Welcome Home, 2017!

Welcome to 2017...and welcome National Papercrafting Month!!!

I briefly introduced you to this GEM of a kit that you can actually get for FREE this month!  It is called the Welcome Home Wreath Kit from Close to My Heart.  Here's mine all finished...

I absolutely love it sooooooooo much more than I ever thought I would!  It was super easy to punch out the floral parts and assemble it with my trusty Liquid Glass.  No hot glue gun required, so no worries!!!  Here are a few close ups...

I added a new Gold Glitter Gem to the center of each rose and on each side of the "Welcome" banner.

Sea. Glass. Glitter. Paper. Boom.

Now for some tips and tricks to use if you want to assemble one of these beauties yourself!

1.  It took me a good 4 hours to really personalize mine the way I wanted.  I inked the edges of most of the papers.  Do it!  If you do--ink everything FIRST!  I used Topiary Ink on the truest green leaves and petals,New England Ivy on the rose leaves, and Fern Ink on the rest of the greenery.  The blue flowers petals I edged with a light hand in Peacock Ink--yep I know, pretty dark!  I love the contrast, but you could go lighter with Glacier for a more subtle effect. Your fingers will be very inky, so wash your hands really well before assembly too--do NOT touch those white roses after inking--curl them FIRST and hide them, lol, or make sure your fingers are good and clear of smudging ink on them.  Actually, just roll them first!

Look at the difference in the petals of the succulents both inked and non...

2. Add glitter if you like!  I ended up adding layers of my gorgeous Sea Glass glitter paper to the blue flowers...and it was super easy!  I just used the empty punch outs as a stencil to trace on the back side of the glitter paper...then cut them out!  These cuts are also available on the Flower Market Cricut Cartridge, but I only wanted to cut a few, so this was way faster and conserves the glitter paper.

The glitter paper is pretty thick, so I peeled off that back layer to let the petals curl more easily later...

3. Add the twigs and leaves as you go...not at the beginning!  Better yet, lay it all out like I did before you start gluing anything to the hoop...flowers first, making sure you know which ones are layered over others, then see where you want to add the other greenery and twigs.  Place your banner so you know where you would like it to be as well--before you attach anything!  After I knew I liked the arrangement, I took a picture for reference.  I glued the large white rose on first and kind of made my way out from there.

If you can't wait to get your hands on one of these kits there are 4 great ways to do that!  Three of those ways get it to you FREE!!!!  You can purchase the kit on my website for just $18.95.  You can get it for FREE along with a $60 order, OR earn it free as a Hostess when your party reaches level 2 in sales, OR you can get one FREE when you join my team this month!!!  Now the only question left is, how are you going to snag one?  :)

Here is a GREAT little video to show you the kit assembly!

Only in January! 

2017, Here We Come!

WHAT a joy to ring out one year and ring in the next!  There is something crisp and refreshing about new things--new stamps, new inks, new paper...new YEARS!  All of these things bring new opportunities to create, and I definitely love to do that, so lets get to it!

Now there are a couple of things new years doesn't mean, and one of them is that everything is not perfect and easy though.  My kiddo is on her way back to college while SICK, my poor girl, and I am praying like crazy that the rest of us don't catch it before we go back to school in a few days...BUT I am determined to keep my positive attitude through whatever comes.  I honestly don't care for resolutions because the rate of failure is high for me, um yeah, let me tell you...SO I instead embrace a THEME to live by for 2017.  You won't be too surprised, lol, but it suits me to a T at this point in time.  Here is a little sneak peek for you--the big reveal is coming on Thursday when the ladies and I present the next Blog Hops with Heart creations for you.  Until then, let this be a hint of what's to come!

So NOW, lets get to the NEW crafty things!  January IS after all National Papercrafting Month!

Close to My Heart has released a new Seasonal Expressions Idea Book with 4 new paper suites and TONS of other fun new products!  Check it out on my website starting today!

I am positively positive that you will find plenty to add to your wish list...but if you spend just $60 of it in January, you will get this amazingly beautiful Welcome Home Wreath Kit absolutely FREE!!!!

The kit is SO easy to use...and I can't wait to show you what I did with mine!  Here is one way to put it together...

Isn't it lovely?

One more NEW thing this NEW year...and that's the Stamp of the Month!  This one will get you all ready to make Valentine themed layouts and cards...

Hope your 2017 is off to an amazing start, and I'm saying a prayer for you all tonight!

Chicago Cubs Mini Album with CTMH Instalife!

Did you see the start of my Chicago Cubs Mini Album that I shared before Christmas? 

I know!  It was a long time ago, so HERE is the link if you want to go see before I show you more...

NOW, here is MORE!!!!  I am having an absolute blast reliving the moments from the past few months...

While the "W" flag surely deserves its very own page in the album, I have a little something to show you about this page...

...it's really a flip-book of sorts that I created with the 2x2 flip flaps!

This last page shows the amazing little gold foil overlays you can add to these pages...

This title card comes in the #life Enjoy Cards...

I just love this collage page I created using the 2x2 photos printed on my Canon Selphy...

I can add some hidden journaling under the flip flap!

No. Commentary. Needed.  (swooooon!)

Now, I ran out of 2x2 pages and only had the 4x4 available.  I laid these pics out as I will place them in the 2x2 protectors when I get my hands on them again...

Kris Bryant anyone?  I know!!!

So if you made it with me this far, you just might want to be creating an album like this for yourself or that Cubbies fan you know and love!  You can pick up most of these products at a HUGELY reduced price for the rest of December while they last, RIGHT HERE, so get on it!!!  :)  Just choose the Blue Jean Mini Album Bundle.  You can also add the #life Enjoy Gold Overlays that I used!  :)

Jeepers! Just Two Days!

Jeepers Creepers has been such a fun paper packet to use, I had to show you these last few layouts I made with it before time runs out to get yours in two days!  It is SO much more than Halloween!

I was able to use the cute little monster zip strip matted with some Emerald CS in this one too...

This next layout has baptism pics just to show how versatile this paper really is...definitely not JUST for Halloween!

Adding a strip of ribbon from the Rustic Home Pack adds some texture and pattern...

Bathtime can even be captured with the great patterns in Jeepers Creepers along with papers from the Adventure and Enchantment Fundamentals papers...

Those waves are found in the Baby Boy Complements...

Make sure you grab your pack of Jeepers Creepers before they are gone in two days!  :)

Check out these wonderful limited time offers too...

Only in December!

Check out the start of my Chicago Cubs Mini Album I made with these products HERE!  I will be back tomorrow with more!

Almost gone!

One More on Wednesday!

I know, I know!  I couldn't help the corny post title.  I LOVE IT!!!  ;)

Here is the last of the versions I made featuring these products.  Really the only thing I changed about this round was the color scheme.  If you want the details, check them out on yesterday's post HERE.

I made a whole bunch of different versions this time...wasn't crazy about the red washi version as the color was a little off, but I could just be picky, lol.  My favorite one is the Santa border though!  Another fantastic zip strip from the City Sidewalks Paper Packet!  These products will unfortunately be leaving with the Holiday Expressions Idea Book as soon as they are out of stock--or when December (and 2016) is over whichever comes first! 

Are you ready for Christmas???  One more day of work for me...then winter break!!!  YES!!!

Take Two Tuesday! (Why didn't I think of that before?)

Alright, that little project yesterday was fun and fabulous...so I just HAD to make some more!!! Take a peek back if you didn't see it...because then you will know what I put inside these lovelies! 

I used another super-fun stamp set along side the CTMH Season of Magic that I started with yesterday.  This one is called Cozy Christmas, and it comes with some steel dies to cut out the little parts of a snowman!  I just love it!

I started off using the snowflake zip strip from the City Sidewalks Paper Packet to trim out the bottom of the gift card holder.  Then I decided to use some washi to mix it up.  I always considered myself a variety girl!  ;)

My scarves are stamped in Lagoon and the tophats are Memento Ink.  I also easily added a bit of Turquoise Blue ShinHan marker to the brim of that magical hat...

This is going to be a GREAT little surprise for my coworkers!  What do you do for your peeps at work for the holidays?  Let me know, I'm always looking for a great idea!  :) 

If you thought this idea was grand, you need to scoop these adorable Close to My Heart products up quick--they retire with the end of the Holiday Expressions Idea Book, and when they are gone....they are GONE!  ;)

only in December!

Makeover Monday Snowflakes PLUS Chocolate!

I LOVE making little treats for people who are completely unsuspecting of it...and the week before Christmas is the perfect time to pull this off when you work at a school!  ;)

I made little Ghiraradelli Chocolate holders for some of my peeps and can't wait to surprise them.

I really thought this sentiment from the Close to My Heart Season of Magic My Acrylix was PERFECT for our current polar weather.  I just wanted to add some color to the leaves and berries, but I am not a big fan of masking when I stamp.  I needed an easier way.  Enter the ShinHan Touch Twin Markers!  I stamped the image in White Daisy Pigment Ink and then heat embossed with the White Ranger Super Fine Powder.  Finally, I simply colored with the markers over the embossing!

It doesn't even have to be perfect to be perfectly amazing looking!

A simple gift, yet definitely effectively satisfying during the last days before Christmas (can you say 'indoor recess'???!)
 

I added another fun sentiment from the same stamp set in a 2 inch scalloped circle on the back of the little 3.75x3.5ish card.  This card is actually a gift card holder die from My Creative Time.  Like I always say, easy is great because it gets things DONE!

So, in case you were wondering, here is my "makeover" part of this Monday...I altered one of the CTMH Thin Cuts Snowflake Dies by cutting loose some of the arms...a GREAT solution when the white glitter paper is a bit too small.  ;)