Thoughtful Thursday 1/21/2016

A quickly today, but still important...

It's important to be who you are. :)

There is only ONE you - even an identical twin is unique!

Artiste Cricut Collection - Rectangular Box + Art Philosophy Flowers

I'm so sorry I didn't share this with you when I made it (that was quite some time ago when I wasn't posting as consistently).  Anyway, you'll use the technique with different paper (if you don't have Brushed paper left).

The box came from the Artiste Collection, as did the saying.  The flowers are stamps from the Pretty Petals (C1599) set.  The flowers were stamped in Canary and Cranberry, but cut from the Art Philosophy Collection.  The saying was also stamped in Cranberry.  The leaves are cut from Juniper cardstock (from Art Philosophy).

The paper and Topiary Chevron ribbon are both retired.  The flowers are finished off with Green Enamels (also retired).

I think this would look just as good in Sangria colors.  I'm going to have try that!

Thoughtful Thursday 1/14/2016

As the new year continues to gain momentum, I think this picture is important.

It would be nice if success was really like the illustration on the left.  Well, maybe not.  If success was a straight line, there wouldn't be any learning, or failing.  Both of those are what make success so much sweeter.

Of course the reality of success is the illustration on the right.  At least for me it is.  And I believe it's true for everything in life.  There should be a third illustration with the arrow going inside the bundle, or even to the beginning.  It's easy to give up on a jumble of mess especially when it would be nice to have success in a straight line.

So keep going on your goals for the new year.  Our road will not be a straight one.  We'll hopefully end up in the same place though!

Dog Treat Tag

After losing my second pup (Ray) on December 13, 2015 I contemplated time (I lost Belle on July 3, 2015).  I had been wanting to make dog treats to give out for years, but kept putting it off.  This was the year that I wasn't going to put it off again.  The most unfortunate part of the process is I no longer had any taste testers!  But I wanted to honor Belle and Ray with moving forward and celebrating them with the treats.

I wrote a blurb up about time being my enemy because I had procrastinated so long and glued it onto the back of this tag:

The dogs came from the Artistry Cricut Collection (see page 9) as did the paws.  I once again went to Design Space to create the tag.  With the Explore machine, I was able to write the paw prints onto the tag.  I took the paw layer and hid the outside line contour.  That left me just the paw print.  Then I clicked and changed the cut to a drawn image.  I copied and pasted it to put on top of the tag.  Once I had the prints positioned on the tag where I wanted them, I grouped the three images and then attached the paw prints to the tag.  Their orientation and drawing was then fixed.

The black dog is Belle who had a heart of gold.  For Ray, I trimmed the long cut tail to a stubby tail to match him.  Baking and passing out the treats was somewhat therapeutic for me.  Belle and Ray's friends got a tasty treat and I was able to share some joy during a rough time.

Here are my babies!!














Surprisingly, and an added bonus, some of my dog friends used the tag as a tree ornament

Cricut Cupcake Pullout Cards

I had some fun with these cards I made for my some of my nieces and nephews.

These came together relatively quickly, and looked in person how I envisioned them (always an added bonus).  : )

The cupcake is from the Artiste Cricut Collection.  In Design Space, the three parts (cupcake wrapper, icing, and back) come as one image.  Before I ungrouped them, I sized the image to be 5.25" in height (I may have unlocked it the height and width and made the width 4.25").  I wanted it to take the entire A2-sized envelope.  You can change the size to whatever your needs are.

After ungrouping the three images, I copied and pasted the back.  Then I shrank the copied back a little (I eyeballed this) so that it would fit nicely inside the cupcake wrapper.

I cut the images out - the back in Bamboo, and wrapper with Zoe paper collection, and the icing in Canary.  Done with the Cricut machine.

Next I went to my Cuttlebug.  I used the Chevron embossing folder on the wrappers.  Oh, if you look closely at the picture, you'll see the cupcakes are mirror images of each other.  The wrappers are both sides of the same paper, so I reversed the icing and the backs.  This is important for the sprinkles on the icing.  When you run your icing through the Cuttlebug, you want them in the correct orientation so the sprinkles are going outward instead of inward.  With the correct orientation of the icing, I used the Confetti with the Circle Diffuser (so I'd have a flat space for the saying).  I chose the Confetti embossing folder over the Dot folder because I wanted the sprinkles to be more random.  Done with the Cuttlebug.

Next, I sanded the embossed bumps of the icing with the Sanding Kit.  You can see I left some of them white while I colored the rest.  I colored sprinkles with Leaf Green, Tender Pink, Golden Yellow, Turquoise Blue, and Lavender.  I stamped various "Happy Birthday"s from the Joyful Birthday set (B1419) in either Sorbet or Glacier, whichever corresponded with the wrapper color.

Assmbly: I added scor-tape (1/8") along the outside of the larger back.  I adhered the wrapper to that strip to create a pocket.  Then I slid the smaller back into the pocket, after adding some scor-tape to where the icing will go.  I aligned the Canary icing to the card and then adhered it to the smaller back.

Last thing to do is to write something on the pull out and there you go!  You could add a gift card or cash to the backside of the pull out if you'd like for an extra treat.

Thoughtful Thursday 1/7/2016

What do you think about this?! I'd like to chase some of my dreams this year...

I'm even going to go out on a limb and call them resolutions. I would like to send birthday cards to those whom I know (and who's address I have). Want one too, but I may not have your address? Email me (dskdots (at) san (dot) rr (dot) com and I'll add you.  I've told myself about this goal for a year, but I'm not sure I put it out there. I've read that by sharing, you are more likely to follow through.

For other months, I'd like to send out thinking of you cards.  Connecting with happy mail hopefully will put a smile on the recipients face.

I would like to be more technologically savvy and present.  I'm taking a four week class on that starting next week.

I would like to interact with my customers more - share more one on one.  And I would like to have more customers.  Therefore I need to leave my comfort zone and tout what I do to more people. : )

What about you? What dream do you want to catch this year?!

Seasonal Expressions January - April 2016 Now LIVE!

Nothing like starting the new year with health issues... I'm better now and am ready to show you the newest offerings from Close to my Heart!  Seasonal Expressions is now available for your viewing pleasure!

What's new, you may ask?

• First, there are three new paper packets that have been repackaged.  With our current Inspirations paper packets, you'll be receiving some cardstock along with the background and texture paper.  Starting with Charlotte, Penelope, and Regatta, the cardstock is replaced with two more background and texture papers - including one page of Picture My Life cards.  Here's a look at the Charlotte paper packet and you can see what I mean...
  

• Second, we now have Thin Cuts which are metal dies the coordinate with some stamp sets to eliminate cutting.  You'll use your favorite die cutting machine to cut shapes.  The neat thing is they come in a 6" x 6" pouch (just like the stamp sets) and stay on a magnetic sheet.  Right now there are 4 Thin Cuts available, but I suspect more will be coming in the next Seasonal Expression (but don't hold me to it!)
• Of course there are new stamp sets and accessories!
• Close to my Heart has listened to you in regards to the Workshops on the Go.  They have been renamed to Workshops Your Way and do NOT include a stamp set.  Instead they include the coordinating complements and extras (still so worth the price which has come down a little!).  From that, you'll be able to create 3 layouts plus a Picture My Life pocket scrapbooking layout.  With a few other suggested items, you can create cards with the extra paper and accessories.
• Three new Picture My Life program cards, including an overlay in white
• The Everyday Life collection - includes an album, coordinating Memory Protectors, planner/calendar, My Crush pages, Wahsi tape, and a roller stamp
• Another Instalife album and cards for those "little" moments (the album fits our 4" x 4" Memory Protectors)
• Finally, our Stamp of the Months for January through April are shown in the back

You just need to check things out for yourself... there is WAY to much fabulous for me to show you here.  Plus you'll get to see the inspiring artwork found within the Seasonal Expressions.

Are you ready to have some of the new items, but are still recovering from the holidays?  Think about hosting your own gathering.  We can do an online gathering where you'd invite your friends to shop your gathering.  We can do a Facebook gathering - all done online.  Or I can come to your home and show your friends and neighbors some of the awesomeness of Close to my Heart products.