A Creative Distraction

Two blog posts in less than a day is a bit of a first for me LOL!! It seems when the crafting mojo is in full force other priorities take a back seat!

Last night I finished off another floral card using the December Stamp of the Month. I am a bit addicted to this design and painting with Watercolours at the moment. This is the third card in the series and this time Canary Yellow was the feature colour along with a few slight variations. I used  different paper patterns from the La Vie En Rose Paper Pack, some Kraft Cardstock, Black Fundamental Assortment ( for flower centres ) and Kraft diecut shapes found in the La Vie En Rose & Zoe complement packs.

I also used a different sentiment from the Candlelight Garden stamp set - if you missed out on seeing the other cards?... you will find them by clicking here.

One of my tasks today was to tidy my craft room. My desk was buried under lots of pretty papers, embellishments and a barrage of tools. I started with really good intentions and as I was "slowly"  putting everything back where it belonged - I got distracted by all these goodies. This distraction resulted in another little card using the December Stamp of the Month!

If you are a regular visitor to my blog you will notice the design and papers used, are similar to cards I shared last week ( you can view them here ).

This time I used the candle image from the Candlelight Garden stamp set and placed it inside the mason jar image using the paper piecing technique. The candle was stamped onto the yellow paper from the Kaleidoscope Paper Packet and the flame section coloured with the ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ Golden Yellow Marker,  the lid of the jar was stamped onto Slate Cardstock. The fern coloured leaves were left-over pieces from one of the layouts I created for my Convention presentation...and if you missed that post you can see that too by clicking here. The other piece of green is a small piece cut from a White Pines Picture My Life™ card. The large heart and label embellishment can be found in the La Vie En Rose Complements and the scallop circle is from the Whimsy Fundamental Sticker Pack ,with a heart shape in the centre also from the Black Fundamental Assortment.

I love how this card came together from all the little bits and pieces left-over from my previous creations and while I didn't get to clear away everything on my desk... the few pieces that would have been thrown out (with the rubbish) have creatively turned into a special card for a friend... and tomorrow, I really should finish the tidy up I started!!

I know those of you who follow my Facebook page have seen all the wonderful bonus offers Close To My Heart have recently released, but have you seen the gorgeous new Planner... that has made me giddy with excitement?? I've ordered mine already and can't wait to have it delivered - you will love this 2016 diary that also gives you the experience of “memory keeping on the go”. In this planner/diary you can also track your weekly menus and shopping lists, decorate important reminders with stickers & stamps, and tuck away precious memories in especially designed pocket and My Crush® Everyday Life Pages. More details can be found in my Online Shop...simply click here.
 
Right up until the 31st December you can order a Everyday Life™ album, the accompanying Everyday Life 2016 planner pages, and the coordinating
Everyday Life Perfect Plan roller stamp in an exclusive product bundle for only $45.95 AUD. That’s over 15% off the retail price!

Happy Planning!

Stamp of the Month - Candlelight Garden

WOW! - can you believe it?... today is the 1st December and the last month of 2015!! I know that means many of you are crafting away getting the last of your Christmas cards and gifts made, but I thought today we might change the pace a bit and celebrate  friendships.

As I reflect on 2015 I know Close To My Heart and the friendships it brings has played a huge part in my year and for that, I am very grateful -  these "friendships mean everything"... and this leads into the card I want to share with you using the December Stamp of the Month - Candlelight Garden.

This stamp set includes a fabulous Mason Jar image. Mason Jars are so on trend at the moment and offer so many creative options. I stamped the image in black
Memento Ink onto some Watercolour Paper, then using Close To My Heart's Watercolour Paints  painted a translucent wash of blue paint to represent water in the bottom of the jar.

I then used a portion of the stems from the floral image found in the stamp set to attach some 3D flowers. These flower were made from a variety of different sizes of floral shapes, found in the Cricut® Artistry Collection. These were also coloured with a wash of pink Watercolour Paints. I love the texture and depth this created and how different it made the shapes look...if you click here your will see a card I previously created with these same shapes using a totally different technique. The lovely sparkly centres of the flowers are from the Bling Gems Gold Assortment . The leaves were cut from the Cricut® Art Philosophy Collection in Sweet Leaf Cardstock.

I used Black and Pixie cardstock as the base for the card design and complimented it with black & white patterns from the La Vie En Rose Paper Pack. The sentiment can also be found in the Candlelight Garden Stamp Set and the splattered areas were created with the Ink Blot Stamp Set. The gold foil heart is a sticker from the Fundamental Stickers Basics Pack and the card was embellished with white gems from the Grey Enamel Gems pack.

I've also made a blue version of this card design using Lagoon Cardstock and
Glacier Extra Thick Twine. The heart sticker can also be found in the Fundamental Stickers Basics Pack and the Thank You sentiment is from the Stamp of the Month stamp set.

When you spend $75 you can purchase this Stamp of the Month set for just $7.50 - that is a saving of over 70%...  when ordering from my Online Shop  you will be prompted to add this set before you finalise your order and check out - and don't forget to browse our CyberWeek Sale... for five days only, a selection of 39 items from Close To My Heart’s current product inventory can be yours for 25% off retail price! Get supplies you’ll need to make handcrafted gifts and cards for the holidays, including our
Cricut^® Artfully Sent Collection, at an amazing discount!

If you pop over to my Facebook Page - you will see the complete list of items available and some other Super Savings in my personal Daily Deals!! - how awesome is that...lots of great crafting specials for you to cash in on this holiday season!?

Happy Shopping!
Chris xx


 

Creating Live!

I spent last weekend along with thousands of other crafters around the world, tuned into a live 2 day broadcast featuring all things Close To My Heart. It was so inspiring and well worth the 3am starts so I could watch this event unfold in real time. I can truly say it was one of the best creative learning experiences I have had for some day. It was a credit to both the Home Office team and the wonderful consultants who planned and participated in the event....I was so inspired!!

I hit my craft room the minute the broadcast finished on the first day and created 2 cards inspired by what I had seen... and techniques that I simply had not used in a long time.

During the scrapbook segment we were shown a gorgeous layout embellished with ink sponged die-cut shapes from the Cricut® Artistry Collection and other leaf and flower shapes cut from the Basic Fundamental and La Vie En Rose Papers. The layout became my inspiration for this card...my flowers were sponged in Hollyhock and Canary Exclusive Inks™  and the splattered background was inked in Black ink using the 2nd generation stamping technique. This splattered background comes from one of my favourite stamp sets called Ink Blot - there are 7 fun images in this set that are ideal for backgrounds and highlights in any paper craft project.

I used the same design elements for this card and it also uses the 2nd generation stamping technique along with base & shade stamping. The flower images were stamped again in Hollyhock and Canary Exclusive Inks™ with the additional flower stamped in Sorbet Exclusive Ink™.

The flower images came from the Blossoming Expressions stamp set (pictured below)...it was designed as a 2 step process stamp set, meaning it has base and shade elements. To create this card I used the 2nd generation ink as my base and then using the shade /or overlay image I stamped over the top of the base in 1st generation ink. However, there are endless other creative processes you can use with the Blossoming Expressions stamp set...which is one of the reasons it has fast become my most used stamp set of late, you can see another of my creations featuring it here ... and the full stamp set is pictured below.

 

 

The thank you sentiments on the cards came from 2 different stamp sets - that also get a lot of use in my collection! - Australian Thanks and  A Thousand Thanks.

I have good news for those of you who would like watch the broadcast from the CreativeLive classes shared this past weekend -  you can now access them for FREE by clicking on this link. I have no doubt you will be inspired by what you see, as I was - Happy Crafting!
 

Album Bundle & Workshop Project

November brings a FABULOUS special and a workshop project focused on scrapbooking just for You!!

During the month of November purchase an exclusive Scrapbook Bundle for just $100.

This Bundle Includes: 

  

A My Legacy™ album  (style and design of your choice)

 

Paper Fundamentals Enchantment pack

Fundamental stickers Enchantment pack

Peacock Fundamental assortment

Three sheets of White Daisy cardstock

 

 

FREE - Value Pack of Memory Protectors (25 protectors)

  

 

This bundle also includes a full colour workshop project that features 5 layouts you

 

can make from the product supplies in your bundle.

 

 

Click here to order your bundle/s

 

All orders placed in my online shop will receive some personal "gifts" from me that includes 2 pre-cut kits - a title page and an additional double page layout... all you need to do is assemble them!!... along with a Black Journalling Pen to add your stories to the layouts. Orders can be placed in my online shop or email me at lotfam@iinet.net.au for more information. Please note - these gifts "from me to you" will be mailed out to your address once your order has been processed.

 

...and that's not all!! - if you and a friend (or friends) would like to take advantage of the Bundle Special you may be eligible for an extra $30 or more in FREE product - email me at lotfam@iinet.net.au to find out more!

...and there is more!! - remember this order also makes you eligible to purchase the November month's Stamp of the Month - "Cheers" for only $7.50 - click here to view this stamp set.
 

 

 

Happy Scrapbooking my Crafty Friends!!

Convention 2015 - Make It From Your Heart Part 3

In my last post I promised to share a few more of the layouts that featured in my presentation at the Australasian Close To My Heart Convention.

I certainly don't scrapbook as much as I use to when my children were younger. I also don't to take my SLR camera with me everywhere (as I once did), I now tend capture those little moments of my life on my smart phone. The majority of the layouts I create today represent this... they comprise of a single photo and cluster decorating.

This layout is a quick snap shot of my daughter and niece. The page design was inspired by the colours in my niece's dress.

I used papers from the Whimsy Paper Fundamental range and Kaleidoscope Paper Pack. The floral cluster was created using the images from the Blossoming Expressions stamp set...stamped in the following colour inks Canary, Sorbet, Glacier and Lagoon. The white cardstock leaves were cut from the "new" Cricut® Artistry Collection and the cute little sentiment sticker verse & "best buds" chipboard embellishment can be found in the Kaleidoscope Complements Pack. A few Enamel & Glitter Duos Blue Dots and white enamel dots from the Grey Enamel Gems Pack were used to finish off the cluster arrangement.

This 2nd layout is one of my favourite photos taken when I was attending meetings in Utah serving on the Close To My Heart Product Strategy Committee. I loved sharing time with these like minded ladies, they are not only great work colleagues but they are an awesome group of life long friends.

This layout also uses a combination of different products from the Close To My Heart product range including Zoe, Kaleidoscope and Urban paper packs. The floral cluster arrangement for this layout uses stickers and chipboard from both the Kaleidoscope and Zoe Complement Packs. The "selfie" title was created using the white mini alphabet stickers from the Fundamental Stickers Basics Pack. The scallop border trim was cut from Pixie Cardstock using the Scallop Border Maker and trimmed with some of the Silver Foil Trim.

I can't "sing the praises" of the Close To My Heart product range enough, everything is so complimentary and it makes mixing and matching different papers, stickers and embellishments all in one layout so very easy indeed!!

All the products listed and highlighted here, can be found in my online shop - click here to create your order and have it sent directly to your doorstep!

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I would love to hear your comments on these single page layouts and I hope you are yourself enjoying a fun-filled crafty weekend.

Convention 2015 - Make It From Your Heart - Part 2

One of the highlights (for me) at this year's Convention was the invitation to be a "special on-stage presenter" sharing my love of the Decorative Scrapbooking Style.

To me, decorative scrapbooking is all about the fun of creating layouts with lots of intricate detail, dimension and differing techniques. The Close To My Heart product range is jam packed with gorgeous papers and embellishments that the task of "decorating" is easy...everything is so complimentary that you can still add lots of detail and keep your photo or photos a focal point.

Here is a little peek at a few of the layouts I created for the presentation...along with close up pics of some of the decorative detail.

The "Hello There - Beautiful"  layout uses a combination of papers from the Urban, La Vie En Rose and Enchantment Fundamentals. Embellishments from the La Vie En Rose & Urban complements packs, the Basic Fundamental Stickers, Gold Foil Tape and the Gold Fundamental Assortment.

This 2nd layout is exactly the same sketch pattern and was super fun to create  - the photos of this sweet little cherub is just cuteness at it's best!

I used a combination of 15 different Close To My Heart products, once again proving how versatile the range is. Taking inspiration from little Missy's clothes I chose to use papers from the  Zoe, Kaleidoscope, Georgie, Sangria and Enchantment Fundamentals collections. The border was cut from the Artbooking Cricut Cartridge and the flowers & leaves from the new Artistry Cricut Cartridge. The page was then embellished with Silver Foil Tape, Sangria Assortment, Georgie Complements, Enamel & Glitter Duos Purple Hearts and Grey Enamel Gems. The journaling box is one of the 3" x 4" cards from the Picture My Life™ Georgie Scrapbooking Program and the "Smile" title was cut from one of the Silver Picture My Life™ Overlays.

All the products listed for these layouts can be found at my Online Shop - you can place an order there and have it delivered direct to your door...easy peasy!!

I prepared 10 layouts for this presentation and I plan to share them with you over the coming weeks. However, in the meantime head on over to my Facebook Page to see one of the single page layouts that features one of my Instagram photos.

Convention 2015 - Make It From Your Heart

I am currently in the lovely city of Brisbane saying goodbye to the 2015 Close To My Heart Convention we had a great time, learning, crafting and generally having a whole lot of fun!

One of the things I love most about convention is catching up with my interstate consultant friends we have had such a fab time socialising but we also got to share creative and business ideas too. Friday evening we had our team meeting... it was awesome!  - my head is spinning with ideas and my heart is full of gratitude for the consultant sisterhood and all that was shared.

Prior to the event I had prepared 180 scrapbook page kits for a "make & take" segment I was presenting about using page sketches as the foundation for your own unique decorative designs.

This is the sketch we used:

We then worked with the delightful cards from the  Picture My Life™ Beautiful You Scrapbooking Program and the La Vie En Rose Paper Pack to create a layout. Everyone was asked to put there own creative spin on it - selecting a combination of decorative elements from the following packs, Gold & Black Fundamental Assortment, Whimsy Fundamental Stickers, Gold Sequins and Bling Gems along with
Pixie Extra Thick Twine and Gold Foil Trim.

These are two of my pages... I love the colour combination of Black, Pink and Gold. These pages were also auctioned off during the Awards Dinner on Saturday for Operation Smile. I am so proud to say that they raised enough $$ to grant almost 2 smiles and you couldn't ask for more than that....very very special!!

If you follow me on Instagram (chrissyml) or Facebook (Close To My Heart Crafting with Chris Lothian) I have posted some close up photo of these layouts.

 

This is one of my single page interpretations of the foundation sketch - and I already have the perfect photo waiting on my camera to finish it off!

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed this little peek and some of what has been happening here in Brisbane. I am hoping to post some more from Convention in the next few days so don't forget to pop back!