November Blog Hop

I'm so glad you stopped by to see what I've created for this month's Blog Hop. Our little group of CTMH Consultants are so excited to be able to show you a variety of ways to create the same layout. I hope you have fun as you check out everyone's work. If you're starting the Blog Hop here, or you've arrived here from Carol's page, check out the project below and poke around my blog a bit, and when you're ready to move on to Deb's page, just click here.  Have fun and feel free to leave comments.

 The pattern for this layout comes from our new how-to book, Make It From Your Heart, Volume I.  I used the Flirty paper pack and some of our Opaques and Sparkles to add some bling. I also used our newest Cricut Cartridge, Artiste, to cut the large flowered shape behind the main photo. The Cricut Cartridge, Art Philosophy, was used to cut the flowers. I used the Opaques and Sparkles inside each of the flowers, and then a few more above the title, and below the yellow patterned strip running across the layout. The overall effect made for a nice, clean layout that doesn't detract from the photos, and I didn't feel like I needed to fill up the entire page, as I often do!

Here's a close up of the flowers. I cut the same flower in 3 different sizes, each a quarter of an inch larger than the one under it, layered them, and then "fluffed" their edges. The bling in the middle really sets off the flowers. Some other options could have been to ink the edges, distress them with our edge distresser, or curl them. I could have also changed the color of the layers to add a more varied look. So many choices - it was hard to choose!

The card pattern also came from the Make It From Your Heart, how-to book.  I used the same layered flower look, but this time used two different papers to complement each other, and a larger size difference between the layers. I added  bling to the flower and that really jazzed it up. I did not add a sentiment to the outside of the card. Instead I'll add something to the inside later when I need to. This way, the card can be used for almost any occasion. I just need to pull it out of my card box, add a sentiment, and voila!

Here's a supply list of what I used. If you're interested in ordering any of these supplies, click on the "shop" link above, or see your Consultant for ordering. If you have questions or comments, let me know. I'd love to hear from you! Now hop on over to Deb's blog and she what amazing project she's got for you this month.

Layout
Flirty Paper Pack   X7160B
Sparkles, Red, Pink, & Purple Assortment   Z1326
Bitty Opaques Pearl Adhesive Gems   Z1707
Opaques Pearl Adhesive Gems   Z1336
Cricut Artiste Collection   Z1790
Cricut Art Philosophy Collection   Z1686
Make It From Your Heart, Volume 1  9035

Card
Flirty Paper Pack   X7160B
Cricut Art Philosophy Collection   Z1686
Opaques Pearl Adhesive Gems   Z1336
Bitty Opaques Pearl Adhesive Gems   Z1707
Make It From Your Heart, Volume 1  9035

New Storage Cabinet

So it's time to finish construction in the basement, which means a big, big mess in my house. We've had construction companies coming through to give us quotes to finish the bathroom, all outrageously high, plus we've started work on the things we can do ourselves. I didn't think we had a lot left to do, but once you start writing a list, it sure looks endless! Replace the floating floor and remove ceramic tile by patio door; install 3 doors; trim doors and windows and baseboards; paint everything; and then there's the bathroom. That needs everything! So we finally found a plumber who can help us (yeah Ron!) and he knows an electrician who can maybe help us, too, so we're on our way.

One of the things we needed to do was to move a storage cabinet from the laundry room into the family room. It's one of those white laminate things you buy at Home Depot. Not so pretty to look at, but it's got a ton of room for storage, so I can't let it go. So here's what I did to spruce it up enough for it to live in the family room. I think it turned out great!

I used a wall decal from StickerBrand (through Amazon), in a silver color, since the walls will eventually be painted a soft purple color, and it was so easy to apply! I think I might have to add another one to the bottom of the cabinet, and then I might go a little crazy and start adding them all throughout the house. The large wall in the stairway, the master bedroom, .... StickerBrand had so many images to choose from, in a great variety of sizes, and their pricing was amazing. I'm so happy with the finished product.

Card Class Was a Spooky Time!

The card class met this last Sunday (October 21st) and we had a really fun time making these cute Halloween cards.

 Here we played around with the idea of stamping and embossing an image, and then cutting it into 3 equal pieces, highlighting each with a contrasting color. It sort of looks like you're looking out your window on a spooky Halloween night, doesn't it? The new Cricut cartridge has some fabulous phrases ready to cut, including this one, which added a nice touch.

For this one, we embossed the cobweb in the corner, added 3 rows of scalloped edging along the bottom, with a little bit of silver sparkle to highlight the black on black look. This makes the goofy skeleton and headstone really pop off the page.

Here's my take on a card originally created by CTMH Consultant Stacy Burch. Thank you Stacy for the wonderful idea! We used the same leaf stamp in a variety of colors and second generation stamping to create the background. We then used some 3D foam tape to pop 3 off the leaves off the card, along with the acorns. This card would work well for almost any occasion that falls during the fall season - birthdays, weddings, etc. Just swap out the sentiment stamp for the one of your choice.