Cricut Expressions!

Good morning!! It's a windy one out there, so you better batton down the hatches!! The neighbours tree came down and took out our back fence...I've been wanting a new one! LOL! Oh well, what can ya do.

So, I got a Cricut Expressions for Xmas!!! I LOVE it! Last night we had Keith's parents to go to for Xmas dinner and gifts, so we made a couple cards to take. Ashleigh made the angel and the horse. This thing is SO neat! I didn't go to nutty on them, I made are for my nephews...lol! They just want what's inside and can't blame them for that!

Hope this post finds you all safe and sound and hope you all had a wonderful Xmas!

Karen

Warm Holiday Wishes...

To All My Friends and Followers;

Best Wishes This Holiday Season!
Karen

Grab & Go!

I just had to share this! Amy, for whom I do daycare, gave me this for Christmas today and it's the COOLEST new addition to my scrapbooking totes!! It comes empty, but look at all it can hold! I can't wait to fill it up!! I love it!!

You can find it at http://www.creativeoptionscrafts.com/

EDIT: I've recently found out that you can find this little gem at WalMart and it comes in different sizes!

Pillow Box Gift Card Holder

Good morning!! Well, that was alot of snow over the last couple days! They say we're in for some more from Tuesday into Wed evening. Santa won't have any trouble with his sleigh this year, that's for sure!

Last night I had to come up with a neat idea to hold a gift card. I had bought a 10 pk of pillowboxes back in the August sale and decided to come with something using one of those.Here's what I came up with and I'm quite happy with it!

Materials: (all CTMH unless otherwise noted)

• Aspen paper pack
• Pillow Box
• Clear Embossing powder
• embossing stamp pad
• Heat Gun
• 'Say It In Style' stamp set
• 'All Decked Out' stamp set (swirls on the tag)
• 'Holiday Red' ink pad
• 2x2" block and 4x4" block
• snowflake punch (michaels)
• glitter writer (michaels)
• adhesive
• quickutz tag die

Instructions:

• trace the pillowbox pattern onto the aspen paper, cut out and adhere to the pillow box
• cut a strip of about 3/4" (I eyeballed this part to the space in the tag), this goes through the tag, looks like ribbon
• cut out your tag using your cuttlebug or machine of choice
• stamp image on tag
• stamp the image you want to emboss on the tag using your emboss pad and then add your clear embossing powder, heat till it goes clear
• adhere tag to your pillow box
• add your glittered snowflakes and put your gift card inside and you're done!

Gift Box

I had to come up with something to hold a bag of white hot chocolate that I had bought as a gift. I couldn't find it in stores, so went to Bulk Barn and bought it that way and put it into a nice gift bag. Still wasn't happy with the whole presentation thing. So, I decided to try my hand at modge podging a box. I found an old box and voila!! I think it turned out ok!

Materials:

• CTMH 'Deck The Halls' (retired) paper pack and stickease
• modge podge (michaels)
• foam brush (dollarama)
• Ornament stamp (I think it's by Stampendous? This one is from a make and take I did in Bolton)

Instructions:

• Modge podge one side at a time: do the box, then the side of the paper you are putting on the box and continue doing all 4 sides.
• Once this is done, you can now go around to each side and MP again, over top of the paper.
• Add your top piece and follow the above instructions.
• Add your embellishments of choice!
• On the tag attached to the hot chocolate, I added the instructions on the backside.

3x3 'Flurries' Gift Tag

I made this using a stamp from Michaels and the 'Snowflake' cuttlebug embossing folder. The card is cut from white CS in 3x6", scored at 3" to make the 3x3" card. I used CTMH 'White Daisy' ink on this one.

TIP: White Daisy takes a bit to dry, so best to do it and leave it to sit an hour or more. I left mine overnight.

3x3 Santa Gift Tags

These are the tags I made using the Santa face (see instructions below)

'Happy Hanukkah'

Ashleigh's teacher celebrates Hanukkah, so I wanted to do a special card for him as well as for another teacher that Andrew had for Gr 5 and still keeps in touch with. Both of these teachers are amazing teachers and have taught our kids about Hanukkah as well as given them dreidle's (I hope I spelled that right) and taught them how to play. It's actually a really fun game. So, I came up with this card. I hope they like it.

Materials:

• CTMH 'Shalom' acrylic stamp set
• CTMH 'Simple Stitches' acrylic stamp set
• CTMH embossing pad
• CTMH silver embossing powder
• CTMH glitter stack (no longer available)

I used the silver embossing powder to make the menora and then I used a fine tipped glue pen to add 'fire' (gold glitter) to the candle flames.

'Happy Birthday' Big Buckle Card

I made this card for my cousin and found the instructions on a fellow CTMH consultant's blog, www.clearlyinspired.blogspot.com. I find this card fun to do, as you can tell, I've made a couple!

Materials:

• CTMH Paper Garden paper pack
• CTMH glitter stack (no longer available)
• Hemp (WalMart)
• Cupcake stamp
• Stampin' Up! window punch

This card is called a 'Big Buckle Card' and you can find the instructions for this one at http://www.clearlyinspired.blogspot.com/ and at the top you'll see a search bar, type in 'big buckle card' and you'll find Kim's video tutorial. It's very easy to follow and the card is fun to do!

Materials:

• CTMH Evensong paper pack
• CTMH glitter stack (no longer available)
• Stampin' Up! window punch and circle scallop punch
• Hemp (walmart)
• CTMH acrylic stamp ' Festive Frills'

'Between Friends' Layout

This is another of my favourites. This is a retired paper pack from Close To My Heart. It came with the matching Stickease and I just layered the photo's and added them in. This particular paper pack is called a Level 1. All the spots are marked for you to add your photo's. I had never used one before this layout. I still prefer my Level 2, which is just paper and you cut and add where you like, but this was fun to put together. Again, another very simple layout.

'Fabulous Fall' Layout

This is another layout I did for a contest. This layout design is from the Close To My Heart 'Cherish' book. This is a MUST HAVE for all you scrapbookers out there!! I was an avid scrapper till just this past year, when I started to venture more into cards and things.

Materials:

• CTMH 'Expedition' Paper Pack
• CTMH 'Summers Wave' acrylic stamp
• CTMH 'Fabulous Fall' acrylic stamp
• Natural hemp (walmart)
• Leaf embellishments (dollarama)

'Birthday Party' Layout

This is a layout I did of my daughter's 'Cabbage Patch Kids' first birthday. We had to bake a cake and sit down and have a little party, so I HAD to scrapbook it!

Materials:

• Paisley paper from Michaels
• Primary cardstock paper pack from Michaels
• Scallop Punch - Stampin' Up!
• Yellow Ribbon
• CTMH 'Baby Miracles' acrylic stamp set

Snowman Layout

Tuesday after school, in the rain, Ashleigh and I built our first snowman of the season. I think it's my first snowman in many seasons!! I'm not much of a winter person, but you know what? It was a lot of fun. We were soaked when we were done, but we had a great time. Of course, Ashleigh's the only one in the pics, someone has to take them! All the while I was thinking LAYOUT!!

For this layout I used the CTMH Aspen Paper pack and Stickease. Sweet and simple, but perfect for the occasion!

Photo Coasters

My first attempt at coasters using photo's and modge podge and I think it looks pretty good! This is actually a Christmas gift order. I got the tiles from Lowe's, Modge Podge from Michaels and I used a sponge brush to apply. I applied a layer on the tile first, then on the back of the red paper and adhered that and once it was tacky, I applied MP over the top of the photo..also added a little brad and tag with puppy's name. MP'd over that as well.

Starting In January 2009!!

Starting in January, 2009!!!

Stay tuned for new classes, new clubs and new kid's ideas!! Want to keep up to date? Subscribe to my blog, or let me know by emailing me at wilson_familyof4@hotmail.com and I'll add you to my blog list to have posts emailed to you directly, then you'll never miss an upcoming event!!!

"Get Well Soon"

This card is done using the "Serendipity" paper pack. This was a CTMH campaign set, so is no longer available. You can find the instructions to do an accordian card at http://www.scor-pal.com/ and look in the gallery and under accordian cards. I used my scor-pal for this one and I have to say, it's a must have!! Makes making cards and any kind of scoring SO much easier!!

Close To My Heart - Monthly Club Night

Good morning! I just wanted to pass a little something along to those of you who love to do paper crafting. (scrapbooking, card making, altered items...)

Starting January, I am going to be running a monthly CTMH club from my home. Here's how it works:

1. Depending on the amount of ppl that sign up, you commit to come for that many months. For example - 8 people sign up, we commit to 8 months. (we get together once a month)
2. Your commitment entitles you to buy a minimum of $20 per month (before taxes and S&H), of CTMH products (this could be a little more if there's less ppl)
3. Each month we will have a hostess of the month and you get to receive minimum $30 in FREE product!! **$190-$299 in sales = $30 FREE hostess product**
4. On your hostess month, if you can bring in some extra outside orders, that will boost YOUR FREE product!
5. Hostess brings a snack on her night and I provide the beverages
6. You will get to do a great little make and take each club night
7. Club members also get a deal on the new CTMH Idea Books when they come out!
8. Bring your own stuff to work on, share ideas and most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Sound like something you would be interested in? Contact me at wilson_familyof4@hotmail.com and reserve your place as space is limited.

If needed, I will definately run more than one club so that I can accomodate everyone!

Just beginning to get into scrapbooking?? COME ON OUT! I have lots of tools for you to use, lots of great idea books, PLUS we can all share our ideas! Don't be shy, come on out and play!

"Thinking Of You" Card

Have you ever seen the 'House-Mouse' stamp sets? They are SO cute! You can see them at http://www.house-mouse.com/ and you should have a look. Anyway, I got my first House-Mouse stamp set from my cousin, for Christmas. This is my first card that I made using it and I LOVE the way it's turned out.

I used watercolor paper and stamped it with staz-on and then used the CTMH watercolor pencils to color it in. Then, it's hard to tell here, but I used (alot of!) liquid glass to make the far look like glass and then also added some to the lollipops the little mice are licking.

Materials Used: (all CTMH unless otherwise noted)

• watercolor pencils
• blending pen
• liquid glass
• 'cottage' edge anchors
• 'say it in style' acrylic stamp (thinking of you)
• cuttlebug 'divine swirls' embossing folder
• 'colonial white' ribbon collection
• CS from the Boom Di Ada collection
• distressing sandpaper