Last chance for Year >> Noted Paper Pack

Have you seen this beautiful paper pack?!? Have you gotten yours yet? If not, make sure to order this week since it is your last chance. It is only $5 with any $50 purchase and you get so much! The retail value is over $24 for the paper, stickers, and stamp set.

 

In the packet, you will receive:

 

For my project, I wanted to use as much of the paper I could without waste, so I took some inspiration from a "One Sheet Wonder" Project. (If you are not sure what that is, stay tuned!).

 

First, I cut the Light Pink (looks more "coral" to me) cardstock into many usable pieces and then did the same pattern with the Light Blue (light teal).

After cutting one of the patterned 12x12 B&T Duos paper into the pre-designed 4x6 rectangles, I found inspiration! I realized that if I cut 3/4" from one end, I ended up with a 4x5.25, which is a perfect size for the CTMH 4.25 x 5.5 cards. It also gave me a 4x0.75 ribbon to use as an additional design piece. :)

Once all the pieces were cut, the cards were so easy to make and I knew I wouldn't have much waste or left-over scraps. Honestly, I was surprised how quickly I was able to make 8 full cards with inside messages and matching envelopes. I highly recommend this method to anyone.



Mikayla's Keys:
~ If you have children around while you are working, you may want to get them their own paper to play with BEFORE you start. There were a few times when I looked around and realized a few of my pieces were missing. My Dear Daughter and Dear Son had "lovingly" used them to make cards for each other.
~ Extra details can be small but very meaningful. I like to take time to add a strip of paper to the envelope so the receipient gets to see the beautiful paper right from the start. Plus, you may also brighten a postal workers day by showing off the paper. :)
~ Using pre-cut cards is also a great time saver. I personally use the 50 pack of cards for $14.95 from CTMH. You might be able to make your own for a few pennies cheaper by cutting white cardstock, but you end up with a lot of wasted paper and still have to purchase the envelopes. For me, it is worth it to buy the precut packs.

Supplies used:
** If you purchase all 6 of these items, your total will be $51.70 (+ shipping and tax) and you will qualify for the $5 Year >> Noted Paperpack AND the $5 January Stamp of the Month!
5 1/2" X 4 1/4" White Cards & Envelopes, Value Pack
You Mean The Word To Me Stamp
Doodled Designs Stamp
Gold Polka-Dot Washi Tape
Pacifica Ink Stamp Pad
Sorbet Inks Stamp Pad
Year >> Noted Paper Kit (January Only)

"Love Me" Binder

In the military, we are encouraged to keep all of our career-orientated papers and documents in one place for easy access and consistent documentation. This is often referred to as a "Love Me" Binder. I made one a few months ago for someone at work and was asked to make another for someone else! I am pretty pleased with the way it turned out.

Front Cover

Front and Spine - Her last name is Pearson

Back Cover

Mikayla's Keys to Success: 

~ Mixing brands isn't always a bad thing. In this case, all of the papers were from the retired "Tommy" Close to My Heart paperpack, but all of the cards on the front cover that have words on them came from different sources. I have collected a few different brands over time and picked the ones out went with this theme. I would have preferred the colors and styles to match a little more perfectly, but it worked out really great. 

~ Using "second generation stamping" can be a great thing! Sometimes the ink you have is too dark to overlay with other images, but if you stamp first on a scrap paper and THEN stamp the remaining ink on your desired paper, you get a "second generation" stamp that is lighter in color, but still just as beautiful. I used this technique with the butterfly so the words would show up easier. This technique is also often used when making landscapes or many trees. 

~ Measure and cut your background paper before you start! In order to get the paper to fit perfectly, it has to be just the right size. Thankfully, I learned from the first album I made and didn't make the same mistake twice. You don't want to make a beautiful layout and find out later that it doesn't fit and you have to cut 1/2" off the sides. 

Enjoy and have fun. 

Supplies: 

Your Own Kind of Wonderful Stamp

                                                 All the Details Stamp

   

 Handwritten Print Stamp

Outdoor Denim Ink

I am so Thankful for you.

Welcome back!

I am so thankful for the holidays and the time I was able to spend with my family. I hope and pray that you were also able to enjoy wrapping up 2014. I think this card goes with that theme perfectly. Enjoy.

Mikayla's Keys for this card:

 ~ Think outside the box with your stamps. The petals for this beautiful flower were made using the "wing" stamp from the August Stamp of the Month! Get creative and use old stamps in a new way.

 ~ Never underestimate the power of sparkle. The stem was created using a small sparkles flourish and the center used a gold sequin. (Tip: The sequins occasionally fall off, so I recommend using a drop of Liquid Glass to help it adhere more securely.)

Supplies:

Paper Fundamentals Adventure Assortment

Sparkles Clear Flourishes - Small

Bronze Shimmer Trim

Hollyhock Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad

Sequins Gold Assortment

August Stamp of the Month (currently not available)



Celebrate National Papercrafting Month

What better way for me to Celebrate National Papercrafting Month than by starting a crafting blog?!?!

I have fallen in love with Close To My Heart products and became an independent consultant with the company so I can share the wonderful papers, books, and stamps with others. And the best part is that you can craft at YOUR level - beginner, intermediate, or advanced! 

This month is National Papercrafting Month and CTMH is offering a new paper kit to celebrate. The Year >> Noted paper kit comes with an exclusive stamp set, colorful B&T DuosTM papers, and golden foil stickers. These are all designed to make it easy for you to capture your memories as they happen, especially when paired with the new My CreationsTM  kraft mini book. With a $50 purchase, you can add the Year >> Noted paper kit to your order for just $5, or you can add the paper kit AND the kraft mini book to your order for just $10! Contact me (or visit my link at AppleofMyEye.CTMH.com) for more information.