Big Picture Classes hosting a free Pajama Party and featuring our new Close To My Heart "Artbooking" cricut cartridge!

Last post I was telling some about our newest Cricut cartridge and now you can get a sneak peek. Big Picture Classes is going to be hosting another Pajama Party featuring Close To My Heart and most exciting of all our newest Cricut cartridge, "Artbooking", on Wednesday, July 31 at 6pm Pacific Time! There will be a live chat, contests, and prizes! I'm sure we'll be learning tips and tricks, inspirational ideas, and there will be a project all for free! All you need to do is head over to Big Picture Classes and sign up HERE. There you can find a project list and other info. You will not be able to order this cartridge until Aug. 1, but this class will show you what you can do with this cartridge and it will be archived in your classes so that you can go back and access it at a later date when you have that fantabulous cartridge in your cricut machine just waiting to cut!
  Here is the featured project.





So go get signed up for the class and  then go HERE and order your cartridge. Also, at the Big Picture site you can see the list of all the supplies you need to complete this project, so check it out and get your order in for everything you need now!
      Blessings,   Polly

Another new Cricut Cartridge from Close To My Heart!

   I absolutely LOVE Close To My Heart's Cricut cartridges. They are so packed full of images, 3-D objects, cards, words, and so much more. I think after each one I can't imagine how Jeanette will come out with another that can be as good or better than the two we already have. I have not near used up everything I'd like to make with the Art Philosophy or the Artiste cartridges. They each have one font and over 700 images. These babies are loaded, they each have 6 feature keys. But as you've already probably guessed or seen on other blogs, she's done it again!! The new "Artbooking" cartridge is jam packed like the others, but with all new stuff. It has one font and 30 themed Double page layouts all size coordinated, 10 themed Mini Albums (8x8, 6x6, 5x7) with a minimun of 8 pages each, Full and Partial page overlays, loads of phrases, themed accessory images and themed and decorated photo mats!!!!
   We were able to create one of the mini albums at convention and they used soooo many cute cuts from this cartridge, including the file folder pages.
   I have my cartridge, but alas, I have been so busy with other stuff and I haven't made the first cut with it :(((

   This cartridge will be available to customers on Aug 1! You can preorder  one from me and I will give you free shipping and tax or better yet, host and online party and earn it for 1/2 price.! Remember, Close To My Heart cartridges also come with 3 sheets of coordinating chipboard shapes and 3 D-size stamp sets. Just email me and let me know you would love to have one.
  




 I have to say that the only thing I haven't used as much on the previous cartridges was the stamp sets, but I am absolutely in love with these!



One example of a mini book. Don't ya just wanta open it up and check out the lusiciousness?!

And the new catalog is full of so much fun and creativeness! I just want to order a truckload! I will be sharing some of all that sweetness in the coming days. If you would like a copy of your own New Idea book let me know and I can share with you how to get one for free.
   Don't miss out on the great promotion for the month of July.  The Workshop on the Go Canvas Art Kit in the 2013 Spring/Summer catalog is now 1/2 price! For $19.95 you get a 12"x12" chevron printed canvas in neutral colors, a C-size stamp, 1 yd Cashmere Bakers Twine, 10 clear sparkles, 2- 12"x6" Dimensional Elements in Color-Art Shapes and an instructional guide. The stamp set alone is almost worth that amount and you'll have it to use over and over. Hurry and grab yours as these are only while supplies last! Go to: pollylewis.ctmh.com and while your there be sure to check out the great bargains under "While Supplies Last" in the left column. There are some super, duper deals there.


 
 I believe that is enough goodness to share for this post. But never fear, I will be back soon to post more. I still plan to post my scrapbook pages for convention. But I loaned them to another consultant and I need to take some close ups of some of the special things I did and so I will have to wait to get those back later this week.
    Blessings,    Polly

Another Winterish Card

 I created this card for two reasons: one was for Frosted Designs card sketch #9 and then for one of the ladies in my card class. She's just begun to attend and I told her she could pick out a card she liked and we could do her pick for the next class. I think she really liked the bird and I didn't have the one like she was looking at. It was also a window card.
I  wanted to cut the card from the Art Philosophy Cricut cart. There was a square card with rounded corners, but it didn't have the circle cut out of the center. So I went into the Cricut Craft Room and created it myself. This is a free program and you can manipulate designs and cut them if you have that particular cartridge. I haven't used it much so I can't tell you much about it yet. I then cut the circle scallop from the above cartridge. I had to guess at the size since I wanted it to work with the circle that was cut out of the center of the card. I had cut the center circle out of the card at 2", so I cut this layer at 3" and it worked almost perfect. If you were to look on the inside you would see a little of the layer circle there. But I was pleased with the results. I can fix the inside.
The brown flowers (or snowflakes, they kinda look like that to me) were made by cutting the zig-zag border that's on the same cartridge. It's the one with one straight edge. Again, I had to take it into the Cricut Craft Room so that I could set the width and length that I wanted. When I set it to cut at 1/2" just using my Cricut, I got about a 4" length cut, but in the Craft Room I could set the width and length. I then scored the length of this strip every 1/4" and accordian folded, joined the ends and squished together and stuck it on a small cardstock circle.  The bigger flower I did the same but cut it 3/4" wide.
The buttons are a stamp and then I covered them with Liquid Glass. I used Stardust glitter gel in each of the holes on the circle layer. I ink distressed edges of card, patterned paper and the inside of circle layer with Crystal Blue.

Supply List: Close To My Heart unless otherwise specified
  Paper pack- Wonderland
  cardstock - White Daisy
  paper flower - Spring Blossoms
  inks - Crystal Blue, Desert Sand
  stamp set: D1455 Blessed (retired)
  Glitz - Stardust Glitter Gel
other: Black Staz-on ink
          Martha Stewart ribbon

H2H Dec challenge

Hello, I know I am almost to late to put in a entry for December, but here it is. I known what I wanted to do since I saw the picture that we were to use for our inspiration for this challenge. It was just getting the pictures and time to get the project done. And I finally accomplished that this week. Here is the picture that we were to use for our inspiration. We could take what we wanted from the picture, whether it be the colors, layout, ribbons, etc.

I wanted to use the circle element and also the monogram mainly, but I also incorporated the ribbons. Here is my creativity.

I used paper from Roxie for the big circle, painted a chipboard letter for my monogram. The base page is CTMH's Tulip cardstock, I misted with my own spray mist and then splattered some black acrylic paint randomly. Edge ink distressed in black also.
Close To My Heart products used:
      cardstock- tulip, desert sand, colonial white
      patterned paper - Roxie Level 2 paper pack
      Stamp sets - D1495 You & Me    journaling block
                          S1111 Cherish the Day   Month tag
                          C1422  Unity    phrase on tape
                          E1019 Bohemian Alphabet
     Just Blooms  Spring Blossoms
     Black button brads
I will be posting the other half of this LO later. Go to Heart 2 Heart challenges and check out what others were inspired to create.
                                                                             Blessing you with a wonderful creative new year,       Polly

Rock the Block campaign special

Close To My Heart's Rock the Block campaign special begins December 19 and runs all the way through January. This campaign celebrates National Papercrafting Month which is in January. It also gives us a sneak peek of one item that will be in the Spring/Summer Idea Book set to release to you on February 1!
  How do you get this you say? Place an order of $25 dollars or more and for $15 more its yours. This includes the blank collage blocks and tray to decorate. The collage blocks and tray will be available in the new catalog and will be valued at $14.94. The second item is this super E-size stamp set. This is the 8.5" x 11" size stamp set, normally $29.95. The value of this offer is over $40! I love all the borders, sentiments, and background textures that will work so well with these blocks, but not only the collage blocks. I can think of so many more places to use them. This stamp set will not be in the new catalog so you'll need to get it with this special or be forever sorry :)
  Check out the video to see just what I'm talking about and get some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.



Oh the things that you can do with this! And in case your wondering how or who to order from...over on the right is a "shop with me" button!
Thanks for stopping by, Polly

Sharing From the Heart December blog hop part 2

  Another card I created for Sharing from the Heart December blog hop.
  If you arrived here from Lela's blog, then you are on the right track.
  A New Year's card. I cannot stop using my Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. I cut the stars, tag and circle out with it. I used one of the stamp sets that comes with the AP cartridge for the star with the button on top of it. The tag is stamped with our Stamp of the Month for November. I stamped some texture background on the other two stars.

   All products are Close To My Heart except the red jute tied on the button.
      Elemental paper pack
      Inks:  Cranberry, Olive, Creme Brulee, Chocolate
     Stamp sets:  Cherish the Day November Stamp of the Month
                         Rock the Block ( for texture on stars)
                         Enjoy Life
                         one of the sets that come bundled with the AP cartridge
     wooden button
  
  Continue on this hop to Patti's blog. And if you've lost your way go to Diana Solings blog and the complete list is there.                                                    Polly

Sharing From the Heart December blog hop

 Joining in on theSharing from the Heart  December blog hop and if you've come here from Lela's blog then you are on track. I am using the Wonderland paper pack again. I am just really enjoying creating with it. This is a 4.25" x 5.5" card. I tried a technique that I saw on Stamp with Tammi. I changed it up a bit to work for what I had. I dropped one drop of Create-a-shade paint on a plate and then dropped one drop of reinker (same color as I wanted to stamp with) on top of paint and mixed it up good. I then inked up my stamp in the color ink I was using, in this case Cocoa, and then took a sponge dauber and daubed  the paint/reinker mixture on top of the stamp that's inked up. I love the subtle almost embossed look that it gives. Its almost like using shimmer mist, but without the more splotchy look. I used this technique on the words of the cup and on the mittens. I hope you can see it in the close ups.
   Other Close To My Heart products:
     Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge- the scalloped circles, the tag, and the snowflakes
     Wonderland  WOTG stamp set
     Pair-a-phrase stamp set for the sentiment
     Inks:  Twilight, Cocoa
     Prisma  Glitter

This last picture really makes the words look like they are embossed, but they're not. Now you can head on over to Patti's blog and check out her artwork.
If you've lost your way go to Diana's blog and the complete list is there.

                                                              Polly

Sketch time Winter card

This weeks H2H Challenge is a sketch

 

And here's my take on it.

 

I can't hardly do a project without stamping and using my Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge from Close To My Heart . This project used both and in fact all products are from CTMH. I love that company too!

Products used:

    Clear card  Z1323   (thus the glare on the card front)

    Wonderland Workshop on the Go  G1031   which comes with this gorgeous stamp set

    textured cardstock- retired

    Inks:  Twilight, Chocolate, Heavenly Blue, Cocoa

    Top Coats Icing Overlay   Z1468    the big snowflake-top layer of it

    Art Philosophy cricut cart.   Z1686    The large snowflake under the overlay

   My own glimmer mist on the white cardstock  using  Chocolate reinker, alcohol, shimmer acrylic paint

A whole new dimension is added when you use an acrylic card. Layers have to be thought out and adhesive or method of attachment. I added a couple extra photos so you could get a better idea of how this was put together. The textured cardstock was sanded and attached on the inside back. I put adhesive across the middle and then on the back I cut a strip of patterned paper to cover the adhesive. (I didn't take a picture of that.) CTMH's patterned papers are double sided and now they're cardstock weight! I added that piece to the inside front. I put adhesive so that the white cardstock pieces on front would cover it. White cardstock pieces where sprayed with my glimmer mist. The large snowflake design is given dimension with a pop dot.

You can order these products by clicking on the shopping button on the right.

Let me know what you think,      Polly

H2H challenge Time

I am a little late in getting this posted as this was last weeks challenge, but I am still going to post it. The theme was "time", it was left up to our imaginations how to interpret that. I have been working on this paper bag album for a few weeks and already knew that on the front cover I wanted to have a clock on it. So, when this challenge came up I knew what I'd be showing, but I first had to get it completed. I have had it done for several days now, but we had the Thanksgiving meal at our house and then we've had company for a couple days and nights and yesterday I had a class and so here I am just getting this posted. I have been wanting to do a paper bag album for some time and then I got the idea to create it for our 25th Anniversary which was a few years ago already. I will be showing the inside of this album at some point, but it isn't quite done, so you will have to keep checking back for further pictures.

July card class

Our card group made this card for the July card class. I got the flowerpot card template from Splitcoaststampers.com. I used various Close To My Heart papers for the flowers and pot.

I used paper packs:
Sweetheart
Sophia
Life Delights
for the flowers and
Veranda  for the flowerpot
Unfortunately these are retired papers. Although, Sweetheart and Sophia can still be ordered til the end of July at pollylewis.myctmh.com if your interested. The crocheted flower and button are also CTMH. I used Hollyhock, Autumn Terra Cotta and Pear inks.
This card will fit in a 5" x 7" envelope.