Blast from the Past - Flowering Thanks

When Jeanette Lynton began her venture into stamping 30 years ago, she drew by hand all her stamp images. Originally made of rubber and set on wood blocks, a few of these stamp sets are available to you in clear polymer for a limited time only! Enjoy the intricate and cozy line designs in conjunction with our alcohol-based markers for fun accents that will brighten your layouts as they take you back in time.

When I saw Jeanette's stamp archive in the Idea Book back in June, it brought back so many memories of where I began with Close To My Heart.  I had many of the old rubber/wood stamp sets shown on 

pages 114-115 of the Autumn/Winter 2013 catalog. 

Including this one:     A1145 Flowering Thanks

I used a combination of the Laughing Lola papers and Frosted papers.  How often do you try to mix & match papers?  The Champagne patterned paper on the card front is Frosted, as is the piece I stamped on.  The other papers are Laughing Lola, including the zip strip from Lola.  I also used our Exclusive Alcohol Marker Sets to color in the details of the image.  Colors used include: Blush (dark), Gypsy, Lagoon (light), and Hollyhock (dark).  I high-lighted the word "Thank You" by going over the sentiment using the Whisper (light) marker.  My embellishments for this card were kept simple:  Pink Glitz Glitter Gel (bling in a bottle!) and the hemp bakers twine from the Wooden Mini Medley Collection. 

Sparkle & Shine Gift Tags

This project was created and designed by fellow consultant, Tammy Rusch, for our group swap.  Tammy created a set of gift tags...perfect for those presents under the tree 

or as a handmade gift for a friend.

The packaging that holds all 12 tags is created by using the Sparkle & Shine paper packet, and the Sparkle & Shine WOTG stamp set.

The "Merry and Bright" is on a band that wraps around the gift tag folder, 

it slides off to unveil the tags inside.  Start with an 8-1/2" x 10-3/4" piece of patterned paper or cardstock.  Score paper on 10-3/4" side at 1/2" 3-1/2", 4", 7, 7-1/2, and 10-1/2". Turn paper 90 degrees and score on the 8-1/2" side at 1-1/2" and 6".  Fold to create pockets on long side.  

Use adhesive of choice to seal on the 1/2" sections of the pocket.  

Fold into rectangular box, and secure with band of paper of choice. 

Inside, the tags are stamped using the stamp set from the Season's Tweetings Gift Bag kit.

Great job on your Gift Tag set, Tammy!  Love them!

YouTube Saturday Video - Creatively Cricut

It's Creative Time...

allow yourself some creative time this weekend, and I've got just the ticket!

Power up your Cricut and try these tips and tricks for yourself!

This video is jammed packed with awesome tips...but make sure you stay tuned at 7:08 into this video for the BEST tip of all!

Learn the tips and tricks for using die-cut pieces from Close To My Heart's Cricut® Artiste and Art Philosophy collections. Stamp on Cricut®-cut pieces, change the size using special features, and more!

October Stamp of the Month ARTWORK

OCTOBER Stamp of the Month = Very Merry Christmas  

There are 11 images in the Very Merry Christmas stamp set and perfect for your holiday cards...and did I mention 5 images coordinate with the CTMH Artiste Cricut cartridge...no hand cutting!

I was assigned the Dakota paper pack, and created this Country Christmas card.  My card uses the Bakers Twine - Natural Assortment, Round Durable Studs (love these!), and a rhinestone from the Haunted Assortment (how's that for thinking outside the box LOL).  I used 3-D foam tape to "pop" each element on the ornament to give dimension to my card.  Of course, everything is sponged (ink distressed) in Slate ink.

Here is a sampling of what our group created using this stamp set...and to show the versatility of our papers, each person was assigned one of the different paper packs in the Autumn/Winter Idea Book.  Hope these will inspire you to get an early jump on your holiday cards!

 (click on photos to enlarge them for more detail)

Get the stamp of the month for only $5 when you place a $50 order during the month of October.  If you're ready to start your holiday cards...contact me today!

Saturday YouTube Video - Spanning the Space

Grab a cup of your favorite Saturday morning beverage, sit back and enjoy a quick stamping video...then take some time to create this weekend!
Enjoy!

September Stamp of the Month ARTWORK

There is still time for you to get the September Stamp of the Month, Fall Favorites, for your stamp collection!  When you do, here are a few cards to inspire you:

(Click on images to enlarge to view detail)

Take some time and create something today!  

Photo-less Layout...Live in the Moment

I have to admit, this was a first for me.  The project accomplished exactly what it was suppose to...get us thinking outside the box, and outside of our comfort zone!  At first, it was VERY intimidating, but then after I got started, it was exciting watching it all come together.

We were given an assignment (challenge) as we left our team overnight retreat last month to document our time spent together as a team, in a 1- or 2- page layout...without using any photos!  WHAT???  No photos...that's right, we could NOT use any photos on our pages.  We had to bring the experience to life by using journaling and stamping.  Not an easy task.

Only a few of us completed the assignment (on time) but I hope those that didn't will take the time to do it and show it another time.  It was fun to see how different each layout was...each one was truly a piece of art!  However, each layout shared the same theme in the journaling...friendship, food, memories and creativity.

Here's mine:

and with my journaling exposed:

(click on images to see in more detail)

I used the Dakota paper packet, it's quickly becoming one of my favorites!  I must have used a dozen different stamp sets to get the "word puzzle" look I was going for.  Most of those stamp sets are long retired from CTMH, but nonetheless, still some of my favorites, just for this purpose!

The note (with a pull-out tab) on the right page actually contains the assignment we were given...this is a great technique to save memorabilia of any kind.  I created a "pocket" by popping up the word puzzle using 3-D foam tape, and keeping the 4th side open, to slide the paper inside.  It reads: "How often do you actually live in the moment or allow yourself to enjoy an experience?  My guess is probably not often enough." Then goes on with journaling prompts to help us really reflect on the time we spent together.

As scrapbookers, we are usually always behind the camera, shooting tons of pictures just to get the perfect one, and most often aren't living in the moment, and missing the entire experience altogether.  Sometimes, just forget the camera...and live in the moment...experience every aspect of the time you have with others.  My hope for you, is to try this challenge for yourself...next time you don't have pictures of an event (for one reason or another), make a layout without any pictures, and let only your journaling tell the story!

It's National Stamping Month!

It's September 1st and it's National Stamping Month!  Watch this video to see how CTMH is celebrating with "It's Your Day" double stamp set!  Don't miss out...

It's STAMPAGANZA Time!

What is Stampaganza? Only the BIGGEST promotion in CTMH history (in my opinion!)!!! 

Stampaganza has set record breaking months in number of stamp sets sold when offered in the past! 

Get in on this fabulous deal only June 1-30th! 

Simply put - purchase any two stamp sets* (sizes A, B, C, D or E) at full retail price and receive a third stamp set of your choice FREE (of equal or lesser value) - a savings of up to $29.95! *Stamp sets that do not count toward a qualifying purchase include customizable (K-size), Workshop on the Go, Cricut Collection and Stamp of the Month (both discounted and full-priced) sets.

Contact me today to place your order, or shop from my website:

http://julieann.ctmh.com