Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Merry and Bright Card

I can't believe it is already New Year's Eve...another year that flew by too fast. 2014 was a pretty good year for us. I am excited to see what 2015 will bring. 

This next card was the first Christmas card I made for my workshop. I used the paper fundamentals paper along with the Merriest Christmas stamp set. 
Recipe:
Paper: Whimsy Paper Fundamentals, White Daisy CS, Cranberry CS (CTMH), Grey Chevron (Hobby Lobby)
Stamp: Merriest Christmas (CTMH)
Ink: Cranberry (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors (CTMH)
Other: Red Shimmer Trim (CTMH), Red Brads (Hobby Lobby)

This card is so cool in person. I love our new glacier blue color. May your new year be merry and bright!

Casandra

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Merry Merry Christmas Wreath Card

I found another sketch on Pinterest for this next card. 
Recipe:
Paper: Snowhaven, Whisper CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamp: Merry, Merry (CTMH)
Inks: Lagoon, Cranberry (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tips Scissors, Silver Glitz Glue (retired) (CTMH)
Other: Silver Sequins, Foam Tape (CTMH)

Alas, this is another one-of-a-kind card. Pretty, but lots of fussy cutting. I do love wreath stamps, though. 

Casandra

Monday, December 29, 2014

Christmas Joy Card

I love a good sketch. I made this card back in November, so I can't recall which sketch I used, but I love how my card turned out.
Recipe:
Paper: White Daisy CS, Pacifica CS (CTMH)
Stamp: Merriest Christmas (CTMH)
Ink: Pacifica (CTMH)
Tools: Circle Die, Snowflake Die (MFT), Snow Dots Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug), Paper-Piercer (CTMH)
Other: Clear Sparkle (CTMH)

I did not use this card in my Christmas Card 2014 workshop, either. Super simple, but a lot of extra work for me when trying to compile 25 sets per card. Still, it's beautiful and totally blog-worthy. :)

Casandra

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Sparkle and Shine Christmas Cards

Season's greetings to you. I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday. 

Our Christmas began at 4:00 in the morning, when the children were caught peeking at presents under the tree. The dog gave them away. As Izzy put it, "Daddy scolded us and told us if we came out again before morning, he would take our presents away." 

The big gift(s) of the year were brand new kindles for the kids and (even) me. The next photos were even taken with my kindle. I love this new gadget. My niece had to show me how to get into my settings but all is good (for now). LOL



Believe it or not, I didn't use either design for my 2014 Christmas card workshop. I was trying for quick designs, and it must have worked because my attendees finished 25 cards in under 2 hours. I will continue to share pictures with you in the coming days.

Recipe:
Paper: Sparkle and Shine (retired), Cranberry CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Ink: Cranberry (CTMH)
Stamp: Merriest Christmas (CTMH)
Tools: Cricut Art Philosophy, Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors (CTMH)
Other: Green Brads (Hobby Lobby)

Happy Holidays!
Casandra

Monday, December 1, 2014

Scrapbook Generation December Blog Hop

Welcome to the Scrapbook Generation Blog Hop for December. If this is your first stop, you might like to start at the Scrapbook Generation blog and then hop through each link.
This sketch worked well for the number of photos I had. I looked through  numerous sketches trying to find just the right one to accomodate this 11 1/2" title, and decided to use one of my favorites from back in July. If you're curious, you can view the link to that layout here.

Recipe:
Paper: Scaredy Cat, Black CS, Sunset CS, Slate CS (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors (CTMH)
Other: Scaredy Cat Complements (CTMH)

You can find the SG sketches in their books and as downloads in the SG store, and there is a free one every month in case you wanted to try it out. Next on the hop is Sharlene, leave a comment on each blog and one lucky commenter will receive a free sketch bundle of their choice from the store.

The winner will be drawn on Monday, December 8th which leaves you one week to leave a comment. 

In case you get lost at any point, here is the list all the blogs
Scrapbook Generation blog - http://scrapbookgeneration.blogspot.com/

Happy Holidays!

Casandra

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Baby's First Birthday Layout

Today, I am showcasing the final layout I created for Baby Sawyer's album. 
Eek! Isn't it cute?! I have been saving those monkey die-cuts for probably 10 years or better. The price tag on the back of the package is to a store that is no longer in our area. 

Recipe:
Paper: Skylark (retired), Footloose (retired), Sweet Leaf CS, Kraft CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Perfect Fit Birthday, Friendship Alphabet-small (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Flaxen, Lagoon (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Stitch Guide Ruler (CTMH)
Other: Lagoon, Antique Copper, White Daisy Brads (retired), Chocolate Embroidery Floss (retired), Chocolate Washi Tape (retired), Cork Alphabet (retired), Monkey Die-Cuts (Jolene's)

I was talking with a friend about this layout and, more to the point, this entire baby album and how I am having trouble parting with it. My son's first year album is no where near this cute, but it also showcases a time when I scrapbooked without sketches. I didn't even know there was such a thing. So Jack's album shows how I have evolved in my scrapbooking. 

Let's discuss WASHI: Washi tape is something that leaves me baffled. How do I use it? Do I place it on cardstock or not? Do I make the ends even, or do I make it look like I ripped it on a tape dispenser? Ack! I overthink washi. I deliberately made myself just cut random pieces (no measuring, breathe, Casandra, breathe) and place it down willy-nilly. Have you guessed yet that I am a perfectionist? Yup...with a touch of OCD thrown in for good measure (great pun, eh?). My dad is this way, and guess what? I passed these traits along to my son Jack. Poor kid. 

Well, this is the end of my baby album postings for Baby Sawyer. Hope he loves it as much as I do.

Casandra.


Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Baby's First Easter Layout

Good morning. I am back today with an Easter layout I made for a baby album.
I used retired Balloon Ride paper and even chose the template that was used in the Spring/Summer 2014 Idea Book with the workshop on the go. I made some modifications to mine. I was looking to add color, but I think this layout really won't pop until the photos are attached to it. It is way prettier in person. 

Recipe:
Paper: Balloon Ride (retired), Cashmere CS, Colonial White CS, Juniper CS, Crystal Blue CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Friendship Alphabet-Small (retired), A Hop (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Crystal Blue, Sorbet, Chocolate, Desert Sand, Buttercup (retired), Garden Green (retired) (CTMH)
Tools: 2" Scallop Circle Punch (retired), Micro-Tip Scissors, Paper-Piercer, Stitch Guide Ruler (CTMH)
Other: Chocolate Embroidery Floss (retired), Cork Alphabet (retired), Balloon Ride PML Card (CTMH)

Just one more layout to share with you and I saved the best for last, so stay tuned for tomorrow's birthday layout. It was all "monkey business". :)

Casandra

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Aspen Winter Layout

I am home today with a sick princess. After being up since 3am, she is finally resting. 

I thought I would post a layout I completed, last week, using the retired Aspen kit.
This layout was inspired by Scrap with Sue. I made some minor modifications to my layout. What I like most about Sue's layout is the photo placement and sizes. 

I have just a couple more layouts to share from my baby album before I send it to its final destination. If you just checking in for the first time here, please be sure to look back through the past 5 weeks or so blog posts. They are dedicated to a baby album I created as a gift for cousins.

Recipe:
Paper: Aspen (retired), Outdoor Denim CS, Colonial White CS, Flaxen Paper Fundamentals (Whimsy Collection) (CTMH)
Stamps: Snow Flurries, One of a Kind (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Glacier, Flaxen (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors (CTMH), Snowflake Punch (Martha Stewart)
Other: Aspen Stickease, Clear Sparkles, Aqua Dots (CTMH)

Thank you for stopping by today. I hope to get the rest of my posts done this week. 

Casandra

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Use Your Chipboard UYSBH

Do you have lots of chipboard hoarded hiding in your stash? As I was contemplating this next layout, I stumbled upon one of the first packages of dimensional elements I had purchased...hearts. It was featured with long ago retired Topstitch kit. I like these dimensional elements because you can sponge ink on them, like I did, stamp directly to them, or layer paper on them. There's much more that you can do, but I touched on just a few that make these chipboard elements so wonderful.

If you have come here from Katy's blog, you are on the right track. Katie creates beautiful artwork, and I have had the pleasure of watching her grow artistically since even before I became a consultant.



I have been wanting to create this Wild About Love layout for some time now and I thought it would be perfect for the baby album I'm working on. 2 foxes meet, fall in love, and then along comes baby fox. Cute, right? 

The Wild About Love left page was scraplifted with a few changes from the S/S 2014 Idea Book. I used Reflections pattern #1 for the right page (title topper) but made a few adjustments to the pattern to best mirror the left page. I thought this would be a great February/March layout for the baby album. I think this is one that I may recreate for my son's album. I love it that much, and if you haven't yet purchased our Paper Fundamentals cardstock, what are you waiting for? It's awesome!

Products Used:
Paper: Basic Paper Fundamentals, Crystal Blue CS, Outdoor Denim CS, White Daisy CS, Desert Sand CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Wild About Love (retired), Field Trip Alphabet (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Outdoor Denim, Sunset (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Stitch Guide Ruler, Cricut Art Philosophy, Glue Pen, Journal Pen, Scallop Border Punch (CTMH)
Other:Foam Tape, Glue Dots, White Embroidery Floss (retired), Gold Polka Dot Washi Tape, Triangle Durable Studs, Hearts Dimensional Elements (retired) (CTMH), Epoxy Alphabet (K&Company)

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below.  

Your next stop on the hop will be Shirley Ross' blog. Please be sure to visit all the blogs among this hop for more inspiration on how to use up that chipboard.

Thanks for stopping by! 

Casandra

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Sweet Florentine Layout

Here is another layout I made for the baby album I'm working on.
This layout was inspired by a layout made with Magnifique paper that was featured in a previous idea book. I decided to keep this one as simple as possible so that any photos could be used with it. Tons of hand-stitching and yes, my fingers hurt. I may have to get a thimble if I keep this up. :)

Until I made this layout, I never realized how similar retired Brown Bag is to Saddle (ink/paper colors). Even the new Champagne is quite similar to Vanilla Cream. I hope this layout doesn't seem too girly because it's going in a baby boy album. 

Recipe:
Paper: Florentine (retired), Brown Bag CS (retired), Vanilla Cream CS (retired) (CTMH)
Stamps: Unity (retired), Love Life, Headline Alphabet (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Champagne, Lagoon, Twilight (retired), Chocolate (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Stitch Guide Ruler, Glue Pen (CTMH)
Other: Basic Bitty Brads (retired), Chocolate Embroidery Floss (retired) CTMH

*Sniff* I miss Twilight. I hope we can back with a very similar color to it sooner rather than later. Wishing I'd stocked up on more than 2 packs of it before it sold out. I don't know why I get so attached to colors and papers, but well, Twilight will forever hold a special place in my heart as one of two first ink pads I ever purchased from Close To My Heart. Even the paper-piercer was the first tool I ever bought from CTMH. 

Thanks for stopping by today. Hope your day is SWEET.

Casandra

Monday, October 13, 2014

Autumn Cutie Layout

If you are here for the first time, I have been working on a baby album for a cousin. Following is another layout that I created for it.

I was inspired again by a layout in a previous idea book. I was looking for a pattern to use, and I like this one because it uses mainly 4x6 photos (4 of them can be cut down to 4x4). It was a little painful using some of my hoarded Twitterpated paper, and there was a moment where I wanted to keep it instead of gifting it, but this baby will be a year old before I ever finish it if I use that philosophy. Teehee.

Okay, so this layout uses Imagine: Ensemble Piece template. It is one that I've often dismissed in the book. But gosh, this paper is super cute with it. To highlight the separate photo spots, I added some stitching. I painstakingly pierced each hole using my piercing tool and stitch guide ruler. 

I would like to thank my friend Celina once again for another gift she sent me a while back, but this is the first time I've had the pleasure of using it. The title "Autumn" comes from a new stamp set "Handwritten Print" alphabet. I have many alphabet stamp sets, mostly retired now, and this really was the best fit for this layout. LOVE IT! Thank you again, Celina. You are AWESOME, my crafty friend. 

I added liquid glass to the little dots on the sorbet print paper. It never photographs well, but you get the idea. 

Recipe:
Paper: Twitterpated (retired), Chocolate CS, Sweet Leaf CS, Colonial White CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Keyboard Uppercase Alphabet, Handwritten Print Alphabet, Twitterpated WOTG (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Chocolate, Sweet Leaf, Sorbet (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Liquid Glass, Stitch Guide Ruler (CTMH)
Other: Twitterpated Buttons (retired), Chocolate Ribbon (retired), White Daisy Embroidery Floss (retired) (CTMH)

I would like to enter this layout into the Use Your Stuff Challenge #157. Twitterpated is one of my very first Close To My Heart kits dating back to 2009, and of course, I didn't buy just one. Happy Fall, Y'all!

Casandra

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Layout

I have been busy trying to finish up my layouts for the baby album I plan to gift. This next layout had a lot of fussy cutting, stamping and glue pen action.
H2H has a great challenge going on this month called "Guilty Pleasures". So what is my guilty pleasure? If you haven't guessed it already, it really is papercrafting. It's great therapy, though I can't decide if it saves more money than seeing a doctor. LOL But it does keep me balanced and happy.

I used two Reflections patterns and drew initial inspiration from a Zoology stamped layout in a previous idea book. From there, I decided to go with the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star theme. Can you see all the hand-stitching and glue pen/prisma glitter action? It's rediculous the amount of hours I spend sometimes on a layout, and I think nothing else can possibly top it, but then another one steals my heart. 

I probably could have taken the easy route and cut the alpha's out on my Cricut, but I love stamping, and I truly don't mind fussy cutting. There's something relaxing about it at the end of a long work day. 

Recipe:
Paper: Miracle (retired), Outdoor Denim CS, Crystal Blue CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Babycakes (retired), Trinity Alphabet (retired) (CTMH)
Inks: Outdoor Denim (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Prisma Glitter (retired), Glue Pen (CTMH), 2" Circle Punch (Fiskars)
Other: Silver Stars (Jo-Ann's), White Epoxy Stars, Glue Dots, White Embroidery Floss, Outdoor Denim Chevron Ribbon (retired) (CTMH)

I have several other layouts I need to share with you that I've been working on. Meanwhile, don't forget we have an awesome promotion going on all October called "Ribbon Revelry". It just so happens I used some of the chevron ribbon that is part of this promotion in the above layout. You can find out more about that here.

Casandra

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Home For The Holidays Blog Hop


Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  This month's stamp is called "Home For The Holidays", and most of the images from this set can even be cut with our Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge.  It is available until October 31st.  I am your last stop on this blog hop.  You should have arrived from Melissa Robinson's blog.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants at Melinda Everitt's blog.

This month, we have seventy+ Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great Close To My Heart products.  A blog hop 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!

Tonight, as I was putting the finishing touches on this layout, I accidentally dropped one of the "I" letters into my tool basket. When I went to retrieve it, my micro-tip scissors fell out onto the floor. They stuck micro-tip into my hardwood floor, about 6" from my foot. Eek...that was scary. What crazy misadventures have you had while trying to scrap?

I used some snippets of ruby chevron ribbon to accent this layout. I thought it would be fun to incorporate it since it is part of our October special "Ribbon Revelry". If you didn't buy it, now's your chance to get it FREE during the month of October. If you place a qualifying order of $50+, you will receive one of two chevron ribbons (ruby or outdoor denim) with your order. Awesome, right?

This layout is one of many that I am creating for my cousin's baby album. I just had to use that cute polar bear since her baby boy's middle name is "Bear". Awe....

Recipe: 
Paper: Snowhaven, Whisper CS, White Daisy CS, Crystal Blue CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Home For The Holidays, Marquee Alphabet, Keyboard Uppercase Alphabet (CTMH)
Inks: Cranberry, Glacier, Black (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Watercolor Pencils, Glue Pen (CTMH)
Other: Ruby Chevron Ribbon (retired), Bitty Sparkles, Aqua Dots, Foam Tape (CTMH)

Now "Hop" on over to Adeline Brill's blog to see her work!  Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting tips and fun ideas!   Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount!  Thank you for stopping by.

*Designed by Close To My Heart
FREE with $50 order in October!

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Use Your Ribbon UYSBH

Do you have tons of ribbon hiding in your craft stash? I do. I have a hard time parting with it. Our mission with this blog hop is to inspire you to use it.

If you have come here from Wendy's blog, you are on the right track. 

I am trying to use up as many Chalk It Up scraps as possible. I love this paper. The lagoon paper made me think of bubbles so I decided to create a bath/water fun layout with it. I love the dramatic pop of black mixed with the lagoon, white and glacier. For the second layout, I picked the largest scrap I had left, and mixed in some Flaxen Paper Fundamentals paper.


Our cousin just had a baby boy. When time allows, I try to create baby albums for my relatives. Between my husband and I, we have many cousins. I think I've created at least 3 albums so far. 

This first layout uses some American Crafts ribbon I had laying around forever. I thought it matched pretty close. The second layout uses retired sorbet ribbon. I tend to hoard my ribbon, so it's good to have blog hops like this one to use it. 

Products Used:
Paper: Chalk It Up, Free To Be Me, Whimsy Paper Fundamentals, Black CS, White Daisy CS, Sorbet CS, Lagoon CS (CTMH)
Stamps: What A Day, Under The Sea (retired), Chantilly WOTG (retired), New Arrival, Mini Calendar, Rustic Alphabet (retired), Marquee Alphabet (CTMH)
Inks: Black, Flaxen, Lagoon, Sorbet, Glacier (CTMH)
Tools: Embossing Powder, Craft Tray, Craft Heater, Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Cricut Art Philosophy, Glue Pen, Alcohol Markers, Watercolor Pencils, Prisma Glitter (retired), Journal Pen, Dots Embossing Folder (CTMH), Gel Pen (Other)
Other: Chalk It Up Assortment, White Enamel Stars, Brads (retired), Lagoon Washi Tape (retired), Sorbet Ribbon (retired), Glue Dots (CTMH), Blue Ribbon (American Crafts)

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below.  

Your next stop on the hop will be Theresa Morrow's blog

Thanks for stopping by! 

Casandra

Monday, September 15, 2014

Happy Birds Artiste Card

It is time to face reality. Our furnace kicked on during the night for the first time, this season. Of course, little girl leaving her window ajar probably didn't help matters. When I went in to wake her up this morning, Izzy yawned, stretched, and snuggled into me with a sleepy smile and a "I'm cold". Well, duh. 

The other day, this same little girl was caught sneaking off to her room with nail polish, after I told her no. When I asked for the nail polish back, she denied taking it (at first). After another round of questioning, she caved. "No, I didn't take it...okay; I did. I was testing my limits." I couldn't help myself; a giggle, followed quickly by another, escaped. Before I knew it, Izzy was laughing, too. 

Here's what you really stopped by for:

I made a card a few weeks ago and forgot to post it here to my blog. (Oops.) 
I found inspiration from one of our old idea books, Autumn/Winter 2012. I wanted to highlight some of the pretty patterns from Brushed. Is it just me or does anyone else see retired Veranda in that green paper? I cut the sentiment from our Artiste cricut cartridge. 

Recipe:
Paper: Brushed, Canary CS, White Daisy CS, Desert Sand CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Happy Birds, Art Philosophy (CTMH)
Inks: Chocolate (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Clear Detail Embossing Powder, Alcohol Markers, Craft Heater, Glue Pen, Artiste Cartridge (CTMH)
Other: Sparkle Flourish, Bitty Sparkles, Chocolate Embroidery Floss (CTMH)

One of the patterns from Brushed paper has this cool ombre effect; it really makes the sentiment pop. 

Casandra

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Wanderful Card

Good morning to you. I woke up this morning feeling crafty. Our work and school schedules don't always leave me with the free time I crave to create, but I'm always dreaming and wishing for that time.

As part of the Close To My Heart family, I am also part of the Northern Stars team. Dana Swadling posted a card sketch challenge to us, and the following card is my take on it.
I used the new Wanderful paper pack, Slate/Flaxen/Canary/Crystal Blue/White Daisy Cardstocks, #30yearsofhappy and Distressed Backgrounds stamp sets, Scallop and Chevron Border Punches. Ironically, as I was looking for scraps of cardstock to use with my border punches, I already had the perfect cut-to-size scraps. It was the same with the sentiment pieces. At least hoarding all my scraps pays off once in a while. Haha. 

I hope your day is awesome.

Casandra

Saturday, September 6, 2014

30 Years of Happy NSM Blog Hop


Welcome to our 30 Years of Happy Blog Hop!  I always look forward to the month of September. Not only is it National Stamping Month, but it is also the month that my kids go back to school. 

When you spend $30 on any current retail-priced stamps during the month of September, you qualify to receive the exclusive C-size stamp set #30yearsofhappy for FREE! This exclusive stamp set features 30 adorable mini images and sentiments. 

You should have arrived from Peachy Lamb's blogIf you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants at Melinda Everitt's blog.

For this blog hop, we have forty Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using #30yearsofhappy stamp set and other great Close To My Heart products on their blogs. A blog hop 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!


While these mini stamps are certainly small, I think they add the right size embellishment when coordinated with other like-size pieces. I was recently looking back through some of my albums and realized that somewhere along the way, I sort of stopped really telling the story behind the pictures. So today's layout is all about journaling...both my take on the event, as well as my son's. Scrapbooking is a journey, and it's important to me to preserve memories for my family. What are some of the reasons you scrapbook?

Recipe: 
Paper: Chalk It Up, Chalk It Up PML Cards, White Daisy CS, Black CS, Lagoon CS (CTMH)
Stamps: What A Day (convention exclusive), #30yearsofhappy, Friendship Alphabet - Large & Small (retired)  (CTMH)
Inks: Black, Glacier, Flaxen, Sorbet, Lagoon (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors (CTMH)
Other: Black Embroidery Floss (retired), Chalk It Up Assortment, White Enamel Stars (CTMH)

Now "Hop" on over to Nikka Geers' blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting tips and fun ideas!   Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set at a discount! Thank you for stopping by today.

Designs by Close To My Heart