Monthly Archives: April 2014

You’ve Got a Friend in Me – May Blog Hop

I think we are all familiar with the song from Toy Story that you are probably singing in your head right now…. and if you weren’t I likely just changed that- you are welcome! I also welcome you to our May blog hop which will feature our stamp set of the same name and LOTS of ideas for how you can use it! If you have come from Melinda’s Blog then you are on the right path and all you need to do is read on and click the link at the bottom of my page.

For my card I used the National Scrapbooking month paper ‘Free to be Me’. I added some gold shimmer trim (left over from a past project) and a green sparkle for accessories. My centre shape was cut using the Cricut Art Philosophy. The feathers added are from the ‘Feathers’ stamp set.

Here is a similar card but more simplified- it is what my party guests will be making this month. The biggest difference with this one is the use of the gold polka dot washi tape to adorn the card.

Now hop on over to Jen’s blog to see what she has in store for you!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

April is AWESOME with CTMH

These are a series of pictures just from the first half of April! April is AWESOME with CTMH and this is my photographic proof!

Always the busiest month (and September/October as well) but a month that inspires and motivates! It starts wit Scrapfest in Kitchener with my downline Lucy and our friend Lynn (she won’t become a consultant but man can she sell!). We had a great time and welcomed many new ladies to our team and shared our passion and product with the masses!

April is also the month that I have ALMOST earned the next Close to my Heart incentive trip to Disney Aulani in Hawaii!!!! I have many months to go so it is ‘in the bag’ so to speak. I LOVE watching my points creep closer and closer to the 32,000- maybe by the end of this month! My loyal customers and my hard working team are the reason my family and I will be able to enjoy this exclusive resort next winter (and after this winter I think we need it).

Add to all that my team Winning (or actually EARNING cause there was a lot of work to do to be in the running for this) a Thrive incentive! This summer we will be treated to one of the corporate VPs come to us and giving us a free team training! I cannot wait – it will be quite the event!

What will the rest of the month hold??

You will have to check back to find out- there is so much! My team has welcomed over 80 new consultants- we are working on a goal of 100!

Why all the action? check out the ‘Montly Special‘ to see

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

Technique Tuesday: Edge Distresser

Welcome back to Technique Tuesday- I apologize that I have missed a few weeks but we are in the process of selling our home and a messy craft room is just not allowed. Add that to all the time spent out of my home and my artwork creation has gone down- hopefully we sell soon and I can get back on track!

This tuesday I would like to show you how to use an edge distresser- this is a very simple tool to use and super cheap- ours is only $2.50 and will last you a LONG time!

To use just pick it up and start by gently rubbing one of the blades along the edge of your paper. If you want more of a distressed look then keep going and add some pressure- you can always add more but you can never take it away once there. I LOVE this look – our paper contains a white core and this really helps to frame an image and add some interest.

Here is a close up on the sides of a card I was working on using this technique.

And here is the finished card! I used one of our Picture my Life cards from out pocket scrapbooking for the main image AND another one I cut up for the butterfly.

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

Another Advisory Board Layout using Ariana

Another layout today using Ariana and featuring some of my Advisory Board photos- this one is a single page layout with my photo from the photo shoot! I used a layout that I saw on Pinterest for my inspiration (if you follow me on Pinterest you will see that I keep one board FULL of layout inspiration).

Ariana paper, complements, and one of the CUTEST stamp sets we have this idea book! All together made a really sweet one page layout!

Here is a close up of the kite- I used the blending pen to colour in the image (did you see my Technique Tuesday featuring it? If not find it here)

Here are some of the items I have been featuring the past few posts:

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

Advisory Board Layout using Ariana

Here is another layout featuring the Ariana paper- I really like the different blue papers that are featured in this kit! I also used some of the complements from the die-cuts that you can purchase seperately AND if you have been following my blog (and if not what are you waiting for! Sign up on my sidebar!) you know the spray pen technique I used.

These photos were taken last fall at our Advisory Board retreat- the Advisory Board is a group of consultants with Close to my Heart who are chosen to give advice on tops throughout the year. Being picked to be an AB member is a huge complement and I am happy and proud to be part this year! We had a lot of fun with our photos- and used the fact that our group had the first male AB member! Phil was our ‘Charlie’ in one photo and the reason to be shocked in others- what a great memory!

My term ends this summer and I will definitely miss all that this opportunity has brought to me.

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

How to make a Map Pendant Necklace

What locations are close to your heart?

Do you have a loved one overseas? A special place that you call your own?

Make a map pendant necklace and you can always have it with you!

Order any of these items at my shop link above or click here!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

“My Favourite Things” Team Blog Hop

Welcome to my team blog hop featuring …. you guessed it… A Few of My Favourite things ( I am Canadian so my spelling in my post will include the letter U – LOL).

My team and I are featuring some of our favourite product and memories and likely a whole bunch of other things on this blog hop- I hope you enjoy it and please leave a little love on the blogs you visit.

I have MANY favourite things- product wise, memories wise and so much more! One of my MOST favourite things in my team- some who you will visit today! They are a hardworking bunch that love the product as much as me and share it with all they see. Did you know this month through their hard efforts they have welcomed more than 70 people to our team! That is awesome and just shows their dedication and passion!

I did find some artwork though to show you other favourite things- a layout I created to feature my daughters 2nd birthday. This features my first favourite paper pack from this idea book (Balloon Ride), my daughter (who of course is a fav of mine as well), and her party- I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to throw a big, fun, themed birthday party for my kids! She may not remember it but I sure will and this one was a lot of fun- even if we were rained out and everyone had to squeeze inside my little house. I used a mix of hexagons on this layout- some from our Dimensional Elements shapes and some cut on our Cricut cartridge- another FAV!! How can you not love them?? Then I mixed in some sparkles and flowers and voila- a layout fit for a birthday princess!

Now you can hop on over to visit some more fun blogs to share in favourite things… before you do though I would love to hear from you – what is your favourite CTMH product currently? Let me know in the comments below.

Now hop on over to Michelle Stewart’s blog.

If you happen to get lost along the way please come back here for our full list of participants:

1. Brae Montgomery- you are here!

2. Michelle Stewart – http://mycreationswithmichelle.blogspot.ca/2014/04/my-favourite-things-blog-hop.html

3. Lucy Imrie http://www.lucyscreativeexpressions.blogspot.ca/2014/04/my-favourite-things-brae-ers-monthly.html

4. Tamara Lisowski https://geermara.blogspot.com/2014/04/ctmh-these-are-few-of-my-favourite.html

5. Sheri Ballantyne — http://sherisays-justscrapit.blogspot.ca/2014/04/brae-ers-blog-hop-my-favourite-things.html

6. Michelle Hughes – http://therighthugh.blogspot.ca/2014/04/these-are-few-of-my-favourite-things_15.html

7. Kimberly Clark – cricut! – http://leokc34.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-few-of-my-favorite-things.html

8. Alyson Mayo – http://createwithalyson.blogspot.com/2014/04/brae-ers-unit-blog-hop-my-favourite.html

9. Heather Steeves – http://paperplayroom.blogspot.ca/2014/04/my-favourite-things-april-team-blog-hop.html

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

This and That- Ariana Layout

I am trying very hard to show you things beyond my favourite paper pack- I love them all but tend to gravitate toward the Skylark paper. HERE is a layout done with the Ariana paper which is so pretty and also very versatile. I especially LOVE the complement die cuts that you can purchase to go with this paper (that is where most of my embellishments for this layout come from).

I used my spray pen and re-inker to create the background spritz. The layout itself was from a magazine challenge (that I created and forgot to send in LOL!). I like how it all turned out and worked so well with my pics- and the very serious expression that my daughter had that day 🙂

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

Timberline Card in a Box

Recently the lady I usually deal with at my local post office told me she was retiring- she was so very excited to be setting off from her career and taking time to live in their camper at their camp site. She told me about the RV she had just purchased with her husband and their plans for the future. I see this lady at least once a week and she is always friendly, happy and willing to share a laugh- I will miss her! Hearing her plans set some things in action for me…. I knew I had some creating to do and this is what the result was!

A card in a box (these are so fun! They are a card that folds flat and fits in a 6×6 envelope) featuring our Camper Crazy stamp set. I used Timberline paper for by card and some of the stamps and accessories that come in the Timberline workshop on the go kit- in all honestly these pieces were leftovers from the kit that I had already put together (that is just how much you get!)

Here is a side view that should help you see how it is put together- to create one I just googled ‘card in a box’ and found a tutorial that walked me through it- they are very easy and super-fun!

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

Card Display using the Decor Frame

I love all the cute cards I make and receive but I find if I put them away in a box I tend to forget I have them and NOT give them away as I should. Recently I started putting my completed cards up on one of our decor frames (this is the colonial white one that comes with a chicken wire insert) and I have to say I love it!!

It looks beautifu

It looks nice

and I now use my cards MUCH more- after all the point is not to accumulate this HUGE pile of cards but to give them away and spread joy and thoughtfulness.

There are so many fun ways to use our decor frames- here are the two styles we currently sell.

Until we craft again, The Brae-er

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