It's Autumn at Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog

Welcome back to another Fantabulous Cricut Challenge blog post where we love to share what we make with our Cricut cartridges!  The current theme is Autumn and I chose to use the Close to My Heart Artfully Sent cartridge to make this beauty:

Close to My Heart products used:

     Artfully Sent cartridge

     Goldrush CS

     Champagne CS

     Barn Red CS (retired)

     Vineyard Berry ink--sponged onto Goldrush CS (retired)

     

Other products:

     Wings of Fire Rhinestones by Studio 18

     Gold Metallic marker by Cricut

The "tree with branches" card from Artfully Sent (pg.11 or #M10114D) was cut from both Champagne and Barn Red CS.  The Barn Red tree trunk was then placed inside the Champagne tree trunk and over the Goldrush CS which was lightly sponged with Vineyard Berry Ink.  I hand wrote the Happy Birthday greeting inside the Goldrush banner with the Metallic Gold Cricut pen.

Since this is a birthday card for my dear sister who loves everything Autumn I'm entering this card into the Seize the Birthday challenge.

We hope that you will visit the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog to see what the other fabulous Designers have made and share YOUR Autumn themed cricut project with us.  You have until Sunday October 25 at 11PM EDT to link up with us here.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

Fantabulous Cricut Challenge #260--Project for a Kid

This week at the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge Blog we are asking you to make something for a kid.  Our sponsor this week is Bugaboo stamps who is offering 7 digital images to the winner.

My birthday card was cut using the Close to My Heart Artfully Sent cartridge:

Close to My Heart products used:

     Artfully Sent cartridge (page 28 Scene and Scene Shift cut at 5.5")

     Sapphire CS

     Metallic CS (retired)

     

Other products:

     Perfect Pearls Mist--Perfect Pearl

This card was so easy to make!  The most challenging part was masking off parts that I did not want to cover with the Perfect Pearls Mist!

I will also be entering this card into the Seize the Birthday challenge for Anything Goes.

Please come on over to the Fantabulous Cricut Challenge blog to check out what the rest of the fabulous Design Team has to share with you.  We would love to have you join in the challenge which will end Sunday, September 27.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!
:) Marie

Red, White and Blue Birthday Card With Freshly Made Sketch #193

Here are two quick cards I made following Freshly Made Sketch #193:

Close to My Heart products used:

     Artfully Sent cricut cartridge

     White Daisy CS

      Tulip CS

      Moonstruck CS (retired)

      Moonstruck B & T paper (retired)

      Ruby Twine from Mini Accents Medley

Here is the sketch I followed:

The color scheme at Less is More and Seize the Birthday is Red, White and Blue so I'm entering this card into those challenges also.  

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

Artfully Sent Inlaid Card for Color Dare #138--Smoothie, Sunset, Canary, Juniper, Pear and White Daisy

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge blog post!  This week we are inviting you to combine the following colors:  Smoothie, Sunset, Canary, Juniper, Pear and White Daisy.

My strategy for combining so many different colors is to use a lot of white space.  I made this card using the Artfully Sent cartridge.  I cut the pocket card on page 17 from 4 of the six challenge colors and then pieced them together so they lay flat.  The Pear flower centers were cut with various sized hole punches.  The greeting is from the Happy to Be Friends stamp set in Juniper ink.  Juniper Waxy Flax was wound around the card front to accentuate the greeting.

Please visit the Color My Heart Color Dare blog to check out what my fellow Design Team members have made to inspire you.  Hope you can take the challenge with us this week!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!
:) Marie

Artfully Sent Easter Cards

Happy Easter!  Here are some quick cards I made with the Artfully Sent cartridge and backed with watercolored printed paper (source unknown).

I outlined the letters with a crayola metallic marker in this second card:

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

Simple Shamrock Card for Bitten by the Bug

Many thanks to Melanie Brown of Courtney Lane Designs for sharing the Design Space cut file for this card.  I changed the color scheme, eliminated the stitching and added some edge distressing.  I'm entering it into the Bitten by the Bug Luck of the Irish challenge.

Close to My Heart products used:

     Artfullly Sent cartridge 

     White Daisy CS

     Kentucy Green CS (retired)

     Pear CS

     Gold Metallic paper (retired)

     Edge Distresser

Other

     Gold edged ribbon

Here is a link to Melanie's card.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

Arftully Sent Congratulations Card for Joyful Stars Blog Hop

Welcome back to another Joyful Stars blog hop!  If you are coming from Stephanie Huber's blog, you are on the right track.

It was so much fun using my Cricut Explore to design this card.  I started with the Sentiment Shift card with three daisies on page 33 and adapted it to suit my taste.

Close to My Heart products used:

      Artfully Sent cartridge

      Thistle CS

      White Daisy CS

      Silver Metallic marker

      Silver Shimmer Trim

Other products:

      Cricut purple pen

      Lavender pearls by Want 2 Scrap

      Crayola Purple Metallic marker (to color in outlined letters)

If you are a Cricut Explore user--here is the cut file.

Now, head on over to Nancy Brown's blog.  If you get lost along the way you can check out Joyce's blog for the complete list.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

      

Pink, Red and White Love You Card for Friday Mashup #196

It is my pleasure to be a Guest Designer for the Friday Mashup--one of my all time favorite challenge blogs!

This week's Mashup Challenge is:

• Create a project with the colors "Red, White & Pink". 
• Create a project with "a Love theme". 
• or Mash it Up! and create a “Love themed project using the above colors

My card "mashes it up" by combining all of the challenge elements into a Valentine card with a special surprise inside.

Card inside:

Close to My Heart products used:

      Cotton Candy CS

      White Daisy CS

      Ruby CS

      Ruby Ink

      In My Heart stamp set (retired)

      This Moment (January 2015 Stamp of the Month)

      Artfully Sent cartridge (popup from page 35)
      Hearts Embossing Folder

I'm also entering this into the What if Wednesday color challenge--red, white and pink and The Male Room challenge of masculine Valentines.

We hope you find the time to play along with the Friday Mashup this week.  Please check out what the Design Team has to inspire you.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!
:) Marie

Artfully Sent Baby Card for Bitten by the Bug 2

I just happened to make a baby card yesterday and then this morning I read that "New Baby" is the challenge at Bitten by the Bug 2.  Here is my card:

Here is the inside:

Close to My Heart products used:

     Artfully Sent cartridge

     Heavenly Blue CS (retired)

     Heavenly Blue Gingham paper (retired)

     Pacifica CS

     Pacifica Ink

     Welcome Little One wood stamp (retired)

     Metallic paper (silver and black glossy--also retired)

Other products:

     Inside of card greeting by Heartfelt Creations

The Artfully Sent cartridge made this card so easy to do!  I love how you can cut the inside to be a pop-up card--don't you?

Did you see my last blog post offering a free giveaway?  Check it out here.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie

Artfully Sent Sympathy Card for Bitten by the Bug 2

My new Cricut Explore and I are becoming better acquainted and I'm having fun learning how to do new things.  While making this card I taught myself how to "attach" an element from a different cartridge and "draw" it rather than cut it. (Initially I tried to "weld" and "slice" the greeting but I didn't like how it looked when it was cut).

Here's a second copy with some sparkles added as flower centers:

Close to My Heart products used:

     Artfully Sent cartridge page 37 (pocket card)

     Garden Green CS (retired)

     Vineyard Berry CS (retired)

     New England Ivy CS

     Bakers Twine from Laughing Lola Cardmaking Kit (retired)

Other products

     Jasmine cartridge--With Sympathy greeting

     Cricut silver and black pens (Explore outlined in silver and then I filled it in with Black ink by   

         hand)  

I'm entering this card into the challenge at Bitten by the Bug 2 to make a sympathy card and Heart2Heart Tic Tac Toe Challenge--(center column vertical--cricut, ribbon, bling)

Coming soon--Blog Candy!  This Friday I will be offering some FREE craft supplies to one of my readers so please sign up to become a follower so you don't miss out on the details!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!
:) Marie

Artfully Sent Card for Color My Heart Color Dare #119 and Stampin' Royalty #254

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge post!  This week we invite you to use the Close To My Heart colors  Smokey Plum, Hollyhock and Olive.  (if you don't have these exact colors you may substitute similar colors along with adding neutrals such as black, white, beiges, greys).

Close To My Heart products used:
     Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge
     Champagne CS
     Hollyhock CS
     Olive CS
     Smokey Plum Fleurs des Jardines paper (retired)
     Casual Expressions stamp

I'm also entering this card into the Stampin' Royalty "Be Thankful" challenge and The Paper Plunge "Grateful" challenge.

Now it's your turn to play with these fun colors.   Please visit our challenge blog to see what the rest of the Design Team has created and then link up your papercrafted creation with a direct link here.  Hope to see you in our gallery!
   

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creatitity!

:) Marie

Creative Blogger Tour, Gelato Galaxy Card and Giveaway!

Don't you love getting good news from an unexpected source?  That's what happened to me two weeks ago when the super talented Jody Gustafson emailed me to nominate me for the "Creative Blogger Award"!  I've always had tremendous respect and admiration for Jody's artwork and first became aware of her through the Color My Heart Color Dare blog where she would participate in so many of our challenges--being selected as a winner numerous times.  Thank you, Jody, for inviting me to join this group of Close To My Heart consultants.  I am humbled and honored to be among this amazing group of talented women.  Here are links for you to check out many of the other women who have been part of this Creative Blogger Tour.

    Jody Gustafson

    Amy Moore

    Karen Day

    Brenda Rose

    Vicki Wizniuk

    Kelly Janes

    Amie Kiger

    Katy Donaldson Taylor

Creative Blogger is a chain of blog hop tours.  Each invited member answers the same four questions and then passes on the nomination to someone else.  I'm sure you will find lots of inspiration in the above blogs.

What am I currently working on?

It seems I've always got several projects in my head and on my crafting table. As a member of the Color My Heart Color Dare and Sunday Stamps Design Teams I am often working on upcoming challenges. I also have ongoing scrapbooking projects. (My grandson's scrapbook is done in Studio J and my sister's scrapbook is done in an 8.5 x 11 format so I can color copy pages for my other siblings.) Since Halloween is quickly approaching I've just completed a "Card in a Box" for my grandson using cuts from Artfully Sent and Artbooking.  (Paper is retired "Spellbound" with a Champagne back panel.  Ghosts were cut from Artfully Sent Envelope Liner #8 cut at 9".  Bats were cut from Artiste at .75" and 1".  The skulls were cut from Artiste at 1.75")  I'm also entering this card into the Cardz4Guys  and The Male Room Halloween theme challenge.

Here is another one that I made for him but haven't posted yet featuring cut out computer images of his favorite Transformers (Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Chase and Heatwave Autobots).

Other projects that I'm working on are Christmas cards and a collection of cards to donate to Operation Write Home.

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

I'm not sure how my artwork differs from others. I do like clean lines, some paper layering and trying new products and techniques. Here is a new technique I just learned from the Friday Mashup Challenge called "Galaxy" in which I used Gelatos as watercolors to create this unique background.

My "Gelato Galaxy" technique involved scribbling with various Gelatos on a craft sheet, spritzing with water and then dragging a piece of watercolor paper over it.  I used a heat tool to dry the paper in between layers of colors.  I tried to create a "moon" in the bottom right corner by removing some color with a wet paintbrush.  Lastly I flicked tiny drops of Pearl Paint form an old toothbrush and then added the sentiment from the Close To My Heart retired "Mad About You" stamp set in Thistle ink.  (Outdoor Denim CS and Silver Shimmer Trim were also used on this card).

                                                    Why do I create what I do?

The main reason why I create cards and scrapbook pages is because I enjoy it!  If I go more than 3 days without making something I start to feel a bit out of sorts. A few hours in my craft room and a completed project and then I feel "complete" again. I get a lot of satisfaction out of making things for other people. I have always loved "making things" starting with making potholders and learning to sew when I was a young girl. Although I've made quilts, clothing, curtains and scrapbooks cardmaking is my favorite crafty pursuit at present.

                                   How does my creative process work?

 Would you believe that sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with a card idea in my head? Sometimes that is my process. If it is a color challenge I'm creating for I will often look to find a current sketch challenge to use. (Some of my favorite sketch challenge blogs can be found here: Freshly Made Sketches, Try Stampin' on Tuesday, Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge, Retrosketches, Mojo Monday, Stampin' Royalty and Pals' Paper Arts.) If it is a sketch challenge I'm creating for I will look for current color challenges. (Color My Heart Color Dare, Colour Me..., Pals' Paper Arts and Nacho Average Challenges.)

When I'm really stumped, I read my blog list and start commenting on other people's artwork which gets my creative juices going again.  Pinterest, Facebook (CTMH Artwork, CTMH Eye Candy) and the Close To My Heart consultant Artwork Bulletin Boards are also additional sources of inspiration.  You can check out my Pinterest boards here.  


Are you ready to continue on the Creative Blogger Tour?  It is my pleasure and honor to nominate Hansi Brittain from the Quilting with Paper blog.  She is an amazingly talented Close To My Heart consultant!  I've been a huge fan of her artwork ever since she started submitting cards to the Color My Heart Color Dare challenge.  Her awesome sense of design, color and flare for beautiful card embellishment have awed me on many occasions.  I'm sure you will be inspired and impressed by her artwork.  Please visit her blog post on Monday, 10/27/14 to read more about her.  (If you become a blog follower of hers then you will see it in your blog list).

Thank you for reading this far!  To celebrate my Creative Blogger Award I'd like to have a giveaway of some craft supplies to one randomly drawn commenter. I have an extra April 2014 Stamp of the Month called My Sunshine AND an assortment of Close To My Heart papers cut into 4.25" x 5.5" pieces that can be used as card fronts.

To be eligible to win you must:

--Become a follower of my blog AND

--Write a comment on this blog post indicating you are a blog follower

--Deadline to comment on this blog post is midnight EST, October 26th, 2014.

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!  Good luck in the prize drawing!

:) Marie

 

Cuddly Sensations and Artfully Sent for Color Dare #115

Welcome back to another Color My Heart Color Dare challenge post!  Can you believe that this is challenge #115?  This week we are challenging you to use the following three Close To My Heart colors:  Outdoor Denim, Olive and Sunset.

You may substitute similar colors if you don't have these CTMH colors yet and you may combine them with neutrals such as black, white, colonial white, greys and tans).

Close To My Heart products used:

     Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge (Swing Card and wreath at 5.5")

     Olive CS

     Outdoor Denim CS

     Colonial White CS

     Dotty for You paper (retired)

     Olive Ink

     Sunset Ink

     Have a Happy Day stamp set

     Cuddly Sensations (Hostess Reward Stamp Set)

Other products:

     Orange Gel pen (to fill in letters cut into Dotty for You paper)

We would love to see you enter our color challenge by linking up here.  You have until Thursday, October 24 9PM CT to enter.  There are several blog badges to be won along with a prize to one randomly drawn entry every month. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week filled with fun and creativity!

:) Marie