June Stamp of the Month "The Long Way Home"

Guess what monthly special stamp set is coming in June? It is called "The Long Way Home" (S1606) and is such a cute and whimsical set don't you think?

Oh I love the old VW bus with the little hearts on the side and how about that car? Reminds me of Chevy Chase in National Lampoon Vacation. Just place the bags on top of the car and we are off to Walley World :-)  

For me this is the perfect stamp set for masculine cards as well as for all these vacation photos that still need some embellishment. What would you like to use this set for? 

Well, you can buy the set for regular $17.95 or if you place an order of $50 or more on my website or via email to me, you can get the set for only $5. Awesome deal for a great set, don't you think? 



Please don't hesitate to contact me with your orders or any questions you might have.

My "Brushed" Layout in a re-designed version

Here is a layout that might look familiar to some of you who are following my blog on a regular base. Well it kinda is an old friend restyled a bit if I might say so...

So what do I mean by that. I happen to come across two of my "Brushed" layout kits. I designed these kits a while ago and thought, well, all parts are pre-cut and the design is pretty much done too so what can I do to change things up a little. Well and this is what I came up with:

I took all my parts out of the kit and put them in front of me. I looked at my old design and started to move things around. Suddenly I thought, why not change the left side of my design by cutting the big photo mat in two and cutting the flower paper square on a diagonal. Voila, here is the re-designed left side. All I added extra were these cute little butterflies.

I moved the flower ensemble between the two photo mats and added the black little stitches for the butterflies and the faux stitching around the jounaling block. 




I did leave the right page in tacked, since I really liked the many photo and journaling possibility. Only a few butterflies were added here and some of the black stitching.

Click here to see the original layout and leave me a comment which one you like better and why.

I really liked the little challenge I placed myself into and it was so much fun that I did the same with two more layouts. So stay tuned for more ideas to come...  

Please email me if you have questions or like to explore any of my classes.

Butterfly and Rose Overlay

I am a little behind with our monthly class project presentation, but since we will be on summer break soon, I am sure I will catch up.

Here is one of the cards we made in April and with the help of my awesome Cricut Explore... You didn't think we cut the butterflies and the roses by hand?

This card started with a piece of white cardstock cut a bit smaller than our base. We used the new Close to My Heart "Peacock" ink and a background stamp that looks like a watercolor image.

Next came the hard part...programming my Cricut LOL


First I picked the rose overlay from our Close to My Heart exclusive cartridges and one of the many butterflies that come with the cartridges. I made sure we had a butterfly that had a solid background and a lacy overlay. The butterfly was cut from two different shades of buttercream/ peach!

I placed the green rose overlay with foam dots to the stamped background. This gives it just a little bit more dimension. 
I then adhered the butterfly on top of the overlay. The laced butterfly was placed with two glue dots, located at the body of the butterfly on top of the solid one.

You can adhere the stamped background flat to your card base or you can use foam dots for more dimension. Perk up the wings of your butterfly and place a little banner with a phrase in the lower left corner....

Simple but pretty and a layout for many occasions.

Stay tuned for more....and if you wish to order a card or if you are interested to check out one of my classes, please let me know. You can contact me via Email just click HERE...
or leave a comment below!

Close to My Heart Specials for May...Don't forget!

National Scrapbooking Month - Happy Times

Happy Times can be yours during the month of Mary because it's National Scrapbooking Month, and Close to My Heart is offering an exciting promotion to celebrate! 

With a qualifying purchase of $60, you can get the exclusive Happy Times paper packet for FREE! 

This fun paper packet, which is available for one month only, features floral designs, gold foil details, and more! You can also purchase this exclusive paper packet at full retail for $ 14.95 with no purchase requirement. 

And don't forget, with the purchase of $60 you also quality for the Stamp of the Month for only $5!

And there is more this month:

Now through the end of May, you can save 25% on the purchase of Close To My Heart's amazing My Legacy albums! That is a savings of over $8.50 per album! Choose from our gorgeous variety of colors and patterns available in both post-bound and D-ring styles. But this offer is only available while supplies last, so place your order early to make sure you get the styles and colors you love. They're built to last and going fast.  If you ever wanted to try these albums, this is the perfect moment to get started- order yours today!

Both of these offers are valid only until May 31, 2016, so take advantage of them while they are still available..Click HERE to get to my online shop!

Frozen - Elsa and Anne - Page Layout

This is the last of the six layouts I made for customers during the Davisburg Spring crop in March. 

I had the characters done during another crop I had attended, since they need some time to adhere together. Many layers and tiny part and this takes a little time to finish.

My last layout for this set was inspired by Elsa and Anna. Do to the cutting function "mirror" on the Cricut Explore, I was able to create my characters for left and right pages. 

I picked a medium blue cardstock for the background. 
The light blue cardstock was cut down to a 10"x10" piece. When I adhered the light blue to the dark, I made sure the distances between top and bottom are the same. I placed the left piece a bit closer to the left side and the right closer to the right side. When you look at the pages right next to each other, the left, middle(both pages) and right space is equal. Hard to describe, hope it makes sense :-)

This time I used a third blue and peacock cardstock as my photo mats. I place an extra white cardstock piece on top with rounded corners. My snowflakes are added with foam dots to the page. I only place the foam in the middle of each flake, this way it is easier to tuck the pictured underneath. 

Both characters are raised with foam dot's as well since this makes them stand out from the rest just a bit.

All flakes are decorated with blue or clear rhinestones. This is a more simple design, but with all of these, you want to emphasize the wonderful characters and at the same time let your photos shine. Sometimes less is more ;) 

I did think about adding faux stitching with a white pen around the pages and maybe some doodling on the photo mats, but time was running out. You could add this to it, but I think the layout looks fine as it is.
If you missed the other five layouts from the past Fridays, click on the "Frozen" Label on the right and check them out. I would love to hear from you, so leave a comment or email me.

Come join me for a fun class on how to make your own layout matching your photos. Or, if you like to buy a layout, contact me with your wishes and for more information. Stay tuned for more layout to come....see whats new next Friday.

Spinner/ Penny Card Technique - Part 2

I hope you have enjoyed the fun blog hop this month and in case you missed it, see Saturdays post. Leave a comment and hop along to see what everyone else created...

What is a penny spinner card you might ask? It is an interactive card where an object (here a golf ball) rolls along a channel when you tilt your card from one side to the other. This channel can be a straight or curved one and it can run in any direction and you need two pennies to make the action work.

I had this super cute golfer and thought to have the golf ball roll away from him and back when you tilt the card to the other side.

I stared by stamping the golfer image on one side of my piece of white cardstock. I colored him in and added a few bundles of grass under his shoes so he wouldn't be hanging in midair. 

The size of the penny determines the size of the moving part of this card. The moving part needs to be as big or better a little bigger than the penny. 

Since my golf ball would be a little bit to small, I had to add some grass, a T and the ball on a 1" circle. Next you need two foam circles with adhesive on both sides.

Use one to adhere the prepared 1" circle to the first penny and place the second foam dot on the back of the penny.

Cut a channel where you want the item to roll along. Make sure to leave plenty of space at the end so the circle will stop with the end of your card! The width of your channel is determined by the width of your foam circle on the penny. The foam dot should move easily in the cut channel, but don't make it too big.

Next, place the 1" with the penny in the channel and the other penny on the back of the channel. Adhere the foam dot to the center of the second penny. You can test the run by moving the card back and forth. The penny assembly with the 1" cover should run easily along in the channel.

Now grab a roll of 1/2" double-sided scotch foam tape. Place a row all the way around the prepared cardstock piece. Remove cover of tape and ad a second layer of foam tape to it. Do the same along the opening of the channel to support it a little, but don't block the channel or the end of the channel, which will hinder the pennies from rolling.

Remove the tape from all foam pieces and place your cardstock onto your card base. 

Your spinner part should roll in the channel each time you tilt your card. 

Do not skip out on the foam tape! You need both layers of tape to make sure the pennies move freely.

There are many more versions of spinner and penny cards out, but these to are a great starter project. Give it a try and see how much fun they are....contact me if you have questions and don't forget to check out our blog hop! 

A Year of Card Techniques ~ May Blog Hop ~ Spinner Cards

Welcome to

Can you believe it's already month five of our year long adventure
into different card-making techniques, folds and paper crafting products.
We hope you got the chance to hop with us each month.

It's not to late to hop and comment to be entered into our prize drawing.
If you missed any of the previous months,
you can click on the month to be taken directly to the start of that month's hop.
January
February
March
April

This month we will be creating spinner cards and you won't want to miss the amazing and fun cards we've got for you today.
We really love feedback, so please leave a comment on each of the
blogs in today's hop. Each comment on the 12 hops throughout the year will be entered into a drawing for a $25 Blitsy.com gift certificate. 

Now on with the projects:

First of here is my version of a spinner card. I did a similar card earlier this year for my little nieces birthday and I fell in love with this little hippo. 

She is just perfect for this technique, since you would need an image that is symmetric and therefore lines up when you place them on top of each other.

So back and front show the same image and when you twirl the little hippo around the the thread a few times and let here go, she is dancing a little hippo ballet.

I took a little video with the first card I made and you can check the link for it on Thursdays post.

This card started as a top fold base. I cut the oval opening, place the thread and hippo inside and covered the edges with my glitter frames (inside the card as well). I cut the stripes from two different hues of pink and arranged them around the oval. Somehow something was missing! I decided to go outside the box and simply cut around the bottom of the strips and created little waves. Next I added an extra piece of white cardstock to the bottom of the inside part of the base which created a flap that is folded back in. I added another strip of dark pink to the front flap and created a nice contrast to the white base. Now all you have to do is twirl the hippo around the thread a few times and let it go...and you have a dancing hippo!

Card number two is a penny card. I found this golfer at the local craft show last weekend and he gave me the perfect base for this card. The stamp set is from Art Impressions. I stamped the image and colored it in with some watercolor pencils. I added some grass around his feet so he wasn't hanging in midair. The golf ball was a bit to small to place on the penny, so I used a larger circle and added more grass, a T and the golf ball. 

A lot of scotch foam tape on the back (you need two layers on top of each other!!!) of the image and the golf ball will roll just fine. I placed the image on a piece of embossed cardstock and onto the card base.

It is so much fun to move the card from one side to the other and see the ball roll around. I will have more detailed instruction on how I made the penny card on my blog on Monday, so check back ;-)

These cards are so much fun to make to to interact with, you have to give them a try.

If you have questions, please feel free to ask and make sure to leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you.

I hope you enjoy this months projects and as always, we all love to hear from you so please, leave a comment and don't forget to hop along :-)

Here are two tiny videos to see the cards in action. I hope this works...

The Golfer:

The Dancing Hippo:

Up next is the wonderful Denise.

Keep on crafting and don't forget to comment!

Have a wonderful day

Claudia

Here's today's line-up in case you get lost along the way

Theresa ~ http://scrapsbygracie.blogspot.com
Debbie ~ http://pawstoscrap.blogspot.com 

Sharon ~ http://piece-ofheart.blogspot.com

Lisa ~ http://lisaslittlerascals.blogspot.com

Kim ~ http://katydidcards.com
Claudia...Your are here!
Denise ~ http://www.craftconfectionery.com

Jearise ~ http://lorbysworld.blogspot.com

Spinner/ Penny Card Technique - Part 1

This months technique is a really fun one to try and I decided to create of of each card for the spinner and the penny card.

Let's start with the spinner card first:

In my case I picked the super cute Hippo from the Close to My Heart "Safari Ballet"(A1180) stamp set. It is perfect for this technique, because you can stamp the image  twice, cut it out and they both will fit together to create a back and front. Any stamp that is symmetric will work for this technique.

I first created my card base. Next for my project I picked an oval shape, but you can pick any kind. I made sure the oval is bigger than my spinner (hippo) part. Create a cut out where you would like to see the spinner part.

Next I used some glitter paper and a one size bigger oval die to create a frame for the cut out.

I stamped my hippo twice and colored it in with some alcohol markers. You can use any coloring medium for your project. I cut the hippos out and started to assemble the spinner part.

I turned my card base so the fold is on the top and the oval is facing me. I used some thin metallic thread (I bought at Michael's) and bundled like three threads together. I placed small pieces of red sticky tape on the top and bottom center of my cutout. Place the thread bundle on top of the sticky tape. Make sure the threads are placed in the middle of the oval and pulled tied. I covered the threads with another layer of sticky tape and cut the overhanging pieces off. 

Use a nice coat of liquid adhesive on one of the glitter frames and place it around the opening, covering up the sticky tape and threads. Now open the card and place the second oval frame on the inside of the card around the opening.

I took the first cut out hippo, placed it face down on my craft mat. I placed a strip of red sticky tape in the middle of the hippo backside from head to toe. Now move the hippo underneath the threads in the center of the oval. Now ad a good amount of liquid glue to the other hippo cut out and place it on top of the thread and the second one.....kind like a hippo sandwich with a couple of thread pieces in between ;-)

Finish your card and before you sent it out, spin the hippo around the thread a few times (wind it up) and hold it down while placing the card in the envelope. Once you remove the card and open it the little hippo will twirl around.

Check back on Monday for directions to make the penny card....you can see both finished cards on the blog hop on Saturday.

I did make a similar card a few months ago and in the video attached to the post you can see the hippo twirl....CLICK HERE to see it again!

Mothers Day Card with "La Vie en Rose" paper

We all celebrated Mothers Day on Sunday and here is a little example of one of the cards we created in my card class.

The lovely paper that we used as the base of this card is from our Close to My Heart paper collection "La Vie en Rose" (X7201B). This paper is truly gorgeous since it is a real shot of beautiful flowers. 

And since you can't have enough hearts for your mom's we cut this cut little heart collage with the Cricut by using one of the exclusive Close to My Heart Cricut cartridges. 

We added a Cricut "Happy" cut out and a matching ribbon to the card and this little gift of love for our mom's was done.

 Well, ... almost! We can't leave the inside of the card blank, can we? I found this wonderful phrase in a set of Anna Griffin stamps and thought it perfectly describes what our mom's mean to us... the world and so much more!

A few heard's inside and outside finishing of this card.

Stay tuned for more to come...

May Constant Campaign Special II

All the Albums

Now through the end of May, you can save 25% on the purchase of Close To My Heart's amazing My Legacy albums! That is a savings of over $8.50 per album! Choose from our gorgeous variety of colors and patterns available in both post-bound and D-ring styles. But this offer is only available while supplies last, so place your order early to make sure you get the styles and colors you love. They're built to last and going fast.  If you ever wanted to try these albums, this is the perfect moment to get started- order yours today!

This offer is valid until May 31, 2016

Frozen - Sven - Page Layout

Remember the first layout of Frozen I published on the blog? No, well check it out HERE.

The wonderful glitter paper with the pine trees in the background I used in the first layout was actually cut in half. In this new layout I used the second half of it. I just can't waist anything and these cute deer's are a great compliment to Sven.

Sven, like the other characters used in my layouts were cut with the Cricut Explore. All characters are made up of different layers and tiny pieces. Lot's of work if you never assembled one, but so worth it. 

I found a matching piece of cardstock that would work with the glitter one on the left side. I tried it on a white background, but I thought this was too blank. Instead I used a dark grey cardstock for my base. The dark color brings the glitter and deer really to shine. 

Sven is so impressive he didn't really needed much embellishment. So I simply decided on the amount of pictures I planed on using for this layout and matted them on Close to My Heart peacock cardstock. I place my snowflakes randomly on the page. Some tucked under the photo mat or cut in half and added to the sides of my mats. 

Any white mat can be used for photos or journaling. I added three strips of whit paper to the left side which can be used as titles or journaling as well. A few rhinestones in the middle of the snowflakes and spread out on the pages will finish this one off.

How do you like my Friday "Frozen" series so far? Interested in creating your own layout? Would you like to buy or make one? In any event, just contact me for more information. I would love to hear from you. 

"La Vie En Rose" - Mother's Day Card

While I was working with my Close to My Heart paper pack "La Vie En Rose" (X7201B) I thought this paper would make the perfect Mother's Day card too. 

The theme of this months blog hop "Shaker Cards" was the basic idea for this card. Please check out the "how to create the shaker portion" post... HERE!

And in case you missed last months hop...click here to see the details!

I used a simple frame for the shaker part, so the beautiful flower paper would show up the best. I stamped the "Happy Mother's Day" phrase with VersaMark embossing ink on the black cardstock and embossed it with super fine white embossing powder. I kept the shaker filling very neutral by using only a few clear mini glass beads and sequins and a few white and silver sequins. I also used a little white/silver glitter sprinkles. These things as flat and I tried before to place them inside a shaker as shaker material.....

Learn from my mistake...Don't do it!!! 

This things will clinch to your acetate/plastic sheet due to static reaction. They will not shake or fall down ever!

Instead I used them in a little different way here. Before I filled the shaker material inside, I used a glue pen and place a little of the glue around some of the leaf edges. Then I sprinkled the glitter over it, press it down a little and got rid of the excess. The glue keeps the glitter in place and prevents any static reaction. 

Last but not least, I had a little paper leftover and decided to cut out a few of the roses. I draped them into one corner and adhered them flat and with foam dots to the front.

If you have questions or like to join a class, please feel free to email me.

There is more coming up...stay tuned. 

May Constant Campaign - Happy Times

National Scrapbooking Month - Happy Times

Happy Times can be yours during the month of Mary because it's National Scrapbooking Month, and Close to My Heart is offering an exciting promotion to celebrate! 

With a qualifying purchase of $60, you can get the exclusive Happy Times paper packet for FREE! 

This fun paper packet, which is available for one month only, features floral designs, gold foil details, and more! You can also purchase this exclusive paper packet at full retail for $ 14.95 with no purchase requirement. 

Additionally, Close to My Heart has designed a coordinating D-size stamp set, MY Acrylix "Happy Times", to go with the paper packet, which you can purchase for $17.95. There's never been a better time to treat yourself to some beautiful new paper!

And don't forget, with the purchase of $60 you also quality for the Stamp of the Month for only $5!

Date: Offer valid May 1,  2016 - May 31, 2016

The new Seasonal Expressions Book 2 is available

Today is the day...

the brand new 

Seasonal Expressions Book 2

is available!

CLICK HERE and check the new book out online. Want your personal copy of the book? Contact me for more information on how to get your copy!

Get yourself a cup of coffee/ tea, sit back, relax and start browsing through the new book. 

Have fun and leave me a comment here what you like about the new book or what you might not (I am sure there is not much to dislike ;-) ).