Coordinate with Cricut Cuts

Learn how to use your stamps to bring Cricut® cut-outs to life! Many Cricut® shapes from the Artiste and Art Philosophy collections coordinate with stamp sets so you have more potential for creating, decorating, and accessorizing!

Dauber Dynamite—Getting Perfect Precision from Your Inks

Discover the beauty of sponge daubing. When you ink your stamps with sponge daubers, you can create a soft, shaded look that is perfect for a page or card!

Make It From Your Heart Blog Hop

Today we will show you how to Make It From Your Heart! Jeanette Lynton has created a brand NEW “how-to” program to not only guide you but also inspire you to create beautiful artwork. This amazing publication has so many different pattern blueprints that you can interpret in ANY WAY you want!

Through our blog hop, we hope to inspire you to use your own artistic instincts to interpret and create your own artwork. Each of our crafty consultants has chosen a different page of this book to create two projects for you – that’s right two projects with the SAME pattern! One project will follow the blueprint pattern as laid out. The second project will use the pattern “with a twist” to show you how versatile the patterns are.

We are having a giveaway – that’s right blog candy for you hoppers! Lucy - Love 2 Create will be giving away a copy of the Make It From Your Heart – Volume 1. All you have to do to be eligible to win is to leave a comment on each blog.

If you just happened to come to this blog, you should begin your hop at the beginning with Lucy - Love 2 Create.  If you came from My Creations with Michelle’s blog, you’re in the right place!

My projects today are a 2 page layout and a card.

When I flip through the 2012 Fall/Winter Ideabook, there are many things that I really love.  However, there are 2 items that I feel are a MUST!  One is the new Cricut Artiste Cartridge and the other is the Make It From Your Heart publication.  They are fabulous and I use them frequently.  That is why I am so happy to participate in this hop!

I utilized pattern 15 on pages 34-35.  It is a 2 page layout design.  On the left hand side of the Make It From Your Heart publication (pg. 34), the design digram with cutting directions can be found.  The right side (pg. 35), gives two completed layout examples.  Below you will find my layout example using the new La Belle Vie paperpack.

I love stamping with Create A Shade paint on black cardstock.  The paint gives a fun shimmer to the paper without overpowering the pages.  Another technique that I would like to highlight is the use of the Baroque Borders stamp set to create my own random stamped patterned paper. 

Project Recipe

Cricut Artiste Cartridge 

Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge

La Belle Vie Paperpack

Black Cardstock

Colonial White Cardstock

White Daisy Cardstock (photo placement holders)

Baroque Borders Stamp Set (August Stamp of the Month)

Create A Shade Paint

Blush Stamp Pad

Silver Shimmer Trim

Glitz Glitter Gel

Journaling Spot

My second project is the card inspired by the 2 page layout design.



I have a friend that just had identical twin girls.  So, I wanted to create a

 "Congratulations Baby Card" for her.

 For this card, I was inspired by the right hand scrapbook page of layout 15 (see layout page example above).  You can see that I followed the same geometric pattern with the rectangles on this card.  I used one of my favorite retired stamp sets "Special Delivery" for this card.  The stork with baby was stamped, colored and then pop-dotted on the card.

Project Recipe

La Belle Vie Paperpack

White Daisy Cardstock Card Base

Vineyard Berry Cardstock (retired)

Special Delivery Stamp Set (retired)

Black Ribbon (non-CTMH)

Vineyard Berry Stamp Pad (retired)

Black Stamp Pad

Markers

Sponge

Pop Dots

The next stop to making it from your heart is Theodora from Celebrate Crafts. 
Here is the list of all the talented consultants who are participating in this months blog hop:

1.  Lucy - Love 2 Create

2.  Darla - Caution: Crafting is Contagious 

3.  Michelle - My Creations with Michelle 

4.  Maria - Maria's Paper Craft Place

5.  Theodora - Celebrate Crafts

6.  Bethany - Stamping at Home

7.  Stephanie - The Quilted Scrapbooker

8.  Wendy - My Scrapbooking Blog

I Was Nominated for the Liebster Award!

Woo Hoo! I have been nominated for the Liebster Award! I am so grateful to have been noticed by other talented, crafty bloggers. I was nominated for this award by Melinda Everitt from If You Bling It.

A little about the Liebster. This is how it works…

Liebster is a German word meaning “Beloved,” “Favorite,” or “Dearest.” This award is a peer to peer award in which fellow bloggers present the award to their favorite bloggers with less than 200 followers. The origins of this award is unclear, but is believed to have originated by a German blogger. This award was designed to be a blog award in the pay it forward fashion to share your dearest and most beloved blogs that have less than 200 followers.

RULES FOR ACCEPTANCE

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog. Post the award onto your blog. Give the award to five bloggers who you appreciate that have less than 200 followers. Leave a comment on their blog letting them know that you have given them this awesome award!

One of the fun things about receiving this award is that it challenges you to view more blogs,

to search for fellow creative persons and brighten their day–just a bit–by acknowledging their talent.

Here are the 5 blogs that I have chosen to pass this award along to (go check them out!):

Wendy Kessler

Shelly Nemitz

Wendy Coffman

Nichole Lewno

LaJeania Hicks

Take a Walk in the Moonlight Blog Hop

Thank you for joining us on our “Take a Walk in the Moonlight” Blog Hop. We have a fabulous path for you to follow as you take your walk in the moonlight with us as we feature Close to My Heart’s Moonlight paper pack.

 

If you just happened to come to this blog, you should begin your walk at the beginning at Lucy's blog - http://www.love2createitall.com/.

If you came from Erin ~ http://www.imcreaterin.blogspot.ca, you're in the right place!

I have been working on some home decor. So, I'm happy to my project, a Fancy Witch Hat.

Last year after Halloween, I purchased a brown paper mache witch hat on clearance.  I put it in my stash of things to get to.  Well, a year later, I felt inspired to finish it.

I used the paper from Moonlight to cover the top of the witch's hat.  I just wrapped it around in a cone shape, glued and then cut off the excess. Next, I placed the hat on a black piece of 12x12 cardstock.  I traced the bottom, and cut it out.  Once the large circle was cut out, I measured the inside circle and cut it out.  I glued the black circle image down, added the tulle ribbon and began adding embellishments.

I hand cut 3 paper flowers and added them to the side of the hat.  Next, I added a few stick pin flowers, leaves, and orange bling.

The next stop on your moonlight walk is Carolyn ~ http://nuts4scrappin.blogspot.com/

Here is the list of all the talented consultants who will lead you down the moonlight path:
1.  Lucy ~ http://www.love2createitall.com/

2.  Darla ~ http://www.stampingunderdoctorsorders.blogspot.com/
3.  Deanne http://deannestamps.blogspot.com/
4.  Bethany ~ http://stampingathome.blogspot.com/
5.  Wendy ~ http://MyScrapbookingBlog.com/
6.  Stephanie ~ http://www.quiltedscrapper.blogspot.com/
7.  Erin ~ http://www.imcreaterin.blogspot.ca
8.  Maria ~ http://mariawoodworth.blogspot.com
9.  Carolyn ~ http://nuts4scrappin.blogspot.com/
10. Joanne ~ http://josiesjoy.blogspot.com
11. Julia ~ http://youcancreatectmh.blogspot.com/
12. Theodora ~ http://www.celebratecrafts.com/

September Artiste Blog Hop

Welcome to our September ARTISTE Blog Hop!  Each month we are showcasing the amazing, exclusive ARTISTE Cricut cartridge which can be only purchased through a Close to My Heart Independent Consultant.  CLICK HERE to get your ARTISTE Bundle today.

We don't want to scare you but Halloween is a little over a month away and we know you have to be thinking about what YOU are going to create for this spooky holiday! We decided to show you all the creative projects you can make using our exclusive Artiste Cricut cartridge. You will be hopping along our haunted trail of creativity - you never know what you will see next!

If you just happened to come to this blog, you should start at the beginning at Lucy's blog - Love 2 Create.

Also, to help you get ready to start making your own Halloween projects Lucy has some blog candy for you! She is giving away a Moonlight Complements Dimensional Elements pack!  That's two (2) sheets of Printed Dimensional Elements that you can use to create your own Halloween project! There is a picture of the blog candy on her blog. All you have to do to be eligible to win is to leave a comment on everyone's blog AND become a follower of Lucy's blog.  (If you are already a follower, just let her know in your comment.)

My project is a Halloween Botique Wall Decor.

I wanted to share an out of the box idea with this hop.  I used a dollar store Pizza Pan, black spray paint with orange glitter and some fun Close to My Heart embellishments to create a piece of home decor.

I used a plain pizza pan that I bought for $1.  Then, I used one of my FAVORITE Close to My Heart products....  The Artiste cartridge to cut out the word "BOO!" on page 77 in the Artiste Handbook.

Once I had "BOO!" cut out, I used my Tombow tape runner to temporarily adhere the letters to the pan.  I took it outside and spray painted with a texture spray paint that had orange glitter flakes in it.  I let it set for a few days to dry.

I made 3 ribbon flowers to stick to the pan using "Glubbers".  I love how you just stick your ribbon or fabric into the middle of these big glue dots.  You start from the middle and turn the glue dot while you twist the ribbon and stick it down to create the flower.

Once I had the flowers made, I used liquid glass to make sure that they did not unravel.

I used my Crop-a-dile big bite to punch holes along the top left and right of the pan to allow for ribbon to hang the pan.

This picture shows the glitter fleck in the paint, the silver glimmer from the pan and also the 3 ribbon flowers once I had them adhered.

I told you last week that you can color clear sparkles with Alcohol based markers.  Here is a shot of me coloring the sparkles orange with my COPIC marker. 
I also colored the bling buttons for the center of the flowers.

Finally, I added my orange sparkles to the pan in the letters and around my flowers.

 I hope you enjoyed my project today.  Remeber, pizza pans aren't just for baking!  They make great home decor, memo boards, chalk boards, etc.

The next stop on the haunted trail is Kindred Hearts - It Makes TOTAL Cents.

Here's the entire blog hop lineup in case you get spooked along the way:

1. Lucy - Love 2 Create 
2. Darla - Caution Crafting is Contagious
3. Diana - Dianas Free Moments 
4. Carolyn - Nuts 4 Scrappin'
5. Julia Hammond - You Can Create 
6. Wendy Kessler - My Scrapbooking Blog
7. Pam Stewart - I Candy Scraps
8. Carolyn Mendoza - Crafting With Carolyn 
9. Jennifer Kramer - 4 Hearts Scrapbooking 
10. Maria Woodworth - Maria's Paper Craft Place  (You are HERE)
11. Kindred Hearts - It Makes TOTAL Cents   (NEXT Stop)
12. Ginger Morriello - Ginger's Creative Cottage 

Thanks for stopping by for some Halloween fun --

 hope we didn't scare the creativity out of you! Muah-ha-ha!

January 2013 Stamp of the Month Card

It may be a little earlier for Valentine's Day.  However, it is never to early for a little inspiration!  This card highlights the January Stamp of the month.  The flower and "Happy Valentine's Day" sentiment can be found in this stamp set.  I used my COPIC markers to shade in the flowers.  I also used the "Make it from the Heart" publication for this card design.  If you don't have one yet, I suggest that you put it on your MUST HAVE list!  You are missing out on a tool that is stacked with fabulous patterns for cards and layouts!  CLICK HERE to get your copy today!!