White Cardstock (1388)
Other: Memory Protectors (4110), X-Acto Knife, Ruler, Cricut Artbooking Cartridge (Z1906), Flip Flaps (Z4114) , Magic How To Program (9040), Flamingo Dots (Z1934)

Ready to see more creative creations with new products from Close to My Heart? Click on any of the pictures below to visit other CTMH consultant's blogs and see their artwork. This hop will continue to grow with new entries until Sunday Feb 9th, so come back to this post for more inspiration. New entries are added at the bottom so scroll down to view the latest each day!

>>Start Shopping HERE

~Michelle

P.S. Thank you to Tresa Black for hosting this linky party! As always, your generosity is most appreciated!

First Team Meeting - A Gift

Last year was a big year for me as I had several girls join my team, The Handmade Brigade. About a week ago we had our first team meeting at the local coffee house. We introduced ourselves, celebrated our achievements and went over some business and organizational tips to help us on our journey.

 

 

As an appreciation to my newest members I made each of them an altered composition book (inspired by this one from Shirley Ross).  I kept my design the same for all the books only changing the papers and embellishments.

The bracket shape comes from the Art Philosophy Cartridge (p. 55, <Rctngle7>). I cut two pieces, one at 2 1/4" and one at 2 1/2" for matting. The sentiment comes from a previous CTMH and is a perfect reminder for my team. I hope they enjoy their gifts!

Of course in my excitement I realized I forgot to take a team picture! Oh well...I guess we'll get to that next time.

If you are interested in learning more about joining CTMH or my team please visit THIS PAGE.

~Michelle

January Specials - A Wild Fox & Embossing Folders

Yesterday I shared the online version of the 2014 Spring/Summer Idea Book as well as some of the new products. Today I'm sharing the January specials! These specials are from Close To My Heart and are only available thru 2/28/14 (ugh, I keep wanting to type 2013).

Embossing Is Boss

In case you weren't aware, we have five brand new 5" x 7" embossing folders! During the month of February, you can qualify to receive a free embossing folder for every 2 packs of bulk single color or combo cardstock you purchase.

Pick from our 5 embossing folder designs -dot, chevron, quatrefoil, damask, or stripe, with your qualifiying order. Every 2 packs of cardstock qualify you for an additional embossing folder!

>>Start Shopping HERE

February Stamp of the Month: Wild About Love

 

Each month CTMH offers a special stamp set available that month only. You can purchase the Stamp of the Month at full retail price ($17.95) or at a discount ($5.00) with your qualifying purchase of $50 or more.

If you see an image outlined in red it means it coordinates with one of our three exclusive, cricut cartridges! This month, the Stamp of the Month coordinates with the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge. Don't worry, the stamp set will work just fine if you don't have the cartridge :)

Here is a sampling of artwork using this adorable set from the CTMH Art Department:

If you have any questions about any of these specials or any of the CTMH products please let me know.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the specials please shop my online store.

>>Start Shopping HERE

Have a fantastic day!
~Michelle

Warm Yourself Up With The New 2014 Spring/Summer Idea Book!!

The new 2014 Spring/Summer Idea Book is available now. It has tons of new products including 7 new paper Collections, 9 new Workshop on the Go Kits, tons of fun new My Creations alterable items, beautiful new Base & Bling Wearable Crafts, the new Picture my Life Scrapbooking program, fun new embossing folders. As always there are lots of great new stamp sets including the special edition Stamps of the Month and Hostess Stamps. Here are some photos of new products... Workshop on the Go Kits >>>  Start Shopping HERE Picture my Life Scrapbooking Program Here's a great video showing how the Picture my Life Scrapbooking Program works. If you feel overwhelmed by your stack of photos or just want a quick way to document your story then you'll love this program (I certainly do)! >>>  Start Shopping HERE 5" x 7" Embossing Folders >>>  Start Shopping HERE Base & Bling Wearable Crafts  You can view the online Idea Book/Catalog here.  As a reminder club members automatically receive a new Idea Book for FREE! If you'd like more information on joining one of my clubs or to get your own copy of the Idea Book contact me. I am happy to send you a free copy (for non-club members), I just ask that you pay the $5 for shipping.  >>>  Start Shopping HERE

Last Chance for January Specials

January 31 is the last day to get the Cloud Nine Cardmaking Kit and January Stamp of the Month and I would hate for you to miss out!

>Start Shopping HERE

Cloud Nine Cardmaking Kit
In celebration of National Papercrafting Month you can order your own adorable Cloud Nine cardmaking kit at a fabulous price! Place a qualifying order and get this zesty kit, complete with varied die-cuts, a stamp set, and exclusive B&T paper, all at a discount.

The kit retails for $46 but you can get it for $15 with a qualifying purchase of $35 or more (excluding tax and shipping). You'll be able to make 10 adorable cards (2 each of 5 designs) in about an hour! Each card has funky messages to put any recipient on cloud nine!


January Stamp of the Month: Cross Stitch Wishes

Get this set of 13 stamps for just $5 when you place an order of $50 or more.

Note: If you take advantage of the Cloud Nine special you'll automatically qualify for the January SOTM!

To get one, or both, of the January specials please shop my website HERE

Easy 3-D Effects

Ever wanted to turn a flat Cricut^® shape into a 3–D element but didn’t know how? Watch the video* to learn how easy it is to create beautiful 3–D embellishments from flat Cricut^®–cut shapes. From banners to embellishments on a scrapbook page to anything in between, we’ll show you how! It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3–D!



This would make a fun boredom-buster project to do with the kids if they are off from school!

*Note, if you are receiving this video via email feed it won't come through. To view the video please click on the link HERE or click the post title.

~Michelle