Happy Mother's Day

With this most important day just around the corner I thought I'd share the cards I've made for my mom's. I used the stampset Grown with love, A little Everything, and Sans alphabet from Close To My Heart. The baber is from Twitterpatted and caboodle. I hope you have a very speical mother's day!

Christmas Cards- with Mistletoe

So it's been a while since I last posted. Sorry and shame on me. But on a good note I have something new to show you. I created a Christmas Card workshop for some local ladies. We used the Mistletoe Creative Basics (page 88) and A Timber stamp set ($7.95). They are beautiful!! Yes, I'm humble can you tell. Everything is CTMH. If you'd like a copy of the workshop email me, and if you'd like to order the supplies log on to my website.
These cards were created using patterns from Jeanette Lynton's Wishes and my Originals. And the first card was inspired by another CTMH consultant.

Clear Card

Here's a sneak peek at one of the new stampsets from the new Close To My Heart products coming out this fall. I have wanted to play with the clear cards for a while and when I saw this new Party Pennants set I knew it would be perfect with our retired special Key To My Heart set. CTMH offers so many great specials if you like this retired one you'll love the next one. I'll be posting details soon.

Clear cards are unique in the challenge that they create with the clear surface. A great trick on the clear cards is to use the Liquid Glass to adhere your paper and embellishments so that you have a clear finish.

Back from Convention!!

Yeah it's so nice to be home and in pajamas all day. Don't get me wrong, I had an awesome time and have become so re-inspired. I can't wait for the faucet of creative juices to get to flow freely. Right now I'm still in the unpack and clean up mode. However, I wanted to share with you the swap cards I made. Swapping in case you may not know is where you create cards and trade them with others. All of the patterns are from Wishes or Originals by Jeanette Lynton, unless otherwise noted. All supplies are from Close To My Heart. I used patterns to make these easy to duplicate.
This "Hello" card is from the Zippidee paper pack, and uses the Spring Time stamp set as well as For Every Occasion for Hello.

This was my most popular swapped item. The pattern is from the Oct. 2009 issue of Cards by Kim Schofield. I think it's perfect for CTMH's Topstitch paper. The Sentiments is from Card Chatter-Thank You. You Rock is one of my favorite CTMH paper packs. I added the Just Like You stamp set and used the Masking Technique. This following card still uses the You Rock B&T but I added sweet leaf cardstock and stamped the flower in Baby Pink from the A Posy Stamp set.

Well that's all for now. I must get out of these PJ and shower (tmi I know) before DH realizes that DW is a slump-a-dinka. TaTa.

Happy Daddy Day

Here's a lift from this week's Color Me Monday from http://www.jeanettelynton.com/

I loved how she created a masculine card with the You Rock Stamp set and the current Stamp of the month. I used You Rock and Ticket to Ride to get the same effect, but I threw in some Outdoor Denim cardstock.

A little of everything

Stamps of the Month from Close To My Heart are awesome and the March one especially. Here's a card I made using it along with the retired Key To My Heart special campaign paper and the exclusive stampset that came with the Topstitch workshop on the go.

Spring time

It was love at first sight with the new Springtime stampset from Close To My Heart. I have been wanting to use it since I got it, but here's my first crafty item completed with it. Everything is CTMH. The paper is from the Caboodle Level 2 kit leftover from the Workshop On The Go. The Flowers are clear button, and the rays of the sun are cut up sorbet ric rac ribbon. The stampsets used are Springtime, the Clouds and rain drops are from Childhood, the puddle is from Worlds Best Dad (past stamp of the month), Rain is stamped using Elegant Script.

Felicity thank you card

It's great when you can use scraps to create something unique. This card uses the special Felicity paper from CTMH. It was the national scrap booking month special paper pack. I had cut a tree out this paper and used it on another card. I loved out the negative image look and knew it would look great with some cocoa cardstock behind it. Have a great weekend.

Love Card with Caboodle

Here's the V-day card I made for my sweetie and gave to him on V-day. Yes, I'm posting this a bit late but I still wanted to share it with you. It's a little non-traditional. I used the Close To My Heart Caboodle level 2 paper pack and the die cuts from a past CTMH promotion. All you see here is CTMH.

Faux Metallic

I was honored to demo a Faux Metallic technique I created using our incredibly versatile Create a shade Paint. Here is the card and the instructions below.

Faux Metallic Look
w/ Close To My Heart Create a Shade Pearl Paint

Give your projects an easy to create faux metallic look

Supplies:
-White Daisy Cardstock
-Create-a-shade paint
-Paint brush
-CTMH Double Stamp Set & appropriate blocks
-Transparency Sheet
-Black Stazon
-CTMH Ink color of choice (darker colors work best)

Instructions:
-Stamp your base image on White Daisy Cardstock
-Stamp your overlay image with Stazon on to the transparency sheet
-Cut transparency image out
-Paint a thin layer of create-a-shade paint on top of base image
-Lay transparency on top of base image while paint is still wet
-Cut base image out and adhere to project

All products are CTMH. Paper used is Bella Level 2, Stamp set used is Aspiration & Somethin' Special. The card pattern is Center Circles from Wishes.

Thank you, Mom!

My sweet mom made these beautiful dish towels for me. She gave me two and then I discovered two in random places around the house. And just yesterday she gave me a 5th. It's just like her to be so thoughtful and loving.

As a thank you I made this card using Treasures and Card Chatter stamp sets. Everything but the ribbon is CTMH. The ribbon is from Adornments (it's very old, I bought it when I first started scrapbooking)

Tweet Cards

I've been feeling a little crafty lately and here's a few things I've turned out...

The top two cards are from the ever tasty Felicity Paper Kit from Close To My Heart. It's a special kit that you can earn free or purchase out right. But the time is limited, it ends Sunday. The card pattern from the round card can be found in the ever helpful "Wishes" book from Jeanette Lynton. It's called Merry Go Round. The second card uses a Cricut Cartridge for the tree and scallops. The colors are bamboo, twilight, cocoa, and sorbet. The branch and heart leaves came from the exclusive stamp set included in the CTMH Twitterpatted Workshop on the Go.

I made these cards for each of my current club members as thank you for being such fun and faithful members. I left them blank so they could use them & pass on the joy. The paper is from Notebook, the colors are black, crystal blue, bamboo, and hollyhock. Everything on all cards is CTMH. The Flower stamp set is the exclusive set that came with the Sweet Home Work Shop on the Go. The T is a Circut cut letter, and the Thanks came from Thoughtful Seasons.

I still have room for you if you would like to join my 2010 Hostess Rewards Club.

The details can be found here. You do not have to live here to get in on the awesome deals and inspiring projects.

Email me if you have questions.

Gift of Cards

This is actually a set of 8 cards I created after being inspired by the always lovely Lisa Steinz a fellow CTMH'er. I gave this set as a Christmas gift. The photos are AWFUL! Hopefully you can get the idea any way. The Ink's and stamps as well as white paper are CTMH.

The stamps are Treasures, and Treasure Life.

16 cards from Wishes

Just a quick post before heading to bed. This is a super simple workshop from Jeanette Lynton's newest book called Wishes. It's a great resource for cards. It's got step by step directions for each card along with lots of variety of the same sketch. This set I created using Emporium and a variety of CTMH stamps (too many to list, you can email me if you'd like to know about a particular one). I kept this simple due to time issues (such as not having much of it). This workshop makes 16 cards 2 of 8 designs.

You can find this workshop on page 111.

Christmas Card Workshop

Designs and photo are CTMH www.closetomyheart.com

Love the look of handmade personal Christmas cards but don’t feel like you have the time? Get an early jump start on your holiday greetings with this 2 hour workshop. You will create 12 beautiful yet deceptively easy (meaning no creative talent needed) Christmas Cards to send to your loved ones. What’s the cost? $15 dollars and you get: great time with fun gals, snacks, 12 completed cards, (see Merry & Bright on page 52) accented with cranberry grosgrain ribbon, and cranberry brads. RSVP by Oct. 1st please so that I have time to place the order and get all of the supplies.

When:
Friday Oct: 10, 2008:
6:30 to 8:30pm

Where:
My place. Call for directions

RSVP by:
Oct. 1, 2008
251-661-9550

Cost:
$15.00

Just Because!!

You could WIN $1,000 In CTMH Products & Earn this beautiful Card Kit FREE!!! Close To My Heart is featuring an exclusive and really fabulous Just Because card kit in honor of National Stamping Month, and you can get it free, or greatly discounted.

The Just Because card kit will make 16 beautiful cards and includes
-A D-size My Acrylix® Just Because stamp set
-Designer ribbon and Sparkles
-Two Exclusive Inks™ mini stamp pads
-Cardstock and B&T Duos™ papers
-A magnetic-closure designer box
-Step-by-step instructions for making these stunning cards
-Kit colors: Chocolate, Colonial White, and our new Tulip color.

Beginning Aug. 14, - Sept. 30 you can purchase the Just Because card kit for $34.95, or if you make a purchase of CTMH products with the minimum of $75 you can receive the kit for $15.00, or you can get it free as well as the Stamp of the month free with the minimum purchase of $125. That's $57.90 free!!!

To enter for a chance to win $1,000 in CTMH products, begining Aug. 14th, you can log onto http://www.closetomyheart.com/ Just fill out the entry form and you're entered to win!

With this kit you will not be intimidated, instead you'll be amazed at just how easy it is to create 16 beautiful cards with the easy step by step instructions and photographs. Your friends will be so pleased when they receive a hand made card created by you. If you would like to see move of this kit or would like to order one please contact me.

Photos and cards by Lourae Minor

Let The Creativity Begin

I am so excited; I can feel the creativity pumping through my veins! I am starting this blog as a way to share with you ideas, tips, new techniques, and great new innovate products that will help your own creativity flow. Here you'll find semi-weekly blogs concerning scrapbooking, card making, creative gifts, photography tips, and much more. I am going to keep this introduction short. I don't know if you are like me but I don't have a lot of time to read all that I'd like, so I appreciate brevity and great new ideas that are to the point. So that's just what you'll find here.

Let me know you've visited with a quick post.

Sincerely,
Leana Ott
Independent Consultant
with Close to My Heart