Love is in the Details

Lately, I've been moving away from simple, sleek pages towards pages with a lot more detail. I won't lie: they take A LOT longer to make, but for those extra-special pages--the ones where you want to commemorate something of deep significance--it's well worth the effort.

The layout above celebrates my son's First Communion, a spiritual milestone and something I hope he remembers all his life.

When I looked at my stash for just the right papers, I was a little vexed. Lately, CTMH has been offering a beautiful array of shabby chic and quirky papers--not quite right for these photos. The solution? Cardstock! It's easy to alter the tone of patterned papers with cardstock.

I decided on a monochromatic blue colour scheme (because of the dark blue vest and lighter blue shirt, of course) and used CTMH cardstock and ink colours Outdoor Denim, Indian Corn Blue and Lagoon. The pops of colour come from Ruby ink and Skylark Yellow (from the Skylark Paper Packet). There are only two patterned papers on this layout: Skylark (the one with the bird) and Wanderful (blue dots). This is a great example of how well CTMH papers from different paper packets co-ordinate.

Once the page was assembled, I opened the flood gates on my embellishment stash. Even though this is a "boy page", I turned to shiny gems to bring sparkle to the page. (Yes, "This Little Light of Mine" was stuck in my head as I made this page.) From the current Annual Inspirations Idea Book, I used Bling Gems Gold Assortment, Sparkles Clear Assortment and Bitty Sparkles. All the other gems are no longer available, but if you've got them in your stash, use them!!

To add a bit of a masculine touch, I stamped some of the banners in  the Houndstooth pattern from the Distress Backgrounds stamp set. I also used pewter badge buttons and embellishments--metals go a long way to relieving the softness of the patterned papers.

I added in a die cut title and some bling flourishes to finish off the page. I'm really happy how this page turned out. The little details, like the letter for his name, the die cuts and twine give the page a lot of texture and interest. This is one of my all-time favourite pages!

Sneak Peek Days 6 & 7

Sorry for dropping the ball there...life gets in the way of blogging sometimes....

But here's a double-dose of what you can expect from the new Idea Book: THE PAPERS!!

I know this is one of the first things people rush to once the Idea Book is in their hands. They must see what new colours, patterns and  combinations CTMH has come up with. The wait is over.

Laughing Lola is a fun, energetic mix of Black, Gypsy, White Daisy and three exclusive new colours: Laughing Lola Blue, Laughing Lola  Gold and Laughing Lola Purple.

Complementing the Laughing Lola paper packet are the Laughing Lola Assortment (four satin paper clip bows and nine printed gems in three sizes) and Laughing Lola Complements Dimensional Elements (two 12" x 6" chipboard sheets).

Laughing Lola can be described as  "a touch of class and a lot of sass!"--to quote the coordinating Paisley Perfect stamp set.

Sarita is a collection of striking patterns and colours including Colonial White, Cotton Candy, Goldrush, Gypsy, Lagoon and Outdoor Denim. For those of us who love bright colours and striking patterns, this is a must have.

The Sarita Assortment includes 10 etched wooden shapes and four embossed metal icons. The Sarita My Stickease Assortment has the same bold colours and patterns seen in the papers with two titles, journaling spots, borders and also includes pennants, flowers, arrows, feathers and more.

Pro Player is the paper packet I've been waiting for to document the techno-love in my home. The video game inspired papers feature Black, Outdoor Denim, Pacifica, Ruby, Slate and Whisper. With fun digitised patterns, Pro Player is excellent for documenting boys and their toys.

The Pro Player Assortment has 10 corrugated cardboard shapes and six metal-rimmed enamel badge buttons. The Pro Player My Stickease Assortment touches on all things digital--whether your techno-geek is a Guitar Hero,attached to their cell phone, or if you're an X Box widow, there's a fun sticker to tell your story.

Babycakes says it all. These papers are sweet and adorable, just like the new arrivals in your life. Cute giraffes, fun alphabets, soothing stripes and dots are perfect for pages, cards and mini albums about babies. The Buttercup, Chocolate, Colonial White, Slate and Sunset colour scheme is gender-neutral and great for childhood themes.

Babycakes Complements Canvas Shapes add texture to your projects along with cute animals, borders and popular titles. The Babycakes Assortment coordinates perfectly with the papers, but will find it's way into non-baby themed project too! You'll love them so much you'll want to use them on everything! These 12 wood-rimmed badge buttons are adhesive backed and come in three sizes.

Huntington embodies everything I like about autumn-themed papers: heritage, vibrancy and fall colours. The colours, Autumn Terracotta, Barn Red, Cashmere, Champagne, Cocoa, Desert Sand, Olive, and Slate, are the ones I go to again and again for all my pages. My favourite, pattern looks like a large damask, but has an unexpected, large, vibrant flower. It adds fun and whimsy to traditional patterns.

The Huntington Assortment includes four printed canvas shapes and six printed wooden spool tops. Texture and unique ephemera in one package.

The Huntington My Stickease Assortment plays up the vibrant reds and oranges of the colour palette along with the cooling green. Banners, pennants, flowers and leaves are all perfect for your autumn pages and cards.

Frosted isn't your typical Winter/Christmas paper. With cool tones and hot patterns, Frosted strikes and interesting balance of traditional and fashion forward. Champagne and Colonial White combine with two new colours, Frosted Grey and Frosted Turquoise in geometric circles, chevrons, diamonds and, of course, snowflakes.

The Frosted Assortment isn't theme specific, but combines with the papers beautifully. Six felt flowers in three colours (pink, dark grey, and cream) will add elegance and beauty whether you're doing a page about a December Rose or a Spring Bloom.

The Frosted My Stickease Assortment is what you'll turn to for Christmas cards and winter pages. Snowflakes, snowmen and winter images abound in this set of two sticker sheets.

In addition to the My Reflections products described above, each line comes with new My Acrylix stamp sets designed to coordinate with the paper themes. And of course, each has a Workshop on the Go, which includes the paper packets, exclusive stamp sets, embellishments and an instructional brochure all at a discounted price.

There's your first taste of the colours and themes in the new Idea Book. Keep visiting my blog this week for more glimpses at great new products and The Big Reveal on August 1st!