Playing with Paper: Scrapbooks, Cards and DIY | Close to my Heart Independent Consultant

Amazing Deals up to 80% off + Stamp Set Giveaway!

2012-01-26T15:17:00.000-08:00

Hi, Friends!
I just had to let you know a couple of things. First, there are some AMAZING deals on my website. Lots of coordinating paper, stickers, and embellishments are up to 80% off! Here are just a few of the amazing deals...make sure you snag them before they're gone! Shop now >

Be sure to scroll all the way down, because I'm giving away a stamp set to one of you lucky readers!

Sweetheart Collection: Paper Pack $3 | My Stickease $2

See, I told you there are great deals! Keep reading, or shop now >

You may remember my Sweetheart mini-album. Details here.

Hooligans Collection: Paper Pack $3 | My Stickease $1 | Felt Assortment $2

Seriously, just $1 for My Stickease stickers! They're thick cardstock stickers...great for scrapbooking or cards. Such fun colors too...you can use them for Halloween or even birthdays. Here's a card I made out of this paper for a birthday. Details on this card here.

Here's a beautiful Christmas collection. Save it for your Christmas cards for this year, or use it to scrapbook Christmas from last year! (Or if you're like me, the last couple of years. LOL!)

Mistletoe Collection: Paper Pack $5 | My Stickease $2 | Assortment $2

Mini Medley Accents: Autumn Garden $2 | Holiday $2

Ribbon Rounds: Chocolate $4 | Black $4

Irresistibles Miracle Chipboard pieces - just $1!

These have embossed designs that, when inked, resist the ink and leave a pattern. Here's a card I created. I stocked up on these guys...love them! Card details here (great way to use your scraps).

Kraft color-ready borders - $5

You can leave these kraft-colored, or ink them any color you want. The best part is that they're self-adhesive! Here's an idea - sprinkle glitter on the adhesive side, then glue down the opposite side. They come with lots of 12" strips per package. Here are some 3"x3" cards I made using the kraft borders. They go a long way! Details here.

Lots more clearance items. Check them all out here >

GIVEAWAY!

How would you like to win this Mad About You stamp set? It's perfect for Valentine's Day, and it even includes some project ideas inside!

Head over to my Giveaways page and enter to win. Deadline to enter is on Jan. 31 at 11:59pm (Pacific time), and I'll choose one lucky winner on Feb. 1!

Remember that on Feb. 1 you can also view the new CTMH Idea Book online! Woo hoo! And if you place an order of $40 or more (including clearance items) I'll send you an Idea Book for free! Shop now >

Products Retiring on Jan. 31!

2012-01-25T16:05:00.000-08:00

I'm SO excited for the new CTMH Idea Book to go live on Feb. 1 so you all can see the wonderfulness inside! (Yes, I made up a word.) And let me tell you, the papers, stamps, and embellishments are to die for! CTMH never ceases to keep up with the color and style trends that make us swoon. You can look through the new Spring/Summer Idea Book HERE on or after Feb. 1. Want your own copy? Place an order of $40 and I'll send ya one!

But with every new product release, we need to say goodbye to some older products. Some of my favorite items are retiring. Like the Circle Around stamp set. Here's a layout I created with it.

(Click to view larger)

And the Sophia paper pack and Stickease. Oh, how I love Sophia for little girls.

And wow, if you make birthday cards, you NEED Piece of Cake. It's my go-to...always the perfect size image and a few great sentiments to choose from.

For us visual folks, here is a slideshow of all the products that are retiring on January 31. If you see something you like, you better grab it now! (And yes, even retiring products count toward your $40 purchase to get a free Idea Book.) There's a list below the slideshow of all the items retiring. You can type the name in the search box on my website to quickly find it. Click here to open a new window and begin shopping.

(Thanks a bunch to Tamytha Jenkins for putting the slideshow together. And to Kathleen Stoppelmoor and Cassandra Bennett for putting the retiring list together.)

Some of these items are even clearance-priced. You'll find the discounted items here.

And here's a list of all the items retiring. Click here to open a new window and begin shopping.

Level 2 Paper Packs:

Believe
Dreamin’
Fanfare
Lucky
Mayberry
Mischief
Sophia
Wonderland

Workshops-on-the-Go:
- Believe
- Dreamin’
- Elemental
- Mischief
- Roxie
- Sonoma
- Typeset
- Wonderland
MyStickease:
- Believe
- Dreamin’
- Fanfare
- Lucky
- Mayberry
- Mischief (Rub-ons)
- Sophia
- Wonderland
Mini-Medley Accents:
- Antiqued Copper
- Colonial White
Brads & Eyelets:
- Colonial White Brads
- Pewter Decorative Brads
- Black and White Daisy Soft Set Eyelets
- Chocolate and Colonial White Soft Set Eyelets
Dimensionals:
- Flurry
- On Target
Ribbon & Floss:
- Colonial White Ribbon Collection
- 3/8″ Cranberry Grosgrain Ribbon
- 3/8″ Cocoa Grosgrain Ribbon
- 3/8″ Colonial White Grosgrain Ribbon
- 3/8″ White Daisy Grosgrain Ribbon
- Wings Level 2 Assortment
Embroidery Floss:
- Blue/Purple
- Green
- Red/Pink
Waxy Flax:
- Cranberry
- Crystal Blue
- Juniper
- Sorbet
Various Accessories:
- Bliss Level 2 Assortment
- Fanfare Level 2 Assortment
- Foundry Metal – Bookplates
- Harvest Charms
- Holiday Pockets
- Just Blooms Spring Blossom Paper Flowers
- Just Blooms White Daisy Variety Pack
- Lucky Level 2 Assortment
- Lucky Level 2 Journaling Spots
- Midnight Felt Shapes
- Sweetheart Level 2 Assortment
Color-Ready Alphabets:
- Hodge Podge
- Oxford
My Creations:
- Board Book
- Journal
- 9×9 Memory Showcase
Supplies/Tools:
- Rubber Brayer
- Soft Set Eyelet Tool
- Eyelet Tool Replacement Punches
8 1/2 x 11 Cardstock:
- Black
- Colonial White
- White Daisy
Stamps:
- A Hop
- A Little Buzz
- A Little Everything
- A Love
- A Paisley
- A Posey
- Adoption
- Adorning Corners
- Always In My Heart
- Ambiance
- Around The Block
- Baby Love
- Backgrounds & Borders
- Beary Best
- Beary Busy
- Beautiful Butterflies
- Beautiful Things
- Believe In Your Dreams
- Beloved
- Birthday Blast
- Birthday Boy
- Bless This Nest
- Blooming Layers
- Bon Appetit
- Boom!
- Bunny Love
- Campin’ Fever
- Carefree
- Catching Waves
- Charmed
- Cherished Flourishes
- Ciao
- Circle Around
- Circle of Love
- Circle Together
- Connections
- Cruisin’
- Cupcake Sprinkles
- Daydream
- Down By The Sea
- Dream Big
- Dreams Come True
- Enjoy Every Moment
- Extreme Happiness
- Family
- Family Ties – Adult
- Family Ties – Children
- Family Ties – Pet
- Fill In The Blank
- Flower Pot
- For Every Occasion
- Friendship Blessings
- From My Heart
- Fun Times
- Happy Holidays
- Happy Moments
- Hero
- His and Hers
- Horizon
- Hot Diggity
- Howdy
- In The Month Of April
- In The Month Of February
- In The Month Of July
- In The Month Of June
- In The Month Of March
- In The Month Of May
- It’s A Zoo
- Just For Boys
- Just For Girls
- Just The Ticket
- Kanji Phrases
- Let’s Go Camping
- Little Princess
- Love Always
- Love Birds
- Love Ya
- Magic Tabs
- Makin’ Waves
- Ms. Chillin’
- Ms. Scrapbook
- Notice The Details
- One Of A Kind
- On The Edge
- On This Day
- Over The Rainbow
- Paisley Praise
- Piece of Cake
- Play Day
- Post Card – Travel Series
- Precious Love
- Priceless Love
- Recipe Box
- Retro Tech
- Royal Birth
- Salutation Seals
- Shining Star
- Smiles
- So Lucky
- Soul Mates
- Springtime
- Star Power
- Summer Breeze
- Summer Days
- Sweet Baby
- Take Luck
- Tasty Treats
- Tea Time
- Thank You
- Thrill Ride
- T.L.C.
- Togetherness
- Treetops
- Trellis
- Two-Step Backgrounds
- Unity
- X-Treme
- You Did It
- You Rock
- You’re Great
- You’re Sweet

To shop for retiring products, "while supplies last" products, and products that are not retiring, click here to open a new window.

Stella Thank You Card - Peek at New CTMH Goodies!

2012-01-23T12:47:00.000-08:00

I just can't get enough of this new Stella paper from Close to my Heart. I adore the colors. In fact, someday if I have a baby girl this just might be my inspiration for her nursery. You'll see the paper soon in the brand new Idea Book, which you can find HERE on Feb. 1!

I used another new item, the Just for You stamp set. That gorgeous flower pairs perfectly with the Stella paper. And the flower matches with the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge, so you can cut them out in a jiffy! This is definitely one of my new favorite stamp sets. The flourish is from a set that came out in the fall called Love Life, which is another favorite of mine!

To give the flower some dimension, I curled the petals up with my piercing tool. I first wrapped just the edge up on the skinny metal part, then wrapped the whole petal around the wider wooden part. Then I put the cocoa flower center on foam to give it more dimension.

My inspiration came from Mary's card here, which was inspired by a Mojo Monday sketch.

I made several of these cards to send with the new Idea Book to some of my customers, and added a few different embellishments to the centers of the flowers. You, too, can get an Idea Book in the mail for free if you spend $40 or more with me! Or you can view it online HERE beginning Feb. 1.

Would you like to receive a whole slew of the brand new CTMH goodies at a fraction of the cost? Sign up to be a Close to my Heart Consultant! You'll receive a giant box of new product, including Stella and the Just for You stamp set, plus TONS more for just $99 (almost $300 value). If I could sign up all over again, I sure would! See more details about becoming a Consultant, for business or pleasure, HERE.

Happy creating!

Love Life Stamp Set

Clean and Simple Valentine Cards

2012-01-19T06:16:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Day 4 of the "Love me Do" Valentine's Blog Hop! Today I'm featuring Clean & Simple (CAS) cards. I love the CAS look...it tends to be more focused so the pretty paper and/or stamping really stands out. Plus, when you have several to create they're quick to put together!

I recently bought a 6x6 My Mind's Eye "Honey Cake" paper pad that is not Valentine-themed, but it had some great paper to work with for a Valentine's card.

I cut out the hearts on my Cricut with the Art Philosophy cartridge (1-1/4") and stamped the "string" from the CTMH Paper Lantern stamp set. The stamp at the bottom is my favorite...it is the reason I'm even sending Valentine cards (normally I don't). But I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to use the "Sending love from Seattle" sentiment to my family who is all out of state. I picked it up from Impress--one of my favorite stores I've found up here in the PNW.

I also created this variation using the lanterns from the Paper Lantern stamp set, but I don't really like how it turned out.

Don't forget that on January 24th we will be giving away a collection of goodies from the group to one lucky participant. To enter, you'll need to fill out a Google Docs form on Live.Teach.Create on January 20th, asking various questions about the posts throughout the week. All those who enter the correct answers will have a chance to win!

Now it's time to visit Tasha's blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Paper Lantern stamp set

Art Philosophy Cricut Collection

Valentine's Mini-Album

2012-01-17T06:28:00.000-08:00

Today is Day 2 of the "Love Me Do" Valentine's blog hop. You can see my first post here, along with info on the grand prize at the end of the week! All this week a group of 5 designers, including myself, will be showcasing Valentine ideas to help inspire you for the season of LOVE!

This is a project I did last year, but I love it so much that I wanted to share it again! I used the My Creations Memory Showcase, which I love for many reasons, but especially because it can lay flat on a table or stand upright to display the whole thing!

The paper packs I used are now retired: Sweetheart and Animal Cookies from Close to my Heart. But the Sweetheart paper is on clearance right now for just $3.00!!! Hurry and get some...that's a crazy good deal! The retail is $12.95! I also hand-stamped some cardstock to make my own patterned paper.

I used the Spray Pen with Tulip re-inker and pearl paint on the front and back covers, as well as on 2 of the pull-out tags.

Love all those pretty buttons! Buttons are one of my favorite embellishments, and CTMH has some awesome ones. They have a lot of detail, and they're very reasonably priced...each bag comes with tons of fun buttons for just $5.95. Check them out >

How perfect is the black heart accent? It's a sticker from the Sweetheart embellishments. It's also retiring soon, so snag some while you can!

I used the Damask Tiles stamp set to make this pink-on-white background paper, and the Noted Backgrounds stamp set for the pink-on-pink paper. Both of these stamp sets are now retired, but the Universal Backgrounds stamp set is another one of my favorites for creating my own patterned paper and is still available.

Isn't the Bohemian Alphabet adorable?! It's one of my favorites...a must-have for scrapbook titles. The silver/pink ribbon is from Martha Stewart.

You can find some AMAZING deals on the "While Supplies Last" page of my CTMH website right now, including this Sweetheart paper and matching MyStickease.

To see all the clearance items go here >

Now hop over to Tasha's blog, and be sure to check back with me tomorrow for a new idea!

(I can't take total credit for the layout of these pages. Most of this album was lifted from Vicki Wizniuk's 9"x9" baby album here.)

Here's a list of all the designers participating in the blog hop...

Jessica- http://handmadecre8ivity.blogspot.com

Claudia- http://mcscraps5.blogspot.com

Jayma- http://JaymaMalme.blogspot.com

Tasha- http://Wildatheartstudios.blogspot.com

Jenn- http://www.LiveTeachCreate.com

Valentine's Button Heart {What's in a Frame} for Our Valentine's Blog Hop

2012-01-16T05:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday, and welcome to the “Love Me Do” Valentine’s Blog Hop! This week, January 16^th-20^th, we have a group of 5 talented designers sharing projects with you on their blogs to get you prepared for the upcoming season of love! We hope to inspire you to create something fun! We'd love to see your work, so leave a comment on the blogs as you go through.

On January 24^th we'll be giving away a collection of goodies from the group to one lucky participant. The giveaway will be hosted through filling out a Google Docs form on Live.Teach.Create on January 20^th, asking various questions about the posts throughout the week. All those who enter with the correct answers will have a chance to win!

And now here's my first project of the week...

I used mostly Close to my Heart red buttons (love the detail in all CTMH's buttons) to form the heart. I first cut a heart from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge in Cranberry as my base and layered the buttons on top. The banners were stamped with various words from the Love Language and Sweetheart stamp sets (both retired), then the edges were inked in cranberry ink.

I love creating framed decor...so much so that I have a line of it in my Etsy shop called {What's in a Frame}. I specialize in personalized baby name nursery decor...you can check it all out here.

Thanks for joining me today for Day #1 of the “Love Me Do” Valentine’s Blog Hop! Next person in the hop is Tasha. Check back again with me tomorrow for a new idea!

Here's a list of all the designers participating...

Jessica- http://handmadecre8ivity.blogspot.com

Claudia- http://mcscraps5.blogspot.com

Jayma- http://JaymaMalme.blogspot.com

Tasha- http://Wildatheartstudios.blogspot.com

Jenn- http://www.LiveTeachCreate.com

Another Fire Truck {What's in a Frame} Nursery Decor + SNOW

2012-01-15T11:37:00.000-08:00

I have another Fire Truck {What's in a Frame} baby name decor to share with you. This is almost exactly the same as the one I shared here, only a different name. Fire truck nurseries must be popular!

I don't think I will ever get tired of making these...they're so fun! If you'd like one to match your little one's nursery or to give as a gift, you can find the details in my Etsy shop.

This morning we woke up to snow! Granted, it was a very light dusting, but it's really exciting for me because this is the first winter we've live somewhere that gets snow. And this girl LOVES snow! :) We're supposed to get a little more today and tomorrow...yay!

Have a wonderful rest of your long weekend! Come back tomorrow because I'm participating in a Valentine's blog hop that goes on all week long. It's sure to get your Valentine's crafting mojo going!

Fire Engine {What's in a Frame} Nursery decor for Baby Boy

2012-01-13T06:50:00.000-08:00

I have another fun little boy's {What's in a Frame} to share with you today! This one was to match the Nojo Engine 27 bedding...how cute is this?!

I had a lot of fun with this frame. I found some reflective firefighter-themed stickers from Me & My Big Ideas to match the theme, then used patterned papers and cardstock from CTMH to match the bedding. I especially love that little dalmatian. I used to have a thing for dalmatians when I was younger...I had a whole collection!

It's hard to tell, but the fire truck has a shiny reflective coating on it that looks cool in person.

I wanted to recreate the "engine 27" from the bedding, so I achieved the look by 2nd-generation stamping the "27" (Extreme Caps stamp set) in chocolate ink and stamping "engine" over it in cranberry ink. The stamp set I used for "engine" is A Typeface...you may remember it from a CTMH special a few months back. Well, you'll be happy to know that it's coming back in the new Spring/Summer catalog, for only $6.95! It's a great all-purpose stamp set to have on hand.

The only patterned paper I used are the blue pieces! They're from the back sides in the Twitterpated and Cherry-O paper packs. The red and brown pieces are cardstock that I stamped to create my own patterns. The cranberry pieces are stamped with the Noted Backgrounds stamp set (retired) and the chocolate pieces with Hit the Spot (also retired) from CTMH. I LOVE background stamps...they have so many uses. You can still get the Universal Backgrounds stamp set, another one of my favorites.

Available for Purchase!

This nursery decor is available in my Etsy shop and can be personalized for your baby or to give as a gift. Lots of other styles and themes available, or I can match your theme.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day!

Scrapbook Layout Contest at Practical Scrappers

2012-01-11T06:58:00.000-08:00

For all you scrapbookers out there...yes, you! I wanted to be sure you know about Practical Scrappers' layout contest!

You don't even need to create something new to enter the contest, you can email them your favorite layout that you've created in the last couple of months. The contest will have 6 rounds.

There are lots of prizes, so hurry on over to Practical Scrappers to get all the details!

The deadline to enter is THIS Friday, Jan. 13 at midnight CST.

Christmas Feast Scrapbook Layout

2012-01-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

I got a Christmas layout done! But I'm not really that on top of my scrapbooking...this is from Christmas 2009! I'm not as behind on all of my photos, but I tend to take so many pictures at Christmas that I get overwhelmed and put off scrapbooking them. This year I hardly took any pictures so I won't have that problem! I'm working on simplifying.

You've seen this Bible paper before. I used pages from the Christmas story in Luke for this page...I love it! (And as a reminder, I use Bible I got at a used book store for crafting purposes...I don't tear up my own Bibles!) I used the Holiday Trinkets stamp set (retired) for the ornaments and added some silver glitz glitter gel. Love me some bling!

I used the October stamp of the Month from CTMH, called Holiday Magic for the pennants. (My first time using this set.) They're actually Christmas trees. I added some licorice opaques between the banners. The title is stamped with the Friendship Alphabet and there are little snowflakes stamped in 2nd generation in the background.

I'm entering this layout at Heart 2 Heart Challenges...to use a stamp set you haven't used yet.

Have a wonderful week!

Fabric-Wrapped Bangle Bracelets and Rosette Rings

2012-01-09T06:54:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that in addition to paper crafting, I like to make jewelry every now and then. I have never gotten too fancy in my jewelry designs, but this year I was inspired by so much jewelry on Pinterest that I got more into it than in the past. I made some really cool pieces as Christmas gifts (if I do say so myself).

First up is an upcycle project. My cousin gave me 2 plastic bangles that she never wore, assuming I could do something cool with them. And she was right :) I decided to take some fabric scraps that I had been hoarding to turn them into trendy and fun little bracelet and ring sets. I left the edges raw because I like the raveled look.

I gave the pink and gray set to my sister because it matches the Statement Necklace I gave her for her birthday. And the green and black one went to my good friend Melissa (the same Melissa who just got married and was on the receiving end of my paper flower bouquets).

If you'd like to learn how to make the fabric rosettes on the bracelet and ring, I created a video a while back on how to make a statement necklace which includes these flowers. You can find it here.

I made some more jewelry as Christmas gifts so I'll be sharing them in the near future as well. Some of them were Anthropologie-inspired!

Thanks for visiting, I hope you are able to do something creative today!

Teacher {What's in a Frame}

2012-01-03T07:19:00.000-08:00

Now that Christmas is over and I'm back home I get to share some of the Christmas gifts I made this year!

First up is a Teacher version of my {What's in a Frame} decor. This was for my sister-in-law, Stephanie, who is a 2nd grade teacher (and all the kids' favorite teacher to boot!).

Steph has been on 3 missions trips to Africa and the Bible verse I included is special to her: "And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to some of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" ~Matthew 25:40

I found the quote on Pinterest, it says "It's not so much what is poured into the student, but what is planted by the teacher that really counts." I really love that...it's so true! I printed both the quote and Bible verse on my printer after laying out just how I wanted in InDesign.

The paper I used is Typeset from Close to my Heart. I love that CTMH's paper now has "zip strips," an extra 1/2" on all pieces of paper that you can use as a border. That's what the alphabet border is. I also used some sparkles and mocha opaques to embellish, along with tickets cut from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge and stamped with stamps from You & Me (retired). (If you have a Cricut and don't have Art Philosophy, check it out...it's a must-have collection!!)

Oh, and she LOVED it. She has seen all of my {What's in a Frame} decor and loves them...she even gifted one to a friend. She got choked up when she opened this :) That's what I love about completely customized gifts!

I hope you enjoyed and that you were inspired to create something today.

Have a wonderful week.

You can see all my {What's in a Frame} decor here >

Order your own customized {What's in a Frame} here >

Button Boutonnieres

2012-01-02T16:43:00.000-08:00

Happy January, everyone! I took a little blogging break but am happy to be back and excited to share lots of crafty things I made for Christmas gifts.

First I wanted to share these boutonnieres with you. Remember these wedding bouquets I posted in November made from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge? Well I made the boutonnieres for the men out of buttons, floral wire, and pin backs.

Here are the groom and best man showing off the bouquets and boutonnieres.

The buttons I used are a mixture of vintage, some I found at Joann's, Close to my Heart, and a Webster's Pages resin flower. I love the detail and flower shapes in CTMH's buttons...I used the green assortment and basic assortment.

These boutonnieres and bouquets are also in my Etsy shop for anyone interested in purchasing :)

Be back tomorrow with gifts to share!

Linking up to Tatertots and Jello!

Free Shipping on CTMH Today only!

2011-12-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

If you have a crafty gal on your gift list this year, or want to pick out something special for yourself, why not give them the BEST stamping and scrapbooking products on the market?! The exclusive Art Philosophy Cricut collection is the #1 must-have item!

I love that Close to my Heart is innovative...their clear MyAcrylix stamps are top quality, trendy, and easy to stamp exactly where you want. And the exclusive color palette makes it easy to match inks, embellishments, and paper perfectly! Here are more reasons why I love them so much >

Through today only: FREE SHIPPING on your Close to my Heart order! (Min. $40, US only.) You must order through me, not my website, so that I can pay your shipping.

Email me at jaymalew [at] gmail [dot] com to order or if you have any questions whatsoever. View the catalog >

But hurry, this Free Shipping offer ends at midnight PST tonight (12/16/11)! It's only through me!

Still Time for a Customized Gift

2011-12-15T16:17:00.000-08:00

There's still time to order a customized gift for Christmas! My {What's in a Frame} line of decor is perfect for a baby or expecting mom, newlywed, mom, dad, friend—well, anyone! I specialize in customizing it for YOU! I want to match your baby's room or friend's home or dad's office perfectly. I'll work with you to find just the right paper, frame, and embellishments to wow your family and friends this Christmas.

Visit my Etsy shop for pricing and more details. Email me if you have questions: jaymalew [at] gmail [dot] com. Here are some examples of what I can do for you...

Thanks for visiting. I hope you have a safe and happy Christmas season!

And the Winner is...

2011-12-01T03:05:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

I'm popping in to let you know the winner of my Bible-page ornament!

Jaclynn Marie, you're the lucky winner!

I can't find your contact info, so please email me to claim your prize: jaymalew [at] gmail [dot] com.

Congratulations!

Thanks for everyone who entered. I'm feeling a STAMP giveaway coming on soon.

Mixed-Media Canvas Wreath Tutorial Featured at Practical Scrappers

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday!

I wanted to pop in to let you know that I made a Mixed-Media Canvas and scrapbook paper wreath that's featured over at Practical Scrappers today!

Here's a sneak peek...go check out my project and video tutorial!

The Design Team is taking turns featuring Christmas projects each day, so be sure to follow Practical Scrappers so you don't miss a project. You may want to check out previous projects, too!

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget about my giveaway, I'll choose a winner on Wed 11/30 at noon!

Follow Jayma on Twitter: @jaymalew
"Like" Playing with Paper on Facebook

Giveaway Time!

2011-11-23T05:42:00.000-08:00

How about a GIVEAWAY?! What's better for your budget than something for FREE?!

I'm celebrating a recent milestone on Facebook—I just passed the 100 "like" mark! So one of you lucky readers is going to win my Bible-page ornament! Fully assembled!

Here's what you need to do for your entry to the giveaway:

Follow my blog (leave a comment that you do)
"Like" my Facebook page

That's it!

But you can get bonus entries, too! Share my giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter (I'm @jaymalew) for one bonus entry each. Leave an additional comment here for each share (i.e. if you share on Twitter and Facebook you should leave 2 comments in addition to your comment that you follow my blog and like my FB page. That way I know to count each of your entries.)

I'll choose a winner on November 30—because that's my birthday! Wait, shouldn't I be getting the loot?! ;)

Good luck!

If you'd like to make your own Bible-page ornament or purchase my Ornament Kit, please refer to this post.

For all of my Crafting on a Budget posts, click here.

Edited to add:

Some of you have questioned my use of cutting an actual Bible for my ornament. I appreciate all of your thoughts, but for me, that's why I love it so much! Being a Christian, using Bible pages gives special meaning to my ornament. I found the Bible at a used book store because I'd never use my own. I also love that the wedding bouquets I made with it means that the Bible was a part of their wedding in additional ways!

I appreciate that others may not feel the same way, but this is how I get extra meaning out of my projects.

Bible-Page Ornament Kit Now Available

2011-11-21T22:48:00.000-08:00

Hi, Friends!

After the fantastic feedback I received about my Bible-Page Wedding Bouquets, I was trying to think up something similar that everyone could enjoy, not only brides-to-be. With Christmas just around the corner, I decided to make the bouquet into a Christmas ornament. It's a smaller size which means a little less assembly time, and I've swapped out stems for a ribbon loop. Plus, the Bible pages make it most appropriate for the season. :)

If you have a Cricut and the Art Philosophy Cartridge, you can easily make this on your own. And it's very budget-friendly! Watch my video in this post for a tutorial on creating a bouquet. Simply omit the "stems" and attach a ribbon loop with a pin and glue. Keep reading for the list of supplies.

If you don't have a Cricut—or pretty Bible paper—you can still make this ornament! I've put together Ornament Kits for you to purchase! And they come with step-by-step instructions. For only $5 you'll get the flowers cut from Bible pages plus a pin/ribbon—that saves you the cost of buying/finding a vintage book and/or purchasing a Cricut and the Art Philosophy Cartridge (although I recommend investing in them!) Scroll down to find out how to purchase.

If you'd like me to do the work for you, you can purchase the fully-assembled ornament in my Etsy shop.

The Ornament Kit includes:

Ribbon for loop
Pin to secure ribbon loop
40 Bible-page Cricut-cut flower spirals (you may have extras)
A step-by-step written tutorial with photos on how to put it together (PDF emailed)

You will need:

2-1/2" foam ball
Hot glue
Piercing tool (recommended) or long skinny item to wrap flowers on
Pearl-tip pins (optional, you can use hot glue instead)
Glitter gel (optional)

Note: I am not including the foam ball in the kit because of shipping logistics. They are easy to find at your local craft store. The idea behind creating this kit is for those of you without a Cricut and/or Art Philosophy or a vintage Bible to be able to do this fun project.

***I will mail your kit within 3 days of receiving payment (often sooner). Be sure your address is correct in Paypal when ordering.
***I will email the instructions in a PDF file to the email you provide through Paypal.

Be prepared to spend a good amount of time rolling flowers, but it's worth it in the end! And it won't take as long as doing a whole bouquet! You can roll flowers while you watch TV, like I do :)

Only $5!

To make this ornament without the kit, you will need:

Cricut (any version)
Art Philosophy Collection (Cricut cartridge)
Bible or other book with pretty pages
2-1/2" Foam ball
Piercing Tool or long skinny item to wrap flowers on
Ribbon
Hot glue
Pearl-tip pins (optional)
Refer to this video (scroll to bottom) for instructions

If you have a Cricut and don't have the Art Philosophy cartridge, you seriously need to add it to your Christmas wish list. (I will gladly work with your honey!) I replaced several punches and Nestabilities die-cuts with this cartridge, and selling them on ebay paid for my Art Philosophy collection! If you think about it, each punch is $10-$15. If you have 10 punches...BAM, that's at least the cost of Art Philosophy right there. And there are over 700 shapes on the cartridge...I haven't used another die-cutting tool since! PLUS, you also get 3 coordinating stamp sets and 3 sheets of chipboard with the collection, making it a terrific value. I promise, this is an awesome investment!

More info on Art Philosophy >
Purchase Art Philosophy >

Let me know if you have any questions! Thanks for visiting!

Linking to:
Reasons to Skip the Housework

Create Your Own Wedding Bouquets From a Bible

2011-11-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

I've teased you for a while now about this Bridal bouquet...

Are you ready to see the final products?!

Here's my close-up of the Bride's and Maid of Honor's bouquets.

But just wait. Since this was my very good friend's wedding, and her bestie was the photographer, I have AMAZING photos of these bouquets to share with you!!!

Here is the stunning Bride, Melissa, and her beautiful Maid of Honor/Photographer, Lauren. (Both of whom are great friends of mine! I sure love them and miss living near them!)

Everyone loved the bouquets so much that they became props in most of the photos. Here is the dashing Groom and his Best Man showing off the bouquets as well as their fun button boutonnieres. (Which I also made. But I'm saving those for another post.)

This project was inspired by this post that Melissa saw and fell in love with the book page flowers. (She is, after all, a book worm!) Knowing that I'm the crafty diva that I am, and keeping in mind that I offered several times to help her with her wedding, she asked if I'd be able to create something similar for her bouquet.

I believe my reply was something like, "YES! I'd love to! I just got the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge and it would be perfect for creating those 3D flowers!"

So I was on a mission to create the most spectacular bouquet. The best part is that she can display it in her home for years to come...and maybe even let friends borrow it to use at their weddings (if they're lucky)!

If you are on a budget for your wedding, this bouquet is perfect, but just be prepared to spend many, many hours creating it. If you're willing to put in the time, this will be a very budget-friendly bouquet. (See my video tutorial below.)

If you are short on time, however, and would rather purchase the wedding bouquet(s) from me, you can purchase them in my Etsy shop fully assembled. I also offer them as a kit, which will save you some cutting and shopping time, and save you money if you do not already have a Cricut and/or the Art Philosophy cartridge. (However, if you are a papercrafter these items are actually a money-saving investment!)

Here is a video tutorial I put together to show you how to create the wedding bouquets yourself.

Supplies you'll need:

Cricut (Expression or above, you need a 12x12 mat)
Art Philosophy Collection (Cricut cartridge)
Bible or other book with pretty pages, at least 8" tall/wide
Foam ball (I used 5" for large bouquet)
Pearl-tip pins
Piercing Tool
3 sharpened pencils
Floral tape
Ribbon (I used 1-1/2")
Hot glue

Happy creating!

I have more Crafting on a Budget coming up all month long! Make sure you don't miss a thing...

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The photos of Melissa's wedding above were taken by Lauren Natalie Photography in conjunction with Lisa Conrad Photography. If you live in the San Diego area and are in need of a photographer for your wedding, baby shower, family photos, or anything else, I highly recommend Lauren of Lauren Natalie Photography. She's taken several of my wedding photos, my family photos, my sister's baby shower photos, and many of my friends' wedding photos.

I've entered my bouquets into an Art Philosophy blog hop hosted by Lisa Stenz! Hop along here...

I'm also linking up to...
Tatertots & Jello
My Girlish Whims
House of Hepworths
The DIY Showoff

My Scarf Was Featured!

2011-11-17T14:17:00.000-08:00

Hi, Crafters!
Popping in quickly to let you know that my no-sew scarf was featured on My Girlish Whims. Check it out! You can see my original post with the scarf how-to HERE. They make great Christmas gifts.

I'm working on a tutorial for the wedding bouquets I made from vintage Bible pages. I'm hoping to bring that to you very soon! Here's another peek in case you missed the last one ;)

Give Your Accessories a Facelift With Spray Paint -- Your Budget Will Thank You

2011-11-13T06:47:00.000-08:00

How many of you have old picture frames that you are tired of looking at? Maybe the color doesn't fit your decor anymore, or it's outdated, or you're just bored of it? *Raises hand*

Last spring I spray painted just about every old frame in my house to create a unified gallery wall in my (old) craft room. You can see my post about it HERE. (It includes a tutorial on how to spray paint and how to create a flower rosette-embellished mirror!)

I had so much fun with that project that I got a little obsessed with spray paint! Now I see everything with new eyes: I see it for its potential.

Enter this picture frame. I found it at Marshall's on clearance for $5. You can see why. It looks gaudy and ugly! But I bought it. Because I could change it.

A couple of coats of black spray paint later, I have a stylish frame that matches my home! That's my cutie pie hubby and nephew in the photo. :)

Looks like a different frame, right?!

Budget Breakdown

Old frame (free) or clearance frame ($5)
Fraction of a can of spray paint ($5ish for the whole can)

How many accessories do you have in your home right now that could use a facelift?

I hope you've been enjoying my Crafting on a Budget series. More to come throughout the rest of the month! Like the wedding bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres I created for my good friend Melissa's wedding using the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. I cannot WAIT to share them with you, complete with a tutorial. Here's a peek...

Happy crafting!

Follow Jayma on Twitter: @jaymalew
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Budget-Friendly Christmas Gift: Button Rings

2011-11-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

I've shared these button rings with you before but I thought they were worth another post during my Crafting on a Budget series because they make such wonderful gifts and are inexpensive to make!

I especially love to use Close to my Heart's buttons because they have such pretty shapes and designs in them. Plus they're only $5.95 for a package of 24-72 buttons! You can see/order all the colors of CTMH buttons on my website HERE. (Have you seen the prices of fancy buttons at the craft stores lately? They run upwards of $2 just for a few buttons!) However, sometimes I must splurge if I see something I really love, and I also love to use vintage buttons when I find some great ones.

Here are some button rings that I've made. I've given them as gifts numerous times and they're always a big hit. Scroll to the bottom to see a video on how to make your own!

WARNING: These are addicting to make. You can't make just one! Just know that if you start, everyone on your Christmas list will be receiving rings because you won't be able to stop. Be sure you have adequate supplies :)

The blue flower on the bottom is from the Blue Assortment, clear flower from the Clear assortment, and the white/rhinestone is from a (retired) Tim Holtz Idea-ology pack.

The white flower button on the bottom is from the Basic Assortment and the pink is from—you guessed it—the Pink Assortment. The flower on top is retired from Stampin' Up. I like to cover the holes of the buttons with a rhinestone so they're not "naked." This rhinestone is from the Red, Pink & Purple assortment.

This ring is two vintage buttons separated by a clear button.

This one isn't actually made from buttons. It's a Shimmer Brad with a giant jewel brad (from Michael's) on top.

Here's a video I created if you're interested in making these yourself.

Supplies you'll need:

Hot glue
E6000 glue
Ring blanks (look on ebay)
Lots of buttons!
Rhinestone sparkles

I'm Crafting on a Budget all month long! To see my previous posts in the series, click here.

Happy crafting!

Follow Jayma on Twitter: @jaymalew
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{Almost} Free Christmas Cards From Gift Tags & CTMH Believe

2011-11-08T06:21:00.000-08:00

I've been called a hoarder a time or two (or ten) by my family. I have always saved everything that I thought had another use—I'm sure many of you can relate! (However, after moving three times in three years I have learned to part with much of it.)

Every Christmas my family uses cute gift tags that I just can't bear to throw away. Some are even handmade. So I save the really cute ones and stash them away with my Christmas scrapbooking supplies.

As I continue with my Crafting on a Budget series throughout the month, I decided to finally get the tags out and take a stab at some Christmas cards. I have really been attracted to the "Clean and Simple" (CAS) style lately, which I like for two reasons:

I just love the look—there's not as much going on so it's more focused.
It uses fewer supplies, which is easier on your budget!

Here are three CAS cards I came up with using tags from my stash.

Card #1: This first card uses a reindeer-shaped tag. I adhered him to white cardstock that I ran through my Cuttlebug with the Swiss Dots folder. Then I added a border of CTMH Holiday Red to make him pop. I used just a thin strip of patterned paper from the Believe paper pack which helps anchor the design a bit. Those cute 3D Christmas lights were already part of the tag!

CTMH Kraft cardstock comes in 12" x 12" sheets. To get the most out of your cardstock for your card base, cut your cards at 5-1/2" x 4" instead of 4-1/4". That way you'll get 3 card bases out of one sheet of cardstock. (Cut your card base at 4" x 11" and fold in half so the fold of the card is at the top.)

Card #2: This cute little house tag was screaming "snow scene!" I used White Daisy pigment ink and a snowflake from the Snowflakes stamp set (which also coordinates with the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge). To add extra snow on the ground I ran some white cardstock through the Cuttlebug again with the Swiss Dots embossing folder. Then I tore it to resemble hills. It's hard to tell in the picture, but I also added some glitter gel to the hills for some added sparkle.

You could even take the above card a step further and add some rhinestones to the snowflake centers. I added a rhinestone to the center of the roof to cover the hole from the tag.

Card #3: I love using nontraditional colors for Christmas cards, and this card plays on that. I used Hollyhock cardstock to back the tag, then used 3D foam squares to mount it onto the star paper from Believe. I stamped the long presents stamp from Holiday Trinkets (retired) to the thin strip of hollyhock cardstock for some added interest and to play on the gifts under the tree.

Since this card base was so white I inked the edges of the papers in hollyhock ink.

Budget Breakdown

1 Believe paper packet: $9.95
Kraft cardstock (24): $9.50
Snowflakes stamp set: (very versatile for Christmas and winter) $17.95
White Daisy pigment ink: $6.95
Tags from Christmases past: free

= Oodles of Christmas cards!

See this post for budget-friendly advice on where to get white cardstock for your card bases.

Remember you can add the Holiday Wishes stamp set to your order for just $5 this month when you purchase $25 in stamps from Close to my Heart! And you can add the Stamp of the Month for just $5 also when you place a $50 order.

I hope you'll think twice before throwing out your cute gift tags this year...they just might turn into your Christmas cards next year!

My Crafting on a Budget Series is going on all month long! To see previous posts, click here.

Follow Jayma on Twitter: @jaymalew
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Linking up to Your Whims Wednesday.

Make a No-Sew Ruffled Scarf from a T-shirt

2011-11-05T06:42:00.000-07:00

Today's post for my Crafting on a Budget series is one to help in your gift-giving this year. My family knows (and loves) that each year they are going to receive something handmade by me for Christmas. But this year it's especially important for me to make more DIY gifts since I haven't found a job since moving. It seems there are more and more people affected by unemployment, and I hope I can inspire all of you, no matter what your situation, to make something inexpensive, yet special for your friends and family.

I got the idea to make this ruffled t-shirt scarf from the DIY Dish. (Check out their blog...they have great ideas!) How cute is this?! It couldn't be more simple to make!

Supplies:

T-shirt (new or used, but wash/dry it if it's new)
Paper plate
Sharpie or fabric pen
Fabric scissors
Fabric glue (optional)

Step 1: Lay your t-shirt out flat and, using a paper plate, trace as many circles as you can onto your shirt. (I used a size large, but the bigger shirt you have the more ruffles you'll be able to make, which will make the scarf more full.)

Step 2: Cut out the circles, trying to cut inside the Sharpie line so you don't see the pen on your scarf. Go through both sides of the shirt.

Step 3: Cut one scrap fabric at 1" x 4" and set aside.

Step 4: Cut each circle into a spiral shape, as shown below. My spiral is about 1.5" wide.

Step 5: Pull the end of each spiral to stretch the jersey material, ruffling it!
(This is where you can learn from my mistake: you want to be sure you've washed/dried a new shirt. I hadn't done that with my first scarf, and since the knit wasn't tight yet, itty bitty pieces of jersey ended up all over my floor when I stretched it. This did not happen with pre-washed shirts.)

Step 6: Once you have all the strips cut and stretched, hold them together evenly and find the center. Tie your 1" x 4" strip around the center of all pieces to hold the scarf together.

Step 6 alternative: For a longer scarf, you can glue the ends of two strips together with fabric glue, then tie the scarf together over the glued ends (first let it dry). Trim off any excess fabric from the tie.

In my example below, I opted for a longer scarf and glued the ends of 2 strips together. I started with 10 circles, so I have 5 on each side of my scarf.

If you do not have any old t-shirts you can use for this project, crafts stores such as Michael's and Joann often have sales on their t-shirts. I picked some up recently on a 2/$5 sale. Or make sure you're signed up for their emails to receive coupons. Be sure you get the largest size to get more craft bang for your buck! You may also want to check your local thrift stores.

Budget breakdown for 1 scarf

1 t-shirt: $2.50 or less (maybe FREE!)

That's it! You probably already have everything else on-hand. That's less than $3 for a lovely handmade gift that all the ladies on your Christmas list will LOVE!

The best part? It will only take you 20-30 minutes to make.

Don't forget to keep checking back all month long for more money-saving tips during my Crafting on a Budget Series! I am focusing on Christmas but also have some other tricks up my sleeve for scrapbooking, holiday cardmaking, ornaments, and more!

Follow Jayma on Twitter: @jaymalew
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I'm linking this post up with Tatertots and Jello, Just a Girl and Your Whims Wednesday

Step-by-Step Tutorial for Christmas Cards on a Budget

2011-11-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

Hello, crafters!

Welcome to Day 2 of my Crafting on a Budget series. Yesterday I shared Close to my Heart's November specials with you. You definitely don't want to miss them, so be sure to check them out!

Today I'm sharing with you a step-by-step tutorial of how I made a budget-friendly Christmas card inspired by the one above, which was created by the CTMH Art Department with the Holiday Wishes stamp set (on special for $5).

I don't have the Holiday Wishes stamp set yet, so I used the tree in Happy Clusters. Any tree will work, and this set is great because it's versatile—the tree is great for Christmas or pennants and the star can be used throughout the year. (You'll be seeing lots more of this set in the future!)

Steps 1 & 2: To make your card base, cut a sheet of 8-1/2" x 11" card stock in half to 8-1/2" x 5-1/2". Then fold in half and you have your card base that measures the standard 5-1/2" x 4-1/4".

A ream of 150 sheets of white card stock is $5.77 at Walmart in the office section. Buy this now and you'll have enough card stock for tons of card bases and to stamp on. This is the best quality I've found at the right price...I've tried several lower-end brands. (I'd prefer using CTMH White Daisy card stock...it's heavier and better quality, but it's also more pricey. So when I am making a lot of cards at once I go with the less expensive option.)

Step 3: Cut your paper.

White card stock for tree is 2-1/2" x 3-3/4"
Red card stock (or other background color) for behind tree is 2-3/4" x 4"
Strip of card stock "ribbon" is 3/4" x 4-1/4"

Patterned paper is 4" x 2"

By cutting the patterned paper at 4" instead of 4-1/4" (the width of the card), you go farther with your sheet of 12" x 12" paper. This way you get 3 full strips across the page and 6 strips up (18 pieces total). And the border around the paper on the card adds some interest.

Step 4: Peel the stamp off the carrier sheet and place onto your acrylic block. (If you do not have any acrylic blocks I can help you choose the best size(s) to start with for the stamps you are ordering.)
Step 5: If your stamp is new, rub it on the back of your hand to "season" it. (I recently saw this technique on fancyMelissa's blog and it's my new favorite method!) The oils in your hand will coat the stamp and help get rid of manufacturing "gunk," giving you a clear, crisp image.
Step 6: Stamp your Christmas tree onto the white piece of paper in Sweet Leaf ink. Make sure the foam that comes with your stamp set is under the paper to give you extra "cush" for a more solid image.
Step 7: Clean your stamp. Spray Spritz cleaner on the raised side of the Double Scrubber and rub the stamp into it. Dry by rubbing on the opposite side.

If you don't have these items, baby wipes also work. (But I'd add the double scrubber and spritz cleaner to your wish list...it's the easiest and least messy way to clean your stamps!)

Step 8: To add some depth, rub the Holiday Red ink pad onto the edges of all paper. (Ignore that the card is already assembled in the photo for this step.) I prefer using a Sponge Dauber for this, but the direct ink-to-paper method is more budget-friendly. You may want to add Sponge Daubers to your wish list, though.

Step 9: Adhere the patterned paper onto the card base, followed by the strip of cardstock "ribbon." Then adhere the tree onto its card stock background, and onto the card base.
Step10: Following the stamping steps above, stamp the various circles from the Happy Clusters stamp set in Holiday Red ink onto the circles of the tree.
Step 11: Add buttons. (I secured them with glue dots.)

Budget Breakdown for 50 cards...

Believe paper pack: $9.95 x 3/4 = $7.50. You will use about 3/4 of the pack for 50 cards.
Red Buttons: $5.95/pkg x 3 pkg = $17.85 x 3/4 used = $13.38. Each package of buttons contains 72, but 1/4 of the buttons in the red package are too light a color for this paper, so that gives you 54 usable buttons. If you use 3 buttons per card you'll need 150 buttons.
Sweet Leaf Ink Pad: $5.95 - this is a reusable resource.
Holiday Red Ink Pad: $5.95 - this is a reusable resource.
Happy Clusters stamp set: $13.95 - this is a reusable resource.

Cost to purchase from CTMH: $56.25

Cost per card: .44 cents*

*This total includes what is actually used...you will have supplies left over. I did not include the cost of stamps and inks in the card cost because I see them as an investment that can be used again.I also assume that you already have your basic supplies such as a paper trimmer, adhesive, and acrylic blocks. If you do not have these items I can help you figure out what you need.

InLinkz.com

Don't forget about the November specials...you can get up to 2 bonus stamp sets, too! (See this post from yesterday for the details.)

I hope this was helpful to you and you can see that it is SO MUCH less expensive to make your own cards instead of buying them at the store. Think of all the birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, graduations, and other cards you buy and spend upwards of $4 per card. That adds up throughout the year! So, investing in your own supplies makes sense :) You can build your collection over time, but even with just a few versatile supplies you'll be whipping up your own cards in no time.

Stay tuned for more Crafting on a Budget throughout November! I'll be posting lots more Christmas card ideas, scrapbook pages, ornaments, wreaths, and tricks of the trade. Leave a comment or email me if you have any questions.

Happy stamping!

Follow me on Twitter: @jaymalew
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Make Your Own Christmas Cards & Scrapbook on a Budget

2011-11-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

Today begins my series on Crafting on a Budget. Throughout November I'll be sharing budget-friendly Christmas cards & other projects, plus tricks of the trade to help make your crafting supplies go farther.

These days many of us are tight on money. And unfortunately, like me, you may have less of a crafting budget than you used to. But with the Christmas season approaching we have an opportunity to show off our mad crafting skills by making our OWN Christmas/holiday cards! The good news is that by making your own cards you'll probably spend LESS than you would ordering Christmas cards online or buying boxed cards from your local big box store, plus you'll have invested in supplies that will keep on giving!

If you haven't crafted in a while or are just beginning your collection, don't worry! Throughout the month I'm going to show you how you can get some versatile stamps for scrapbooking/cardmaking PLUS supplies to make your Christmas cards on a budget!

Today I want to start out my series with Close to my Heart's November specials. Because, well, what's better for your budget than a great deal?! These specials will help you more affordably stock up on some stamp sets to use for your Christmas cards as well as scrapbooking or other projects.

Special #1: Holiday Wishes stamp set for $5. You can get this adorable set (perfect for making your Christmas cards and decorating your Christmas scrapbook pages) for just $5 when you purchase $25 in MyAcrylix stamps in November. What a deal! That means you can invest in a couple of versatile stamp sets for your cards or scrapbook pages and add this set for just $5 more! As a bonus, if you have the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge, you can use it to cut out the shapes included in this stamp set.

Special #2: Stamp of the Month for $5. If you add another $25 in any CTMH products to your $25+ stamp order, you also qualify for the Stamp of the Month, Cherish the Day, for just $5 as well! That's 2 bonus stamp sets for only $10! And they're both so versatile!

Shop Close to my Heart products now >

I'll be back tomorrow with a step-by-step tutorial of my first budget-friendly Christmas card. I'll be using the Believe paper and will use limited embellishments to make it affordable, but still spectacular!

Have questions? Leave a comment or email me. Be sure to follow my blog for more ideas on making your own Christmas cards, anytime cards, scrapbook pages, and home decor!

Happy stamping!

Follow Jayma on Twitter: @jaymalew
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Are You One of Sharlie's Angels?

2011-10-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

Sharlie is a dear friend of mine who desperately needs a double lung & heart transplant. Her life depends on it.

I wanted to pop in quickly today to share a piece of Sharlie with you...she is an incredible wife, mom, sister and friend who is suffering from Cystic Fibrosis. To describe her as "sweet" seems like an understatment. But she really is one of the sweetest people I know. She has an incredible positive attitude and outlook on life. Can you imagine living every day as if you're breathing out of a straw? That's her reality. And it's getting worse.

I encourage you to check out her blog, Sharlie's Angels, so that you might be touched as well. Just coming into contact with Sharlie is a blessing!

Here are some tidbits from her fundraising website:

Sharlie’s family and friends are uniting to fund her impending transplant. The transplant, rehabilitation and related expenses could exceed insurance coverage by several hundred thousand dollars. Please keep Sharlie, her husband Ryan and their four-year-old son Harrison in your prayers.

Sharlie is a beautiful, vibrant 32-year-old wife and mother who was born with Cystic Fibrosis. You can get a sense of her indomitable spirit by watching this YouTube video...

She serves as a youth leader in her church and loves being involved in the Cystic Fibrosis community – raising awareness, fundraising, connecting with others with CF online and speaking at CF functions. In 2010, Sharlie was honored with the prestigious “Woman Who Takes Our Breath Away” award from the San Diego Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and was the keynote speaker at the annual CF Gala.

That Shar has lived as long as she has, and delivered a healthy son, was thought to be impossible. Now, however, one of her lungs has failed completely, and the other only functions at 18-percent of normal. When Sharlie’s right lung collapsed, her heart moved over to fill that empty cavity. Because of the damage sustained, we have recently learned that Sharlie needs a new heart in addition to a new set of lungs. Sharlie’s loving light is dimming, like a candle starved of air. Will you join us in becoming one of “Sharlie’s Angels?”

You can visit Sharlie's fundraising website HERE for more information, and if you feel led, donate to her surgery. Any amount is greatly appreciated!

Most importantly, if you could keep Sharlie and her family in your prayers, that's the most powerful thing you could do!

I'll leave you with this short video that Jon Foreman of Switchfoot sent to Shar...

Jon Foreman , Sharlie Kaltenbach Benefit from Benny Ek on Vimeo.

My Mom's Fall Cards with CTMH Olivia

2011-10-31T06:11:00.000-07:00

My parents visited me in Seattle last week and my mom and I had a crafty day, of course! She loves to make cards but doesn't craft often at home. So when we get together we always make a point to have some crafty time! She is, after all, who I get my crafty gene from :)

These are the 3 fall cards she made while she was here, using the CTMH Olivia paper pack from last year, plus the stamp set that came in the Olivia Workshop on the Go and the Thank You stamp set (my most-used!). I'm definitely my mother's daughter...we both love bling! She used some shiny Making Memories ribbon I recently picked up at Paper Zone.

And she even decorated the inside of each card.

Thanks for visiting! If you leave a comment I'll send it to my mom...she LOVES hearing about her cards :)

Be sure to visit my blog beginning tomorrow and throughout November for the beginning of my series on...

I'm going to be sharing lots of budget-friendly Christmas cards as well as tricks of the trade to make your crafting supplies go farther. See you then!

Follow Jayma on Twitter: @jaymalew
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Typeset Card with CTMH Art Philosophy + Crafting on a Budget Series

2011-10-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

I made this card for a sweet crafter friend who lives many miles away, but I've stayed in contact with via Facebook. (Hi, Becky!) Don't you just love technology?!

I used a kraft base with strips of paper from CTMH's new Typeset paper pack. The bracket shape was cut on my Cricut using the Art Philosophy cartridge, at 2-1/4" and 2-1/2". The stamp is from A Little Thanks.

Becky loves to scrapbook, has a Cricut, and wants to get back into stamping, so I've been talking to her about Close to my Heart. But as we ~~addicts~~ hobbyists know, it can be expensive to build your collection. This got me thinking...I have lots of money-saving ideas for crafting. I should do a series on it. So, stay tuned beginning November 1 for my blog series on...

Since Christmas will be here before you know it I'll be focusing on Christmas and holiday cardmaking and projects. I'll be sharing budget-friendly, yet spectacular cards, ornaments, decor, scrapbook pages and more. Plus I'll be including lots of tutorials to show you how you can recreate the projects at home!

I'll be using stamps for a lot of projects for a couple of reasons...

I love stamping.
Stamping is very cost-effective because stamp sets are an investment that keep on giving! (i.e. budget-friendly!)

So be sure to join us throughout the month of November so you can craft the Christmas season away...on a budget!

Follow Jayma on Twitter: @jaymalew
"Like" my Facebook page

FREE Sample of CTMH Clear Acrylic Stamps

2011-10-29T13:12:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who is interested in Close to my Heart's clear acrylic stamps and I wanted her to see how they compare to other clear stamps in the industry. Since we live many miles apart I couldn't let her use my CTMH goodies, so I decided to send her a little sample of CTMH stamps.

The froggie and "Hoppy birthday to you" below are from CTMH and the "Mom and Me" stamp is from a set I purchased at Michael's.

I'd love to send you a sample of CTMH's stamps as well, and you can see for yourself why I can't stop raving about them. (See how below.)

You'll be able to tell in no time that Close to my Heart's stamps are no comparison...their quality is far superior than any other clear stamps I've seen! And after being spoiled by high-quality clear stamps, there's no way I could use rubber again...you can't see where you're stamping!

Let me break it down for you...

Close to my Heart's stamps have just enough "stick" to cling to your acrylic block and the carrier sheet with no problem, yet the "other guys'" stamps take some crazy pulling and peeling to get off the carrier sheet. And once you do pry them off, they don't stick very well anymore.
CTMH's stamps are made of high-quality polymer that holds finite details, and those details show in your stamping. The "other guys'" stamp is splotchy and does not create a very crisp image.
CTMH's stamps come with a foam backing sheet. This is useful to put under the paper you're stamping on to give a little cush as you press your stamp against the paper. It helps get you an even crisper image...especially with solid images.
CTMH's stamps come in a 6.5" x 6.5" see-through plastic envelope, which makes storing and finding them a breeze. Most "other guys'" stamps don't come with any type of envelope, much less a nice, durable one like Close to my Heart's.
CTMH's stamps will live a long, fruitful life, while the "other guys'" stamps will get gummier over time (I have proof!). And since they don't stay on their carrier sheet and don't have a protective envelope, they may slide right off, never to be seen again.

Would you rather pay $4.99-$14.99 for the "other guys'" stamps that will frustrate you and won't last very long, or $6.95-$17.95 (for the 6.5" x 6.5" size) for a high-quality set that you'll invest in and get years and years of use from?

To claim your FREE stamp sample:

Email me at jaymalew {at} gmail {dot} com with your mailing address
Include which types of stamps you have used and what kind of crafting you enjoy
"Like" my Facebook page
You must have not used CTMH stamps before

I have a pretty good, but limited supply of free stamp samples, so be sure to act quickly. Feel free to share this opportunity to try CTMH's stamps with your friends!

Happy stamping!

Follow Jayma on Twitter: @jaymalew
"Like" my Facebook page

My NEW Ikea Expedit Craft Room!

2011-10-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting an Expedit shelving/desk system for quite some time. Especially after moving to our home in Seattle, where I now have a large craft room with 2 big windows that provide ample lighting. (For the record, this is actually an "office" according to my hubby, because he shares the room with me.) I have a big wall on my side of the room and the space wasn't being used effectively with my old desk.

But alas, with the medical bills from my hubby's appendectomy a few months ago, and that small issue of me not having a job yet, it just wasn't going to happen any time soon.

Enter my parents. And my birthday coming up. Do you get where I'm going with this?! My parents visited last week, and when my mom saw my craft room...erm, office...she agreed that it had such potential. She knows that I craft a lot and also work on freelance projects from home, so a new system with more desk space and storage was really a necessity (first-world problems, right?!).

My parents were SO extremely generous and offered to buy my DREAM Expedit setup for my birthday!

My mom helped me plan the space. We took measurements. We went to Ikea, just she and I, and somehow got all those ginormous boxes on the cart all by ourselves. We brought home my new ensemble, and my sweet hubby put it ALL together for me!

Are you ready?

Are you sure???

Ok....My amazing Expedit shelving and desk masterpiece...

This setup includes 3 Expedit bookcases (4x2 cubes), 1 Expedit Shelving Unit (5x1 cubes), and 1 Expedit desk. Looks kinda like an entertainment center ;) Well, this is MY entertainment center!

I already had all the cute green boxes, also from Ikea. They look so neat and tidy in their little cubbies. Do you see the curtain wire I hung my cards from? Awe.Some. I used to have my cards displayed on the window sill, but it looked cluttered. This adds a fun artistic element to the room.

I love having my Cricut Expression right next to me while I'm sitting at my desk. Notice it matches my walls? I painted our entire house before we moved in this past August, and fell in love with this paint color...it's Martha Stewart Lagoon. And I got my Expression just last month, so I chose the pretty aqua one to match my new walls :)

Since this desk is quite deep, I had room under the desk to put a scrapbooking cart and some plastic drawers that I already had. There's still PLENTY of room for my feet, and when I scoot my chair in you can hardly see that it's cluttered under there.

I also added a Jetmax storage filing cube next to my desk. I already had the Jetmax cube on top of it, but love the file drawer addition to hold all of my CTMH paper packs. (I can't believe they all fit in there...albeit squished!) My dad put the cube together for me and used some wood glue to make it extra sturdy.

I hope you enjoyed my new craft space. If you have any questions or want to see anything closer, just let me know! I may do another more detailed post on how I organized everything. Let me know in a comment if you'd be interested in that.

Thanks for visiting!

Follow me on Twitter: @jaymalew
"Like" Playing with Paper on Facebook

Linking up to Your Whims Wednesday.

How to Use the CTMH Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge Creative Features

2011-10-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

I've had a number of people ask me what all the shapes are on CTMH's new Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge. There are 700 of them, can you believe that?! This cartridge is so much more value than any other cartridge I've seen on the market. I've posted a series of photos below to show you every shape on the cartridge!

If you are familiar with Cricut cartridges, you know there are the basic/base shapes (what you see on the keypad itself), as well as up to 6 additional creative features. In this case: Font, Font Layer, Tag, Card, Layer, and Decorative Layer. By pressing a combination of these buttons and sometimes the "shift" key, you get a variety of shapes to choose from, at any size you want! (See below for a quick tutorial.)

Here are all the different shapes on the Art Philosophy cartridge!

(Click any image to view larger.)

Now you may be wondering, "How do I get all these shapes from one keypad?" Let's use this cute little bag as an example.

Refer to the "Font Layer" keypad above. All images in gray mean that you need to press "shift" to access them. To cut this bag, you're going to press Shift + Font Layer + 3rd white button from left on top. I wanted the bag as big as I could get it, so I also pressed the "Fit to Page" button on my Cricut Expression machine. Then press CUT.

I hope you better understand the creative features of the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to ask me!

If you are ready to purchase your Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge, CLICK HERE!

Happy Cricuting!

More Discounted Stamp Sets for Sale

2011-10-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
Thanks so much for helping me get some control over my stamp stash! I've sold most of what I previously listed for sale!

I just went through my stamp sets again and found some more that are harder for me to part with, but I must. I listed them at great discounted prices on my Stamp Sets for Sale page.

Here are some of the recently-listed items, but there are more, too...

Check them all out >

I still have paper kits and some tools/accessories for sale, too! Like my 6" x 12" Cricut personal cutting machine for only $50!

Snowflakes, 3D Flowers & Burlap Bag Using Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge

2011-10-18T01:18:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
I haven't been creating quite as much as usual because I've been job-searching. But I do have this fun bag to share with you.

I used the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge to cut out the bag and pushed the "Fit to Page" button (you'll need at least a 12x12 mat). The size of the bag once all folded up is perfect for giving a gift card...and the presentation is a gift in itself! I also cut out the 3D flowers and holly leaves with this cartridge. It has everything!

How fun are the 3D flowers?! They are SO easy to make with the Art Philosophy cartridge. There are actually six 3D flowers to choose from! I cut these ones at 4", 3.5", and 3", then inked the edges, and twirled them round and round and adhered with hot glue. (You can also use quick-dry tacky glue or liquid glass, but I opted for hot glue because it dries fastest and I'm impatient.) Once the flowers were assembled, I curled and scrunched the edges down a bit to make them look more natural. Then I used hot glue to adhere everything onto the bag, since I had it out.

The snowflake paper is from The Christmas Stack from DCWV a few years ago, and the fun burlap is from Paper Zone...a great store I found pretty close to my house :) I was able to cut the burlap with my paper trimmer, then frayed the edges a bit. To add a little more fun and depth to one of the leaves, I stamped some polka dots from the CTMH Spot On stamp set (retired). You can use any stamp, background or otherwise, to jazz up your leaves.

Thanks for stopping by, have a great rest of your week!

Cricut Machine and New Cricut Tool Kit for Sale

2011-10-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

I am SO excited, I ordered a new AQUA Cricut Expression machine!! It's supposed to be delivered tomorrow...can't wait! Isn't it cute?!

This means that my original Cricut is for sale, and for a great deal...I'm only asking $50, and it's VERY gently used! I am including 2 new mats with it, but it does not include a cartridge. (You will want to head over to my Close to my Heart site and order the Art Philosophy Collection, though.) I also have a brand-new still-in-the-package Cricut tool kit that I'm asking $15. (That's cheaper than Amazon!)

If you're interested email me at jaymalew [at] gmail [dot] com. I also have lots more craft goodies for sale HERE. If you would like more than one item, make me an offer :)

Some of the other items for sale include a CTMH MyAcrylix stamp set organizer, lots of stamp sets, paper kits, rub-ons, and more. Check it all out >

Check out all the Stamp Sets, Paper Kits, and Tools/Accesories!

Also, if you spend just $50 in supplies from my CTMH website in October, you can buy this adorable stamp of the month, Holiday Magic, for just $5!

Shop now >

Thanks for stopping by!

$400 worth of CTMH supplies for just $99?

2011-10-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

Want to know how you can get $400 worth of CTMH supplies for just $99? Well read on, because I can't wait to tell you about the October special!

Consultant Kit $99 (nearly $300 value)

When you purchase the New Consultant Kit for just $99 (plus shipping/tax) in October, you'll receive an add-on collection of your choice for FREE! Add-on collections are normally priced at $40 each and have a retail value of up to $130, making this an incredible deal! And if you'd like, you can pay $40 for any of the other bundles! You can purchase the kit purely for the goodies OR as a business—it's up to you!

CHOOSE ONE FREE!

Elemental Add-On Bundle

Roxie Add-On Bundle

Studio J Online Scrapbooking Bundle
(12-month membership + 5 layouts)

A Few Reason Why You Should Join CTMH...

Discount on supplies to make your family's Christmas cards
Discount on supplies for all your scrapbooking and cardmaking
Plethora of ideas and inspiration on the corporate bulletin boards
Online business and creative training in the Training Academy
Friendships with other awesome CTMH sisters
Support from me every step of the way!

You want to use CTMH as a hobby, not a business? No problem! You can purchase the Consultant Kit purely for the goodies. You don't have to be an active Consultant. If you are anything like me, you'll spend at least this much on craft supplies this month anyway. So, why not treat yourself to the BEST products on the market and get a whole shopping cart full of goodies?! Take advantage now >

Or...If you've been thinking you could use a little extra money to support your ~~addiction~~ hobby or treat yourself to a little vacation, now is the perfect time to join the CTMH family! If you have a few friends or family members who scrapbook or make cards, they're sure to fall in love with these products! You'll also receive a discount on your own purchases, or even some free products by hosting your own gatherings!

Or...If you're a power seller and want to make a flexible, fun career of sharing your passion with others, this is a great opportunity to jump-start your business!

What Happens Once I'm a Consultant?

Once you purchase this kit you'll also save 22% on anything else you purchase while you remain an active Consultant. (That means 22% off the new must-have Cricut Art Philosophy Cartridge!) You have 1 full quarter to meet your $300 sales minimum...this is usually accomplished in one home gathering. But even if you don't make your sales for the quarter, you simply drop to a Junior Consultant and receive 10% off your purchases. To remain a Junior Consultant you only need to sell $100 per quarter. On top of receiving this awesome discount, CTMH is very generous with their compensation plan (free products, trips, etc), is great with recognition, and is truly supportive of your business! Plus, I'm here to help you every step of the way! I'd LOVE to have you join my team!

S ign up today!

But beware...once you go CTMH, you may not go back! Let me tell you just a few of the reasons why I LOVE Close to my Heart.

Easy Color Matching

Close to my Heart's product line features 60 exclusive colors. When I use Close to my Heart paper, I know which colors are used in the design, and I can choose the cardstock, ink, ribbon, buttons, brads, etc. that match my layout perfectly. Layouts and cards come together so much faster and easier!

Coordinating Paper Kits

I love that CTMH's paper comes in kits. Each level 2 kit comes with six 2-sided patterned papers (cardstock weight), plus 4 colors (6 sheets) of coordinating cardstock. This gives you enough paper for at least 12 layouts or a ton of cards!

Clear, Durable Stamps

Close to my Heart's MyAcrylix stamp sets are another huge reason why I LOVE this company. The best part is that they're clear, so you can see exactly where you're stamping and never have to guess your placement. This comes in very handy when you create your own patterned paper by random-stamping, like this flowered paper.

The acrylic stamps come on a clear acetate sheet, peel off easily (unlike stamps I've bought at craft stores), and cling right onto the clear acrylic block with ease. You can use them time and time again, and if they start losing their stick, simply wash with mild soap and warm water. POOF! They're just like new again. Plus they store neatly in their envelope, taking up little space! The stamps are made of very high-quality polymer that will last a long time, and hold even the finest details.

I feel so lucky to have found Close to my Heart because I truly feel they have the best products on the market and do an amazing job of staying current and ahead of trends. Becoming a CTMH Consultant was one of the best decisions I ever made. Seriously! I've connected with other Consultants and scrapbookers all over the country, my artwork has vastly improved, I am constantly learning new techniques and tips, and I've burst out of my shell and now talk to people and meet other ladies I wouldn't normally have met! (I used to be super shy!) Plus I've realized the depth of my TRUE passion.

To learn more about me and Close to my Heart, read my "About Me & CTMH" blog page.

Take advantage of the Consultant Kit at just $99 + a FREE add-on bundle of your choice HERE.

As always, thanks so much for stopping by! Let me know if you have any questions.

Paper-Decoupaged Stone Tile Coasters

2011-10-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

Since I just moved, I got to redecorate my house. I wanted to make some coasters that tied all the colors of my living room together...what better way to do that than with paper?!

I used stone tiles from Home Depot...they came in a pack of 9 for around $5 (I forget exactly how much). I have also used the cheapo 16 cent tiles but they don't have the pretty stone detail on the sides like these do :) I cut the paper about 1/4" smaller than the tile so the stone would create a border.

I used a paint brush to paint Mod Podge onto the tile, then covered it with paper, and coated again with Mod Podge. I used 3 coats to make sure it was good and sealed. Then another finishing coat of Clear Acrylic Sealer spray to make sure it's all sealed well. (You can skip the spray sealer and your coasters will be fine..."sweat" from drinks will make a ring that then disappears once it dries. But the Mod Podge also leaves a little stick behind.)

Once everything is dry, attach some "feet" to the bottom to prevent scratching on your tables. I used felt stickers from Home Depot (less than $2 for a bunch of them). You can also use cork.

To make it even more personalized, you could add photos to the center of your coaster, or use your Cricut to cut out monogram letters.

The blue paper is from CTMH Emporium (retired) and the yellow is from Mayberry. The green and red paper is from Stampin' Up and I believe is retired.

Thanks for stopping by!

CTMH Typeset & Cricut Art Philosophy Card

2011-09-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud to have combined THREE challenges for this card...and it actually came together so easily!

I used the color inspiration from Play Date Cafe...

Along with the Mojo Monday sketch for this week...

And Heart 2 Heart's challenge is to make the sentiment the focus of your project. I started with a 4x4 kraft card base and used the new Typeset paper from CTMH. I thought this paper was perfect for the color challenge, plus it matches the typeset patterns in the inspiration photo.

It's kind of hard to see it in the picture, but I second-generation stamped a swirly image behind the sentiment in Creme Brulee ink to add a little more depth (you can see better in the photo above).

I cut out the bracket square shapes (2" and 2.5") and swirls (4") using the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge. The swirls were actually the corner swirl on page 58 of the booklet. I tore the piece at the corner and used it as 2 pieces, then covered in glitter gel! I also added a thin border of glitter around the small bracket, as well as inked the edge in Creme Brulee ink.

I used this adorable exclusive stamp set that I got from CTMH this past July for attending Convention. It's fun because Convention was at Disneyland, but it's also proved to be a very versatile set.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a wonderful Friday!

Art Philosophy Cricut Collection	Typeset Level 2 Paper Packet	Opaques Mocha Adhesive Gems	Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel
Black Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad	CrÃ©me Brulee Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad	Kraft Cardstock

InLinkz.com

Feathery Fun Santa Bags

2011-09-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

My talented friend and CTMH downline, Mandy, has whipped up something I just HAD to share with you! (With her permission, of course!) She made this little bag with the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge and embellished it to look like Santa! The buckle was also cut with the AP cartridge. Isn't the feather boa a fun touch?!

It's the perfect size to stash a gift card or a handful of candy. I bet your co-workers would be stoked to find this on their desk at Christmas time!

Well if you like these little bags as much as I do, you're in luck! She's had so much feedback that she decided to sell them in sets of 5...you can buy them PRE-MADE or as a KIT! And they're priced very reasonably. Check out her boutique to snag a set for yourself. While you're there, check out her blog too...she's so stinkin' talented and has been going to town on projects using the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.

If you'd like to make these bags yourself, you can order the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection from me, and I promise you will not be disappointed! It's definitely a must-have cartridge, plus you'll also receive stamps and chipboard pieces that coordinate with the Cricut shapes! How cool is that?!

Read lots more about the Art Philosophy Cricut Collection in my post HERE. To see a fun Christmas card I've made with the cartridge, go HERE!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pre-Printed Thank You Notecard

2011-09-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

My good friend Melissa recently visited Seattle and brought me a sweet surprise! She knows I love this paper from Paper Source and when she was there she noticed it was discountinued. So, she bought me these notecards in the same print! Isn't she thoughtful?

So naturally I had to send her a thank you card :) I jazzed up one of the notecards with some sparkles, a "thanks" stamp, and cardstock.

Thanks, Meli! And thank YOU all for reading my blog :) Happy creating!

Believe Poinsettia Card With Cricut Art Philosophy

2011-09-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

I liked my layered poinsettia from the other day so much that I made another one! I feel like a one-trick pony with the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge right now, but don't worry, I have more tricks up my sleeve :)

I also really like the Moxy Fab vertical sketch from Aug 25 so I used it as inspiration for this card. If you haven't checked out Moxy Fab World...you should. They have some fun sketches. This is my first time participating.

Again, I used the Flower7 to create the poinsettia, cut at 3" down to 1.5", in 1/2" increments. I used Holiday Red cardstock and inked the edges in Holiday Red ink. The pennants are Banner4 and Banner5 cut at 1.5".

Thanks for visiting!

Hawaiian {What's in a Frame}

2011-09-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

This {What's in a Frame} has gone Hawaiian style! My friend ordered this "love" decor frame to give to her mom at her (surprise) engagement party. Her mom and soon-to-be step-dad went to Hawaii and loved it, so she chose this adorable picture of the two of them for their frame.

Her mom loves blues and bright colors, and the colors in the photo were great, so this Moondoggie paper (reitred from CTMH) was perfect for the color scheme.

Doesn't it just brighten your day to look at it? I hope it brightens her mom and step-dad's days to look at it on their nightstand every day :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Poinsettia Card With Cricut Art Philosophy

2011-09-18T19:25:00.000-07:00

I got my Cricut Art Philosophy Collection from CTMH this weekend and I'm already hooked! I have the first generation baby Cricut and I already know I'm going to need to upgrade soon. You can help me save up by buying some of the stamp sets and paper packs I have for sale :)

I got my cartridge just in time to participate in Heart 2 Heart's challenge this week, which is to use die-cuts. I could have used other die-cuts, but what's the fun when you know you have your Art Philosophy cartridge coming soon? ;) I have already started making cards for Christmas, because I know it's going to creep up soon.

I used the flower7 image from Art Philosophy cut at 3" and every 1/2" down to 1.5", and finished it off with some sparkles. I inked the edges of each flower with Riding Hood Red ink from Stampin' Up and then rolled the petals up on a pen to give it some dimension. (I could have used one of the cool 3D flowers on the cartridge but I need to be able to mail this!)

The leaves are leaf3 cut at 1.5" and 2", which matches up with the new A Holiday stamp set! How cool that the Cricut shapes coordinate with stamps! One of the problems with the baby bug, however, is that it only cuts in 1/2" increments, so I can't cut at the exact sizes of the stamps, which are 2-1/4" and 1-3/4". But that's ok, that just means there's not as much of an outline around the stamped image.

The paper is from a paper stack I got at Joann's ages ago. The eyelet lace is from Hobby Lobby. The green cardstock is CTMH New England Ivy and the red is cheapo cardstock I got at Michael's.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Holiday Stamp Set	Art Philosophy Cricut Collection	Clear Sparkles
New England Ivy Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

InLinkz.com

Rolled Felt Flower Ring How-To

2011-09-17T06:06:00.000-07:00

Isn't this flower ring fun?! And it's pretty simple to make with a little know-how!

Supplies needed:

Small piece of felt
Sharp scissors
Hot Glue gun & glue
E6000 glue
Ring blank

Cut out a circle. The size will determine the size of your flower. My circle was about 2" in diameter. You can use a die-cut if you want a perfect circle, but cutting by hand also works (that's what I did).
Cut your circle into a spiral, as shown below. The width of the spiral determines the depth of the flower (how far it will stick up off your finger). I cut mine about between 1/8 and 1/4" all the way around.

3. Start rolling. Put a dot of glue every so often to keep it in place.

(I rolled starting from the center, but you can also roll starting from the outside and use the center of the spiral as a base for your flower. Find the way that works best for you.)

4. When you are finished rolling, hot glue the end in place.
5. Add a rhinestone center to your flower (or anything else your heart desires!).

6. To secure the flower to the ring, use E6000 glue. This works best on metal. If you are using the flower for another craft project (that doesn't include metal), E6000 is not necessary.

Happy crafting!

1st Birthday Layout: Use your Halloween Stamp set in a non-Halloween way!

2011-09-15T06:32:00.000-07:00

Here I go using this fun color scheme again! This is the other page to my nephew's first birthday layout I promised! You can see the original layout here. I can't take credit for the cute idea to form the pictures in the shape of a cake...I saw it on Pinterest. However, my layout is much different :) I created this for a "layouts with hexagons" feature at Practical Scrappers.

I used some new goodies from CTMH, including the Milepost shapes...super fun! Like the mini cards I posted the other day, I lightly brushed the shapes with white acrylic paint to add some texture. I like how it looks a little like frosting..I wanted to carry the theme throughout the entire page!

For those of you wondering how to use your August stamp of the month, Wicked, here's a non-Halloween idea! Don't those honeycombs make such a difference? The "Hats off to you" stamp is also from that set.

The blue polka dot paper is from Magic Moments (retired), and I added White, Lagoon, and Sunset cardstock.

Isn't my nephew a cutie patootie?! These pictures were from February...he's already so much bigger! And now that I live even farther away I am not going to get to see him as much. But at least I'm still an easy flight away! (Seattle - San Diego)

Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies Used:

Dark Blue Cardstock Shade Pack	Light Yellow & Orange Cardstock Shade Pack	Milepost Shapes
Outdoor Denim Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad	Lagoon Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad	Colonial White Waxy Flax
Buttons Basic Assortment

InLinkz.com

New Stamp Sets & Paper Kits for Sale

2011-09-14T06:07:00.000-07:00

As you may know, I recently moved. This means I went through a lot of my craft stash before moving. It also means I went through it AGAIN as I settled into my new craft room.

What this means for YOU

This means GREAT deals for you! I have lots of stamp sets, paper kits, and accessories for sale at discounted prices!

Stamp Sets

I have a picture of EVERY stamp set for sale on a special blog page HERE. (I didn't want to clog your Google Reader with a ton of pictures.) I have stamp sets ranging from A size to E size, prices $5 to $20. There's something for everyone! I will just charge actual shipping costs. Here are a few examples...

Paper Kits

I also have lots of paper for sale for just $5! I've divided the paper kits 2 ways:

Two-Page Scrapbook Kit: Comes with 3 sheets of cardstock, 2 coordinating pieces of 2-sided CTMH patterned paper, and coordinating embellishments. This is enough to make a complete 2-page layout and even have some left over for a couple of cards! Not a scrapbooker? No problem...you can easily use this kit for all cards!
CTMH Level 2 (almost) Half-Packs: These kits include (6) 2-sided patterned papers + 3 sheets of coordinating cardstock.

Here are a few examples of paper kits for sale...

So head on over to check out the stamp sets and paper kits I have for sale! I also have accessories for sale, such as glitter rub-ons, MyCreations alterable items, card kits, and more HERE.

Send me an email if you're interested. Want lots? Make me an offer. jaymalew [at] gmail [dot] com

Christmas Card: Red, Gray & Yellow Color Challenge

2011-09-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

My first Christmas card of the season! I was really excited to play with my new Remarkable Wreath stamp set, so I decided to make a Christmas card for Practical Scrappers' color combo feature today: red, yellow and gray. I added a little black, too...it's really dark gray, right?!

What's a Christmas card without a little shine? I added glitter gel to random circles and berries.

Be sure to check out all my stamp sets for sale HERE. I added more!

Supplies used:

A Holiday Stamp Set	Remarkable Wreath Stamp Set	Designer Ribbon Red Collection	Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel
Black Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad	Cranberry Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad	Sunny Yellow Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad	Scallop Diamond Edger Punch
Summer Cardstock Combo Pack	White Daisy Cardstock	DCWV 12''x12'' Premium Cardstock Stack - Metallic

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Halloween Card for My Niece and Nephew

2011-09-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

Halloween is not big in my house...mostly because we don't have kids yet. But I love Halloween decor, and who can resist this adorable Wicked stamp set from Close to my Heart?! I love sending cards to my niece (3) and nephew (1.5), so this one is for them.

If you got this stamp set during the big August Stamp of the Month special last month and are wondering what do to with it...here's an idea.

Close to my Heart is always ahead of the trends. Hexagons are so in right now, and I love this honeycomb-looking stamp. It adds a nice background for this sassy witch. I also love the new Mischief paper. This orange (Sunset) side of the paper is pretty Halloween-ish, but the other side is great for any time. All of CTMH's paper is cardstock weight and 2-sided. So you can use this paper pack for Halloween and all the leftovers the are still good for the rest of the year!

I added some glitter to her boots and under her hat. A sassy witch needs some bling, right?

My niece loves animals. I mean L.O.V.E.S. animals! So every card I send her needs to have animals for her to point out. No matter how small they are, she finds them. There's a bird on the front of the card, and I added a little kitty (one of her favorites) to the inside. Knowing her, she'll probably even point out the worm hanging out of the bird's mouth! This kid doesn't miss a beat!

I used the Sketch 132 from Card Patterns this week for my card.

I hope you're inspired to make your own Halloween card(s)! Happy creating!

Supplies Used:

Stardust Glitz Glitter Gel	Opaques Licorice Adhesive Gems	Mischief Level 2 Paper Packet
Sunset Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad	Black Exclusive Inks Stamp Pad

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Color Challenge - Lagoon, Sunset, Outdoor Denim

2011-09-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

The challenge at Heart 2 Heart this past week was to use any color combo you choose! (I'm squeaking my entry in just in time!) They want to see OUR favorite color combos...I love this idea because I found some new ideas. This card is also for Practical Scrappers' feature on cards with Chevrons or Hexagons.

I have been into this color combo ever since I saw it on one of CTMH's videos several months back: Lagoon, Sunset, and Outdoor Denim. You can see the layout I originally used this combo on here. While I had this color combo out, I made the companion page to form a 2-page layout, but I'll share that in a couple of days :) For now, I have these mini cards to share...

Here's a close-up of those fun Milepost Shapes. I brushed on a light coat of white acrylic paint to add some extra texture.The chevron paper retired from Stampin' Up.

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Supplies used:

Thank You Stamp Set	Love Life Stamp Set	Milepost Shapes
Light Yellow & Orange Cardstock Shade Pack	Dark Blue Cardstock Shade Pack	Outdoor Denim Exclusive Inks® Stamp Pad

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Fresno State {What's in a Frame}

2011-09-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

This is my {What's in a Frame} Fresno State-style! My hubby's boss at Fresno State (Bulldog Foundation) left about a month before my hubby did. We (his co-workers and myself) wanted to do something special for him to remember Fresno by. So I made this {What's in a Frame} with a photo collage of different events, and added his business card and some fun Fresno State memorabilia that related to his job.

I covered the chipboard letters in red cardstock and stamped a grid pattern from the Noted Backgrounds stamp set (retired) for some added dimension.

The metal Green V and Bulldog are lapel pins...I clipped the pin part off the back and adhered with several glue dots. The large Bulldog was a sticker. I stuck it onto clear acetate and cut it out because I didn't want to use it as a sticker. This also gave it a little dimension.

I wasn't there when he opened it, but I think he liked it :) My hubby thought it was so cool he wants me to make one for him for Fresno State and all future schools he works at. (He works in Development for collegiate athletics and typically there's a bit of moving around.) He just started at Wazzu, based in their Seattle office...so far I'm loving it in Seattle so I hope we stay here a while :)

Here are a couple of other Fresno State memorabilia items that are special to my hubby. He wanted them framed them so he could display them in his office :)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great rest of your Labor Day weekend!

Decorating Cookies

2011-08-30T05:29:00.000-07:00

I have always loved this Daydream paper...so sad it's retired. Although, I think I got my used out of it and still have quite a bit left. It was perfect for my niece when she was a baby because the colors went with her room perfectly. But now that she's 3 is growing out of the baby stuff :)

These pictures were from Easter. My niece helped me make sugar cookies, then she had a blast decorating them with grandma and grampa (my parents). Little Connor tried to help, too.

Here's a good look at some of one of my favorite buttons! I love love LOVE Close to my Heart's buttons...can't emphasize enough how much you need them :) I stamped the title in the Friendship Alphabet...and it took way too long to cut out. haha! Oh, the things we do for our scrapbook pages!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy crafting!

Treasure Life's Little Moments

2011-08-28T05:20:00.000-07:00

I'm almost out of my stash of this paper...I was hoarding it for a while because I just love the colors. I got it at Paper Source last year, but I think they still have it.

I kept the design simple to make the paper the star. I added a cute little Martha Steward flower embellishment and a sentiment from the Treasure Life stamp set from Close to my Heart.

Thanks for stopping by!

30th Birthday + St. Paddy's Layout

2011-08-26T05:13:00.000-07:00

My hubby's birthday is on St. Paddy's day, so it's always fun to scrapbook his birthday pictures. Problem is, a lot of times we don't get many birthday pictures! This past birthday was his 30th and my mom was in town visiting. We made him corned beef and cabbage with green beer, and she got a few pictures of us.

The last picture pretty much sums him up. He'll always be a kid at heart, and will always want to lick the spoon when I make chocolate chip cookies :)

Thanks for visiting!

5 No-Sew Handmade Fabric Flower Accessories

2011-08-24T05:13:00.000-07:00

My sister loves big jewelry, and looks great in it. So for her birthday I wanted to make her one of these statement necklaces I've seen all over Etsy and LOVE.

I have become quite addicted to making fabric flowers. They're so easy and a great way to use up your fabric scraps. I made a video on how to make these statement necklaces...you can view my original post here and my video here!

I couldn't stop at just the necklace. After all, this is my sister, my best friend, we're talking about. I got a little carried away and made her a whole handmade fabric flower wearable ensemble! Complete with a white tank she could wear everything with :) Each of the following flowers has a pin added to the back. You could also turn these into hair clips by adding a clip to the back. I used large safety pins, and added a small felt circle over the pin to hold it on and give it a clean look. (Watch the following video to see what I mean.)

This zebra flower is one of my favorites...I made a video to show you how I made it! See below for the my written instructions...

I started with a 1.5" circle of felt and used 1.5" grosgrain ribbon. Add hot glue in small sections around the edge of the felt, and pleat the ribbon as you work your way around. Once you get back to where you started, move more inside the felt circle. In the center I hand-cut (doesn't need to be perfect) a few circles of tulle, then added a rhinestone on top. Easy peasy!

These next 2 flowers are made the same way, but use different types of fabric for a different look.

The black one is satin that I bought on a 3" roll at Walmart. I cut out lots of circles, starting at about 3", then working my way smaller in about 1/4" increments. To get the flowers to curl, hold the edges over a candle and turn (quickly) to curl the whole edge. In between the satin is lace that I got on a 6" roll at Hobby Lobby (like you can find tulle). I did not use the flame on the lace.

This turquoise flower is made the same way, but I used a silky fabric I found in the remnant bin at Jo-Ann, and did not add any lace. I added a vintage button to the center.

This last pin is a trio of flower rosettes. You can see how I make these fabric rosettes on my Statement Necklace video here.

If you make one of these flower pins I'd love to see it! Post it on my Facebook page!

Thanks for visiting today...happy crafting!

Linking up to Tatertots & Jello!

Mom & Dad {What's in a Frame}

2011-08-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple more of my {What's in a Frame} projects from whirlwind days in June. I had so many more orders in June for some reason...I was a creating machine!

I made these two frames for my hubby's mom and dad for Father's Day and her birthday. I made these a little smaller than I normally do, at 5"x7". I've gotta say, it's a little too small to do much with, but they recently had to move into a temporary condo and don't have much space. So I thought a couple small frames for their nightstands would be nice.

This style is similar to the one I made for Dan's dad...trying to keep it manly :)

This isn't a great photo...but shows some of the dimension in the chipboard. I had to overlap to fit everything. I love the quote: "Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad."

As usual, the girly frame is more fun :) I used the Magnifique paper from CTMH to tie in with the shirts, plus my mother-in-law loves blues. I love the quote on this one too: "Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever."

If you can do a bigger size, I highly recommend an 8x10 frame, like I normally do!

If you'd like to order a custom-made {What's in a Frame}, visit my etsy shop or email me at jaymalew[at]gmail[dot]com.

Thanks for visiting, have a crafty day!

Two cards, one sketch

2011-08-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I shared my swap cards with you. I liked the sketch from Mojo Monday so much that I decided to make a couple more cards using it. These cards also fit Practical Scrappers' feature today: use die-cuts.

This first card uses some leftover paper from the You and Me kit. I had quite a bit left over because when I made my layouts I didn't use the patterned paper as a base page...I cut off any decent amount that would just be covered up so that I could make some cards! (I haven't shared my layouts yet because they don't have pics yet...I'll work on that after I move.)

The second card is very similar to my swap card...I just changed to cardstock color. You can see the swap cards here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Splash Park

2011-08-21T05:58:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite layouts in a long time. I love the design (from Magic) and the colors! And my adorable niece and nephew, of course :)

I used the Posterboard alphabet for the title. I love this alphabet set because it's easy to cut out, and it's fun to stamp onto patterned paper so it shows through.

I created a water-bubble look by random-stamping the Circle Around stamp set in the corners. I just love this stamp set...it's been around for a while but is always a go-to for me. It's great to create your own random-stamped paper as well.

Some blue and clear sparkles scattered throughout the circles complete the fun look!

Thanks for visiting! Have a wonderful day!

Wedding Scrapbook Layout - Key to my Heart

2011-08-19T05:04:00.000-07:00

Here's another layout from my cousin's wedding. I used the Key to my Heart paper again, since the Sorbet is really close to her coral wedding color. You can see the rest of the layouts I've posted from her wedding here.

The gold envelope behind the picture was from one of her wedding cards, and I saved it because it's pretty and sparkly. It's perfect to hold my journaling. I used one of the new Elemental chipboard pieces as the "pull" tab.

Take a look at all the new products in the Autumn/Winter Idea book online here!

Thanks for visiting...happy creating!

Time to Play - Sweetheart Paper

2011-08-17T05:37:00.000-07:00

I love how this page came together...of course, I had adorable subjects to work with :)

The plaid paper is from the Sweetheart paper pack. Don't you just love CTMH's buttons? I love the intricate designs in them. And I like how they look lining either side of my my photo strip!

Happy crafting!

Yosemite Layouts

2011-08-15T05:42:00.000-07:00

One of the things I loved about living in Fresno is that we were pretty centrally located to some cool places. Yosemite is one of those places...it was just a little over an hour away.

When my good friend Melissa came to visit we went to Yosemite because she had never been. (I had never been before moving to Fresno.) It was late April and there was still lots of snow on the ground! We chose an easy hike and had a wonderful day.

I used the Back Country paper from CTMH (retired), which is always good for outdoorsy stuff. The Treetops stamp set was perfect to line the bottom of my page.

Thanks for stopping by...happy crafting!

{What's in a Frame} x2: Anniversary and Dad

2011-08-13T05:16:00.000-07:00

I'm finally sharing all the {What's in a Frame} decor I created back in June! I have quite a few to share with you over the coming weeks.

These first frames were ordered by my hubby's co-worker Dan for his parents' 35th anniversary and Father's Day.

I had so much fun making this Anniversary "love" frame...I really liked his idea to incorporate a newlywed photo next to a recent photo! He said his mom loves any color blue, as well as yellows, purples, and pinks. So I took the royal blue color queue from her dress and ran with it. I love how it turned out!

The best part? She absolutely LOVES it! It always makes me so happy to hear the recipients' reactions to something I put my heart into :)

This next frame was a little tricky to make masculine for Dan's dad for Father's Day. His dad is a pastor so I incorporated a Bible verse. The photo was taken in Oregon State's gym, where Dan used to work. I incorporated OSU's colors, black and orange, trying to keep it from being too Halloween-ish. The circles kinda look like basketballs, don't you think?

If you'd like a custom {What's in a Frame} for yourself or to give as a gift, visit my Etsy shop for more information or contact me at jaymalew[at]gmail[dot]com.

Thanks for visiting!

"Ugly" Paper Challenge with You and Me Kit

2011-08-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

"Ugly" is often subjective. So when I say that I used this paper from CTMH's You and Me kit in an "ugly paper" challenge, I hope you're not offended! But I just really don't like this color combo for some reason, and I especially didn't like the paper with the square pattern, shown in the small strip of paper in the bottom right of my card.

That being said, I do kinda like how the card turned out. I think the pop of tulip helps brighten it up a bit. I do, however, REALLY like the notepad paper from the kit, shown in the right of the card.

I played with the "Hope for Japan" stamp set for the first time. I like the focal image of the card. The sentiment is from the Sophia Workshop on the Go stamp set...definitely one of my favorites! Check it out here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wedding Scrapbook Layout - Color Challenge

2011-08-10T05:16:00.000-07:00

Here is another layout from my cousin's wedding that I just finished scrapbooking for myself. I did the left page a while ago for one of Heart 2 Heart's color challenges: Creme Brulee, Blush, and Vineyard Berry. This color combo sounded odd to me at first, but I think it works well for this layout.

This layout also fits Practical Scrappers' "Challenge Me Tuesday" from last week, to alter flowers in some way. I stamped on the flower on the right page to give it a new look.

I stamped a background stamp from Universal Backgrounds (a must-have) in Blush ink onto Blush cardstock and the white flower. I love these swirl stamps from the Felicity stamp set. Felicity is no longer available, but check out the new Love Life stamp set...LOVE it! I'll be using that flourish a lot in the future! Plus, did you hear that D-size stamp sets have decreased in price?! They're just $17.95 now instead of $22.95!

In this next picture we were all doing the Thriller Dance...so fun! It was such a fun wedding! It was a small destination wedding...I'm a fan of smaller groups and lots of family was there so it was a celebration right up my alley :)

And this is the page I did last year for Heart 2 Heart Challenges. If you haven't checked out H2H and you love Close to my Heart products, you really should. They do a CTMH-based challenge every week.

What do you think of this color combo? I hope you'll challenge yourself to combine unexpected colors and paper packs for a different look...you'll find that it's fun!

You can find the other layouts I've done for her wedding (and other wedding projects) here. But I'm not done posting the layouts from her wedding!

Happy scrapping!

P.S. Don't forget I still have great deals on stamp sets, paper kits, and accessories for sale! Help me clear them out before I move!

And the Winner is...

2011-08-09T05:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of my new followers and those of you who were already following my blog! I have chosen a winner for this lovely blog candy using Random.org. To see the original post and my layout for Practical Scrappers' 2nd anniversary, visit here.

Without further adieu...

Jennifer of Scraps of Grace is the winner!

Jennifer, please email me so I can get your info and mail out your goodies!

Thanks to all of your who participated...I am always so astonished by how loving and friendly the blogging community is. You are all wonderful!

Have a wonderful week!

Workshop on the Go with a Twist

2011-08-07T05:39:00.000-07:00

I love CTMH's Workshop on the Go kits! What I love about them is they come with a full paper pack, stamp set and accessories, plus a full-color, step-by-step guide so you can easily complete they layout yourself. The guide even includes a cutting diagram for each piece of paper you use, so there's no guesswork. You can pre-cut all your paper, then simply assemble and embellish.

I like to "go against the flow," as they say. I usually make the pre-designed layouts my own in some way...whether it is to change the orientation of the photos to fit my photos, or use a different stamp set that works with my photos better, or embellish a little differently. And these layouts always lend themselves to easily be changed to fit my needs. Or you can simply follow them as is!

So here is the layout I completed with the Mayberry Workshop on the Go...

I added some chipboard flowers because I wasn't keen on the fruit stamps that came with the kit for these particular pictures.

Since the new Idea Book is out, there are NEW Workshop on the Go kits for you to choose from! Each kit contains supplies to create the two-page layout featured in the workshop guide. Then use your remaining materials and online tips to create an additional layout and a bonus project, shown in the guide. Some of the bonus projects require additional items not included in the workshop kit, but the items needed will be listed for you when you go to order your kits.

Check out the fabulous new lineup...

(versatile for so much more than Halloween!)

Roxie (my favorite)

Sonoma

Typeset

Wonderland

You can see more information on each of the kits and order any of the new WOTG kits, plus the kits from the last Idea Book, here.

Thanks for visiting!

"Twos" Practical Scrappers Blog Hop + Blog Candy!!!

2011-08-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks for joining us for the Practical Scrappers Blog Hop! If you'd like to start from the beginning, visit Practical Scrappers' website. This week we've been celebrating out 2nd anniversary, so I'm sharing a layout featuring 2 photos.

I've got a prize to give one of you! To be entered to win, all you have to do is leave a comment letting me know you were here, and be sure to follow my blog and Practical Scrappers' blog! I'll choose a winner from Random.org on Monday. Here's what you could win...

Handmade card, handmade button ring, handmade resin flower ring and matching earrings, tin to alter as you please, lots of CTMH felt shapes, and a CTMH mini fall acrylic stamp set. Good luck!

And here's my TWO-photo layout. These photos are of my sister and her husband with my nephew at his first birthday party...

I mixed a couple CTMH paper packs...the blue polka dot is from Magic Moments and the orange polka dot is from Olivia. I added Lagoon, Sunset, Indian Corn Blue, and Outdoor Denim cardstock.

The pennant chipboard is from Maya Road, the star from CTMH, and the twine is from The Twinery. I punched the circles using my 1-1/4" circle punch. All the sparkles are also from CTMH. Love how all their products coordinate! The alphabet stamp is from Felicity, offered in a previous special.

Hop on over to Claude next! If you get lost along the hop, here are all the participants. We have a great group of designers, I know you'll enjoy checking out their blogs! Thank you so much for stopping by today!

Kerri

Jayma - You Are Here

P.S. I still have Stamp Sets, Paper Kits and Accessories for sale! See if you can help me clear out some of my stash before moving :)

Check out everything that's for sale here. Email me at jaymalew[at]gmail[dot]com to make me an offer!

How to Make a Statement Necklace: Video Tutorial

2011-08-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

When I attended Close to my Heart's Convention last month, I made a Statement Necklace for my rockstar downline Mandy and myself. I've had several people ask how I made the necklaces, so I created a video to show you!

This is the only picture I got of me wearing my Statement Necklace. I'm here with Mandy and Stephanie, my fabulous roomies.

And here's an adorable picture of Mandy rockin' her necklace with fancyMelissa.

This is the only picture I got of Mandy's necklace before I gave it to her...

And here's my necklace with the one I'm going to show you how to make!

Without further adieu, here's my tutorial. I tried to make it shorter so you wouldn't get bored, but I did miraculously get it from 39 minutes to just under 15. I hope you enjoy it!

If you create your own I'd love to see it! Post it on my Facebook page!

Thanks for stopping by!

"Buds" Roxie Layout - Practical Scrappers Anniversary Week Day 3

2011-08-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

Today is Day 3 of Practical Scrappers' 2nd Anniversary week, and it's all about 2-page layouts. Today I'm sharing one of my favorite recent layouts featuring the new Roxie paper from Close to my Heart. (Can you tell I love this paper? I featured it yesterday, too!)

This is one of the layouts we were given to create at our Make-n-Take time at CTMH Convention last month. I had to leave Convention early because my hubby got appendicitis, but I later finished the layout (with a few changes to make it my own) and just love it!

You can order the fabulous new Roxie paper pack here and see the gorgeous new Autumn/Winter Idea Book here. Including the NEW Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge! To see lots more info on the Art Philosophy collection and see the special freebies for August, see my post here.

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Don't forget about my moving sale! Lots of great stamp sets and accessories and huge discounts!

Check it all out here!

2's Bingo Challenge: Practical Scrappers Anniversary Week Day 2

2011-08-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

I'm back with another Practical Scrappers anniversary week challenge. Today is a Challenge Me Tuesday, and last week's challenge (for today's feature) was to use the Bingo grid on Practical Scrappers' blog and create a project that uses 2 of each item in a row.

For my layout, I chose to form my Bingo diagonally: 2 ribbons (red pleated and black in knots), 2 stamps (swirl and heart random-stamped in the background), and 2 patterned papers (zebra and off-whiteish w/ swirls). Plus I did a 2-page layout to boot!

This layout uses the brand spankin' new paper, Roxie, from CTMH's Idea Book that released yesterday. Don't you love that zebra print?! I can't get enough of it. CTMH's new paper is now cardstock weight, love it. You can check out the new Idea book here. To read all about the NEW Cricut cartridge that coordinates with stamps, see my post here.

Now head on over to Practical Scrappers to see the other designers' projects and to see this week's challenge!

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Don't forget I still have stamp sets and other crafty goodness for sale at huge discount prices! Email me if you're interested: jaymalew[at]gmail[dot]com

Practical Scrappers Anniversary Week: Day 1

2011-08-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

This week we are celebrating Practical Scrappers' 2nd anniversary! To celebrate, we are having a whole week of "two" challenges with lots of inspiration. I hope you'll join us! Today's challenge is to make 2 projects where there is something exactly the same about each. You could use the same paper, the same die-cut, the same stamp, etc.

For my cards, I chose to use the same sketch for each. And it just so happens I used the same swirl stamp on both as well. I was inspired by Dawn's lovely card here and had lots of fun with the variations!

I especially love how this last card came together. I have been really into background stamps lately, and especially this swirl stamp from the "You & Me" May and June CTMH promotion. In fact, the whole stamp set has been one of my favorites. The pennants and tickets are from the same set!

If you look closely, you can see iridescent stickles on the candle flames.

Enjoy, and I hope you'll head over to Practical Scrappers and check out the other designers' creations!

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P.S. Don't forget I still have great deals on stamp sets, paper kits, and accessories for sale!

What's All the Cricut Hype About?

2011-07-31T05:52:00.000-07:00

Have you heard all the talk about the new Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge? The collection is available only through Close to my Heart! Keep reading to see why you NEED this cartridge, and how you can get FREE gifts with your purchase!

Close to my Heart thinks of EVERYTHING, I'll tell ya! The new Art Philosophy cartridge includes tons of shapes, a font, 3D flowers and boxes, and more! But that's not even the coolest part...there are coordinating stamps to go with the Cricut shapes! And three of those stamp sets come WITH the Cricut cartridge!

Check out all you'll get in your Cricut Art Philosophy Collection:
1 – Cartridge (700 images: Font, Shapes, and 3D items)
3 – Coordinating My Acrylix® D-size Stamp Sets
3 – Coordinating 9" x 12" Dimensional Elements Sheets (Tags, Mixed Shapes, Banners)

In addition to the 3 stamp sets that come in the collection, there are numerous sets in the new Idea book that match up with the new Cricut shapes. And they're easy to spot as you look through the catalog...you'll find a red line around the stamp if it coordinates. Then once you receive the stamp set, you'll find a size, in inches, printed right onto the stamp's carrier sheet. This size represents what you need to set your Cricut at in order to match the size of the stamp perfectly! Brilliant, right?!

Here's a picture I took at the CTMH Convention earlier this month. This was a class taught on the new Cricut cartridge by Chris Hill at Extravaganza. Each of the boards on the bottom of her display represent what just ONE button on the Art Philosophy keypad can do! How cool is that?! It's so versatile!

Let me tell you a secret. I've owned my Cricut for 3 years and the only cartridge I have is the George cartridge that it came with. I never found one versatile enough for me to justify spending $40-$80 on it. But I am ECSTATIC about Art Philosophy! It has over 700 images...popular, trendy, and timeless images. Doilies, stars, hearts, brackets, flourishes, tags, banners, alphabet, scallops, circles, ovals...I could go on and on. And on top of the images you'll get 6 different 3D flowers. The Cricut cuts out the spiral shape, and you just roll them up. And you'll also find a bunch of 3D boxes...a fry box, various gift boxes and handled bags, a pillow box, and more! And since you'll cut them on the Cricut, you can make them any size you need! You'll have so much fun playing with it all...I've been having a blast!

(click for larger view)

The new Art Philosophy Cricut Collection is priced at just $99. Now, I know that seems like a lot for a Cricut cartridge. But you get more than just a cartridge. You also get 3 D-size stamp sets, which are a $53.85 value on their own. And you get 3 Dimensional Elements sheets, which are valued at $14.85. So it's really like only paying $30.30 for the cartridge! But not just any cartridge, the best, most complete cartridge I've seen on the market!

If you're still not convinced, here's a little video that Close to my Heart put together to show off some of the cool things the new Art Philosophy cartridge can do.

Now that you see how awesome it is, you NEED one, right?! If you order your own Art Philosophy Collection in August you can get the adorable August stamp of the month for just $5! And if that's not enough, when you purchase the Stamp of the Month for just $5, you'll also receive the Typeset alphabet stamp set for FREE! What a deal!!!

Plus when you order in August I'll send you a handmade card and little goodie to say thank you! Or better yet, set up an online catalog party and have your friends help you get to $150 in sales! A $150 order gets an extra $25 in free goodies! If you are planning to place a $150+ yourself let me know...I can set up the catalog party for you so you still get the rewards!

If you have questions, email me at jaymalew[at]gmail[dot]com or find me on twitter or facebook!

August Stamp of the Month: Wicked
Get this for just $5 when you order a Cricut Collection, or anything totaling $50 or more!

To order the new Cricut Art Philosophy Collection, email me at jaymalew[at]gmail[dot]com or order online here beginning Aug. 1. You can see all the new goodies in the new Idea Book here and look through the online Idea Book here.

P.S. Don't forget I still have stamp sets, paper kits and accessories for sale!