Read to the end!

Adam gave me the thumbs up as he waited for the school bus to pick him up for the very last time. As I sat inside watching, it brought me back to the first day of preschool when he was so small I couldn't even see his head through the window (oh, how I cried that day!). Dozens of other memories came tumbling over each other as well - how the doctor told me of his condition while I was still on the operating table and made me think he was about to die, how he was lost in a maze of tubes and machines after his surgeries, how we watched in amazement as he stood on his own for the first time to help clean up Christmas wrap, how Claire and I were thrilled when he suddenly learned to use a straw in the middle of Walmart...to watching him walk across the stage at graduation, go to a dance by himself, sign his ID card when he turned 18, console a friend who was scared, work at Walmart and Big Lots just like anyone else and countless other "ordinary" things. All this from someone who I was told would "probably never walk or be able to do things for himself" and that I should consider "other options" rather than taking him home. As if. Yes, I had quite a bit of time for all these memories to cross my mind for, you see, the bus never came this morning. It was a teacher work day and there was no school. His REAL last day of school had already happened the day before. Leave it to me to have an epic mom fail on such an auspicious day!  And yes, this will become a scrapbook layout!

Smiles, Caron

Well, Well, Well!

I am so thrilled with the new enhancement to Studio J I just had to share with you!  It used to be that you could add text boxes anywhere you wanted, which was great.  But there would be many times when I wished I could add another picture or two to my layout but couldn't so would have to decide which one to leave out (poor thing).  That is no longer a problem because Studio J now has the ability to let you add photo wells!  Yippee!  Any size you want, anywhere you want...I'm in heaven.  And for those people who still prefer the classic style of scrapbooking, this feature comes in handy for printing your pictures in just the right size for those layouts.  All you have to do is use the No Limits design, place all the photos on the sheet and have them printed.  Then they'll all ready for you to cut out and add to your layout.  Easy peasy!

Smiles, Caron

May Newsletter

May 2013A newsletter from Caron Little moments matter. Caron Barnard Close To My Heart Independent Consultant Supervisor 9549646067 Guilty Pleasure? Is there something you do on occasion that makes you feel happy and guilty at the same time? I do. Every once in awhile, I'll spend the entire weekend reading a book or watching TV and let the housework and chores go undone. I know it doesn't sound very glamorous or exciting but it does make me feel indulgent. Of course, having all that undone work waiting for me to return to reality makes me feel guilty, too. Should I stop doing it? Heck, no! Neither should you. We spend the majority of our adult lives taking care of everything and everyone. It's a necessity to take care of ourselves, too! So, do you have a guilty pleasure? Indulge! A secret passion? Indulge! A favorite dessert that's high in calories and fat? Indulge! You can always get back to reality tomorrow! Please check my blog for this month's class schedule.   National Scrapbooking Month Special Get the paper packet of your dreams for only $10 when you spend $35! In honor of National Scrapbooking Month, you can get the yummy Dream Pop paper packet for only $10 when you spend $35 in May! This exclusive paper packet includes 12 cardstock sheets with a glossy pattern (2 each of 6 colors) as well as 12 B&T Duos® papers (2 each of 6 designs) that were created for this promotion—you can’t get these sweet colors and patterns anywhere else! Start National Scrapbooking Month off right with a unique paper packet at a bargain price and get your creative juices flowing! Want a Dream Pop paper packet for FREE? Simply host a Gathering in May with at least $400 in qualifying sales or sign up as a new Consultant in May and we’ll send you this colorful packet of luscious papers free! Contact your Independent Consultant for all the details. *Shipping/handling and tax apply. Not available for purchase at full retail. Offer valid May 1–31, 2013, while supplies last. Get your $10 Dream Pop paper packet today! » Stamp of the Month: Pinwheel Stamps that will make your world go ’round Celebrate the joy of life with the My Acrylix® Pinwheel stamp set. This D-size stamp set includes 10 stamp images and sentiments that are great for documenting spring and summer memories or for creating “wowee” cards and 3-D items. This stamp set, regularly priced at $17.95, is available for only $5 with a qualifying $50 order this month only. If papercrafting makes your world go ’round, hurry and get the Pinwheel stamp set during the month of May to make your artwork sparkle and spin! See the May 2013 Stamp of the Month » Fabulous Fabric Add dimension and texture to your projects! The Spring/Summer 2013 Idea Book features a product that will pack more punch into your papercrafting—fabric! The new Chantilly and For Always textiles include three sheets of cotton fabric with pinked edges in designs that coordinate with the Chantilly and For Always paper packets. You don’t have to be a seamstress to use fabric in your artwork; in fact, you can use fabric in place of patterned papers on your layouts and cards for added dimension and texture. If you’d like to learn more about using fabric in your artwork, watch the video. Make your projects fabulous with fabric! Check out the new textiles »

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Dream Pop!

I'm on a roll today!  Here's a card I made with the Dream Pop paper pack - a special offer from CTMH for May-National Scrapbooking month.  Bright, bold colors and cool shiny embossed cardstocks made your creations even more eye-catching!  Place an order this month for just $35 and you can get the Dream Pop pack for only $10.  It's a fantastic deal so don't let it slip by!

Here's a closeup shot so you can see the shiny embossing.  Neato! 

Smiles, Caron

Studio J, hooray!

I'll admit it, I'm a procrastinator.  I mean, I'm still creating scrapbook pages of baby pictures of my boys.  The youngest is 21.  Seriously, that's pathetic.  I mean, I kept scrapbooks back then - pictures taped (egad!) to construction paper pages with a date or comment here and there written in pen.  Nothing else.  I guess that's something.  When I joined CTMH, a whole new world opened up to me.  I was amazed at how wonderful those same pictures could look with patterned paper, stamps and embellishments.  I even made some myself!  But did I do much?  Nope.  It always seemed like too much work and mess.  I even hated cutting my beautiful papers, how stupid is that?  I'm happy to say that Studio J has saved me!  I have completed so many pages in such a short time that I'm now digging into my non-digital photos and scanning them so I can have something to scrapbook!  I really encourage you to give it a try.  It's quick, easy, no mess, portable and way affordable.  Here are a few from my latest order. Click on the pictures to see them up close.

This was from the express collection so I literally just dropped my photos in and added a bit of journaling and I was done!

 Another layout for my Disney scrapbook which is growing quite thick! I love how I was able to customize the ribbon on this one.  Couldn't forget my "hidden" Mickey!

I dug out some non-digital photos for these. I love that I was then able to enlarge or crop them as necessary.  It would have taken a lot of ink and paper to do it manually!

Did I say I was behind on baby pictures?  Here's proof.  These guys are now 24 and 27 years old! I changed the color of the paper to blend with the photos.  I LOVE Studio J!!!!

Smiles, Caron