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.