February SOTM Blog Hop!!

Welcome to our February Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring the February SOTM - Thoughtful Tidings S1202! If you have come here from Lori's blog then you are on the correct path.

Today I am sharing a simple standard size card featuring the Florentine Paper Packet X7153B (colors are Bamboo, Brown Bag, Cocoa, Colonial White, Creme Brulee, Garden Green, Goldrush, Olive, Twilight, and Vanilla Cream). To create the base of this card (shown at the top) I used the background stamp from the Florentine WOTG stamp set G1038 to stamp the background with Desert Sand ink on my Colonial White cardstock base. As usual, I used by AP Cricut Cartridge to cut many of the shapes on this card (Rctngle8 cut from Colonial White 1.5", Rctngle8 cut from Goldrush 1.75", Cupcake/Shift/Font from Goldrush at 2" to make the flower, and Petal1/Shift/FontLayer from Olive cardstock at 2"). Stamping and edge distressing was done with Cocoa ink (except for the paper Butterfly that was sponged with Desert Sand ink). I'm including a view of all of the images included in the SOTM set (below), as this set includes so many great sentiments that I will be sure to use over and over again! You can see (all the images outlined in red) that most of these sentiments coordinate well with our Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge!

Thank you for stopping by! Now you can continue on the hop by visiting Brae's blog next! Enjoy!!

NEW Product Blog Hop!!

WELCOME to our CTMH NEW Product Blog Hop...featuring all-new products from our Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book that goes live on February 1st!! If you've joined me from Nicole's Blog then you are on the correct path.

I've created this standard-size card to share with you
featuring some of my favorite NEW products:

Just For You My Acrylix stamp set B1398 (p. 18)

Stella paper packet X 7147B (p. 16)

Neutral Assortment (chocolate) Baker's Twine Z1701 (p. 124)

This card also features the stamp-rolling technique and faux stitching!

Now you can continue on the hop by visiting 
Georgia's blog next! Enjoy!!

Scrapbooking - the 10 Things I Love about You!

Let me help you make more progress and complete more of your scrapbooking this year...one page...and one layout at a time! We will meet at 6:30pm and 7:30pm every month on either the 3rd, 4th, or 5th weekend. Join us on Friday night or Saturday night or even both nights if you want/need extra time to create with us! At 6:30pm we will create one 12x12 layout with traditional materials (paper, stamps, and embellishments!) for $10 per layout. Then, at 7:30pm we will create another layout (faster, simpler, and easier!) with Studio J online at no additional charge! Yes, you read that correctly, the Studio J class is FREE! You can join us for both segments of class time, or just come for either the first or second hour, whichever interests you most!

Here are photos of the $10 traditional layout we will create (you will need to choose and let me know when you RSVP to me, which layout...either the pink one OR the blue one...you want to make):

(remember, you can click on any and all of my images to see them larger!)

I will have all of the papers for the layouts pre-cut and ready for you to stamp, assemble, and embellish! All you will need to bring is your adhesive, photos, and favorite basic tools you like to use. Please PLAN AHEAD NOW by finding the 4 photos of the person you want to feature on your pages. You will need two photos that are 4"x6" tall and one photo that is 4"x6" wide, plus one more photo that you can crop into a 4"x4" circle. If you want to be extra prepared you can even start writing down your list of "10 things" you love about them now, then bring it to class with you, so you can completely finish your layout faster!

For those joining us for the Studio J class at 7:30pm, bringing your own laptop computer is recommended, but not required. I do have a few extra computers available for your use when you reserve one with me (first come, first serve)! It is however, very important that you remember to bring your digital photos to use (files that you have saved on a memory card, flash drive, or dvd) to create the Studio J pages! Here is what the Studio J layout for our January Studio J class will look like:

Kit: Sonoma
Pattern:  Cherish: Abstract™
Photos: 2 vertical, 1 horizontal,1 circle
Colors: Smokey Plum, Cocoa, Olive, Bamboo
Techniques we will learn:
• Using the stitching guide to frame photos
• Clustering embellishments and My Stickease® across both pages

Here's another example of this same layout made using different photos:

I hope you can join us for these easy, fun, informative, and inspiring classes! Contact me to reserve your spot early (as space is limited to just 9 guests)!!

Chinese New Year Blog Hop (Day 2)!

Chinese New Year Blog Hop 
January 22-23, 2012 
Year of the Dragon
   
Ni hao!...and WELCOME to day 2 of the Chinese New Year Blog Hop! This hop is in honor of Alex, the little boy my friend April's family recently adopted from Taiwan. To celebrate his culture, we want to share some Chinese-inspired projects with you!

If you arrived here from Dena's blog then you are in the right place! If you just joined us, you can also go back to April's blog at www.curlsandgrins.blogspot.com to see everyone's amazing creativity 
from the start of the hop!

For my project today I have this little asian-inspired "pocket notes purse" to share...
(remember, you can click on my image to see it up-close!)

This little gift-box with handle was created using instructions I found on splitcoaststampers.com (project is named "Pocket Notes Purse"). The stamp set I used is called "Aspiration" and the papers I used are "Unforgettable", both retired products from Close to my Heart.

We have some great blog candy to offer from April Nourse and PSA Essentials. To be eligible, you must simply comment on each blog on each day's post. We'd love for you to become a follower of each of our blogs too!

 THANK YOU for stopping by and
Happy Chinese New Year everyone!
Your next stop is Theresa's blog! Enjoy!!

Chinese New Year Blog Hop (Day 1)!!

Chinese New Year Blog Hop 
January 22-23, 2012 
Year of the Dragon
   
Ni hao!...and WELCOME to the Chinese New Year Blog Hop! This hop is in honor of Alex, the little boy my friend April's family recently adopted from Taiwan. To celebrate his culture, we want to share some Chinese-inspired projects with you (although I didn't fully understand this expectation at first, so this first project that I have to share with you for day one of this two-day hop is more "New Year"-themed than it is Chinese-inspired, so I hope that's okay and that you will enjoy it anyway)! I will be sending this card to April and her family next week to congratulate them on their "brand-new addition"!! :)

If you arrived here from Dena's blog then you are in the right place! If you just joined us, you can also go back to April's blog at www.curlsandgrins.blogspot.com to see everyone's amazing creativity 
from the start of the hop!

For my project today I created this standard-size card...
(remember, you can click on my image to see it up-close!)

My card features products that are all from Close to my Heart! I used the Hooray Bouquet D1491 stamp set with the Roxie papers X7140B. The flowers were cut from our fantastic Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge that allowed me to cut my paper to perfectly fit the images I stamped on them (no scissors needed)! The "dry-embossed and then sanded with sand-paper" leaves and frame were also cut using this "must-have" cartridge! To create the "cracked glass" effect, I applied liquid glass about 1/8" thick to fill in the entire oval shape inside the frame (I did this after I stamped the sentiment; and make sure you use a permanent or pigment based ink for stamping as I didn't do here, water-based inks can bleed under the liquid glass and you may notice that my ink did run just a little bit). You can use a pin to poke any air bubbles that you might get as you are applying the liquid glass also. Then I let it dry over-night. To crack it, I simply put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to get it nice and cold, then I removed it and bent my cardstock in different directions to create all the various cracks. Then I used a sponge-dauber with a Desert Sand ink pad to swirl the color over the cracks and let the color soak in. Wipe with a clean tissue to remove any extra ink residue and...you're done creating "cracked glass"!

We have some great blog candy to offer from April Nourse and PSA Essentials. To be eligible, you must simply comment on each blog on each day's post. We'd love for you to become a follower of each of our blogs too!
 THANK YOU for stopping by and
Happy Chinese New Year everyone!
Your next stop is Theresa's blog! Enjoy!!

January Card Class photos!

Our new year of Card Classes is off to a great start!! I was so happy to have 10 of you attend our January Card Classes on Friday night (1/13) and 2 of you on Saturday night (1/14)! Here are just a few photos showing what a great time we had creating and socializing together! I already have another plan in mind how to re-arrange my tables for next month, so we can fit 10 of us at one time even more comfortably. THANK YOU to everyone who joined us and I will look forward to creating more cards with you all again next month! :)

January Card Class this Friday 1/13 and Saturday 1/14 (6:30-8:30pm)!

Join me this coming Friday or Saturday night for our first Monthly Card Class of the New Year!! You can even join us both nights if you want more time to create extra cards! Let me show you how to create a variety of 3 different hand-made greeting cards using the latest NEW stamps, papers, techniques, and embellishments. All of our cards are designed with our Cricut "Art Philosophy" cartridge that cuts paper to perfectly fit the images we will be stamping on them! I will have all of the papers pre-cut and sorted into little "kits" so all you have to do is stamp, assemble, and embellish! Choose any 3 of the following cards for $5 (or make 6 cards for $10) when you bring your own adhesive or purchase it from me (and I always have plenty available for sale). If you would prefer to use my adhesive when you attend, then your cards will be 3 for $6 or 6 for $12. Please RSVP asap (even the day of the class is okay, space permitting)!

Space is limited to ten guests each night!

Standard size card (above) featuring the Sonoma papers
(a variety of sentiment options available)

Standard-size card for a new baby boy (above)

Standard-size card for a new baby girl (above)

The same "baby boy" card shown before, BUT showing that you can choose a different sentiment if you prefer a card you can use for any "celebration" or "birthday"
in blue (above) or pink!

Finally, we made this card (above) at last month's class, but I still have a few kits left-over

and wanted to offer you one more chance to make this one also if you want to!