Want Summer?

This card was made by one of my club members Jeni. I taught her paper piecing. If you don't know what that is... it's a fun, easy, and yet can be challenging if done with tired eyes that stayed up till 2am. By the way don't you just love that stamp set!! Oh I want it... not sure who its from or whats its called...

This card, I made while Jeni was doing her own. It involved chalk embossing or at least that's what I am calling it, paper piecing, and lots of laughter... :-)


To do the Chalk "Embossing"
Stamp your image using Versamark
Then take your desired chalk colors and using an applicator tool or even a q-tip color in and around your image as desired.
In some cases, I use a clear acrylic spray to help seal it.
But mostly when I mail them I put a photo sleeve over gives it more of a professional look to it.

To do Paper Piecing
It involves stamping your image twice, once on a plain Cardstock, & the other on B&T paper (B&T= Background & Texture)
Using your scissors trim out the piece or pieces you want out of your B&T paper
Then apply them to your plain Cardstock image.

Paper Piecing is time consuming, but is worth all the Oohs & Aahs!!
Feel free to share your paper piecing with me... :-)

Awesome Sites that I have been visiting... Check these out!!

Free Paper Piecing Patterns--> Summer
Ideas for fun crafts & more--> add origami or other fun idea to your scrapbook project
Make fun homemade Christmas cards that look like custom snow globes
Folding a rose for scrapbooking

Busy Busy being Creative...

BonVoyage Card: I used scraps from varies projects and used ricrac ribbon on a dimensional elements arrow, turned out pretty cool I think!

This is my example for the Buttons, Buttons & More Buttons challenge for July!!

Buttons & Bows: I used chalk on these b/w photos to pop some color, to help tie them into the layout. Cute pictures!


Family Adventures Layout: I found everything but the main 12x12 CS at Archivers in there Clearance racks... I love things on Clearance!!


Summer Layout Left, used beads as the bling on this layout. This whoops a daisy paper pack is growing on me... Did this 2 p. Layout for June Club


Summer Layout Right, used True fit folios


Beach Babes Layout Left: Used the Laid Back paper pack
Did this 2 p. Layout for June Club


Beach Babes Layout Right


Peace & Birthday Cards has a Mardi Gras feel to these.. Needs a feather or two don't you think...

Starry Night Background/ Salt Background

Starry Night Background:
Apply about 3 drops of Embossing fluid to a clean toothbrush.
Turn the brush upside down and use your finger to spray the embossing fluid onto the cardstock.
Use a very light hand.
You will find that you have a lot more than you expect.
Pour embossing powder over, dump and heat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Salt Background:
Spray matte cardstock liberally with water.
While still wet, run a brayer loaded with dye ink over the cardstock.
Cover with sea salt.
If necessary, spray on more water.
Allow drying.
When dry, brush the sea salt off.

Stamp on Salt Dough fun for Kids too!

Make up a batch of “Salt Dough”and let them stamp in it—this is really easy and really cool!
You can stamp dry and then paint it when the dough is hard, or you can stamp ink directly into the soft dough and let it dry.

I would use two batches for 25 students.

Salt Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour (not self-rising)
1 cup Morton Salt
1 cup water
Food color optional

Combine flour and salt. Mix well. Form into a ball by mixing in a little water at a time. Knead 7-10 minutes, until the dough has a firm, smooth consistency. Add a little more water if necessary.

Roll with a rolling pin or let the children roll it with a smooth bottle or can etc.

Press the stamp into the dough. Cut out around the shape (can us a plastic knife).

Poke a hole with a toothpick if it will be something strung or hung.

Bake on a foil-covered cookie sheet at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool, then paint with water color, acrylic, or enamel if you haven’’t stamped with color.

You can also just let the dough sit for a few days on a screen to dry, turning it once in a while—it won’’t be a nice brown color though.

Have fun!! My kids love doing this... and it washes off your stamps with warm water!

*NEW* Close To My Heart Videos

Did you miss seeing Close To My Heart’s recent appearances on PBS? Or would you like to see them again and share them with your friends? Well, it’s now possible! CTMH is making web videos available that demonstrate fun tips, techniques, and product highlights as seen in video segments from the PBS show “Scrapbook Memories.” Every few weeks they will add more episodes from “Scrapbook Memories” or PBS’s “Paint, Paper, and Crafts,” so you and your friends can watch them at your leisure.

(Don’t forget the popcorn!)

To see these informative and entertaining web videos, simply visit any MyCTMH website or www.closetomyheart.com and click on “CTMH TV.”

Happy viewing!

Tutorial: Milk Cartons

Milk Carton directions by Katie Vaughan

Start with a sheet of cardstock cut to 7x11 dimensions.
Step-by-Step

Score at 2", 5" and 6 1/2" on the short side of the cardstock.
Turn cardstock 90 degrees and score at 2 1/2", 5", 7 1/2" and 10" on the long side of the cardstock.
Arrange cardstock with the long side at the bottom of the work surface.
Now cut on vertical scores lines ( 2 1/2", 5", 7 1/2" and 10") up to the first horizontal score lines.
This will make the bottom of the box.
Cut part of the 1" scored strip on the left hand side, leaving only the 3" piece to create a glue tab for the sides of the box.
On the top of the box, cut the third panel of the 1/2" x 2 1/2" rectangles off as pictured. This will be the milk carton spout.
On the remaining three 1/2" x 2 1/2" panels, use a stylus and ruler to add a score down the middle of each panel.
Use ruler and stylus to add diagonal score lines to the box as shown.
The lines have been traced with a marker on the back side of the cardstock here.
Stamp cardstock.
Use bone folder to pre-fold all score lines, including the diagonal ones.
Add Sticky StripT to the glue tab.
Adhere the glue tab inside to the other wall to form the box.
Fold the bottom flaps in one at a time and add Sticky StripT to the last two flaps to close the box.
Add Sticky StripT to the back half of the 1/2" panels at the top to hold the milk carton closed.

Now finish the box by adding embellishments.

Tutorial: Create your own transparency using Packaging Tapet

Transparency using Packaging Tape

This is so cool! It's like magic, my kids love doing this!

What you need:
Packaging tape
Image (from photos, etc)
Scissors
Bowl of Warm water

Take your desired image and adhere it to the packaging tape.
Make sure it smooth.
Place the packaging tape with image place into bowl of warm water, let is soak till it curls.
Test a corner if you rub and back of image paper comes off nicely your good.
The result of this is the image will appear on the packaging tape without the background, its pretty cool.

I have used this on brochures from trips etc. to put on my layouts etc.

Enjoy and let me know how your projects turned out!!

Tutorial: Waterfall Card

Waterfall Card

You will need:


Cutting Guide:
1- Standard card 5 ½” x 4 ¼” (from a 5 ½” x 8 ½” piece of cardstock)
1- 1” x 4 ¼ “ Brad Strip
1- 5 ½” x 4 ¼” Layering Piece
1- 5 ¼” x 4” Layering Piece (Patterned Paper)
1- 1 ¾” x 8 ½” Waterfall Strip
3- 2¼” x 2 ¼” Squares
3- 2" x 2" Squares

Stamp images onto your white squares, and color your images. In my example, I used watercolor pencil crayons and blended with brush & water

Layer your patterned paper on top of the red cardstock

Add the red strip, measuring in 1” from the right side of the card. Mount brads ½ inch from top and bottom of card

Mount the top layer of your matted patterned paper, to the top of your white card

Mount images onto red matting

Score the waterfall strip at 1 ¾, 2 ¾, and 3 ¾. There will be an area of 4 ¾ remaining

There is 4” of space for you to add a sentiment or a picture. Add the image of your choice, ensuring you only use 4” measured from the right

Flip your waterfall strip over so that the score lines are on the right hand side

Add your first image, on the first score line, as shown in the photo

Add your second image, on the second score line, as shown in the photo

Add your third image, on the third score line, as shown in the photo

Fold your waterfall strip in half and slip it under the verticle paper held with brads

Add a tab at pull end of waterfall strip.

Now your finished, time to share it with friends, family or just keep it for yourself! :-)

Seeds of Love Card

This card is so pretty, my scrapbook club made these and loved it!

Directions:
1. Stamp image with Versamark
2. Sprinkle Clear Embossing powder, tap off excess, and heat set
3. Sponge garden green ink as desired, wipe off over stamped image, chalk using color of choice on the flowers.