Simply Beautiful

I don't know about you, but I am constantly seeing things online where I think to myself, "I can do that!" With the ever-growing popularity of Pinterest, there is definitely no shortage of inspirational ideas out there. For me, I am drawn to cards. I have a cards board on Pinterest, subscribe to two different card magazines, and follow several blogs offering up spectacular artwork in the card arena. Recently, about 60 different Close To My Heart consultants participated in a "Dream Pop Blog Hop". You could start anywhere in the chain, then just click on a link provided in the post that would take you to the next person's blog, until you made your way back to the place you started. It's a great way to see how others are using the products!

There was one image in particular that caught my eye while hopping blogs. It belongs to Gina Brandstetter at gmbscrapper.blogspot.com. The image is actually that of a My Creations Bookmark Album cover that she decorated, but I decided to make it as a card. Here is Gina's artwork:

Now, here I was mentally figuring out what papers I had to cut to create the "Beautiful" cluster at the left - but guess what? The entire base for my card - and this album cover - is the top-left portion of one of the patterned papers from the "Dream Pop" paper pack! Check it out (it's the sheet at the bottom-left):

So all I had to do is cut that portion of the paper at 8" x 3.5" for the front of my card. Next, I cut a 4.5" circle from the Banana cardstock (CS), and mounted it to the right-side of my card, trimming off the excess. Now the fun part - cutting all of the flowers! These were quite easy using the "Art Philosophy" Cricut cartridge (pg. 48 ). For the smaller flower, I cut the following: Strawberry CS - 1.75" & 1"; Raspberry CS - 1.25"; Banana CS - 1.5". For the larger flower: Strawberry CS - 2.25" & 1.5"; Raspberry CS - 1.75"; Banana CS - 2". Stack the flowers and adhere each of the layers together (I only glued the centers, so I could bend the petals up a little). I then punched a 1/2" circle and a 3/4" circle from Banana CS for the flower centers. Add a couple of clear buttons tied with embroidery floss, and you're flowers are complete!

All that was left was to adhere the flowers to the front of my card, add a strip of Silver Shimmer Trim to the top-right corner, and three Clear Sparkles under the word "Beautiful".

I love it! I would also love to see what you do with the papers in your "Dream Pop" paper pack! You don't have yours yet?! Time is running out! See if you're in time to get one by going to http://funforyou.ctmh.com and clicking on "SHOP". The "Dream Pop" paper pack is only $10 with a $35 purchase! Good luck!

Stamping with Watercolor Crayons

Last week's post described a class that I took online from DailyCraftTV.com. I learned about a lot of fun techniques, one of which I would like to share with you today. In addition, I will be using the "Dream Pop" Paper Packet from Close To My Heart to create my card, so you will have the added benefit of more "Dream Pop" artwork inspiration! Yea! Today I will be showing you how to use watercolor crayons to stamp.

This technique is the same as stamping with markers, but with a few added benefits. I had the unbelievable luck of coming across a set of watercolor crayons for sale just days after I viewed this technique online - how fortuitous! Here's how you can use them with your stamps:

Start by coloring with the crayons directly onto your stamp - it's ok if it doesn't look smooth or completely even:

Continue coloring the stamp with as many different colors as you'd like. I used pink, orange and yellow:

Next, use a fine-mist sprayer, and spritz the stamp a couple of times from about a foot away:

Then, stamp your image:

Remember, we're looking for a watercolor effect here, not like the solid image you would get from inking it with your ink pad. Results will vary depending on how wet (or not) the stamp gets:

Two reasons why using the watercolor crayons is, in my opinion, better for this effect than using markers. One is that you actually get a watercolor look - you have, after all, used water in order to achieve it. And two, if you don't quite like the stamped result, you can go back with a waterbrush and smooth out the "glops" or do some more blending after the fact. You would just have a wet mess if you tried that on an image you stamped with markers.

I ended up cutting this image out and using it on this card along with papers from the "Dream Pop" paper pack:

The colors of this paper pack are just so fun and vibrant - you can't help but smile! Using watercolor crayons is a great way to get both a watercolor stamped effect and more than one color into your image. Have fun experimenting with this technique - I would love to see your cool creations!

Learn Something New Everyday

You've heard the expression, "You learn something new everyday." There are so many ways to do just that. The internet, in particular, contains a wealth of information ready to be absorbed (sometimes helpful and informative, other times...not so much). If you are a papercrafting and scrapbooking fan like I am, then I am sure you will enjoy this latest information resource, DailyCraftTV.com. This is a website chock-full of classes that you can purchase, for a minimal fee, that cover quilting, sewing, knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking (including photography), and papercrafting.

The class I decided to take was entitled "Expert Scrapbooking Advice, Tools, & Tips of the Trade" (http://www.dailycrafttv.com/videos/4013_expert-advice-tools-tips-of-the-trade/). I have been a big fan of Creating Keepsakes and Paper Crafts Magazines for a long time, so it was cool to take a class with contributors of those magazines. There were six different chapters covering these topics: adding color to your stamped images, using your scraps, altering die-cut letters, scrapbooking with household objects, altering chipboard, and using the color wheel to create color schemes. The class ran for just over and hour and a quarter and was a lot of fun to watch. There were lots of cool artwork samples throughout to "Oooo" and "Ahhh" over, and lots of great techniques that I am anxious to try out. I really loved the "Adding Color to Your Stamped Images" chapter (because I do a lot of stamping!), but I think my favorite section was the one on using your paper scraps - because I have a LOT of those!

Hopefully, DailyCraftTV.com will be adding more papercrafting classes in the near future (the classes listed under "Papercrafting" are actually all scrapbooking-based) - I will definitely be keeping my eye out for that. Of course, all of the techniques that I learned in the class I took today can be used in card-making and home decor projects as well, so it's all good!

Take a quick look at what they have to offer - you just might find yourself learning something new today!

"Dream Pop" Rocks!

I can't wait to do more with this "Dream Pop" Paper Pack! I went on a "Dream Pop" blog hop and got LOTS of cool ideas. Last weekend, I did a card workshop birthday party for eleven 8 to 9-year-olds...it was a blast! One of the cards we did used the "Dream Pop" paper pack. It is an adorable dress card, which uses a cut from the Cricut "Artiste" cartridge, along with some manipulating in the Cricut Craft Room. Here's what it looked like:

We also used the "Perfect Fit - Mom" stamp set to put a "decal" on the t-shirt. Since I had one card and "skirt" left over from the workshop, I used the opposite side of this paper to make this card:

I love it! Again, I used the "Perfect Fit - Mom" stamp set for the t-shirt. What a perfect Mother's Day card this would make!

If you would like the .ccr files that I created, in order to make these cards yourself, just comment on this post and I will be happy to send them to you! You will need the Cricut "Artiste" cartridge (CTMH) and a Cricut machine that can cut a width of 12". Let me know!

The "Dream Pop" Paper Pack is available NOW - WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! It's only $10 with a $35 order. Get yours now at http://funforyou.ctmh.com!

"Dream Pop" For National Scrapbooking Month!

Yea! May is here! It's National Scrapbooking Month! To celebrate, CTMH has a FANTASTIC Promotion running until the end of the month - WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!! It's the "Dream Pop" Paper Pack, and it can be yours for JUST $10 with each $35 purchase! That means that you can buy 2 for $20 with a $70 purchase, and so on. But wait - there's more! Hostesses in May, with Gathering sales of $400 or more, will receive the Paper Pack FREE. AND, all New Consultants who enroll in May (for as little as $49!) will get the "Dream Pop" Paper Pack FREE in their new kit.

What's in the "Dream Pop" Paper Pack? 12 exclusive B&T Duos Papers (2 each of 6 designs), 12 coordinating cardstock sheets (2 each of 6 kit-exclusive colors), each with a different glossy pattern on one side for a POP of shine, and an artwork idea insert.

Stay tuned for artwork I will be posting using these unique papers! And remember - this is WHILE SUPPLIES LAST! Shop directly from my website at http://funforyou.ctmh.com/

Thanks! You're going to love it!