La Vie En Rose is for Valentines

Happy day after the Super Bowl!  I finally got in some crafty time this weekend while waiting for the big game...it is soooo nice not having a favorite team in the Super Bowl to stress about winning, lol!

Over on the Make It From Your Heart Blog, Close to My Heart issued a call for Valentines made using the La Vie En Rose Paper Packet, so you know I needed to answer, lol.

The bold B&W patterns of La Vie are SUPER versatile.  I combined them with flowers from the new Springtime Wishes My Acrylix and Thin Cuts.  The flowers are colored with ShinHan Alcohol Markers.

Vellum and Glitter Paper are SUPER easy to cut with the new Thin Cuts!

I finished off the card with a sentiment from the CTMH Hostess Rewards stamp set, Say It All.  This SUPER collection of sentiments has something for any occasion!

A cute little arrow from the Playful Puffies adds JUST the right touch!

I will have more for you from La Vie En Rose later this week, so be sure to come back!  You have until the 11th (Thursday) to play along with this challenge, so get crafting, and have a SUPER week!  (OK, I am done, lol!)

Show Them the Love!

Just wanted to give you a quick peek at THIS awesome idea a friend shared on Facebook.  I have been having a great time every night placing more hearts on their doors!  I was even able to use my new MCT stamps and dies to add a little note to this one...

That little paper clip is my silver glitter paper cut with an MCT die!!!  It IS!  :)

It isn't too late to get in on the action!  :)

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!

Who Loves Ya? Hello, February!

OH my goodness, what I wouldn't give for another two days this weekend!  I can see you all out there nodding your head right along with me and shouting AMEN!  Some of you have had sick kiddos, I know...and others just had too much to possibly fit into two tiny days.  Me?  Well, I have been battling headaches for a while now, and this has been what I now refer to as a "headache weekend." Why I get such horrid headaches on the weekends I still have no idea.  All I know is that when I do, I get next to nothing accomplished.

SO, while I didn't get any crafty time, I will manage to cut out a few "old school" construction paper hearts tonight to leave for my sweeties to find in the morning...each with a little note telling them something I adore about them.  I saw the idea HERE, and I encourage you to play along this month!

Since it is also the first day of February, I have a couple tidbits of Close to My Heart news to share!

The Stamp of the Month for February is just the cutest little thing!!! You can get it anytime in February on my website for the regular price of $17.95, OR you can get it for just $5 with a $50 purchase!  Check out Balloon Animals...

AND, if that isn't enough...we have a BRAND NEW stamp set, Share the Love, available to raise funds for Operation Smile!!!

Support Operation Smile Here today!

 Have a great week!  See you again soon...

Thanks A Minion!

My school is participating in "kindness week" along with thousands of schools across the country.  To a paper crafter, this is an open invitation to GO MAKE SOMETHING!!!  :)

Well, I made MINIONS, lol!!!  (My CTMH website is undergoing maintenance as I type this, so I can't add the links with product names yet, boo!  I will get them added asap tomorrow!)

I used the New CTMH Paper Packet, Penelope, for the stripey background paper on this super-cute 3x3 thank you card.   HERE is the link to find directions on making these adorable Minion clips.  I found a really easy (and sparkly!) way to attach them to a card with my Shimmer Trim...

Looks like it is time for a new blade on my trimmer!  ;)

I used the A Thousand Thanks My Acrylix and a brand new Alphabet stamp set called Block Uppercase to create a custom sentiment for my card...and I eventually found the combination of Pacifica and Canary I liked the best.

I popped the letter "A" up on a simple punched shape.

These are such a great RAK gift!!!  I hope the ladies in the cafeteria like them!  :)

Don't forget to check the CLEARANCE section on my website today--they just added TONS!!!  Paper packets for $3 and $6 along with embellishments for less than $3!!!!  You can even search by category now!  :)

Planners Gotta Have MINIONS!

Hey everyone!  I am back with another post about how I make the adorable little Minion clips for my planner.  If you missed it, you can see my original post HERE with my first directions on making them with the NEW Close to My Heart Thumb Notch Punch. 

Well, I watched the Minion movie over the weekend, and realized I need to make BOB!  I whipped up another batch and took a few pics and measurements to help you out with creating YOUR minion army!  Hope this helps...

Here's Bob!

I found the best thing to use for holding these guys together was my trusty Liquid Glass.  I applied it on the back side of his head, lay the paperclip on top, dabbed a bit more LG, then added the Canary CS head.  A bit of pressure is all you need, being careful to wipe off any excess glue that squishes out.  

 

  

There wasn't an issue holding it together when I was just making the one minion, but since I had several to make this time, I needed a process to free up my hands.  These clips worked perfectly since there is a notch the keeps them from touching the glue!

This notch keeps the clips from sticking to the glue!

Now, here are the sizes for adding the googly eyes:

2-eyed minion: 1/4th inch size eyes and a 1/8th inch wide strip of black
1-eyed minion: 3/8ths inch eyes and a 3/16ths inch wide strip of black

The final step is to give your little guys some character by adding a grin and some hair!

Thanks so much for stopping in today!  If you have any questions about these guys, just ask!  If you want to make your own, just pick up a Thumb Notch Punch and some Liquid Glass from my website and start creating your OWN minion army!  :)  I used the Pacifica and Canary CS if you are interested in the exact colors.  See you soon!

Only in January!

This month ONLY!

Moon Phases on Monday

Hi everyone!  I wanted to share a quick project that showcases one of the reasons being a crafty mom with a Cricut cutting machine ROCKS!!!  ;)

My youngest needed to make a model of the moon phases, and one of the choices was to make a mobile.  Now, I am NOT the mom that DOES my kiddos homework for them (good golly I already had to go through school once, I've done my time!)  I just showed her how to put the images on the mat on the iPad and size them, and away she went!!!  I hardly had to give her any direction after that except to supervise proper mat insertion (seriously, these kids have a built-in iChromosome these days!)  Here is her finished project!

The entire mobile hangs from a tube hanger...

 She colored in each dark side of the moon...

She chose Topiary and Pacifica CTMH CS

The Earth is found on the Close to My Heart Artistry Cartridge, while the Moon and Sun are found on my CTMH Art Philosophy Cartridge.

Canary CTMH CS

I wish I could tell you the mobile made it to school tangle-free, but that is a strory for another day!

Raise your hand if YOUR kiddos have helped create a school project with a Cricut cutting machine!
This was not our first, and I am SURE it won't be the last!  ;)

Thanks for stopping in today!  Have a STELLAR week!