Thanksgiving Card

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, I decided to make a card for each member of my family to tell them how thankful I am for them. This is one of the cards (5" x 7") I made. I sort of experimented on this one, so I'll explain what I did to get the 'look.'

Before I explain, I just wanted to note a couple of things:

1. The stamp set that the sentiment in the lower right hand corner came from is this month's (November) Stamp of the Month (D1444-A Little Thanks).
2. Close To My Heart has been MORE than generous this month! If you spend $100 (before shipping and tax), you get this stamp set (D1444-A Little Thanks...$22.95 value) and any other A-D size stamp set (up to $22.95) in the Autumn/Winter Idea Book absolutely FREE! That's $45.90 FREE when you spend $100. I have included a photo here of the entire stamp set (actual size of the carrier sheet is 6" x 6"). What are you waiting for? Either head to my website to order, or email or give me a call (pedermom@aol.com, 801.360.9896). We'll get your order taken care of in a jiffy!
   

New techniques I tried:

• On the damask embossed piece I did the following: on a Sunflower piece of cardstock I stamped the damask tiles in sunset ink and then quickly embossed them with clear embossing powder. I wasn't sure I was 100% excited about how bright it all looked when I was done since I was going for something warm and inviting for Thanksgiving. So, I filled a little 2 oz. spray bottle with some water and about 20 drops of chocolate reinker. I placed the piece on some newspaper and sprayed away. LOVE the look! After it dried I was ready to go! Oh, you'll want to carefully wipe the embossed parts off since the spray won't dry on them.
  
• The base of the card is sunset cardstock. Again, I thought it looked a bit bright for the look I was going for so I took my desert sand pad and rubbed directly onto the paper, first from side to side and then up and down until I had covered the whole surface area. Perfect. Again, just the look I wanted.
• The words in the lower right hand corner are also embossed, this time using cocoa embossing powder.
• I think I've shared this tip before, but just in case I haven't...did you know that you can created scalloped edges (like the chocolate cardstock scallops that border the damask piece) with our corner rounder? All you have to do is remove the guard and turn your rounder upside down so that as you pop along the edge you can see where to line up the next scallop. Neato, Cheeto!
  

I was pretty pleased with the look when it was all finished. I hope the recipient of this card will like it too! It's a simple look because I really wanted the cool techniques and style of the patterned paper I created to be the focal point.

Close To My Heart products used: A Little Thanks Stamp Set (D1444), Damask Tiles Stamp Set (C1342), Sunset Cardstock (X5758), Sunflower Cardstock (1242), Chocolate Cardstock (X5643), Sunset Stamp Pad (Z2191), Chocolate Reinker (Z2211), Versamark Pad (Z891), Cocoa Embossing Powder (Z1246), Clear Embossing Powder (Z671), Designer Ribbon Rounds-Cocoa CollectionCorner Rounder-with guard removed (Z578).

Click here to visit my website and shop 24/7...especially when you're feeling thankful!

"Joy" Christmas Card

The card I am sharing today is similar to one that I showed you a while back (here), but a tad bit different.

I am so in love with the tone-on-tone damask embossing that I used on this card and have been using it like CRAZY everywhere I turn. The cranberry paper is from the Creative Basics Mistletoe Collection and is a very subtle pattern. I used my Damask Tiles stamp set and stamped with our Cranberry Stamp Pad and quickly dusted with Clear Detail Embossing Powder, then heated with my Heat Gun. Voila!

This card is a standard sized card (5 1/2" x 4 1/4"). Did you know that you can get a package of 50 of these WITH ENVELOPES for only $14.95? It's true! Just click here for the Colonial White pack and here for White Daisy pack. I cut 1" off the front bottom edge. I then added a little scalloped edge that I cut from that strip and I adhered it from the back. The cute little 'black pearls' are from Close To My Heart's new Licorice Opaques. Delish!

Close To My Heart products used: Damask Tiles Stamp Set (C1342), Colonial White Cards and Envelopes (X1410), Mistletoe Level 2 Paper Pack (X7130B), Mistletoe Creative Basics CollectionLicorice Opaques (Z1335), Cranberry Stamp Pad (Z2116), Versamark Stamp PadClear Detail Embossing Powder (Z821), Black Embossing Powder (Z670), Foundry Bookplates (Z1147). (X5811), (Z891),

You can order these and many other products on my website 24/7...especially when you're full of 'joy.'

Close To My Heart New Exclusive Colors!

September 1 is just around the corner. "What happens on September 1?" you ask! The new Close To My Heart Autumn/Winter Idea Book goes live and you will be able to view it page-by-delicious-page right here on my blog that day. There are LOTS of fun new products, gorgeous new scrapbooking and card kits, dozens and dozens of new stamp sets, and (drum roll please)....8 NEW COLORS that have been added to our exclusive color palette.

A couple of days ago I was doing a little blog surfing and happened to stop by my talented bloggin' friend, Karla's blog. Right there before my very eyes was a card that stopped my heart. BEAUTIFUL! Not only was it gorgeous, but it used my current favorite stamp set (Damask Tiles) and showcased one of our new colors (Smoothie) perfectly. I coudn't stand it any longer! I dropped what I was doing (making a cutting guide for an upcoming class I will be hosting in October) and pulled out the supplies to make a card similar to Karla's. I decided while I was at it, I would use her card as inspiration for cards of my own to showcase ALL EIGHT of the new colors. Thank you, Karla for your creativity and sharing you amazing creations on your blog to inspire people like me!

Now, on to the new colors. Like I said, there are 8 new colors. I know there are only 7 cards. I was just trying to confuse you. lol. Actually, one of the 8 colors is the same on all 7 cards. The "Thinking of You" piece and bottom border on every card are done on Lagoon cardstock. Now, clockwise from the top left, the damask tiles on each card are stamped in the following colors: Sky, Pacifica, Cotton Candy, Sunset, Pear, Smoothie, and the middle card is Gypsy. How delicious are those colors (and I'm not just talking about their names)? I can't even choose a favorite because I love them all.

While you are anticipating the new colors going live on September 1, feel free to stop by my website where you can order our already wonderful products 24/7...even in your jammies!

Last 2 Days of Scrapbooking Sale

Hello! Yes, I am alive, but just barely. I felt the flu begin last Tuesday and here it is Tuesday again and I am still flu-ing. Might I just say that the last 5-7 days of my life have been the pits? I am still coughing up a lung here and there, but the fever is gone and I now have enough voice to be semi-understood. So, since my voice is coming back I thought I'd post since you can hear me now (Bah-ha-ha...I crack myself up!).

I wanted to remind you that today (Aug. 10) and tomorrow (Aug. 11) are the last two days of the $2, $4, $6 for 8 MEGA-Scrapbook sale on my website (just click on 'shop online' then '2,4, 6, 8 sale'). Click here to read more about it. THANK YOU to all of you who have ordered so far. How 'bout those bargains?

I thought I'd share a card I made a couple of weeks ago. It is similar to one I made for the Humble Artists swap group (which I am not allowed to post for a while), but not exactly the same, so I think I can legally share it.

I did a few fun things on this card. The pinwheel flowers are a blast to make. As you can see, I stacked two of them on this card. There is a tutorial at www.fancymelissa.blogspot.com. I will share an exact link to the tutorial in my next post. For some reason I can't find the exact link to the tutorial. I have emailed Melissa to get it and as soon as I hear from her, I will post it here for you. I also stamped the Damask Tiles Stamp Set (my fave! C1342) in Twilight Ink on Sweet Leaf Cardstock. After that I lightly painted over it with our Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint. Delicious! It reminds me of the wallpaper in a colonial southern mansion.

All products used on this card are Close To My Heart. Click here to shop my website any time, 24/7...even in your jammies!

Installment #4: Close To My Heart Convention Artwork

Here is another installment of some of the artwork I used in my class at the CTMH National Convention.

I'm sure you are shocked (NOT!) that another of my examples features my sweeter-than-sweet granddaughter, Daci.

This layout was to illustrate that a great place to find color inspiration is in the Close To My Heart Idea Book. The color combo you see here is in the brand new Autumn/Winter Idea Book that will be released on September 1 (and as you know, you can see it right her on my blog beginning that day). CTMH is awesome in the way that they organize their book. Each 2-page spread features a color combo put together by the Art Department and all of the artwork on that page is made with that color combo. I get TONS of color inspiration this way.

Two of the colors you see on this layout are brand new in the September 1 Autumn/Winter Idea Book. I can hardly wait for you to see them. In the meantime, while you are waiting for the new Idea Book, the current one is FULL of great products and ideas. One that I would recommend is my current favorite stamp set: Damask Tiles (C1342). You can see it used here stamped in the blue color on the white cardstock behind the photo of Daci, and also on the "SWING" letters in small amounts. Isn't that a GREAT set? You can order it, or anything else in the current Idea Book by heading to my site and clicking on "Shop Online."

Lastly, I thought I'd share one of my favorite color combos from the current Idea Book (Summer 2010). It can be found on pages 54-55. Crystal Blue, Sorbet and Twilight are a great color combo as illustrated by the artwork on these pages.

Have a colorful day!

Installment #1: Close To My Heart Convention Artwork

Layout #1 - Monochromatic Color Scheme (vintage and soft)
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Layout #2 - Split Complementary Color Scheme (Happy and Carefree)
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I'm home! It has been a whirlwind the last 2 weeks. Washington, DC was incredible, from the sight-seeing to the Close To My Heart Convention to the fun I had with my CTMH team and buddies. FYI: Our Close To My Heart Annual Convention next year is at Disneyland! I would LOVE to have you join us. For information about joining my team, click here (or just email me at pedermom@aol.com). Chicago was fantastsic. I must say that the people in Chicago might be the kindest and most hospitable of anywhere I have ever visited. It is a beautiful city, made even more beautiful to me by my loved ones who now live there. All that considered, there is no place like home (as Dorothy would say). I came home to a clean home, big hugs from my hubby and sons, and a dozen roses from Tan-Man. What a wonderful welcome. Sometimes even testosterone laced human beings do very estrogen based things. lol. Lest you think these guys are perfect, there were 7 loads of laundry waiting for me. :)

Okay, the real reason for this post, and I suspect the real reason you are stopping by my blog, is to see some of the 'top-secret' (until after Convention) artwork I have been promising you for weeks. So, without further ado, here is the first installment. You can click on any photo in this message to see it larger. There are lots of details to see on both layouts, so I'm thinking you will want to click!

The class I taught at Convention was a class about color, how to combine it, where to get inspiration, how color affects moods and emotion, etc. I LOVED preparing for and teaching this class. I hope my students enjoyed it as much as I did. The artwork I am sharing today is one of the examples I used in my class to show what a difference color can make.

These layouts are of my cuter-than-cute, sweeter-than-sweet granddaughter, Daci. If you look closely you will be able to see that the photos on the layouts are the same, it's the colors that are different. Let me explain my reasoning, the techniques and products I used, and you decide if what I did was effective. I'll start with Layout One:

• First I changed the color of the photographs. If you are an iphoto user, all that is involved to do this is to click on the photo you want and then click on 'edit', then 'effects', then choose 'antique'. Voila. One little tip. I ALWAYS make a 2nd copy of the original before I do this and then antique the copy. That way I still have my originally colored photo. The photos you see on the first layout are antiqued (the photos on Layout Two are their true colors).
• The reason I changed the color of the photos was to show what a difference the color makes in how a photograph feels. I wanted one of the layouts I did to feel vintage and soft, the other I wanted to feel happy and carefree. You decide if the colors and techniques I used accomplished this goal.
  
• Layout One is made using a monochromatic color scheme. I used (CTMH colors) Vanilla Cream (X5646) and Parchment Cardstocks (X5645) with some Chocolate Ink (Z2111) and Parchment Ink (Z2142) and stamping (with one of my favorite stamp sets, Damask Tiles (C1342). I also used our Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint (Z1039) to paint over some of the papers I stamped, as well as the Dimensional Elements Simple Alphabet-Lower (Z1048) that I used for the "Wonder" words. I added some rubons to spell out "A world of...", for the little swirl border on page 2, and for the word "Memories" on page 2. (Love Letters-Z1098).
• There are 2 techniques I wanted to explain from Layout 1: 1. If you look at the paper on the left side of page 1 and under the photos on page 2, you will see it looks almost like a vintage wallpaper. This is how I achieved this look: *first stamp the Damask Tiles stamp of your choice in parchment ink onto parchment cardstock. Then, while wet mist with a mixture of Chocolate Reinker (Z2211) and Water. Let dry and you have this beautiful look. Simple but oh-so-elegant. I just used a little mister that I found in the travel aisle at Target (I think it is meant for hairspray and was about $1). 2. The second technique is what you see on the papers in layout one under the word "Wonder" and across the bottom of page 2. Again, I used Parchment Cardstock and using one of the stamps in the Damask Tiles Stamp Set I stamped a pattern in Chocolate Ink. I let this dry and then using sponge paint brush I painted over the entire piece lightly with our Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint (Z1039) and then let it dry. You can also see this paper covering the A-door-ables windows (Z1321) on both pages. The one on page 2 with the photo on it opens to reveal hidden journaling. I love these little chipboard A-door-ables, and with the great price of $3.95 for 10 of them, you can't lose!
• Other techniques used in Layout One: scissor edge distressing (both on paper and photos), sponging edges with Chocolate ink (again, paper and photos), ribbon flowers (great tutorial here...the only difference between my roses and these is I built mine on a cardstock circle so that I could glue it down flat) using our Designer Ribbon Rounds Cocoa Collection (Z1316) and our Twill Bulk Ribbon (Z1099). The pearls you see in the middles are available beginning on September 1 in the new Autumn/Winter Idea Book. You will see a link to that here on my blog on that day.

On to Layout Two:

• As I mentioned earlier, this layout was meant to feel "happy" and "carefree." I left the photos of Daci in their true colors. I used a modified Split Complementary color scheme that was inspired by the colors in my photos. I also felt they conveyed the happy, carefree theme I was going with.All 3 colors you see in this layout are new colors that will be available in the Autumn/Winter Idea Book on September 1.
• I did quite a bit of sanding on this layout, and there is nothing better to have to achieve this look than the CTMH Sanding Kit (Z1294). It has everything you need to create just about any distressed look you want.
  
• The technique I used on the bright green paper to achieve the striped look works like this: Take out the blade in your Fiskars Euro Trimmer (Z338). Line your paper up and ever 1/2" run your Dry Embossing/Scoring Stylus (Z608) along the paper in the cutting trough. Advance your paper another 1/2" in the trimmer and do the same thing again. Repeat every 1/2". Of course, you could do stripes closer together, further apart, or even create plaids, diamonds or just about anything. Remember as you are doing this that the part that will be 'poking up' is the side that was against the trimmer. Take your paper out of the trimmer, turn it over so the 'outie' side is up, and sand. Cool beans!
• You will also notice that many of the chipboard flowers and leaves have white embossing on them. Lest you think I spent hours upon hours on these, I'll let you in on a little secret. I used the Irresistibles Pizzaz (Z1307) collections for these. These white chipboard pieces are already embossed. All you do is color with markers or sponge with a stamp pad on top and you have the most beautiful creations ever. LOVE these!
• You might notice that I also sponged tone-on-tone ink on each piece of paper used in the layout. This is quick and easy and adds depth and personality.
• I also glittered several of the flower middles. To do this, I just sprayed with spray adhesive and then sprinkled with Prisma Glitter (Z134).
• I also added some rounded corners (on the photos and journaling square). It's important to note that any time you have a layout (or card for that matter) that has all square edges, it is not nearly as pleasing to the eye. Rounded edges don't have to just come from a corner rounder. You can see several other examples of things that add 'roundness' in this layout as well: the flowers, the polka dots, the edge of the piece that the photos are mounted on (page 2). Be sure to add both round and square edges to give your creations a more likable appearance.

I hope you have enjoyed today's artwork and explanations. I am so excited to be able to begin sharing some of my Convention class artwork with you over the next couple of weeks. I have created links to most of the products I have used above, which will take you straight to my website if you want to see that particular product. You can also click here to order from me 24/7...even in your PJ's! Have a wonderful Monday!