Warm Winter Wishes

This is my last post on Christmas Card Workshop that I participated in back in September. CTMH consultant Krista Hershberger designed this card using Magnifique paper, Lagoon cardstock and silver embossing. I love how she used the silver emboss on the ink distressing on the Lagoon cardstock - so simple but I never would have thought of it on my own! Lovely!

Snowman Christmas Card

\

This is an easy card to make with October's Stamp of the Month stamp set: Magic. A fellow consultant designed this for our Christmas Card Workshop back in September. Sherri used Mistletoe Level 2 paper to make this card and colored pencils to color in the snowman. I love how this is made with scraps!

My Favorite Product right now

After getting to play in my craft room a little bit this weekend, I came across a suggestion from the Corporate website for a card to make at Gatherings. I looked around and lo and behold! I actually had the stamp set they used in the template. I made about eight of these cards at one time and while I was working, I realized I made one different then what was suggested. Not a big deal and only obvious when they are all together but I like the added color in this card (I added the text in New England Ivy). I am thinking up different ways to use the rest of the stamp set and it has become my latest obsession: "The Present" stamp set from Close to My Heart.

Prince of Peace

Doris Beachy made a beautiful card from the Magnifique paper pack. The Lagoon cardstock at the top is dry embossed then sanded to show the white core of the paper. Mocha Opaques are used to add some dimension to the card. 

Hooligans Christmas

Who says you can't use Halloween paper to make a Christmas card?!

Brenda Rutt made this incredible design using the new paper pack Hooligans from Close to My Heart - can you even tell it's Halloween paper!?! Awesome design! I know she worked really hard on this (and had some help to finalize the design) but it turned out very well. The colors and the stamp set chosen remind me of Dr. Seuss! Is the Grinch waiting to steal the presents? Some of the purple Sparkles help to make the tree shine. The purple background was clear embossed then inked over with Gypsy ink.

Christmas Heart

This card design is really simple to make using scraps of miscellaneous Christmas colored paper. All of Close to My Hearts exclusive colors mix and match so well that even non-holiday specific paper designs can be used in a holiday specific card. The shaped brads are really flowers, but in White Daisy and a Christmas theme, they become snowflakes. Cute! The edges are distressed using scissors, exposing the white core of the cardstock and ink was used to distress the edges of everything else. This design is timeless!

"Magic" card

This is an interactive card from the new book "Magic". The darker green circle turns on the green brad to show sentiments (pictured) or photos. There are little Sparkles in the top ornament. This card was made by Nikki Hoffer for the Christmas Card Workshop in September. Only four designs down, lots more to go!

You Warm My Heart

This is the third card from the Christmas Card Workshop from a few weeks ago:

 My wonderful upline, Brenda Rutt, designed this card. The card base is CTMH's new circle cards. Brenda used the Magnifique paper pack and a few of the new Sparkles. The original design called for hand stitching on the light blue paper but after so many new techniques that day, my mind couldn't figure out how to thread the needle (my fault, not the designers!) so I used a chocolate marker and faked it.

Cardinal in Harmony

This is the second of many posts about Christmas cards. I participated in a Christmas Card Workshop with some fellow consultants a few weeks ago and I am finally getting around to posting the cards. All items are Close to My Heart.

This is a beautiful card Gennette Feagan designed using the Olivia paper pack. The white pointsettia is from the Mistletoe embellishment pack.

Christmas Card Workshop

A few weeks ago, I helped out some fellow CTMH consultants host a full day of making Christmas cards. What a day! I learned a lot of new techniques and had a crash course in teaching some of what I just learned! It was so exausting (in a good way!) and with getting my own workshops up and running, I am just now getting to scan and post all the cards we made that day. I will be posting a new one a day for the next two weeks (we made A LOT of cards!) so please keep checking back. Don't forget to Follow this Blog (check the right hand column) so that you know when I update. These cards are not my designs but all the goodies are Close to My Heart. Enjoy!

This card was designed by fellow consultant Darlene Zimmerman. She machine stitched the card in two places and used Fun Flock to make the snow fluffy. The paper is from the Mistletoe paper pack.

Olivia themed card

This is the card we will be doing at my Workshops through the fall. It is with CTMH's new Olivia papers and Nature's Gift stamp set. Super easy to make, this only took me 5 minutes to assemble and ink, even with a toddler sitting on my lap!  I borrowed the design from a fellow consultant and made it my own. Let me know if you'd like to make one of your own!

Autum Splendor card

This is a card I made from the new papers "Olivia" from CTMH. I have to check on which stamp set I used. I left the inside blank to personalize it when I decide to whom to send it. It was super easy to make with leftover scraps from designing scrapbook pages.

Quartet photo page

This is a layout I used from "Reflections", a layout design book from Close to my Heart. The paper kit and Stickease are from "Cutie Pie" (discontinued).

I ink distressed all the edges before assembling with "Brown Bag" ink pad.

Memorabilia Pocket

Memorabilia Pocket

This is a Close to My Heart design, "Cutie Pie" (discontinued), the page is from the Level 1 packet and the tab (on the bottom photo) is a Stickease that came with the packet. This was an easy design to feature both the invitations and programs as well as some photos from the day. This page took me about 10 minutes to assemble, which included the time to pick the photos.

Baby Baptism (12 x 12 Scrapbook page)

This is a Level 1 paper kit from Close to My Heart "Cutie Pie" (discontinued). This page took about 10 minutes to design and assemble, mostly due to finding the photos and deciding which embellishments to use.

The stamp in the upper right is CTMH but the ink is from Stampin' Up. The ribbon is from the craft store.

Welcome to Lavender Sage Designs!

Hi! Welcome to Lavender Sage Designs blog! A little about me:


I studied Fine Arts and computers at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown PA and after working in the business side of art for a few years, I married and settled down. Now in my free time, I am able to create the art that I want to create. And yes, my professors were right - I'm more crafty that artsy. After years of fighting it, I've learned that I'm okay with that. I have the skills to make fine art, if I want, but I am willing to work with what is available and right now with a toddler to chase after I find that I have more tempra paint and play dough around than oils and modeling clay.
Currently, I am focusing on scrapbooking and paper crafting because I have a strong desire to preserve my family's story. Both so I can remember it when I finally get caught up on sleep and can remember something for more than a few minutes but also so my son can look back and understand why I may be old before my time. I will continue my fine arts at some point, my journal is filled with sketches and thoughts on how to create them but that's just not where I am at right now.

I am also a new consultant for Close to My Heart. I have been a customer for many, many years and finally made the jump to keep myself in constant supply. While I still have a selection of supplies from other vendors, all products will be by Close to My Heart unless specified in the post. If you would like more information on one of my designs, please comment or email me and I will be sure to answer your questions.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please leave a comment so I can get to know my visitors and please subscribe so you will know when I update!