December Stamp of the Month

While everyone is unwinding after the Christmas celebrations and getting ready to welcome in a New Year, I thought it was a good time to remind you that there is only 5 days left to purchase the December Stamp of the Month from Close To My Heart. If you are paper crafting over the holiday break you might want this stamp set?! - it can only be ordered this month and won't be available again!!....place your order today in my online shop - you won't want to miss out!

I have seen some gorgeous projects made with this stamp set....tags for gift boxes of luxury soaps, cute scrapbook pages with children enjoying delicious little treats and cards expressing love and thinking of you sentiments. It is such a versatile stamp set with options for lots of different themes...and as such I decided to use the sentiments for some Get Well cards that I hope will put a smile on the face of the recipients!

The cute Nurse images were coloured in with my Copic Markers - the first card uses "Nurse Nora" from C.C.Designs and the second is "Sparkle Nurse" by Saturated Canary - I love how well my Sparkle & Shine Paper Pack co-ordinated with the coloured image it certainly proves you should never limit the use of any product to the theme it was intended for!! If you have favourite papers in the Close To My Heart product collection be sure to check out the Retiring Items listed in my Online Store. Many will no longer be available in the coming weeks and I certainly would not like you disappointed to find your "favourites" end up sold out!

There is also only a few days left to leave a comment on my blog post from the 3rd December or send your friends to "like" my Facebook page to be in the running for some fun stamping prizes.

I hope you continue to enjoy the Festive Season and I look forward to sharing more paper craft projects with you in 2014!
 

A Tiny Touch of Ink

My Craft/Happy room has been full of activity over the past couple of weeks and especially over the weekend while I put the finishing touches to my Christmas Craft Projects! While we have now, officially commenced the countdown to Christmas I'm not as organised, as I would like to be. December is also full of birthday celebrations for my extended family and this year we have had milestone 80th & 21st birthdays to celebrate. My Close To My Heart Cricut Collections have become my best friends as  I work my way through lots of card projects - they certainly make any art work shine with so many fabulous and versatile shapes - would you believe there are 2100 images spread across the 3 different collections??!! absolutely amazing!! and I recommend them as a "must have" for any paper crafter.
This Birthday card was created with my Cricut Cartridges - no stamping - no ink - just lots of pretty paper...

...being a "pink" girl... I LOVE the Chantilly Paper Pack it is one of my favourites. However, it is soon to be amongst the products retiring from the Close To My Heart range. If you haven't added it to you paper collection yet?! - then I suggest you pop on over to my Online Shop and place an order before it is no longer available...and while you are there, you might like to check out the complete list of Retiring Items...just in case there is anything else you may have missed out on!

I thought today I would also share a Christmas Card I made using a snow flake embellishment cut from the Cricut Artbooking Collection - this collection is like magic - you simply take a piece of paper, push a button and out comes a fun accent to add to your project ...what an easy, quick way to produce a card?! -  gotta love that!! All I needed to do then was cut my card base, add a tiny touch of ink to distress my paper edges & snow flake embellishment, stamp a little sentiment and my card was done!

If Paper Craft is your thing!? - then be sure to keep an eye on my Online Shop.... National Papercrafting Month is coming in January 2014  and I will have lots of fun projects and products that will have you on "Cloud Nine" - stay tuned for a "sneak peek"

Christmas Treats

I know I have already posted this week but I did say I would be back with a little surprise! For those of you who have attended the "Come Create with Chris" events over the past few months you will remember me making the promise that I would share the instructions for the Toblerone Chocolate Wrap?!.....well today is the day - Ta Da!! I have finally updated my instructions.

This is a super easy peasy papercraft project and simply perfect for this time of year, especially when you are looking for little gifts to give your work colleagues, trinkets for Church fetes or something the kids can make for Teacher gifts.

I have just made a nice little bundle of these to use as place settings on our Christmas Dinner table. I found some really gorgeous decorative borders in the Artbooking Cricut Collection from Close To My Heart that I used to decorate them with. I then trimmed the edges of these borders with the Sparkle & Shine Washi Tape - it has to be one of my favourite products from this year's Holiday From The Heart Gift Guide .....if you haven't seen all the wonderful goodies in this gift guide then head on over to my Online Store and check them out!

 

I have also put the Washi Tape to good use when making decorative toppers for bags of chocolate treats - again, super easy to make up and the little jumping Santa from the Santa Claus stamp set is such a cute stamp to add that finishing touch....and while I am in the gift giving mood... I thought I might give away one of the Santa Claus stamp sets to the next person who places a $100 order through my Online Shop - then you too, can create your own gift projects this Christmas... and as the saying goes "you have to be in it to win it"!!

 

...and don't forget my previous giveaway - leave a comment under my  Cards for all Occasions post from Tuesday 3rd December and I will send you 2  card kits....everything pre-cut just waiting for you to assemble.

 

Happy Christmas Crafting!

 

Cards For All Occasions

Goodness me! - I didn't realise it has been so long since I last updated my blog...not really sure I have an excuse, except that I have been crafting up a storm in preparation for Christmas and some milestone Birthday celebrations in my extended family. I have also been busy with Card making classes and organising the first of my Card Kit Collections to hit the post before the holiday season really kicks in! With so many stamping projects on the go, it was difficult to choose something to share with you today but I settled on a couple of pretty cards suitable for any occasion and a preview of some of the Christmas cards I have been working on.

The ladies that attended my card making classes last week made some awesome versions of these pretty rose cards...we spent the class learning about all the different ways you can make "unique one of a kind backgrounds" for your images using Close To My Heart exclusive inks and acrylic blocks - it was lots of fun getting inky and seeing what we could produce :)

I've been making a series of different Christmas Cards this year....and you all know how much I love colouring with alcohol makers!!!... the moment I first saw the cute Christmas Village Stamp Set I knew I was going to spend some quiet time colouring with my markers. Although it is summer at this time of year, I still love snow themed scenes of Christmas and one day I do hope to celebrate a White Christmas!! I wasn't sure how I was going to create the snow and I tossed a few ideas around but ended up deciding to colour in the outline of the snow with my Sky coloured marker... then using the Blending Maker saturate some of the sky colour out of the cardstock. I think it worked a treat.

 

 

I am in the process of putting together my class schedule for 2014 and if you would like to host a gathering with your family and friends at my house or yours I would love to hear from you...just send a message to lotfam@iinet.net.au and we will lock in a date before my calendar starts to fill up. You can also send me an "expression of interest" message if you would like to be kept up to date with my Card Kit Collections - next year I plan on having a kit ready to send out to you every month. Here is a "sneak peek" of what a kit looks like - all materials and full colour instructions included...you just stamp with your choice of Close To My Heart stamps from my suggested list.

 

 

I have 2 of these kits ready to send out to a  reader of my blog...my gift to you this Christmas......if you would like to be the lucky recipient? just leave a comment on my blog and I will choose someone at random to receive the kits in the mail next week. This giveaway is only open to Australian residents.

 

Stay tuned for the announcement of the winner and my last blog post for 2013....it just might contain a little surprise too?

 

All that Sparkles and Shines

We are now 2 weeks into November and while it may be Spring the weather this week as been wet, dreary and very dull, which meant no outdoor activities for me!....so what do you think I got up too?? Yes! you guessed it! I had some inky playtime! - no real surprise there?!! .... and my stamp set of choice was Close To My Heart's November Stamp of the Month called "Illuminate" and it certainly added a bit of sparkle into what was, weather wise, a dreary week.

This beautiful stamp set can be yours too, not only will it add some "Sparkle & Shine" to your day but also to your scrapbook pages and cards. All you need to do is spend $75 or more during November and this stamp can be added to your collection for only $5! This 15 stamp set includes 5 sentiments, a border, 5 large images and 4 small images.The possibilities are endless!

Visit my Online shop to place your order and/or find the instructions and supply list for the projects shown in this photo - simply click on Promotions then Stamp of the Month - you will find everything listed there and remember these projects are available online for a full 12 months which is fabulous!

 

These are the 3 cards I created using this stamp set - I experimented with a few different techniques when stamping up the images. If you would like to know more about these techniques and other fun things that you can do with ink & stamps?... join me for one of my Tuesday Technique Classes -  contact me at lotfam@iinet.net.au and I will pass on all the details for you.

 

 

This card demonstrates what I LOVE most about clear stamps and blocks - the fact that I can build up scenes with a combination of stamp sets - fun, fun, fun! Many of you that have been attending the "Come Create with Chris" events have heard how much I love Alcohol Markers they are an ever so easy way to colour the Clear Sparkle Embellishments  to co-ordinate with your project. I used a combination of "Honey" and "Autumn Terracotta" to colour the sparkles inside my lantern images on the card pictured below.

 

If you can't attend my scheduled classes but would like to learn more about stamping and the Close To My Heart product range, I am happy to schedule gatherings for you and your friends. Gatherings are a great way to earn yourself some discounted and free products and they are so easy to host - I will bring all the materials needed for you and your friends to create some great projects.

I'd love to come share some inky playtime with you !
 

Folded Flowers

I've had fun in my "happy room" this week trying out an idea inspired by a fellow Close To My Heart consultant. Over the weekend I was shown some very clever Christmas ornaments made with stamped shapes from the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection they were gorgeous and I wondered if I could create something similar to add to my card creations. These are the three cards I came up with using the ideas. I love how this concept can be used to create a card for any occasion....and a HUGE thanks to the original creator.

If you like the Sparkle and Shine Christmas papers don't forget they are only available for a limited time - they can be purchased from the Holiday Gift Guide which can be viewed at my Online Shop... and as an added bonus if you spend $130 or more you could earn this paper pack for free. I also used this paper pack for the second Christmas card I made using the folded image idea - love how this one looks like a 3D flower.

I decided to try the idea again this time hand cutting my images with the fabulous non stick micro-tip scissors - they have the perfect tip for cutting around intricate shapes and there is something very therapeutic about cutting paper - well I think there is LOL! I also sponged some ink around the edges of the shapes to deepen the colour and add a bit more texture - I think this gives the flowers and the leaves a more realistic look.

If you live in my area and would like to see these cards in real life or even have a little play time creating them or want to purchase some of the goodies I have used ....why don't you pop along to the Shepparton Papercraft Expo.....I'd love to "show you how".

Hope to see you there!

Back To My Ink

....so where have I been - you might well ask?? :) I've been touring the East Coast of Australia passionately sharing what I love about Close To My Heart and all the exciting projects you can create with the product range. Thank you to all the 1500+ people who have attended these events - it was a lot of FUN but after travelling the 5800km from home to Northern Queensland and back. I am happy to have returned to my paper playtime - oh how I have missed my ink!!

When I arrived home my order from the lovely Sparkle and Shine Holiday's from the Heart Gift range was waiting for me.........so many lovely goodies that I didn't quite know where to start, but it didn't take me long and I was inking and colouring up a storm.

The first card I made has given me a real head start on my Christmas Cards and was created with the beautiful Mary & Babe stamp set. This set can be found and purchased from the Holiday's from the Heart Gift Guide. However, there is an added bonus... you can receive it for free! when you place a $130 order from this gift guide. It was such a joy to colour in this image and I can't wait to colour in some more.

Aren't this rosette Christmas Trees the perfect decoration for your home during the holiday season?? - if you would like to know how to create them I would be more than happy to show you - simply contact me - or arrange a gathering with your friends I'm only too happy to share :)

....and while I was in Christmas mode I had a play with the heart warming Stamp of the Month - Scandinavian Wishes stamp set - gorgeous images for your Christmas cards in this collection and a set I am sure you will want! Once I started inking up this set I just couldn't stop - here are a few of the cards I created using it.

Love, love, love the ornament image and the wonderful way it has been designed to work with the shapes cut from the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection. If you are attending any of my upcoming events I will have a "stamping station" set up where you can create your own stamped embellishments with the exclusive Close To My Heart Cricut Collections  - fun, fun fun!!

If you would like to know more about the Close To My Heart range and see these cards and many more in real life then feel free to pop along to the Shepparton Paper Craft Expo - this event will showcase all the product range has to offer, give you the opportunity to play with the stamps, ink and cricut machines and will be your one stop shop for purchasing these wonderful goodies....

 Look forward to seeing you there!!

Gift Giving Ideas and Gatherings

I mentioned in my last post that I would share some Home Décor items with you and it comes as no surprise to most of you that I am in Papercraft Heaven with the gorgeous range of Close To My Heart products...there are endless possibilities for what can be created with them. I love making one of a kind gifts for my family and friends and this year I intend to be super organised for Christmas. I have made a good start with these framed pieces of stamped artwork. I found the shadow box frames in a local discount store and I was very pleased with how the art work looked framed within them. They were very simple to create and a little addictive too - I made 4 one afternoon and have recently purchased some frames to make a few more!

The frames were a little difficult to photograph for you as the glass and the Clear Sparkles were a little reflective and black on black doesn't show up too well.... but I am sure you get a good idea of how they turned out.

My youngest daughter is laying claim to this black and red creation it tones in well with the colour scheme of her house ;) The border was created with Red Shimmer Trim, the Scallop Border Punch and an arrangement of stamped images from the Washi Wonder stamp set - remember this set is exclusive to hostesses of a gathering event  - if you would like to add it to your stamp collection?... schedule an event with me today .

Christmas is traditionally that time of year when we all love making and receiving Homemade Gifts and as your Close To My Heart Consultant I can assist you with this task. If you would like to make a head-start on your Christmas gift making preparation check out the The Holiday Gift Guide in my online store you will find stunning papers, a scrapbook kit, embellishments, stamps and ideas for Christmas cards and gifts. If you purchase $130 or more you can choose one *"star"* product FREE - an extra special deal to save you more this holiday season! Contact me today, about hosting a Christmas Craft Gathering  - I would love to show you how to make some of these cute art work frames along with lots of other paper craft gifts and help you earn some of the wonderful Close To My Heart product collection for FREE. To host a gathering with your friends full of FUN and FESTIVE cheer simply contact me at lotfam@iinet.net.au or alternatively I can make you a customisedpiece of Home Décor email me for details.

Playing with Pinwheels

 

How cute is that little Miss "Stitched with Love" ???.....she arrived in my order yesterday and I couldn't wait to stamp her up and colour her in. She is from Founder & CEO of Close To My Heart Jeanette Lynton's archive of hand drawn images  - it is a stamp that just makes smile :) I coloured her with a handful of Copic Markers E000, E00, E11, R21, R22, R24, B91, B93 & B95 and co-ordinated these colours with a blend of Close To My Heart's Exclusive Ink Markers - the best thing about the exclusive markers is they are a perfect match for the Close To My Heart paper range and as you can see in this card - I used a mixture of papers from the For Always, Chantilly and Tommy My Reflections range. I have been playing with pinwheels this week too. This month's Stamp of the Month is a fabulous set of 10 stamps featuring pinwheel shapes as well as great sentiments and you can add this to you collection for only $5 with a purchase of $75 or more from my Online Shop. I decided to use one of the smaller pinwheels and the "You make my World go 'round" sentiment on the card with my little Miss. The wonderful thing about clear stamps & blocks is that you can easily line images up and mix and match different sets together. My little Miss actually looks like she is holding onto the pinwheel stick all because I could see through the block and could line my stamped image up perfectly with her hand.

 

The other great thing about My Acrylix stamps is how flexible they are. I was particularly thrilled with the result when I stamped over my layered paper border in the "Let's Celebrate" card below... no smudging or bleeding at all and my ink even stamped up beautifully on top of the Red Shimmer Trim (it was cut with the Scallop Border Punch). I added some other fun embellishments to this card too - some Crème Brule Bakers Twine, Ruby Buttons and I coloured some clear Sparkles in with my Cranberry Exclusive Marker - be sure to check out the wonderful range of Close To My Heart embellishments here in my online shop - you will find all sorts of goodies there to add sparkle and shine to your projects.

I continued my pinwheel playtime with a deviation from my usual square shaped cards and tried my hand at a rectangle shape. I was rather pleased with the result maybe I should experiment a bit more with different shape cards??

 

I hope you have been enjoying my weekly posts and they inspire you to try your hand at stamping or even help you decide on what goodies you need to add to your craft room collection. Don't forget I would love to hear your feedback on the projects I share - let me know if there is something you really liked or if you would like to learn more about the techniques and products used. I am more than happy to schedule time with you and your friends to show you the Close To My Heart product range. For those that are attending my "Come Create with Chris" events throughout Australia feel free to leave comments and suggestions on what you would like to see when I attend an event in your area... be sure to check back next week when I share my latest home décor creations ;) 

 

Pretty Florals

After spending last weekend on the sunny & very warm Central Coast the cold weather here at home has come as a bit of a shock! Today I was dressed again in winter woollies but my garden is showing signs of spring with beautiful blossoms and pretty flowers appearing everywhere. The colours are so pretty and they certainly inspired my card making playtime today. These cards were made using exclusive stamp sets from Close To My Heart's fabulous rewards programmes. If you love discounted and/or free products contact me today to schedule a Gathering in your home or mine OR if you prefer shopping online - you and your friends can shop from the comfort of your lounge chair and computer here. I "know" you will want to add these stamps to your collection and September is the time to do it.

Pink and Green are my "go to" colours whenever I start creating and I love all the different  "pink & green"colour variations Close To My Heart have in their ink and cardstock range. Today my favourites came from the Whimsy Colour Family - blush, sweet leaf, smoothie - just perfect for pretty florals. This card was inspired by something I saw made with washi tape on Pinterest and I am very pleased with how my interpretation came together with the Washi Wonder stamp set. I'm a bit partial to the use of washi tape on my projects and I love that these stamps mean I can co-ordinate my washi tape to any of my Close To My Heart papers and embellishments. They are also fun to make decorative papers with and this is how I created the border on the 2nd card - I also added a little bit of Gypsy Ink to the colour palette of card no.2 just for a bit of contrast.

How great is the sentiment on this card "good times are even better when they are shared" so appropriate for my papercraft friends and gathering groups! The funky cheerful flowers were made using images from the "You Are My Happy" stamp set and shapes from the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection - check out the details below and you could be adding these fun embellishments to your projects too.

The" You Are My Happy"  stamp set trio was released in celebration of National Stamping Month and has also become a favourite - it truly makes  me "happy". During the month of September, when you make a purchase of $75 or more, you qualify for this  stamp set trio for only $15 ( full retail value is $64 ). You'll love the whimsical alphabet, light-hearted sentiments, and fanciful images for a variety of occasions - don't miss out on a chance to own a set of your very own - contact me soon!

Friendship and Happiness

 

Recently I was asked the question - What is it about paper craft playtime that you love so much! My answer was simply two words "Friendship" and "Happiness". According to the academics ..."play is often described as a time when we feel most alive, yet we often take it for granted and may completely forget about it. But play isn't a luxury—it's a necessity. Play is as important to our physical and mental health as getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising. It supercharges learning, helps us relieve stress, and connects us to others and the world around us. Play can also make work more productive and pleasurable". and truly, that is exactly how I feel about the "time-out" I take to play with paper. It is my stress release, it's fun, pleasurable... and I have met and fostered life long friendships with so many others who also share a passion for this craft. It is what I love most about my Close To My Heart business the sharing, joy, laughter, and fun we have at our playtime gatherings and workshops. Along with meeting new people - these events promote bonding and certainly strengthen the sense of community. My closest friends are those that are in my "Crafty Chicks" team and we would love to welcome "new" friends into our little community....if you are feeling a bit lonely and need to nourish your heart with happiness then becoming a Close To My Heart Consultant may be just what you are looking for - click here to find out more....and if you check out the photos below, you can see the results of my latest playtime and moments of happiness.

 

I really enjoyed revisiting the world of Paper Dolls playing with this stamp set. It made me very nostalgic and took me back to my childhood where a lot of my creative play time was spent colouring in and making Paper Dolls....such fond memories!

 

I did colour my little doll in with a combination of Copic Markers and Close To My Heart Exclusive Ink Makers - I love how they complimented each other so well.

Copics Used:
Skin - E11, E01, E00, E000, R20, BV000
Jeans - B91, B93, B95,
Dress - R81, R83, R85

The other card I made was pieced together using the little scraps of cardstock left-over from my Paper Doll card. It was easy to make and I was so pleased with how it turned out. I also LOVE the sentiment on this card it speaks volumes and reinforces my feelings on friendship. I can see myself using the "You Are My Happy" stamp set trio on so many of my upcoming projects - if you would like a preview of what this stamp set offers check out this video and contact me if you would like to add one to your stamp collection.



If you would like to see what some of the "Crafty Chicks" in my team have been making in their playtime click on these blog links - JLou and ScrappyVee. These ladies have become very dear friends and their creativity inspires me every day...be sure to leave them some love when you visit their blogs.

 



A Chocolate Affair

....is the name of this month's "Stamp of the Month" from Close To My Heart. Today I have had the sweetest time creating all sorts of goodies with it....I feel like I have had a real chocolate affair LOL!! It is the perfect stamp set for gift making because..... who doesn't like receiving chocolate gifts - right?!!

A jar full of chocolate treats looks very yummy and creating a simple tag to tie around the top really dresses it up and makes it the ideal gift giving solution for any occasion - Birthdays, Mother/ Father's Day or just a gesture of friendship. A great idea for School and Church fetes too!

Bag toppers are also fun and simple to make - the scallop tag on this little goody bag was made using the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection and I added a single white chocolate raspberry into the cellophane bag of fruit and nut mix... just to add a little more fun & humour to the project.

My playtime continued with this little gift card that I made for a friend who is going through a tough time at the moment. My plan is to attach it to a box of her favourite chocolates in the hope that it adds a smile to her day.

...and lastly before I had to leave my craft room for the day, I "whipped" up this card. I used one of my new favourite tools the Scallop Border Punch to trim the strip of images and added a little piece of bunting underneath using the banner/flag stamps from the Chantilly Cardmaking Workshop set - C1554

When you place an order of $75 or more during August, you will receive the Close To My Heart - Stamp of the Month set -"A Chocolate Affair " - S1308A for FREE!
This stamp set has... a retail value of $24 - it includes 16 images and sentiments that will add a "yummy" look to scrapbook layouts, cards and more - visit my online store before August 31st and give yourself a treat....OR join my team in the next 7 days and I will be sure to add this delightful set to your new Consultant Kit....contact me for all the details....Enjoy!

P.S. - I just noticed on my product listing that I incorrectly added the name of the stamp set as "My Chocolate Affair" instead of "A Chocolate Affair" - but in truth any chocolate in this house belongs to ME!! :)

The DownUnder Virtual Crop

The inaugural CTMH Down Under Virtual Crop event commenced this evening. I'm a huge fan of the Virtual Crop concept - you can create at any time of the day and in any place - just you and your computer. However, you are not alone as you will be playing along with and being inspired by a group of like minded papercraft enthusiasts - and in this group we have over 2000 participants -  great FUN!

 

I have shared 2 challenges in this virtual crop event and if you would like to join in too be sure to check us out here. My scrapbook layout was inspired by the first 2 foundational patterns ( Title Topper & Bottom Border ) in  Jeanette Lynton’s Reflections Scrapbook Program. This is a “How-To Publication” available from Close To My Heart it does come in the  New Consultant Kit but can also be purchased from my online shop (Order No.9037). I combined these foundational ideas along with my own favourite sketch.

...and created this Heritage layout - loved distressing the edges of the decorative paper with a little Desert Sand Ink it gave the layout a real vintage look...

 

 

...and for those of you who love making home-made gifts, you can’t go past Close To My Heart’s   My Creations Kraft Container – (Order No. Z1833) – this chipboard cylinder can be decorated with a variety of goodies – it is even stampable... a touch of random stamping over the surface is the perfect technique to use or you might want to embellish it with papers, ribbon, bakers twine and more. This month with the purchase of $75 or more of Close To My Heart products you can receive the Stamp of the Month "A Chocolate Affair" for free and it is the ideal stamp set to use with this Kraft Container – use the images and sentiments to decorate your container – fill with chocolates, or hot chocolate sachets and you have your own unique one of a kind gift for any occasion. If you are attending any of the upcoming Create with Chris idea events over the next few months I will be demonstrating all the techniques used to create the stamped embellishment on this container and we will be making a cute little gift card that co-ordinates with this design - would love to see you there :)

Creative Kickoff Creations

Oh WOW!! WOW WOW! - I have just arrived home from the most amazing weekend of fun, friendship and paper craft play that you will ever find in one place -  Close To My Heart's Australasian Creative Kickoff event. There were 550 Consultants in the Ballroom at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne learning all about the yummy goodness this wonderful company has released for their friends DownUnder... and even more special was the fact that I got to play a small part in this fabulous event. With a little over one weeks notice I was very honoured to be asked to share my tips and tricks on some basic stamping techniques along with some inspiring ideas using products from the Product Launch Guide. I thought I would share some of these projects here for you, with the hope that they may inspire you to give this product range a whirl and see for yourself how wonderful these gorgeous products actually are.

This card was so much fun to create I used the little flower motif image from the Family Love set and produced a variegated look by first inking up the image with Buttercup Ink and then "rock & rolling" it into my  Cotton Candy Ink Pad it then created the wonderful tie-dye effect.

 

The card above uses the same "rock and roll" technique but this time I only rolled the Cotton Candy Ink on the outer tip of the stamp image...love the pink edges...... and LOL! Here I am on stage - I love sharing but I'm not sure of the whole centre of attention thing you get when standing in front of an audience - so humbled by the reaction and the standing ovation from my peers - they certainly showed their appreciation and made me feel very special - there are not too many "jobs" that can boast that! - the joys of being a Close To My Heart Consultant.

This was another fun card to make, again the "rock & rolling" of the little floral stamp randomly stamped over some White Daisy Cardstock - but the real magic happened when I turned my larger flower image over and stamped the base of it in Lagoon Ink on Lagoon Cardstock - it produced a lovely deeper Lagoon colour with a slightly distressed look....I then turned the image back to the front and stamped again with the Black Ink and cut around the shape to produce the flowers....this technique is called "base & shade".....and here I am feeling the love from Close To My Heart's Vice Presidents - Kristine Widtfeldt and Monica Wihongi. These two ladies are extraordinary and enthusiastic ambassadors for the company - they ooze so much love and passion for what they do.

 

This is another little card using the "base & shade" technique and of course it is Pink! and for the card directly below it, I created my own unique, one of a kind paper by stamping part of the Bird/Flourish image from the "Fabulous You" set onto some White Daisy Cardstock with Cotton Candy Ink - it has light and dark shades of the image because I used the 2nd Generation technique...first I inked up my image and stamped onto the paper and then to produce the lighter colour I stamped the image again without re-inking....2nd generation ink!! - looks cool doesn't it?? - it is almost a 2 for 1 offer :)

 



This little gift card also uses the 2nd Generation stamping technique in the border trim and I used a little ink to distress the edges of my paper flowers too! One of my most favourite things to create at the moment, is paper flowers on my cricut machine. They are the perfect embellishment for so many projects - if you want make your own paper flowers check out the Art Philosophy cartridge in my online store. - you won't regret it!! and the 3 little gift boxes below were all created using the Artiste Cricut Collection - which happens to be my absolute favourite... and I really believe it is a "must have"  item for any crafter....imagine your friend's delight when you present your gifts to them in these sweet little boxes... that you have made and decorated all by yourself - truly one of a kind masterpieces!

 

The pink spotted trim on the little box/purse above was created using the punctuation/full stop from the Urban Alphabet set - Hollyhock Ink on Hollyhock Cardstock ...it creates a fantastic 2 tone effect....

I hope you have enjoyed this extensive "show and tell" blog post - I certainly have lots more I could show you, but this is a small selection of some of my favourite pieces from my presentation. However, please contact me if you would like to know more or would like to purchase some of the goodies shown. Don't forget you can send me a message here or at facebook or even shop at any time of the day or night at my Online Shop ...Cheers!