Tag: CTMH Chantilly

Australasian Close to My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

On By patriciamanhireIn Close to My Heart, Crafts, Cricut, Holidays, Paper Crafting, Stamping14 Comments

Hello and welcome aboard the Australasian Close to My Heart Stamp of the Month Blog Hop. If you have arrived here from Marianne’s Blog, Your Creative Journey with Marianne, 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.

I am really excited to finally show you what I have been doing for this month’s blog hop.  This has been a work in progress and I originally wanted to make a box for a thank you gift and it wasn’t quite what I had expected so my creative mind went into overdrive and thought it would be great to do an exploding box and use the December SOTM set and then I was all sorted for this hop.  I had done an exploding box as part of a group a few years ago for a friend who was undergoing surgery and she has still got it now as it was such a special gift.

I ended up doing two boxes – one for Christmas and one made out of Chantilly for more general purposes.

Side view of the exploding box

The inside of the box showing the three layers and the decorations that I have p

Exploding hexagonal box All assembled

To cut out the hexagon box shapes I have used the Artiste Cricut cartridge page 48 3 D object.  For the Chantilly box I have cut out 3 different sizes – 3.25, 3.00 and 2.75 inches.  The Christmas box is slightly smaller and the sizes are 3.00, 2.75 and 2.5 inches.

Using my Cricut machine has made this so much easier and I could spend more time on decorating the box.  Here is the base and as you can see I have cut up the cardstock and paper ready to put on the base front and back.

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????The dimensions I have used for the Chantilly panels are:

Bottom layer:

Outside panel – 2 1/2″  x 3″

Inside – plain cardstock panel 2 1/2″ x 3 ”

Patterned paper panel 2 3/4″ x 2 7/8″

White cardstock – 2 1/4″ x 2 6/8″

Middle Layer

Outside panel – 2 3/8″ x 2 7/8″

inside – plain cardstock 2 3/8″ x 2 7/8″

Patterned paper 2 1/4″ x 2 6/8″

White cardstock 2 1/8″ x 2 5/8″

Inner Layer

Outside panel – 2 1/2″ x 2 1/4

Inside – plain cardstock 2 1/2″ x 2 1/4″

Patterned paper – 2 3/8″ x 2 1/8″

White cardstock – 2 1/4″ x 2″

Unfortunately, the sides were not even so you may have to do a little adjusting to get an even matting.  If you are sharp eyed you will have seen I have made a mistake with the middle layer with the inside layers being smaller than what I have written here but I have given you the above dimensions to make it easier for you.

Here is the middle layer with the layers all cut out and I have distressed the edges with Desert Sand ink.

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I then adhered all the layers to the sides outside and inside.

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I then used  the You are My Happy stamp set to stamp images using Outdoor Denim ink on the White Daisy cardstock and distressed the edges with Desert Sand ink.  These were then adhered onto the patterned papers.

For the middle of the top layer I had to cut out another  hexagonal shape (2 1/2″) out of patterned paper using the base of the box.  If I had the Artbooking cartridge I would have been able to cut the hexagon from there.  However, this was a simple way to get the nice patterned paper and I just cut the sides off and it fitted very nicely.  The edges were also distressed with Desert Sand ink.

All stamped and ready to assemble

Once I had completed each layer the box was adhered together to create the exploding box.

All assembled

I cut out the top of the box out of Cotton Candy cardstock and decorated it with a lily on a lily pad and a heart shaped doily and topped it off with a dimensional tag stamped using the SOTM set Special Care.   I have got the idea for the lily from Angela Mansfield a fellow CTMH consultant.  She was very generous and gave very good detailed instructions.

Here are the instructions for the decoration on the top.

The flower has been cut from White Daisy cardstock using the  Artiste Cricut Cartridge (pg 73 accent 1)at 2 1/2 ”   – 3 layers.  I have sponged the edges of the layers and then shaped the petals using my fingers.  The 3 layers were adhered together to form the base of the lily.

For the centre I have cut 3 flowers again from the Artiste Cartridge (pg 54 Accent 3) from  Buttercup cardstock and layered them on top of each other and once again using my fingers to gently add some shape and dimension.  To complete the lily I added a clear sparkle in the centre.

For the lily pad I have cut a plain circle from the Art Philosophy cartridge (pg 21 circle1) at 3″ out of  New England Ivy cardstock.  I then cut a small wedge out of the circle and using an embossing tool I went around the edge of the circle to  create a small lip for a ruffled edge.  I also embossed some vein lines to add some more realism.  to finish off I have sponged the edges with Topiary ink.

I have cut the lovely heart shaped doily from the Art Philosophy cartridge (Pg. 70 Font layer) out of White Daisy cardstock and distressed it with Desert Sand ink.

Finally I have distressed  a dimensional element tag with Desert Sand ink and stamped the Handle With Care stamp using Topiary ink onto it.  I am really pleased with the distressed look this came out with.

Here are some close up views of the top.

Close up of the lily Close up of the tag

Materials used for this box are:

Cardstock – Cotton Candy, Desert Sand, New England Ivy, White Daisy, Buttercup

Dimensional elements – tags

Inks – Cotton Candy, Topiary, Desert Sand, Outdoor Denim

Stamp sets – CTMH SOTM set – Special Delivery, You are My Happy

Sparkles

Chantilly papers

Memory Bond adhesive

CTMH Artiste and Art Philosophy Cricut cartridges

For the Christmas box I have followed the same procedure as above but I have reduced the size of the box.

The papers used are from the Holidays from the Heart gift guide and I have teamed them with Slate and Ruby cardstocks.  I love the look of the candy cane papers.

Christmas exploding box

The rosette has been cut using the Artiste Cartridge (pg 50, accent 4).  I can’t remember exactly the sizing but I think I cut it at 2″.

The rose has been cut out of Ruby cardstock from the Art Philosophy cartridge (pg 69, Font) and the holly leaves have been cut using New England Ivy cardstock from the Art Philosophy cartridge (pg 46, Leaf3).  The holly leaves have had lines embossed and the edges sponged with Topiary ink to add some dimension. The holly berries have been cut from the Art Philosophy cartridge again (pg 64, Layer) and I have added some liquid glass to add some shininess and dimension to the berries.

I have not distressed the dimensional tag and chosen instead just to stamp the Handle with Care image using Ruby ink onto the white tag.

Inside I have decorated in a similar fashion but this time I have used the Art Philosophy cartridge to cut out postage stamp shapes (pg 24, Square6) at 1″ and stamped all the images from the Magical Days Holiday stamp set from the Holidays from the Heart gift guide in a mix of Slate, Juniper and Ruby inks.

another view all laid out Close up view of the panels using the Holidays from the Heart Magical Days Holi

Materials used:

Cardstock – Ruby, Slate, White Daisy, White Daisy

Sparkle and Shine B&T Duos from the Holidays from the Heart gift guide.

Inks – Ruby, Slate, Juniper

Dimensional elements – tags

Grey Bakers twine

Stamp sets – SOTM Special Delivery, Magical Days Holiday

Memory Bond adhesive

Liquid Glass

The Special Delivery stamp set  is a very versatile set and I would have loved to have done a baby layout with this, but as I already have scrapped my children’s baby photos I thought I would do something completely different.

This exclusive stamp of the month is only available during December. 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, Jenny’s  blog, Jen’s Creative Classroom.

Happy Crafting Patricia

Cardmaking 101

On By patriciamanhireIn Cardmaking, Close to My Heart, Crafts12 Comments

Welcome back

I apologise for being tardy with this blog post but Make Shift is now open and looking fabulous, even better than I had imagined.

As promised today’s post is cardmaking 101.  While I have been making paper crafting for many years using a lot of different techniques, including stamping,  I have become aware that a lot of the new Close to My Heart Consultants in New Zealand are more familiar with scrapbooking and have never done any cards or stamping.  So after talking to a fellow CTMH consultant I decided to do this basic cardmaking tutorial for her and them.  This is  a really basic card layout that I tend to go back to when I need  a card in a hurry, or I am lacking some imagination that day to make something different.  I also love mixing and matching coloured paper and cardstock and of course CTMH make it so easy.

Here is the finished card we will be making:

Mount onto base card and embellish as desired

The basic materials required for cardmaking are:

Basic tools for cardmaking as well as the cutter

A good cutting trimmer – I have now got the new Fiskars Surecut Paper Trimmer and I have found it to be really good.  The markings are very clear and the wire line is great for lining up for accurate cuts.  It is also much easier using inches rather than centimetres as it is easier using 1/8’s of inches instead of 10 mms or 20 mms.  Plus most of the materials we use are in inches.

Fiskars cutter close up of the markings to use when cutting paper and cardstock

Adhesive – I love using tape runners as they are so easy to use and have less mess.  Sometimes my hands are very sore and the tape runners mean I can still make at least one card.  I am loving the Tombow adhesives from CTMH as you can still reposition if you are quick but it gives a good ‘fix’ as well.  The Memory Book Glue Dots are also great to use to place your embellishments on your card – they come in two sizes to suit the size of the embellishments.  And the Liquid Glass is excellent for gluing things really quickly – it was excellent for rolling up flowers and giving a lovely finish.

A sharp pair of scissors.  Sometimes you need to trim or fussy cut (by fussy cutting I mean to trim close to the edge of an image) and a good sharp pair of scissors means you end up with a nice clean cut.  The Non-Stick Micro-Tip Scissors from CTMH are excellent and I don’t get sticky ends of tape etc on the ends which makes it so much easier to cut.

Inks – I love the CTMH ink pads as they do not go dry very quickly and give a great impression.

Stamp scrubber and spritz cleaner – I use this after every stamping.  A quick spray of the spritz on the scrubber is all you need to keep your stamps clean and at the end of the day I rinse with warm water to keep the scrubber clean for the next session.  Always clean your stamps after each use.

Stamps – I have said this before but I am loving the My Acrylix stamps as they are so great and easy to use.  I have always preferred clear stamps as I can see where I am going and I find that I am not making so many mistakes that I have to cover up.

Anyway lets start making a card!

1) Cut a piece of 6 x 12 cardstock out of a 12 x 12 sheet of cardstock.

Cutting one 12 x 12 piece of cardstock inton 2 6 x 12 inch pieces

2) Then on the long side of the cut piece cut at 8 inches

Trim the card down to 8 inches to make a single card

 

3)  Score this piece at 4 inches to give you a 6 x 4 card base.

Score the card at 4 inches to create your 6 x 4 card base

 

You will end up with 2 cards out of the one 12 x 12 sheet of cardstock with some card left over to stamp images on.  We now have base cards and envelopes available through CTMH but this is still useful if you want a coloured base card.  You can also get 3 cards out of one 12 x 12 sheet of cardstock and the instructions are on this blog: http://scraphappywithbrenda.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/3-cards-from-12×12-base.html

Two 6 x 4 card basesIt is really important to remember the dimensions of your card base as it make it a lot easier to trim down other papers and cardstock and keep the matting even.  I used to use a pencil and my eye but using a good trimmer like the Fiskars one makes it quicker and easier – especially when I don’t have to keep searching for my pencil.

Place the card to one side to keep it clean while you work on the decoration of the card – especially keep it away from ink pads and other dirty items.  (I am just saying this out of experience – lol).

3) Trim a piece of coloured cardstock to 5 1/2 x 3 1/2 – this will give you a 1/4 inch margin on the base card.

Trim long end to 5 12 inches Trim coloured cardstock to 3 12 inches by 12 inches

 

3) Trim a piece of patterned paper to 3 inches x 5 inches – once again leaving a 1/2 inch margin for your matting.  Here I have cut the patterned paper in half prior to putting on the coloured cardstock.

Trim a piece of patterned paper to 5 inches x 3 inches. Here I have also cut th

 

4) Adhere the patterned paper on the coloured cardstock.  You can use a mat with lines on it to help you line up your paper and get it straight.  Adhere the papers onto the coloured cardstock

5) Cut a strip of the patterned paper to 1/2 inch by 3 1/2 inches (here I have used a piece of scrap paper to get this strip – I never throw out useful pieces of paper.

Trim a piece of coordinating paper to 12 inch x 3 12 inches

6) Cut a strip of coloured cardstock 1 x 3 1/3 to mat the patterned paper on.

Trim a piece of coloured cardstock to 1 inch x 3 12 inches

 

7)  Adhere the patterned paper onto the coloured cardstock and then adhere this strip over the join in the paper.  I have placed the strip lower down so I have space for my stamped sentiment on the top of the card.

Adhere the patterned piece into the centre of the coloured cardstock and then pl8)  Cut a small piece of the base cardstock to 2 inches x 1 1/2 inches.  Here I have used the stamp to help measure up exactly how much I need.

Work out how much white cardstock you will need by measuring out on the cutter.9)  Stamp your image onto the piece of card.

Stamp your image on the card The stamped image10)  Cut a mat 1 3/4 x 2 1/4 for this stamped image out of the coloured cardstock.  For this matting there is only 1/8 inch trim.  Adhere the stamped image on the coloured mat.Mount the stamped card onto the coloured cardstock

11)  Adhere the matted sentiment on the top half of the card.

Adhere to the top of the card12)  Finally finish off the card with any embellishment that you think is suitable.  Remember though that less is more.  Once again here is the finished card.

Mount onto base card and embellish as desiredI hope that this tutorial is useful for you and that it gives you some inspiration to make your own cards with your own twists.  I look forward to seeing some of them on Facebook.

Materials I have used are:

CTMH Chantilly paper

CTMH Chantilly complements

CTMH You are My Happy Stamp set

CTMH Cranberry ink

CTMH Daisy White Cardstock

CTMH Sunset Cardstock

Fiskers Surecut Personal Trimmer

Tombow adhesive

Memory Book Glue Dots

I am going to look at doing another type of architectural card (probably a Christmas one – eek Christmas is not far away!) for my next post so watch this space…  Always good to challenge myself further.

Happy Crafting

Patricia

 

 

 

 

 

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