Random Ramblings of a Scramping Addict

More about Art Philosophy Cricut Collection

I told you a couple of weeks ago, that debuting in the Autumn/Winter 2011 Idea Book was the exclusive CTMH Art Philosphy Cricut Collection.  I posted a quick video, and gave you a brief introduction, but today I wanted to take a bit of time to tell you a bit more about it.  You see, just as I expected, I've received a few questions on this topic!

First off, let's have a look at the whole collection so you can see just what is included in the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection.
First and foremost, we have the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge, that contains over 700 shapes which coordinate with Close To My Heart stamp images.  Any stamp you see featured in the Autumn/Winter Idea Book that has a 'red oultine' around it, has a coordinating 'cut' on the Art Philosophy cartridge.  The shapes range from the relatively simple circles and pendants, to the fabulously complex lacy motifs, borders and tags.   You'll even find elegant rosettes and several other 3-dimensional objects on this cartridge!  The creative possibilities are absolutely endless! Here's a quick peak at all of the shapes.

Next, in the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection you'll find three (3) 'D-Sized' My Acrylix Stamp sets.  These stamps sets are exclusive to the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection and cannot be purchased separately.  The sets are called: Art Philosophy Tags, Art Philosophy Celebration, and Art Philosophy Seasons.

Lastly, although tricky to see, in the very back of that first photo are your three (3) 9" x 12" sheets of chipboard shapes.  These shapes work in tandem with the shapes on your cartridge.  Simply cut your desired shape from a cardstock or B&T Duo of your choice and adhere it to the coordinating chipboard piece for added dimension.  Additional chipboard Dimensional Elements can be purchased from the Idea Book as you 'use up' the ones that came with your cartridge and there are additional coordinating Dimensional Elements shapes as well.

Think holiday tags.....cut your cardstock using your Cricut machine, layer on the coordinating chipboard element die cut, and stamp a coordinating image on top.  You'll hae all of your tags ready to go in no time and all, and with no scissors required!  You Gotta Love That!

Here's a few other quick FAQs

Q   Is the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection compatible with Cricut Design Studio?
A.  Unfortunately not yet, but this is expected in a future Design Studio update.

Q.  Is the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection compatible with the Gypsy?
A.  Yes

Q.  Do I need the 'large' Cricut machine to cut the shapes on the cartridge, or will the smaller one suffice?
A.  Some of the 3D items (like the boxes and totes) are too large for the 6" x 12" Cricut mat - but everything else should be fine.

So hopefully that clears up a few questions, but remember, I'm here to help so if there is more you need to know, simply ask away.  Either leave me a comment here on my blog, or contact me by email at [email protected] and I'll get back to you with an answer as soon as I can.

For now, I'll leave you with a quick pic of a page that was created with the help of the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection......can you tell which elements were Cricut-Cut?

I Believe - Holiday Card

Yesterday I promised to share the second make and take card we created at Eva's CTMH Home Gathering on Sunday afternoon.  And here it is!

Artwork Recipe
Card Stock: (1386) Black, (1276) Ponderosa Pine, (1272) Cranberry, (Z1353) White Daisy 4.5" Circle Cards
Patterned Paper:  X5811 Creative Basics Mistletoe Collection
Ink: (44751) Archival Black
Stamp Set: (C1427) I Believe
Other:  Adhesive Foam Squares, Coluzzle Cutting System, Nestabilities Die, Cuttlebug, Cuttlebug Snowflakes Embossing Folder, Z1326 Sparkles
Finished Size: 4.5" Circle

I am having loads of fun creating the Circle Cards this year -- while it can be tricky to get your head around at first, it's a nice change from working on a square or rectangular canvas.  On this project, I embossed the CTMH black cardstock with a Snowflakes Cuttlebug embossing folder and the Cuttlebug machine (by Provocraft).  In this case, I particularly love the fact the CTMH Cardstock has a white core and that it splits/cracks a bit when embossed.  This makes the snowflake design stand out even more making it even more interesting I think.  To me, it looks almost like snowflakes falling against a night sky.

Are you making holiday cards this year?  And have you tried any circle designs? I would love to see them! Leave me a comment below with a link to your online gallery and I'll have a peak!

A Little Thanks (well actually a lot)

Yesterday I had 5 ladies join me at a Close To My Heart home gathering.  It had been quite some time since I'd had the opportunity to talk about Close To My Heart to a group of 'newbies' so to speak.  They had seen the product, used the product, and even owned some product already, but had oddly never had opportunity to hear the whole product talk so to speak.  I had so much fun!

Once I completed the product talk - we moved on to create 2 beautiful make and take greeting cards. Because the holiday season is sneaking up on us, I opted for one Christmas themed card and one generic thank-you (we can never have too many of those!).  The thank you can be used for just about anything - be it a gift, an invitation, lending a sympathetic ear - or whatever.  Here is the thank-you.

Artwork Recipe
Card Stock: (1388) Colonial White, (X5643) Chocolate, (X5759) Pacifica (all included in X7127B Magnifique Paper Pack)
Patterned Paper:  X7127B Magnifique Paper Pack
Ink: (Z2103) Bamboo, (Z2192) Pacifica
Stamp Set: (D1444) A Little Thanks
Other:  Adhesive Foam Squares, Scissors
Finished Size: 4.25" x 5.5"

Now this post's title is significant for a couple of reasons.  First, A Little Thanks is the name of the stamp set we used for the sentiment, and it is actually the Stamp of the Month for November.  Here's the whole set.

The reason though that I owe a lot of thanks....is that I fully admit I lifted this card from somewhere in cyberspace.  As soon as I saw it, I just knew that I had to duplicate it - but unfortunately I was a bad girl and didn't record the name of the original artist.  So if that's you ---- I owe you a BIG THANK-YOU because this card is absolutely fabulous!  So please....if it's to you that I owe my gratitude, please please let me know.  All of the gals that joined me yesterday were simply enamoured with your work, and I definitely want you to get the much deserved credit.

If you are interested in purchasing the A Little Thanks Stamp of the Month for yourself, as always, it is available this month only (November 1-30, 2010), as always!  The stamp of the month can be purchased either at full price $26.95 or if combined with other regular priced product at a discount or even earned free! Here's the pricing details.

If you spend $29.50.  You Save 25%.  You pay $20.21
If you spend $58.95.  You Save 50%.  You pay $13.48
If you spend $88.50.  You Save 75%.  You pay $6.74
If you spend $117.50.  You Save 100%.  It's FREE!

And remember, for the month of November, there is also an additional campaign, whereby with a qualifying order of $117.50, you'll not only receive the A Little Thanks Stamp of the Month for Free, but also one additional stamp set of your choice absolutely free as well! (free stamp set excludes E size sets!)

To place an order, you may either shop online, email me, or give me a call at 905-317-8823.  I'm always happy to help you out!

I will share our second make and take card here tomorrow, so watch for the update on that.  I used one of my favourite new stamp sets from the Fall/Winter Idea Book "I Believe".

 

 

Autumn Projects to Fall For

I'm a little slow on the draw posting this one, but if you haven't yet checked out the latest episode of Art & Soul on CTMH TV -- you definitely should!

Believe me....You’ll fall head over heels for the techniques featured in this episode! Add subtle texture and a variety of colors with tissue stamping; create layouts, cards, mini albums, and home décor with Flip Flaps™; and learn how to cluster embellishments and move or resize them in Studio J®. With all this inspiration, you’ll be unstoppable in all your autumn artwork, so tune in now!

A Stunning Colour Combination

Today, I'm sharing the final 2 cards that I taught last Sunday!

This colour combination: Lagoon, Smoothie and Pear and is completely outside of the box for me, especially for Christmas Cards!  I took it right from the Idea Book and low and behold it works (I guess that's why they pay the art department the big bucks.....to get us excited about all things new!)

 
The card on the left features an image from C1420 "Snow Days" hidden behind a glitter window.  This technique is super fun - albeit a little messy getting yourself and your work area covered in glitter - and works particularly well in winter, simulating snow.  It's really easy to do though - here are the steps.

To create a Glitter Window:

• Cut 2 pieces of cardstock to roughly the same dimensions.
• Stamp your desired image on one of the pieces.
• Cut a window (using a die or punch) in the other piece that your stamped image will show through.
• Now take packing tape (just the regular old stuff you use to seal boxes) and cover the window ON THE REVERSE SIDE,
• Sprinkle Prisma Glitter all over the window (on the sticky side of the tape which is now on the front side of the window) and rub it around to get full coverage.
• Brush off any stray glitter -- note your window will no longer be sticky and then adhere your two pieces together.
• Mount your glitter window focal image on a pre-prepared card base and you're all set!

It's that easy!

The sentiment is from the D1380 "Just For the Holidays" which was released last year but I just picked up. I totally love this set and think if affords of ton of possibilities ~ creating borders, tags, scrapbook page embellies and so much more.

The card on the right hand side is again stolen directly from the pages of the Idea Book and features an ornament from D1446 "Adorn-Able".  To put this one together it's a bit more involved, with the Smoothie panel being embossed before inking, but I'll leave that discussion for another day.  For now, let's just relish in the beauty of this stunning colour combination and be encouraged to think outside of the box when you're creating.  You just never know when you might find a winner!

If you have any questions about the Glitter Window - don't hesitate to shout them out and I'll do my best to answer them.  You can leave me a comment below, or you can call me at 905-317-8823, or you can even email me at [email protected]!  I'm here for you!

Holiday Cards

Again, time is getting the best of me and I've been a bad bad blogger.  So...today I'm actually going to share some art!  What a novel idea!

Lucky for me, I spent last Sunday afternoon crafting with 8 talented ladies.  They each made 5 cards and the photo below shows three of them.  Now you might recognize these designs if you have a copy of the Autumn/Winter Idea Book as while they are not exact, I used the Idea Book designs as inspiration.  Here they are.

My personal favourite is the Reindeer!  I absolutely love this stamp!  It is brand new for Autumn/Winter 2010 and the set is called C1427  "I Believe".  In fact, if you click on that link, you'll see the card I used as inspiration!  The colours are Chocolate, White Daisy and the brand new Tulip.  I am working on a scrapbook layout right now to present at an upcoming CTMH home gathering as well, and I'll post that just as soon as it's ready to go.  I just love the silhouette images with the interior flourishes and snowflakes. To create the sentiment - I used a technique called masking.  I am also currently putting together a photo tutorial on just how I did this, so watch here for updates on that.

The card on the right features the snowman and sentiment from D1244 "Snow Friends".  With his skinny little stick arms he's a bit tricky to cut out, but if you're careful, you can manage it.  I stamped the image once and then pop-dotted the coloured image on top.  He is just too cute for words!  For this card I used White Daisy, Cranberry and Indian Corn Blue.

And....don't forget that the holidays are going to be here before you know it, and if you're planning on making your own holiday cards you should get to it because time is a ticking.  I like to make sure that mine are in the mail during the final days of November so that the recipients can start their December with just a little dose of holiday cheer in their mailboxes.  What that means is, if you need to order supplies, now is the time -- so don't forget to contact me right away if there is anything I can help you with - or you can call me at 905-317-8823 anytime as well.

Happy Stamping!

One More Mother's Day & A Paper Rose Tutorial

I hope that all you Mom's out there had a terrific day yesterday and that you were spoiled as you surely deserve to be.  In celebration of the day I had a lovely lunch and then a fantastic dinner spending loads of time with many of the important 'Mom's' in my life.

Before we move on to other things though, I just needed to share one more Mother's Day card - the one that I made for my Mom!  Here it is - it's another Easel Card (I just love these!)

Now, I can't take credit for this one entirely, because I had a little help.  First off, the card was cased from a fellow CTMH consultant, the very talented Eileen Murray and she ever so kindly pointed me in the direction of the tutorial (below) for creating the paper roses. So I'm also giving a big shout out to Tonya Dirk who was kind enough to post her paper rose tutorial on YouTube for us all to see.

These roses look complicated at first, but please do give the tutorial a view and you'll see just how easy they are to make ~ and I'm not embellishing at all here.  In fact, I made my first one and then immediately after walked my 8 year old daughter through her own attempt - and she rocked it!  I did have to help her out a wee bit, but for the most part, she did the job solo.

The only thing that I did differently than Tonya was that I trimmed off the bulky back of the roses before I adhered them to my card (with a glue dot). As it is now, the card still won't fit in an envelope safely and this is not a 'mailer' for sure, but it definitely has big impact.

Here's the tutorial.

I didn't see Tonya's original post at the Bo Bunny blog about this wreath, but was super curious to take a peak after watching this video, so if you're as interested as I was you can find that post here.

Have a great day!

Tri-Shutter with Mother's Day Grace

Believe it or not, this is my first crack at a Tri-Shutter Card.  It was one of those items that was on the must-try list and let me tell you, I'm sure glad I finally did!  Despite the fact that they look crazy complicated, the tri-shutter is actually super-duper easy!  I made some for Mother's Day.

Here is the 'open' view of my Tri-Shutter Mother's Day card.  This is how the recipient would display the card. (click the card for a larger view)

Isn't it lovely?

Believe it or not, this is how it folds up -- fitting nice and neat into an A2 size envelope. The paper I chose to work with was the Grace paper packet by Close To My Heart.  I just love the rich colours!  Surprisingly, this particular pattern was my 'least' favourite in the entire package since it had such a large floral.  I just knew that it would work for these cards though because the paper gets 'broken' across the various panels.  It just goes to show you that you should never completely rule something out. It just might come in handy one day!

Here is the complete recipe for this card - I actually used a fair bit of stuff on this one.

Artwork Recipe
Card Stock: (X5637) Barn Red (included in Level 2 Grace Paper Packet)
Patterned Paper:  (X7117B) Grace Level 2 Paper Packet 
Ink: (Z2104) Barn Red, (Z2162) Honey, (Z891) Versamark Ink Pad
Stamp Set: (D1306) Treasure Life, (D1354) Endless Friendship, (D1283) Say it in Style, (D1420) A Little Everything (March 2010 Stamp of the Month - no longer available)
Accessories: (Z1266) Just Bloom Spring Blossom Paper Flowers, (Z1269) Filigree Charms, (Z1146) Pewter Decorative Brads, (Z1136) Mini Medley Accents White Daisy Collection, (Z2204) Exclusive Inks Re-inker Barn Red, (Z668) Embossing Powder - Gold
Other:  Craft Knife, Glue Dots, Button (source unknown), Pewter Brad (Source unknown), Craft Heater
Finished Size: 4.25" x 5.5"

I'm in the process of planning a card class and a tri-shutter will be one of the cards featured for sure.  Watch for the class announcement here on my blog and also and at my Facebook Fan Page! Oh, and did I mention - you can become my fan over there and get access to exclusive Fan content?  Pop on over and check it out!

Two Takes on Soul Mates

Creating Mood with Colour

I came across an interesting article the other day while reading a graphic design website.  The article (here) was all about the psychology behind colour and how different colours make us feel, even when we don't realize it.  Interestingly enough, I have a share for you today that I think demonstrates this exact concept very well.

A couple of months back, I hosted a card swap and this is the card that I created.  I used another of my all-time favourite stamp sets, CTMH (D1254) Soul Mates.  I can't take total credit for the card design, as I based my creation on a card I had seen elsewhere; I simply switched up the colours and the focal image and made it my own.

Now, fast forward to a few weeks ago.  I took this same concept again and created this card.  The cards, as you can see are essentially identical except for a change in colour and sentiment. Wouldn't you agree that this simple colour switch gave the card a whole new mood?


Now let's look at that article I mentioned and see if we can't tell why that is.

According to the Bloomsburg University Virtual Training Help Centre humans tend to respond emotionally to certain colours.  Here is what they had to say about Black & Green.  I have highlighted what I think to be the key words from their definitions that apply in my example.

"Black" is the absence of light and therefore, of color. is the absence of light and therefore, of color.
It represents power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, anonymity, unhappiness, depth, style, evil, sadness, remorse, anger, underground, good technical color, mourning and death."

"Green, one of most-often cited favorite colors. It represents nature, environment, health, good luck, renewal, youth, vigor, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy, misfortune.
"Its cool quality soothes, calms, and has great healing powers."

Now granted, there are some words in those definitions that don't apply to the moods I have achieved, but for the most part I think they are bang on.  It's interesting to note that I had not read this article before creating my cards.  I was naturally drawn to these colours because they seemed to express the mood that I was after at the time.  It was automatic - proving that the colours you choose help send the overall message, even when we don't know it.

Here are the two cards again, together side-by-side.

Artwork Recipe (Card 1)
Card Stock: (X5642) Cocoa, (X5752) Juniper, (1388) Colonial White
Ink: (Z2165) Juniper, (Z2114) Cocoa
Stamp Set: (D1254) Soul Mates
Accessories: (Z1316) Designer Ribbon Rounds Cocoa Collection
Other:  Swiss Dots Embossing Folder (Provocraft), Cuttlebug
Finished Size: 4.25" x 5.5"

Artwork Recipe (Card 2)
Card Stock: (1386) Black, (X5636) Ocean, (1385) White Daisy
Ink: (Z2136) Ocean, (Z2105) Black
Stamp Set: (D1254) Soul Mates
Accessories: (Z1034) Designer Ribbon Rounds Black Collection
Other:  Swiss Dots Embossing Folder (Provocraft), Cuttlebug
Finished Size: 4.25" x 5.5"

Do you have a similar example of how colour helped you send the message.  If so, I'd love to see it. Leave me a comment, or send me the link below.

It's official! The CTMH Summer 2010 Idea Book is Here

As we welcomed May this past weekend, and the good weather (finally) came our way - the Close To My Heart Summer Idea book officially went 'live'.  You can see the cover pic over there in my right side bar! I celebrated the launch with an Idea Book open house where I had loads of projects, samples, and product on display.  While the guest turnout was less than I had hoped, those who did attend had a great afternoon, filled with friendly conversation, and lots of crafting fun.  Our "Hostess" for the day which was determined by random draw, is absolutely thrilled to be choosing $95 in Free Product plus one 1/2 price item.  What could be better than that?

I presented the guests with 2 make-and-take projects - both were cards, and both showcased new Summer 2010 product.  Here they are.

This 3x3 card has a bit of a masculine feel and showcases the June 2010 Stamp of the Month (D1422) Wonderful Friend.  I can't take credit for this design, as it is featured in the Idea Book, but I just loved the message and the overall design. I did switch the colors up slightly though.

Artwork Recipe
Card Stock: (X5635) Topiary, (X5642) Cocoa, (X5636) Breeze, (1388) Colonial White
Ink: (Z2114) Cocoa, (Z2155) Topiary, (Z2136) Ocean
Stamp Set: (D1422) Wonderful Friend
Other:  (Z1215) Brads Autumn Harvest Assortment, (Z1099) 3/8" Twill Ribbon
Finished Size: 3" x 3"

The second make-and-take was an Easel Card featuring the Cherry-O Creative Basics Collection.  I took a bit of a creative liberty with this one, pairing it with Vineyard Berry instead of Cranberry - while this did mean I had to switch up the ribbon to match (instead of using the ribbon included in the pack), I loved the result.  Besides...that Cranberry velvet ribbon will come in handy at Christmastime I would think!

Artwork Recipe
Card Stock: (1248) Vineyard Berry, (X5639) Sweet Leaf
Patterned Paper (B&T Duos):  (X5810) Cherry-O Creative Basics
Ink: (Z2157) Vineyard Berry
Stamp Set: (D1361) Thank You
Finished Size: 4" x 4"

Have you seen the Summer 2010 Idea Book yet?  Did you know that you can view it online?  If you'd like to receive a copy of your very own, just contact me and we'll make it happen - or better yet, would you like the opportunity to earn Free Product like our grand prize winner this weekend did?  All you need to do is book a Home Gathering or Idea book Party and you'll be well on your way.  Contact me today and I'll give you all the details and we'll get your show booked.