Happy Easter

Hopping by today to wish you a very Happy Easter and to share one of the paper pieced cards I have been making to accompany my Easter gifts.

Paper piecing is a great technique for using up all your small paper scraps and the large Easter Egg image in the Hopping By stamp set is perfect for doing just that!

I used 3 different paper packs to piece together my multi-coloured egg - Brushed, Blossom and Hopscotch and they all worked so beautifully together. I loved the stitching featured in the image design and decided to continue this throughout the card by adding faux stitching around the white mats using the black Marvy® Uchida® LePen™ Journaling Pen. The card was then finished off with some scallop edging, created with the Scallop Border Punch , a touch of glitter using paper from the Teal Glitter Paper Pack and some coloured sequins...a mix from both the "new" Oceanside and Coral Reef packs.

The little vase of tulips in the background of my photo was inspired by this art work image from the new Seasonal Expressions #2 idea book/catalogue ( released yesterday!!)

 

 

I love up-cycling old jars and bottles and using the Glacier Extra Thick Twine to do this is just so so clever!!! I knew the minute I saw this idea I would see lots of twine creations coming out of my craft room. If you want to try this yourself ?? - don't forget Close To My Heart now have 4 colours of extra thick twine to choose from - Flaxen, Thistle, Pixie and of course Glacier - they are all available from my Online Shop.

 

 

Creating these little home-décor masterpieces is very easy, all you need to do is apply a thin layer of Liquid Glass to the surface of the jar/bottle and carefully wind the twine all the way around the outside until it is covered - don't you love how simple that is??!

 

I hope you have a lovely weekend and the Easter Bunny brings you something "eggs-tra" special

 

April Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

  

 

Welcome to our Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!

We are featuring the April Stamp of the Month - called Typed Note...it is jammed packed with 19 individual stamp images.  If you have come here from Chris Robertson's blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here with me and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog - simply click here.

This month we have almost 70  Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations featuring the Stamp of the Month combined with lots of other wonderful Close To My Heart products. Be sure to check out all the fabulous art work everyone has to share - just click on the link at the end of this post to begin the journey!

I love Close To My Heart's Stamp of the Month concept and the stamp sets offered are amazing! ...  not only can you purchase them at a discount price but they are some of the most versatile stamp sets you will ever add to your collections. This set is "jammed packed" with sentiments - there is certainly something for every occasion and the distressed typewriter image is the perfect icon to showcase them. I have become a little addicted to this stamp set as you will see from the cards I am sharing today.

April is also the beginning of the Seasonal Expressions #2 /  mini idea book/catalogue and the release of some fabulous new products including the Blossom Paper Pack and the Friendly Pets stamp set I have used for this card.

I have been using lots of Picture My Life™ cards in my projects lately and have even enjoyed making my own versions with different background stamps. The textured background used in this card design was one of these creations. I stamped a 4" x 3" rectangle of White Daisy Cardstock with one of the images from the Distressed Backgrounds using Black Ink then cut each of the corners with the Corner Rounder. The cute little cat was stamped and paper pieced with papers from the Scaredy Cat Paper Pack and the "new"  Blossom Paper Pack - a puffy heart sticker was added from the  Chalk It Up Assortment for some additional cuteness. All the faux stitching was done using the Marvy® Uchida® LePen™ Journaling Pen - the .5mm fine tip is fabulous for tiny precision detail.

... and just so you know how addicted I am to this month's Stamp of the Month here is a collection of cards I whipped up in just a few minutes... following similar sketch patterns with the Fundamental Paper Assortments - quick, easy and lots of fun!

Thanks for visiting my blog and taking a "peek" at my card projects..... and if you haven't already been there?? -  now is the time to "Hop" on over to Beth Naumann's  blog and see the art work she has created for you... don't forget to visit all the other Consultants at their blogs to view some great crafting inspiration and fun ideas! Remember, the Stamp of the Month is only available until the end of February!  Contact your Close To My Heart Consultant (or click here) to see how you can purchase this stamp set and receive a discount!....order now and create your own "Typed Notes"!

 

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #101

It is time for another sketch over at the Atlantic Hearts Challenge Blog and I love the corner cluster and classic simplicity of this one.

...and being such a "pink flower addict" I knew instantly the colours and stamp sets I would choose for this card design.

The flowers were stamped in a combination of Pixie, Cotton Candy and Canary inks, they were all fussy cut and layered into the corner of the card design. To add a little more visual interest to the card I used some 3D Foam Tape to "pop-up" the Pixie coloured flower. The flower and leaf stamps are both featured in the newly released Shower Flower stamp set. It has an array of  lovely floral designs. The sentiment is from one of my favourite Hostess Rewards Stamp Sets - Better with a Friend - the best reason I know to host a Close To My Heart gathering with your crafty friends! I also love how you get multiple designs of cards in the  Picture My Life programs and I use these often as an extra paper source for my cards - the yellow printed paper I have mounted my sentiment onto is actually a re-sized card from the Hopscotch Picture My Life Scrapbooking Program. It complimented the colour palette of this card perfectly.

Don't forget to pop on over to the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge and take a peek at all the inspiring ideas the Design Team as for you - play along with us and post your creations based on this sketch too... it is a lot of fun!
 

Friday Friend Feature #18

I have recently spent a weekend with my Close To My Heart consultant colleagues and the camaraderie it is one of the things I most love about my job - the sharing, the friendship, admiration and not to forget " the crafty fun"!

The projects I want to share with you today were both shared and inspired by two of my very special consultant friends - Maddy and Diane.

During some creative playtime Maddy taught us how to make a pinterest inspired cascading card with a 3D floral twist. I have such a flower fetish that it didn't take me long to fall in love with this idea and find a new addiction! I also loved Maddy's inspiring use of the little frames found in the March Stamp of the Month. A perfect way to add a sentiment to this card - don't forget there are only a few more days to left  to add this stamp set to your collection too!

The flowers and leaves are all shapes found in the  Cricut® Art Philosophy Collection and were created in much the same way as the floral idea I shared back in February... you will find that post here. The puffy glitter stickers really make these cards sparkle and I am going to be sad to see them discontinued at the end of the month - if you are a fan of these puffy embellishments too?... don't forget to place your order by the 31st March to avoid disappointment.

 

The second project I want to share with you was inspired by a notebook given to my friend Diane as a gift when she attended the Close To My Heart incentive trip in Hawaii - yes! as consultants we can earn all expenses paid overseas holidays - how fantastic is that??? and who doesn't like a pretty little notebook to record their dreams, aspirations and special memories??

 

The notebook I created was made by covering a journal/exercise book with some of the gorgeous new papers and embellishments due to be released on the 1st April - I know I am a tease but how pretty are they?? and how lucky am I to have these lovelies to play with already?? Another benefit of being a consultant is the opportunity to craft with new goodies before they are released!

 

If you are looking for a chance to shine in business, creativity and be paid for doing what you love? -  then becoming a Close To My Heart Consultant  may be just what you are looking for. March is the perfect time to join us and I would love to help you with this journey.

 

 

 - click here to find out more or email me at lotfam@iinet.net.au and what ever you have planned for this weekend... I hope it is full of fun, friendship and crafty pleasures!

Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #100

WOW!! Sketch No #100

I chose the 3 flower arrangement and sentiment label elements of the sketch to create this card. The card was also a combination of some of my favourite Close To My Heart stamp sets and paper... along with a "sneak peek" of a new My Reflections™ Collection called "Blossom" due for release on the 1st April. The leaves were created from the stamp set included in the Workshop on the Go® Brushed Scrapbooking Kit and the flowers are from the yet to be released "Blossom Complements". The card was embellished with Black Epoxy Bubbles, Sequins and Chalk It Up Assortment.

The team from the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Blog is very excited to celebrate this milestone 100th sketch with our followers and participants...and we are celebrating by offering our participants and followers some blog candy. To win this blog candy simply visit the blogs listed below and leave some “blog love” (comments). All comments will be entered into a random drawing for a small token of our appreciation.

I will be sending out some of the bling featured on my card - both the  Silver Sequin Assortment and Black Epoxy Bubbles pictured below...to one of our lovely followers.

Be sure to visit everyone on this list for your chance to win.

Lauren Moore 
Marie Flayer
Lisa Mensing
Linda Norman
Stephanie Keats
Wendy Coffman
Jasmina Bursic
Michelle Stewart
Kelly Janes
Lisa Bzibziak
Candra Holmes
Barbara Himelman

Thanks again for being part of our challenge community and we are all looking forward to the next 100 fabulous sketches and your awesome creations!

Happy Crafting!

Sketches, Kits and More!

Today I have a fun sketch and some exciting news to share with you... for some time I have been receiving requests for pre-made Scrapbook and Card Kits. You have all been very kind and patient and will be pleased to know... that I have listened closely to you requests and "finally"  I can now introduce my "Create Your Style with Chris" sketch based kits.

At the present time the kits will only be available to Australian residents with the hope that I can offer the same service to my international crafty friends soon!!

All Scrapbook Kits include a full colour handout that contains a sketch, cutting instructions and layout guide for a double page. The kit also includes pre-cut paper, stamped images, die-cuts and embellishments for $10 - there is also a free postage  option... email me at lotfam@iinet.net.au to find out more!

Card Kits include a full colour handout, pre-cut paper, stamped images, die-cuts and embellishments for $5 + $2 postage & handling. If 3 or more kits are purchased postage is free! This is a little preview of the current kits using the sweet stamp set A Bunch of Thanks.

 

You can also pre-order a combined $15 Scrapbook & Card Kit using Close To My Heart's Blossom papers and complement stickers to be released on the 1st April - here is a sneak peek!

 

If you would like more details about any of the kits mentioned please email me at lotfam@iinet.net.au or you can order from the paypal options listed on the sidebar.

 

 ... and for a chance to win one of the new kits head on over to my Facebook Page and enter the "giveaway competition". While you are there take a peek at the lovely cards my team member Alicia has created using this sketch. All the products Alicia has used to create her cards can be found here in my Online Shop

 

 



 

Looking forward to sharing more kits and sketches with you in the coming weeks.

 

A New and Fun Opportunity

If you love paper crafting and sharing your creativity with others - you may like to consider becoming a Close To My Heart Consultant - and enrich your crafting passion with lots of Fun, Friendship and Awesome Rewards... March is the perfect opportunity for you to join the Close To My Heart family and receive some lovely Bonus Gifts... two start-up kits are available for you to choose from and whatever path you decide to take, please know I am here to help you every step of the way.

Whether you want to be a self-funded hobbyist, consumer consultant, club co-ordinator, digital scrapbook consultant, or even a career builder, there is a place for you on my team of Crafty Chicks!

Benefits of Being a Consultant:

• 22% discount on all CTMH products.
• Potential to earn FREE products with every order
• You can be your own hostess.
• Preview and order new products before they are released.
• Access to an exclusive consultant website - containing artwork, creative insider kits, tutorials, business ideas and more.
• The opportunity to earn your $130 kit fee back in your first 3 months.
• Free on-line training program with creative, personal and business classes.
• Opportunity to attend corporate sponsored events and earn an all expenses paid holiday (every year!)
• Free online shop/website - with NO credit card fees
• An opportunity to purchase a Cricut® Explore Machine and/or Cuttlebug at a discount price.

Benefits of Joining My Team:

• One-on-one mentoring that includes product marketing, blog set-up etc
• Access to an exclusive facebook group for team members only.
• Card/Project Kits & Handouts – free & exclusive to my team members.
• Card Swaps, Awards & Incentives throughout the year designed for team members only.
• To be a part of “Chris's Crafty Chicks” an Australian wide team of creative and inspiring artists.
• …click on the video below to discover more!

It is very EASY to JOIN in the FUN!

Start by clicking here  - then Let's Get Started ... fill out the form and your kit choice -  Card Making or Scrapbooking - make sure your upline is listed as Chris Lothian.

That's it!! You should hear back within the day and your kit will be shipped to your doorstep.

Do you have questions?  E-mail me for more information - lotfam@iinet.net.au