Celebrating Australia

...as we celebrate Australia Day this weekend I wanted to share with you some Australasian Stamps being released by Close To My Heart on the 1st February - yes!! you beaut dinky di Aussie stamp sets! There are 5 sets in this collection they include both our flora and fauna, indigenous icons, fun animal caricatures and some good old Aussie slang in the form of praises. They are all perfect additions for your scrapbook layouts or greeting cards.

We quite often have Kookaburras visiting our backyard and I have to say they are most definitely my favourite Aussie bird.....there are more colourful and pretty birds in Australia but you can't go past a laughing Kookaburra! As you know my card creations are usually pretty and pink but I really wanted to use more authentic bush colours for these cards....not sure they are my style but I am happy with the rustic appearance.

This piece of artwork was my January class kit and it was a huge hit with my card making groups - and I don't think there are too many ladies in my workshop groups that don't own the Always Grateful stamp set now! Creating the scene for this card was very easy - an area masked with a circle then lots of sponging of ink - simple but effective!

.....and because it was so quick & easy I thought I would duplicate it using the Aussie Salutations  - C1585 stamp set and create a scene with the Kangaroo image....same card just a slightly different look.

...and while you thought I may have abandoned my signature love of "pink & pretty" - nothing could be further from the truth LOL!! The wild flowers in this gorgeous stamp collection (Australian Thanks - C1586) were simply begging to be coloured in with shades of pink and that they were!! :)

I have a feeling that Olive Cardstock and Chocolate Woodgrain Washi Tape are going to be featured very prominently in my Aussie Card Designs - ideal colours for our Australian landscape.

I hope you have enjoyed this little preview of the new Aussie stamps - I will share some more of the collection over the coming weeks and I am happy to take pre-orders if you want to celebrate a little bit of Australiana in your own paper craft creations.

Enjoy your Australia Day Celebrations!

Become a "Crafty Chick"

Would you like to get paid for your Crafting Passion? There are many benefits to you when you become a Close To My Heart Consultant - getting paid to do what you love, discounts on your own crafting goodies, the opportunity to learn new skills and so much more. The 2014 New Consultant Kit is ready to go.... jammed packed with exciting "never been seen before" crafting products and I would love to share them with you. It contains over $300 worth of product for the amazing price of $130.... plus an additional welcome gift from me! The girls in my team are spread throughout Australia and have become great friends, we enjoy lots of fun together at events and interacting in our Facebook group....many creative ideas are shared, we have card swaps, team workshop kits & handouts along with gifts and rewards for business performance and personal achievements....to find out "what we do" click here  - we are a very warm and welcoming team!

I will also be in Albury/Wodonga on the 31st January and Canberra on the 1st February - if you or your family and friends live in that area and are interested in finding out more about the Close To My Heart business opportunity please contact me. I will be more than happy to meet with you and chat about what we have to offer.

Joining my team in January means you will also be amongst the very first crafters to see and play with the new 2014 Close To My Heart product collection (due for release on the 1st February). I have had a little play today with some of this new product and created my version of one of the gorgeous layouts featured in the Idea Book & Catalogue ......also due for release on the 1st February. I have some of these idea books in stock now.... if you would like to receive one for FREE ..... simply place an order in my Online Shop for the January Stamp of the Month and/or the exclusive Cloud Nine Cardmaking Kit and I will send it out to you...... these items are only available until the end of January - don't miss out!!

 

Remember many of the products used to create this layout are not available to purchase until the 1st of February but I thought you would enjoy a "sneak peek" and the opportunity to see what can be done with the goodies available in the New Consultant Kit.
 

A Moment of Scrapbooking

I was recently asked by a friend if I still scrapbooked...and the answer was YES! However, I will admit to not as much as I use to. I just don't seem to have the amount of photos to play with any more!!! My daughters are now both young women with busy lives of their own and as such I don't get to line them up in front of my camera lens for those "just because happy snaps" - I only manage the special occasion pics! I tend to scrap a little bit of everywhere too, my travel adventures in digital format and my family photos in paper ( you can't take the cut & paste from this girl! ). This past weekend I decided it was time to make myself the subject of an album project and I embarked on Janet Carr's class - called "This is me EXPOsed" you will find it here.

I plan to make this a hybrid project - the digital pages I will print and place alongside a mixture of traditional and project life type pages and I have already seen the ideal album to place them in....on the 1st of February Close To My Heart release a 12 x 12 D-Ring Album in Cocoa Damask - it is perfect!! Week 1 of Janet's class is all about introducing yourself - she has templates, kits and handouts to get you started - all available to you for FREE!! These are the first 2 pages of my project....minus the journaling which I will add just before final print.

....and just to prove that I still do scrapbook in the traditional way LOL!! I whipped up this quick layout of a friend's grand-daughter playing in the sunshine at my niece's Birthday Party. It truly was the quickest project I have completed in a long time. I simply gathered all my left over bits & pieces from the Cloud Nine Cardmaking Kit  and some off-cuts of co-ordinating cardstock I then cut a multitude of shapes from the Artbook Cricut Collection . I arranged these across the page along with the 2 gorgeous photos of "Little Miss Sunshine" and finished off by embellishing with Washi Tape, Aqua Dots , Triangle Studs ( note: stubs available from 1st Feb ). The title also uses Keyboard Kraft Alphabet Z1825 one of my "go to" favourites when Scrapbooking! I have a feeling, this will end up framed on the wall at Grandma's house! If you haven't placed an order yet for the Cloud Nine Cardmaking Kit contact me soon. This kit is only available in January and contains a few of the new release products...be the envy of your paper craft friends and receive them before the release date! :)

I have a huge box containing many of the gorgeous new goodies being released by Close To My Heart in Feb... on it's way to my house now!! Contact me for a catalogue, a peek in the box or even a show & tell date with your friends...I'd love to show you my favourites and I know you will find a favourite or 3 for your paper craft projects too!

 

Announcements, Prize Winners and More!

Happy New Year! - it is only day 2 of 2014 and it is already shaping up to be an exciting year! I have just received a copy of the new Close To My Heart Idea Book/Catalogue today - the new ( and amazing ) products aren't available until the 1st Feb....but I am happy admiring and planning....especially because I have lots to share with you before then.

Firstly, after the feedback from last years kits I have taken onboard your feedback and I can honestly say this year's kits are going to be "bigger & better" and with 2 options for receiving the ideas I hope no-one misses out this time around! Here is the information you will need if you are wanting to be on my mailing list this year. If you are planning on taking up Option#2 - you will find my online store here with the link to the online gathering/orders at the bottom right of the page.

 

and the **Winner** of my kit prize giveaway last month (for simply making a comment on my blog) is Nicky Wilson - send me an email Nicky and I will post your kits out to you....hope you enjoy them :)

 

January is National Papercrafting Month with Close To My Heart and there is even more card kit fun to be had.....the fabulously bright & whimsical 10 card... Cloud Nine Cardmaking Kit is available to you when you place a $55 order with me (1st January- 31st January),  for just $20..... this also gives you the January Stamp of the Month for just $5 - what a great New Year saving that is! PLUS a BONUS gift to you from me will be included with all orders...the BRAND NEW super-sized 2014 Idea book (saving you another $5) ...this means you will get to see all the new product before the 1st February launch.

 

Cloud Nine Card Kit Contents
1 – My Acrylix™ Cloud Nine Stamp Set (D-size)
1 – Cloud Nine B&T Duos™ Paper
1 – Lagoon Cardstock Sheet
1 – Honey Cardstock Sheet
1 – 9" x 9½" White Daisy Die-Cuts Sheet
1 Roll – Gold Polka-Dot Washi Tape*
 1 Roll – Teal Shimmer Trim*
 1 Package – Durables Triangle Studs*
 10 – Card Bases & Envelopes
1 – Instructional Brochure
Featured colors: Lagoon, Sunset, Honey,White Daisy

Note the items marked * are not available to order individually until 1st February

 

...head on over to my Online Shop to place your order and learn more about this wonderful offer....while you are there be sure to check out the January Stamp of the Month...it is another sweet stamp set to add to your collection....I "love" it and was excited to find I had extra paper pieces and embellishments in my Cloud Nine Cardmaking Kit to make up this special little card.

 

 

The cotton reel and button embellishments were created from shapes cut from the Artiste Cricut Collection with a little embroidery thread added to the centre of the buttons. This card took no time at all to make up...and because it was so easy I whipped up another.....and of course it had to be Pink!

 

 

I added a little extra dimension to my flower buttons with a piece of  3D Foam Tape. I rather like the raised appearance....and because I cut out additional buttons I think I might follow this card pattern and make up a few more of these cards before the day is over.

 

I'm looking forward to sharing lots of creative play with you this year make sure you stay tuned - follow me here or at Facebook so you don't miss a thing!!



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!