Wednesday, December 7, 2011

My Dear Friend, Wendy ...

is Unforgettable.

She lived her life to the fullest.
She was "Jesus with skin on" to others.
She was one of the best teachers ever.
She laughed. She cared. She cried. She shared.
She walked her talk.
What an example Wendy was for me and others who knew her!

Cancer invaded her body. But cancer didn't rule or consume her.
Her love for her Lord, her family, her students, and her friends gave her life reason and purpose.

She's at perfect peace with Jesus now. Last week He called her to leave this earth and be with Him. Though sad for her family to lose her in this world, I'm so happy to know and to trust the promise Jesus gives to all who believe in Him:

"I am the resurrection and the life...he who believes in Me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die." (John 11:25-26)  As a Christian, I trust God's promise that Jesus has prepared our heavenly home for us!

Two years ago when Wendy and her family visited us, we made cards together. She liked the Unforgettable papers and colors. I snapped this photo of her holding one of her cards. She's truly an unforgettable sister-friend.

Make Your Own Holiday Tags!



I'm a busy elf making gift tags here! It's AMAZing how easy this is with the Close To My Heart products!
Email or phone me if you have questions or want to come and make tags with me at my big table!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Christmas and Winter Gift Boxes

Friends liked the Thanksgiving treat boxes so much that I invited a group to create Christmas and Winter gift boxes and to get to know what FUN things they can make with the Art Philosophy cartridge and Cricut.

For my workshop, I pre-cut the first set of Cricut shapes for each person and made these "kits." 

Participants brought their Cricuts and we made time to experiment with other designs too. We also learned how to use the Glitter Rub Ons and found out how pretty they are -- they'll be showing up on some gift tags for sure!

Here are two boxes and my easy tutorials from this afternoon's workshop:




      Joy Joy Joy – Little Christmas Gift Box
1.      Use Cricut to cut the gift box from cardstock (done for you).
2.      Use bone folder to fold the box along the fold lines.
3.     While box is flat, use adhesive to attach Christmas paper squares to front and back.
4.     Stamp flower design (Olive ink) onto flower shape (cut from Cricut for you). Attach flower to box using a pop dot. Attach mini sparkle to the middle of flower.
5.     Adhere ornament shape (cut from Cricut for you) to the punched scallop edged circle, allowing space to put ribbon through the hole at the top. Attach large Sparkle to center of flower.
6.     Stamp “Joy” (Hollyhock ink) onto the small tag. Attach mini sparkles to the “O” in the Joys.
7.     Refold the box to make its shape. Use Tombow or Bonding Memories adhesive (or any other strong-holding adhesive) to the narrow edge & attach it to the box side; hold firmly.
8.     Bend small flaps at bottom of box in, then place adhesive along one of the larger flaps & hold firmly against the other large flap.
9.     Attach ornament shape and “Joy” tag to the box handle with ribbon.
10.  Fill with wrapped candies—chocolates, peppermints, small candy canes or lollipops, or any small treat.


  
            You Warm My Heart – Little Winter Gift Box 
1.     Use Cricut to cut the gift box (done for you).
2.     Use the bone folder to fold the box along the fold lines.
3.     While the box is flat, use Bonding Memories or Tombow (or your favorite strong adhesive) to adhere the “Wonderland” striped paper across the top of the box. Make sure the printed words are right side up.
4.     Adhere the dotted patterned paper to the box front.
5.     Stamp the mug shape onto the ivory paper using the Crystal Blue ink. Then stamp the mug words onto the blue mug using the Desert Sand ink. Cut out the mug shape.  Embellish with pearls for the marshmallows. Attach to the box front dotted paper with two pop dots.
6.     Refold the box to make its shape. Use Tombow or Bonding Memories adhesive (or any other strong-holding adhesive) to the narrow edge & attach it to the box side; hold firmly.
7.     Bend small flaps at bottom of box in, then place adhesive along one of the larger flaps & hold firmly against the other large flap.
8.     Use the blue and/or sand ink to stamp “You warm my heart” onto the front and back of the tag. Cut the tag to round the bottom corners. Tie to the box handle and cut off string ends.
9.     Tie the chocolate brown and the sheer ribbons to the box handle.
10.  Fill with any warm treat—hot cocoa mix, cider mix, special tea bags.

enJOY!  Blessed Advent. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Thanksgiving Treat Boxes









I'm so thankful for a morning of creative time!

I used the CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge to create these 5.5 inch treat boxes
for special teachers and children's caregivers.
They're filled with Hershey dark and Air Delight kisses.

I'm grateful for caring people in the lives of children,
and the theme is Gratitude at the Heart2Heart Challenges!
Be sure to check out all the creative entries there!



CTMH products used: A variety of Roxie, Splendor, Felicity, Twitterpated 
and Kraft papers and coordinating inks; 
dimensional star and heart die cuts; die cut tags; 
Sparkles; You and Me ribbon, and markers.
Other: ribbon & raffia

Thanks for stopping by to look -- 
I've had quite a few months of being M.I.A.
from the creative table and blogging world.
If you've been praying for our family, just know how much I -- and we all -- appreciate that!

Happy and blessed THANKSgiving and THANKSliving!



Friday, September 30, 2011

Going to the Dogs



Very simple, stamped & embellished cards to benefit local dog rescue groups ...

I used a variety of CTMH stamps & embellishments and others from H*L* too.

Save the dogs -- always check your local rescue groups! Always Adopt rather than Shop!

(Thanks, Marie, for letting me know you couldn't see the Picasa web album above ... it shows for me ... anyone else having trouble seeing it? Please let me know! )


Here are a few cards from the entire album:







Monday, September 26, 2011

H2H Challenge: A Stamped Sentiment

Clear Card Front -- Art Philosophy Cricut layered flowers on Dimensional Scallop

Inside -- The Stamped Sentiment 

(Before I added the mini brads inside)

It's "Sentiment challenge" time at Heart 2 Heart Challenges! We were challenged to use only a stamped sentiment and no other stamps on a project. Here's my clear acrylic card with the sentiment inside. If you know me, you know I just LOVE making clear acrylic cards in a CAS style.

I used all CTMH products:

Sentiment:  "Flower Pot"  D1409
Clear Acrylic Scalloped Card Base
Roxie CS
Felicity B&T
Art Philosophy Cricut flowers and Dimensional Scallop Die Cut
Ink: Hollyhock
Mini brads
Natural hemp
Liquid glass

Be sure to look at all the great paper art at Heart 2 Heart!

I've enjoyed being a guest design team member for the month of September. Thanks to Mary and all the DT members for having me share my paper art through H2H.  I always love to see all your creative paper art work!

So glad you stopped by!





Thursday, September 22, 2011

H2H Challenge: Three Different Cardstocks


Here's my little gift box project using three different cardstocks (no patterned papers--that was HARD~!) for this week's Heart2Heart Challenge. Be sure to click on the link and see all the pretties the participants have created! What a creative group of peeps!

Aaron Booth's adorable little gift box inspired me. You can see it HERE.

This little box is going to be filled with Dove bites for our kind neighbor who gets our mail while we're away.

I used all CTMH products:
CS: Kraft, Twilight, and Sweet Leaf
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge: Circles and Butterflies
Ink: Twilight
Stamp sentiment: Winter Wonderland's WOTG "Heartfelt Thanks"
Ribbon: "You and Me" kit
Sparkles
Liquid Glass
Natural Hemp
Bonding Memories Adhesive

other: small glue dots

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, September 12, 2011

H2H Challenge: A Cricut/Die Cut Project



It's a huge honor to be the guest member of the Design Team at Heart2Heart Challenges for September!

I chose to use the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge (a wowzer of a new CTMH product!) to cut two different flowers and a round medallion shape to use on the top of the My Creations card box.  (This box is also a new product in CTMH's Fall/Winter Idea Book).



The chipboard My Creations card box is a little larger than 4 x 6 inches, has a magnetic closure, and it's shown here holding a variety of coordinating  4 x 5.5 inch note cards. (You can see my Roxie cards HERE.) The designer box and cards will make a special gift for a very dear person's birthday!



I used all CTMH products:

Roxie Paper Packet
CTMH My Creations card box
Kraft color ready border
Pewter Filigree charm
Crocheted ivory ribbon
Dimensional Element banner
Stamps: Celebration set
Inks: Tulip, Desert Sand
Sparkles
Decorative Pin
Bonding Memories Adhesive

{Two colors of Cricut-cut flowers; third flower is a "bud" I cut freehand and rolled. Each has a Sparkle in the center. The bud's tiny sparkle doesn't show very well in the photo.}

Thanks for visiting and for leaving your comment! Happy chirping!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

H2H Challenge: Favorite Color Combo



The Heart2Heart Challenge this week is to choose and use our favorite colors in a paper art project.

It's SO HARD to choose! I can't think of any color that I don't like!

Lately I've been using a lot of the colors in the Sophia, Wonderland, and the Roxie packets. So I thought about a color combo that makes me feel so peaceful and happy. That would be the colors in the Felicity Collection! Maybe I like them because they take me way back to the 1970s when we were first married, when we had an orange/olive/brown color scheme going through our first home, and when we traveled from coast to coast and sang "This Land Is Your Land" almost the entire way! (Uh, oh, now you know I'm ancient!) Part of me likes them because of their rich, warm, Autumn hues.

Side view:


Here's my CTMH clear acrylic card with these favorite colors and products:

Autumn Terracotta
Barn Red
Desert Sand


(I used the Autumn Terracotta Ink and the leaf stamp from the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection to stamp onto the Kraft Paper leaves.  I used Barn Red Ink for the "Love" on the canvas button and for the inside sentiment.)

Felicity Papers
Clear Acrylic Card base
Kraft Paper
Art Philosophy Cricut-cut leaves
Canvas button
Natural hemp
Liquid Glass
Foam Squares
Barn Red Marker
Celebration stamps (sentiments)

Be sure to see all the great favorite color combos that Heart2Heart is showcasing HERE!

Glad you stopped by!

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Sophia Cards





Sophia Paper Packet colors are right at the top of my favorites!

These are samples of some of the 4 x 5.5 inch blank note cards I've been creating for the Best Friends Furever benefit. I'd consider these CAS (clean and simple) -- it seems to be my style.

I used a variety of stamps ... (three from CTMH and one Clear Stamp--and yes, there is a huge difference when it comes to clear acrylic stamps; CTMH cannot be topped!) ... and embellishments from my stash. Sometimes I even dig into my sewing box for some pretties!

Thanks for visiting! Hope your week is going GrEaT!


Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Roxie Cards


Here's just one of the dozen cards I made using the Roxie Workshop on the Go papers, stamps (and a few other stamps too), and black hemp.

I'm lovin' Roxie! It can definitely be girlie or guy-like!

Here's the slideshow of all 12 cards and the stamped envelopes.




Glad you stopped to visit! Happy week, happy scrappin'!



Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Wonderland Clear Card - H2H Challenge



For the "CASE" Heart2Heart challenge this month, I chose to CASE Pamela O'Connor's pretty circle card shown here with the cute giraffe:



Thanks for your inspiration, Pamela! I  love all your paper patterns and elements!

At the top of my post is my simple winter version using a CTMH clear acrylic card and the Wonderland WOTG papers and stamps (mittens and sentiment). It's definitely "mind over matter" here as I scrap in 102 degree heat -- today's heat index is 114 degrees! The AC feels great set at 81!

First I ran the clear card through the Cuttlebug to emboss snowflakes on its front.

I cut the snowflake using CTMH's Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. A Jingle brad holds the mittens onto the snowflake. Inks are Cocoa and Twilight.  I "stamp-rolled" the canvas button to show yet another snowflake.

I LOVE clear cards & will be selling this one, along with others, at a September benefit at Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri for a dog rescue mission.



Thanks for visiting my blog! Happy scrapping!

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

A Wonderland Trio

Wonderland is one of the new paper packets in Close To My Heart's new Fall/Winter Idea Book. It has beautiful, peaceful blues, browns, whites, and lavenders in its packet, and for these cards, I used the papers in the Workshop On The Go (WOTG), along with Twilight and White Daisy inks.  (Click photo to enlarge.)


These are quick, clean, and simple cards basically using blocks of colored papers and a few embellishments. I cut the snowflakes from white cardstock using the new Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge available from CTMH--one of the exciting new products in the new Fall Idea Book!




 I like to stamp the inside of the card and the envelope to coordinate ... two examples are here. Be artsy and let your stamps "float" off the paper. I usually like to use uneven numbers of objects when designing too.




Dimension can be created so many ways yet be fun and simple: Here I layered papers, inked edges of papers, and used foam squares behind die cut objects to make them pop off the base paper.



It was fun to work with snowflakes and cool colors on this 102 degree day in the Midwest! 


DH told me I should go jump in the lake when I finished ... so I did! 


CTMH products I used:
Wonderland WOTG papers
Twilight and White Daisy inks
Art Philosophy snowflakes
Sparkles (circles and squares)
Jingle big brad
Liquid Glass
Stamps: 
Wonderland Stamp Set (WOTG)
Jingle Borders
Christmas Scripts

Paper Art from StudioJane

Samples of my created paper art ...

Clear Acrylic Cards

Greeting Cards

Mix 'n' Mingle Album

Gift Albums

Memory Keeper Boxes

Art Keeper Boxes

Thank You Note Cards

Custom Gifts

Christmas Greeting Cards

Pregnancy Journals--Display Albums

For Baby

Floral Photo Note Cards