Join Me Tomorrow!

Guess what?  

Tomorrow is the official Damask Divas Blog Hop for August!  

Hope you can join us for the premier of the Autumn/Winter Idea Book!

Yes, you can order Artiste online tomorrow HERE!  ;)

Sneak Peak Saturday!

I got it!  The monogram stamp came, and I whipped up some note cards as soon as I had a chance to lock myself in my studio.  ;)  Here is a sneak peak to get your creative juices flowing!  More details to come!  Hint:  one of my FAVORITE new products is used....

Remember!!!  You only have until the end of July to contact me and pre-order your Cricut Artiste Collection for only $99 plus tax and shipping.  When you do, you will receive your very own monogram stamp of your choice as a FREE gift and also the brand new Autumn/Winter Idea Book!!!  Hurry, because when August gets here, this offer is OVER! 

All this for only $99 + tax and shipping!

LOVE this Layout!

Hello fellow paper junkies!  Well, a couple of treats for you today.  First, I was able to get my hands on the BRAND NEW how-to-publication from Close to My Heart!  This is the series that replaces our former Hardcover books like Reflections and Originals.  It is a catalog-style book called Make It from Your Heart Volume 1 and features 16 two-page layout patterns, two single-page patterns, and 12 different card patterns inspired by Jeanette Lynton's Let Me Show You How philosophy.  I was sooooo excited to see this, and let me tell you, I am very pleased!  The framed page on the front of the cover even inspired me to make one just like it!  I spent the better part of the night working on it.  This is the cover photo:

And this is my version!  :)

I used my Art Philosophy Cartridge and Cricut Expression 2 to cut out an entire sheet of 1" circles on Colonial White and Smoothie Cardstock.  I chose Tulip as the base of the page and centered the sheet of cut Smoothie over it after trimming.  Finally, I added the 1" circles strategically between the two.  I used a temporary adhesive to tack the Smoothie sheet onto the retiring Tulip (sniff) until I had all the circles down tight.  I LOVE the effect!!!  The matting on the right side of the page was also cut on my cricut in Colonial White and Chocolate.

 These beautiful flowers are from the new Just Blooms Floret Paper Flowers.  I also used the Tulip ribbon from the soon retired Designer Ribbon Red Collection.  A brad and an Opaque Gem made perfect additions to the centers. 

 New My Acrylix Stamp Set Alert!!!  I used Frame It Up (available Aug 1st!) to stamp the outside of this Bible verse from the He Is Risen set.  Both are in Cocoa Ink...the Chocolate just wasn't dark enough for me, so I mixed the papers and inks.  Also seen above are the new Sparkles Assortment Brown and Tan!  LOVE!  The green swooshes are from the Stella Compliments which will still be in the new Idea Book--yay!

I decided to journal all the when, where, and who on these flags.  The bottom sentiment is from another new My Acrylix--Love Blooms.  To balance the corner with the flowers, I added this lovely cross which I stamped in Cocoa from the He is Risen My Acrylix set.

Are you brave enough to give this background a try?  ;)

OK, so I said at the beginning that I had two treats for you, so here is the second:  During the month of August, you can join my CTMH team for only....are you ready for it......$49!!!!  YEP!  You can start your own business for only $49!  But wait, there's MORE!  There were some absolutely adorable bags that they gave the consultants at convention this year...and you will receive one when you sign up absolutely free until they run out!!!  Do not wait to jump on this offer.  Here is what you will receive in your Essentials kit for $49:

The FREE Bag!

 

 Approximately $130 retail value!

Only $49!
Includes a Read Me First Letter, Current Idea Books (qty. 3), Hostess Order Forms (qty. 5), Customer Order Forms (qty. 5), Close To My Heart Color Swatches (W471), Autumn/Winter 2012 B&T Duos® Sampler (W1115), Petite Perks™ Nature’s Delight Incentive Stamp Set (W2023), Avonlea Complements Canvas Shapes (X7155C), Workshops on the Go™ Avonlea Scrapbooking Kit (G1045), My Creations® Recipe/Photo Box (Z1322), Color-Ready Canvas Alphabet (Z1777), Chocolate Exclusive Inks® Pad (Z2111), Slate Exclusive Inks® Pad (Z2173), My Acrylix® Glamour Lowercase Stamp Set (D1522), My Acrylix® Perfect Fit—Frames Stamp Set (D1527), 3" × 3" My Acrylix® Block (Y1006), and a 2" μ 3½" My Acrylix® Block (Y1009).

(Some items may not be shown. Contents subject to change.)

Now, If you want even MORE business supplies to start out with, you can get the $99 Master kit with the following added:

Includes everything in the Essentials kit
plus more supplies and 5 Studio J® layouts. Approximately $280 retail value!

Only $99!

Current Idea Books (qty. 7 more), You Are Welcome Here
Recruiting Brochures (W1151) (qty. 25), The Rewards Come Now
Hostess Brochures (W1150) (qty. 25), 5 Studio J® Layouts (redeem within 3 months, not shown), Studio J® Brochures (W111/W111C) (qty. 5), Hostess Order Forms (W122/W122C) (qty. 20 more), Customer Order Forms (W101 / W101C) (qty. 20 more), Petite Perks™ Nature’s Delight Incentive Stamp Set (W2023) (qty. 4 more), Cello Bags (W1152) (qty. 25), My Acrylix® Stamp Scrubber (Z1782), My Acrylix® Spritz Cleaner (1778), Bonding Memories® Glue (1512), Sponge (Z697), Liquid Glass (Z679), Chocolate Exclusive Inks® Marker Set (Z2434), and Micro-Tip Scissors (Z534). (Some items may not be shown. Contents subject to change.)

Who's in on August 1st?!  :)  Contact me or click HERE for more info!

Personalized Name Plaque

Well, I cannot believe I haven't posted this yet!  Back near the end of the school yeat, a friend asked me to make some wall art for her girls' rooms.  She even had a bible verse chosen for each one as well.  I was eager to get started, but with the start of my CTMH business it got pushed back a bit.  I did finish them a while later and managed to share one on a post on my Facebook page, but I never did get them posted up on my blog somehow!  It was wonderful designing these and I really would love to make more in the future.  If I could figure out a good way to ship them, I would even sell them online.  If any of my readers are experienced at that sort of thing, shoot me a message for sure, thanks!   Here they are!

Color Dare #8 and Heart 2 Heart Sketch Challenge July 2012

One card for two contests!  Yep, that is what busy girls do--get the most out of your mileage!  I made this card for both the Color Dare Challenge #8 and Heart 2 Heart Sketch Challenge for July 2012.

For the Color Dare, we were to use the split complimentary pastels sky, pear, and smoothie.  The Heart 2 Heart sketch looks like this:

Here is the fun card I came up with combining the two challenges:

I just received A Tulip size A My Acrylix stamp set with my Stampaganza order and wanted to give it a go.  I peeked into my scrap drawer and found the negative of this flower cut from the Art Philosophy Cartridge.  Perfect!

The border stamp was a challenge in the White Daisy Ink, but I am happy with the final look.  

Here is my supply list:
Pear, Sky, Smoothie, White Daisy and Kraft cardstock
A Tulip My Acrylix Stamp Set (not available after July 31st!)
Smoothie ribbon from the Pink Collection (not available after July 31st!)
White Daisy and Pear Exclusive Ink Pads
White Daisy Crochet Flowers (no longer available, but easily substituted)
Paradise Assortment Baker's Twine in Smoothie (not available after July 31st!)

You might notice that there are a few items not available after the end of this month.  Here is a complete list of the COLORS going away with the new Idea Book launch on August 1st.  If you want any inks or papers in these colors, you need to act now!  The ad faces are my favorites of these that I will miss.  :(

Amethyst

Baby Pink

Brown Bag

Dutch Blue  :(

Garden Green  :(

Garnet

Grey Flannel

Grey Wool  :(

Heavenly Blue

Holiday Red

Key Lime

Lilac Mist

Moonstruck  :(

Pansy Purple

Parchment

Petal

Spring Iris

Sunflower

Sunkiss Yellow

Sunny Yellow

Taffy

Tulip  :(

Vanilla Cream

Vineyard Berry

Happy Surprise Sweet Sixteen!

Well, I told you that I had something in the works for a while, and it is finished!  We threw my daughter a sweet sixteen party today and it went off without a hitch!  She was so confused when she walked in, lol.  I had been working on the invites, and the banner and the decorations since May.  It was worth all of the sneaking around and late nights though to pull one over on her!

Here are the invites:

I used an older stamp set that I got from my upline just for the occasion called It's Your Day and an older set called Backgrounds and Borders.  The little zebra striped glittery flag on the top right of the card is Recollections Glitter on a Roll.  I LOVE this stuff!!!  It has its own sticky backing once you figure out how to remove the paper, lol...

I made these easy table decorations with the scepter cut from the Life's A Party Cricut Cartridge and two Art Philosophy Cartridge cuts on my Cricut E2.  The number is stamped with the Bohemian Alphabet numbers in Pansy Purple.  I absolutely love this set!  These 3D creations were quite sturdy after being filled with tootsie roll midgies, and they doubled as the guest's treat box!  I attached the top to a sucker stick and stuck it down in the paper scepter using a thin line of Liquid Glass to keep it in place.

I purchased the CTMH My Creations Banner and used my Art Philosophy cartridge to make this fabulous birthday banner.  It took quite some time and a bit of sneakiness to get it all done.  Sooooo worth it!

The birthday girl!  Happy, happy birthday, my love!

Special Project

Happy Friday!  I have a special project that I have been working on for weeks now that will finally be put to use this weekend.  I cannot wait to share it with you!

For now, I came across a pillow box that I never did post on here and I love it, so will share it now!

 I made this for a customer who ordered a teacher gift card holder for the end of the school year.  I used the Stella Paper, Lagoon, Colonial White and Sunset cardstock, Cocoa Ribbon and Ink, and the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge Collection.  Pillow boxes are so much fun to decorate!  I thought it would be fun to thread the ribbon through the two layers of the "thanks" embellishment for a different look. 

My next post will be Sunday night or Monday (depending on how I recover!) for the reveal of my big project!  Stay tuned!  Thanks for looking!

REMEMBER!!!!  Pre-order the Cricut Artiste Collection for $99 through me by July 31st in order to receive a fabulous deal:  a free monogram stamp that is brand new for Autumn/Winter 2012!  I will also send you one of our new Idea Books as a gift from me with this offer!  But only for a limited time!  Don't wait for Artiste any longer than you have to--the orders will go in first thing on August 1st. 

Includes:

~Cricut Artiste Cartridge (only available from CTMH)

~THREE sheets of coordinating chipboard shapes 

~THREE Exclusive My Acrylix Stamp Sets (only available in this set)

ALL this for only $99 (nearly $125 value!)

Contact me to reserve yours today!

Stella Card Box

I recently needed a way to wrap up some cards as a gift for a friend.  I had seen a tutorial on splitcoaststampers.com about how to make a pizza box, so decided to change up the measurements to fit by size A2 cards and envelopes.  You can find the tutorial HERE.  I am going to share with you how I created mine in the size I needed in the following picture by picture "how-to" guide.

1.  First, I figured out my starting paper size using their equation in the tutorial.  I determined that in order to end up with a 4.5 x 6.5 box, I would need to begin with an 8.5 x 12 inch sheet of double-sided cardstock.  You can see what the finished box will look like in the background.  I used a sheet of B&T Duo from the Stella Paper pack to coordinate with my Stella Card Trio.

2.  Place the paper on your scoring board with the 8.5 inch side along the top.  Be sure the pattern that you want to be on the OUTSIDE of the finished box is DOWN.  Make your first score at 1".

3.  Without moving the paper, make your second score at 7.5".

4. Now turn the paper so that the 12 inch side is now along the top of the scoring board.

5.  Make your four scores on this side at 1", 5.5", 6.5", and 11".

6. Now you need to make some cuts.  Pay close attention to your score lines while cutting.  I found it was easier to see my scores on the dark side of the paper.  Cut each score line on the LONG side of the paper in one inch, stopping at the perpendicular score line.

It will look like this when you are finished.

7.  Now it is time to make your folds.  Make sure you have the  proper side on the outside of the folds.

8.  Time to put it together with some adhesive.  I use my ATG for assembling 3D objects.  It is a strong adhesive that is quick and easy to apply.  Place your paper with your outside box pattern up and put the adhesive on each one-inch tab as shown by the arrows.

9.  Flip your paper back over and bend the tabs to the inside to adhere the longer flaps.

You may need to trim up your corners to make everything line up.

There you go!  

10.  Now for the fun part!  Decorate to your little heart's content!  I tied a Cocoa ribbon around my box, stamped a sentiment on a tag, and added a folded up strip of paper to the front along with an Opaque.

How will you decorate yours?  :)