Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Watercolor Pencils and Washi Tape Birthday Card

Close To My Heart Corp hosts a weekly challenge on their Instagram (@ctmhcorp). Every Monday they will post an inspiration or a theme for us to create. This is not only a challenge, but also an inspiration for all of us to create something using any of our CTMH supplies.

To join this challenge, make sure you put hashtag #jrlcreativechallenge on every project you enter for the challenge. You have until Sunday midnight to enter. This week, the theme is “Use Washi Tapes.” And I created a card for this challenge:

I used White Daisy cardstock to create the card base (4.25 x 5.5). And then I added some Gold Polka Dots Washi Tape to create the base card, then on a piece of watercolor paper, I wrote the sentiment using Pencil watercolor & just added water using the aqua brush to create the watercolor. Added it on the card using 3D foam tape and finished it with Gold assortment sequins, Silver assortment sequins, Clear Sparkle Assortment, and some glitter glue.

You can get all the supplies at my CTMH store (except the glitter glue. I got it from WalMart). Don’t forget they still have this awesome specials until the end of February. And also join my Mystery Host Party online to win $20 on Hostess Reward!

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Special Promotions for February 2015:

During the month of February 2015, when you purchase one of Close To My Heart’s alluring coated canvas albums you will be eligible to receive a second album of your choice at half price. That is a savings of over $17 USD / $19 CAD!

These albums are available in a gorgeous variety of colors and patterns in both post-bound and D-ring styles—perfect to pair with traditional, Studio J®, or pocket scrapbook layouts. This offer is only available while supplies last, so make certain to get your order in early to ensure you can choose the styles and colors you love. They’re going fast and are built to last; so don’t delay—place your order here today!

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Not only that, when you get your album, you are eligible to get this gorgeous D-size Stamp of the Month set for $5! This is a set of 15 stamps with original price is $17.95 which you can get for only $5 during this month only. Recommended My Acrylix® Blocks to use for this stamp set are 1″ × 1″ (Y1000), 3″ × 3″ (Y1006), 2″ × 3½” (Y1009), 2″ × 6½” (Y1010)

Check out some inspirations how to use this stamp set:

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It is the time to capture all your recent holiday memories! Express Collections make documenting your memories even easier by doing most of the creation for you. Just drop in your photos, add some journaling and personalized titles, and order your layouts. Using this Express Collection, you will have your recent holiday photos scrapbooked before you know it! The Express Collection will be available only from January 1 to February 28, so make certain to place your orders before the deadline.

Contact me for more information and visit StudioJ.com to start creating today!

And one more gorgeous stamp set for supporting the work of Operation Smiles. Until the end of March 2015, Close To My Heart has a special stamp set to keep helping with this charity effort. You can make a difference in the life of a child when you buy the Operation Smile™ You’re the Bomb stamp set!

When you purchase the C-size You’re the Bomb stamp set at full retail price anytime from now through March 2015, Close To My Heart will donate $3 of the proceeds to Operation Smile.

You can always give donation to Operation Smile® whenever you shop at my store. At the cart or check out page, you will see the box where you can give donation before you checking out. If you have any questions, please contact me or visit my store to purchase and donate!

THANK YOU for shopping and giving a smile on a child’s life!

Thank You for stopping by and shopping with me!!!

Posted on Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Key To My Heart Shaker Card

Valentine’s Day is only 3 days away. And today I have a card to share with you, Key To My Heart shaker card.

When I saw the center panel step card, I was wondering if I could make a step card with shaker window as the center panel with a polaroid frame and the filler is not only sequins but also with die cut confetti. So, I went through my Silhouette library and AH-HA! I have them already, the step card, polaroid frame with love saying on it and love theme confetti. After that I went digging through my scrap stash to find the papers, cardstocks and everything to fill the shaker window.

And here is the card:

This shaker card is super easy to make using my Silhouette Cameo and Silhouette Studio Designer Edition Software.

First, I open Lori Whitlock’s Center Panel Step Card on Silhouette Studio Designer Edition software. I ungroup the cutting files. I did not use the artisan shape from the file. Replace it with the polaroid frame. Then I arrange the shapes and color them with the colors of the papers I want to cut. It is easy to remember which patter paper for which shape with colors. The pattern paper I used on this card is Heartstrings Paper Packet. I only used 1 paper because it is double-sided paper with cute pattern perfect for Valentine’s Day theme card. After I arranged the papers on the cutting mat, then I sent it to cut.

Then I put cut the card base, frame, keys and hearts.

I used one of the polaroid frames from The Cut Shoppe, resized it to fit on the front panel card. And for the shaker fillers, I used only the keys and hearts are from Sophie Gallo’s Love Confetti. I also resized the small enough to fit in side the shaker. For these shapes, I used White Daisy cardstock.

To create the shaker on the front panel, I used acetate plastic I saved from left over packing 🙂 This is one way of reuse or recycle boxes. I cut the plastic a little bit bigger than the inside rectangle of the polaroid frame, then I glued it on the frame using Tombow liquid glue. It dries clear and strong. And then adding some 3D foam around the rectangle to create the shaker.

When I added the keys, hearts and gold sequins in side the frame, I found out that I have put the acetate plastic and foam tape on the wrong side of the frame. There is no way to pull them off unless cut a new one. So, I added some Cranberry Baker’s Twine (retired) and a flair from Heartstrings Assortment to cover the mistake on the polaroid frame. And kindda like it this way, the flair looks like having a dove tail cut out 🙂

What do you think? I hope you’ll like this 🙂 Can’t wait to give this card to someone we love!

This card I link up at:

Stuck On You Sketches Die Cut Challenge

Virginia View Challenge #12

Close To My Heart Instagram #jrlcreativechallenge

Cut It Out February Challenge

Lori Whitlock – Link Up With Corri

Inspire Me Monday Week 162

Creative Spark Week 41

Thank you so much for visiting today 🙂

Posted on Saturday, January 31, 2015

Card Chain Challenge January Reveal Day

Today I would love to share with you an awesome card chain challenge I participate monthly where I met lots of new craft friends. It is Card Chain Challenge hosted by Deborah Nolan. Every month she will provides 4 options for participant that we can pick which we want to use to create a card for the person above you on the list. It is a fun way to send a card we create to a friend. And you still have time to join us for February challenge, sign up here!

For the January Card Chain Challenge I picked the sketch and theme (Valentine’s Day) options to create my card:

And here’s my card for a new friend, Monica:

THANK YOU so much for visiting my blog today!

Supplies:

Heartstrings Paper Packet
White Daisy Cardstock
Forever In My Heart stamp set
Hollyhock Exclusive Ink Pad
Flamingo Dots
Acrylix Block 2″ x 3 1/2″
3D Foam Tape
Adhesive Runner
Fiskar Paper Trimmer
Spray Pen / bottle
Watercolor Paper

Posted on Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Thinking of You, and more

We are on the last Wednesday of the first month in 2015. Time flies so fast and I feel like still so many things to catch up with family, house work and ministry. But I trust in the One who gives me the strength to do what He has called me to do. I trust in Christ Jesus.

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

(Philippians 4:13, NLT)

I hope this truth speaks to you as well, especially when you start to feel overwhelmed by so many things you need to do. We always can find the strength God has provided for us through His son.

Sometimes, we just need to take a break. On my “break time” today, I had a chance to play with the new Neat and Tangled stamp set, Paper Cut Flowers. You wanna check out their blog for gorgeous inspirations done by the design team.

I went with clean and simple with this card. On a piece of watercolor paper, I stamped & heat embossed both flower & sentiment, and then added watercolor for the background. You can let it sit to dry or dry it using craft heater for faster drying. To finish the card, I added some gold sequins and twine.

Over Simon Says Stamp blog today is the Work It Wednesday first challenge of the year. They challenge us to create anything “NEW” – new product, new technique, etc. Since I create this card using Neat and Tangled new product, I link this up there 🙂

But I cannot stop thinking what else I can create using this pretty petals. So, I made one card 🙂 This time I am inspired by one of the Neat and Tangled DT member, Miriam Prantner. She shared on the Neat and Tangled blog a beautiful card using this Paper Cut Flowers stamp set.

And here’s my card:

The background I creating using the technique I learned from Catherine Pooler on her YouTube video tutorial how to create Batik Background. It is a fun technique, messy but turn out pretty 🙂

And this card I link up at Simon Says Stamp, Wednesday Challenge – Anything Goes this week.

Thanks for visiting today! I hope you like these cards 🙂

Supplies:

Neat and Tangled Paper Cut Flowers stamp set
Strathmore Watercolor paper (Walmart)
Watercolor paint (Target)
DCWV Glitter Metallics Matstack (Archivers)
4.24 x 5.5 card and 5.75 Square card (HobbyLobby)
Bazill Vellum Paper (Archivers)
CTMH Exclusive Ink Pads: Lagoon, Pacifica, Twilight (retired)
Versamark Ink Pad (CTMH store)
Ranger White Super Fine Embossing Powder (CTMH store)
Zing! Black Opaque Finish Embossing Powder (AC Moore)
My Acrylix Blocks 3 x 3, 1 x 3 1/2 (CTMH store)
Craft Heater (CTMH store)
Gold Sequins (assortment pack from Walmart)
Silver Sequins (CTMH store)
Clear Sparkles assortment (CTMH store)
Gold & White Baker’s Twine (Pick Your Plum)
Scallop Border Punch (CTMH store)
Micro-tip Scissors (ek Tools)
Adhesive runner & 3D Foam Tape

Posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Hello Friend

Masculine card has been always a challenge for me. This is a card I made today turn out to be more masculine style than I was planning to be 🙂

I picked kraft cardstock as the base card, wanna have similar ink color for the border and black for sentiment. But I tried gold for the sentimen and turned out monochromatic. Love it 🙂

I bought Winnie & Walter – V for Chevron stamp set last year and had not any time to play with it yet. But today, I had so much fun creating this monochrome card.

First I stamped the chevron with Desert Sand Exclusive Ink Pad multiple time creating the bottom and above borders. And then I heat embossed the sentiment from Winnie & Walter – The Big, The Bold and Happy stamp set. I mixed the Gold embossing powder (CTMH) with Clear Glitter embossing powder (Whisper, I got it from AC Moore).

I link up my card at 3 amazing challenges:

Darnell’s NBUS Challenge. This is one fun challenge, just perfect for me (and you, too) who have TONS of Never-Before-Used-Schtuff lying around screaming to be used 🙂