Cherish The Day Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to November's {Cherish The Day} Stamp of the Month Blog Hop! This month the featured stamp of the month is S1111-Cherish The Day, a set of 44 images!  Below are the images in this stamp set.

If you have come here from Vicki Price's blog, you are on the right path!  I am the first stop for this month's hop! You can find a list of all the partipant's (in case you get lost) here: http://bowlofstamps.blogspot.com/p/sotm-blog-hop-list.html  This month we have almost 60 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this classic set. The hop is simple to follow - just click on the link provided in the post to move to the next blog!

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My item is a treat/favor holder created with the new Believe Paper Pack (Workshop on the Go).  I am SO loving the CTMH Cricket Art Philosophy cartridge with over 700 images and the ability to make many 3D projects like this one!

Supplies used: S1111 Cherish The Day Stamp Set; G1024 Believe WOTG; Kraft card stock; Black & Holiday Red Exclusive Inks; CTMH Cricut Art Philosphy Cartridge; Red Sparkles; Sparkle Brads (retired); Sweet Lear Grosgrain ribbon; Hershey Hugs.

Time to hop on over to Helen Onulak's Blog to see her beautiful eye candy! Be sure to visit all the Consultants' Blogs to get some great crafting and other fun ideas! Remember, the SOTM is only available until November 30th! Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set for $5! Here we go!

Happy hopping!

Christmas Card Class & Faux Bow Tutorial

Last night I had a really fun class with 5 new ladies that I met for the first time.  None of them had ever stamped before so I wasn't completely certain we would make it through 3 cards.  There were a lot of new things to learn with these cards.  First off, I have to give credit to Vicki Wiznuik, a Canadian consultant shared her fabulous card ideas on the consultant board.  My changes are ever so slight.  Here is what we did:

The first card we created had lots of glitz glitter!

Next we moved to something that had a little texture.  I also demonstrated that with CTMH's white core card stock that you could sand the texture ever so slightly to make it pop even more.

And finally, we got to make a faux bow which makes a lovely gathered bow.  Doesn't it look like the most perfect bow?

So, how do you make this lovely faux bow?  Note that any picture (above/below) you can click on it to see more detail.

1.  For this ribbon (which is 1" wide) I started with a 10" piece of ribbon, a button (2 holes is easier to do this), and some hemp or waxy flax (I prefer the waxy flax).

2.  Take the left end of the ribbon and cross it over the center of the ribbon and take the right end of the ribbon and cross it over the center:

3.  Through the top of the button insert the waxy flax and come up through the second hole but leave the waxy flax loose forming a big loop.

4.  Insert your ribbon (for pix #2 above) through the loop.

5.  Now tighten the waxy flax forming a bow but leaving the waxy flax just loose enough so you can adjust the bow:

6.  When the bow is adjusted the way you like, tie a single knot in the waxy flax or if you are using hemp you will have to tie a double knot to hold it.  Trim waxy flax down to about the width of the button.

7.  Trim the ends of the bow and voila, you have the perfect faux bow!

Now if that isn't the easiest bow I ever didn't tie!

SHARING FROM THE HEART Blog Hop

Welcome to the Sharing From the Heart Blog Hop! Grab your coffee, sit back and enjoy all the great projects from 13 ladies we've got for you today!! The hop goes in a complete circle so you will end up here or where ever you started when you are finished. 
We have several different themes so you'll be getting a good variety today!!  You have probably arrived from Jody Gustafson's blog and the next stop after here will be Kristine Ponte's blog. 

Below is my artwork featuring FALL FLING ideas!  It is a 6" x 6" card.  I just love the Dreamin' papers and have been itching to used them!

A closer look showing the dimension:

Supplies:  Harvest Happiness Stamp Set; Dreamin WOTG kit;  Pacifica, Cocoa, & Colonial White Cardstock; Goldrush, Pacifica & Chocolate Exclusive Inks; Colonial White Designer Ribbon Collection; Shimmer Designer Brads; Piercing Tool

My card was inspired by a sketch from Viva La Verve Week #2  on Split Coast Stampers:

Now, hope on over to Kristine Ponte's blog and see what beautiful eye candy you will find there!  Thanks for stopping by today!  If you get lost along the way, below is a list of participants.  Enjoy!

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Diana Soling http://mystampingspot.blogspot.com/
Adeline Brill http://adeline-brill.blogspot.com/
Deanne Jacobs http://deannestamps.blogspot.com/
Elizabeth http://www.ejoym.blogspot.com/
Heather Hunt http://creativecoconut08.blogspot.com/
Jody Gustafson http://cre8nmemories.blogspot.com/
Kathleen Androlewicz http://bowlofstamps.blogspot.com/ - YOU ARE HERE
Kristine Ponte http://kponte.blogspot.com/
Lela Norris http://lilola4life.blogspot.com/
Stephanie Thompson http://www.voicespast.com/
Tammy Smith http://c2mh.blogspot.com/
Tamytha Jenkins http://paperheartist.com/
Wendy K. http://www.myscrapbookingblog.com/

Blog Award - Oh My Gosh!

Oh my gosh! Sarah Batkin, whose beautiful and inspirational blog is Sarah Batkin's Legacy of Love, awarded me this darling blog award back on September 19th.  I finally got a day off where I was going back through my email trying to catch up and noticed that she had awarded this to me.  Thank you Sarah!  Thank you so much!!

Liebster is German for "favorite" or "beloved".  So essentially it translates into "Favorite Blog".  The award is sent to blogs that have fewer than 200 followers.  It recognizes the "little blogs" out there and helps to draw more followers . . . something every blogger wants, right?

And here is the best part:  As part of accepting this award, I get to pass it on to 5 blogs.  I can think of a lot more so this is not going to be easy recognizing only 5.  So, here are the blogs I have chosen to recognize and why I would like to recognize them:

Nancy Brown, Creatively Artsy Card Gallary.  I learned so much about layering from Nancy. She has some seriously beautiful cards and amazing Etsy cards.

Sheila Bennett, Sheila's Stamping Stuff.  Sheila has a great blog!  She is pretty much a consistent poster to her blog and she inspires me to do more!!

Adeline Brill, Welcome To My Creative Place.  Adeline was one of the original people who inspired me to blog!  She is one creative lady!

Melinda Everitt, If You Bling It They Will Come.  Melinda always has some fun projects and fun artwork!

Olena Dundee, From My Hands, To Your Heart.  I love Olena's layering techniques.  She has beautiful artwork.  As a MojoMonday fan, I've admired Olena's blog for a long time!
All of these ladies are SO talented and I hope you will visit them and enjoy their beautiful artwork as I have!

October Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to our October Stamp of the Month Blog Hop featuring S1110 Holiday Magic, a set of 18 absolutely darling Holiday stamps!

If you have come here from Helen Onulak's Blog, you are on the right path!  You can find a list of all the partipant's in case you get lost here: http://bowlofstamps.blogspot.com/p/sotm-blog-hop-list.html

This month we have nearly 60 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this month's SOTM and other great CTMH products on their blogs. Blog hopping 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!

Now "Hop" on over to Beth Naumann's blog to see her beautiful eye candy! Be sure to visit all the Consultants at their Blogs to get some great crafting ideas and other fun ideas! Remember, the SOTM is only available until October 31st!  Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set for $5!

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Below is one of the ways I decided to use this stamp set.  It is a 5" x 7" size card.  Note that you can click on the picture to see details.

Here is just a closer look at the detail (showing the sparkly brads (retired) and the sparkles.

Supplies:  Holiday Magic Stamp Set; Believe Workshop of the Go Papers; Black, Sweet Leaf, White Cardstock, Topiary, Sky, Black Exclusive Inks; Clear Sparkes, Red Sparkles; Glitter Brads (Retired); Border & label punch from SU; Spellbinder Dies; Quick Cut Scallop Die & Spellbinders Circle Dies.

Compatibility with CTMH Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge:  I was doing some playing around and found that you can cut the perfect outline shapes with your Cricut for the stocking stamps setting the size to 3-1/4".  The cutting shape is found on page 67 and it is the shift key + 7th key on bottom row.  See below and click to see detail better:

For the Christmas tree/banner (however you use it).  I had to make a height and width adjustment.  I use Cricut Design Studio because I'm a visual person and it just works so much better for me.  Anyway, I set the height to 3.5" and the width to 2".  The cutting shape is found on page 31 and is she shift key + 1st key in 2nd row.  See below and click picture to see detail better:

So that's why I've got a cutting machine!

Halloween Banner

My last workshop turned out to be a lot of fun.  We made a Halloween banner and it didn't take a lot of time and turned out pretty "spooky".  I wanted to make one similar to the one in the Idea Book in the Mischief Workshop on the Go (WOTG) section, but I didn't want to use up all my paper packet to do it.  I also didn't want to make everyone buy the WOTG packet just to make the banner.  So, we ended up using only one sheet (from the consultant bulk paper package) and 1 sheet of Black CS.  I added in some Sunset paper.  Okay, here is my true confessions.  I am a ribbon and embellishment hoarder.  So, it wasn't too hard to come up with those finishing touches.  So, here it is (click to see more details):

Below are the individual pennants:

Supplies:  Mischief WOTG kit; Mischief Workshop Stamp Set; All Hallow's Eve Stamp Set; Sunset, Olive and Black Cardstock; Black and White Exclusive Ink; Silhouette Creative Basis B&T papers; Cricut Art Philosphy Cartridge (letters); Black Mini-Medley Accents; Sparkles (skull eyes); Pearl opaques, liquid glass; Martha Stewart Scary Fence Punch; Theresa Collins Black diamonds (on the "k").

I think I'm ready for Halloween now!

Treat Bag using Cricket Art Philosphy Cartridge

There are so many amazing images on the art Philosphy Cartridge--700 to be precise!  This is one of the boxes that you can cut from this cartridge using the Mischief papers.  It took about 15 minutes to create! 

And one more view

Supplies:  Mischief WOTG kit and stamp set; Mixed Shapes Dimensional Elements VersaMark, Clear Embossing Powder; Sunset Exclusive Ink; Liquid Glass; Black Organza Ribbon and Orange Organza Ribbon.

Below is a pictures of some of the amazing shapes on the CTMH Cricket Art Philosophy Cartridge (click to see details):

I just love the 3D flowers and the doilies are so amazing.  I never knew you could get such detail from a cutter!