Friday, November 16, 2018

CTMH Merry Christmas Blessings Blog Hop

Welcome to the CTMH "Merry Christmas Blessings" Blog Hop.

If you came here from Miss. Carrie's Creations  you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  
If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog: HERE. 

This month we have 15 CTMH Consultants sharing their creations using our special kit "Christmas Blessings" OR any other holiday inspired art with other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one!  
Here we go!

I decided it was time to do a "Step" card.  I had never tried one before. I think the stamp set "Christmas Blessings" CC12181 from the Christmas Blessings Workshop kit works great!  The papers I used were Peacock CS and the light blue watercolor pattern paper from the Boutique Paper Packet (glacier?).  As I was stamping the card, the little star stamp disappeared. One minute it's in my hand, the next - no where to be found!  So I quickly hand cut a silver star.  - Works just fine!

Where to begin.  
So many ideas and specials.  
For Christmas alone, we have three!!
1. The Christmas Blessings kit Workshop
Save 25% and create elegant, monochromatic Christmas cards with the exclusive My Acrylix® Christmas Blessings stamp set and workshop kit. Besides the stamp set, the kit includes cardstock, silver glitter paper, silver glitter gems, silver embellishing thread, and cards and envelopes needed to create twelve cards, 4 each of 3 designs using the rich, festive colors of Eggplant, Peacock, Sage, and Sugarplum and include stamping on both the outside and inside of each card. These extra details make holiday cardmaking that much more fun and thoughtful. 
2. The Advent Calendar bundle and Workshop
Take advantage of the exclusive Advent Calendar bundle and workshop to create a lovely handmade décor piece that's perfect for counting down the days until Christmas! This workshop uses the advent calendar 3-D item on new Cricut® Season of Joy digital collection together with the ‘Tis the Season paper collection. We've made it easy to cut all the shapes needed with Cricut Design Space™ project files created just for this project. All the prep work for cutting is done for you!    The kit provides the basic materials, though you'll also need,
  • Cricut Season of Joy Digital Collection (z3296)
  • My Acrylic Snug Background Collection (B1634)
  • Clear Sparkles (Z3274
  • New England Ivy Burlap Ribbon (Z4179)

3. Days of December Workshop
Capture your holiday memories with the Days of December
bundle and workshop!  With this workshop, you can create an Everyday Life album to document photos and memories for each day during the month of December.  Your December highlights will be preserved for years to come.  Review the information below for all the details about the days of December bundle and workshop. 
Due to really limited time due to work, I only made one card though REALLY wanted to do all three projects!!! and LOTS of cards - I still have until the end of December - WOW - get ahead for next year!!! novel Concept!


Now "Hop" on over to Haley Dyer's blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the consultants on their blogs to get some great crafting ideas! Please leave a comment, we love your encouragement. To get any of the products you see, contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here.)

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Shake Things Up! - CTMH Technique Blog Hop



Welcome to the November CTMH Technique Blog Hop!
The theme for this hop is "Shake Things Up!"  This blog will demonstrate artwork using our shaker die cuts, kits and s along with other CTMH products.  
I'm excited to see the creative use of ways we can shake things up. 
If you are coming from Michelle Loncar's blog - you are on the right track.  In case you get lost, you can get a complete list of participants at the bottom of Melissa Robinson's blog.  This month we have 21 Close to My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using the "Shake Things Up!" theme. To enjoy this hop is quite simple to do - just click on the link at the bottom of the post on each blog to move to the next one. Here we go!  

I found an amazing card posted by a CTMH consultant and I immediately knew I would CASE it (Or more like "CASAE" it; Copy And Share Almost Everything)..... However, in my haste, I didn't save the info -  not even a photo.  So I only have a memory of what I saw and it was great!; including a video tutorial.  If this idea is yours or you know who posted the concept, please let me know so I can give you credit.  The really neat aspect of the card was that it used our new die cuts so it could be "unzipped" for the card to be opened.  I do plan to use that idea when I have more time to play.  My first attempt with this "Shake it Up" theme is to use a belly band to hold my "confetti" card together. That way it can be re-closed and reopened. 

Before I use this card, I will decorate the sides of the box.
When the belly band is removed the double gate card opens and the box that's folded flat pops open. - it has a rubber-band inside that is the mechanism to pop it open. I also added some of our sequins as "confetti".  I was going to take a video, only the rubber band broke - the only one I could find, it must have been old.  So Sad! - I know I have more some where!! Check out the instructions I found.
Here's one take on the Poppin' cube and gives the measurements.  It also has a shaker window on the box. Here's a second "take" (17 second video) on the poppin' cube in a card. And take 3 has a different mechanism/template. Lots of options and only limited by our creativity.  I so very much wish I had a copy of the first Poppin' box in a card that inspired me!  

Now hop on over to  Catherine Nowak's blog to see what kind of fabulous art she's created.  Be sure to drop a comment, we enjoy the encouragement.  I hope you enjoy the hop.

Thursday, November 1, 2018

November SOTM Blog Hop - Seasonal Trees

Welcome to the November Stamp of the Month Blog Hop 

We will be featuring the November SOTM, 
which is "Seasonal Trees", a set of 23 stamps!!  
  It will be fun to see the inspiration found on this hop. 
If you came here from Kimberly Bower's blog  you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog: HERE.  This month we have approximately 19 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using the November SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs.  This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one!  Here we go!


I gold embossed the tree, on Eggplant CS, and looked everywhere for my white and gold twine- no where to be found.  Guess I need to order more - so I grabbed the retired eggplant ribbon.  You could also "dye" the white and gold ribbon using the ink pad.  The smallest rectangle was cut at 2 1/4 by 3 3/4 and I stamped on the darker side,  the next size was cut at 2 1/2 by 4 and I used the lighter side. They were layered on the gold glitter paper (2 3/4 X 4/1/4) and tied with ribbon.  The largest rectangle was cut at 5 1/2 by 4 1/4 and scored around the edge at 1/4 inch and then sanded to pop out the embossed lines. The star on the tree was a Cricut Cut (1/2 inch) from the Flower Market collection. To finish the tree it was trimmed with Bitty Sparkles.  I'm also creating the same card using Pomegranate CS, Peacock CS, and New England Ivy - just don't have the details finished.  Will post ASAP

Now "Hop" on over to Gina Brandstetter's blog  to see her inspiring work!  Be sure to visit all the consultants at their blogs to get some great crafting ideas!  Please leave a comment, we love your encouragement.  Remember, the November SOTM is only available until November 30!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount!