Welcome to our April Art Philosophy/Artiste Blog Hop!   As you know, both the Artiste and the Art Philosophy cartridges are available exclusively through a Close to My Heart consultant.  If you don’t already have a Consultant that you are currently working with, please contact one the Consultants in our hop with any questions you have!

If you have just began hopping, please start at the beginning at Lucy’s blog – Love 2 Create.   If you came from Theodora ~ Celebrate Crafts then you are in the right place!

Our hop this month features not only these amazing cartridges but we also have a Mother’s Day theme since Mother’s Day is less than a month away.  Have you started your Mother’s Day projects yet?  This was the push I needed to get my cards made!

Supplies used are all Close to My Heart: Avonlea Paper Packet, Art Philosophy Cricut Collection, Artiste Cricut Collection, Black & Grey Glitter Paper, Opaque Pearls, and Bitty Sparkles.

I thought I would challenge myself this time around to use only Cricut cuts and no stamping!  I used both Art Philosophy and the Artiste cartridges to cut the card, butterfly, sentiment, and flourish.  By designing the card in Cricut Craft Room I was able to re-size and align all the images so they fit perfectly.  Instead of using more of the glitter paper than necessary, I used scraps and finished with a piece of Slate Cardstock for neatness.  Honestly, I really don’t care for the card I made and I’m not sure why.  I am thinking the butterfly would look better on a solid color than on the patterned paper.  And I was stuck on wanting to use the Avonlea paper. (sigh)  My dd came in and loved it so I think it’s still acceptable to use.  I think she likes all the bling!  Happy Mother’s Day!

Your next stop on our “Mother’s Day” hop is Michelle ~ My Flights of Fancy.

Here is the complete lineup in case you get lost along the way:

1. Lucy ~ Love 2 Create
2. Theodora ~ Celebrate Crafts
3. Wendy ~ My Scrapbooking Blog
4. Michelle ~ My Flights of Fancy
5. Jennifer ~ 4 Hearts Scrapbooking
6. Stephanie Feist-Quilted Scrapper

Thanks for hopping along with us – we hope we were able to inspire you in creating your own Mother’s Day projects!

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With the My Originals Matchbook Card Kit you will complete 12 matchbook cards with surprise pockets and pull-out cards for special messages and gift cards.

Kit includes:
12 – 4″ × 3½” Matchbook Cards with pockets (3 each of 4 patterns)
12 – Journaling Cards
1 – 12″ × 6″ Sheet of Adhesive-backed Dimensional Elements
1 – 12″ × 6″ Sheet of My Stickease®
12 – White Daisy Envelopes

The cards is quick and easy to assemble.  I recommend additional adhesive for the chipboard pieces.  The cards are small so if you plan to mail them you will need to put them in a larger envelope.  My kids think they are really neat so I plan to let them use the cards for birthday gifts.  For those of you who like a pattern, I took extra pictures so you could see how I completed the cards.

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The For Always Cardmaking Workshop Kit includes:
My Acrylix^® For Always Cardmaking Workshop stamp set(C-size)
For Always B&T Duos^® Papers (2 sheets)
Cardstock (4 sheets, various)
White Daisy Cards & Envelopes (15 each)
Purple Glitter Gems (72 pieces)
1/8″ Slate Satin Ribbon (5 yards)
Instructional Guide ($1.00)

Required Tools:
Z 2105 Black Exclusive Inks Pad $5.25
Z2165 Juniper Exclusive Inks Pad $5.25
Z2173 Slate Exclusive Inks Pad $5.25
Z2147 Smokey Plum Exclusive Inks Pad $5.25
Z578 Corner Rounder $7.95
Y1000 1″ × 1″ My Acrylix Block $3.95
Y1006 3″ × 3″ My Acrylix Block $8.50
Y1010 2″ × 6 1/2″ My Acrylix Block $9.95
Z 1151 3-D Foam Tape $5.95

When you place an order of $50 or more, you get the Stamp of the Month set for only $5.
The Stamp of the Month is:
(February)Home Sweet Home
(March) Floral Happiness
*The Stamp of the Month may vary depending on your purchase date.  If you order online, it will be the month in which you are purchasing.  If you order by contacting me, it will be Floral Happiness.

The current Constant Campaign is:
(February) Studio J $5 Layouts
(March) Hostess Jump for Joy
*The Constant Campaign you qualify for may vary depending on your purchase date.  If you order online, it will be the month in which you are purchasing.  If you order by contacting me, it will be the March Special.

Below are my cards.  
At first I was going to change up all the cards.  I liked the layout but wasn’t sure about the colors and I use mostly birthday and anniversary cards.  Then I went back and looked at them a second time and had a different perspective.  Really, these cards can work for pretty much anything!  So I kept them as is and then made one additional one of my own.  I wasn’t sure about the Twilight color on the heart card but liked it in real life better than the picture.  You can change up the colors on any of these cards to make them completely new and different like I did with the red heart card.  There was enough papers to cut what I needed for 5 of these cards (in addition to the cards in the kit).  I just needed card bases and I used Tulip Cardstock and Tulip Ink.  Tulip is a retired color but you could use Ruby or Cranberry for the same look.

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Challenges:
Charisma Cardz Challenge – Anything goes
All Sorts Challenge – Things with Wings

More cards:
Using Up Scraps for Cards#1
Using Up Scraps for Cards#2
Using Up Scraps for Cards #3
Using Up Scraps for Cards #4

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Using Up Scraps for Cards#1
Using Up Scraps for Cards#2
Using Up Scraps for Cards #3
Using Up Scraps for Cards #5

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Using Up Scraps for Cards#1
Using Up Scraps for Cards#2
Using Up Scraps for Cards #4
Using Up Scraps for Cards #5

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Using Up Scraps for Cards#1
Using Up Scraps for Cards #3
Using Up Scraps for Cards #4
Using Up Scraps for Cards #5

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Embellishments used on the cards are: Special Moments Scrapbooking Embellishments, K & Company Wedding Collection Grand Adhesions, Marcella Dimensional Flowers, O’Scrap Stick Its, Stampendous Diamond Dot Stickers, Memories Complete Sticker Patches, Autumn Leaves Pretty Poppies, This & That Tags & Things Yellow Plaid Wood, Forever in Time Sheer Dragonflies, Recollections Butterfly Embellishments, Fashion Stickers, Close to My Heart Blush Polka Dot Ribbon, and K & Company Smitten Grand Adhesions.

More to come!

Using Up Scraps for Cards#2
Using Up Scraps for Cards #3
Using Up Scraps for Cards #4
Using Up Scraps for Cards #5

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You can go here to see the original post on these cards.

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The Chantilly Cardmaking Workshop Kit includes:
My Acrylix^® Chantilly Cardmaking workshop stamp set (C-size)
Chantilly B&T Duos^® Papers (2 sheets)
Cardstock (4 sheets, various)
White Daisy Cards & Envelopes (15 each)
Wooden Badge Buttons (32 pieces) one size in kit, variety available here.
1/4″ Lagoon Satin Ribbon (5 yards) (exclusive to kit)
Instructional Guide ($1.00)

Required Tools:
z2118 Desert Sand Exclusive Inks Pad $5.25
Z2195 Lagoon Exclusive Inks Pad $5.25
Z2191 Sunset Exclusive Inks Pad $5.25
Z2153 Sweet Leaf Exclusive Inks Pad $5.25
Z697 Sponge $1.25
Y1000 1″ × 1″ My Acrylix Block $3.95
Y1002 1″ × 3 1/2″ My Acrylix Block $5.95
Y1009 2″ × 3 1/2″ My Acrylix Block $7.50
Y1010 2″ × 6 1/2″ My Acrylix Block $9.95

When you place an order of $50 or more, you get the Stamp of the Month set for only $5.
The Stamp of the Month is:
(January) Happy Valentine’s
(February) Home Sweet Home
*The Stamp of the Month may vary depending on your purchase date.  If you order online, it will be the month in which you are purchasing.  If you order by contacting me, it will be Home Sweet Home.

The current Constant Campaign is:
(January) Whooo’s Your Valentine
(February) Studio J $5 Layouts
*The Constant Campaign you qualify for may vary depending on your purchase date.  If you order online, it will be the month in which you are purchasing.  If you order by contacting me, it will be the February Special.

Here is what I did with the cards:

I made a total of 33 cards by adding a few things to this kit:
* additional White Daisy Cards & Envelopes
* 1 sheet of 12×12 cardstock (or scraps) Many colors will work for this.  I used Outdoor Denim.  Other choices could be Kraft, Chocolate, Buttercup, Champagne, Cotton Candy, Pear, Ruby, Sunset, or Twilight.
* ribbon and embellishments (again this could be any you have around).  I used Blush stitched ribbon (retired).  You could use buttons in place of the Wooden Badge buttons.  You could cut circles and stamp them, or you could omit this all together.  I left them off my extra cards and they look just fine and will be flat for mailing.

Other tips:
* Flip the B&T Papers to the opposite pattern for a complete different look!
* Cut the Lagoon 3×12 (6×12 if doubling) and random stamp the large sheet before cutting.  This will save a lot of time, just keep the stamped images fairly close envisioning that they will be cut into 1 1/2 inch squares.
* Card 3: Line up the bottom of the ribbon at 2″ from the bottom of the card and adhere first.  This will make it easier to line up all the squares.  Then when you get to the squares, if you line up the right side of the middle one at the 2-inch mark it will be centered.

I really loved this kit!  The cards were fun and easy to make and I go through a lot of birthday cards.  As much as I liked them, I liked the reverse (girly) cards even better!  Because I am always low on male cards, I made 12 of Card 3.  I had enough of the provided ribbon to complete all the kit cards plus 7 more of Card 3.

Closeups of my cards:

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I have had this card kit for about six months and the only reason I didn’t get them done was because I didn’t have the candy for them.  I am so glad I made a point to finish them!  They are so cute and a great little gift/card for anyone.  You can fill them with any candy, treat, etc.  I put Sprees in mine.  This My Originals Sweet Surprises Card Kit comes with everything you need (except the candy!) and the chipboard is self-adhesive so you don’t even need adhesive!  I can’t wait to do more.  If you want them, order now because they are only available until January 31, 2013 (or while supplies last).

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For the (retired) Superhero Workshop on the Go Kit, the bonus project was party decorations.  They were really cute but I didn’t have a use for them.  So I used the pieces on these “cards”.  But they are not tradition cards that you open.  It is a standard card size but only the FUN-COOL-WISH parts open up for a saying.  I will most likely sign our names here as well or I could write something on the back.  Have you ever done something like this?  It’s a first for me.  The WISH one is by far my favorite.  I would have done them all like this but I was trying to be creative.  Not sure I will make anything like this again but it was a good way to use up some supplies that I had.

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This Merry & Bright page uses dots created with the gold metallic marker to add extra sparkle around the edges of the page. Notice the scalloped accents with outlines in gold marker which adds dimension and draws your eye. Our metallics markers will make your artwork sparkle!

Add heart to your art with an extra touch of bling—cover your Dimensional Elements with silver Glitz™ glitter gel, a clear Sparkle or two, or a touch of silver from the metallics marker! Your heartfelt messages will bedazzle your loved ones.

The chalk marker and 12″ × 12″ chalkboard sheet are a perfect pair for creating a unique project. Journal and embellish your memories with the quaint look of a chalkboard—minus the dust—and a lot of freehand fun, perfect to display in your albums or on your walls!

If you haven’t had a chance to scrapbook your Halloween photos yet, here’s a great idea for a spooky page. The Haunted assortment with its cute skull brads, spider badge buttons, and more, is the perfect go-to for scary Halloween memories. It also coordinates nicely with the Moonlight paper packet and Moonlight Complements Dimensional Elements.

Tell your story with papers and accents that complement your unique tale. The Memo assortment’s little note tags are great for embellishing and journaling all in one, and the tiny epoxy numbers mimic old typewriter keys. Pair the Memo assortment with our Scholastic paper packet and My Stickease^® assortment for your school-themed memories and more!

This elegant layout is tied together by antique elements from the Brocade assortment, Avonlea Complements canvas shapes, and the beautiful Avonlea papers. Add a timeless quality to your memories with graceful keys, broaches, and buttons from the Brocade assortment.

Whatever your project, embellishing will bring your artwork to life. Start shopping today to add that extra something to your everyday projects!

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Supplies used are all Close to My Heart: Superhero Workshop on the Go Kit (retired), Believe Paper Packet (retired), Black Baker’s Twine, Cranberry Grosgrain Ribbon (retired), Black ink, and Black Button Brads.  Mojo Monday #274

With the start of a new year, I decided to do some cleaning in my scrapbook room.  It’s really amazing what you can find sometimes!  I found these embellishments that I had made and hadn’t used yet.  Then I saw the Mojo Monday sketch and thought I would just use them up right away instead of stashing them away!  For that last card, I needed some more color than the scraps I was working with and couldn’t find (or don’t have any more) of the Superhero papers.  You will never guess where that tiny piece of Sky-colored star paper came from!….the Believe Christmas paper!!  I just love Close to My Heart’s double-sided paper for reasons like this.  It was just what I was looking for!

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B1409 Pirouette

Supplies used are all Close to My Heart unless noted: Pirouette stamp set, Twilight ink, Slate Satin Polkadot Ribbon, Avonlea Paper Packet, Slate Epoxy Bubbles (exclusive to the Avonlea Cardmaking Workshop on the Go Kit), and Silver Fox Smooch.  Freshly Made Sketch #66

Well, it is the 50th and final segment of my Stamp Sunday series for 2012.  It has been fun using so many different stamp sets throughout the year and also a challenge at times.  I tried out my now Smooch paints on this card (a Christmas gift to myself!)  They are easy to use and I like the coverage.  Maybe they will help me use up some of that bare chipboard!
My new focus for 2013 is to use a ton of sketches (I love them!) and participate in some challenge like this one at Freshly Made Sketches.  It is one of my favorite new sites that I haven’t had the time to explore.  I am also going to work at using up my stash with my scrapbook pages and there will be home decor and other projects too.  I hope you will continue to visit throughout the new year and I will share as much as I can create!

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This blog hop is a great big circle so you can start wherever you want and continue through to see all the fabulous artwork incorporating this technique.  So if you are starting here, just continue until you make your way back.  If you have already started, you should be coming from Judy Faye Garner’s Blog.

Supplies used are all Close to My Heart: Stitched Together stamp set, Happy Birthday stamp set, and Lagoon ink.

At first I felt bad for posting such a simple card.  Then I realized that sometimes (especially this time of year!) we are extra busy and need something quick and easy.  So that’s what this card is…simple, one dimension (easy to mail), and will work for anyone.  These stamp sets are both retired oldies but goodies.  You can change up this card with any border stamp, sentiment, or ink color!

Thanks for stopping by!  Please continue onto Kindred Hearts where you will find some additional artwork highlighting this technique!  Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what you thought of my variation and happy hopping!

Here is a list of participants:
1 Debi Barber
2.Joy McHargue
3.Rachel Ventura
4. Judy Faye Garner
5. Wendy Kessler
6. Kindred Hearts
7. Michelle West

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In celebration of National Crafting month, Close to My Heart has another great special which includes the above stamp set.  As in the past, consultants have joined forces to share with you many projects that can be created with this exclusive stamp set.  This should give you more ideas and expand this super value!

The hop is a circle so you can start anywhere.  If you are coming from Krista’s Blog then you are on the right path.

I wasn’t a big fan of this stamp set when I first saw it but now that I’ve used it I can see it’s possibility.  This is a Father’s Day card with each of the small owls representing one of the kids in their favorite color.

Your next stop is Vicki’s Blog.  Thanks for stopping!

Here is a list of all the participants:

Kathleen Androlewicz
Helen Onulak
Lisa Sargent
Madeline Morcelo
Allisa Chilton
Judy Faye Garner
Joy McHargue
Sheila Bennett
Jody Gustafson
Casandra Bennett
Krista Hershberger
Wendy Kessler
Vicki Price
Pamela Ellison
Katy Donaldson Taylor
Melinda Everitt
Michelle Loncar
Maria Myers
Nikka Geers
Wendy Coffman
Dawn Ross
Karen Fullam
Haley Dyer
Heather Schmuckal
Jen Rubio
Melissa Laverty
Susan Brooks
Mary Eisen
Lucy Kelleher

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C1456 Heartfelt Treasures

Supplies used are all Close to My Heart:  C1456 Heartfelt Treasures stamp set, White Daisy Cardstock, Bronze Glitter Glitz Gel, Boutique Assortment, and inks (Cotton Candy, Pear, Honey, Autumn Terracotta, Barn Red, and Topiary).

I was very pleased with how these cards turned out.  I have not had much time to scrap at all lately and I had this in my head for quite some time before I actually got around to doing it.  It’s nice when things come together like you plan them.  Two cards that are the same but totally different.  The same pattern and stamp set, just different ink colors and embellishing.  Which one is your favorite?

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The Avonlea Cardmaking Kit includes:

My Acrylix Avonlea Cardmaking Workshop Stamp Set (C-size) only available with this workshop
Avonlea B&T Duos^® Papers (2 sheets)
Cardstock (4 sheets, various)
Colonial White Cards & Envelopes (15 each)
Slate Epoxy Bubbles (108 pieces) only available with this workshop
Grey Organdy Ribbon (5 yards) only available with this workshop
Instruction Brochure

Required Tools: (if you are attending, I will have these available for your use)
Z2111  Chocolate Exclusive Inks^® Pad  $5.25
Z2173  Slate Exclusive Inks^® Pad  $5.25
Z2147  Smokey Plum Exclusive Inks^® Pad  $5.25
Y1002  1″ × 3 1/2″ My Acrylix^® Block  $5.95
Y1003  2″ × 2″ My Acrylix^® Block  $6.50
Y1006  3″ × 3″ My Acrylix^® Block  $8.50
Y1010  2″ × 6 1/2″ My Acrylix^® Block  $9.95

Not provided: Z1151  3-D Foam Tape  $5.95

Coordinating products:
Z1754  Sparkles Black & Grey Assortment  $2.95 
Z1204  Bone Folder  $4.95
X1410  Colonial White Cards & Envelopes Value Pack $14.95 (15 included in workshop)
Z1738  Colonial White Die-Cut Cards & Envelopes  $6.95
Z1482 Silver Glitz Glitter Gel  $2.75
C1524  Words of Comfort stamp set  $13.95
D1187  For Every Occasion stamp set  $17.95
A1125  Thanks  $6.95

Colors (for cardstock, inks, and markers):
Slate, Colonial White, Chocolate, Olive

The Stamp of the Month is:
(December) Year-Round Cheer

The current Constant Campaign is:
(December) There is no constant campaign for December 1-12, however there are additional clearance in the “While Supplies Last” section of my website.

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