Easter Treat Boxes and a Tutorial

Excited to share with you these Easter Treat Boxes I made today with papers from the current Mix-Ins Collection from Close To My Heart. They came together so quickly and are perfect for giving some candy treats for Easter and easily adapt to any occasion. I really enjoyed creating these treat boxes and wanted to share the process with you. You will find a PDF file with the instructions at the end of this post.

Cut a piece of cardstock to 6" x 8 1/2". Using a scoring platform or ruler and stylus, score along the 6" side at 1" and 4 1/2".

Turn the paper to the 8 1/2" side and score at 1/2", 3 1/2", 4 1/2" and 7 1/2". Fold along all score lines.

If you want to do a cute border along the top of the bag, it is easier to do this now before you start to cut away pieces. Cut away the areas shown below. Cut in along the bottom tabs to the 1" score line.

Fold the bag along the score lines and punch a handle in the top (if you want to). Place Scor-Tape or another strong adhesive on the outside of the bag on the tabs as shown below.

Turn the bag over and place another piece of strong adhesive on the inside on one of the bottom tabs.

Adhere the side tab and then the bottom tabs to create the box.

To complete the box, decorate with a strip of patterned paper and some stamped embellishments. For this I used a 2" x 8 1/2" piece of paper and scored the same as the 8 1/2" side of the box cardstock.

Download a PDF of the directions here.

Hope you like the box. Thanks for stopping by.

Close To My Heart Supplies Used:

X9013 - Mix-in Paper Pack

X9014 - Mix-in Coordinating Cardstock

Z4221 - Mink Twine

Triblend Markers

Additional Supplies Used:

Scoring platform

Score-Tape

O-fish-ally Awesome

Hi all! Today I did some card making with the April Stamp of the Month from Close To My Heart - O-fish-ally Awesome.

I was inspired by Sketch # 362 from the Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge Blog.

Click here to see this sketch along with other cards to inspire you.

I used paper from the Seas The Day Collection along with the Multi-Circle Windows die to create a "porthole" effect. I colored the images using our Triblend Markers.

This set of 37 images is adorable and so much fun to use for cards as well as scrapbook pages. It is available during the month of April on my website for $18.95 or for $5.00 with a $50.00 purchase.

Hope you like the card. Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies Used:

S2004 - O-fish-ally Awesome April SOTM
X7255S - Seas The Day Paper Pack
X7255C - Seas the Day Coordinating Cardstock
Z4189 - Intense Black Exclusive Ink Pad
Z4021 - Multi-Circle Windows Die
Triblend Markers

You Make Me Happy

Hi everyone! Excited to share with you these cards I made using the Operation Smile stamp set from the Close To My Heart March/April 2020 Catalog - You Make Me Smile. Each catalog from Close To My Heart has a stamp set in which proceeds from the set go to Operation Smile. If you are unfamiliar with Operation Smile it is a non-profit organization that provides surgeries to repair cleft lips and palates in children around the world. I fell in love with the set from this catalog - the animal images are absolutely adorable.

For each card I used a sketch from our Make It From Your Heart Volume 2 How-to Book. I also tried my hand at practicing some different coloring techniques with the cards. For all the cards I used the Mix-In Paper Pack and Coordinating Cardstock from the current catalog. The Mix-Ins in the catalog are meant to coordinate with the paper collections from the catalog - this pack of Mix-Ins goes beautifully with the Yesterday & Today and Seas the Day collections.

For the first two cards I used our TriBlend Markers. These markers have color blends from light to dark which makes it so easy to give shading variations to your artwork.

For the second two cards I used our Watercolor Paints and our Small Round Watercolor brush. The barrel of the brush holds water and it is perfect for

For the final two cards I used our Watercolor Pencils along with the Small Round Watercolor Brush. These pencils are great for getting tiny details of color and the brush lets you gently blend the colors to get the effect you want.

Click here to check out this stamp set on my website today!

I hope you liked the cards. Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies Used:

D1920 - You Make Me Smile stamp set
9042 - Make It From Your Heart Volume 2
X9013 - Mix-In Paper Pack
X9014 - Mix-in Coordinating Cardstock
Z4189 - Intense Black Exclusive Ink
Triblend Markers
Z3132 - Watercolor Paints
Z3224 - Small Round Water Brush
Z3630 - Watercolor Pencils

Family Legacy and a Sketch Challenge

I hope everyone is staying well during these times. I have been working on catching up on some projects around our house as well as with my Close To My Heart business while practicing social distancing. I have been wanting to showcase the March Stamp of the Month - Family Legacy - for awhile and finally had a chance today to create a card today using some of the Featured Paper for the month of March - Yesterday & Today - along with the stamp set.

This card follows this weeks sketch challenge #428 from Freshly Made Sketches. You can find the sketch along with other card makers variations on this sketch here.

I changed the sketch a bit in that I added an additional banner strip next to the sentiment. I worked with the patterned papers from the Yesterday & Today paper pack along with Espresso cardstock, Espresso and Black Exclusive Inks. I stamped the sentiment in Black and the scroll work in Espresso. I also inked the edges of the sentiment banner with the Espresso ink. I used a scalloped circle die along with some gold gems to add something extra to the card.

The Family Legacy set is perfect for scrapbooking or card making. This set of 17 images can be purchased for $18.95 on my website through March 31st or you can get it for just $5.00 with a $50 purchase.

If you are interested in this stamp set there is still time to get it. Click here to head on over to my website and see this stamp set today!

I hope you like the card. Thanks for stopping by.

Supplies Used:

S2003 - Stamp of the Month: Family Legacy
X7254S - Yesterday & Today Paper Pack + Sticker Sheet
X5951 - Espresso Cardstock
Z2829 - Espresso Exclusive Ink Pad
Z2805 - Black Exclusive Ink Pad
Z3312 - Gold Glitter Gems

Walt Disney World Scrapbook and Tips for Scrapbooking a Vacation

So excited to share with you all the scrapbook I just completed from our 2018 vacation to Florida. I really enjoy creating scrapbooks of our vacations. Vacation scrapbooks are some of my favorite since it is so much fun to go back and revisit those places we have traveled to over the years.

Scroll to the end of this post for a slideshow of the layouts in this scrapbook album.

I am sharing this since I have been often asked how I approach a vacation scrapbook.  The main thing I will say is that - Organization is key.

• I organize my photos by day and by event or location visited within the day.
• I try to be very picky with the photos I use so as not to print too many. I don't feel the need to scrapbook every photo I take on a vacation - I try and choose only those that help tell the primary story in each layout.
• I choose a paper collection to use for the entire album. This helps to unify the various layouts within the album.
• I keep the background papers to primarily black, white and a simple neutral. I will occasionally add a pop of color on a layout with a different background color.
• I keep the embellishments simple - a few gems, buttons and some ribbon is enough.
• I rely on sketches to help keep my layouts clean and uncluttered.
• I tend to pick a couple fonts to use throughout the album when creating titles on my Cricut - this also helps to unify the pages.

For this album I used the More Magical collection along with the coordinating paper from Close To My Heart. These papers were perfect for this and I wish the collection was not retired. Close To My Heart brought it back once and I hope they will again.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you liked the album. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions.

Everyday Moments Cricut Collection

I don't know about you but I am in love with the Cricut Collections done in collaboration with Close To My Heart. The newest collection - Everyday Moments features several fully-designed scrapbook layouts and cards in a variety of sizes and styles, making it easy to complete an entire project in a single sitting.

You can even use selected elements from a project to create something else. For this layout from our last trip to Walt Disney World I used the title and a few additional elements from one of the layouts included in this collection.

The Everyday Moments Cricut collection is available exclusively through my consultant website. Click here to go to my website and click on the Cricut icon to purchase this an any of our other Cricut collections.

These Are My People

I am excited to share with you the new special from Close To My Heart - These Are My People. This collection is here to help you preserve the moments that matter most, with the people that matter most. 

This collection includes a 6" x 8" Cut Above Kit, a Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, a Paper Packet, a Coordinating Cardstock Pack, a My Acrylix Love These People stamp set, and a Workshop Kit. 

The smaller 6" x 8" Cut Above format is a great way to dive into the scrapbooking process and is an

excellent place to start for those who may be new to scrapbooking. With a smaller size and all the

elements pre-cut, you will love how easy it is to create striking layouts featuring your most precious memories. It even comes with an exclusive SVG file to help you personalize the front of your

album!

In addition to the These Are My People Cut Above. Kit, the These Are My People Workshop Kit allows you to create thoughtful cards and gorgeous scrapbook layouts. This workshop kit is available in two purchasing options—one including the stamp set, and one without. All items in this special are available for individual purchase, but when you purchase the workshop with the stamp set, you will

receive a 20% discount. You will also receive a FREE SVG file included in both workshop kit

options.

Click here to see the These Are My People collection. The offers in this special are available from March 1 through April 30, while supplies last.

Yesterday & Today

Excited to share that there is a new catalog from Close To My Heart that is now live! With the new catalog comes new collections, stamps, tools, embellishments, etc. I will be sharing more about this catalog with you in upcoming posts. Click here to see all of the new catalog now!

 Today I am sharing the Featured Paper for the month of March - Yesterday & Today. This collection features elegant and timeless designs that will add depth and beauty to all your crafting projects. Use this collection of papers and coordinating items to preserve family memories, send heartfelt cards, or even create one-of-a-kind decor items.

Yesterday & Today Paper Pack with Sticker Sheet

Yesterday & Today Coordinating Cardstock

Yesterday & Today Picture My Life Cards

Yesterday & Today Foil Die Cuts

Yesterday & Today Vellum Die Cuts

Click here to see the full Yesterday and Today Collection.

Technique Thursday #1

I am so thankful that Close To My Heart has provided some wonderful videos to share with you techniques for using our products.

I know a lot of you are seasoned stampers like me but I find that sometimes it is good to have a refresher of some basic techniques for using and caring for your stamps. Today I want to share with you this video from Close To My Heart on Tips for Use & Care of our My Acrylix stamp sets.

I hope you enjoyed the video and found it informative. Here are some links to the products shown in the video.

1778 - My Acrylix Spritz Cleaner

Z1782 - My Acrylix Stamp Scrubber

Y1501 - My Acrylix Block Starter Set 

Thank you for stopping by!

Cherishing Her

I am in love with the Stamp of the Month for the month of February from Close To My Heart - Cherishing Her. This stamp set with 23 images is perfect to celebrate the women we love in our lives, be they mothers, aunts, daughters, sisters or friends.

I was inspired to create this card by a sketch challenge from Freshly Made Sketches. You can see the challenge here.

I used paper from the Celebrate Today collection for the background and circle. I colored the flower bouquet in with Triblend Markers and gave it some bling with a Clear Shimmer Brush, some Soft Pink Shimmer Trim and Clear Sparkles.

This stamp set will be available through February 29th. You can purchase this set for $18.95 or for $5.00 with a $50 purchase from my website. Click here to see this stamp set.

I hope you liked the card. Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:

S2002 - Cherishing Her SOTM stamp set

X7252S - Celebrate Today Paper pack

X7252C - Celebrate Today Coordinating Cardstock

Z3608 - Soft Pink Shimmer Trim

Z4189 - Intense Black Exclusive Inks stamp pad

Z2496 - Pale Pink Triblend Marker

Z2491 - True Blue Triblend Marker

Z2485 - Light Green Triblend Marker

Z2483 - Light Yellow Triblend Marker

Z3293 - Clear Shimmer Brush

Z3274 - Clear Sparkles

Celebrate Today

Hi all! I am back! Slowly getting back into crafting as I am healing from my shoulder surgery. Been working a little bit each day on catching up. I am happy to share with you one of my recent creations using the Featured Paper for the month of February from Close To My Heart - Celebrate Today. This fun collection of vibrant colors and images is perfect for celebrating birthdays and everyday occasions.

For this layout I used a sketch from the Make It From Your Heart Volume 3 book along with the Celebrate Today Paper Pack, Coordinating Cardstock and Scrapbooking Stamp set. I used a combination of stickers and stamped stars for embellishments, using 3-D Foam Tape with some to add dimension. I also used the grid stamp behind the title block and journal block.

Click here to see all the products that are part of the Celebrate Today collection.

I hope you enjoy the layout. Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:

X7252S - Celebrate Today Paper Pack + Sticker Sheet

X7252C - Celebrate Today Coordinating Cardstock

D1903 - Celebrate Today Scrapbooking Stamp Set

9043 - Make It From Your Heart Volume 3

Z3608 - Soft Pink Shimmer Trim

Z2895 - Lagoon Exclusive Ink Pad

Z2844 - Pixie Exclusive Ink Pad

Z2812 - Raspberry Exclusive Ink Pad

Z2805 - Black Exclusive Ink Pad

Z2060 - Thin 3-D Foam Tape

Celebrate Today Collection