Christmas-It's Starting!

The Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge this week inspired a Christmas card from me using the City Sidewalks papers from Close To My Heart.

Using zip strips from the papers and washi tapes makes for an easy and festive background. 

Here are the City Sidewalks X7213B papers with the 1/2" zip strips and PML cards:

The City Sidewalks kit G1114 has the papers plus many embellishments including:  

• Washi tape
• Stickers
• Die cuts
• Red Gems

It's everything you need to make several layouts, cards or anything Christmas!

The sentiment is one of our M stamps that I just love. They are short and sweet and can go into your permanent collection of stamps that can be used for years on cards, tags, envelopes, presents, your name it! Merry Christmas M1148 The swirl is a separate stamp from the sentiment. I just happen to love swirls and curly cues!!

 

CTMH also has a Cricut City Sidewalks Digital Collection Z4017 that is available till December 31st. Get it while you can!

Here's a description:

• Dress up your artwork in holiday style with the festive images from this mini digital Cricut® collection. We've designed this collection to work with our City Sidewalks paper packet (X7213B), so you can complete Christmas projects in less time. The fun and playful images are sure to have you singing your way through all your Christmas crafting!

30 complete images, including titles, photo frames, borders, card sentiments, card overlays, and other cheery Christmas designs.*

Only available for use with Cricut Explore™ and Cricut Explore Air™

We have many other wonderful Christmas papers, stamps, embossing folders, and thin cuts available for your enjoyment!!

You can look at all the wonderful ideas from the Holiday Expressions catalog that is here until December 31st.

Please stop by and shop.

XOXO

Dots

Snowflakes for a Christmas Card

My Mojo Monday muse:

My Third Muse (definition:  a woman, or a force personified as a woman, who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist. noun: muse; plural noun: muses)

Here is My Card:

How I created this card:

My brain immediately went to my new Snowflake Thin Cuts for the circles on the sketch. So with snowflakes came the idea of having a a snowfall in the background. I pulled out my Confetti Embossing Folder. The whisper cardstock reminded me of the gray ski that happens when there is a heavy snow storm. The white daisy cardstock needed a little something against the whisper so I cut a snowflake shadow using Glacier cardstock. I also used Glacier for the sentiment "Let the magic of Christmas warm your heart." This stamp was a Stamp of the Month. The star was from the set also. I used Versamark and Silver embossing powder on the star, sentiment and the small snowflake. Of course the powder is melted using the craft heater. It's so fun to emboss and watch the image turn SHINY. I love shiny...just saying ;-) 

My Supply List:

• Confetti Embossing folder Z3118
• Thin Cuts-Snowflakes Z4003
• Woodland Wishes Thin Cuts and stamp set Z4015
• Versamark z891
• Ranger Silver Super Fine Embossing Powder Z2067
• Whisper Cardstock X5929
• Glacier Cardstock X5770
• Silver Sequins Assortment Z2013
• Craft Heater Z555

The Woodland Wishes Thin Cuts bundle is a new item. You save yourself time from the "fussy cutting" and have a perfect stamp image for your oh so easy cuts. You do have to have a die cut press. I have a Cuttlebug which is a little workhorse. We have other bundles available. These can be found on the Tools portion of my website. 

XOXO
Dots

A Drapery Fold Thanksgiving Card

Another muse for card making comes for the blog called:

My Second Muse (definition:  a woman, or a force personified as a woman, who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist. noun: muse; plural noun: muses)

Between the Fold Weekly Challenge http://btfchallenges.blogspot.com/

They offer a new challenge every Tuesday and their new challenge is Nature or Fall Colors. How can you not love that. Those are my favorite colors and my favorite time of year. Of course, I live in Texas and the weather is not very cooperative. We've been at least 15 degrees above normal. Made for an easy Halloween for the little ones though.

Here is my card:

Here is my Supply List:

• 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 white daisy card from the Value Pack X254
• Tangerine Ink stamp pad Z2809
• Autumn Wishes Stamp Set B1530
• Rustic Home Fundamentals Ribbon
• Gold Sequins Assortment
• Chocolate Ink stamp pad Z2811
• Enchantment Fundamentals Z3254
• Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer Z1783
• Bone Folder Z1204
• Artbooking Cricut Cartridge Z3169

Here is a How To:

• To make the drape I cut a 3" strip of the paper of my choice. 
• I cut off 1/2" of the 12" side. 
• On my cutting tool, I placed the paper long ways at the 3" mark and using the scoring tool, I made the first score. 
• I then continued to score at 4'', 6", 7", 9", 10". 
• I secured the folds with my bone folder and tape runner.

The Pumpkin was cut at 2" using the Artbooking Cricut cartridge and stamped with the Autumn Wishes stamp.

I'm excited about sending the cards to my family! The value pack of cards is $14.95 not including tax and shipping. With 50 each cards and envelopes making the cards is so inexpensive, ~$0.30, compared to the $6 cards I've seen.

XOXO
Dots

Are you Getting Ready for the Season? Here are Some Card Ideas for You!

Happy November 1st! 

I've been inspired by the muses to put together cards for the Fall season and the upcoming Christmas season.

My First Muse (definition:  a woman, or a force personified as a woman, who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist. noun: muse; plural noun: muses)

I don't know that I would call myself an artist but Close To My Heart helps me look good!

Color My Heart Color Dare presented us with a autumn pallet:

Nice colors to work with for the season, to be sure. I used a very cute stamp that coordinates with the Cricut Artbooking cartridge to make for a very easy pumpkin cutout.

The result is an autumn card that will get sent as a Thanksgiving card.

Supplies to make the card:

• The sweet leaf and sunset cardstock is from my Fundamentals stash from the previous catalog. 
• Sunset ink pad stash you could sub Sorbet ink Z2864
• Black Ribbon Z4012
• Autumn Wishes B1530
• Value pack cards and envelopes
• Black cardstock 1386

The card is 4 1/4 x 5 1/2. I covered it in black cardstock which I keep on hand in a good quantity. Our cardstock comes in 24 sheet packages. I love having supplies at hand so I can create when I get motivated. 

XOXO

Dots