Sparkle & Shine Christmas Cubes

This trio of cubes was fun to make

using the CTMH Sparkle & Shine papers

and the CTMH Cricut cartridges too!

Turn the cubes and have a different message and scene each turn!

Welcome Baby

Ta-da!

Look what fun Babycakes can be!

Aren't these giraffes the cutest?!

I used:

Babycakes paper packet (NEW!)
(You can order from the Fall/Winter Idea Book tomorrow, August 1st! Go HERE.)

Baker's Twine

Washi Tape

Miracle and Vintage Type stamp sets

Slate ink

Liquid Glass

I cut the flower shape from the Art Philosophy  Cricut cartridge

in 1-1/4 inch, 1 inch, and 3/4 inch, and layered them with Liquid Glass,

and added a dot of LG on the top center.

The yellow & gray strip below the washi tape 

is the zip strip from the edge of one of the patterned papers. 

It's fun to use that little coordinating element in a special way!

It's always a nice surprise to have a pop of color

inside the card too!

 Have fun with Babycakes! 

Thanks for visiting and leaving some love.

Merry and Bright Cards

Very simple cards -- I'm using my stash of papers and enjoying all the merry and bright colors!

Ho Ho Ho card is a sample of how you can embellish with Liquid Glass. Make those big letters SHINE!

A printed paper doesn't need but a simple matted sentiment ...

Then remember to put some color into the inside of the card too.

CTMH products: Merry and Bright papers, inks, ribbons, Sparkles, and Liquid Glass

May your preparation for celebrating Jesus' birthday be merry and bright and full of JOY!

Featuring Artiste & Art Philosophy Designs

Flowers cut from Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge

Cut at 3 inches and rolled; adhered with Liquid Glass

Artiste paper purse 1 with Flirty papers 

Cut at 5 inches

Artiste paper purse 2 with Flirty papers 

Artiste paper purse with gift card pocket front 

Flirty pop up card front -- paper pieced popped up flowers

Flirty pop up card inside by Artiste

Cut at 4 inches

Have tons of fun with these CTMH products

from Cricut/Provo: Artiste and Art Philosophy!

You can find them in the new Idea Book!

Sand Cake

 Playing in the sand is a favorite activity & 

one of our best playgrounds

 is in the shade.

The grand-girls like to play outside the box much more than inside it!

Their favorite thing to make is sand cake. 

The "carrot cake" was delicious. 

I was thrilled that the afternoon temperature was only 90 degrees 

and

we enjoyed a breeze too. 

They made sand cakes, climbed on jungle gyms,

slid on the slide, and went on a bear hunt.

We always take big water bottles along.

"I don't want to leave!" "Wahhhhh!"

That's music to my ears, 

knowing they'll be so happy to go back to play again.

 I used CTMH's "Cherry-O" papers that coordinated
with B's cherry summer sundress.
I inked the Irresistable Letters in Garden Green and Tulip
for the layout's title.

The photo on the left side is 8 x 10 inches,
and I gave all the sandbox photos a vintage effect
by using PhotoShop.
Photos on the right side are 4 x 6 inches.

StickEase makes embellishing a layout so super easy and pretty!

I put Liquid Glass on the StickEase and also on the cherries 

in the printed paper.

It can't get any easier or more fun.

Using Flip Flaps on top of the Memory Protector 

(right side, vertical photos)

is a great way to add extra photos and tell the story too--

I always include a journaled section to tell about the activity.

Happy memory-making!

H2H Challenge: Using Ribbon

Here's my entry for the "Ribbon" challenge at Heart 2 Heart this week.

And I always like to make the inside of a card eye appealing too ...

This week's challenge at Heart 2 Heart was to use ribbon on a paper art project. 

You can see the blog entries HERE. So many creative people take time to make special paper items--cards, layouts, altered art -- and post their entries. They are so inspiring!

I used the Close To My Heart "Bliss" papers to create a thank you card for neighbors who have been so helpful in getting our mail when we go out of town. A big plate of homemade cookies will accompany this card to help them know how much they are loved.

The CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge has hundreds of designs, including this die cut flower -- I used Liquid Glass to adhere the flowers. If it hadn't dried so quickly and stuck so well, I would have lifted a couple flowers and placed them a bit better ... but practice makes perfect.

This is the first time I've used ribbon in a dual "band" and a duo of bows to accent a card.

The Opaque Pearls give the card a finishing touch for the flower centers and top accents.

My P&S camera bit the dust so I had to capture this card with my phone camera--not the best quality, and not so great at showing these special flowers, but thanks for "getting the picture" as best you can!

Now take a look at every's challenge entries and be inspired!  Happy weekend! I hope birds and butterflies are soaring around you.

Sweet B & Family-Wings Layout

CTMH's January Inspirations that includes "Wings" papers and coordinating Stickease made this two-page layout faster, simpler, and easier! The Close To My Heart motto couldn't be truer!

I used the layout cutting instructions for "On with the Show" in Jeanette Lynton's book, Magic (pp 62-63), adapting the strips' sizes slightly for page 2.

On page 2, I included two journaling cs pieces, one behind each of the photos. The Wings Stickease decorates each edge of the ivory cs journaling strips, with Liquid Glass enhancing the dots.

Here's page 2 with the journaling sections pulled out.

Someday Beatrice will be able to read about these three photos, taken of her at 6 months, 9 months, and 11 months old.

Liquid Glass is a great product to enhance papers, Stickease, and even photos. Here I used it to give shine to the Stickease butterfly's wings. I added medium and small Licorice Opaques to make the butterfly's body "pop." The butterfly is attached to the page with adhesive foam squares cut in half.

CTMH's new Bohemian Alphabet stamp set (E1019) was a perfect fit for this layout. Notice the swirls, flowers, and leaves on each letter & symbol. It brings back the 70s for me -- I'll always be a flower child.

The January Inspirations products are available only SIX more days! If you love these colors and combinations, click on the Inspirations badge in the right sidebar for more information! Don't miss out!

I used all Close To My Heart items:

Magic by Jeanette Lynton

Wings Level 2 paper packet

Wings Stickease

Bohemian Alphabet stamp set

Vineyard Berry and Black inks

Licorice Opaques

Black Pleated Ribbon

Black Mini Medley metal tag, buttons, striped ribbon, and brad

Black marker

Liquid Glass

Thanks for stopping to look at my paper art!

As this card features all new products, I'm linking it up to Erin's CTMH New Product Linky Party! Check out all of the gorgeous work & inspiration with the new goodies below!!

Heartfelt

When I saw the Creative Imaginations "Loolah" journaling papers, I knew I wanted to try them as card fronts! Here's one -- and I used a lot of Liquid Glass to give the design some shimmer.



I repeated the heart stamp inside:


My heartfelt thanks for stopping by!

I used:
CTMH CS, Cranberry ribbon & ink, Liquid Glass, Licorice Pearls, Heartfelt stamp;
Creative Imaginations journaling page from "Loolah" packet

Mistletoe & Prisma Glitter

Aaaaa-choo!
Maybe it's the glitter in my nose?
I don't use it very often -- but tonight I went a bit overboard with it!

I thought I'd bring it out for a special friend's card that I want to hand- deliver with a plate of homemade cookies and candies this weekend.

I'm quite messy, as you can see, and I didn't see all the extra glitter specks until I posted this photo. I had better make sure no glitter has made its way onto the sweet treats. Choke, sneeze, choke.

This is my last Christmas card post for the year. I made more than 250, and no two were the same. What's wrong with me??? I have to be cra-zy. No, I'm not paying postage on every one. Like this one, many will be given in person. Sorry, USPS.

I'm excited to move on to a new project that includes a Mix 'n' Mingle album and the ever-so-wonderful Silhouette papers.

See you later! Thanks for stopping by!

Oh, and by the looks of my visitors' numbers, I had better get myself in gear and offer some blog candy real soon in the new year!

Christmas Card Memory Keeper Box

I just know someone will like this as a gift! It's one of the items I'll have at the local vendor fair this coming weekend. I combined the Jingle and Mistletoe papers and used the Jingle trees Stickease, along with the dimensional alphabet.

Back to work now! It's time to wash off the glue and begin the pumpkin pie baking. Don't you just love the smells of Thanksgiving season foods? Does anyone like extra-spicy cloves and cinnamon and nutmeg in your pumpkin pies? I do!

Thanks for looking and for leaving some love!

A Happy Birthday Flower

... to my sister! Wishing you a very happy big milestone birthday today, Kathy!

I hope this makes it through snail mail okay to her mailbox. But I really wish I could deliver it in person. Sister-strings connect us though miles separate us.

Those are poppyseeds in the flower center, adhered with Liquid Glass. I used to use poppyseeds for lemon muffins. Now they've found a home in my studio. A fun texture!

Oops! Those leaves aren't lined up quite right. I think my head, eyes, and hands need some better coordination. Maybe a visit to my favorite chiro will remedy this. Uuhmmm...and more yoga. Sharli, you're my inspiration to relax and rejuvenate!

I'm grateful you've visited my blog and hope you leave your comment.

Twitterpated Display Album

I've been working on a Close To My Heart display album for a baby shower gift. I'm using Twitterpated paper packets and the coordinating Stickease,

along with coordinating ribbons--a natural pick

for the nature-loving family.

This matches the "for baby" card posted previously.

Here are some sample pages.

The album begins with "The Day You Were Born"

and then each following page is a designated "month" milestone,

ending with the 12 month "happy birthday" page

on the back inside cover.

The parents can add their baby's milestone photos

and their comments/memories to the monthly pages that flip.

A new baby is always God's sign that He wants His world to continue!

This baby has been anxiously awaited and will be dearly welcomed.

Her parents will teach her of God's love and of the importance

of caring for His beautiful world.

I'm looking for a special verse for the back of the album.

So...there's always more work to do, a happy, fun work,

from my heart to your hands.

A photo of the finished product is to come,

bedecked with lottsa ribbons along the top!

A girl hasta have some ribbons!

So please check back in a few days!

Twitterpated For Baby

A friend's daughter's baby shower is coming up.

This is the card in earthy colors since they are her choice for the

"nature lover's nursery." The display album for the new little baby girl's

first year of photos will showcase these papers too,

along with rabbits, deer, owls, and more mushrooms.

I LOVE new babies! AND new grandmas too!

Thanks for taking a look!

I used:

Twitterpated papers & Stickease; CTMH inks; Liquid Glass; Sorbet ribbon

Not CTMH: MS border punch & pink paper

Merry Christmas in August!

It's "Jingle All the Way" as the Christmas music plays here.
Today I got to play with the '09 CTMH Christmas papers called "Jingle" and I finished two 2-page layouts using our 2009 family Christmas photos.

It made me feel at least 10 degrees cooler.

I used:

CTMH Jingle Paper Levels 1 & 2

and Stickease

Juniper Grosgrain Ribbon

Dimensional Element Stars & Snowflakes

Prisma Glitter

Liquid Glass

Sheer Ribbon

Sparkles and Itty Bitty Sparkles

(aqua jewels not CTMH)

Flip Flaps (not pictured,

but I layered a few on each Memory Protector Page)

Layout 2, Page 1 needs something across the bottom--

I may journal on vellum here.

If you have a good idea for me, please chime in!

This is my second post today,

so please scroll down for "Olivia."

Thanks for looking & leaving some love.

You Hold the Key to My Heart

These are some of the new papers and stamps

in the Key to My Heart collection from CTMH.

Colors are Juniper, Tulip, and Sorbet.