Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Close To My Heart April Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Without question, the April Stamp of the Month is my favorite in this Idea Book. The set is called "Flower Pot" and contains 16 stamps that range from flowers to terra cotta pots, sentiments and even a window with curtains! It a great set and the possibilities are endless. My time has been limited, so I didn't have the chance to play the way I liked but I can tell you, what I did get to do was a blast.

If you got here from Tammy's blog, you are on the right track. I always try to do something a little different for the Hop and this month is no different. I finished an easel picture. I started out by staining the easel and frame in oak. Next I got busy with my stamping!


I paper pieced the flower pot using Sorbet Card Stock and B/T Duo's from Caboodle. The flowers were stamped on White Daisy, colored with my Copics and cut out. I attached the flowers so the the leaves just hit the edge to give the appearance that they were growing in the pot. Last week I purchased a fun punch that cuts sections of flowers in one fell motion. I punched several from the same paper as the pot and took advantage of the 2 sided CTMH papers. This gave color and dimension to the flowers. When they were attached to the frame, I shaped a set of the petals for an even more 3D look. The focal sentiment was stamped on White Daisy in Sorbet ink. I sponged the edges of the center "flower." The other "Petals" were cut using my Cricut. The base paper is again the same paper from the Caboodle paper pack. I added CTMH Sparkles to the center of the flowers for just a touch of bling.



This was a fun "picture" to make and I plan on adding it to my Craft Fair inventory. Now Hop on over to Shirley's Blog to see her creation with this great Stamp of the Month. For Now, Happy Crafting!

Blog Hop Time

Here it is....the list of participants in the April Close To My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop. April's STOM is called Flower Pot and it is adorable. The Hop goes live at 9:00PM Eastern Day Light Time so make sure that you check back then!

Helen Onulak
http://www.hookedonstamping.com/
Latisha Haag
http://domestichomefrontcoordinator.blogspot.com/
Jill Lucas
http://scrapwench.blogspot.com/
Kami Welter
http://www.scrappin4memories.blogspot.com/
Jen Rubio
http://www.jenrubio.blogspot.com/
Jody Gustafson
http://www.cre8nmemories.blogspot.com/
Laurie Levnik
http://www.creationsbylaurie.blogspot.com/
Kim O'Rear
http://kimorear.blogspot.com/
Jen Patrick
http://www.roxybonds-scrappin.blogspot.com/
Misty Jackson
http://www.misstscraps.blogspot.com/
Mary Eisen
http://www.mestamp2.blogspot.com/
Shannon Pelletier
http://www.mycolorfulworldinvt.blogspot.com/
Tanya David
http://www.scramperscorner.blogspot.com/
Lori Miller
http://www.clearlyfromtheheart.blogspot.com/
Pamela O'Connor
http://www.cherishyourmemories.blogspot.com/
Kathleen Androlewicz
http://bowlofstamps.blogspot.com/
Sarita Schraeder
http://www.blessedscrapper.blogspot.com/
Antoinette Herrin
http://www.godblessyourart.blogspot.com/
Michelle Nist
http://michellenist.blogspot.com/
Amy Edwards
http://paisleysplayhouse.blogspot.com/
Carol Horton
http://carol-scrappininparadise.blogspot.com/
Dawn Heuft
http://www.stamptildawn.blogspot.com/
Wanda Riley
http://www.creatingwithwanda.blogspot.com/
Susan Brooks
http://www.stampingintheopen.blogspot.com/
Lori Leng
http://www.pinkcloudscrappers.blogspot.com/
Sheila Bennett
http://sheila-bennett.blogspot.com/
Angela Tutton
http://www.tuttonstreasures.blogspot.com/
Dawn Ross
http://www.iamahappystamper.blogspot.com/
Kristie Herdener
http://www.goofyscrapper.blogspot.com/
Shannon Buck
http://stampinbuds.blogspot.com/
Carla Ironside
http://www.carlacreates.blogspot.com/
Debra Van Patten
http://memoriesoftheheartbydeb.blogspot.com/
Georgia Hauglid
http://inkygeorgia.blogspot.com/
Tammy Lea Pinchard
http://mycreativeclubhouse.blogspot.com/
Cindy Leek
http://www.paperspadsandpictures.blogspot.com/
Shirley Ross
http://www.momnmescrap.blogspot.com/
Carol Loftus
http://www.carolloftus.blogspot.com/
Sylvia Jacquot
http://stampinsylvia.blogspot.com/
Jessica Booth
http://jessicabooth.blogspot.com/
Beth Naumann
http://www.bethscreativeblock.blogspot.com/
Jenifer Benner
http://www.jensmessystudio.com/
Karen Norman
http://www.gettinscrappywithit.blogspot.com/
Caren Goldsein
http://www.scrappycaren.blogspot.com/
Terrie Dodd
http://www.my-life-in-real-time.blogspot.com/
Judy Burger
http://makingtimeformemories.blogspot.com/
Jamia Bankhead
http://www.papermadnessinc.blogspot.com/
Adeline E. Brill
http://adeline-brill.blogspot.com/
Nancy Brown
http://www.creativelyartsygallery.blogspot.com/
Barbra Otten
http://barbraotten.blogspot.com/
Melissa Burch
http://melissaburch.blogspot.com/
Cibele Glazer
http://www.flowerfoot.blogspot.com/
Chris Shouse
http://www.houseostamps.wordpress.com/
Traci Godbee
http://createwithtraci.blogspot.com/
Laurie Newton
http://scrapsfromthebeach.blogspot.com/
Brae Montgomery
http://thebrae-er.blogspot.com/
Haley Dyer
http://www.inkyscrapper.blogspot.com/
Alison Mullen
http://www.stickygirlstamps.com/
Brenda Harmless
http://keepsakeswithheart.blogspot.com/
Kimberly Smith
http://verykimberry.blogspot.com/
Lori Brown
http://www.savingmine.blogspot.com/
Deb Young
http://www.scrapbookczar.blogspot.com/
Katy Donaldson
http://www.scrappinkaty.blogspot.com/
Annette Green
http://annettescreativejourney.blogspot.com/
Danielle Chapman
http://cupcake-stamper.blogspot.com/
Michelle Loncar
http://michelleloncar.blogspot.com/
Krista Ritskes
http://www.kristaritskes-simplycreating.blogspot.com/
Jenna Chere
http://www.jennachere.blogspot.com/

For Now, Happy Crafting!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Spring Craft Fair Season Begins!

Wow, how time flies. It feels like I just finished up working on Christmas items for all those Craft Fairs. I haven't been around for a few days because I have been busy making goodies for a few Spring Events. Last Tuesday, I found an ad for a Church that was struggling to find vendors for a fair that was Sunday....yesterday.... I had 2, count 'um, 2 Easter Cards and one basket. Most of my cards and altered items are at a local Consignment Gift Shop so I didn't even have any non-seasonal items either. I spent almost every waking hour from Tuesday Night until the moment that I had to leave yesterday making goodies. Whew, I made it.









Traffic was a tad slow, but I had the opportunity to meet many lovely people. And, isn't that why we share our crart anyway? :o) My next Fair is in 3 weeks, so maybe I can catch up on some sleep. For Now, Happy Crafting!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Experimenting with Flip Flaps

A few Idea Books ago, Close To My Heart released a product called "Flip Flaps." These nifty little acetate pockets are 4 x 6 inches and have adhesive so that you can preserve and protect your mementos right on your scrapbook pages. I immediately ran out and bought a set. To date, like so many of the goodies in our stashes, I haven't used them. I was playing around with ideas and came up with this one....hum....wonder if you can heat emboss on acetate??? I had never seen it done, so I set out to give it a try!

First, I decided on the sketch for my card. I found the perfect on on Paper Craft Planet.

Next, I decided on my color theme and papers. I chose Veranda, Creme Brulee, Juniper, Garden Green, Cocoa and Vanilla Cream.

Third was to decide how to make it have a little "Wow Power." I thought about heat embossing the acetate but what do I do underneath the acetate??? I decided to brayer the layer beneath for extra interest.

After the brayering was done, I had to try the heat embossing. I cut the Flip Flap to match the size of the brayered mat. Next I rubbed it with a dryer sheet. I always do this when I heat emboss as it removes the static from the paper or in this case the acetate. The image was stamped with VersaMark and then heat embossed. Here is something I learned the hard way :o). Hold the heat gun as far as possible away from the image. It doesn't melt, but it will "curl." Very very lightly, reshape the heated acetate as it is cooling. And, then assemble your card.





A couple more notes about the card. To make sure that the adhesive doesn't show through the acetate, I squashed glue dots in the corners to hold the mat and the acetate in place as I made the marks for my brads. Once the holes were pierced, I removed the glue dots. The layers of the card are lightly sponged for texture. The ribbon is Creme Brulee from the Veranda Creative Basics Paper Pack.

I was very pleased with the effect. What do you think? For Now, Happy Crafting!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Mojo Monday Easter Card With Pearl Paint and Prisma Glitter

We have had a few beautiful days in Philadelphia and it has been wonderful after the snowy winter. I am here to tell you that today is not one of those beautiful days. It is damp, chilly and dank. It was one of those days when every thing I touched when wrong. I was dropping things, spilling things and just generally making a mess out of my craft area. I needed some incentive so I "blogged" over to the Mojo Monday Blog to see what interesting sketch they had posted. The sketch looked like fun so I thought I would give it a try.

Here is my card...
Like the sketch, the card is a "long" card done on a 6 x 3 inch base of white daisy. The pattern paper is from the CTMH Caboodle paper pack. The solid Crystal Blue mat was run through my Cuttlebug with the circle embossing folder (to match the circles in Caboodle.) The two bunny images are from CTMH "Bunny Love" and were heat embossed, colored with water color pencils and blended with a Dove Blender Pen. The "fun" technique on this card was using Pearl Paint. This paint, made by CTMH, is so much fun. It is translucent and made to be "altered." I squirted some of the paint from the tube onto a paper plate. I then added a few drops of Crystal Blue re-inker for the color. Pearl Paint is already shimmery, but for fun, I blended some sprinkles of Prisma Glitter into the mixture. I took a large scrap of White Daisy and painted it with the mixture. Instead of a brush, I applied the paint with a toothbrush! I did this for texture. Once it was dry (only took a few minutes) I cut the paper into the three smaller mats that I wanted for the card. I popped up the images, added the ribbon and the card was done.

This was a fun sketch to do on a day when I needed my "mojo" revitalized. For Now, Happy Crafting!

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Signs of Spring!

Had to work today and have to work tomorrow, so no creating for me. I did get a few pictures of spring flowers taken....Enjoy....For Now, Happy Crafting!









Friday, March 19, 2010

A Quick and Fun Easter Tea Light Holder

I was sitting drinking my coffee this morning and looked over at the card that I made the other day using the Frosted Filter Technique. I said to my self..."self, that would make a great holder for a tea light." So off I went to figure out how to do it. I found a glass Tea Light Holder. I used on of those glass ones shaped like a flower pot that you can get at any craft store. Any shape would work. Next, I dyed the coffee filter using Sorbet and Juniper re-inker. After it dried, I found the center of the coffee filter by folding and used a glue dot to hold it to the bottom of the tea light holder. I brought it up equally around the sides and used just a couple of glue dots to keep it secure. I used a scallop punch as the base for my heat embossed "bunny." I water colored the bunny using a water brush and ink squeezed into the lids of stamp pads. I added an eyelet, threaded ribbon through the eyelet and tied it around the tea light holder. Easy Peasy...



I could see this idea working for wedding showers and can you picture it using Christmas colors! The directions for dying a coffee filter can be found here. The only thing I did differently was that I didn't "twist" the filter. I wanted the colors to blend together. Remember, never leave a burning candle unattended. Try one of those battery operated tea lights. They are much safer and give an equally nice "glow." All items used in this project (except for the coffee filter) were Close To My Heart. For Now, Happy Crafting!

A Golf Gift Box

The other day was my Wedding Anniversary. DH and I have been together for umpteen years. DH used to be a big golfer but for some reason, he got away from it. So, I thought it would be fun to give him golf lessons and some assorted goodies to help encourage him to return to an activity that he used to love. I did my research and found a local golf pro and shopped for the golf balls and tees. When I got home, I thought it would be fun to make a box to put his treats in. Since the big gift was lessons, I thought that I would make the box comical....I call it "In the rough and near the sand trap...." :o)


I made an A2 size Pizza Box. The directions can be found here. The lid is made with retired Close To My Heart paper pack called "Game On." I used Nesties to cut the 2 layers in Bamboo and Colonial White. For fun, I got some crinkled green paper Easter Grass and attached it to the top layer. I grabbed a scrap of Desert Sand and tore, sanded and sponged it to make the Sand Trap. As I have mentioned before, CTMH Card Stock is white core. It is great for distressing and tearing. The golf ball was cut from a tiny nestie, run through my Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dot folder and sponged. I used 2 pop up dots to attach the golf ball so that it stood up in the rough. Lastly, I sponged the sky with crystal blue.

DH was very surprised by his Golf Box especially since he FORGOT our Anniversary. See why I call it "In the rough near the sand trap..." hee hee... :o) For Now, Happy Crafting!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Using a Coffee Filter For More Than Just Coffee!

There are so many card challenges out there that help us get our creative juices flowing. I made the decision that the time had come for me to try some different things. About a year ago, I participated in several Saturday Cinema Creative Challenges. I don't really know why, but I got away from doing them. It is a fun and well run challenge and it is definitely worth checking out the talented papercrafters. Each week, a new movie is highlighted and you must come up with a card inspired by that movie. There is usually a fun little twist added to the challenge too! The other day, I checked the blog and an idea for this weeks challenge popped immediately into my mind.

This weeks challenge is based on a movie called "Dear Frankie." It is a story about a boy who's Father "travels" around the world. The youngster keeps track of his fathers whereabouts by placing pins on a map every time he gets a long awaited letter. There are assorted plot twists all making for a lovely story. The card challenge was to complete a card that included a map.

YIKES!!!.....I don't have any map paper so what do I do???? Here is what I came up with... I named the card "You Are In My Heart."

I "made" the map using a coffee filter! I've used this technique before but realized that it could be used for embellishments and not just backgrounds.


Here is how I made the map:

1. Collect up your supplies....you will need re-inkers (for this case....Crystal Blue, Twilight, Desert Sand and Bamboo), water, a bowl, and embossing pen, embossing powder, a heat gun and the most important thing, an ordinary coffee filter.


2. Add a few drops of re-inker in Crystal Blue and Twilight into the bowl. Spritz with water.


3. Dip 1/2 of the coffee filter into the mixture. Make sure that you do not mix the colors. You want the swirled colors of Twilight and Crystal Blue. The coffee filter will absorb the color.

4. Wipe the bowl clean, and repeat the process for the other 1/2 of the coffee filter using the Bamboo and Desert Sand re-inker.



5, This is messy, so wear rubber gloves if you like...twist the coffee filter so that it is rumpled. This will cause wrinkles that make the filter look vintage. Make sure that you don't mix the blue and the brown colors together.


6. Unfold the filter and lay flat to dry. It should take around 15 minutes depending upon temperature and humidity in your room.


7. This is what it should look like once the filter is dry.

8. Find the "natural" coast line and using your embossing pen, draw a line. Also, you can follow crease lines to form "mountains." This is how you will apply the embossing powder here.

9. Using a heat gun, set the powder.


10. The finished filter can be cut and decorated any way you chose. In keeping with the theme of "Dear Frankie" I used my Cricut to fashion a silhouette heart that would act as a mat for the "map. Using the "Tiny Typewriter" My Acrylix stamp set, I stamped "You Are Here" right on the filter. The heart is from the "Childhood Portrait" set and was heat embossed in Cranberry and cut out.

This was a really fun card to make! Now, for more about the card....it is made on a 6 x 6 inch base and loosely follows a sketch that can be found in the "Wishes" Card Confidence book by Close To My Heart. The pattern paper is from a paper pack called "Notebook." It is an oldish set and I thought it worked perfect for the vintage look I was trying to achieve. The dark paper is Cocoa Textured Card Stock. Close To My Heart card stock has a white core. I love it. It is perfect for tearing! Hollyhock and Crystal Blue card stock was used for accents. Each element was sponged for texture and I added the Twill, Hemp and the Filigree Brads for a further nautical theme. Lastly, the "XOXO..." is from the Ms. Sweetheart set. I thought the X's would carry the theme of the vintage look card.

Don't forget to check out the Saturday Cinema Creative Challenge. It is well run and a great deal of fun! For Now, Happy Crafting!

Monday, March 15, 2010

It's Blog Hop Time - Featuring Close To My Heart Liquid Glass

Liquid Glass is a great product! It was one of the very first "accessories" I tried when I became a Consultant. I just love it and have "enabled" so many others to love it, too! It is not only me who loves Liquid Glass. The blog hop group voted to highlight it in this month's featured product hop.

Liquid Glass is a thick liquid that dries clear. It can be used for emphasizing details, for adding depth to stamped images and even for attaching buttons!

I've made 2 projects using Liquid Glass. The first is an Easter Basket. By making just a few scores, cuts and folds you have a cute little holder for Easter Treats. I shall get the template posted shortly.

I used the Liquid Glass to highlight the eggs and the centers of the flowers.


You can see the "glass" effect on the egg and the raised center of the flowers. The basket is made from Watermelon Textured Card Stock. The cute little bunny was heat embossed in Cocoa Powder and then painted using my Yasutomo water color paints. The images are from the My Acrylix Bunny Love set.

My next project is a Thank You card....it looks like today is the day of "pink." The card features Blush card stock and More to Adore B/T Duo pattern paper. The flower image is from "Enjoy Every Moment" and was colored with my Copics. The Liquid Glass adds depth to the center of the daisies.



Now hop on over to Melissa's Blog and check out her great work. For Now, Happy Crafting!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

It's Featured Product Blog Hop Time

The Close To My Heart Featured Blog Hop is ready to start. Here is the list of participants...

Wendy - www.myscrapbookingblog.com
Kimberly - www.verykimberry.blogspot.com
Me2Stamp - www.mestamp2.blogspot.com
Carol - www.carol-scrappininparadise.blogspot.com
Haley - www.inkyscrapper.blogspot.com
Kristie - www.goofyscrapper.blogspot.com
Cindy - www.paperspadsandpictures.blogspot.com
Melissa - www.melissaburch.blogspot.com

Enjoy and For Now, Happy Crafting!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Time To Begin Those Easter Cards!

I can't believe how much time has passed since my last post. I have been busy working on Studio J layouts! Studio J is the new, soon to be released, Close To my Heart digital scrapbooking program. What a snap! You upload your pictures, pick your papers and layout and then personalize. I can vision using it for a Wedding Gift. You attend the wedding and before the happy couple is home from the Honeymoon, you have a 2 page layout done and printed to present them! As soon as mine arrive, I will post pictures of them.


Today, with a day off from work, I had a chance to make a card and a journal book to take to the store that is selling my cards. I was so happy to learn that several of my journals and cards sold is a week!


I figured that it was time to make an Easter Card. I combined the Splitcoast Stampers Sketch and Ways to Use It Challenge.



I used a few fun techniques to make this card. First off, the Garden Green mat was embossed using a cuttlebug folder. Before I cranked the machine, I covered the folder in Garden Green ink. Instant distressing! To color the bunny, I used a water brush and ink "squished" into the lid. It is a great technique and allows you to shade your image without difficulty. Lastly, I had ribbon that matched the card perfectly...Except....it was White Daisy instead of Colonial White. To mute the White Daisy, I sponged the ribbon with Bamboo ink! Never sponged ribbon before and it worked!

Let's keep working on those Easter/Spring cards! For Now, Happy Crafting!

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Spring Is On The Way!

I have been busy working on the Scrapbook Layouts for the Close To My Heart Convention...that is why I don't have anything to post right now. I did play with Studio J....the new, soon to be released Digital Scrapbooking Program. As soon as I can figure out how to post what I have done, I shall.

I wanted to share these snow drops that sprung up in my front yard! A sure sign that Spring is on the way! For Now, Happy Crafting!


Wednesday, March 3, 2010

A Few Changes Can Totally Change The Look of a Card

I have had a busy few days. My work schedule has been topsy turvey. I taught an evening class on "Creating with Cricut" at the store (what fun) and also had to stay late one night to attend a meeting. The bigger news was my trip to a wonderful local gift shop. After speaking with the owner, she is displaying my work! Cross your fingers for me. I had to hustle and prepare many items for the sale. She also wants me to teach card making and scrapbooking in the classroom that she has in the back of the store. Yippie!

Remember my little cute kitty, Bombay??? Well, she is still cute, but she is no longer little. She is going on 9 months old. Shall I say that she is out of the terrible twos and now a teenager? :o) She is so much fun, but she now is big enough that she causes "damage." As I was preparing my cards to take to the gift shop, I found that she "ate" one of my fancy cards. AHHH, I should have taken a picture of the teeth marks she made on this card. I have no clue how she got it, but there were teeth marks on the edge. The good new was she didn't get the the colored image, so I had an opportunity to redo the card.




The card is redone on the 5 x 7 inch base. The pattern paper is from the a retired set called Silhouette Creative Basics. Please know that the Silhouette B/T Paper Pack is still available and is a great set for Heritage and Wedding Projects. The image and the sentiment were heat embossed in Cocoa Powder. The image was then colored with my Copics. The layers are sponged with Bamboo (a great color for accents) and Hollyhock is the accent color.

If you look closely, the two cards use the exact same elements but are so totally different. Which one do you like better? For Now, Happy Crafting!