Happy Times Sunshine Layout

Here is the last of my Happy Times projects I can sneak in before the month is up!  I made a cover layout for my family Christmas Album from last year.  This was the first album I printed using the Project Life App on my phone, and I have to say it was quite an easy task!  I am now using some of my other embellishments to liven it up a bit with some dimension...which I will show you later!

For now, enjoy the cover layout...with some sneaky peaks of the new June Stamp of the Month, The Long Way Home, available now!

I cannot get enough of the watercolor trend...this is one of the new pocket cards in the Picture My Life Watercolor Cards--Gold Kit...

A strip of Zoe and Canary Fundamentals along with some Glitter and Enamel Dots complete the banner cluster.

Playing with my watercolors has definitely payed off...I adore the title for my album!  I accented it with gold foil stickers in the Fundamentals Basics Stickers...

The 1/2 inch Zip strips from the Happy Times Papers are amazing!

If you want to learn how to do some watercolor lettering of your own, check out this great video!

Mermaid Monday

This post is a little late, but it IS still Monday (as I type), right?  Summer finally arrived today and the kids needed to eat, lol, so I was a bit distracted! 

I made this "do not disturb" sign as a request from a special customer for her daughter's birthday.  It was going to be hung on the birthday girl's front door to ward off any interruptions to her crafty time!  (What a GREAT MOM!!!!)  :)

Anyhow, I was absolutely tickled with how it came together--even better than I originally imagined!  I can finally share it since the day has passed, lol!

The Close to My Heart Zoe paper packet has a houndstooth pattern that worked beautifully as mermaid scales along with Glacier, Lagoon, and Crystal Blue CS, and some Teal Glitter Paper.  The Champagne CS is the best peachy flesh-tone I have found, so I cut the door hanger on it using the Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge.

Now, a bit more about those scales...they were another PERFECT creation with the CTMH Thumb Notch Punch!   Remember the Minions I made HERE?  SO many uses for this bad boy...

I used my Cricut Explore to write the sign (my customer thought of the PERFECT wording!) and cut out the seashells...

I colored some retired Rosette Ribbon with my Peacock ShinHan Marker for a nice finish to her tail.

Yes, yes, that IS a little bellybutton, HAHAHAHAAAAA!  She needed to have one!  I just LOVE it when a plan comes together!  :)

While supplies last!

Only in May!

Only in May for National Scrapbook Month!

Anniversary Card with Cricut Artistry

Tomorrow is my 20th wedding anniversary.  It is pretty crazy to read those words in black and white, let me tell you.

I had this awesome little tree stump cut from the Cricut Artistry Cartridge just sitting around for a while, so I decided to use it on a card for the hubs...

I used the Zoe Paper Packet and Compliments for the top card, as well as some leftover Kraft CS hearts from the same cartridge.  The sentiment is found on a Hostess Rewards My Acrylix call Say It All.  You can earn one FREE by hosting your own Close to My Heart gathering with your friends or by joining my NEW Frequent Buyers Club!!!  (Click HERE for more details.)

Then, I realized I could actually make the card into an entirely different season pretty easily...

The leaves and acorns I used in this version were from a wreath image (also on Artistry) I had used on several gift tags in a previous workshop HERE.  I just LOVE using up shapes I have already cut out!  :)

Which version/season do YOU like the best?  

CTMH Perpetual Calendar: February (of course!)

Ready for another peek at my perpetual calendar?

That little glittery heart adds the perfect touch!

I found this latte/travel coffee cup on the CTMH Cricut Artistry Cartridge, and have LOVED it ever since!  This pretty pattern paper is from the Zoe Paper Packet.  The Glacier color combined with Thistle just screams "WINTER" to me, so it fit the month perfectly.  Another thing that gives me a little bit of a winter feel is this amazing thick twine...

I love all the colors this twine is available in now!

Continuing the wintery theme...check out these great little creations brought to you by the creative genius of the CTMH designers!  They used the Treats of Friendship My Acrylix stamp set along with Kraft CS and some clearanced Lagoon Hearts washi!

Check it out HERE!

Share a Smile HERE!

A Masculine Birthday Card with Artistry and Zoe

Oh my goodness, how is it that a birthday can just SNEAK up on you like that???  Does anyone else understand that, or am I the only one who habitually sends birthday cards a teeny bit late?  Anyone? 

Sigh, anyway, my FIL had his 69th birthday this past weekend, and I needed something FAST!  (Thank goodness he was out of town, so it bought me another day, lol.)  I had a TON of cuts from the NEW Cricut Artistry Collection laying around, so I grabbed a couple of them and had a card put together quicker than you can say, "The mailman is coming!"  ;)

The party hat cut is easy to use in any color scheme you like.  I paired it with the happy birthday sentiment cut in White Daisy.  The papers and cardstock (except the Sweet Leaf) are all included in the Zoe Paper Packet from Close to My Heart, so I knew it all coordinated before I even started. 

Embellishing is super fun with freehand stitching and lines drawn both on the hat and around the edges of the pattern paper.  I also distressed the edges heavily with Slate Exclusive Ink.  Those little enamel stars were originally white.  I used my ShinHan touch Twin Alcohol Ink Marker in Golden Yellow to easily change them. 

Yep, it was that easy!  :)

September is National Stamping Month!

September Stamp of the Month

Mojo Monday Sunshine with Artistry

What better way to start off the new week than with some sunshine and a little Mojo! 

The first Monday of the month is always contest week over at the Mojo Monday Sketch Blog.  This week, I used a great shape from the Close to My Heart Artistry Cartridge along with one of my favorite Verve stamps to make a cheery card.

I mixed and matched from three different new CTMH paper packs for this one:  Zoe, Georgie, and Kaleidoscope.  Then I added a mix of patterns from the new Paper Fundamentals too!  

You can't see it in the pics, but the pattern on the Canary Yellow is a shiny embossed cross hatch.

The sentiment stamp from Verve works just perfectly with the image from Artistry.  I wanted to stamp the "SUN" in Sunset (oh, yeah) so after a few trials masking, I just decided to add a layer instead.  That worked much better for me...

A few carefully placed sequins, and I was finished.

I love the Bokeh paper in the background, how about you?

Only in September for National Stamping Month!

September Stamp of the Month!

Fancy Fold Pinwheel Card with Zoe

Whew!  We have just about made it through the first week of school at my house, and that means it is time to get crafty for me tonight, hahaha! 

Before the week is over, I wanted to share a quick fancy fold card that I learned how to make from several YouTube videos and blogs.  Just search "Pinwheel Fancy Fold Card" and I am sure you will find all sorts of ways to create one.  Let me show you the one that I created with the versatile NEW Zoe Paper Packet from Close to My Heart...

The Zip Strip on this pattern paper is actually PERFECT for the belly band I made to decorate the card.  It doesn't NEED one, per se, but I have seen many with this type of embellishment--and had just the right "parts" to pull it off.  I attached the Zip Strip to a thin strip of Kraft CS and hid the seam of the paper with this great birthday sentiment from the August Stamp of the Month, Framed.  I stamped the images in Slate and Sweet Leaf Exclusive Inks to coordinate with the colors in the Paper Packet.

The shape to match the framed sentiment image can be found on the NEW Cricut Artistry Cartridge.

Isn't it just PERFECT for a birthday card?

Inside the card, I mounted some matted CS and simply stamped another image from the stamps that accompany the Cricut Artistry Collection.  I will be adding a gift card to this one, so it fits quite nicely.  :)

The inside of the card is super easy to decorate.

 You really HAVE to give this one a try!  Super fun and easy!  :)

Only in August!

FREE new products!!!

Another First Day of School!

Zoe papers, drooooool.

Sooooooo today is the very first day for a few things...it is the FIRST day of the 2015/2016 school year for me and my two youngest kiddos.

Zoe Workshop on the Go Scrapbooking Kit

It is ALSO the first day that my two youngest are both in the same school again!  YAY!!!

Finally, it is my VERY FIRST "first day of school" working in my position as a 1:1 Paraprofessional!  I wasn't hired until September last year, so I missed all the "firsts" involved when a school lets the kiddos in on day one--and I am SO excited to see this year from beginning to end! 

All of the gorgeous paper in these projects are a FIRST, too!  It is the FIRST time CTMH has released some BRAND NEW products a bit early!  I have been making a few fun projects with the NEW products to come, but I can't show you those here just yet.  You CAN see them over on my Facebook Page, though, so be sure to come follow me to see some GREAT firsts from the new Idea Book coming in September!

If you can't wait, then I have some great news:  you can actually pick up some of the new organizing products THIS MONTH, AND get some freebies when you do!  Here are some pics with links, and I will be back later this week to show you mine!  :)

Get the Base and Bling sticker sheets FREE with the organizer in August ONLY!

Get the My Acrylix Balloon Wishes FREE with the Marker Roll Up in August ONLY!

YES, there IS an August Stamp of the Month!

Cricut Artistry Collection Thinking of You Card

My Monday post is going out just a tad bit late today after a busy weekend.  One of the best things about writing a blog is that there simply aren't any deadlines written in stone.  Win!  If only my looming school year schedule that starts this week were as flexible, lol!

I made this card using cuts from the NEW Close to My Heart Artistry Cricut Collection.  My cousin suffered a heart attack last weekend (praise the LORD she is doing alright so far...just awaiting more surgery,) and I had these cuts all ready to go from my first round playing with Artistry...

The houndstooth pattern paper is found in the NEW Zoe Paper Packet.  It has an ever-so-slight color variation across the blue hue that is just gorgeous!  I cut the jar image from acetate packaging from a cricut cartridge, and used Glacier, Sweet Leaf, Canary, and Sorbet CS as well as some gold glitter paper for the flowers.

 

The sentiment is stamped in Glacier and Canary Exclusive Ink onto one of the shaped images from the Framed Stamp of the Month for August.  I ran a strip of happy Coral Shimmer Trim along the card underneath it and popped it up with some foam tape for some finishing touches. 

I don't do this very often, but here is my PSA for the year:  LADIES, listen to your body!  My cousin had a terrible headache and neck pain the day before she went to the hospital.  In the morning her arm numbness prompted my aunt to make her finally go in--and it saved her life!   Please keep yourselves informed of the warning signs of a heart attack because time is key!  Love you guys!

Framed coordinates with the NEW Cricut Artistry Collection!

Washi Wednesday Zoe Layout

I completely forgot to blog this last night because of everything else going on in my brain...but no worries because it is STILL Wednesday!  :)

I adore the Zoe Paper Packet almost as much as I adore this pic of my college girl...

I had such a fun time putting this one together with the inspiring sketch from Scrapbook and Cards Today's 2015 Calendar...

I used the August Stamp of the Month, Framed, and some of the Zoe Complements for this little cluster...and some leftover Cricut letters!  :)

This vellum embellishment is also in the Complements...

Here is an illustration of how I attached the vellum so the original ampersand would not show through...I love that CTMH carries coordinating colors of Cardstock!

Finally a little tip about that washi!  I used it to keep these beautiful floral cuts from the NEW Cricut Artistry Collection in place while I glued them down...

Just flip the shape back and add the Bonding Memories glue!  :)

Hope you enjoyed my Washi Wednesday tips so far!  Unfortunately this is the final month Close to My Heart will have washi in the Idea Book, so grab it in these amazing coordinating patterns and colors while you can!  :)