Tag Archives: artbooking

Sunshine Birthday Party

If you have followed my blog for any time you know that I enjoy throwing a good birthday party for my kids. Now, my son is older (11) and has evaded the birthday fun the last few years- opting for hockey games with friends and a trip south. My daughter thought is still young and LOVES a good party!

This year Ellery turned four and we decided to have a Sunshine themed party- outside games, beach visit if it is hot and lots of yellow! Of course I use as much Close to my Heart product as possible in throwing my parties!

Treat bags- we used the CTMH treat bags to create our little bags of sunshine for our friends. They included the sunny treats of bubbles and a ring pop! The front of the bags were decorated with cuts from the CTMH Artbooking cartridge and some of our new orange shimmer trim!

Our ‘Happy Birthday Sunshine’ banner was made with more yellow treat bags. The sun was cut out on the Artbooking cartridge and the alphabet was cut using our new CTMH Artistry cartridge (and I LOVE the font!)

This fun birthday decoration was created using tissue paper- cheap and easy but it took a long time! We took polaroids of all our guests and I added the pictures to this bunting with clothespins- a fun little addition but one that I forgot to snap a pic of in all the excitement.

We also had lots of yellow food- fresh corn on the cob, lots of lemonade and other sunny treats. I baked a cake and my sister decorated it- the cake was out ‘shone’ by the banana split bar (HUGE HIT!!) My big girl is now four and off to school- boo!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

Brae-er Team Blog Hop: Taste of Summer

Welcome to the Brae-er Team Blog Hop! My team is excited to show you the projects we have created using the Taste of Summer Paper that is exclusively available during the month of May (there is even an exclusive stamp set that you can also purchase to go with the paper!) All of this is to celebrate National Scrapbooking Month!

Here is the paper and the stamp set:

So much fun and so many bold colours! I will be sharing projects this month here and on my facebook page that use this paper. Here is my FAV of the layouts I have created so far!

I was inspired by a layout I saw on pinterest that I knew would look amazing in the bright colours in the Taste of Summer paper. The back side of all the fruit paper has a print and they are so much fun to work with! I created the sun, camera, butterfly, title and title accents using the CTMH artbooking cartridge. All my photos document different fun things my daughter did over the last summer- this was a great way to use up photos that would not have been enough (or told enough of a story) to make a page on their own. I also added a few of our fun accessories- bubbly stickers, puffy glitter stickers and flamingo dots. I LOVE how it all came together!

What would you create with this paper?

Want to see more fun projects?

Hop on over to Chris’s blog where I know she will have a project ready to WOW you!

If you get lost along the way just come back here and check the list below. We hope you have fun and get inspired!

2. Chris Robertson- http://chriscreativelife.blogspot.com/2015/05/brae-er-team-blog-hop-taste-of-summer.html

3. Jessica Hill- http://createbythelake.blogspot.ca/2015/05/taste-of-summer.html

4. Michelle Stewart Ctmheart- http://mycreationswithmichelle.blogspot.ca/2015/05/brae-ers-team-blog-hop-taste-of-summer.html

5. Heather Steeves- http://paperplayroom.blogspot.com/2015/05/may-team-brae-er-blog-hop-taste-of.html

6. Sheri Ballantyne http://sherisays-justscrapit.blogspot.com/2015/05/put-this-taste-of-summer-in-your-pocket.html

7. Darcel Kirvan – http://closetomyheartkw.blogspot.com/2015/05/taste-of-summer-team-brae-er-blog-hop.html

8. Lucy Imrie – http://lucyscreativeexpressions.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-brae-ers-blog-hop-taste-of-summer.html

9. Krista Ritskes – http://wp.me/p5DG7p-G7

10. Arlene Bonsma – http://arlenescreativespace.blogspot.com/2015/05/taste-of-summer-team-braer-blog-hop.html

11. Nicky Scott – http://wp.me/p51mrp-GD

12. Carol Townsend –http://www.memorykeepsakesforyou.com/1/post/2015/05/taste-of-summer-blog-hop.html

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

Sketch n Scrap Layout Challenge

This year I want to participate in more blog challenges- with that in mind and a few hours the other day I set out to find some and came across the Sketch n Scrap page– they have a layout and card challenge! I liked what I saw so decided to play along!

Here is my page- the paper is from the Confetti Wishes paper pack. I added gold sequins and some purple glitter gems left over from an old workshop kit. My title comes from the CTMH cricut Artbooking (the title says endless summer and I just cut off the endless part). I love how it documents our year-end staff party (which is an Amazing Race theme and SO MUCH FUN!)

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

Picture my Life Frame

Just another thing you can do with our Picture my Life cards- these cards are from the Chalk it Up kit. I created this for my daughter’s friend – she was celebrating her 3rd birthday and we wanted to make something special for her!

I used a cut from the Cricut Artbooking cartridge to create my circle background. I then layered PML cards in different ways on the circle overlay. I cut some cards apart to add dimension or phrases. Finished it off with some of the puffy stickers from the Chalk it Up Assortment (LOVE THESE!!).

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

‘Little One’ Layout

Today’s layout follows the theme of the month- using those Picture my Life cards or My Crush assortments in your traditional layouts. This layout shows BOTH- you can see the cards as squares in my strip on the right and as the background images in my polaroid die-cuts. These images are from the Laughing Lola collection and worked perfectly for my layout of my new little nephew- Gibson.

I have the My Crush assortments used on both sides as little journaling bits, the pennants and the stickers along the white piece that give the significant stats about his birth.

Here is a close up of some of the pieces to my layout.

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

Technique Tuesday: Using Overlays

You may have noticed that overlays are quite the thing right now in paper crafting- they popped up on the scene just over a year ago and thankfully, CTMH was right on top of the trend and introduced overlays on our CTMH Cricut Artbooking cartridge. They are so fun and versatile!!

You can use them just as they are – like I did in my layout below. I layered the circle overlay from Artbooking with paper (from timberline) and my photos. I also added in some My Crush assortments and embellishments from a variety of different CTMH products.

How else can you use overlays?

Cut them down and use portions for a fun accessory or embellishment.

Use them as a stencil to spray or sponge through.

Use them on layouts, cards or other 3D projects.

Let your imagination soar! What would you or have you created with overlays??

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

Technique Tuesday: Background Stamps

Technique Tuesday is back and today we are going to focus on using stamps but not just any stamps… background stamps. We have sold a variety of these over the years and currently have a few to chose from- they are great and are VERY versatile!! Obviously you can use them to create your own background pattern – that is what I did in this layout but I inked my stamp with a sponge so that I could get the look I was seeking.

You also may notice I did not use CTMH paper for this one- it is pretty rare that I find something else like as much as what we carry but his time I did find one. It was perfect in this layout (and I still used my CTMH white enamel marquee shapes and the Artbooking cartridge to really bring my layout together).

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

Vellum Layout

CTMH has a new Idea book coming out August 1st (and I cannot wait)!! I leave in two weeks to partake of the unveiling of new products and all the excitement that goes along with it (and I will share once I return JUST how fun convention is).

I can say that I am going to make a prediction. This one is based on our recent Free to be Me special for customers (it was a good one and the paper was yummy!). My prediction (and secret hope) is that our new book will see vellum in it. I have missed it and have noticed it featured more and more in paper crafting magazines, etc. I know that in the past when CTMH brings something out in a monthly special it is often because they are testing how that item will do. I think this item did well enough …. fingers crossed!

To create this layout I used a full piece of vellum as the base of my page and then layered pieces on it from there. My favourite part is the polaroid frames along the bottom- they turned out really nice (and were cut out using my CTMH cricut art booking).

What would you like to see in our new Idea Book? This one will be an annual book so think all four seasons!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

Technique Tuesday: Crush Assortments

Happy Technique Tuesday- I know that these have been a bit AWOL lately but things got REALLY busy in my business (it really is a good problem to have LOL). But, we are back on track and since summer is right around the corner (and a whole new catalogue August 1st) then you should see lots of great posts on a variety of topics!

I want to share with you- in face I want to give you permission- to use products NOT intended for your layouts ON your layouts. I don’t mean things that may not be safe or that could be harmful to your photos in future but things that you may have purchased for other paper crafts- in my layout below I use things purchased to go with one of our Crush albums (similar to Smash books). I know it may seem silly and maybe you were already using these things on your layouts but often I find that people don’t do it- they haven’t even really thought about it. Then you try it on ONE project and that is it…. ADDICTION!! Throughout the month of June you will see a theme of my projects using either the Crush assortments or our Picture my life projects within more traditional layouts and projects- seriously I just LOVE the results and cannot stop!

Check out some of the fun I had below:

You can see better in this close up a variety of fun images- tags, tickets, word bubbles and fun envelopes- all of these came from one of the Crush assortments (and these assortments are inexpensive and FULL Of good stuff!).

Of course I also added some other fun details- my title came off the CTMH cricut Artbooking – I wasn’t sure if I would like the white on white but in the end it was the perfect accent. I added some accessories- our skylark assortment, sparkle assortment and white marquee enamel shapes and a stamp (that is the ONLY stamp that I own that is not CTMH but I fell in love with it recently at a show I was at).

A quote from Cinderella herself pulls it all together for me- I just love how this all turned out in the end!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

Sunshine and Warm Breezes Blog Hop

I am sure not all my readers have had a winter similar to mine but also know that many of you have- the cold was VERY cold and the snow just piled up and piled up and …. well, you get the idea! Now here I sit half way through March and spring should be in sight! I am hopeful that April will dawn with green grass and flowers pushing their way up through warm soil- ahhh! For now seek some solitude in the ‘Sunshine and Warm Breezes’ Team Blog Hop where members of my team (the Brae-er’s) will each share project on this theme that uses Close to my Heart products!

How does a hop work? Just read my blog, leave some love in the comments and click on the link at the bottom directing you to the next person in the hop! Have fun!

I love how this cute card turned out! I used a mix of papers from Lollydoodle and Balloon Ride- with some Kraft paper mixed in. The card itself was very simple- I cut some triangles with my paper trimmer, the base of the boat is a circle cut in half and the waves are from the CTMH Cricut Artbooking cartridge.

Please subscribe to my blog while you are here ——> [widgets_on_ pagesid=”Subscribe!”]

Now hop on over to Lucy’s Blog to see what she has prepared (she has even been somewhere warm recently- how lucky is she!)

If you get lost the full list of hoppers is posted here:

1. Brae Montgomery- Here is my link: http://wp.me/p4htXJ-rP

3. Lucy Imrie- http://lucyscreativeexpressions.blogspot.ca/2014/03/sunshine-and-warm-breezes.html

4. Alyson Mayo – http://createwithalyson.blogspot.com/2014/03/unit-blog-hop-spring-card-box.html (permalink)

5. Michelle Stewart –http://mycreationswithmichelle.blogspot.com/2014/03/sunshine-and-warm-breezes-blog-hop.html

6. Arlene Bonsma – http://arlenescreativespace.blogspot.com/2014/03/sunshine-and-warm-breezes-march-blog-hop.html

7. Chris Robertson- http://chriscreativelife.blogspot.com/2014/03/sunshine-and-warm-breezes-march-blog-hop.html

8. Kimberly Clark – http://leokc34.blogspot.ca

9. Michelle Hughes – http://therighthugh.blogspot.com/2014/03/sunshine-blog-hop.html

10. Tamara Lisowski – http://geermara.blogspot.com/2014/03/ctmh-sunshine-and-warm-breezes-march.html