Author Archives: Brae Montgomery

Card Series: She’s a Wildflower (Hostess Exclusive)

Were you aware that our hostesses have access to an exclusive line of stamp sets? They are always gorgeous and highly sought after but are only available to this very special group. One of my current favourite sets is “She’s a Wildflower.” I love the floral background image and all the beautiful things you can create with it. Below are some cards set to inspire you. If they inspire you to get host a party just message me- you can do an in-home party or an online one through facebook. Both options are a lot of fun and both will qualify you to earn this stamp set.

She’s a Wildflower card: sweet girl cardstock pack, featured stamp set, pixie ink, black ink, watercolour pencils, tag die cut (retired), fern stitched ribbon.

Bloom watercolour card: Watercolour paper, Watercolour paints, featured stamp set, black ink, white embossing powder, mint cardstock.

Bloom card: Sweet girl paper pack, Sweet girl cardstock, Doily die-cut, fern stitched ribbon, tag die-cut (retired), Sweet girl complements, featured stamp set.

Thank you card: Pixie ink, Fern ink, featured stamp set, Sweet Girl cardstock pack, watercolour pencils, white daisy cardstock, fern stitched ribbon, bitty sparkles.

Masculine Thank you: Sweet Girl paper pack, Sweet Girl cardstock pack, Sapphire ink, featured stamp set, Sapphire crochet thread.

All of these items are available in my SHOP.

What could you create with ‘She’s a Wildflower?’ Post below and let me know.

 

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


Christmas in July

Christmas is coming! Our sales can be lots of fun but to have the best experience possible you should remember these fun tips:

*shop early, things are limited and thousands of people are shopping. Nothing is yours until you check out at payment.

*be patient. These sales sometimes cause the website to become slow. Log out and back in after a few minutes if that is the case.

*bundle with friends to save a little on shipping

*Create your account on my website if you don’t have one already, this will allow you to sign in and check out much faster than without one (braemontgomery.ctmh.com)

Happy shopping and I hope we ALL get what we want for Christmas!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


Card Series featuring “Made for Each Other”

Today marks the start of a new series on my blog- the card series. I would love to say that this will be a weekly series but the reality is that once the school year starts here in Canada it is very difficult to keep up with that. More likely, it will be monthly BUT since I have already completed my first three series you may see more of this over my summer holiday.

What is the card series? A place where you will find inspiration and ideas specific to a stamp set featured in our current Idea Books. Today I am happy to introduce you to “Made for Each Other”- this stamp set is adorable and spoke to me on many levels. I hope you enjoy each card made with this set- other product used in the card will be listed below each project.

Value Pack Cards and Envelopes, Craft On Paper, Black Shimmer Trim, Peach Ink, Raspberry Ink, Black Ink, Foam tape and the featured stamp

 Craft On Paper, Doily die-cut,  Raspberry Ink, Black Ink, Foam tape and the featured stamp

(disclaimer: this simple card is my fav!)

Value Pack Cards and Envelopes, Craft On Paper, Clover Ink, Foam tape and the featured stamp

 Craft On Paper, Shaker Card Foam, Shaker Card die-cut, Craft On Sequins, Black Ink, Foam tape and the featured stamp

If you are interested in checking out this stamp set (or any other product featured in these cards) you will find them at my SHOP.

Want to recommend a stamp set for the card series? Comment below with what you would like to see.

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


Mixing it up: Sweet Girl and Into the Wild

Have you taken a good look at these two fantastic paper suites? Sweet Girl and Into the Wild seem to be the perfect collections- one for girls and one for boys. This is, in fact, only at first glance. As you look closer at these collections you will see that they can be used for LOTS of different things and also perfectly complement each other- the colours, accents and accessories all coordinate. When combined- this can give you endless possibilities!

Scrapbook and Cards Today put out a summer sketch call – I love these opportunities to try something new and share all of the great product available to me. It also gives me an excuse to catch up on my own crafting! I started with their two-page sketches (but may go back to try out some of the cards and single page layouts). After going through photos I settled on finishing my quick trip to Alberta last year. The colours in these photos coordinated really well with the Sweet Girl and Into the Wild collections.

This first layout uses papers from the Into the Wild collection- lots of outdoorsy colours that worked really well with the photos I had selected. I used parts of the complements and the cut apart sheet to add some ‘extra’ to my layout. My fav part has to be the mountains- these are a mix of the paper, the cut apart sheet and a complement. Layered together they add the perfect accent!

Now here is my second layout. A very similar colour scheme BUT this was done using the Sweet Girl paper. I love the green and wood grain of the papers. The complements used on this layout come from both Into the Wild and Sweet Girl- remember, all the colours coordinate so you can just use what works for your layout!

If you haven’t used these papers yet then I encourage you to get them out and start crafting. I would also love to see what you have created so please, feel free to post your projects in the comments below.

Want to purchase these products? Click on the SHOP button above or here.

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


Vacation Scrapbook Inspiration

If you are at all like me, you seek inspiration for your scrapbook pages, especially when you are in a rut OR when you feel an album dragging on. That was my recent feeling about my last vacation album. I had a wonderful vacation and was looking forward to re-living it through my album but I could just… not… get… it… done. In response, I have made my album a vacation scrapbook inspiration post so that I can help others who may be afflicted with this (and if anyone has some inspiration for my other incomplete albums please let me know LOL).

Feel free to pin the above graphic so you can easily find this post again.

Now, let’s get on to the good stuff! The inspiration and fun of a vacation album. Now a quick note: all product used is CTMH. Some product is now retired (it has taken me some time to finish this book) but I may have some tucked away so message me if you are interested in anything.

Love this cover page- this one was designed by CTMH art department. As part of earning a trip, we also receive the supplies, directions and pre-cut pieces for part of an album. It is one of the parts I look forward to most when a trip is coming up! This page has little folded squares that add a fun touch to the cover. Nestled among the squares are some of the photos from our trip.

The above three photos are actually ONE layout. I added one of our page protectors intended for pocket scrapbooking as a middle page in order to extend my layout. I made sure to tie it in with colours and embellishments so that it fit the overall look and feel of the layout. This is perfect for when you want too many photos together. You will see a few other options for adding more photos in a post later this week where I will share the remainder of this album.

The history teacher in me LOVED this experience as well. My kids also thought it was pretty cool- they spent a lot of time looking up though (we could hear monkey’s in the trees but they were hard to spot).

I may have documented this part of our trip twice but it was THAT MUCH FUN! If you are ever in Mexico and can experience Xcaret and the caves then DO IT! We loved it and hope to go back as that park had lots to see and do and we only scratched the surface.

How fun are these circles?! I just love how they look and the punch of colour they add to my layout.

It is important for me to not just document the port fun on my trip- this restaurant experience is one of our faves and this time we were able to share it with our family. I wanted to make sure I documented that as well. Cricut cuts here are all from CTMH cartridges.

I hope you find some inspiration- feel free to scraplift any ideas that may help you out and if you have questions just comment below. I am happy to help!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


Why I have never looked back on signing as a Close to my Heart Consultant.

One of the most precious things we have today is our relationships with each other- especially the kind of relationships that share a common interest. With more and more of us tuning in to relationships via our phone, we are missing out on these precious opportunities to BE with each other. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some facebook but being with my people, those who get me and love me with all my quirks- that is SOOOOO precious!

Last week I was able to indulge in this precious time. I gathered in Provo, Utah with some friends in preparation for the CTMH convention. This event was a perfect reflection of why I do not regret signing up as a CTMH consultant. I have been blessed in many ways – earnings, many free trips, free or discounted product- but the GREATEST gift is that of the relationships I have made. These people, my people- my friends, my team and all the ladies who I only have the pleasure of seeing once a year- they are the glue that keeps me bound.

My team is the same- I love each and every one of these ladies (and all the ladies not in this picture- these are the ones who were with me at the convention). They bring me so many blessings and so much joy. I love sharing the CTMH journey with them and learning and growing together. They add so much to my life.

If you are seeking something more. If you are seeking a place to connect and share your passion for all things paper and crafty. Then this place is for YOU!

(PS- the other perks are great too, promise LOL)

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


Announcing my NEW 6 x 8 Scrapbook Page Kits!

One of the biggest trends in scrapbooking is 6 x 8 scrapbook layouts! These layouts are fun and great for a variety of memories: trips, summer memories, kids memories and so much more! I am releasing TWO kits a month as part of my 6×8 Scrapbook kits. This month features Summer Sunshine and First Day.

How do you get these?

1. Purchase an Everyday Life Album and pack of 6×8 page protectors and get your first monthly kit FREE!! This is only available on your first purchase and is a great way to jumpstart your book.

2. Purchase the pre-cut kit for $20 CAD (this includes shipping within Canada).

3. Get the Cricut design space files FREE with a $20 order on my website (you will need to own the CTMH cartridges to use these files). Don’t have the cartridges but want to order them? Contact me- each purchase will get you a free month of the 6×8 kit!

Order your kits HERE

Stay tuned for more fun kits throughout the year!

P.S. I plan to get my daughter started on making her own 6×8 album- these layouts are perfect for smaller hands and I cannot wait to see her unique take on her memories!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


Cross Canada Blog Hop- Into the Wild

Welcome to our Cross Canada Blog Hop! I haven’t been able to play for a while but thankfully, summer vacation has begun and I found some time to carve out for me and this hop! If you are coming from Sheena’s blog then you are on the right path. Just keep reading and hop on to the next blog at the bottom of this post.

Into the Wild is proving to be a favourite of this Idea Book- although I am not an avid camper I am still finding LOTS of uses for this versatile paper. Next week I will be in Utah celebrating CTMH’s 35th anniversary AND as part of that, we are going on a hike to see the Bridal Veil Falls. This should prove to be lots of fun and will certainly equal some amazing photos. My layout is all ready for when I return! For this page, I used the Into the Wild Paper Pack and Coordinating Cardstock as well as Cricut images from the CTMH You are Here cartridge. My embellishments are a retired CMTH product- but any embellishments will do in dressing up this pretty layout!

Now hop on over to Brandi’s blog to see what she has created for you!

Remember to leave some comment love 🙂

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


Picture my Life- Pocket Scrapbooking Inspiration!

This month CTMH is offering 35% off our Picture my Life cards. These cards are traditionally meant for pocket scrapbooking pages. These pages are fun, sometimes very easy and offer a bit of a twist on the traditional. Check out this video where I share my take on a pocket page using the Something Fierce Picture My Life card pack… then visit my SHOP to check out the awesome deals on these cards!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er


My Top 5 ‘must-have’ items for Paper Crafting

I wanted to start of 2019 with a post about my all-time must-have items for paper crafting! These are items I use on the daily in my crafting- cards, scrapbooking or home decor- these are ALWAYS close by!

Versamat

I have not one, but two of these on my desk surface at all times. They allow me to measure and line up elements of my pages or cards with ease. They also are cushioned on the back, an aspect that makes them vital for crafting- especially if I am working on a plastic table and not a solid wood surface. I only need one for cardmaking but two are best for scrapbooking two-page layouts.

Memory Protectors

These may seem an odd choice but I promise you they are not. Close to my Heart makes the BEST memory protectors. They have a sturdy feel and will not tear – no matter how many times your books are looked at and enjoyed. They will also protect those beautiful pages you have made. I prefer the side load (we also offer top load which is more traditional). The side load prevents anything from getting in the top- it would be very difficult for anything to sneak in through the inside edge of a protector.  I have visions of my kids spilling something on the shelf where my books are kept and that seeping into the top of my albums- side load ensures this nightmare never occurs!

Are you a fan of strap-hinge albums? These have a big fan base. Did you know that we offer memory protectors for these albums as well?  Same CTMH quality but designed to work with the leading strap-hinge albums- try them, I guarantee you will LOVE them!

Duck Adhesive

I have written about this before in an earlier article on adhesives. This is my GO TO, never disappoint, hold forever, adhesive. In most situations, I prefer a tape adhesive and this one holds really well. They are not refillable (I do wish they were) but the hold is what keeps me coming back time and time again. I do not want to flip through an album year down the road and find all the pictures have slid off the page- these projects need to last and this adhesive will ensure that they do.

Bonding Memories

There are times that a good wet adhesive is required. I keep a broad tip and fine tip bonding memories glue pen for those occasions. Small strips of paper. A paper that will require a LOT of glue. Certain embellishments work well with this glue as well- I find that vellum, in particular, does not show this adhesive as much as it will show others. This glue also has a ‘dual’ purpose. Applied blue it will hold long term, allowed to dry until it is clear then it acts as a non-permanent adhesive- a great option when you are not sure about placement on a page or require a mask when stamping.

Foam Tape

If you have not tried out foam tape you are missing out! This adds a ‘lift’ to elements of your project- something that allows you to add layers and lots of fun. I rarely have a project that I do not use foam tape with. We offer two varieties- tape and dots (personally I use the tape as I can cut it to the size I prefer). It also comes in two thicknesses- thin and regular. This allows you to create more than one layer. If you like the look of foam but don’t want your pages to be too thick- then use the thin tape and save on space. The options with this are endless!

All of my top 5 ‘must-have’ items can be purchased in my shop.

Do you currently use any of these items?

What are your top ‘must-have’ items for paper crafting? Tell me in the comments!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er