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!!

September Art Philosophy Blog Hop

Welcome to our September Art Philosophy Blog Hop!  Each month we will showcase our amazing Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge which can be purchased exclusively through a Close to My Heart Independent Consultant.  CLICK HERE to order one now.

Halloween is just around the corner.  So, this month we will be featuring projects for Halloween made using the Art  Philosophy Cricut cartridge!  Hope you don’t get too scared by the time you get to the end of our hop!

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

My project is a "Trick or Treat" Giftie Box

I kept it pretty simple this week with my giftie box.  However, simple can still look great!  The Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge and other great Close to My Heart products definitely make paper crafting... Faster, Simpler, and Easier.  I started with a 12x12 sheet of cardstock for this pillow box and set my Cricut Expression dial to 6".  This pillow box can be found on page 28 of the Art Philosophy Handbook.  I cut a piece of Moonlight patterned paper 1 3/4"x7" to wrap vertically around the box.  I LOVE the black bulk tulle ribbon that just came out with this new ideabook.  I cut it in half lengthwise to make the ribbon more narrrow.  This also gave me more product...  I can use the other half on another box later!  I also used the Art Philosophy cartridge to cut the circle for the "Trick or Treat" stamping that I did.  The circle image can be found on page 21.  I used B1413 "Perfect Fit-Halloween Holiday".  You really do get a perfect fit with the stamps and the Art Philosophy images.  The stamp set tells you exactly what size to cut the image in order to allow the stamp set to fit the cut image perfectly.  LOVE IT!

I wanted to show you a close up of the stamped image with the tri-color bling around it.  All of the gems in this picture are CTMH.  However, I want you to pay close attention to the orange gems....  I used my alcohol based COPIC marker to color over a clear gem.  This allowed the image to take on the same color as the marker.  It dries quick and it looks like the gem was made orange from the start!!  Don't forget this trick later when you are using your CTMH Alcohol or COPIC markers.  You can buy clear and change them to whatever embellishment color that you need!!

Here is a list of supplies used (Project Recipe):
Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge
B1413 Perfect Fit-Halloween Holiday
Black Cardstock
Moonlight Paperpack
Bulk Black Tulle Ribbon
Sweet Leaf Gems
Clear Gems
Sparkle Brad
Black Stamp Pad
Sweet Leaf Stamp Pad
Sponge
(non-CTMH item) Orange Copic Marker

You have reached the last stop on the hop if you started at the beginning.  However, why not go through again?  Let's start at the beginning with your next stop on this spooky blog hop trail at Lucy's blog - http://www.love2createitall.com 

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

Lucy - Love 2 Create - (Next Stop)

Darla - Caution: Crafting is Contagious!

Diana - Diana's Free Moments 

Stephanie - The Quilted Scrapper

Julia - You Can Create

Wendy Kessler - My Scrapbooking Blog

Carolyn Mendoza - Crafting With Carolyn

Kindred Hearts - It Makes Total Cents

Rebecca - Stamp & Scrap Studio

Maria Woodworth - Maria's Paper Craft Place  - (You are HERE)

"Smitten Layout" - January 2013 Stamp of the Month

Here is another layout that I did recently for a swap.  I used a little bit of patterned paper from the Stella and Victory paperpacks to complete this layout.  Also, I stamped with the January 2013 Stamp of the month - Valentine's Day.   The title says "Smitten...    with all my heart"  The script and flowers can be found on this elegant stamp set.  I stamped the flower image in the lower left hand corner on the base page, and then pop dotted a small colored in flower at an angle on top of the base page image.  I like this technique.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Be sure to come back tomorrow for another blog hop....  I'm cooking up a little  Halloween Magic for you!

It's all RELATIVE

My lines really are straight.  This picture looks a little wonkie.  However, you get the idea :)

This is my Avonlea layout before pictures were added.  I added pictures and journaling of my cousins and our children together.  Just like the cad I posted yesterday, I used the "Make it from the Heart" pattern publication from Close to My Heart.  It really made this layout easy.  I used my Artiste cartridge for the word "Relative", flourish under the flowers and for the flowers in the lower right hand corner.  I used the new silver polka dot ribbon (SWOON!!) and the silver shimmer tape.  I absolutely LOVE these 2 embellishments.  Thanks for stopping by!

Feminine Birthday Card

Here is a fun and SUPER EASY card that I did recently for a swap group that I am in.  I used a card design from the new "Make it from your heart Volume 1" design publication from CTMH.  It is a fabulous tool!  It includes 16 two page layout patterns, two single page layout patterns, as well as 12 different card patterns.  I LOVE IT!  It is lightweight, easy to take to crops or open up on my work desk.  PLUS, it tells me how many pieces of paper I need, what size to cut them and where to put them.  Seriously, can it be any easier?  All I had to really think about was the paper pack (La Belle Vie) that I wanted to use and the stamp sentiment (from "4 You"). 

For an added touch to this card, I stepped it up a little by random stamping my own patterned paper with the August Stamp of the Month "Baroque Borders" in blush ink.  Once I stamped my paper, I cut it to the size that I needed and added it to my card.  I used my Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge to cut out a paper flower.  I pulled it over my blush ink pad, rolled it and added a little bling.  Finally, I added a piece of the bulk Silver Shimmer Trim to add a little more bling.  A girl can never have too much bling on her Birthday, right?  I hope you enjoy my card.  Thanks for stopping by!

Easy Party Planning with Cricut

Learn how to plan the perfect party using one key from the Cricut® Artiste cartridge—it’s that easy! Invitations, envelopes, banners, cupcake liners, and party favor boxes will make this party a hit!



Fall Favorites - SOTM Blog Hop

  

Welcome to our September Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month Close to My Heart is offering a stamp set called "Fall Favorites". This set can be purchased exclusively through a Close to My Heart Independent Consultant for only $5 with a qualifying purchase of $50.  CLICK HERE to start shopping with me and add it to your cart today.

 

(Stamp Set Images for Fall Favorites)

(Artwork by Close to My Heart Art Department using Fall Favorites)

In this hop, you will see projects featuring this fun stamp set from many talented crafty ladies! We hope you enjoy our blog hop today!

If you have just hopped onto my blog, please start at the beginning
at Lucy's blog: http://love2createitall.com/.  
If you came from Tina Gale of My Scrappy Ideas, then you are in the right place!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this stamp set.  It was so much fun to use!  I can't wait to use it on my layouts, and other projects.  For this hop, I couldn't decide on just one project.  So, I have 2 groupings for you today.  My first project is a bag and matching tag. 

My second project is a table centerpiece, name card and place setting.

Here are 2 gift bags with matching tags.  For the gift inside, I made a set of 4 Thank You cards with envelopes tied in raffia for each bag.  I gave these to Wyatt's preschool teachers Friday as a thank you for the "extras" they did this week.  Thank you Ms. Sherry and Ms. Tina!

The bags match our colonial white cardstock perfectly and they are a blank canvas for stamping!  I stamped using Fall Favorites in black ink and colored the images in using my COPIC markers.  I added a little bit of our bulk burlap ribbon and adhered it with liquid glass.  I used my Cricut to cut the tag at 3" with my Art Philosophy cartridge.  The stamp set tells you exactly what size to cut the image.  How great is that?  It made my crafting so much easier.  After coloring in the image, I tied it on with a little raffia.  Then, I wanted to create a few cards to slide inside the bag as a Thank You gift.  I thought thank you cards would be a popular choice for preschool teachers.  I kept them pretty simple by stamping the pumpkin image in the lower right hand corner and adding a "retired" thank you image.

Here is a close up of the 4 pack of cards with envelopes

Next, I created a centerpiece for my dining room table and fall place settings.

If you haven't purchased the NEW Artiste cartridge, you are missing out!  This cartridge has so many fun images, cards, boxes, etc.  It really made this project very easy and quick to make.  CLICK HERE to get yours today!

I cut the pumpkins using Sunset cardstock.  The leaves and vines were cut using Olive cardstock. 

The little pumpkins in the centerpiece are cut at 2".

The larger one in the centerpiece and on the plate are cut at 3".

I love how the centerpiece turned out!

I used the Clementine paper pack patterned paper to highlight the scarecrow image and "pick o' the patch" sticks. A fun burlap bow finishes off the centerpiece.

Finally, I used a little piece of scrap paper to create a name card for my place setting.  I just stamped using Fall Favorites, colored it in and added my name using the Trinity alphabet.

I hope you enjoyed my projects and they inspire you to create some fall themed projects using the new Fall Favorites stamp of the month.  Thanks for hopping with us today!

Your next stop on the Fall Favorites Stamp Set Blog Hop is Jennifer Kramer of 4 Hearts Scrapbooking.

Here is a complete list of the blog hop in case you get lost along the way:

Lucy :  Love 2 Create
Darla : Caution: Crafting is Contagious!
Shelly Mendenhall : Inky Wheeler's Artsy Musings
Eva Friesen : For The Love Of Creating
Judith Ashmore : My Blog Adventure
Stephanie : The Quilted Scrapper
TinaGale : My Scrappy Ideas
Maria Woodworth : Maria's Paper Craft Place  ~ You are Here
Jennifer Kramer : 4 Hearts Scrapbooking  ~ Next Stop
Carolyn : Nuts 4 Scrappin'
Madeline Morcelo : Inking From The Heart
Theodora : Celebrate Crafts
Laura W. :  Scrappinsweetie's Escape
Michelle Stewart : My Creations With Michelle

Thanks for hopping along with us - we hope we were able to inspire you to create your own "Fall Favorites" projects.

Twins Baby Shower Cake

I just finished a cake order today.  This cake is for a baby shower for Twins (Evie and Charlie)!

I got the inspiration for this cake off of Pinterest.  I just love the dowel rod banners that have been popping up on cakes lately.  So, I had to do one of my own!

I love making cakes and I love paper crafting!  This cake allowed me to mix both!  I made the banner with the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge and the baby shoes are made with the Cricut Artiste cartridge.

Once I had the banner images cut, I used the retired Giggle Alphabet to stamp the W-E-L-C-O-M-E.  I stamped the onsies and colored them in with my copics.  I picked the onsie ribbon up at Wal-Mart.

Aren't these baby shoes just adorable?  The blue one for Charlie is made using the Pemberley paper pack and La Belle Vie was used to make the one for Evie.

 

The inside is a white cake with Lemon Pudding.  Sounds like a yummy shower cake to me! 

Thanks again Kristy!

And the winner is...

REBEKAH!

Please email me your contact information to get your double stamp set!  Congratulations!  Thanks for following my blog and for commenting on our Blog Hop!