Happy New Years everyone – Cathy Caines here today on the Creative Scrapbooker Magazine blog!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

Tomorrow is a big day for Stampin’ Up! as we are launching the new Occasions Catalog. This 50-page catalog supplements the annual catalog that is released every year in June. I can’t wait to show you the beautiful products!

I’ve been playing with the new Rose Wonder thinlets, as well as the Large Number Framelits along with the coordinating stamp set. In the card above you’ll notice the beautiful serif numbers. The stamp set has a watercolour feel, as well as a lovely banner. Check out the mini balloons – oh yes, there are a couple balloon punches in this catalog!

Typically when I finally decide to pull out my big shot (I am a lazy scrapbooker), it means that I am going to do more than one die cut. I really use the time to get the “best bang for my buck.” In other words, I am trying to die cut as many pieces as possible at once.

After doing several roses, I began a scrapbook page about my daughter at 5. With any scrapbook page, my first step was to select the background paper by laying out the die cuts or embellishments, as well as the photo on different pieces of 12×12 paper. “The Chosen One” comes from the new Birthday Bouquet Designer Series Paper – you are going to love this paper!

The next step in my process of building this page and any page is to layer, layer, layer. Other scrapbookers may layer and move embellishments around until they are happy. They will often take a picture of the final piece – then they adhere all their pieces using the photo as a guide. I am quite the opposite because I lack patience… I usually adhere right away; however, I usually only have a dab of something in the middle of a photo or embellishment. I often staple groups of layers together as well – especially if the staple will be hidden by a photo.

I had a card and a scrapbook layout completed, but I couldn’t finish there especially since die cuts were gobbling up all my craft space. Both my parents are turning 60 this year so I got to work on a card. This time, I used a negative image of the die cuts. The paper again comes from the Birthday Bouquet paper.

How cute are those little paper bow clips?

I love new things. I love pretty things. But most of all.. I like making things because it makes my heart pitter patter.

Make sure that you contact your local Stampin’ Up! demonstrator to get a catalog – its something you won’t want to miss! If you don’t have a demonstrator and you are in Canada, then feel free to pop me a message. As always, be sure to tag Creative Scrapbooker magazine @csmscrapbooker and myself @IntheCatCave so we can share your creations!

Cathy Caines, Independent Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator, St. John’s, NL   http://www.inthecatcave.com

Supplies and images used are © 2015 Stampin’ Up! unless otherwise stated: Rose Wonder stamp set, Rose Wonder Thinlets, Large Number Thinlets, Number of Years stamp set, Whisper White cardstock, Irridescent ice glimmer paper, Archival Ink, pool party glimmer ribbon, bow paper clips, blushing bride ink and cardstock, Birthday Bouquet Designer Series Paper, vintage tea doilies, pool party ink and cardstock, pearls, mint macaroon dotted lace trim