Trick or Treat Layout

With Halloween coming up next week I decided to share a little Trick or Treats scrapbooking inspiration with you today.  I wish that I had taken more photos of my own children and their trick or treat adventures, though I did photograph them in their costumes. But I do regret the lack of Halloween photos with my children interacting with their friends.

This two page layout was created using CTMH's Art Philosophy cartridge and Close to my Heart stamps.  I know I have mentioned this before, but I love adding stamps to my layouts!   I used two charcoal grey 11.5 x 11.5 inch squares of cardstock as backgrounds, framed by 12 x 12 sheets of Kraft cardstock.  Using Close to my Heart Halloween print cardstock, I cut the large tag shaped backgrounds.

I cut two rectangles in Kraft cardstock to used as a large mat.  I also cut the small orange mats with the Art Philosophy cartridge.  I used a CTMH small star stamp to stamp a design onto the Kraft cardstock, and then I put a dot of black Stickles in the center of each star.

The large stars were also cut with Art Philosophy and stamped with CTMH star stamps.  I added a black pearl to the center of each larger star.  Also worthy of noting in the photos above and below, I used the edge of the large print background tag as a guide for my journaling. 

The font used on the layout is also from Art Philosophy.  I added a few black pearls and some dots of black Stickles to the letters.   Best of all, this layout was so easy and is something that anyone can make with just the basic Art Philosophy cartridge set.  For details on the Close to my Heart Art Philosophy set and the Stamp of the Month set, please see below.

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I will be back later in the week with additional projects to share. In the mean time, I would love to assist you in acquiring the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge and stamp sets.  Just click on the cartridge name to visit my Close to my Heart store site.

The Art Philosophy set includes:

CTMH Art Philosophy Cartridge (retail $55.99)

Three coordinating stamp sets (retail $17.95 each)

Three chipboard sets (retail $4.95 each)

This is $124.69 value all for $99!!

Also please remember that the deadline for ordering your Stamp of the Month, Holiday Magic set is fast approaching. The stamp set retails for $17.95 but you can order it for $5.00 with any $50 order, but only it is only available until October 31st!!!

Art Philosophy Cartridge and Stamp set $99*
Stamp of the Month set $5*
You save $38.64!!!

* Shipping and taxes are extra

Winter Wonderland Layout with Art Philosophy

I really liked the single page layout I shared last Saturday on Everyday Cricut.  In fact, I liked it so much that I decided to use my favorite cartridge -  CTMH's Art Philosophy Cartridge - along with Close to My Heart's  Snowflakes (D1480) stamp set and take the layout a bit further!

I know that I have previously shared this but I want to share again - the CTMH stamp sets that coordinate with Art Philosophy make finding the correct cut size a breeze.  The size of the cut is printed beside each stamp on the acetate overlay!  How cool is that?  This large snow flakes were cut according to the overlay instructions at 3.25 inches.  I used a light, light blue and stamped the snowflake - the topper layers and the base layers.  In some cases I glued both stamped layers together and in other cases I used them individually on the layout.

 Above is a photo of the stamping process; below the final results.

I cut the background of the smaller snowflakes and stamped over them with the "leafy" snowflake stamp.

 All of the cuts on the is layout were cut with Art Philosophy.  This cartridge has quickly risen to be my favorite cartridge.  It has so many great cuts that cover a plethora of themes.

There are several banner cuts on A.P.  For this layout I chose to use the rounded bottom banner shapes.  I used the A.P. font to add the word SNOW.

The background plaid cardstock was cut with my trimmer to 12"x5" and used across the page.  The tab was stamped with the Winter Wonderland phrase and a small snowflake.

 The left page has places for three 3.5 x 4 inch photos.  I used the micro snowflakes from the stamp set to stamp the background white cardstock.  This really added a nice finishing touch.

 The right page has one 6 x4 inch photo spot. The journaling tag at the bottom can be computer printed prior to cutting, hand written, or covered with a vellum.  The tag is laced with a .75 inch wide gingham ribbon (by CTMH). 

I finished the layout by attaching clear gem stones to the center of the cut out snowflakes.  Below is one more peek at both pages.

Recipe:  To create this simple layout you will need the Close to my Heart Art Philosophy cartridge set. The price is $99.00 and may be ordered at my CTMH Store. 

The Art Philosophy set includes:

CTMH Art Philosophy Cartridge (retail $59.95)

Three coordinating stamp sets (retail $17.95 each)

Three chipboard sets (retail $4.95 each)

This is $128.69 value all for $99!!

You will also need (D1480) Snowflakes, a $17.95 all-purpose winter stamp set.

 Also available until OCTOBER 31st only, the October Stamp of the Month, Holiday Magic. You may purchase this $17.95 stamp set for only $5.00 when you order your Art Philosophy set!

Thanks for stopping by today.  I will be back with a new project to share tomorrow!

Who's a New Close to My Heart Consultant?

Yes that would be ME!

 I am so pleased to announce that I am now a CLOSE TO MY HEART consultant!

I am sooo loving the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge and stamp set, as well as the seventeen other stamp sets which coordinate with the Art Philosophy cartridge that becoming a consultant was the next natural step for me. Melanie of Courtney Lane Designs and Everyday Cricut recruited me. Although I am a cardmaker, my true passion has always been scrapbooking. One of the things I love most about Close to my Heart is that the company embraces scrapping as well as card making. I love that the stamps work so well on scrapbook layouts!

Today's layout, "Live, Laugh, Love" was created with the Art Philosophy cartridge and CTMH stamp set (D1482) LOVE LIFE, one of the Art Philosophy coordinating sets.   I wanted to show you a Super-Quick and Super-Easy layout, that easily converts to masculine or feminine.  I had these great photos that I took of my son Ian in the backyard.  I thought you might like to see how simple it is to put together this "guyish" page.

I started with CTMH's Kraft Cardstock. Using black ink I stamped the swirl/flourish image on the left side of the page, close to the middle.  I used the tiny star stamp along with red ink and add star highlights.

I cut an 8 inch scalloped black circle and a 7 inch maroon circle from Art Philosophy.  I affixed the two layers together and attached them to the page.

I cut five stars from my Art Philosophy cartridge and stamped those with the flourish patterned star.  I placed the stars on the page.

Using the phrase "simple pleasures" from the stamp set, I placed the stamp at an arch on my acrylic block and stamped beside Ian's guitar photo.

Finally, again using cuts from Art Philosophy, I stamped the title phrase, "Live. Laugh. Love." and attached it to the lower right corner of the page.  I trimmed one of the star cuts and added it to the corner of the title tag.
How easy was that?  Super-quick and super-easy!


If I may assist you with any of your Close to my Heart needs please let me know. Also, for your convenience, I have placed a linking blinkie on the top right of this blog which will take you to my CTMH web store.

To create this simple layout you will need the Close to my Heart Art Philosophy cartridge set.  The price is $99.00.  This includes:

CTMH Art Philosophy Cartridge (retail $59.95)

Three coordinating stamp sets (retail $17.95 each)

Three chipboard sets (retail $4.95 each)

This is $128.69 value all for $99!! 

Also available until OCTOBER 31st only, the October Stamp of the Month, Holiday Magic.  You  may purchase this $17.95 stamp set for only $5.00 when you order your Art Philosophy set!

And finally, if any of you are interested in the Kraft Cardstock I used on today's layout, it is sold in packages of 24 12x12 sheets for $9.50.

Thank you for stopping by today, I will be back tomorrow with another project to share!

Mosaic Layout with Cricut and Creative Memories Cheerful Seasons

Happy Saturday everyone.  Today I am sharing a project on the Everyday Cricut blog featuring the Creative Memories Cheerful Seasons cartridge.  When I first heard the name of this cartridge I thought it was a Christmas cartridge.  But oh no!  I had misread the name... The name is Cheerful SEASONS, as in more than one season.  Cheerful Seasons a four season, year around cartridge with a ton of great cuts!

In addition to Cheerful Seasons, I also the Designer's Calendar cartridge.  In my post yesterday I said that I would show you how to create a Mosaic type layout using your Cricut.  The grid on Designer's Calendar made this possible.

For more information on this project please hop over to the Everyday Cricut blog.  There are more photos and more details on the layout there.  If you would like more information on the Creative Memories Cheerful Seasons cartridge visit Joy's Creative Memories site.  This LINK will take you directly to the Cheerful Seasons product page.

If you are interested in the cut file for this project look in the left column of my blog in the Downloadable Cut Files section under the title "Happy Fall Layout". 

Thanks for stopping by today.  I will be back on Monday with a new project to share.

CHA Moments Displayed in a Mosaic Layout

Today I want to share with you a way to incorporate a lot of photos into a minimal amount of pages.  Last year I attended the summer CHA in Chicago.  I saw so many inspiring projects, fun people, and wonderful craft products that I took a ton of photos.  However, in the overall plan of scrapbooking, I did not see a need to document my trip to CHA in the same way that I would a cruise or a trip to Disney. In other words, I do not plan to devote an entire book to my CHA trip. I did want to scrap the highlights or things I would like to remember, without going into micro detail on each part of the trip.  I decided to use Mosaic style pages to include a lot of photo elements without using a lot of space.

I first discovered Mosaic scrapbooking at the Creating Keepsakes Convention some years ago.  Sadly I ignored the products for several years(!).  In 2010 I became better acquainted with Tammie Potter's Mosaic Moments products and found that I love them!  I like to include a few mosaic pages in each scrapbook that I complete - just to add a different style and because as I stated above, you can include a lot of photos on the mosaic pages.

I selected the photos that I planned to use and then trimmed the photos to show just the part I wanted to use.  I made the photos fit into the grid.  I filled in the blank areas with strips and squares cut from coordinating cardstock.

On these four pages I was able to use 21 photos and two pieces of memorabilia in addition to themed cardstock as fillers.  I went with a very casual style on these four pages, even making hand written notes in the "filler" margins.  I really like how the pages came out as they feature people or elements that I want to remember from CHA.

While I only used my Cricut to cut the title elements on one of my four pages, tomorrow I will be sharing a layout here and on the Everyday Cricut blog that will show you an easy way to create mosaic layouts using the cricut machines.   I plan to show share the way I created the Cricut Mosaic plus share a bit about the two cartridges I used.

Thanks for stopping by today and I hope to see you again tomorrow for the Cricut Mosaic Layout!

Summer Layout for Everyday Cricut

Happy Saturday everyone.  Today is the third Saturday of the month so that means it is my week as the Saturday Designer  Everyday Cricut.   This month I am sharing a sweet summer layout featuring photos of my daughter Bethany and cuts from two Cricut cartridges, Art Philosophy and George and Basic Shapes. 

For more information on how I created this sweet layout, please visit the Everyday Cricut blog.

I will be back on Monday with another new project to share.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Greetings from the Seashore

Happy July 4th - American Independence Day!  And, a bit late, happy Canada day to our neighbors to the north!  I am back with another Bitten by the Bug 2 weekly challenge.  Our design team leader, Heather, chose the cut of the week, the STARFISH from the Life's a Beach cartridge. 

Before I discuss today's BBTB2 layout I want to share my "vacation" week with you.  As I previously shared, Doug, Ian and I were planning a few days in Chattanooga to visit with Doug's family.  His sister  and brother-in-law were in from NM and we were excited to see them.  Well, the day before we planned to leave I woke up early in the morning ill.  I had a yucky tummy, headache, fever, body aches, etc.  At first I thought that I had one of those 24 hour viral deals that we have all had.  But no.... My virus turned out to be a three day ordeal...  In the meantime I had sent Doug and Ian on their way, promising to go the doctor is I did not feel better by the third day.  Thankfully the afternoon of the third day I realized that I was on the road to wellness!

I missed seeing everyone, and as heavenly as being home alone can be, this was not one of those times.  I was bored and was missing my family!  So I had a bit of pity party and then I got over it!!  Oh, and I did read three books last week so that was good!

As I stated above, today's BBTB2  challenge cut is the starfish from Life's a Beach.  I decided to create a girlie beach layout because I have TONS of photos from Bethany's years at the College of Charleston - I think she spent a lot of time on the beach!!!  I normally use blues and sand colors for the beach, but this time I went with topical pinks, salmon, etc.

I used five cartridges to create this layout - Life's a Beach for the sea life, Kate's ABC's for the title cut - Seashore, Billionaire for the cursive phrase, George for the rectangles and French Manor for the stamp shaped cuts.

I used Cricut Design Studio to design my layered title and multi-layered bottom edge border. 

Please stop by Bitten by the Bug 2 and check out all of the great Starfish projects.  Also, please consider playing along with us this week - you could be our weekly winner!!!

I have a three day project to share with you Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday - a Patriotic picnic enhanced with Cricut!!!

Sunny Days with Celebrate with Flourish and BBTB2

Happy Monday and happy (HOT) summer!  This is my week to host the challenge cut at Bitten by the Bug 2.  In honor of the Summer Solstice, I selected a fun, summery cut - the phrase "Sunny Days" from the Celebrate with Floursh Lite cartridge! 

I designed this layout a month ago when I first selected my challenge cut.  The timing was perfect as my husband and I had just booked out first cruise!  Our 30th anniversary is in November so we decided to take a 6 night cruise to the Bahamas and Key West to celebrate.  We thought this cruise sounded like a perfect opportunity to introduce us to cruising - to get our feet wet, so to speak!

So, with "cruising on the brain" I combined cuts from Celebrate with Flourish and Life's a Beach cartridges to create this fun layout.  I used Celebrate with Flourish (CWF) to cut the Sunny Days phrase and the sun with clouds layered cut.  I love the layered look of the word phrases on CWF.  I confess that I have been utilizing a similar layering technique long before CWF was released. But using CWF makes the layering of letters MUCH easier.   I also really like the swirl cutouts - or flourishes - that are part of every CWF cut.  Such a fun cartridge.

I uses Life's a Beach (LIB) to cut the elements on the lower half of the page.  I cut the ship in multiple layers and had cut an additional bottom piece to make the ship taller.  I trimmed the ship out with ribbon, dashes and a cute little anchor. 

The double layer waves and the dolphines were also cut from LIB.  I had never cut the dolphines so I was a bit nervous about the tiny outline pieces.  But as you can see it all went very well.   The waves were cut in two layers - after welding two of each of the wave cuts together.  I thought the dolphins looked cut jumping out of the water between the waves.

I used this great beach photo on the layout, though truthfully I will probably make a matching page and save the layout for our fall cruice.  The photo mats will hold up to a 5 x7.  Sadly I was out of 5 x7 photo paper and had to print this photo at 4 x 6. 

If you have not already done so, please go by Bitten by the Bug 2 and check out the design team projects. I had a sneak peek and was WOWed by some of the great projects.  Also, please consider playing along with us on the weekly challenge.  Complete a new project this week using the "Sunny Days" phrase cut and post your project in the link area at BBTB2.  We provide a blog blinkie to the best project of the week, selected from those who chose to join us in the challenge.