Product Highlight: Foundry Flourishes

I have to be honest with you, I was not a huge fan of the metal embellishments that CTMH has come out with in the past.  I LOVED all the ideas in the Idea Books that the art dept. created to showcase the embellishments.  BUT when it came time for ME to use them in my art, I just could not get creative enough.  

But there is something different and super cool about these Foundry Flourishes in the Autumn/Winter 2010 Idea Book.  I love the flowers with the leaves and the frame that comes with it can be used as an accent on a scrapbook page, card or a paper project.  

Here is a card that I had actually created for our last unit meeting.  I volunteered to come up with projects using the stamp set In the Month of November.  This card was created to showcase the stamps in the set.  

I think that a lot of times, the embellishments in the Idea Books get overlooked.  This is one embellishment that should NOT be overlooked!  They are SO reasonable too.  You get a package for only $4.95.  You get 13 pieces for that price too!  Make sure that you check out the Autumn/Winter 2010 Idea Book online.  You will find them featured with the Olivia paper pack and also on page 92.  

Supplies used: 

Paper: Olivia Level 2 Paper Pack ($12.95)

Stamp Set: In the Month of November ($22.95)

Inks Used: Cocoa and Barn Red ($5.25 each)

Embellishments: Natural Hemp ($2.25) Cocoa Grosgrain Ribbon (bulk $6.95) Foundry Flourishes ($4.95) Mocha Opaques ($2.95)

Tools used: Sandpaper ($3.50), Originals Card Program ($21.95)

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Hope this has inspired you to head to the back of the Idea Book and check out all the AWESOME embellishments that Close to my Heart makes to match PERFECTLY with your papers, inks and stamps!!

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!

jen

Triple Play as Cards......

Have you seen the special that Close to my Heart is holding for National Stamping Month?  It is pretty darn cute!  But I have to be honest, I am really not in to mini albums.  Well, I like mini albums.....just not 4 inch mini albums.  I like them a bit larger like 6 inches or larger.  

So, when I got my Triple play last month, I put together one of the albums but left the other 2 unfinished while I thought of something else that I could make using the SUPER CUTE papers.  I LOVE the little bitty patterns and stripes.  They SCREAMED cards to me.  So I cut them into 3 3/4 inch squares and looked for square card patterns in both the Originals and Wishes card books.  All 4 cards are 4 1/2 x 4 1/2.  

These 4 cards are what I have come up with so far......

Since there was not any cardstock that came wtih the Triple Play I had to use what I had on hand.  I used Colonial White, Desert Sand, Bamboo, Hollyhock and Sunset.  The accessories are from the Sunset Mini Medley Accents that are new to the Autumn/Winter Idea Book.

The stripe paper in the above card is actually precut.  I just cut it down a bit and stuck it to the top of the card to make it look like an envelope.  The Flowers on each of the cards are stamped from the included stamp set onto the included precut flower die cuts.  

I was really excited to be able to get out my Hollyhock ribbon and buttons!  Wierd, I know!  But there was a time when I was actually SICK of Hollyhock because it was used in quite a few paper packs for a while.  But when I saw they used it in the Triple Play kit, I looked forward to using it again and forgot how much I actually like the color.......

This last card uses the new Mocha Opaques that are in the Autumn/Winter Idea book.  LOVE these!!  The Opaques come in Shades of Mocha, Shades of Grey/Black AND in Pearl.  Want to see them?  Click on the picture of the Autumn/Winter Idea Book and you can see them all in the back where the accessories are.  OR just browse through all the beautiful art in the idea book and see how CTMH has used them.

Supplies used: 

Paper: Triple Play, Desert Sand CS, Hollyhock CS, Bamboo CS, Sunset CS and Colonial White CS

Stamps: Triple Play

Inks: Desert Sand, Hollyhock, and Sunset.  Ink spots are included in the Triple Play

Accessories: Die Cut flowers and leaves from Triple Play, Mocha Opaques, Sunset Mini Medley Accents, Hollyhock Buttons, Hollyhock Ribbon, Colonial White Ribbon, White Hemp

Thanks for stopping by!!

I hope this has inspired you.....in any way, shape or form!  LOL 

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!!

Jen

AWESOME FLOWER TUTORIAL.....

I ran across this awesome tutorial over at Patty's Stamping Spot where she shows how to create this awesome paper flower using a paper crimper.

For my flower, I used a corner rounder without the guard and scalloped the edges. For the leaves, I used my 1 1/4 inch punch as shown below.....

The center flower is about 3 inches around.  So, I made the card a 6x6 and used a card pattern from Originals.  The flowers up the left side, corner flourish, word bloom and words on the stem are all from the CTMH Primavera Rub-Ons.  Talk about easy!  I added a few sparkles in the centers of the flowers for a little bling.

I followed the leaf instructions up until Patty cuts them out by hand.  I used my 1 1/4 inch punch instead and then inked them in Sweet Leaf for a bit more dimension.

  You can make the leaves different sizes depending on where you put them into the punch.....

Supplies used for this project are all CTMH (unless noted):

Paper: Cherry-O stripe, Crystal Blue CS, Tulip CS, Colonial White CS and Chocolate CS

Inks: Chocolate, Tulip

Embellishments: Sweet Leaf ribbon, Bitty Sparkles, Primavera Rub-Ons

Tools used: Paper Crimper (non ctmh) and 1 1/4 inch punch available now from CTMH!!

Thanks for stopping by!! 

I hope this inspires you to check out the flower/leaf tutorial and give it a try!  I really had fun creating this flower and will be making many more!  Maybe in different sizes too!

Happy Scrappin' and Stampin'

Jen

Art and Soul.....Have you watched this web show yet?

If you have not watched Art and Soul on CTMH TV, you really need to! This is a great program that highlights a project, shows you step by step how to create it and then offers you a discount on the products used to create the project!! Plus after the featured project, there is a ton of tips and techniques for card making, scrapbooking and paper crafting. Each show only runs approximately 12-15 minutes which makes it much easier to find the time to watch!

The latest show features this card using the My Reflections Perfect Day paper pack, My Acrylix Life's Creation, Sorbet Ribbon Collection and the Spring Blossom Mini-Medley. In this show they will show you step by step how to create this gorgeous card. And to make it even easier for you to create it after you have watched the show, there are detailed instructions that you can print out and use when you are not sitting at your computer. Now, I will tell you that I did not follow the instructions EXACTLY for my card. Instead of machine stitching around the edge of the card and the accent piece, I just used my paper piercer and poked holes for a little added accent.

Also, if you don't have the Originals Card Confidence Program that the sketch and template for this card come from, you can easily use a round object like a quarter or a button to trace around to get the look of the accent piece. Although, I would highly recommend that if you don't have this amazing book, that you look into investing in one. I am always referring back to my Originals book for inspiration. Whether it is for a card sketch or to see how certain embellishments are used or to use one of the many tips and techniques that are featured in the book, I always find exactly what I am looking for!

So, what are you waiting for? Hop on over to CTMH TV to watch the latest episode and while you are there, maybe get caught up on the previously aired shows! A new show will air on Tuesday December 23rd, 2008. So, mark your calender and then tune in every other Tuesday for a new show!

All supplies used for this card are Close to my Heart:
Paper: My Reflections Perfect Day
Stamp: Life's Creation
Inks: Cocoa (for distressing) Juniper and Tulip
Embellishments: Spring Blossom Mini-Medley and Sorbet Ribbon Rounds Collection
Technique: Paper Piercing and Rock 'n Roll

If you do happen to take the 12-15 minutes to watch any of the Art and Soul episodes, please leave a comment and tell me what you think of the program, likes and dislikes! I would really love to hear your thoughts!

I hope that I have inspired you in some way today!

Thanks for stopping by

Jen