NATIONAL PAPERCRAFTING MONTH WITH CLOSE TO MY HEART YEAR NOTED

January is National Paper Crafting Month and Close To My Heart is celebrating

with a special bonus buy with purchase.

COME ONLINE WINDOW SHOPPING WITH ME

With every $75.00 purchase you are eligible to purchase this fabulous

Year Noted paper pack and Kraft mini album for just $15.00

 Look what you get for only $15.00 with your $75 purchase

I wanted to add extra photos to my album, being a new nana in 2014 I had a stack of photos of my first grand child that I just had to brag about, so I added a few  FLIP FLAPS so that I could store extra photos in my year noted mini album.  It was a great way to have a complete year in review.

4" X 6" Memory Protectors™ Flip Flaps™

CLOSE TO MY HEART - YOUR THE BOMB - OPERATION SMILE AUSTRALASIAN BLOG HOP - CELEBRATE AUSTRALIA - FOREVER IN MY HEART

My Dressing Screen Card

Hello, Welcome to our Close To My Heart Australasian YOUR THE BOMB - operation smile  Blog Hop. If you have arrived here from Jenny's Creative Heart Blog  then you are in the right place. If you landed here by accident, no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post. We'd love you to leave a comment on each blog hop post along the way to let us know you've enjoyed your hop !!!!!!!!!! 

DID YOU KNOW THAT  ?

You can change the life of a child with just one stamp set.

When you purchase the C-size You’re the Bomb stamp set at full retail price anytime from now through March 31st 2015,

Close To My Heart will donate $3* of the proceeds to Operation Smile.  Since its founding in 1982, Operation Smile has performed over 220,000 surgical procedures to correct facial deformities in children. It only takes an hour for volunteer medical teams to perform these life-altering surgeries that will give children confidence for a lifetime.

And you can help by simply purchasing this stamp set today.

* Donation is $3 USD.

 Hope your surprised seeing my Dressing Screen Card, I've just loved making it.

The colours I have used are Cranberry and Black which match beautifully with our new

Heart Strings Paper pack.  This week we are promoting the You're The Bomb stamp set to help fundraise money for operation smile, which I have featured in this card.  I have also used a couple of other stamp sets: Celebrate Australia and Forever in My Heart. 

Be sure and leave a comment to let me know you stopped by and now onto the next blog

LAURENS CTMH CRAFTINGS

 

Inside the card.

CELEBRATE AUSTRALIA

FOREVER IN MY HEART

A HAPPY HELLO FROM CLOSE TO MY HEART SIDE STEP CARD - AUSTRALASIAN SOTM BLOG HOP

Hello, Welcome to our Close To My Heart Australasian A HAPPY HELLO - February Stamp of The Month (SOTM) Blog Hop. If you have arrived here from Anne - Mummy you made this blog  then you are in the right place. If you landed here by accident, no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post. We'd love you to leave a comment on each blog hop post along the way to let us know you've enjoyed your hop !!!!!!!!!! 

A HAPPY HELLO STAMP SET

THIS STAMP SET IS CALLED " A HAPPY HELLO"

Its available for purchase all year round for $27.00 from your CTMH Consultant

.or from February 1st - 28th you can purchase it for only $5.00 with EVERY $75.00 you spend.

From the moment I saw this stamp set, this card immediately sprang into my mind. As well as several others, so be sure and pop by another time to check them out.

Be sure to checkout the list of supplies and colours used to create this card and leave a comment to let me know you stopped by.  Now onto the next blog, the very lovely - 

 Georgia O'Shea - Georgia Creates

HERE IS THE LIST OF SUPPLIES TO MAKE THIS CARD:

February Stamp of The Month: A Happy Hello  - S1502

Heart Strings paper pack -X7193B

Junebug Puffies - Z3038

Epoxy Bubbles Z1935

Exclusive In Pads:

Cranberry

Outdoor Denim

Thistle

Topiary

SERIOUSLY POPPED POP UP CARD WITH CLOSE TO MY HEART ART PHILOSOPHY - MAKE YOUR OWN ACETATE

Seriously POPPED - Pop up card. Yes the card is over the top but as a mother with European background, that's the way you are with your babies. My daughter has been watching me make these over the last month or so and said, "I hope you make me one of them next month mum".
So of course I had to do bigger and better than any of the others I had made. Hope you like it.

All of the die cutting in this card was made from the Close to My Heart Exclusive Art Philosophy cartridge and my Cricut Expressions Machine.  Letters and numbers were each cut out at 3" and popped up on acetate. The papers and embellishments used are Close to My Heart Chalk It Up

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN ACETATE ?

Well its really quite easy.

In this project, I used strong acetate that stands upright and to do this,

Using your laminating machine and 2 x A4 laminating pouches, I put one

pouch inside the other and laminated it.  Then put it through the laminating machine and then put it through for a second time.

If you are wanting Acetate that is able to bounce over a project, (as used on the orange flowers in the below picture) then just laminate 1 x A4 laminating pouch and put through the laminator twice.

HANDMADE BON BON CHRISTMAS CARDS - FREE TUTORIAL - CTMH SHIMMER TRIM AND SNOWHAVEN

I made these cute Bon Bon Christmas Cards for something different

and change.

Christmas cards are just not the same without bling and Close To My Heart have

got you covered for bling.

Our SHIMMER TRIM is gorgeous - 10 fabulous colours

and all self adhesive, easy to use.

Above I used our SCALLOPED BORDER PUNCH to shape my shimmer trim.

Handy tip for using the punch on shimmer trim - Face the shimmer trim glitter

side found down in the punch.

Then butt the trim up against the edge of the punch and press down onto the punch.

Then slide the scalloped trim across and line it up with the shadow shape on the punch,

you will notice that there are shadows on both sides of the punch.

Continue sliding the scalloped trim along and lining up with the punch until you

have reached the desired length.

I love to bling and embellish everything I make and Close To My Heart EMBELLISHMENTS

range are so good.  Notice the Silver Sequins and Bitty Sparkles with the Silver Shimmer Trim.

I hope you enjoyed viewing my cards and handy tips have helped.

FREE BON BON CHRISTMAS CARD TUTORIAL

6 X 6 CARD GIFT BOX AND FREE TUTORIAL USING CLOSE TO MY HEART BRUSHED WOTG

After making a mixed media 6" x 6" card with plenty of bling and depth, i realised

that it would not fit in a regular 6 x 6 envelope, so decided it need a gift box for it to go in.

So using my Brushed WOTG kit and reinkers, i made the above box for the card below.

FREE 6" X 6" CARD GIFT BOX TUTORIAL

Click on the link above to get the Free Tutorial on how to make the paper box.

RETREAT 2015 - SCRAPBOOKING, CARDMAKING AND MIXED MEDIA WITH CLOSE TO MY HEART - TRACEY

Then you won’t want to miss the Inaugural Aussie.Ink Paper Craft Retreat September 11^th – 13^th 2015 at Myuna Bay Sport and Recreation, on the beautiful shores of Lake Macquarie NSW. 

Three glorious days and 2 awesome nights of sheer creating heaven.

The Retreat Includes:

-          2 nights’ Accommodation – (min twin share)

-          Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner each day

-          Morning Tea, Afternoon Tea, Supper and Nibbles each day

-          3 Experienced Creative Coaches

-          6 Structured Classes –

-          1 x Welcome Pack Class– ( 2 x Project kits included),

-          1 x Scrapbooking Project Kit,

-          1 Card making technique Project Kit,

-          1 Mixed Media Project Kit

-          1 Cricut 3D Project Kit

-          Cricut Expressions Die Cut Demonstration

-          Optional $20 Classes (Includes Kits) 3 each day.  Purchase 3 for $50.00 when if prebooking.

-          FREE time to work on your own projects or roam around the grounds i.e. go for a swim, tennis etc

-          Saturday night - Crop till ya Drop PJ Party

-          Secret Scrapper & Page Competition

-          Games – start saving your $2 coins to bring along

-          Prizes – Best Layout, Best Card, Best Pjs, Lucky Chair x3 each day

-          Lucky Door entry Ticket x 1

-          Raffles 

o   Major Raffle 3 Prizes 1^st prize Ctmh Rolling Tote -  $199.00, 2^nd Storage $95 3^rd Storage $45

o   Daily Raffle x3 -  3 Prizes

-          Displays and Limited saleable supplies

COST: $300.00

Booking Form and $100 deposit are essential by June 30^th. Payments can either be made in full or in 3 easy installments. Please see payment installment details below. Deposits are non-refundable.  If paying full amount $100 is considered as deposit.

PAYMENTS CAN BE MADE VIA PAYPAL OR DIRECT DEPOSIT

AUSSIE.INK RETREAT PAYPAL PAYMENT

AUSSIE.INK RETREAT INSTALLMENT PAYMENTS

Installment Payments

Installment 1 $99.99 AUD Installment 2 $99.99 AUD Installment 3 $99.99 AUD

REGISTRATION FORM,  SECRET SCRAPPER FORM , AGENDA, RETREAT DETAILS

VENUE, FACEBOOK EVENT

FOR BOOKINGS, PAYMENT OR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE CONTACT EITHER:

Tracey: 0402 507 121    E: traceyray@live.com.au www.facebook.com/CloseToMyHeartTracey

MIXED MEDIA SCRAPBOOKING WITH CLOSE TO MY HEART CRICUT CARTRIDGES HOME MADE MOD PODGE RECIPE AND STENCILS

Learning new techniques in scrapbooking is a huge adventure i am currently on and today's page is my attempt at Mixed Media Scrap booking.  Any form of scrapbooking can be expensive, however it doesn't need to be.  This page has been made using home made stencils, mod podge, textured paste, gesso, cricut cut rolled flowers, some plastic beads from the toy box, scraps of lace and best of all home made coloured spritzers.

How to make your own Stencils:

I make my own stencils using a laminating machine, my Cricut Expressions Machine and My Close To My Heart Artbooking Cartridge.

Using an A4 laminating pouch and a hot laminating machine i run the pouch through the laminator and heat seal it.  Then using a new cricut mat i place the laminated pouch on the mat, remembering it is A4 in size, i place it in the landscape position.  Ensure that you have a new blade in your circut expressions machine.  The artbooking cartridge has so many overlays to choose from the make your stencils.

How to make your own Mod Podge:

1 x 250ml Cup of Pva Clear strong Adhesive

1 x 125ml of warm water

Combine both glue and water in a sealable jar and stir.

I like to use this glue from Bunnings hardware

CHILDS BIRTHDAY CARD WITH CLOSE TO MY HEART ALCOHOL MARKERS AND ICECREAM DREAM SOTM

THIS STAMP SET IS CALLED ICE CREAM DREAM

Item Number: S1506

Its available for purchase all year round for $27.00 from your CTMH Consultant

or from June 1st - 30th you can purchase it for only $5.00 with EVERY $75.00 you spend.

My Apologies in advance, my photography just doesn't do this card justice.

My favourite techniques in cardmaking are Stamping and Alcohol Markers. Close To My heart sell SHIN HAN Alcohol markers and they are right up there with the best of them.  I just love this months Stamp of the month Ice Cream dreams because i got to make a card with the two things i love the most.  What the photo doesn't show you, is the shading and the fading in out of the colours in each of the individual sections of each of the stamps or the depth of the 3D of each of the images.  Each section of each of the stamps are outlined with glitter pens in the same colours as the Shin Han Markers.  When working with Alcohol Markers a good rule to follow is either to use Memento Ink, Ive used black in this instance or you can use Stazon Ink and or Heat emboss your stamped image.  This assists in helping the alcohol colouring from bleeding or feathering on your image. You should always use a semi glossy white card stock to stamp your images on.

The SHIN HAN COLOURS used in the card are: YR29 Barely Beige, B68 Turquoise Blue, R11, B262 Blue, YR24 Marigold.  Ive just loved working with this months stamp of the month (SOTM) and getting back in touch with the inner child in me.

The road that is stamped comes from the Close To My Heart My Acrylix FAST AND FURIOUS set.

 Which is another great stamp set for kids. Item Number: D1541

 Remember to leave a comment to let me know you stop by and now head on over to Anne Pattersons  blog.