Gina's Little Corner of StampinHeaven

FREE ART PHILOSOPHY CRICUT COLLECTION

2012-02-24T07:14:00.001-06:00

WOW! Yes you read the title correctly! When you sign up as a Close To My Heart Consultant in MARCH you will receive a FREE Art Philosophy Cricut Collection!

There is no better time to join! Watch this quick video that highlights the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection and this wonderful offer!

SIGN UP MARCH 1! Come back here on MARCH 1 and start HERE to sign up and begin your journey.

For my own story, visit my JOIN MY TEAM page. Have questions? Contact me today! I'll help you along this new and exciting journey!

A Freshly Made Color Throwdown

2012-02-23T07:20:00.001-06:00

Today I put two Challenges that I love together. Color Throwdown had some wonderful colors this week. These fresh colors made it perfect for my other favorite challenge - Freshly Made Sketches!

I used Close To My Heart's colors of Lilac Mist, Buttercup, Sunset and Grey Wool. WOW - it's been a LONG time since I've even opened my Lilac Mist pad! But I love these colors together.... who would have thought Sunset with Lilac Mist and Buttercup?

I used one of my favorite new stamps for this 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 card - Just For You (B1398). The Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge makes a perfect cut for the large flower. I alternated the colors as I stamped the petals for the flower. I added a Sunset Button from the Sunset Mini Medley Collection (Z1338) and also some grey baker's twine from the Baker's Twine Neutral Assortment (Z1701). I tied little French Knots in the center of each of the three medallions.

Here are my inspirations for today's card.

Mojo Mondays and Smash!

2012-02-20T22:51:00.000-06:00

On Mondays, my hubby and I love to watch The Voice together. We try to guess who the singers will pick as their coach. Sometimes it is easy but at times I've been very surprised! I feel so bad when none of the coaches turn around.... even if I agree with them! But, I sure wouldn't want to be in their seats! When they began promoting Smash before its season premiere, my hubby told me right away that he was NOT going to be watching that one! I told him that was fine, I'd would go to my scrap room to watch it. I had to at least watch the premiere to see if I would like it. Now I'm hooked! So now, every Monday I spend 2 hours watching the Voice with Jeff and then the next hour it is me, Smash and my scrap room. What a Beautiful combination!

What else happens on Monday?? Why, it's Mojo Monday! I love to check out the Mojo Monday sketch each Monday before I leave for work. Tonight while I was enjoying Smash I created this card for Mojo Monday. This one came together rather easily for me. I used our new Pemberley papers along with the stampset that comes in the Pemberley Workshop On The Go Kit (G1033). (this stamp is available with the purchase of the WOTG kit only).

I stamped the flower 3 times and cut each one just a bit smaller than the previous flower. Then I layered them. I added our new Round Durable Studs (Z1706). I love these! They are adhesive backed and come in Pewter and Antiqued Gold. I used Antiqued Gold here.

My ribbon is from the Designer Ribbon Blue Collection (Z1385).

Here is the Mojo Monday sketch that gave me inspiration for this card.

I think Mojo Mondays and Smash will be a regular from here on out!

Baker's Twine and Lollipops!

2012-02-19T16:26:00.002-06:00

I just love the little lollipops made with Baker's Twine! I wanted to give it a try so I combined CAS-ual Friday Challenge (use ribbons) and Inspired By Challenges for this card.

I used the Baker's Twine Paradise Assortment (Z1702) for my lollipops. The colors of twine are Lagoon, Honey, Sunset and Smoothie. I LOVE these colors! I used Brads and Ribbons from our Mini Medley Assortment collection. "Birthday Greetings" is from the new set - Just a Number (D1514).

To make my lollipops, I inserted a brad so holding the twine under the brad as I flatted then prongs. This holds the twine in place. I then added a swirl of liquid glass around the brad in a circle as big as I wanted the lollipop to be. This helps adhere the twine in place as I wrapped it around.

A simple card but fun to make!

Here is the inspiration pictured from Inspired By Challenge. I'm so glad to get to play along this time. I've been wanting to but haven't had a chance until now!

Be sure to check out both Challenges! Thanks for stopping by!

A Freshly Made Birthday Card

2012-02-18T19:16:00.000-06:00

I loved the sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches and it worked out perfectly with the colors this week at the Color Throwdown Challenge.

I used Close To My Heart's colors of Smoothie, Blush and Bamboo cardstock for my Color Throwdown Colors.

The flowers from the Card Word Puzzle (C1494) stamp along with Bamboo ink added a nice subtle random stamping effect. I felt the cardstock alone was just too stark. But maybe that is me..... I couldn't resist the urge to stamp something! My "Happy Birthday" sentiment is stamped with the new 4 My Friend (D1510) set.

I used a combination of Art Philosophy Cricut flowers and a paper flower from the new Paradise Paper Flowers (Z1710). The flower is topped off with a wooden button (Z1387) and that ever popular Baker's Twine Paradise Assortment (Z172)!

Here is the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and the color inspiration from Color Throwdown:

A Ribbon of Many Colors - Seam Binding Ribbon

2012-02-17T11:21:00.001-06:00

One of my MOST Favorite new products in Close To My Heart's new Spring Summer Idea Book is the Color Ready Seam Binding Ribbon (Z1732). Have you ever been working on a layout or card and you don't have just the right color of ribbon you need for that added pizzazz? Now all you need is this one roll and you can have every color you ever wanted!

Once I got this new ribbon, I have been planning my projects around the ribbon just so I can color the ribbon! I love it! You can color the ribbon with a spray mister (a cool effect) or dye it in re-inker. But the easiest and fastest drying method for coloring the ribbon is just sponging the color on with a sponge and ink pad. I'm a quick project gal so I choose the sponge and ink pad method. Watch this quick video below to see how I inked my ribbon and made a twisted flower with it! Then scroll on down for a closer view of the card I made!

After I made this video, I discovered a much better method for attaching the twisted ribbon. I used a spot of Liquid Glass (Z679) on my base and held down the ribbon as I twisted. The Liquid Glass dried quickly and the ribbon adhered very well. It works great with the twisted ribbon but you would not want to use liquid glass for apply a flat ribbon because it would soak through the ribbon and show.

Here is closer view the finished card in the video

This is a 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 card. The base is cut from the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge. I used Florentine paper and Opaque Mocha Adhesive Gems.

Here is another card with the Color Ready Seam Binding Ribbon

Recipe: Card Pattern - Wishes (9033) Wrap Around
Florentine Paper Pack (X7153B)
Opaque Mocha Adhesive Gems (Z1333)
Lovely Lily My Acrylix Stamp (B1401)
Blending Pen (3174)
Goldrush Excluse Ink (Z2123)
Olive Exclusive Ink (Z2137)
Goldrush Shape is cut from the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge <Circle4> (Z1686)

Be sure to look for more projects coming with this fabulous ribbon!!! I've got my ribbon in hand and off to create more!

A Little H2H for Lucy

2012-02-16T08:03:00.002-06:00

This week at H2H (Heart 2 Heart) their challenge was 1-2-3. Use 1 stamp, 2 pattern papers and 3 embellishments. Instead of making a card this time, I made a layout! I'm working on a project and needed to make a layout. My problem now i,s I don't have many pictures to scrapbook! My girls are grown and we just don't take many pictures so I didn't have the kind of pictures I was looking for to complete my project. It is hard to go back and use old photos because I have found that photography and the quality of our photos has changed so much in the last 20 years. Many times I shake my head at the types of shots I took way back when. So, I reached out to my friend who has the most adorable little girls and asked if I could use them as my subject. I think this turned out 2 CUTE!

My layout design is from the How To Book - Imagine. The sketch is "Up The Tempo". One of my 'go to" stamps for flourishes lately as been the Love Life (D1482) stamp. I used this set to stamp the flourishes in the upper right corner of the Left Page and also on the journal piece of the Right Page. The sentiments are from the same set. Notice the extra journaling piece hidden behind the middle photo on the right page. I used the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge to cut a decorative shape for the top.

My TWO pieces of pattern paper are from the Lucy paper pack (X7149B). I used Blush Carstock and Grey Wool ink to tie all the colors together.

My THREE embellishments are Paper Flowers, Ribbon and Rhinestone Brads. The paper flowers are from the new Just Blooms Paradise Collection (Z1710). There are actually 2 different ribbons - one is the Sweet Leaf Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon (Z1383) and the other ribbon which are my 'leaves' for my flowers is from the Designer Ribbon Green Collection (Z1616). I just LOVE these Rhinestone Designer Brads (Z1360). They make perfect centers for my paper flowers!

To finish the layout I had to add a title! What better title than "2 Cuties" because that is exactly what these little girls are! I used the Art Philosophy cricut cartridge to cut the "2" and used the Layer Option. I added a little bling to the "2". "Cuties" is stamped with the Bohemian Alphabet (E1019) stamp and each letter was cut out and applied with 3D Foam tape so that they would stand out.

All Products are Close To My Heart. Thanks for stopping by!

Cruisin' to Mojo Monday

2012-02-15T08:57:00.000-06:00

Yippee! I FINALLY got to create something for Mojo Monday. I've been so busy the past two weeks, I missed a couple of great challenges. With my Open House Celebration behind me, I was excited to see the Mojo Monday sketch and know that I would get to do something with it.

For this week's Mojo Monday I decided to do something a little different! No florals or 'pretty' paper this time. I pulled out my new Cruisin' paper from Close To My Heart. This paper is so fun and has lots of potential for great pages and other projects. This 5 x 7 card would be great for a race fan or even a car fanatic. It reminds me of my dad because he loves cars. He has ALWAYS been a fan of cars - old and new!

I used the Art Philosophy to cut the square shape also the shape for my "Good Times" sentiment. I added bling sparkles to the arrow on the sentiment because it reminded me of a flashing sign. The car, gas pump and sentiment are all from the stamp that is included with the Cruisin' Workshop On the Go Kit (G1039). This is an exclusive stamp and comes only with the workshop kit.

One of the cool new products that coordinates with this paper are the Bottle Caps (Z1691). I just had to use one on this card. Check out the checkered flag! I made this using the zip strip from one of the papers. I strung the flags on Black Hemp and knotted each end.

This card was so much fun to make. I hope you enjoyed it!

Here is the Mojo Monday sketch I used for my inspiration:

CAS-ual Friday Meets Fashionista!

2012-02-13T22:31:00.000-06:00

So sorry I've been away! I had my Open House Celebration for Close To My Heart's new Spring Summer Idea Book on Saturday so I have been very busy getting ready for that. I'll be sharing some of my creations over the next couple of weeks.

Also, last week, my oldest daughter celebrated her birthday and I wanted to make something special for her. Kirsti moved out last fall into an apartment she shares with a friend. We got her a new comforter set for her bedroom when she moved and she didn't really have much for her walls. When I saw the Fashionista (D1504) stamp set in the new Idea Book, it reminded me so much of Kirsti! She loves clothes and she has more shoes than I probably have had my entire life! I thought this stamp would make the perfect wall art for her room - right along side the specially made shoe shelf her dad made her! I think this picture was a hit!

I stamped the images on to White Daisy Cardstock. I stamped the girls again on another sheet using Olive ink. I then cut out the dresses, top, skirt and belt and adhered them to the top of the silhouettes. I added 1/4" strips of Olive and Black cardstock to give add a 'matted' look. I then put it in this nice black frame. I picture opening measures 8x11.

I'm entering this into CAS-ual Friday's challenge. This week's challenge is to create a Clean and Simple project using paper piecing. I think this framed art is pretty Clean and Simple! It was really fun to create!

Be sure to visit CAS-ual Friday's site to see all the other entries. If you like challenges, this is a fun site to check out every Friday.

Door Prize Riddles!!

2012-02-08T15:42:00.002-06:00

Well I got a little behind here on my blog posting the Door Prize Riddles. I have been posting them to my StampinHeaven FB page though. Thought I'd catch you up in case you've been watching my blog and not my FB page so you won't have to search! If you know the answer just leave the Riddle # and the answer in my Comments! Each correct answer will earn you a Door Prize ticket!

Giveaway #1 - What's CHOCOLATE and hold beautiful memories but you can't eat it!
Giveaway #2 - What has 54 sides. You can stackem' or you can rackem'!
Giveaway #3 - It's not sold in our Idea Books and you can only get one from me! You can take it with you to all your crops. It holds bits and pieces. (Hint: I gave away one last year!)
Giveaway #4 - This prize has the same name as a Comedy TV series that ran from 1992 - 1999 about a young New York couple. Like the series, it is no longer available! It's all about LOVE!

Sound like fun? Come to my Open House and find out more ways to earn tickets to these and more prizes!

You can even make this card to take with you!

A Little Sunshine for Freshly Made Sketches

2012-02-04T22:52:00.001-06:00

WHEW! What a crazy busy week this has been. I've got my Open House coming up next Saturday and planned to do alot of creating to get ready for it. I planned to do a little bit every night. Well, it didn't take long for that to get shot down! Our dog, Remi, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever has been sick since January 2. He is not even 2 years old and he could barely get up and walk! We've been going back and forth to the vet. Finally we were referred to a specialist about 50 miles away. Remi spent all day at that vet having about every test imaginable done. After work I went to sit with my hubby to wait. It was 6:30 before we able to bring him home. Needless to say, no creating that night. The following two nights I worked late. Friday night, I planned to come home and spend the evening in my craft room but instead, I spent the evening at the clinic and then the pharmacy getting a prescription for my husband who had a scratched eye and some infection. Boy oh Boy......

Today - FINALLY I got some ME TIME!! YEAH!! This morning I printed off a bunch of challenges hoping I'd get to at least one! I missed so many! I was excited to see a great sketch over at one of my favorite challenge blogs - Freshly Made Sketches. I decided I would use this sketch with my new Pemberley (X7148B) paper pack. This paper pack was just released in Close To My Heart's Spring Summer Idea Book.

The phrase "A little Bit of Sunshine...." is the zip strip from one of the papers. I love how I was able to incorporate it into my card. I used the new stamp Card Word Puzzle (C1494) for the flower and the butterflies. I stamped the image in Outdoor Denim Ink and then again in Versa Mark ink. I used Clear Detail Embossing Powder to give it a raised outline look. I added Bitty Pearls (Z1707) to the center of the flower and also used them as butterfly trails.

Here is the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches:

Hopefully I won't be so long away next time! I've got a lot of challenges to catch up on!

Oh, and BTW, all the tests came back negative for some of the more serious diseases and it was determined that Remi has some kind of joint disease (I can't pronounce it and I won't even try to spell it!) He is being treated with steroids which has worked like a miracle! We've finally got our spunky Remi back!

Thoughtful Tidings - February Stamp of the Month

2012-01-31T20:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month we are featuring "Thoughtful Tidings", a set of 11 stamps. Six of these stamps coordinate with the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge. If you have come here from Teresa Scrivens blog you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way around. If you get lost along the way, you'll find the complete list of participating consultant's HERE.

Red Lines indicate stamps that coordinate with AP Cartridge

This month about 60 consultants are sharing their creations using February's stamp of the month and other great Close To My Heart Products. Following the blog hop is easy, just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Have fun hopping!

Thoughtful Tidings is a great set for quick cards of appreciation. I had so much fun using this set with the new Stella Level 2 Paper that I couldn't stop at just one card!

Following are individual shots with a little information on each card. In addition to the new Stella paper, I used several new embellishments!

3x3 Card:

Pattern: Originals - Middle Ground

Embellishments: Star - Milepost Shapes (Z1464)

Baker's Twine - Paradise Assortment (Z1702)

Photo Clip - Sunset Mini Medley Accents (Z1338)

4 1/4 x 5 1/2 Card:

Pattern: Originals - Gallery

Embellishments: Lagoon Mini-Medley Accents (retired)

Baker's Twine - Neutral Assortment (Z1701)

Durables Studs - Round (Z1706)

4 1/2 x 4 1/2 Card

Ribbon - Designer Ribbon - Colonial White Collection(retired)

4 1/2 x 4 1/2 Circle Card

Pattern: Originals - Richochet

Embellishments: Bohemian Assortment (Z1687)

Opaque Adhesive Gems - Mocha Collection (Z1333)

Designer Ribbon - Colonial White Collection(retired)

Fill this one with Hershey's Hugs!

Heart Shaped Purse

Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge: Heart

Embellishments: Dimensional Elements Hearts (Z1735)

Corduroy Brad - Sunset Mini Medley Accents (Z1388)

Natural Hemp (Z280)

Remember, you can get this Thoughtful Tidings stamp for only $5 with the $50 Close To My Heart purchase! See my website www.ctmh.com/stampinheaven to order or contact me!

Now, hop on to Jen Patrick's Blog to see what she created!

Sneak Peek #4 - Valentine Milk Carton

2012-01-30T22:54:00.002-06:00

I had so much fun creating my Easter Milk Carton for the New Product Blog Hop, I wanted to make another one! If you missed it, you can see it HERE. The My Creations Milk Carton comes in a package of two so I had another one to play with. This time I decided to create one for Valentine's Day. What a cute little gift to give to someone special!

I used the Spray Pen to add a spray mist to my box before I put it together. I mixed 3 drops of Hollyhock re-inker with water and our Create A Shade Pearl Paint. By only using 3 drops of Hollyhock, this gave me the lighter color of pink that I was looking for. I cut out 3 sizes of Hearts <Heart1> with my Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge to use as mask before I sprayed. I added removable adhesive to the back of the hearts and placed the hearts randomly on my box.

Before Spraying

Here is the box after I sprayed it with the mist and the hearts removed. You can see the masking. Something to note... I placed the box inside a large box to spray. Otherwise, the mist goes anywhere and everywhere! But that is what gives it this fun effect!

After spraying.

Before assembling my box I stamped a Heart Dimensional Element with the heart stamp that accompanies the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection. (The collection comes with 3 stamp sets in addition to 3 sets of dimensional elements!) Next, I added Bitty Sparkles to the heart and adhered it to the carton. I used the little words that were on the same stamp set to stamp on the other hearts.

Again, using the Art Philosophy cricut cartridge, I made a tag to tie onto my carton. I cut the tag at 2 1/2" using the <Heart1> Tag setting. I used one of my hearts I cut out previously for masking to place behind the cut out heart shape on the tag. Then I added a Sparkle for bling! I tied the tag on with ribbon from the Tulip Mini Medley Accents Collection.

Now all I need to do is fill it up with Chocolate!

Recipe:

My Creations Milk Carton (Z1739)

Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge (Z1686)

Tulip Stamp Pad (Z2166)

Spray Pen (Z1380)

Create A Shade Pearl Paint (Z1039)

Hollyhock Re-inker (Z2228)

Bitty Sparkles (Z1263)

Tulip Mini Medley Accents Collection (Z1320)

Dimensional Elements Hearts (Z1735)

The project qualifies for both the Heart 2 Heart Challenge and the Just Us Girls Challenge! Both are looking for 3D projects. Just Us Girls wanted a Valentine 3D project. Be sure to check both challenges out.

New Product Spotlight - My Creations Milk Carton

2012-01-29T20:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our New Product Blog Hop! Are you ready for some sneak peaks from Close To My Heart's 2012 Spring/Summer Idea Book? The Idea Book goes live on February 1 but Consultants were able to order new product on January 1. (That is one perk to being a CTMH consultant!) So, many of us have been working away in our craft rooms getting ready to show you some fabulous new items!

If you came here from Rachel Ventura's Blog, then you are on the right track! The hop is a circle so you can start here and hop all the way around! Following the hop is easy to do. Just click on the link at the bottom of each post that takes you to the next blog! If you get lost along the way, you can find the complete list of participating consultants HERE.

I got so many new things it was hard to decide what to showcase! I love all the My Creations products that Close To My Heart carries. My Creation products are chipboard and come in all types of 3D products from small albums, banners, boxes and cubes! One of the new My Creations products is the Milk Carton (Z1739)! You get 2 cartons and 2 closure clips for $4.95. The cartons measure 5 1/2" x 3" x 3". I couldn't wait to get these cute little cartons and alter them! I made mine with Easter in mind. Probably because I have a real weakness for those malted bird eggs that come in the milk cartons. Here is my My Creations Milk Carton for Easter!

I used the new My Peeps (B1402) stamp for the egg border, the wrap around phrase at the top and the marshmallow peep in the center of the Sweet Leaf Grosgrain Ribbon (Z1383) that I tied around the box. I stamped the eggs in Grey Wool and used a blending pen and inks to 'paint' my eggs. The colors I used were Pear, Sweet Leaf, Creme Brulee, Cotton Candy and Blush. The paper board behind the eggs is a piece from the new Lucy Level 2 paper pack (X7149B). The paper is Perfect for Easter!

My Peeps (B1402)

For the other side of the carton, I stamped "SPRING" with Cotton Candy ink and again in Creme Brulee ink. I trimmed out the "i" and the "n" and used foam tape to add on top of the Cotton Candy sentiment. The little closure clip at the top of the carton that hold it closed is included with the Milk Carton. Take the clip off and the carton opens to a spout so you can pour out those malted eggs or jelly beans! Wouldn't these make cute little treats from the Easter Bunny this year?

I hope you enjoyed my little Milk Carton! If you are local to me, be sure to stop by my Open House Celebration on Saturday, February 11 from 9am until 2pm. You'll get to see LOTS of new products and even make a card to take home with you! I'll have several door prizes and lots of Clearance items on hand!

Now, hop on over to Vicki Price's blog to see what she has created!

Sneak Peak #3 - Just a Note

2012-01-28T18:48:00.002-06:00

Here is another little sneak peak of new product! I made this fast and simple 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" card with the new Lucy Level 2 Paper Pack (X7149B). I have to admit, the Lucy paper was not at the top of my list for the 8 new paper packs but when I got pack I had to change my mind! It is so pretty! This shows only one of 6 beautiful designs included in the pack.

The stamp is from the new set - Card Word Puzzle (C1494). I love this set! It has 4 different flower stamps (I used two here), a butterfly, a leaf and over 50 words that you can put together to make your own original phrase! I used "Just A Note" for this card. I used blending pen with Cotton Candy and Pear ink to color my flower. I added the Sweet Leaf Stitched Grosgrain ribbon and Pearl Opaque Adhesive Gems. The card pattern is Corner Shop from Jeanette Lynton's How To Book for cards - Originals.

I'm going to enter this card into 2 challenges....
Crazy 4 Challenges - Layer it on. This card has lots of layers. The other challenge is Friday Mash Up - Use Something New in Your Stash. I did't get a chance to use the sketch to 'mash it up' but I did use all new products in my stash! Be sure to check out both blogs!

Be sure to come back Sunday night and hop on our New Product Blog Hop. Over 25 consultants will be showcasing something new from our 2012 Spring Summer Idea Book that goes live on February 1!

Open House Give A Way - Riddle #1

2012-01-27T17:18:00.000-06:00

Ready for the first Riddle for my Door Prize Giveaway?

RIDDLE: What's CHOCOLATE and hold beautiful memories but you can't eat it!

If you know the answer, leave me a comment! If you are correct, you will get one ticket
at my Open House on Saturday, February 11 towards a chance to win a door prize!

Mark your calendar and be sure to stop by between 9am and 2pm!

Coming in 7 Days! Close To My Heart's Spring Summer Idea Book!

2012-01-26T19:50:00.002-06:00

It's just 7 more days until Close To My Heart's newest release of the Spring Summer Idea Book goes live! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this issue! If you've been following my blog you've seen some sneak peaks of just a few of the products. I'm going to be posting more sneak peaks soon!

To celebrate the release I'm hosting an Open House! If you are local, come by and see all the new papers, accents and more! Take a minute to make a free card with the Stella paper and check out my Cash & Carry Clearance Items! Earn tickets for Fabulous Door Prizes! I'll be posting riddles on my blog and my facebook page. If you know the answer leave a comment. Earn a ticket for each correct answer! I'll be checking daily! Watch for my special EZinvite. Not on my mailing list? Sign up in the Newsletter Signup Box to the right.

Also, January through March is MAKE A MIRACLE MONTH! Since 2004, Close to My Heart has partnered with Operation Smile to provide free life-changing operations for children with fascial deformities. It takes as little as $240 dollars to provide a surgery and change a life forever. There are several ways you can help! 100% of your donation goes to Operation Smile
1. Place an order and round UP your total to the next dolar. The difference will go to Operation Smile.
2. Purchase one of my handmade cards at my Open House and 100% of the card purchase will be donated to Operation Smile

Stay tuned for more Open House Information and Prize Riddles!

Sneak Peak #2 with CAS-ual Friday

2012-01-20T23:07:00.003-06:00

Black and White and no other color - not even a speck! That is the challenge over at CAS-ual Friday this week. It is so hard to not add just a tinny whinny bit of color! But, I remembered a new stamp I just got. It is one of the stamps in the new Close to My Heart's 2012 Spring/Summer Idea Book which is due out February 1. This is one of those stamps that was 'love at first sight' and from that point on I knew it was a "HAVE TO HAVE". I've been so busy this past week, tonight was the first time I got to pull it out and give it whirl.

Here is my Black and White ONLY card!

Cool isn't it? I love it! This stamp is called "Fashionista". There are 4 different girls on this set and they are all Shopping Fashionistas! I used only one girl on this card - you'll have to wait until February 1st to see all four lovely ladies!

Fashionistas should stand out, so I stamped the her on a separate sheet of cardstock and cut her out. Then I used foam tape to make her pop her up. Can you see my Bitty Sparkles? I added one to the shopping bag and one to the neckline of her shirt. The ribbon is from the Designer Ribbon Round Black Collection. This is a retired item but can still be found on our "While Supplies Last" section of my website. You get 4 feet of six different black ribbons for only $4.00.

Sneak Peak - Clean & Simple with Stella

2012-01-16T22:35:00.002-06:00

I've been working with the new Stella paper since Sunday. Saturday morning I printed out several blog challenges that I hoped to get to before their deadlines came and gone. As I finished up my layouts from the Stella Workshop On the Go kit, the sketch from the Clean & Simple challenge that was laying on my work table caught my eye.

For my very simple card, I used one of the zip strips from the Stella B&T papers, and the Stella Stamp (only available with purchase of the Stella WOTG kit).

I first stamped the chair directly on the card with Cocoa ink. Then I stamped the chair with Sunset ink on a scrap piece of cardstock. I cut out the sunset chair seat and chair back and adhered to the to cocoa chair. I decided not to add any other embellishments and kept it very simple. I love how this card turned out.

All products are Close To My Heart.

Stella Workshop on the Go Kit (G1032) will be available February 1.

Busy Creating!

2012-01-16T06:10:00.001-06:00

I know!! I've been missing in action the last couple of days. I had a Special Project I've been working on that had a quick deadline. In the meantime, I've had a box of brand new goodies from Close to My Heart that have been patiently waiting for me to play with! Finally I was able to get into that box yesterday!

The first on my To Do List was to put together the new Workshop On The Go kit for Stella! I LOVE this paper! It is the paper that is used on the front of the new Idea Book! Isn't it beautiful???

This book goes LIVE to our customers on February 1st. I'm planning my annual Open House on February 11 to celebrate the release of this book. So if you are local - add the date to your calendar! I'll be sending out complete details soon!

In the meantime, don't forgot those products that are retiring at the end of January! You can check those on my Retiring Items tab above. If you place an order of $25 or more on my website this month, I will immediately send you this new Idea book! FOR FREE!

Stay tuned! I'll pictures to post soon of what I've been working on!

Love You to Pieces - A Valentine Card

2012-01-11T08:04:00.001-06:00

This weeks challenge over at Heart 2 Heart is to use a stamp you haven't used before or at least in a long time. I've got several of those. (!) I've been wanting to make a Valentine card so I thumbed through my stamps looking for one that would work. I don't use many of my Valentine stamps. I pulled out my Feburary Word Puzzle stamp set. Remember those? I LOVED those word puzzle stamps! There was a Word Puzzle stamp for every month. I bought each month before they retired. I've got several months I've never used but keeping thinking someday I'll use them. So I'll probably always keep these stamps in my stash. My February Word puzzle had hardly been used at all. So this one will qualify for H2H.

Since I seemed to be in a 'retired' mode, I decided to use my retired Sweetheart paper. This paper was in the 2011 Spring Summer Idea book. I used the sketch from Mojo Monday to create my card.

My scallop circles were cut with the Art Philosophy cartridge - <Circle3> at 2 3/4" and 2 1/4". I cut the white centers at 2 1/4" and 1 3/4" using the <Circle1> setting. I also used the AP cartridge to cut my black edge underneath my sentiment. I used the <Retangle8> setting at 1 3/4" and then trimmed off 3/4" of the long edge to attach to my white cardstock piece.

The hearts are stamped in Cotton Candy and Tulip inks. I added a some Pink & Red Sparkles.

Here is the Mojo Monday sketch:

I haven't used this Sweetheart paper in a while. I forgot how much I liked it. Maybe I'll make a few more Valentine cards with it!

Today is an exciting day for me. I've got a box full of exciting new products from the 2012 Spring Summer Idea Book coming. I'll have tons of new things to play with! Can't wait to share!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

LOVE with Rock the Block!

2012-01-10T20:34:00.001-06:00

This morning when I checked ColourQ's challenge the colors practically jumped off the screen at me! I LOVE these colors and I couldn't wait to do something with them.

I pulled out my Rock the Block stamp to use for my card. This stamp is part of this month's special for National Papercrafting Month. I put this stamp together with the sketch from Unscripted Sketches and came up with this card:

I had so much fun creating this simple card. The colors I used are Blush, Sunset, Smoothie and Grey Wool. I stamped the flowers directly on the card. Next I stamped "LOVE" and trimmed it out using 3D Foam tape to pop it up from the card. I added a little bling by adding Sparkles to the flower centers and also some Bitty Sparkles to LOVE. What a "COOL" Valentine card this could be!

All Products are Close To My Heart.

Here is the sketch from Unscripted Sketches:

The Rock the Block special runs until January 31! You get the exclusive Rock the Block stamp AND the My Creation Collage Cube for just $15 when you place a $25 purchase in Autumn/Winter products. What a great deal!

Order from my website or contact me to place an order for you!

I'll send you the new 2012 Spring/Summer Idea when you order for FREE!

For You with Art Philosophy!

2012-01-09T20:47:00.001-06:00

This month I'm trying to do more with my Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge. I've used it ALOT since I got it but there are several shapes that I haven't cut yet. The colors for this card were inspired by Pal's Paper Art Challenge Blog.

For my card I used Close To My Heart's colors Crystal Blue, Pacifica and Colonial White.

This is a 4x4 card. I used <Square4> Card to cut the shaped card out of Colonial White. Next, I cut the Crystal Blue decorative layer the same size using Decorative Layer <Square 4>.
I cut 3 roses from Pacifica cardstock. I cut one at 4" and the other two at 3". To cut the roses, I used the Font<Heart3> setting. I added an Opaque Pearl Adhesive Gem to the center of each.
My tag is another layered piece. First, I cut a 1 1/2" <Square5> and then used the Decorative Layer setting to cut the Pacifica piece to add to the top.
"FOR YOU" is from the stamp set Say it With Style (D1283) My final touch was to add the decorative pin and grosgrain ribbon.

A Card to Brighten Your Day

2012-01-08T22:38:00.003-06:00

I spent literally ALL weekend pulling my tax information together for my Close To My Heart Business. Last year I waited until the last minute and I had promised myself I wouldn't do that again. I told myself that I would not do any creating until I finished. I expected to spend most of Saturday on this task but it ended up taking me 2 days! I don't know why I can't record everything monthly! If I did, I wouldn't have to spend an entire weekend doing it! But every year it is the same thing and every year I say I'm going to be better. Maybe this year.......

The first thing I did Saturday morning was to printed out a page of challenges that I wanted to try. I set them aside until I was free to play! Finally, I was able to step into my craft room tonight. Armed with two color challenges I begin pulling inks and cardstock. The first color challenge I decided to do was from The Play Date Cafe. I also decided to combine this with two other challenges - the sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping and also CAS-ual Friday (add chipboard).

I really liked working with these colors. Such a change from the holiday colors! My version of The Play Date Cafe colors is Juniper, Sweet Leaf and Vanilla Cream.

My card base is Vanilla Cream cardstock. I stamped the card with Noted Backgrounds (now retired). The Sweet Leaf scalloped rectangle <Rectangle 2> was cut using the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge (Z1686) and layered with Juniper cardstock. I used a chipboard Dimensional Element Mixed Shape (Z1683) as the base for my butterfly. I inked the shaped with Vanilla Cream ink and I sponged the butterfly with Sweet Leaf Ink. I added three Opaque Adhesive Pearl Gems to the butterfly. The sentiment stamp is from Card Chatter - Sympathy (D1476). The ribbon is from the Designer Ribbon - Green Collection (Z1616).

All Products are Close To My Heart.

Here are the inspirations for my card. Be sure to visit all the challenges! I'm sure you'll be inspired!
The Play Date Cafe:

Clean and Simple Stamping:

CAS-usal Friday:

Thanks for stopping by! Check back soon for my other Color Challenge Post!

Retiring Stamps - Get Them Before it's too Late!

2012-01-05T21:34:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year in the Close To My Heart calendar when the current Idea Book is about to end. Boy I have REALLY enjoyed the books of 2011. The Spring Summer book came out and I just loved everything about it! The paper, the stamps the embellishments.... Then the Autumn/Winter book was released and it BLEW me away!

On February 1, the new 2012 Spring Summer Idea book will be released. With the release of the new Idea Book, we have to make way for new products. That means many of the stamps in the 2011 Spring Summer Idea Book will be retired. A wonderful consultant - Tamytha Jenkins put together this slide show that shows all the retiring stamps. If you see any 'must haves' write the number down and then visit my website and order! They will be UNAVAILABLE after January 31! (Be sure to check out the While Supplies Last Section also!)

For a complete list of retiring Papers, Kits, Accessories and Embellishments see my Retiring Items Page.

Here is a BONUS for you! Place a $25 order on my website I'll send you a brand new 2012 Spring Summer Idea book for FREE!

www.closetomyheart.com/stampinheaven

2012 SPRING SUMMER IDEA BOOK

My Inspiration For Color Throwdown

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-06:00

I have a list of Challenge Blogs that I check first thing each morning. Usually I check them before I leave for work. Then, I can think about them through out the day and sometimes, by the time I get home from work I'm ready to start on something. Color Throwdown is on my list for Wednesday. When I saw the colors this morning - Black, Cranberry and Grey Wool (CTMH colors) I wasn't too inspired.

After lunch I decided I had better start a list for things I needed to get at 'Wally World'. I reached up to grab a sheet from my new notepad a co-worker gave me at Christmas. OH WOW! I was suddenly inspired! Below is my list. BTW, I decided the list wasn't long enough to warrant a trip to the Walmart - so I put it off. Besides, I now had better things to do!

And here is my card inspired by my notepad and the colors from Color Throwdown!

I used the stamp set - Eclectic Edges (C1450) and Silver Embossing for my border. The stamp across the grey cardstock is also from Eclectic Edges. I used the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge for my intricate flower and the branch. The flower turned out beautiful although it was like picking fleas off a dog to get all those little pieces out of there! I stayed patient and, surprising to me, I didn't tear it! The center of the flower has a Grey Opaque Adhesive Gem in the center. The flower was cut at 2 3/4". "I LOVE YOU" is from December's Stamp of the Month - Mad About You (no longer available)

This was a fun card to create. I hope you enjoyed it!

All products used are Close To My Heart.

See something you like? Order 24/7 from my website!

Birthday Numbers - Tuesday Trigger

2012-01-04T22:02:00.001-06:00

The other day I decided that I would start using more of the shapes on the Art Philosphy cartridge. I envisioned a square card with the jumbled numbers shape. I pulled a piece of my Creme Brulee' cardstock and cut out a 5 3/4 x 5 3/4 shape of jumbled numbers. I had intended to add this to a 6x6 Kraft card but this is where I got stuck. I sat there looking at the numbers on the Kraft card. I liked it but wasn't sure what to do with it. Finally, I set it aside and decided to come back to it another day.

Well today was the day! I was getting up to date on the blogs I follow and came across the Tuesday Trigger over at Moxie Fab World. It was just enough 'trigger' to get my mind going. NUMBERS!! I was already a step in the right direction. The colors in this quilt and the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches helped me finish the card.

I decided to exchange the Kraft card for a White 6x6 card. Then the card started to come together quickly. I used the Party Pennant stamp (C1429) to stamp the presents in Lagoon, Dutch Blue and Tulip. Happy Birthday is stamped in Desert Sand. Each present has a similar color sparkle. The Sparkles come in Blue & Green Assortment (Z1327) and Red, Pink & Purple Assortment (Z1326). Oh and that big wide ribbon! I love this ribbon and really need to get some more before January 31! This Sweet Leaf Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon (Z1383) will retire at the end of the month! This Art Philosophy Cartridge (Z1686) is addicting! My cricut has been buzzing like crazy ever since I got it!

Here is the sketch from Freshly Make Sketches I used. I love their sketches! Be sure to visit their blog!

All products used are Close To My Heart.

See something you like? Order 24/7 from my website!

Birthday Card for Mojo Monday

2012-01-02T18:21:00.001-06:00

Looking for the January Stamp of the Month? Click HERE.

I was supposed to spend the day reorganizing and cleaning my scrap room. But it was hard to stay focused on what I needed to do. I did put a few things away and hung a pretty Bulletin board my daughter got me for Christmas. I really wanted to create instead of clean. I finally sat down and created this quick Birthday Card using this week's Mojo Monday sketch.

The paper is from Elemental Level 2 paper pack (X7141B). My lace doily was cut from Smoothie cardstock using the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge (Z1686). Shift Font Layer <Flur DeLs> I cut it at 3 1/4". I wanted a chocolate butterfly so I mixed Chocolate Re-inker with Pearl Create A Shade paint. I just love that big chunky Chocolate Stripe Ribbon (Z1617)! My birthday sentiment is from Card Chatter - Birthday (D1475). I also used the Opaque Mocha Adhesive gems (Z1333) for my final touches.

Here is the Mojo Monday sketch:

Little Reminder - January Stamp of the Month

2011-12-31T20:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring January's SOTM, Little Reminder, a set of 25 stamps. If you have come here from HELEN'S BLOG you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around. If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants here.

This month we have over 50 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. Following the blog hop is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

What a great little set! I love the numbers! This month I created a layout for my Daughter's 17th birthday. She LOVES Zebra print so I used the paper from Roxie Level 2 paper pack (X7140B) for this layout. Each year, the new Twilight movie comes out either the day before or ON Kayli's birthday so she and her friends celebrate her birthday by seeing the movie! This year, the new movie actually came out on the same day as her birthday. I used the Little Reminder to mark the date of this layout. I used the TOP HAT layout pattern from Jeanette Lynton's How To Book - Magic.

Here is a close up look:

I used the Art Philosophy cricut cartridge to cut out the circles and also the banner that I used to cover the matching die-cut banner. For the date, I inked the stamp in black and then used a wet wipe to wipe away the black ink from "NOV" and "19". I used the Tulip marker to color them so that the date would stand out. I stamped the numbers 17 and cut them out to note her age!

Also - Here is a fun birthday card I made using this set. I was browsing through my new Paper Crafts Get Inspired magazine and was inspired by a card made by Kimberly Crawford. She used numbers on a Kraft card. I created a similar card with this stamp set!

I stamped the "let's celebrate" sentient onto the white grosgrain ribbon. I used Pacifica, Tulip, Topiary and Sunflower along with Black Ink for my numbers. I stamped the numbers randomly on a 6x6 Kraft card (Z1474). The fabric covered brad is from the Fanfare Designer brads (now retired). It holds down my scalloped flap.

Remember, you can get this Little Reminder stamp for only $5 with the $50 Close To My Heart purchase! See my website www.ctmh.com/stampinheaven to order or contact me!

Now, hop on to GEORGIA'S BLOG to see what she created!

It's Hip to be Square!

2011-12-28T23:03:00.000-06:00

If you haven't heard, January is National Stamping Month. Close To My Heart has a great little deal going on all through the month of January. When you purchase $25 in Close To My Heart products, you can add the Rock The Block special for only $15. This is a fantastic deal! You get a My Creations Cubes along with an E-Size Rock the Block stampset.

I wanted to create some cards with the stamp set. I used the colors from the ColourQ challenge for this card. The colors were Black, White and a color of your choice. I chose Olive for my Black and White card.

For a sharp black color, I used Black Staz On ink (Z888). It stamps so pretty! I stamped the flowers with Olive ink and then cut them out. The centers of the flowers are Black Button Brads from the Mini-Medley Black Collection (Z1393). The ribbon is actually retired but still available on the While Supplies last section of my website for only $4.00. You get 4 yards of 6 different ribbons! See the While Supplies Last section HERE for some great deals!

Here is a picture of the My Creation Cubes and the Rock The Block stamp set. If you missed my post on my Rock the Bock Cubes you can see it HERE.

Remember! This special is only available until January 31! The cubes will be in the 2012 Spring Summer Idea Book but the stamp set will not! Order directly from my website or contact me today!

May This Be Your GRANDEST Year Yet!

2011-12-27T15:06:00.000-06:00

Christmas is past and the New Year is fast approaching. I had so much fun the last couple of months creating Christmas cards! But it's time to put away all my Christmas stamps and start some new projects! I've been planning a technique card workshop in January and needed one more card. Mojo Monday provided the perfect sketch to use! My workshop - Cards With EDGE will be focusing on embossing! This card is one of four cards we'll create.

Here is the Mojo Monday sketch: (I used the square sketch for my 6x6 card)

For this card I used the Hooray Bouquet (D1491) stampset which coordinates with our Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge (Z1686). I cut the large flower <Flower6> at 2 3/4" and a smaller flower at 2". The large flower was cut onto the Sorbet B&T from Elemental Level 2 (X7141B) and the smaller 2" flower was cut on Colonial White Cardstock. Even though the large flower was a print, I stamped the flower with the coordinating stamp using versa mark ink. I then heat set Clear Detail Embossing powder to give it a textured design. I used the coordinating 2" stamp and Olive ink on the smaller flower. I re-stamped the image using Versa Mark ink directly on top of the stamped flower. Next, I used Clear Detail Embossing powder to add shine to this flower also. I layered the two flowers together and added a Colonial White Designer (Z1274) brad to the center. The small flower next to the sentiment used the same technique with the Olive ink and Versa Mark ink.

All products are Close To My Heart.

See all the details on my Cards With EDGE workshop on my Upcoming Workshops page!

Merry Christmas to ALL!

2011-12-24T13:32:00.000-06:00

I've been missing in action since Sunday's blog post about our special Rock Around The Block. This week has been crazy busy. I worked Monday & Tuesday and then drove up to Kentucky to get Jeff's mom so she could spend Christmas with us. We came back Wednesday. Thursday was a cold rainy day and instead of spending time in my craft room - something I LOVE to do on rainy days - I spent the day in the kitchen baking lots of goodies for Christmas. Thursday, I took Jeff's mom to see his office, Kirsti's apartment and then met Kayli out at The Avenue for Lunch with the girls and Nana. It was a good day but I think I wore Nana out!

Today is quiet. Both girls are working all day and Jeff went hunting this morning. I was bound and determined to make one more Christmas card.

This is my Christmas card to ALL! Thank you to those who follow my blog, to those who just like to look occasionally and also to all my fabulous friends and customers that keep me going. I love you all! I hope you have a Very Merry Christmas!

I used one of my VERY FAVORITE stamps and paper for this card. The stamp is from Father Christmas (D1449) and the paper is from the retired Mistletoe pack. I stamped the Santa in Brown StazOn ink (Z1142) and then I used a combination of blending pen and markers to color him in. I filled in the three ornaments with our Bronze Glitz Glitter Gel (Z1483). I used the velvet ribbon from the Cocoa Designer Ribbon Collection (Z1316) and embossed "Merry Christmas" with Cocoa Embossing Powder.

I used the Mojo Monday Sketch for this card.

I'm also entering this in the H2H Holiday Virtual Christmas Card Exchange!

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS! I'll be back next week!

Rock the Block - December 18

2011-12-18T20:00:00.000-06:00

January is National Papercrafting Month! Close To My Heart is once again introducing a fun new project to celebrate! Starting today, December 19 through January 31st, you can order this special Rock the Block set! This set includes the My Creation Collage Cubes (a pre-view to one of the New Products in our 2012 Spring Summer Idea Book!) and an EXCLUSIVE fun E-size stamp set!

There are so many great things you can do with these cute little 2x2 collage cubes! To help give YOU some ideas, several Close To My Heart consultants are participating in a Rock The Block Blog Hop! If you came here from Mary's blog, then you are on the right trace! When you are finished seeing what I created, hop over to the next blog and get inspired!

I decided to create a Family picture collage! I used the Dreamin' stickease to accent my cubes along with the stamps. Stickease is a great way to decorate your cubes because they look dimensional (like my buttons) but are flat so that your cubes won't be wobbly! I applied my pictures and cardstock to my cubes using our Bonding Memories Glue.

Here are pictures of each side of my cubes!

For the Final Side - I decided to make a display and took the blocks out of the box! You can make a phrase or words to display on your mantel or desk!

And finally, here is the box that holds the cubes!

Isn't the stickease just perfect?! After I finished this box I thought about the Believe stickease and how that would make a really cute collage of Christmas pictures!

Now hop on over to my wonderful friend Krista's blog and see what she has created for you!

If you'd like to order the special kit, you can order directly from my website at closetomyheart.com/stampinheaven or contact me! This kit is a $44 value and you can get it for just $15!!! (with a $25 purchase). The collage cubes will be available in the new 2012 Spring Summer Idea Book but the stamp set is exclusive to this special! It will NOT be in the Book! So order today!

Quick & Easy Treat - North Pole Mix

2011-12-15T16:24:00.001-06:00

Here is a quick and easy treat that is a MUST HAVE in my family at Christmas each year. I make a huge batch and put in little Christmas bags and tins to share with family and friends! I thought it would be fun to share with you!

NORTH POLE MIX

1 Box Golden Graham Cereal

1 Box Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal

1 bag of Pretzel Twists

10 oz. Pecan Halves

2 bags of Christmas M&Ms

1 1/2 pounds of White Chocolate Bark

This recipe is enough to use up the entire boxes of cereal and pretzels. I mixed this up in 3 separate batches using 6 squares of the White Chocolate Bark at a time.
Using a BIG bowl, pour in a little bit of each of the above until the bowl is full.
Melt 6 squares of the the White Chocolate Bark in a glass bowl in the Microwave at 30 second intervals stirring after each interval. Chocolate usually melts in about 1 min 15 seconds. Pour melted White Chocolate over the cereal mix a little at a time and stir after each addition to coat the mix. Pour out onto wax paper and let cool until White Chocolate is hardened - Only takes a few minutes.

Share and Enjoy! (Warning: This stuff is addictive!)

My Final Card - Sonoma Card Box

2011-12-14T18:10:00.000-06:00

Here is my final card that I created for my Sonoma Card Box project. I create 8 cards to go into this Card Box that I created a while back. You can see it HERE.

I was inspired by this sketch which I found over at the Try Stampin' On Tuesday blog. I varied it just a little but the basic idea is here. My lacy scallop is actually one of zip strips from the Sonoma Level 2 paper. I used my corner rounder (with the guard removed) to make the straight edge into a scallop to match. My stamped frame is from the stamp Sweet Moments (C1467). I used Smoky Plum ink to color the butterfly (from the Just Blooms Flutter Paper Shapes Z1463). I added pewter brads. My Birthday sentiment is from Card Chatter - Birthday (D1475). I just love this set!

My cards are now all complete and I have wrapped them up and they are being sent on their way! I hope my Grandma enjoys her box of handmade cards!

All Products used are from Close To My Heart

If you missed my other cards - check them out here:
http://gmbscrapper.blogspot.com/2011/12/clean-and-simple-birthday-with-sonoma.html
http://gmbscrapper.blogspot.com/2011/10/cardabilities-and-sonoma.html
http://gmbscrapper.blogspot.com/2011/10/i-thought-of-you-today-mojo-monday.html
http://gmbscrapper.blogspot.com/2011/10/this-weeks-mojo-monday-sketch-by-julee.html
http://gmbscrapper.blogspot.com/2011/11/brightening-day-with-mojo-monday.html

Clean and Simple Birthday with Sonoma

2011-12-14T11:17:00.000-06:00

I finally sat down and finished my final 2 cards for my Sonoma Card Box. Remember that little project? I know, I started it several months ago and have been making cards here and there to add to the box. This is a Christmas Gift for my Grandma. I hope she likes it!

I used the sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping for this card. It is really simple but elegant I thought.

I used the Sweet Moments (C1467) stamp for the roses and also the lace border across the top. I stamped the roses with Smokey Plum. After trimming my roses, I distressed the edges with cocoa re-inker and a brush. I used this same technique along the edges of the card. The lace and sentiment are stamped in cocoa ink. The birthday sentiment is from our Card Chatter - Birthday set (D1475). My final touches are the Opaque Adhesive Gems - Mocha collection. I added bitty gems to the lace. Then I added a velvet bow from the Cocoa Designer Ribbon Collection (Z1316)

If you missed my post on the Sonoma Card Box you can see it HERE. I won the "Make It From Your Heart - Cricut Sonoma Category for this card box!

Recipe for a Cookie Swap!

2011-12-12T22:49:00.003-06:00

I just returned home from my annual Cookie Swap. I have some of the best friends in the world and for the 9th year in a row we got together for our annual Cookie Swap. We started out as a group of friends that loved to scrapbook and the amazing thing is - we all worked together. Even though some of the girls no longer scrapbook and we've kind of scattered to other departments or jobs, we have remained friends through out these past 9 years. It is a night full of laughs, remembering good times, and of course LOTS of great cookies!

Since I have Close To My Heart's new Art Philosophy cricut cartridge, of course I had to make my recipe into a Christmas tag!

For my Recipe Card I cut a 6" tag using Shift Tag <Tree 1>. This tag has a little cut out tree on it. To get the recipe onto the tag, I typed the recipe into a text box in Word. I then printed out a copy on a sheet of paper. Next, using removeable adhesive, I attached the tag to the sheet of paper with the recipe on it Close To My Heart's Believe paper. This one is a plan tag (no cut out tree). I cut this tag at 6 1/4". I then cut a small tree <tree 1> at 2" in Sweet Leaf Cardstock to apply to the center of the cut out tree on the recipe card.

Here are my finished cards tied onto my cookie boxes!

Here are all the cookies! How CUTE! and oh so good!

My best buds at the Cookie Swap!

Challenge Blog I'm entering this Recipe Tag into: Bitten By the Bug

Be sure to check out all the really cute tags!

Misty Snowman

2011-12-11T16:19:00.001-06:00

Well I didn't get much scrap therapy in yesterday. It was late when I finally did get in there. I started out attempting to do the challenge from Friday Mash-up which was to Create a project with a snowman and/or use their colors combo - which would have been Blush, Twilight and Grey Wool in the Close To My Heart color world. I had a snowman in mind I wanted to use but when I went to get it I couldn't find it. I finally decided it must have gone to my sale box! But I did find another one to use. I decided I would use the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches. I had so much trouble coming up with something I liked using the colors from Friday Mashup. It was late and my brain just couldn't get past the traditional colors for Winter and Christmas. I finally threw aside my Blush cardstock and stuck with Grey Wool and Twilight.

I used Close To My Heart's Wonderland (X7146B) paper for my background. I also used my spray pen! I mixed Create A Shade Pearl paint with Crystal Blue Re-inker. I stamped my image on a piece of cardstock and cut it out, then laid it on top my White Cardstock piece for a mask. Using the spray pen, I sprayed all around the mask. Next, I removed the mask and stamped the same image in the 'clean' spot. To finish up the card, I added a Rhinestone Designer Brad (Z1360) to the "O" in Joy. The stamp set used is Winter Joy (C1468). (All products are Close To My Heart)

Here is the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches:

I'm also entering this into CAS-Friday because I used the spray pen!

Although I had trouble with the colors over a Friday Mashup, you need to go check out the other artwork. There are some really pretty things with this combination!

Come back to see me tomorrow! I'm going to a Cookie Swap tomorrow night so I'll be sharing my yummy recipe!

Memory Game - Make it an Advent Box!

2011-12-08T07:30:00.001-06:00

I just realized I never blogged about my Advent Box! This turned out so cute I wanted to share! I had a workshop back in October on this cute little box made using Close To My Heart's Memory Game. The Memory Game (Z1614) comes with 24 3x3 chipboard squares all in a little box that has a magnetic flap for closure. You can put photos on one side and cover the other side with a pretty pattern paper. Since there were 24 squares I thought this would be a great opporutnity to make an Advent box with an activity every day.

This was so easy to assemble. I used the Believe Level 2 Paper (X7145B) to cover the box and for each square. To decorate my squares I used the Believe Stickease (X7145C) and also the Countdown (B1390) stamp for the numbering of the days. The stickease is perfect because it adds dimension to your squares but not a lot of depth. You want your cards to lay flat ... and also fit in the box!

I used the Art Philosophy cartridge to cut out the stocking and ornament for the top of the box. Check out the toe and heel of the stocking! It is the "Countdown to Christmas" phrase from the Countdown stamp to make is look like stitching!

Here are the cutting dimensions for the box:

ADVENT BOX CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS

Believe – HoHoHo B&T paper Believe – Red Plaid

Sides – 3 ½ x 3 ¼ (cut 2) Top – 3 ½ x 3 1/8

Front & Back – 3 ¼ x 3 ¼ Flap – 2 x 3 1/8 (trim to fit by tracing the curved edge

and cut inside the traced line)

TILES – cut 3x3 squares from the various papers & cardstock included in the Believe Kit.

TOP OF BOX – USE THE AP CRICUT CARTRIDGE FOR THESE PIECES

Sweet Leaf Cardstock

<Shape 10> 3”

Stocking heel & toe, and top - <Stocking> Layer 3”

Red Plaid B&T - Stocking - <Stocking> 3”

Stripe B&T (opposite side of Red Plaid) - Ornament - <Tag1> 1 ½”

I know we are already into December but you can get one of these Memory Games now and make one for next year!

Since these colors go with this week's Heart 2 Heart Inspiration photo I'm going to enter it into this week's challenge! WOW 2 entries on one challenge - I've never done that before!

Christmas Gift Bag

2011-12-07T17:46:00.001-06:00

I'm back! This time I've got a little Christmas gift bag to share! I made this bag from my Kraft cardstock using Close To My Heart's exclusive Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge. The bag was cut using the 6" measurement. Once the bag is folded and glued together, it is actually 3" wide x 2" deep and 5" high from top of handles to the bottom.

I used CTMH's Believe (X7145B) paper to wrap around the bag and used the zip strip from that same paper for a border. Isn't that cool? I cut two ornament tags, again using the Art Philosophy Cartridge. The Sweet Leaf tag was cut at 2" and the Holiday Red tag was cut at 1 3/4". I stamped the Holiday Red tag with my Versa Mark Ink and heat embossed White Embossing powder on the image. The stamp is from December 25th (C1469). This set is a great set for making quick tags. I posted a video a few days ago about this. If you missed it, you can see it HERE.

To 'wrap' is all up, I found some long ago retired fiber that has been hanging around just crying out because it has been ignored. I need to make a few more of these little bags for some gifts so I think I'll be able to use it up finally! (That will feel good!)

I was inspired to make this little bag by this week's ColourQ Challenge. The colors were perfect and we were supposed to make anything EXCEPT a card! A nice little change for me!

These colors also go along with this week's Heart 2 Heart challenge so I'll be entering this one over there too!

Be sure to check out both challenge blogs! You'll get lots of great ideas!

AWESEOME GIVEAWAY!

2011-12-07T12:47:00.001-06:00

Check out this amazing give-away over at "Creating from the Heart" Keepsakes by Melissa.
Be sure to become a follower of her blog and sign up for this amazing give-away!

I'll be back later with another creation from my corner of StampinHeaven! :) The last few days I've taken a wee break - looking for some Christmas Mojo!

A "Grinchy" Christmas Card

2011-12-04T15:12:00.001-06:00

There are so many Christmas movies that I love to watch year after year but I think there is only one that brings back Christmas memories each time. Would you believe that would be the Grinch Who Stole Christmas?! You must wonder why THAT movie? Well, when my husband and I were getting ready for our first Christmas together (over 25 years ago) we got our very first tree. I remember making felt ornaments (stitched them together by hand!) because we didn't have ornaments for our tree - we actually didn't have ANY decorations. The night we were ready to set up the tree and decorate, we turned the TV on and the old animated version of The Grinch came on. Every year after that, when we set up our tree and began to decorate, like clockwork - The Grinch was on TV! So - it is tradition. Now we watch the movie - The Grinch. It has become an all time favorite in our house! So if it's not running on TV when we decorate - we'll pop in the movie!

Today when I see bright greens, pinks and blues at Christmas time, I always think of the Grinch. That is why I created this card in those colors. The tree on the stamp I used even looks 'Grinchy'. (if that's even a word!).

The stamp set is Tannenbaum (B1361). I used Silver embossing for the detail, the present, and the sentiment. Although the Twinkle Brads Jolly Assortment (Z1220) are retired you can still purchase them from the While Supplies Last section of my website for only $1! The polka dot paper is from the Believe Paper Level 2 (X7145B) paper pack. The square was cut using my Art Philosophy cricut Cartridge <square 2> at 3".

I used the sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping for this card and I'm also entering this card into the Crazy 4 Challenges - "Favorite Movie challenge CAC116"

I'm also linking this up to this week's Tuesday Trigger over at Moxie Fab World. It goes perfectly with this week's inspiration picture - Deck the Halls!

All products are Close To My Heart.

Do you have a Christmas movie that brings back a fun memory? I'd love to hear about it!

Quick and Easy Holiday Tags

2011-12-03T21:38:00.001-06:00

If you are looking a quick and easy way to make Holiday Gift Tags, watch this short video by Close To My Heart. These tags are made using our Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge and this stamp - December 25th (C1469). (See the red lines around some of the images? These images can be found on the Art Philosophy Cartridge!) All some bling with our Clear Sparkles (Z1104) and you're ready to tie them on your packages!

Color Throwdown for Christmas Cheer

2011-12-01T22:42:00.001-06:00

Looking for the December Stamp of the Month? You can get right to it HERE.

It's been a long time since I've colored with markers. Lately when I've been coloring my images I've used the blending pen with ink, or watercolor pencils. When I saw the colors in the Color Throwdown Challenge this time I just knew I had to use my Close To My Heart Markers. So I stamped some images and set to coloring!

Aren't these great colors? Would you think of Christmas for these colors? I did! I used Close to My Heart colors Outdoor Denim, Olive, Cranberry and Honey.

I had fun with this 6x6 card. The stamp set is Christmas Cheer (D1491) which is perfect for coloring. I added some Red Glitz Glitter Gel for a little accent under the Merry Christmas. I also scissor distressed the edges of each cardstock piece to bring out the white core. I used "One the Side" sketch from Jeanette Lynton's How To Book - Originals for this card. I LOVE these How To books!

Mojo and Colour Q Make Peace On Earth

2011-12-01T22:41:00.001-06:00

Looking for the December Stamp of the Month? You can get right to it HERE.

The ColourQ Challenge this week is cool Blue hues! I used Close To My Heart blues - Outdoor Denim, Twilight and Crystal Blue along with Bamboo. I used the Mojo Monday sketch for this card.

I used the stamp Glory To God (D1483). Since I wasn't using any pattern paper, I felt like I needed to 'dress' up my cardstock. So I used the little town of Bethlehem to stamp across the Twilight piece. I used the star to random stamp on to the Crystal Blue. I used Natural Hemp (Z280) and a Wooden Designer Button (Z1387) for my accent

Be sure to check out the other artwork over at ColourQ and Mojo Monday!

Mad About You - December Stamp of the Month

2011-11-30T20:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring December's SOTM, Mad About You, a set of 14 stamps. If you have come here from KATY'S BLOG you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around. If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants here.

I made several things with this stamp using Close To My Heart's Roxie Level 2 paper (X7140B). I've never been a big fan of Valentine stamps but I fell in love with this one when I started using it. Maybe it was the Roxie papers. They go so well together! I've got an individual shot of each item so if you follow along I'll tell you a little bit about each one.

This was the first card I made and this was the beginning of my love affair with this stamp. I used the pattern - On The Edge from Jeanette Lynton's How to Book - Originals for this card. I also used the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge to cut the Heart and the 'ticket' shape before I stamped them. (BTW - there are 4 images on this stamp set that coordinate with the AP Cartridge). Look closely at my heart. Can you tell I used clear embossing? My ribbon is from the retired Designer Ribbon Tulip Collection. I also added a button from the Bling Assortment (Z1466).

Check out this card! This time I used my mixture of Clear Embossing Powder mixed with Prisma Glitter. See the sparkle? I thought the shimmery heart and the velvet ribbon gave this card a softer look. This card pattern - Package Deal is also from Jeanette Lynton's How To Book - Originals. My final touch was to add Bitty Copper Brads to the heart. The border around one side of the square is one of the stamps from the set. Are you LOVING this paper yet?

Here is a simple 3x3 card. More manly looking don't you think? Might be good to attach to a bag of more 'manly' Valentine Candy. Is there such a thing? And the plaid paper is from Roxie - so that paper is not ALL GIRL!

And last, this was one of my favorites! A Pillow Box cut from the zebra print paper from Roxie using the Art Philosophy Cricut. I cut the pillow box at 5" using the Decorative Font+Shift <Flower4> (p. 28). The Tag is also cut with the AP cartridge before I stamped it. Final touches were organdy ribbon (retired) and bitty bling! I used Tulip and Black inks on all these projects.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my projects as much as I had fun creating them! Now hop on over to Susan Brook's Blog to see what she has create!

Live Laugh Love - A Fashion Inspiration

2011-11-29T22:21:00.001-06:00

I LOVE green. For as long as I can remember, my favorite color has always been green. So when I saw the Fashion Inspiration over at Moxie Fab, I couldn't wait to play with it. This week it is all about being inspired by objects around us! The Fashion Inspiration picture is a green houndstooth jacket adorned by what looks to be a pewter broach.

So how did I interpret this picture?

I like the houndstooth print and I think that Close To My Heart's Elemental (X7141B) paper was just perfect for my card. I used one of Jeanette Lynton's sketches for this 5x7 card from the How To Book - Originals (9032). The sketch is Mosaic Borders. The broach on the jacket above inspired me to add pewter accents to my card so I used the small pewter buttons from the Mini Medley Accents - Pewter Collection (Z1487). I pulled a piece of hemp through all three buttons and left the ends free. The sentiment is from the Love Life stamp (D1482). The flowers are from the set - Unscripted (C1465). I used 2nd generation stamping to fill the space around the sentiment.
Ink and cardstock colors are Olive.

Close up of the card sentiment:

This was a fun break from my Christmas card frenzy! I can't wait to try out the other Inspiration pictures this week over at Moxie Fab. Be sure to check them out! I'll be you'll be inspired too!

Simple Kraft Christmas Card

2011-11-28T17:20:00.001-06:00

I love color challenges and when I saw the colors on CR84FN Color Challenge all I could think of was Kraft. I've seen several button Christmas cards this year and have wanted to try my hand at it. This is a very simple card. I like the clean look of the card and I just couldn't bring myself to distress the edges. I used Close To My Heart's stamp - Happy Clusters (C1471) for the tree. I had alot of older retired buttons (browns, tans and colonial white) so I felt like it was OK to use these. (I've been working on using more of embellishment stash.) The "Noel" which serves as my tree trunk is from the set Christmas Love (D1492). The ribbon is from Designer Ribbon Green Collection (Z1616). The kraft card is from CTMH's 6x6 Die-Cut Kraft Cards and Envelopes (Z1474). You get 10 cards in the set!

My color inspiration from CR84FN:

Bringing Holiday Cheer to CAS-ual Friday

2011-11-26T17:18:00.001-06:00

I made this card several days ago for the CAS-ual Friday challenge and never posted it! So here goes! Another card using the Holiday Cheer (B1381) stamp set! After making this card, I realized I made another card very similar to this several weeks ago! (you can see it HERE).

RECIPE:
Cardstock: Holiday Red, Topiary, White Daisy
Stamp: Holiday Cheer
Ink: Holiday Red and Topiary
Accents: Clear Sparkles and Black Hemp

All Products are Close To My Heart

Black Friday Savings with StampinHeaven

2011-11-25T07:50:00.001-06:00

Bonus
Savings
FREE Stamp On Black Friday THROUGH Cyber Monday!

FREE HOLIDAY MAGIC STAMP PLUS

FREE SHIPPING!

The FIRST TWO customers to order the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection

will recieve a FREE Holiday Magic Stamp and FREE SHIPPING!** Holiday Magic was the October Stamp of the Month is no longer available for purchase! (Value $17.95) See this stamp HERE.

The Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge (Z1686) is a MUST have cartridge in your cricut collection! This would make an AWESOME Christmas gift! At just $99 the Art Philosophy collection includes:

1 - Cartridge (700 images: Font, Shapes, and 3-D items)

3 - Coordinating My Acrylix® D-size Stamp Sets

3 - Coordinating 9" * 12" Dimensional Elements Sheets (Tags, Mixed Shapes, Banners)

*In order to get FREE shipping you MUST email or call me with your order. My website is not set up to give free shipping at checkout. I will submit your order and have it shipped directly to you.

This offer is only available through Gina Brandstetter, Independent Consultant - Close To My Heart and applies to the FIRST TWOcustomers that order the AP Cricut Collection on BLACK FRIDAY through Cyber Monday.

BONUS for Website orders!

$100 ORDERS - Place an order of $100 or more on my website and receive a D-size stamp for FREE (retail value $17.95). (Brand new stamp will be from my stamps on hand and will be chosen at random)

$50 ORDERS - Place an order of $50 or more on my website and receive a FREE SURPRISE gift from me!

This offer is good only on Black Friday through CYBER MONDAY and for orders placed on my webste:

www.stampinheaven.myctmh.com

Valid 11/25 to 11/28

Only Days left to order Holiday Wishes!

Order $25 in My Acrylix Stamps and get this beautiful Holiday Wishes set for just $5.00. This set is NOT available in the book. Offer ends November 30th.

Get the November Stamp of the Month for just $5 with $50 purchase!

Happy Thanksgiving!

AND HAPPY SHOPPING!

www.stampinheaven.myctmh.com
Gina Brandstetter
Close To My Heart Independent Consultant

gmbscrapper@comcast.net

closetomyheart.com/stampinheaven

My BLOG: gmbscrapper.blogspot.com

615-347-1714

Winter Wonderland for Mojo Monday

2011-11-24T07:56:00.000-06:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Thought I'd share a card I created the other day for Mojo Monday! No stamping on this card! A first for me in a long time! Since Snowflakes are the theme over at 4 Crafty Chicks I'm submitting this one to their challenge two! Be sure to check out both blogs for some great artwork!

I used our Wonderland Level 2 (X7146B) paper for this card. My snowflakes are from the Art Philosophy cricut cartridge. For the snowflakes with the circle border I cut Decorative Layer <Snwflke3> at 2". The bigger snowflake in the middle was cut at 2 1/2" using <Snwflke3>. After I cut them out, I covered the snowflake's area with Bonding Memories Glue (Z553) and then added Prisma Glitter (Z134). The Prisma Glitter changed the stark white cardstock to a very pretty shimmer! I added the Clear Sparkles (Z1104) to the center of each. The "Believe" is one of the Top Coats Icing Overlays (Z1468). This was a perfect fit for the center of my card! All products used are from Close To My Heart.

The Art Philosophy Cricut Collection (Z1686) is the best buy around! I have used this cartridge many times over since I got it back in August. My other cartridges are collecting dust! Just in case you aren't familiar with the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection, you don't get JUST a cartridge! When you purchase this collection you get 3 stamp sets (D-size) - each stamp has a coordinating image on the cartridge, AND you get 3 sets of Dimensional Elements that also coordinate with the cartridge! The entire collection is just $99!

As you are checking off your Christmas List be sure to add this to it! You can purchase one of these collections from my website - and I promise you won't be standing in a long line and have to deal with cranky tired shoppers! Shop 24/7 in the comfort of your home!

I'm offering a special deal if you shop my website during

Black Friday through Cyber Monday!

The first two people to order the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection will also receive from me the October Stamp of the Monday Holiday Magic. (No longer available to purchase!) If you let ME submit your order for you I'll pay for your shipping charges! You must email me your order to qualify for free shipping. Order will be submitted when payment is received. This is ONLY AVAILABLE TO FIRST TWO CUSTOMERS Ordering the Art Philosophy Collection.

OTHER BONUS!!

Good Black Friday through Cyber Monday!!

Customers who place an order of $100 or more from my website will receive from me - a FREE D-size stamp. (stamp to be randomly chosen by me and mailed to you separate from your order)

Customers who place an order of $50 or more from my website will receive a FREE Surprise gift from me!

START SHOPPING! www.closetomyheart.com/stampinheaven

Tuesday Trigger - Red and Rustic

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

I haven't done a Tuesday Trigger over at Moxie Fab lately but when I saw today's challenge, I couldn't wait to try it out. Here is our inspiration - Red and Rustic.

Once again I pulled out one my FAVORITE stamps from Close To My Heart's 2011 Autumn/Winter Idea Book - Remarkable Wreath (C1473). I just can't stop playing with this one! I actually made a quick Thank You card with it just before I started on this Tuesday Trigger. I have definitely got my money's worth out of this stamp so far!

Rustic reminds me of weathered grey wood and that was the look I was going for on this card. To 'weather' my wood, I used Grey Flannel Cardstock and scored it randomly. Next, I sponged Grey Wool ink onto the cardstock piece and then sanded over it to bring out the white core. The grey flannel is layered on Cocoa cardstock.

The wreath is stamped with Cocoa ink and the berries are Cranberry. Instead of the usual red bow on the wreath, I pulled cranberry ribbon through the large pewter button from the Mini Medley Accents Pewter Collection (Z1487). The "Merry Christmas" sentiment is from the Christmas Love (D1492) set. This card was quick and simple but I think still has a elegant rustic feel to it.

Hope you enjoyed!

Black, White and SPARKLE!

2011-11-22T17:36:00.001-06:00

With only a few days left in our Holiday Wishes stamp special, I wanted to share another card I made using the tree from this set. The challenge over at Crazy 4 Challenges this week was to use Black, White and WOW! So my WOW color is red. I'm not used to using Black and White for my Christmas colors but I think this card turned out nice!

For this 5x7 card, I used a pattern from Jeanette Lynton's How To Book - Wishes. The pattern is called Midpoint. I used my Art Philosophy cricut cartridge to first cut out the tree. Then I stamped the it with Black ink and added Red Glitz Glitter Gel (Z1484) to each little bird. My red-checked ribbon is from the Designer Ribbon - Red Collection (Z1615). I used 3-D foam tape to pop the tree up a little.

Here is a picture a little more close up of the tree and birds.

If you haven't ordered your Holiday Wishes yet, you still have time! Just purchase $25 in My Acrylix stamps and you can get the Holiday Wishes set for only $5! This is a great deal. PLUS there are 4 stamps that coordinate with the Art Philosophy cricut!

Order from my website today! www.closetomyheart.com/stampinheaven

A Christmas Filled with Love - Card

2011-11-21T21:49:00.001-06:00

I haven't been much of a fan of the pom pom ribbon. Mostly because I wasn't sure how to adhere it without sewing it on! I detest the thought of pulling out my sewing machine for several reasons. 1. My family might think it means I'm willing to mend and will want me to fix broken zippers or sew up ripped seams. 2. I wouldn't be able to find the thread I need. 3. There is absolutely no more room left on my crafting table for one more thing - much less a big table top machine!

But I made this really cute card for Cardabilities challenge and the pom pom ribbon was just what it needed to add a little fun to this holiday card!

The plaid paper is from the Believe Level 2 (X7145B) paper pack. The stamp set I used is Christmas Love (D1492). This set has some great Christmas sentiments on it. You can see the entire stamp set HERE. I stamped the ornament in Holiday Red and Topiary and used a 1/2" punch to cut them out so that they were a perfect fit behind my clear button. And there.... you see the Topiary pom pom ribbon for my edging. There! I did it!

Buttons are from the Clear Assortment (Z1391) and the pom pom ribbon is from Designer Ribbon Green Collection (Z1616).

Here is the Cardabilities Sketch I used:

Thanks for looking! Hope you enjoyed my card!

Thanksgiving Card - So Much Goodness

2011-11-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

I took a break from all the Christmas colors to create one more Thanksgiving card before the Holiday was over. Gee! How did we even get this far into the year already? My family has been planning our Thanksgiving meal for about 2 weeks now. Not really planning though. It's more of confirming who is bringing which dish, although, every year we bring the same ones! Hard to break tradition!

Ok - Back to my card. I loved the colors over at The Play Date Cafe and couldn't help doing one more card. Besides, I'm in love with our Dreamin' papers and they are perfect for the color inspiration. I paired them up with The Friday Mashup!

Here is the Friday Mashup Challenge:

1. Make a project using Paper Rosettes

2. Make a project using the sketch

3. Mash it up and make a project using the sketch and use paper rosettes!

I love how the Dreamin' (X7142B) paper looks as a paper rosette! I used a Harvest Charm (Z1633) for the center. The sentiment is from the retired November stamp set.

Paper rosettes are easy to make. I made mine using a strip of paper cut 1 1/4" x 12". I scored the paper at every 1/4" and then 'fan folded'. Once it was folded and glued it end to end and attached my charm to the top. You can also use buttons for the center. Get creative!

Over at Friday Mashup they have a link to a tutorial on how to make a paper rosette from a border. Be sure to check it out.

Peace On Earth

2011-11-20T16:48:00.001-06:00

Here is a quick card for Freshly Made Sketches. I used Cocoa, Twilight and Colonial White for my cardstock colors on this 5x7 card. The stamp is Close To My Heart's Glory To God (D1483). I used with cocoa and gold embossing powders for the images.

I used the Art Philosophy cartridge to cut my shape for "Peace on Earth". I cut colonial white piece <Shape 7> at 2". I layered it on the same shape at 2 1/4". The ribbon is from the Chocolate Stripe Grosgrain Ribbon.

I made several cards this weekend and I'll be sharing over the next few days so come back to visit!

A Hunter's Birthday

2011-11-19T12:26:00.001-06:00

Did you miss me? I've had a really busy week this week and haven't posted since Monday! I did manage to do a little bit of creating and today I'm armed with my stack of challenges I want to get to.

Yesterday morning my husband got up about 3:30 am to go hunting. I woke up when his alarm went off and never really did get back to my good realm of sleep. I had all these ideas that started going through my brain! Among the ideas was a Birthday card for my hubby whose birthday just happens to be Thanksgiving Day this year! I knew what colors (Outdoor Denim, Cocoa and Bamboo) and which stamp I wanted to use so I couldn't wait to get into my scrap therapy room and put it together. It was HOURS before I was able to get in there.

I used the sketch from Pals Paper Arts for my 5x7 card. The stamp is actually a combination of two stamps from the Captured Moments (C1423) set. The stamp has 3 scenes - Halloween, Fall and Christmas. See this stamp HERE. The Fall scene reminded me of the season that my husband loves to hunt the most. But the Christmas scene is the stamp that had the deer on it. But it also had a snowman and Christmas trees, not exactly a 'hunting' scene. So I made my own! I stamped the Fall scene first with Versa Mark ink and embossed with Cocoa embossing powder. Next I inked ONLY the deer from the Christmas scene and stamped it onto my Fall scene! I embossed this with cocoa embossing powder also. So now I had the perfect Fall Hunting scene!

I stamped "Have a Perfect Day" instead of Happy Birthday because if my husband even SAW a deer that big, he'd say he had the Perfect Day! (The sentiment is from a retired set).

The last touch was to accessorize so I used the Chocolate Striped Ribbon (Z1617) (love this ribbon!) and added a charm from the Harvest Charms set (Z1633). Next, I added the Opaque Mocha Adhesive Gems (Z1333).

Now I'm off to my Scrap Therapy room with my stack of challenges. Let's see how many I can get done before I have to go back to work on Monday!

Oh! and yes - my husband is hunting today so that meand GUILT FREE Therapy all day!

ALL PRODUCTS ARE CLOSE TO MY HEART :)

Brightening a Day with Mojo Monday!

2011-11-14T20:46:00.001-06:00

I'm still working on cards for my grandma's card box. As I see sketches that I think work for the Sonoma (X7143B) paper I'm using, I take a break from the Christmas Card Frenzy I've been in lately. Today I took a Mojo Monday break! I created this 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 card for today's Mojo Monday:

I didn't have a flower that matched the color of the paper so I made my own color. I haven't liked my past results changing the paper flowers with the sponging technique, so this time I tried something different. I used our Spray Pen (Z1380) with water and re-inker. My 'purple' re-inker was Gypsy and if you are familiar with Close To My Heart colors, you know this is a pretty bright color. I knew I would need to 'dull' it down a little so I added a drop of cocoa re-inker. The result was an 'old fashioned' muted color which I think actually matches the paper pretty well.

My Pewter frame, button and photo corner is from the Mini Medley Accents Pewter collection (1487). I used cocoa ribbon through the button.

This is card #4 for my Sonoma Card Box. If you missed Cards 1 - 3 and the box, these links will take you there:
Sonoma Box
Card #1
Card #2
Card #3

Christmas Love for Card Patterns

2011-11-13T18:34:00.001-06:00

One of the stamp sets we used in my Christmas Card Workshop this past week was Christmas Love (D1492). This is a great set with 12 different stamps. I haven't had a chance to really use this set other than a few of the stamps for card front sentiments. It has a cute little stocking, Christmas Tree, ornament, and candle in addition to great Christmas sentiments like JOY, Noel, Magic of Christmas and more. See the entire set HERE.

One of the Blog Challenges I check in with on Saturday is CardPatterns. Yesterday they had a great pattern that I thought was perfect for the stocking on the Christmas Love set. I created a 6x6 card for this sketch:

Since Christmas has been my focus in card making lately, I saw these banners as stockings. I used Holiday Red, Topiary and Sky ink to stamp my stockings. Then I added prisma glitter for some sparkle. The string of lights is from the Believe Stickease (X7145C). I used the plaid paper and the Topiary cardstock from the Believe Level 2 paper pack (X7145B). Instead of a button I stamped star in Holiday Red ink and accented with organdy ribbon.

Have a great week everyone! Hope to be back with my art later!

A Warm Holiday Welcome

2011-11-11T23:11:00.001-06:00

The other day as I was reading through the blogs I follow, I came across one of my favorites... Broken Treasures. Elizabeth had created a "door" card that was inspired by one she saw on Pinterest. Ever since I saw it, I have been wanting to create one with my stamp Remarkable Wreath (C1473).
See entire stamp set HERE.

On Thursday, Pal Paper Arts posted their new challenge. This weeks challenge is a Holiday Theme. The colors in the picture were the inspiration for my door.

My card is 3 1/2 x 8. The pine tree in the picture was my inspiration for the New England Ivy door. I trimmed the door with Garden Green which was inspired by the model's accessory - the scarf! The berries on my wreath were stamped with Cranberry, then I added drops of Red Glitz Glitter Gel (Z1484). The Cranberry Grosgrain ribbon is tied onto the wreath. My door knob is an Antique Copper Designer Brad (Z1410). The sentiment "Celebrate the Season" is from the set Glory to God (D1483) and stamped in New England Ivy Ink. Now I just need to get my REAL front door to look this inviting!

Holiday Wishes - Ornament Card

2011-11-11T18:28:00.001-06:00

Here is one more card with the special Holiday Wishes stamp! I started this one a few days ago and didn't finish. I can't remember now why I set it aside. I sat down tonight to do a few challenges and saw the pieces for this card laying on my table. All I had to do was put it together and add some finishing touches.

I used the sketch from the Sketchbook Saturday Challenge. She has some really nice sketches on here so I'll be checking this one out every Saturday!

I used the Wonderland Level 2 Paper pack with this card. See the flourish coming out from under the ribbon? That is actually part of the Christmas Tree stamp from the Holiday Wishes stamp! The wide ribbon is from the Dark Chocolate Stripe Grosgrain Ribbon (Z1617). I love this ribbon! The ribbon tied to the ornament is from the Designer Ribbon - Blue Collection (Z1385). I stamped the ornament with Twilight Ink and added Prisma Glitter to the dove. My final touch - Clear Sparkles (Z1104).

Here is a closer view of the ornament which shows the Prisma Glitter a little better.

This is a great stampset! If you have not ordered your Holiday Wishes stamp yet, you have until November 30th! You can get this set for just $5 when you purchase $25 in My Acrylix stamps! This set has four images that coordinate with the AP cartridge - tree, stocking, ornament and star!

Shop on-line at my website http://stampinheaven.myctmh.com/ or call me to order yours today!

Holiday Wishes with Mojo Monday

2011-11-08T22:54:00.000-06:00

Today's Holiday Wishes card uses the 4th shape that coordinates with the Art Philosophy cartridge - the Tree! I used Mojo Monday's sketch for this 5x7 card.

I turned the design to the horizontal position so that my tree would fit the card. The colors of Cranberry, Cocoa and New England Ivy along with the design of the tree give this card a little bit of an 'old' feel I think. I cut the cocoa layer of the tree at 4 1/4". After stamping the tree with New England Ivy ink, I used the little poinsettia stamp with cranberry ink and cut them out to adhere to the tree. I added a dot of Red Glitz Glitter Gel to the center of each flower.

The poinsettia is from the Mistletoe Level 2 Assortment that you can purchase on line from the "While Supplies Last" section of my website. I cut out the leaves using my Art Philosophy cartridge.

If you have not ordered your Holiday Wishes stamp yet, you have until November 30th! You can get this set for just $5 when you purchase $25 in My Acrylix stamps! This set has four images that coordinate with the AP cartridge - tree, stocking, ornament and star!

Shop on-line at my website http://stampinheaven.myctmh.com/ or call me to order yours today!

Holiday Wishes in Plaid

2011-11-07T19:13:00.004-06:00

Here is another Christmas card with Holiday Wishes! I got the inspiration for this card from a card by Kelly Eubanks in the Holiday Cards magazine by Paper Crafts.

Can you believe this paper is not 'Christmas'? This is from the Roxie Level 2 Paper pack! This card has a 'woodsy' feel. Makes me think of hot apple cider in front of a warm fire in a cabin in the woods!

I used Cranberry ink on Bamboo cardstock for the stocking. I cut the stocking with the Art Philosophy cartridge first and then stamped it. This week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge is Metal Mania - incorporate something metal in your project. So I added two pewter buttons on top of the black grosgrain ribbon. My final touch was the Foundry Pin Clip for a stocking hanger.

REMEMBER! Holiday Wishes can only be purchased this month! Purchase $25 in My Acrylix stamps and you can get the Holiday Wishes for just $5! (Savings of $12.95!)

Shop on-line at my website http://stampinheaven.myctmh.com/ or call me to order yours today!

Holiday Wishes - Clean and Simple

2011-11-05T20:26:00.002-05:00

Here is another card with my new stamp set Holiday Wishes! For this card, I used the sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping.

I cut one star out with Art Philosophy cricut cartridge (a perfect fit) and then moved the measurement up 1/4" and cut another one to layer so that one star would stand out. Notice my 'Baker's Twine'? I got the tip to make my own from Close To My Heart's Facebook page. I twisted together White and Crystal Blue Waxy flax to make my Baker's Twine.

Today I recieved a 'goodie box' from my upline Chris Szczechowski. It was all about embossing! I got embossing powders in Silver and Clear Detail, a Versamark ink pad and refill, an embossing pen and prisma glitter! Chris also gave me this tip: Mix Clear Detail embossing powder with prisma glitter for a cool effect. I tried it out on the stars! You can see the prisma glitter shimmering. I first stamped the star with Crystal Blue ink and then stamped again with the Versamark ink. I was able to line it up perfectly with our clear stamp and block! Next, I added the Embossing powder/Prisma Glitter mix. Last step, set the embossing powder with my craft heater.

I'm having fun with the Holiday Wishes stamp! REMEMBER! This stamp set can only be purchased this month! Purchase $25 in My Acrylix stamps and you can get the Holiday Wishes for just $5! (Savings of $12.95!)

Shop on-line at my website http://stampinheaven.myctmh.com/ or call me to order yours today!

A Mojo Christmas with Holiday Wishes

2011-11-04T16:46:00.002-05:00

I just got my Holiday Wishes stamp and couldn't wait to play! I created this quick card with the ornament stamp using the sketch from Mojo Monday Challenge. I can't wait to create more!

My card is 5x5. I used Mistletoe paper (now retired) along with New England Ivy and Cranberry cardstock from Close To My Heart.
The poinsettia is also CTMH from the Mistletoe Level 2 Assortment. You can purchase these on-line only from the "While Supplies Last" section of Shop Online.

I used the Art Philosophy cricut cartridge to cut out my ornament and then I stamped it with New England Ivy Ink. Such a perfect fit! I thought this ornament looked like it needed tassel so I added floss at the tip. Then I used the Bronze Glitter Gel at the bottom of the ornament and added a few drops to accent the leaves. My cranberry bow was my final touch.

The Holiday Wishes stamp has four images that coordinate with the AP cartridge - tree, stocking, ornament and star! I have so many ideas for this set! REMEMBER! This stamp set can only be purchased this month! And you can get it for just $5 when you purchase $25 in My Acrylix stamps!
Shop on-line at my website http://stampinheaven.myctmh.com/ or call me to order yours today!

Holiday Wishes

Come back soon to see more cards with the stamp!

Cherish the Day in November

2011-10-31T20:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring November's SOTM, Cherish the Day, a set of 44 stamps. If you have come here from TRACI GODBEE'S BLOG you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around. If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants here.

For a long time I wanted to create a Event Calendar. I've got so many birthday's to keep up with, I kept losing track of who's birthday was when! I think I sent someone even got a Birthday card two months in a row! Several months ago I ordered our Event Calendar (Z126) but never got around to decorating the pages. Each page has a 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 square that you create something for. There are only 12 so how hard can it be?! I'd sit down to start it and just get stumped! When I saw the November stamp of the month, I decided that I would use that stamp and my scraps! You will see on each page I used a shape from our Art Philosophy cartridge.

To the left is the January page. Each page is numbered with the number of days and I'll just write in the dates to remember on the appropriate line. This calendar can be used year after year.

Following are pictures of each month before I adhered them to the pages.

Jan - April

May - August

September - December

This was a fun way to use some scraps and also to try out the different shapes on the Art Philosophy cartridge! Remember, you can ONLY get it during the Month of November! It is just $5.00 when you purchase $50 in Close To My Heart Products That is a great discount off of the retail price of $17.95. Contact me to order yours today! Be sure to check out the November Special too for another great $5 stamp!

Now keep on Hoppin' and see more great artwork from our Close To My Heart Consultants'. Continue on to Debra Van Patten's Blog to see what she has created for you!

The World Lost a Wonderful Man Yesterday

2011-10-30T14:29:00.001-05:00

I'll be taking a few days off this week from posting. Yesterday, my Father In Law passed away. Clark was an amazing man. Although he was my husband's step-father he was more like a father to him. He taught him to hunt and fish at a young age. Even after my husband and I got married and moved away, Jeff would travel back to Kentucky to go hunting with him every year around Thanksgiving.

When my girls were old enough, they would go spend a week in Kentucky with Nana and Daddy Clark (as all the grandchildren called him). A trip to Red's Donuts during their stay was a highlight of their week. Sometimes he would get them up early in the morning to take them fishing. He would do just about anything for those girls.

Clark was an avid Kentucky Basketball fan. You rarely saw him wearing something other than Blue & White with Kentucky on it somewhere. His favorite thing to do was tell jokes. No one was a stranger if there was a joke to tell. Sometimes he would call up just to tell us a funny joke he just heard that day. He loved The Far Side and looked forward to the new Far Side calendar each year at Christmas.

Nana and Daddy Clark spent many Christmas Eve's with us. They loved to come and watch the girls open their presents. We'd pass the presents out and Daddy Clark would pile up all his presents by his chair. We'd take turns opening. But it never failed, when everyone was finished unwrapping, he'd say "Well looky here! I've got another one to open". He wanted to make sure he had the last present to open.

Christmas cookies were his favorite. I always made a special Christmas tin of cookies just for him. He'd pour himself a tall glass of milk and eat the cookies.

Clark loved to work with wood. He spent many hours out in his garage building things. Wooden pull toys, froggy steps for the bathroom and more. He built a toy box for my daughter when she was born. He built a big Blue & White UK box for our window. It had Blue and White bulbs in the shape of a U and K. He wanted to make sure everyone here in big VOL country knew which side we were on!

Several years ago, Clark was diagnosed with Parkinson's. He did not let that get him down. Clark was a dentist and he practiced as long as possible and then retired. But he continued to hunt and fish every chance he got. Sometimes a hunting buddy would come over and help him get ready. It might take him hours to get all his hunting clothes on but he was determined not let his disease stop him from doing what he loved. He had many friends that made sure he was able to keep going as long as possible. Through it all, Clark's faith in God stayed strong.

Although I know Clark is in a better place now, we'll all miss him very much. I know that he walked straight and tall with steady hands to the gates of Heaven. And you can bet he had a joke ready for Peter when he let him in.

God Bless You Daddy Clark - You'll forever be in our hearts.

NOTE: I do have my Stamp of the Month Blog Hop scheduled to post on Nov 1 so be sure to check back then.

Holiday Wishes

2011-10-28T08:41:00.000-05:00

Here is a MUST ahve stamp for the holidays! This stamp is an exclusive and can only be purchased now THROUGH November 30th! Imagine all the beautiful cards you can make with this set!

When you place a minimum order of $25 in My Acrylix^® stamp sets now through November, you can purchase a new D-size Holiday Wishes stamp set for only $5! That’s significant savings off the full retail value of $17.95. And here’s a bonus: many of the images in the set coordinate with our Cricut^® Art Philosophy cartridge for added cutting and stamping fun!

I can't wait to get this set. I placed my order first thing this morning so be watching - I'll be posting artwork with it as soon as I get it!

Order on-line at my website: https://www.closetomyheart.com/stampinheaven
or call me to place your order!

Getting Ready for Christmas Early with BELIEVE

2011-10-26T22:15:00.004-05:00

My next scrapbooking workshop is coming up in November and I thought I would share what we'll be doing. We'll be creating this 2 page layout from the Believe Workshop on the Go. Look how young my girls are! Wow does time ever fly by.

This kit INCLUDES a Believe Level 2 paper pack, Dimensional Element Stars, Olive Mini Medley Accents, Believe C-size stamp and a full color Instruction Guide. I added a Holiday Pocket to my layout for Journaling. Isn't it cute! I also used the new E-size alphabet stamp Trinity with this layout. Trinity has 3 different sizes of Alphabet. What a great deal for $29.95! See the stamp set HERE.

One of the FUN things we'll do is use the blending pen to color Santa and the present. I've been using the blending pen quite often lately. The great thing about the blending pen is you only need one! You can use it and re-use with all you inks! Just wipe the pen on a scrap paper until the color is gone. Then you are ready to move on to another color! Here is a close view of the present:

When I finished the layout I still had plenty of paper left to create the optional layout that is shown on the brochure. The cutting dimensions are found in Magic and you can find helpful hints on my website under Workshops On The Go. Here is my other layout:

I altered the layout a little bit from the instructions. Instead of using Holiday Red Cardstock as my base pages, I used White Daisy. I cut three 5x7 pieces of the Holiday Red CS to mat my 4x6 pictures. The layout called for 5x7 pictures but I was too lazy to make mine bigger. I think it actually turned out alright!

I used the technique trick in Magic for the star on the right page. It's a spinning star! This was easy to do. I used the brad in the center of the small star to punch a hole in my page protector so that the star is attached to the OUTSIDE of the page. It sits directly on top of the larger star and you can spin it around. :)

Stay tuned! I'll share a few cards I made with some of my leftover paper and cardstock!

If you'd like to do this workshop with me, check out my Upcoming Workshops Page for Details!

I Thought of You Today - Mojo Monday

2011-10-25T22:34:00.000-05:00

Here is Card #3 in my Sonoma Card box series! I used this week's sketch by Julee Tilman over at Mojo Monday.

RECIPE:
Sonoma Level 2 Paper Pack (X7143B)
Bamboo and Cocoa Cardstock (Included with Sonoma Level 2)
Sonoma WOTG My Acrylix Stamp (for flourish)
Sweet Moments MyAcrylix Stamp (C1467)
Cocoa Exclusive Ink (Z2114)
Smokey Plum Exclusive Ink (Z2147)
Hemp (Z280)
Opaque Mocha Adhesive Gems (Z1333)
Sentiment - Because Of You (Retired)
Tag was made using the Art Philosophy Cartridge

If you missed the other cards in this series, you can go to these posts:
Sonoma Card Box
Card #1
Card #2

Cardabilities and Sonoma

2011-10-24T18:10:00.001-05:00

Here's another card for my Grandma's card box! Rather than making the cards all in one sitting, I'm making them as I come across sketches that I like. This Sonoma paper is really pretty and I want each card to be special. I came across this sketch over at cardabilities.

My card.....

Card # 2 for my Sonoma Card Box

I dug out some of my retired paper flowers for this card. I thought the purple matched well with the Sonoma paper. I used the <Rctngle7> image at 2 1/2" and the <Rctngle7 Layer> at 2 1/4" from the Art Philosophy cartridge for my sentiment. The 'ribbon' is actually the zip strip cut from the Sonoma Paper.

Here is the sketch I used from cardabilties.
Be sure to check out the other artwork there.

If you missed Card #1 for Grandma's Card Box you can see it Here.
To see my Sonoma Card Box, this LINK will take you there.

I found another great sketch today so I'll be working on Card #3 tonight!

Sweet 16 in Plaid

2011-10-23T21:15:00.001-05:00

This weekend I made two Sweet 16 Birthday cards. Yesterday I posted the card I made for my niece. Today, I'm posting the 2nd one which is for my nephew. For this card I used Margaret Moody's sketch over at Pals Paper Arts. This sketch was perfect for my plaid paper I chose.

The paper is from the same kit as the card I made yesterday - Roxie (X7140B). But this time I used the plaid with Black Textured Cardstock and Desert Sand Cardstock. I added twill ribbon and wooden buttons (Z1387) for a masculine look. The "16" was cut with the Art Philosophy cartridge. I used the Say It With Style stamp set (D1283) for "Happy Birthday".

If you missed my Sweet 16 card for my niece you can see it HERE.

I hope my nephew doesn't mind a handmade card by aunt.

A Sweet 16 Birthday

2011-10-22T16:47:00.005-05:00

*** This card was chosen as Heart 2 Heart's TOP TEN in October!***

I've got SEVERAL birthday's in my family next month. My daughter turns 17, but right behind her is my niece and my nephew who are both turning 16! It has been fun seeing them grow up together. It's hard to believe they are teenagers now. Each year at Thanksgiving, when our families gather together, we celebrate their birthdays. My niece's birthday is actually on Thanksgiving Day this year.

Two challenges this week helped me get my niece's birthday card made early! First, the Heart 2 Heart (H2H) Challenge was to create a card using numbers. Then I found a great sketch over at Tuesday Morning Sketches by Theresa Winslow that I used for the card.
Here's the sketch:

Here's my card!

The paper is from the new Roxie Level 2 Paper pack (X7140B). Don't you just LOVE the Zebra stripe? And girls love it too so this was the perfect paper to use for this card. I used the Art Philosophy cricut to cut my "16" and the roses. Then I added the bling with Clear Sparkles (Z1104)

Here's a close up view of the card:

Ok! Got to go make more Birthday cards! What do 16 year old BOYS like?

Sympathy Card for Mojo Monday

2011-10-19T21:32:00.000-05:00

This week's Mojo Monday sketch by Julee Tilman is perfect for Close To My Heart's Sonoma paper. I needed to start my set of cards for my Sonoma Card Box I made and I used this sketch for card #1! If you missed my post about my card box which won the Sonoma Cricut Category for Make If From The Heart you can see it here.

I added Petal Ink to the large paper butterfly and the darker Smokey Plum to the small butterfly. I used the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge to cut the frame for the sentiment. And, because it was handy, I cut the circle frame with my 2" scallop punch. To add a little texture to the Bamboo sentiment piece I used the black texture tool to daub a bit of cocoa specks to it. See below for entire Recipe.

Here is the Mojo Monday Sketch #211

RECIPE:

Colonial White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack (X1410)

Sonoma Level 2 Paper Pack (X7143B)

My Acrylix Card Chatter - Sympathy Stamp Set (D1476) See entire set HERE

Just Blooms Flutter Paper Shapes (Z1463)

Designer Ribbon Cocoa Collection (Z1316)

Mini Medley Accents Pewter Collection (Z1487)

Bitty Brads Metal Assortment (Z1368)

Cocoa Ink Pad (Z2114)

Smoky Plum Ink Pad (Z2147)

Petal Ink Pad (Z2161)

Cocoa Re-inker (Z2214)

Texture Tools (Z1298)

2" Circle Scallop Punch (Z1392)

Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge (Z1686)

Quick & Easy Happy Holiday Cards

2011-10-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

Hi all! I haven't had a chance to create anything to share since I got home from my trip on Sunday. So, I thought I would share this CTMH video that shows you how to create several Christmas Cards with our Die-Cut Cards and Envelopes. These cards are beautiful! Watch this short video for details!

RECIPE:

A1115 My Acrylix A Holiday
B1381 My Acrylix Holiday Cheer
1272 Cranberry Cardstock
X5926 Neutral Cardstock Combo Pack
X5924 Autumn Cardstock Combo Pack
Z2116 Cranberry Exclusive Inks Pad
Z2137 Olive Exclusive Inks Pad
Z2211 Chocolate Exclusive Inks Re-inker
Z1473 4W" * 5V" White Daisy Die-Cut Cards & Envelopes
Z1263 Bitty Sparkles
Z1615 Designer Ribbon Red Collection
Z1686 Cricut Art Philosophy Collection
Z1298 Texture Tools

Everything can be ordered on my website! Just go to www.closetomyheart.com/stampinheaven

Winter Wonderland Card Workshop

2011-10-15T08:06:00.000-05:00

I wanted to share my cards that we will be doing in my Annual Christmas Card Workshop in November. Usually I send out an email letting all my customers know about the workshop and provide them an opportunity to sign up. I offer 2 different dates in November for the workshop. This year, I had my cards displayed at my Open House in August along with a sign up sheet. To my surprise, the workshop nearly filled up at my Open House. After that, within a few weeks every slot was taken.

We will be making 8 cards - each card a different design. I chose the Wonderland paper with Crystal Blue Cardstock. We will be using the new Top Coats Icing Overlays. Each overlay has a unique design with foil accents. To add extra sparkle, we will be adding bling buttons! Many of the sentiments will be silver embossed. This may be a new technique for many of the class participants. I think they will really like this technique.

Following are individual pictures of each card for a closer view.

A Blue Ribbon Congratulations!

2011-10-14T22:10:00.000-05:00

Recently, it was announced that my 2nd Upline, Tina Sutton, was promoted to Presidential Director with Close To My Heart. This is the highest honor you can achieve. Tina along with 3 other ladies are the first ever to achieve this title. Tina is so inspiring. I've never met anyone with so much energy. She loves to share her ideas and strives to help those that want to grow their business too! I got to know Tina a few years ago when I attended a Seaside Retreat she held. She told me then that her goal was to achieve the Presidential Director Level. AND SHE DID IT! I am so proud to be a part of Tina's team. Here is the card that I made for Tina to send my Congrats!

Recipe:
Elemental Level 2 Paper (X7141B)
Pacifica and Desert Sand Cardstock (Included in Elemental Level 2 Paper pack)
Inks: Desert Sand and Sorbet
Pewter Brads

All products are Close To My Heart

Anniversary Card with Bliss

2011-10-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

My sister recently celebrated her 26th wedding anniversary. Shame on me, I totally let the very important 25th Anniversary slip by last year. Well.... at least I wasn't the only one - my 2 other sisters forgot too! When you have three sisters it can be a little hard to keep up with when they all got married! So, we are making up for our forgetfulness by giving her a gift when we meet up for our annual MAD trip this week.

Of course, being the cardmaker in the family I was assigned the task of creating a card. It's not too often that I get to make anniversary cards so I was excited for the change. I pulled out my Bliss paper pack and one of the stamps from the Art Philosophy collection.

I cut out the coordinating Banner and Heart from the Art Philosophy cartridge and stamped with versa mark ink and then silver embossed the image. The mesh flower behind the heart is from the Bliss Level 2 Assortment (Z1355). The Bliss paper is now retired.

So.... Happy Anniversary to Cindy & Randy!

Sorry I'm a little late. :)

"Here Comes Suzie Snowflake" Card

2011-10-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

This card fits right in with the Friday Mashup Challenge (FM#28). The challenge is to create a project featuring snowflakes or create an Easel Card.... or both! I created a card featuring snowflakes.

I picked up my issue of Paper & Crafts Holiday Cards & More special edition last Friday. I spent the weekend looking at all the inspiring cards - more than once! I have SEVERAL post its tabbed all through this issue of the cards that inspire me. Hopefully I'll get to try each one I've marked putting my CTMH spin on it.

This card was inspired by the "Miss You Snow Much" card by Trinh Arrieta. (Page 59)
I had been cutting Snowflakes for an upcoming card workshop. When I saw this card I realized I already had the snowflakes cut out!

I used the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge to cut the snowflakes. I pulled out the snowflakes leaving the 'opposite' for my card. I used Snowflakes (D1480) stamp and silver embossing for the border and "Winter Wonderland". My final touches are the sparkles in the center of the snowflake and a dot of Silver Glitz Glitter Gel (Z1482) around the snowflakes.

Mojo Monday - Happy Holidays

2011-10-10T21:43:00.000-05:00

I love this week's Mojo Monday sketch by Julee Tilman. I spotted it early this morning before I started my workday so I had time to ponder what I wanted to do. By the time I got home I immediately went to my Believe paper and pulled out the December 25th stamp set. I just love it when a plan comes together! And I think it came together nicely if I do say so myself!

Here is my card:

I decided to step away from traditional Christmas green and red and go with Sky blue using Holiday Red more for accent. I love this December 25th stamp! I remember when I was perusing the Idea Book for the 1st time at convention, this was one I spotted early on and immediately liked. I used the Art Philosophy cricut cartridge to cut an exact match for the Happy Holidays stamp. Also included in this set of 12 stamps are 2 tags. See the entire stamp HERE. I pulled out some old fiber that I had on hand to tie around the top of the card and added a bit of bling with sparkles.

Recipe:

Believe Level 2 Paper (X7145B)

Holiday Red and Sky Cardstock - Included in Believe Level 2 Paper pack

December 25th (C1469)

Sky Ink (Z2194)

Clear Sparkles (Z1104)

Fibers - Retired

This will be my last challenge this week since I'm leaving Wednesday for my trip! But I've got several posts scheduled that include another Christmas Card, Congratulations, Anniversary Card and my cards from my upcoming Christmas Card workshop. So be sure to come back and visit!

Clean and Simple Holiday Cheer

2011-10-09T22:26:00.001-05:00

Here's a Holiday Cheer card using the sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping Challenge blog. Once again, I took the sketch and turned it.... this time upside down! It just seemed to work better for me.

The sketch:

Since I've been in a Holiday card making mode I decided to use ornaments in place of the flowers. Hence, the reason I needed to turn the sketch around! I used the stamp Holiday Cheer (B1381). This 5x7 card was quick and easy. Just the way I like them!

#161

I used Black Hemp for the ornament string and actually used the Black marker to add the bow. And of course - the Art Philosophy cricut cartridge to cut out my banner for "Happy Holiday". Perfect cut for the stamp! Final touch - sparkles!

Colors used: Holiday Red and Topiary. (All products are Close To My Heart)

I'm hoping to get another challenge done before I leave Wednesday for my annual MAD trip. haha... don't worry - I'm not really going mad! My 3 sisters and my mom take an annual trip each October so MAD is for Mother And Daughters! :) But stay tuned! I've got a few posts already scheduled during my absence so be sure to check back!