January 2014 Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Happy New Year everyone as we ring in 2014!  Welcome to the January Stamp of the Month Blog Hop!  This month the featured stamp of the month is S1401 Cross Stitch Wishes--a set of 13 images.  Below are the images in this stamp set that is available only thru December 31st.

If you have come here from Haley D's blog you are on the right path! You can find a list of all the participants (in case you get lost) here: http://bowlofstamps.blogspot.com/p/sotm-blog-hop-list.html.
This month we have over 50 Close To My Heart Consultants sharing their creations using this 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 standard size card.  I used this week's MojoMonday's sketch #236.  Seems like I rarely get the time to do any of their sketches unless it's a weekend. So this was fun for me!

Here is the Mojo sketch I worked from but keeping my card a rectangular standard size card:

Below is what I did with the inside of the card:

 

Papers:   Sparkle & Shine WOTG kit; Black and White Daisy Cardstock
Stamps:  S1401 Cross Stitch Wishes
Ink:   Ruby, White Daisy Pigment Exclusive Inks;
Embellishments: Red Shimmer Trim, Base & Bling Red Jewels
Other:  Cricut Artiste Cartridge

Time to hop on over to Dawn Heuft'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 thru January 31st! Contact your CTMH Consultant (or click here) to see how you can get this stamp set for $5!

Happy hopping!

Christmas Workshops - Part 2

The second Christmas Workshop this year was the annual Christmas card workshop with the new Sparkle & Shine papers only available until December 31st (as are all the Christmas stamps in the Holiday Mini Gift Guide).

This workshop was from Vicki Wiznuik, an amazingly talented Canadian consultant.  There were 5 styles of cards.  The first set is done with the Striped side of the bulk paper.  Here is the result:

The second side was done with the polka dotted side of the bulk paper. What a different look!

Papers:   Sparkle & Shine WOTG kit; Ruby, Juniper, White Daisy cardstocks
Stamps:  C1567 Santa Clause; C1559 Always Grateful; A1115 A Holiday
Ink:   Ruby, Juniper, White Daisy, Black Exclusive Inks
Embellishments:  Clear Sparkles; Color-ready seam binding ribbon; white ricrac; Prisma Glitter;
Other:  Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge; Spellbinders decorative scalloped rectangle dies

It was fun to get together, relax, and create cards!  Happy Holidays, Everyone!
 

Christmas Workshops - Part 1

I am finally getting around to posting the Christmas workshops we had in November.  First is that adorable paper rosette Christmas tree.  Using the Cricut Cutter carefully, this little tree took a whole packet of the Sparkle and Shine Christmas paper:

Here is a close-up of the top of the tree....

Here are instructions to create this tree--note that it uses about 12 sheets of 12x12 paper:

Supplies:  x7176b Sparkle & Shine paper pack (or paper pack of your choosing);

               C1567 Santa Clause Stamp Set

               Cricut Cartridges:  Artiste, Art Philosophy, Art Booking

               Red Shimmer Trim; Pack of Black & Grey Glitter paper (for snowflakes)

               Ruby Chevron Ribbon; Z1893 Base and Bling Red Jewels
               Glue Gun; skewers

Instructions:

1.  Artiste:  p. 50 - Shift + 3D Object + cut the following:

Row 12:  (2) strips at 1.0” - red

Row 11:  (2) strips at 1.25” – stripe

Row 10:  (2) strips at 1.50” – juniper

Row 9:  (2) strips at 1.50” – red

Row 8:  (2) strips of 1.75” – stripe

Row 7:  (2) strips of 1.75” – juniper

Row 6:  (2) strips of 2.0” – red

Row 5:  (2) strips of 2.0” – stripe

Row 4:  (2) strips of 2.25” – juniper

Row 3:  (3) strips of 2.25” – red

Row 2:  (3) strips of 2.50” – stripe

Row 1:  (3) strips of 2.50” – juniper

Stripe Paper:                Juniper Paper:             Red Paper:

1.25” x 2                       1.5” x 2                         1.0” x 2
1.75” x 2                       1.75” x 2                       1.5” x 2
2.0” x 2                         2.25” x 2                       2.0” x 2
2.5” x 3                         2.5” x 3                         2.25” x 3

2.  Artiste:  p. 79 – Shift + Accnt1 + - Snowflakes

3.  Artiste:  p. 79 – Shift + Accnt4 + 2 at 2.5” - Decorative circle shape (Juniper paper)
4.  Art Philosophy:  p. 21 – 1 each of 2.25” and 2.0” – Circle Shape (Strip & Juniper paper)
5.  Art Philosophy:  p. 61 – Shift + Decorative Layer + 1 of each 1.75” and 2.0” (cut only if you are doing the other trees) Tree top flower
6.  Artbooking:  p. 74 – Shift + Icon + 1 each of 1.25” and 1.125” – Merry Christmas Title Stamp (White Daisy CS)
7.  Punch out twenty four circles with the 1-1/4” punch.  These will be used for the rosette rows top and bottom.

Assembly:

8.  Plug in hot glue gun so it is ready to use when needed.
9.  Create the rosettes by fan-folding each of the cut pieces.  To put the rosettes together, glue the last fold to the first fold of each strip to create one long strip matching up the holes as you glue each piece together.  Finally, adhere ends of strip together to form a circle.  Set circle on a flat surface push top edge towards the middle so that it lays flat.  Push outside edges of the flat circle towards the middle and hold in place.  Add hot glue around center of rosette and add cardstock circle.  Turn rosette over and add a second cardstock circle using hot glue.  Try to keep the hot glue from the center of each rosette so that you can skewer each layer thru the center to anchor it in place.
10.  Repeat using information above for the sizes and quantity of strips for each layer.

Note: Some layers have the same size and quantity of strips. You will need to push the sides of the rosette in a bit more on each layer to create the layered effect.

11.  As you anchor each piece to the skewer, the skewer will stand above the tree a few inches.  You will anchor the topper to the skewer as well.

12.  Tree topper shown is created from the pieces cut in numbers 3, 4, 5, & 6 above.  It is then adhered to the top of the skewer with hot glue.  Create a bow with ruby Chevron Ribbon.  Add a glitter snowflake on a pop dot.  Then add a ruby jewel from the base & bling red jewels. Hot glue to the skewer just above the last rosette layer. 
13.  Topper assembly:
           a.  Start with piece cut from #5 above and glue largest circle cut in #4. 
           b.  Cut two strips of red shimmer trim so that they will extend outside the circle by ½” to ¾”.

c.  Criss-cross strips over the center of the circle piece to create the effect shown.

d.  From #4 glue the smallest over the red shimmer strips.

e.  Add the stamped Merry Christmas (I used 3D dimensional tape)

Add ons: Use things such as glitter snowflakes, twine, and circle punches to create garland, add other embellishments, or make additional rosettes to use as Christmas tree ornaments.

Maybe you'll get a chance to try one of these and do something for Valentine's day or Easter!  

Color Dare #72 Challenge

I have been wanting to do the Color My Heart Color Dare challenges; however, I never get things done in time to make the deadlines.  Well, with some extra time on my hands this week, I am taking on the challenge.  This week's challenge is:  Barn Red.

You are allowed to use neutral colors but no other colors.  My neutral colors were Slate, Whisper, Cashmere and Colonial White Exclusive colors:

This next picture is showing some of the dimension (I love dimension)!

Finally here is the inside of the card:

Papers:   Huntington WOTG kit; Barn Red, Cashmere, and Colonial White cardstocks
Stamps:  C1567 Santa Clause
Ink:   Barn Red Exclusive Inks; Whisper, Slate, and Barn Red Alcohol Markers 
Embellishments:  Clear Sparkles; Bronze Shimmer Trim; Liquid Applique; Prisma Glitter;
Other: Art Booking Cricut Cartridge; Spellbinders decorative square dies

You still have a few days to try this  challenge and I encourage you to do so!