"Home Sweet Home" February Blog Hop

Welcome to my Scrapi blog for February's "Home Sweet Home" February CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  Thanks for stopping by after checking out Shirley Ross'  beautiful artwork.  

I LOVE this month's stamp set because I see at at least four fabulous scrapbook layouts plus the possibility of incorporating partial pieces of the four main stamps in this set for additional layouts.  Not to mention the tons of home decor possibilities using the Bracket Frame and Star which easily come to mind, and so many other projects using some of the cool new My Creations pieces featured in the new Idea Book. I am hoping other participants in this blog hop have the same idea and will showcase these projects!

My artwork uses the NEW Buzz and Bumble paper packet, Buzz and Bumble My Stickease and Buzz and Bumble My Assortment plus the NEW Brown Glitter Paper and NEW Brown and Tan Sparkles.  I combined Outdoor Denim cardstock with the Goldrush cardstock and Sunset cardstocks to give the papers a brighter look. The brown glitter paper mat for the "home" stamp was cut using the AP Cricut cartridge. The papers are distressed with my cocoa distressing ink and I used 3-D tape to pop up some of the stickers. I hope you like it and I'd love to have your comments!!

As you'll be reading a lot through this blog, this stamp set is available for only $5 with a $50 order, which will not be difficult to do with the all-new ridiculous crazy CTMH Spring/Summer 2013 Idea Book and the new Studio J February special* ($5 for a two-page layout throughout the month of February).  If you do not have a CTMH consultant and want to purchase this incredible set right this minute, check out the new Idea Book or register for free to play on Studio J, click here!

To continue on in this Blog Hop, click here and you'll go to one of my favorite people and teammate Michelle Jones blog.  I am sure she will wow you with whatever she has come up with this month!

Or, keep going for more artwork using Buzz and Bumble, and come back to click for Michelle Jones blog.

I was having so much fun playing with this new Buzz and Bumble paper and super fun My Stickease Assortment that I went ahead and put two more layouts together.  I'll be honest, of all the new paper packets from the new Idea Book, Buzz and Bumble was the one I was most hesitant about. Although I think the neutral and subdued look is timeless and beautiful, it's not necessarily my style.  My goal was to create layouts that would showcase the papers and stickease to be a bit brighter than as shown in the new Idea Book. I found that using the cocoa cardstock and cocoa patterned B&T as accents rather than as a base gave the papers a younger look  - perfect for me to add pictures of my 12 year old daughter Haley and her friends.   Besides the Buzz and Bumble paper packet, stickease, assortment and sparkles, I used the new Wooden Mini-Medley Accents, a small AP Cricut cut shape (below, part of scalloped circle). I further embellished both the layout above and below with 3-D tape - love the look of the 3-D photo mats and laying the stickers. To brighten the layouts, I used Pear and Honey cardstock for layout #2 above, and to give a different look matching the stickers, Garden Green as base with Sunset cardstock for layout #3 below (sorry about the crooked pic for this layout!).

Thanks for looking!!

Scrapi Traci

* Click here if you want to check out Studio J Digital Scrapbooking for free.  No charge to register. Create as many layouts as you want; you only pay when you order.  This month only, two page layouts are only $5, including free jpg!!  Check out the new Express Collections - move photos in, title and/or journal and voila, you are done!  Fast and Simple.

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Happy Valentine's Day to Foster Care To Success

I made the above card using the "Whooo's Your Valentine", CTMH's January 2013 special promotional kit. Besides the fabulous silver glitter pack and stamp set included in the kit, I also used white, red and black cardstock, a silver glitter button, cranberry/black inks, a cricut cut shape for the "you totally rock" stamp set, and a piece of bulk from "Mistletoe" Christmas paper packet.  The final touch was cutting the white piece with "Happy Valentine's Day!" for the banner piece.

     I designed the card and cut 80 pieces to be put together by my Junior Women's Club of Loudoun for students sponsored by Foster Care To Success. Last Friday night, we all got together to put the cards together, write messages for the students, and stuff them into gift bags with lots of treats. Not only was it a great time to get to know these wonderful ladies while doing a wonderful thing.

     The Foster Care To Success is the oldest and largest national nonprofit organization working solely with college bound foster youth. For over 30 years, the organization has helped youth navigate the tricky waters of academia, understand the importance of personal fiscal responsibility, determine achievable career goals, and create networks of friendship and support. As a matter of fact, since 1981, over 50,000 foster youth have received information, advice, support or funding from Foster Care to Success, helping them to transition from care to adulthood through education.

February Sip 'N Scrap Features Monogrammed Cards

My upcoming Sip 'N Scrap at Above Ground Winery will be on Wed., Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. ($25)  or Thurs., Feb. 7 at 11 a.m. ($30).  Guests will put together 12 cards, either three of each of the above or mix and match as desired. All monogrammed letters will be available. Cost includes all materials, cut and ready to be assembled, and a glass of wine. Lunch class also includes soup and salad.

Not local?  Will also pre-cut, pre-stamp monogram of your choice, and mail.

RSVP no later than Mon, Feb. 4 with your card choices to traci@scrapitraci.com.  See right column for easy check out!

Feeling Victorious with Studio J Express Collections

 I LOVE Studio J's Express Collections - there are six different themed collections with 10 two-page coordinating, fully embellished layouts, that are professional designed and nearly complete.  All I had to do was drag in my photos and journal.

I did both of these layouts while my daughter and I watched one episode of Victorious!  I felt victorious with my nifty accomplishments. Studio J is just perfect for the multi-tasker in me. Although I am a classic scrapbooker by heart, the Studio J digital scrapbooking is perfect for me to catch up on some pages when I don't have the opportunity to scrapbook!  I'll even work on them when I am waiting for my kid's practices, using my phone's hotspot.

The Express Collections are so fabulous . . . there are so many gorgeous layouts that I can't wait to use in the future.  Almost makes me want to stage pictures for some of them!

If you haven't tried it out yourself, don't hesitate. All you have to do to test it out is register here for free, and then you can play as much as you want. You only pay when you decide to order, and with that, your two page layout is only $6.95 and it includes a jpg emailed to you. If you only want to purchase just the jpeg, then it's $2.95.  As for shipping, it's one flat rate for 4 - 50 layouts of $5.95.  You can't beat that price when you compare costs of prints and scrapbooking materials.  Plus, the quality of the 12" x 12" layout that is shipped is just fabulous. You actually have to touch it to tell if it's classic or digital scrapbooking.  So, get on today. Try an entire Express Collection for a whole album or mix and match within collections.  Want more options?  You can also choose to create your own custom layouts - you'll pick your paper, layouts and embellishments. 

Scholastic Offers So Many Layout Options

Layout #1

Layout #2

Layout #3

The Scholastic Paper Packet, shown with the Scholastic My Stickease and Memo Assortment (plus Canvas Letters and Round Durables), is not only perfect for your kid's school pictures but would work for vacation photos or everyday family life pics. Use the paper alone with your choice of stamps and the possibilities are endless with its classic and neutral colors.  As you'll see in my layouts, you can keep it neutral or pair it with richer and brighter colors for lots of different options! 

If using for school pictures, one of my favorite things to use with my layouts is CTMH's Tru Fit Folios. I 'll adhere one side of the layout to the folder and slip it into my album. I can then slip in report cards, letters, or artwork from that year, to keep in the album!