She Who Stirs the Pot

I don't know which is more fun, using a funny expression in your art, making seasonal home decor or making something out of a found or cheap item.  But in this project I get to do all of these.  I found this 6" Shadow Box at a tag sale for $1.  One of our favorite expressions is "He who stirs the pot should have to lick the spoon".  So what better way to incorporate that expression than with a witches pot? 

I cut out the Haunted House and Cat from Pewter Cardstock using the Close to My Heart Artbooking cartridge.  I cut the Cauldron and lettering from Happy Haunting which are Access files.  The cauldron had a handle and steam but I had to cut them away to make room for the lettering.  I cut the cauldron from black vinyl, the pot contents out of purple glitter vinyl and the lettering out of green glitter vinyl.

You want to consider the edge of your shadow box when sizing your elements for your project.  If the edge of the frame covers a 1/4" on all sides you don't want your images to go out to the edge of your background. 

In Design Space I put a square on the mat and sized it to 6" to represent the background.  Then I layered the text, House and pot to look good aesthetically.  If you have a different size shadow box my measurements would be useless.  So just play around with your sizing to fit your shadow box.  This could be done in a picture frame as well.

I cut the lettering out of green Cricut Glitter Vinyl.  It looked good while I was making it but it really doesn't show up well with the watercolored background.  In hindsight I would use black vinyl or just have a black background with a grey house.  But I really like the watercolored background. 

I cut a 2" circle from the Basic Circles Thin Cuts and Canary Cardstock.  I cut small scraps of Canary cardstock and glued them to the back of the haunted house to represent lit windows. 

To make the background I wet the whole 6" watercolor paper with water.  Then I brushed on yellow, orange, red, purple, blue and black from the bottom up, blending the colors and rinsing the brush between colors so I didn't taint my paint pallet.  I dried the background with a heat gun.  Then I took a gold Shimmer Brush and tapped it against my scissors to splatter the ink onto the background to represent stars.

I glued the moon, house and cat to the background using a Dual Action Glue pen.  I positioned the lettering, cauldron and cauldron contents onto the front of the shadow box.  I glued the background to a scrap piece of poster board for added durability and glued the background to the back of the shadow box with Liquid Glass.

I didn't put a hanger on this shadow box because I made it for my daughter to sit on her desk at work.  She is a middle child and likes to stir the pot. 

To view the video where I demonstrate how I made this please visit my YouTube channel at the link below:



To purchase the supplies, follow the links below:

CTMH Artbooking Cartridge
Pewter Cardstock
CTMH Tweezers
Non-Stick Micro-Tip Scissors
Watercolor Paper
Paintbrush Set
Watercolor Paints
Gold Shimmer Brush
Liquid Glass
Basic Circles Thin Cuts
Canary Cardstock
Dual Action Glue Pen

Cricut Vinyl may be purchased through the Cricut store

Thank you for coming to my blog.

Paper Play Challenge

I recently discovered Cardcrazy09 on YouTube.  I just love her videos.  So I found my way to Paper Play Sketches today and designed this card in Design Space.  I couldn't wait to get to my craft room and cut it out and put it together. 

I used Paper Play Sketches 53 as my reference to make this card.  Where the banners were, I have elf feet.  I cut sliced them from elves, changed their colors and made them print then cuts.  I took a gift box border and redesigned it to have only 4 boxes instead of six and made the packages different colors.  I thought the sentiment "No Peeking!" was perfect because we can only imagine that the elves could peek out from behind their large gifts.  I adhered the pieces to some patterned paper from Close To My Heart from last year.  I've decided I'm a paper hoarder.  No more!! Lets use that paper.

I'm grateful for the challenge.  Thanks Paper Play Sketches and Mary from Cardcrazy09!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  I've created two cards that could be used to encourage someone who is affected by this terrible disease.

The cut outs for this card come from the Close To My Heart You Are Here cartridge.  The girl is "Shopping Trip" minus the bag and the sentiment is "You've Got This".  I made a panel in design space to represent the front of the card 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" but didn't actually cut it out.  I sized the girl and sentiment to fit in the card front aesthetically.  I cut the girl out of black cardstock, You've Got out of Pixie cardstock and This out of Raspberry cardstock.  I used the Adventure and Whimsy Fundamental Paper Packs for the patterned paper.

  

The background pieces were cut as follows:

3" X 5 3/8" Black

2 7/8" X 5 1/4" Raspberry Heart (Adventure)

1 1/8" X 5 3/8" Black

15/16" X 5 1/4" Love  (Whimsy)

I matted the patterned paper onto the black cardstock and adhered them to the white card front which I got from the Value Pack Cards and Envelopes.  I used Tombow permanent tape runner to adhere my papers.

I adhered the girl to the front using the Dual Action Glue Pen.  I adhered the ribbon to the girl as well with the Dual Action Glue Pen. 

I cut about 1 1/4" of the 1/4" 3-D Foam Tape and cut it in half lengthwise.  I adhered one piece to the top and another to the bottom of the back of the "this" banner.  I adhered the banner to the You've Got piece.  I adhered that to the front of the card with the Dual Action Glue Pen.

I put liquid glass over the ribbon to add some shine.  I left the inside of the card blank.

To make this card I cut the ribbon from the Close To My Heart Artistry cartridge using Pixie Cardstock and Raspberry Cardstock.  I glued the two pieces together using the Dual Action Glue Pen.  

I cut a circle out of Daisy White Cardstock and stamped the words "don't ever give up" in the center.  That sentiment comes from the Stronger Together stamp set.  That is a limited time stamp set from Close To My Heart and was developed to raise money for disaster relieve after the recent hurricanes in Florida and Texas.  All of the profits from this stamp set go to the Red Cross.   All of the sentiments in the set are terrific for encouraging someone.  So they were perfect for Breast Cancer support cards.

I cut the following cardstocks to layer on the front of a card panel:

2 5/8" X 5 3/8" Black

2 1/2" X 5 1/4" Words (Adventure)

1 3/8" X 5 3/8" Black

1 1/4 X 5 1/4" Polka Dot (Adventure)

After attaching the layered panels to the card front, I added 3-D Foam Tape to the back of the ribbon and adhered it to the larger panel.  I taped the word circle to the center of the ribbon with Tombow permanent tape runner.

I cut a piece of black paper with the Scallop Border Thin Cuts and adhered it with the Dual Action Glue Pen to the smaller panel to add some interest.  I left the inside of the card blank.

To watch me demonstrate how I made these cards please follow the link below to my YouTube channel. 

https://youtu.be/wzCcrf9FYpE

To purchase supplies used to make these cards please follow the links below to my CTMH website.  Thank you.

Artistry Cartridge (Ribbon)

You Are Here Cartridge (Girl and "You've Got This)

Stronger Together Stamp Set (Used on "Don't Ever Give Up)

Tombow Permanent Adhesive

White Value Pack Cards and Envelopes

Black Cardstock

Pixie Cardstock

Raspberry Cardstock

Adventure Fundamentals Paper Pack

3-D Foam Tape

Dual Action Glue Pen

 Liquid Glass (You've Got This)

Scallop Border Thin Cuts (Don't Ever Give Up)

Do you feel as intimidated by small images as I do?  I rarely buy stamps that are really small because I'm never sure what to do with the rest of the card front.

For these cards I used the Downloadable Guide for the Workshops Your Way Merriest Wishes Cardmaking Kit as a reference.  I've never used a template before but I thought the stamped images in the guides were small like the Punny Pals.  I really enjoyed using the guide and encourage you to download them from my Close To My Heart Website.

These cards feature the Punny Pals Stamp Set.  Seven Dollars from the sales of each of these stamp sets goes to the non profit organization Operation Smile which helps children around the world with surgeries on their cleft lips and palates.  While supplies last you can purchase this set in a card kit or with Thin Cuts made just for this set.

To make the Just PIGcause I Care card I cut out a 2" Circle out of Daisy White Cardstock and stamped the Pig and Saying in the center.  The nice thing about this stamp set is the word are not attached to the images so you can arrange them however you want.  I centered the saying below the pig and stamped it with Archival Black Ink.  I colored the pig with the pink and purple watercolor pencils in the Basic Colors set and wet them with a Waterbrush.  I set it aside to dry while I assembled the rest of the card. 

I cut another circle using the 2 1/2" Thincut die out of Pixie pink cardstock to use as a mat.  I also cut a piece of Pixie Cardstock 4 1/4" X 5 1/2" to cover the card base.  For the card base I used a card from the Value Pack Cards and Envelopes.  These cards come pre scored and are the A2 size. 
I cut a piece of Polka Dot Cardstock from the Whimsy Fundamentals Paper Pack 3 1/4" X 5 1/2", a piece of thistle Cardstock 3/4" X 5 1/2" and a piece of Silver Glitter Paper 1/2" X 4 1/2".  I cut a the end of the silver glitter paper to form a fish tail. 

I adhered the cut pieces onto the Pixie layer by centering the polka dot paper, then added the thistle piece to the right edge of the polka dot paper.  Next I adhered the glitter paper to the left of the thistle piece.  Finally I adhered the pig circle to the Pixie circle.  To adhere all of my paper I used the CTMH adhesive tape.  But to adhere the circles I put two pieces of 3-D Foam tape on the back of the circles and adhered them lining the right side of the circle along the right side of the thistle layer.  I left the inside of the card blank.

For the "I like your CATITUDE" card I stamped the cat image onto a piece of Watercolor paper with Espresso Pigment Inc which is part of a set.  This type of pigment stays wet for a while and allows embossing powder to stick to it for heat embossing, which is exactly what I did.  I embossed it with clear embossing powder so you could see the espresso colored pigment.  By embossing the image it made small wells to hold the water colors which keeps them from mixing together within the image.  I used yellow and orange watercolors to color the cat and pink to fill in the inside of his ears.  I painted the round patch on his tummy a darker orange.  Once it was painted I set it aside to dry.  I cut a banner out of Goldrush cardstock.  I cut a piece of Goldrush polka dot Cardstock from the Enchantment Fundamental Paper Pack 3" X 5 1/2" and a piece of large Orange polka dot Cardstock also fro the Enchantment Fundamental Paper Pack 2" X 5 1/2".  I also cut a strip of Gold Glitter Cardstock 1/2" X 4 1/2" and cut a fish tail in one end.

I adhered the Goldrush polka dot paper to the left side of a cardfront, the orange polka dot paper to the right side.  The two pieces overlapped a bit.  Then I adhered the gold glitter paper to the left of the large orange polka dot paper and adhered the Goldrush banner on top, lining the left side of the banner with the left side of the glitter paper. 

I punched the top and bottom corners on the right side of the card with a corner rounder.  The rounded edges looked good with all of the circles and polka dots.  It softened the look of the card.

I used 3-D Foam tape to adhere the cat to the top of the banner.  It was important to round the edges before adhering the cat because in my prototype card, I punched the corners last and the layers got in the way. 

To finish off the card I stamped the sentiment under the cat. When I mounted the sentiment on an acrylic block I positioned it toward the top of the block so the block wouldn't bump the raised circle the cat was stamped on. 

 To watch me make the cards please follow the link below to my YouTube channel.

https://youtu.be/IwUb131NZ-Y

To purchase supplies please follow the links below to my CTMH website.  Thank you.


Shared Supplies

Punny Pals Stamp Set
White Value Pack Cards and Envelopes
Waterbrush - Small Round
Micro Tip Scissors
Adhesive Runner
3-D Foam Tape
Archival Black Ink

Just PIGcause I Care

White Daisy Cardstock
Whimsy Fundamental Paper Pack
Whimsy Cardstock Combo Pack
Silver Glitter Paper
Basic Colors Watercolor Pencils
Basic Circles Thin Cuts

I like your CATITUDE

Enchantment Paper Pack
Watercolor Paper
Gold Glitter Paper
Goldrush Cardstock
Espresso Pigment Ink (Basics Mini Pigment Pads Set)
Ranger Clear Super Fine Embossing Powder
Watercolor Paints
Basic Banner Thin Cuts
Corner Rounder
Liquid Glass

Word Bubble Cards

I just love watching YouTube and craft-lifting ideas from my hero's.  Last week I watched a YouTube video by Jennifer McGuire where she used a word bubble die set to create a card.  Since I'm totally in love with my Cricut I took her card design and tried to replicate her idea in Design Space using the Close To My Heart Flower Market cartridge.

I made a card panel from black cardstock 11" X 4 1/4".  Then I made a white card front using watercolor paper that was 5 1/2" X 4 1/4".  I inserted, from the Flower Market Collection, a monster, a pumpkin and a word bubble.  I sized the monster, pumpkin and word bubble to fit the page, changed the colors of the monster and pumpkin then duplicated the pumpkin and flipped it and resized one of the pumpkins to make it a bit smaller.

To make the word bubble cut out, I lined up the top panel and the back panel, aligning the bottoms and aligning them horizontally for a perfect fit.  Then I placed the word bubble on top where I wanted it.  I selected the word bubble and the top panel and sliced it.  Being very careful not to move anything else but the top panel, I moved it to the side.  I selected the word bubble again and the back panel and sliced the back panel.  I removed all of the leftover pieces from slicing the images. 

I attached a fold line horizontally to the center of the back panel.

I placed the score tool in the pen holder of the Cricut and cut out the pieces following the color guides in the cutting screen of Design Space.

Using watercolors I made a sunset effect by starting at the bottom of the white panel and brushing on yellow paint with my water barrel brush.  Next I brushed on orange watercolor above the yellow and blended the two together.  Cleaning off my brush between layers I added red above the orange.  Then I added blue above the red and blended to make purple and painted black above the blue.  While I had black loaded in my brush I brushed some black along the bottom of the page to make a ground for the pumpkins and monster.

I cut apart the flat part of a clear plastic egg carton to use in between my card layers to fill in the word bubble.  You could use transparency sheets or other clear plastic packaging.  I used tape runner to adhere the plastic to the front card panel and more adhesive to the back of the card front to adhere it to the front of the black card panel.  Be careful not to get adhesive on the transparent piece.

I glued the pumpkin pieces together as well as the monster pieces and added some googly eyes to the monster.  I affixed them to the front of the card panel at the bottom

On the inside of the card I used VersaMark ink to emboss my sentiment with Ranger White Super Fine embossing powder.

Then I cut out Boo for the pumpkin card and Hey for the monster card using the Block Alphabet Thin Cuts and my Cuttlebug die cutting machine.  I cut a set out of paper and one out of fun foam.  By gluing the paper to the fun foam it will add dimension to the letters for a fun look.

I glued each word inside of a word bubble using the Dual Action Glue Pen.

My card looks nothing like Jennifer McGuire's card but I thank her for the great idea adding the plastic inside the cut outs between two card panels.  It was a fun project and whimsical.  I will be using this technique again.

You can purchase supplies at my Close To My Heart website https://laurahenry.closetomyheart.com/
or follow the links below:

CTMH Flower Market Cricut Cartridge Bundle 
Watercolor Paper
Black Cardstock
Goldrush Cardstock
Pansy Cardstock
Thistle Cardstock
Tombow Permanent Adhesive
Watercolor Paints
Watercolorbrush - Medium Flat
Dual Action Glue Pen
3-D Foam Tape
Block Alphabet Thin Cuts
VersaMark embossing ink
Ranger White Embossing Powder

To watch my video on YouTube follow this link:

https://youtu.be/jQb3DdIpv0U

To watch Jennifer McGuire's video that inspired me follow this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V17XccPDvV0&index=44&list=WL

I picked up some cardboard coasters at a local craft store for a dollar a while back and found a great fall use for them.  I covered them with patterned paper, distressed the edges and glued the word "fall", flowers and leaves to them and attached them to each other with ribbon.

Using Close To My Heart's Cricut Flower Market Collection I was able to closely recreate the flower in the pattern paper as well as the leaves using the Leaf Thin Cut die.

You can watch a detailed video of how I made the swag at my YouTube channel.  Just follow the link:

Fall Swag

I'll list links to the supplies but you can shop for Close To My Heart Supplies at my CTMH web page:

https://laurahenry.closetomyheart.com/

Falling For You Paper Pack
Falling For You Coordinating Cardstock
Bonding Memories Broad Tip Glue Pen
Non Stick Micro-Tip Scissors
Toffee Ink
Espresso Ink
Bonding Memories Dual Action Glue Pen
Thin Cuts - Leaf
Metallic Markers
White Burlap Ribbon
Canary Cardstock
Zen Coasters

I've had the Cricut Artbooking Collection from Close To My Heart for quite some time and have used bits from it but recently I took a good look at it.  There are scrapbook layouts included on the cartridge.

The following are the images, numbers and cartridges I added to my design canvass.
   

• Dog - #M2F8D6 - A Child's Year
• Heart Banner Border - #3EF31- Close To My Heart Artbooking
• Rectangular Frames - #M40CE5 - Close To My Heart Artbooking
• Square and Circle Frame - #M40D2C - Close To My Heart Artbooking
• Buddies - #M58139 - Close To My Heart Artbooking
• Heart Paw Print - #M4130AD - Close To My Heart Artistry
• Woof - #M2F3AB - Animal Kingdom
• Bird Dog Circle - #M32A1E - Paper Pups
• Bone - #M3B5AC - Disney Mickey Font

Following the guide in the Artbooking cartridge book, I sized the two scrapbook layouts at 11".  To keep the photo sizes standard you must keep to the specified dimensions.  I adjusted all of the other elements to fit on the page to make it aesthetically pleasing.  I layered the scrapbook layouts and embellishments onto white cardstock.  

I embossed the words "Faithful Friend" from the Faithful Friend stamp set with Ranger White Super Fine Embossing Powder and my heat gun.  On the right layout the large photo didn't fit in the space so I used a piece of Almond cardstock to fill in the gap.  Then I stamped a sentiment from the Faithful Friend stamp set on the Almond space.  I used one of the leftover hearts that were cut out of the banner to embellish that space as well.  I also stamped a sentiment from the Faithful Friend stamp set onto the dog bone.  I used 3D Foam Tape to raise up the bone and the two Woof's.  I had to cut the tape down the middle to be narrow enough to fit on the Woof's.  I put both of the dogs together and cut the tails down to look more like my dogs' tails.  I used the Dual Action Glue Pen to adhere the dogs, the buddies embellishment, the Bird dog embellishment and the banner.  

I used Tombow Permanent Adhesive to adhere the layouts to the white cardstock and the photos to the back of the layout.  The 4" X 6" photos were much bigger than the spaces for them so I lined each photo up behind the layout, placed the cutout from the layout back in the space and carefully removed the photo and the cutout.  I took large scissors and cut the photo about 1/4" around the cutout.  This allowed the photo to be cut down but gave 1/4" to put the tape to adhere it to the back of the layout. 

My preference in scrapbooks is a D ring album.  It's easier to add photos to it than the strap hinge or post bound albums.  

It took less than 2 hours from start to finish to make this two page layout.  That might seem like a lot of time to someone but I like all of my embellishments to match or accentuate my photos.  I feel like it makes the page more meaningful.  

To watch a video follow the link below:

https://youtu.be/Qce0vuM0_Rw

To purchase products click on the links below:

Cricut Artbooking Collection

Faithful Friend Stamp Set

Black Cardstock

White Cardstock

Ruby Cardstock

Almond Cardstock

Ruby Ink

Versa Mark Ink Pad

Ranger White Super Fine Embossing Powder

3D Foam Tape

Dual Action Glue Pen

Tombow Permanent Adhesive

12" X 12" D Ring Album - Black

Top Load Protectors

Paper Flower Sconces

I've had these sconces laying around for several years since my daughter got married.  They held fresh flowers and we hung them in the sanctuary of the church.  Recently I painted my living room a creamy yellow color and my husband hung our large TV on the wall.  I had nothing else to adorn the wall with but thought these sconces would be just the thing.
Using my Cricut, Design Space and the Flower Market Cartridge, I made beautiful paper flowers to fill the sconces.
After logging into Cricut Design Space I selected New Project then Images.  In the right corner I selected Cartridges and typed in Flower Market.  The flowers I needed were at the top.  They were the Daisy (#MFADCF2) and the Chrysanthemum (#MFADEB0).  Then I found a leaf (#MD43189) and a branch (#MD72D3B).   Once I made my selections and brought them onto the Design Space mat, I needed to resize them and change their colors.  I left the flowers the size they were which was a little over 3".  I resized the leaf to be 2" X 2.5" and the branch to be 5.5" X 3".  For each sconce I needed 6 branches for a total of 12 and I made a total of 12 leaves as well.  The flowers were not in order from largest to smallest and the colors were so close, that I had trouble differentiating between them.  In my video I struggled to re color them.  In hind sight I would ungroup all of the flowers and put each kind of flower in order from largest to smallest and change the colors in Design Space to really represent the colors of paper I actually used.  I cut corners to save time and left the flowers the color they were in Flower Market and it was probably a little confusing.  But you know about hind sight.  So if you're trying to make these flowers using CTMH paper, remember that the back side is now a different hue than the front.  So you can cut flowers from the same card stock but flip one over to get a different shade of the same color.  It's terrific!!!  I ended up using 4 different red card stocks and 3 different yellows and was able to flip most of them over to get more dimension in my colors. One of my card stock's was from the old line that was the same color, front and back.  In the end it didn't matter much.  You don't see the individual colors but you do see the highlights and shadows from the different papers I used.
So when you're in Design Space and you put the flowers in order from largest to smallest, make the largest two mum layers the lightest red to cut from Smoothie, then the next two mum layers that are smaller, a darker red for the Poppy flowers, then the next two flowers that are smaller, a darker red for the Cranberry Flowers and the last flower in the darkest red for the Ruby flowers.  Do the same for the yellow flowers: put them in order from largest to smallest and make the largest two flowers a light yellow for the Canary flowers, the next two smaller flowers, a little darker yellow for the Saffron flowers and the last two smallest flowers, a dark yellow for the Goldrush flowers.  Then when you go to cut them out you will just flip every other flower over so you will have the variation in color.  Again, I think I did this in reverse order by making the largest flowers the darkest but really if you look at a real flower, the inside of the flower would be the darkest part because it is in the flower and would be shaded by the outer petals.
Once you cut out the flowers, lay them out in order.  Being organized will take away any doubts you have when you start gluing them together,  I made rows for each flower and arranged them from largest to smallest and flipped flowers over to alternate colors.
Next I took a paper scoring stylus and curled the leaves toward me to make little flower cups.  I went down the line and curled the flowers largest to smallest.  You could also use a bone folder to curl the flowers.
Next I glued the layers together using Liquid Glass.  You could use hot glue.  The liquid glass dried very quickly and was easy to use.
I placed a Gold Glitter Gem in each of the Daisies and I put a white Enamel Gem in the Mums.
I punched out 1" circles of coordinating card stock from the scraps of the flowers for each flower for the back.  Then I took a floral wire and dabbed some Liquid Glass on the back of each flower and placed the floral wire in it and placed the punched circle over it.  I held it in place for 30 seconds or so and it held beautifully.
I glued three branches together on top of each other to make a sturdier branch.  I used the Dual Action Glue Pen to do this because when it dries it is not shiny so if I got a little messy it would not be a big deal.  I like the texture of this glue.  It goes on very thin but has a very good hold.
I folded about 1/8" on the long edge of each leaf and ran some liquid glass glue in the fold and wrapped the folded part of the leaf around the floral wire stem.  Since I used double sided paper I alternated the side of the leaf I used and also alternated putting the leaf on the left and right side of the stem, making sure the fold was to the back.
I cut some floral foam and wedged it down into the sconce.  It was such a tight fit so I didn't bother to hot glue it in.
To arrange my flowers I made a a triangle with the yellow flowers placing one straight in and the other two on the left and right forming a visual triangle.  Then I placed the red flowers in a triangle as well with one at the bottom of the arrangement just above the lip of the sconce and the other two to the left and right of the yellow flower in the center and slightly lower.  The thing I strive for is balance and visual appeal.
I poked two of the branches that I had glued together on the left and the right in the center but spraying outward, again in a visually pleasing way, filling in the gap.
I had a bunch of yellow, fall flowers that I had bought years ago and never had a purpose for them and I thought they would add some fullness to the arrangement.  When making a flower arrangement I will cut apart or pull apart the bunches to utilize individual stems of flowers.  This is what I did.  I was able to use 3 small bunches of the filler flowers to fill in gaps in the arrangement and a couple of tall sprays to give the arrangement some added height.
This project took several hours to complete but was worth it as the arrangements are beautiful and when I look at it I am filled with pride as I made it myself.  And that feels good.
You can purchase the Cartridge and papers from my website.  I will list links to the supplies below.

Cricut Flower Market Collection
Ruby Card Stock
Cranberry Card Stock
Poppy Card Stock
Smoothie Card Stock
Goldrush Card Stock
Saffron Card Stock
Canary Card Stock
Fern Card Stock
Canary Ink
Liquid Glass
Dual Action Glue Pen
Gold Glitter Gems
Enamel Gems - Gray

This is one of the cutest cards I've ever made.  I don't even know who I'd give it to other than my husband but I thought the words "Falling For You" were punny since you fell lumber.  This stamp set will be unavailable in just a few days so I'm getting in one last post with it.  I'll have the ability to use mine forever but if you don't get it while its available you won't be able to say the same.

To make this card I cut a piece of Glacier Cardstock 11" X 4 1/4" and folded it in half to make a top folding card.  Then I cut a piece of Sweet Leaf 4 1/4" X 2 1/2" and adhered the green piece to the bottom of the card with Tombow Permanent Adhesive.

I had previously cut the tree trunk out of Espresso and Nutmeg Cardstock using the Cricut Artistry Collection.  The image was #M412920.  I inked up the edge of the top layer of the trunk with Espresso ink and a wedge cut from a sponge.  I adhered the two layers of the tree trunk with the Dual Action Glue Pen.  I also cut the Mountain Border, #M418C1C from the same cartridge of Heather Cardstock.  I used Post It notes, Pewter ink and Sponge Daubers to add the details to the mountains.  I used the Chalk Marker and flicked on the highlights on top of the mountains.  I glued the mountains just above the green cardstock using the Dual Action Glue Pen.

Then I adhered 3/8" 3D Foam Tape to the back of the tree trunk and placed it toward the left side of the card in the green "grass".

I took a scrap of Watercolor paper and using Archival Black Ink, I stamped Jack which came from the Jack-Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cuts which is in the Seasonal Expressions catalog - good through the end of August 2017.  I used Watercolor paints to color Jack.  Using a Water Brush and the flesh color, I painted his skin and then added a little pink to his cheeks.  I used the dark red color to paint his shirt.  Using the coordinating die, I cut out Jack using my Cuttlebug.  I glued him above the tree trunk using the Dual Action Glue Pen.

Using the left over scrap from the watercolor paper, I stamped with the Archival Black Ink, the Axe from the Jack - Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cut.  I used the watercolors and the water brush to color it in.  I used brown and grey.  I fussy cut the axe using my Micro-Tip Scissors.  I put some glue, using the Dual Action Glue Pen, to the top, middle and bottom and I adhered the axe to the ground and the stump as if it were leaning against it.

I had a cloud die that I can't even tell you where it came from and I cut it out using a scrap of White Cardstock.  Then I stamped the words "Falling For You" from the Sending Smiles stamp set.  That set came with the Cricut Flower Market Bundle.  I used a piece of 1/4" 3D Foam Tape to adhere the cloud to the sky.

Masculine cards are hard to design, so the Jack stamp set will get used a lot in the future for the men in my life.  I also used this set for a scrapbook layout and a Memorydex card.

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=6zLXCk9Bctg

Annual Inspirations

Glacier Cardstock X5978
Sweet Leaf Cardstock X5980
Tombow Permanent Adhesive Z3326
Espresso Cardstock X5951
Nutmeg Cardstock X5952
Cricut Artistry Collection Z3167
Sponge Z697
Espresso Ink Z2829
Dual Action Glue Pen Z553
Heather Cardstock X5948
Pewter Ink Z2832
Sponge Daubers Z726
Chalk Marker Z1767
3D Foam Tape Z1151
Watercolor Paper Z3146
Archival Black Ink Z3271
Water Brush - Small Round Z3224
Watercolor Paints Z3132
Flower Market Bundle (Sending Smiles stamp set) Z3285
Micro-Tip Scissors Z534

Seasonal Expressions

Jack - Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cuts Z3339

Falling For You - Cardmaking

It would be hard for me to decide if Fall or Winter were my favorite seasons.  We have less than one month before it's officially Fall but getting the new Seasonal Expressions catalog makes it feel like Fall is already here.  And with the new Seasonal Expressions catalog I get to enjoy both Fall and Winter right now!

The project featured in this post was made from the Falling for You - Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cut.  The color pallet I used is classic fall colors including Toffee, Goldrush, Cranberry and New England Ivy.   The splashes of gold brighten the card and give it a touch of elegance.

I cut a top folding card base from Toffee Cardstock (X5950) measuring 11" X 4 1/4" and folded at 5 1/2".  

I cut a panel of Cranberry Cardstock (X5975) 2" X 5 1/2" and splattered it with the Gold Shimmer Brush (Z3316) by tapping the brush against my scissors onto the cardstock from about 4-6" away.  

Then I took a scrap piece of Black Cardstock (1386) and cut it 2 3/8" X 5 1/2".  Then I rubbed the edges against my VersaMark Ink Pad (Z891) to cover the edges about 1/4" along the full length of each side of it.  I sprinkled Ranger Princess Gold Embossing Powder (Z2066) over the ink and heated it with a heat gun until the embossing powder melted and was shiny.  Black cardstock wouldn't necessarily have to be used for this layer but I had a scrap handy.  If you find gaps that didn't cover, you can re-ink and sprinkle more embossing powder over it until you get the coverage you like.

I centered the splattered Cranberry Cardstock onto the gold embossed black cardstock and adhered them with Tombow Permanent Adhesive (Z3326).  Using the Tombow adhesive I adhered this panel to the card front, off center toward the left side of the card.  I like the Tombow line of adhesives because they are very tacky and stay adhered a very long time.  

From the Falling For You stamp set I mounted several of the leaves onto acrylic blocks (Y1003 & Y1006 the 2" X 2" and 3" X 3" blocks) and stamped them in VersaMark ink onto Goldrush (X5962)

and New England Ivy (X5959) cardstock.  I used one large leaf and two smaller leaves on the Goldrush cardstock while I stamped two long buds and one small leaf onto the New England Ivy Cardstock.  I covered the impressions with the Gold Embossing Powder after each image was stamped and then heated them with a heat gun until the powder was melted and shiny.

I cut out the leaves using the coordinating dies which come in the stamp plus thin cut bundle and my Cuttlebug die cutting machine.

I glued the leaves down using my Dual Action Glue Pen (Z553).

I stamped the message "So Thankful For Your Help" onto a Toffee Cardstock scrap and cut it to fit onto the panel - 1" X 2".  I mounted the small panel onto 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151) and adhered it to the card under the leaves while covering the stems.

I left the inside of the card blank where you would write a note to the recipient.

This card would be great to send to someone who lent you a hand to show your appreciation.  My card was inspired by fall and the beautiful colors but you could use two colors of green for the leaves and mount it on a different colored card stock and use it year round.  Thankfulness never goes out of season.

Jack Memorydex Cards

This is the front and back of a Memorydex card I made.  When I make them I try to make two exactly alike and I use one in a swap.  Its fun to flip through the Rolodex-type file holder and see bits of creativity.  Sending and receiving these is so much fun!!  It's like making a card for someone and having the ability to continue to enjoy it.

This month I'm using supplies from the Close To My Heart Seasonal Expressions catalog that will be expiring at the end of August 2017.

I cut the backgrounds out of patterned paper from the Jack Paper Pack (X7222B) using my Cuttlebug and the Heidi Swapp Memorydex dies.  I like to adhere two pieces of paper together to make the card stronger.  I also reinforced the bottom by cutting decorative paper from the pack and/or the zip strip from the patterned paper and punched the holes with a Heidi Swapp punch I own and adhered the strips to the edge with the holes.  I don't have any reference numbers for the Heidi Swapp items and am not sure about their availability.  Cut files can be found on Etsy to cut these out with the Cricut as well.  I'd like to point out that when you glue the two pieces together, you need to make sure they face the direction you want to see when the card is flipped over.  In the case of the plaid paper, it doesn't really matter, but with the paper with the trees, you wouldn't want the trees to be upside down.  This needs to be thought through before you cut them out with the dies or Cricut.  

To decorate the cards I used pieces from the Jack Compliments (X7222C) and the stamp sets Jack Card Making (C1678) and Jack Scrapbooking (Z3339).  While I used the dies to cut out most of my stamped images, I fussy cut the ax for the bear to hold.  I used the Basic Banners die (Z3345) to cut out the words on the bear card which was part of the paper pack.  I purchased the Workshop Your Way - Jack Scrapbooking Kit (G1129) which included the paper, Compliments, some dots, string and several pieces of solid colored cardstock that coordinates with the paper pack.  The stamps and dies are not part of the kit and must be purchased separately.

If you are interested in these items you need to hurry as they are only available through the end of August 2017.  You may purchase them at my website:

https://laurahenry.closetomyheart.com/

Jack - Happy Birthday Handsome

This is the outside and inside of another card I made using my Cricut and products from Close To My Heart.  The card base was one purchased a long time ago in a dollar section of a store.  It could easily be recreated by running a die along the bottom edge of a card front or cutting the card in Cricut Design Space.  To decorate the card front I used the Cricut Artistry Collection (Z3167) in Cricut Design Space to make the wood round, round circle, vellum heart and arrow.  I sized the large circle cut from Nutmeg cardstock (X5952) at 4" and made the wood round slightly smaller to fit within the larger circle.  The wood round was cut out of Espresso cardstock (X5951).  I sized the arrow to be slightly smaller than the large circle and cut it out of Black cardstock (1386).  The heart was cut from Vellum Paper (Z3367) and inked using a wedge cut from a Sponge (Z697) and Ruby ink (Z2870).  I inked the wood round using Espresso ink (Z2829) and a cotton swab.  I inked the outer edge of the large circle using Black ink (Z2805) and a Sponge wedge.  I cut my sponge which comes circular into 8 wedges.  It was very easy to distress the edges with ink using circular motions with the sponge with ink dabbed on it.  I did this over a scrap piece of paper and re-inked the sponge frequently.  I cut out Happy Birthday using the Happy Birthday die (Z3304).  I couldn't find that die in any current catalog but currently it is available on the website.  I don't know how long it will be available.  I used the Dual Action Glue Pen (Z553) to adhere everything onto the card front.  To make the scallop on the card stand out, I cut a piece of paper 1" X 5" which fits the card and adhere it to the inside bottom edge of the card.  I believe I used Tombow Permanent Adhesive to adhere the piece of cardstock as well as the wood circle to the card.  I didn't want any warping and didn't want it to pull away over time although I have not had any issues with this glue doing that.
On the inside of the card I stamped Jack using the Jack-Scrapbooking Stamp & Thincuts (Z3339) which comes from the Seasonal Expressions Catalog which will be expiring at the end of August 2017.  This is a set which includes both the stamp set and the dies.  The stamp set can be purchased without the dies (D1723).  I colored the image in with ShinHan Touch Twin Markers, Light Orange (Z2455) for his skin and Carmine (Z2448) for his shirt.  These markers may be purchased individually or can be purchased as a set for a small savings and they come in a very nice organizer that rolls up and snaps closed.  To complete the card I stamped "Handsome" next to Jack.  That stamp is part of the Jack - Scrapbooking stamp set as well.  I mounted it on the My Acrylix Blocks (Y1002) which is 1" X 3.5".

To purchase these supplies please visit my website at:
laurahenry.closetomyheart.com

Jack Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cuts

I made this card using the Jack Scrapbooking Stamp + Thin Cuts (Z3339) found in the Close to my Heart Seasonal Expressions catalog May-August 2017, the Cricut Flower Market Collection (Z3285) and the stamp set This & That (C1667) from the Close to my Heart Annual Inspirations August 2017-July 2018.  
The card base is one half of an 8 1/2 X 11" piece of white card stock cut in half and folded down the center to make a card front that is 4 1/4 X 5 1/2".  Then I cut a piece of Ruby Card Stock (X5965) 4 1/8" X 5 3/8".  The top layer is a piece of Daisy White Card Stock (1385) which I printed and cut using Cricut Design space, my printer and my Cricut Explore.  
To make the background I made a rectangle from Basic Shapes in Design Space measuring 4" X 5 1/4" and made it white.  I selected Be Strong (#MD4236A), Pine Tree (#MD67927) and Pine Tree (#MD6794B).  I sized the two pine trees to fit on the card front.  I selected the two trees and the rectangle and I flattened them to make it a print and cut.  Then I removed the second layer of Be Strong that just said "Strong" and I changed the remaining "Be Strong" to black and sized it to fit at the top of the page allowing for Jack to fit in the bottom right corner.
Next a used a piece of white Watercolor Paper (Z3146) to stamp Jack.  I used Archival Black Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad (Z3271) to stamp Jack.  To color his shirt, I smashed the lid tight to the Ruby stamp pad (Z2870) to put some ink in the lid, opened the lid and used a Waterbrush - Small Round (Z3224), filled with water, to pick up some ink from the lid.  I colored every other check on the shirt as well as the pocket, collar, cuff and button part with the ruby ink.
Next I stamped the top part of his arm where I wanted the tattoo, onto a post it note.  I cut it out just where the muscle is and placed the mask above his muscle.  I stamped half of the small heart from the Jack stamp set, sideways onto Jack's arm and colored it in with the ruby ink and a water brush.
To color in Jack's skin, I used the Autumn Terracotta Watercolor Pencil from the Secondary Colors set (3505).  I roughly colored all skin parts.  I filled those portions in with the water brush until it was smooth.  I lightly touched the ruby ink from the lid and put a small amount on Jack's cheeks and blotted it with a paper towel to soften the look.  
I used the die from the Thin Cuts that goes with Jack and cut him out using my Cuttlebug, which is available at a reduced price as a Hostess Reward for hosting a party (HB1067).  I attached 3-D Foam Tape (Z1151) to the back of Jack, peeled off the backing and attached him to the front of my card.  
I adhered the front of the card to the piece of ruby card stock and adhered them both the the card base.  
I mounted "you've got" and "this" from the This & That stamp set onto an acrylic block and stamped the phrase inside the card in the Archival Black Ink.  
This card would be a very good masculine encouragement card.
To purchase any of the supplies to make this card you may visit my website through Close to My Heart.  I would appreciate your business very much.

https://laurahenry.closetomyheart.com

I am an avid YouTube watcher.  I think you can learn how to do just about anything on YouTube.  I have been watching for two years and am fascinated by the people who give their time to create videos and share their crafts and themselves with anyone who chooses to watch.  I like to craft and I like to talk so I'm going to give it a shot.  I'd also like to sell a product that I believe in to help support my craft addiction.  I purchase a wide variety of products from a variety of places.  I'm no snob.  But in order to to earn a little money to pay for my crafts I will primarily be demonstrating products from Close to My Heart.
I'm new to this media so I am praying for mercy from people who may happen upon my videos.  From reading other people's posts, people can be quite hurtful.  I'm a bit of a sensitive person so I hope I'm tough enough for this.  I can take constructive criticism but there is no need for people to hurt other people intentionally.
The questions I'm asking myself are: Do I need a Blog? Do I need a website? Do I need a logo? Do I need a separate Facebook page?  It's so daunting.  Where does one start?  So I'm jumping in with a blog and later I'll try to post a link to my Close to My Heart and a video.  We'll see if this middle aged woman can learn how to do this.