Merry Monday #96 Meets Retrosketch #102

It's fun when you can make one card that meets requirements for several challenges. This holiday card meets three:  Merry Monday #96--Holly, Retrosketch #102 and Addicted to Stamps and More #83--holiday theme.  This was a really fast card to make following the sketch!

Close To My Heart products used:

     Kraft CS

    Cranberry CS

    To You and Yours stamp set--has a beautiful cardinal in this set

    Cranberry Ink

    Mistletoe paper (retired)

    Family Treasures heart punch (retired)

Here is the sketch that inspired me:

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

:) Marie

Cardinal Christmas Card for Three Challenges

It's a snowy day in the Northeast so why not make a Christmas card?  I was inspired by the Tuesday Morning Sketch # 236, the February color challenge by 52 Christmas Card Throwdown and a theme challenge by Merry Monday #95 to use an animal on your card.

Close To My Heart products used:
    To You and Yours Stamp Set
    Black Ink
    New England Ivy CS
    White Daisy CS
    Ruby CS
    Ruby Alcohol Marker
    Pear and Partridge Paper (retired)
    Mistletoe Paper (retired)
    Lace
    Opaque Adhesive Gems
    Metallic Paper  (This retired pack from D.O.T.S. had Black, Gold and Silver Metallic paper.)

Here is the Tuesday Morning Sketch I followed:

The "twist" requirement is to add pearls and lace.

Here is the Color Graphic from 52 CCT:

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

:) Marie

H2H Challenge--Make a 3D Item--Covered Tissue Box

This is the first project that I've done using the new Pemberly paper by Close To My Heart. You can see the other beautiful patterns in this new paper set here. Last week's challenge at H2H can be found here and here is my 3D item. I've made a tissue box cover with photo frames. The tutorial to make this box came from Splitcoaststampers.com and can be found here. (Their version was just a decorated box and I adapted it to hold photos to make it even more functional.)

The photo frames were cut using the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge. I found it on page 44 and used shift + card function set at 4". (2nd row--very last grey image.)

First I trimmed my photos to 3.75" x 3.75". Then I made a template where I cut off the corners at a 45 degree angle. I then traced around it and made a frame that I placed over my photos to get the best possible image. I traced the inside edges with a blue photo marking pencil onto the photos and then cut them out on the lines. I used Tombow adhesive to attach the photos to the Pemberly photo frames.

The cardstock papers that I used are CTMH Outdoor Denim and Indian Corn Blue for the top. The navy and white leaf print border on the box lid is the zip strip from the Pemberly printed paper that I used. On the top of the box lid I stamped and clear embossed a greeting from the Hooray Bouquet stamp set which says "You Make Me Smile" and of course, looking at pictures of my grandson do that for me. The labels were cut at 1" (Indian Corn Blue) and 1.25" (Outdoor Denim) and were cut with the cricut from page 65--Rectangle 8. The label is popped up twice with 3D foam tape and is placed in one corner. I used an Outdoor Denim marker to color inside the swirls cut in the top paper layer on the box lid.

Here are a couple of other tissue box covers that I made to decorate my home for the holidays last year. (Do you recognize last year's CTMH papers Olivia and Mistletoe?) These were all easy to make. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week!

November Constant Campaign--Holiday Wishes and Clean and Simple Sketch Challenge

Close To My Heart is offering a fantastic holiday stamp set called "Holiday Wishes" for just $5.00 (valued at $17.95) with a purchase of $25 in acrylic stamps during November 2011. I received mine yesterday and had a blast making these cards today. There are coordinating Art Philosophy cricut cuts to match these stamps. These are the stamps that come in the set and I managed to use every one of them in these 4 cards. All products used are from Close To My Heart.

This first card is based on the Clean and Simple Stamping Sketch FTL164 which can be found here.It features "Believe" paper, Topiary and Holiday Red CS and Topiary Ink. Lines were embossed on the Holiday Red CS and then distressed with a sanding block. The star and banner were cut on the cricut with CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge.

The next card features "Wonderland" paper, Twilight CS, and Blue and Green Sparkles. After stamping with Twilight Ink, the images were stamped in Versamark and then clear embossed with Polysparkle Tinsel Embossing Powder (CTMH retired).

The tree in this card was stamped in Sweet Leaf Ink on Sweet Leaf CS. The birds were colored with a Tulip marker. The same image was then stamped in Versamark and embossed with Polysparkle Tinsel and then Topiary Ink was rubbed across the tree. The background paper is CTMH "Mistletoe" (retired).

The final card features Vineyard Berry CS and Ink. Bronze glitter gel was applied at the top of each stocking and Stardust glitter gel was used on the angel halos and wings.