Christmas Scene 12x12 Home Decor with CTMH Wonderland and Holiday Magic

Welcome to the CTMH October Stamp of the Month blog hop featuring the set Holiday Magic!  If you have come here from Tamytha's blog, you are on the right path!  We have over 50 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. To hop through the whole list simply click on the link at the end of each post on the hop. 

This stamp set is the perfect vintage holiday set for cards, layouts and home decor items.  I couldn't wait to start playing with this one to create another scenic holiday home decor piece for my front room.  I wanted to get a lot of depth on this piece so there is a whole lot of layering going on - its the most foam tape I've ever used on one project!  I'm going to have to get a shadow box 12x12 fame for this one!

Trying to show the depth of the layers and those cute Red Assortment Buttons!

I gathered Sweet Leaf ribbon and layered with some Cranberry Velvet...

If you'd like to make this project, get these supplies:
Paper:  Wonderland, Colonial White CS, Twilight CS
Stamp:  Holiday Magic
Ink:  Olive, New England Ivy, Tulip, Versamark
Other:  Art Philosophy Cartridge Collection, Clear Embossing Powder, White Daisy Embossing Powder, Cocoa Embossing Powder, Red Assortment Buttons, Colonial White Waxy Flax, Sweet Leaf Stitched Grosgrain Ribbon, Cranberry Designer Ribbon Rounds, Twinkle Brads

Now "Hop" on over to Dawn's Blog to see her work!

Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the October SOTM is only available until the 31st!  To order your set and start getting ready for the holidays, click here!

Thankful card with Dreamin' and Harvest Happiness, Adorn-able

Sorry I've been hit and miss on posting lately. 

I try for posting at least 3 times a week and have fallen far short of that over the past couple of weeks.  Some of it was getting the kids ramped back up for a new school year - all the curriculumn nights, new homework levels, new schedules, etc.  Some of it was losing my Grandmother this past week - thank you again to everyone who sent condolences and prayers.  Some of it is my new work out schedule - I've started ramping up my training for my black belt test next May and I've just been plum exhausted from the added running and weight lifting I've been doing not to mention sapped by super-duper sore muscles.

So thank you for hanging in there with me while I adjust to my new schedule and work load!  This card goes along with what I wanted to say to all of you today - I really am so thankful to have a place here to share my crafty creations and such a wonderful group of people who stop by or get my e-mails delivered.  You really are my inspiration to keep creating, learning new things and stretching myself to bring you beautiful things!  THANK YOU!

My card was inspired by this card made by a fellow CTMH Consultant Tina Sutton.

If you'd like to make this card, get these supplies:

Paper:  Dreamin'

Stamp:  Harvest Happiness, Adorn-able

Ink:  Honey, Chocolate

Other:  Mocha Opaques, Dark Chocolate Striped Grosgrain Ribbon



In Loving Memory of Josephine Kozikowski

This weekend my beautiful Grandmother passed away.  She was an amazingly strong woman and a cornerstone for most of my holiday childhood memories.  I have so many thoughts of her tumbling through my heart and head right now.  

This picture is the front shot of an album I made for her 90th birthday three years ago.  It was my chance to tell her as an adult how much she meant to me and my childhood.  I can't tell you how glad I am that I did this project.  It is so important to tell those we love how special they are to us while we have the chance.

Grandma, I love you! 

 

Adorable Elephant Card with Zoology and Elemental

One of the very best things about a new Idea Book is seeing all the wonderful new artwork - not only do I use it for inspiration but sometimes I like it so much I just copy it right out of the book!  I fell in LOVE with the new Zoology stamp set when I saw this adorable little elephant card in the new book.  I admit I'm a sucker for any kind of animal stamp (I have a whole drawer of just critter stamps) but this set also has a fab ticket and several awesome smaller scale sayings to add to projects.

When I first set out to copy this card I didn't even realize that they had actually made the center panel into the card closure.  It wasn't until I was making it that the full cuteness of this one in action dawned on me!  Here is the front panel swinging out (its held closed by the silver photo clip).

And here is the card fully opened.  Isn't that clever?  Our new 6x6 scalloped die cut Kraft cards are da-bomb!  They come in a 10 pack with kraft enevelopes for just $6.95.  You can even use these as photo cards because of the size - just slip a 4x6 into the center of the card!

Thank you CTMH art department!  You ROCK!

If you'd like to make this card, get these products:

Paper:  Elemental
Stamps:  Zoology
Ink:  Creme Brulee, Desert Sand, Pacifica
Other:  6x6" Kraft Die Cut Cards, Pewter Photo Clip (retired but there is one in the new Pewter Mini Medley), White Daisy Ric Rac (retired)

Fancy Cut Sonoma with Designer Rhinestone Brad Bling

The beautiful paisley patterns in Sonoma just beg for some detail cutting.  I used my Microtip scissors to snip around on side of the pattern here and then laid it on top of a green base.  A added a few small strips for a band and some flowers cut from our AP cartridge to the front to showcase our amazing new Rhinestone Designer Brads.

Here is a close up of those gorgeous Rhinestone brads - they were much bigger in real life than I thought they'd be from the Idea Book and are just $5.95 for 12 brads (6 big clusters and 6 small clusters - the flower with only one sparkle has one of our regular sparkles in it).  Such an amazing splash of wow-factor on any project!

If you'd like to make this card, get these products:

Paper:  Sonoma

Other:  Designer Rhinestone Brads, Art Philosophy Cartridge, Microtip Scissors

Masculine Card Workshop - Friday, 16th September from 7-9PM (Date has changed)

EDIT NOTE:  I've changed the date of this workshop to NEXT Friday, 16th September from 7-9PM as I've had a few unexpected changes in my September schedule!  I've e-mail those already signed up directly but there is still time to register if you haven't already!
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What:  Masculine Card Workshop - two sets of 4 cards each plus decorative holders (use the cards and then use the holders for gift wrapping later!)

Cost:  $15

When:  Friday, 16th September from 7-9PM

Where:  Paige's Paper Paradise (Snoqualmie, WA)

RSVP:  by Wednesday, 14th September via e-mail at paigedolecki@yahoo.com or by phone at (425) 260-6965

Long Distance:  Have a kit mailed to you for just $5 more!

Our first project features our Dreamin' kit with shaped card bases, Shimmer Brads and a selection of all-occasion sentiments.

Our second project features our Typeset papers and corrugated stars with a Thank You sentiment.  Other sentiments can be substituted if you'd prefer birthday or all occasion cards instead.

The fry box set was designed by my friend and fellow CTMH consultant Lori Miller - loved her work so much I copied it!

Cameo Card with Sonoma, Sweet Moments and Art Philosophy

I know I've been on a total Roxie streak lately in my projects so today I thought I'd best show something else before I start getting questions about whether I even own the other packs!  Yes, yes I do - and yes, yes I love them too!  Sonoma with the purple and green colors (always a sucker for those) and the lovely floral/paisley combination is such a beautiful pack and just right for heritage or vintage projects.

Don't you just love all the cameos that are popping up everywhere?  To make this one I used our Olive embossing powder and layered it with Liquid Glass to give it more of a vintage feel.  The gorgeous lace stamp around the card edge is one of my new favorites - so beautiful done tone on tone but I can't wait to use it with white pigment ink to really make it look like lace!

If you'd like to make this card, get these supplies:

Paper:  Sonoma

Stamps:  Sweet Moments

Ink:  Smokey Plum

Other:  Art Philosophy Cartridge (for cameo shapes), Olive Embossing Poweder, Mocha Opaques, Liquid Glass