Fall Favorites: CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop



Well I don't think I remember the last time I was able to participate in this wonderful Blog Hop!  But I'm very grateful to be included this month...it is such a fantastic stamp set, how could I pass it up?!?

 

So if you are following along, you've just come from Karen's Blog.  Have you be totally inspired yet by all the great artwork?  Thanks for sticking around to the end and visiting with me!

 

Let's get to my cards, shall we?  It was a long hop and I'm sure you're all excited to get cracking on your own artwork!

 

This month's Stamp of the Month from CTMH is Fall Favorties.



 

 

 

Such a cute stamp set, right?  It makes me really wish Fall would hurry up and get here already!

 

I've used a lot of new products on my artwork this month...so fun to create with them!

 

Inks: Archival Black, Saddle

Papers: Kraft cardstock, Black cardstock, Colonial White cardstock, Flirty Reflections Kit

Accessories: Burlap Ribbon, Antique Copper Brads, Almond Glitz Glitter Gel

Tools: Ruler, Piercing Tool, CTMH Markers

Inks: Smokey Plum, Saddle

Papers: Colonial White cardstock, Kraft cardstock, Clementine Reflections Kit, Moonlight Reflections Kit

Tools: Artiste Cricut cartridge, CTMH Markers

The pretty little bow is found on page 55 of the new Artiste cartridge, cut at 1.1".  Such a cute accent!



Inks: Archival Black, Saddle

Papers: Colonial White cardstock, Black cardstock, Scholastic Reflections Kit, Flirty Reflections Kit

Accessories: Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain, Autumn Terracotta Baker's Twine, Wooden Buttons

Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge, CTMH Markers

The tag is found on page 60 of the Art Philosophy cartridge, cut at 4".

Inks: Archival Black, Saddle

Papers: Colonial White cardstock, Black cardstock, Kraft cardstock

Accessories: Olive Baker's Twine

Tools: Ruler, Piercing Tool, CTMH Markers

I had such a fun time making this card.  I love to use Paper Tole techniques with colored images!  I stamped this scarecrow image 3 times a colored with our fantastic new alcohol markers.  Have you tried them yet?  Like butter!!

Anyway, here is a close up of the scarecrow and that little bird...who is not scared one bit it would seem. You can see the suble layers.

 

I hope you've had a great time on this month's Blog Hop.  If you've just started this hop with me, please continue on with Kathleen's Blog.

You Are My SonShine Studio J Layout

The end of August is quickly coming and the sun here in Tucson is still toasting us.

I wanted to share one of my recent favorite layouts from Studio J. Well, they're all my favorite! But this one was fun to do and such a random little bit of life.

It was just a random October afternoon a couple of years ago.  My youngest and I were in the backyard.  I was probably lamenting about the number of weeds or something, but he was having fun on the swings.

It was nothing big, but he kept giggling about it.  That's when I thought, "I'd rather remember him like this than those stinking weeds." I ran to get my camera.  He stayed on the swings long enough for me to get a couple of good shots.  I don't remember much else about that afternoon, but I do remember his smile...and that's what is important!



Splash Zone Reflections Kit


Have you checked out the new papers in Studio J lately?  Care to take a guess as to how many paper kits are available to you?  What are your favorite photos that are still lurking in your computer?  Get them out and into your albums!

La Belle Vie Bracket Frame

Engineer has been out of town lately...a lot. In fact, right now he's gone again for another week.
(I know he reads my blog so I'll just go ahead and embarrass him right now.)  Miss you Sweetie!

One of the only plus sides to him being gone is that I can craft all I want and not feel too guilty about it.  Sure the house suffers a little, and the boys get to eat all the pizza they want , but Mom gets to craft and that's what's important, right?!?

I'm totally just kidding, you know that right, Engineer?  The boys are eating fine and the house isn't too much of a disaster zone.


Truthfully, I have been working on things for an upcoming Idea Book Open House.  This is one of my favorite things I've made so far!

It is the new My Creations Bracket Frame!  I love, love, love it!  It measures just at 11" x 11" and has a  7" x 7" opening.  It really is a shadowbox with a 1" depth, so you can add lots of memorabilia inside it!
It is a white chipboard frame and easily takes ink.  I've sponged it using the new Champagne ink, then added depth by very lightly sponging on Cashmere and Saddle ink as well.

Here I've used the new La Belle Vie paper kit.  It comes with 2 exclusive colors La Belle Vie Mauve and La Belle Pink.  The flowers were cut with the new Artiste cartridge using those exclusive colors.  (They're only in the La Belle Vie paper kit, so if you love them too, don't miss out on them!)

Here are the flowers before I did anything to them.  Just twirled up and stuck to their base with a glue dot.  They look alright, but I like my flowers to look a little more realistic.  Well, as realistic as I can get them anyway!

With just a little spritz of stamp cleaner (or water), the paper breaks down just enough to become pliable.  I used my tweezers and fingers to roll down/push down the petals. Then I used a sponge (or dauber) on the edges with the Champagne ink.  Much better, right?!



And the same thing with the leaves.  This is just the basic leaf straight from the Cricut mat.  Pretty flat and boring!

I took my embossing stylis and drew veins on the back of the leaves.  Then I flipped them over and lightly sponged them with the Champagne ink. I also gave them a quick spritz and they rolled up just a bit.

Here is a close up shot of them on the frame:

Pretty, pretty! 

If you're local and would like to come to the Open House, drop me a quick line and I'll get you the information!

Jacob's Ladder Tutorial

I've been making my Holiday Stamp Camp project for the past couple of days...well, not making it exactly.  Designing it in my head and working with the supplies I have on hand is more like it.  But the final piece to the puzzle arrives today...my new Artiste Collection!  It's on the truck out for delivery right now!


I'm beside myself with giddiness!

Back to my post though.  While I was working on other things for Stamp Camp, I realized I hadn't shown you my project from the last one in April.  I love this project.  Jacob's Ladders are so fun to make and play with!  And my favorite paper from the previous Idea Book,Victory, is still available!
Yeah!

So let me share with you how I made it, in case you've never come across this fun piece of papercraft!

These are the supplies I used:

• Eight 3"x3" chipboard pieces from My Creations Memory Game
• Four 3"x3" squares of cardstock
• Four 3"x3" squares of B&T pattern paper
• Eight shapes from CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge (pg. 53), cut at 2.75"
• Three 20" strips of CTMH Color-Ready Seam Binding Ribbon
• Ruler and pencil
• Bonding Memories Glue
• Sanding Block
• Inks
• Sponge
• Micro-Tip Scissors
• Strong adhesive tape (I used Score-tape)
• Liquid Glass
• Flat Embellishments (I used Tough Tags and Durables Studs)

1. With a ruler, draw lines on the back of all the chipboard pieces at 0.5", 1.5", and 2.5".

2. Using Gonding Memories glue, adhere all the squares to the front of the chipboard pieces.  Take the sanding block and round the edges.  Use scissors to trim any excess as needed.  Then sponge each covered chipboard piece and Cricut square.  Adhere the Cricut squares centered on the chipboard pieces.

3. On the back of each piece, add a strip of super strong tape to each drawn line.

4. Starting with your cover piece, take the 3 strips of ribbon and place them on the tape strips as shown above: top and bottom piece trailing off to the right, middle piece trailing off to the left.  Use Liquid Glass in between the ribbon for extra strength.

5. Remove the backing from the adhesive from your next piece and add it directly onto your first piece, sandwiching the ribbon in between.

6. Pull the ribbon across the top of your piece so they run in the opposite direction.

7. Place yournext shipboard piece on top of the ribbons.  Making fure the ribbons are not twisted, pull them snugly.  Remove the backingfrom the adhesive and pull the ribbon strips across. 

Repeat steps 4-7 until all the pieces are used.

8. Trim any excess ribbon.

9. Your front and back should look like the photo above. When placing your own photos onto the project, slip them under the ribbon, otherwise the ladder will not flip correctly.  Keep your embellishments simple and flat.

Here is my finished project with photos of all my boys.



I know some of my photos are upside down.  I did that on purpose.  When you flip the ladder, they come up right-side up with the ribbon on the two sides instead of running through the middle of the photo.  Did that make sense?

Well I hear the delivery truck outside!


Back to work!!

If you make your own Jacob's Ladder, please share it!  I'd love to see your work!





The Thoughts Of Crafters...

I'm busily working on new projects for our team's upcoming Open House Bash featuring the new Autumn/Winter Idea Book.  That means I should have lots of things to share with you in the weeks to come.  But as I was going through the blogosphere gathering ideas, I found this video on my friend Buffie's blog.

I can relate to just about everything these two girls say...can you?!?

Party Time with the Artiste Cricut Cartridge

Have you seen all the fun ways you can use the new Artiste Cricut cartridge?
Check out the CTMH video below and learn how to create an party full of decorations with just one button!
 



Nothing says Faster. Simpler. Easier. than Close To My Heart stamps and Cricut!
There is a Halloween Themed button , a Christmas Themed button , Cupcake Wrappers and lots more!  Look at some of the things you can create with this amazing cartridge:

As always, the Artiste bundle comes with the cartridge, 3 full size exclusive stamp sets, and 3 sheets of coordinating chipboard shapes!  Pretty sweet deal!

Your party and holiday crafting are waiting!   Stop by my website and get yours here!