Simply Pretty!

Sometimes a simple card can just be simply pretty!  We made this little card at one of my workshops this past week.  A few colors of stamp pads, a few stamp sets, a few accents and ta da.....simply done!  I hope you like!

Supplies used:

Stamp sets - Brushstrokes, Pretty Petals, A Blossom
Colonial White Cardstock 

Stamp Pads - Glacier, Champagne, Chocolate

Accents - Pathfinding Assortment

Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge

Retired Products - White Daisy Sequins, Mocha Bitty Pearls

Simply Inspired "Year Noted" Blog Hop

Thanks for visiting our first Blog Hop of the year!  

If you've arrived here from the super talented Katy Taylor's blog, you are right on track. 

It's National Paper Crafting Month!  Each January Close To My Heart features a fantastic exclusive special and this one is amazing in both content and value!  

For only $5 on a $50 purchase, you'll receive Year>>Noted, a beautiful kit containing exclusively designed papers, stamp set, and foil stickers!  For just $5 more, you can add the My Creations Mini Book to the kit.  This sweet little book contains 10 page protectors will make up a darling little photo album highlighting events of your year.

I chose to show how versatile the supplies are and made a springtime card which could be used for a 

Birthday or Easter card.

How cute is this little lamb in a hot air balloon?  The design is part of a new stamp set called "Hopping By" found in the 

Seasonal Expressions supplement.  

The entire set is filled with adorable images!

The card is held together with Baker's Twine and tags cut with the CTMH Artiste Cricut cartridge.

Additional CTMH supplies used:

Hopping By & Holiday Tags Stamp Sets

Desert Sand & White Daisy cardstock.

Archival Black, Sorbet, and Desert Sand stamp pads

 ShinHan Touch Twin Markers: Barely Beige, Light Orange, Turquoise Blue, Clay, Warm Grey

Baker's Twine Neutral Metallic Asst 

Journaling Pen, Scallop Border Punch

CTMH Exclusive Cricut Cartridge: Artiste, page 33, Accent 4.

Dot Embossing Folder

Now hop over to my friend Bren Yule's blog to see what amazing creations she has to share with us!    

If you get lost along the way, find the complete list of participants here at Dana's blog. 

Gifts From My Heart

Christmas always brings back special memories of family and my childhood.  My dad was a wonderful photographer who loved taking Christmas card photos to send each year.  I made a little canvas art gift for my sisters this year using one of my favorites of our annual photos.  This photo shows us in our little cherub choir robes singing in the glow of candles with real flames!  Apparently dad had a lot of faith in us to hold on tight to those candles! 

(I'm in the lower corner and should've held my candle straight.  Yikes!)

This little 6x6 canvas looks adorable resting on a small easel and hopefully with bring my sisters lots of happy memories each Christmas when they display it.  Gifts made from the heart are always the best to give!

Here are the steps to create a canvas art piece like mine:

1. Ink distress the edges of the canvas with a Chocolate stamp pad.

2. Cut and sponge Chocolate ink on the edges of B&T paper.

3.  Apply a very generous coat of Mod Podge to the canvas.  I used a foam brush.

4.  Apply the B&T paper to the wet canvas and smooth is down with your fingers.

5.  Immediately apply a generous coat of Mod Podge over the paper.  Don't worry if bubbles appear, they will smooth out when dry.  

6.  I added strips of paper to the edges of the canvas as well using the same technique as the front.

7. Decorate as desired.  I did not put Mod Podge under or over the photo.

CTMH Supplies:

My Creations 6x6 Canvas Display, Chocolate Stamp Pad, Gold Glitter paper, Yuletide Carol paper (zip-strip for message), Green Enamel Accents

Retired Products: Mistletoe Paper Pack and Assorted (flower) Accents, Green Sparkles, Word Rub-Ons (Joy, Love, Family)

Non-CTMH supplies: Ornament Accents, Mod Podge

Holiday Workshop #19!

My 19th Annual Holiday Workshops are finished for the year!  

I hold them the first week of December each year and they're always a favorite of mine!  We make cards, little gifties, and ornaments.

Thank you to all my loyal customers for coming!  I truly appreciate each of you and hope you enjoyed making the six projects.

Have a Very Merry Christmas!  

Specials thanks to Denise, Mandy, Bren & Cindy, and the CTMH Annual Inspirations Catalog for inspiring me.

Products: Snowhaven paper pack, Cut Above Christmas Card Kit, Artiste Cricut Cartridge  rosette shape (Snowman's head), Silver Shimmer Trim, Red Shimmer Trim, White Shimmer Trim, Dot Embossing Folder, Gold Glitter Paper, December Stamp of the Month - Cutie Pie, Heartstrings paper pack, Teal Glitter Paper, Pixie Extra Thick Twine, Sing Glory Stamp set, Glacier Cardstock, Quatrefoil Embossing Folder, Silver Sequins.  

Simply Inspired Blog Hop - Seasonal Expressions!

I'm so excited for this Simply Inspired Blog Hop!  If you've arrived here from Pamela's blog,  you are hopping in the right direction!   

The brand new Seasonal Expressions is packed with beautiful new products for Valentine's Day and beyond!  I can honestly say I love every single product in the book!  The papers are gorgeous, there's a fabulous variety of stamp sets and accessories, and there are four  cool new Embossing Folders
 to tickle your Cuttlebug!

 I like the simplicity of the limited palette I've used for my card.   Flaxen, Glacier, Black, and Colonial White were the colors that inspired me and I love how the black makes everything pop!  I did a little random stamping on Colonial White cardstock with the new Brushstrokes, Doodled Designs, and A Bunch of Thanks stamp sets.  I couldn't decide on just one or two new sets, so I had to go with four!  The "You are fabulous" sentiment comes from a very special stamp set called You're the Bomb.  When you purchase this set, $3 is donated from the proceeds to Operation Smile.  What a worthy cause to support!

It's always fun to put the finishing touches in place, especially when using the super cute new Junebug Puffies and Flaxen Extra Thick Twine.  

Time to hop over to Krista's blog to see what cool art she has created!  

Additional products used: Hopscotch Paper Pack, Black Cardstock, Clear Sparkles, Gold Shimmer Trim

It's that Holiday Workshop Time of Year!

Looking forward to my 19th Annual Holiday Workshops!  

I have lots of fun projects planned and hope you can join my for this creative and festive evening!  The workshops will be held at my home.

The drawing for the this beautiful scrapbooking/travel bag with pull up handle and wheels will be held on Dec. 4th!  $139.95 value!  You still have time to earn tickets for the drawing!  One ticket for each $50 purchase.

"She" Loves Her CTMH Life!

I just returned from the Close To My Heart Team Builders Event in beautiful Salt Lake City!  Three days of learning, recharging, creating, and FUN!  It was a fun reuniting with CTMH friends and absorbing lots of great information!  

This was my favorite creative project we made called "She" Art!  Loved working with pretty papers, stamps, scissors, a CTMH 6x6 Canvas, all held together with Mod Podge.

My canvas is actually "Her" Art since my affirmation is "her heart is filled with sunshine".

Here's a view of the canvas sides.  They look cute decorated too!

Here "she" is in progress!  Thank you CTMH for a wonderful weekend!  

I feel refreshed and ready to do great things!

Supplies used:

 6x6 Canvas, Paper packs: Seaside, Brushed, Yuletide Carol, Chalk It Up, Paper Fundamentals Whimsey Asst., Brushed Workshop on the Go stamp set, Gold and Silver Sequins, Storyteller Charms

New product available Dec. 1, 2014: Hopscotch Paper Pack, Pixie Extra Thick Twine