New skills and retiring stamps

The time is flying by until the CTMH convention and in the process I've learned a ton.  One of the newest things I've experienced is Studio J. 

What is Studio J you ask?  Studio J is the online scrapbooking program by CTMH. When I started I swore (up and down) I would not start online scrapbooking but as part of our business classes for convention CTMH sent us directions for 5 layouts.  I started the project with the intention of completing the assignment, submitting my pages and walking away to never use Studio J again-  little did I know I would walk away addicted to it.  So addicted I'm pretty sure I won't really pick up a paper cutter and pictures to do a traditional scrapbook page again...now this doesn't mean I'm going to abandon paper crafting all together but the biggest thing I learned while doing these Studio J layouts was I could have a scrapbook page done in 45 mins (or less), something I could never do with traditional scrapbooking.  Corporate sent us directions for 5 layouts, which were beautiful, but didn't fit with the pictures I had on hand so I worked thru the directions to learn the techniques they wanted us to know and then took that knowledge and made 5 more of my very own layouts.  Here's just a sampling of what you can do in Studio J.

This month is Stampaganza with Close To My Heart-you'll find the flyer below with details...just in time for the retirement of stamps at the end of July.  The new Idea Book comes out the begining of August and with that the stamps on the retirement list will no longer be available so it's a great time to stock up on the ones you want and take advanage of the buy 2 get one free special this month.

Now (thanks to one of my Uplines-Jen) here's the list of all of the stamp sets due to retire.  You can check out pictures of them and/or purchase them on my website at http://dawnlove.ctmh.com/.  Don't forget to join the "June Mystery Hostess" gathering to be entered into a drawing for all of the hostess rewards for this month.  With no further ado here's the retirement list:

These are the stamp sets that will be retiring at the end of July 2012! The ones with an * coordinate with Art Philosophy.

Here we go:

Instant Memories

Harvest Happiness*
Unscripted*
Sweet Moments*
All Hallows Eve*
Christmas Cheer*
Countdown*
Snowflake*
Winter Joy
Harvest Home
Thanksgiving
So Grateful
Captured Moments
Fright Night
Party Animal
A Sip
Nature's Gift
Snow Days
Bundled Buddies
Snow Flurries
All Decked Out
A Holiday*
Holiday Cheer*
Adorn-able
A Twinkle
Tannenbaum
Fill in the Blank - Holiday*
I Believe
Father Christmas
A Timber
St. Nick
Glory to God
Angel Sent
John 3:16
The Present
A Flitter
Treasure Life
Party Pennants
Always Remember
Tag The Occasion
Happy Clusters
Joyful Jar
Month by Month
Gnome Garden
A Game
School Rocks
Live Inspired
Childhood Portrait
Christmas Love
December 25*
Card Chatter-Christmas
Everlasting Life
Holiday Commentary
Holiday Commentary-Spanish
Holiday Commentary - French
Say it in Style
A Little Thanks
Authentic
Made With Love
Live Your Style
Save the Date
Save the Date - French
Save the Date - Spanish
Baroque Alphabet
Friendship Alphabet Small
Friendship Alphabet Large
Giggle Caps
Giggle Lowercase
Rustic Numbers
Rustic Alphabet

Once again time has gotten away from me and it's now June 1st-a mere 40 days until CTMH convention and those of us who are attending can't wait.  I've been working my little fingers to the bone on roommate gifts and making sure I've worked enough at my "real" job to be able to afford the bundles and all the goodies at convention. 

This will be my first CTMH convention and I am giddy with excitement.  I've heard only good things from my fellow consultants about all the great opportunities at convention and I'm looking forward to the new Idea Book roll out coming in August. There's rumor there will be lots of new and exciting products for all of us paper and stamp addicts to play with!!!

This month's special with CTMH is

One important piece to know is if you purchase multiple stamp sets you will get the lowest priced set/sets for free (for example you buy 3 sets at $17.95 and 3 sets at $13.95, you will get 2 of the $13.95 sets for free)

The stamp of the month this month is cute too and you won't want to miss out on it.

I do have another "Mystery Hostess" gathering going for this month.  EZ Invites to go out soon or you can "join" the gathering on my website found at http://dawnlove.ctmh.com/

I'm hoping (in the next week or so) to have new project pics posted but several of my completed projects are gifts and they have to find their way to those friends before posting pics and ruining the surprise!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Just want to send a big (a little bit early) Happy Birthday wish to my sister Jacqueline who has a birthday coming up on the 5th...if you know Jac don't forget to send birthday greeting her way...she certainly deserves them! One couldn't ask for a better little sister!!

It's been a busy two weeks since I last posted.  The Dotty for You promotion is in full swing and all of us CTMH gals have been having a ton of fun playing with it.  You really don't want to miss out on this awesome deal 24 sheets of fabulous paper for just $5 with a $35 purchase from the Spring/Summer Idea Book.  Here's another of my "Dotty" projects.  Many of you may have already seen this project on my personal FB or the Handmade By Love FB page but my mom hasn't jumped on the FB train yet and is always wanting me to post my newest projects so here goes!  Just for you mom!!

Mini book made with Dotty for You paper and 1/2 of a manila file folder-super easy and fun!

A few other projects I've turned out in the last few days are One Page Mini Albums. These albums are made from 1 piece of double sided 12x12 paper and take less than a half hour to create.  Great if you're in a rush and need to crank out a project on the run.  Here's pictures of the covers and also the insides of the 3 I have finished.

Three One Sheet Mini Album covers

Sweetheart mini album cover with masking technique and Stickles

Wings Mini Album Cover-Gamsol blending technique (on the butterflies) and a hand colored (with ink pad) ribbon closure-who would have thought in my "collection" of goodies I didn't have the right color ribbon! LOL!

Pemberly Mini Album cover-with masking technique, bling and metal embellishments, also uses the "zip strip" as accent inside.

Remember May is National Scrapbooking Month so don't forget to make it into your craft room, studio or even dinning room table to make some fabulous scrapbooking memories!!!  Happy Scrappin' and crafting!

Seeing Dotty!!!!

The Dotty for You campaign has started in the CTMH world and we are all giddy with excitement from the new and wonderful papers that have arrived on our doorsteps.  You too will want to get these great papers while they last. 

And now for an example of what you can do with these lovely papers...



I will be hosting another EZ Invite gathering (starting 4/19 thru 4/30) with one lucky person winning the title of April Mystery Hostess.  If the gathering total reaches at least $150 I will draw one name from all those who have ordered on this EZ Invite to be the hostess of this gathering, they will recieve all the hostess credits and if the gathering total exceeds $400 they will also recieve the Dotty for You paper packet for FREE!!!!  To participate in this gathering use the shopping link in the EZ Invite e-mail sent to you or click the "Join" gathering button at the lower right hand corner of my website www.dawnlove.ctmh.com.  In the unlikely event the gathering total does not reach the minimum of $150 one participant will still be drawn to recieve a gift from me.

Happy Creating to all!

Happy Easter to all

It's been a busy couple of weeks but I made it through and made the journey home to hang with the 'Rents for Easter weekend. It's so nice to kick back, relax and make some art (with the Mom).

Speaking of mom, she's been nagging me to update this blog with new projects so she "can see what I've been doing." Well she got to see them up close but I figured I'd add a few of them for those who aren't on FB.

So here are a few of my lastest projects.  The first is a reproduction of the Stella Envelope Mini album designed by Wendy Coffman.  Beautiful project with wonderful instruction sheet by Wendy.  I loved the project so much I decided to try it with different papers (which is the second project posted).

Cover of the Stella Album

Inside pages of Stella Album

Here's my version of the album using the Pemberly papers and the Pemberly Stickease



Cover of Pemberly Album

Inside pages of Pemberly Album

Last of the inside pages with pullout tab for journaling or pictures.

Had some fun last night working on a gift for a friend and also today getting caught up on my Roadtrip Smash book (pictures of Smash book later...I forgot to pack the camera).

Hope everyone's had a Happy and Blessed Easter!

Learning the ropes, catching on and getting organized

It's been a crazy couple of weeks but I think I'm finally catching on to all things CTMH.  Just a short while after setting up my first web page with CTMH we transitioned to a new system and I think I finally have the new one tweaked to my liking...at least for now. Check it out at http://dawnlove.ctmh.com/CTMH/About.aspx

Had a wonderful trip to Minneapolis a couple of weekends ago with a wonderful (and patient) friend. We met up with friends of mine from high school, shopped, made a few side trips to Stillwater, MN and Chippewa Falls, WI (we toured the Lenie's Lodge and factory, of course) and took time to relax and have fun. I also scrapbooked a bit-in general I started scrappin' right around the time Jeff wanted nothing more than to call it a night and get some sleep. Thank God for Smash books otherwise I'm pretty sure Jeff wouldn't have gotten any sleep on the trip! Thus the reason I called him patient.

The trip to Minny was followed by a crazy 8 days of work and now I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend to catch up on stuff around the house and play with all the goodies that arrived in my new consultant kit shortly before we left for Minny.  Look for pictures of new projects soon.

Want to have fun and create your own beautiful projects? That's easy to do.  Let me show you (and your friends) how and get you the products to start your projects out right.  Feel free to order on my 24 hr website-listed above or e-mail me with questions or if you'd like to book a home gathering or EZ Invite online gathering.

New Adventures!!!

It seems like forever since I've posted in this blog...time and life just ran away from me.  Today starts a new adventure (and in turn an attempt to keep my blog more up to date). I embarked on a new journey and have become an Independent Close to My Heart Consultant-thanks to my wonderful friend (and now up line) Chrys Kamps.  Chrys has been encouraging me to do this for a long time...I think she started asking about 1 day after her consultant kit arrived in the mail-LOL! I held out for quite a while but have finally caved and took the leap-I'm hoping for a fun filled journey with tons of new experiences. As I anxiously await the arrival of my consultant kit I've set up my Facebook page, my CTMH ordering website and am updating here.  I'd love to hear from anyone interested in hearing more about CTMH or is interested in learning more about crafting with paper.  I intend to continue teaching classes at Assemblage Studio as I have in the past and would like to use this new adventure as another "excuse" to make as much art as possible.

Give me a few weeks to get my feet on the ground and then I'd love to entertain people booking home parties and bringing CTMH into your homes.  If you're interested in booking a  home party, a book party or an EZ-invite (internet) party let me know  and you too can be a part of the fun and creativity of CTMH!