Anything Goes..Holiday Style

I mentioned in my Dec 2 post that I created several different cards in multiples of six this year.  Well, this one takes the prize for taking the most patience and time. 

I cut this with a file from Complete Creativity, the newest Close to My Heart Digital Cricut Cartridge.  The file has all the components included.  You just need to cut everything out and assemble. I will warn you that the card size is 5 x 7.  Assembly was a little challenging.  I did find that a product called Dry Bond helped with the sentiment and Joseph and Mary.  I found it at Dick Blick the last time I bought it, but that was a few years ago.

So this is the last Heart to Heart Challenge of the year and a good time to tell you that I have decided to leave the team, at least for awhile.  However, I intend to keep this blog going, so please do check back now and then to see what I have been doing.  You may may even see me linking up to H2H and maybe some other challenges.

Thanks for being with me--

Merry Christmas,
Sue

All About Cricut!

This week at Heart 2 Heart we are challenging you to use your Cricut to create a paper crafting project.  With our smallest grandchildren heading back to school, I turned to the Close to My Heart Artbooking Cricut Collection for my First Day project. 

Design credit goes to Lisa Hidy

So while I sort of went with the primary color theme often seen with school layouts, I added some twists.  I like to mix prints; I like a little texture;  and I am ecstatic when I can use up scraps.  So here you can see the prints...the background paper and the Julep print from the Mix-In pack from the new Sept-Oct catalog and the Cranberry print from a long retired Fundamentals pack.  For texture, I embossed the retired Honey with the Word Find embossing folder (hard to see in the picture).  The blue Cricut cuts were cut from Sapphire cardstock.

I am waiting for my son to send me pictures and then I will have to decide which cutie will be featured on this layout!

Close to My Heart has created a new partnership with Provo Craft Cricut.  You are now able to purchase Cricut files and supplies through my website.  If you have Design Space/Cricut Access, all the CTMH cutting files except the newest collection being released this month, are already there!  If this interests you, please contact me and I will walk you through the process.

As you read this, I will just have arrived home from an Eastern European trip!  Oh, the scrapping I will have ahead of me!  Can't wait!

Please check out Heart 2 Heart Challenges for more Cricut inspiration.

Til next time,

Sue

For the Love of Color!

Yes, I love color, expecially in my paper crafting.  So I am excited to post this layout featuring the CTMH colors, Peacock, Carolina and Sage with Mink, Saffron and Sorbet thrown in.

Design credit to Close to My Heart
Make it From Your Heart, Vol 3, Pattern 20
Color inspiration from Love of Color from CTMH

Think about it...color is everywhere.  When you see a picture in a magazine that pleases you, take a look at it.  What are the main colors and how can you create a card or layout using these colors?  You can also find inspiration in scrapooking and card magazines and of course, Pinterest.  If you follow me, take a look at my board, Color Palettes that Please Me. If you enjoy reference books, consider purchasing Love of Color from Close to My Heart. So many possibilities!

Love of Color is the theme for this week's Heart 2 Heart Challenges Click here to see what the Design Team has for you.  I hope you will be inspired to create something colorful!

Until later,

Sue

Cuteness Overload!

I can hardly wait to see the projects that are submitted for this week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge, Cuteness Overload.  For my project, I decided on making this slider card. The cuteness of this card is the design itself and the sliding mechanism that exposes more of the sentiment.

The technique for this slider card was taught to me by my friend and upline, Pam.  She, in turn, was inspired by this YouTube tutorial from Dawn Griffith:  Slider Birthday Card

All the supplies for my card are from Close to My Heart.  This patterned paper is from the retired Stargazer packet.  The last I looked, there was still some bulk paper (12 sheets of the same double-sided paper) left in the Clearance section on my website.

Do any of you use a Cricut and its Design Space?  Well, after I studied the card that I completed at Pam's, I decided that it was all done with basic shapes and that I could probably design a cutting file. Yay...it worked!  I do want to share the file with you, but keep in mind that I have never done that before, so here's hoping it works!  Here goes...Slider Card cutting file.  Remember, you do need to be logged in to Design Space for this file to work.

The assembly instructions will be the same as on the tutorial, except, of course, you will skip punching and cutting the opening on the front.  For questions, feel free to contact me.

I hope you enjoy this fun project and that you will visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges Cuteness Overboard for more "cute" ideas.

Happy Crafting,
Sue

Heavy Metal!

Being the literal person that I am, I decided to interpret this week's theme for just what it is...metal.  I used gold and silver foil papers from CTMH as the foundation of this masculine card.

Sketch inspiration from Mojo Monday (how I miss that challenge)

Also used were Peacock, Black and White Daisy cardstock and patterned paper from my stash.  I cut the gears from files on the CTMH Artiste Cricut cartridge. The embossing was done with a folder borrowed from a friend.  The sentiment was from the Holiday Tags stamp set--long retired.

Planning this card took the most time.  Because it is hard to come up with masculine ideas and because I tend to be last minute, I went ahead and cut extra gears and embossed extra backgrounds.  Now it will be fast and easy to duplicate this card when I am faced with a "I need a card right now" moment!

I hope you are inspired to create your "metal" card.  Maybe you will do as I did or maybe you are a child of the 80's-90's and will be inspired to create with guitars and music notes. For even more inspiration, be sure to visit Heart 2 heart Challenges Heavy Metal. The beauty of all this is there is no wrong or right...just create and enjoy what you have done.

Talk with you soon--
Sue

Super Heros!

So who is your Super Hero?  This week at Heart 2 Heart Challenges, we are giving you a chance to celebrate that person with a card, layout, or other project.  I have a grandson with a birthday coming up, so I created a card for him.

Design credit to Close to My Heart

The supplies for this card are from Close to My Heart. The patterned papers are from the Stargazer packet.  I also used Cranberry and retired Honey cardstock.  The very cute "Super Hero" is a print and cut from Cricut Design Space and the title was a cut from the Artiste cartridge. The stars are retired CTMH.

It is time for a little self criticism. Now that the card is all done, I wish I had used one of our abstract paint splatter type stamps with some Mink or second generations Heather to add some interest to the background...it just looks too white!  However, the card is cute and will show our grandson just how special he is.

I hope you be inspired by this and the other projects at Heart 2 Heart to create a salute to your own Super Hero!

Happy Crafting,
Sue

Cut it Out!

What is your favorite method of creating cut outs...Cutting machine, i.e. Cricut and Silhouette, Die cutting machines, i.e. Cuttlebug and Big Shot or how about old fashioned fussy cutting?  It makes no difference when it comes to Heart 2 Heart where we are challenging you to "Cut it Out"!

I chose to use my Cricut and a cutting file from You are Here, the newest cartridge from Close to My Heart. Because I wanted all the details on the cake to be defined, I made the card a little larger at 5" X 7".  Materials are White Daisy and the light side of Mink cardstock, White Glitter Paper and Bitty Sparkles.  The background was dry embossed with the Rose Embossing Folder and the ribbon is from my stash.

This was created for my nephew's wedding, but substituting different colors and patterned papers could make it work for a birthday or anniversary.  It is up to your imagination!

For more cutting ideas, please visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges Cut it Out!  Then, using at least one Close to My Heart product, cut your project and link it to our blog.  We will love seeing your creation!

Til later,
Sue

Workin!

Another month of the Scrapbook and Cards Today Online Class is in the books!  I was inspired by the sketch to create this layout about our 2018 Mission Trip to St. Augustine, FL.  Because it was such a successful and rewarding week, I decided to document it.

All the supplies are from Close to My Heart.  The patterned papers are from the retired Jack packet. The arrows and the title were cut on the Cricut.  I actually cut the title four times...one with patterned paper (this is from No Worries) and three times with White Daisy cardstock.  I glued all the layers together to create a title with dimension.  Yes, it was a little bit of a pain in the rear, but I love the results.  I hope you can see the dimension in this picture:

So are you inspired?  No Cricut to cut your letters?  You may want to consider the Thin Cuts Alphabet from Close to My Heart.  It is 25% off until the end of March!  Visit my website or contact me for ordering information.

Until next time...

Sue

Mad for Plaid!

Heart 2 Heart Challenges is celebrating plaid this week!  The paper I used for my card is from the retired Jack paper packet, but really, any plaid would work for this design.

I used a die from My Favorite Things to create the space for the sentiment. No die? No problem!  Just cut a nice curved line, separate the pieces and trim the top to fit your card. The sentiment was stamped with a stamp from The First Noel (CTMH)  The pine needles and snowflake were cut on the Cricut with Close to My Heart cartridges. I know the pine needles are from the Flower Market cartridge...not sure about the snowflake.

A simple enough card...selecting the Cricut cuts probably took longer than anything.  I hope you enjoy it!

For more plaid inspiration, be sure to visit Heart 2 Heart Challenges.  While there, why not link your plaid project?  A blog is not necessary...you can also link from Facebook or Pinterest! You have the entire month of October to do this...just remember to use at least one Close to My Heart product.

Click on this link:

Heart 2 Heart Challenges Mad about Plaid

Colors of the Sea

I thought of the sea when I saw this week's Color Dare Challenge and what says "the sea" like seashells?  It was fun using the Mojo Monday sketch and the stamps from Swirly Seashells C1664.  While there are Thin Cuts that coordinate with this stamp set, I chose to just fussy cut around them. (Truth is I was too lazy to get up and go to the other side of the room to use my die cutter!)  For these two shapes, cutting was easy...for more detailed shapes, the Thin Cuts are the way to go.

  

All products used are Close to My Heart. The circle and scalloped circle were cut on the Cricut. I planned on using black Shimmer Trim to satisfy the black requirement, but it just didn't look right and I used the white instead.  Much better!  I found some black Bitty Sparkles in my stash and they added just the right amount of black.  The clear Shimmer Pen was used to accent the shells.

This is a great sketch and color combination!  For more inspiration, please visit:

Color Dare #236--Pacifica, White Daisy, Black and Emerald

Mojo Monday 489

Dreamin' Big

I love color and it rather fascinates me how different colors look together.  When the 2017 Seasonal Expressions 1 was introduced, I immediately fell in love with the colors featured in the Dreamin' Big paper pack.  So when the Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge announced this week's challenge was using some or all of the 10 colors, I was just in hog heaven!

Design Credit to Kelly Holifield, Paper Sketches

I accomplished my goal of using all 10 colors by using a couple of the patterned papers as well as stamping tone on tone on the Sorbet cardstock.  I trimmed a zip strip in half and used it as a bottom border.  The most fun was creating the circles.  I stamped the actual circle with a stamp from Wheel of Life (D1545-retired) and then stamped and trimmed the quilt like pieces from the Chantilly WOTG stamp set (C1553-retired).  Each one is a different color. To break up the white, I masked the circles and used slightly thinned black acrylic paint to speckle the background. The title was done on the Cricut and the embellishments are from the Black and White Dots.  I argued with myself about adding more dots, but decided to leave well enough alone.

I need to be honest...I fussed over this one and it took more time than I really should be spending on a single layout. However, I am pleased with the results and am glad I challenged myself to expand my creativity.

For more great Dreamin' Big color combinations, please visit

Color Dare #235--Dreamin' Big Colors

Backstage!

I love scrapping my grandkids' activities...I am so proud of them! And I love the instruction books from Close To My Heart that make it so easy to create beautiful layouts! Everything is there for you...cutting directions, the layout design and a color picture to provide inspiration for your scrapbook pages.  This layout was inspired by the Backstage pattern found in Magic, one of several available books.

Visit my website for ordering information or give me a call!

More Urban!

Urban...my favorite masculine look paper in a long time.  Here is another layout using these awesome papers.  My grandson is a proud FFA member and I created this layout to document the awards night his Junior Year. I found my inspiration in Make It from Your Heart, Volume 2, one of the instruction books available from Close to My Heart.

The background is Colonial White card stock shaded with bamboo. The "ink splatters" are stamped with Whisper ink using the Ink Blot stamp set (D1660).  The gears are cut with the Artiste Cricut cartridge using Sapphire, Saffron and Slate card stock.  No Cricut? Try some circles or maybe hexagons. The FFA logo is stamped with a stamp I picked up at the state fair, but there are logos on the internet that could be printed and fussy cut for your personal use.  I cut the title on the Cricut. You could also stamp or print it.

I share projects for you to use as inspiration...never be afraid to venture out and make your artwork your own.

Chalk it Up Layout

This is the first layout that I have done with the Chalk it Up paper packet..  Some of the papers in this set have a chalkboard appearance, but this one is just fun and is perfect for my grandson's final day of  preschool last year.  I also used Lagoon, Flaxen, Smoothie and Black cardstock.  The title was done on the computer and the cutouts were done on the Cricut machine. 

Chalk it Up Paper Packet X7184B

Chalk it Up Complements X7184C

Chalk it Up Workshop on the Go G1081

Love, Love, Love!

Fun with Hearts!

I loved this card when I saw it on Pinterest (thanks Mary Gunn).

 

 I created the heart cut-outs on my computer for my Gazelle cutting machine and used the negative space backed with patterned paper.  This can also be done with the Art Philosophy cartridge from Close to My Heart and the Cricut Craft Room.  A heart punch will also work.  Again I turned to my scraps stash and created cards for several occasions. Common to all of them is Glimmer Trim, my favorite CTMH embellishment. 

 

 

Ideas for Christmas Layouts

Mini Keepsake Album

Good morning!  Sorry for my absence...I was on a vacation with my son's family and away from papercrafting!  Until I get my creative mojo going again, I hope you will enjoy this video showing ways to embellish the Kraft Pocket Album from CTMH.

Freedom!

Here are some wonderful ideas for your layouts celebrating our Freedom...just in time for Veterans's Day!  She also shows you how to adapt "Freedom" elements to create everyday pages.  Just another way Close to My Heart makes it so easy to create beautiful layouts!

Trim the Tree!

The inspiration for these cards was the card shown on page 12 of the Holiday Gift Guide. They feature the Sparkle and Shine paper packet and the Trim the Tree stamp set.  I changed them up a little bit, using silver shimmer tape instead of the hand stitching and red bling I found in my stash.  The card on the left uses the Sparkle Holiday Shapes for the bling on the trees, while the one on the right uses more economical Glitter Gel.  It gives the same look and will be easier to mail. The "Believe" was cut on the Cricut using the Artbooking cartridge.

Enjoy!