I'm Crazy For You - CTMH Artfully Sent Cricut Card

I'm continuing with my creations using the "N" key on the CTMH Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge

Today I used the "Scene" function key and cut my card at the 7" size suggested in the manual.

To add more visual interest and to make the saying pop a little bit more, I added some Lagoon cardstock behind the saying and the flower. I also dry embossed the flap on the card and then lightly sanded to created the striped front.

Products Used:

• Chalk It Up Paper Pack
• Black Enamel Stars
• Unknown Ribbon
• Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge

All CTMH supplies may be purchased at my website stamptildawn.ctmh.com

CTMH Artfully Sent Pocket Card Fun

One of the fun features on the CTMH Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge is the pocket card key!!  The pocket cards are designed to be cut to fit the Picture My Life sheet protectors for quick and easy scrapbook fun...but they can be OH SO MUCH MORE!!!

You can:

• Use them as mattes on scrapbook pages
• Fold them in half to create bag toppers
• Write a little note on them and tuck them into lunches
• Add them to a card base and make a card
• And much, much more....

Today I experimented to the pocket cards on the "9" key and the "R" key

On card number 1 - I trimmed the bicycle pocket card and layered onto a white card base, then I added the saying from the "R" pocket card and added a ribbon.  Quick, easy and fun!

Remember that bicycle from card number 1?  Well I took the pieces, added them to a piece of White Daisy Cardstock and created another card!  The "Hello" stamp is from the Artfully Sent Cricut Bundle and comes with the cartridge!!

And last but not least, I used the rest of the pocket card with the saying, to create one more card.  

And there you have it... I cut two pocket cards out of a piece of cardstock from the Enchantment Paper Fundamentals pack and made three quick and easy greeting cards....and I still had quite a bit of paper left. 

Products Used:

• Z2031 Paper Fundamentals - Enchantement Assortment
• X254 Cards and Envelopes - White Daisy
• Z3017 Cricut Artfully Sent Collection
• Miscellaneous Ribbon

You can order all of these products at stamptildawn.ctmh.com

Artfully Sent - N Key - Love Bug

As soon as I flipped through the Artfully Sent cartridge book the first time, I knew the "N" key was going to be a favorite!!!  I love that little Love Bug and I am sure I am going to keep looking for reasons to use it.

The first card I decided to cut was the "Pop-Up" Card.  I used the Explore for mine, but on the other cricut machines you would use the "N" key to cut the outside of the card and the "N/Shift" to cut the pop-up insert.  Then you will cut the Love Bug using the Icon Key and the "n" and the "N/Shift."

I cut the "Love Bug" saying twice. Once with solid Lagoon and once with the printed paper.  Then I trimmed the flower with my scissors and layered it.

I cut an extra Love Bug for the outside of my card and repeated the pattern paper on the front to tie it all together.  I love, love, love this card.  My husband loved it so much that he asked me to create one for his Dad.  On his Dad's card I cut the numbers that represented his birthday (73) and added them to the hood, ala Herbie. LOL

Products Used:

X7184B Chalk It Up Paper Packet

Z3017 Artfully Sent Collection (Birthday saying is included on one of the stamp sets)

Z1792 Awards Dimensional Elements

All items available for purchase at www.stamptildawn.ctmh.com

FREE Chevron Ribbon and CTMH Home for the Holidays Stamp Set

I love it when two fun specials combine so that we can get even more goodies!!!

When you order $50 or more in October you will receive a FREE roll of Chevron Ribbon.  It will be a surprise...they will add either a Cranberry or an Outdoor Denim roll when they ship your order.

And since you're already ordering $50, then why not add the adorable Home for the Holidays Stamp Set for just $5?!?!

So head on over to my website and get started on your order today.  Please remember that the while supplies last items do not count towards the $50 order.  They are still a great deal though!!

CTMH Artfully Sent Halloween Pop-Up Card

Continuing my love affair with the CTMH Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge and my Halloween projects...

Today I whipped up a pop-up card.  I learned to make pop-up cards about 18 years ago, but as you know...I don't feature them much on my blog.  Why?  I am too lazy and impatient!!  That makes the Artfully Sent cartridge perfect for me. LOL  I think I can handle pushing a button or two and loading the paper.  Now I am going to be the popup Queen!!

I kept the outside of the card fairly simple and I just cut out a few images from the patterned paper in the Scaredy Cat Paper Packet...

Everything on the inside was cut with one key on the Cricut.  You can't tell in the picture, but I cut the spider out of Purple glitter paper.  I love how easy it is to cut the CTMH glitter paper!!!

There's still plenty of time to create all the Halloween gifts and projects you need.  Just hop on over to my website and order your Cartridge and papers and you'll be all set.

Having fun with the CTMH Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge

I think I have a new addiction and nobody will be more surprised than I am!!  I always keep it real at my workshops and crops.  If I think something is a good deal I tell you, if I don't...I tell you or I promote something else...

Well....I haven't said much about the new Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge because I wasn't too excited about it.  I hadn't seen very many samples and I just didn't see the "vision" of it....Boy oh boy has that changed!  I love this cartridge!!!  It is completely different from the rest of our cartridges and the perfect complement to my collection!!

Okay, Okay... enough blabbing, it's time to start sharing some samples.

With Halloween just a little bit over a month away, it's time to start creating....

One of the features on the cartridge is slide cards.  Typically you make a pouch to slide another card in and out of (wait until you see my gift card ideas!!!) but for Halloween I thought it would be great to turn the pouch for the slide card into a treat pouch.

 

I used the Scaredy Cat Complements to make decorating the pouches quick and easy!

 Another fun way to decorate your projects it to cut out images from the patterned paper in the Scaredy Cat Paper Pack!

You can order your Artfully Sent Cricut Cartridge and the Scaredy Cat paper and complements 24/7 on my website. 

Want to get your cartridge for 1/2 off?  Contact me and we'll set up your party (in person or online via Facebook) and when your party reaches $250, you can get your cartridge for 1/2 off!!  What a deal!!!

Celebrate National Stamping Month and #30yearsofhappy

This month Jeanette is celebrating 30 years in the stamping business!  What an amazing accomplishment.  I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity that she created when she built D.O.T.S/Close To My Heart.  I have been a consultant for 19 years and it has enriched my life in so many ways.  As I look at the people I hang out with and call my friends....so many of them are because of my association with Close To My Heart....so....

What's a celebration without a few gifts??  Let's get back to our roots and order some stamps, practice some stamping techniques and get FREE stuff!  When you order $30 in stamps during the month of September you will receive the #30yearsofhappy stamp set free!! And since I am starting on my 20th year with Close To My Heart/D.O.T.S. I will give the first 20 people who order $30 of stamps from my website...a free stamp pad of their choice.

What stamps are you going to order???

What a Hoot - August 2014 CTMH SOTM

I am loving this month's stamp of the month!  I love how big and open the owls are.  They are perfect for paper piecing!!  You can stamp them on patterned paper and then cut them out... or you can use our new markers to color them in.  The cute little elements included in the set will make it easy to adapt to variety of projects!

Hurry, this set is only available until August 31st.  Don't miss out!!

Head on over to my website to place your order today!

CTMH Convention Recap - Post #1 - 2014

It has taken me a while to get home and get settled, but now I'm finally ready to start posting my convention recaps.  While I typically enjoy myself at convention, I truly think this one was my absolute favorite!!!!

My trip started when Gail and I headed up on Tuesday, June 24 and we met up with our buddy Linda Taylor.  Gail, Linda, Karen and I have become great friends over the years and have had a lot of fun connecting at the corporate events.  At some point we started calling ourselves the "Fab Four" because when we get together and share all of our ideas it is truly....fabulous!!!  We learn so much from each other and it is so fun to see how differently we run our businesses.

Well Karen had to make the difficult decision to NOT join us this year.  We were incredibly bummed and couldn't imagine convention without her so we decided to bring along "Flat Karen."  Linda sent the picture off to Staples and had it added to foam board and Flat Karen was born...  Many, many bouts of laughter we shared as we planned our adventure....

At the last minute, my hubby ended up being in town so we decided to include him in our Disney trip.  After all, the fab four needed a photographer!! Rick was such a good sport and so much fun that we might actually have to make him an honorary member. While we wore our "Mickey" glow in the dark ears proudly, Rick spent the evening creating different shapes with his "ears."  I happened to catch the Viking look...but they also appeared as pretzels.  I wish I had thought to photograph all the fabulous looks he came up with!

Flat Karen sure made Disneyland fun.  She popped up everywhere and photo bombed us throughout the night.  I think she entertained more than a few people in the lines we waited in too.  In fact one group saw our hats and said.  "We only see three of the fab four..." They laughed when we pulled out Flat Karen.  

Here are a few pics from the evening.  Come back tomorrow to see what adventures Karen had during Leadership day at convention.

Time to say Goodbye to some of our favorites....

I'm headed off to the CTMH convention next week where the new Idea Book will be unveiled, along with all of our fun new products.  Sadly that means it's time to say goodbye to some oldies but goodies.

Blush, Buttercup, Twilight, Creme Brulee and Sky will be leaving our color palette to make room for ???? I can't wait to find out!!!!

In addition all of our current paper packs will be retiring too...as we shift to using ONE Idea Book per year.  Don't worry - we'll also have some fun seasonal supplements to introduce new products throughout the year.

(Here are a few that are leaving us....)

Click here to see the complete list of retiring items

Embossing is Boss! Got Cardstock?

During the month of February, purchase 2 packs of bulk single or combo colored cardstock and receive your choice of 1 of our 5 new embossing folders FREE!

One of the great things about our embossing folders is that they are 5 x 7!!  That means they will fit a whole standard size card, as well as many other great projects like the strawberry pictured below!

I didn't have my Close to My Heart embossing folders when I made my sample and let me tell you...it was quite tricky to get the whole box into the small embossing folder I was using!  I finally had to let one edge stick out a bit.

After I embossed the cardstock I ran some sandpaper across it to expose the white core.  I love how it turned out!!

The strawberry was cut using the Close To My Heart Artiste Cricut Cartridge 3d object, page 72

Ready to purchase your own Artiste cartridge or take advantage of the Embossing special?  Head on over to my  my website  and order now, or contact me to set-up your own party and earn more product FREE.

Feeling Foxy? Feburary 2014 SOTM Blog Hop

Welcome to the February Stamp of the Month Blog!  I am so excited about this stamp set!!!  I have been waiting and waiting for February to come. 

Whether you're starting here, or hopped over from Michelle's Blog - You're right on track!  Just follow the links at the end of each blog post to hop through the loop.

The adorable heart background paper is from the NEW Paper Fundamentals Basics Assortment.  It has 20 double-sided sheets, two of each design.  If you got our Dream Pop special back in May and loved the paper....this is just like it.  One side has a glossy resist pattern.  Too fun!  One of my favorite items from the new catalog!!


Now it's time to hop over to Jen's Blog to see what she has designed with this adorable set.

Valentine Treat Tube

Here's another project featuring D1560 Holiday Tags.  The labels can be cut with the CTMH Artiste Cricut Cartridge, which makes it quick and easy to whip up a bunch of tags.
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I cut the cranberry tag from page 37 of the Art Philosophy cartridge

And then cut the white tag 1/4 inch larger using Pg 50.  The wholes didn't line up perfectly so I just re-punched them.

Valentine Countdown featuring cuts from CTMH Cricut Cartridges

Every once in a while I design a project that I love, love, love... and this is one of them.  I wish my picture could do it justice!!!  I used the Designed Decor frame from Close to My Heart

I love this frame.  It's quick and easy to switch it out for different holidays.  Just wait until you see what I have planned for St. Patrick's day!!

I created the countdown with some quick and easy cuts from all three of our Cricut cartridges.

• Art Philosophy - fry boxes, lacy hearts
• Artiste - labels on the boxes
• Artbooking - heart swag

The tags are created with one of my new favorite sets - D1560 Holiday Tags.  (I have several posts lined up featuring this set so if its not on your wish list yet....I think it will be soon!!)

Cloud Nine Cardmaking Kit

It's National Papercrafting Month and CTMH is celebrating with a fun Cardmaking kit. When you spend $35, you can get this exclusive kit for only $15.

I have to admit, I only ordered this kit because it was the special for this month. I wasn't super excited about it, but I am so glad I ordered it! It looks so much better in person and I love the glitter tape and washi tape that is included in the kit.

Here's just one of the five card designs in the kit, along with my adaptation. One of the best things about our kits is that you can vary it according to your own tastes and style.

Here are the pieces I cut, using the cutting guide included in the kit.

And here is card number one. (You can make two each of five designs.)