Category Archives: CTMH

15 years of Close to my Heart goodness!

The easiest lay flat box ever!

Welcome back to another box tutorial! Danielle and I have made this same box, and it is the easiest box ever! Seriously, SO EASY!!

So, you will need a piece of cardstock that is 7 1/2 x 7 1/2, and 8 pieces of B&T paper that are 2 x 2. (I also had 4 pieces of coordinating cardstock that were 2 1/4 x 2 1/4.)

Score your large piece of cardstock at 2 1/2 inches on all 4 sides.. Attach all of your pieces (with or without mats) and then hole punch. Thread your ribbon through, and viola! You have a box!

I even have a quick video for you!


{If you can’t see the video, click through to the blog post!}

I even made this teeny one! Look at how cute it is! This one is 3 3/4 x 3 3/4, scored at 1 1/4 each side, and the gold glitter paper is just one inch square! Perfect for just one Ferrero Rocher!

I do hope that you make one of these boxes! They are super simple to make! And the best part is they lay flat until you need it! So, make sure you go and check out her post as well!

Mini Album Challenge, week 2!

Welcome back to the 2nd week of the Mini Album page challenge! Danielle and I are at it again with this weekly sketch challenge! We are having a LOT of fun with this, and we hope that you are enjoying seeing what we come up with each week!

Today we are working with this sketch.

For these challenges, we are picking a sketch, and we are working on them separately. That way you get two different ideas (in theory, at least!) for the same sketch! (in this case, if you follow the pin, there are even more ideas for this sketch, on multiple days)

Today I used the Spruced Up papers to make this fun little mini layout. the flip flaps allow me to add more photos to this small page! I just love how easy they are to add to the page protectors!

(I’ve found that it’s really hard to photograph pages in page protectors! Sorry!)

Now, I have actually created a cricut file for this page! You can find it here: Week 2 Sketch

This week I have a quick process video for you, the sketch is pretty simple, so I didn’t give any measurements, but it’s easy!

I hope you enjoy!

Remember, go over and check out the page that Danielle has for you! We would LOVE to see you participate! Let us know if you play along with the same sketch!

Cutting it Close!

Welcome to 2020 and the challenges that H2H are doing! I missed last week’s challenge, but I’m back in the saddle with this one! This week’s challenge is all about cutting things close! You can fussy cut, cricut cut, or like me, use some die cuts!

This was the fun candy treat that my crop ladies got at the last crop. They were super simple to put together, some random stamping, and coloring!

I just cut my paper to be the same width as my cello bag, and created a bottom and backing for it. Then used some B&T to make the top pretty too!

I die cut and stamped my images. Then I used our water colors to paint each of the flowers. Then some of the flowers were colored again with a shimmer brush. Then, I stamped each of the die cuts again, so that the outlines were nice and brisk!

Isn’t it so pretty?? I love how it turned out!

Here are the things that I used:
White Daisy Cardstock
Spruced Up Cardmaking Workshop stamp & Die
Mix In Paper Packet
Watercolors
Water brush
Archival Black Ink
Canary Ink
Eggplant Ink
Charcoal Ink

Thanks for stopping by! Now, head over to the H2H challenge blog and see what some of the other ladies have got to show you, and maybe even consider playing along!

Let’s put a spin on things!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Today I have a fun spinner card, complete with video! Danielle and I are both doing a “Spinner” card, however, they are both so totally different! Make sure to go over and check out her card, and watch her video showing how she did it!

Today’s card is somewhat simple, decoration wise, but that spinner makes up for it! (I think!)

We both used the January SOTM, Everyday Magic. Such a great set!

I used a number of dies in this card, but that made it super simple to put together!


{The video is above, if you don’t see it, please click through to the blog post to see the video!}

Sizes:

B&T papers: 4 x 5 1/4 (qty 2)
Julep Cardstock: 3 1/4 x 3 1/4 (Cut the frame and then the largest stitched circle from the inside negative piece from the frame)
White Daisy Cardstock: 3 x 3 ~ Largest Stitched Circle

Here are the things that I used:

Mix In Paper Packet
Julep Cardstock
White Daisy Cardstock
Value Pack Card Bases & Envelopes
Shaker Window Thin Cuts
Basic Circles Thin Cuts
Stitched Circle Thin Cuts
Shaker window foam and acetate
Liquid Glass
White Acryllic Hearts
January 2020 SOTM
Black Archival Ink
Micro Glue Dots
Glue Dots
White string/thread from stash

Hopefully you like the card and the tutorial is easy to follow! I would love to see any cards that are inspired by this card and tutorial! Remember to hop on over to Danielle’s blog to see her card!

Let’s Make a Box!

Danielle and I are at it again! Today’s challenge is to make a box! We decided to go with the same tutorial, and see how it comes out! So, we are using this tutorial.

This creates a box that is 6 inches by 6 inches! (Well, on the outside!) The inside box is 4 inches square and 3 inches tall. You can fit quite a things into this not so little box! Now, there is one correction to the video that I found when I was making mine. The first measurement that she gives is that you need two sheets of card(stock) that are 6 x 3. However, that measurement should be 6 x 9.

This box does use 2 sheets of cardstock (before decorating), and 2 sheets of B & T paper. If you also do the inside of the box, you will use a bit more than that. I did choose to not cover the inside of the box. I used Celebrate Today and the Mix In paper packets for this fun box! Don’t you just love how well the paper packets go together?

If you use liquid glass instead of a tape runner, you will have a bit more of a sturdy box. I ran out of the bottle that I was using when I was putting the box together!

I decided to top the box with a fun title and some flowers. Then I added some greenery and flowers along the front inside right corner. I used colors from the paper packet, Raspberry, Lagoon, Nectarine, Evergreen, and Mink.

Here is the design space link for the flowers and title for this box! You will need to have these cartridges to cut for free, or you can purchase the individual files through your design space: Flower Market, You Are Here, and Art Philosophy.

This box is really easy to put together! I think you should try it!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Remember to check out Danielle’s box too, her’s is super cute! Let us know if you decide to make the box! We would love to see!

Until next time!

~ Michelle

{If you get my posts via email, my apologies for a double post!}

Join me in a Mini Album weekly challenge!

My friend Danielle and I are doing a weekly challenge between us to create a mini album page each week. We will both have the same sketch to work with, and using currently available products, we are going to make a page. I think that it will be good to get caught up on some past photos, because, what scrapbooker doesn’t have some photos that they don’t need to get caught up on, right?

I was thinking that the mini albums allow you to get things scrapped, but you don’t have to spend a lot of time to be able to do it. You have space to do some journaling, add some photos, and you are good!

Today’s page doesn’t have any photos on it yet, but I am hoping to get them on there for next week’s post. (so, that might become a thing? We’ll see!)

So, here is today’s sketch.

I think it is designed more for an 8×10 page (which you could also do), but I went with a 6×8 page.

With four kids, I have a lot of birthdays each year! Not only my kids’ birthdays, but the birthdays of the kids in their classes! So, there can be a LOT of photos for those! So, I went with a birthday theme! This page can be used for either Evan or Audrey, as they both like these colors. I used papers from the Mix Ins paper packet and the Celebrate Today paper packet! The balloons (and string) I grabbed from my stash, but they are CTMH! The balloons are Lagoon, Avonlea Teal (it was a cardstock specific to that paper packet), and I believe Juniper. So, two of those colors are retired, but they worked so well! The cardstock mat in the back is Glacier, light side.

Don’t you just love the flip flaps on this page? Yes, the balloons are outside of the page protectors! I attached them with some glue dots. (I used 3×4 and 2×2 flip flaps)

I made multiple layers with the balloons, to add more depth to the whole balloon cluster! There is room for 5 photos on this one little 6×8 scrapbook page! And even room for journaling too!

I would love to see what you do with this sketch! Won’t you play along with us? Make sure to hop over to Danielle’s blog to see what she came up with for this page!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you will take a look around! Let me know what you think!

New Product Blog Hop!

Have you seen the new stuff? Oh My Goodness!! All the holiday stuff you could want! (ok, well, I guess that depends on the holiday that you celebrate, but so much fun stuff!!) We will have 22 ladies participating in this fun hop, you may have started at Alyson’s blog, or you may have started here, either way, you will have plenty to go see! If you get lost along the way, Melinda has the whole list over on her blog.

Let’s get started, shall we?

Today I have this fun card that mixes the new Cedar & Pine paper packet and the continuing Holiday Cheer special.

I stamped the truck image by sponging the stamp with Candy Apple Red and Evergreen inks onto one of the tags from the Holiday Cheer special. Then I added the sequins and the foam and acetate from the window foam and acetate. I used the Shaker window thin cuts to cut the gold glitter paper that also comes in the Holiday Cheer special.

I used a pattern for the card from the old Wishes how to book. This card measures 3 1/2 x 8 inches. I used a bit of the white and gold ribbon to hang the ornament from. I just taped the ribbon to the back, to make it easily removable from the card once the recipient gets it.

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you will leave me a comment to let me know what you think! After to take a few moments to do that, hop on over to Krista’s blog!

Back to the Basics a blog hop!

Welcome to the Technique Blog Hop! This month, we are going back to the basics! You will see many different things (and maybe a few versions of the same thing) I know you will see some things that you forgot about, and maybe even a few things that are new to you! I can’t wait to see everyone else’s things, I know you will too! So, you should have gotten here from Krista’s blog, but if not, it’s a circle, and you will get back around to her!

Today I went back to the basics, and let my paper do the talking for me! (at least mostly!) I grabbed two pieces from the newly available Cedar & Pine paper packet, a piece of linen cardstock and a piece of black cardstock! Keeping the design basic was key to all of this!

Let me share the sizes with you!

Black: 4 x 11
Linen: 3 7/8 x 5 3/8 (x2) & 3 3/8 x 1/2
Evergreen B&T: 3 3/4 x 3
Red B&T: 3 3/4 x 3

Super simple! I could easily get 3 cards from these sheets of cardstock!

I used the Say it in Style stamp set for the sentiment. I could totally make this card be for ANY occasion! There are so many great sentiments on this set! You will definitely want to have it in your stash!

I added a bit of the black velvet ribbon to finish it off and give it a nice polished look! You could easily use a piece of black cardstock to get a similar effect, if you don’t have that ribbon yet!

Oh, and just to give you an idea of how ‘back to basics’ this card was . . . . I had TOTALLY forgotten that I was supposed to do this hop! When I signed up I was going to do a different technique, however, when I remembered, I had just over an hour and a half to design, make, photograph, edit, and type up this whole post. Plus wait for my food that I had just ordered and then get home! Just so you know, I did it, and I have a few minutes to spare, even! (so long as everything doesn’t crash when I hit publish! hahahahahhaa!!)

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed my card with a back to basics card design! Now, leave a bit of love below, and then hop on over to Melissa’s blog to see what she has for you!

Until next time, have some crafty fun!

~ Michelle

All About Cricut with H2H!

This week’s challenge is to use your cricut machine to create . . .something! Anything! Just so long as you use your cricut machine, it qualifies! There are a few great examples over on the Heart 2 Heart blog, so you should make sure to go and check that out!

Today, I have this fun card for you! I actually show you how to make it in my FB live video that I did on Sunday evening. So, if you wanted, you could totally go and watch, and play along with me! I even give you all the measurements, and the design space file too!

I used two different sentiments from the September SOTM, Random act of Cardness

.

The two B&T papers are from Every Little Thing, one of the new paper packets, and some basic cardstock in Black, Lemonade, & Ballerina. Add a bit of white ribbon, and we are done!

I sure hope you like the card! Please let me know if you watch the video and make one of your own! I would love to see!

Thanks for stopping by! Now, go and use your cricut to make something fun, and join in on the challenge!

New Product Blog Hop!

There is a group of ladies that are showing off some of the new goodies that went live at the beginning of the month! If you didn’t start here at my blog, you should have come from Brandi’s blog. Either way, at the end, you will see who to hop along to next! I know you will have a LONG list of things that you are going to want!

Today I have a fun card for you that uses the Hawthorne papers and the new, fun coffee set and thin cuts, called Perk Up!

Can you name all of the new products on this card? I bet you will find something new everywhere!

This card features the new color of the year, Julep! it’s on the cardstock strips in the center (the light side), the ink on the coffee coozy, and the velvet trim under the cup!

I used the stitched oval shape to stamp the sentiment on, and then added some black stickles on there to give a bit of pop! I think it turned out super cute, what about you? Let me know what you think!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Now, hop on over to Kristine’s blog! And make sure to leave love along the hop, we love to know that you have seen our fun creations, and that you like them too!

Items used today:
Hawthorne paper packet
Julep Cardstock
White Daisy Cardstock
Julep Ink
Archival Black Ink
Julep Velvet Ribbon
Stitched Shapes, Oval
Perk Up Stamp & Thin Cuts