Poster Tidings

Welcome to our September Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  This month's stamp from Close to My Heart is "Poster Tidings" and is available exclusively through your Close to My Heart consultant from September 1 - 30, 2013.  This month, you can receive this stamp set for $5 with a qualifying purchase.

If you don't already have a Consultant that you are currently working with, please contact one of the Consultants in our hop with any questions you have!

If you have just hopped onto my blog, please start at the beginning at Darla's blog – Crafting is Contagious . If you came from  then you are in the rightplace!

For my card today I chose to pair the Christmas stamp from this set with some clear embossing powder and the Frosted paper.

I first cut a 2.5" by 5.25" piece of Frosted paper and heat embossed the stamp with clear embossing powder on the lighter side of the paper. I used a bit of Juniper and Crystal Blue ink and sponged it over the embossing to bring out the un-embossed parts. I also took the crystal blue and sponged it on the bigger piece using the other side of the Frosted paper since I wanted to make it a bit more greenish hue. I added a sparkle flourish and a metal flower. I switched the sparkle in the metal flower out for an Aqua Dot. I also added a couple Base & Bling Teal Jewels to the top right. The card base is colonial white.

Hope you enjoyed my project and you continue through the hop to see the awesome projects my fellow CTMH consultants have for you today.

Your next stop on our "Poster Tidings" hop is Amber over at Scrapper's Therapy 

Here is the entire lineup in case you get lost along along the way:

1. Darla ~ Crafting is Contagious 
2. Amber ~ Scrapper's Therapy 
3. Rebecca - Show Me Scrapping
4. Jennifer ~ 4 Hearts Scrapbooking 
5. Janna - The Creative Princess
6. Pam ~ Pam's Crafty Creations 
7. Michelle ~ My Creations With Michelle

Thanks for hopping along with us - we hope we were able to inspire you.

Products Used:

Screencasting Saves Crafters Time, Confusion with Die-Cutting Tools

I am so excited about this I could just burst!!

I have been participating in a software review program for Techsmith using the Camtasia Studio software (which I absolutely love by the way) and now that the program is complete I can now share that I was a part of it with all of you, my blog readers. It was a fantastic program and I learned SO much through it. I have already told the wonderful Techsmith staff that if they ever need anyone to test absolutely any of their software in the future that I am definitely on board. From my experiences dealing with the staff there throughout the program I can honestly say that if I lived local to them I would be taking in my resume to apply to work there. :)

Now, although I am excited to have gotten the opportunity to have participated in the review program that's NOT why I am over the moon excited...

So what is the reason for my excitement you ask?? 
Well, that would be because of this post here -->Screencasting Saves Crafters Time, Confusion with Die-Cutting Tools over on the Customer Stories section of the Techsmith website. 

While I was participating in the program, the Techsmith staff noticed my links in my email signature and went and checked them out. They saw what I was using their software for and thought it was pretty neat. Kelly asked if she could send my info to Will, their "customer story guy". I was completely taken aback. Really?? YOU want to send MY info to the customer story guy?? Wow!! ABSOLUTELY!! I replied of course. :)

Now, I honestly figured the customer story guy was going to ask me to email him a review of their product so he could feature it on the side bar of their website as one of those customer testimonials you always see on companies websites... so imagine my surprise when he asked if he could call me. I was even more surprised when he called and had a genuine interest in what I do and had actually talked to a few of his crafter friends who were happy to have found my videos through him. It would be an absolute understatement to say that I was a nervous wreck through the whole conversation while relaying info about me to him, and every time he took more interest or continued to ask more questions when we had already been on the phone for almost an hour I can tell you my stomach had happy little butterflies and I was having a very hard time containing my excitement.

The program ended and I received a "draft" of what was to be Will Verchereau's post on the customer story blog section of the website. I had to pick my jaw up off of the floor to be quite honest. I wrote him back immediately to tell him I wanted to hire him as my personal publicist.

Now, after all was approved he took the time to send me an email to let me know the post was live and to offer his support with any questions regarding their software or anything else pertaining to Techsmith I might have at any time. Can you tell I'm still a little star struck from a wonderful company like Techsmith featuring little me on their website?? Woot woot!!!!!

Now.. if I haven't completely bored you senseless with my post PLEASE go check out Will's fabulous post HERE and while you're there go read some of the other customer stories as they are truly interesting stories and who knows you might just find some very helpful sites like I did.

Sketch 20 Peace

I actually intended to share a different card with you for this sketch but it never got finished as it's been another crazy week in our house. Keep an eye out though as I really want to make the other card I had in mind so I'm sure you will see it show up here eventually.

I had also made this card which is a variation on a card I had made a year or so ago at a local craft store that is now close unfortunately. I switched out some of the colouring and what I used for the colouring as well as popping a few squares up with dimensional adhesive.

I am on a search to find the name of this stamp for you but it is one of my older non-CTMH wooden ones and the name of it has worn off so if any of you recognize it by all means please let me know the name in the comments. I will find it though as I am determined and will update the post when I do. :)

Now head on over to see the rest of the design teams creations this week and check to see if you made top 3 or not by clicking HERE.

You can also go directly to this weeks sketch and link up your own entry by clicking HERE.

Make It with My Reflections™ (03)

Do you struggle with picking colours for your scrapbook layouts or cards? Check out this video to see why the Close To My Heart products are the perfect solution for you.



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Artboooking Made Easy (S01E02): A+ School Layouts

Check out the second video in the Artbooking Made Easy series and see how you can have School layouts done with ease!

Lovely Sketch 19

This weeks sketch over at Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge was provided by one of our fabulous Design Team members Carrie Wright.

I decided to stick with the heart shape she used in her sketch and with a little help from some white embossing powder, Laughing Lola Paper and D1571 Sweet & Lovely which is one of the stamp sets that comes in the Artbooking Cricut Collection Bundle I came up with this card.

The strip down the left is just the zip strip on this paper which I just cut my piece for my card from that edge of the paper to include the zip strip.

Now please head on over to Atlantic Hearts Challenge Blog to see what the rest of the Design Team came up with this week as well as the Top 3 from last week by clicking HERE.

You can enter this weeks challenge and see the original sketch HERE.

It's Called Artbooking for a Reason

As many of you know, Close to My Heart has just released a brand, new Cricut cartridge: Artbooking!!! It's nothing short of fantastic!!! Oh the things you will be creating with this cartridge - we don't even know where to begin! So, we decided to show you some of the creations WE have made using this amazing, versatile cartridge It's not just for scrapbookers you know. There are 700 images with a ton of coordinating stamps.

If you don't already have a Consultant that you are currently working with, please contact one of the Consultants in our hop with any questions you have!

In this hop, you will see projects featuring this versatile cartridges from many talented crafty ladies! Enjoy our blog hop! 

If you have just hopped onto my blog, please start at the beginning at Lucy's blog – Love 2 Create. If you came from Lucy's blog – Love 2 Create then you are in the right place!

Today I decided to show you that although Artbooking has wonderful scrapbooking layouts all pre-designed for you that you just pick your colours and start cutting or mix and match to make your own, mini-books and all things scrapbooking... it is still fabulous for cards!

I am loving the page laces for card backgrounds like I used in my Halloween card that I made HERE.

This time however, I wanted to show you that with just a few scrap pieces laying on my desk I was able to add a couple cuts from the cartridge and make a card that I am very happy with. 

I used the stamp set Country-Born D1543 stamped in cocoa on colonial white and matted it with a piece of Babycakes B&T paper. I coloured the image with alcohol markers as well as sponged a bit of new england ivy on the bottom and some cocoa and cashmere around the edges. Then I grabbed some scrap pieces of ruby and honey and distressed the edges with cocoa. 

I cut the border image from page 72 at 6" from New england ivy and the leaves from both autumn terracotta and honey. I crumpled and sanded the leaves and then inked directly with the pigment inks and smooshed it around with my fingers until I was happy with the end result (I used cocoa, goldrush, autumn terracotta, cashmere and new england ivy for this). The image panel is raised up on foam tape as well as the swirl is raised up in some parts and stuck flat in others to give it more dimension.

Oh and I should have taken a photo of the inside... but the sentiment inside says "I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck".

This will be going in my pile of cards to send to the Deployed Canadian Military for them to use to send home. I know I would love a card like this from my hubby while he is deployed, so I'm sure someone else will too. :) If you'd like more info on how to go about sending cards to our Deployed Canadian Military please check out the Facebook page I started HERE or contact me and I can send you the info.

Your next stop on our Artbooking blog hop is Jennifer of 4 Hearts Scrapbooking.

Here is the complete lineup in case you get lost along the way:

1. Lucy ~ Love 2 Create
2. Darla ~ Crafting is Contagious 
3. Jennifer~ 4 Hearts Scrapbooking
4. Wendy Kessler ~ My Scrapbooking Blog
5. Janna Gray ~ The Creative Princess

Thanks for hopping along with us - we hope we were able to inspire you.