Card Ideas

My friend Jackie recieved her "Dotty For You" order last week and made me this card. It's so cute! We both love butterflies and glitter!

 

I made this card after being inspired from one of my followers Anika Lerche from Germany.  I used the May stamp of the month. I waterbrushed the flower first, let it dry and then went over it with matching colored markers. I cut a chocolate strip of cardstock and adhered it to the top, then put chocolate plaid ribbon (CTMH, but retired). I stamped the "Because" and part of the flower from the Card Word Puzzle stamp ( C1494 - $13.95).

Kara brought home a watermelon yesterday, and I got inspired! It doesn't take much of anything food  related to get me inspired. I had actually seen another card somewhat like this one on the CTMH bulletin board, too, but I used the Chocolate Alphabet small stamp - D1296 - $17.95 to spell "cool" and outlined in black between the smoothie and the sunset paper. Of course the paper is "Dotty" and the ribbon is not CTMH. I free-handed the watermelon and the seeds!

I love this card because it is so simple. Those of you who know me and my work, also know that sometimes it is hard for me to grasp the "less is more" theory!!! The bottom1/2" is black cardstock, then I used My Legacy Writers (pack of 5 different sized tips) - #4275 - $11.95, and drew lines using our clear 14" ruler with guide holes for punching and sewing (Z1471 - $9.95) - although I used it here for just making the lines straight)! The flowers are stamped with a small stamp from the solo "R" alphabet set, and the words are from Treasure Life - both are retired.

A few months ago Shannon made a layout using Dreamin and used small 1 1/2" x 1 1/4" squares. It looked really nice because it reminded me of a paned window. I used that idea here with the smoothie, lagoon and sweet leaf "Dotty" paper, and a smoothie paper flower from the Paradise Paper Flower assortment (Z1710 - $5.95). The "thinking of you" is from the stamp set For Every Occasion - D1187 - $17.95, The satin ribbon matches the lagoon, but it is not from CTMH.

Finally, I saw this tri-fold card on CTMH's Eye Candy site, but I don't know who originally did it. It is using the "Dotty" paper as well. The reason I liked it so much is that the lagoon and sweet leaf swirl paper was one that I really didn't care for until I saw this card! Funny how that works! The "Happy Birthday" also comes from the stamp "For Every Occasion" and I stamped in lagoon ink and used Lagoon tiny ribbon and matching brads from the lagoon Mini Medley from last year.

Got Ideas????

I've loved paper and paper crafting for a very long time - even before I started card-making and scrapbooking. Here are 4 ideas from the CTMH Spring/Summer catalog that you can do - or variations thereof.

Florentine Paper pack (X7153B - $9.95) Sparkle Flourishes (Z1708 - $4.95) Bitty Buds assortment (Z1690 - $4.95) Wooden Garden Shapes (Z1718 - $5.95) Bohemian Assortment (Z1687 - $4.95), and  Bitty Pearls (Z1707 - $2.95).The flower designs were cut using the Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge (Z1686 - $99 - includes 3 matching stamp sets and 3 packs dimensional elements - cuts over 750 images!) Page 50 CTMH Spring/Summer catalog

This is a 12" x 14" shadow box frame decorated with the Footloose paper pack (X7151B - $9.95)Footloose Complements Dimensional Elements (X7151C), real ocean shells, lace, Seaside Wooden Shapes (Z1693 - $4.95) and the Keepsake Self Adhesive Felt Alphabet (Z1696 - $5.95). It looks terrific on this shabby chic wall with shabby chic accessories! Page 38 in the Spring/Summer CTMH catalog and Idea Book.

This is the Lucy paper pack (X7149 - $9.95) Lucy Complement Rub-ons (X7149C - $4.95) My Creations Mini Banner (Z1736 - $5.95), Bitty Buds (Z1690 - $4.95), sweet leaf stitched grosgrain ribbon (Z1383 - $7.95) and flower circles and letters cut from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge (Z1686- $99 comes with 3 stamp sets and 3 packs of dimensional elements). How darling for a little girls room or bathroom. Page 26 of the CTMH Spring/Summer catalog.

This is the Stella paper pack (X7147B - $9.95) Stella Complement Rub-ons (X7147C - $4.95), Bohemian Assortment (Z1687 - $4.95)Sparkle Flourishes (Z1708- $4.95), Cocoa Designer Ribbon (Z1316 - $7.95) Fashionista Acrylic Stamp (D1504 - $17.95) and cut out flowers  from the Art Philosophy Cartridge. You can really do all this with paper! Page 14 CTMH Spring/Summer catalog.

I want them all!

Decorative Glass Blocks

I love to decorate the 8" x 8" glass blocks that you can get at Lowe's or Home Depot ( I just saw one in Michaels the other day, too!). I've made a lot of Christmas gifts using the blocks, and this year for Easter I made 2 different kinds. When the Christmas season starts, you can find the blocks with pre-drilled holes in the bottom. You can also have a machinist drill the a small hole as well.

So, here's the story that surrounds this particular block:
My friends Keith and Lisa Dunlop are expecting their first child next month, and I was recently invited to a shower for her. Her colors and theme - whether it is a boy or a girl - are dark green, deep dark red and tan, baby animals of the forest, especially deer and moose. I always like to give a gift that is conscious and respectful of the wishes and likes of the recipient, but this was a challenge. I thought long and hard before I percolated the whole idea.

On side one, I took white mulberry paper and drew a scene of mountainous trees with CTMH markers. I cut several trees from card stock in varying colors of green, glued them on the mulberry paper, then stamped some deer and moose in the forefront. I put a sticker of just the head of an owl back in the trees, stamped an eagle flying overhead, and placed a gold star in the heavens. The mulberry paper was left to dry for a day, then I "glued" it down onto the block with Liquid Glass from Close To My Heart (Z679 - $6.95) and covered the whole paper with the liquid glass as well. Liquid glass is a clear, thick substance that you can use for many projects, and I find that it works well for adhering and protecting the mulberry paper on the block. When dry, it looks glossy.

For the other side of the block, I purchased some dark green mesh-like paper from Spokane Art Supply. I glued the paper down with the liquid glass, and repeated that process 3 more times. After it dried for a day, I decided I would just leave it instead of decorating it, because it came out dark in the from, but more light came from the back. (I had thought about making a tree out of buttons).

I fed a small string of white lights into the whole on the bottom, then wrapped the glass block in some wide tan tweed-like ribbon and knotted it at the top.

I always like to make homemade gifts, probably because I so enjoy receiving them as gifts. Anybody can purchase something at Target or Walmart or Nordstroms, but a handmade gift shows love, appreciation and caring beyond words. Nonetheless, it is always subject to rejection! Fortunately for me, Lisa absolutely loved the gift. Best of all, it couldn't be purchased or duplicated!

Find me on Pinterest and see other glass blocks I've made if you are interested.

Dotty Layout For the Boys in Your Family

OK, yes, I'm still hooked on the "Dotty For You" paper. It has so many designs and there is so much you can do with it.

I know a beautiful young woman who has four boys. Her scrapbooks are gorgeous, by the way, but with four boys, she tends to stay away from the more feminine paper and such. I'm not going to mention any names, but you know who you are, Kari Watts! OOPS!

Anyway, I thought I'd make a couple more boyish layouts for her perusal!

Kari also makes her layouts to order - meaning she knows what pictures she is going to use, but these give you a pretty good idea of what else you can do with the Dotty paper. Remember, it's $5 for 24 sheets of double sided B & T paper, with an order of $35! Just click on "Shop With Me" if you'd like to order.

Shopping List
Layout #1 - I used the Cherish book for inspiration, choosing "Mixing Elements"
Dotty For You paper pack, specifically the sweet leaf and lagoon polka dot paper, the lagoon, sweet leaf and gray striped as well as the circle paper.
Gray flannel, sweet leaf, lagoon and colonial white card stock
Decor Journaling spots- Z1461 -  $5.95             
Baker's Twine - Paradise selection - Z1702 - $4.95
Bitty Buds (gray mesh flowers) - Z1690 - $4.95
The "Love" charm and the "Family" overlay on the top left gray polka dot paper are CTMH, but they are now retired.

Layout #2
I used "Imagine" Swing Rhythm" layout for inspiration
Gray flannel and sunkiss yellow card stock
Gray flannel and sunkiss polka dot paper, as well as the gray flannel, colonial white and sunkiss yellow B & T paper from the Dotty pack
The top left side journaling paper is from the Bliss My Stickease that is now retired but I try using things up
The banner pieces are from the Dimensional Elements Banners - Z1685 - $4.95 (they also come with the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge with 2 other packs of dimentsional elements and 3 stamp sets) - Z1686 - $99
Pewter Ribbon Slides - Z1460 - $4.95
Pewter Mini Medley - Z1487 - $4.95
Round Pewter Durable Studs - Z1706 - $3.95
Baker's Twine - Neutral Assortment - Z1701 - $4.95
Pewter Badge Buttons - Z1704 - $4.95

By the way, ALL the How To Books, except Magic, will NOT be available for sale when the new Fall/Winter catalogs come out in September! If you want any of those, you should order them now!

Dotty Layout

This is a layout I did inspired by one I saw by Laurie Flannery, a CTMH consultant. I still had some beautiful floral pictures from my trip to Mexico last year, so I'm really glad I didn't use them all.

Just noticed looking at the paper flowers I adhered to the above page don't have brads or buttons in the center! It's an easy add-on.

Supply List:
Dotty For You paper pack - $5 with a $35 order now through May 31 - or while supplies last.
Sunset and while daisy card stock
Keepsake Smoothie Felt Alphabet - Z1695 - $5.95
Flutter Paper Shapes - Z1463 - $5.95
Sparkle Flourishes - Z1708 - $4.95
Prisma Glitter - Z134 - $4.25
Paradise Paper Flowers - Z1710 - $5.95
various brads and buttons
I used the Calligraphy Cricut Cartridge with layer and shadow on for the word "Barra"

2012 National Scrapbooking Month: Dotty for You

Black and White

Ever since I made the black and white sunflower with the May Stamp of the Month - Friendship Bouquet, I've been in the mood to create just using black and white. Things just seem to turn out elegant and simple, yet formal.

The first card is made from a retired stamp set called Treasures, but I've always held on to it because I use it frequently and just love it. The stitching is done by hand (don't ask me why I did that  - I've got WAY too much time on my hands!!!)) using the CTMH Legacy Writers - .8 - #4275 - $11.95 for 5 pens of different sized tips. The little burst thing has prisma glitter sprinkled on it - #Z134 - $3.95.
                                     

This one was done by gluing one paper butterfly (Flutter Paper Shapes - #Z1463 - $5.95) down, then putting another butterfly of the same size over it. I only glued the top butterfly it in the center, so it kind of looks like it's in flight. I sponged the edges of the butterfly in black and stamped the word fly in white pigment ink and set it with the heat tool. I inked just the f-l-y from the end of word butterfly from the Butterfly Wings - D1341 - $17.95. Gotta love the acrylic stamps! The 3 blacks dots are Adhesive Opaque Gems from the licorice selection - Z1335 - $2.95.

I did this using the 3x3 music stamp from Universal Backgrounds - D1477 - $17.95. The staff, treble clef and notes are from A Melody - A1116 - $6.95. The ribbon is not CTMH.

Same as above except that the phrase "a note for you" is from the "Just For You" stamp set - B1398 - $9.95.

I saw something like this card at Shannon's the other day. She said it was inspired by one she saw on the internet, but can't remember what site or who did it. (If you know, please let me know, so I can give them credit). The words are from Universal Backgrounds - D1477 - $17.95, the chipboard flower is from the Dimensional Element Mixed Shapes (comes with the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge) Z1688 - $4.95. The small butterfly is from Flutter Paper Shapes - Z1463 - $5.95, and I stuck the tiny Opaque Adhesive gems in the center of the butterfly (light gray from the licorice selection) Z1335 - $2.95. The flower sitting on top of the dimensional element is actually a sticker from BoBunny,

This card was made by Shannon Smoldt YEARS ago. It has been wrapped in cellophane and placed on the wall in Kara's scrapbook room. I think it's so old that the "Congratulations" stamp was rubber, not acrylic!! The white embossing is also from an old, retired stamp! But the card is still beautiful!

Another very simple card using stickers from BoBunny, but I stamped the "Thank You" from the Card Word Puzzle - C1494 - $13.95 and I put a Rhinestone Designer Brad (Z1360- $5.95) in the center of the vertical sticker.

Maybe tomorrow I'll make something colorful!

Picture Frame with Sunflowers

I've noticed a lot of buzz on the CTMH Eye Candy website about frames of all kinds. I found an old 12 x 12 dry embossed "frame" made of white cardstock (can't even remember what they were called) that came out with the Floral Impression paper pack years ago. I remember I bought 2 packs to make Kara's wedding album, but had some left over.

Here's what I did with one of them - using the May Stamp of the Month - Friendship Bouquet:

The "frames" were already cut for placing pictures. I sponged the edges and the dry embossing with chocolate. The sunflowers were water brushed with creme brulee, sunflower, sunset and chocolate ink, but after they dried I went over them with markers of the same colors, as they lost their vibrance. That seemed to work well. Then I cut them out and placed them accordingly - also used green sparkles and Garden Wooden Shapes.

It was rather a long project, but it kept me off the streets and out of the mall!

May Stamp of the Month - Friendshp Bouquet

Even though I am working on a layout using my new favorite "Dotty For You", I thought I would take a break and play with the May Stamp of the Month - Friendship Bouquet.

For the first card I made, I stamped the image on white cardstock with black Staz-on (Staz-on ink is pigment ink and will not run when using the waterbrush). I used creme brulee, sunflower. sunset and chocolate ink - white, black and sunflower cardstock, with honey (mini medley) ribbon and black brads:

I really like white and black alone on a card, so I stamped the sunflower image on vellum with black Staz-on, turned it over and dry embossed it. Then I matted it on white cardstock. It's really simple and elegant. The tiny checkered ribbon is not CTMH. 

I was looking for a specific piece of paper in my scrap pile, then came across this "sunflower" paper. I don't remember getting it, so it must be some of the scraps I got from my buddy Gerriann! Anyway, I wet embossed the image with clear embossing powder and sponged sunflower, chocolate and sunset ink around the image. Then I put a piece of copy paper on top of the card and ironed it. When you do that, the embossing powder lifts up onto the copy paper (batik technique). But in this case, the pattern of the paper underneath totally wiped out the image and it looked dull and awful, and I didn't like it, but didn't want to waste it, either. So I stamped the same image with black Staz-on onto vellum paper, set it with the heat tool and then cut it out and placed it directly over the first flower image. I framed it onto black cardstock and then matted it onto a Kraft paper card. It's different!

So, it was a nice play day today! You can get this stamp for $5 in the month of May with a $50 purchase.

Mini Album Using Florentine

I wish you guys could see this album in person - it is really beautiful. Of course I had attempted to make one on my own - what a hot mess it turned out to be. So my friend and "mini- album- maker- queen" Gerriann Armstrong just whipped this one out. She used cardstock and thin chipbaord.

When you first look at it, it measures 9" x 4" and is closed with ribbon:

Untie the ribbon and open the first fold. On the left is 3 small envelopes (envelopes, designs, flowers and tags made with the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge). In each envelope is a 2" x 2 1/2" piece of decorated cardstock for pictures or journaling. The right side has a 6" x 3 1/2" mat with a cardstock flower and filigree charm.

Open the next flap to find another 4 mats and a beautiful fleurette and filigree charm:

When I opened the last flap, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. OMG! I love "waterfall" mats. Just pull the button on the bottom and you have lots of room to see 8 different photos, journaling, ticket stubs - whatever you want to put on them:

The tags finish the beautifully arranged album on the inside:

I'm going to make more of these, but I'm definitely keeping this one!

Shopping List:
Florentine paper pack - X7153B
CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge - Z1686 - $99 - comes with 3 large coordinating stamp sets and 3 sheets of Dimensional Elements (a $124.69 value)
Filigree Charms -  Z1269 - $3.95
Color-ready Seam binding ribbon - Z1732 - $6.95 for 10 yards - ribbon on the album is dyed indian corn blue to match the paper.
The pearl flourishes, pearl strands, gold ribbed ribbon and the butterfly are not Close To My Heart.

And yet another "Dotty For You" card........

I feel pretty much addicted - and helpless in trying to get over my love affair with the "Dotty For You" paper pack. Is there a Scrapbookers Anonymous meeting around???

I love the dotted ribbon that Gerriann gave me - in fact, this card was inspired by one given to her from a friend. I like it with and without the bow at the side.......

I used the sunset Dotty for You paper with chocolate, white daisy and sunset cardstock. The small circle and scalloped circle were cut with the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. The writing in the background is from Universal Backgrounds - D1477 - $17.95, the tree is wet embossed with cocoa embossing powder and the stamp set is Beautiful Things-D1298 - $17.95, and "For You" is stamped in cocoa using Card Word Puzzle - C1494 - $13.95.

Still Dotty For You

I just thought I'd post this sweet card inspired by Ann on CTMH Team Heart to Heart. Using the Dotty For You paper, of course!.......I'm sorry, I just LOVE this paper!

Dotty For You paper - lagoon and sweet leaf (available April 17, 2012)

Lagoon and sweet leaf cardstock

Sweet leaf tiny ribbon (retired)

Rhinestone Designer Brads Z1360 - $5.95

CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge - Z1686 - $99 (Comes with three  D-size stamp sets and three 9x12 dimensional elements that match forms on the cricut - over 700 images!) Retails for $124.69

April Stamp of the Month: You are......

When I first saw this stamp set, I decided I didn't really like it, so I didn't purchase it even at the $5 amount. Whenever I look at something in the catalog and decide I don't like it, I end up seeing something that was done with it, or look at it in a different way, and I end up liking it - then I have to have it - and then I buy it - and the saga continues over and over again! Dang!

Five of us joined Shannon at her house last night for a meeting where we all made something from the April SOTM, You Are..................

Sheryl Hammons made this shirt card with Dotty For You paper: (It's easy to make this shirt - call or  email me - or leave a comment below and I'll see that you get the pattern)

Shannon made this one using Victory Paper:

Mary made this from the Stella paper pack:

Crystal made this card using the Victory paper pack also:

Casey made this using the CTMH Mini Banner - Z1736 - $6.95, but the paper is not from CTMH:

I left my card at Shannon's.......so here's some pictures of the girls:

Sheryl and Crystal

Mary holding the banner Casey made:

L to R - The side of Casey's head -  she's camera shy...., Shannon and Mary

Casey made this card, too:

HAPPY EASTER!

Lately Kara and I have been cleaning (kind of) the scrapbook room and came across a batch of pictures that were taken at Easter 2010. It was just 2 years ago, but the kids look so cute and little! (And I'm cuter, younger and thinner, too)!!

 Of course I had to make a layout for the photos, so I used Lucy, Lucy Complement Rub-ons and Bitty Buds. (Shopping list at end of blog).

 The layout was inspired by one I received in our January swap for the new Spring/Summer catalog, but I'm sorry I can't remember who made it.

The paper egg is cool because it opens:

Lucy Paper Pack - X7149B - $9.95

Lucy Complement Rub-ons - X7149C - $4.95

Bitty Buds Assortment - Z1690 - $4.95

Have a blessed Easter holiday everyone!