Art Philosophy For A Steal

I'm sure you have heard the Buzz!!! The Cricut buzz that is.  Close To My Heart and Cricut / Provo Craft have joined forces to bring you Art Philosophy Cricut Bundle.  The bundle includes a brand new cartridge exclusive to CTMH...it has 700 fonts, shapes and  3-D images ready to create...plus three coordinating stamp sets and three sheet of matching chipboard dies...AMAZING.  The complete bundle is value at $120, but is listed for a retail value of $99....but I'm going to extend an offer to my blog land followers that is to good to pass up. 

During the month of August place any order of $25 or more and get the Cricut Bundle for only $85...plus if you place your order on the 15th-31st you'll also be able to take advantage of National Stamping Month Special ...With the Cricut Bundle or any min. purchase of $75  you will be able to get a FREE double stamp set...it's too cute!!!!!

Want to bump your total retail sales to $150....which is only $26 more than the bundle and min. order and you'll also be able to now get hostess rewards for a one man order..$150 order qualifies you for $25 in select product FREE...

So what does all this mean.. purchase the following
Circut Bundles discounted $85
Your choice of product $51
Free Double Stamp Set
and $25 in free select product
plus a HUGH DISCOUNT on a cartridge everyone is going to be wanting. 

Contact me today to get on the list for this awesome special ...lorileng@bellsouth.net.

Please note all Free and Discounted products will be charged shipping and tax on retail value

If Only Time Stood Still Layout

This is a layout I did of my oldest son Will.  He was only two in this picture and had just learned how to sit up by himself.  We were so thrilled and got some great shots of him on the dunes at the beach.  Will is going to be 10 this April and he is one of the greatest blessings of my life.  Will can't sit up anymore by himself as he suffers from a neurological condition, so I look back on these photos with such fond memories and am so grateful he was able to sit up if only for a while. He continues to be my miracle everyday. 

Here are some of the products I used for complete this 12 x 12 layout:

Flower Soft (on the photo...really makes it look like sand)

Spellbinders Dies

Unity / Iron Orchid Co Brand Stamp

Prima Flowers

Opaque Pearls from Close To My Heart

Photoshop Elements

Tattered Angels Apple Mist

Tim Hotlz Distress Inks

I LOVE THIS PAGE!!!

I really love the way this page turned out.  I was feeling extremely uninspired on Saturday but really wanted to scrap something...so I sat down and before I knew it, I had completed this layout, and I love it.  It's got such a unique feel to it, just like my sweet little Tin Man. 

I used the following products for this layout:

Tim Holtz Inks

Sizzix Die

Tim Holtz: film strip ribbon

Webster's Pages Paper

Dimensional Elements / On Target from Close To My Heart

Webster's Page Vellum

Thriller Wall Hanging

I do love this month's stamp from Close To My Heart "THRILLER".  It's so stinkin cute...or at least I think so.  This is a wall hanging I did using a circle chipboard base.  I died some ribbon with reinkers to create the color of ribbon perfect to match the project.  I also heat embossed the letters and the skull stamp to add that finished look.  I sponge daubed some of our "On Target (the circle)" dimensional elements with the lagoon ink and used the Hooligans paper collections Oh and took some of our new ribbon from the Lagoon collection and pulled the white string that runs down the middle to give that bunched effect.  I've made several of these wall hanging so I'm sure gonna have a lot of decorations for the Halloween season hanging around.  I probably need to start focusing on Thanksgiving or Christmas, LOL.

Challenges:
Stamp Something : Spots and Stripes (paper)

Cricut French Manor Card

This is a 5 x7 card I made using my new FRENCH MANOR CRICUT CARTRIDGE.   I had this cartridge for several  months and just wasn't sure what I should do with it.  I love the images, but they aren't everyday things you would think of.  I also used my new little tool, the I-Rock for the bling on the background.  Have to admit, it's a little frustrating to get the I-Rock to work properly, but once you do it's fun.  I stamped the sentiment with a Close To My Heart stamp set  ( Simple Stitches C1234 ) .  Majority of the card is raised using my wonderful CTMH foam tape.  I love that stuff and go through it like water...all of my projects just have to have dimension. 

Have a safe and Happy Labor Day and remember to create and inspire.

Falling for Level 1 Layouts

I love the new Olivia Collection from Close To My Heart.  The colors literally jump off the page.  This is a level one Close To My Heart scrapbooking kit I did using the Olivia paper.  Isn't it just yummy.  Level one layouts are wonderful because they are quick and easy but you would never know it from the finished product.  I had some pictures of my husband and youngest son at Biltmore Estates in Asheville, N.C. from several years ago and I thought the colors were just a perfect pairing. 

IT'S A THRILLER OF A HOP

CANDY SLEEVE

Yeap, you guessed it, it's time for the Close to My Heart Consultants Stamp of the month Blog Hop.  If you just jumped over from Susan's Blog you are on the right path.  Welcome!  If you just joined us, feel free to jump right in and start hopping.  You'll see all kinds of creative projects from over 65 Close To My Heart Consultants...talk about inspiration. 

This month is my favorite Stamp of the Month out of the brand new Idea Book.  Not sure if it's mid age crisis or what, but I adore all the cute skulls that are so popular right now.  My husband thinks I'm a little nuts, LOL.  As you can tell by this adorably creepy set...I think it's GREAT! 

For my project I did a candy sleeve.  Found these little Peeps ghosts at the store and dressed them up with a skull and a message.  I'm making these for my son's class at school and think they will love them.  My palette of colors are from two of our brand new selections, GYPSY and SUNSET.  The  SUNSET is the base carstocks and then I topped it with B&T Duo GYPSY paper from the new HOOLIGANS paper pack.  I then stamped the skull image twice, once on cardstock and once on some B&T and then did a little paper piecing.  Topped it off with a bow from our BLACK RIBBON ROUNDS and some of our new SUNSET TAGS from SUNSET MINI MEDLEY COLLECTION holds the stamped sentiment Trick/ Treat.  This was a really easy project, but I think the overall finished project is perfect for the season.

THRILLER  is only available through the month of September.  It retails for $22.95 but you can always get it for FREE with a qualifying purchase...just check with your Close To My Heart Consultant or contact me lorileng@bellsouth.net.  You can also head on over to my website and order it direct. 

Now it's time to continue the creativity....Antoinette has a great tutorial waiting for you , so go check out her eerie card.  It's so stinkin cute.

Thank you so much for stopping by and please be sure to leave a comment. 

THRILLER STAMP OF THE MONTH / AUGUST 2010
PRODUCT #D1442

Create Critter Quickly Lip Balm Holder Card

This is a cute little card/lip balm holder I did using the Create a Critter cartridge with my Cricut. I think the plump little animals on this cart are so stinkin cute. Love um. I dry embossed my pink CTMH Background paper and embossed the black CTMH paper and then sanded both so the patterens would pop. I also added the button on the front with a little foam tape and created a loop with some hemp for the catch. This took no time at all but I thought it was a cute little token.

3 x 3 Just a Glimpse...INSIDE

I've been so busy as of late, and just haven't had as much craft time as I would like. School will be starting back the end of the month and that should help me get back on track with a schedule.

These are some of the interior pages of the little book I made for my husband a couple of weekends ago. It's one of the little 3 x3 mini albums from Close To My Heart and it's filled with 8 pockets for 16 little pages. The theme of the book was Remember Why I love you and it's filled with lots of reasons why I love my husband so much. I used the retiring emporium paper pack from CTMH...one of my favorites and I'm sorry to see it go.

Just this weekend, my sister and I headed to Charlotte for the CK Convention in Charlotte and my hubbie stayed home with the boys...I hope he thumbed through his little book while I was gone and smiled.

Take time

Sometimes life seems to be so busy; children, work, housework, scrapbooking and so on and so forth. I know a day doesn't go by that I don't tell my husband I love him, but when your hands are knee deep in changing diapers or bathing little boys the sentiment can sometimes get lost. So I thought I would make this little book to give to my husband Greg. It's a little 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 mini book that list reasons why I love him. I hope it will serve as a reminder to him how much I love him and why when our lives run us and we don't run life.

I used one of Close To My Heart's mini jute album and covered it with one of my favorite paper packs from CTMH...Emporium. I adore that pack of paper and will be so sad to see it go in December. But don't worry I'll be stocking up on some next Wednesday when it goes on sale for $6. More info on that sale to come tomorrow. I used one of my Asian collection cuddlebug folders to emboss the front of the die cut and my Cricut to cut out the "Remember Why I love you " on the front. It's simple but with it being so small, I didn't want to over do it. You should check out the cuddlebugspot challenge this week...mini album. It encouraged me to start this one that ended up having such a larger purpose.

#3 Things I Loved & Learned - CTMH Convention - MAGIC

There are so many wonderful new goodies that we will be unveiling in the Fall/Winter Idea book, but I have to say I think one of the things was most excited about was MAGIC. It's the newest how to book from Jeanette Lynton and it's going to blow you away. The whole book is making magical layouts with movable and interactive parts. How cool is that...here comes the spinners, pop-ups, pull-outs and much, much more. It will also give you the option for completing the layouts without the interactive portions.

I'm sure there will be lots of techniques and tips that will also apply to card making so I'm so excited to get my copy that will be here next Monday....can't wait and I know you can't wait either to order your copy come September 1st.

Oh and just for one more tease...it even comes with a how to DVD!