Happy Mail

I love getting happy mail!

Today, I was blessed by receiving a homemade, especially for me card from my upline Krista. Unbeknownst to me I had the highest sales for her team in July! Yea! The card was lovely but the handwritten note that accompanied the card (not shown) was so sweet.

It reminded me that this is why I do "homemade" myself - that extra special touch is what I want to convey to those I'm sending happy mail.

So here's a challenge for you today: send some happy mail to someone (or more than one) today. I know you're thinking of someone - just do it! It will brighten someone's day!

August Joyful Stars Blog Hop: Coffee Time!

Hi all!

Welcome to the August edition of the Joyful Stars Blog Hop. We are in the "Sneak Peek" month of the soon-to-be-unveiled Annual Inspirations and there are a few new products to share with you! If you've come from Marie's blog then you're on the right track. If not, just start here and follow the links till you've seen everything. If you get lost you can visit Joyce's blog for a complete list.

The Artistry Cricut Collection is quickly becoming my favorite cartridge ever!! There are so many on-trend images on this cartridge that I can't make cards fast enough! The card I made to share with you will be my Teacher's gifts for my kids' teachers in a few weeks because it is just so cute.

I used the "5" key using the icon and shift functions. I cut the card to 5" (tall) so it would fit into a 5x7 envelope to make it easy to mail. I used Colonial White for the base and a sheet of the new Paper Fundamentals as the cup and Desert Sand for the cozy. The gold heart is a special sneak peek from an item available in September (Shh!) Used a journaling pen to hand draw some fun designs instead of inking edges. The two sentiments come from the stamp sets included with the cartridge and I stamped them in the new Sapphire ink.

Now you're off to Lori's blog to see the fun she's cooked up. See you next month!

Joyful Stars Blog Hop: Pathfinding Card Kit

Hi All!

Welcome to July's edition of the Joyful Stars Bog Hop. If you're coming from Marie's blog then you're on the right track. If you're starting here,  follow the links at the end of each post to circle 'round until you come back to where you started. If you get lost, you can go to Joyce's blog for the complete list. 

Currently I am in sunny California soaking up all the sunshine at CTMH's annual Convention! But with all my preparation before I left, I wanted to share with you one of my saving grace's: the Pathfinding Card Kit. This kit came in *very* handy for me this week. Even as a seasoned scrapper, I needed the convenience of this beautiful kit.

It always seems like I need thank you cards when I haven't been making them, and this past week was no exeption. I needed more than I had on hand. Cue the music! I rummaged through my stash (because we ALL have a stash!) and found this gem, unopened. I don't usually buy kits because - hello! I can do it myself. Famous last words! I remember buying this because I really liked the stamp set that came along with it. I loved the large stamp with the wood grain. I could do so many things with that stamp, I thought. Needless to say, it sat unopened most of  the year. *sigh*

The card kit makes 15 cards total, 3 styles of 5 cards each. The stamp set and card designs are all exclusive to the card kit and it's very easy to cut and assemble with the included instructions. I made this kit in about 30 minutes, with help from my two little helpers. I then sent out most of them in the mail that day. Thankfully, I had enough to start my stash again, so hopefully, I won't run out soon. :) Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of all the cards before I sent them out - oops! But here's one that shows how easy and beautiful they turn out to be! ;)

Now you're off to Lori's blog to see her pretty creation. See you soon!

Artfully Sent Monthly Challenge, Day Three

Yesterday I shared the first of two baby cards I made using the new Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge from Close to My Heart. Today, I'm going to share the second one.

This cartridge makes it so simple to make a beautiful card quickly. But it also features envelopes, PML cards and much more. I used a PML card to decorate the front of this card, added a few embellishments and voila!

This card is preset to cut at 4" x 6" so I changed the dial size to 5" so it would better fit a 5" x 7" card. As you can see, it's not exactly 5" x 7" but it does fit the 7" height of the card base.

I added a bow of the new Thistle ribbon and some silver Glitz (retired) to highlight the heart shape.

The drying time of the Glitz was the longest part of making the card, but tying that bow was a close second! :)

The inside sentiment was from the stamp set that came with the cartridge. There are lots of phrases to choose from and it's easy to mix and match. There are sentiments for every card occasion I could think of - all on one stamp set!

Yes, this cartridge is an investment BUT there is so much in this purchase to make it a wise investment. There are three D sized stamp sets that come with it plus a bundle of White Daisy cardstock. I'll be using another of the stamp sets on tomorrow's project.

See you tomorrow!

Chalk It Up: Back to School cards

School has finally started and all seems to be going well - so far! Little Man says he likes his new teacher and made new friends in his class. Since he likes a hot lunch every day, I don't pack his lunch which means I don't have the opportunity to leave him "love notes" ... but I've greeted him with a card when he eats his after school snack at home. Here are two examples I made using the Chalk It Up paper pack and chipboard accessories.

On this card, I used the new gold sequins to provide some bling but the cool pattern in the B&T is really all it needs. I used black ink to visually pop the chipboard off the paper.

On this card, I used the new alcohol markers to color in the white stars and chipboard pieces to match the paper pack. 

Here's a close up of the stars I colored in using the new ShinHan alcohol markers.

 I have one more project I made to share with you using the Chalk It Up paper pack, which will round up the month. Stay tuned for September when I will be sharing projects I made using the Scaredy Cat paper pack.

August Stamp of the Month

With the introduction of the new Annual Inspirations, CTMH has changed how they do the Stamp of the Month program, which mostly affects consultants but you the customer get to benefit from it too.

In the past, consultants could only purchase the stamp of the months ahead of time with a large prepaid order of Idea Books. Not always easy for the little guys (like me) to be able to work ahead. Used to be, we could order a SOTM one month prior but we'd have to pay full retail price for it. Still not something a little guy (like me) could do. These are the two reasons you rarely saw SOTM projects from me - because I was purchasing them, like you, with my orders, usually at the end of the month.

However, that is in the past!!! Did you see the first few pages of the Annual Inspirations? All 12 SOTM sets are shown!!!!! That's right - you can see what the next twelve special stamp sets are going to be and plan your purchases accordingly! And - they are only $5 with a qualifying order! Seriously - this is a game changer for me! And here's the proof:

An August Stamp of the Month Card!!

Chalk It Up paper pack with August SOTM & ShinHan alcohol markers

I used Chalk It Up paper pack for the background and mat then stamped the images on White Daisy cardstock using the Archival Black stamp pad and let it dry overnight. I used the new ShinHan alcohol markers in Marigold, Golden Yellow and Barely Beige on the belly of the owl and the pumpkin (top) and Carmine for the mask that was stamped in Ruby ink. The feathers of the owl, I used Warm Gray 7, Warm Gray 4 and Clay.

Chalk It Up paper pack with August SOTM & ShinHan alcohol markers

 I wanted to compare the new ShinHan alcohol markers to the water-based markers of the past and you can tell the difference in the photo above. I used the same marking technique on both pumpkins but you can tell how much better the alcohol markers blend together as you color.

Chalk It Up paper pack with August SOTM & ShinHan alcohol markers

 I wanted to see what else I could color with the new markers, so I did the white enamel stars and the puffy prints from the Chalk It Up accessories. Cute!

This was a super fun project as I was able to experiment (successfully) with new products to show you how cute the Stamp of the Month is and how versatile the Chalk It Up paper pack is.

Check back on August 10th as I will be participating in the Joyful Stars Blog Hop with another Chalk It Up scrapbook layout I created.

CTMH New Product Blog Hop: Babycakes card

I am so excited for the new Idea Book and have been devouring it for the last few weeks (consultant perk- yea!!) but since it's new to you, I thought I would participate in a new product blog hop to make it easy for you to browse lots of consultants favorite new products, all of which are available TODAY!!!!

Not sure what a blog hop is? At the bottom of this post, you will see a list of blogs. Click on each one to view their artwork then click on the next link and so on. Lots of inspiration in a short time. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Babycakes Card

I could not wait to use this cute paper! Since I'm still working on Grace's baby album (gasp!) I will be using this paper a lot in her album. I love the yellow and gray together but the orange and brown really settle it down to be more versatile than just for babies. This would be a great paper pack for fall, back to school, farm life or anything outdoorsy. 

I chose "Love This" stamp set (featured with the My Crush Bluebird set, available end of August) to use because I wanted to feature the butterfly with Buttercup and Sunset alcohol markers. I also used the alcohol markers to color in the bitty sparkles so they wouldn't get lost on the page by being clear.

Here's a list of the products I used in this card: Swing Card set, Babycakes paper pack, Babycakes Assortment, Whisper cardstock, Love This stamp set, Buttercup alcohol markers, Sunset alcohol markers, Chocolate stamp pad, Whisper stamp pad, 2 1/2" scallop circle punch (retired).

Now you can begin hopping! Enjoy!

"This blog hop is open for members of the CTMH Blog Boosters. Please do not enter if you are not a member of the group."

A friend's Chantilly card

Back in April I participated in my upline's team swap featuring Chantilly cards. I showed you mine here.

Today, I want to share with you one of cards I received that blows my mind. My friend Arlene Zimmerman created this card and her artistic skills astound me!

Her card is a simple design using a strip of the Chantilly paper with a flower and vine cut using Artiste but what gets me everytime I look at this card is her stitching!

 Arlene used colored pencils to highlight parts of the stamped image in the background to complete the card.

Isn't it awesome?! I love this card and have it hanging on my inspiration board. I would love to try stitching on my artwork but while  I lack a reliable sewing machine right now, I lack the vision of it. I'm hoping once I try it I'll like it and will be able to get more creative as my skills improve. Until then, I look at Arlene's dreamy card.

Special thanks to Arlene Zimmerman for letting me share her card on my blog.

New! My First YouTube Video!

I am attempting to try my hand at something new...

Making YouTube videos!

Check me out on YouTube on my first video.... I'm showing a gift card holder for a card swap I'm doing and doing a tutorial on the 3D flowers from Art Philosophy.



 And let me know what you think in the comments section!!!

{Yes, I know the video is blurry when I move my hands and the sound quality is poor... I'm looking into getting better equipment, but this is what my laptop does for now!}

Chantilly Card

I participated in my Team's Chantilly card swap for April and I'm actually quite happy with how it turned out. There are a few things I will add to do it for a class but it's quick, simple to assemble and cheap to mail: everything I look for in a card! *Smile!*

I am seriously in love with the glimmer tape! I am adding sparkle to everything now!

87 Days till Christmas

Have you started designing your Christmas cards this year? It's closer than you think! Less than 90 days to go and what have you done? Keep reading for some designs sure to spark your creativity.

Monogram stamps aren't just for initials. Designer: Krista Hershberger

Make a tree out of ornaments. Designer: Nickie Hoffer

Emboss a few stars to create some twinkle in your card. Designer: Nickie Hoffer

A subtle image portrays the true meaning of Christmas. Designer: Krista Hershberger

Artiste Cricut cartridge can create some wonderful, out of the box cards. Designer: Gennette Feagan

Artiste makes an basic card anything but boring. Designer: Gennette Feagan

Christmas Card Workshop

I'm still recovering from my awesome weekend! I love papercrafting and the only thing that makes it better is getting to do it with friends. This past weekend was a lot of work to pull off but having so many great friends to do it with makes it worth all the extra effort. Here are a few photos of the day:

This is my "grandmother" Krista. Check her blog out at kristascraftycorner.blogspot.com

This is my "mother" Brenda Rutt teaching a group of ladies. She is a popular teacher at this event!

The best way to decorate a tree is with some handmade items! These are examples of cards we've made other years.

But I know you're really interested in the cards we made. Here are a few and I'll share the rest on Friday.

This one isn't a card but it is made with the new Artiste Cricut cartridge from Close to My Heart. Designer: Gennette Feagan.

Add any pretty flower to Christmas-y paper to have a great twist on the holiday. Designer: Sherri Reiff

Frosty Friends and Avonlea make a lovely card. Designer: Krista Hershberger

Dakota paper makes a great rustic background for a symbol of winter. Designer: Martha Zook

Peace is a constant theme throughout the holidays. Designer: Katie Fisher

A little sparkle lights up the Christmas tree. Designer:  Brenda Rutt

When Creativity Flows

Sometimes creativity just flows. When it does, it can be hard to keep up! Here are a few cards I made recently. First, you'll recognize this one from my last post:

I really liked the flourish (February 2011 Stamp of the Month) so I decided to see what else I could do. Here's what I came up with:

This is a very simple card with just chocolate ink to decorate the card. Simple and straight forward.

This is a fast card to welcome a little girl. The sentiment is from Card Word Puzzle and the little feet are from a retired set from many years ago.

Same stamp, different cards and still very fast and impressive. What's easier?

Thank you card

Since I have been sitting around doing "nothing" for almost six weeks now, I thought I would post what my "nothing" actually consists of. If' you've never been put on bed rest for any medical reason, you don't know how crazy you can actually go while you're still sane. Let me tell you, pregnancy and especially bed rest, isn't for the weak! On the days that little man is out of the house, I try to use my one allotment of "stair time" to get down to my craft room to work. Some days I can spend all day working and some days I get distracted by phone calls, knocks at the door, etc. My craft time at first was spent making thank you notes because of all the help we were getting: meals, cleaning, babysitting, laundry, groceries, and more! I needed five cards in just one day! I knew my stash wasn't going to last much longer (actually, it only lasted days) but I also knew I couldn't make them one at a time either. So, I went through my "inspirational" folder on my computer and printed a bunch of photos of artwork from my sister consultants. While there was a lot of cards I made from their artwork, I won't post those to keep their artwork pure. (I'm working on a list of blogs and artists I continually come back to for inspiration, but that's another post.) Instead, over the next few days/weeks, I will post the artwork I created, and be ready - there's a lot to come!

First, here are two similar cards I made using a sentiment from different cardstocks:

The flourish is from "You & Me".

The flourish is from the February 2011 Stamp of the Month.

Scrappy cards, part 2

After getting out my Fanfare paper pack of scraps, I noticed I had four card bases cut and scored already. Inside, I found some cut B&T. After scrounging around for my Fanfare WOTG instruction book, I realized that I started to do the cards that were included in the WOTG but never finished. Since I couldn't find the stamp set that went with the paper pack, I improvised with left over Stickease that were in the pack. The sentiments are from the Card Chatter - Birthday stamp set and Outdoor Denim ink.

Scrappy Cards, part 1

I had some time today to simply just browse the internet looking for card ideas. After collecting some ideas, I sat at my desk and pulled out a retired paper pack full of scraps.

This is a card design out of one of Jeannette Lynton's design books: xxx on page xxx. It's perfect for a birthday, anniversary, wedding or any other event where you would bring a gift. I used the Fanfare paper pack because all I had were scraps in this pack and got to work.

 The stamps are from the Card Chatter - Birthday stamp set. White grosgrain ribbon and cranberry ribbon from Cherry-O Creative Basics. I used Cranberry & Outdoor Denim inks and cranberry marker to draw the line.