Category: Christmas Cards

A Golden Christmas

On By patriciamanhireIn Christmas, Christmas Cards, Heartfelt Creations, Holidays14 Comments

Kia Ora and Welcome Back

Today I would like to share a card I have made for the Heartfelt Creations Inspiration Wednesday using the gorgeous papers from the Festive Holly Collection.  I love this combination of golds and reds and it was very easy to put together.
Materials Used:

HCD1-7145 Festive Holly paper collection

HCPC-3793 Festive Holiday Cling Stamp

HPC-3680 Sparkling Poinsettia stamp set

HCD1-766 Sparkling Poinsettia die

242174 Vellum

PGM15015 Rajni Chawla’s Crystal Clear

HCPP2-451 White cardstock

Deluxe Flower Shaping Kit

359760 Embossing Powder – Gold

242174 Vellum

Other – Heart of Gold Prills, Gold foil card, Versamark ink, White cardstock, Spellbinders Elegant Ovals, Memento Love Letter

Instructions – Cut a piece of white cardstock at 12” x 6”, score and crease at 6” to make a base card of 6” x 6”.  Cut a 6” x 6” panel of patterned paper and adhere to the front of the card.  Cut a second piece for the inside of the card.

Die cut the oval from the Elegant Ovals die set in gold card and adhere to the front of the card.  Stamp the sentiment from the HCPC-3793 Festive Holiday Cling Stamp set in versamark and emboss in gold embossing powder.  Die cut the sentiment using the inner oval from the Elegant Ovals set and adhere to the front of the gold oval.

Fussy cut a corner from the patterned paper with the cardinals and holly and adhere to the bottom right of the card.

To make the poinsettias stamp the poinsettia images from the HPC-3680 Sparkling Poinsettia stamp on vellum with versamark and emboss with gold embossing powder.  Sponge with Love Letter on the back of the images and then die cut with the coordinating die.  Shape using the Deluxe Flower Shaping kit tools.  Assemble the poinsettias and then sponge the petals with Dries Clear glue and apply Crystal Clear for sparkle.  Adhere to the card as shown.

For further inspiration and a preview of the release of the Winter’s Eve Collection please visit the Heartfelt Creations site here: https://www.heartfeltcreations.us/blog/607/fun-new-creative-inspiration-a-winters-eve-preview

Have a good week and Happy Crafting

Ka Kite Anu

Patricia

Warmest Holiday Wishes

On By patriciamanhireIn Cardmaking, Christmas Cards, Heartfelt Creations10 Comments

Kia Ora and Welcome Back

It is time for Inspiration Wednesday and this week I have another card for you featuring the Festive Holly Collection from Heartfelt Creations.

Please visit the Heartfelt Creations blog for more inspiration here:  https://www.heartfeltcreations.us/blog/605/how-to-create-christmas-cards-in-30-minutes-or-less

Materials Used:

HCDP1-289 Festive Holly Paper Collection

HCPC-3792 Festive Holiday Stamp set

HCD1-7146 Festive Holiday Die

HCD1-7105 Festive Gate die

HCPC-3746 Festive Gate stamp set

HCD1-7106 Celebrate the Season Die

HCD1-7104 Ornate Sleigh and Presents stamp set

HCPC-3772 Wildwood Cottage Accents cling stamp set

HCD1-7128 Wildwood Cottage Accents die

TSMP602 Teal Zeal

TSMP707 Bamboo Leaves

TSMP709 Northern Pine

3D1844 3D Crystal Lacquer

HCS803 Minnie Pearl Prills

HCDA2-450 Store and Stack daubers

159723 Art Glitter Dries Clear adhesive

Other – white cardstock, Zig Clear Brush Markers, Foam squares and strips, Black Stazon, Bristol cardstock

Instructions:

Cut a piece of white cardstock 6” x 12” and score and crease along the long side at 6” to make a 6” x 6” card.  Cut a piece of green patterned paper 6” x 6” sponge the edges with Bamboo Leaves and adhere to the front of the card.

To make the fence stamp the gate image from the HCPC-3746 Festive Gate stamp in Teal Zeal and die cut using the coordinating die.  Sponge the edges with Teal Zeal ink and adhere to the front of the card with foam strips.

Stamp the grass twice using the stamp from the HCPC-3772 Wildwood Cottage Accents cling stamp in Northern Pine and sponge with Bamboo Leaves before die cutting with the coordinating die.  Adhere to the base of the fence with with Dries Clear glue

Stamp the wagon wheel and the apples image from the HCPC-3792 Festive Holiday Stamp set using Stazon Black ink onto Bristol cardstock.  Colour the images in with the Zig Clear Brush markers and die cut with the coordinating die.  Adhere the wagon wheel onto the gate with foam squares. Add some shine to the berries with the 3d Crystal Lacquer. Shape the apples using the Deluxe Flower Shaping kit and adhere to the front of the gate with foam squares on the apples for dimension.

To make the small poinsettias stamp the images from the HCD1-7104 Ornate Sleigh and Presents stamp set with Teal Zeal ink.. Sponge the images with Teal Zeal and Bamboo Leaves ink using the Store and Stack daubers and die cut with the coordinating die.  Shape the flowers using the Deluxe Flower Shaping Kit and assemble as shown.  Add Minnie Pearl Prills to the centres of the flowers with Dries Clear Glue.  Adhere to the front of the wagon wheel as shown.

Cut the sentiment from the papers and sponge the edges with Bamboo Leaves.  Add to the top of the card using foam squares.  Finish off with a red ribbon bow.

Add a coordinating paper in the middle of the card.

Until next time Happy Crafting

Ka Kite Anu

Patricia

 

A Cardinal Christmas

On By patriciamanhireIn Cardmaking, Christmas, Christmas Cards, Heartfelt Creations14 Comments

Kia Ora and Welcome Back

Once again it is Wednesday and I have another Festive Holly card for the Heartfelt Creations Inspiration Wednesday blog.  This card features a gate that opens onto a window looking through to deer in the snow.

For further inspiration please check out the Heartfelt Creations blog here: https://www.heartfeltcreations.us/blog/598/24-christmas-card-ideas-to-craft-yourself-a-holly-jolly-good-time

Materials Used:

HCDP1-280 Festive Holly Paper Collection

HCD1-745 Festive Holly & Cardinals Die

HCPC-3791 Festive Holly & Cardinals Stamp

HCD1-7147 Holly Berry Jingle Die

HCPC-3793 Holly Berry Jingle Stamp

HCPC-3792 Festive Holly Stamp

HCD1-7106 Celebrate the Season Die

HCD1-7104 Ornate Sleigh and Presents

HCD1-7100 Botanic Window die

HCD1-7105 Festive Gate die

HCPC-3746 Festive Gate stamp

HCD1-7109 Gift Box and Mini Snowflakes die

TSMP602 Teal Zeal

TSMP707 Bamboo Leaves

TSMP900 Tuxedo Black

ANC803 Minnie Pearl Prills

3D1844 3-D Crystal Lacquer

PGM15016 Frosting Powder

GBKK811B1 Clear Cardstock

HCPP2-451 White cardstock

Deluxe Flower Shaping Kit

159723 Art Glitter Dries Clear adhesive

159951 Art Glitter Dries White adhesive

Others supplies – Die cutting machine, Zig Clear Brush Markers, Bristol Cardstock, Memento Love Letter, green cardstock

Instructions – Cut a piece of white cardstock at 6” x 12”, score and crease along the long side to make a base card of 6” x 6”.  Cut the 6” x 6” panel from the panelled paper with the cardinals on the top left corner.  Add Dries White Glue and Frosting Powder to the snow on the trees.  Line up the panel to the front of the card and using the centre die from the Botanic Windows die cut out the window panel.  Die cut another piece of patterned paper with deer in the snow and using the front card as a template adhere to the inside of the card. Cut a piece of clear acetate 3 1/2 “ x 5” and adhere to the opening on the front of the card.. Adhere the patterned piece to the front of the card. Die cut the window and the patterned centre out of white cardstock.  Die cut just the outer edge of the window and adhere to the previously cut window.  Adhere over the window opening.

Stamp the gate from the HCPC-3746 Festive Gate stamp with Teal Zeal ink and die cut with the coordinating die.  Sponge the edges with the Teal Zeal ink and trim the right side Add to the right of the card with foam tape. Score along the gate hinges on the left of the die cut to create a gate to open.. Adhere the fence to the left side using foam tape.  Apply Frosting Powder with dries clear glue on the gate and fence for a frosted look. Die cut the grass from the HCD1-7109 Gift Box and Mini Snowflakes die in green cardstock and adhere to the base of the fences on either side of the gate.

Stamp the images from the HCPC-3791 Festive Holly & Cardinals Stamp ans the HCPC-3793 Holly Berry Jingle Stamp sets using Stazon on Bristol cardstock.  Colour in with Zig Clear Brush makers and die cut with the coordinating die.  Add snow effects to the cardinals, berries and branches with Dries White glue and Frosting Powder.  Add 3-D Crystal Effects to the berries for dimension.  Lightly shape the berries and leaves and add to the front of the gate with Dries Clear glue.  Adhere the lamp to the back of the gate on the right.. Add the cardinals and twigs over the Botanic Window with foam squares.

To make the small poinsettias stamp the images from the HCD1-7104 Ornate Sleigh and Presents with Teal Zeal ink.  Sponge the images with Teal Zeal and Bamboo Leaves ink using the Store and Stack daubers and die cut with the coordinating die from the HCD1-7106 Celebrate the Season die.  Shape the flowers using the Deluxe Flower Shaping Kit and assemble as shown.  Add Minnie Pearl Prills to the centres of the flowers with Dries Clear Glue.

Stamp the sentiment from the HCPC-3792 Festive Holly Stamp in Teal Zeal ink. Die cut using the small frame from the Spellbinders Fancy Labels set.  Sponge the edges with Teal Zeal ink and adhere to the gate front.

Have a good week and Happy Crafting

Ka Kite Anu

Patricia

 

 

Time for Christmas

On By patriciamanhireIn Christmas, Christmas Cards, Close to My Heart, Patricia's Creations6 Comments

Welcome back

This week I have finally got into the Christmas mode getting products ready for Gift Hutt.  I have got the Cricut chirping and I am happy with the results with these cards and tags.  I have used both the Artistry and Create A Critter 2 Cricut Cartridge to make these very cute little Santas and Teddy Santas to place on the cards and tags.

I have cut the tags from Glacier cardstock using the Art Philosophy cartridge at 3″ a and the To and From stamp is from the Scandinavian Wishes Stamp set (a retired SOTM).  I finished off with some Ruby washi tape.  I am not a big user of washi tape but I do like to use it to fill in gaps like what I have done here.

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This cute little Santa is from the Artistry cartridge was very easy to do.  He has been done at 2.5″ and I have coloured the base card (Colonial White) with a very pale pink copic pen which helped to have the white beard stand out more.

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Then I made some cards with the Santas and the White Pines papers.

 

#CTMH White Pines and Artistry

I wasn’t really sure about this brown paper but it does make a nice background to help pop the embellishments.  The paper pack comes with Chocolate cardstock, but I used Desert Sand instead as it coordinated better with the Santa bear.

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Materials used for the tags:

Cardstock – Glacier, White Daisy, Colonial White, Desert Sand, Black, Slate, Ruby

Cricut cartridges – Artristry, Create A Critter 2, Art Philosophy

Ink – Black

Washi Tape – Ruby

Stamp set – Scandinavian Wishes (NLA)

Bakers Twine – Outdoor Denim

Copic pen – R81 Rose Pink

Cards:

Cadstock – Desert Sand, Colonial White, White Daisy, Ruby, Slate, Black

Paper – White Pines

Stamps – Framed (NLA), Holiday Cheer

Ink – Ruby

Cricut Cartridges – Artistry, Create A Critter 2

Embossing Folder – Confetti Wishes

Spellbinders die- Lacy Squares Nestabilities 5

I have had a couple of difficult weeks and have had to make the decision to resign as a Close to My Heart consultant.  I love the products but life has thrown me a curve ball and I have had to go with it.  I will still use CTMH products (I have quite a stash now!) and will continue with this blog as I enjoy the design process.  I will try and participate in another couple of blog hops and will still be part of a Facebook group showcasing my artwork.  I have been very humbled with the lovely comments and support from the other CTMH consultants across Australasia, Canada the the United States – so a huge thank you to everyone.

I will now focus on my shop Gift Hutt and make products for sale there.

I hope you all have a good week and Happy Crafting

Patricia

 

 

 

Australasian CTMH SOTM Blog Hop – Framed

On By patriciamanhireIn Cardmaking, Christmas Cards, Close to My Heart, Cricut, CTMH SOTM, Stamping36 Comments

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Hello and welcome aboard ourStamp of the month Australasian Close to My Heart Blog Hop. If you have arrived here from Meryl’s blog Mez’s Craft Room,  then you are in the right place. If you landed here by accident, no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post.

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Today I would like to share with you several cards and a special project which features the August Stamp of the Month Framed available exclusively throughout August for $33 or for just $5 when you spend $75.  This stamp set is a MUST HAVE for cardmakers.  The frames are wonderful and easy to cut out if you have no Cricut machine and the sentiments fit every occasion you can think of.   However, if you are lucky to have the new Artistry cartridge then you can use that to cut the frames out.

Before moving onto the cards I would like to share a little box that have made using the Artiste cartridge and the paper fundamentals (whimsy).  I have cut the flower out using a combination of Artiste and Art Philosophy cartridges and placed it on the front and added a little framed tag for a special box.  It didn’t take very long at all once I had it all the pieces together.  I finished with a little heart from the Stuck on You Puffies – on the while supplies last list.

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I really enjoy using contrasting colours and this card uses Lagoon and Sorbet colours together which picks up the colours of the flowers in the patterned paper from the Blossom Reflections pack.

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#CTMH SOTM Framed

 

I am going to miss the Seaside papers as they are wonderful for masculine cards.  Here I have used one of the stickers from the Complements pack.

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For this card I have cut out the flowers and leave from the patterned paper and layered them on the card.

#CTMH SOTM Framed

I love the Yuletide Carol papers as they are so traditional for Christmas and the complements are beautiful as well.  For these Christmas cards I have used gold embossing to add to the traditional feel to the cards. (Unfortunately, a lot of other people thought the same and the papers and complements are now sold out!)

#CTMH SOTM Framed

I have looked at this little bird for a long time on the Art Philosophy cartridge and finally used it with this card to add a whimsical accent to the card.

#CTMH SOTM Framed

 

This paper does not need a lot of embellishments and the small sticker and the frame with the sentiment just adds j the finishing touches to this card.

Framed is only available until 30 August from your CTMH consultant here.  I’d love you to leave a comment before heading off to the next stop, Lauren’s Blog, CTMH Craftings.

Materials Used:

Cardstock – White Daisy, Colonial White, Lagoon, Sorbet, Sweet Leaf, Flaxen. Kraft, Cashmere, Ruby, New England Ivy, Pear, Pixie

Papers – Blossom, Brushed, Seaside, Yuletide Carol, Whimsy Paper Fundamentals

Complements – Seaside, Yuletide Carol, Brushed

Stamp – Framed

Inks – Cotton Candy, Lagoon, Versamark, Desert Sand, Black, Pear, Pixie

Ranger embossing powder – gold

Cricut – Art Philosophy

Gold Shimmer Trim

Aqua Dots

Gold Bling

Durables round studs

Extra thick twine – Pixie

Stuck on You Puffies

 

Happy Crafting

Patricia

 

 

Close to My Heart Artfully Sent Christmas Card

On By patriciamanhireIn Cardmaking, Christmas Cards, Close to My Heart, Cricut, Stamping6 Comments

Welcome back

I have been very busy doing more Christmas cards and lots of other goodies for Gift Hutt.  Today  I would like to show you a card made using the new Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge.  I have been having problems using Cricut Craftroom so had not been able to do much for a couple of weeks, but finally yesterday I was able to cut again.  I am still getting used to the new cartridge and  I have seen some amazing pieces of artwork on various Facebook groups I belong to.

For this card I have cut out the scene card on page 47 of the booklet at 7″ out of Glacier cardstock.  I then cut out a piece of White Daisy cardstock at 4 3/4″ x 6 3/4″ to use for the scene.  This is the first time I have sponged a background and it is not perfect but still gives an idea of creating the scene.  There are a number of different videos on YouTube if you would like instructions on how to do this.  To create the snow hills I have used scrap cardstock shaped to create the hills and I have used a combination of Glacier and Indian Corn Blue inks for the snow and added some Outdoor Denim for extra depth around the moon.  To make the moon I cut out a circle from a post it not at 1 1/2″ and used that to sponge the colours around to create the moon.  I softened the moon by sponging lightly over with Glacier ink.  I then stamped the Santa Claus from the Santa Claus Holiday stamp set with Slate ink to create the depth of the image.

CTMH Artfully Sent Christmas CardThe trees were cut out of New England Ivy cardstock using the Artbooking Cricut cartidge. I wrinkled the trees a little to create some dimension and then I used some white liquid applique on the trees for a snow effect (available on special while stocks last).  The deer and cute little bird has been cut from the Artfully Sent cartridge in Chocolate cardstock and I ripped a piece of green paper from the Yuletide Carol paper pack for the effect of grass in the foreground and the ripped edge has come up looking like snow. (Unfortuanately, CTMH do not provide glitter for sale as some prisma glitter over the applique would have just finished the project of so well – extra sparkle would have been good.)

Here is a close up view of the scene I have created:

CTMH Artfully Sent Christmas Card scene

I stamped the sentiment from the Holiday Cheer stamp set using Glacier ink on White Daisy cardstock and matted it with New England Ivy cardstock and placed it on the front.  I then placed white enamel stars for a snow effect on the front.

My technique could do with some practice but I am still happy at how the card has turned out for my first effort.  And the good news is that CTMH  provide 5″ x 7″ envelopes to match so this card will be for sale at Gift Hutt and would make a very special card to give someone.

Materials used:

Cardstock – White Daisy, Glacier, New England Ivy, Chocolate, 

Paper – Yuletide Carol

Inks – Glacier, Slate, Indian Corn Blue, Outdoor Denim

Cricut Cartridges – Artfully Sent, Artbooking

Stamps – Holiday Cheer, Santa Claus Holiday

White enamel stars

I have some more Christmas ideas coming up and will post them over the next week.

Have a great week and Happy Crafting

Patricia

 

 

CTMH makes Christmas cards easy.

On By patriciamanhireIn Cardmaking, Christmas, Christmas Cards, Close to My Heart5 Comments

Welcome back.

A very short  post today.   Christmas is not that far away so I have been busy making some Christmas cards.  I love the two Christmas reflections pack from Close to My Heart – Snowhaven and Yuletide Carol.  Both have such different themes but they both make stunning Christmas cards.

CTMH Yuletide Carol Christmas card

I love utilizing  the patterns on the papers and the gorgeous wee socks hanging on the shelf is so beautiful and the red paper from the Snowhaven pack coordinates well.

CTMH Snowhaven Christmas card

I taught a class yesterday starting with the basics of card making just using the basic equipment i.e. no Cuttlebugs and Cricut machines and this is a good example of a card anyone can make with the basic tools and lovely patterned papers.

CTMH Snowhaven Christmas cardFinally this is one of my favourite cards.  I love the combination of the Ruby, Black and Glacier colours.  I have used the Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge to cut the sentiment tag and used the Curlicue Frames stamp set that came with the cartridge to stamp it in Black ink.  I love the sentiments from the Just to say… stamp set that also came with the cartridge.  I know that I am going to get a lot of use from these two stamp sets.  This pattern is from the Make It From Your Heart  Volume 2 book and is such an easy pattern to use.

Materials used:

Cardstock – Black, Ruby, White Daisy, Colonial White

Paper – Snowhaven, Yuletide Carol

Inks – Ruby, Black

Stamp sets – Artfully Sent Just to say…, Curlicue Frames,  Scandanavian Wishes (NLA)

Cricut Cartridge – Artfully Sent

Gold sequins

Clear sparkles 

Twin Touch Shinhan marker – Carmine

Embossing folder – Dots

These cards are for sale at Gift Hutt along with my other cards I have featured in my recent posts.

Have a good week and happy crafting.

Patricia

 

 

CTMH Gift Card Holders

On By patriciamanhireIn Cardmaking, Children, Christmas, Christmas Cards, Close to My Heart, Crafts, Cricut, Die Cuts, Holidays, Paper Crafting10 Comments

Hello everyone

Gosh Christmas is just around the corner and I still have not completed my Christmas shopping.  Life has just got in the way over the last couple of weeks.  However, I will get it all done by the big day.

For those who do not know what to get for people a gift voucher is a great option and then the recipients are able to take advantage of the sales post Christmas.  Close to My Heart Cricut cartridges have the answer for how to present these vouchers with a cool gift card holder.  My inspiration for these cards came from Pinterest and in particular from this blog Busy with the Cricky where Susan has done some lovely cards and given instructions on how to make them.

For my cards I have used the Artiste cartridge and I have cut the the card from page 59 in the booklet and cut them at 5″ which gave me two cards per 12 x 12 sheet of cardstock.  Then using patterned paper I cut another card at 4.75″.  To finish off I cut a piece of white daisy cardstock at 4.5″ to place in the middle of the card for a sentiment and for people to write on.  The two smaller pieces had the centre cut out and I was able to mat the patterned paper onto the cardstock easily.

Here are my versions:

CTMH Christmas gift card holdersHere are some close ups of the cards.  One or two photos may be a bit blurry so I apologise for that.

CTMH Gift Card Holder CTMH Gift card holder CTMH Gift Card Holder CTMH Gift card holder CTMH Gift card holder CTMH Gift card holder CTMH Gift card holder CTMH Gift card holderAnd I have kept the inside of the cards fairly simple to enable people to write on them.  Sorry I have just realised that I missed taking a photo of the little section to put the voucher in but you can just see a little part of it in the photo below.  I will try and rectify this in the next week to really show you how neat this little card is.

CTMH Gift Card Holder insideI have mainly used the stamp set from the Seasons Tweeting Gift Bag kit from the Holidays from the Heart Gift Guide.  This little owl is so cute and I love the different sentiments that go with them.

Here is a list of the materials I have used:

Cardstock – Ruby, Juniper, Daisy White

Patterned paper – Sparkle and Shine paper packet

Stamps -Seasons Tweeting Gift Bag kit, Scandinavian Wishes, Sparkle and Shine Workshop on the Go Stamp set

Inks – Slate, Ruby, Juniper

White Bakers Twine

Clear Sparkles

Artiste Cricut Cartridge – rosette from page 55 cut at 1″, bows from page 55 and cut at 1/2″ and 1″.

Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge – Holly leaf  from page 46 cut at 1″ and the rose from page 69 and cut at 3″

As you can see I am loving my Cricut and there is so much more to do yet.  I have  just barely scratched the surface with all the cool things to do on it and I still have to get the Art Booking cartridge.  I think I am going to be very busy and it  will keep me out of mischief I am sure lol.

The products from the Holiday from the Heart Gift Guide are still available until the end of December and if you spend over $150 you can choose one starred item for free.  Just by buying a Cricut Cartridge you would qualify for this special offer so visit my shop now and have a browse.

I hope you all have a great week and I will now have to see what I can come up with for my last blog post before Christmas.

Happy Crafting

Patricia

Christmas Cards and Treats

On By patriciamanhireIn Cardmaking, Christmas, Christmas Cards, Close to My Heart, Crafts, Die Cuts, Holidays, Stamping4 Comments

Welcome back.

Well it is that time of the week for another blog post.  This time I am just going to show some Christmas cards and party favours that I have been making while I have been working on a big project for our next blog hop on the 1st November focusing on the December Stamp of the Month – Special Care.

I am loving the papers from the Holidays from the Heart Gift Guide.  They are so beautiful and the colours coordinate so well.  I have also done some layouts using the WOTG Sparkle and Shine kit and once I have printed some more photos I will post them on here.  I am so pleased with how they turned out as I have used the recipes in the Make it from the Heart series of books.  This has made it a lot easier to get good layouts and then I could concentrate on coordinating papers and embellishments to finish off the pages.

Back to the cards.   Christmas cardThis card recipe is rapidly becoming one of my favourite designs.  It is from the Make It from the Heart Volume 1 which is a great source of recipes for both scrapbook layouts and cards and is sooo cheap for quick inspiration (just $12 per book!).  So quick and easy to mix and match colours and papers and these patterns go so well together.  I have also used different stamp sets and I was really pleased how they turned out and actually did this card in a class last week and they turned out well.  I had pre-cut everything and the Cricut has come in so handy – I have used the Artiste cartridge here.

The stamp sets I have used are:  Perfect-Fit Birthday Occasions, Perfect-Fit – Frames 2 Occasions and Magical Days Holiday from the Holidays from the Heart Gift Guide.

CTMH card using Sparkle and Shine papers and SOTM set Scandinavian Wishes

I have never really used alphabet stamps before so I am pleased this has turned out well.  This is another simple card that did not need special equipment to make – just a good accurate trimmer like the Fiskars Surecut Deluxe Craft Paper Trimmer that is available from my shop.  (Just as an aside I have been doing a lot of cutting and had to get some more blades quickly, and I won’t be doing that again as the blades were more expensive at the local Warehouse Stationary than what I can pay retail through Close to My Heart!).  I am using bakers twine more often now and the sparkles add the shine to the card.

The stamp sets I have used are:  Urban Alphabet, Scandanavian Wishes – November SOTM.

???????????????????For this card  I have been inspired by a card by a fellow CTMH consultant, Wanda, and here is my take on it.  I have used my Cricut (Art Philosophy) to cut out the frame and the holly leaves, berries and the flame.  The holly leaves have been embossed by hand to give some shape to the leaves and the edges were distressed with Topiary ink (I have used Olive cardstock).  The berries were cut out of Ruby cardstock and I have used my Liquid Glass to create some dimension and make them stand out.  The flame was cut using a petal shape and I have stamped the candle on the base of the petal.  

The stamp sets I have used are:  Scandanavian Wishes (October SOTM)  and Illuminate (November SOTM – available for $5 if you spend over $75 – be in quick though as this will no longer be available after the end of the month).

Finally here some party favours that I have made from the Artiste and Art Philosophy Cricut cartridges.  I have put little chocolate bars inside them and used them as little thank you gifts for the ladies attending my classes at the Upper Hutt Library.

??????????????????Christmas boxThe stamp sets I have used here are: Banner Wishes Occasions and Santa Claus Holiday – both from the Holidays from the Heart Gift Guide.

Just a reminder that you can choose one ‘star’ product free for every $150 you spend in both the Holidays from the Heart Gift Guide or the 2013 Product Launch Guide.  This great deal is available through until the 31st December 2013 or until stocks last.

1310-cc-holidays-from-the-heart-au_nzPlease feel free to click on the links to my website to go shopping for any of these products or contact me for further information.

My next blog post will feature the December SOTM – Special Care.  I can’t wait to show you what I have been up to.

In the meantime have a great week.

Happy Crafting

Patricia

 

 

Australasian Close to My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

On By patriciamanhireIn Cardmaking, Christmas, Christmas Cards, Close to My Heart, Crafts, Stamping17 Comments

Hello and welcome aboard the Australasian Close to My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop. If you have arrived here from Mandy’s Blog, Hall of Indulgence, then you are in the right place. If you landed here by accident, no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post.

Today I would like to share with you these cards which features the November  stamp of the month “Illuminate”. I have enjoyed the challenge of working with this stamp set as it is quite different to what I normally work with and I hope you like my offering.

I love working with clear acrylic stamps and Close to My Heart clear My Acrylix stamps are the best quality I have ever used over too many years I care to remember!  With clear stamps it is so easy to place your stamps accurately on your paper and with these samples I have tried to show you how you can link up stamps to create a more complete image.

To start with I did some basic cards but decided that I needed to do something a little different with yet another folded card.  I searched Google and ended up on Split Coast Stampers again for a recessed window card.  The link for this tutorial is here.  I also wanted to convey a message of light shining on Mary and child and the birth of Christianity.

Here is my version using the “Illuminate Stamp” and “Mary and Babe” stamp sets and the lovely silver paper from Holiday from the Heart Gift Guide. Recessed window card using CTMH November SOTM Illuminate , and Holidays from the Here are some close ups to show more details of this card. Recessed window card using CTMH November SOTM Illuminate , and Holidays from the_0002 I have stamped the image of the Mary and Babe in slate grey on the background cardstock slightly to the right of the card to take into account the lantern that would be hanging there. Recessed window card using CTMH November SOTM Illuminate , and Holidays from the_0001To create the lamp post I have stamped the image on a piece of scrap cardstock and then fussy cut out the image and then using a sharp craft knife I have cut out around the swirls on the top of the lamp post.  When fussy cutting or cutting with a knife it is very important to move the paper or card around and not your scissors or knife as you get a better result. I have used alcohol markers (buttercup) to colour in the lamp to create a little bit of colour (and create the image of light shining onto Mary and her baby) to a very serene silver/grey colour scheme.  To stamp the yellow rays of light on the base card I have put the lantern in the approximate place it would end up and then marked the spot with a pencil and then stamped with buttercup ink to create the rays of light.  I have used my Bonding Memories glue to adhere the lamp post onto the side of the card and then put two layers of foam adhesive to create the correct height of the lantern with the recessed window, and to stabilise the lantern. Recessed window card using CTMH November SOTM Illuminate , and Holidays from the_0002Using my Cricut I cut out the sentiment shape and then stamped the sentiment from “Illuminate” in black.  I also cut out the edging on the shape from Twilight cardstock and glued it onto the background shape.  I felt that it needed a little more black and balance so added the black bakers twine.  I finished off with some sparkles to add a little shine. Here are my first efforts with the “lluminate” stamp set: CTMH November SOTM Illuminate CTMH November SOTM Illuminate CTMH November SOTM Illuminate The materials I have used are:

November SOTM set – “Illuminate” Holidays from the Heart – “Mary and Babe”

Daisy White cardstock

Black cardstock

Twilight cardstock

Buttercup cardstock

Juniper cardstock Slate

Cardstock Holidays from the Heart Sparkle and Shine B&T Duos 

Buttercup alcohol markers

Black and white bakers twine

Cuttlebug embossing folder – Swiss Dots

Cricut – Art Philosophy cartridge

Clear sparkles Adhesives –

Tombow tape runner and Bonding Memories glue

This exclusive stamp of the month is only available during November. It can be yours for just $5 with a qualifying order of $75 or for $29 if ordered separately from your CTMH consultant. If you do not have a consultant please contact me or place an order in my online store.  I’d love you to leave a comment and some liking before heading off to the next stop, Monika’s blog, A Sprinkle of Glitter.

Happy Crafting Patricia