Monday, October 20, 2014

Artfully Sent Birthday Cards



One of my favorite things about making my own cards is that I can design one card and then choose different colors, patterns, and papers to make a “boy” version and a “girl” version. These cards were inspired by the design I used on this card.

I brought the Birthday Girl card from page 25 of the Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge booklet into Design Space and deleted the word “Girl” by selecting Contour and then deselecting the letters G-I-R-L. I reduced the size of the card to 5" x 3¾" to fit on a standard A2 card base.

The word Wishes, from the Lovely Birthday stamp set, was stamped underneath in Thistle ink on the girl card and Lagoon ink on the boy version. I stamped the cake on the left side from the Build-a-Cake stamp set. The cake plate was too wide, so I stamped in on a piece of scrap cardstock and then cut it out leaving off the two outside scallops. Then I adhered it to the card under the cake.

I adhered a piece of patterned paper from the Confetti Wishes Collection to the card base on the girl card and a piece from the Chalk It Up Collection to the card base of the boy card. Then I added a small piece of Glitter Paper to line up under the cutout of the word Birthday. I adhered the top panel to the card base with some 3-D Foam Tape.



I love having pre-made birthday cards ready when I need them. Stay tuned for more birthday card fun from the Artfully Sent Collection...

Friday, October 17, 2014

Sneak Peek at CTMH's Seasonal Expressions Catalog Cover


Here is a little sneak peek at the cover of the 40 page Seasonal Expressions catalog that will go live on December 1st. (There are sooooo many fun new goodies inside including this CA-UTE Valentine treat kit!) Would you like to order the goodies from Seasonal Expressions a whole month earlier? Join my team as a Close to my Heart Consultant and you will be able to order all of the wonderful goodies in this publication on November 1st! Visit my New Consultant FAQ page here for more information.

Monday, October 13, 2014

...and the winner is...


Thank you to everyone who guessed how many candy corns where in this treat box. You may be surprised, but there are actually 346 inside. The person who guessed the closest was SueB who guessed 250. Congratulations Sue! Please contact me with your mailing address and I will get your stamp set out to you right away.


Thanks again for playing everyone! *Ü*

Creative Blogger Nomination

I was honored and beyond humbled to be chosen by two of the sweetest, most creative women I know for a special “Creative Blogger Nomination.” Karen Pederson and Alyson Mayo both nominated me for this special honor. Karen is an INCREDIBLE artist with a knack for making every project look simply perfect! I love her style and know you will too. Be sure to visit her fabulous blog here. Alyson is a sweetheart who always has a kind word to say and fun projects to share. You will be inspired when you visit her blog here.


Part of accepting the nomination is to answer some questions and share them on my blog. These questions were a little tough, but here it goes...

How long does it take me to create a project?
LOL. This is something that you may not believe. Even though most of my projects seem to be pretty simple, it can take me DAYS to create one small card or scrapbook page. So many people, even my mom, have commented that they are amazed that I can come up with such great artwork (their words, not mine) so quickly. What they don't see is the process that it takes to get that one piece of so called “great” artwork finished. I usually have numerous trash cans filled with projects that I have scrapped because they weren't good enough or I just didn't like the direction they were taking. My mom watched me create a project for my Creative Club once and commented that she never realized how much time goes into creating one small project.

What am I working on right now...
To be honest, I have a long list of projects and kits I need to design and my studio is such a mess that I can’t think. So, what I am working on right now...is getting my studio cleaned up so that I can actually find my supplies and start my next project. The next project on my list is to create some sample birthday cards that I design for a client each year for her to give to her staff. They love receiving handmade birthday cards, so each year around this time, she calls me to help her get started. I think I will make a few samples using the new Artfully Sent Cricut cartridge. Stay tuned. I will share them here on my blog when they are done.

What are my favorite things to create at the moment?
I think my favorite things to create at the moment are card kits. I love making a set of cards and some sort of cute little box or bag to keep them. I have a strange obsession with stationery and have always wanted to work in a stationery store since I was a little girl. (Now if I could just remember to send the cards out that I make, I’d be good to go. I need to make extra “Happy Belated Birthday” cards because I can’t seem to remember to send out my cards on time.)

How do I become inspired and stay inspired?
When I was in college, one of my graphic design teachers said that there is no such thing as truly original art. Everything is inspired by something whether it is someone else’s work, something in nature, or even a piece of clothing. I am usually inspired by other’s work that I find online (Pinterest, blogs, etc.) Sometimes I even find a font on a menu or a billboard that inspires me to go home and start creating. Whether it is a color combo, a pattern, or even just placement of objects, my ideas almost always start with an inspiration from something. Sometimes I will wake up in the middle of the night thinking about a fun card design or layout, so I try to keep a sketchpad or notebook by my bed at all times so I can write it down and have that as my inspiration the next day.

How does my writing/creative process work?
Once I am inspired to create something, I will search my stash to see if I have the colors, patterns, or images that I need. I pull out all of my supplies and then I play, play, play until I get things just the way I want. Sometimes it’s a matter of hours, sometimes it’s a matter of days, and sometimes I just finally give up and say, “It’s good enough” before I finish a project. (There are usually lots of overflowing trash cans during the process.)

What is my signature style?
I have always thought that my style was sort of simple and “Plain Jane,” however I have had others tell me that they think I have a “clean and simple” style which I must admit sounds a little classier. I am always amazed at the incredible artwork I find online and have even tried to duplicate some of the styles that I admire so much, with a let’s just say...not such a good outcome. Sticking to my Plain Jane style seems to work the best for me. Unfortunately simple doesn’t always means quick and easy. I am always amazed at how long it can take me to make a “simple” card. LOL.

Creating is a passion that the Lord gave me and I am happy when I can use it to bless others. I love this saying. It reminds me of how thankful I am that I have learned to use my passion for creativity in all areas of my life.


I have contacted three other bloggers that inspire me. Some of them have already been nominated, but I need to mention them anyway because they are all so fabulous. My three nominations are: Pamela O’Conner, Vicki Wizniuk, and Denise Anderson-Turely. They are all amazing women and I look up to each and every one of them for their incredible artist abilities. Once you visit their blogs, I am sure you will agree. *Ü*

Monday, October 6, 2014

Simply Inspired Blog Hop - Artfully Sent Christmas Card


Welcome to this month’s Simply Inspired blog hop! This month we are featuring Close to my Heart’s new Artfully Sent Cricut Collection. If you arrived from the fabulously creative Brenda Rose’s blog, then you are on the right path.


I have been having so much fun with this new Cricut Collection. I decided to get a jump start on my Christmas cards. To make my card today, I used the pop-up card on page 49 of the Artfully Sent booklet for the inside of my card and the Christmas Cheer card from page 46 on the front. To create the front of the card, I added a small piece of Glitter Paper behind the word “cheer” and then popped up the white “Christmas Cheer” card (cut at 4" x 6") with 3-D Foam Tape.

I added some ornaments (cut from the Art Philosophy cartridge and the Artiste cartridge) to the left side of the front panel with 3-D Foam Tape as well. I used some Glacier cardstock, a little Glitter Paper, and a patterned paper from the Snowhaven Collection. I also added a Bitty Sparkle in the middle of the cut out “R” and “A.”



To make the inside of the card, I brought the joy pop-up card from page 48 into Design Space and cut it at 7" wide. Then I also cut the inside pop-up version of the robot card on page 28 because it had the 3 separate pop up sections. I layered the letters together and attached them to the pop-up sections that worked perfectly with my three letters. It was super easy to do and adds a fun surprise to the recipient of the card when it is opened.

I added a strip of patterned paper from the Snowhaven Collection to the top and bottom of the card. Then I stamped it with one of the many sentiments that comes on one of the Artfully Sent stamp sets in Glacier ink.



One of my favorite things about this great cartridge is that it comes with lots of different envelope shapes PLUS liners! So, of course I had to make one to go with my card. I used the envelope on page 49 and sized it to 8.75" wide x 11.25" high in Design Space. (This seems to be the perfect size to fit 5" x 7" cards.)

Thanks for stopping by. Now hop on over to Diana Veenendaal’s blog to see her creative project! (If you get lost along the way, you can see a list of all of the fabulous blog hop participants here.)

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Artfully Sent Halloween Card, Promotion, and Giveaway


Close to my Heart’s new Artfully Sent Cricut Collection is A-MA-ZING! I had so much fun making this Halloween card and popcorn bucket last night. The card is from page 44 of the Artfully Sent booklet. I brought the card into Design Space and mistakenly made it 5" wide and 7" tall, so the finished card actually measures 3½"x 5". I actually liked the smaller card size, so I went with it. (I used my Explore machine which did a great job cutting the tiny details.) I cut it from a piece of black Paper Fundamentals cardstock which gives it a cool, high-contrast, chevron pattern on the inside and a subtle, glossy, chevron pattern on the outside.

I added a small piece of White Daisy, Sunset, and Canary cardstock behind the cut out candy corn on the inside of the card.


I used another piece of Canary Paper Fundamentals on the inside from the Whimsy pack and matted it with a piece of Sunset cardstock so that it would show through when the card is closed. It is still light enough to be able to write on it with black ink.


The popcorn bucket is from the Artiste Collection. I brought the image from page 67 into Design Space and after ungrouping it, cut it at 11" wide from another piece of Black Paper Fundamentals cardstock. I put the box together with the high contrast pattern on the outside. The Sunset cardstock scallop circle is cut at 2", the Canary cardstock circle is cut at 1.65", and the White Daisy circle is cut at 1.5". I stamped the sentiment from the Sweet Salutations stamp set in Whisper ink. I added all of the circle layers to the front with 3-D Foam Tape.



If you read all the way through my post, congrats! *Ü* I have a fun little contest for you. Whoever guesses closest to the number of candy corn that is in this popcorn box (including the candy corn on the outside of the box) will win the Sweet Salutations stamp set! This set is so versatile. It can be used for Halloween, Christmas, birthdays, or just about any occasion. To enter, just post your guess in the comments below and I will check to see who has the closest guess on Saturday, October 11th. I will post the winner here.


Did you enjoy learning a little about the Artfully Sent cartridge? Check back tomorrow for a blog hop highlighting this fabulous Cricut Collection! I am sure you will find some great inspiration! 

Have you thought about ordering the Artfully Sent Collection. I am extending my special promotion that I offered last month until the end of October. Anyone who orders the Artfully Sent Collection from me by 10/31/14, will receive a free stamp set of your choice! Click here for more information on this fun Collection and my special promotion.

Click on the image below to order your Artfully Sent Collection today!

Thursday, October 2, 2014

October Creative Club - Pathfinding Cards and Tote Kit


October’s Creative Club will be held on Thursday, October 23rd at 7pm. This month we will continue our celebration of Fall by making a set of (15) cards/envelopes and a matching tote with a “thankful—fall theme.”


The basic project kit is $30 and includes all of the following: 

Additional products needed to complete this project:
Ink Pads: ChocolateDesert SandGoldrushOlive, Glacier
Adhesive of your choice
3-D Foam Tape
Hole Punch
Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge (Cricut tag will be pre-cut for you in the kit, but you will need this if you would like to make more in the future.)

Add additional kits without stamp set for just $15 more!

You will learn how to make this adorable mini tote to hold your cards or use as a gift bag.


You will make (5) cards each of (3) designs for a total of 15 cards.


The card sentiments are perfect for letting loved ones know how thankful you are for them.




You can even use the cute images on the stamp set to decorate the envelopes.


Kits are now sold out. Thank you for the great response.  

To find out more about my monthly “no-commitment” Creative Club, click here. You do not need to be local to participate.