Last Chance for March Deals

Hello everyone.  I am in the middle of a major scraproom over-haul, but I wanted to take a few minutes and remind you that today is your last chance for two fabulous Close to My Heart deals. 

Today is the final day of a fabulous consultant sign up special:   If you have ever considered selling Close to My Heart products, today is the day to sign up!!!  March is a great time to share Close To My Heart’s philosophy of fun! New Consultants who sign up in March will receive a fabulous Cricut® Art Philosophy collection FREE! If you already have the collection, you can choose to receive $100 in select product credit* instead. The collection, which retails for $99, is actually valued at over $124, adding incredible value to the New Consultant Kit. It’s time for everyone to embrace the philosophy of fun—Consultant and Cricut® fun!


Dates: Offer valid valid March 1 at 9:00 am (MST) – March 31 at 11:59 pm (MDT).

So come join my team and get a free Art Philosophy cartridge (with the purchase of the new consultant kit)!

Today is also the last day to purchase the March Stamp of the Month set, Potential.  This beautiful stamp set retails for $17.95, or with a $50 order it can be added during check out for only $5.00.  I would hate to see you miss this beautiful set!

Remember that both of these specials are valid only until 11:59 MDT tonight!!!

Easter with a Flourish

Hello everyone, welcome to another Monday Bitten by the Bug 2 challenge.  This week's challenge cut was selected by my fabulously British design team sister, Julie.  Julie chose for the design team to use any flourish from the Cindy Loo cartridge.  In that Easter is just around the corner I thought this was a perfect time to break out an Easter card.

I used two flourishes from Cindy Loo, a large border flourish on the front of the card and a smaller single flourish inside.  I embellished the flourish with Close to My Heart's Bitty Buds. 

For the trio of Easter eggs across the front of the card I used Cricut Craft Room's exclusive Teresa Collins Easter Basket cartridge.  I cut all three layers of the eggs, the decorative front, the contrast middle layer and the shadow/base layer.  I added a chick and a bunny from the Easter 2010 seasonal cartridge. 

Inside the card, as I stated above, I added a small flourish.  I also added a lace border and the two little eggs that were left over from the eggs on the front of the card. As you can see I still have plenty of space to add a sentiment or write a note.

The base card, the striped matting and the lace pieces were each cut from the Close to my Heart Art Philosophy cartridge.  I just love the shape of this card and find myself using it frequently.

Before you rush away, remember that the BBTB2 design team loves it when you play along with us.  Use any flourish from Cindy Loo, or any other Cricut cartridge flourish, and link your project to the BBTB2 site. 

*     *     *     *     *

Close to my Heart News:  We are down to the final week of the Stamp of the Month, Potential.  Be sure to order your stamp set this week as they will be unavailable after March 31. 

The How-To series of books are still on close out sale.  I ordered two more of the books and they arrived Friday.  The layouts in these books are just lovely and I know the books will be great resources for me.

3D Party Cones & Moustaches For Everyday Cricut

Hello everyone, welcome to Busy with the Cricky.  Today I am the Saturday Designer at Everyday Cricut where I am sharing this fun party idea.  Last night several of my girlfriends and I got together for a Downton Abbey-a-thon.  We watched the first three episodes of Downton Abbey's season one, a show that I adore.  Technically we were celebrating my birthday, but I decided we need 3D Party Cones and Moustaches to make our get together a bit more festive. 

For full details on how these great cones were crafted, as well as the hysterical moustaches below, pop over to Melanie and Joy's Everyday Cricut blog. 

The cut file for this project is available here on my blog, in the left column.  Look in the Craft Room section for the title "Butterfly Cones". 

Above, left to right: Kathy, Beth, and Kimberly model their moustaches.  Below:  Peggy, Pat, and I strut our 'stache - style! 

Thanks for stopping by today.  This post will wrap up my birthday week, and what a fun week it has been!  I will be back on Monday with another Bitten by the Bug 2 project.

*     *     *     *     *

Remember that we are down to the last few days to order the Close to My Heart Stamp of the Month set, Potential.  The set is available only until March 31.  It retails for $17.95, but with a $50 order you may add the Stamp of the Month to your cart during check out for $5.00!! 

Also, if you do not already own Close to My Heart's fabulous Art Philosophy cartridge treat yourself to a spring gift!  This is my favorite cartridge, bar none!  It is also the cartridge I used to create the beautiful butterflies pictured above. 

And finally, they are going, going.... Don't let them be gone without ordering your favorite book or two from Close to My Heart's fabulous "how-to" programs.  I adore these books!!  They are in close out sale for $21.95 each.

Guest Designer's Welcome Card

Hello everyone! Today I am sharing a lovely card created by a guest designer, Susan Miller.  Susan is new to the world of Cricut and paper crafting - based on this AMAZINGLY lovely card, I can only imagine where Susan will go with her wonderful talent!  Susan wanted to participate in the Bitten by the Bug 2 Welcome challenge this week, but she does not have a blog.  So I am thrilled to be able to share Susan's card with you.

From Susan:  "I loved the colors in these papers, and that's what inspired me to make it a spring card.  The words are from the April Showers cartridge, cut twice in two different sizes and colors. I wanted the emphasis to be on the "Welcome". The large layered butterfly is from the Picturesque cartridge, and has purple stickles on one of the layers. The smaller butterfly is from the Ultimate Creative Series Sampler, and the framed mat is from Art Philosophy. The two background papers (stripe and large dot) are digital paper files from sherykdesigns.com called "Tempting 20". I lined the envelope with one of these as well. The word "spring" and the small butterfly have Elmer's sparkle glue on them."

Fabulous, fabulous job Susan!  Thank you so much for sharing your lovely spring card today!!!
 

Flowers and Antiques

Hello everyone!  Since yesterday was my birthday I thought I would share photos of the amazing floral arrangement my hubby gave me!  He spoke with our favorite florist, Cannon House in Aiken, SC and ordered a spring colors centerpiece for our dinning table. 

I photographed my hand with the flowers in an attempt to offer a size reference.  The arrangement is 30" wide x 16" tall.  I absolutely love the colors and the unusual flowers.  One of the new flowers (new to me) is a green-eyed rose.  It is a white rose with a light moss-like center.  Very unusual and very pretty.

The cabinet above is a new antique piece I purchased for our home.  I have decked it out as a bar - filled with alcohol, glassware, bar tools, etc.  It is heavy dark wood, but I do not know what type.  The cabinet is just under 7 ft tall and is 56 inches wide and I LOVE it.

I will be back tomorrow with guest project to share!  Don't forget about the going, going, gone "How-to" books and the stamp of the month set!!!

March Stamp of the Month

Fashionistas on Clear Cards!

Hello everyone.  Today I am sharing a spring girlfriend card with you.  This fun card was created using the Art Philosophy cartridge and other Close to My Heart products, including our Clear Cards fun edged card set, Lucy cardstock set, and the Fashionistas seven piece stamp set.  

I began by stamping my shopping Fashionista image (woman #1 on the left in the above photo) three times, in three different colors of CTMH ink.  Using micro tipped scissors I cut out my base woman.  I continued on cutting the hair from the brown image and the dress, shoes and bag from the sunset image.  Using micro tipped glue I assembled my fashionista, added foam squares to the back and set her aside. 

Using the same brown ink, I stamped the row of shops stamp on to white cardstock.  I used orange and peach markers to color in the white areas.  After cutting out the stamped image and adding foam squares to the back, I set the shops aside.

Using my Cricut and the Art Philosophy cartridge I cut a 2 inch circle and a 2.25 inch scalloped circle.  I stamped the "Love who You are" phrase onto the circle and layered the two cuts together.  I also cut three rectangles in three different prints to use inside the card. 

I layer the argyle and dot cardstocks together and placed then INSIDE the card, on the front facing out.   I placed the third rectangle onto the back of the card, facing the inside. 

Using the second phrase stamp in the Fashionistas set, I stamped the Bo Derek quote onto yellow cardstock.  The phrase reads, "Whoever said money can't buy happiness...  Simply doesn't know where to go shopping!"  Amen, Bo!

I finished my card by attaching the Fashionista, the shops and the circle tag to the front of the card.  I also added a tiny butterfly left over from a previous project.  

This would make a great birthday card or just because friend card.  Either way, I do quite like the Fashionistas and I do see myself spending more time with them in the near future!!

Links:

• Art Philosophy Cartridge Set
• Fashionistas Stamp Set
• Lucy Paper Set
• Clear Cards
• Sunset Ink
• Cocoa Ink

I know that a couple of you have taken advantage of the "How-to" series book sale.  I know the numbers are quite limited and when they sell out they will be completely gone.  The books are fabulous and you should not miss this chance to pick up one or two of them at the close-out sale! 

Don't forget our fabulous Stamp of the Month set, Potential.  This lovely stamp set is available for the month of March only (Ten more days!!) and retails for $17.95.  Or... with a $50.00 purchase, the Potential stamp set can be added to your cart during checkout for $5.00!

And FINALLY, today is my birthday!!  I will be having lunch with a girlfriend, doing dinner with my hubby, and then enjoying my ballroom dance class.  Last week we finished with the Rumba so this week we will begin a new dance.  Let's hope that I do not break a leg on my birthday!!

Welcome Baby Conner

Hello Everyone!  It is a Bitten by the Bug 2 Monday here at Busy with the Cricky.  My sweet design team sister Theresa from Blinky Blossoms selected this week's challenge cut.  For those who are new to Busy with the Cricky and Bitten by the Bug 2, the weekly challenge cut is a Cricut cut selected by a team member for the entire team to use to create a project.  We invite all readers to join us and create a project using the weekly challenge cut.  Theresa chose the word "Welcome" for the team to use this week.

I decided to use the challenge cut to create a new baby card for my friend Peggy's daughter, who's baby is due very soon.  I used the font on the Kate's ABC's cartridge to spell out the word Welcome and also the words Baby Conner.  I also used Kate's ABC's to cut the cute Bunny scene and the bunny baby carriage.  I chose a the bunnies because Conner is due right around Easter.

I used Close to my Heart's Art Philosophy cartridge to cut the base card, the background mat, and the shaped mats.  I used pop dots to assemble the bunny scene on the mats.

The card was finished with a few doodles and dots and a cute blue felt and button layered flower. 

Remember that the Close to my Heart exceptional "How-to" series of books are on close-out sale.  When they sell out that will be it for this awesome products.  I personally purchased the remaining books simply because two of my friends (who I truly trust) speak so highly of the books.  For more information on the books please continue on to my previous blog post.

And finally, don't forget about the March Stamp of the Month, POTENTIAL.  The lovely stamp set is available only for the month of March.  It is an exclusive eight piece set which retails for $17.95, or can be added to any $50.00 order for $5.00.   For more information on the Stamp of the Month or any Close to My Heart product, visit my Close to My Heart on-line store!

Act Quickly - Last Call For the Best Scrapbooking/Cardmaking Books Available

Hello, everyone! I have a fabulous SALE ALERT for you!! If you were thinking about getting one of the WONDERFUL how-to books from Close To My Heart then you need to act now. They are being discontinued and will be gone soon! They are discounted to $21.95 each and you need to act now!

These books are a paper crafter's life savers and really help you when you are in a crafting funk! My friends Joy and Melanie use them all of the time! In our collective opinions, they are some of the best "how-to" & paper crafting inspirational printed material on the market.  The My Reflections and Originals are already gone. Get the others while you can!  Click the name/description of each book to purchase.

Imagine: Create your own 12" × 12" designer layouts with Jeanette Lynton’s second volume of incredible scrapbooking patterns. Packed with 50 all new, two-page patterns, complete cutting diagrams, and assembly instructions, plus inspiring techniques, Imagine™ is every scrapbooker’s best friend. Check out the first volume, Cherish™, the book that elevated passion for scrapbooking. Both gorgeous, hardback books feature full-color photos and are coffee-table worthy! (Cherish sold separately.)

Cherish: This beautiful new hardbound book is similar to the Reflections programs with blueprints, step-by-step instructions, and photo suggestions, but it’s really in a league all of its own. It is a stand-alone publication that will look simply fabulous on a bookshelf or coffee table. It features 50 12" × 12" two-page scrapbook concepts as well as in-depth instructions for unique art techniques, accessory suggestions for every concept, detailed cutting diagrams, step-by-step assembly instructions, a thumbnail index, and all the artwork recipes.

 

Wishes: Bulk cardmaking, trendy circle cards, and all new patterns make Jeanette Lynton's latest hardbound, how-to cardmaking book a must-have for your creative library. The three bulk card "workshops" help you make 8, 12, or 16 cards in a jiffy while getting the most out of your papers and your time. The beautiful full-color artwork and creative tips and techniques offer hours of inspiration and fresh ideas.

Magic: Bring magic to your scrapbook layouts using clever interactive techniques. You'll add hands-on excitement and dramatically increase your photo and journaling space using pop-ups, pull-outs, slides, cascades, and more! Magic™ also includes 35 gorgeous 12" x 12" layout patterns that can be used on their own or with the interactive techniques. (DVD included.)

Easter Cards with my Peeps!

It has been a long week and I finally found time to share a project with you.  Last night my friend Peggy hosted our Close to My Heart Stamp Club.  There are six stamp club member and we meet six times per year, once at each home.  We agreed that each person must purchase a minimum of $25 in stamp merchandise allowing each member to receive hostess credit once during the year.   This cute little Easter card was last night's project.

The way stamp club works is I design a project and create kits for each attendee.  I take all of the materials and offer any instruction that might be needed.  We assemble the projects - which is fun for me because the stampers always amaze me with their creativity.  I love the changes they make in the designs and feel that each person should have the option to personalize their project.

Last night we used Close to My Heart's stamp set B1412, My Peeps along with the CTMH X7149, Lucy Paper Pack to create this cute Easter card.  The base cards were cut in light pink cardstock using CTMH's Z1686 Art Philosophy cartridge.  We stamped the Easter eggs onto the argyle print cardstock and colored the eggs with markers.  Next we stamped the Easter phrase "happy Easter with my peeps..." across the green print cardstock.  Finally we stamped the little bunnies onto pink cardstock, cut them out and pop dotted two of the bunnies to the card.  The third bunny was attached to the card using CTMH Z1725, Adhesive Springs.  Some of the ladies used pop dots on all three bunnies, stamped a fourth bunny and used the spring to make a pop up bunny inside the card!  They are soooo smart!!

This is a close up of my VERY QUICK coloring job.  I used three shades of pink markers and randomly colored the eggs.

I have added the links to the Close to My Heart products, except the ink, so let me quickly add those too.  We used Chocolate and Hollyhock colored inks.  I love the quality of all of the CTMH inks!

One last item before I wish you a happy weekend - don't forget about the very pretty March Stamp of the Month, POTENTIAL.  This elegant eight piece stamp set is available only until the end of the month and retails for $17.95.  With a $50.00 order you will be prompted during check out to add the Stamp of the Month to your cart for only $5.00. 

These great projects were embellished using the Potential stamp set.

I wish each of you a wonderful weekend.  I hope you find some time to do a bit of crafting!