Wednesday, October 17, 2012

CTMH Alcohol Markers

One of the hottest new products in our latest catalogue is our new Alcohol Markers. For those of you who like to color in stamped images -- these are an affordable and versatile tool to add to your collection. In addition to coloring in stamped images, our alcohol markers can be used to add color directly on to your stamps as well as color in embellishments such as paper flowers or sparkles/gems. The following video shows some great ideas using the new CTMH Alcohol Markers. For $5.95, you get two, double-tipped markers -- so, two colors, four tips for under $6!

Friday, September 14, 2012

National Stamping Month Promo

-Only until September 30, 2012-

Just a quick note -- don't miss out on the amazing promo. There are only a couple of weeks left to snap up this FANTASTIC stamp set - only $5 with any $35 order! If your order if over $50, you may also take advantage of the current Stamp of the Month - two promos on one order!

To celebrate National Stamping Month in September, we are bringing back our popular double stamp set promotion! You can get the exclusive, new My Acrylix^® It’s Your Day double stamp set for just $5 when you place a minimum order of $35 in full retail products from August 15 through September 30, 2012. You’ll love this double set—two D-size sets in one envelope—which includes nearly 50 trendy images that makes it easy to capture the everyday moments in your life. The double set has a retail value of $35.90, which drastically increases the value of your qualifying purchase! Have twice the fun stamping during National Stamping Month with our new, exclusive It’s Your Day double stamp set!

Have a look at the video below for some fun ideas! Give me a call at 780-875-8780 if you have any questions or would like to get this stamp set before it's gone! You can also e-mail me at molson@mcsnet.ca.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

New Catalogues are Here!

I have been completely "captured" by summer! Between holidays, yard work, running with children, etc, my blog postings have taken a bit of a hit! I hope to get back into the routine of regularly posting some "creative motivation".

My shipment of new catalogues has arrived! It is IMPRESSIVE!! If you'd like a copy of the idea book, send me an e-mail or give me a call and I will get one to you. There are so many wonderful new items!

Foremost though, we have a new Cricut cartridge! It is called Artiste, and it is an amazing collection of images.

Like the Art Philosophy cartridge, it is offered as a collection, complete with three co-ordinating stamp sets as well as chip board shapes. Have a look through the idea book here. It is loaded with a ton of creative inspiration!

Also featured in the catalogue are 8 brand new paper packs, new Workshop-on-the-Go kits (some specifically for card-making and some specifically for scrapbooking), 6 new colors (our color palette has changed from 60 to 40), over 50 new accessories (including burlap ribbon, new wood shapes, glitter gel, chalkboard shapes, journal spots, etc.), new my creations albums and project kids, as well as workshop kits for home decor projects. Incredible!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Last Chance to Get FREE Dotty for You Paper!

Spring has Sprung! As a result, I have been spending a lot more time outside doing yardwork and gardening. While I absolutely love it, my blog posts have taken a bit of a hit! I plan on getting back on top of things as soon as possible, but in the meantime I wanted to remind you that our Dotty for You promotion is ending on May 31! If you haven't taken advantage of it yet, don't let it pass you by! This paper pack is amazing and so versatile, and for only $5 you get 24, yes 24, double-sided sheets of cardstock! It is a fantastic deal, and you only have a couple of days to get it! I also love it that you only need a $35 purchase to take advantage of the offer! See the promo details below!!

* * * * * *

Dotty for You!

Grab a Dotty for You paper packet at an incredible discount or even FREE!

Celebrate National Scrapbooking Month in May by mixing and matching to your heart’s content with our new Dotty for You paper packet! The trendy patterns on the front of the papers coordinate perfectly with the dots on the reverse side, giving you lots of options for crafting colorful layouts, cards, and other projects. Dotty for You includes 24 specially designed, coordinating B&T Duos^® sheets (2 each of 12 patterns) and an artwork idea insert to get your creative juices flowing.
There are three ways to get this exclusive Dotty for You paper packet, valued at $19.95:

Place an order of $35 or more in products from the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book between April 17 and May 31, and add the Dotty for You paper packet for just $5*.

Host a Gathering with a sales total of $400 or more (excluding tax, shipping/handling, and Operation Smile^® donations) between April 17 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.

Join Close To My Heart as a new Consultant between April 1 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Mother's Day Card using Art Philosophy Cartridge and Florentine Paper

Yes, I know it's a little late but I wanted to share this quick and easy card I made for my Mom on Mother's Day. I spent the weekend scrapbooking with my sweet friend Nancy, and I couldn't help but set a little time aside to making this card. My Mom is a gardener, so flowers were definitely "in the mix", not to mention the Florentine Paper! I actually purchased a gift and card with my siblings, so it wasn't necessary for me to even give her a homemade card, so I kept it very simple.

I cut the card base using the Art Philosophy cartridge. It is 4" x 4".

Inside Shot

Supplies (all are CTMH unless otherwise noted)

Paper: Florentine Paper Packet which includes Colonial White Cardstock
Embellishments: Just Blooms Paradise Paper Flowers (Z1710), Filigree Charms (Z1269), Bohemian Assortment (Z1687), Opaques Pearl Gems (Z1336).
Stamps: Trinity Alphabet (E1021), Mad About You (Dec. SOTM)
Ink: Creme Brulee, Desert Sand

Monday, May 7, 2012

Friendship Card using Footloose Paper and May Stamp of the Month

I was determined to make a friendship card using the new May Stamp of the Month - Friendship Bouquet. This set can be purchased this month ONLY for $5 with any $50 order, or for $17.95. Please pardon my fingers and the shadows in the photo. I really wanted an outdoor shot, but the wind was NOT co-operating! Supplies and exact dimensions can be found at the bottom of this post.

I generally add color to stamped images by using a watercolor pen or blender pen with chalks or ink pads. When you do that, you have to make sure you stamp your initial image with something that is not going to smear when you add your color. Usually, I use my Staz On ink pad, but I didn't have mine handy. I opted to stamp with Versamark and then emboss with black embossing powder. I actually prefer this method when adding color, as the embossed image then has a slight border. When I was a kid, I disliked coloring a picture and "going out of the lines", and this definitely helps prevent that.

To do my coloring on the sunflower image, I just pushed the lid of my stamp pad against the stamp pad.

Then, I used my blender pen to pick up the ink off the lid and color in my image. I don't use copic markers, so this is my way of adding color to an image. I enjoy using this technique as it is very forgiving, and you end up with a "watercolor" like image.

When choosing my paper, I thought I would grab the Florentine collection, but after looking through my "stash", I decided that using any floral paper with this image would take away from the sunflower. I decided on the Footloose paper! I love the yellow B&T paper in that pack-- it is casually elegant. I kept the layout super simple, and I am happy with the result. Don't forget to distress the edges of each section with a sponge and some ink. It disguises the seem between each paper piece quite nicely.

Paper Dimensions:

Colonial White Card Base: 4-1/4" x 5-1/2"

Yellow B&T paper: 4-1/4" x 1-1/2"

Sweet Leaf (green) paper: 1-1/2" x 4"

Speckled B&T paper: 2-3/4" x 4"

Colonial White (for image): 2-1/2" x 3"

Supplies (all are CTMH unless otherwise noted)

Paper: Footloose Paper Packet (X7151B)
Embellishments: Pearl Opaques (Z1333), Color-Ready Seam Binding Ribbon (Z1732)
Stamps: May Stamp of the Month - Friendship Bouquet (S1205A)
Ink: Olive, Desert Sand
Embossing: Versamark, Black Embossing Powder, Craft Heater

*** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ***

May Stamp of the Month

This set is gorgeous and can be easily used for both cards and scrapbook pages.

You can purchase it for $17.95, or only $5 with any $50 order!

You may ALSO take advantage of the Dotty for Your Promotion!

Dotty for You!

Place an order of $35 or more in products from the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book between April 17 and May 31, and add the Dotty for You paper packet for just $5*.

Host a Gathering with a sales total of $400 or more (excluding tax, shipping/handling, and Operation Smile^® donations) between April 17 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.

Join Close To My Heart as a new Consultant between April 1 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Florentine Birthday Card

I think the CTMH Floretine paper pack is absolutely beautiful - so delicate and pretty! This card came together very quickly as I had my sewing machine sitting nearby! I chose my two favorite papers and made the four strips, glued them together and then stitched around the perimeter. I then added some stitching between each piece so the seam wasn't so obvious. I used the CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge to cut sentiment frames, flourishes and flowers. I also added a Paradise Paper Flower (Z1710) and some Pearl Opaque gems (Z1336). I popped some parts up using 3D foam tape to add some dimension. The sentiment is from a set that comes in the Cricut Art Philosophy Collection. Voila! I will also be entering this card in one of the H2H Challenges.

* * * * * * * * *

May Stamp of the Month

This set is gorgeous and can be easily used for both cards and scrapbook pages.

You can purchase it for $17.95, or only $5 with any $50 order!

You may ALSO take advantage of the Dotty for Your Promotion!

Dotty for You!

Grab a Dotty for You paper packet at an incredible discount or even FREE!

Place an order of $35 or more in products from the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book between April 17 and May 31, and add the Dotty for You paper packet for just $5*.

Host a Gathering with a sales total of $400 or more (excluding tax, shipping/handling, and Operation Smile^® donations) between April 17 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.

Join Close To My Heart as a new Consultant between April 1 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

3 x 3 Card Box Using CTMH Florentine Paper

I really wanted to make a cute and delicate box of cards using the new Florentine Paper from CTMH. I picked up this little 3"x3" box at Walmart for only a couple of dollars, but it's amazing how adding the right paper and some embellishments can turn it into something beautiful! I will be using this project as a doorprize, so when I made the cards, I was sure to provide for a variety of occasions and to keep the design quite simple. I used the Art Philosophy cartridge to cut out the papers flowers, flourishes and sentiment piece. A list of supplies can be found below.

The flourishes (green) were cut using the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge (Pg. 60, <Font Layer><Tag4> at 1" and 3/4") as well as the sentiment tag (Pg. 53, <Square4> at 2".

These flowers were cut using the Art Philosophy Cartridge (Pg 50, <Flower8> at 1.25" and 1.5").

I included this picture to again stress the importance of distressing your paper edges with ink.

I kept the card layout very simple, but wanted to include sentiments for a variety of occasions.

Have fun creating something beautiful this week! And I also must mention that I will be entering my first H2H challenge with this project. Wish me luck!!

Supplies (all are CTMH unless otherwise noted)

Paper: Garden Green, Florentine Paper Pack (X7153B)
Embellishments: Pearl Opaques (Z1336), Bohemian Assortment (Z1687)
Paradise Paper Flowers (Z1710), Lace Ribbon (Stampin' Up)
Stamps: Remarkable Wreath (C1473), Wonderful You (W332)
Ink: Creme Brulee, Garden Green, Sunset
Cartridges: CTMH Art Philosophy

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

April Stamp of the Month

This month features the stamp set You Are . . (set of 15). It's retail value if $17.95, but with a $50 purchase, you are able to purchase it for only $5! This is a fantastic stamp set that works well for both card making and scapbooking!

Dotty for You!

This month also marks the beginning of our Dotty for You Promotion!

Snatch a Dotty for You paper packet at an incredible discount or even FREE!

Place an order of $35 or more in products from the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book between April 17 and May 31, and add the Dotty for You paper packet for just $5*.

Host a Gathering with a sales total of $400 or more (excluding tax, shipping/handling, and Operation Smile^® donations) between April 17 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.

Join Close To My Heart as a new Consultant between April 1 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Gift Card Holders - Quick and Easy! Video Included

When I first saw this idea, I just fell in love with it! These gift card holders are super easy to make and are a fantastic way to present a gift card. I love how you can personalize them and change them up depending on who you are giving it too -- much like a card! Instructions can be found below, dimensions can be dowloaded as a pdf here, but I also created a brief video with instructions (lovin' this little web cam!). If you have trouble clicking on the youtube video box below, here is the link.

These are the supplies you will need (pictured below) as well as the dimensions for each of your pieces.

Base:
4-1/4” by 10”
(scored at 3”, 4”, 5” and 8”)

Patterned Cardstock or Co-ordinating Color:
4 pcs. 2-3/4” by 4”
2 pcs. 1-3/4” by 4”

Band:
1” by 7”
(scored at 2” and 5”)

One of the trickiest (not really difficult at all, but requires a pause and extra thought) is creating the slot for the gift card to go into. Once you have scored your cardstock and folded it accordingly, be sure to apply your double sided tape to the correct spot as shown below. This allows you to trim the top of your gift card "mountain" and thus creating the gift card "slot".

Once your tape is on, flip this piece over and push the gift card "mountain" together.

Only the tiniest, little strip needs to be trimmed off the top to create the slot.

Once all the pieces are assembled, your finished gift card holder should look something like this:

Here are a few more examples I have recently created.

The sky is the limit here! Using a variety of embellishments, patterned paper and even corner punches, you can make your gift card holder unique and personalized. If you have any questions, you can send me an e-mail at mystudiowithaview@gmail.com or comment below. Have fun!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Cool Tip Tuesday - Making Ink Color Sample Sheets

Wow - what a whirlwind! My kids were off for Spring Break and blogging definitely seemed to take the back burner! I can't feel bad about it though because we really made use of their holiday time as they truly relaxed and did what they enjoy. Hopefully, I will be back at it for a while now!

Today's tip is very quick, but I find it to be very valuable. I find it incredibly helpful to have Ink Color Sample Sheets. Whenever I acquire new ink, I always add it to my color sample sheets. I am a highly visual learner and seem to want to SEE everything I have at my disposal. This doesn't always help when you have limited surface space, so this is a nice compromise! A video is also included below.

I have included the pdf of the Ink Color Sample Sheet template, so feel free to download and use it.

For those of you that are not familiar with the term "second generation stamping", I will provide a brief explanation. Second generation stamping is when you stamp an image a second time without re-inking your stamp. I have included a video below which shows this technique, as well as how I made my ink color sample sheets.

Quick tip - but as I said, I find it to be very useful and valuable. Take care!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Sketch Day - Easy Card Layout Idea

When I saw this card sketch at Stamping 411, I knew I had to use it! I thought it was super simple and you could use different shapes to give it your very own flavour.

As you can see here, I used the same layout, paper and colors, but I changed up the sentiments and embellishments. The result is three similar, yet unique, cards for three different occasions! Super easy!! I simply cut 1-1/2" squares and rounded the opposite corners on each piece - this essentially gives a "flower" effect. On the first card, I did not sponge the edges of each piece and I believe you can really tell. The next to were sponged and seem to have much more dimension to them. I have included the supply list below.

Supplies (all are CTMH unless otherwise noted)

Paper: CTMH White Daisy, MME Darling Dear
Embellishments: Bitty Sparkles, Clear Sparkles, Sunset Buttons, Rhinestone Designer Brads, Natural Hemp
Stamps: Remarkable Wreath (C1473), Little Reminder (Jan '12 SOTM), Art Philosophy (comes with cartridge)
Ink: Sunset

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Cool Tip Tuesday - Putting Your Cricut Cartridge Handbooks on your iPad, iPod or iPhone

I did up a little instructional video on how to put pdf versions of all your Cricut Cartridge handbooks on your iPad. The process will also work with your iPhone or iPod. I like to browse the handbooks to shop for my next cartridge purchase -- the box NEVER does a cartridge any justice! I also like to flip through my handbooks while we are travelling so I can re-acquaint myself with the images I have, and plan my next layout. I know, I am a die-hard :)

If the link above does not work for you, you can try here:

Video - Putting Your Cricut Cartridge Handbooks on Your iPad, iPhone or iPod

As I am new the video process, please excuse my lighting (and any glare), as well as my overuse of "ummm". I'll try my best to get better at this!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

April Stamp of the Month

This month also marks the beginning of our Dotty for You Promotion!

Dotty for You!

Snatch a Dotty for You paper packet at an incredible discount or even FREE!

Place an order of $35 or more in products from the Spring/Summer 2012 Idea Book between April 17 and May 31, and add the Dotty for You paper packet for just $5*.

Host a Gathering with a sales total of $400 or more (excluding tax, shipping/handling, and Operation Smile^® donations) between April 17 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.

Join Close To My Heart as a new Consultant between April 1 and May 31 and receive a Dotty for You paper packet FREE.