Independence Day

What ?!?!? Hope you weren't expecting to see Will Smith fighting the aliens here! We are actually featuring crafty creations showcasing "Independence Day" ... the holiday!

Not only are all of our creations going to be about Independence Day ... the holiday ... but they will also be using the Artiste and/or Art Philosophy Cricut cartridges available exclusively through a Close to My Heart consultant. 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 Jennifer of 4 Hearts Scrapbooking  then you are in the right place.

Using Artiste Cricut Collection exclusive to Close To My Heart, I decided to use 3D Objects to make party favors!!  I made an explosion box, hanging centerpiece and an open box to fill with firecrackers or those great light up worms!!

Supplies:  Artiste Cricut Collection, 5 sheets of Colonial White Cardstock, Home of the Brave ~ Military Support Stamp Set, Exclusive Inks in Outdoor Denim, Barn Red and Colonial White, Bonding Memories Glue, Water Brush (paintbrush) and Baker's Twin Harvest assortment.  You will need one bling or button embellishment, I used a Bling Gem (discontinued).

Here is how I made the hanging centerpiece:

On Artiste Booklet, you can find die-cut on Page 57 (letter J) <Shift+3D Object> and change hieght to 2.5", which you can fit 9 to one 12 x 12.  Then cut 20 circles, I always cut more in case some do not turn out after inking and stamping.  So I cut 3 sheets in Colonial White.  I first used Barn Red and the water brush to add "pin-stripe" look to circle, top 2 lines half circle and bottom 3 lines all across.  Then rinse out water brush and empty water and refill.  Using Outdoor Denim Ink Pad, paint in blue area in open area by 2 top red lines. You will need to do this on all 20 circles. Let them dry!!  Finally, grab the star stamp from Home of the Brave stamp set and using Colonial White Ink Pad, dab (don't press hard) ink onto stamp and lightly press on blue area on circle.  Allow time to dry, over night best results!!

To assemble, fold all 3 areas on circle to all 20.  Take two sets of 5 and glue them together, one will become the top and one will become the bottom.  Glue the next 5 on the top portion of the centerpiece and then the next 5, again on the top part of the centerpiece.  You will see 5 areas to glue the bottom 5 pieces against.  Before complete assembly, use Outdoor Denim and Barn Red Twine to run inside the centerpiece in order to hang.  For the bottom part of the centerpiece, I made a "pom-pom" from Twine and shaped it to resemble a tassle.

These projects are fun and easy to make with the Close To My Heart's exclusive Artiste Cartridge Collection.

Your next stop on our Independence Day hop is Penny of  It Makes Total Cents.

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

1. Lucy ~ Love 2 Create   

    2.  Theodora ~ Celebrate Crafts

    3.   Michelle ~ My Flights of Fancy

    4.   Jennifer ~ 4 Hearts Scrapbooking

    5.   Traci ~ Paper Crafting 101

    6.   Penny ~ It Makes Total Cents 

Birthday Card - Penguin

Hello, my name is Traci Williams and I am an Independent Consultant with Close To My Heart.

I have a cousin who just loves penguin's and he turned 7 this past Friday.  So with the penguin theme in mind, I created a card that features just that!!

I had so much fun making the penguin...all thanks to Close To My Heart's Exclusive Cricut Cartridges,  Art Philosophy  and Artiste.  I also had a little help from Folk Art Festival Cricut cartridge.

Here is finished project:

To start, I used a 4.25 x 5.5 card in White Daisy and cut a matting in Black cardstock for the front of the card, sized same as card.

For the owl image (Black Cardstock) from the Folk Art Festival along with cuts for shadow (Honey cardstock) and outline (White Daisy Cardstock). 

Art Philosophy cartridge was then used to create the rest of the penguin, I first created the white oval cut for the penguin's torso (White Daisy), next were the arms; which were exclamation marks, and I welded to owl shape.  For the penguin's feet, I resized a label to create the webbed feet and same process for the beak, which I folded in half.  Both labels were cut using Honey cardstock.

The Artiste cartridge was used for the #7 and sentinment "years old".  I sized the #7 to fit inside the oval cut for torso and sized the sentiment for 3' wide and place at an arch on card.

For assemby, I placed the white shadow against the front layer of penguin then glued that to shadow cut.  I then placed the white torso oval and adhered the #7.  I also used rolling eyes to give added look to penguin.  Glue the complete penguin center on center.  I then placed the sentiment with a little circular shape below the penguin.  THAT SIMPLE!!

My cousin sure did enjoy this card and I am exicted to have it be in the Color My Heart color challenge featuring "Honey" this week!  Click HERE to visit all entries for the Color My Heart challenge this week.

A Flowering Bunch

Welcome to our June Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month's stamp from Close to My Heart is "A Flowering Bunch" and is available exclusively through your Close to My Heart consultant from June 1 - 30, 2013. You can purchase this stamp set for only $5 with a qualifying purchase.

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

Using the June Stamp of the Month, I cut out coordinating shapes with Close To My Heart's Exclusive Cricut Artiste cartridge.    I decided to make a 6 x 6 Thank You card.

For sizing, you will only have to change the height size to the size listed on stamp sheet per image.  I also added a label but to 4" wide and 1.25" tall, also from the Artiste cartridge. 
The Exclusive Inks pad colors are Pacifica, Sweet Leaf and White Daisy.  To give bolder look to stamped flowers, I used Exclusive Inks Marker Set in Sweet Leaf.
The cardstock I used is as follows:  Saddle cardstock for card, Pacifica for flower stems and White Daisy for die cut label and flowers. 
I also added Artisan studs to label, Green and Blue Epoxy bubbles where added to Color-Ready "Garden" Wooden Shapes. 
I then cut a strip of burlap ribbon to add under the label. 
The wood center piece on one of the rounded flower is from my favorite set "Mini-Medley Wooden Accents".
The Pacifica brad on the other rounded flower is from a previous embellishment set that coordinated to the paper pack titled "Lucky".
To start, I cut the burlap ribbon and placed in center of card and placed at very bottom. 
For label, I first inked up the small flower arrangement from stamp set with Sweet Leaf and then inked lower portion of stamp with Pacifica Ink before I stamped.  Let that dry for a minute, You will then daub some Pacifica ink with sponge tip applicator to upper portion of stamped image. Then I did same process with Sweet Leaf for lower portion of stamped image.  I cut out image using Non-Stick micro-tip scissors (best scissors I have ever used for precise cutting!!).  Attach the stamped image to the upper area of your label (behind label).  For the label, I distressed with Pacifica ink and stamped "Thanks a bunch" in Pacifica ink.  Tip: I always distress first in case I get a little too messy, which happens often!!
For the stem, stamp stem shape with the White Daisy Ink, stamp let dry abuot 30 minutes and then cut around the stamped image...White Daisy ink is a pigment ink, needs more time to dry.  Apply to card with 3D foam squares.
For larger die cut flowers, stamp image in Pacifica, give about a minute to dry.  Then color in with Sweet Leaf marker, you can color in whatever you want on the images,  Apply to cards using 3D foam squares.
I inked up leaf cuts with striped leaf stamp in Pacifica and again, colored in with Sweet Leaf marker.
To add fun affects to the Garden pieces, ink them up before adding to project.  As you can see, I used Sweet Leaf and Pacifica inks then let dry and applied the Epoxy bubbles.
Whalla, you have a beautiful Thank You card!!

You have reached the end of our hop.  You can start at the beginning by visiting Lucy's blog, Love 2 Create.

1. Lucy ~ Love 2 Create
2. Amber ~Scrapper's Therapy
3. Theo ~ Celebrate Crafts
4. Jennifer ~4 Hearts Scrapbooking
5. Stephanie ~ QuiltedScrapper
6. Cat ~ Catscrapbooking
7. Traci ~ Paper Crafting 101

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