CTMH Australasian Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - July 2014 - Circus Alphabet

Hello and welcome aboard our Australasian Stamp of the month Close to My Heart Blog Hop. If you have arrived here from Anne's Blog, Mummy you made this?, then you are in the right place. If you landed here by accident, no problem, please join in by following the link at the end of this post.

Today I would like to share with you these cards which feature the July Stamp of the Month - Circus Alphabet, available exclusively throughout July for $24 or for just $5 when you spend $75.

 I love Alphabet stamp sets, they are so versatile, allowing you to make your own greetings and titles, and to highlight your journaling. This one has a very whimsical feel, and the design also means you can colour them in if you wish. There are 68 stamps in the set, and he tallest image in the set is approximately ⅝" in height.

Do you find with alpha stickers you always have the same few letters left over? With my two girls, all the A, S and L stickers are gone - assuming there is enough in the packet to start with! With a stamp set, you can use each letter as often as you like, and pick whatever ink pad you have on hand to use - colour coordinated with your cardstock!

I needed to create some Thank You cards to have on hand, and this stamp set was perfect to create my own greeting. I used the upper case letters for the Thanks, and the lower case for the á bunch'.

I used the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge to cut the greeting pieces out of scraps of My Reflections scrapbook papers, and the backing from plain coordinating cardstock.  I stamped the greeting pieces and the base card in either Black ink, or a colour to match the backing piece - Gypsy, Cotton Candy, Ruby or Outdoor Denim. I then embossed these backing pieces with our embossing folders in Dots or Stripes, and used the sanding block to expose the white core and give them some more texture.

I adhered the backing piece directly to the Colonial white card, and then used foam tape to raise the Thanks piece onto the top. Very quickly I had 8 thank you cards ready to go, with a variety of colour schemes.

I love making cards in bulk as it saves time, but I also get bored with one design very easily, so this way I have a little variety in my stash!

Circus Alphabet is only available until 31 July 2014 from your CTMH consultant.

I'd love you to leave a comment before heading off to the next stop,  Lauren Moore's Blog, CTMH Craftings.

Yours in Craft,
Monika

CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - December - Special Care

Hello and welcome aboard our Australasian Close to My Heart Stamp of the Month (SOTM) Blog Hop for December. If you have arrived here from Jo Armstrong's Blog, then you are in the right place. If you landed here first, the blog hop is a big circle, so please join in by following the link at the end of this post.

The SOTM for December is called Special Care and is a set of 6 stamps with a "washing instructions" theme. My first thought when I saw these stamps was for baby or children-inspired cards or scrapbook pages.

I have been a bit remiss with scrapbooking pages for Isobelle, as all her photos are digital and I don't often print them out any more. These pictures were taken by an amateur photographer friend of mine when Isobelle was just 3 weeks old, on 27 November 2009.

I wanted to keep the focus on the photos, so used colonial white card for the base pages and photo mats and embellishments in Cotton Candy. I also stamped in Cotton Candy and Slate, and added a touch of bling with the silver washi tape out of the Sparkle & Shine pack. The shapes come from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge, and the title is from Artbooking, both exclusive to Close to My Heart.

I used one roll from each of the special Washi tape packs we currently have, the Party and the Sparkle and Shine packs. Each roll in this pack is 15 yards (13.7 metres) so the pack is great value.

This exclusive  stamp of the month is only available during December. It can be yours for just $5 with a qualifying order of $75 or for $24 if ordered separately from your CTMH consultant. If you do not have a consultant please contact me or place an order in my online store here.

The Washi tape and many other Christmas themed items are from the Holidays with Heart Gift Guide, available now through December 31 from your CTMH consultant whilst stocks last. Some items are in short supply so order early to avoid disappointment.

Orders totalling over $130 between now and 31 December 2013 can choose one starred item from The Holidays with Heart gift Guide for free so it is an ideal time to get your hands on one of our Cricut Collections or some Workshops on the Go (WOTG) kits for yourself, or as gifts, and be able to claim some lovely Christmas products, and your purchases will count towards 2 promotions!

I'd love you to leave a comment before heading off to the next stop, Marianne Lamont's Blog.

Products used:
1388 Colonial White cardstock pack
X5760 Cotton Candy cardstock pack
S1312 Special Care
Z2173 Exclusive ink - Slate
Z2193 Exclusive ink - Cotton Candy
Z1908 Party Washi Tape - 3 pack
Z1907 Sparkle & Shine Washi Tape - 3 pack
Z1701 Baker's Twine - Neutral Assortment


Yours in craft,
Monika

CTMH Stamp of the Month Blog Hop - November - Illuminate

Hello and welcome aboard our Australasian Close to My Heart Stamp of the Month (SOTM) Blog Hop for November. If you have arrived here from Patricia’s Blog,  Patricia Manhire, then you are in the right place. If you landed here first, the blog hop is a big circle, so please join in by following the link at the end of this post.

The SOTM for November is called Illuminate and is a beautiful collection of lamps, lights and related phrases.

I designed this card in the Cricut Craft Room (CCR) which allowed me to get all the layers to match and the little windows to line up. The inspiration for this card actually came from my DH who suggested the window and light shining through it.

I used the Sparkle and Shine paper packet for the front layer, and colonial white card for the base.
The images come from the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge, exclusive to Close to My Heart.

I have saved the ccr file, so if you would like a copy of it, please leave a comment and I can email it to you as a little gift from me for visiting my blog!

I love that even though this is a "Christmas" themed paper packet, it can suit many other themes as well, and the damask print on this paper is subtle but beautiful.

The Sparkle and Shine paper and many other Christmas themed items are from the Holidays with Heart Gift Guide and are available now through December 31 from your CTMH consultant whilst stocks last. Some items are in short supply so order early to avoid disappointment.

This exclusive  stamp of the month is only available during November. It can be yours for just $5 with a qualifying order of $75 or for $24 if ordered separately from your CTMH consultant. If you do not have a consultant please contact me or place an order in my online store here.

Orders totalling over $130 between now and 31 December 2013 can choose one starred item from The Holidays with Heart gift Guide for free so it is an ideal time to get your hands on one of our Cricut Collections or some Workshops on the Go (WOTG) kits for yourself, or as gifts, and be able to claim some lovely Christmas products, and your purchases will count towards 2 promotions!

I'd love you to leave a comment before heading off to the next stop, Noni’s blog, Live, Crop, Share.

Products used:
X7176B Sparkle and Shine paper packet
1388 Colonial White cardstock pack
S1311 Illuminate
Z2173 Exclusive ink - Slate
Z2110 Exclusive ink - Buttercup

Yours in craft,
Monika