Damask Divas Tommy and Later Sk8ter Blog Hop!

Hi everyone!  I am so excited to participate in another blog hop with my teammates!  This month we have chosen to use either Tommy or Later Sk8ter for our projects.  I was not sure which to go with, but settled on Later Sk8ter since it is more fun to type the name!  ;)

If you came from Mandy's Blog you are on the right path, but if you need to check out the order or start at the beginning, please refer to the Damask Divas Blog HERE.

I decorated this $1, 4 x 6 (picture size) wooden frame for my Dad with the wonderful blue hues of Sk8ter.  :)  It is purely coincidence that the picture matches the papers, because I found it AFTER I finished the frame!  Seriously though, I am not a bit surprised as all my projects seem to have a bit of the "NO WAY" factor to them, lately lol.  Here is my fabulous frame for my birthday!  OH, I mean Father's Day (same day this year!)  I was actually born on Father's Day, and as the oldest of those three stunning females in the picture, I am the reason my dad got to celebrate that Father's Day!  ;)  We get to celebrate together again this year!  :)

I used Mod Podge to attach the paper to the wooden frame.  When I traced it to fit, I flipped it and the paper upside down like this to get the shape right...

Next, I sanded the edges in a downward motion with my sanding kit to get it even with the edge of the frame.

My dad has a blue truck and LOVES to grill!  (AND he doesn't have internet, so my blogpost is safe!) I just so happened to have the perfect Close to My Heart My Acrylix stamp sets to embellish my frame, C1542 Perfect Fit - Dad and D1541 Fast and Furious.

Let's start at the top with the Outdoor Denim Chevron Ribbon.

I made a little award ribbon using The Perfect Fit - Dad My Acrylix, the 2 inch scallop punch, my liquid glass, and a couple of CS circles...I am a visual learner, so I made up a little picture tutorial for you!

You just have to be patient and let it all dry really well.  :)  If you don't have the patience, then pull out a stapler!  While it was drying, I cut a .75 inch high strip of grass on Pear CS from the Cricut Artiste Cartridge on my E2 and I made this truck with the Fast and Furious My Acrylix, brads, black buttons, liquid glass, and foam squares...

It was easier than I thought it would be to snip off the tines of the brads with my scissors.  I used an OLD pair though, not my micro-tips!  I pushed the sharp ends back into the head of the brad, inserted a foam square, and used liquid glass to attach it to the flat side of the button.  ;)  Here is a pic of what I did...

I decided to use one of the zip strips in the Later Sk8ter Packet to frame out the picture.  I like how it adds some more interest and color to the frame.  

I hope you have a good time on our hop today!  There will be a lot of beautiful artwork to take in, so take your time!  I'll put a list of all the fabulous CTMH products I used to make this at the bottom if you would like to duplicate it.  ;)

Your next stop along the hop is Traci's Blog.  Can't wait to see the rest of the projects myself! 

If you get lost at all, you can always find the complete list of Divas participating in this month's hop on the Damask Divas website HERE.  :)

Happy Hopping!

Shopping List:
Wooden Frame
Mod Podge 
Later Sk8ter Paper Packet
Fast and Furious My Acrylix
Perfect Fit - Dad My Acrylix
Buttons Black Assortment
Silver Brads
Outdoor Denim Chevron Ribbon
Outdoor Denim, Lagoon, Cocoa, and Black Exclusive Inks
Cricut Artiste Collection

Color Dare #45 Is a DREAM {pop}

Happy Friday again!  :)

Let's get right down to business, shall we?  I love any excuse to use my Dream Pop papers, so when I got the assignment to use it for the Color My Heart Color Dare this week, I went crazy!  :)

I wanted to make a project for two other challenges, Rose Blossom Garden's Birthday Girl key challenge and the H2H Creature Feature challenge, so I combined all three into a glitzy little tag for the birthday girl!

I used a combination of my favorite papers from the Dream Pop packet, starting with the last of my grey chevron paper.   You can also see the shimmer of Close to My Heart's Glitter Paper peeking out from the bottom layer...

Since this tag is ALL GIRL, I wanted to sneak in as much sparkle as possible.  I used the Cotton Candy Sparkles and Glitter Glitz Startdust Gel on the little butterfly.  I created antennae for him with black waxy flax.  If you haven't used waxy flax yet, you simply MUST!  ;) LOVE that stuff!

The Slate Polka-Dot Satin Ribbon was the PERFECT touch for this tag.  I added a button from the Buttons Black Assortment as well.

You 

I think that is a tag fit for a princess, don't you?  :)

TAG!  You're it!  Now it is your turn to create something with your Dream Pop papers to show US!  Link up with us at the Color My Heart Color Dare and you could be the winner of our prize this month, the Pirouette My Acrylix Stamp!  You could also be the next designer to display the Color Dare Diamond award on your blog, so come and play with us!  ;)

TODAY is the very last day to order Dream Pop!!!  She will be gone after today, I am afraid, so get your $35 order in on my website and pick one up for only $10!!!  While supplies last or until May is over!!!  Click HERE to go get yours!

Last day for this adorable Stamp of the Month too!!!  Only $5 when you add another $5 in product to your Dream Pop order!!!  Run!  :)

Creature Feature and a Sketch

Hi everyone!  The pics keep piling up on my hard drive, so I best get posting, lol.

I made this card intending to enter it into two different contests.  The first is Heart 2 Heart's Creature Feature Challenge for May.  The second was Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #4, but I missed it over the weekend with all our business, oh well!  So many deadlines, so little time!  I still like the sketch.  :)

I used Close to My Heart's April Stamp of the Month to make the little "creature" to sit atop my sentiment.  I am really loving the whole puddle-pad craze.  I made this one way back when I was stamping those hot air balloons from the same stamp set and the pinwheels from this month's!  You can reminisce HERE for details. 

A bit of Stardust Glitter Glitz Gel on the wing gave him just a touch of sparkle.  :)  The Color Ready Seam Binding Ribbon adds a touch of softness to the hard angles in this card.  Do you like the way I matted this one?  Instead of using an entire piece of Lagoon CS, I used strips of it to line the edges of the Kraft paper!  Awesome use of scraps!  ;)

Another touch of softness that I added is this swirly frame I stamped in Lagoon from My Acrylix D1546 Frame Flair.  I ended up popping the sentiment out a bit from the framed image...

...because I didn't like how it looked all squished on the original sized space.  I cut out a tiny bit bigger rectangle for the sentiment from C1525 Words of Comfort and now I love it! 

Have you ever worked around a space issue like this?  What did you do?  I would love to hear your solutions!

In Stitches at Heart 2 Heart

Ha ha!  I did it!  I used stitching on a card without stitching!  Did I loose you yet? 

Stay with me a little bit longer and I will show you!  Heart 2 Heart Challenges is having a Nip and Tuck challenge to get us all to incorporate some form of stitching in our project this week, so of course I am linking up.  Um, I feel like a stubborn 2 year old as I whine, stomp my foot, and say, NO, I don't want to stitch!  I papercraft--I do NOT sew!  My mother sews really well, but that gene seems to have skipped a generation.  So what's a girl to do? 

Stamp.  With Stitches!  ;)

I created a downpour with the Close to My Heart My Acrylix set C1459 Stitched Together.  The clouds are cut with my Cricut Artiste Cartridge and inked with Whisper a bit on the wispy/sloppy side. 

I used the Later Sk8ter Paper Packet for the plaid pattern in the umbrella...my favorite one in the pack!  

I made this sentiment using the C1494 Card Word Puzzle My Acrylix and the C1540 Hello Blooms My Acrylix.

I used a brand new toy for this card that I have been WANTING so badly to try.  It is a wafer die from My Creative Time.  If you look closely, you will see....MORE STITCHING!!!  I love it when a no-sew plan comes together!  ;)  Not sure if you can see it, but I also used a silver vinyl for the handle. 

So, about the time I was photo editing, I realized I had seen raindrop stitches before, but WHERE???  A quick glance back at the H2H April Challenges gave me the answer!  My crafty Diva friend, Jayma Malme had used hand drawn stitches in her DT example!  Go see it HERE.  LOVE!  Thanks for the awesome subconscious inspiration, Jayma!  :)

Editing Your Photos in Close to My Heart's Studio J

I promised to give you more information on our fantastic digital scrapbooking tool, so I'm back with another great tip.  Did you know you can edit your photos in Close to My Heart's free online digital scrapbooking software?  Yep!  You sure can!  Here is a short video to help you learn to use this fantastic tool!  You can even change your pictures to black and white!  :)

If you haven't tried Studio J yet, there is absolutely no commitment to start.  You can hop right on and play around for free anytime.  Click HERE to get started and set up your free account!  :)  Double-page layouts that you order are only $6.95 each AND you can get up to 50 in a box for just $5.95 shipping! 

Mistakes: Take One

Hi everyone!  Yep, I make mistakes all the time!  How about you?  I just don't usually blog about them, lol!  ;)

Here is a classic that I have made before in the height of my creative glow, and I am sure I will do it a million more times before I am finished. 

Can't tell what's wrong?  Well, that is because I fixed it before I took this pic!  Otherwise the card would not have stood up well because I PUT IT ALL ON UPSIDE DOWN!  Oooops!  Sigh....

At least there is an easy fix for this problem.  I simply cut the front OFF of the card and glue it to the front of another one!  ;)  

I used Joyful Birthday for the sentiment here in White Daisy Pigment Ink. 

 Love those Black Glitter Buttons!  A purple sparkle in the middle accents it nicely.

 

I used the Banana colored Dream Pop Cardstock for this flower.  I just can't stop making them, lol!  Don't worry, I won't keep posting new versions of this card...I have to move on at some point.  ;)  Until that day comes, just bear with me and enjoy! 

Operation Write Home Blog Hop!

Welcome to my blog!  This entire Memorial Day Weekend hop is listed HERE.

If you are are a past, present, or future soldier, then THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!  This hop is all about giving thanks to the men and women who serve our country, so thanks for joining us! 

I am a newbie at participating in OWH, and here are my cards that I made using OWH Sketch #75!

If you are new to my blog, (first of all, WELCOME!) you might not know that I am addicted to adding sparkle of all kinds to my projects...it is just the way I am.  :)  Unfortunately for my sparkly side, OWH cards may not contain any kind of glitter that will come off, for the safety of the men and women who use them.  It is a major No-No!  To be on the safe side, I was taking no chances here and made a no-glitter-whatsoever rule for myself.  I had to improvise, so I used my Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge from Close to My Heart to make a star burst instead!  You get all the hint of shine without the sparkle!  ;)  The sentiment tag is also cut from the Art Philosophy cartridge and the stamp is included with the collection.  It is one of my favorites!  This ticket shape reminds me of dog-tags, so I knew right away this was the one I would use.   

I am so glad to be participating in this year's Memorial Day Hop!  I am using it as the kick-off to my OWH support and super-excited to be scheduling an Operation Write Home Card Workshop soon!  :)

God bless America and enjoy the hop!  If you ever get lost, just head to the beginning of the hop right HERE!

If you want to see another card made with a different OWH sketch, then keep scrolling to my post from yesterday.  I made it for the Color My Heart Color Dare!  This is a challenge blog that you can join in on by creating a paper project using the specific (or similar) Close to My Heart colors for that week.  Check it out at http://colormyheartcolordare.blogspot.com/  We would love to have you join us by playing along!

Here is my complete creative formulary for this card.  All products are from Close to My Heart unless noted:

Cricut Expression 2 from Provocraft
Cricut Art Philosophy Collection available exclusively from Close to My Heart
Fanfare Level 2 Paper Packet
White Daisy A2 Card Base
Pacifica CS
Pacifica and Cranberry Exclusive Inks
Buttons Red Assortment
Baker's Twine Neutral Assortment
Stars Embossing Folder from Hobby Lobby
Sanding tool

Color Dare #44 Gets Ready for Operation Write Home

This is a wonderfully special Color Dare today!  In honor of this Memorial Day weekend and the upcoming Operation Write Home (OWH) Blog Hop (more on that in a bit), the DT at Color My Heart is using a sketch from OWH in combination with our new Close to My Heart challenge colors, Juniper and Creme Brulee.   Here is the card I made using OWH Sketch #169...

This gorgeous stamp set, C1533 Fabulous You,  is perfect for using the Close to My Heart Alcohol Ink Markers.  Some of the colors remain out of stock, including the Creme Brulee that I used, which I apologize for!  Anyway, I used my Cocoa Embossing Powder on a Versamark Ink stamped image, then heated it up with my heating tool so that I could color in without smearing.  This is an important thing to do when using Alcohol Ink Markers.  Water based ink images would bleed into the coloring.  The two patterned papers I used are from the retired CTMH paper packets Typeset and Elemental.

I cut the layers of this flower out with my cricut at 1.25 and 1.5 inches and inked the edges with Cocoa Ink and a dauber.  Then I used my Rub On Tool in a circular motion on each of the petals to give them some curve.  An Antiqued Bronze Brad holds them together.  My Cocoa CS scalloped boarder is simply a row of 5/8 inch circles!  :)

 I made another card with similar touches, but included a sentiment on the flower this time...

...and a different ribbon across the bottom.  I have a hard time making up my mind lately, so why not make it both ways?  :)

Alright, so now the colors are in your court!  You can either pick a sketch from OWH to use these colors with, or make anything else you like.  Just be sure to use Juniper AND Creme Brulee (or similar colors) along with any neutrals of your choice and link up to Color My Heart by next Thursday the 30th at 9pm CST.  Come play with us!

More on Operation Write Home:

When my fellow DT member, Becca, suggested we take part in the OWH Blog Hop this weekend, I was ready to jump in headfirst.  I have been wanting to get involved with Operation Write Home for some time now, but it never seems to be the right time.  Well, the time has arrived!  :)  Watch for an OWH Cardmaking Workshop coming up soon!

What is OWH???  Here is a summary from their website:

"This merry band of thousands of cardmakers is made up of Americans – and citizens of other nations too – who care about our military, and want to support them through creativity and encouragement. Many thousands of crafters of all ages and levels of experience have participated since 2007!

Care packages filled with hundreds of handmade cards are sent to our contacts, restocking every 6-8 weeks, and are sent in time for the long journey back home to loved ones. Each box is packed with great care, alternating styles, colors, and cardmakers from all over the USA, creating “eye candy” for heroes who see only khaki around them. The topper on each box is a plastic bag filled with 20-30 letters from adults and children across the country, letters handed out especially to those in need of a positive word from the homefront."

Tomorrow morning you can tune in to the Operation Write Home Blog Hop to see many creations from many of the wonderful people who have been participating in this heartfelt mission!  Here is where you will find it:   http://operationwritehome.org/starsandstamps 

See you all there! 

Teacher Kisses and Note Cards

Hi everyone!  I am typing with one bandaged finger, so kindly forgive any typos!  ;)

I finished up all the end of the year teacher gifts and wanted to share them with you.  We are down to two days left!  We will be at a different school next year and wanted to let the teachers know how much we will miss them.  I made each one a set of blank notecards and a handful of Teacher Kisses.  Take a look! 

This is the first set of teacher note cards that I made.  The wonderful Dream Pop Papers were perfect for this set.   I used an older Close to My Heart Stamp Set to make these kisses that I have seen everywhere on Pinterest...

Now here are the other sets of cards.  The first shows the wrapped up gift, and the rest show each teacher's note cards...

I added little sparkles to either the "i" in Miss or the "." in Mrs.

The papers I used are from the Reflections line or My Mind's Eye School Daze.  The inks and stamps are from Close to My Heart.  I am now selling sets of these cards in my Etsy shop, so keep me in mind when school starts up again!  :)

One Page Layout without My Cricut?

I wasn't sure if I could actually pull this off to tell you the truth!  I have a gathering coming up where we will be making a scrapbook layout.  Some of the guests are new to scrapping and have never seen a cricut, so I don't want them to run away screaming just yet, lol.  The hostess and I decided to keep it on the down-low and Cricut cut free.  :)

One of the Close to My Heart videos on the Consultant Website inspired me to come up with the following page, and I really love it!

I used Buttercup CS for the base.  The two pics are 4 x 6 matted next to each other on White Daisy with a 1/8 inch mat.  The banner cuts are made with a 2 inch scallop circle punch on White Daisy and a 1.5 inch circle punch on Twilight.  They are folded over a strand of Baker's Twine and adhered with Bonding Memories glue.  I stamped the little flower from C1536 Happy Thoughts My Acrylix from Close to My Heart.  All the patterned papers are from the Chantilly Paper Packet.

This cute journal box is a 1.75 x 2.75 inch rectangle of White Daisy that I cut on my trimmer and used a stamp from D1524 Frame It Up My Acrylix.  I popped it up with foam squares for dimension.  I {heart} dimension!  ;) 

The last hand-made element on this page is the scallop boarder on the White Daisy cardstock at the bottom.  I did this with my corner edger all along the edge of the paper, and it was so easy! 

I am so proud of myself for making a cricut-free layout for a change!  It sure won't stop me from using mine all the time, but it is good to know that I can still do it all by myself, and show my customers who don't have a cricut how to make fabulous pages!  :)