-
Complete Creativity and My New Cricut!!!
I finally decided to upgrade my Cricut after much debate. I have an old Cricut Expression that is still working great so it was tough to justify an upgrade. Then Close to My Heart launched their Complete Creativity collection and my mind was made up!
I can’t believe how easy it was to put this layout together! Normally I change things up and put my own creative spin on a project but this one spoke my language. However, I did end up changing the photo from two to one panoramic.
I love all the amazing detail in this layout. The stitching around the photo mats and all the layered trees definitely lend the wow factor to this page.
Below is a glance at all the projects included in the Complete Creativity Collection. Create with images for every occasion including Halloween, Christmas, the seasons, and more. It is ideal for cards, scrapbook pages, and so many more projects. There are truly thousands of images in this collection. You can separate out individual elements or use the entire card or layout.
I put this Christmas card together using the star background and a few trees from my Adventure layout. In the design space I scaled the trees down a bit to fit my card size. To add a touch of sparkle and shine, I colored the center of the stars with my clear Shimmer Brush. I also added clear sparkles to my trees to make them more Christmas themed.
For my second card, I again incorporated the star background. This time I adhered the leftover stars from the cutouts. Since Close to My Heart’s cardstock is two-toned, I simply flipped the stars over to give a little contrast. Three projects from one layout design!
Complete Creativity can only be purchased from a Close to My Heart Consultant. You can not go directly through Cricut.com. Follow this link to see all the amazing Cricut products from Close to My Heart. You can view the YouTube tutorial below to watch the page come together.
Thank you for stopping by. Leave me a comment to say hello or let me know if you have any questions. Happy crafting!
Supply List:
-
Autumn 🍂 Days
Hello there and thanks for visiting my blog. This is my 4th or maybe 5th layout featuring the gorgeous Hawthorn collection. I truly can’t get enough of this paper pack! The fall colors, pretty leaves and wooden embellishments speak my language! I knew this collection would be perfect to tell the story behind this memory of my youngest son and this orphaned fawn. I had a lot to say so I tucked my journaling behind the plaid patterned and created a pull tab so people would know it is there.
To give this layout a touch of distressed texture, I applied Ranger Texture Paste around the edge of my base layer of card stock. I love all the unique looks you can achieve with this product and it is so easy to use. You can tint it with inks but the white color showed perfectly against my dark background.
Most all my embellishments were included in the Hawthorn Workshop. I did add the additional wooden shapes because I had to have that little buck. Sometimes its nice to have everything in one tidy bundle. You can easily grab it and work on it anywhere. Even during your lunch break at the office! It comes together quickly and takes the guess work out of the equation so anyone can create beautiful pages for their albums.
The “Cherish This” sentiment was perfect for this memory of my son and this orphaned Fawn. He has such a heart for all God’s creatures and stepped right up to help tend to this little guy the short time he was in our care. To watch this layout come together you can check out the video below.
Thanks for stopping by and spending time with me. Leave me a comment to say hello and I will see you next time. Happy crafting!
Supply List:
Paper: Hawthorn Scrapbooking Workshop, Sapphire Cardstock
Additional Supplies:
Hawthorn Wooden Shapes, Teeny Tiny Type stamp set, Ranger Texture Paste, Palette Knives, All Purpose mat, Tombow Liquid Adhesive,
-
Thanks A Latte “Easy to Embellished” vol 2
Welcome back and thanks for joining me for my second “Easy to Embellished” card series. Today’s cards feature the “Perk Up” stamp set and coordinating thin cuts. I also incorporated the leaf image from the Hawthorn scrapbooking stamp set. I’ve had so much fun creating with these stamps! Below is card number one. It’s a quick and super simple card you can pull together in minutes.
Card #1 recipe: Begin with a piece of White Daisy trimmed to 4”x 5.25”. Stamp your leaf 🍁 in Canary onto card as shown then secure a mask over your stamped image. (You will stamp your leaf onto a scrap and fussy cut to create your mask). You can now stamp the coffee cup over your masked leaf. Next stamp the java jacket in Sangria and then the lid in Black. I then stamped the coffee stain rings in Toffee, stamping once and then again before re-inking. Stamp your sentiment in Black ink. To add a few finishing touches I doodled around the edges to create a border then added a bow tied from jute from my stash.
Card #2
For my 2nd card I dressed it up a bit by adding color. Starting with a piece of Almond card-stock for my base, I then trimmed a green center piece from a Hawthorn Picture My Life Cards measuring 2.5”x4”. I love the green and gold crackled background on this paper! Next tie a bit of gold embellishing thread around the bottom of the center piece. On a scrap of White Daisy stamp the leaf in Goldrush ink and the coffee cup and lid in Black. Line up the coordinating thin cuts, secure with removable tape and use your die cutting machine to cut images. If you don’t have the coordinating dies then just fussy cut around your images. Instead of stamping my java jacket onto the cup, I stamped the backside of my patterned paper and trimmed around the stamped image. This allowed me to use the other side (plaid) without the stamped pattern showing. Stamp the sentiment onto the leaf. Use your favorite adhesive to adhere everything into place. Lastly I finished the card by adding a frame from the stitched rectangle dies also cut in Almond.
Card #3!!!
I saved the best for last! This one is definitely my favorite! There is a lot going on here to give this card the wow factor. I layered the center of my stitched rectangle die (in Almond) onto a piece of Sangria (4”x5.25”). I love, love, love ❤️ the stitched detail in these dies. For the center I trimmed a piece of the Hawthorn plaid patterned paper to 2.5” x 4.25” and cut the bottom into a banner shape. Add your Gold thread before you adhere everything down so you can wrap it around the card stock. I stamped my coffee cup onto another picture my life card and then colored the inside of the cup with a dark brown marker to resemble coffee. I then fussy cut the java jacket from the corrugated paper. I still can’t get over how 3 dimensional that paper looks! You have to touch it to see that it’s flat. For my leaf, I first stamped onto the Canary ink pad then rolled the edges very carefully onto my Sangria ink. This gives those lovely edges to the leaf. So pretty! I applied a little sparkle to the leaf tips with my clear shimmer pen. When you look at the photo below that coffee looks real. The trick is to apply a thin layer of liquid glass to give it that glossy effect. I also added a bit of dimensional foam to pop the leaf up on top of the coffee cup ☕️
To see these cards come together you can watch the video below.
Thank you for stopping by! I hope you are feeling inspired to get crafting. Leave me a comment and vote on your favorite card.
Supply list:
Stamps:
Perk Up, Hawthorn Scrapbooking
Paper:
Almond, Sangria, White Daisy, Hawthorn paper collection.
Inks:
Sangria, Canary, Goldrush, Toffee, Black
Additional supplies:
Hawthorn picture my life cards, Gold embellishing thread, Liquid Glass, Tombo Mono Liquid Adhesive, Versa Mat, Stitched Rectangle Dies, Clear Shimmer Pen
-
“Autumn Air” October Stamp of the Month
Hello my crafty friends! It is fall time and yes, just like that, summer turned into fall 🍂!!! Welcome to the Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! We will be featuring October’s SOTM, Autumn Air. If you have come here from Ramona’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 approximately 29 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their art work 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 created this fun layout featuring several CTMH products available in the current catalog. My title, “I Love Fall Most of All” is one of several title options from this fall inspired stamp set. I began this page with the “distressed chalkboard” paper from the mix in paper pack. There is so much fun detail in this background paper I didn’t want to cover it up! I kept my layout simple matting my photos on White Daisy card stock and then bordering one with a Hawthorn picture my life card to add a pop of saffron. To make my title stand out, I embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder. I gave it presence by adding a frame which I cut using our stitched rectangle thin cuts.
The fun banner I created with my Cricut. I cut several triangles from scraps leftover from both the Hawthorn and Mix-In paper packs. The larger triangles measure 1.25″ and the smaller at .75″ I love the look of both the plaid and text patterned papers! The sunflower is from the new Sunflower Sympathy stamp set and the white leaves I punched out of the Hawthorn workshop kit. This layout came together very quickly. The black, white and Saffron color palette makes me happy!
For my second project I again used the SOTM to emboss my title. You will notice that although the word Fall is the same, the rest of my title is different. I love that you can switch the stamp set up to change the look. You could also use Autumn 🍂 in place of Fall.
This layout was created with leftover scraps from the Hawthorn workshop. I did add a sheet of Sapphire card stock as my base and sanded around the edges to reveal the white core. Also from my stash, I added the kraft colored card stock behind my photo. I gave it a torn edge to add texture and interest.
The leaf 🍁 cluster I layered together with leftovers from the Hawthorn Kit. I love how there are so many different types of leaves! The outlined leaves contrast beautifully with the solid, text and stamped images. So pretty!!! Lastly I added a few amber colored rhinestones from my stash. To see this layout come together, and for a tip on adhering your embellishments all at once, check out the YouTube process video below.
Thank you for stopping by! Be sure to keep hopping around this blog hop to see more artwork. Click here to visit Lauren’s blog next!
Supply List: Autumn Air SOTM, Mix In paper pack, Hawthorn Workshop, White Daisy card stock, Sapphire Card stock, Saffron card stock, Kraft Card stock, Hawthorn Picture My Life cards, Sunflower Sympathy stamp set, Stitched Rectangle Thin Cuts, Gold Embellishing Thread, VersaMark ink pad, White Embossing Powder, Anti Static Pouch, Amber Rhinestones
-
Sunflower Sympathy Cards “Easy To Embellished” vol 1
Hello crafty friends! I am excited to bring you my first “Easy to Embellished” card series. We will create three beautiful cards beginning with a simple and quick design. I will show you how to dress the card up pulling out all the stops for card number three! I have included step by step instructions or scroll to the bottom to watch the YouTube tutorial.
Now remember, this one is supposed to be a simple card. For card number one begin with a sheet of White Daisy card stock trimming it down to 3 3/4” x 5”. You will need to create a mask with the sunflower image by stamping on scrap paper and fussy cutting around the image. Using Goldrush ink stamp the sun flower onto the card stock. Place your mask directly over your stamped image and secure into place with removable post it note tape. Next you will stamp your leaf images around the sun flower using New England Ivy ink. Go ahead and remove your mask and save for later use. Then stamp your sentiment using black ink . Finally adhere to a piece of espresso card stock measuring 4“ x 5 1/4. Adhere to your card base and finish off with a small twine bow using Mono Tombo liquid adhesive to secure in place. Card number one is done and only took about five minutes to come together. It is simple single layer stamping but still makes a lovely card I’m sure anyone would be happy to receive.
For card number two we’re going to utilize the same format but take it up a notch. Stamp the sunflower image again using Gold Rush ink onto a scrap of Saffron card stock. For the leaves stamp in New England Ivy onto Fern card stock. I cut my embellishments out using the coordinating thin cut dies and my Spellbinders die cutting machine. For the base start with a piece of toffee card stock trimmed to 4“ x 5 1/4”. Using a nail file lightly sand around the edges to give it a little interest. The plaid pattern paper is from the lovely Hawthorne collection. I cut a 1” x 5 1/4 strip and joined the two with a 1/4” strip of the corrugated patterned paper on the reverse of the plaid. Assemble everything as you see in the photo below. I adhered the leaves and then used dimensional foam tape to pop up the sunflower. I again stamped my sentiment but this time used black embossing powder to give it a more finished look. Lastly add your twine bow tying it as a double bow rather than the single bow in the first card.
Are you ready for card number three? Let’s do this! As you can see in the photo I cut my Toffee base layer with my stitched rectangle die. It adds such a nice finished look with all that detail. Just to switch things up a bit, I used a different patterned paper along the bottom. To really add the wow factor to this card, I stamped my sunflower using black pigment ink onto White Daisy. Before the ink dries cover it in gold embossing powder and set with your heat gun. Once your embossing powder is set, go ahead and stamp your sunflowers center. I covered the center with liquid glass to add a fun finishing touch. It’s difficult to appreciate the beautiful shine of our gold sunflower in the picture but trust me it’s gorgeous! Assemble the card as you did for card number two. Add a few rhinestones or copper colored sequins to add some sparkle and shine! As you can see this twine bow has 3 loops making it extra pretty! This card does take more time than our first version but it’s nice to have some different variations depending on your crafty mood 😊
To watch this project in action check out the YouTube video below. If you enjoyed my first episode of Easy to Embellished be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on next week’s project!
Thank you for stopping by! Leave me a comment and vote on your favorite card we created today. See you soon!
Project Supply List: Sunflower Sympathy stamp set, White Cards and Envelopes, Toffee Card Stock, Fern Card Stock, Espresso Card Stock, Saffron Cardstock, Hawthorn Paper pack, Liquid Glass, Black Pigment ink, Goldrush Ink, New England Ivy Ink, Gold Embossing Powder, Anti-Static Pouch, Rose Gold Sequins, Tombow Liquid Adhesive, Jute Twine, 3-D Foam Tape
-
“Beautiful Family” featuring the Every Little Thing Collection
Hello and welcome to Crafty Concepts with Erin. I am excited to share this new paper collection with you. I will admit, initially I passed this over in the new catalog hardly sparing a second glance. Then I thought about these pictures from my In Law’s 50th wedding anniversary and knew the color scheme and botanical feel would be perfect. I am very thankful I purchased this kit. The colors and papers are BEAUTIFUL! Sometimes its like clothes shopping, we don’t really care for an outfit until we try it on, then we are in love and can’t wait to wear it. In fact I ordered a second paper pack to extend my workshop kit. I appreciate that CTMH offers several different purchasing options for their collections.
Just look at these butterflies! The three layers add so much texture and dimension. I used my mint shimmer pen to add a touch of sparkle to the centers of the white and the clear shimmer to dress up the purple butterflies. The foliage was quickly popped from the coordinating die-cut sheet. For those of you that don’t care for fussy cutting, this is the solution! Very quick and easy.
Originally this was designed to be a single page layout. With so many pictures to scrapbook I new I needed to extend it to two pages. I added a sheet of White Daisy card stock to create the base of the right side. Two sheets of Sapphire blue card stock were also added from my stash to mat the photos. I saved a few butterflies and greenery springs originally intended for the left layout to carry over the embellishments and spread them a little further. You can’t even tell they are missing! The original layout is still full and beautifully embellished. For the title I switched things up a bit. It is designed to read “You Are So Beautiful”. That didn’t jive with my plan so I added the word family, which I cut on my Cricut using the Artbooking collection, from a scrap of black card stock.
The days festivities were held in my garden. I love how the pretty papers and colors capture the essence of the yard. The new color of the year, “Julep” is such a lovely shade of green, it compliments the grassy background in the photos perfectly.
Here is a close up of those beautiful butterflies! I used my Mono liquid adhesive to adhere only the center of their body. You can bend the wings up a bit to give them that wow factor. If you squish a tiny bit of foam tape in the crevice it will help to hold their wings up even after they are in the page protector. Below I framed this picture of the guest of honor using a scrap of the stripped purplish-blue card stock. I added the flower and heart from the coordinating sticker sheet and finished it off with an acrylic butterfly and some sparkles.
Below is a look at the patterned papers and coordinating sticker embellishment sheet for this collection.
Check out the youtube video to watch this layout come together and see how I incorporate several photos using Flip Flaps.
Here is the workshop kit. You will receive the Every Little Thing paper pack, sticker sheet, 6 exclusive die-cut sheets, a set of exclusive white acrylic shapes, clear sparkles and 3 memory protectors!!! To purchase this kit for yourself click here.
Supply List:
Every Little Thing scrapbooking workshop, White Daisy card stock, Sapphire card stock, Artbooking Cricut cartridge, Tombow Mono liquid adhesive, Sapphire Exclusive Ink, sponge daubers, Adhesive Foam Tape
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are feeling inspired by this beautiful collection. Leave me a comment to say hello. Happy crafting my friends!
-
Back To School featuring The Hawthorn Collection
Yes, it is that time of year again! I can hardly believe another summer has come and gone. The boys are gearing up for going back to school conflicted with mixed emotions. Happy to see their friends again but sad to see the carefree days of summer slip away. Above is a layout I created to showcase my oldest son’s first day of high school. This is actually last year’s picture of him as a freshman!!! Where does the time go?
I really like the mixture of embellishments featured in this kit. The wooden shapes contrast perfectly with the kraft colored chipboard elements. The trio of stars above, although different, add visual interest and work in harmony. The torn cardboard strip is actually a sticker. It looks so dimensional you almost have to touch it to see that it is not.
When I saw this Hawthorn Collection from Close To My Heart, I new it would be perfect for scrapbooking this picture. I even loved this pre-designed layout although I made several alterations to accommodate my larger single photo. I did add a sheet of Sapphire card stock from my stash to mat my photo and pull out the blues from the pic. The fall color pallet lends itself well to a more masculine layout especially when coupled with the wooden elements and geometric shapes. Below are the pre-designed layouts you can follow to create these pages for yourself. As you can see I altered the layout by using one large 4×6 photo rather than the two smaller pictures shown on the layout by CTMH in the top right corner below. I also changed up the journaling by printing it from my computer and cutting it into strips. This Hawthorn workshop includes everything to make all these fabulous layouts!
I am really excited to scrapbook some fall photos with this collection as well! I know I have pictures of the boys raking chestnut leaves into massive piles before diving into them. We have so many fall traditions I might need two paper packs!!! If you’d like to grab the Hawthorn kit for yourself you can shop here. Be sure to check out all the elements that compliment this workshop. There are Picture My Life cards and a fabulous stamp with coordinating thin cuts. Check out the YouTube process video below to see all the products and this layout come together.
Thank you for stopping by to visit my blog. I hope you are feeling inspired by this beautiful Hawthorn collection. Happy crafting my friends!!!
-
Craft On
Hello crafty friends!!! Life has been a whirlwind of activity and I can hardly believe school is starting and Fall is right around the corner. I know its a bit late as this seasonal expressions catalog ends August 31st, but I want to share this fun kit with you. It is called Craft On and its full of crafty goodness! It amuses me that I am crafting pictures of me crafting using my Craft On workshop kit. That is a lot of craftiness! I think we could make a tongue twister out of that.
I have so many different craft related hobbies it was difficult to decide what pictures to use this kit with. I felt the pressure building to find the perfect photos, then I reminded myself to just use the pretty papers and get creating. Sometimes we hang onto paper or embellishments thinking we need it all to come together perfectly. I promise you won’t regret using your products. In fact it is oddly satisfying to use up your crafty stash. Besides, then you can justify buying more! (Tee-Hee)
Here is a look at the vibrant and fun patterned paper available in this collection. I love the cut apart sheet, coordinating stickers and embellishments featured in this kit. The crafting related shapes are perfect for scrapbooking any of your crafty hobbies. The color pallet is so varied you could really go in several different directions depending on your personal taste. You can play up the greens and blues or let the pink hues take center stage. Maybe create two layouts with completely different feel. I plan to scrapbook some fun summertime pool pictures using the blue and yellow papers in this kit.
The blues and greens worked well with my gardening photos. I was able to create a single page layout featuring 5 photos by printing the accents pics in 2×3. I added pops of color with the rosey pink blooms trimmed from the cut apart sheet, along with yellow daisies and bits of sparkly sequins dotted about the layout. The black elements were popped from the chip board embellishments designed for this paper pack. I have always liked the contrast between black and pink shades.
This “Choose Happy” sticker is perfect because finding the time to be creative does indeed bring me happiness and joy. This layout came together quickly and that makes me happy as well. Be sure to check out the You Tube process video below to see how this all came together.
I am so glad you stopped by today. Leave me a comment to share your thoughts or just say hello. Happy crafting friends!
-
Summer Memories
Hello there friends! Today I’m sharing the first layout I created with the Sweet Girl paper collection. Yes that is correct, I said sweet girl. You are probably a bit surprised as my layout is rather boyish in nature and definitely outdoorsy. Being a mom of two rough and tumble boys I have had to train my eye to look past all the pinks, lace and florals that flood the scrapbooking industry. Don’t get me wrong I do love the look but it doesn’t always work well with my photos. When you look past it’s initial feminine appearance you see blues, greens, plaids, a bug patterned paper and even a wood grain paper! Super easy to pull off an adventurous boy page with these options. Be sure to scroll all the way down to see the video on how this all came together and to check out the Sweet Girl kit and coordinating embellishments! I’d love to hear from you so leave me a comment at the bottom of this page.
As you can see here, the little fly like insects are perfect for these fishing photos. I have layered up patterned paper and cardstock to highlight my main photo. The little banner adds a touch of carefree fun to the layout. What is nice about this is that I used a stamp to create the look. You can reuse this idea on other layouts and cards adjusting the ink color to suit your needs.
Here is a look at the Summer Memories stamp set. I used the phrases Summer and Memories to make a quick title for my layout. You will also notice I utilized the Sunshine and Blue Skies sentiment as well as the word This to start my journaling. For my banner I only selected the sun and star banner shape omitting the moon as it did not jive with my layout.
I thought it would be fun to add a pop of color and texture with some tangled thread. It evokes memories of constant tangled fishing line from my young fishermen and also making the perfect nesting spot to highlight this fly fishing embellishment I created from a retired stamp set.
Starting with White Daisy card stock I cut the circle with the Stitched Circles thin cut. The stitched marks around the border really add a nice finishing touch. The sentiment is stamped in Sapphire and then to add dimension I adhered the embellishment with foam tape. I anchored everything by creating a cluster with the added thread, star and little fishy character. Watch the video below to see how this layout came together and hear the story.
Pictured above is the Sweet Girl deluxe kit you can order here. The Summer Memories stamp set is included in the deluxe version. If you opt to get the paper kit or basic workshop you can purchase it separately here. Be sure to check out all the options for this collection and coordinating embellishments too! Thanks for stopping by! If you are veiwing this on ypur phone or tablet scroll down to see the awesome stamp of the month promo going on!
-
My Cup of Tea (or Coffee)!
Hello my name is Erin and I’m a coffee addict! When I spotted this cute little teacup stamp set I immediately thought coffee cup. I love tea as well but we just do not have the same relationship. That is my mom and I pictured above. After a morning walk along our favorite local trail we headed to Starbucks for a delicious cup of joe. My choice, a grande Americano that I dress up with my favorite almond caramel creamer. Yummo! I created this layout with leftovers from the World is Yours paper collection, a promo kit from the month of May. Be sure to scroll all the way to the end to see some cards I created with this stamp set as well.
I cut the title and the steamy swirl on my Cricut machine. The vellum paper helps to accentuate the look of steam rising from a hot cup of goodness. Punching the tea cups from White Daisy card stock then adding patterned paper gives a unique finish to each cup. To help establish the coffee theme I used a retired alphabet stamp set to spell out the word coffee and stamp directly on the cup.
You can purchase this whimsical little stamp set with or without the thin cut. Get yours here. I like to have the coordinating die for these stamps. It gives a nice crisp finish and speeds up the process. The possibilities are endless! This set would be perfect to embellish a trip to Disneyland and a swirly twirly ride on the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party ride. Or how about snapshots of lunch with your friends?
The fun quote I spotted on Pinterest and knew I wanted to incorporate it into my layout. Not having a stamp, I turned to my computer. Popping it up with dimensional foam and adding the coffee cup turns this into a cute embellishment. I added a few splatters in Cocoa brown as if one splattered their coffee a bit. The little travel mug I cut from the Cricut cartridge “You Are Here”. So cute and tiny!!! Check out the video below to see this page come together.
Just to show you how versatile you can get with this stamp set I created a few cards. Finding inspiration in my garden I put this thank you card together. The patterned papers are from the True Love collection as well as the flower bouquet spilling over the tea cup’s brim. I added some texture to the Thistle colored cardstock by embossing with the Flower Garden embossing folder and finishing it off with some sequins for sparkle.
Here is another cute card I put together featuring the True Love paper collection. I framed out the card with the largest rectangle from the Stitched Rectangle Frames thin cuts. I love the detail this die adds with the stitching around the border. To add to the look I cut the doily from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. Lastly I cut the Tea Cup from White Daisy card stock. To add the patterned paper to the inside I simply stamped the cup on the floral paper and fussy cut with my micro tip scissors. Finish off the look with a bit of ribbon and your card is finished!
Thank you for stopping by. Leave me a comment and share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you! Just a reminder that these products are featured in the Seasonal expressions idea book only available through August.