The Mad Scrappers

Hi-Ho Cherry-O! We're having a card workshop!

2010-04-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

We're having a Cardmaking Workshop this month, and I couldn't be more excited! So many of you have asked for a workshop, and I think this one is just perfect!

This kit comes just in time for Summer, and the Cherry-O! theme is just so bright and colorful, it makes me crave warm sunshine and walking barefoot in soft grass! I know you're going to love these cards as much as I do!

You'll come away with 6 completed cards,

a detailed guide for more cards, AND instructions for making an additional scrapbook layout

and even more card designs!

Not to mention all the gorgeous paper you'll have left for other projects (it's part of an exclusive kit just for this workshop!), and an exclusive stamp kit that you can only get through this workshop to use on all your future projects!

This workshop is perfect for anyone at any ability level or style. With detailed printed instructions, you can go at your own pace, and I will be on hand to show everyone some great new stamping and cutting techniques as part of this workshop! Plus, it's a wonderful way to get those creative juices flowing in time for our ALL DAY scrap on Saturday!

In order to sign up, please respond with your desired workshop kit by April 27, so I can order the workshop materials.

There are two options for this workshop:

The Basic Kit, only $29.95 (+tax, s&h)

inlcudes a Cherry-O Level 2 paper kit,
an exclusive stamp kit - "Bowl of Cherries",
Mini-Medley Accents - "Tulip"
and The Workshop Guide.
(All of this is packaged and priced below retail as a special offer for this workshop.)

The Best Option, only $37.85 (+tax, s&h)

includes the entire Basic Kit, plus the additional accents - Colonial White Designer Brads and Chocolate Waxy Flax - to really make your projects pop (as you see in the photo above).

Remember, sign up by April 27, so I can ensure your kit arrives for our workshop on the 7th!

Supplies to bring:
If you have the following supplies please bring them with you and this will make the workshop go faster for everyone. If you don't have them, don't worry about it - I'll have extra on hand for us all to use!

12" paper cutter
Cutting mat
Inkpads - "Chocolate", "Sweetleaf", "Tulip"
Corner Rounder
Acrylic Blocks - 2"x2" and 1" x 6 1/2"
Scissors

To sign up, contact me at bonnie.k.padgett@gmail.com. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Fabulous Friday!

2010-04-09T04:03:00.000-07:00

Hey friends!

I have got an exciting new Scrap Starter to share with you today! This one features one of my favorite layout elements - a mosaic! It's not nearly as complicated as you might think, either! I used a 2x2 square for the tiles, which is made quick work using a 2x2 punch. These tiles give you and opportunity to showcase lots of pictures from a big event (such as an egg hunt or birthday party with lots of guests), or you can use them as page elements - think patterned papers (a great use for your scraps!), ephemeral and souvenirs such as ticket stubs, program covers, reciepts and other goodies that you want on your page, but don't want to take over. Use the larger picture boxes for feature photos, and play the title up BIG on this page to help it stand out from all the variety.

I hope you enjoy this fun layout, and I'll try to post a sample or two after our Crop Night tonight (oh, didn't I mention that? Tonight is our monthly crop night, so pack up and come on over to my house! We're going to have a blast!).

Happy Friday, everyone, and as always, Happy Scrappin'!

Sketch Love

2010-04-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share Tish's page that she did from our first Friday Scrap Starter! I LOVE how she took this sketch and made it her own! She used the left side of the page, and added so many different elements - my eye just keeps jumping over all of these exciting aspects of her page - the 3-D title, the gorgeous flowers and wonderful background patterns, and of course, straight to the pictures at the heart of it all!

Tish is from My Creative Tidbits, and has some more awesome pages up there - you need to check them out! My favorite is the one for her in-law's wedding. Soooo beautiful, and in my favorite colors! Thanks for sharing, Tish!

Anyone else with some sketch-inspired work, please send them in - I love seeing all of your new, inventive ideas!

New Fabulous Friday Scrap Starter!

2010-04-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Good Friday, everyone! I hope you're getting ready for a wonderful Easter with all of your family! Don't forget to swing by the store and make sure you have plenty of batteries and memory cards for those cameras! You don't want to miss a single bit of the action on Sunday - egg hunts, church clothes, beautiful baskets, delicious dinners, and after it all, some worn out young'uns!

Once you get those pictures taken, here's a great layout to help you get many of those pictures laid out on the page. An alternative would be to use 2x3's for all but the main photo, and double the number of images on the page. This is a great layout for activities like an egg hunt, which has tons of action, and plenty of great shots you don't want to leave off the page. You could use Easter embellishments, like eggs or baskets instead of the flowers around the main image.

I hope you enjoy this great Scrap Starter as my little Easter gift to you, and don't forget to send me your finished layouts so I can show off your great work! I can't wait to see some of those pages, ladies!!

Have a blessed and very HAPPY EASTER! See you next week!

Attention - this is NOT an April Fool's Joke!! 15% off all orders through Easter!

2010-04-01T07:42:00.001-07:00

Ladies, if you've been looking for a great scrapbooking deal, I have one for you! I am holding a 15% off sale through April 4 on any CTMH orders placed*! This is just my little way of saying "Thank You" to all my wonderful customers, and to help you get stocked up on some great supplies.

All you need to do to order is send me an email at bonnie.k.padgett@gmail.com with your list and the Coupon Code EASTER in the subject line by the end of the day April 4 (that's this Sunday!). I accept cash, check, and Paypal.

Click here to check out the Spring Idea Book and jot down the item numbers of your favorites!

May I recommend a few of my top picks?
- This paper is so Spring-y and fun, I just love it! It's every little girl's fantasy come true!

Daydream Level 1 Kit, page 25, ~~$9.95~~ $8.45, #X7108A

And these stamps are a great compliment to this whimsical paper...

Stamp Kit "Thoughts of You", page 44, ~~$22.95~~ $19.50, #D1255

Just in time for Easter is this great Stamp Kit, one of a new series that will cover every month of the year -

Stamp Kit "In The Month of April", page 79, ~~$18.95~~ $16.10, #C1405

The elegance of this paper makes a perfect compliment for almost any page, and I love timeless combination of ivory and black!

Silhouette Level 2 Paper Pack, page 27, ~~$12.95~~ $11.00, # X7090B

This adorable Ricrac set adds flair to any page, and works great for funky framing around your photos!

Ricrac Collection, page 90, ~~$9.95~~ $8.45, #Z1052

And, saving the best for last, CTMH's utterly wonderful Reflections book, which has step-by-step instructions for creating over 100 12x12 layouts. It's got great product tips and techniques, blueprints (including cut sizes), examples and more. If you love using sketches to get those creative juices flowing, you are going to LOVE this book! And, with my Spring sale, this is the best time to buy!

Reflections Scrapbook program, page 6, ~~$21.95~~ $18.65, #9031

Don't forget - this limited time sale ends this Sunday April 4, so make sure to place your order right away, and as always, don't hesitate to call or email with any questions. Also, all your purchases will go towards your Stamp of the Month discount*, so you can rack up even more savings!

*This 15% offer does not include Stamp of the Month, Discontinued, Constant Campaign, Personalized or Sale-Priced items. Stamp of the Month is regular price with discounts for applicable $25, $50, $75, or $100 product purchases. If you have any questions about this sale, please contact Bonnie Padgett.

April Stamp of the Month - "Flower Pot"

2010-04-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

They say April showers bring May flowers, but this year, we've already had plenty of showers, so our flowers are coming early - as in TODAY! April's Stamp of the Month, "Flowerpot" is sure to add a little Springtime to any page!

I just love this kit! These sweet flowers shower happiness on any page, and cheer up any card! Create your own boquets with this beautiful variety of flowers, pots, and thoughtful sentiments.

Remember, Stamps of the Month are only available during their feature month, and can be purchased for BIG discounts with qualifying CTMH purchases. You can even get them for FREE! Contact me to learn how, and get your little bit of springtime today!

Fabulous Friday Scrap Starter!

2010-03-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

Is it really Friday again already?!?! How did that happen? I had some great posts I meant to get up here, about some new gorgeous flower ideas, some friendly little cards, and even a layout or two! Oh well, that's what next week if for, I suppose! I will do better, I promise.

In the meantime, happy Friday, everyone! Hope you're ready for a fun-filled weekend, that hopefully involves a few minutes of some scrap time (if you're really lucky!). If it does, make sure you take a look at this week's Scrap Starter - it's a great way to use several pictures in a hurry, and works for all sorts of topics.

Check out my own take on this Scrap Starter with this layout.

See? You can take as much or as little from the sketches as you want, and really make them your own!

Fabulous Friday Scrap Starters!

2010-03-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

For those of you, who like me, often find themselves struggling to 'get the ball rolling' on a page. For those who get stuck trying to lay out your pictures and papers in a way that makes you smile, do I have just the thing for you!

Introducing (insert drum roll here)...

The Mad Scrapper's Fabulous Friday Scrap Starters!

These sensational sketches are sure to speed up your scrapping in a snap, and these punchy pages will please even the most perplexed of people! (Now how's that for alliteration?!)

I've designed these scrap starters as an easy way to start pages, create layouts, and get those pictures in your albums! They are designed for 12 x 12 pages, but can be scaled for any size album. You'll see a lot of 4x6 pictures because that's mostly what I print, so this makes it fast and simple to use them without having to figure out how to crop them to fit, but I will have some with other sizes too, because sometimes you've gotta crop out Aunt Gertrude's backside from the shot, or your dear hubby's blurry finger from an otherwise great pic of your kiddos...

I hope you enjoy this new feature of The Mad Scrapper, and I hope you'll send me some pictures of your finished pages so I can see how you used the sketches and so I can post them for even more inspiration for the rest of us!

As always, Happy Scrapping, and enjoy your new Scrap Starter!

Sassy Card Idea

2010-03-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

I got this precious card from my dear friend Cheryl last night, and thought it was absolutely inspired! It made me laugh out loud, and definitely made my evening!

It's the perfect girlfriend to girlfriend sentiment, and looking it over, I can think of several adorable variations to this design.

It looks pretty easy to make, too.

For the sentiment, you can stamp it on or write it on the card or a tag.
For the cups of the bra, a flower sticker or punched shape cut in two will do, or even just a circle cut in two.
For the 'girls', a circle cut from ivory or cream colored cardstock, and cut in two (just slightly smaller than your bra circle).
For the straps, a couple of strips of matching paper, with the edges hand rounded and completmentary eyelets fastened in,
A few pop dots in strategic locations for all the right 'lift',
A scalloped mounting square, with some 'stitching' inked along the edges,
And, a piece of ribbon, either ruffled using mini dotz (tiny clear adhesive dots), or using a stapler to hold the frills in place, and voila!

Hope you all enjoy this one as much as I did receiving it! Thanks, Cheryl, for the AMAZING card. You are always so creative!

Happy scrapping, everyone!

TMS Retreat Update

2010-03-18T08:08:00.001-07:00

We still have spaces open for the First Annual Mad Scrappers Retreat, scheduled June 11-13, 2010, in Ellijay, Ga. The cost is $135, and includes accomodations, meals, goodie bags, drinks, snacks, prizes, your own scrap space, and much, much more! If you haven't signed up, or know someone else who is interested, please contact me or click here for more information, or you can sign up automatically by sending in your $75 deposit (see Paypal link to the right).

To all those who have already signed up for the retreat, a few notes.

First of all, welcome! I can't wait for our weekend getaway, and am already busy getting door prizes, goodie bags and contests ready right now! Speaking of contests, you might want to start thinking about your PJs for Saturday night... I'm just sayin' (hint, hint)!

Also, remember that your deposit of $75 is due by April 15 to reserve your space. To make getting payments to me easier, I have added Paypal buttons on the right hand column of this blog. You can pay your deposit, the remaining balance (due by May 31), or pay the entire fee up front. As always, cash or checks are accepted if you'd rather pay that way.

That's all for now! Please feel free to comment, email or call with any questions you may have!

Happy scrapping!

Adding Some SHINE to your Titles

2010-03-10T07:32:00.000-08:00

I recently did a page about Hayden's love of bath time, and since the topic centers around being in the tub and in the water, I thought it would be neat to have some shiny, epoxy letters for my title, to give it a 'wet' look. Unfortunately, in all my stash, I didn't have any stickers or chipboard letters that fit the bill, so in typical fashion, I decided to make my own! Here's a quick walk-through of how I did it, that shows you with a few minutes of your time, and a little creativity, you can get just the look you want!

First, I started by cutting my title, "Bath Time", out on my Cricut. If you don't have a Cricut, you can also use plan, flat letter stickers, other die-cut letters, or chipboard alphabets to spell out your title.

Next, to ensure the letters stayed put easily while I worked, I zipped them through my Xyron, which also turned them into stickers for easy adhesion later! After rubbing the letters well, I peeled the front sheet off, leaving the letters adhered to the Xyron backing. If you're braver than me, you can go ahead and attach them to your layout, then follow the remaining steps, but I always like to have the option of a re-do before I stick everything down to my page! Call me chicken!

Then, I got out my Liquid Glass. If you haven't seen this stuff, it's amazing. It's a CTMH product (which means you can get it from your local consultant...ahem.), and it makes adding some shine and texture to almost anything a quick and easy process!

When using Liquid Glass, I typically outline whatever I'm covering, to create a dam to capture the rest of the LG as I fill in the shape. These letters were pretty thin, so one thick line of LG covered it just about everywhere.

Once you cover the object, let it dry flat for about 15 minutes (or a little longer if you covered a large space). I used that time to finish sticking down all the photos and embellishments on the rest of the pages, and work on my journaling. Once a multi-tasker, always a multi-tasker! :)

Test a corner of your object with a fingernail to check to see if it's fully dry before moving, and then you're free to add your title to your finished page!

It creates a nice dimension to your letters, and a great shine that helps bring your pages to life.

I love LG because it is great on so many projects! One year, for my Christmas cards, I used it to make my stamped candy canes and tree ornaments sparkle, and it's wonderful for covering the tops of buttons or other embellishments to give them an epoxy-ed look.

Here's another quick idea -

Do you love the look of glitter letters or embellishments, but hate the mess they leave on your albums and pages (and hands, and face, and hair, and carpet, and...) Next time you glue some glitter to your pages, cover the object with a top coat of Liquid Glass. You'll get all the razzle-dazzle without any of the frizzle-frazzle (yes, I made that up. Don't laugh).

Another thing I love about LG is that it's so fast and easy to use! And of course, it's a money saver! For only a few dollars, you get a whole bottle of LG, and you can cut your own letters for a fraction of the price of designer stickers.

I'm sure you all have great ideas on where you can add a little 'pop' to your pages! Please comment and let us know your thoughts - I'm sure we'd all love to add some more tricks to our scrappin' games too!

Topstitch

2010-03-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

Have you gals seen Topstitch yet? This is, hands down, my favorite new CTMH paper set. I absolutely adore the colors, textures and patterns in this kit! The little suede flower embellishments that coordinate are just pure eye candy, too!

If you haven't seen this kit yet, jump on CTMH's site and check out the SpiringIdeaBook on pages 14-15 to see the Level 1 and 2 kits, the My Stickease packs, and the gorgeous Stamp Sets that tie in to this design - "Charmed", which has some beautiful flower designs, and "Togetherness", which I love for the scroll-y, stictched accents.

Oh, and you can check out those suede flowers on page 91!

If you're interested in getting your own Topstitch products, contact me for more information!

March Stamp of the Month - "A Little Everything"

2010-03-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

This month's Stamp of the Month from CTMH is something I've been wanting for a long time. It's a little bit of everything, as the name says! Perfect for you card-makers like me, it has all sorts of mix-and-match sentiments, in a variety of sizes, as well as a beautiful scalloped border and some great brackets (I just love brackets! Not sure why, but I do!).

This 26 piece set sells regularly for $22.95, and is only available this month, but remember there are some AMAZING savings to be had!

A $25 purchase or more earns 25% off the SOM- get it for only $17.21!
A $50 purchase or more earns 50% off, and your SOM is only $11.48!
A $75 purchase or more earns 75% off, and the SOM is only $5.74!
A $100 purchase or more, and you get the SOM for FREE!

Crafty Cards on the Cheap

2010-02-28T19:23:00.000-08:00

Since crafting on a budget is such an important topic these days, I thought I'd stick with the theme on this post too, and show you how I get the most out of my supplies.

First, I started with some clearance rack cards. These were great - they were in beautiful, bold colors - pink, green and purple, and came with matching envelopes, and the best part was, they were marked down less than $2 for a pack of 12 (and these are standard size, too!). The key to these is that I didn't find them at a scrapbook store - I found them at my local Target in the card aisle when I was doing some last minute Hallmark shopping. I scooped up a bunch of them, even though emblazoned across the front of each was a big "THANK YOU", knowing I could put those to good use for a variety of occasions.

Fast forward to today. I wanted to make a card for my sister's birthday, and I wanted it to be something special and personal. I only had a short amount of time to do it in, so I started with the basics. I grabbed:

A pack of the Thank You cards
My scrap paper folder (don't have one? You need one... read below to find out more!)
My 'occasions' caddy of stamps (I keep my stamps organized by theme, so they're easy to grab when I need them)
My new paper flowers, also made from scraps
and, finally, My mixed alphabet bag (read below for more on this, too).

I made the card quickly, using a scrap of paper to cover the card's printed message, using my stamps to mark the sentiment, most of her name, and to add the 'stitched' detail across the bottom. I used a left over cardstock letter to accent her initial, and put some pop dots on the paper flower, and voila! I was done in just a few minutes. And, the best part - no new products were used!

Next time you start a card project, look around you for the items you've been wanting to use in your scrapping or cardmaking, and just can't seem to find a home for. Try sorting items by like colors or patterns, and you may find a whole new life for those product misfits!

Now, back to a few of my notes above:

Scraps Folder
For all pieces of paper that are at least 12" long, OR 6" wide, I store them in a paper sorter (can find at your local scrapbook store, much like an expanding photo keeper, only larger. Or, you could use a standard office expanding folder). I use the dividers to sort the papers by style and color, so that they're easy to find and use for my next project. This is the folder I looked to when making my paper flowers last week, and it's where I go for cards, scrapbook pages, tags, and other accents and embellishment uses. I find I'm more likely to use them when they are neat and sorted than when I have them tucked here and there amongst my piles of paper, virtually lost among the stacks.

Mixed Alphabet Bag
I keep a freezer size ziploc bag full of my misfit, leftover and partial alphabet collections. When an alphabet reaches a point that it's no longer complete enough to be useful, I tuck the leftover in here. I keep my chipboard letters, stickers, rub-ons, die cuts and more in here. They are great for accents like what I used on this card, to start titles in scrapbooks, or for a whimsical page, they're great for the entire title or journal, to give it a hodge-podge feel. Just another way to stretch every last dollar out of those scrapping supplies!

Have a good week, and Happy Scrappin'!

Oh, and PS - Completely off the subject, but I got a new scrapping desk at auction this weekend (again, another bargain buy!) and I'm in love! It's cozy, and girly, and holds all my basics, and because it's a rolltop, it fits in well enough with our living room decor, I can work right there while my daughter Hayden plays! This is going to help me get so much more accomplished! I am having almost as much fun arranging it as I will scrapping at it!

"I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date!"

2010-02-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

Borrowing a line from the movie that inspired my blog name, the title of my post today is a refrain that I hear a lot from my fellow scrappers.
"I don't have time to scrap," they'll say. "I have so many things that I need to do/take care of/plan/fix/buy/you-name-it"
And, truthfully, I understand. Ask any my friends about booking me and my husband to do something with them, and they'll tell you - they have to reserve us weeks - sometimes months - in advance to ensure our ability to attend.

However, NEVER FEAR! my fellow scrappers! Today I will load you up with tons of ideas, tricks and helpful hints on how to stay ahead in the scrapping game, even if you can only carve out small amounts of time to play.

Here are 3 quick ways to get layouts done in less time:

1. Use a kit!

Sounds so simple, doesn't it? But it really is! Kits like CTMH's Level 1 kits give you everything you need to complete up to 6 layouts, all for only $9.95! The colors are coordinated for you, cardstock and patterned paper are included, along with pre-arranged layout pages and some great Stickease adhesive sheets that coordinate with your papers and help you to quickly title, embellish and finish your pages! The only thing you need to do is add your pictures, journal, and your pages are ready to go in your album and share with your family and friends!

2. Make a hybrid album.

No, I'm not talking about digital and paper, although you can do that too. This is even easier. Using CTMH's 9"x9" Simply Snapshots kits make finishing an album in an evening a breeze! Each page has space for (2) 4x6 pictures - no need to crop them! and room for journaling or a title. They come in coordinating packs of 12 sheets, so you have enough pages to finish your book. And, they're value-priced at only $8.95 each! Add a coordinating Stickease pack for coordinating Embellishment adhesives, and for just $4.95, you've got everything you need for your album!

3. Come to a monthly crop.
Every month, I host a Friday night crop, giving all my scrapping gals time to catch up on their albums and their friends. We have dinner, dessert, prizes and more, all for only a $10 cover. You get access to my Cricut and all my cartridges (or feel free to bring your own to use), your own scrap space, and plenty of fun!

Plus, there are tons of ways to come for free! Have a favorite dessert you want to share? First one to volunteer to bring our dessert comes free! Have a new scrapping buddy? Bring her and you both come free her first night! Need to stock up on supplies? Place a $30 CTMH order and your cover is waived!

Best of all, you get 6 hours of uninterrupted cropping time to hang out with your friends, let your hair down, and get some CROPPING done! Make this time for yourself just once a month and you'll see the finished pages start stacking up in your albums!

I hope these ideas have helped you see how you can squeeze a little more scrap time out of your life, even amidst a busy schedule. It's important that we all take time for ourselves now and again, and remember, scrapbooking is not just for you. It's for your family, your children, and future generations. It's a way of preserving precious memories and sharing your perspective on the world with those around you. It's a wonderful gift you give those you love, so make sure you make the time everytime you can.

For more information on the CTMH product featured in this post, check out our Online Idea Book. Check out the paper kits starting on page 14, and the Simply Snapshots are on page 31. Contact me for more information as well, or to learn how to order.

Happy Scrappin'!

Homemade Embellishments

2010-02-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

As much as I love and drool over the beautiful embellishments that you can find in the stores these days, there is something about the homemade variety that I will always adore. Perhaps it's because it goes right to the heart of scrapping, for me, cataloging the times and essence of our lives.

My latest addiction is clothing tags. With a baby girl around, you can imagine the gorgeous styles, names and prints that accompany her beautiful little clothes. They make wonderful embellishments, tags, fodder for titles, and more. Even cuter are the woven tags in the back of her little outfits. I lucked up on a lot of yard-sale clothes, which I try to keep intact, but every once in a while, a particularly rowdy dinner or overfull diaper renders the outfit unwearable for future users. From those, I love snagging the beautiful tags for page embellishments. Just look at the colors and patterns!

Beach towels are another great place to steal tags from and not worry about losing the size information, FYI!

Anothe hobby I've started is collecting bottle caps. My hubs loves Stewart's Orange Soda, and we occasionally buy Jones Soda, and I love saving the caps from all those drinks for my scrapping endeavors. After cleaning them thoroughly, I like to paint them, or cover the tops with chipboard or paper, and put a Pop-Dot behind them for a chunky embellishment on my page. Sometimes, If I don't need that much height, I will take my crafting hammer and flatten the outer flanges, which creates a new look and still brings dimension to my pages.

These are great for adding the date to a page, to stamp or mount the first letter of a title, to use as bubbles or balloons, wheels or balls, depending on the theme of your page. They're a wonderful place to mount flowers, or to use as the center of a large flower. The possibilities are endless!

Share with us your favorite homemade embellishments, and we'll all have a new idea for our next crop!

Til then, happy scrapping!

Trendy Paper Flowers

2010-02-20T14:27:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for SPRINGTIME! It must just be on my mind these days, but I'm seeing flowers blooming all over! Paper flowers seem to be one of the new 'must have's' for scrappers and cardmakers - I see them in magazines, online, in stores, and of course in Archivers - the epitome of trendiness.

For those of you like me, who love the look, but either (a) don't have the budget, or (b) prefer a handmade touch to those factory-churned designer doo-dads (or both), I have a great solution! It's also a wonderful way to use up those beautiful paper scraps you just can't seem to let go of!

For this project, I used my Cricut and my scraps to cut a wide assortment of flower shapes and sizes. If you don't have a Cricut, no worries - use your flower punches, Sizzix, Cuttlebug or any other die-cutting tools. Or you can always cut them by hand. I used coordinating scraps, and some completely random scraps. I even used some of the scraps where I had practice-stamped, or jotted journaling notes. Those make excellent paper flowers!

Grab a handful of those brads, eyelets, ribbon and other assorted goodies you can't seem to find a page for, some ink pads or markers, and away we go!

Once I had all my shapes cut, I next began layering 2, 3 or even 4 shapes together to see which looked good, both from a color and shape perspective. Once I was happy with my choices, I used various ink pads to darken the edges of the petals, giving dimension to the flower. I used markers and inks to distress some of the plainer papers and give them some texture. Then finally, I fretted the edges, curled petals forward or backward, and folded flowers to make them three-dimensional and at a little more 'umpfh'. Finally, I selected a brad or eyelet or other embellishment to tie the layers together and finish it off.

These are so simple, I didn't even need adhesive for them! They're a great project to do in front of the TV, or to get your creative juices flowing when you're having scrapper's block on a page, or have a short amount of time or space, but just want to craft a little!

These are beautiful additions to your homemade cards, gift tags, and of course, scrapbook pages!

I hope you like these fun floral creations, and I hope they bring a little sunshine and Springtime to your crafting corner of the world!

Happy Scrapping!

March Crop Night

2010-02-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

Don't forget our monthy crop night! A great way to get away for a little break and unwind at the end of the work week, and of course, to get some scrapping done!

Our next event will be March 5, from 6pm-12. It includes dinner, drinks and dessert, a free welcome gift, access to my Cricut and cartridges, and your own scrap space, all for only $10!. Plus, there will be lots of CTMH products on hand if you need to stock up on any supplies.

Click here and reserve your spot now!

When the Scraps Align...

2010-02-17T06:14:00.000-08:00

Good morning, my happy little scrappers!

Here's a great article about "aligning" elements on your pages. It's an interesting thought to consider the next time you are searching for a layout idea. Try aligning your elements in one of the ways Debbie describes, and you're bound to enjoy the results!

Debbie Hodge's Article on Alignment

Image Credit: Debbie Hodge

Only 12 days left on this GREAT cardstock deal!

2010-02-16T17:21:00.000-08:00

And this deal is for a great cause, to boot!

Help the victims of the Haiti earthquake while adding to your stash! Through the month of February, purchase any of CTMH's 12" × 12" textured cardstock combo packs and you’ll get one FREE, ... and with every offer purchased, Close To My Heart will donate $2 US to Operation Smile’s Haiti relief efforts. That means for only $14.95, you get two packs of CTMH's high-quality textured cardstock (that's 48 sheets!!) and you help this urgent, important cause.

Operation Smile is always a fantastic charitable partner of CTMH's—offering free facial reconstruction surgeries to needy children throughout the world. They’ve currently marshaled their medical teams and resources to provide emergency relief in Haiti, and the donations given as part of Hearts for Haiti will be used exclusively for Operation Smile’s efforts in Haiti. For more information on their on-the-ground response, you can visit Operation Smile.

For more information on this great deal, or to place your order, email me at bonnie.k.padgett@gmail.com. Don't forget, though - this opportunity and offer are only good through the end of the month!

The First Annual Mad Scrappers Retreat!

2010-02-15T09:38:00.000-08:00

Ladies,

I'm proud to announce the first annual Mad Scrappers' weekend retreat. Held in beautiful Ellijay, GA, it's the perfect way to get away from the hustle and bustle and get some "me" time in!

So mark your calendars now for June 11-13, 2010! Can't wait to see you there!

The weekend will be chock full of plenty of scrapping, eating, relaxing and FUN! We'll have individual work spaces, a Cricut and tons of cartridges for use, meals from Friday night through Sunday morning, super-comfortable accomodations, goodie bags, door prizes and much, much more!

Comment here if you're interested in signing up and I will send you the full information sheet via email!