Lovely Layers for a 70th

One of my amazing drama and crafting friends turns 70 today! Of course I had to make her a card and I knew I wanted to to be bold and bright, just like her.

I looked through some of the flowers in the Flower Market CTMH Cricut cartridge, and decided to use one of the layered flowers as a focal point. I added some white ink splatter behind the flower and framed it with some white enamel gems.

I then cut the number 70 out of some leftover floral paper from the Vacation Paper Packet that was on special a couple of months ago, as I thought the colours all worked really well together! I also added some white splatter behind that just to tie in with the theme and anchor the number to the card.



I'm linking this card up with the Lovely Layers challenge at Heart 2 Heart- I miss being on their design team but love having the chance to play along with them again! I’m also joining in with the Just Add Ink challenge as heir beautiful rainbow flower inspired me to add the bold flower to this card.

Hello Twins!

I am usually not a huge fan of pink and flowers, but the new Hello lovely range from CTMH has won me over.

I loved a recent photo of me and my sister so much that I had to scrapbook the story behind it, and the Hello Lovely paper packet worked well with the colours in the photo.



I finally got to use some of the Hello Lovely floral complements, and picked out the Fern and Sorbet tones to match. The zip strips from this paper packet are beautiful too!



Of course, I had to use the new twin themed stamp set, Twins Rule, to stamp these cute sayings onto the layout.



I used one of the larger alpha stamps to create the title, and then added another sentiment from the Twins Rule stamp set underneath.



The soft greens and pinks and the floral complements make this layout so girly- perfect for me and my sister! If you have a project with Hello Lovely, you can link it up at this week's Hello Lovely challenge over at Heart 2 Heart.

Featured Products Blog Hop- Hello Lovely

Hello and welcome to our CTMH Featured Products Blog Hop. This week our featured product is the Hello Lovely range.

If you have just joined us you can start here and continue on, as this is a circular hop or if you get lost along the way you can find the complete list at the end of this post.   If you came here from Annette you are in the right place. Now on to my project:

I decided to make a quick card to say thank you to my mother in law for all the babysitting she did for me over the school holidays while I worked. I used the beautiful floral paper from the Hello Lovely Paper Packet paired with Sorbet and Sea Glass cardstock. I added some white twine to the card and stamped the sentiment on White Daisy cardstock with Sorbet ink.



Thank you for checking out my project. If you would like to purchase our featured product of the week or any additional supplies you can buy them here. If you enjoyed my project please comment below as we love feedback! Next on our blog hop is Corinna. Make sure to check out her amazing work featuring this same product.

Complete list of blogs participating:

1. Corinna Murphy

2. Annette Clark

3. Lauren Moore

A Tie-riffic Dad!

This week, the theme of the Heart 2 Heart Challenge is The Ties That Bind.

I immediately thought of Father's Day coming up, as I had a fun tie scrapbook layout idea in my head.

Here is the layout, ready for photos to be added from Father's Day.



I added in some of the Zoe Complements, as well as adding the stamped date to the journal strips.



I know I will get at least one funny photo, so I have added this sticker plus a wooden star. The blue sequin was stuck in the star, so I decided to leave it there as I thought it looked rather cool!



The tie was cut on my Cricut and I have cut the title into the patterned paper.

I am also linking this layout up with the Scrap Our Stash Challenge, as I was inspired by the Dad theme, the stars and the blue of the boy's shirt. 

Reindeer Bells Bags, Tags and Cards

The final challenge of the year at Heart 2 Heart Challenges is Gifts from the Heart.

I think that gifts are always better with a fancy gift wrap and matching card, so I set about creating a cute set of gift tags, bags and cards for my last minute everyday gifts this year.

I used the retired Seasons Tweetings gift bags, and then created some matching tags and cards using what I had on hand.



Each tag has a different motif, and I also embellished some of them using the Gold Sequins and Red Enamel Gems, with a few items also cut from the Cricut.



Finally, I made these quick matching cards to go with each bag- three of each design. I used the inners of the sunburst borders for each card- use every little bit!



I am so pleased with how these turned out, just waiting to be filled with chocolates or any other little treat.

How do you create Gifts from the Heart? Link you creation here.

CTMH supplies used:
Cardstock: Ruby, Topiary, White Daisy
Embellishments: Gold Fundamental Assortment, Gold Sequins, Red Enamel Gems
Ink: Black, Desert Sand, Ruby, Topiary
Stamp sets: Fill In The Blank-Holiday, Reindeer Bells

A Change in Seasons

It is now Spring here in New Zealand, and so my focus for this week's Heart 2 Heart Change challenge is to celebrate the change in seasons!

I created this card by stamping this flowers and leaves with Versamark ink on Watercolour Paper, then clear embossing. I then used my watercolours to paint over it. 

I added a Cricut cut sentiment and I was done- I love this watercolour look and it is so easy to do once you have the right tools.

We would love to see your take on the prompt "Change"- link up here!

Pretty with Poppies

Look at this gorgeous colour inspiration for H2H's weekly challenge!

The colours suggested to go with this inspiration board are Topiary, Lagoon, Glacier, Sunset and Cranberry if you are using CTMH products, but we want you to make this mood board your own and be inspired!

I absolutely knew I wanted to make a poppy card, as poppies are quite significant here in New Zealand and I love the poppies that bloom by my mailbox in spring.

I used a free poppy SVG file, cut the image twice and layered it. I lightly sanded the edge of each petal and then swiped each petal edge over my Cranberry ink pad to give some extra dimension. I then added a strip of Zoe paper down the side and a sentiment from one of my favourite stamp sets. I finished off the poppy with a leaf swirl and some bling in the middle.



I loved this card so much I had to make two!



We would love to see your take on this colour challenge- what will inspire you?

CTMH supplies used:
Cardstock: Black, Cranberry, Lagoon, Sunset, Topiary, White Daisy
Embellishments: Base and Bling Black Jewels
Ink: Cranberry, Lagoon
Paper Packet: Zoe
Stamp set: Lovely Birthday

ABC Blog Hop- Q

 
Welcome to the Everything ABC's Blog Hop!

For this hop we will be featuring the letter Q. This may be the name of a paper, a stamp set or an embellishment. Whatever the crafter has chosen as their # element will be featured in their post.

If you came from Darlys then you're on the right track!

My Q background technique uses Quarter Circles. This is a fabulous technique for using up your last scraps of patterned paper.

Begin by cutting or punching 18-26 2" circles, then cut each circle into four pieces. You should end up with a lovely pile like this. I used a mix of patterned paper, cardstock and Fundamentals paper and picked out scraps of yellow, red, pink, green and blue.



On your scrapbooking or card base, start to create this pattern. You can do as many across as you wish, but I like three as a border feature.



Keep going, alternating patterns and using different tones of your colours. I try not to put the same colour or pattern too close together, which is why you may want to punch more than 18 circles to give you a lot of variety.



Keep going until your page is complete!



The circles provide a great base for smaller photos, or as a main feature on your page with a photo off to the side. Bonus points if you know who is in the large photo with me!



I didn't need to add much to this page, but I did stamp an Avonlea PML card with a stamp sentiment, and accented with our new green glitter triangles.



Here is the completed layout- the quarter circles really do make an impact!



Your next stop on our Everything ABC'S blog Hop is Linda of Scrappy Therapy.

In case you get lost along the way…go to Scrappy Therapy for a complete list of participants!

CTMH supplies used:
Cardstock: Canary, Cranberry, Lagoon, Whisper
Embellishments: Enamel & Glitter Duos Green Triangles
Ink: Slate
Paper Packets: Blossom, Brushed, Chantilly, Fundamentals Whimsy Assortment, Heartstrings, Jubilee, Lollydoodle
Picture My Life: Avonlea 
Stamp set: Documenting Moments

Artistry Blog Hop

Welcome to our special Artistry Blog Hop!  We will be featuring the new Artistry Cricut Cartridge from Close To My Heart, featuring over 700 fantastic icons, overlays and layered decorative elements.

 If you have come here from Michelle's Blog, you are on the right path! The blog hop is a great big circle, so you can start here and work your way all around.  If you get lost along the way, you’ll find the complete list of participating consultants on Melinda’s Blog.

This month we have 30 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using the new Artistry cartridge and other great CTMH products on their blogs. This is simple to do - just click on the link at the end of the post on each blog to move to the next one! Here we go!



I made a double page Picture My Life spread of my son's cross country race at school, and the Artistry cartridge provided some fun extra touches to the spread.



The 123 banner was a perfect addition to the page, which I backed with some washi tape.



This overlay coordinated beautifully with the star theme of this page and the Chalk It Up PML in general, and I also added a piece from the Chalk It Up Complements and some journalling on the cards.



The Artistry cut arrows make a fun border on this photo, and take your eye to the next page.



The right hand side of the page shows my son finishing the race.



This GO icon was also cut using Artistry, and can be made with our without a matching blank panel to put under it. I opted to let the photo show through, but you could back this with any colour or trim you wish.



I used the overlay from the other page to create a stencil for this piece, and sponged over the overlay using Lagoon ink. I love that overlays can be used like this, and Artistry has so many of them! I also added some more Chalk It Up Assortment stars. The PML card also had a few embellishments added from the Chalk It Up Complements and the Zoe Complements.



This journal card from the Chalk It Up PML didn't need much, but I did add a vellum piece from the new Zoe collection as I love my son's big happy smile!



I had so much fun using the Artistry cartridge to add some extra pizzazz to a PML layout- the possibilities with this cartridge are endless and would work well on any type of paper crafting project, as you will see when you go through the rest of the hop.

Now "Hop" on over to Maria's Blog to see her work! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this amazing cartridge.

Birthday Bash

This week's H2H Challenge theme is Birthday Bash. I always love to celebrate birthdays, and scrapbook as many as I can.

This particular birthday was very special as it was a 60th celebration, and we had guests from all over the world attending. I used a mixture of Blossom and Confetti Wishes papers to create this colorful layout.

 some faces have been blurred for privacy reasons

I used the Cricut to cut out the journalling tag, and used the happy that was leftover from an Artfully Sent card to do the title.



The sentiment was stamped directly onto the paper- I love this stamp set!



We would love to see your take on Birthday Bash at Heart 2 Heart Challenges- click here to play along!

CTMH supplies used:
Cardstock: Canary, White Daisy
Embellishments: Gold Sequins
Ink: Thistle
Paper Packets: Blossom, Confetti Wishes
Stamp set: Lovely Birthday

August Newsletter

August is here, and with it some brand spanking new products that are available this month to help bridge the gap between Ideas Books. I am so excited to be sharing my upcoming classes and events with you, which you can view at the bottom of this post.

Artistry Cricut Cartridge
Brand New & Available August 1! Cost $165.50 for the cartridge OR $135 for the Digital Cartridge
Our newest cartridge includes shapes spanning a wide variety of themes, holidays, and seasons to add some visual spice to any project you create. Get back to basics with the unique font, banners, layered shapes, borders, backgrounds, and other fun icons you'll find on this cartridge. All of the designs are a must for any crafter!

Cricut® Artistry Collection (Z3167) or Cricut® Artistry Digital Collection (Z3190)
1 – Cartridge (700 images: Shapes, Layers, Banners, Borders, Backgrounds, and Font)
3 – My Acrylix® D-size Stamp Sets
1 – Enchantment Cardstock Combo Pack

Amazing New Products
Available as of August 1:
My Reflections™ Zoe Paper Packet (X7197B)
Zoe Complements (X7197C)
Zoe Assortment (Z3082)
Coral Shimmer Trim (Z3088)
Enamel & Glitter Duos Green Triangles (Z3123)
Workshops on the Go® Zoe Scrapbooking Kit (G1096)

Constant Campaigns
During the month of August, get your hands on the latest and greatest in organization products from Close To My Heart—with a few perks thrown in! Simply place an order for the new marker roll-up at full retail price and receive the new D-size stamp set My Acrylix® Balloon Wishes FREE! Or place an order for the new accessory roll-up at full retail price and receive two new Base & Bling style sheets, Affirmations and Lovely Blooms, FREE! All of the items offered as part of this campaign are featured in the Annual Inspirations 2015–2016 idea book, but are available for early purchase during August only as part of this campaign. The marker roll-up will be your new best friend, providing storage space for up to 25 ShinHan™ Touch Twin™ markers. The My Acrylix® Balloon Wishes stamp set is perfect for colouring, making them a practical pairing. The accessory roll-up is ideal for sorting and storing accessories, Base & Bling items, and embellishments, while the new Base & Bling style sheets are full of gorgeous floral designs and hip icons and sentiments perfectly suited for creating stunning jewelry pieces. Place your order for one—or both—deals and get an exciting sneak peek at just a few of the many new products found within Annual Inspirations’ pages! For more information or to purchase these sets click here.

Stamp of the Month
Only available this month for $5 with a $75 purchase or for $33 without additional purchase!

Upcoming Events

Seaside Boxed Card Gift Set
Friday 28th August, My Studio, 7pm

You will make an adorable gift box and 2 each of 3 card designs (6 cards total) with coordinating envelopes to go inside. You will get everything precut for you, as well as full packets of products so that you can take home the leftover parts of the paper packet and embellishments to use on other projects.

$50 for the full kit, which includes:
•My Creations Journaling Cards Box
•Seaside Paper Packet
•Oceanside Sequins
•(1) 12" x 12" Colonial White Cardstock
•(6) Colonial White Envelopes
•(6) Colonial White Card Bases
•(6) Cricut cut flowers
•(6) Cricut cut leaves
•Step-by-step instructions
I will provide additional supplies to create and finish this project as well as supper.
RSVP and payment required by Friday 14th August. 

Bingo Catalogue Launch

This is the first time I've done a BINGO night for Girl's Night Out and I'm looking forward to it! We will be playing bingo and each winner will win brand new product. After each win, we'll put together a project with BRAND NEW PRODUCT from Close To My Heart's new Annual Inspiration released September 1st. Each project will be pre-cut for fast and easy assembly. There is no better way to sample the new stuff! Everyone will go home with FOUR projects AND the brand new Annual Inspirations Catalogue valued at $8.50.
PRIZES PRIZES PRIZES!!
I've got some wonderful Close to My Heart products that my Bingo Winners (Valued at $15 and more) will be getting and I'm saving the best for last!! A Grand Prize valued... at over $50!! PLUS, everyone will have the opportunity to purchase additional Bingo cards to increase their chances of winning that GRAND PRIZE.
You will want not want to miss this event!
Here are the details:
DATE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH
TIME: 6:30 PM
PLACE: THE CASHMERE CLUB
FEE: $35
You MUST RSVP and pre-pay for this event.
Deadline for RSVP and payment - August 17th.
Thank you to Gina for allowing me to share this wonderful idea.

CTMH Retreat Weekend at the Cashmere Club

A 3 day extravaganza with plenty of food, fun and free time to craft. 

Friday 18th September 7-9pm Drinks and Drop-Off

Saturday 19th September 9:30am-10pm Crop 'Til you Drop

Sunday 20th September 9:30am-4pm Sunday Scrap-a-thon

Prize Draws

Demonstrations

Make and Take projects

New Product displays

Retreat only specials

Make Your Day Raffle

Time to craft

$110 including lunch and dinner on Saturday, continuous tea and coffee, morning and afternoon teas,welcome goodie bag and lots of extras! Sunday lunch and alcohol can be purchased at the restaurant.  Pre-registration- secure your spot for only $15

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL $95 (less $15 pre-registration)

Confirm and pay by 5th August. 

More info and classes on my Facebook page!!
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Lauren Moore
Close to My Heart Independent Consultant
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