Life Events and Baby Shower Decor

I have been away for far too long. I feel it's time to elaborate what has taken me away from my beloved crafting.

This past Spring, shortly after we returned from our first family vacation in 7 years, my husband's place of employment announced it would be closing its doors. He had worked for this company for 18 years. It was a very hard time for us emotionally. We were trying to make adjustments to every day life, and figuring out where we could cut to make ends meet, and still provide for our family. 

You know that saying "When God closes a door, He opens a window"? Well, that is exactly what happened. Suddenly, we were starting up our own business. Believe me when I say we never expected this. And as such, I have found myself juggling 2 full-time jobs among other things. 

On to other news: My brother and his wife are expecting their second baby this winter. A couple of weeks ago, my mom and I threw a baby shower for them. We went with an owl theme, and thanks to Pinterest (love Pinterest!!!), I found inspiration for some of the decorations. Below, you can see some photos from the special day.

I bought the owl download from Cricut (I think it's from Create A Critter cartridge). We found these adorable milk glasses at Hobby Lobby, along with the faux flowers and curly wooden accents. I used all Close To My Heart products on the owls, including our limited color of the year "Sea Glass". I wish I'd bought more of that pretty thistle ribbon before it retired. It was such a cute addition to these uber adorable owls. 

The banner will serve a dual purpose. It was created as a decoration for the baby shower, but instead of putting some random word on it like "Baby" or "Welcome", I included the baby's name so my sister-in-law can hang it in the baby's room. As you can see, we are very excited to meet the newest member of our family. She is loved by so many already.

Since it's been a while since I blogged or crafted, it's also been a while since I participated in a challenge. H2H has a challenge this week called "Anything But A Card". I think this fits the ticket, so to speak.

Thanks for being so patient. You have no idea (or maybe you do) how much I miss crafting. I am dreaming about it in my sleep. LOL

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S. While I did not make the cake, I was inspired by Pinterest to have a talented cake artist create it. I did make the cookies (oatmeal raisin and molasses). Drop me a line if you would like the recipe.

Happy crafting!
Casandra

SOUS Easter Layout

Today, I am enjoying the sunshine as I sit here in my craft room. I even played silly hide-and-go-seek games with my daughter.

I'm really proud of my latest scrapbook layout. One of my close friends finally took the leap to log into Cricut Craft Room, and she inspired me to give it a try. After more than 2 hours trying to get my computer to recognize the cricut and finally to update firmware, etc., I began to have my doubts if it was really worth it. BUT, now that all those things have been accomplished, I love the ease of using CCR. I can even create 12" grass! Amazing....And, I even bought a digital cricut cartridge download (Doodlecharms) so I could cut the Easter basket. 

Recipe:
Paper: Brushed, Juniper CS, Hollyhock CS, White Daisy CS, Black CS, Kraft CS (CTMH)
Stamps: A Hop (retired), Keyboard Uppercase Alphabet, Brushed WOTG (CTMH)
Inks: Pear, Hollyhock, Buttercup (retired), Pixie, Desert Sand, Black, Juniper (CTMH)
Tools: Cricut Artiste, Cricut Doodlecharms, Micro-Tip Scissors, Woodgrain Embossing Folder, Sponges (CTMH)
Other: Lagoon Heart Washi, Topiary Chevron Ribbon, Glue Dots, Foam Tape (CTMH)

At one point, as Izzy was participating in her 2nd Easter Egg Hunt (she did three of them last year), she yelled "Chocolate. I need chocolate! Chocolate I tell ya!"

I am entering this layout into the following challenges:
1) Stuck On U Sketches: In The Garden Challenge
2) Heart 2 Heart Challenges: How Cute Challenge

I can't wait for this Easter. Izzy wants to take back her record of finding her Easter basket first. I wonder who will succeed?

Casandra

TSOT209 Daffodil Card

Here's another daffodil card for you. I can't wait to see them bloom. 

Recipe:
Paper: Splendor (retired), Sweet Leaf CS, Topiary CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamp: A Little Note (CTMH)
Inks: Black, Topiary (CTMH)
Tools: Craft Heater, Craft Tray, Clear Detail Embossing Powder, Shinhan Alcohol Markers, Paper-Piercer, Cricut Artiste Cartridge (CTMH), Circle Stax Dies (MFT)
Other: Gold Sequins (CTMH)

I am entering this card into the following challenges:
1) Try Stampin' On Tuesday Challenge #209
2) Stuck On U Sketches Lucky Green Challenge

I used my Cricut Artiste cartridge to cut the grass image at 3/4", and various circle stax dies I have from MFT. 

Thank you for stopping by.

Casandra

RS156 Have A Happy Day Card

I tried a new technique with this card. I inked up the flaxen yellow stamped images and swiped them across my ink pad before stamping them on to white cardstock. It gives this faint stripe to the image. So easy.

Recipe:
Paper: Whimsy Paper Fundamentals, Seaside, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Cricut Artiste, Have A Happy Day (CTMH)
Inks: Flaxen, Lagoon, Juniper, Smoothie, Black (CTMH)
Tools: Craft Heater, Craft Tray, Clear Detail Embossing Powder, Cricut Artiste Cartridge, Micro-Tip Scissors, Paper-Piercer (CTMH)
Other: Aqua Dots, White Embroidery Floss (CTMH)

I am entering this card into the Retro Sketches RS#156 Challenge.

Have a happy day.

Casandra

Confetti Wishes Birthday Card

Good morning. Just a quick post today for ya, since I will be back into remodelling mode sooner than I'd like. (Drywall...yuck.)

I used my new ShinHan Alcohol Peony Purple marker to color in the enamel stars on this card. I also added our new Thistle striped ribbon. A quick note on the journalling pen border I added to the stamped piece: I used our ruler to line up so I could get straight lines. 

Recipe:
Paper: Confetti Wishes, Canary CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamp: Cricut Artiste (CTMH)
Inks: Thistle, Black, Pacifica (CTMH)
Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Glue Pen, ShinHan Alcohol Marker, Journalling Pen, Stitch Ruler (CTMH)
Other: Glue Dot (CTMH)

I'm all set to go for the next birthday with this card. Have a great day.

Casandra

MOJO342 Hooligans Birthday Invitation

My daughter turns 6 next month. I say it all the time, but I just don't know where the time goes. Seems like yesterday that we were strapping her into her car seat and bringing her home. 

Being a cardmaker, I don't really get free passes to buy the generic birthday invitations you can find in just about any store nowadays. So I was pleased when I saw this week's Mojo Monday sketch.

Recipe:
Paper: Hooligans (retired), Pear CS, Black CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH)
Stamp: Big Top (CTMH)
Inks: Pear, Black (CTMH)
Tools: Cricut Artiste, Cricut Art Philosophy, Paper-Piercer (CTMH)
Other: Purple Shimmer Trim, Purple Glitter Gems (CTMH)

Izzy gives it two thumbs up. Hope you are having a great day!

Casandra

MOJO329 Timberline Birthday Card

Good morning. I am sharing a sneak peek at the new Timberline paper that will be available beginning February 1st exclusively to Close To My Heart.

If you're anything like me, you find it a little difficult to create masculine cards. I went back and forth on this particular card a couple of times...should I add ribbon, or leave it as is. I decided that for this card, ribbon would just be too feminine. 

Recipe:
Paper: Timberline, White Daisy CS, Slate CS (CTMH)
Stamps: Perfect Fit - Birthday, Cricut Artiste Kudos (CTMH)
Inks: Slate, Lagoon (CTMH)
Tools: Circle Die Stax (MFT), Chicken Wire Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug), Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, 1 1/4" Circle Punch (CTMH)
Other: Lagoon Brads (retired) (CTMH)

Thank you, Mojo Monday, for another great sketch!

Casandra

Later Sk8r Workshop

Good morning. This is a quick post to share my Later Sk8r pages that we made at my workshop on Sunday.

Recipe:
Paper: Later Sk8r (retired), Outdoor Denim CS, Slate CS, White Daisy CS, Black CS, Lagoon CS, Pear CS (CTMH)
Stamps: In Gear, Fast & Furious, Boys At Play (retired), Roar (retired), Love Life, Pinwheel (retired), Trinity Alphabet, Varsity Alphabet (CTMH)
Inks: Lagoon, Slate, Outdoor Denim, Pear, Black, Black Distressing Ink (CTMH)
Tools: Cricut Artbooking, Cricut Artiste, Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Sponge (CTMH), Hexagon Punch (Fiskars), Scallop Border Punch (SU!)
Other: Later Sk8r Stickease, Blue/Green Epoxy Bubbles, White Daisy Bitty Brads (CTMH), Foam Tape, Glue Dots, Embroidery Floss

This was definitely a favorite kit of mine. It is now retired, but if you love it as much as I do, there are still ways to create with it. Have you ever tried digital scrapbooking? Close To My Heart offers several templates where you can upload your photos, change up some colors, such as adding sunset orange (for instance) to this fabulous kit, and in Studio J, the papers never retire. If you would like to learn more, please visit my website.

Happy crafting!

Casandra

Chantilly Workshop

Good morning! After nearly a month of working on my Chantilly layouts in my spare time, I finally finished them up last night. Feeling happy to have my crafty mojo back, but wish I could sleep at night. LOL

After debating on whether I liked the workshop on the go layout for a while, I finally decided that it would work perfectly with the theme of my photos. Sometimes, it's nice not to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. 

I saw this beautiful layout created by fellow CTMH Consultant, Sherri Tozzi. She did such an amazing job. Thank you, Sherri, for the inspiration. I was going to use Easter eggs and bunny stamps and really fill it up, and then decided that my photos did such a nice job with that so they should be the focus instead. I've been impatient to use my new hexagon punch and that is how the title came about. Yay! Have you used our new Tiny Type Epoxy Alphabet yet? It's so adorable, and the perfect accent, too.

For my last layout, I found a sketch at Scrapbook Generation and paid for the download. I wanted to try something different, and as soon as I saw it, I knew my Pinwheel stamp set would be perfect with it.

I've been using my Cricut cartridges a lot lately to create my titles, and yesterday I decided to get back to basics and pull out some of my alphabet stamps. The birthday title was stamped with our retired Friendship Alphabet, and the titles for my other two layouts were stamped with Trinity Alphabet stamp set. It felt so refreshing.

Supplies Used:
Paper: Chantilly, White Daisy CS, Twilight CS, Garden Green CS, Cotton Candy CS, Buttercup CS, Champagne CS
Stamps: Trinity Alphabet, Friendship Alphabet, Pinwheel, Chantilly WOTG
Inks: Cotton Candy, Buttercup, Twilight, Pear, Desert Sand
Tools: Hexagon Punch (Fiskars), 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Micro-Tip Scissors, Paper-Piercer, Scoring Tool, Cricut Artiste
Other: Pink Glitter Gems, Chantilly Assortment, Tiny Type Epoxy Alphabet, Foam Tape, White Embroidery Floss

Thank you for stopping by today. Hope you like what I've created.

Casandra

Chantilly Card Workshop

Hello, again. I'm back, as promised, with 19 cards to share from the Chantilly Card Workshop kit. I was a bit skeptical, at first, like some of you may be over the price point of a workshop on the go card kit. Once tax and shipping were added in, it would be well over $2 per card. Well...I was able to create 19 cards using this kit, so that brought my total per card down to just $1.79. Plus, I had leftover ribbon, additional B&T paper, and a stamp set to use again (and again).

My customers loved this kit and were very happy with the designs. Although I didn't get pictures of their creations, each person created something unique from their kits, including my genius decision (insert pat on back here, if you please) to emboss the blue squares for the "patchwork card". I pulled out an additional stamp set "For Every Occasion" that some of my ladies used to create thank you cards from the kit, instead of strictly birthday cards. They even used smoothie and hollyhock inks in place of the sunset orange, at times, along with flipping over the green paper to the flowery side. It never ceases to amaze me how creative my customers are.

So, here is a quick picture of the Chantilly Cards that Corporate created.

G1061 Chantilly Card Workshop Kit $29.95

I liked the designs so well, that most of mine are created pretty similar, with the exception of the birthday card cake where I added Hollyhock ink instead of Sunset. One of the variations that my customers did with that card, was to second generation ink the banners. They were so cute! I'm a proud teacher.

After the Lagoon squares were cut, we had a 9x12 piece of Lagoon cardstock left over. By cutting this cardstock vertically at 4 1/4" by 11", I was able to create 2 additional card bases. Then, peaking into my kit, I discovered happily that I still had a full sheet of B&T Duos paper and one sheet of white cardstock. This inspired me to create 2 more cards from the kit.

So there you have it. I am one happy customer and have restocked my birthday card stash with cards that work wonderfully for any gender and age group. AWESOME!

Hope you have a great day!

Casandra

Very Merry Christmas in Wonderland

Last weekend, I was finishing up my cards for my annual Christmas Card Workshop. Although my customers love beautiful designs, they also appreciate quick cards. I used a pattern from our retired Originals How-To-Program to create a beautiful, but quick, combination.

Recipe:
Paper: Wonderland, Crystal Blue CS, Smokey Plum CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH); Stamps: Very Merry Christmas, All The Best (CTMH); Inks: Olive, Twilight, Smokey Plum (CTMH); Tools: Cricut Artiste Cartridge (CTMH); Other: Summer Carnival Sassy Strands (CTMH)

Since baker's twine has become all the rage, I dug around in my supply stash and discovered a pack of Sassy Strands that retired a few years ago. They really do add a fun texture.

Have a great day!

Casandra

Inspired By #45 Milk And Cowboy Cookies

I think this will be my last post for today. We have a wedding reception to attend later, and I was asked to bake some brownies. :)

This project is a bit different than what I usually do. I am entering it into the Inspired By #45 Challenge.

Recipe:
Paper: Stella, Grey Flannel CS, Colonial White CS (CTMH); Stamp: Pure Innocence-Cowboy (MFT); Inks: Chocolate, Grey Wool (CTMH); Tools: Picket Fence Die (MFT), Cricut Artiste Cartridge, Micro-Tip Scissors, Paper-Piercer, Watercolor Pencils, Blending Pen (CTMH); Other: Neutral Embroidery Floss, Bonding Memories Glue, Liquid Glass (CTMH), Grey Ribbon (American Crafts), Foam Tape

The colors and the actual milk carton inspired this design. It's the first time I've ever created a milk carton, and it was quite a challenge. This little guy will be displayed on my son's book shelf. He gave it two thumbs up. :)

Best Ever Cowboy Cookies

If you click the cookie link above (the plate of cookies), it will take you to a website where you can print out the recipe for these scrumptious treats. We prefer to add peanut butter to our's. :)

Have a happy, crafty day!

Casandra

Clementine Artiste Birthday Card

Here is a birthday card I created for the Moxie Fab World: World Card Making Day Challenge.

Recipe:
Paper: Clementine, Colonial White CS (CTMH); Stamp: Cricut Artiste (CTMH); Inks: Twilight, Saddle (CTMH); Tools: Paper-Piercer, Cricut Artiste Cartridge (CTMH), Spellbinders Shapabilities Floral Doily Motifs; Other: Brown Sparkles (CTMH)

Have a happy, crafty day!

Casandra

Hooligans Birthday Card for Heather Jane

I created another quick card on Sunday for my dear friend, Miss Heather Jane. We met through Close To My Heart in May of 2011, when we both joined this fabulous company.

Today, is Heather Jane's birthday. I'm hoping she has received this card by now. LOL

I found a previous Mojo Monday sketch (255) that I thought would work well with a birthday theme and showcase the cute label from the new Artiste cartridge.

Recipe:
Paper: Hooligans Black CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH) Stamp: Cricut Artiste Collection (CTMH); Inks: Black, Lagoon, Sunset, Gypsy (CTMH); Tools: Micro-Tip Scissors, Paper-Piercer, Cricut Artiste Cartridge (CTMH), Scallop Border Punch (SU!); Other: Star Brads, Orange Ribbon

Happy Birthday, Miss Heather Jane! I know you already received one of the best gifts a person could get. :)

Casandra

Hooligans Birthday Card

Good morning! We are starting our second week of school today. Jack is really enjoying first grade, though when you ask him, he says "It's fun, but not too much fun." Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. LOL

So, here is another card I created yesterday using the ultra-fun Hooligans paper pack.

This is the 2nd card we will be creating at my September 21st workshop.

Recipe:
Paper: Hooligans, Black CS, White Daisy CS (CTMH); Stamp: Artiste Collection (CTMH); Inks: Black, Gypsy (CTMH); Tools: Paper-Piercer, Micro-Tip Scissors, Corner Rounder, Cricut Artiste Cartridge, Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge (CTMH); Other: Green Ribbon, Star Brads

Have a happy, crafty Monday!

Casandra