Saturday, July 28, 2018

Floral Embossed Resist

Embossed resist is a favorite technique of mine and one of the first techniques I learned to do.  I recently took advantage of the Stampaganza special to get the Aloha Spirit stamp set.    This stamp set screamed embossed resist to me!



To make this card, first I stamped the flowers and leaves with VersaMark ink on a piece of White Daisy cardstock, then heat embossed with Clear Detail embossing powder.


Next, I used sponge daubers to blend ink onto each of the images.  I used Blossom and Raspberry inks on the large flowers, Lemon and Tangerine inks on the small flowers, and Willow and Emerald inks on the leaves.


After fussy cutting each of the stamped images, I prepared the card base.  Using a 4" x 5-1/4" piece of patterned paper from the Central Park paper pack, I used a large round object to trace and further trim down the paper and adhere onto a white card base.


Next I layered my cut images on the card base and after placing them in a pattern I was happy with, used Glad Press 'n Seal to pick up the pieces to retain their placement.


I then used adhesive and both thin and regular foam tape to provide varying levels of dimensions on the images.


After peeling off the release paper on the foam tape, I picked up the whole works on the Press 'n Seal and placed it back on the card base.  I added a few additional pieces of foam tape under the large flower images that were covered by the leaves when they were flipped to the back side.  The "Thank You" sentiment from the Shell Sentiments stamp set was stamped with VersaMark ink and heat embossed with White Detail embossing powder on a scrap of Pacifica cardstock, then placed on the card with foam tape.  Finally, a few yellow Central Park sequins were used to provide the finishing touches.


Questions?  Please ask in your comments!

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

July 2018 Stamp of the Month - Highlight Reel!

Highlight Reel is a versatile stamp set that has some very cute images of varying sizes.  I really thought the "First Home" sentiment the most unique so had some fun creating a couple of cards with those stamps.


The first card was made by stamping the house image multiple times in Memento Black ink with one stamped in Poppy ink.  I then used a journaling pen to outline the Poppy colored house.  Next I stamped the airplane and car with the Memento Black ink, colored them with alcohol markers, and cut them out.  I then used a Chalk Marker and ruler to draw the dashed lines through the center of a piece of Black cardstock to make the "road".  The "First Home" sentiment was stamped in VersaMark ink on Black cardstock and embossed with white embossing powder.  (Note that I needed to mask the word "First" since it is part of the banner image.)  The sentiment, airplane, and car were applied onto the Poppy-matted card with foam tape.  Finally, I added some sparkle with a Clear Shimmer Brush onto the airplane, car, and Poppy colored house.

Here are a couple of close-up photos of this card:




The Circle Thin Cuts helped to highlight the elements of the second card.  Using a pencil I sketched in some light pencil lines on a piece of Black cardstock to ensure my circles would cut evenly across the card.  I then used the cut cardstock as a guide to stamp my house images on a white card base in Cranberry, Tangerine, Lemon, Willow, Pacifica, and Pansy.  The cut cardstock was then attached to the card base using foam tape.  The banner and sentiment was stamped in Memento Black ink, fussy cut, and attached with foam tape to the card.  The card was finished off with some Clear Sparkles.

Here is a couple of close-up photos of the finished card:





Each month you can purchase a new D-size stamp set, available for one month only, for just $5 - that's over 70% off retail!  When you place an order of $50 or more in Close To My Heart products, you qualify for this special Stamp of the Month pricing.  Otherwise, you can purchase this set outright for $17.95.


Monday, July 9, 2018

July 2018 - Joyful Stars Blog Hop!

I have been given the honor of being asked to join the Joyful Stars CTMH Blog Hop!  Thank you to the lovely Joyce Houck for thinking of me!  This will be my first time joining a blog hop so I'm looking forward to stepping up my artwork as well as seeing some beautiful work by my fellow posters.  If you've come here from the talented Betty's Blog, you've come to the right place!

The card that I've created for July is actually a very simple one, but one that I hope would bring a smile to someone's face.  The sentiment can also be changed to one of sympathy and work well for this card.


Although the lighting isn't perfect, hopefully you can tell that the background has an ombre effect.  Many times CTMH comes out with a B&T paper in one of their paper packs with an ombre look which is lovely as a background for a scrapbook page.  I decided to try it for a card, and I thought it gave this one from the Adventure Fundamental Paper Packet (soon to be retired) just the right touch!  The additional background piece, i.e., the scalloped frame comes from the Cricut Artbooking Collection.  I simply cut this frame out three times in White Daisy cardstock and layered them on top of each other to provide dimension.

For the centerpiece of the card, I used the Cricut Flower Market Collection.  This has been by far my favorite cartridge ever!  The choices and details on so many of the flowers are just right up my alley and provide me with so much inspiration.  Obviously this is a tulip from the collection, and I used Raspberry, Blossom (soon to be retired), and Willow cardstock to cut the flower and pop it with foam tape.  The sentiment, stamped in black, comes from the beautiful Thoughtful Bird stamp set.  Finally, I used white dots from my favorite embellishment, Black & White Dots, to add a subtle touch to the card.

Here is a side view of the card so that you can see the layers.


Next up, check out our next talented blogger on the hop:  Krista's Blog!

Saturday, July 7, 2018

Stampaganza 2018!


It's that time of year - time for Stampaganza 2018!  Whether you've been waiting to get your favorites or see a few sets on the retiring list that you just have to have before they're gone, this sale is for you!  During the month of July, you can buy any two My Acrylix® stamp sets at the full retail price and get a third stamp set of equal or lesser value free!  You can choose from stamp sets in the current Annual Inspirations or Seasonal Expressions 2, plus the popular Solos number and letter stamp sets that Close To My Heart brought back just for July!  Solos stamp sets can also be purchased in two different bundles, one for letters and one for numbers, for even more savings!

And that's not all!  If you host either an online or in person party during the month of July that reaches the third level of Hostess Rewards or higher, you can choose three number Solos stamp sets, FREE, in addition to the standard Hostess Rewards! Finally, you can also choose three number Solos stamp sets, FREE, if you take the challenge and join my team during the month of July!  It's a win all around!

Check out the our current stamp sets to choose your favorities!  And don't forget to take a look at the Solo number and letter stamp sets or Solo bundles to get the best deal suited for you!

Thursday, July 5, 2018

Convention 2018 and Retiring List

Close To My Heart Convention 2018 is officially over!  Although there is much news to share, "mum" is the word until September 1.  Trust me, though, the wait will be worth it!

I created and shared the following card with some of my closest convention friends.  The hearts were cut with the Thin Cuts-Stitched Hearts dies using the ten colors in the Adventure color palette.  The "Close to my Heart" sentiment was cut on Black cardstock using the You Are Here CTMH Cricut cartridge with a piece of White Daisy cardstock adhered behind.


As you may be able to tell from this close up of the card, I popped the sentiment and all the hearts with foam tape to add a bit of dimension.  I love the colors of the rainbow that this palette provides.


The sad news is that some of the colors that I used in this card are on the short list of retiring colors.  Please get your coordinating cardstock, ink pads, and reinkers before it's too late as they are only available through August 31 and while supplies last.


Finally, there is more than these beautiful colors set to retire.  Please review the following list for any of your favorites before they're gone!

Retire List Annual Inspirations 2017-18
Item # Description
Z3185 My Legacy™ 1" Album Posts
Z9979 Everyday Life™ Album—Stripes
Z3026 Memory Protectors™ Variety Pack
M1185 Thank You
M1186 Happy Birthday
M1187 Thinking of You
M1188 Celebrate
Z3394 Cut Above® Tag Kit—Golden Moments
Z3395 Cut Above® Card Kit—Golden Moments
Z3350 Whimsy Fundamental Paper Packet
Z3354 Inspire Complements
Z3361 Whimsy Ribbon Pack
Z3351 Adventure Fundamental Paper Packet
Z3355 Happy Moments Complements
Z3362 Adventure Ribbon Pack
Z3352 Enchantment Fundamental Paper Packet
Z3356 All-Star Complements
Z3363 Enchantment Ribbon Pack
Z3353 Basics Fundamental Paper Packet
Z3357 Better Together Complements
Z3364 Basics Ribbon Pack
C1690 For You Darling
Z3375 For You Darling Stamp + Thin Cuts
B1537 Birthday Sparkles
B1564 ConGRADulations
D1731 Eat Cake & Celebrate
B1532 Sweet Birthday
B1558 Baby Animals
Z3374 Sweet Birthday Stamp + Thin Cuts
D1726 Sweet Baby
Z3376 Sweet Baby Stamp + Thin Cuts
B1573 God's Blessings
C1693 Many Congratulations
D1747 Happily Ever After
C1685 Inspire
B1536 All the Thanks
B1563 Sending Prayers
C1687 Southern Sass
A1189 Short & Sweet
C1684 Inked with Love
B1557 Thanks a Million
B1565 A New Adventure
A1192 Happy Heart
A1192F Happy Heart
A1192S Happy Heart
C1661 Heartfelt Thoughts
D1732 We Are Makers
D1740 Inspired Words
D1728 What Matters Most
D1706 School Kids
C1667 This & That
C1669 Emojis
D1727 Cat's Meow
D1725 For All Seasons
D1703 Nature's Wish
B1561 Faithful Friends
B1571 Hunting for Words
D1739 Thoughtful Bird
Z3377 Thoughtful Bird Stamp + Thin Cuts
D1741 Beautiful You
Z3384 Beautiful You Stamp + Thin Cuts
D1733 Splash of Color
M1150 Little Leaves
M1178 Delicate Flower
M1179 Shells & Stars
M1180 Paws
D1749 Flourishes
D1742 Constellations
A1210 Created to Create
B1568 Wild Backgrounds
A1182 Etched Alphabet
D1729 Colorblock Alphabet
E1027 Framework Alphabet
E1035 Bistro Script
E1036 Flowering Alphabet
E1030 Handwritten Print
B1484 Jennifer's Hand
B1539 Pen Pal Alphabet
E1032 Typography 
E1033 Inked Alphabet
E1034 Marker Alphabet
A1212 Bonne Fete  
A1213 Merci
C1697 Island Patterns
C1698 Kia Ora
C1699 Much Aroha
C1700 Avec Amour
C1701 Invitation
A1211 Aussie Greetings 
B1579 Vamos a Celebrar
B1580 Quinceanera
C1694 Felicidades
C1695 Go Wild
C1696 This is Paradise
M1189 Gracias
M1190 Te Quiero
Z3344 Thin Cuts—Basic Tags
Z3345 Thin Cuts—Basic Banners
Z3347 Thin Cuts—Heart Border
Z3348 Thin Cuts—Scallop Border
Z3349 Thin Cuts—Ribbon Border
Z3358 Thin Cuts—Family
Z3359 Thin Cuts—Hi There
B1572 Banner Love
B1574 I Made This
Z3329 Thin Cuts—Basic Stars
D1750 In The Background
Z3346 Embossing Folder—Alphabet
X5941 Cardstock—Bashful
Z2263 White Daisy Reinker
Z2508 Exclusive Inks™ Mini Pigment Pad—Bashful
Z2719 Exclusive Inks™ Re-inker—Bashful
Z2819 Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad—Bashful
Z2504 Exclusive Inks™ Mini Pigment Pads Set—Whimsy
Z2506 Exclusive Inks™ Mini Pigment Pads Set—Adventure
Z2505 Exclusive Inks™ Mini Pigment Pads Set—Enchantment
Z2509 Exclusive Inks™ Mini Pigment Pads Set—Basics
Z3146 Watercolor Paper
Z3360 Glitter Paper—Bashful
Z3369 Bashful Pearls
Z3381 Gold Heart Clips
Z3095 Whisper Thick Twine
Z3216 White Twine
3505 Watercolor Pencils
Y1012 4" × 5" My Acrylix® Block
Z1143 Brown StazOn™ Re-inker
Z2046 Piercing & Embossing Tool Kit
Z555 Craft Heater
Z889 Black StazOn™ Re-inker
Z892 VersaMark™ Re-inker
Z899 Black Memento™ Ink Pad
Z3372 Adhesive Runner
Z1834 Large Organizer
Z1897 Daubers Foam Insert
Z1898 Pigment Inks Foam Insert
Z4138 Small Organizer
Z4139 Medium Organizer
Z4140 Craft Boxes Foam Insert
Z4141 My Acrylix Blocks Foam Insert
D1751 Punny Pals


2017 Holiday Expressions
Item # Description
Z4029 Bronze Sequins




Retire List Seasonal Expressions 2
Item # Description
A1219 New Adventures
B1604 It's a Grandbaby
A1221 Hearts Background
B1605 Dino-mite Birthday
Z9979 Everyday Life™ Album—Stripes
X7233B Beautiful Friendship Paper Packet
X7233C Beautiful Friendship Complements
X7233D Beautiful Friendship Coordinating Cardstock
Z4195 Beautiful Friendship Bows
G1153 Workshops Your Way® Beautiful Friendship Scrapbooking Kit
C1720  Beautiful Friendship—Cardmaking
Z4180 Beautiful Friendship Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts
D1779 Beautiful Friendship—Scrapbooking
D1774 Build-a-Picnic
G1157 Workshops Your Way® Festive Birthday Cardmaking Kit
X7232B Fresh Air Paper Packet
X7232C Fresh Air Complements
X7232D Fresh Air Coordinating Cardstock
Z4170 New England Ivy Burlap Ribbon
Z4185 Fresh Air Shapes
G1152 Workshops Your Way® Fresh Air Scrapbooking Kit
C1722 Fresh Air—Cardmaking
Z4186 Fresh Air Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts
D1783 Fresh Air—Scrapbooking 
D1781 Let's Go Fishing
G1156 Workshops Your Way® In My Heart Cardmaking Kit
X7231B Central Park Paper Packet
X7231C Central Park Complements
X7231D Central Park Coordinating Cardstock
Z4178 Central Park Sequins
Z4197 Central Park Alphabet
G1151 Workshops Your Way® Central Park Scrapbooking Kit
C1715 Central Park—Cardmaking
Z4179 Central Park Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts
D1775 Central Park—Scrapbooking
G1155 Workshops Your Way®  Cheers to You Cardmaking Kit
X7231E Picture My Life™ Cards—Birthday Cheer
X7234B Documented Paper Packet
X7234C Documented Complements
X7234D Documented Coordinating Cardstock
Z4171 Documented Titles 
Z4177 Documented Dots
G1154 Workshops Your Way® Documented Scrapbooking Kit
C1719 Documented—Cardmaking
Z4172 Documented Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts
D1772 Documented—Scrapbooking
G1158 Workshops Your Way® Sweet Friends Cardmaking Kit
X7234E Picture My Life™ Cards—Love Us
Z4199 Cut Above® Layout Kit—Family Ties
Z4167 Cut Above® Kitchen Traditions Bundle
Z4168 Cut Above® Recipe Kit—Kitchen Traditions
Z4169 Cut Above® Recipe Kit—Kitchen Traditions (with Memory Protectors™)
D1770 Kitchen Traditions
C1718 Heartfelt Thanks
D1777 Canadian Vacation
D1778 US Vacation
D1776 On Holiday
D1782 Real Heroes
C1723 Ribbon Warrior
Z4184 Ribbon Warrior Stamp + Thin Cuts
A1220 Be You
C1724 Nights of Lights
M1205 Mini Independence Day
M1206 Mini Canada Day
A1222 Stamped with Love
C1721 Shell Sentiments
D1780 Aloha Spirit
Z4183 Summer Fun Paper Doll Stamp + Thin Cuts
D1788 Movie Night
D1787 Music Speaks
B1598 Petits Bonheurs
B1601 Landmarks
B1602 Mi Familia
B1603 Birthday Key
B1617 Koala Adventures
B1618 Le Temps des Vacances
C1717 Cinco de Mayo
S1805 Classic Summer Bash
S1806 A Bushel & a Peck
S1807 Highlight Reel
S1808 For the Love of Crafting
D1751 Punny Pals