It's All About Gratitude

Hi All! Happy Friday! It's time to answer another Rose Blossom Garden Challenge. Don't you just love going into the weekend with a little crafty inspiration? This months' challenge is all about Thanksgiving. Lately I've been pondering a little quote I read that says, "Gratitude makes what we have enough." Wow! That's been pretty convicting for me! Thinking about Thanksgiving, then, I wanted to do something that would be a reminder of that powerful little truth. Here's what I came up with:

For this project, I started with an unfinished wooden 12x12 inch tray that I picked up at my local craft store. I layered it with various paints and finishes to give it a distressed look. I then used Mod Podge to cover the bottom of the tray with fabric from Close To My Heart's Sarita textiles collection.  Using the Artbooking cartridge, I cut out the overlay on the "b" key from Kraft Cardstock. (I used the recommended measurement of 11 inches.) The overlay has a nice area for journaling on the right side if you're using this for a scrapbook layout. However, I wanted a lighter look, so I cut around the tree on the right side so that the background would show through, like so:

Using the negatives from the overlay cutout for templates, I cut various leaves and the tree trunk from the Sarita paper pack and did some paper piecing to add interest. I then cut "Gratitude" and "Enough" at 1 3/4 inches using Artbooking. I used both Colonial White cardstock and Sarita for the letters, and inked the edges with Goldrush Exclusive ink. The "makes what we have" phrase is stamped in Stāz-On Opaque White ink using the retired "You Are My Happy" alphabet. Since I was putting several layers of Mod Podge over everything, I wanted to make sure the white ink wouldn't fade or run. Stāz-On plays well with Mod Podge.  "Gratitude" got lost in the tree, so to make it pop, I backed it with Burlap ribbon and added some copper brads for interest. (Love mixing all the different textures!)

I decided that the edges needed something more, so I added a strip of scalloped Goldrush cardstock to the top. The little flower in the middle is cut from Burlap ribbon, bronze glitter paper (which matches the Bronze Shimmer Trim at the bottom), Sarita fabric and a button from the Rosewood mini medley collection.

For the bottom, I pleated a piece of Sarita fabric and then added the Bronze Shimmer Trim to give it a finished look.

Finally, I added antiqued copper studs (also from the Rosewood collection) in each corner for a little extra texture.

And there you have it! My little gratitude reminder. For more inspiration, be sure to go see what my fellow design team members have created in the Rose Blossom Garden. 

A Little [not so] Spooky Halloween Decor

Hi Folks! I hope you're having a wonderful week. It's been way too long since my last post, but in the past month my family has moved, I went to Handmade U in Omaha, my husband has been out of the country twice, and our lives in general have been a little more insane than usual. Nevertheless, I finally finished unpacking and downsizing my craft studio just in time to design a little Halloween Decor for this month's Rose Blossom Garden Challenge.

Here's what I came up with:

It all started with Close To My Heart's Bracket Frame, which I painted black and covered with Spellbound papers. (Sadly, this paper pack is no longer available.) The images (with the exception of the embellishment on the bottom left) are cut at 9 inches using the Artbooking cartridge. Let's take a look at some close ups:

This scary kitty was cut at 2 1/4 inches from Slate cardstock. The stamp is from the Eek & Shreek stamp set, as is the background of her hat, which I cut free hand. Both are stamped in Black Exclusive Ink, and accented with purple, lime green, and diamond stickles. The bats are cut from Black and Sunset cardstocks and edged with purple and diamond stickles. The Sunset bat and the cat's hat (how's that for some rhyming) are popped up with dimensional adhesive.

The moon is cut from Sunset cardstock and then mounted on Black Glitter Paper for some extra zing. I wanted to give the haunted house a little spooky glow, so I mounted the house (cut from Black cardstock) onto Green Glitter Paper and then fussy cut around it with my craft knife.

I cut "Spooky" and "Halloween" from both Sunset and Black cardstocks and then offset the Sunset on the Black for a shadowed effect. (When you do this with words, make sure that both layers are the same size.) The fence is cut from Slate cardstock. I inked around the edges and grunged it up a bit with Black Exclusive Ink.

To create this final embellishment, I punched out a scalloped circle from the Green Glitter Paper using CTMH's retired 2-inch punch. (You could easily do this with the Cricut, but I'm not a big fan of glitter on my mat.) I then attached strips of black tulle and organge ribbon from my stash to make it a little larger. I cut an additional scalloped circle from some scrap cardstock and attached it over the ends of the ribbon in the back to secure them. The headstone is cut at 2 inches using Black and Slate cardstocks and the Artiste cartridge. I inked them up with Black Exclusive Ink and added some purple stickles to tie it all together. The sentiment is from the Eek & Shreek stamp set, and is stamped in Black Exclusive Ink on Slate cardstock. 

Here's another look at the entire project:

I hope you enjoyed this (not so) Spooky Halloween. I look forward to seeing your creations over in the Rose Blossom Garden. 

By the way, stay tuned for the Kraft-y Hearts Blog share later this week. We'll be switching gears and having a little Christmas in October.

A Perpetual Calendar for the Rose Blossom Garden

Hi All! Welcome to the Rose Blossom Garden September challenge. This month's theme is "School," and features the "z" key on Close To My Heart's Artbooking Cricut Cartridge. My kids actually started back to school the last week of August, which also happens to be when we found out we would be moving to a new neighborhood at the end of September. So really, school has been secondary to things like packing and decluttering and reorganizing. 

Having busy Middle Schoolers, I decided to take a different approach to the "School" theme and use the Artbooking calendar overlay to create, well, a calendar. Let's take a look:

For this perpetual calendar, I used a 12 x 12 frame that I found on sale at my local craft store. I then took a 12 x 12 piece of sheet metal (yes, the hardware store sells them already cut to size, much to my delight) and covered it with adhesive-backed chalk paper. I added the calendar grid (cut from White Daisy cardstock at 11 inches) and adhered it with a strong adhesive. I used Liquid Glass to cover the grid lines in order to make them water proof and protect them from chalk and/or the chalk marker. Since the days of the week won't be changing, I stamped them using the acrylic stamps that come with the Artbooking collection and white Stāz-on ink. (The White Daisy ink actually washes off even after it dries, so I suggest using it for the numbers if you wish.) The months are stamped in Ruby Exclusive Ink on Kraft cardstock using the new CTMH Framework Alphabet stamp set. I then layered the Kraft onto White Daisy and Cranberry cardstocks and added a heavy duty magnet to the back using Liquid Glass.

Because the magnets are super strong, they actually will attach to the back of the frame. They are also thin enough to keep the month titles from interfering with hanging the frame. I'll be adding ruby chevron ribbon as a hanger instead of using the saw tooth hardware. That way I can easily grab a new month without having to take the frame off the wall every time. (Love the simplicity!)

I wanted the year to be changeable as well, so I made a tag from the chalk paper using a frame from the Frame It Up stamp set and white Stāz-on. Since I didn't have an extra Cricut blade on hand (I like to switch out blades after cutting adhesive backed materials), I fussy cut it with my non-stick scissors. I then used my chalk marker to ink up the numbers from the Framework set. I attached it to the ribbon using a foundry pin clip. (Hurry and grab these up, they're on sale while supplies last!) I attached a bow made from burlap, black striped, and ruby chevron ribbon, and added some black tulle and a rhinestone brad for extra texture and bling.

I used some retired CTMH cork shapes to create magnets for added interest. Here's a couple of close up of those:

The sayings are from the Scrapbook Statements - Women and You Are My Happy stamp sets, and are stamped in Ruby Exclusive Ink.

To finish it off, I added some library clips from my stash. One for each member of the family. I'm trying to decide if I will add "to do" lists for everybody or what. I'll post an update when I decide. 

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed my little calendar. For more inspiration, don't forget to stop by the Rose Blossom Garden and take a look at the projects my talented co-designers have created.

Summer Sizzle in the Rose Blossom Garden

Hi All! It's time to play in the Rose Blossom Garden! This month's challenge is a summer theme using the new Close To My Heart Artbooking Cricut Cartridge. Here's my take:

So I started with a frame that I found at my local craft store in the "scratch & dent" clearance section. I covered it using paper from the Surf's Up paper pack, and inked around the edges using Lagoon Exclusive ink. I then cut my elements using the Artbooking cartridge. I'll explain each with it's close up picture. The sand is cut from Surf's Up paper and the CTMH Brown & Tan glitter paper. I cut a 2-inch wide strip from each paper and then cut them in half in a wave pattern. I used dimensional adhesive to give  it depth.

Now let's take a look at the elements up close and personal: 

I cut the sun (p. 53) at 3 inches (real dial size) from Honey and Sunset cardstocks, and sponged the edges using Sunset Exclusive ink. For the center, I cut a 1 1/2-inch circle from Sunset cardstock and a 1 1/4-inch circle from Sorbet cardstock. I stamped the sentiment (from the Chantilly Workshop On The Go) on the smaller circle and used Sunset ink for both the sentiment and edges of the two circles. I layered the rays and offset the Honey just a bit. (I only glued the center so that I could get some dimension between the layers. I glued the larger of the two circles to the of the sun and popped the sentiment up with dimensional adhesive. I added some yellow Stickles to the sun for added sparkle.

I cut the umbrella (p.52) and palm tree (p. 67) at 7 inches (do NOT use real dial size). The base and one  layer of the umbrella is cut from White Daisy cardstock and edged with Silver and Stardust Glitz. For the paper piecing, I cut out 2 different layers of the umbrella from Surf's Up paper and pieced it in. For the palm tree, I cut two layers from Topiary and Pear cardstocks, and inked the edges of both with Topiary Exclusive ink. The coconuts are from the new Mini Medley Rosewood Collection.

The sign base is just scraps of Whisper cardstock to which I added some wood grain texture with the dark Whisper marker. I then lightly sponged over the whole sign with White Daisy ink to give it a weathered look. "Paradise" (p. 52) is cut at 6 inches (do NOT use real dial size). I removed the flagged end and used two bitty brown pearls as "nails."

Finally, the clouds are also cut from Surf's Up paper. I actually used the snowman icon (p. 77) cut at 7 inches (again, NOT real dial size) and then cut in half. I inked the edges in Sky Exclusive ink and popped one of the clouds up with dimensional adhesive.

And that's it! Hope you enjoyed a last little summer sizzle! Don't forget to hop back over to the Rose Blossom Garden for more summer inspiration. We would love to have you play along!

Rose Blossom Garden: "G" is for Treat Box....

Hi All! It's time for another Rose Blossom Garden Challenge! Okay, before you think I can't spell, I know that Treat Box doesn't start with "G,"but if you're playing around with the Close To My Heart Artiste cartridge, you'll find the cutest little treat box on the "G" key....SEE:

I've made this little box before and used it as a teachers' gift. (You can see that project here.) Nonetheless, I thought it was worth doing again, because some people are a bit daunted by it. The thing I love about this box is that the top and box are one piece. It's a clever fold! 

I made these treat boxes for some girlfriends of mine that came into town to craft and catch up. The tags, which are also cut from the "G" key, double as little ornaments that have the date and a little message on the back. The bows, by the way, are from the same key. That's right, so much cuteness from one little key!

For this project I used Dream Pop paper. (If you're hoarding saving yours, this is a great project for it!) The boxes are cut from Dream Pop cardstock at 3 1/2 inches. The bows are cut from the pattern paper at 1 1/2 inches. Because this cardstock has a resist pattern on it, I didn't really think it needed much embellishment. For the turquoise box, I just added a 3/4 x 11-inch strip of patterned paper that matched the bow. For the gray box, I added the zip-strip from the paper that the bow is made out of and some washi tape. Now there's a reason I used the washi tape. The box top has a little tab that holds it together. I put adhesive on the wrong side of the tab and couldn't get it off. I had to cut off the tab, but didn't want to throw the whole box away. Washi to the rescue! I just taped it together and moved on. (I actually like it better with the tape! It was a happy little mistake...)

I wanted this to be a gift that kept on giving, so I added a couple of tags that could be used as ornaments. I cut the pieces at 3 inches from the Dream Pop cardstock and patterned paper. I added a 1 1/4-inch circle to the middle and popped it up with dimensional adhesive. I then stamped the sentiment, which is from the "4 my friend" stamp set, on White Daisy cardstock using Lagoon and Whisper exclusive inks. I fussy cut the sentiment with my craft knife so that it wouldn't cover much of the background and popped it up with dimensional adhesive. I added some bakers twine for the hanger and a little message commemorating our crafty get together on the back. I tied a knot in the bakers twine and tucked it into the top of the lid.

Here are the boxes and their ornaments again:

I hope you enjoyed this little project. Don't be intimidated by that little box, it gives you a lot of bang for you buck!

Don't forget to play along in the Rose Blossom Garden! I can't wait to see what you come up with using the "G" key on the Artiste Cricut cartridge!

Time to play in the Rose (Blossom) Garden!

Hi All! I hope your summer is off to a fabulous start! We're at the Eastern Shore (MD) this weekend enjoying a little quality time for Father's Day. The count down to our trip to Florida (and the Close To My Heart National Convention!) is in full swing.

Today is "Play in the Garden" day here at Violets & Sunshine. Are you ready for another challenge? It's time to make something fun using the Birthday Boy key on CTMH's Artiste Cricut Cartridge. As usual, I tried to think outside the cartridge box on this one, and here's what I came up with:

So what do you get when you turn a start-spangled party hat upside down? Why the perfect little patriotic wall pocket of course! I cut the party hat at "fit to page"from CTMH Glitter Paper, and then cut the same size from White Daisy cardstock to use as a liner. I glued the two together with wet glue for a very sturdy wall pocket. (You will want to use hot glue some other strong adhesive when you make it into a cone.) I cut the large stars from White Daisy and Cranberry cardstocks and the Outdoor Denim patterned paper from our Tommy collection. Each color of star was cut at 3, 3.25 and 3.5 inches. I layered the larger two together using wet glue and added a white pipe-cleaner between the layers. I then added the final star with dimensional adhesive and accented it with a little bit (or a lot...) of Silver Glitz. I cut the banner from Glitter Paper using "fit to page" and then sized it down in .25-inch increments and cut it again from Cranberry cardstock, Tommy paper and White Daisy cardstock. I layered the pieces and folded one end around a bamboo skewer so that it would look like a flag. Before adhering it to the skewer, I stamped the word "Freedom" in Outdoor Denim Exclusive Ink using the Urban Alphabet stamp set. I then adhered the flag to the skewer and wrapped the skewer with pipe-cleaners so that it matched the stars. I added extra stars to the flag that were left over from the hat cutouts. I used Color Ready Seam Binding for a hanger, which I tied through the holes that are already cut in the hat for just that purpose. I added some red crinkle paper and some red, white & blue bakers twine from my stash to finish it off. 

Here are a few close ups:

And here it is proudly hanging on my backdoor. (It's not easy taking a picture of something hanging on a glass door!)

 I hope you are inspired by my little patriotic party-hat-turned-wall-pocket. Don't forget to play along with us in the Rose Blossom Garden. The challenge winner this month will take home the fantastic "Perfect Fit Dad" stamp set.

Is that fun, or what?!

Look forward to seeing all the fun creations you can come up with!