During 2024 I had a couple of opportunities to do some events with kids, and it was SO much fun and the kids loved it so much that I decided to find a way to work some kid-friendly events into my schedule.

So, starting in 2025 I will be doing a quarterly “Mom and Me” (or Grandma and me!) crop. These will be on a Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. Each session will start with a group project, like a layout or mini album, then we’ll have lunch and some free creation time.

Fee for an adult and one child is $50 and you can add an additional child for $30. This includes all supplies needed for the group project plus lunch.

If you want to bring another grownup (or you’re a childless adult who just wants an additional crop day) the fee for that is $20 - you won’t get the class supplies, but you can eat lunch. :)

Details and registration info here: Mom & Me Crop

Last year, CM introduced the concept of Simple Page Kits. Each month we got a new layout kit that came with two pre-printed background pages, a cut-apart page (with a numbered cutting guide on the back) and a coordinating sticker strip. These were great, but you had to remember to order every month!

This year, they are continuing to offer the kits monthly, OR you can upgrade to a quarterly bundle which comes with a bunch of extras!

The first bundle will be available starting Thursday, and includes the first three Noteworthy Simple Page Kits (for January through March - get them EARLY in this bundle!) as well as the three coordinating Embellishment packs which are normally available to Advisors only.

Plus, you’ll get Power Simple Pockets 1-3 to store your Simple Page kits in until you’re ready to use them and/or protect your finished two page spreads until you’re ready to put them in your album. I personally think these will be great to keep your year’s memorabilia organized - each folder will be labeled with the numbers 1-12, so you can use them for different months, or even for each year of a child’s school memories!

I am offering three Simple Kit Clubs for 2025:

Monthly Simple Kit Club: $66 one time fee plus you’ll have the option to purchase a 12x12 album of your choice and one pack of refill pages at 25% off to display all your layouts! (One discounted album bundle per club member). I will automatically order each month’s kit for you and set it aside until you can pick it up.

Quarterly Simple Kit Club: $138 one time fee which will include each quarter’s kit, a space at the quarterly Simple Page Kit night (dates in the previous block) plus the option to purchase an album/pages bundle for 30% off.

If you don’t live locally but would like to participate, I have an option where I will mail the items to you.

Mailed Quarterly Simple Kit Club: $158 one time fee which will include each quarter’s kit shipped directly to you, plus the option to add on other products without paying shipping charges.

For more details and link to sign up please click here:
Simple Page Kit Club 2025

Don’t worry! If you are not interested in joining any of the clubs, you can still order the kits each month for $5.50 as they are released.

Jumpstart January starts TODAY! If you want to be prompted with a daily inspiration layout/sketch and have the chance to earn CM Credits, we’d love to have you join us!! This challenge does happen in a Facebook group so you either need to have your own FB account or have someone who will share the layouts with you and post your layouts in the group to be credited.

Jumpstart January 2025

I’m SO excited about our “annual” collection for this year - it’s the one the Simple Page kits coordinate with, and I absolutely LOVE it. This is another one that I was privileged to do the Project Recipe for (and I think it’s my favorite PR design so far!)

This collection includes an album cover, designer paper, tone on tone paper, TWO sticker packs (a 6-sheet seasons/holidays pack and a 3-sheet titles pack), a NEW 12-piece Mat pack (they’re just doing the 4.5 x 6.5 size now, half the mats at half the cost!) and embellishments.

There are two fun punches, the Slide Reel Border Punch (looks just like a ViewFinder disk!) and my favorite (and the one I used for the Project Recipe) the Cyclic Circles BMC.

This collection also features a Fast2Fab album, which you can also get in a bundle or just as the refill pages.

On a recent Advisor call, CM asked us “what was your favorite product released in 2024?” and OF COURSE my answer was the new Photo Trimmer!! At the time we were able to get it with a Rainbow Dot carrying bag and I know several people told me they wished they could get the bag in just regular CM black with blue trim. Well - your wish came true sooner than I expected!

Starting tomorrow at noon you’ll be able to order the beautiful new Trimmer Bag! This bag will fit the 12” Trimmer and Photo Trimmer, plus more! If you have the (recently retired) 12” Decorative Trimmer, that will also fit in there. I keep a zero-centering ruler in mine too, and the back zipper pocket is exactly the right size for Cricut Joy mats. :)

Another new product is the ABC organization bundle! These new ABC die cuts (80 of each color) are a great size and will make fun titles. Right now they will only be available in the bundle that comes with the new 3x3 Fill & File pockets. If you cut titles from a Cricut or Silhouette, or even a Sizzix, you may sometimes end up with extra letters, and these will be great for those too!

Depending on the feedback CM gets we may see these die cuts available separately. If you don’t have a Sort & Stash binder to keep the sleeves, personally I actually prefer to keep mine in a Power Project Folder, where they fit great if you put them in sideways (with the hole punched tab at the top).

One of the ways CM decides what colors of cardstock and Shimmer paper to add to the regular line is to test them out with limited edition releases. This time we have a set of neutrals, two shimmer and two cardstock.

You can purchase the bundle of all four papers (10 pk each) in the Natural Shimmers & Cardstock Bundle OR you can just choose the colors you are interested in individually. Classic Cream and Medium Kraft are solid-core cardstock, while Sandy Shimmer and Ivory Shimmer are our lighter-weight shimmer papers.

Are you wanting some variety in the colors of albums you have to choose from? Now is your chance! From January 2-21 (starts and ends at noon CT) you can choose some limited edition solid albums AND earn a free album in the process if you buy four!

The album choices with this limited release are (left to right in the photo above):
Black Mica
Navy Gold Speck Mica
Royal Purple
Turquoise Mica
Canary
Monarch Orange
Raspberry Rouge

The Mica albums have a bit of sparkle in the bookcloth, which is fun.

Buy any four albums (these new ones, or any of our existing 12x12 or Fast2Fab albums) and you can choose one of three exclusive album covers FREE! Lilac, Green Jubilee Shimmer or Slate 2025.

Finally, January is a great time to get organized, and how about getting your albums organized!! I have loved creating custom spines for my completed albums - and turns out my family looks at them a lot more often now that they can tell which album is which!

From January 2-21 if you order three or more custom spines (which are just $10) you will get 33% off all the spines in your order!

If you local and would like my help creating your spines, I will be offering a group order of spines at the weekend crops on January 3/4 and 17/18. Bring the album (or just the spine!) of the album you want to make a custom spine for and I’ll be glad to help you create it and add it to my order. As long as we have three or more total I will pass on the 33% discount.

If you are NOT local (or you just want to do it on your own) you can see how to create the spines in this video that I made a few years ago. CM also has video tutorials on their page.