CTMH Dreamer card

Hello! Hello!  I checked the mail yesterday and found this fabulous stamp set in my post office box.  Thanks to my Director, Jessica Wilson!  I have been so busy lately and haven't had any ME time.  This morning I should be packing up my daughter's clothes to move them to my room, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  At the moment, I am supposed to be going to help load my sister's beds and fridge to bring them to our house.  They will be living with us for a little while.  I sat down this morning and thought, "I want to create!"  And, this wonderful fresh stamp set along with the Freshly Made Sketches #142 challenge this week just filled me with inspiration!

I hope you like my finished creation.  Now I think I can go back to all the tasks at hand (lol).  CTMH products I used for this card are:

White Daisy Cardstock

Dreamer Stamp Set

Balloon Ride Scrapbooking Workshop paper packet (print and cashmere cardstock)

Saddle Dye ink

Black Dye ink

Bonding Glue Stick

Note: The embellishments are from K&Co.

Happy Crafting!-Dari

CTMH You Make Life Wonderful layout

Hello! Hello!  Hopefully you can look past the terrible photography.  I didn't dare turn on the lights, because I wanted a few more minutes of peaceful bliss before the kids woke up.  The haze is due to light deficiencies (lol). 

I love this layout.  We created this last night at my monthly scrapbook club. The supplies we used were: (all CTMH)

White daisy cardstock

Balloon Ride Scrapbook workshop (papers, embellishments and stamp set)

Whimsy mini pigment ink set

Artbooking Cricut cartridge

Give A Lift stamp set

Sweet & Lovely Stamp Set (Artbooking Cricut bundle)

Desert Sand dye ink

Saddle dye ink

Slate dye ink

Sanding block

Bonding glue stick

Micro-tip scissors

Foam tape

Not CTMH products: colored pencils, journaling pen.

I have the ability to print out photos from my printer that look great so I have the advantage of being able to print photos at various sizes.  I know for standard pics, this layout may be a bit more difficult to work with, but it came to me in the wee hours of the morning, and I had to do it!!

Thanks for stopping by.  Good luck with your own creations. -Dari

CTMH Balloon Ride Card

Hello! Hello!  As I told you yesterday, I had a moment of inspiration for a card.  I have fallen in love with CTMH's Balloon Ride paper line and stamps.  After seeing Donna Digby's card she made for the Freshly Made Sketches 141 challenge, I knew I had to make my own. 

To make:
*Note: all products are Close To My Heart unless specified.
1) Cut a 4.25 inch strip from a 12x12 sheet of Colonial White cardstock. Then cut 1 inch from the bottom making a 4.25 x 11 inch strip.  Fold in half to create a 4.25 x 5.5 inch card.
2) Cut a 3 7/8 x 5 1/8 inch rectangle from Cashmere cardstock. Run this through your Cuttlbebug with the Dots embossing folder.  Distress edges with Saddle dye ink. Attach to card base with bonding glue stick.
3) Out of the Balloon print paper, cut a 4.75 x 3.5 rectangle.  Then, cut a 1 inch strip from each side.  (This makes so that the images continue to match on the background).  Turn your strips and cut 1 inch off of each side of each strip.  You should end up with 9 rectangles: 4   1 inch squares, 2  1 x 1.5 rectangles, 2  1 x 2.75 inch rectangles, and 1 1.5 x 2.75 inch rectangle.  Distress the edges with blush ink.  I used pigment, because that's what I had. Adhere with bonding glue stick leaving space around each as shown above.
4) Using scraps: Cut a 1/2 x 1.75 inch strip from blush print (one of the B & T's) and cashmere cardstock. Cut a 1 x 2.5  inch strip from juniper cardstock. Fold the blush and cashmere in half (thin width wise) and cut off a small triangle from the end starting 1/2 inch from the end and tapering until you meet the corner point on end.  This will make the pointed end.  Fold the juniper strip in half like the others. This time, start from the end at the folded middle point and ending 1/2 inch down but cutting toward the edge of the paper. I hope this makes sense!  If in doubt, make the strips look like those above :). Using the sanding block, distress all edges of these banner strips you just created. Stamp the image shown above on the juniper cardstock using saddle dye ink.  Adhere the strips with the bonding glue stick.  Note: I did not glue the entire strips.  I left about 1/2 inch on the ends so I could curl the points up.
5) Stamp the balloon image with desert sand dye ink.  Cut out and color.  I recommend CTMH's watercolor pencils, but I don't have them.  I used a light blue watercolor pencil I have for the balloon body, but ended up using Crayola colored pencils for the rest, because my watercolor set didn't have coordinating colors (lol). Adhere the image using two pieces of foam tape.  I always use my CTMH micro-tip scissors for this, because the sticky adhesive from the tape does NOT stick to the scissors. It's awesome!

You're done!  I would love to hear from you if you use my instructions.  Let me know if they are clear and easy to follow.  Or, if you create something from inspiration you found from my card, I'd love to hear so I can check it out! 
Thanks for stopping by.  Hope you have a beautiful day! -Dari

Donna Digby's CTMH You Lift Me Up Card

Oh! Happy Monday!  Alright, I must say that it actually feels like a Monday today.  I have been going a billion miles an hour the last little while (month), and my body and brain are on strike (lol).  I woke up at my usual time (sometime between 5-6), but I have not been able to get myself going.  I couldn't even bring myself to go running, and my hair isn't even done yet.  My revamped goal for the day is to simply get my house back in order.  Shouldn't be too difficult unless I don't even get going! 

I haven't checked Face Book for several days, because I haven't been home really since last Thursday. So, I sat down, and I found this fabulous card done by Donna Digby from Dat's My Style blog.  She, too, is a CTMH consultant.  I love the sketch she used, which is a sketch challenge.  I am going to have to give Freshly Made Sketches a try!  Anyway, as I mentioned in one of my recent posts, I love the CTMH Balloon Ride paper line and the stamp sets that go with it.  When I saw her card, my mind actually thought, "Ooooh.  I want to create today."  Maybe my new revamped goal will be clean my house this morning and create this afternoon.  Hmm? :)  

Here is a picture of her card.  You can go to her blog here. You can come back and visit my blog in a day or two to see what I came up with from the inspiration she gave me!   Have a great day!  Thanks Donna for "Lifting me up"  (pun intended).

CTMH Balloon Ride

I love CTMH's Balloon Ride scrapbook workshop on the go.  The stamp set is awesome!  I have used it for several pieces of art lately.  I also like the CTMH Give Me a Lift stamp set, too.  It is the one pictured above.  I can't seem to save a decent sized picture of it (lol)! I have been really impressed with CTMH's papers.  They are well coordinated and easy to put together into great creations. 

Thank you for stopping by! -Dari

June 2014 Close To My Heart Stamp of the Month

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I am so excited for this stamp set!  There are so many possibilities.  They have designed it to be very versatile (not just for the 4th of July).  I am hosting a gathering tonight and will be placing an order soon.  This will be one of the items I am ordering.  Can't wait to use it!

I am going to be using it in my Mom & Me workshop on June 27th.  We are going to make a table centerpiece featuring different stamps from this set.  Come back soon to see the finished product!  To order this for yourself, you can visit my store at dariscreativecorner.ctmh.com.

Have a super day and thanks for stopping by! -Dari

CTMH Craft Mat

I created these fun mats right after I signed up as an Independent Close To My Heart Consultant.  I had two laminating sheets left and so I laminated two of them, but I just slid the other 8 into sheet protectors.  Amazing!  I use these at my own craft desk, take them to my gatherings, use them at my workshops, etc.  I don't have to worry about glue and ink getting all over the tables.  I simply wash them off with soapy water and let dry!  These were made using CTMH's Skylark paper pack, the Believe in Yourself Stamp Set (C1574), and the Lagoon and Desert Sand Dye Inks.  I used the Bonding Glue Stick as well.  

Hope you can use this idea in your own crafting world!  -Dari

CTMH classes for June

I am so excited for this month's Close To My Heart classes.  These are the projects I have done. It has been really fun to put my creative juices to work. I am learning a lot about myself. Some good. Some not so much. 

I would love to have you join me.  If you have any questions, just leave ask below. 

June

6^th- Technique @ 7 p.m. Distressing. $10.

11^th- Youth Craft @ 3 p.m. Mini brag album. $15.

18^th- Card Class @7 p.m. 2 Birthday cards. $5 unless order $5 or more in products, then free.

25^th-Scrapbooking Class- Create layout. $5 unless order $5 or more in products.

27^th- Mom & Me @ 3 p.m. Fourth of July craft. $10.

Looking ahead: Scrapbooking retreat September 18-20.  Midway, UT. $199.

 Thanks for stopping by! -Dari

Picture frame display

Hello! Hello! I helped a dear friend of mine create this frame last week. We had lots of fun doing it.  I was a little nervous about her bright orange color, but it is beautiful! Thank you Jessica for letting me  help you create this! -Dari

CTMH Thinking of You My Friend Card

For my CTMH Technique Workshop this month (this Friday!) we are exploring different methods of distressing.  I am in love with this card.  It turned out super cute.  I don't think the scanner did it justice, because this doesn't look as good as it does in real life! 

Oh well.  The distressing techniques I used in this card are: swiping the edges, sliding a sponge dauber, bouncing the dauber, sanding, using the distressing tool, and swiping the stamp across the ink pad.

If you would like more info on how I did this card, just ask away!

Thanks for stopping by today. -Dari