Welcome to My Creative Space

Mug Rug Madness

2012-01-26T10:44:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, I was the guest teacher for Stitch and Show at Bernina-Pfaff Sewing Center in Tampa, FL. Valentine's day is my SECOND favorite holiday - how can you resist love AND candy!??

So after checking out all of the Valentine Inspiration on Pinterest, I found this cute mug rug on Ryan Walsh Valentine Inspiration blog.

Then I found another cute idea on www. Pleasant Home.com and combined the both of them for my version below.

I created a tutorial for the ladies rather than typing up a set of directions for them. So check out the pics I have included and make one for your "True Love"!

Step #1 - Select and cut your fabric and fusible fleece according to the cutting directions below.

(oops - forgot the 3.25 x 6.5 piece of fusible fleece...)

Step #2 -Place 1" squares - right side together and mark diagonal lines using a ruler and pencil.

Step #3 - Place the 2.5" square on the bottom RIGHT side of the heart shape.

Trim and press bottom corner flat - set heart design aside.

Step #4 - Embroidering the design

Here is the design in my software....

Completed embroidered design

Step #5 - Completing the pocket...

Step #6 -

Step #7 - Binding your Mug Rug.

Completed Designs...

If you get lost or confused - be sure to click on the links above for their version of the designs. I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial......and start spreading some L-O-V-E!

CTMH Sharing from the Heart - January 2012

2012-01-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

Brrrr. it is cold again here in Tampa, Fl. BUT not as cold as other states in the U.S. , I'm sure. If you are hopping with us, you have arrived from Elizabeth's blog where you saw her creative design. This month our choices were the Stamp of the Month, Valentine's Day or Winter. well I picked Valentine's day - my SECOND favorite holiday... why? because it is all about the candy!

You know sometime we just need a jump start for our creativity! So I am addicted to Pinterest! But I have truly found some really great ideas and have"pinned" them to my boards. One of my first delights was Scrapbook Generations. What an awesome group of designers. I am amazed at how creative their designs are - so run NOT walk to their web site here.

I am not a big fan of the Roxie paper pack and because ONE of my resolutions was to use up what I already owned!..... I created my Valentine page using the scraps from the retired Sweetheart paper pack and the matching My Stickease.

I was surprised at how quickly the layout went together. Now I can post this!

If you would like to follow me on Pinterest, let me know at
SweetAline@verizon.net and I will invite you! Now it is off to Wendy's blog where I know she will have a stunning piece of artwork. I may be back with a winter layout, this cold weather has put me into a scrapbooking mood!

SOTM Blog Hop

2011-12-31T21:00:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!!! My family is not a big fan of this holiday - my husband always had to work ( he is a retired Captain on the Fire Department) so the night is usually very quiet for us. But we are cooking for our son and DIL and we are delighted to have them close by for this holiday! So I will be posting my pictures in the a.m of my awesome 2012 journal and I hope you enjoy it!

So if you are hopping you have come from Judy's blog and found some serious inspiration for this month's Stamp of the Month S1201 Little Reminder. I know this is one of those universal stamp sets that you can use over and over again so I would grab it immediately here!

Here is my Journal for 2012. My top resolution for the year is to use my "stash" both for my sewing as well as my scrapbook stash. So I started digging and found the retired "You and Me" paper pack and stamp set.

Supplies:
You and Me retired paper pack and stamp set
Colors are Creme Brulee, Olive and Chocolate

Here are a few steps so you can also recreate a journal for the new year.

Step #1- Create a pattern for the composition book. Then cut out a cover and back for your journal. You may also cover the inside front and back as well.

Step #2 - Cut out your strips to make the journal tabs. I cut 6 - 1" x 7" and the cut them in half.

Step #3 - Cut out your strips to make the journal tabs. I folded them in half and then glued them to the edge of the individual sheets staggering them to create the tab extensions.

Now it is off to Michelle's blog to check out her inspiration for the month! Keep hopping through the entire blog because you will be amazed at the creativity of all of the consultants.

I wish everyone a VERY Happy and creative New Year!!

So sorry....

2011-12-31T17:06:00.001-05:00

The last few weeks have been very difficult for me. A good friend had surgery and now needs chemotherapy and radiation. This couple owns the business where I work and I am more than willing to help out. BUT that means time away from home. I hope you will understand and forgive me for the lack of communication in finishing my 12 Days of Cricuit Christmas!

I did commit to giving a gift to one lucky person who left a comment and I will be sure to accomplish that after the 1st of the year. So please do look for that. BUT I hope everyone of my creative friends will have a happy and HEALTHY New Year...

12 days of Christmas Boxes

2011-12-08T08:54:00.001-05:00

I finally had some time to participate in the Pazzles Craft Room December challenge at www.pazzles.com

I bought myself a Pazzles as a retirement gift because I knew I would have more time to learn how to cut my own files! Each Tuesday and Sunday I take a FREE class on the software with Klo and I have learned soooo much!

I purchased it with a one year subscription to the Craft Room and that was the best decision I made! Lots of support and a plethora of creativity.

Supplies:

Paper is from the winter pack from DCWV
Snowflakes from the Pazzles Craft Room - free when you belong :)
Ribbon and sparkles - from my 'stash'

(Directions for The 3 D Snowflake ornament is in the previous post!)

Enjoy!

Day 8 MORE Snow!

2011-12-08T07:45:00.001-05:00

This morning was another cold morning in Tampa - brrrr......43 degrees! I know, I know BUT that temperature is cold for us! So today I bring you more SNOW - snowflakes, that is!

3D Cricuit Snowflakes

These snowflakes are actually rather easy to make!

Step #1 - Cut 6 snowflakes - I used Snowflake 3 (last design on the top row- top right) shift at 3.5" for the snowflake on the right and Snowflake 2 at 4" (7th design top row) both shift and layer.

Step #2 - For Snowflake 2 - glue the layers onto the snowflake base.

Step #3 - Then score all of the snowflakes in half and glue two halves together. I glue a ribbon hanger in the middle before I added the last unit.

Step #4 - Optional - I added Stardust glitz to the edge of the white snowflake.

Enjoy!

( the prize includes the D1480 Snowflakes stamp set, the tube of Heavenly Blue ribbon and the decorated jar of white Christmas ribbon!)

How about some snowflakes of your own?? I will be giving away this prize on the last day of my Christmas event! BUT you must leave a comment and so far the odds are pretty good! 1 in 7... :(

I would love to read any comments you may have ( and I am wondering if I should do this again...)

Forecast for Tampa, FL tomorrow... Sunny and high of 73 degrees... hmmm - will there be any more snow???

Lisa Stenz is having a AP blog linky party Such fun! - check out all of the holiday designs below...

Day 7 It's snowing again!

2011-12-07T14:15:00.001-05:00

Are any of you getting nervous yet? I am!! I have purchased only 2 gifts! YIKES!!! The problem is 'what to buy?' for my family. Anyone else have the same problem?

Today's post is a 'quick' gift for a crafting friend. I L-O-V-E ribbon and I can never have too much. These quick little gift was a table prize for the Kids Krop in October. So quick and easy to complete. Each jar had a theme color - Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day - you get the idea! Do you have anyone who would love this small gift?

Supplies:

Small canning jars

Assorted ribbon - all white

White daisy and Heavenly blue cardstock

Cricut design - Circle 1 - 2.5", Tag 1 2.5" , Decorative Layer of Tag 1, 2.5" (both the positive and negative pieces)

Z1327 - Sparkles - blue and green assortment

Ribbon - Heavenly blue (retired)

Day 6 ... Christmas Treats

2011-12-05T21:07:00.001-05:00

"Back in the day" I used to start December 1st and make a batch of Christmas cookies every night until Christmas. Now I make only 2 different kinds of cookies! I bet you are asking yourself- WHY???

Well..... #1 - My husband and I have 'issues' with fats AND sugars in our diet - Bah, Humbug!...#2 - We both need to watch our weight- Bah, Humbug! and #3 I do not have any grandchildren (yet) to eat up all of the goodies!!

My gifts of food have changed since the 1970's! Here is a gift that I share with family and friends. It is a very quick and easy recipe to prepare AND decorate with the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge. Don't forget you can purchase the Cricut cartridge at www.ctmh.com/SweetAline

Cranberry Chutney

1 cup golden raisins

1 8 oz.pkg. of chopped dates

1 16 oz. pkg. cranberries

1 cup sugar ( I used 1/2 cup baking Splenda)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup orange juice

1 T. lemon rind

1 1/4 C. water

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fill sterilized canning jars with 1 cup of chutney each. Chutney must be refrigerated. Yields: 4 cups

Day 5 12 days of Cricut Christmas

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ho, Ho, Ho! Santas are everywhere! The sounds of Christmas music and people shopping today really put me into the Christmas spirit... It is finally time to start wrapping the Christmas gifts! So here is the first tag that I made for my gift giving....

With a little help from my friends... the Cricut and Cuttlebug, I was able to create this "oh so cute" Santa tag. The first step today was to create the tag using the Cricut Craft Room - have you joined yet???? WHY NOT? It is FREE and it makes it so easy to design and create projects.

Here is Layer #1 - notice I changed the RGB colors to create the CTMH cranberry color for the tag and Santa hat.

Here I cut out the pieces of the cardstock to coordinate with the colors on the mat.

I cut out the separate pieces of the tag....and then embossed them with my Cuttlebug folders and added some bling to create the Santa gift tag and used a black marker to add the eyes and mouth.

I hope I have inspired you to create your own tag using the Cricut Craft Room. All of the shapes can be found on the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge from Close to My Heart here.

Day 4 - 12 days of Cricut Christmas

2011-12-03T21:08:00.001-05:00

In this busy holiday season, it is nice to give as well as receive- don't you think?? I like to send individualized Christmas cards so I make a variety of each plus I do not get bored when making them. (my attention span is the same as a 2 year-old!)

This is a card I made for a Christmas swap and and it was quick and easy to make with the Believe paper pack since it is 2 sided. I also made the little gift bag from a tutorial that was posted here.

Notice from the above image that all I did for the card embellishment was use the cut-out from the card. I created my own zip strip with a 1/2"strip of white paper and the words from the stamp set of the G1030 Believe Workshop to Go. You can purchase this on my web site -www.ctmh.com/SweetAline

Supplies:

G1030 Believe Workshop to Go

Pair-A- Phrase stamp set (gift bag)

Silver Gel pen

Misc. ribbon

DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT! Harley is picking a winner on Monday for a surprise Close to My Heart gift!!!!

Enjoy!

Day 3.... 12 days of Cricut Christmas

2011-12-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Santa,

When I was a little girl I had a dream ( but I really thought it was real!) that Santa was placing my gifts under our tree! ( did I tell you I had a vivid imagination as a child???) So I really believed that Santa does exist - maybe in a different form than when I was a child but 'he' is there for everyone...
So today's post is one of my firsts "Dear Santa posts!

I do not have any grandchildren :( - just a D-O-G! but his name is Harley and he is the love (at the moment) of our lives....! So last month we took him to have his picture taken... AND here is the layout....

This layout is from the Reflections Scrapbook layouts book by Jeanette Lynton pg 43. called Sidebars- layers...

Supplies:

X7145 Believe paper pack

X7145 Believe My Stickease

AP - 'Jolly" letters

S1110 - Holiday Magic SOTM for October

AP - pg 45 Font strip and Spray pen with Topiary re-inkers

AP - pg 47 Stocking cut apart and then stamped...

G1030 - Workshop To Go - Believe stamp set - Santa

Cranberry brad and ink - blending pen - see pg 51 0f the Autumn 2011 Idea Book

Enjoy!

Day 2 Let It Snow, Again!

2011-12-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Brrrrr............ it was 45 degrees here in Tampa this morning and to all of us ( even this former Buffalo, NY gal), it was COLD! But trust me I was not complaining.... It does inspire me though to create a cold and sorta snowy project.

My gift for today is a decorated glass block. It was very quick and easy, especially the vinyl lettering. BUT it is important to follow the few tips that I share with you!

Step #1 - Design the lettering for your block. I find it easier to apply a welded phrase to the block so I do not have so many 'sticky' parts! I found a great set of tutorials from Joy on Obsessed with Scrapbooking here.

My previous post gives you the link for the Cricut Craft Room here - it is a very useful tool for creating your own designs!

Step #2 - Cut out the vinyl following these few hints.

Settings for your Cricut....

Speed - 3 or medium

Pressure - 3 or medium

Blade Depth- 4-5 .... the blade should NOT cut through to the bottom layer of paper backing - only the vinyl layer.

Here is the vinyl I used for the block. I purchase it on Amazon.com here and it is sticker than wall vinyl ( the type Cricut sells...). I used the silver vinyl hoping for a glitzy look... and the pic tool to remove the small pieces after I CAREFULLY removed the outside layer.

Step #3 - Carefully remove the lettering using transfer tape.. (I only had Frogger tape from my recent house painting project...)

DO NOT be in a hurry or your letters will end up in a messy ball of vinyl (ask me how I know this! :) )

Step #4 - Adhere your lettering to your clean and smooth surface....

Unfortunately the white snowflake did not show up in my photo but I did cut it out after the silver lettering....

I added the bow, tinsel and twinkling lights - it looks very festive in my foyer....

Don't forget to leave a comment or two... you may be a winner of my random 'gifts'....enjoy!

Welcome to the 12 Days of Cricut Christmas blog party!

2011-12-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of gift giving, I would like to share with everyone some creative ways to use the Close to My Heart Art Philosophy cartridge. I am absolutely addicted to Pinterest and it has inspired me to tackle many items that have been hanging around on my "To Do" list! (some of us call it our "Bucket List"!)

One of the items on my list was to learn how to do some basic wood working. When I was teaching in NYS, we had wood shop and I never had the time to learn how to use all of those noisy tools! So here are a few pics of me operating the circular saw ( I was really nervous...)

Step #1 - Cutting the wood......

But I felt a real sense of accomplishment in cutting these blocks from an old 2 x 4"!

Step #2 - Sanding and filling in the holes....

Step #3 - Painting the blocks

Step #4 Decorating the blocks

Supplies:

X7146 Wonderland paper pack - cut paper 3" x 3.5", 3" x 5" and 3 x 6.5" (2x)

Z1468 Topcoats Icing Overlays

AP cartridge - ... all 1 3/4"

CTMH Glitterstack - retired ( I finally opened it and used it!)

M.S. Glittering Glue

Plastic snowflake buttons

Vinyl Lettering - check back tomorrow for a 'how-to' cut vinyl with the Cricut

Here is the Cricut Craft Room file- you can download the free site here.

Don't forget you can always shop with me at http://ctmh.com/SweetAline Purchase the Z1686 Cricut Cartridge for $99.00 and receive the December SOTM - S1112"Mad About You" for only $5.00 - you can see the LOVE blocks here.

Enjoy!!

CTMH December SOTM Blog Hop

2011-11-30T21:00:00.000-05:00

Amazing! December 1st already! If you have been following our monthly blog hop, then you have arrived from Kathleen's blog. I am having a hard time thinking of Valentine's Day but I was inspired by a set of blocks on the consultant's bulletin board. So I created a set for myself. The entire time I was working on these a few Beatles songs came to mind.... "All You Need is Love" (started singing it yet??)


Mad About You Stamp set

I am not a big fan of the Roxy paper pack, so I dug into my retired papers and found this pack from last year.

Supplies:
S1112 Mad About You stamp set
Sweetheart paper pack (retired)
Cardstock and inks...Cotton Candy, Tulip, White Daisy and Black
CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge - hearts cut at 1". 1 1/4", 2" and 2 1/4"
LOVE - vinyl and the Cricuit Craft Room

Now it is time to move onto the next blog and you will not want to miss what Brae has to offer on her blog here.

AND DON'T FORGET! Starting December 1st is My "12 Days of Cricut Christmas" blog event.... (hint) - you will find out how to make these blocks tomorrow!

12 days of Cricut Christmas starting soon...

2011-11-29T19:40:00.001-05:00

This year I have been truly blessed with so many wonderful friends- far and wide. How do you decide how to include all of them on your Christmas list?? Well, I decided to create 'gifts' for everyone through my blog using my god-given gift of creativity and my Close to My Heart Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.

You will find in each of the 12 days... gifts of paper, fabric, wood, vinyl and food. Gifts for all of you in all shapes and forms. Plus surprise gifts for randomly chosen 'friends' who comment on the various presents I have sent to you.

I must admit these ideas are not unique to me but 'gifts' from others in the world-wide internet. Please accept my apologies if I do not give you proper credit but realize that you are a part of my world whenever you live!

Happy Holidays!
Adeline B

CTMH Blog Hop

2011-11-14T21:53:00.009-05:00

OK - did you EVER get so frustrated you wanted to scream???? WELL.....that is me right now... The Circuit Craft Room is running soooo slow that I am having a super difficult time trying to load my really cool embossing idea and so I am going to wait until the morning, So if you have been hopping along with us right now, then you should have come from Haley's Blog where you will always see an inspiring design!

So I hope you will hang in there with me because you will be excited to see how I used the Circuit Art Philosophy cartridge and the Circuit Craft Room to make an embossed design. But until then you will have to hop onto Tamytha's blog where I am absolutely positive you will find an awe-inspiring piece of artwork to jumpstart your creativity!!

Sharing from the Heart Blog Hop

2011-11-09T14:09:00.012-05:00

Oh my... my day started out crazy - including missing this blog post. But if you have been hopping along then you have just arrived from Wendy's blog where you have enjoyed her creative artwork. So now onto mine... Do you scrapbook and wish you could finish a page before the holiday is over?!! Well you can!! - How you ask? - well Studio J is one way to add the pictures before the Thanksgiving dishes are washed ( check out my pages under LABELS on the left)... or create this quick and E-A-S-Y layout from the Magic book this week and then just print off your photos next week....

Pin It

I am all set to capture the event and place the layouts in my album before the dishes are dried! PLUS this way I can be sure to take ONE vertical and TWO horizontal photos - crazy, I know!

Supplies:
9034 - Magic pg.62
X7142B - Dreamin' Level 2 paper pack
X7142C - Dreamin' My Stickease
Z1387 - Wooden Buttons
Z1450 - Color Ready Cork Alphabet

Now it is off to Lela's blog where I am sure you will find a super creative design!

November Special - Holiday Wishes stamp set

2011-11-01T11:22:00.008-04:00

NEW Holiday Wishes Stamp set

Stamps coordinate with the NEW Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge

Stamps with the red outline around them coordinate with the cuts on the cartridge. The tree is cut at 4", the ornament and stocking are 2.5" and the star is cut at 2".

You will receive this stamp set for only $5 when you place a minimum order of $25 in My Acrylix® stamp sets* between November 1–30th. That’s a significant savings off the full retail value of $17.95 US / $19.95 CAN. You may buy one Holiday Wishes stamp set for every $25 in qualifying stamp sets you purchase.

Be sure to shop with me at www.ctmh.com/SweetAline
If you have any questions call me ot email me.

CTMH SOTM Blog Hop

2011-10-31T20:35:00.017-04:00

Happy November! If you have arrived from Judy's blog......then you are on the right track! Here little box using the Art Philosophy cartridge is a perfect match-up with my weekend stay in the mountains of North Georgia and North Carolina. It was wonderful but exhausting! So I am a little late with my post but I do hope you enjoy it!

My daughter-in-law to be (DIL2B) birthday is on Sunday. So I decided to make her a "telescoping card". I found the directions on Splitcoast Stampers here and cut out the shapes with my Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge ( I love that cartridge!) If you still haven't purchased it, you need to add it to your Christmas Wish List!
You can purchase it here on my website www.ctmh.com/SweetAline

I used the Level 2 Sonoma paper pack (X7143B) and the My Stickease (X7143C) along with the November Stamp of the Month S1111 Cherish the Day. You can purchase all three of these items on my website as well.

Here are the cutting directions.... The hardest part is done for you! .... deciding on the sizes of all of the shapes! ("we don't need no stinkin' Spellbinder dies....")

Here is the closed card...

Pin It

Here is the opened card....

All ready for her gift card......

Now it is time to hop off to Amy's blog where you will find some more "Fall Artwork"!

So here are Mother Nature's contributions to fall....

SO Happy Fall Ya'll!!

Pin It

Kids Krop

2011-10-17T20:13:00.012-04:00

A HUGE thank you to all of the ladies who made the Krop for Kids on October 15, 2011 at the St. Pete Coliseum such a success!! Here are a few pictures from the krop.

A view from my booth of the VIP tables...

Just waiting for the ladies to enter!

My Make-n-Take project

Here is the completed layout- I added the J (olly), thanks Carla and the My Stickease from the Believe paper pack.

Be sure and check the next post for the tutorial on how to make this layout! Are you getting ready yet for Christmas?

Sharing from the Heart Blog Hop

2011-10-14T04:00:00.000-04:00

What a wonderful world we live in - to be able to see Fall colors in our surroundings - no matter how small or large! Today I was driving down I-275 and noticed the trees along the side of the road had turned a beautiful yellow color! SO what??? ....some of you are saying... OK - you live in the north where the leaves turn yellow!...... I live in Tampa, Fl where that is a luxury! I felt like I was back in western NY enjoying a beautiful fall morning.

Here is the view out of the kitchen window of the home where I grew up...

Not quite the same view I have today...but one can dream....if you have been hoppin' with us, then you have arrived from Diana's blog where you have checked out some awesome artwork!

I love Fall - THE only season as far as I am concerned! Later this month I am traveling to North Carolina with a friend so I can get a huge dose of fall. Sooooo I am ready for fall with this layout from the Dreamin' paper pack...

This layout is rather simple ( I like that!) but I used the designs off of the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge, the Dreamin paper pack X7142B and the zip strip ( what a great idea!) to create my design ... now all I need is the photo!

So if you are ready for some more inspiration than you are off to Deanne's blog to check out her take on this month's blog hop. Enjoy!

CTMH Spotlight Blog Hop

2011-10-13T19:58:00.012-04:00

Hello everyone-Happy Fall! Oh my gosh - I wish we had cooler weather here in Tampa- but oh no - the hot weather still hangs on! But I guess I can design with FALL in mind! So if you have been hoppin' with everyone, you have arrived from Carol's blog and you have have checked out her awesome design!

So I selected re-inkers as this month's theme - one of my favorite 'why do I need to buy it?' item! So I came up with a few reasons why you need to buy re-inkers!

#1- To ink up your fabric ink pads- DID you know they will last a lifetime if you just buy a matching re-inker when you buy the ink pad? Just use a zig-zag motion to apply the ink and they are good as new!
#2 - Using it for creative possibilities- Combine your re-inker with water or rubbing alcohol in our new Spray Pens (Z1380). I like using rubbing alcohol as it dries quickly and does not warp you paper. The key to this technique is to "spray lightly"
#3 - Creating a Faux Suede Look - Combine re-inker with liquid applique, roll it on with a brayer and heat it with a heat gun! Instant Faux Suede!

Here is my design for the hop - the background of the card is faux suede using Olive re-inker. You really need to feel the paper to get the full impact of the effect. The tag in front of the stamp design is also faux suede using Autumn Terracotta re-inker. I cut out the shape first because I did not think the Circuit machine would cut through the paper but I was wrong! Here is the title for my design board and it cut right the faux suede paper!!!

You may have recognized the layout on the right- yep - that is the same layout on my previous blog post and I made squares of faux suede paper with different re-inkers and then cut out the fall leaves with the Cricuit Art Philosophy cartridge.

If you have another idea for using re-inkers, just post it in the comment section. It will be fun to see what we all can come up with! Now it is off to Wendy's blog to view her artistic creation!

CTMH October Blog Hop

2011-09-30T20:06:00.014-04:00

Life in the fast lane.... yep - that's me! If you have been hoppin', then you have arrived from Carla's blog. Oh my - what a busy week I have had!!!... so you will have to wait until tomorrow to see my FAB-u-lous layout using the October SOTM S1100 Holiday Magic. So I ask you - how can you think of the Christmas holiday when it is 90 degrees outside??? I guess you will have to use your imagination....

So until tomorrow it is off to Krista's blog.... Enjoy!

09/15 September CTMH Cricut Challenge Blog Hop

2011-09-14T20:34:00.011-04:00

If you have been hopping with everyone, then you have arrived from Chris's blog Wow.. we are on a roll.... one hop after another - can you keep up?!!! Today's challenge is to use the new Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge and I have a new design for everyone! Here is my design that I created in the Cricut Craft Room - I love this software - it is soo easy to create a welded design and I have created a fall open box for my project using this online software.

Notice how easily I welded the designs together and changed the colors to match our RGB number codes to depict the colors of CTMH Brown bag and Goldrush. All of these designs are using the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge - what a plethora of ideas from ONE cartridge!

Here is the actual design after I cut it out with my Cricut Expression. I also used my Cuttlebug embossing folders and ink to add dimension to the design.

I hope you enjoy this design - this is a huge learning curve and I am slowly getting ahead of the curve! So please ENJOY!! Now it is time to hop on over to Tamytha's blog and check out her fantastic artwork for this blog hop!

Thanks for stopping by!

September CTMH Blog Hop

2011-09-14T04:00:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone! Welcome to the mid-month blog hop by 14 very talented Close to My Heart consultants. If you have been hopping along you have arrived from Tammy's blog. If you want to start at the beginning, start with Diana's blog. This month's challenge was a color challenge! So I decided to use the colors, Ponderosa Pine, Pansy Purple, Grey Flannel, and Parchment! (I left out smoothie...) I L-O-V-E Halloween and so I have a tough time selling any of my fav Halloween stamp sets! So I dug a few of my retired ones and created this card for Halloween!

I used my newly purchased fabric as the background (you can never have enough Halloween fabric!). The Martha Stewart punch doesn't show up very well and the thread I used for stitching is a close match to Parchment.

Supplies:
Pansy purple paper and ink
Grey Flannel paper
Ponderosa Pine ink and paper
Stamp sets:
Bat is from C1374 Spellbound
Spider, spider web and "Boo!" is from D1319 Creepy Cobwebs

Now it is off to Heather's blog to check out her creative post! Enjoy the hop!

Above Rubies Studio

2011-09-05T09:35:00.004-04:00

ONLY 4 days left of this fabulous 21 DAYS OF GIVEAWAYS! All you have to do is leave a comment and you can start by clicking the Above Rubies Studio page here

To ALL of you who own a Cricut and their other products and are still challenged by them all, Megan Elizabeth has some terrific teaching tools to get you up and running. Be sure to check out her DVD's....

Stamp of the Month Blog Hop for September!

2011-08-31T16:58:00.017-04:00

Wow- it's September already!! How exciting - cooler days and nights are coming my way....I hope! If you have been hoppin' with us, then you have reached my blog from Lisa's blog and checked out her terrific project for this month.

The September Stamp of the Month S1109 Limited Edition is very versatile and the directions for the designs above can be found here. But can you believe that over 60 Close to My Heart consultants can also come up with original designs to feature this stamp set?

Here is my design..... I decided since I used to go back to school AFTER Labor day (until I moved to Florida!), that is was time to create a page for the 'typical' school photo. BUT can you believe that I can not find my original 8 x 10 photos of my children?? Of course you can! :) So I scanned in the wallet photo of my son and printed on my computer...

However PLEASE copy this layout and add a current photo of your student and finish the page before the first month of school is over! :) I used the NEW paper pack X7139B Typeset for this layout and the pattern from the Magic book called "Magic Act" to complete the page- I think it is perfect for school photos! Now I am super anxious to see what everyone else has created with this month's stamp set. So hop on over to Georgia's blog and check out her artwork!!

Enjoy!

Fall Open House Goodies

2011-08-28T18:56:00.009-04:00

My Fall Open House was a success! Lots of fun and frivolity! If you were unable to make it here are a few designs that were on my design boards!

I LOVE FALL! So it makes sense that some of my designs included the colors of fall. This card is not exception.

Now check out this layout - Happy Fall, ya'll!

(click on photo for a larger view)

Supplies:
Z1473 Die cut cards
X7142 Dreamin' paper packet C1463 Harvest Happiness
Z1387 Wooden Designer Buttons
Z1686 Cricut Art Philosophy Collection Colors - Goldrush, Pacifica, Barn Red, Bamboo

Are you anxious for cooler temps?? I am!!
Enjoy!

Fall Close to My Heart Open House

2011-08-24T11:04:00.014-04:00

I know many of you are wishing for cooler weather and so am I! However it will be a long time before that will happen here in Florida. But school has started and I am dreaming about FALL in WNY and that means it is time for FALL Close to My Heart Open House! I will be hosting my open house on Sunday August 28th from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. There will be prizes, goodies and make-n-takes. If you bring a friend, you will receive a special gift! But you must RSVP by Thursday August 25th!

My Cricut will be chirping away and you will be able to see all of the fabulous projects I have made with my Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge. The cartridge has 700 images and with the Cricut Craft Room, you will be able to expand ALL of the designs on it. (did you check out my previous post of the CCR?)

Remember between August 15 - 31th Close to My Heart is offering a fabulous special. You can purchase the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge for $99.00. The bundle includes the cartridge, THREE coordinating Stamp sets (retail value $55.85)and THREE Coordinating Dimensional Elements chipboard sets (retail value $14.85). The cartridge comes in a PLASTIC case (not cardboard) and includes a booklet with a highlighted dot where you can find the design! No more guessing where the design is on the overlay????!

EXTRA!! EXTRA!! In addition - Because your purchase is over $50, you can now purchase the August Stamp of the Month for $5.00 (retail value $17.95) and RECEIVE the A Typeface mini alphabet set (retail value $6.95) for FREE!

AND because your purchase is over $75, you’ll also get the Pair-a-Phrase double D-size stamp set (retail value -$35.90) for FREE!

Your total savings are $55.80 !

If you are busy or living out of town, you can purchase this special through my website www.ctmh.com/sweetline Look for more videos using this cartridge RIGHT HERE on this blog! If you live in the Tampa, Fl area, I will be teaching Cricut classes at Scraporium on Florida Ave. Sign up for their newsletter here.

Cricut Craft Room CTMH Walkthrough

2011-08-21T17:28:00.010-04:00

Hello everybody - Check out my first Jing video with the NEW Close to My Heart Art Philosophy cartridge. I am working on a series of lessons to show you how to use the Cricut Craft Room (coming soon) and the NEW CTMH cartridge. This first lesson is a basic walk-through of all of the buttons and the images that you will find on the CCR. I was slightly confused at first because the buttons ARE different from the booklet.

Enjoy!

You can purchase your own copy of the Close to My Heart cartridge here from my website.

Cricut Art Philospohy and WOTG

2011-08-20T19:55:00.005-04:00

I am soo excited - I am 'Beta Testing" the NEW Cricut Craft Room - a FREE online program that anyone will be able to use to cut out their Cricut designs, For me it means - NO more wasting paper! :) I have been playing with it the last two days and I am inspired to 'jazz' up my Workshops to Go layouts using the Art Philosophy cartridge.

Here is a video from Close to My Heart featuring the Dreamin' WOTG and the NEW Cricut cartridge.

Be sure to stop by my FALL OPEN HOUSE on Sunday August 28th from 2:00 -4:00 where you will be able to view my latest Cricut and CTMH samples. Prizes, goodies and make-n-takes - bring a friend and receive a free gift.

08/15 Spotlight CTMH Blog Hop

2011-08-15T00:00:00.002-04:00

Did you arrive at my blog from Jill's blog? - I hope so! Then you are on the right track.....This month's spotlight is Circle Cards! Absolutely fun and E-A-S-Y with the NEW Cricut Art Philospohy cartridge. This card came together so quickly.

I cut it out in a 4" size and then added some scraps of borders from the previous post (did you see that one yet?) I stamped the image and then added the saying after creating a curved line with the stamp - so easy to do with acrylic stamps!!

I used the September special - Pair-A- Phrase stamp set and scraps from my previous post to pull it all together. If I can do all of that in less than 20 minutes - so can you! Now it is off to Diana's blog to see what her Circle card looks like!

Enjoy the hop!

08/15 Pair-A-Phrase Blog Hop

2011-08-14T19:22:00.026-04:00

Now I ask you - "Where has the summer gone?"... My friends are all going back to school today but not me! I am finally retired! So I have TONS of time to play! If you have been hoppin' along you have just arrived from Nicole's blog and you have checked out her awesome Pair- A Phrase artwork... If you have stumbled upon mine then you need to see the September special celebrating national Stamping Month- CC1014 Pair-A-Phrase Double stamp set!

Here is a close-up of the stamps that are included in the CC1014 set!

So here is my project using the paper from the NEW X7139 Typeset paper pack!

Click on photo for a closer look!

Step #1 - Cut out the door hanger from the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge

Step #2-

Step #3-

Step #4 - Assemble and decorate the door hanger card box

Step #5 - using the Pair-A-Phrase stamp set, stamp your cards and create your quick and easy gift card box!

Now you are done!

Now it is off to Cecilia's blog where you can view her creative idea using this brand new double stamp set!