The Right Tools Make All the Difference

I learned a couple of things about Close to My Heart's new products from the video below and would like to share with you.  Enjoy!

Christmas card again

Today's Christmas card takes advantage of a color challenge and a sketch challenge.  The color challenge is provided by Sunday Stamps while the sketch is provided by The Paper Players:

My Christmas card looks like this:

I do not have the requisite colors so I substituted with colors from the Close to My Heart palette.  The blue panel is stamped with snowflakes with White pigment ink and I think it adds a lot of interest to the card.  Stamping my own background paper is one of my favorites!  I also like the bow made with Black Waxy Flax gives it a little dimension yet flat enough to avoid extra postage.

Thanks for stopping by!

Back to Christmas card

I just can't stop my Christmas card obsession.  Is there a cure for it?

I've combined a color combo challenge and a sketch challenge for my card.  The Color Combo came from Dynamic Duos:

and the sketch came from Clean & Simple:

This card is also entering the challenge at Crazy for Challenge (C4C164), which asks us to put a bow on our project. 

Catered Crop asks that we use silver or gold.  My card is entering the challenge there!

Heart 2 Heart Challenges asks that we incorporate glitter to our project and my card is entering its challenge!

My card uses Pacifica cardstock and Silver embossing as the focus:

The Silver Shimmer Trim is really a nice little helper here - it makes adding the silver border easy!

If you see some "silver speckles" on the cardstock, yes, your computer screen needs to be dusted (just kidding) but that is actually a result of spraying pearl paint on the cardstock:

I actually started with a heavily sprayed cardstock but I figured that it would diminish the attention to the snowflakes so I made this one that is only gently sprayed.  In person the cardstock looks quite nice but I apologize for not being able to capture that for you in the picture.  Try it out, it is a cheap, quick and easy way to add interest to cardstock!

Thanks for stopping by!

Birthday card

Just Add Ink has an awesome CAS sketch that I cannot afford not trying out:

I used the retired Lucy Workshop on the Go Kit to complete my birthday card:

Materials used:
1.  Lucy Workshop on the Go
2.  Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge
3.  Card Word Puzzle stamp set
4.  Creme Brulee Excluisve Inks Stamp Pad
5.  Grey Wool Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

This card is also entering the challenge at Challenges 4 Everybody (Anything Goes).

Thanks for stopping by!

Quick and easy tags

Oh no!  I have been carried away by making Christmas cards and have totally forgotten about the tags!

I had made not even one tag up until I saw the challenge Gift Tags at OLW hosted by Heather this week.  To make a bunch of tags quickly, I turned to my Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge and cut a lot of the tags (the fill the page function is finally put to use) then I just stamped the image on the tags in different colors and finished it with a piece of Baker's Twine.  Woo hoo~  Got them done quickly:

Looks like I need to switch gears to finish my tags before diving back to Christmas cards.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Holidays

Another Christmas card today.

I'm using the sketch from Nacho Average Challenge #21:

and the Color Combo from Color My Heart Color Dare #19 - Hollyhock, Cranberry and Sweet Leaf to create my card:

This card is very simple but the color combo did give me quite a difficult time as I am not good at combining shades of the same color.  I settled with having Hollyhock as the background, then use Cranberry as the banner with Sweet Leaf to tone it down.  Finally I stamped the sentiment in Sweet Leaf.

Because I'm using cardstocks only I want to make it a bit more interesting so I was digging for my background stamps.  The background stamp is one from the April Stamp of the Month and stamping it in Hollyhock, even though it is tone on tone, does give it some interest!

I have been preparing Christmas cards since July but guess what, I never get tired of it.  They are fun to make and fun to send to others.

Have a good weekend!

Back with Christmas projects

Now we are down to about a month to prepare for Christmas projects.

I've used the sketch from Sunday Stamps to create a trifold card:

My trifold card uses Pear and Partridge paper and the stamp from the cardmaking Workshop on the Go:

This card is also entering the challenge at Heart 2 Heart challenge - I just can't help sharing more Christmas projects!

Thanks for stopping by!

It's Thanksgiving Day

Have a wonderful time with your family!

JOY

There is a new CAS challenge!  I'm so excited!

The new challenge Addicted to CAS is a branch of Addicted to Stamps and More and its first challenge is snow:

I have a couple of stamp sets that have snow flakes and I went to dig them up immediately and made this card:

I've used quite a variety of blue to enter the challenge at CAS-ual Fridays whose theme is Winter blues this week:

How can I not enter the card to Heart 2 Heart challenge?  Just want to share my Christmas cards with more people!

Thanks for stopping by!

P.S.  For those of you who are driving/flying home, have a safe and wonderful trip!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Congrats!

Let's take a break from Christmas cards.  I'm happy to share a wedding card with you!

I'm entering this card to Black Tie Friday's challenge:

Thanks to the Artiste cartridge and the Art Philosophy cartridge, this card is not difficult to make at all:

I think it is cute to use the two contrasting colors on the cuts for the bride and groom.  Don't you think the colors really say it all?

Thanks for stopping by!

Merry Christmas

I found a new challenge at IBSCI.  This week the challenge is a photo-inspiration challenge.  You can see the picture here.  It asks that we uses pink, white and gold as the major colors.

I'm combining this challenge with CAS(E) this sketch where the sketch looks like this:

Believe it or not, I started with a girl's birthday card but somehow it transformed into this Christmas card.  Heart 2 Heart Challenges is challenging us with a Christmas project today, so this card is also entering the challenge over at Heart 2 Heart:

Thanks for stopping by!

Pigment Ink Part II - Pigment vs. Dye

Sharing another Close to My Heart video - Pigment vs. Dye.  I had great joy using pigment ink on Friday's card and wanted to share what I had leared from yesterday's video and today's.

Enjoy!

Pigment Ink Part I - Ink it Up

It's a quick post today sharing a video about pigment ink.  I'll be sharing another one tomorrow.  Enjoy!

Thanks

OLW asks that we make a one layer Thank You card while the cue card at CASology is "Thanks" so I'm making a card that enters both challenges.

I am very happy that I got my pigment ink pads and tried using them on kraft cardstock!  When it comes to making one layer cards, stamping is probably the most important thing on the card.  Thus, the image we choose and the colors we pick will have a big impact.  I have always wanted to use color cardstock to make one layer cards but it was not very successful without pigment inks.

So I used Ruby, New England Ivy and Autumn Terracota pigment ink pads, a ribbon and a stamp set to make this cute little thank you card:

Using pigment inks is not as difficult as I thought.  The colors are very vivid on the Kraft cardstock, and I am so glad that from now on I can make one layer cards on cardstocks other than white!

Thanks for stopping by!

Love You

Just Us Girls has a fun challenge!  It is asking us to make a ribbon wreath!

I have no idea how to make one, in fact I've never even thought about making ont.  Thanks to its link to a youtube video, I learned how to make a ribbon wreath quickly.

A Christmas wreath first came to my mind but I just wanted to take a break from Christmas/Holiday cards.  So I made this card:

I used simple materials: cardstocks of Sweet Leaf, Smoothie, and Cocoa.  Then ink the strip at the bottom with some Sweet Leaf Ink, stamped the edge with last year's Stamp of the Month to let the ribbon wreath shine.  It looks so cool and I think now I'm off to make some Christmas wreaths!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cute as a Button

When I saw the color combo at The Friday Mashup! I immediately thought of a card for a little girl.  Its color combo is  Daffodil Delight, Basic Grey and Basic Black.  I've used Buttercup, Grey Flannel and Black from the Close to My Heart color palette.

The challenge also asked us to "mashup" with dry embossing but I lack the time to do it.  So I just made another extremely simple card for a little girl:

I'm afraid it is difficult to capture what it is like.  The scalloped circle has a button with a butterfly tied on top of it.  Just want to tell the little girl that she is cute as a button!

Thanks for stopping by!

Leaves

I'm still working on some last minute Thanksgiving cards and what is better than using a couple of leaves on your card?

I'm entering my card to the challenge at Heart 2 Heart Challenges, which asked us to make something to show our gratefulness.

I'm also entering my card to the challenge at Black Tie Friday's, which asks us to employ the technique Masking.

This is my card that uses masking:

Guess what I used as a mask?

The stamps themselves!  I just put them three leaves and the sentiment on the cardstock, the spritzed it with my potion (barn red + Creme Brulee + pearl paint  + water).  Voila!  Perfect mask, no cutting involved!  It is pretty fun, try it yourself!

Thanks for stopping by!

Extremely Simple Christmas card

One Layer Wednesday's theme is Dark Red, Yellow/Gold and Green.  When you head is fighting a cold there is really no brain cell left for creativity.

I've made an extremely simple Christmas card because the colors Dark Red, Yellow/Gold and Green are screaming "Christmas" to me:

See the curve at the bottom?  It is a result of gold embossing - the cardstock is warped.  After taking the picture of it, I'll put it under some heavy books to flatten it out.

Alcohol Marker Madness

Let's watch the video below to learn more about the *NEW* Close to My Heart alcohol markers!

Capture the Date Capture the Savings

Throughout the month of November 2012, when you place an order of $50 or more in full retail products and purchase the Capture the Date, the November Stamp of the Month set for just $5, you’ll receive any A-E and M size My Acrylix^® stamp set at 50% off. It’s two promotions in one!
Start shopping here!

Happy Birthday with Sonoma

I like purple and that explains why I have so many clothes in different shades of purple!

When I saw the challenge at Black Tie Friday's I knew I needed to pick "purple"!  Its challenge is to pick one from each row (not a tic-tac-toe):

First row is picked, then for the second row I'd pick flowers.  Who doesn't like flowers?  Finally I'd like to make a card with a rectangular base.  Thus my card will have purple, flowers in a rectangular base:

Addicted to Stamps and More is asking us to make something with flowers, so this card is also entering the challenge there!

I like this card, but I hate taking a picture of it.  I am afraid I do not have much talent in photography and the picture really does not do its justice for the card.  If you have tricks on taking a picture for a card like this, let me know!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Merry Little Christmas

It's Christmas card again!

I've adopted the sketch by Mojo Monday:

And the color scheme by Dynamic Duos:

to create my Christmas card:

Most materials came from the Pear and Partridge cardmaking Workshop on the Go, except for the Bamboo cardstock and the retired Cranberry ribbon and the Cranberry brads.

A Workshop on the Go has everything we need to make a card, layout or a home decor item.  Love it!

I Chairish You

Sunday Stamps Challenge blog is challenging us with a sketch this week.  The sketch has a lot of clean lines:

When I saw "Any Shape,"  I was reminded of some images from my Stella Workshop on the Go and so I decided to make this card for my darling friend:

Isn't the sentiment "I Chairish You" cute?  I'm sure my friend will like it!

Everything I used came in the Stella Workshop on the Go, except the Cocoa Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad.  It really is something I can bring "on the go" when I go to a crop.

Thanks for stopping by!

Another Christmas card without a Christmas tree

Hope you are not bored by a series of Christmas cards.  They are always fun to make and fun to look at and after all, who does not look forward to Christmas? 

When I first saw the sketch from Try Stampin on Tuesday, I wanted to put a Christmas tree on the left panel.  Again?  Let's try something new!  Let's take a look at the sketch first:

So I resisted the temptation to include a tree on the left panel, I rotated the sketch and replaced the matted oval with a stocking:

One stocking is too lonely, so I added one more next to it .  It is more balanced this way and we prepare more room for Santa to put presents in.

This card is also entering the Catch The Bug Challenge, the theme is Anything Goes!

Thanks for stopping by!

Materials used:
1.  Cocoa cardstock
2.  Cranberry cardstock
3.  Bamboo cardstock
4.  Holiday Magic Stamp set (SOTM)
5.  Cocoa Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
6.  New England Ivy Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
7.  Cranberry Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
8. Cranberry Grosgrain ribbon

Christmas card without a Christmas tree

I saw this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and wanted to give it a try:

For some reason the stamp set from Believe Workshop on the Go walked to my craft area and I thought it could marry the sketch very well!  So a Christmas card was born:

I was not the biggest fan of the stamp set last year.  In fact I hardly used it.  I wish I had this sketch sooner and gave the stamp set some more love!  Nevertheless it is not too late to give me some more attention and I think I'll use the images on many more Christmas cards!

Thanks for stopping by!

Materials used:
1.  Believe Workshop on the Go
2.  Cranberry ribbon
3.  Tulip Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
4.  Olive Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad
5.  Cocoa Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree stamp came with the Pear and Partridge Workshop on the Go is darling cute. I can't help using it again and again!

So I'm making a Christmas card with this stamp for Mojo Monday Challenge:

It's a square/circle card challenge this week and the sketches look like this:

Thanks for stopping by!

Ho Ho Ho

I'm participating the challenge at Merry Monday Challenge.  Its sketch looks like this:

As much as I like it as is, I'd like to rotate it for my 5"x7" card:

Ho Ho Ho~~

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mission Impossible

Mission Impossible V is not available yet, but I've just accomplished such a mission!

I am very honored to be asked to be the guest designer for Color Dare this week.  When I received the email I was shocked because, Sarah explicitly said "This is going to be quite challenging...."

Oh my goodness!  The color combo this week is Smokey Plum, Sunset and Sweet Leaf.  Aren't they good for Halloween only?  But the challenge will be up on Nov 2!

It turns out the combo can also be used for other things.  I've made a birthday card:

Smokey Plum is the major color here - the top panel and the pattern in the bottom panel.  Sunset is the just an accompanying color because the flowers do not occupy much real estate.  Finally, can you notice the Sweet Leaf?  Yup, the small leaves.

To offset the intensity of the Sunset flowers, I've put a brown adhesive gems in the middle.  Similarly, I've added some "veins" to the leaves by folding them into sections and inked up those edges in Chocolate.  In this way, the Sunset flowers do not catch too much of our attention and they will balance well with the dark purple.

Mission Impossible accomplished.

Go to Color Dare and try out this challenge!  It is challenging but fun and will boost your creativity!

Happy crafting!

Materials used:
1.  Moonlight paper packet
2.  Sunset cardstock
3.  Sweet Leaf cardstock
4.  Cocoa cardstock
5.  Opague Adhesive Gems - Mocha
6.  For Every Occasion stamp set 
7.  Cocoa Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

Abundance

Abundance was one of the Close to My Heart paper packs.  It was available quite a while back and my pack has been collecting hopes of being used.

One of the reasons I've chosen this paper and its stickease to make a card is because of the photo inspiration from Just Us Girls:

The table setting reminds me of "Abundance".  So I wanted to make a Thanksgiving card and adopted the sketch from Less is More:

The color combination is a challenge presented by Color My Heart: Honey, Goldrush, Autumn Terracotta and Cranberry.

My card looks like this:

I haven't used stickers on cards for a long time and forgot how easy it is.  I'm going to use some more of them!

Thanks for stopping by!