Color My Heart....A New Close To My Heart Challenge Blog

I noticed that there was a new CTMH challenge blog.  Knowing how difficult it is to get this sort of thing up and running, I wanted to offer support and enter a project.  The Color My Heart blog will be doing color challenges and the first challenge is to use Amethyst, Petal and Smokey Plum.  There were also a few other pieces to the challenge...use a layout from either Wishes or Originals and use current CTMH products. 

I was finishing up cards for the Craft Fair on Saturday and I realized that I didn't have any Sympathy Cards made.  This color challenge was the perfect opportunity to get one done.

This is actually a really simple card.  One of the great things about a CTMH sketch book is that many different options are provided for a single sketch.   We already know that CTMH will be introducing new books later this summer and I can't wait to see what is in store for us.  This card uses a sketch from one of the "workshops" from Wishes.  The base is Smokey Plum, the strips are Petal and the sentiment is stamped on Amethyst with a Colonial White mat.  The sentiment is from Rosy Regards and the flourishes are from Love Life.  By the way, the roses were cut using the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge and were tipped in Petal.  I added Opaques in the center and on the flourish.

Don't forget to check out the Color My Heart Blog for more fun color challenges with CTMH.  I wish them luck!  :o)  For Now, Happy Crafting!

Memorial Day and Poppies

One of my first childhood memories is making sure that around Memorial Day, we made a donation to the VFW to get our remembrance poppy.  Each year, the poppy would be placed in a little vase on the dining room hutch and stay there until the next year when a new one was secured.  I have endeavored to maintain that tradition to this day.

Poppies became the symbol of Memorial Day in the 1920's to commemorate the poppies that grew wild in war torn Flanders Field of WWI Belgium.  Poems have been written and the VFW and American Legion worked to ensure that poppies would remain forever the symbol of sacrifice for those who have given their lives for our Freedom.

Today, the poppy remains a memorial symbol of remembrance.  The little paper poppies you receive after a donation to the VFW are handmade by Disabled Veterans.  The donations are used to provide support for the good works of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

The Poppies blooming in my Garden today.

May we forever remember....For Now, Happy Crafting!

A Paper Folded Man's Shirt

I was busy reviewing the cards that I had for the craft fair/flea market I'm doing next week, and realized that I didn't have any Father's Day cards.  Wanting to do something "different" I decided to do folded men's shirts as the focal point.  I also thought it would be fun to add another card to the Heart 2 Heart Distressing Challenge this week. 

The shirt is made with paper from the CTMH special this month called "Dotty For You."  I read that the inventory on this paper packet is getting very low, so if you don't have it yet, hurry as I doubt that it will be available through the end of the month.  I also used Gray Flannel, Gray Wool White Daisy and Outdoor Denim card stock.  The sentiment is from "Tag The Occasion." and that's the wonderful CTMH Baker's twine.   I found the original directions to fold the shirt on the Scor-Pal website, but as I was trying to do the folding, I realized that a few more measurements and directions were needed.  So here is how I did it...

Start with a Score Board and a 4 x 6 inch sheet of pattern paper.

First, score and fold the paper on the 4 inch side at the one and three inch mark.  Heavily crease all of your folds.

Now, you want to turn your paper and score and fold on the 1/2 inch mark.  Fold it to the opposite side of the folds in your previous set.

Make a very light score mark as a guide for your folding on the 1 1/2 inch mark on the long side of the paper.  Turn over and using the score mark as a guide, carefully fold the points inward to meet the center opening created by your first fold.  Make sure that your folds and points match.  This is the collar of the shirt.



Fold the bottom upward and tuck under the collar points.  Crease heavily.

Using the crease mark you just made, fold the two flaps outward from the center point to the upper edge.  This forms your sleeves.

Last but not least, fold the bottom upward and tuck again under the color points.

  Now you have your shirt! 

To make the tie, cut a piece of card stock 1/2 inch by 1 3/4 inches.  Cut points on one end making sure that your cut marks are equal.  For the knot, cut a  piece of card stock 1/2 inch square and cut it on the diagonal.





This is another card I made using a folded shirt.  The paper used for the shirt is from an old retired set called "Free Spirit." That is Chocolate, Bamboo and Outdoor Denim card stock and "Dad" is from a STOM a few years ago.  Both cards meet the Heart 2 Heart challenge because there is edge distressing, sanding and ink distressing.  I thought about ink distressing the shirt, but thought that it would look like "ring around the collar" so I decided "no."  :o)  Don't forget to check out the Heart 2 Heart challenge blog.  I love these folded shirts and think they would be great on a birthday card, too.  What do you think?  For Now, Happy Crafting!

I'm "De-Stressing"

With all the garbage I've been going through recently (my tooth problems, broken eyeglasses and assorted other junk) it was right on time for the Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog to have a  distressing challenge this week.  :o)  I've had a lot of fun playing along with their challenges the last several weeks and thank the hosts for listing my card in the April Top 10. 

Anyway, this week the challenge is to create a project that features some sort of distressing.   I'll be participating in a  Flea Market in a few weeks (really need to get rid of some things in my garage) but I also thought that I would take a long a few of my paper craft creations.  So, using up some left over scraps of the Bliss paper packet from this past weekend's workshop, I came up with this layout.

There are so many fun details in this layout.  To satisfy the challenge, all of the individual elements of the layout have been either ink or edge distressed.  In the upper corner, I gold embossed an image from the still current stamp set called "Simple Memories" (D1472.)  This was one of the sets that had been featured with the Bliss paper packet.  I wish that it showed up better in the photograph.

After I had done the heat embossing, I ink resist distressed are the image and added the pearl in the center.

The bottom corner detail was completed with a flourish and butterflies cut with the Art Philosophy Cartridge.  The butterflies and flourish were also ink distressed.  The large flower is from a retired set called "Joy Forever."  I also heat embossed it in gold, cut it out and used just a touch of blush to watercolor the petals.

Just a few more details and products, the title is from another retired stamp set called Precious Love.  And, the pearls are Opaques and Bitty Pearls.  It was fun to dig out some "Pretty Pins" from my stash and I have always love the Foundry Pins.  They are included near the Vanilla Cream ribbon bow.

I really do enjoy the inspiration I get from the Heart 2 Heart Challenge.  Don't forget to check it out for more Close To My Heart projects featuring distressing.  For Now, Happy Crafting!

A Couple Fun Projects

I wanted to get a quick post up before I head off to "flower world" at Mike's.  :o)  Tomorrow is one of my monthly workshops and I've been working really hard to come up with great projects. 

This is a fun accordion folded purse.  It is done in Vanilla Cream and patterned paper from CTMH "Bliss."  The closure is finished off with a string wrapping technique called Spirelli.  I promise I will tell you how to do it as soon as I have time.

 Yesterday, I spent the day working on samples for my Spotted Canary and paper-ED classes at Michaels.  This is the front cover of my sample book.  Whew, was getting tat book together a great deal of work!

It's time to head off to make some fun floral arrangements.  For Now, Happy Crafting!

Stripes and Polka Dots...A Heart 2 Heart Challenge

What fun...the Heart 2 Heart Challenge this week is to mix stripes and polka dots.  :o)  How perfect for me.  I'm busy working on my May Workshop using Bliss and Dotty For You is still the Close To My Heart special.

The striped paper is from the recently retired CTMH paper packet called "Bliss."  The Polka Dots are from "Dotty For You."  It really does work together!  :o)  I colored the flower and leaves images using my watercolor pencils.

It is nice to see that stripes and polka dots aren't for clowns anymore.  :o)  Don't forget to hop over to Heart 2 Heart to see other great CTMH projects.   By the way, if you are coming to my May workshop, this is one of the cards you'll be making.  For Now, Happy Crafting!

Mojo Monday Meets CTMH Card Word Puzzle

Just a quick post as I need to head off to work.  Busy (so what else is new) with card workshop planning, class samples and Floral Designing.  Oh, have I mentioned, too, that I am still dealing with the broken teeth and glasses? 

I checked out the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge and thought I would give it a try.  One of my workshops this month uses a retired Close To My Heart paper packet called "Bliss."  It is disappointing that it is retired, because it is so usable for so many things.  I was looking at it the other day and released that it coordinates with one of the new stamp sets called Card Word Puzzle (C1494.)  It was made to coordinate with Pemberley but I think it also works well with Bliss.

I love Card Word Puzzle.  It is a set that has every sentiment word imaginable so that you can put it together to make almost any phrase you could ever need on a card.  It also includes flowers and a butterfly.  For this card, I stamped the "Happy Birthday" in Colonial White ink and colored the flower and leaves with my watercolor pencils.    By the way, here is the Mojo Monday sketch..

It's off to work I go....For Now, Happy Crafting!

Mother's Day Challenge from Heart 2 Heart

The last several weeks, I've been playing along with the weekly Heart 2 Heart Challenge Blog.  This week, the challenge was to create something for our Mothers.  Well, my Mom has been gone for 11 years now and DH lost his Mom in 2011.  So, this is what I created for both of them...

The image is from a Stamp Set called "Angel Sent" (A1099) and has been colored with my Copics.  I used the Outdoor Denim card stock along with dressing my little angel in blue because that was my Mom's favorite color.  The Colornial White mats were embossed using my Cuttlebug.

I added just a touch of Prisma Glitter to the halo.  Giving credit where credit is due, I found this sketch on Pinterest.  When I tried to track back who had made the sample, I could only find "Splitcoast Stampers." 

I know that both Mom's are watching over DH and myself...You always have your Mother.  For Now, Happy Crafting!

Close To My Heart Team Work!

I'm so proud of my team of Consultants.  One of the members suggested that we do a card swap...what a great idea!  Everyone made multiple cards in the same design and mailed them to me.  I am the clearing house and will mail packages of  samples of each others work back out to each member.  I was so totally impressed with everyone's work.  We had coloring.  We had handmade envelopes.  We had inside pop up embellishments.  Wow..  :o)

I just had to share the picture of all of the cards!  :o)  Nancy, Francis, Liz and Lucy....you go girls!  :o)  Working together as a team is one of the great things about being a Consultant.  Learning from each other and developing your paper crafting skills is yet another.  And, still another great reason is befriending people that you would have never have had the opportunity to meet.  If you have ever considered becoming a Close To My Heart Consultant, the Papers Pads and Pictures Team is really beginning to rock.  Please contact me for more details.

Can you guess which card is mine???



Wait for it...



Here it comes....

For Now, Happy Crafting!

National Scrapbooking Day

Celebrate...It's National Scrapbooking Day!  Before I headed out to work today, I had to post two scrapbook layouts I did in honor of this annual event. 

There are many fun elements in this seemingly simple layout.  The pattern papers are from "Dotty For You."  I had to use those papers as "Dotty For You" is the CTMH special paper packet in honor of Scrapbooking month. 

To make the title, I covered a scalloped piece of chipboard with Pear card stock.  It was sanded and then "Picture Perfect" from the Instant Memories stamp set was stamped in Lagoon.  The flourish (also from Instant Memories" was rock and roll stamped with Pear and Lagoon onto Colonial White..  Last but not least, I punched scallop circles from Gray Wool.  Using those wonderful fibers from my cross stitch stash, I did Spirelli wrapping.  If you attend my monthly workshops, keep your eyeballs peeled...this is one of the techniques that we will be doing shortly.  :o)

This is a totally different style layout that I did as a store sample.  The two corners are heat embossed in gold and then using Tim Holtz inks, I did ink resist sponging.  The papers are from EK Success and Recollections.  My intent for this layout is either a wedding or heritage page.

This is what is so much fun about scrapbooking!  These 2 layouts are so totally different.  The type of layout, the papers and techniques used help tell the story of the memories you preserve.  Well, it's time to head out to the store to enable many more people to enjoy the wonderful world of scrapbooking.  Enjoy the day and For Now, Happy Crafting!

Fiesta...A Copic Coloring Challenge

It was my turn today to play hostess for the monthly Copic Coloring Challenge on Crafting By Designs.  Since tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, I couldn't resist the temptation to make a card featuring a Martguerita.  :o) 

I have no clue where or when I got that great Martguerita glass.  The sentiment is from Rubber Cottage.  The pleated paper is from "Dotty For You"...the CTMH special for this month.  What a terrific deal...if you spend $35 on products in the current Idea Book, you can get the paper packet (24 brightly colored papers) for $5!  The lace doily and lace edge were both cut using the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge.

Anyone who know me well, knows that the place to be for Marguerite's during the summer is the Leek's patio.  DH makes the best Marguerite's as many "sloshed" friends will attest.  I thought I would share his recipe (but don't tell him.)

Rick's Major League Margaritas

18oz. prepared Martguerita Mix

5oz. Triple Sec or 3oz Cointreau

8oz. Tequila

1 Tablespoon Sugar

Splash of 7Up

Ice

Mix half portions of all the ingredients in blender with 7 ice cubes.  Blend until smooth.  Pour second half of ingredients into blender and fill with ice until 2 inches from top of blender.  Blend for 30 seconds.  Add 7Up and sugar and blend for another 10 seconds.  Serve immediately and store remainder until sober enough for second drink!

By the way, the challenge at Crafting By Designs is a photo inspiration challenge so I thought I would also share the inspiration.





I love that photo!  Don't forget to check out Crafting By Designs.  It is a great website to help you keep your creative juices going and a way to make new friends.  Also, don't forget about Dotty For You.  It really is a great deal.  For Now, Happy Crafting!