Little Reminder (January SOTM Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop which features the Little Reminder stamp set from Close To My Heart.  With a complete set of numbers, the days of the week, and months of the year, this stamp set is perfect for documenting the dates of your scrapbook pages. 

If you have come here from Shirley's 'Mom 'n Me Scrap' blog, you are on the right path! With over 50 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other  CTMH products on their blogs, you should be able to find lots of great creative ideas to use for your own projects.  Blog Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one!

A great gender-neutral 'baby' card using some pattern paper from the Elemental kit along with Lagoon and Creme Brulee cardstock.  The Little Reminder 'month circle' was stamped on a circle and adhered to a scallop circle, both were cut using the Art Philosophy cartridge on a Cricut machine. 
 

Now "Hop" on over to Wendy's 'Paper Creations' blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting inspiration and other fun ideas!  Remember, the Little Reminder stamp set is only available during the month of January 2012.  The regular price is $17.95, or you can purchase it for only $5 with a minimum order of $50 in other CTMH products.

If you get lost on the Blog Hop or find links that aren't working, there is a complete list of all participating blogs on Helen's 'Hooked on Stamping' blog.

A Rubber Chicken!

A silly knitting project to share.  Saw this cutie on the KnitPicks blog and just had to give it a try.  The pattern can be downloaded for free from the KnitPicks site.  Following directions for the different chicken "pieces" was challenging, and I was proud of myself for being able to follow along and complete it.  Really wish I had sewed the legs on a bit more to the side of the body instead of straight out the back end.  The chicken is about 6" long, stuffed with polyfill and really silly looking. 

A top view of my rubber chicken.

And all the rubber chicken "pieces" before becoming a complete chicken.

Rock the Block! (Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Rock the Block! Blog Hop. As a special preview for the new 2012 Spring/Summer Idea Book, Close To My Heart is offering a great special.  When you place a minimum order of $25 from the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book, you can get two new products for just $15: the My Creations® Collage Cubes (a Spring/Summer 2012 sneak-peek product!) and the exclusive My Acrylix® Rock the Block E-size stamp set. 


If you have come here from Lori's 'Saving My...' blog, you are on the right path! There are over 30 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using the Collage Cubes and the Rock the Block stamp set, which work together for interactive, 3-D fun.  Blog Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one!

A Kraft Die-Cut Card was used with paper from the Dreamin kit and a stamp from the special Rock the Block stamp set to create this 6"x6" square card. The right side of the card is actually a flap that folds over to hold the card closed.  It comes with a scallop edge, but I simply cut the edge of that off and adhered some papers that had been cut with a zig-zag border using the Art Philosophy cartridge for the Cricut.

Some Dreamin paper was added to the flap of the coordinating Kraft envelope to complete the card. 
 

Now "Hop" on over to Susan's 'Out of the Closet' blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting inspiration and other fun ideas!  The Rock the Block! special is only available from December 19 until the end of January, with a minimum $25 order of products from the Autumn/Winter Idea Book.  

This exclusive Rock the Block stamp set is available ONLY during this special.  It will not be available in the new Spring/Summer Idea Book.  It includes 22 stamps in a 9"x11" snap envelope.





If you get lost on the Blog Hop or find links that aren't working, there is a complete list of all participating blogs on Helen's 'Hooked on Stamping' blog.

 

Mad About You (December SOTM Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop which features the Mad About You stamp set from Close To My Heart.  This stamp set contains some wonderful images to use for Valentine's cards or a special 'thinking of you' card.  As with so many of the new CTMH stamps, several of the shaped images can be cut using the Cricut-Art Philosophy cartridge. 

If you have come here from Jen's 'Roxybonds Scrappin' blog, you are on the right path! With over 60 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other  CTMH products on their blogs, you should be able to find lots of great creative ideas to use for your own projects.  Blog Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one!

Wanting something bright and cheerful, I chose the color combo of Pansy Purple and Pear.  The shaped card and all the coordinating pieces were cut using the Art Philosophy cartridge, and simply selecting different sizes for each cut.  Two of the six flower shapes that can be cut using the Cricut cartridge are used on this card.  The flowers are so fun to create, simply cut the desired size, start rolling the flower from the outside until you reach the middle, then use some Liquid Glass to hold the flower together.  For the center of the card, a frame and sentiment from the Mad About You stamp set was used.  Even though it is difficult to see in the photo, some sparkle is added to the word 'sweet' using Glitz Glitter Gel.
 

Now "Hop" on over to Lori's 'Saving My... ' blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting inspiration and other fun ideas!  Remember, the Mad About You stamp set is only available during the month of December.  The regular price is $17.95, or you can purchase it for only $5 with a minimum order of $50 in other CTMH products.

If you get lost on the Blog Hop or find links that aren't working, there is a complete list of all participating blogs on Helen's 'Hooked on Stamping' blog.

Altered Clocks

Such a fun project!  Using an inexpensive (approximately $3.50) wall clock, remove the screws so that the back of the clock can be removed from the frame.  Then, gently remove the clock hands and set aside.  Decorate the face of the clock as desired, replace the clock hands and then re-insert the back into the frame.  You now have a cute, customized clock. 

The numbers on the clock face are cut from a self-adhesive vinyl using the Art Philosophy cartridge for the Cricut machine.   The large circles for the clock face were also cut using the Art Philosophy cartridge. 

This face of this red-framed clock was covered with a plaid paper from the Believe paper packet and then a piece of the cute Santa paper was also used.  The tree was stamped using A Timber and then cut out and placed on the clock.  There are Bitty Sparkles to add a bit of 'bling' to the tree. 

For the winter clock, a large sheet of snowflake paper from the Wonderland paper packet was used for the background.  For the large snowflake in the center, it was cut from Grey Flannel cardstock using the Art Philosophy cartridge.  Then, the entire surface of the snowflake was covered with glue and Prisma Glitter to give it plenty of shine.  There are also Bitty Sparkles on each tip of the snowflake.

All stamps and papers used are from Close To My Heart (CTMH).

S'more Box

Love this little S'more goodie box made using a My Creations Card Box from CTMH.  Even though it is difficult to see in the photo, there are score lines and dots on the Desert Sand cardstock to make it resemble a graham cracker.  The letters are from the Color-Ready Alphabets Cork and have been colored using a Smoothie marker.  The adhesive-backed letters are so simple to use - just peel and stick.  Plaid paper from the Roxie paper packet cover the sides of the box.  

Inside the box are all of the ingredients necessary to make a S'more, along with a microwave recipe.  This is going to make a great gift to send to my daughter at college.

Cherish the Day (November SOTM Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop which features the Cherish the Day stamp set from Close To My Heart.  This stamp set is perfect to use as a quick 'date stamp' on your scrapbook pages.  And the tag shape is one that you can cut on the new Cricut-Art Philosophy cartridge. 

If you have come here from 'Carla Creates', you are on the right path! With over 50 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other  CTMH products on their blogs, you should be able to find lots of great creative ideas to use for your own projects.  Blog Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one!

Even though the Wonderland paper packet is designed to use for Winter photos, the photos used on this page were actually taken on one of the hottest days of the year in July.  While in Washington DC for the annual CTMH Convention in 2010, my daughter and I took a Segway tour with some other consultants and friends.  It was a fabulous tour, and I highly recommend it as a way to see a lot of sites in DC in a 3-hour time span.  Riding the Segway was so much FUN!  

For this page, large flowers were stamped using the Hooray Bouquet stamp set, after cutting the coordinating images using the Art Philosophy cartridge.  The letters for the title were also cut using the Cricut cartridge, and the Cherish the Day stamp was used to indicate the month.  A small '10' was stamped using contrasting ink to indicate that the year was 2010. 
 

Now "Hop" on over to Susan's 'Out of the Closet - Stamping in the Open' blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting inspiration and other fun ideas!  Remember, the Cherish the Day stamp set is only available during the month of November.  The regular price is $17.95, or you can purchase it for only $5 with a minimum order of $50 in other CTMH products.

If you get lost on the Blog Hop or find links that aren't working, there is a complete list of all participating blogs on Helen's 'Hooked on Stamping' blog.

Same - But Different

This card may look familiar.  That is because it is the same design and papers used for the Holiday Magic SOTM Blog Hop earlier this month.  

I really love the colors and papers with the Mischief kit, so decided to use the same card design for a sympathy card.  This time, a tree is stamped using the Treetops set and the sentiment is from Say It In Style.  

All products used are from Close To My Heart (CTMH).   

Christmas Card Workshop

It is almost time to start thinking about the holidays.  Join us for a Christmas Card Workshop to complete 16 cards all ready for mailing to friends and family.  You will create four cards each of four different designs.  Two of them using traditional Christmas red & green colors, while the other two cards are more inspired by nature.

Using the whimsical tree from the Tannenbaum stamp set and paper from the Believe kit, this card is sure to make anyone smile.  

With stamps from the A Holiday set, simply stamp the patterned leaves on cardstock that has been cut to the correct shape and size using the Art Philosophy cartridge for the Cricut machine.  The top portion of the card is embossed with the Snowflakes folder for the Cuttlebug and paired with a stripe pattern from the Believe paper kit.  

Papers from the Dreamin' kit complement the moose from the Nature's Gift stamp set.  The sentiment used is from the versatile Say It In Style stamp set.    

           

A pair of deer from the same Nature's Gift stamp set create a serene card when paired with papers from the Elemental kit.  Inside of the card is completed with a "Nature gives to every season, a beauty all its own" sentiment. 

The Christmas Card Workshop will be offered on Friday evening, November 4 (starting at 7 pm), and two sessions on Saturday, November 5.  One starting at 9 in the morning and the second one at 1 in the afternoon.  You will create four of each of the four projects (total 16 cards and envelopes) for a workshop fee of $15.  Allow approximately two hours to complete your projects.  Please be sure to bring your favorite adhesive.  All other supplies are provided with the workshop fee.  All stamps and papers used are from Close To My Heart (CTMH).


As an added bonus, place a $50+ order from the Close To My Heart  Autumn/Winter Idea Book - and your workshop fee is waived. 

Please let me know if you would like to attend one of the Christmas Card workshops.  Feel free to leave me a comment on this blog, send an email to sheilabennett@comcast.net, or call 913-485-4355.

Sweet Moments Cameo

Just a sweet card using the Sweet Moments stamp set and some pattern paper from the Mischief kit.  The card was copied from an original idea created by Janice Hodgkin.

Knitted Jack-o-Lanterns

Aren't these adorable little jack-o-lanterns?  This is the first 'cutsey' thing that I have knitted.  They were really quick and easy.  And the fun part was waiting for them to be delivered to my daughter at college as a surprise.  She loves them!  The embroidered faces are not the best, but I am still really happy with the way they turned out.

Holiday Magic (October SOTM Blog Hop)

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop which features the Holiday Magic stamp set from Close To My Heart.  This is a great Christmas set with stockings, trees, and a sleigh, all with varied patterns and a nice assortment of sentiments.. 

If you have come here from Krista's 'Simply Creating' blog, you are on the right path! With over 50 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other  CTMH products on their blogs, you should be able to find lots of great creative ideas to use for your own projects.  Blog Hopping is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one!

For a very non-traditional Christmas card, this uses the Mischief paper packet, which is actually designed for Halloween. On this 5"x7" card, the tags for the sentiment and for the tree were cut using the Art Philosophy cartridge for the Cricut.  The tree was stamped using Sunset ink, and 'rolling' the edges of the stamp in Cocoa ink before stamping in order to add some color variety to the image.  Instead of using the standard 'tree stand' that is included in the Holiday Magic stamp set, I chose to use the small decorate image which matches some of the detail in the tree and the background paper. 
 

Now "Hop" on over to Jen's 'Roxybonds' Scrappin' blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting inspiration and other fun ideas!  Remember, the Holiday Magic stamp set is only available during the month of October.  The regular price is reduced to $17.95, or you can purchase it for only $5 with a minimum order of $50 in other CTMH products.

If you get lost on the Blog Hop or find links that aren't working, there is a complete list of all participating blogs on Helen's 'Hooked on Stamping' blog.

Sonoma - Cards with "Shape"

My very favorite feature of the new Art Philosophy cartridge for the Cricut machine is the card 'feature' which cuts a fabulous card with each image on the keypad.  

For this shaped card, the base was cut using Cocoa cardstock, and then a slightly smaller card was cut using the paisley paper from the Sonoma kit.  The patterned paper card was then cut at the fold line, one half placed on the front of the card, and the other half turned over so the reverse side of the paper would be on the inside of the card.  It really gives a nice 'complete' look to the card.  For the sentiment, the image is stamped using one of the stamp sets that is included with the Art Philosophy cartridge.  The coordinating shape was also cut using the Cricut in graduated sizes for a layered look.  

A long and narrow card, this features different papers from the Sonoma kit along with the 1/2-inch 'zip strip' that is included on each piece of patterned paper for a border.  To add a little sparkle, Rhinestone Designer Brads were added to the sentiment piece.  

Quick and easy - use the Art Philosophy cartridge to cut a ticket-shaped card, add a smaller ticket shape with a stamped image from the included stamp set, and you have a unique card.

An overview of all the shapes that can be cut using the 'Card' feature of the Art Philosophy cartridge.  Some of the cards have specific shapes for the outline of the card, while others have rounded edges and a cut-out 'window' in the front of the card. 


All stamps, inks, cardstock, and patterned paper used are from Close To My Heart (CTMH). 
   

Pair-a-Phrase Card Workshop

Everyone needs greeting cards!  Using the special Pair-a-Phrase double stamp set (that can be yours for FREE with a $75 order) along with other new stamps and papers from the Close To My Heart Autumn/Winter Idea Book, you can create an assortment of greeting cards.  These are perfect to send to someone special and are sure to brighten their day.

inside of card

Winter weather will be here soon, and this cute little snowman from the Pair-a-Phrase stamp set is sure to bring a smile to someone's face.   The card is cut using the Art Philosophy cartridge and a piece of double-sided paper from the Wonderland kit.  The snowman "peeks" out of the window in the front of the card.  

This card may look familiar.  It is the same card design that I posted in August to introduce the Pair-a-Phrase special for "National Stamping Month" in September.  Just used different papers and colors.  This card uses my favorite plaid paper from the Roxie kit along with the bicycle.  The sentiment is completed on the inside of the card with "and may trouble be a stranger to you."  

Seems as though it is almost impossible to create a card without using the new Art Philosophy cartridge and my Cricut machine.  For this card, the shaped pieces that the sentiment is stamped on were cut using the Cricut.  And for the cameo card shown below, the scalloped oval for the stamped image and the large scalloped border pieces at the bottom of the card were both cut using the Art Philosophy cartridge.  

Another 'repeat' card - this is almost identical to a card posted for the Heart 2 Heart Challenge a couple of weeks ago.  The only difference is a neutral colored card base.  Used the Sweet Moments stamp set to create a cameo, added a piece of wide Chocolate striped ribbon, a scallop border, and the card was finished.  Colors used are Sorbet, Pear, and Cocoa.  

           

The "Pair-a-Phrase" Card Workshop will be offered on Friday evening, September 16 (starting at 7 pm), and also on  Saturday afternoon, September 17 (starting at 1 pm).  You will create three of each of the three projects (total 9 cards and envelopes) for a workshop fee of $10.  Allow approximately two hours to complete your projects.  Please be sure to bring your favorite adhesive.  All other supplies are provided with the workshop fee.  All stamps and papers used are from Close To My Heart (CTMH).

The Pair-a-Phrase stamp set is only available until the end of September.  The retail value is $35.90, and it is yours for FREE with a $75 minimum order of CTMH products.

Please let me know if you would like to attend the Card Workshop this month.  Feel free to leave me a comment on this blog, send an email to sheilabennett@comcast.net, or call 913-485-4355.

Since this week is "Die Cuts R Us" on the Heart 2 Heart Challenges blog, all three of the cards qualify.  For even more ideas, visit the links at the end of their blog post.