Come celebrate National Scrapbook Month with me and Close to my Heart

Let's not forget that Happy Times can be yours during the month of May because it’s National Scrapbooking Month, and Close to my Heart is offering an exciting promotion to celebrate!  With a qualifying purchase of $60, you can get the exclusive Happy Times paper packet for FREE!  This fun paper packet, which is available for one month only, features floral designs, gold foil details, and more!  You can also purchase this exclusive paper packet at full retail for $14.95 with no purchase requirement (I did both because I wanted more than one).  

Here is the first project I made using my new paper pack (the instructions for this little purse can be found on my May 1st blog.

Additionally, Close to my Heart designed a coordinating stamp set, Happy Times, to go with the paper packet, which you can purchase for $17.95.  There’s never been a better time to treat yourself to some beautiful new paper!   Here are some cute cards I have made using that stamp set and more as well as some of the beautiful papers from this paper pack.  I am going to use the purse filled with coordinating cards as a great gift for birthdays and holidays.  

These are just the start of that card set.  I will be posting the full instructions for these cards and more throughout the month of May so stay tuned.  

And as if that was not enough, to supplement our Happy Times campaign and keep the focus on scrapbooking during May, we’re also offering a 25% discount on all of our currently available My Legacy™ albums.  That means you can purchase albums for only $26.21 USD which is a savings of $8.50 USD per album! There is no order limit or purchase requirement for this special, but the offer is only available while supplies last, so be sure to place your order early so you get the styles and colors you love most.  This is a sensational deal and a great opportunity to share the quality and beauty of these unique albums.  

Don't forget the purchase of the sales albums counts towards the $60 qualifying purchase to get your free paper pack and that when you reach $50 in qualifying purchases you can purchase the stamp of the month for just $5 ($17.95 value) and that also counts towards your qualifying purchase for the paper pack.  There has never been a better time to order than this month.  

Happy National Scrapbook Month and happy crafting!!!!

Georgie Card #3

And on to card #3 for our little purse (see instructions for it in my May 1st post) using the Georgie paper pack.  Here it is....

I started by created the base for my card.  I cut a piece of honey cardstock to 

8 ½ x 5 1/2 ” and then scored it at 4 ¼” to create an A-2 card base.  I added a piece of the paper from the Georgie paper pack that measured 5 ½ x 2” along the bottom edge of the card (there are lots of different papers in this pack to choose from).  For the little strip across the center I just used the other side of the same paper I used on the bottom of the card (all the B&T papers are two sided) that is ½ x 5 ½”. 

I then stamped the Thinking of You in the top right corner of the card using the So Many Smiles stamp set (I used memento ink for a nice crisp sentiment). 

The circles were cut out of white daisy cardstock (there are two sheets in the Georgie paper pack) using the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge (or you could cut them by hand after you stamped them) and then stamped in different colors that coordinated with the paper pack (you can choose whatever colors make you happy) using that same stamp set, So Many Smiles.  I used canary, slate, desert sand, crystal blue and cocoa inks on mine.  I placed smaller circles on top of the larger ones using 3-D foam tape and then placed them on the card with my Bonding memories glue pen. 

As always the supplies to make this are available on my OBA at www.craftwithronnie.blogspot.com  Happy Crafting!!!!

Supplies Used:

Stamp set:  So Many Smiles (C1619)

Papers:  Georgie Paper Pack (X7203B), white daisy cardstock (included in the Georgie paper pack or you can order it separately it is 1385) and honey cardstock (X5668)

Ink: Memento (Z899), Canary (Z2643), Slate (Z2173), Desert Sand (Z2118), Crystal Blue (Z2117) and Cocoa (Z2114)

Misc.:  3-D foam tape (Z1151) and glue pen (Z553)

Art Philosophy Cricut Collection (Z3171)

Georgie Card #2

Well here we are again, working on filling that purse full of cards.  So here is today's card:

I started with a pre-made base card which I think are a great value as they work out to about $.29 each and that includes the envelope (or you can make your own using the white daisy cardstock from the Georgie paper pack).  It measures 4 ¼ x 5 ½” (which fits perfect in our little purse which was previewed in my May 1^st post).  I then cut a piece of Juniper cardstock (perfect because the Georgie paper pack has a sheet in it) to 4 x 5 ¼” for my first layer.  Next I added a piece of the Georgie B&T (background and texture paper, there are lots of different designs to chose from) from the Georgie paper pack which I had cut to 3 ¾ x 5” and layered it onto the juniper cardstock. 

I used the A Bunch of Love stamp set and stamped the floral image and added the happy birthday sentiment from that same stamp set on daisy white cardstock (there are two sheets of it in the Georgie paper pack).  I again stamped using Memento ink because I love that it doesn’t bleed when I use my markers.  Then colored it in using my ShinHan markers again (but I have done some with the CTMH watercolor pencils (3505) and they work great as well and have 24 different colors).  When I was done coloring I cut it out using the A Bunch of Love Thin Cuts (wow, I love it when I don’t have to fussy cut).  I mounted this using 3-D foam tape to the center of the card. 

The little flower in the upper left corner is from the Hawaiian Hibiscus stamp set I used on Card #1 (I had it left over and just couldn’t stand not to use it) and of course I added bling (because I live for it) by adding a blue sequin from the new Florence Sequins.

As always all the supplies for this card are available on my OBA at www.craftwithronnie.ctmh.com   or by clicking the shopping cart at the top of this blog. Happy Crafting!!!

Supply list:

Paper:  All papers used were from the Georgie paper pack (X7203B)

Ink: Memento ink (Z899)

Stamp Sets:  A Bunch of Love (C1647) and Hawaiian Hibiscus (B1527)

Thin Cuts:  A Bunch of Love Thin Cuts (Z3251)

ShinHan Markers used: Vivid Green (Z2466), Marigold (Z2457), Golden Yellow (Z2452), Cerulean Blue (Z2449), Tender Pink (Z2464), Lavender (Z2453) and the colorless blender (2469)

Misc.:  Florence Sequins (Z3213), 3-D foam tape (Z1151) and the white value pack of cards and envelopes (X254) 

Happy National Scrapbook Month

Just a reminder of all the great specials going on at CTMH this month in honor of national scrapbooking month.

We don’t want to forget that Happy Times can be yours during the month of May because it’s National Scrapbooking Month, and we’re offering an exciting promotion to celebrate!  With a qualifying purchase of $60, you can get the exclusive Happy Times paper packet for FREE!  This fun paper packet, which is available for one month only, features floral designs, gold foil details, and more!  You can also purchase this exclusive paper packet at full retail for $14.95 with no purchase requirement (I did both because I wanted more than one).

Here is the first thing I made using my free paper pack (instructions were posted for this bag on my May 1st post).

Additionally, we’ve designed a coordinating D-size stamp set, Happy Times, to go with the paper packet, which you can purchase for $17.95.  (watch for me to use this beautiful paper pack and stamp set in future posts during this month).  There’s never been a better time to treat yourself to some beautiful new paper! 

And as if that was not enough, to supplement our Happy Times campaign and keep the focus on scrapbooking during May, we’re also offering a 25% discount on all of our currently available My Legacy™ albums.  That means you can purchase albums for only $26.21 USD/$31.13 CAD—a savings of $8.50 USD/$10 CAD per album! There is no order limit or purchase requirement for this special, but the offer is only available while supplies last, so be sure to place your order early so you get the styles and colors you love most.  This is a sensational deal and a great opportunity to share the quality and beauty of these unique albums.  

And as always we have a great Stamp of the Month – Celebrate with Cake.

This adorable stamp set can be yours for just $5 with a qualifying $50 purchase (valued at $17.95).  Here are some of the projects that have been made using it.

Wow, now think about that, great time to get that new album you are needing for 25% off, the stamp of the month is yours for $5 with a $50 purchase and that will also help you reach your qualifying order of $60 to get the free Happy Times paper pack.  Great time to make an order really count.  As always you can find these specials and lots more wonderful products on my OBA at www.craftwithronnie.ctmh.com.

Happy National Scrapbook Month and happy crafting!!!!

More fun with Georgie - Card #1

Here we go, card number one to go in my adorable card purse made from the Georgie paper pack. 

For this card I stamped the beautiful flowers using the new Hawaiian Hibiscus stamp set from Close to my Heart (CTMH) onto some white daisy cardstock using Memento ink.  Then I colored the flowers using the ShinHan markers from CTMH, I just love how well these markers blend (my friend copied this card and she used the CTMH Watercolor Pencils and they worked great – they are 3505, I use them for all kinds of things).  When I finished coloring them I fussy cut them out, I used my bone folder and just curved the leaves and flower petals a little to give them a look of movement. 

Now I created the base for my card.  I cut a piece of honey cardstock to 8 ½ x 5 1/2 ” and then scored it at 4 ¼” to create an A-2 card base.  I added a piece of the paper from the Georgie paper pack (scrap actually from the purse) that measured 5 ½ x 2” along the bottom edge of the card.  I then stamped the Happy Birthday in the top right corner of the card using the Joyful Birthday stamp set and more memento ink (I consider this a must have set as it contains four different happy birthday greetings and I use it all the time) don’t wait too long to order this one as it is slated to retire soon. 

I added some Teal Shimmer trim along the top of the piece of the Georgie paper (because you can never have too much bling on anything) and then added my flowers.  I started with the largest flower which I popped up using 3-D foam tape to give it some added interest.  I then added my second flower and leaves and moved them around until I liked the look and then just glued them down.

And there you have it.  I love how this card turned out (much prettier in person).  Stay tuned for additional cards (we are going to make at least 8 for our little purse).  As always you can get all the supplies you need from my OBA at www.craftwithronnie.ctmh.com or by clicking the shopping cart at the top of this blog.  Happy crafting… 

Supplies Used:

Stamp set:  Hawaiian Hibiscus (B1537) and Joyful Birthday (B1419)

Papers:  Georgie Paper Pack (X7203B), white daisy cardstock (1385) and honey cardstock (X5668)

Ink: Memento (Z899)

Misc.:  Teal shimmer trim (Z1918), 3-D foam tape, glue pen (Z553) and bone folder (Z1204)
ShinHan Markers used:  Leaf Green (Z2454), Vivid Green (Z2466), Marigold (Z2457), Golden Yellow (Z2452), Turquoise Blue (Z2465), Cerulean Blue (Z2449) and the colorless blending marker (Z2469)

Georgie Purse Tutorial

II had numerous requests for the instructions so I am going to share them here today.  I hope you all love this as much as I do.  By the way, stay tuned for some fun A-2 cards (4.25 x 5.5”)  that fit perfectly inside this little bag (yep, I have my perfect Christmas, Birthday, Just Because, gifts all planned for my girlfriends and both my daughter in laws and my mother in law this year.  How perfect, matching cards and a beautiful bag to present them in. 

Here is my bag………………

I made this purse and eight cards with minimal supplies and only one  Paper Pack.  Here is another one I made...

Here are the instructions.   You will need to have two sided paper and at least one other coordinating paper or coordinating cardstock in a solid color  (I used solid cardstock for the base and a coordinating color for the band around the top).

Cutting –  

Cut a piece of paper or cardstock (I used plain black cardstock because I hate to use pretty patterned paper where you are not going to see it) to 5x8”.  Score this piece at 1” on all four sides.  Now cut to the first intersection on the 8” sides and fold and adhere to shape a box.  This is the base for the whole purse.

 Cut one piece of designed paper at 4.5 x 12” and a second at 4.5 x 7” and adhere together, I like to use score tape (a heavy duty two sided tape) for assembly so I don’t have to hold it while it is trying to dry (this will be the body of the purse and the back side of it will be the design you see on the inside of the purse, as you can see with mine).  Place score tape or liquid glue along the bottom of the side you want to be your inside and up the right side.

 Start to adhere to your base (the box you made) place your seams in inconspicuous places if possible just working your way around.  I often hold mine on it’s side to make it easier for me to work with.

  Here it is with the sides on.

Now lets tackle the straps.  Cut 2 pieces of the coordinating paper at 1 x 11” (this will become the straps for purse).  Round the ends (a corner rounder works great) and score at ½” (right down the center of the piece) from one end to the other leaving 1.5” un-scored on each end. 

 Glue the scored parts together and shape with a bone folder (just curve them so they don’t dry straight and stiff, this is really important if you are using glue).  Again I use score tape because I was trying to take pictures at the same time and didn't have enough hands, LOL.    

Cut 4 pieces of your second coordinating paper (two for the outside and two for the inside, I decided to use two different designs on mine, one for the inside and another for the outside) to ½ x 11” (this is more than you will need but it is easier to work with it long and trim as needed so you can control where you want your seams to end up).

Cut 2 pieces of paper or cardstock (your choice what you use but it works nice if it is the same as the bottom of the purse so it looks like or use a piece of coordinating Paper to 1 x 8.5” (this will be the bottom trim).  I used a  scalloped punch to give mine a little extra interest.  Adhere to the bottom of the purse using adhesive (watching those seams again)

Once you have done all this you can put on your straps (I added a pearl brad on each one for interest).  And wallah, you are done!!!  You could add a flower or an other embellishment you like to add additional interest.  

Happy Crafting!!!!

Double Drape Technique

Ok so I figured I had mastered the single drape so now it is time to figure out the double.  It was a little confusing until I watched three of four video's on You Tube then I kind of played with it until I got the look I wanted.  These are also retired Close to My Heart Papers but let me just say I think these would be beautiful made with the Charlotte paper pack (which is retiring at the end of this month) or with the La Vie En Rose (which retires in August) but it really is a personal preference.

The stamp set used here is called Happy to Be Friends (C1605) and I have to admit I use it all the time.  

Stamp set used - Your Own Kind of Wonderful (D1627)

Stamp set used - Wavy Blooms (D1651) and I colored it in using CTMH watercolor pencils - 3505)

Same stamp set was used here as in the previous picture and I also used the watercolor pencils on this one.  

So how is this fold done?  Well here goes, select a patterned paper that is two sided (the CTMH background and texture papers are all two sided).  Cut it to 3 x 11" (so you can get four drapes out of one piece of B&T paper isn't that great).  Score at 1 1/2, 2, 3, 3 1/2, 4 1/2, 5, 6, 6 1/2, 7 1/2, 8, 9 and 

9 1/2" .  Measure up 1 1/2" on each side and mark, then measure to the center of the paper (5 1/2") and mark.  Now cut horizontally between the 1 1/2" marks and the 5" mark on both sides.  Next begin to fold at each end, mountain, valley, mountain, valley until you reach the center and then do the other side.  The drape will be longer than you need but simply center it on the card topper (I used a piece of cardstock that was 4 x 5 1/4" for my topper that I later adhered to an A-2 base card that was 4 1/4 x 5 1/2") and adhere, bend excess behind the topper and adhere as well.  (I found adhesive on each of the valley and mountain folds made managing the drape much easier).  I topped with coordinating ribbon or paper and embellished with stamps and bling.  

I hope you like this project and I invite you to check out my OBA at www.craftingwithronnie.ctmh.com or by clicking the shopping cart at the top of this blog to see all the wonderful papers, stamps, embellishments and other supplies that are available for you to use on projects like this one.  

Happy Crafting!!!

The Drape Techniques

I wanted to show case a technique rather than just papers and stamp sets so I have decided to play around with some retired Close to My Heart papers.  I just want you to check out the ideas and then look at my website and see which paper and stamp sets you would love to use on one of these projects.  

The drape is actually pretty easy to make once you do it one time.  I used a couple of retired papers to make these you could use any of the Close to My Heart papers since they are all two sided which makes them perfect for this technique.  

I watched several YouTube videos and found several different cutting sizes but this is what worked best for me.  So here is how it is done, make a base card that is an A-2 (4 1/4 x 5 1/2), both of mine are done horizontally so I could showcase as much of the fold as possible.  Next select the paper you want to use for your "drape" and cut it to 11 1/2 x 4" and score at 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 10".  Measure up the right side of your paper and mark at 1 1/2" from the top.  Now place your paper on your trimmer (or if you are really good you can use scissors, that would not be me, LOL) on a diagonal and cut from that first score line at three inches up to the mark you made on the other end at 1 1/2".  Now fold, starting at the left, valley fold, mountain fold, valley fold, mountain fold until you have your drape complete.  I found a little adhesive behind each fold made it a whole lot easier for me to mount this on my card base.  As you can see I added a little trim at the top (you could use ribbon) for the floral one I used what we Close to My Heart consultants refer to as a zip strip (each B&T paper comes with a cute coordinating 1/2 x 12" strip which works great for these kind of applications), on the Balloon one I just used a 1/2" strip of the strip from the other side of the paper that matched the revealed paper in the drape.  

The Happy Birthdays are stamped from a stamp set called Holiday Tags (D1560) which I love because it has lots of different holiday greetings and it also includes frames for the sentiments that can be cut out using the CTMH Artiste Cricut cartridge or can be hand cut.  This one is retiring soon so if you are interested don't wait to long.

Now for the embellishments, the balloons were cut from coordinating colors of cardstock using the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge (Z1686) and I cut them at 1 1/4" and then wrapped them with thin bakers twine and tied them all together.

The roses (I love these and use them on gift bags, tags and boxes all the time) were cut using the CTMH Artiste Cricut Cartridge (Z1790).  I cut two white ones and then inked them for a neat affect. This cartridge is full of awesome 3-D items, I use it to make boxes and little purses and other items all the time.  

I hope you enjoyed these projects, remember you can get supplies to make these for yourself by visiting my OBA at www.craftwithronnie.ctmh.com or by clicking on the shopping cart at the top of this blog.  Happy Crafting!!!!

Regatta and the May 2016 Stamp of the Month

So as promised here is my scrapbook page with the Regatta paper packet.  I also used this months stamp of the month (can't beat that $5 price tag).  This layout brings back some memories for me.  How many of these camera's do you remember from your childhood (I hate to admit I remember way too many of them, LOL).  When I was in high school the Polaroid camera was all the rage, I think myself and everyone of my girlfriends had one, how about you, do you remember a special camera?

Supply List:

Stamp Set:  Life in Pictures (S1604) this stamp set is a very limited time offer, available only during the month of April 2016 so order yours today ($17.95 or only $5 with a qualifying $50 order).  Isn't it awesome?

                                                

Paper Packet:  Regatta (X7602B) - I only used one sheet for the background 

Cardstock:  Black (1386), White Daisy (1385), Sapphire (X5775), and Pomegranate (X5780)

Inks:  Black (Z2105), Glacier (Z2641), Pomegranate (Z2653) and Sapphire (Z2648)

The film strip was cut using the Close to My Heart Artistry Cricut Cartridge (Z3167 is the number for the physical cartridge but if you use Design Space and want just the digital version it is Z3190, and still get the paper and stamps).  I use this collection quite often.  I have had some folks who were a little taken aback by the price ($99 for the physical collection and $79 for the digital collection) When the asked why it was higher than other cartridges out there I explained that you are getting over 700 images, three full D size stamp sets (valued at $17.95 each) as well as the Enchantment Cardstock Packet with 20 sheets of cardstock (valued at ($14.50) so when you think about it that is a real deal.  

As always you can find all the supplies I used to make this page on my OBA at www.craftwithronnie.ctmh.com or by clicking the shopping cart at the top of this blog.  

I hope you like this page and I wish you --- Happy Crafting!!!

More Regatta

Ok, here we go, another non Nautical card made with the Regatta paper pack...

Here is my card

And this is a reminder of what the paper pack looks like

This card was exciting for me.  I wanted to push myself to use a stamp set and make a card that was about as far away from Nautical as you could get so here it is.  I hope you like it.  This stamp set is a great one as well (lots of good get well wishes) but it too is retiring soon so get it while you can.  Here is a list of the supplies I used (you will notice that many of these supplies are repeated over and over in these projects).

Stamp Set:  Kiss it Better (B1508)

Cardstock:  Sapphire (X5775) and White Daisy (1385)

Regatta Paper Packet (X7206B)

Inks:  Sapphire (Z2648) and Dessert Sand (Z2118)

All the supplies listed here are available on my OBA at www.craftwithronnie.ctmh.com or by clicking on the shopping cart at the beginning of this blog.  Remember when you are making these projects you can mix and match your supplies to get the most out of your investment.  I hope you like this card.  

Happy Crafting!!!