Creative Imaginations Blog

More Christine Adolph "Felicity" sneak peeks!

  More of Christine Adolph's new "Felicity" collection. 

These beautiful papers are perfect for Wedding, Baby as well as everday photos.  Some of the papers are detailed with matte foils. 

Layout designed by Cheryl Mezzetti

Sneak Peek - Christine Adolph "Felicity"

Starting today we will be posting sneak peeks of some of our new lines. 

Felicity is one of two new collections by Christine Adolph.  This first collection of scrapbook paper and embellishment is called FELICITY. This collection will coordinate perfectly with one of her previous collections called Blush.   Felicity will start shipping to stores in March!

The collection is versatile enough to use for wedding, baby girl, birthday or valentines day. I love the sweet color pallete and it is a nice contrast to her other new Spring collection called Tide Pools {you will have to check back to see this beautiful collection!} that has more of a blue/green feel to it.

The album and papers all have matte silver foil details

 

Some of the stickers were designed to fit on the chipboard sheets...

These are sculpted metal brads!

Layout designed by Diane Ditullio.  Please visit Christine Adolph's blog for additional product uploads!

Creative Imaginations Releases Forest-Friendly Papers!!

For those of you fortunate enough to know Jack Behlmer, CEO of Creative Imaginations, you know he cares.  He cares genuinely about the people involved in the scrapbooking industry.  He cares about family and community.  And on a grander scale, Jack, like each of you, cares about this incredible planet we share. 

We at Creative Imaginations learned from "Earth Care 101" and have taken action...

• We are now printing all our domestic paper products on FSC {Forest Stewardship Council} certified paper using soy inks.
• We have installed energy efficient, motion-sensing lights in our offices and warehouse.
• We recycle all our used cardboard packaging material -- an estimated 10 tons annually.
• We utilize ARC employees to weekly collect and recycle office paper.

 

You may be thinking to yourself....

What is so different about our FSC-certified paper?  Here are some basics to consider....FSC-certified paper comes from "well-managed" forests. This doesn't mean they have great bosses, like Jack.  What it does mean is these forests are managed in an environmentally responsible and economically viable manner.

What does that really mean? Waterways are protected; Wildlife habitat and species are protected; High conservation value forests are preserved; Forest management practices are monitored annually; Genetically modified trees are not used; Local people are involved in forest management; The rights of Indigenous Peoples are respected.  Cool.

Not only does the FSC Label ensure the source of the paper, but certifies the Chain of Custody.  The SCS {Scientific Certification Systems} is an internationally recognized third-party certifier and auditor of the tracking system which guarantees that when a paper product carries the FSC label, it can be traced directly back to the FSC-certified forest from which it came.

So, the fresh wood fibers found in FSC-ceritfied paper comes from these well-managed forests.  The Creative Imaginations papers which bear the FSC logo are also acid and lignin free.   

Creative Imaginations is proud to share the FSC-certified mission with each of our Artists.   

• Allison Connors
• Christine Adolph
• Marah Johnson
• Debbie Mumm
• Karen Russell
• Samantha Walker
• Danelle Johnson
• Renae Lindgren
• Teri Martin
• Helen Dardik
• Barb Tourtillotte
• Jenn Mason

So take inspiration from these heartfelt lyrics....

"Kill nothing but time. Leave nothing but footprints. Take nothing but pictures." ~John Kay

ARC employees (with CI Staff) help with recycling.

Used packing boxes recycled daily by recycler.

January's Guest Design Team Member

Meet Mandy Starner, Creative Imaginations January guest design team member.  It is hard to believe that her time with our team is now coming to an end.  We are thrilled to share a little about Mandy as well as her beautiful work.

My name is Mandy Starner and I live in a "smallish" town in Maryland. I have been married to my wonderful and supportive husband for more than 8 years. Together, we have 3 beautiful daughters and a Jack Russell Terrier. I have been seriously scrapbooking for over two years now, but was introduced to it about 4 years ago by my mom. As a teenager I enjoyed sketching and painting. I still enjoy painting, as well as altering, card making, sewing, and of course scrapbooking. Most afternoons, I can be found in my kitchen, surrounded by paper, paint, ribbon, buttons and chipboard. I have not yet been fortunate enough to have my work published, but I hope that I bring a fresh perspective and creative inspiration to the scrapbook community. I am thrilled and honored to have been chosen to be a guest designer for Creative Imaginations. For more about my everyday life, please visit my blog.  

Thank you Mandy for sharing your amazing talents with our team this month. 

Celebration of Wedding Vows

We celebrated our 20th Anniversary last summer.  It is amazing how time flies.  For Valentines, I wanted to reflect on the vows we said at our wedding and celebrate how important they have been in our lives.  We have had some tough years with car accidents and other difficulties we have also had some amazing times of success and celebration.  Keeping our vows in the up times and in the down times has been an important part of our marriage and keeping our love going strong 20 years later.  This project celebrates the love we have for each other.

Supplies

• 17071 Bare Elements Gerry Tag Book
• 19287 Signature Heartfelt Chipboard

• 18781 Rock Star Swatchbook Impress-Ons
• 16693 Love Struck Swatch book impress-ons
• 16687 Love Struck Muse Transparency
• 16685 Love Struck Always paper
• 16684 Love Struck Love-Locked paper
• 16696 Love Struck 12x12 Sticker sheet
• 16692 Love Struck Ribbon
• 16690 Love-Locked Mini Epoxy
• Charcoal Ink
• Black pen
• Sandpaper
• Label maker

Instructions

1. Cover all of the pges of the 17071 Bare Elements Gerry Tag Book with alternating pags of the 16685 Love Struck Always paper and 16684 Love Struck Love-Locked paper.  Sand and ink all the edges
2. Adhere pieces of the 16687 Love Struck Muse Transparency to the front and back cover.
3. Print vows with label maker.  Adhere vows to each page.
4. Select and adhere items from 16690 Love-Locked Mini Epoxy, 16696 Love Struck 12x12 Sticker sheet, 18781 Rock Star Swatchbook Impress-Ons and 16693 Love Struck Swatch book impress-ons to illustrate vows.
5. Journal onto the pages as desired.  Add doodling on each page.
6. Select and ink hearts from 19287 Signature Heartfelt Chipboard.  Doddle around the edges of the hearts.  Tie one heart to each page with ribbons from the 16692 Love Struck Ribbon. 

Adore Card

Today's card was designed by Diane Ditullio .  I wanted to share another Valentine card that you could quickly make for anyone on your list. The Be Mine line my Debbie Mumm offers wonderful papers and fantastic epoxy stickers in traditional Valentine colors that are just perfect for cards.

Supplies

18740 Debbie Mumm floating Hearts Paper Debbie Mumm

18743 Debbie Mumm Epoxy sticker

18745 Debbie Mumm Be Mine Bazzill paper pack

14608 Art Warehouse pink Houndstooth Ribbon

16264 Bare Elements Family Flex Words

Foam Tape

Adhesive

Instructions

1. Cut 18740 Debbie Mumm floating Hearts Paper Debbie Mumm 7"x10". Fold in half.
2. Using the light pink paper from 18745 Debbie Mumm Be Mine Bazzill paper pack Cut 2 small pieces of pink paper 1/4" x 2.5".  Adhere top right hand side of card.
3. Adhere a heart from 18743 Debbie Mumm Epoxy sticker to Pink Bazzill Cardstock.  Cut out mat around heart.  Adhere heart to card using foam tape.
4. Adhere 14608 Art Warehouse pink Houndstooth Ribbon to enter to heart. 
5. Cut three small pieces of pink Bazzill cardstock as follows: 1/4" x 2.5" and 1/4" x 2.5" and 1/4" x 3".  Adhere to bottom left side of card. Adhere "Adore" letters from 16264 Bare Elements Family Flex Words.

Today's beautiful frame was created by our design team member, Patty Lennon.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love my family above and beyond everything else.  My husband, son and even that little spotted dog are my world.  I don’t have many photographs of all of us together, so I treasure the ones that I do have.  This picture was taken last Mother’s Day and is probably the best one I have.

I’ve always thought that the large Bare Elements Laura characters were pretty cool.  I love covering them as using them as monograms on journals and on picture frames.  I was delighted to find out that four of these letters would fit across the bottom of my Bare Elements Amanda frame to spell out the word, LOVE. 

Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to show my family that I will love them always!

Supplies

• 16289 Bare Elements Amanda Frame
• 16257 Bare Elements Laura chipboard
• 19281 Heartfelt Brocade Paper {Signature Collection}
• 19282 Heartfelt Scroll Brocade Paper {Signature Collection}
• 19284 Heartfelt Vine Paper {Signature Collection}
• 19286 Heartfelt Epoxy stickers {Signature Collection}
• 19285 Heartfelt Cardstock Sticker {Signature Collection}
• Thick Foam Tape
• Gold Ribbon
• Jump Ring
• White Cardstock
• Adhesive

Instructions

1. Measure outside edges of frame.  Cut 19281 Heartfelt Brocade Paper {Signature Collection} so that the outside edges of the frame will be seen.  Trim.  Adhere paper to frame.  Cut four thin strips of white cardstock.  Adhere these around the opening for the photo, trimming as needed.
2. Cover the 16257 Bare Elements Laura chipboard with the 19282 Heartfelt Scroll Brocade Paper {Signature Collection}, alternating between letters.  Tie a gold ribbon arund the letter "L".  Using a paper piercer, poke a hole through an epoxy sticker.  Run a jump ring through this hole.  Also pierce a hole through the center and insert a small gold brad.  Attach the epoxy piece to the gold ribbon using the jump ring. 
3. Using the circles from the 19285 Heartfelt Cardstock Sticker {Signature Collection}, place these along the letter "V".  Insert large gold brads into the centers.
4. Using the thick foam tape, adhere all letters to the lower edge of the frame, overlapping as necessary.  Insert two gold brads into the Always cardstock sticker and place between the letters "V" and "E".

Love Endures

Today's beautful frame project was designed by Linda Auclair.  My parents have been married for 46 years!  If that isn’t a testament to enduring love, I don’t know what is.  They have been through so much together, and are just as close now as they ever were.  They have been together for 50 years, as they were high school sweethearts before they married.  The idea of half a century of love and companionship just boggles my mind.   I love this quote from 1 Corinthians, and it suits their relationship very well: "Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous, love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never fails."  I created this frame with their photo as a Valentine’s Day surprise for them. 

Supplies

• 16290 Bare Elements Peggy Frame
• 18903 Narratives French Sweet Pea Noir Paper
• 18906 Narratives Sweet Pea epoxy stickers
• 18907 Narratives French Sweet pea hearts cardstock stickers
• 18908 Narratives French Sweet Pea ABC & Border stickers
• 18910 Narratives French Sweet Pea Chipboard alphabet
• 18911 Narratives French Sweet pea paper ribbon
• 18894 Narratives Antique Title Rub ons
• 15986 Sonnets Swatchbook rubons
• Adhesive
• glue dots
• foam tape
• craft knife

Instructions

1. Cut 18903 Narratives French Sweet Pea Noir Paper slightly larger than 16290 Bare Elements Peggy Frame.  Measure and cut out window for photo.  Adhere to frame, trimming away excess with a craft knife.
2. Embellish medim scalloped heart stickers from 18907 Narratives French Sweet pea hearts cardstock stickers with rub ons from 18894 Narratives Antique Title Rub ons and 15986 Sonnets Swatchbook rubons.
3. Adhere narrow white heart paper ribbon from 18911 Narratives French Sweet pea paper ribbon around frame opening.  Adhere pink scalloped border sticker from 18908 Narratives French Sweet Pea ABC & Border stickers to top of frame, and black scalloped border sticker to bottom of frame, trimming away excess with craft knife.
4. Create paper flower using paper ribbon.  Pleat a 6 or 7 inch piece of wide pink paper ribbon, gathering in the center to form a flower shape.  Adhere with a small piece of double-sided foam tape on the back.  Affix a
   18906 Narratives Sweet Pea epoxy stickers to the center to form a flower shape and adhere to frame.
5. Complete frame with "Love" using 18910 Narratives French Sweet Pea Chipboard alphabet.

Love Notes Journaling Notebook

Valentines day is one of my favorite holidays.  For me it is a perfect time to tell those around me how much i love them with little gifts and notes.   This year I have bought a few of the Narratives Journalers notebooks to give to my family members.  These Journaling notebooks are perfect for adding some favorite photos and handwritten sentiments from the year.   The journaling book below is a gift to my nieces and nephew as well as a few coupons for some fun "auntie" activities for the next few months.    Each notebook is easily personalized using the product from the Creative Cafe Artbar.  I simply picked out individual papers, ribbons, chipboard and buttons from the Artbar purchasing only the pieces I need for each of my books.  The fun felt flowers, papers and chipboard makes each book a special treasure.    

Supplies:

• 4x6 Journalers Notebooks
• Creative Cafe Spirit papers and embellishments
• 18252 pink die cut notebook paper
• 18256 lime dot paper
• 18333 red loops ribbon
• 18325 spirit puffy flowers
• 18307 spirit phrases
• 18309 spirit word bits
• 18306 spirit ribbon
• 18894 Antique Swatch book
• 17340 Art Warehouse Fresh Swatch book
• Fine line black ink
• Red and white stripe ribbons
• white acrylic paint

Instructions

1. Remove spiral binding and set aside.  Remove both covers and with acrylic paint. Set aside to dry.
2. Cut from 18252 pink die cut notebook paper 4x6 and adhere to front and back cover.  Punch out holes using a hole punch for both front and back cover.
3. Punch or cut out green dots from 18256 lime dot paper and adhere to front cover along binding.  Attach front and back cover to binding.
4. Adhere a small piece 18333 red loops ribbon along binding as shown.
5. Add two swirls from 17340 Art Warehouse Fresh Swatch book on right side of front cover.  Add 18325 spirit puffy flowers and Creative Cafe lime button on front.  Add small piece of red and white ribbon with a glue dot. 
6. Add 18309 spirit word bits to the front cover.  Add some fine black pen details on front.
7. For inside pages, add sentiments, stickers, ribbons, 18894 Antique Swatch book , chipboard pieces and photos to inside journal pages.

Valentine's Cards

Today's beautiful Valentine's cards were created by design team member, Diane Ditullio.  When I think of Valentine’s Day, my first thought is always of homemade cards. I always seem to have a laundry list of cards that I like to create. (Parents, grandparents, in-laws, my kids and of course, my husband.) I like to create quick and easy cards, but of course it still has to impress the person who is opening it! Instead of the traditional red, pink and white, I’ve used a unique color scheme and created 2 cards with the Melonberry Collection from Karen Russell. I like the extra pop of color you get by using the black background. I hope that you enjoy making cards for that special someone this Valentine’s Day!

"Happy Valentines" Card

Supplies

• 18881 Melonberry ABC Borders Cardstock stickers
• 18878 Melonberry paper
• 17610 Photos 1/2" ribbon
• 19287 Heartfelt chipboard
• Black cardstock
• Rub-on for sentiment
• Pink, lime green ink

Instructions

1. Cut black cardstock 7"x10" and fold in half.
2. Approx. 2" from top of card, place first purple cardstock sticker from 18881 Melonberry ABC Borders Cardstock stickers.
3. Place green cardstock sticker directly below the purple from 18881 Melonberry ABC Borders Cardstock stickers.
4. Leave approx. 5" of space and then adhere 2nd piece of green and purple stickers
5. From 18878 Melonberry paper, cut swirl and place to left of the heart.
6. Take set of three nestled hearts from 19287 Heartfelt chipboard and ink outside and inside pieces with dark pink in.  Ink middle heart with lime green ink. 
7. Using mini glue dot, adhere piece of 17610 Photos 1/2" ribbon to center of heart.
8. Add sentiment to top right of card.

"Love" card

Supplies

• 18881 Melonberry ABC Borders Cardstock stickers
• 18880 Melonberry Hearts Cardstock stickers
• 18885 Melonberry epoxy stickers
• 17610 Photos 1/2" ribbon
• black cardstock

Instructions

1. Cut black cardstock 7"x10" fold card in half.
2. Place 18881 Melonberry ABC Borders Cardstock stickers around outside edges of card.
3. In center of card, place 3 hearts from 18880 Melonberry Hearts Cardstock stickers.
4. Using mini glue dots, add 17610 Photos 1/2" ribbon to top of purple heart
5. Add red heart from 18880 Melonberry Hearts Cardstock stickers to bottom right of purple heart.
6. Add 18885 Melonberry epoxy stickers to center of red heart.