Tag (You're It) Tuesday Time!

 TAG!  You're it! 

Sooooo how many of you love to make a tag or two here or there?  I love the freedom of making tags and love to pull one off just to mix up my week.  I am hoping to start a new traditional Tag (You're It!) Tuesday on my blog.  Wish me luck in remembering...lol!

Let's kick it off with a tag full of love!  I made this one for two different challenges.  First, I am getting my PINK on with Dynamic Duos where they are having a two-tone pink challenge, so go check them out if you like pink!  

Also, CAS(E) this Sketch has a new challenge posted for the week that I thought would work BEAUTIFULLY on a tag along with my new Close to My Heart Scallop Border Punch!  :)

I started off with a plain chipboard tag from the Art Philosophy coordinating Dimensional Elements and cut a piece of White Daisy CS to fit.  I used a Finishing File to sand down all the edges to match perfectly before decorating it.  I love these handy little tools!  Here is a quick pic:

I always like to check my stash of leftover cuts before cutting more, and I happened to have this "love u" word bubble stamped in Cotton Candy pink and all ready to go!  Anyone else have a stash of leftover cuts?  They are great to recycle for later!  This one is from the Cricut Artiste Collection--both the cut and the stamp come with the set.  

See the little hearts behind the bubble?  Those are on the Retired Whooo's Your Valentine My Acrylix if you happen to have one.  If you don't have one, I have TWO for sale over in my Flee Market!

 

I used my Cotton Candy CS along with the retired Baby Pink CS to cut 1/2 inch scallop borders that were then layered onto the tag.   My Silver Shimmer Trim is a bit of an attention hound, so I had to add a bit to give it a piece of the limelight.  ;)

WHO remembers this button???  This is a spare button from one of my daughter's back to school shirts, lol!!!  I totally claimed it when I was cutting off the tags to wash her clothes.  How could I not???  :)

Thanks for popping in, and I hope you tune in next Tuesday for another Tag (You're It!)

Remember!  Never let anyone steal YOUR sparkle!  :)

How Much is that Owl in the Window?

Have any of you ever tried to make a window card?  I have made only a few--total, lol.  I hardly ever attempt them, but for day 12 of the Card-A-Day Challenge, well, we had to make a window card!

I used the amazing Autumn color scheme from the current My Creative Time Designer Challenge:

I wanted desperately to keep it simple, but I tend to over-think things JUST a bit, so this one took a while to figure out and make mistakes before I figured out the easy way to pull it all together.

I started out by making the tree.  I used my Chocolate Ink to stamp the woodgrain image from Universal Backgrounds onto a pre-cut Chocolate CS tree shape that I trimmed out by hand.  The leaves are from my "extra cuts" stash, but I know that I made them with the Just For You My Acrylix set.

I combined three different stamp sets to make the sentiment.  The Whoooo is from a retired double set, the question mark is from a retired alphabet, and the remaining words are found on Card Word Puzzle.  Don't worry, I fixed it and added the apostrophe!  ;)

I love these little owls from the Whooo's Your Valentine Kit last year.  Their party hats are made with the pennant stamps in the Babycakes Workshop on the Go Scrapbooking Kit.  I used the Green and Blue Epoxy Bubbles to embellish them with a topper.

Here is what the whole card looks like when opened so you can see how it lines up...

Now I am going to go make a whole bunch of these in different colors while I know how to do it!  ;)  Thanks for stopping in today!  :)

Buttons Galore!

Hi there!  I have been super-blessed and busy making baby frames for my Etsy shop.  Here is one of two gorgeous little numbers that I just finished up.  I used lots of beautiful buttons in each one, and it just so happens that Heart 2 Heart Challenges would like us to use....{buttons}....so I am linking up to the challenge!

This first is for a new little baby boy...

Here it is in the frame.  I took pics before I put it in to avoid the glare of the glass.  ;)

A great big shout out to Carolyn Burch, The Crafty Lady, for her information that helped me create my very own watermark for my pictures!  What do you think of it?  Did you notice that it sparkles?  ;)

Valentine's Day Class Treats

Just a quickie for you today, so here we go!

I made treat bags for my kiddos' class parties tomorrow at school.  These are SUPER-easy, so if you are just a busy mom looking for a quick and cute solution to goodie bags, you can DO this!  You can even find punches to make the shapes if you do not have a cricut cutting machine.  I used some heart stickers and cardstock that I already had on hand, so that counts for using my stash! 

I used the to/from square and the"you're sweet" round stamp which are both from the Whooo's Your Valentine Kit last month.  Add a couple of glue dots to stick the scallop and circle together, fold the paper cardstock over the top of the goodie bag, and staple!  Easy-peasy, like I said!  Seriously, a friend reminded me over the weekend that the kids are going to tear these things open anyway, so if you don't have time and energy to get fancy, DON'T!  ;)

Playing with My New Peachy Keen Stamps

Hi everyone!  How's your Sparkle today?  Mine is all intact!   

 I wanted to play around some more with my new valentine Peachy Keen Bears, so I made this cute card for someone at church who is healing from surgery.  I wanted it to be super-special for her, and I thought this would do the trick!  :)

 I saw that the Peachy Keen Challenge this week is to use hearts, so I was was like, OH YEAH, I am totally linking up to that!  Ha, ha, ha, I totally went valley on you right there!  ;)  I colored the roses in with my Close to My Heart Alcohol Ink Markers.  Then, I added the necessary bling with my Glitter Glitz in pink and green.  Because of my color scheme, I decided to leave the bear white.  OK, fine, I don't have brown markers yet!  It is killing me, I assure you.  I am being a good girl and waiting though....sigh.  I do like polar bears though...

The heart that tops the black and white bakers twine is made with a stamp from the Whooo's Your Valentine Kit My Acrylix set.  You can still get this kit for only $10 on my website!  Click the link to the right if you are interested by January 31st! 

I love the curly Q's on the sentiments that go with these stamps.  Even the font helps you feel better!

I used White Daisy, Hollyhock, and Garden Green (retired) Cardstock.  The green is embossed with a dot pattern that I love.  The pink paper is part of a cut from my Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.  I just wanted something to frame the bear, and this worked perfectly!  Finally, for some more sparkle, our new black shimmer trim!!!  It will be available for you to get addicted to starting February 1st!  Not long now!  See it sparkle?  You GOTTA have a little sparkle in everything you do!

Thanks so much for stopping in!

Heart 2 Heart Challenge #2 Hot Cocoa

Brrrrrrr!  Well, it did finally decide to turn into winter in the midwest, so I was completely ready to embrace Heart 2 Heart's second Challenge for the month of January, "Hot Cocoa."

I am definitely kicking myself for not picking up the perfectly matched My Acrylix set, A Sip, when it was available, but not having it forced me into some creative thinking.  I am not sure when or how it hit me, but I used one of the new treat tubes from the Whooo's Your Valentine Kit to make a sweet little hot chocolate gift.  I also made an important discovery! 

The tiny, dehydrated marshmallows were the absolute perfect companion for this easy to make set.  Inside the folder-style package is a packet of hot cocoa.  The colors of the Wonderland Paper and Whisper Cardstock I used even chill me to the bone!  The snowflake border is from the Art Philosophy Cartridge.  The sentiment is from the My Acrylix Snowflakes Stamp set.

Our new glitter paper was also clamoring to get in on the action, so I cut a snowflake from the Art Philosophy cartridge to bling up the tube, give it some more depth, and help keep it in place.  A couple of discreetly placed glue dots help too.  I love the shimmer trim as a border around the tube!

Next up is the very first thing I made for the project.  I stamped the Color Ready Seam Binding Ribbon with our awesome Mini Pigment Inks.   But I didn't do it that way entirely the first try!

Unfortunately, I first attempted to use the Dye ink pad for the Chocolate ink on the ribbon.  When I looked at it the next day, this is what I found:

Houston, we have a problem!  BUT, not a problem, because the snowflakes I had used the pigment ink for had not bled at all.  I redid the ribbon using all pigment inks, and was good to go with a gorgeous ribbon and a lesson to share.  :)    The "hot cocoa" sentiment is found on the retired January Word Puzzle My Acrylix.

Here is the inside of the folder.  I carefully sized a pocket for the cocoa and created a label type cut with the soon to debut Frame Flair My Acrylix set.  I LOVE this set!!!  It coordinates with cuts from the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge. 

Another snowflake cut from Art Philosophy and adorned with a crystal blue snowflake image and bitty sparkles rounded the project out.

I do have plans to post a video of how to make this easy gift, so keep checking back on my blog or leave a comment so I can let you know when it is ready!  Thanks for stopping in today!

UPDATE!!!!  Here is the tutorial!  :)

 

I {Heart} Sneak Peeks!!! XOXO

I feel like such a tease, but I know you are just dying to see the new Close to My Heart products that will soon be here come February, right?  RIGHT!!!

I made a card that features what might be two or three of my favorite new products.  Ok, so really four of them!  Can you feel the giddiness oozing out of my pores?  ;)  Anyway, I wanted to make a non traditional Valentine and was just coming off the black and white work for the Color My Heart Color Dare, so this is what I came up with.

Glitter paper, fabric, buttons, and WASHI!!!!   {OH MY!}  I adore the X's and O's made with the brand new Slate Washi Tape and the sentiment.  The polka dots are see through!

The circle of x's and o's and the sentiment are stamps from the Whooo's Your Valentine Kit.  It is just about out of stock, so get it while you can for only $10 with your $35 purchase from my website.  Don't wait, because once they are gone, the offer is over.

I made this gorgeous yellow flower with the new Chantilly Textiles and Black Button Assortment.  The textile is a really starchy fabric that is super-easy to cut and work with.  I also made a video tutorial that shows how I made it!   In the video you can see the other fabric that comes in the set of three.  :)  Here you go!

{Snaps fingers}  Hi again!  Over here!  Ignore the poor girl's nails and have a look at the inside of the Valentine I made!  ;)  It gives the answer to the equation on the front of the card...

I hope you are enjoying all the sneak peaks even half as much as I am enjoying making them!  Have a sparkly rest of your Sunday! (or whatever day it is that you see this, lol!)

Whooo's Your Valentine Damask Divas Blog Hop!

Hi everyone!  Welcome to another Damask Divas Blog Hop!  If you came from Mandy's blog then you are in the right place!  If not, then hop on over to her to start at the beginning HERE.

It is National Papercrafting Month, and Close to My Heart is celebrating with the limited edition, Whooo's Your Valentine Kit!  This special collection is valued at $40 and is only available this month while supplies last for only $10 with a $35 purchase!

I can't wait to see all of the different ways you can use the set, so let's get to it!

I created a special piece of home decor for one of my cousins who had a precious baby girl in December.  I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I saw the Whooo's Your Valentine Stamp Set.

The little owls are soooo versatile!  I love this little guy because he has chevrons for feathers.  I tied that theme in with this journaling spot that I added baby Brooklyn's birthdate to.  These stamps I used for this are from the November Stamp of the month, Capture the Date. 

I just love the look of banners, and this one is perfect with it's soft pink and Colonial White highlighted in the retired Lucy papers.  These adorable stamps that I used on the hearts are also in the Whooo's Your Valentine My Acrylix Stamp Set.  All of my cuts are from Close to My Heart's two amazing Cricut cartridges, Art Philosophy and Artiste.

This tree was super-fun to put together.  I used liquid glass to adhere everything to be sure it would hold for many years to come.

Traci Williams at Paper Crafting 101 is your next stop on the blog hop, so click right HERE to go see her fantastic creation!  If you would like to see pictures of the Whooo's Your Valentine Kit, then keep on scrolling!   

Here is a picture of the actual stamp set that you receive with the Kit...

And here is the entire kit!

You can use it to make these!

It's Challenge Time Again!

Ok, so I think I caught the challenge bug this time--and that is a bug I am willing to suffer with for a while!  ;)  I made this adorable little snowflake card for a couple of different challenges.  The first is the Peachy Keen Challenge!  I discovered Peachy Keen stamps a while back when I first started to go gaga over my cricut.  They make lots of little face stamps to decorate your cricut cuts with.  LOVE them!  Also, I am linking up to the Heart 2 Heart Challenge for the first time ever!  The theme this week is "Snow Much Fun" and this card sure fits! 

What do you think?  I know this little guy sure melts MY heart.  Maybe it's the sparkle that got to me.  ;)

The background paper is made with my BRAND NEW embossing folder.  I was so excited to get it!  Love the x's and o's!  I strategically placed shimmer trim throughout the snowflake to light up his face.  The face is stamped with pieces from PK-943 Funshine Face Parts that fit 3-4 inch paper dolls or other cuts with a 7/8 to 1 3/8 diameter.  The snowflakes are both cut from the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection from Close to My Heart.  The larger one is cut at 3.5 inches and the top layer is cut at 2.5 inches.  I colored the cheeks in with our Blush Alcohol Ink Marker.  The cute little tag is also from the same cricut cartridge and cut at 1.75 inches.

Here is my complete creative formulary for this valentine card.

*White size A2 card base by Close to My Heart
Provo Craft Hugs and Kisses Embossing Folder
*Cricut Art Philosophy Collection
*White Daisy and Blush Cardstock
*Sweetheart Level 2 Paper Packet
*Black, Blush, and Hollyhock Exclusive Inks
*D1480 My Acrylix Snowflakes (sentiment)
*D1548 Whooo's Your Valentine (available now for a limited time!)
*Shimmer Trim
*Color Ready Seam Binding Ribbon
*Blush Organdy Ribbon
*Twine
*Liquid glass
PK-943 Funshine Face Parts 

Click HERE to visit my website to get the very limited edition Whooo's Your Valentine Kit for only $10 with a $35 order!  They won't last much longer!  :)

Merry Birthday! Aaaaachoooo!

Huh?  What day is it?  Ugh...I was bitten hard by the flu bug and am finding it a tad bit hard to think straight right now.  I am not at all used to being incapacitated, and after being in bed for three days, I need a do-over for Christmas!  Oh well, my kids had a good time opening presents and I promptly went back to bed...so not much to be done about it but thank God that I am up and healthy again.

Now that I am vertical, (baby steps), I wanted to share a card I made for my niece's birthday.  I used Close to My Heart's last promo set, It's Your Day along with the amazingly cute new promo set, Whooo's Your Valentine.  You can get this adorable stamp set and all the fabulous goodies that come with it for just $10 with any $35 order on my website to celebrate National Papercrafting Month in January!  Now, here's the card...

 I had to take pics right away because we were leaving soon, so the marker still had to dry on the "best DAY ever" sentiment.  That is why it looks a little blotchy.  ;)  I used the Perfect Fit Frames to perfectly match the shape from this card on the Cricut Artiste Cartridge.  Can you spot the new glitter paper I used?  OF COURSE you can, that stuff is blindingly sparlky!  I LOVE it sooooo much that I used it for the body of the butterfly as well!  Now, I didn't want my shimmer trim to feel left out, so I added a good long strip off to the left.  Whew!

Now, here is the inside of the card when you open it up!  Isn't it fabulous?  There are NINE different versions of this card on the cartridge!  NINE!  Each one has a different shape on the front.

The word bubble here is also cut from the Artiste Cartridge.

My sister gave me a paper crimper for Christmas that I used to make the tree trunk...score!

This was a super-fun card to make, and I sure hope my Niece loved it since I was sleeping the day away in bed with the flu on her birthday Thursday!  Sigh...oh well.

Here's a glimpse of the entire Whooo's Your Valentine kit before you go!