• Cricut Projects,  Inspiration,  Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects,  Uncategorized

    Snow Fun

    Hello there! I took a break from all the Christmas card projects to share this fun winter layout I’ve titled Snow Fun! This layout is part of a collaboration I did with Jayma Malme. The challenge was to create a new project by combining two or more existing projects from the Complete Creativity collection. I got a little carried away and combined elements from five different projects and here is the 12 x 12 layout I came up with.

    I really enjoyed working in the Design Space. It was fun to pull an element from here or there, move things around to my liking and then cut it all out on my Cricut Explore Air 2. From there this layout came together quickly as it was a matter of piecing the parts together.

    To add more color I incorporated a few pieces from the Holly Jolly paper collection. I used some of the patterned paper and a pink pine tree sticker from the coordinating sticker sheet. I used the pink elements on this layout to create a visual triangle that carries your eye around the page and add a pop of color. For a finishing touch, I used the Clear Shimmer Brush to give sparkle and shine to my snowflakes.

    To see this layout come together and the projects in the Complete Creativity I utilized, check out the youtube tutorial below. Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed this project and are inspired to give it a try. Happy crafting!

    Supply List:

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  • Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects,  Stamp Of The Month

    “A Friend Like You” featuring the November SOTM

    Hello crafty friends! Today’s layout was a dive into your scrappy stash and see what I can create kind of day. I blended 4 different collections including Every Little Thing, Craft On, I ❤️ Us, and Complete Creativity. I love being able to mix the old with the new and use up scraps and create something beautiful! This layout literally began with a pile of chevron strips leftover from another project. Since they were already cut in the Glacier cardstock, I found this photo to match my color scheme. Normally I start with the picture for my inspiration but this was a fun challenge to work backward.

    The majority of my embellishments were created from the November stamp of the month pictured below. You can get this stamp set for only $5 with your purchase of $50. Just remember the “Family Time” stamp set will be available for November only. To create my embellishments I stamped the flowers in black pigment ink and then embossed them with clear embossing powder. This gives them a shiny finish. I used Thistle ink for the purple flowers and then stamped a second layer to the image in black. Silver glitter gems add a finishing touch when placed at the center of the flowers.

    This stamp set is perfect for family layouts as well as Thanksgiving, Fall or even greeting cards. I can see the “hugs to you” on a fun handcrafted card for sure!

    To round out my flower cluster I added stamped hand-trimmed floral sprigs. To add a bit of interest and texture, I tucked a few vellum embellishments from the Every Little Thing collection. The frame I cut with the stitched rectangle dies from Glacier cardstock. I like using the frames along with solid rectangle shapes to mat my photos. The frame allows the pattern paper to peek through while providing a home to showcase the pretty stamped flowers.

    To watch this layout come together you can check out the Youtube video below.

    Thank you so much for stopping by! Leave me a comment to say hello and as always, happy crafting!

    Supply List:

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  • Inspiration,  Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects

    Autumn 🍂 Days

    Hello there and thanks for visiting my blog. This is my 4th or maybe 5th layout featuring the gorgeous Hawthorn collection. I truly can’t get enough of this paper pack! The fall colors, pretty leaves and wooden embellishments speak my language! I knew this collection would be perfect to tell the story behind this memory of my youngest son and this orphaned fawn. I had a lot to say so I tucked my journaling behind the plaid patterned and created a pull tab so people would know it is there.

    To give this layout a touch of distressed texture, I applied Ranger Texture Paste around the edge of my base layer of card stock. I love all the unique looks you can achieve with this product and it is so easy to use. You can tint it with inks but the white color showed perfectly against my dark background.

    Most all my embellishments were included in the Hawthorn Workshop. I did add the additional wooden shapes because I had to have that little buck. Sometimes its nice to have everything in one tidy bundle. You can easily grab it and work on it anywhere. Even during your lunch break at the office! It comes together quickly and takes the guess work out of the equation so anyone can create beautiful pages for their albums.

    The “Cherish This” sentiment was perfect for this memory of my son and this orphaned Fawn. He has such a heart for all God’s creatures and stepped right up to help tend to this little guy the short time he was in our care. To watch this layout come together you can check out the video below.

    Thanks for stopping by and spending time with me. Leave me a comment to say hello and I will see you next time. Happy crafting!

    Supply List:

    Paper: Hawthorn Scrapbooking Workshop, Sapphire Cardstock

    Additional Supplies:

    Hawthorn Wooden Shapes, Teeny Tiny Type stamp set, Ranger Texture Paste, Palette Knives, All Purpose mat, Tombow Liquid Adhesive,

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  • Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects,  Stamp Of The Month,  Uncategorized

    “Autumn Air” October Stamp of the Month

    Hello my crafty friends! It is fall time and yes, just like that, summer turned into fall 🍂!!! Welcome to the Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring October’s SOTM, Autumn Air. If you have come here from Ramona’s Blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around. If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog.

    This month we have approximately 29 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their art work using this month’s SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do – just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

    I created this fun layout featuring several CTMH products available in the current catalog. My title, “I Love Fall Most of All” is one of several title options from this fall inspired stamp set. I began this page with the “distressed chalkboard” paper from the mix in paper pack. There is so much fun detail in this background paper I didn’t want to cover it up! I kept my layout simple matting my photos on White Daisy card stock and then bordering one with a Hawthorn picture my life card to add a pop of saffron. To make my title stand out, I embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder. I gave it presence by adding a frame which I cut using our stitched rectangle thin cuts.

    The fun banner I created with my Cricut. I cut several triangles from scraps leftover from both the Hawthorn and Mix-In paper packs. The larger triangles measure 1.25″ and the smaller at .75″ I love the look of both the plaid and text patterned papers! The sunflower is from the new Sunflower Sympathy stamp set and the white leaves I punched out of the Hawthorn workshop kit. This layout came together very quickly. The black, white and Saffron color palette makes me happy!

    For my second project I again used the SOTM to emboss my title. You will notice that although the word Fall is the same, the rest of my title is different. I love that you can switch the stamp set up to change the look. You could also use Autumn 🍂 in place of Fall.

    This layout was created with leftover scraps from the Hawthorn workshop. I did add a sheet of Sapphire card stock as my base and sanded around the edges to reveal the white core. Also from my stash, I added the kraft colored card stock behind my photo. I gave it a torn edge to add texture and interest.

    The leaf 🍁 cluster I layered together with leftovers from the Hawthorn Kit. I love how there are so many different types of leaves! The outlined leaves contrast beautifully with the solid, text and stamped images. So pretty!!! Lastly I added a few amber colored rhinestones from my stash. To see this layout come together, and for a tip on adhering your embellishments all at once, check out the YouTube process video below.

    Thank you for stopping by! Be sure to keep hopping around this blog hop to see more artwork. Click here to visit Lauren’s blog next!

    Supply List: Autumn Air SOTM, Mix In paper pack, Hawthorn Workshop, White Daisy card stock, Sapphire Card stock, Saffron card stock, Kraft Card stock, Hawthorn Picture My Life cards, Sunflower Sympathy stamp set, Stitched Rectangle Thin Cuts, Gold Embellishing Thread, VersaMark ink pad, White Embossing Powder, Anti Static Pouch, Amber Rhinestones

  • Inspiration,  Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects,  Uncategorized

    “Beautiful Family” featuring the Every Little Thing Collection

    Hello and welcome to Crafty Concepts with Erin. I am excited to share this new paper collection with you. I will admit, initially I passed this over in the new catalog hardly sparing a second glance. Then I thought about these pictures from my In Law’s 50th wedding anniversary and knew the color scheme and botanical feel would be perfect. I am very thankful I purchased this kit. The colors and papers are BEAUTIFUL! Sometimes its like clothes shopping, we don’t really care for an outfit until we try it on, then we are in love and can’t wait to wear it. In fact I ordered a second paper pack to extend my workshop kit. I appreciate that CTMH offers several different purchasing options for their collections.

    Just look at these butterflies! The three layers add so much texture and dimension. I used my mint shimmer pen to add a touch of sparkle to the centers of the white and the clear shimmer to dress up the purple butterflies. The foliage was quickly popped from the coordinating die-cut sheet. For those of you that don’t care for fussy cutting, this is the solution! Very quick and easy.

    Originally this was designed to be a single page layout. With so many pictures to scrapbook I new I needed to extend it to two pages. I added a sheet of White Daisy card stock to create the base of the right side. Two sheets of Sapphire blue card stock were also added from my stash to mat the photos. I saved a few butterflies and greenery springs originally intended for the left layout to carry over the embellishments and spread them a little further. You can’t even tell they are missing! The original layout is still full and beautifully embellished. For the title I switched things up a bit. It is designed to read “You Are So Beautiful”. That didn’t jive with my plan so I added the word family, which I cut on my Cricut using the Artbooking collection, from a scrap of black card stock.

    The days festivities were held in my garden. I love how the pretty papers and colors capture the essence of the yard. The new color of the year, “Julep” is such a lovely shade of green, it compliments the grassy background in the photos perfectly.

    Here is a close up of those beautiful butterflies! I used my Mono liquid adhesive to adhere only the center of their body. You can bend the wings up a bit to give them that wow factor. If you squish a tiny bit of foam tape in the crevice it will help to hold their wings up even after they are in the page protector. Below I framed this picture of the guest of honor using a scrap of the stripped purplish-blue card stock. I added the flower and heart from the coordinating sticker sheet and finished it off with an acrylic butterfly and some sparkles.

    Below is a look at the patterned papers and coordinating sticker embellishment sheet for this collection.

    Check out the youtube video to watch this layout come together and see how I incorporate several photos using Flip Flaps.

    Here is the workshop kit. You will receive the Every Little Thing paper pack, sticker sheet, 6 exclusive die-cut sheets, a set of exclusive white acrylic shapes, clear sparkles and 3 memory protectors!!! To purchase this kit for yourself click here.

    Supply List:

    Every Little Thing scrapbooking workshop, White Daisy card stock, Sapphire card stock, Artbooking Cricut cartridge, Tombow Mono liquid adhesive, Sapphire Exclusive Ink, sponge daubers, Adhesive Foam Tape

    Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are feeling inspired by this beautiful collection. Leave me a comment to say hello. Happy crafting my friends!

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  • Inspiration,  Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects

    Summer Memories

    Hello there friends! Today I’m sharing the first layout I created with the Sweet Girl paper collection. Yes that is correct, I said sweet girl. You are probably a bit surprised as my layout is rather boyish in nature and definitely outdoorsy. Being a mom of two rough and tumble boys I have had to train my eye to look past all the pinks, lace and florals that flood the scrapbooking industry. Don’t get me wrong I do love the look but it doesn’t always work well with my photos. When you look past it’s initial feminine appearance you see blues, greens, plaids, a bug patterned paper and even a wood grain paper! Super easy to pull off an adventurous boy page with these options. Be sure to scroll all the way down to see the video on how this all came together and to check out the Sweet Girl kit and coordinating embellishments! I’d love to hear from you so leave me a comment at the bottom of this page.

    As you can see here, the little fly like insects are perfect for these fishing photos. I have layered up patterned paper and cardstock to highlight my main photo. The little banner adds a touch of carefree fun to the layout. What is nice about this is that I used a stamp to create the look. You can reuse this idea on other layouts and cards adjusting the ink color to suit your needs.

    Here is a look at the Summer Memories stamp set. I used the phrases Summer and Memories to make a quick title for my layout. You will also notice I utilized the Sunshine and Blue Skies sentiment as well as the word This to start my journaling. For my banner I only selected the sun and star banner shape omitting the moon as it did not jive with my layout.

    I thought it would be fun to add a pop of color and texture with some tangled thread. It evokes memories of constant tangled fishing line from my young fishermen and also making the perfect nesting spot to highlight this fly fishing embellishment I created from a retired stamp set.

    Starting with White Daisy card stock I cut the circle with the Stitched Circles thin cut. The stitched marks around the border really add a nice finishing touch. The sentiment is stamped in Sapphire and then to add dimension I adhered the embellishment with foam tape. I anchored everything by creating a cluster with the added thread, star and little fishy character. Watch the video below to see how this layout came together and hear the story.

    Pictured above is the Sweet Girl deluxe kit you can order here. The Summer Memories stamp set is included in the deluxe version. If you opt to get the paper kit or basic workshop you can purchase it separately here. Be sure to check out all the options for this collection and coordinating embellishments too! Thanks for stopping by! If you are veiwing this on ypur phone or tablet scroll down to see the awesome stamp of the month promo going on!

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  • Inspiration,  Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects

    My Cup of Tea (or Coffee)!

    Hello my name is Erin and I’m a coffee addict! When I spotted this cute little teacup stamp set I immediately thought coffee cup. I love tea as well but we just do not have the same relationship. That is my mom and I pictured above. After a morning walk along our favorite local trail we headed to Starbucks for a delicious cup of joe. My choice, a grande Americano that I dress up with my favorite almond caramel creamer. Yummo! I created this layout with leftovers from the World is Yours paper collection, a promo kit from the month of May. Be sure to scroll all the way to the end to see some cards I created with this stamp set as well.

    I cut the title and the steamy swirl on my Cricut machine. The vellum paper helps to accentuate the look of steam rising from a hot cup of goodness. Punching the tea cups from White Daisy card stock then adding patterned paper gives a unique finish to each cup. To help establish the coffee theme I used a retired alphabet stamp set to spell out the word coffee and stamp directly on the cup.

    You can purchase this whimsical little stamp set with or without the thin cut. Get yours here. I like to have the coordinating die for these stamps. It gives a nice crisp finish and speeds up the process. The possibilities are endless! This set would be perfect to embellish a trip to Disneyland and a swirly twirly ride on the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party ride. Or how about snapshots of lunch with your friends?

    The fun quote I spotted on Pinterest and knew I wanted to incorporate it into my layout. Not having a stamp, I turned to my computer. Popping it up with dimensional foam and adding the coffee cup turns this into a cute embellishment. I added a few splatters in Cocoa brown as if one splattered their coffee a bit. The little travel mug I cut from the Cricut cartridge “You Are Here”. So cute and tiny!!! Check out the video below to see this page come together.

    Just to show you how versatile you can get with this stamp set I created a few cards. Finding inspiration in my garden I put this thank you card together. The patterned papers are from the True Love collection as well as the flower bouquet spilling over the tea cup’s brim. I added some texture to the Thistle colored cardstock by embossing with the Flower Garden embossing folder and finishing it off with some sequins for sparkle.

    Here is another cute card I put together featuring the True Love paper collection. I framed out the card with the largest rectangle from the Stitched Rectangle Frames thin cuts. I love the detail this die adds with the stitching around the border. To add to the look I cut the doily from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. Lastly I cut the Tea Cup from White Daisy card stock. To add the patterned paper to the inside I simply stamped the cup on the floral paper and fussy cut with my micro tip scissors. Finish off the look with a bit of ribbon and your card is finished!

    Thank you for stopping by. Leave me a comment and share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you! Just a reminder that these products are featured in the Seasonal expressions idea book only available through August.

  • Inspiration,  Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects

    The World is Yours cut above kit

    Hello! I have been having so much fun creating with this kit Close to My Heart designed for national scrapbooking month. Today I’m sharing one of the cut above the layouts. I will admit that at first I wasn’t all that interested in the Cut Above scrapbooking kits. I was worried it would stifle my creativity and limit my flexibility because so much of it is done for you. I thought they would be good to teach beginner scrapbookers but I quickly discovered they are good for so much more!

    I was inspired by what other scrapbookers did with these pre-design layouts. People view things differently and it was fun to see all the beautiful design variations! I found myself thinking oh wow, why didn’t I think of that? They are also perfect if you like to get together with friends while you craft. You can grab these ready to go kits, add a few extra items and off you go without having to pack your entire scrapbooking arsenal.

    For this layout I used pictures of my son and I. We headed out to the lake for some mountain biking. It was such a lovely impromptu day. I snapped a few pictures with my phone to capture the memory. When I saw the bike themed embellishments included with this kit I knew it would be perfect!

    I kept pretty true to the original layout simply adding a few strips of paper and swapping out the scooter for a bicycle to make it coordinate with my photos. I already had the World is Yours paper pack and stamp set so I could incorporate them easily into this layout. I highlighted the title with different shades of ink to give it more presence. Under the bicycle are two zip strips trimmed from the card stock on the coordinating paper pack. With all the soft lighter colors I felt the darker Coco Brown added some depth. Lastly I added some tangled thread to add some texture to this layout.

    Check out the YouTube process video below to see the layout come together

    Unfortunately this is a promo for the month of May but if you’d like to check out other awesome kits visit my online store here. You can buy one month at a time or subscribe for 4 months or the entire year! Thank you for stopping by! Leave me a comment to say hello and let me know what you think. See you next time!

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  • Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects

    This Kid Is Awesome!!!

    Hello there! I hope you are as excited about spring as I am! We have had so many rainy days this season but all is well, the water is much needed and it gives us more time to retreat to our scrapbook rooms. It’s a win win. Here is a fun layout I’m excited to share with you. If you are a mother of teenage boys you might understand how challenging it can be to create masculine layouts. So many of us are attracted to bright colors and florals. I love florals but they’d have no business adorning this cool layout of my awesome dude! Check out the video below to see how this all came together!

    I started this page with some patterned papers from the ‘Feels Like Home’ collection from Close To my Heart. Having already created several layouts I had a lot of scraps left over to play with. It is a little goal of mine to use up an entire kit. I will browse through my photos in search of something to jive with whatever collection I’m working with. When there isn’t enough to make another layout I’ll whip up some cards to have on hand. It feels great to utilize every last bit.

    I love the way the grey flannel plaid paper compliments my son’s shirt in the pics. I chose to accent his blue jeans with this lovely shade of Indian Corn Blue card stock, a retired color from my stash (I’ll link to a similar color below). I built up the layers with patterned papers then added the title. I cut the word #Awesome from the Cricut Artistry collection along with the large circle element. The gears and arrow are from the Artisite Cricut collection. The letter stickers in the title are from the ‘So Much Happy’ compliments. They worked perfectly to bring in a little blue to that area of the layout. As you can see I also balled up some blue thread from my stash to add some pops of color and texture.

    Thanks for stopping by. Leave me comment and share your thoughts! Here’s the links to the items I used to create this page: Feels like home paper pack, Cricut Artistry collection, So Much Happy compliments, Bluebird card stock

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  • Scrapbooking Layouts and Projects

    Feels Like Home

    Hello and welcome back to Crafty Concepts with Erin! I’m excited to share all the projects I created featuring the ‘Feels Like Home‘ paper collection. This is a beautiful kit with an elegant design. It inspired me to create several layouts of captured moments with my family.

    This photograph is of my husband and his three sisters. I am so blessed to have such an amazing extended family and my sister-in-laws share my love for scrapbooking. Talk about lucky! The brick background in this photo inspired me to create my own brick like embellishment using texture paste. This was my first time playing with this fun new product and I will definitely be using it again to see what else I can come up with. Check out the youtube video for a step by step tutorial on how to use texture paste! I will also show you Close to my Heart’s new shimmer pens and how I incorporated them on this layout.

    I’m drawn to the farmhouse color palette and these papers just scream Joanna Gain from Fixer Upper. I love the old fashioned floral elements and the watercolor dies that come with this kit! What special family moments or memories from home could you capture? A visit from Grandma or perhaps lazy backyard picnics on a sunday afternoon? Sounds good to me!

    Here is the list of supplies I used to create this layout: Feels Like Home workshop your way scrapbooking kit , Picture My Life Cards- Feels Like Home , Opaque Matte Texture Paste , Palette Knives , Shimmer Brush in Sugarplum , All Purpose Mat , VersaMat , Micro-tipped scissors , Cricut Artbooking Collection , Exclusive inks stamp pad in Black , 3-D Foam Tape ,

    My second project is a two page layout. My husband and I along with our two boys headed out for a family day. We decided to snap some pictures hoping to get a good one to use on our family Christmas card. It was such a fun day and I will always remember my husband saying ridiculous things so that the boys would have real smiles in the pictures!

    I used a picture my life card to make a quick title then layered the water colored die cuts, stickers from the coordinating compliments and a zip strip to create a cluster and draw your eye to the title. I did add in some extra black cardstock from my stash and created the scalloped black border using my corner rounder.


    Let me know what you think and leave me a little comment. I look forward to hearing from you! Oh and just a note, this beautiful paper pack is available through the end of April while supplies last.

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