Let's Talk Kits!!

Have you ever purchased a scrapbook kit??  I have purchased many of them.  My absolute FAVORITE kits come from Close To My Heart.  Why?  Because they are incredibly beautiful and make this no-talent, but patient scrapbooker look like an ARTISTE!!  The detail that go into CTMH layouts is incredible.  They give you elegance, glamour and glitz all in one two page layout!  Your friends and family will LOVE THEM!!  Give the finished layouts (...or bonus projects...) as a bridal, shower, anniversary, birthday or graduation gift and you will be the STAR of the party!!

This particular kit that I completed today is retired...but I have people....and my people have my back....LOL!  Let me know if you want this particular kit and I will find you one.  But, as we are talking kits....if you go to my CTMH shop...see the link on the top right of this blog...you can click on "Workshops On The Go" on the left and you will see the current offerings.  Workshops on the Go is the name of CTMH's scrapbook kits.  It's a Workshop because you can do them with other folks, like ME (if you live near me!).  CTMH is the "Let Me Show You How" company and our goal is to be able to help you with the kits.  But the instruction guide that comes with the kit is all you need to be able to create a two page layout!  Also, when ordering from ME, I will provide you with the instructions for the 2nd, two-page layout.  Then, if you so choose to do the "bonus project", I will provide you with those instructions as well!  Getting back to the layout I completed....The kit provides the papers, instructions, embellishments, stamp set and more that you need to complete the layouts.  All you usually need to purchase is the ink colors, and possibly an alphabet stamp set.  However, I have been known to substitute different Alpha sets if I don't have the particular one they use.  I am loving this layout!!   I used the embellishments included in the kit...see the rhinestones and the plastic circle that says "friends" under the "seeds" stamped piece?

 They also included some flower and bee embellishments...like the little flower that is again under the "seeds".  I used a blending pen (also a CTMH item) to add color to the stamped flowers and seed packet.  I love this layout because you have so many places to add your pictures!!  On the second page...there were several places where I stamped directly on the base page...then added the other stamped images and embellishments on top.  That gives your layout a dimensional look and really makes it elegant!!  Please take a moment to check out CTMH's Workshops on The Go!  You will be glad you did!!!  kindnesspaper.ctmh.com

Laughing Lola!

Laughing Lola is a new paper packet from Close To My Heart.

It's design and color scheme is great for teens and tweens as well as friends.  The bright colors pop as the paisley pattern delights!  This is a simple card using a small bit of the patterned paper.  You can easily make a card set for that special girl in your life in just a short time!  I took a piece of gypsy card stock and cut it to fit the base of the card, 4 1/2 x 5 1/4.  I attached a 2 3/4" piece of the patterned paper to the center of the card.  Then I used gypsy, cotton candy and lagoon as the ink colors to stamp the heart "quilt square" from the new Stitch Wonder stamp set (Item# C1564, $13.95).  I used the border stamp included in the same stamp set and inked the top and bottom in black.  Inside I added another small strip (1"x5 1/4") of patterned paper to the top of the base card.

 I stamped the "Love you to Pieces" sentiment on white daisy card stock then cut it out and added it to a double mat of black and the brighter purple pattern paper.  The double matting really makes the sentiment stand out to the reader.  Then I used the border stamps on the bottom and to either side of the sentiment from the same "Stitch Wonder" stamp set in cotton candy ink.  It came out super cute!  Always add a strip of coordinating paper to your envelope for added quality!  You can't see it in the picture, but while I was stamping the front of the card with the black ink border, I also stamped the front, bottom of my envelope to charm the receiver!   Again, this is a super cute, easy project that anyone could do.  Please click the "Shop With Me" link on the right to order your own Laughing Lola!!

Fall is HERE!!

How about some Happy Fall greetings?  Close To My Heart (CTMH) has a new catalog that is full of ideas for Fall cards, scrapbook layouts, altered projects, and much more!!

 I couldn't resist doing a folded card with the new Huntington paper. (Huntington Paper Packet, Item #X7174B, $9.95)  This card folds over on both sides...kind of like a warm and cozy robe...and has a pretty sash to slide on and off of it!  Cut your base paper 5 1/2 x 12.  With your scoring board, score the paper (placed on your scoring board with the 12" horizontally across the board) at 4" and 8 1/2".  Then grab your paper cutter and cut diagonally from the right of the fold down to the corner of your paper.  Do this for both sides.  Just make sure you still have your 12" side on the bottom!  CTMH's patterned paper is PERFECT for this project!!  It has the right "weight" to the paper to be a quality card that feels good in the reader's hand!  AND it's double-sided, so you only need the one piece of paper and the insert.  I made this card two ways so that you can see the difference and maybe "lift" my card and use the paper and stamps of your choice.  For the insert, shown above and below...I used Colonial White paper and my CTMH Artbooking Cricut Cartridge.  I used the cut at 6" from page 60, the "D" key, <SHIFT>, Photo Mat 1.

Then I only had to cut a small bit off of the bottom for it to fit perfectly inside my base card.  I used coordinating ink in Barn Red and Desert Sand to stamp "Happy Autumn" and the flowers from the NEW "Happy Autumn" stamp set (item #D1550, $17.95).  On the flowers, I used a "2nd generation" stamp technique so that it would be light enough for me to write my message over the flowers.  All you do is ink your stamp, stamp it once on a scrap piece of paper, then a "2nd" time on your insert.  It gives it a "watermark" look.  I also used this same technique on my envelope above to do the corn stalk in Desert Sand.  It works perfect on your envelope to delight your receiver!!  For the sash, you use a 8" x 5/8" piece of your base card stock; score it in the same way you did your base card.  Then I took Bronze Glitter Tape (Item#Z1849) and placed it across the front of the sash.  Lastly, I added the wooden/gem from the babycakes assortment (Item#Z1869).  

I wanted to show you a different card using similar techniques.  But without using the Cricut cartridge since I know that not everyone has a Cricut (even though I'm not sure why....LOL!).   I hand cut the insert out of colonial white card stock to 5 x 4 1/4.  I punched the top of the insert on the second card with a Marth Stewart border punch, and as you can see...it's lovely!  I also changed the wooden/gem on the sash.  I used one of the wooden pieces from the babycakes assortment, took the grey gem off of it and replaced it with a shiny gem from the Rosewood Mini-Medley Accents Collection (item #Z1857).  Charming!! 
For the second card, I used the "Give Thanks" from the same "Happy Autumn" stamp set above.  Then for the charming pumpkin and sentiment I used the "Count Your Blessings" stamp set (Item #C1555, $13.95).  I hope that you see that this card can be made using all different types of papers.  A little glitter gives it the polish that it needs.  Fall can be a glorious and colorful time of year.  Your family and friends will cherish receiving a handmade card from you!!  Please let me know if I can assist you in picking out some fall product that is in your budget!!  Enjoy the Season!!!  

SWEET!

Valentine's Day is right around the corner!  I thought I would share a super sweet two-page layout with you!  First let me say that Close To My Heart makes scrapbooking so easy!  They have how-to pattern books that give you the layout's you want, with directions and cut size's.  All you do is pick the pattern that will go with the pictures you want to use -OR- you pick the layout you want to take pictures to fit!!  The pattern for this layout comes from Jeannette Lynton's book, MAGIC, page 22, titled "Now You See It".  MAGIC is a great book, but it has become retired and take my advice, if you see a copy, pick it up!  You can search on Amazon and see that it is going for $57.00 + USED!  Never fear!  If you are one of my CTMH customers...I have the book.  Also, they are coming out with other paper backed pattern books that are just as great if not better because of the price!  The paper I used for this layout is called SWEETHEART and it is also retired.  But, I am sure that you could peruse the internet and find some if you really wanted to!  I will have two of these layouts for sale in my Etsy Shop.  :)

This is a fabulous layout for some engagement or couple pictures...exceptional for some black and white photo's!  The first page has space for a large photo, a little smaller than 8 x 8...an 8 x 10 could be cut down for it.  The second page has room for three vertical 4 x 6 photos.
On the first page, I used the CTMH exclusive Cricut Cartridge, "Art Philosophy" to cut out the word "sweet" at 2 inches.  I then took a flourish stamp and my tulip ink and highlighted each letter.  I used the "swiping" technique on the "Love" square.  Swiping means to take your stamp and "swipe" it across your ink pad.  It gives it a "brushed" look.  The stamp set I used is called "Love Ya" from 2011 as well.  The hearts, I stamped and cut out to add to my page.  I scallop cut the white paper to give it that "sweet" polish, adding bitty pearls (Z1707, $2.95) on every other scallop.

The two tags with ribbon were cut on Art Philosophy at 2".  I added white paper with pink hearts to them and a little white gelly roll pen across the top to give them dimension.  What do you think of the Happily Ever After ribbon??  It worked perfect for this project, which is COOL because I purchased it at the Big "M" on clearance.  I tied it onto the tags and made sure that the words were on there just right to see the "Happily" and the "Ever...After".  Then I tucked them behind my large picture mat!  That just left the two little black button brads for the bottom left corner.  :)
Speaking of buttons....CTMH announced to it's consultants that it will be discontinuing it's button line after the next catalog.  That catalog runs until June.  They have an EXCELLENT price on buttons, so pick some up by clicking on my "shop with me" button on the right of this post.  72 assorted buttons for $5.95 and they are gorgeous and of course color-coordinated!

Page two of my layout was just as fun to make!  The ribbon is on there loosely so that the pictures can be added later right underneath the ribbon and scallop border at the top.  There are three sweet little hearts on the top and more bitty pearls on the scallop.  Down below I stamped the sentiment, matted it and then "popped" it up with pop-dots.  I then added two more sweet little brads underneath.  The journal spot in the middle is just big enough to record the thoughts of the day.  I double matted it to bring some interest and attention to it.  Have a sweet day everyone!  xoxoxo

Snowflakes and Glitter

 When you start doing some serious scrapbooking or cardmaking, you see quickly that the possibilities are endless.  I had the pleasure of purchasing a new machine this week that cuts and embosses shapes.  It is called the Spellbinders Grand Calibur.  In the card above, you see the shapes that the snowflake is on?  That is three separate cuts of three papers that nest together; each one a little larger than the last.  This is my first project that I completed with the new machine.  Another new to me product is the super fine sparkle glitter that I added to the snowflake after I stamped it.  I used Close To My Heart's Liquid Glass (Z679, $6.95) to add the glitter.  It dries completely clear and is easy to use in the space and thickness you desire.  I cut my 5 x 7 card from CTMH White Daisy cardstock, then embossed another white rectangle panel with my CuttleBug machine using the snowflake embossing folder.  I added white satin ribbon taped to the back of the rectangle and then adhered it to the card.  Then I cut the three shapes at one time on the Grand Calibur using the "Labels One" dies.  I used foam tape to "pop-up" the three labels from each other.  I used two stamp sets for the front of the card.  The large snowflake is from New Fallen Snow (D1171) and the "Merry Christmas" and circle is from Tag The Occasion (B1362).

Inside, I used two other stamp sets, Snow Flurries (D1384) for the snowflake and Peace On Earth (D1243) for the sentiment.  This is a simple to make, but absolutely beautiful card.  Take advantage of the tools that are on the market, especially at Holiday Season prices.  They can really make your work SPARKLE!!

Getting in the Christmas Card Swing of Things

Hello!  Hope you are having a good Thanksgiving Week!  We have been very busy at our house decorating for Christmas.  What?!  Yes, that is correct.  My husband is a Christmas Decor FREAK!!  Having a December birthday has decidedly shaped his seasonal urge to go loony for lights, bulbs, santa, and anything red, green, or sparkly!  He took the Christmas boxes out of the attic before I could get the Halloween decorations put away!  By last weekend, our front yard was a spectacle to be seen in the neighborhood and soon to become a blip on Google Maps!  We now have 3 trees up and decorated inside our home.  After this weekend, there will be at least one more....a Hello Kitty tree for my ScrapLoft.  (That one is ALL ME!)

I have had the good fortune to spend several days making Christmas cards.  Christmas has always been about family in my household.  It's always also been about Love and Peace and Kindness.  My family does not celebrate Christmas as Jesus' Birthday.  We know that many other Christians do.  We know that the bible does say, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."  -Isaiah 9:6.  In the spirit of "Peace on Earth", I give you this card that I made to send tidings of Love and Peace and Good Will.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.  xoxoxo  Sherry

Elegant Wedding or Engagement Card

Who doesn't love a wedding?  Romance, emotion, Love, giggles, happiness.  My beautiful niece, Danielle will be married this week in Georgia.  I sadly cannot attend the wedding.  I wanted to send her a beautiful card to convey how very much I wish her and Charles a wonderful life full of all the good things.  I came up with this card.  (Hers is a little different...)  What is more elegant than black, white, cream and silver?  When making cards by hand, it always adds elegance and polish to "mat" your papers.  The front of this card has 7 paper layers and two ribbon layers.  Wow!  You don't really feel them when holding the card.  I started with a black card base, added a floral paper with a black mat and a white mat.  I adhered the wide black satin ribbon and the slim white satin ribbon to the floral cardstock (wrapped around and taped in the back) before adhering the floral to the black and white mat.  This "hides" your assembly and makes the card appear like it was "made" that way or "seamless".  Then I cut the shape under the heart out of a black on black baroque printed paper from my Cricut Cartridge and matted it with white again.  Finally I embossed a heart shaped stamp in silver on Colonial white cardstock with foam tape to make it stand out.  Then I used glitter glue to fill in the silver embossed "vines" on the heart.  The cream floral paper already had silver glitter in the center of the flowers, so again, adding it to the heart gave it a more polished look.

Inside I added a CTMH stamped sentiment, "Wishing you Peace, Love and Happiness" from the "Lovely Lily" stamp set (B1401) and then a French Bow from a NEW CTMH stamp set called "Jardin Flair" (D1528).  In the center of the ribbon I added an "Opaques light tan Adhesive Gem" (Z1333, $2.95).  What a beautiful and elegant sentiment for a gorgeous card!