Christmas cards in 3D

I have been neglecting my blog.....again! During my neglect, I have been creating some special 3D cards. Here is the 2nd one I posted, but with more of a description of how I made it.

For this card, I cut 3 trees from our 2017 Cricut cart, You Are Here, from Fern cardstock. Then I cut the decorations with Sea Glass Glitter paper. I scored down the centre of each tree and the decorations, then stuck them together to create this dimensional tree.

Behind the tree, on the White Daisy piece, I stamped the snowflake image from Christmas Borders in 2nd generation Sea Glass ink. The sentiment is from, Silver & Gold Cardmaking and is first stamped with Fern ink and then ghosted with Sea Glass ink. (Ghosting is stamping the same image a second time, a wee bit the side and above/below the darker stamped image.) I matted the White Daisy with Sea Glass cardstock.

I added various patterned papers on a Slate background and added a Silver Foil cardstock strip. This is a 5 x 7 card and in order to keep the tree three dimensional, it fits nicely in a clear plastic box, for mailing or presentation.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Silver & Gold Cardmaking; Christmas Borders
Cardstock: White daisy;  Fern; Silver Foil; retired Slate; retired Sea Glass card & Glitter paper.
Ink: Fern; retired Sea Glass
Tools: You Are Here Cricut cartridge; Scoreboard

3D Christmas Cards

I love creating 3 dimensional items to put on cards. At Christmas time, I think cards should be over the top....so this is a class I have created to teach at home and at the Monteray Rec Centre. Each of these cards will be presented in a clear box, as they do not squish down to fit in a normal sized envelope.

 The first card has a very full poinsettia made from White Daisy and Sweet Leaf cardstock. The wreath underneath is from New England Ivy cardstock. All elements were cut with our Flower Market Cricut cartridge. I used retired patterned paper from City Sidewalks.

 The second card has a sweet dimensional New England Ivy Christmas tree with Sea Glass Glitter paper accents. I stamped the White Daisy piece, behind the tree, with the snow flake image from Christmas Borders stamp set. I used second generation Sea Glass ink. I also added a strip of our NEW  Silver Foil cardstock along with some retired patterned papers on a Slate cardstock mat.

Finally, the third card uses NEW patterned paper from Beary Christmas.The stars were cut from Art Philosophy then I used our Score Board to score each of them. I also used our Confetti Embossing Folder; White & Gold Twine; and Clear Shimmer Pen. I used stamp set Silver & Gold Cardmaking for all 3 cards. I stamped the sentiment with New England Ivy ink, then ghost stamped again in either Glacier; Sea Glass; or Sweet Leaf ink.



All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Silver & Gold Cardmaking
Patterned paper: Beary Chirstmas; retired City Sidewalks
Cardstock: New England Ivy; Cranberry; Slate; White Daisy; Glacier; Silver Foil Cardstock; Sea Glass Glitter cardstock; retired Slate
Ink: New England Ivy; Sweet Leaf; Glacier; Sea Glass; Shin Han Marker
Embellishments: White & Gold Twine; Clear Shimmer Pen; Clear Sparkles
Tools: Flower Market & Art Philosophy Cricut carts; Score Board; Confetti Embossing Folder

Fall has arrived......can I get a YIPEE!

Fall has arrived......my favourite season of the year. The weather cools off and the sun sets earlier and rises later....perfect for a night Owl like me. I have again been bad at posting on my blog, but will try to catch you up now.

This card uses two new items from our Fall/Winter Seasonal Expressions. The first is this beautiful Embossing Folder that I used for the base of this card. I embossed Fern cardstock, then rubbed coordinating ink over the entire thing. It is mounted on Glacier cardstock, which is also used for where the sentiment is stamped with Fern ink.

The die cut leaf is from new stamp set with coordinating Thin Cuts, Falling For You - Cardmaking. It is a wonderful set with lots of leaf choices. The amazing Gold scalloped border was created with our fantastic NEW Gold Foil cardstock and Scallop Border Thin Cuts. I added clear Sparkles that I coloured with a Shin Han alcohol marker. 

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Falling For You - Cardmaking with coordinating Thin Cuts
Cardstock: Gold Foil; Fern; Glacier
Ink: Fern; Shin Han Alcohol Marker
Embellishments: Clear Sparkles
Tools: Scallop Border Thin Cuts

Christmas Cards with Cricut Design Space

I have been so inspired by many CTMH Consultants.

Most recently both Jennifer Smith and Julie Carriere have piqued my interest with their amazing workshops and easy purchase of their Cricut Design Space files. After putting myself through a self taught crash course of Design Space, I felt very satisfied altering some files. I created these cards and would like to offer the files and instructions to you, for purchase.

These cards will make a great Christmas card workshop for you and/or your customers, or for you to make and send out.

Here are the exclusive Close To My Heart products I used. 

Close to My Heart Required Materials:

You Are Here Cricut Cart Z3389 (digital Z3387)

Flower Market Cricut Cart Z3285 (digital Z3290)

Artistry Cricut Cart Z3190

Artiste Cricut Cart (retired)

Other Close to My Heart products used:

Christmas Borders D1746

Mistletoe Kisses M1182

Beary Christmas Cardmaking Stamp C1691

In the Background D1750

Gold Foil Cardstock Z3365

Silver Foil Cardstock Z3366

Bashful Glitter Paper Z3360

Poppy Cardstock X5963

Glacier Cardstock X5977

Bashful Cardstock X5941

Fern Cardstock X5960

Toffee Cardstock X5950

New England Ivy Cardstock X5959

Poppy Ink Z3852

Glacier Ink Z2841

Bashful Ink Z2819

Black Ink Z2805

New England Ivy Ink Z2835

White Daisy Pigment Ink Z2863

White Twine Z3216

White Value Pack Cards & Envelopes X254

With a $25 purchase of supplies from my website, ballistic.ctmh.com, I will email you the Design Space (explore only) cutting files and a full colour, step by step assembly guide FREE. (Canadian orders only)

For my CTMH counterparts, you may purchase the cutting files and guide to use to showcase these products in any workshop/class settings.

Canadian Consultants may e transfer $5 to receive only the cutting files and assembly guide. All other Consultants may use this link to purchase the files.

You Are Here

We are here.......this card is a compilation of our Cricut carts and experimentation. I started with wanting to make a stencil of this tree image from Artbooking. When I received my new CTMH You Are Here Cricut cart, I decided to use the clam shell to make the stencil.

Once the stencil was cut, here is what I did to make this image. I schmered some Tim Holtz Oxide ink all over a 4x4 piece of Colonial White cardstock. I let it dry/cure for 24 hours. Then I layed the stencil down over top and used a TH ink tool to apply a turquoise ink over top of the rest. After letting that cure for 24 hours, I went in with a Shin Han Alcohol Marker and coloured the leaves. Then I outlined the tree with a White Gelly Roll pen. I added Red Glitz by all of the leaves.

I stamped this wonderful sentiment from a set that came with Cricut cart, You are Here, in Pacifica ink. I added the twine then some Lagoon and Saddle cardstock mats.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Stamp: You are Here coordinating
Ink: Pacifica; Shin Han Alcohol Marker
Cardstock: Saddle; Lagoon; Colonial White
Embellishments: Twine; Red Glitz
Other: Tim Holtz Oxide Ink & Ink tool

Feel So Blessed

I do, feel so blessed. I feel blessed to have my amazing husband and 3 children. I feel blessed to have a  home in an amazing city and country. I feel blessed to have the friends; community; and businesses I do. So our September Stamp of the Month, Feel So Blessed, is extra amazing!

I heat embossed the sentiment in Black on watercolour paper, first. Then I just splashed and smooshed some turquoise shades of paint on. Once it was dry, I stamped this beautiful feather and added the outline with my Black Journaling pen. I also used a White Jelly Roll pen to add some highlights to the sentiment, to help it pop more. I finished with some Silver Sequins a Black cardstock mat.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Stamp: Feel So Blessed, Sept SOTM
Ink: Black; Versamark; Watercolour Paint
Cardstock: Black; Watercolour
Embellishments: Silver Sequins
Other: White Jelly Roll Pen

Oh my bird!

I LOVE birds and bird watching. This set had me at Chirp! This set, Thoughtful Bird, comes with a Thin Cut Die to cut out the bird......feet included!

I did use patterned paper and sequins from now retired Prickly Pear, along with some Pink Shimmer Trim. This bird can look great with so many colour combos and is comprised of 3 stamped images to complete the body. Then there are images for the feet and beak.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Thoughtful Bird & Thin Cut set
Paper: Prickley Pear retired
Cardstock: retired Pear & Sunset; White Daisy
Ink: Desert Sand; Saddle; Cocoa; Willow; Black

Let's get SASSY!

Another peek at a new stamp set available Today, Sep 1 in our NEW Seasonal Expressions. This scrolly sweet set has 4 sentiments and is called, Southern Sass.

I paired this set with retired patterned paper and Created to Create. I also wanted to show  you an AMAZING and FANTASTIC addition to our spectacular products. Double Sided Cardstock.....the back side if a lighter shade of the signature colour. In these cards I have used Poppy and Pomegranate, then also used the backside of each colour. So our colour palette has gone from 41 to 82....badda bing..badda bang!

Get your NEW stamps sets TODAY, Sep 1!

 All supplies are Close to My Heart.
Stamp: Southern Sass; Created to Create
Cardstock: Poppy; Pomegranate; White Daisy
Embellishments: Poppy Thick Twine; Glitter Gems; Black embossing powder
Ink: Pomegranate; Versamark; Black Journaling pen

Sneaky Peeks start here and NOW!

I have had our NEW Seasonal Expressions in my hands for about 2 weeks now. As a Consultant we get a month preview of each new book, before it goes live for customers to purchase from. So I am showing you a new stamp set that will be available Sep 1. It was the one that stood out most, when I saw the book.

This set is called, Created to Create! Yes, I agree and can't love an image more! I paired it with some flowers cut from Flower Market, our 2016 Cricut cartridge. Simple! You can see and purchase it in my shop Sep 1! I have linked the stamp image, but you will have to come back for it to work!

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Created to Create
Ink: Black
Cardstock: Lagoon; Pacifica; Pansy; Eggplant; White Daisy
Embellishments: Glitter Sparkles

Peek A Boo!

I feel like that is what my posting to my blog is like.....playing peek-a-boo! I am posting everything on my Instagram profile because it is easy! I snap a pic with my phone; edit it if need be....on my phone; run it through a watermark app; then post it to Instagram; then share it with Facebook. What could be easier.....nothing...which is why I am behind on my blog! Blah...blah....blah.....

 Here are two cards I made with WYW Anniversary Cardmaking Kit that is available only until Aug 31! The gorgeous woodgrain paper is from, No Worries, which is also set to retire at the end of this month.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Workshops Your Way Anniversary Cardmaking Kit
Ink: Black; Pear; Smoothie
Embellishments: Gold Sequins

Zip Strips RULE

Oh yes, Zip Strips do RULE. (well, most of the time!) These babies are from the still available, No Worries, paper pack. They sang beach and I love to sing "Beach", too! I cut some shell shapes with my dies then stamped and embossed in Gold, with coordinating retired stamp set. I used our Watercolour paints to colour the shells. The sentiment is from a retired shell set, but it is another keeper.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
No Worries patterned paper; retired Swirly Shells & coordinating Thin Cuts; Watercolour paints

Hollyhocks history

That is my history of Hollyhocks, that is! Growing up my Mom grew Pink Hollyhocks along the side of our house, on the neighbour's driveway side, rather than our driveway side. They were beautiful and I loved to see them....but I also hated them! I hated all of the bees and wasps they attracted, cause that could mean those bugs might like me. I was having enough attraction from all of the mosquitoes in Saskatoon, so I felt this bug attraction was too much! Give me paper Hollyhocks all day and year long......so pretty!

 These gorgeous Hollyhocks were cut with the amazing Flower Market Cricut cartridge. I used Canary; Hollyhock and Pixie cardstock for the flowers and Fern for the stem. The patterned paper is from retired Charlotte. The stamp is older than dirt....but still lovely! I've also gone off of the rails with my Black Journaling pen. I just cannot get enough of drawing lines around things!

All supplies are Close to My Heart.
Flower Market Cricut cartridge; Canary; Hollyhock; Pixie; Fern; White Daisy; and Slate cardstock; retired Charlotte patterned paper; retired stamp set

Let's double up!

These days I make at least 2 of every card, sometimes 4 - 6. I sell cards at 2 different coffee shops, so I like to have at least one copy of each card, go to each shop. These were my thinking after I saw our new basic colours launched, at our annual convention. I love how pink looks with grey, so that is what I did. This is also masculine patterned paper from Jack (still available) and retired June Stamp of the Month, Hello Foxy.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
retired Hello Foxy; Jack; retired Art Philosophy Cricut cart; Sweet Leaf; Pixie & Black ink; Slate; Whisper & White Daisy cardstock

Watercolour dreaming

Oh, how I LOVE this stamp set! Good Thymes is retired but will remain in my collection for a very long time. I actually made this tag and attached it to a pretty paper pouch holding some Ghiradelli chocolates. I had created more of these than I had guests at a crop, so I kept one for myself. I repurposed the tag on this card.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
retired Good Thymes; Watercolour paper & paints; Blush Ribbon; 
Other: MFT Stitched die

Back tracking.....

Oh yes I am....back tracking that is. I am so far behind in posting to my blog.....well those who follow me know it! So, I am going to show some cards I've made and share very little info, as it has either retired or I've simply forgotten all of the names. Seems easier to just show pretty pictures anyways....until I catch up! We do have a new Annual Inspirations book about to launch on August 1st, so I need to show these pretties and move on!

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: retired Live Beautifully

Bear Hugs anyone.....

I love animals, so when I saw this sweet bear stamp and saw it had a coordinating Thin Cut die, I had to have it. This sweet set is called Jack - Cardmaking from our current Seasonal Expressions available  until the end of August or while supplies last.

I used Thistle cardstock for all of my mats, then added some Lagoon cardstock; a zip strip; and White with Gold Ribbon for my ribbons. I added a bow of White with Gold Twine and some Little Dreamer Glitter gems. All of the patterned paper is from Little Dreamer.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Paper: Little Dreamer
Stamp: Jack - Cardmaking with coordinating Thin Cuts
Ink: Black; Black Journaling Pen
Cardstock: Thistle; White Daisy; Lagoon
Embellishments: White with Gold Ribbon and Twine; Little Dreamer Glitter Gems

Embossing folder printing

Have you ever used your embossing folders to water colour or make prints? I love how versatile and surprising the results can be with this technique.

I recently taught an embossing class at a local recreation centre. This is the first card we created, using our CTMH Diamond embossing folder to make a watercolour print. We swiped Lagoon; Sweet Leaf and Thistle ink on the folder, then spritzed with water. Then we put a piece of watercolor paper inside and closed the folder. With a little pressure from your hand, this print is the result.

We stamped with a retired flower image in Black ink, and used a stitching die to cut out the piece. Then we added our Black with Gold ribbon and a sentiment.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Cardstock: Black; White Daisy; Watercolour
Ink: Thistle; Sweet Leaf; Lagoon; Black
Embellishments: Black w/Gold Ribbon
Tools: Diamond Embossing Folder
Other: Lil' Inker Designs & MFT Stamps stitched dies

Live Beautifully

I loved this stamp set and paper so much, even though it was only available for May, I am going to show a few more cards I made with both.

For this card I used some of the beautifully patterned paper that came in the exclusive paper pack. I paired it with some Slate cardstock. This time I added the leaves with the flower and some Mini Pearls that I coloured yellow with my Shin Han Alcohol Marker.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Live Beautifully
Cardstock: Slate; White daisy
Paper: Live Beautifully
Ink: Fern; Canary; Sunset; Black Journaling Pen

Oh where oh where have I been.......

Wow, have I ever been neglecting my blog. I have been all over Instagram, but don't seem to complete the circle of posting the same things here that I post there. So, let's catch up.

You may first notice the difference in how my pictures look....cell phone is the culprit. I take all pics for other sites with my phone, rather than my camera and while the quality of the photos is not as good, they are still decent.

This is now a beautiful retired stamp, Live Beautifully. I stamped with Tangerine, then used my water brush and coloured in some Hollyhock ink. The cardstock is Sunset and Lagoon and I inked some White Twine. I finished the card off with Black lines using my Journaling pen.

All supplies are Close To My Heart.
Stamp: Live Beautifully retired
Cardstock: Sunset; Lagoon; White Daisy; Black
Ink: Tangerine; Hollyhock; Lagoon; Black; Black Journaling Pen
Embellishments: White Twine

Live Beautifully

We have a beautiful promotion on for May, which is National Scrapbook Month. It is the Live Beautifully stamp set and paper pack. We also have some album bundles available. I am always obsessed with flowers, so here is a card I made using this amazing flower.

I stamped the background with Black ink and the image is from one of the background stamps that came with our Flower Market Cricut cartridge bundle. The cardstock colour is Lagoon with a Glacier mat.

I stamped the flower with Lagoon ink, then took my water brush and just lightly brushed over each petal to soften things up. I stamped the leaves with Fern ink, then fussy cut all of them. For the stamen, I added some Liquid Paper. I also added some of ou r lovely White & Gold Ribbon.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Stamp: Live Beautifully - May National Scrapbooking Month
Ink: Lagoon; Fern; Black
Cardstock: Glacier; Lagoon; White Daisy
Embellishments: White & Gold Ribbon
Other: Liquid Paper

More Mother's Day flowers

Whew, I got a bit behind there working on some other projects. Here is another Mother's Day card with amazing flowers from our Flower Market Cricut cartridge.

I was experimenting with my new  Tim Holtz Oxide Inks and this is another background I created. Once dry, I ran it through my Big Shot with our Diamond Embossing folder.

The Chrysanthemums were created with Sorbet; Lemon; and Tangerine cardstock. I was taken aback that there are 12 layers to this flower! It seemed only natural to use a few colours to create these flowers. These 2 were not the originals, as when using multiple colours, you only get one with the dark colour in the middle. That flower was used on another card which I have not posted yet. The background colour cardstock is Crystal Blue.

All supplies are Close To My Heart, unless noted.
Cardstock: Crystal Blue; Sorbet; Tangerine; Lemon; White Daisy
Ink: Black ink
Tools: Flower Market Cricut cartridge; Diamond Embossing Folder
Other: Tim Holtz Oxide Inks; Susan's Garden Tool Kit