SOTM Blog Hop - It's the Little Things

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  We will be featuring November's SOTM, which is It's the Little Things, a set of 15 stamps.  If you have come here from Melinda's Blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog.  

This month we have over 60 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!

I started with the box cut found on the Artiste Cartridge, page 37.  I cut the box from Kraft paper and then stamped all the images onto White Daisy Cardstock. To create the collage of flowers, I fussy cut everything out and layered it using various colors. The sentiment is stamped on White Daisy and matted on Glacier Cardstock.

Colors used:

Glacier, Pixie, Thistle, Crystal Blue, Canary, Topiary and Twilight(retired)

Now "Hop" on over to Sheila's Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, that November's SOTM is only available until the 30th!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount!

The Little Things with AHSC #79

I had my creation finished a few days ago, but haven't had a chance to write up my blog post as my days and evenings have just gotten away from me.  Between craft markets and working evenings I've been working around the clock, and have realized there is just not enough hours in the day.

My husband is sweet and has realized how hard I've been working to keep things running smoothly and brought me home a dozen white roses, just because.  It really is the Little Things that can make your day.

Anyway, here is the sketch for this week:

Here is my creation:

I used November's SOTM  It's the Little Things and Seaside Paper along with Glacier, Crystal Blue, Thistle, Canary, Pixie, and Topiary Ink.

I hope you like my card, and I can't wait for you to see all the fabulous creations over on Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.  Our guest designer this week is Amie McFarlin Kiger.

Home for the Holidays for AHSC #78

I simply love this month's SOTM, Home for the Holidays.  The polar bear stamp is just adorable, and I've used him to create other cards.  Today I used him for this weeks sketch over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge.

Here is the sketch:

Here is my creation using Snowhaven paper and October's SOTM.

Now I hope you will head on over to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge and visit our Design Team, this week we have another fabulous guest designer, Jen Patrick.  So stop on by and check out the amazing artwork we've worked hard to create for you.

O Holy Night featuring Snowhaven and AHSC #77

I changed my mind on what I wanted to use for this card about a dozen times give or take a few.  I finally decided to use Snowhaven Paper and O Holy Night stamp set (A1168).

I had cut a bunch of shapes to use and had filed them away in bags in my organizer and came across them; but decided that I could use them on this card.

Here is the sketch for this week:

I changed the shape of the card too, it's a square here, but I changed it to a A2 size.  I think I will try it again as a 6x6 later.  

Here is my card:

I used the scallop border punch to add to layers of scallops along the patterned strip, and the bow is made from paper.  I colored the bling with the ShinHan Alcohol Markers.  The sentiment is stamped in Glacier on White Daisy which is matted on Whipser.  I used 3D Foam Tape to pop it off the card, and made a framed border using a journaling pen.

I hope you will visit our Sketch Challenge and check out the amazing creations from our Guest Designer and Design Team.  Visit Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge

Cross Canada Blog Hop - Tricks or Treats

Welcome to our October Blog Hop featuring Tricks and Treats. To purchase any of the items seen

in our blog hop today, contact your local consultant to place an order.

We hope that you will take the time to leave comments on our posts, as we love to get feedback

from our viewers....whether it was something that you really liked or some new technique that was

used that you would like to learn how to do....by leaving us comments, we get to hear what you like,

and what you want to see. Thank you... now on to our hop!

If you have just hopped onto my blog, you can start here as this is a circular hop, but if you

want to follow us across Canada then please start at the beginning and join Julie at

12 x12 Travels. If you came from Deanne's Blog My Little Piece of the Puzzle then you are in the right place! 

I made a couple of fun projects using the Scaredy Cat Paper.  Pencil toppers for treats for my kids classrooms at school, a fun pop-up scene card from the Artfully Sent Cartridge and a cute little pinecone decoration.

These cute pencil toppers are featured in the catalog found on page 41. I used the Frightfully Fun Stamp set(B1453) and the Shinhan Alcohol Markers.  I added googly eyes to the bat and the owl to add some fun.  The cuts came from the Artiste Cartridge and were cut at 3 different sizes, 1 3/4", 2" and 2 1/4".

This card was so much fun to cut and put together.  It is reccommended to be cut at 5x7, but I was able to manipulate the size on my Cricut Explore to make it an A2 card.( 4 1/4" x 5 1/2").  I used black cardstock for the base and the inside is cut using Whisper cardstock. I backed the ghost cutouts with White Daisy cardstock, and the moon with Honey Cardstock.  The haunted mansion is cut in Black, and the spooky tree and tombstone cut in Chocolate Cardstock.

The front of the card is another cut found from the Artfully Sent cartridge, it is a pocket card.  I layered the purple shimmer trim under the chevron cut, and cut the Treat or Trick from the Artiste cartridge.

The pinecone is a 2" syrofoam egg, and I used Scaredy Cat paper cut into squares at 2 sizes, 3/4" and 1".  I started with the smaller squares at the bottom, and at about half way I switched to the larger squares.  All you have to do is fold the one side to form a point and work your way around the egg creating layers. You will have also seen this pinecones featured in the catalog found on pages 24 & 25 using the Pathfinding Paper.

Your next stop on the Cross Canada Hop is Nicky of Timeless Cottage.

If you happen to get lost along the way, head back here to my blog, I've got the whole lineup listed.

·  Julie ~ 12x12 Travels

·  Deanne ~ My Little Piece of the Puzzle

·  Michelle ~ My Creations With Michelle  YOU ARE HERE

·  Nicky ~ Timeless Cottage

·  Joanne ~ Jag's Scrapin Corner

·  Brae ~ The Brae-er

·  Carol ~ Crafty Carol's Place

·  Christine ~ Chris' Creative Life

·  Sandra ~ Paper Sage

·  Terry Ann~Just a Tad Crafty

·  Janet ~ Jan's Works of Heart

·  Nancy ~ Nancy Klein

·  Kristine ~ @ Home with Studio K

Thanks for hopping along with us - we hope we were able to inspire you to get creative using some

of the designs, products and techniques seen along the way. We hope you will join us again next

month when we will be featuring Designer Creations. So mark November 15th on your calendars

and hop along with us.

Merry & Bright featuring AHSC #76

Well, I've been really busy planning and preparing for upcoming craft fairs and card workshops, that I almost forgot about my sketch challenge.....oh dear, can we say I have too much on my plate.  Yep, but if I'm not busy, than I eat or pluck my butt down in front of the television.

Anyway, I stayed up late finishing my card for today's post, but trying to take photos at night does not turn out well.(edited this part into my post, lol) I've had to retake the photos.

Here is this week's sketch:

Here is my card:

I used Merry & Bright from the sentiment collection of stamps from the Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge in Chocolate Ink using second generation stamping.  Then I stamped over it in Ruby, creating a shadow effect, for my main sentiment.  The image is from the Yuletide  Carol Compliments, and I finished the design off with some Red Bakers Twine. /I 3D the layer of Colonial White cardstock off the of the Colonial White cardbase using 3D Foam Tape.

Simple, yet cute.  I like it, how about you?

Now I would love to have you head on over to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge and see the lovely creations our Design Team has for you.  Also, our Guest Designer this week is none other than the fabulous Karen Morris.

ShinHan Marker Blog Hop

Are you ever in for a treat!!  This blog hop is showcasing the ShinHan Touch Twin Alcohol Markers, and do we have some amazing artwork to share with you.

If you have come from the amazing artwork from Adeline then you are in the right place.  For any reason if you loose your way you can find the entire list here.

There are 24 markers in the collection, and our 42 consultants participating in this hop will be sure to show some amazing artwork.

Now onto my project.  I cut a pop-up card from the New Artfully Sent cartridge....however fun the inside is, the outside still needs some creativity.

Here is the inside of the card:

I have the Cricut Explore cutting machine, and I'm able to resize the cuts and manipulate them.....I changed the size to be an A2 card(4.25 x 5.5). To do this I had to unlock the sizing and edit the width to 5.5" and the height to 8.5".(the size of the card open) Everything sizes accordingly and tells me which mat to load, so it takes all the guess work and figuring out sizes out of the equation.

Here is the front of my card:

The frame is a cut from Art Philosophy, I cut it in Olive(2.5 x 3) and White Daisy(2.25 x 2.75).  The sentiment is stamped in Ruby from the Merriest Christmas stamp set(B1468).

The Snowman is from the stamp Set Christmas Post(D1610). I fussy cut him out and layered him onto the frame which is popped using 3D foam tape.

The colors used are:

Carmine
Cherry Pink
Vivid Green
Sap Green
Leaf Green
Bronze
Clay
Barely Beige
Black
Warm Grey 4 & 7
Cerulean Blue Light 
Tender Pink

Then I used the Colorless Blender Marker to blend some colors together and to remove some colour.

Now keep hopping along and check out the many creations that follow me, your next stop is Sheila.

To purchase any of the supplies used here or along the way, you can do so with your local consultant or you can purchase through me here or contact me.

Christmas Cardinal featuring Artfully Sent

Well, yesterday was World Cardmaking Day, and I challenged myself to produce 80 cards.....well I met my goal and I've been asked to give some instructions on how I created my cards.

The first one I'm showcasing is the Cardinal card.

I used 2 cartridges to create this card, the NEW Artfully Sent and Art Philosophy.

I used the cut found on page 27 on the sleeve key.  It is set as a 7" cut, however with the Explore machine I am able to manipulate the size of the card, and made this a standard A2 size (4.25 x 5.5).

The card base is cut in New England Ivy Cardstock, and then backed with White Daisy.

The pennant is cut twice, once in Ruby (3.25 x 2.25) and then in White Daisy (3 x 2).  I stamped the sentiment from the  Merriest Christmas stamp set (B1468) in Ruby Ink.  The Cardinal is colored using ShinHan Alcohol Markers in Sap Green, Leaf Green, Marigold, Carmine and Bronze .  I then fussy cut it out and popped it using 3D foam tape.

I hope you liked my card, and if you would like to purchase any of the supplies used to create this card you can purchase them here or you can contact me. 

Thank You AHSC #75

Last week I was sort of missing in action....

A very good friend of mine lost her battle against cancer.  She was the most courageous, strongest woman I've ever had the privilege to know.  Last year she was given only 3 weeks to live, and we didn't think she would come out of the hospital....but she fought and had another year to make memories with her husband and 2 boys.

Her family asked me to make a few Thank You cards to give to those who helped them with the arrangements and for the nurses who have been with them for the past year.  I thought I would use some of Tammy's favorite colors and this week's sketch for these cards.

Here is the sketch:

Here are my cards:

I hope you will head over to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge and check out the creations from our Design Team, as well as our Guest Designer, Tina Jeselnik Sutton.