From CTMH to CM: A Maker’s Honest Review of Creative Memories Collections

If you’re a current or former Close To My Heart Maker looking for scrapbooking products, you may have some questions about the similarities and differences between CTMH and the new Creative Memories (“CM”). We’re here to help answer them in this three-article series with a former CTMH Maker, Brenda Rose, who is now a CM Advisor.

Alison Dutton (CEO) and Shari Rieland (Product Development Director) sat down with Brenda in CM’s Home Office in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. Everyone came to the meeting with an open mind — the Home Office team wanted to learn more about the products Brenda has been using for years and were impressed by the pages she made using Creative Memories products combined with her current stock of other brands. She brought them along with some product samples.

This recap reflects the conversation; it has been condensed for readability.

Alison: Brenda, thank you for joining us. You know we’re not experts on CTMH products, so we’re looking forward to hearing about your experience using Creative Memories’ decorative products so far and how they compare with the products you’re used to.

Brenda: It is an honor for me to visit with you, share my ideas and what I have learned over the years. Thank you for inviting me!

Alison: So we’re looking at these beautiful pages here and I’ll admit, when I saw your recent Life at the Lake layout in the Virtual Crop Group I took a screenshot and plan to copy that page. What do you think about our decorative product bundles — do they have everything that you need or are you looking for more?

Brenda: I’ll admit that I’m getting used to all the new product that comes out each month, but creating is what I love to do. There is an abundance of fresh product, so it’s refreshing to have all the choices! I love that there are mat packs that go with the paper packs, stickers and embellishments because telling the story on the page is important to me. There is a lot to play with, so I haven’t found myself missing anything in the bundles. I have a very different style than you typically see at CM. I love using one or two photos on a page to tell the story of a day or event. I share this style with my customers through workshops to help them see a different way to scrapbook. My team members always receive my workshop guides so that they can teach others as well!  

Alison: That’s great to hear and important that you call out style. I’d love to get away from “this style” or “that style” — we believe there is no right or wrong way to scrapbook. That’s what I love about the Virtual Crop Group — everyone takes a different approach.

Shari: Agree. And Brenda, you’re right, we launch new product at least twice a month so Advisors and customers are creating loads of ideas in different styles.

Alison: Let’s dig into the product questions from your team and your customers who are curious about Creative Memories. What have you been getting asked?

Brenda: People are hungry for more technique, different styles and constant learning, so I agree with you about style. As for questions, I have received some about the weight of the paper. CM paper is lighter than what we used at CTMH so I’ve gotten questions on whether I think it is better or worse.

Alison: And now that you’ve used it, what do you think?

Brenda: I don’t see any issue with the paper being lighter. It cuts nicely, tears easily and looks great on the finished page with a cardstock base. I’m guessing it probably works better in CM punches and is easier on a trimmer. It’s obvious that the papers designed for a collection are complementary to embellishments and cardstock.  

Alison: You are correct! The design team has really embraced designing into a “system,” as Noreen Smith on our PD team loves to call it. Every paper pack we release has the five matching cardstocks listed on the packaging, and our core cardstock colors are custom milled. So our designers pick specific colors and the paper mill manufactures rolls just for us.

Brenda: What I do love and miss is the CTMH White Daisy cardstock. It is heavier, smoother and super white in finish.

Alison: That is a very bright white! Now this is something that is very achievable to add to our product line. Shari, what do you think?

Shari: Yeah, I love it! I’m sure that we can source a very close match. It’s a sheet that we could sell separately as a 10/pk and also insert into our Top-Loading pages. UPDATE: Shari and the PD team jumped on this request and are excited to announce that we will be offering a smooth, bright white cardstock that is a very close match to the CTMH White Daisy. This will become available for purchase by end of July as a 12×12 Cardstock 10/pk. Then, will also be inserted into the 12×12 Top Loading Pocket pages by the end of 2024.

Brenda: That would be great! I love that CM now carries Top-Loading Pages! They are all that I use because I scrapbook one page at a time and not back-to-back. It would be great to have the super white cardstock. I’m new to Creative Memories pages and albums, though my customers are not and have always used and loved Creative Memories albums. I do like how all the CM pages have the same edging. That looks nice in an album on a shelf. It was so fun to get to see the manufacturing line today and see that the albums and pages are made in Minnesota.

Alison: I couldn’t agree more with you on our albums. There is just something about keeping a good thing going and not changing an album that carries a lifetime guarantee. As for that super white cardstock, we’re on it. Everybody is going to love that addition.

What about other colors of Cardstock? I know that CTMH had a white core in their cardstock. What do you think about Creative Memories Cardstock that has no white core and is solid?

Brenda: I did like the fact that when you distress CTMH cardstock, the white core shows through. I have used CTMH cardstock for 19 years, so it is an adjustment. CM’s cardstock is easy to use, cuts well in the Cricut and die-cutting machines and it matches the collections perfectly. I have also noticed that when I tear patterned designer paper, it shows a white core and that’s great!

Alison: That’s a great point on the distressing. We can explore that — this is fun! The longer we talk, the more products we might come out with. The PD team is already adding Peekaboo Pocket sizes, too. I think those were called Flip-Flaps for you in the past.

Brenda: Yes, those were Flip-Flaps, and they are very important in extending the story through photos. It would be great if you had a dots adhesive, too.

Alison: Dots? Like a Tape Runner with little dots on it? Or big individual dots of adhesive? 

Brenda: The little dots. 

Shari: Yes — we have that! Here’s our Repositionable Tape Runner with little dots. This is designed to be used with punches and more intricate embellishments.

Brenda: This is great and exactly what I’m talking about. I have ordered it but haven’t gotten to use it yet. I’m glad that you have this because it’s important to have an adhesive that allows repositioning.

Alison: Maybe you can give us a few other easy ones! Let’s talk about stamps for a minute. I can tell on the pages that you have here using the new Revved Up! collection that you are blending CM collections with inks and stamps. Can you tell me about that?

Brenda: My scrapbooking style has a lot of white space. I love to design with white space and often use ink and/or stamps to finish or balance out a page. In some of the pages that I have here (goes back to Passport to Adventure), I distressed the edges of the paper with ink to give it a vintage look. I did enjoy the clear stickers in the Revved Up! collection that have a stamp-like look. It’s quick and already done for you, so a nice option.

Alison: I love the way everything blends together. People may not realize that the new Creative Memories is accepting of all types of scrapbooking. Everyone can feel free to blend the product they have with CM’s decorative collections. I think it’s always valuable to be able to use a punch or a stamp that you already have with new collections. 

Brenda: Oh, definitely! One of the reasons I chose to transition to CM is because I can suggest stamps and ink that I know my customers have purchased from me when I was with CTMH.  They can pull them off their shelf and use it for a new project.

Alison: So now let’s talk about what’s newer to you, including the fact that I can tell you used the new Tire Tracks Border Maker Cartridge on your Revved Up! layouts. What do you and your customers think about the Border Maker System now that you’ve tried it out?

…..Stay tuned for the next post released on June 11 to learn what Brenda thinks about CM tools and what she has learned. Subscribe to the blog to get each post via email.

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Get to Know the New Creative Memories

The most important thing to know about Creative Memories is that we make scrapbooking fun and we prioritize scrapbooking together — whether that is in-person or in a virtual community. Our Advisor community of 20,000+ Advisors across the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan host over 15,000+ in-person events each year. You can search your zip code on this page (CA | AU) to find an event and an Advisor near you.

As a Creative Memories Advisor, we allow you to sell for multiple brands — the freedom to be an entrepreneur — and we do not have order minimums. Our plan is simple: the more you sell, the more you earn. You can learn more about the details and join as an Advisor on this page (CA | AU). Currently, we have a special transition offer for former Close To My Heart Makers. Contact Coach@CreativeMemories.com to learn all the details from our team or view it here (CA | AU).

In addition to scrapbooking with friends, at the end of the day we value… scrapbooking. Whether you use one photo or multiple photos on a page, whether you use punches and/or stamps, everyone is welcome in our Creative Memories community. What brings us together is a passion for getting our family memories into albums. If you share this passion, we invite you to join our Virtual Crop Group where we refresh the group each month with sketches and inspiration. This group is open to all scrapbookers — CM customers, Advisors and anyone looking for scrapbooking inspiration. Join the fun with 40,000 other scrapbookers here. (The only reason you need to apply to join is so that we can leave scammers out!)