Close to My Heart Everything Christmas Workshop Cards!

Welcome back for another little peek at my workshop coming up Saturday!

Here is the third Christmas Card we will be creating...

I adore the Christmas songs I grew up singing every year, and this is probably one of the most popular.  You will have two sentiments to choose from found on the Christ Is Born My Acrylix, so plan ahead! 

I used the beautiful pattern paper from the White Pines Paper Packet, added a strip of Green Glitter Paper, and this card was ready for Christmas!

Are you getting excited yet?  :)

November's Stamp of the Month is ready for the New Year!

Tag (You're It!) Tuesday Makes Everything Christmas!

I am in for a quick post today, and SOOOOO glad to report that technology and I have kissed and made up!  ;)

Here are the four tags I have so far for my upcoming Everything Christmas Workshop on Saturday...

Have a closer look at this one...I used the retired green glitter paper (only available until they run out!) on the tree tag image from the Cricut Artistry Cartridge!  Is that a sparkly tree, or what!?

Tomorrow I will show you another one of the workshop cards, so come back to see!

A Tip for Tuesday: Paper Savers Anonymous

I was making a card last week with the Taste of Summer Paper Packet when a great little tip occurred to me that I needed to share.

Now, I don't know about you, but I am a big time paper saver--I get the most out of my cuts--especially when it comes to my CTMH Glitter Paper!  I LOVE to use it as a mat on pictures and cards, but I don't like how much of the paper ends up unseen.  There is a simple way to use your paper AND save it too!

All you need is a paper cutter that isn't guillotine style so you can cut out the middle.  But you can still enjoy the look of matting without any waste!  :)

Sometimes, if you are a hard-core paper saver, you can even cut the middles out of round shapes! 

Last Day to get a Taste of Summer!

Hey everyone!  I realized I have two more cards to share using the Taste of Summer Paper Packet and the Taste of Summer My Acrylix stamps that are ONLY still available TODAY(May 31st!)  Yikes!  Here you go..

Excellent use of zip strips!

Glitter anyone?

Another zip strip, of course!

Such a sweet sentiment!

Love this juicy slice stamp!

Did I mention the fact that I am also giving away a free stamp set with orders right now?  Yep!  Just order through my website or contact me to place your order and I will get in touch with you to choose your free stamp!  :)

Taste of Summer for Freshly Squeezed Sketches

It has been a loooooong while since I had a chance to link up to a challenge, so I am super-excited to get this one in tonight!  A quirky little blog post title always seems to get my sparkle back up, know what I mean?  :)

Freshly Made Sketches has a wonderfully simple challenge this week, and I had a few minutes (or forty) tonight to play along.  Check it out...

Orange you glad I didn't say banana?  LOL!  I saw the circle in this week's sketch in my email and KNEW that this juicy slice from the Taste of Summer My Acrylix would end up on my card.  Now, I like simple, who doesn't, and goodness do I ever have time for just simple right now.  But it looked terribly plain and simple all by itself if you can imagine...

SOOOOO, I remembered that time looooong ago when my daughter rolled up my glitter paper scraps...and went for my tweezers and Green Glitter Paper!  It was JUST the thing to brighten it up!

These oranges on the Taste of Summer Paper Packet were the perfect backdrop for the white panels...

I finished the card off with the sweet little sentiment.  Just in time to link up to Freshly Squeezed (Made, lol) Sketches and give it away tomorrow!  :)

Don't wait to get your hands on the Taste of Summer specials this month--they are only here in May, and I can send you lots of FREE cutting guides for great cards and layouts to use them for!  :)

Only available THIS month for National Scrapbook Month!  Get the STAMP SET or the PAPER PACKET, or BOTH!

Let's Talk About MOTHERS!

It's almost May, so that means you need to start thinking about that special lady you might have in your life--your MOM!  My upcoming card workshop features a beautiful combo of papers from the Brushed Paper Packet in a card just for her!

Brushed

This sentiment surrounded by fabulous green glitter is from the Happy to Be Friends My Acrylix that was introduced in the Seasonal Expressions 1 Idea Book last fall.  Don't worry if you didn't notice it then--I finally realized its full potential!  ;)  Plus, you can use whatever sentiment you like for this one at the workshop if you don't need a Mother's Day card! 

Happy to be Friends

Green Glitter Paper

Wait a minute, though...we don't HAVE any green sequins yet...how?  OH, yep, I sure did color this one with my Leaf Green ShinHan Alcohol Ink Marker!

Leaf Green ShinHan Touch Twin Alcohol Ink Marker

I started off with a white one from the Coral Reef Sequins Assortment...

 RSVP soon for my workshop if you need to!  :)

Typed Note

Freshly Made Sketches with Year Noted

Another unexpected crafty day with everyone home from school means I get to play along with Freshly Made Sketches this week!  I LOVE this one, too, so that's a double bonus!

FIRST of all, I am not a yellow person at all...but I could be after this card!  ;)

Those rectangles...let me tell you...they were tricky to size up and get laid out just right.  I think I cut waaaaay more paper from the Year Noted Kit for National Papercrafting Month than I used, lol.  But thank goodness this sentiment was straightforward.  It can be found on the Variety of Thanks Hostess Rewards My Acrylix Stamp from Close to My Heart.  All my hostesses can earn this gorgeous set for just $6 of their rewards!

The flowers are from the Lovely Birthday My Acrylix and stamped in Black CTMH Ink and then colored with the ShinHan Touch Twin Alcohol Ink Markers in Golden Yellow, Light Orange, and Marigold.  Those sparkly leaves are made using a Verve Wafer Die along with Close to My Heart Green Glitter Paper.  I was craving a bit of spring, you see, with the temps below zero here.  ;)

Thanks for taking a peek at what I'm up to!  :)

Celebrate National Papercrafting Month with Year Noted

January 2015 Stamp of the Month

Operation Smile, You're the Bomb!

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween my crafty peeps!  I made a cute little card for my goblin's lunchbox today with the Scaredy Cat Paper Packet and my amazing Cricut Artfully Sent Cartridge...

 Of course it sports not one, but TWO colors of our fantastic Glitter Paper!

I cleverly disguised the inside of the card where I used the Glitter Paper...

SO much fun! 

TODAY is the very last day to get the October Stamp of the Month, so get it now if it is on your wish list!  :)

Have a safe Halloween!  :)

Damask Divas Lollydoodle Blog Hop!

Time for another fantastic display of artwork from the Damask Divas!  Are you ready to see some amazing creations with the new Lollydoodle Paper Packet?

If you came over from Stephanie's Blog, then you are on the right path!  If not, be sure to check out the entire lineup over at the Damask Divas Blog.  Remember, if you are here before March 1st be patient as some of the links might be under construction.  Thanks!

I have been gradually adding to my Designed Decor Flip Stand Album as I try to incorporate each new paper packet.  Today, I am sharing my Lollydoodle page with you!  This is a great tool to showcase just a fun pic or two at a time.  The pages I am making for mine are 6 x 5.5 inches, and I am really loving the small format for some of my favorite family pictures that just don't "go" anywhere else.  :)

See that cute little squiggly frame around my cool-shaded girlie?  I cut it from the Artbooking Cartridge with a simple press of the button on my Cricut Expression 2.  You can find the cut on page 87 of the handbook by the Photo Mat 1 key.

I used a Limited Edition Hostess Reward My Acrylix stamp set that you can ONLY get when you host a gathering or join my Rewards Club called Enjoy the Little Things for the stamping on my layout.  Check out this GREAT little building set...

I used it to stamp the little pocket sentiment here and add a bouquet of flowers adorned with Flamingo Dots.  I rolled two 3D flowers from the Artiste Cartridge to add to the floral mix.  A couple of leaves from the Lollydoodle Compliments, some more leaves cut from our Green Glitter Paper, and some Slate Striped Twist Ties round out the cluster of embellishments.

These chevrons were super-easy to stamp on their own by just inking up that part of the clear acrylic stamp.  The little owl is also found on the Lollydoodle Compliments.  Silver Shimmer Trim, please!  ;)

I love to mix it up with all the patterns from Lollydoodle, so wanted to fit as many into my layout as I was able.  I even squeezed in a zip strip!  :)  The Pink Glitter Paper looks like it was MADE to go along with this color scheme, and how could I resist adding a bit more silver shimmer trim?

Thanks so much for stopping in to see me on our hop today!

Now you are on your way to to Lilian's Blog to see what amazing creation she whipped up!  Come back any time!  :)

A Freshly Made Sketch for Christmas!

I love the new sketch for this week on Freshly Made Sketches...it is by fellow Close to My Heart Consultant Allisa Chilton!  :)  I am a huge fan of Allisa's, and adore the clean lines in her cards.  I especially love her knack for matting...which this great sketch is all about!  :)

What a great opportunity to get to work on some Christmas cards!  I made my 6 x 6 card base out of Black CS.  Then I matted my heart out with White Daisy, Ruby, and a paper from the For Always Paper Packet.  Since I haven't quite been able to get my hands on our Close to My Heart Sparkle and Shine papers due out soon (exciting!) I decided to leave the Christmas portion of my card to the Green Glitter Paper!  I just KNEW it would do the trick! 

I traced this ornament from a set of retired ornament chipboard shapes.  The hook connector is made with our Silver Glitter Paper.  The beautiful script word, JOY, is cut from our brand new Cricut Artbooking Cartridge onto White Daisy CS and attached with glue dots for strength on the glitter. 

I didn't stop there, though!  I also added a bit of shimmery metallic tinsel-laced twine and a poinsettia embellishment from the Mini Medley Accents Ruby collection. 

On the inside, I used the gorgeous silhouette of the nativity from Glory to God  and a beautiful sentiment to tie the JOY ornament to the rest of the card from Merry and Bright.

Now I am starting to get ahead of myself in the seasonal celebrations, so I better slow down!  Maybe I should just start my Christmas shopping instead?  ;)