February Hostess Cards

I almost never gravitate to yellows, maybe because it's just not a great color on me,so when I decided to come up with a couple of cards for my monthly hostess club ladies, I challenged myself to use yellows. Buttercup met honey and my yellow monochromatic butterfly card was done. A cuttlebug embossing folder was used on the first buttercup layer to give another dimension, then a layer of honey for contrast, a pinstriped embossed buttercup which we made scoring every line on a Martha Stewart scoring pad ( you could also use your stylus and 12" fiskar trimmer). Our beautiful lacy butterflies were cut using the AP Cricut cartridge in Honey and popped up in the center using foam tape and accented with 3 white pearls. A simple white bow finishes the card. I like to sometimes not include a sentiment so that I have cards on hand that I can personalize as I need them.

The new Card Word Puzzle is such a fun stamp set and I just love the Rose image that is part of this set. Our next card uses a heat embossing technique that is so much fun. We started out with white cardstock and stamped the rose image three times on the white with versamark, then we sprinkled the versamark image with clear detail embossing powder and heat embossed it. Using a sponge and Grey Wool ink we worked the grey wool ink over the entire white cardstock in a circular motion. Then a phrase was stamped in black surrounded by a frame cut with the AP Cricut cartridge in black cs accented with small white pearls. This layer was mounted on buttercup, then black and finally the base white card. I didn't take a picture but a single grey wool rose is stamped inside the card as well.

Starting early on Christmas this year

Ok well I guess those cute little pencils toppers got me thinking about doing my Christmas cards early this year. I wanted to share with you my favorite one that I made last year, put away in a safe place, then couldn't find it and thought I had actually sent it to someone without making a copy for my card book. Well I found it in it's safe place and photographed it for you.

Just click on the card to enlarge it and see more detail.

Simple, elegant, embossed lines with the scor pal and swiss dots cuttlebug embossing folder, embossed only in the middle of the card. Labels 4 nestabilities in the two largest sizes pop dotted to add dimension. Stamped the image from Snow Days C 1420 in black, then lightly went over the branches with brown watercolor pencil, the bridge was colored with grey, tree a light green and water light blue. I wanted everything muted and soft. The snow areas were covered with a homemade flower soft in white, that I made by grating some foam board with a very fine cheese grater. The sentiment is from the stamp set Captured Moments C1423. another one of my favorites. A couple of pearl adhesve gems finishes off the card. I hope you enjoy this one. Now I need to make another so I can send it off this year. I love the white on white with just the hint of color, don't you?

Two of my Favorite Things, and they are both embossed

I can't think of any technique which say Wow like embossing. Whether you are using embossing powder and a heat gun to give your stamped image that shine and pizazz that pops off the cardstock or the deep impressions you get using a dry embossing template, nothing attracts more attention, making the simplest of designs extra special. Here are some examples of both types. Shiny Black butterflies colored with inks and a water brush, jump off the card where white embossed  simple flowers form the background of the card. Click on an image to see more detail.

The stamp set used on the blue card is Treasure Life D1306 for the flowers, I believe the butterfly is retired.

My personal favorite is the look of dry embossing which is easily obtained by using your embossing templates and your sizzix or cuttlebug machine. I think I could add embossing to just about every project and it wouldn't be too much. The texture is something special and adds the Wow factor to plain white cardstock like nothing else does.

White Daisy cardstock and black ink stamped between two sections of dry embossing using the Dotted Swiss cuttlebug embossing template. Stamp set is Captured Moments C 1423. Another example of this stamp set (one of my favorites) is in the next card. I believe that the embossing template is Branches by cuttlebug, the paper is some old retired CTMH and the image is stamped in Chocolate and color added by CTMH markers in fall colors.

Another great technique with the dry embossing is to emboss on colored cardstock, and CTMH has the perfect white core colored cardstock for the technique. Simple dry emboss using the dotted swiss cuttlebug folder, and sand lightly exposing the white core and the embossing pops off the cardstock. Each layer was dry embossed on this last card and I love the effect. Stamps from The Present D1436.

CTMH Scallop Punch

CTMH scallop punch, Z1392, is so easy to use and is one of the most versatile accessories to add that something extra to your cards, scrapbooking and paper crafts. Thanks to an extremely talented Close To My Heart consultant Brenda Freichs and her Stamp, Scrap, Create blog posts and tutorials, I was able to put together this display board to teach my Hostess Club some great flowers that can be created with this scalloped punch and a few snips here and there.



Just click on the above board to see a larger view.

Cut in and removed every other scallop as shown in the white punched circle shown to the right of the card. Layer two or more prepared scalloped circles, off set from each other and enhanced with ink..

Two scalloped circle flowers created by cutting between every two scalloped, stacked and paired up with an embossing folder, makes a simple but fun card for many occasions.

 



Fall Leaves

Falling leaves, swirling in the wind is what this card reminds me of. Stamped the leaves from Autumn Splendor stamp set in Autumn Terracotta then colored them with watercolor pencils, stamped over the colored leaves with versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder to protect the colored leaves. With our wonderful clear stamps you are able to stamp over an image easily by looking thru the clear block and stamp to line up the images. Then using direct to paper technique just smeared on brown bag, a little desert sand and a touch of cocoa in the corners. Stamped Playful Flourishes in brown bag randomly over the background for that swirly effect and a hint of cocoa flourishes in corner. Mounted on olive then on Goldrush to complete the card. Want to learn some cool techniques give me a call. Free instructions are always provided.

Happy Fall

I love the Fall best of all. The cool temperatures the beautiful colors and the tastes of apple cider and pumpkin pie. This first card was done with a brayered background of Honey, Autumn Terracotta, and Chocolate Inks on a white background. I had stamped the words Happy Fall in Versamark, then embossed with clear embossing powder to protect the white words. Stamped the trees in black over my brayered background, sponged black in the corners and wipped off the white words. Mounted on layers of olive cardstock then Honey card. Hope you enjoy it, fun, fast and so so Fall.

Merry Pursuits

Yep, I'm already working on Christmas cards. I know it's early, but
I have so many terrific ideas that if I don't start now I won't get them
done. This one combines my love of Cuttlebug embossing folders,
Nestabitlies and stamping. This little guy and 3 of his friends make
Merry Pursuits B1313 a wonderful stamp set for young and old. Get your little ones involved in your cards this year and stamp up the images and let them do the coloring, then together you can assemble the cards and make it truly a family card. Whether you color these with crayon, colored pencils or markers like my elf, it's fun and easy.

As always to order any of the great Close To My Heart products that you see, just click on the link to be taken to my consultant website. While you are there, take a look around, you will be able to view all the current catalogs with the click of your mouse at the Products tab, view other artwork I've done at My Art, check out specials in the center section, view the current Stamp of the Month and additional artwork for these special stamps by clicking on the box for Stamp of the Month on the right side. In addition you will be able to watch webisodes of stamping techniques at the CTMH TV link and order all your favorite products at Shop Online. Scrapbookers and cardmakers should check out the Workshops on the Go link to view layouts using the Level 2 My Reflections papers with directions on how to create the featured artwork. There is something for everyone and I'd love to hear from you to let me know what you found helpful. I've been having some problems updating My calendar, but check back often as I will be posting upcoming workshops for Christmas cards and techniques.

Happiness Cards

Two very different cards, both using unique techniques, with the Happiness stamp set C 1310. The circle card was made top opening and cut using a coluzzle circle, placing the template just below the top of a top fold card and cutting both front and back at the same time, leaving the hinge area intack. Again one of the favorite colors purple pansy is used, this time dry embossed and lightly sanded for the embossed lines to stand out. The flower is pop dotted for dimension.

A copy of probably my favorite of all swap cards I have received. I received the original card from Nancy Brown, a very talented CTMH consultant, at the Orlando Convention in 2008. Duplicate as nearly as possible, I couldn't find a thing I didn't just love about it. Lots of techniques, including using a cuttlebug embossing template Swiss Dots, sanding the dry embossed lines, random stamping the background, embossing the center images in white daisy on Ocean cardstock then cutting them out. Her very clever way of arranging the cardstocks and you'll want to click on the image to enlarge it so you can see the faux brads, which are actually just small hole punches that are filled with liquid glass. How cool is that? This was one of the cards my ladies learned to make at my last Hostess Club meeting along with 2 of Treasures cards below. If you want to learn how you too can join my Hostess Club just give me a call. Maybe you know a few friends that would like to learn great new techniques every month, I would love to start a new hostess club just for you.

Treasures

Treasures the September Stamp of the Month was so much fun. Here are some ways that we used this stamp set for cards. I don't know anyone who sees a fluff and doesn't want to just blow it to the winds. Enjoy, I hope these make you smile like I did when I created them.

Dark cardstock in this case Purple Pansy embossed with White Daisy embossing powder makes this fluff just jump off the paper and the little fluffs seem to fly across the card. Then a spritz of homemade (call me for the recipe, you won't believe how easy this is and cheap) glimmery misty spray in white sparkles in the background. I don't know if this will show up in the photo, but the mist really does glimmer. The purple pansy panel was then adhered to a standard white daisy card with just a touch of purple pansy ink distressing the edges. Inside (not pictured) little purple pansy 2nd generation stamped fluffs are randomed stamped to give the inside some extra punch.

Two more fun cards, showing some of the other great images on this stamp set. The yellow You are my Sunshine card also uses Nestabilities for the shapes and Liquid Applique for the puffed dimension on the fluff.

Cuttlebug meets CTMH

Here are some cards I did last month playing with my Cuttlebug folders and CTMH papers and stamps. I love the look of dry embossing and enjoy creating using some advanced techniques to get the embossing just where I want it and leaving blank unembossed areas for stamping. Give me a call and we can set a date for some one on one free classes if you're interested.

The blush card above shows how wonderful the dry embossing stands out when lightly sanded to make the images pop.

Simple sometimes says it best. This beautiful font teamed with dry embossing on a white card with just a hint of sparkle sets off the scalloped edge on the blue liner.

Swiss dots and a border folder combine with blush cardstock and ribbon

to make a sweet thank you card. I just love these two folders used together.

Can you tell I'm loving the color blush, must be thinking about my girls as Shannon just had a birthday and Sara has one coming up. Can there be anything more feminine than swiss dots? Teamed up with a border punch from Fiskers, this is simple, quick and just makes you smile.