Montmartre Fingerless Gloves

While watching TV, I like to do something else too.  Sometimes it is playing Candy Crush and Words With Friends on my iPad, and at other times I actually do something constructive like knitting.  

This week, I completed a pair of Montmartre Fingerless Gloves.  This is such a lovely pattern, with nice details and a faux cable.  No cable needle required!  A skein of Knit Picks Brava Worsted yarn in Cornflower color was used.   My only slight disappointment in the project is that the yarn is acrylic, not wool.  I much prefer to work with a wool, it feels so much softer and warmer.  

Earlier this year, I completed a pair using a skein of Maxima by Manos del Uruguay.  This is an extremely soft merino wool, and I love the variation of color.   

	Sheila Bennett Close To My Heart Independent Consultant (913) 485-4355

Rest - Relax - Repeat

Welcome to our Artfully Sent Blog Hop, brought to you by the same ladies who participate in the monthly Stamp-of-the-Month Blog Hop.  The newest Cricut cartridge exclusive to Close To My Heart is named Artfully Sent, and it includes options for creating a wide variety of different cards.     

If you arrived here from Melinda's If You Bling It ...  blog, you are hopping through our circle of Close To My Heart consultants sharing their projects using the Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge. 

This rest-relax-repeat card is one of the "scene" cards available on the Artfully Sent cartridge.  When you select this card, there are two pieces to cut.  The complete card is cut from a piece of White Daisy cardstock.  You then fold this in half to form your card.  Instead of leaving the flower white, I used some of the ShinHan markers to add a bit of color to just that portion.  The other piece of the card was cut from Glacier cardstock, and it also includes some cut-out raindrops.  So that when it is layered onto the front of the card, there is some extra dimension.  

Stamps from the Your Own Kind of Wonderful set were used to decorate the inside of the card.  Using the Artfully Sent cartridge, the majority of the "work" for the card is cut for you using your Cricut machine.  By just adding a few stamped images, and adhering the two pieces together, you can create a unique card very quickly. 

Please visit My Creations with Michelle to continue along our Blog Hop featuring the Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge. 

list of participants

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

	Sheila Bennett Close To My Heart Independent Consultant (913) 485-4355

Lucky 5!

Lucky 5!

Celebrate the fifth anniversary of Studio J® with five lucky ways to win!

November marks the five-year anniversary of Studio J®, and that means it’s your lucky month. Take advantage of five amazing ways to win through Studio J and Close To My Heart social media by creating and ordering your Studio J print layouts at the outstanding price of just $5 — then hope for luck to visit! 

• Every fifth print order in Studio J will include one FREE accessory retailing $5 or more. 

• Five lucky winners will receive a “golden ticket” redeemable for a brand new D-ring album* loaded with 10 Memory Protectors™ hidden in their Studio J print orders! 

• Those who post photos or JPEGs of their newly printed layouts on Facebook or Instagram, marked with the hashtag #ctmhlucky5, will enter the contest for layouts featuring the best artistry and creativity. Five winners will be chosen from each site, notified after November 30, and will then receive their own D-ring album with 10 Memory Protectors. 

CTMH's online design software, Studio J, helps you easily create two-page layouts using our foundational scrapbook patterns, exclusive color palette, and themed designs all delivered in 12"x12" custom prints ready for your albums.  Visit Studio J now to discover the fun of creating beautiful memories.  For more information, visit the Studio J FAQ.    

*Offer valid November 1–30, 2014. Pattern and color of new D-ring album to be given to winners will be at Close To My Heart’s discretion based upon availability. No tax or shipping will be charged on the free item(s). Studio J layouts ship in a protected box that can hold 4 to 50 two-page layouts. For additional information about shipping/handling, please visit StudioJ.com > Products and Pricing > Shipping Options. 

	Sheila Bennett Close To My Heart Independent Consultant (913) 485-4355

Christmas Card Workshop

It is the time of year to start thinking about creating your handmade Christmas cards.  If you would like to enjoy some creative time with your friends at a Christmas Card Workshop, contact me at sheilabennett@comcast.net and we can schedule an hour or two just for you! 

With the new Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge, creating unique cards is faster than ever.  For this bi-fold card, the base was cut from Whisper cardstock and a piece of patterned paper from the Snowhaven kit was used to cut the inside piece which includes a cut-out sentiment.  You simply fold the card in half, and then fold the front flap back to the edge so that the ornament section with the tree is shown.  An oval was cut from a piece of green Glitter Paper and adhered to the back of the ornament section to give it a pop of color.  Before adhering the sentiment paper on the inside of the card, two small strips of Washi Tape were strategically placed to appear behind the small tree and the teardrops beside the word 'have.'  To add a bit of shimmer to the ½-page front, strips of Silver Geometric Washi Tape were added and then trimmed to expose the ornament section.  

The 5"x7" card opens like a large 'z' and is an impressive card without much effort.  A few Epoxy Bubbles and Sparkles add a bit of bling.  Since NO Stamping was used, this is a perfect entry for this week's Heart 2 Heart Challenge blog.

Paper from the Yuletide Carol kit gives an elegant look to this card.  An evergreen tree image from the Always Grateful stamp set was used along with a 'Merry Christmas' sentiment from the Just To Say... stamp set.  To add a bit of shine, a piece of red Shimmer Trim was added behind the main image.  For the tree topper, some color was added to a clear Sparkle using the Marigold ShinHam Touch Twin marker.  A big "thank you" to fellow CTMH Consultant Michelle Loncar for her design and inspiration for this card.

Just To Say... (included with Artfully Sent cartridge)

Just To Say... is a fabulous stamp set which is included with the Artfully Sent Cricut Collection.  With more than 30 different sentiments, it is a stamp set that you will use over and over again - either creating cards with this cartridge, or with any of your other stamps.    

If you need to create quite a few cards, this one goes together quickly and is a nice holiday card.  Only supplies needed are some White Daisy and Desert Sand cardstock along with the Merry Merry stamp set for the wreath and sentiment.  Add a piece of Topiary Mini Chevron ribbon along with some Sparkles and the card is complete.      

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

	Sheila Bennett Close To My Heart Independent Consultant (913) 485-4355

An Autumn Tree

Used the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches (FMS160) as the basis for this card using the tree stamp from Keep Your Chin Up.  The Marigold ShinHan Touch Twin marker added a bit of autumn color to the leaves.  Since I was also using the "choose your own orange" for Color My Heart Color Dare 117, a piece of Sunset patterned paper from the Paper Fundamentals was used along with a strip of Sunset chevron Washi Tape.  Using Washi Tape is the current challenge on Seize the Birthday blog.  For the background, Saddle cardstock was embossed using the Woodgrain Embossing Folder.  For an accent, a 1" circle of the Sunset Paper Fundamentals was covered with a round Base & Bling Glass Cover.  

Entry for the "Anything Goes" November theme on the Take Heart Inspirational Ideas blog.  

Card selected as the Sapphire Award Winner for Color Dare 117.  

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

	Sheila Bennett Close To My Heart Independent Consultant (913) 485-4355