Slate is GREAT!

I'm hoping catchier titles will bring more lookers and comments alike!

These are the other two cards included with my magazine file folder......not a thingy after all! Same layout, just vertical cards. A 2" strip of left over Avonlea and a 3" x 4" piece of Twilight. The stamped medallions are from Avonlea Workshop On The Go Kit stamp set. Sentiments from Casual Expressions and Say It In Style.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamps: Avonlea WOTG; Casual Expressions; Say It In Style
Paper: Avonlea
Ink: Slate; Black
Cardstock: Slate; Whisper; Twilight
Embellishments: Shimmer Brads
Tools: Artiste Cricut cartridge

Avonlea coordinating cards.

Here are two of the cards that were inside the "file thingy" I posted the other day!

I used the scrap piece of Avonlea that was left over after cutting the top portion of the file holder. I added a piece of Twilight cardstock and cut a shape from Slate cardstock to coordinate. I stamped images from the Workshop On Th Go stamp set and added embellishments.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamps: Avonlea WOTG; Casual Expressions; A Friend Like You
Paper: Avonlea
Cardstock: Twilight; Slate; Whisper
Ink: Slate; Twilight
Embellishments: Slate Buttons; Bling Assortment; Colonial White Waxy Flax
Tools: Artiste Cricut cartridge

Avonlea and Artiste File thingy!

I hope that made you look......."file thingy"!

I love this new cut on Artiste, but just am not sure what to call it exactly...so file thingy, it is!

 This is the same holder I posted, that was made with Clementine paper. For this one I made a clothes pin accessory to go with it. There are also the 4 coordinating cards I will show you tomorrow.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Paper: Avonlea
Stamps: Avonlea WOTG kit
Ink: Slate
Embellishments: Stardust Glitz
Tools: Artiste Cricut cartridge
Other: Clothes pins

H2H Challenge - Back To School

We are still one week away from back to school in Victoria, BC, but are in full "Back To School" challenge mode over at H2H Challenge blog.

I created this candy package, with pick, for one of mine and my kid's favourite teachers.

I started by cutting this sweet little box with Artiste from Twilight cardstock. I inked all of the edges with Slate ink. The rolled flower was cut from Avonlea paper from Artiste, also.

The pic started with my colouring a wooden skewer with Twilight ink. I adhered it to the back of this yoyo flower I cut at 1.5, with Artiste, from Avonlea paper. I stamped with the Kudos stamp set that is included in the Artiste package. 

I added our fantastic Slate Satin Polka Dot Ribbon to the back of the yoyo flower. This pick is not secured in the box, so it could be stuck in a plant or the pic could be removed and it can become an award ribbon style badge.

I also stuffed the box with tic tac; chocolates; and gum for those moments when a teacher needs a wee bit of stress relief in her day!

Okay, now it is your turn to create something for our "Back to School" Challenge over at H2H Challenge blog.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Paper: Avonlea
Stamp: Kudos
Ink: Slate; Twilight
Cardstock: Twilight; Colonial White; Slate
Embellishments: Sparkles; Slate Satin Polka Dot Ribbon
Tools: Artiste Cricut cartridge
Other: Wooden skewer

Avonlea decorative tree.....you gotta see......

I LOVE AVONLEA AND ARTISTE!

After shifting some things around in my craft room, I noticed I had several styrofoam cones. I mused to myself what crazy projects I would use them for this year. Well, crazy no more.....here it is........

My Avonlea decroative tree!

This was a fairly easy tree to make. I cut my yoyo flowers on Artiste at 1 1/2". You can get 10 from a 12 x 12 piece of cardstock or decorative paper. Before folding, I mixed some Twilight reinker with our Pearl paint and painted the styrofoam cone. Then I folded 10 each of 3 different patterns and I was ready for assembly.

I attached 3 together of the luscious Avonlea Teal pattern and just dropped them over the top of the cone. They sat nicely round the base of the cone, so after failed attempts with hot glue and Liquid Glass, I secured the paper with pins.

For the rest of the layers, I would would attach at least 2 yoyo pieces together, then measure how they would fit. By the second Avonlea Teal layer, I was removing folds to create a smaller circumference. The top layer was just one piece attached to itself. I cut a small circle of matching paper and used a glue dot to stick it to the top of the cone.

For the topper, I stamped my favourite plump bird on two left over pieces of Avonlea, then cut them out. I hand stitched them and stuffed with quilt batting for some dimension. I took our fantastic Satin Polka Dot ribbon, cut a piece in half, then threaded it through a pewter ribbon slide to create wings on both sides of the bird.

I took a wooden skewer; covered it in Avonlea Teal paper; coated the end in liquid glass; then impaled my birdie with it between stitches. While giving that some time to set, I took about a 6" piece of the same ribbon and cut it in half again. Now after watching Tresa Black make singed flowers with this ribbon, I knew that was how I would finish my ribbon edge and make it curl. I did this to 2 - 6" lengths of ribbon, on the cut edge.

I used glue dots to attach the ribbon to the skewer, then added some our wonderful adhesive backed Silver Shimmer trim. I prepoked a large hole in the top of the cone; covered the skewer end in Liquid Glass; then shoved be birdie skewer in.

VIOLA, I had finished my Avonlea decorative tree!

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.

Paper: Avonlea

Stamp: Bird Basics

Ink: Slate; Twilight reinker

Embellishments: Silver Shimmer trim; Pewter ribbon slide; Black & Grey Sparkle; Slate Satin Polka-Dot ribbon; Liquid Glass; Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint

Tools: Artiste Cricut cartridge

Other: Wooden skewer

Clementine file holder gift.

I'm not sure if I should call this a file holder....it could be a book end or magazine holder, too. Whatever one wants to call it, it is FABULOUS in any paper!

I made several of these with different new paper packages, for my Open House. After I cut the top part of the file from the patterned paper, there was a piece left at the bottom I cut into 4 strips. I used those strips to create 4 coordinating cards I will post tomorrow.

I used the Cottage Assortment to add on to my clothes pin picture holder. I also created an embellishment with a pearl hat pin and Colonial White grosgrain ribbon.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Clementine
Stamp: Clementine Workshop On The Go Kit stamp
Cardstock: Saddle; Colonial White; Twilight
Ink: Saddle; Sunset; Bamboo
Embellishments: Colonial White grosgrain ribbon; Hat pin; Cottage Assortment
Tools: Artiste Cricut cartridge

Purse by La Belle Vie

To think when Cricut machines first came out, I couldn't have come up with any reason why this would be a tool I would ever have a use for!

I find that such a ridiculous thought now....but I own it!

This was another delicious item I made to house chocolates in, for my recent Open House. All paper is La Bell Vie. I added an Opaque to the centre of the flower, along with some Stardust Glitz. Then tied up the tag with some Baker's Twine. Pretty simple, but the paper makes it elegant....I think!

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: La Belle Vie
Embellishments: Baker's Twine; Opaque gem; Stardust Glitz
Tool: Artiste Cricut cartridge

Artiste and Avonlea...a match made in HEAVEN!

If there were ever two Close To My Heart products that were a match made in HEAVEN.....I think Avonlea and Artiste are it!

This was a really simple container to make. I cut it from our new Slate cardstock and Avonlea paper. My new most favourite stamp set is the Avonlea Workshop On The Go Kit stamp set. The delicious image is stamped in Slate ink.

To bling things up, I added a button from our Bling Assortment and tied it up with Crystal Blue Waxy Flax. All of my edges were sponged with Slate ink.

All products are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Avonlea
Stamps: Avonlea Workshop On The Go Kit
Cardstock: Slate
Ink: Slate
Embellishments: Bling Assortment buttons; Crystal Blue Waxy Flax
Tools: Artiste Cricut cartridge

Avonlea meets Typeset

When I had my open house, the gals had a choice between Clementine or Avonlea for their card. Here is the Avonlea version.

The Juniper patterned paper is from retired Typeset. I stamped with Universal Backgrounds on Whisper cardstock with Slate ink.
The circle mat is from Avonlea Teal and the ribbon is from Twilight. The ribbon is stamped with the ribbon image from Kudos, which is one of the stamp sets in the Artiste package. The border around the sentiment is also stamped from Kudos and the sentiment is from Casual Expressions.
I added some sparkles from our new Grey and Black assortment. Also, the holes cut in the Whisper cardstock were made with my Bind It All.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Stamps: Kudos; Casual Expressions; Universal Backgrounds
Ink: Slate; Twilight; Black
Cardstock: Colonial White; Whisper; Twilight; Avonlea Teal
Embellishments: Black and Grey Sparkle Assortment
Tools: Artiste Cricut cartridge
Other: Zutter Bind It All

Summer thoughts.....

I've only been home from vacation for a few weeks, but I find myself thinking about our wonderful time spent on the Oregon coast. This card reminds me of a lighthouse very close to the first Izzy's we visited....one of our favourite Oregon restaurants.

I stamped the lighthouse and birds with Desert Sand on Colonial White cardstock. The sentiment is stamped in Twilight ink. The first background mat is Twilight stamped with an image from Universal Backgrounds in Desert Sand ink. Then there is patterned paper from Florentine and an Olive piece of cardstock, all on a Kraft mat. I used my Distresser on some edges, then added White hemp.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamps: Perfect Day; Universal Backgrounds
Paper: Florentine
Cardstock: Twilight; Olive; Kraft; Colonial White
Ink: Desert Sand; Twilight
Embellishments: White Hemp
Tools: Distresser

Yo Yo Flowers

Yo Yo flowers are so much fun to make, I had to incorporate them into my Open House card.

I started with Florentine patterned paper for the background layer. The Creme Brulee cardstock was stamped with the script image from Universal Backgrounds. The ribbon and flower image are from Kudos, that comes with Artiste. The sentiment is from Casual Expressions.

I used our new Brown and Tan Sparkles to dress this card up. The mat behind my yo yo flower is from Saddle cardstock. We stamped with Sorbet and Twilight inks.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamps: Kudos; Universal Backgrounds; Casual Expressions
Paper: Clementine; Florentine
Cardstock: Colonial White; Creme Brulee; Saddle; Sunset
Ink: Sorbet; Saddle; Twilight
Embellishments: Brown and Tan Sparkles
Tools: Artiste Cricut cartridge

Ariste Crazy!

I LOVE Artiste by Close To My Heart!

Wow, our new Artiste Cricut cartridge is ADDICTING! What else can I say......since I put it in my machine, I just can not stop cutting shapes; flowers; boxes; and everything else I can cut. I went crazy when Art Philosophy went in my machine. I have cut something with that cartridge every day since I opened the package. I suspect I may cut more per day with Artiste that even I will believe. I LOVE Artiste and CTMH!

This card started with a group of elements I cut on Artiste and felt like putting together. The patterned paper is from Clementine. The other cardstock is is Sunset; Twilight; and Barn Red. I rolled up my first flower and stamped with Kudos, one of the stamp sets that comes with Artiste. Kudos is a brilliant stamp set!

I added bling with Bitty Sparkles and everything is edged in my other new favourite thing, Saddle ink. I stamped the sentiment and shape with Saddle. The backgrounds are stamped with the border stamp from Paisley Flair, in coordinating ink with cardstock.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamps: Paisley Flair; Kudos
Patterned Paper: Clementine
Cardstock: Sunset; Twilight; Barn Red; Colonial White
Ink: Saddle; Sunset; Twilight
Embellishments: Bitty Sparkles
Tools: Artiste Cricut cartridge

H2H Challenge...Dog Days of Summer!

While I am NOT enjoying the "Dog Days of Summer", I did create this sweet card for my H2H Challenge this week. Check out the entire design team's creations over on the H2H blog here.

My card started with the insanely cute stamp set, Bowwow. I stamped this doggie on some patterned paper from Cruisin'. There was another CTMH consultant who previously had used this paper for the doggie, and I thought it was brilliant. I stamped his scarf on one of the zip strips, also from the Cruisin' pack. The oval coloured mat is Juniper cardstock.

The large shape is from Art Philosophy, cut from Grey Wool cardstock. The diamond argyle pattern is also from Cruisin' and there are Black and Twilight mats behind. I stamped the bones in black ink on the Grey Wool shape, then took my Sakura Glaze pen to highlight them.

I added our new Silver Shimmer Trim....which is adhesive backed for convenience. I also added our delicious new Slate Epoxy bubbles to the outside edge of the doggie oval.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Stamp: Bowwow
Paper: Cruisin'
Cardstock: Grey Wool; White Daisy; Twilight; Black; Juniper
Ink: Black
Markers: Twilight; Cotton Candy Alcohol 
Embellishments: Silver Shimmer Trim; Slate Epoxy Bubbles
Other: Sakura Glaze pen

Lucy & Cotton Candy meet Remarkable Wreath

These are the final cards my Hostess club made using Remarkable Wreath. I do love my Chocolate cardstock/ink....but I must say the Greys have me smitten!

We used both Grey Flannel and Grey Wool cardstock for these cards. The background is stamped from the April stamp of the month, You Are. We used a Martha punch for the border and added some Baker's Twine to it. 

The patterned paper is from Lucy and we stamped the flowers in first and second generation Cotton Candy ink. I actually used the wreath this time, stamped in Grey Wool and that was also the ink sponged around the edges. We added Stardust Glitz to the flower centres and Say It In Style for the sentiment.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Stamps: Remarkable Wreath; You Are; Say It In Style
Paper: Lucy
Cardstock: Grey Wool; Grey Flannel; Colonial White; Cotton Candy
Ink: Cotton Candy; Grey Wool
Embellishments: Baker's Twine; Stardust Glitz
Other: Martha Stewart punch

Remarkable Wreath leaves with Twilight!

Hah, I wondered if the "Twilight" reference would get y'all a lookin'! You knew I meant Twilight ink.......right! Here are two more cards my Hostess club made with Remarkable Wreath.

We used Twilight ink for the leaves, then Sweet Leaf for the dots....and again, no wreath branches! The patterned paper is from Florentine and we stamped on the Sweet Leaf cardstock with Love Life. The border is Twilight and the circle mat is Cocoa cardstock.

We tied up some Sweet Leaf wide stitched grosgrain ribbon to finish these cards off with finesse!

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamps: Love Life; Remarkable Wreath
Paper: Florentine
Cardstock: Sweet Leaf; Colonial White; Twilight; Cocoa
Ink: Twilight; Sweet Leaf
Embellishments: Sweet Leaf stitched grosgrain ribbon
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge

Remarkable Wreath beauty!

One of my all time favourite stamp sets is Remarkable Wreath. This stamp set works for all seasons and colours.

This is one card my Hostess club made with the stamp set, before they took their own set home. The patterned paper is from Roxie and the Creme Brulee coloured paper is from Footloose. The other mat is Sorbet and the scalloped circle is Tulip cardstock, cut with our Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.

The flowers are stamped in Sorbet and Creme Brulee ink on Colonial White cardstock. The tiny centre flowers were also cut with AP and are from Sorbet and Creme Brulee cardstock. We stamped the centre with an image from Simple Memories. The sentiment is from a retired Thank You set. I added an Opaque Pearl to complete the card.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamps: Simple Memories; Thank You; Remarkable Wreath
Paper: Roxie and Footloose
Cardstock: Colonial White; Sorbet; Tulip; Creme Brulee
Ink: Sorbet; Tulip; Creme Brulee
Embellishments: Opaque Pearl gems
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge

Roxie and Card Word Puzzle

This is a card I made for a challenge, but never got posted before my vacation.

I happened to have some Brown Bag cardstock close by and some precut shapes from Art Philosophy. I stamped the flower from Card Word Puzzle in Tulip as the background and as the feature.

The ribbon is old organdy I have left. I think it might be buttercup, but it passes wonderfully as a neutral with Colonial White cardstock. I tied it up with some White hemp. The ribbon is on a black border. The feature flower is on a Kraft mat and the Roxie paper is on a Chocolate mat.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Card Word Puzzle
Paper: Roxie
Ink: Tulip; Black; Desert Sand
Cardstock: Brown Bag; Colonial White; Black; Chocolate; Kraft
Embellishments: Buttercup organdy ribbon; White hemp
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge

It's a Perfect Day.

Ahhhh, this card reminds me of my recent week, on the beach, in Yachats, Oregon.

I started with some lovely patterned paper from Florentine. Then I love my background stamps and the wood grain is from Universal Backgrounds. The images are stamped on Colonial White with Cocoa for the sentiment and Dutch Blue for the boat. I added Milepost shapes; wooden buttons and white hemp, to finish this card off.


All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamps: Universal Backgrounds; Perfect Day
Paper: Florentine
Cardstock: Desert Sand; Dutch Blue; Colonial White
Ink: Desert Sand; Cocoa; Dutch Blue
Embellishments: Milepost Shapes; Wooden buttons; White Hemp

Life is Tweet!

August 1st has arrived.......today is the day to sign up to join my Close To My Heart team and in addition to your wonderful kit, get a great FREE bag. Here is all of the information you need......don't miss out!

Once you are done signing up, you can enjoy this "tweet" card my Hostess club made for July.

I used patterned paper from retired Wings package. The birdies; borders; and second generation flowers were stamped in Lagoon. The green ink is Topiary. The shape was cut with Art Philosophy in Lagoon and Colonial White cardstock. We added some Stardust Glitz to flower centres to finish things off.


All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Wings
Stamps: Life is Tweet
Cardstock: Colonial White; Lagoon
Ink: Lagoon; Topiary
Embellishments: Stardust Glitz
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge