Charlotte layout for BTF and Color My Heart challenges

Hello, crafty friends!  From what I have been seeing online for the last few weeks, I'm hardly the only one who is totally in love with CTMH's new Charlotte paper kit, so I'm submitting this for my first official project as a design team member over at the Between The Folds challenge and for consideration at the Color My Heart color challenge, both of which feature the colors from the Charlotte kit.

details:  It took me a day or two to figure out what project I wanted to do for another Charlotte project as I have already done several, but I woke up Monday thinking about "home," and from that point things came together quite quickly.  I started with one of the base layouts from the Workshops Your Way sets because this combination worked best with the various colors in the pictures I wanted to work with.  All pages, zip strips, and embellishments come from the Charlotte kit with the exception of the lacy-looking house in the upper left corner, which is actually trimmed down from the retired For Always PML kit.  And that's all there is to this one.  Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out both challenge blogs for lots more inspiration!


Happy crafting!  ~~  Annette

CTMH Featured Products Blog Hop: Stunning Sequins!

Hello and welcome to another installment of the CTMH Featured Products Blog Hop, with today's spotlight on gold and silver sequins.  Once again, you should have arrived here from Corinna's blog but blog hops are circular so feel free to jump in anywhere along the line and continue to follow the links until you've made the rounds.

So, sequins:  I love these versatile embellishments and I had a really hard time deciding between too many projects that kept coming to mind, but currently I am also in love with the new Charlotte paper, which happens to be the featured paper over at the Between The Folds challenges this week, so finally I had to come up with a way to combine the two.  I added a long-retired stamp set called A Game, stamping the tic-tac-toe board in Whisper and the X's in Sorbet, backing that panel with a discontinued CS called Baby Pink - perfect match, don't you think?  I used the middle tone of the Silver Sequins to replace the O's and then fussy cut the arrows from the same Charlotte designer paper that backs the tic-tac-toe panel.  The banner is stamped in Whisper again from the current Hostess Rewards set called #makes me happy and set on another piece from the Charlotte collection, and I just had to add some more sequins to fill in what  would have otherwise been some empty space behind the banner.

And that's all there is to this one, since I am still deciding on the interior sentiment.  The next stop on the hop is the very talented Kirsten with a lovely project you won't want to miss.  Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!  ~~  Annette

"One" Challenge at H2H

The first challenge of 2016 over at the Heart 2 Heart blog is, appropriately enough, entitled "One."  As we get closer to February, I was looking for a new hearts and love themed display for the shelf above my craft space and I came across this photo I've had for ages.  I am guilty of never liking to see photos of myself but this one still manages to make me smile.  It was taken by a dear friend when my husband and I got to spend an evening out without the children, which was quite a rare treat considering one child had severe epilepsy and cerebral palsy and the other had life threatening food allergies.  Anyway, we all had a great time that night and I couldn't think of a better photo to use for a Valentine display and, coincidentally, this is the first layout I've completed in the new year!
details:  The background paper is from the La Vie En Rose paper pack.  I used the Artbooking Cricut cartridge to cut the photo mat in Pixie CS and added the Ruby colored hearts from the retired Stuck On You Puffies.  I also used Artbooking to cut both sentiments twice, once in the older version of CTMH's Fundamentals as the Ruby color had a clear embossed heart pattern on it, and I cut another layer in Black CS for a shadow layer.  I then used the Designed Decor Black Shadow Box Frame which is turning out to be my go-to for displays.
Note:  This smaller picture was my first version in which I used Ruby for the photo mat and Pixie for the title words, but I was disappointed in how much the words blended in with the background and essentially got "lost," so I just thought I'd share in order to encourage newer scrappers to take time to play with color and various options because sometimes a really small change can make a big difference!
And that's all there is to this one.  Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!  ~~  Annette

Nautical theme for Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge

Hello, crafty friends!  I was really inspired to make a card based on this week's sketch at Atlantic Hearts sketch Challenge but some weeks are crazier than others.  I had a crafty Sunday all planned with plenty of projects, starting with this card, but a young friend came over for some scrapbook lessons and since one of the things I love most about being a consultant with CTMH is teaching people the joys of memory keeping, I decided real life came first.  So, I actually missed the deadline for the challenge BUT I've had this card on my mind all week and I wanted to make it for my hubby's valentine, so I made it anyway.  He wasn't in the Navy nor does he own a boat, but he absolutely loves the water and this sentiment couldn't be more true, he really IS my anchor!  We've been married 29 years and in that time we've had our share of "rough seas" but he always keeps my spirits "afloat."  I think that's pretty important in a mate!

details:  I ended up using all retired products for this one.  CTMH has a lovely new nautical themed paper called Regatta but I didn't have any on hand yet, but I still had some of this lovely Tommy paper, and all the papers I used are from that kit.  I fussy cut the anchor from one of the pages and used a punch to cut another one and layered them before popping the image up with 3-D take and using the natural colored decorative hemp CTMH carried several years ago for the "rope."  I created my own sentiment using the Keyboard alpha in Outdoor Denim ink.

 A note about the inside:  One of  the reasons I wanted to use this paper was because I'd created most of these elements from it for a card last year but that project just never came together.  However, I really liked that curvy arrow (from the Artbooking Cricut cartridge) and the little "scroll" that I originally cut with the Art Philosophy cartridge and rolled and distress inked with Brown Bag.  The little compass is stamped and cut from an old monthly special set called, "Pair A Phrase," which was the cutest set and one I continue to use quite often.

And that's it for now.  Thanks for stopping by and happy crafting!  ~~  Annette

CTMH Featured Products Blog Hop featuring Puffies!

Welcome to this installment of our exciting CTMH Featured Products blog hop where we are currently featuring Puffies! Blog hops are circular so you probably found your way here from Corinna's blog but you can jump in anywhere along the line and just keep following the links for lots of fun and inspiration.
I've found that I tend to focus on the bare bones of scrapbooking or card making, occasionally adding some bling but even then I seem to stick to the same few items despite having LOTS of unused goodies lying around.  So lately I have challenged myself to try new embellishments, especially those I get in my CTMH kits, and I'm so glad I gave these lovely little gold Treasured Puffies a try, I love them!  I got mine as part of the Workshops Your Way event CTMH held for us consultants and once I finished my layouts I had a few to spare, and I also won the Beautiful Blossoms Cut Above card kit and I thought I would try making one as shown and then add a little extra bling to another one using the puffies.

So the first picture is how the card is shown in the catalog but the bigger picture to the left is what I created using the Cut Above card base and the pieces I had left over from the complements for the new Charlotte kit and substituting a black banner.  The picture to the lower left is the inside of my card, but  I haven't quite settled on a sentiment for this one yet.

In case you are curious, I have included photos of the 3 layouts we created from the Workshops Your Way Charlotte kit.  The pictures in the catalog just can't do justice to the lovely colors and the gold Puffies, accents and ribbon, there is so much creative possibility with this kit!






Thanks for joining our hop and don't forget to head on over to see what the talented Kirsten has in store for you.
Happy crafting!  ~~ Annette

CTMH Products Blog Hop featuring Thick Twine

Hello and thanks for joining the Close To My Heart products blog hop featuring our lovely and versatile thick twine. You probably arrived here from Corinna's lovely blog but you are welcome to jump  in anywhere along the line and just keep following the links for some crafty fun and inspiration.  The next stop on the hop will take you to Kirsten's blog to see her fabulous project!


So here is how I used my twine to cover a little 7 1/2" vase I picked up at a yard sale.  I'm not sure where I got the idea for this project from, but I've had a picture of it in my mind for quite some time.  Of course, like so many projects, once I got started it took on a life of its own and turned out quite different from my vision, but even more lovely once I was done.









As you can see, I used three colors: Thistle, Glacier, and Pixie.  I pretty much covered the outside of the vase with an adhesive tape runner and to get the vase started, I simply unraveled and flattened out each of the three colors and used Washi tape to secure them at 1/2" intervals from the bottom of the vase along a vertical line of adhesive, and started wrapping around the vase with the first color.







It didn't take me long to figure out the best way to keep the various twines from tangling was to keep the two not in use inside the vase, and once I did that the project went really quickly.
(Never mind the large pearl buttons, I thought I was going to embellish with these but didn't like them once I got them on, so I had to unravel it, slide the pearls out of the project, and redo about half of it, lol.)






To change the colors, I made sure to hold the "oncoming" color with one hand while keeping the "outgoing" color taut and pulling it up along that vertical line of adhesive, making sure the two colors overlapped at the point of color change, which kept the two twines tight and in place, if that makes sense.

I made sure to really coat the bottom and top 1/2" of the vase with adhesive, and once I was done I held the three strands firmly in hand and applied another piece of Washi to them and then adhered the tape to the inside of the vase.  I think I'm going to seal the whole outside, as well as where the twines end inside the jar, with either Modge Podge or Liquid Glass.  I love the texture of the twine as it is, but I'm afraid the bottom and top strands may not stay in place when handled and as I want this piece to have a permanent spot on my bedroom dresser where it may get handled a lot, I think coating it with one of those adhesives will essentially seal it and keep it from getting stained by the natural oils found on skin.  For the embellishments, I dug out my last little crocheted flower from a long ago CTMH White Daisy assortment (adhered with the same tape runner adhesive I used on the rest of the vase) and the largest of the self-adhesive opaque pearls we used to carry.

Whew, that took longer than I than I thought so thanks for sticking it out if you're still with me. Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to check out the other ladies' projects using twine.
Happy crafting and Merry Christmas!~~  Annette

My first CTMH products blog hop!

Welcome to the CTMH Products Blog Hop featuring our new foil tape. Blog hops are a circular kind of thing so you probably got here from Kim's lovely blog but you are welcome to jump in anywhere along the line and just keep following the links for a shiny bit of inspiration.

I'm very happy to participate in my first hop but I'm especially excited because I LOVE this tape.  I was already a big fan of CTMH's shimmer trim so I was eager to get my hands on the new foil tape and test it out.  Now that I've created my first project with it, I have to say I love it every bit as much as the shimmer trim!  It's super easy to work with and adds the perfect finishing touch when you want a little shine.

details:  I confess, I couldn't stick with just one new product for this card; pretty much all the supplies are new.  I started with our new Sapphire cardstock and the Confetti Stars embossing folder, which I distressed using the block in the sanding kit, and Sapphire ink with the Christmas Star stamp.  Then I used the silver foil tape to create the "rays" emanating from the star, trimming the ends in angles or dovetails to closely border the points and angles of the stars.  To do this, I lay the loose end of the tape over my left index finger leaving a tail and just snipped the ends with scissors, and I never had any problems with the tape getting tangled or sticking to itself.  For the inside of the card, I used Sapphire ink again with the Reason for the Season stamp set, but before I set stamp to paper I wiped off the ink from the Christ child's halo and the star and edged those parts of the stamp in the Versamark and sprinkled silver embossing powder so they could be heat embossed.  All in all, I was pleased with how quickly this card came together but especially the shine this foil tape added.

Thanks for stopping by and I  hope you enjoyed the card.  If you jumped into the hop somewhere in the middle or if you want to take the tour all over again, you can head on over to Kirsten's blog and see her project.

Merry Christmas and happy crafting!  ~~  Annette