OPEN HOUSE Aug 8, 9 and 10

I am sooooooo excited for our NEW Annual Inspirations Idea Book to launch on August 1st, that I have been furiously creating artwork to show you. I've been hiding it for almost a month and thought I might share the card attendees at my Open House will be making.

 We'll start first with a new technique, which is "Using your embossing folder as a stencil". I read about this from another CTMH Consultant, then tried it on my own. I rubbed our new Flaxen coloured ink pad over my Dots Embossing Folder, then spritzed with some water diluted Lagoon reinker. I closed the folder, but just rubbed the ink into/onto the paper, rather than actually embossing it using my Big Shot.

I stamped these love flowers with Black Memento ink, then coloured them in with our new Shin Han Art Markers. The alcohol markers are fun to colour with and the two colours I used almost match another 2 of our NEW colours, Thistle and Pixie.

Then I added some patterned paper from our NEW Chalk It UP paper pack, as well as, some sweet New Thistle ribbon. The sentiment and banner are from Oodles of Doodles with Black and Lagoon cardstock. I punched the border with our Scallop Border Punch.

Join me at my OPEN HOUSE:

Fri, Aug 8 from 6 – 8pm

Sat, Aug 9 from 3 – 5pm

Sun, Aug 10 from 11am – 1pm

Now, some exciting things will start to happen on my blog at midnight PST Thursday. I am participating in this AMAZING New Product Blog Hop set up by Tresa Black. Stop by to see some amazing artwork with new product from our Annual Inspirations Idea Book, that goes live Aug 1! Contact me to get your own copy! See you then!

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Paper: Chalk It Up - NEW
Stamps: Oodles of Doodles; Love This
Ink: Flaxen 0 NEW; Lagoon; Black
Alcohol Markers: Shin Han Art Markers - NEW
Embellishments: Thistle Ribbon - NEW; Opaques
Tools: Dots Embossing Folder; Scallop Punch; Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge
Other: Memento Black ink

Masking Technique

I am still working on using up some of my retired papers before I can show you some of the fabulous creations I've made with paper from our NEW Annual Inspirations Idea Book. This card shows one of my favourite techniques, masking.

I have used Clementine patterned paper and a zip strip from Claire. The cardstock is Sorbet and Cocoa, along with Colonial White.

Now for the "Masking" Technique. I inked up this flower from retired, You Only Live Once and stamped it in the left corner. I also stamped one on a sticky note. I cut the image from the sticky note, then covered over the first flower I stamped. I inked the flower twice more and stamped on either side of the first image. When you remove the sticky note, it looks as though the first image is in front of any others stamped. I stamped the sentiment over top with Cocoa ink, then added some Stardust Glitz.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: retired Clementine & Claire
Stamp: retired You Only Live Once
Cardstock: Colonial White; Cocoa; Sorbet
Ink: Sorbet; Cocoa; Desert Sand
Embellishments: Stardust Glitz

I'm celebrating today..........

In honour of my 50^th birthday today and my 10 year anniversary with Close To My Heart, I would like your help celebrating………

If you will help me celebrate both milestones, I will give you gifts with every $50 order you place with me or via my website…….between today and July 31^st.

You can choose an “M” sized stamp set FREE; I will create a set of gift cards for you FREE and also include an embellishment surprise FREE.

This offer is only available through me, in celebration of my ½ century birthday and first decade with Close To My Heart! Email me with your choice of FREE “M” sized stamp item (do not include it with your online order) and I will send it along with your FREE gift card set and FREE embellishment surprise.

Please join me for one my upcoming OPEN HOUSE dates:

Fri, Aug 8 at 6 – 8pm

Sat, Aug 9 at 3 – 5pm

Sun, Aug 10 at 11am – 1pm

Our new annual Idea Book is bursting at the seams with AMAZING new products, including stamps; jewelry; home décor; scrapbooking; and paper crafting supplies.

-To earn tickets for my door prize draws, email me to confirm a seat at my open house.

-Earn even more tickets by helping me fill my August and September calendar. (Invite some friends over for a few hours of fun. We’ll make a project and you can earn FREE product along with having some fun!)

At my OPEN HOUSE you can enjoy a helping at my NEW Jewelry Buffet! Make a necklace or cuff bracelet for yourself or someone special…..it is so fun to give a gift you created yourself!

Pick up your NEW Annual Idea Book for $6, at my OPEN HOUSE and I will include a $6 coupon for you to use on your 1^st order from our NEW Idea Book.

Now on with the show.........

 It is fitting to show you these two cards made with the gorgeous Jubilee patterned paper. I love this Honey coloured paper with the doily pattern. It was edged with Desert Sand and cut with my Sizzix card die. The flowers are cut with retired Free To Be Me paper and tied up with Natural Hemp and a Colonial White Brad.

For my birthday, I plan on taking a whale watching tour....a 3 hour tour.......
We have 3 Orca pods hanging around the island these days, along with Humpback and Minke whales. There are also porpoises and sea lions among many other amazing wildlife to see. I'm really excited as I have wanted to go on one since moving here almost 23 years ago!

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Paper: Jubilee; Free To Be Me
Stamp: Thank You
Ink: Desert Sand; Ruby
Embellishments: Natural Hemp; Colonial White Brad
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge
Other: Sizzix card die

Make use of your STASH!

STASH of paper, that is! This lovely patterned paper is from Emporium, which is still loved, yet long since retired.

This card was a quick put together. Twilight mat with a piece of retired Emporium patterned paper. I pleated some retired Vineyard Berry ribbon and attached it to a Twilight border. I punched a 2" scalloped circle and a 1 3/4 Colonial White circle for stamping. I used the stamp set that came with Artiste in Twilight and retired Vineyard Berry ink. I added some Green Epoxy bubbles to finish the card off.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Patterned paper: retired Emporium
Stamp: Artiste Stamp set
Cardstock: Colonial White; Twilight; retired Vineyard Berry
Ink: Vineyard Berry; Twilight
Embellishments: Green Epoxy Bubbles; retired Vineyard Berry Ribbon
Tools: 2" scallop circle punch; Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge

Timberline almost gone!

These cards are from my June Embossing & Die Cutting Class, hence the "Father's Day" sentiment. I love the wood grain paper, but also wanted to show the rich, reverse side of this paper.

I was recently cleaning up my work space and found 2 Sizzix dies I had never opened. You know you have too many tools when......  Anyhow, I thought it would be fun to try them out. So I picked this ticket shape of a Tim Holtz Mover & Shaper to add to the never opened card die. The only thing I didn't like about this card die, is it cut the card smaller than your standard 4.25 x 5.50 size.

I wanted to add some extra texture to the patterned papers, so first they went through our Lines Embossing Folder. I cut stars from Lagoon; Ponderosa Pine and the Timberline pattern with my Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. We added Outdoor Denim Chevron Ribbon; Natural Hemp and a retired button to snaz up the cards.

 All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Paper: Timberline
Stamp: Say It In Style
Ink: Lagoon; Desert Sand
Cardstock: Colonial White; Ponderosa Pine; Lagoon
Embellishments: Outdoor Denim Chevron Ribbon; Natural Hemp retired Buttons
Tools: Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge; Lines Embossing Folder
Other: Sizzix XL & Tim Holtz Mover & Shaper dies

A favourite stamp set

I love flowers and one of my all time favourite stamp sets is, Card Word Puzzle. While using up some retired paper, I couldn't help myself but to ink up this rose.

I used patterned paper from retired Clementine; Buzz and Bumble and another whose name escapes me. I added some Champagne; Sunset and Cocoa cardstock and this card was a very easy one to put together. I coloured the rose with our retired alcohol markers and added a wee bit of Stardust Glitz to the centre of the flower.

It is heating up here in Victoria. I am not fond of hot weather so I am hiding out in my basement workshop. I am excitedly having a team meeting on Monday night, so I have lots of things I want to prepare to show the gals who were not able to attend our recent convention in Disneyland. I'll start posting pictures of these things towards the end of July, closer to our new Idea Book going live August 1st.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Stamp: Card Word Puzzle
Paper: retired Clementine; Buzz and Bumble
Cardstock: Sunset; Cocoa; Champagne; Colonial White
Ink: Cocoa; Sorbet alcohol retired marker set
Embellishments: Stardust Glitz
Other: Memento ink

You Only Live Once

Well, we finally made it home from our 2 week vacation. We really enjoyed our time in Disneyland.....my husband and daughters enjoying the park; while I was enjoying convention. Once we left Disneyland, we headed for Portland where we did our "Back To School" and cheese shopping! We took the last ferry from Port Angeles, at 9:30 pm and arrived home at about 11:30 pm on Saturday night. It took about an hour to unload our van, while our son chuckled at the collection of zip lock bag boxes stashed everywhere! We haven't quite finished putting everything away, but it sure was nice to sleep in my own bed!

This card is a bit of a hodge podge. The beautiful lace patterned paper is from Jubilee, with an Ivy Lane zip strip. Then I added some Gypsy cardstock because I like the combination of purple and yellow. It reminds me of a gorgeous bearded iris. 

I used a retired Hostess stamp from our Spring 2014 Idea Book called, You Only Live Once. I stamped it with Cotton candy ink, then masked it and stamped twice more with second generation ink. I stamped the sentiment with Gypsy ink. I also used a sponge to distress each piece with Desert Sand ink.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Jubliee; Ivy Lane
Stamp: retired You Only Live Once
Ink: Cotton Candy; Gypsy; Desert Sand
Cardstock: Honey; Gypsy; White Daisy

Make It From Your Heart Pattern

After a long day of shopping in Portland, I thought I would post another card made with some of my paper stash. I used another card pattern from our wonderful Close To My Heart - Make It From Your Heart pattern books.

I used our long retired textured cardstock that came in this wonderful package, whose name escapes my tired shopping brain. I stamped with an image from a retired Hostess stamp, The Party Is On. We have great rewards for Hostesses, including some amazing stamp sets that you can have for a discounted price when you host a gathering. Contact me to set up a date to have some friends over for a night out to have some crafting fun.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: retired The Party Is On
Ink: Indian Corn Blue
Cardstock: retired textured
Embellishment: Burlap Ribbon
Tools: Make It From Your Heart Vol. 1 & 2

Card Patterns

Before I left for Disneyland to Close To My Heart's annual convention, I figured I should use up some of the retired paper I already had.

This is some beautiful retired paper from Clementine. I edged the paper and all other rectangle pieces with Desert Sand ink. I stamped the flowers from, Card Word Puzzle, in brown Memento ink. I used our retired Sorbet markers to colour them in and added a Pearl Gem to the middle of each flower. The background is stamped in Cocoa ink, with another image from the same stamp set, as is the sentiment. The large rectangle is popped up for more dimension.

I used one of our great pattern books, Make It From Your Heart, to pull this card all together.

Travel Diary: Too many days to keep track - We were in Disneyland Resort for 8 nights, then we started our long journey to Portland. We drove from Anaheim to Red Bluff, California on Monday, then to Portland on Canada Day. Thankfully, we arrived safely and are now resting in a wonderful hotel until Saturday. We plan on getting in some back to school shopping, along with craft shopping for me!

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Stamp: retired Card Word Puzzle
Paper: retired Clementine
Cardstock: White Daisy; Cocoa; Sorbet
Ink: Cocoa
Embellishments: Pearl Gems
Other: Brown Memento Ink